The Amorist - D.M

Chapter 4 - Constellation

It's been getting colder at Hogwarts, you can smell the crisp sting of ice in the air. Winter has always been one of my favoured seasons. The Halloween Ball is slowly approaching at the end of the month but all I can think about are the bloody OWL's.

Harry has been stressing over his trial at the Ministry. It's due to take place in a little over a week. Umbridge has been impertinent to many of the students at Hogwarts and has started placing plaques of rules on a wall.

I am currently brewing in potions, Snape making it impenetrably difficult to simmer up the will to live.

"It'd do you well to focus on your cauldron, Miss Delarosa." He snaps, coming up behind me to sneer.

I huff, adding some Devil's Snare to my cauldron. Pansy Parkinson is my partner in potions this year, not my choice, obviously. She's got a sickening smirk on her face everytime I glance in her direction.

I look up and meet Hermione's eyes across the room and we give eachother an innocent smile before turning back to our work.

Someone clicks their tongue opposite my table, "Now now, Miss Delarosa, didn't Snape tell you to keep your eyes on your cauldron?" I glare murderously through my eyelashes at the voice in which it came from, Malfoy.

I bite my lip hard, trying not to say anything, I'm not trying to get another detention.

"Cat got your tongue?" He says, innocently.

I cut some dried nettles, vigorously throwing them in the cauldron.

"No wonder Snape is hasseling you, you can barely use the right ingredients." Malfoy spits. My cheeks flush and I look at Pansy wondering why she hadn't told me it was the wrong ingredient.

"I thought we were supposed to add dried nettles?" I hiss , pleadingly at her.

"You never asked, quiet as a mouse you are."

"I'm not quiet, I just don't speak to you." I snarl, grabbing the book out of her hands and scanning the pages for the correct ingredient.

"Is there a problem, Miss Delarosa?" Snape creeps up behind me, again.

"No, no not at all." I bite my lip, contemplating if I carry on brewing the potion I just ruined or I tell him and brace for whatever ferocity comes my way.

He peers at my working station, his eyes flaring widely as they stick on a dried nettle lazily left out like a sore thumb. "What is that, Miss Delarosa?"

I panic, anxiety filling my throat. "You see, I thought we had to add dried nettles - Its not my fault - If Parkinson would have told me - Professor you have to understand-"

"Enough." He silences me, glancing between Parkinson and I. "You will make up for this by writing me an essay, Delarosa and exclaiming how to make this potion correctly. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir. Of course - Thankyou." He walks away, his cape drifting behind him and I let myself breathe.

Malfoy is still glaring at me across the table, icy eyes wild and watching. I wonder if I've got something on my face because he can't lift his gaze from me and I'm stood here feeling like a bloody idiot whilst getting scolded by his eyes.

"Have you got a staring problem, Malfoy?" Instantly he looks away, uninterested and resumes to cutting ingredients. Pansy shoots me a disgusted look, as if she can't believe I could be so bold to question her pathetic boyfriend.

"You're not worth the damage to my eyes, Delarosa." He states plainly.

I raise my eyebrows challenging him, "I assure you, nothings more damaging than your sorry sight of an arse."