Healing // d.m.

| 62 |

5 Years Later

"SMALLS get back here." Draco ushered the dog back to his usual spot under his work desk. A student dropped one of his cauldron's and a resounding crash vibrated throughout the room. Somehow the potion they were making smelled like fucking bacon so Smalls had been in a frenzy all day. All the students gave him pets and ear rubs, making his way back to Draco's table painfully slow.

"Joseph, please don't feed the  flobberworm to the dog." Draco used his stern Professor voice. The sixth year Gryffindor pulled his hand back away in shock, returning to the beans he's chopping. "Only have 5 minutes left everyone, then I want you all to line up so I can check all your potions."

The room erupted in a frenzy with frantic students fighting for ingredients and vigorous stirring. It was their last chance to boost up their classwork scores for potions today. Draco tried his best to be equal to all houses, but old habits die hard. Green was just a better colour.

But now Hufflepuffs have a tendency to melt his heart too.

"Professor, can we have more time please? Just a few minutes!" Farhan from the far back corner raised his hand.

"No." Draco never tolerated tardiness.

Everyone groaned.

Smalls sat right by his leg, panting like a good boy. He leaned against the desk crossing his hands. He prepared an array of other potions for them to guess later on.

"He's so cruel." Rachel, another Gryffindor, complained to her seat mate. "He always gives out the hardest potions for the test with limited time. It's not fair!"

"At least he's delicious to look at. Just look at him." They really should learn how to whisper silently. "Forget the age gap or the fact that he is Head of Slytherin, he can take me out for butter beer anytime he wants. Did you know he's not married yet?"

Even Smalls rolled his eyes. Draco has been accustomed to it. Female student's talking about him and looking as he walked through the halls. Neville offered to make it a law to stop gawking at Professors. He was treated just the same. Couldn't blame them really.

Rachel continues her slander, "I mean he never smiles. Just that uptight look at his face all the time. Well he smiles to the dog, but only to the bloody dog!"

"I heard he gave up on finding a wife. He was involved in the War of the Rubies back then." Rachel's friend added. "They say his girlfriend died."

Here is where they were wrong. He wasn't even looking.

Kolbie, a Slytherin boy who was becoming one of his favourites, opened his mouth. "I thought he was just into men, I would be happy to-"

"Times up." Draco clapped his hands and Smalls barked along.

After checking each and every potion, not to mention several female students purposely asking unusual questions just to keep him at their table for a longer period of time, he gathered them all to the front. Quizzing them all with a different set of potions. He gave extra marks to those who answered correctly.

"Next, can anyone tell me what this is based on its appearance?" He gauged the room and sighed when the same students that answered before raised their hand.

A shy Hufflepuff stood quietly at the corner. Watching everything unfold but he could see her mouth opening to answer silently.

"Ms. Fiora?" He called her out and her eyes snapped to his. A small part of him wanted to combust at the site. So familiar yet so different.