𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍 ! [ draco malfoy ]

three

     JADE BUTTONED HER WHITE long sleeve, the fabric smooth against her skin. The black pleated miniskirt clung to her figure as she deftly zipped it up. With a deliberate motion, she pulled on her robes, the fabric cascading over her shoulders. Seated on the edge of her bed, she laced up her combat boots.

     Hermione, waiting at the door of their dorm, observed Jade. "You forgot your tie," she pointed out, a touch of amusement in her voice.

     "Right," Jade said, grabbing her Gryffindor-colored tie and hastily putting it on. "Ready!"

     Jade and Hermione walked together to the Great Hall, where everyone was eating breakfast and discussing the first day of class. As Jade walked into the Great Hall, she couldn't help but glance at the Slytherin table, where she once again locked eyes with Draco Malfoy. With a roll of her eyes, Jade tore her gaze away.

     She wondered whether he already knew he was going to have to tutor her for a few weeks in Potions. Had he also reacted the way she did? Did he try to switch to tutor someone else he could tolerate?

     "Morning," Harry greeted them as the two girls sat next to their friends at the Gryffindor table, "what classes do you both have first?"

     "Jade and I have Potions first. Are you and Ron just going to waste time during your first period seeing you do not have a class during?" Hermione said pointedly at the two boys.

     "Blimey, Hermione. We can't be working all the time like you," Ron said.

      "You need the mental capacity to be able to do that," Jade joked as she poured berries into her yoghurt.

     Eventually, breakfast concluded, and Jade and Hermione made their way over to the dungeons for their Potions class.

     There was a group already waiting outside the Potions classroom made up of Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Daphne Greengrass, Theodore Nott, Terry Boot, Michael Corner, two other Ravenclaws, and Ernie Macmillan.

     Jade followed Hermione to the end of the group where the Ravenclaws were standing, both not in the mood to start bickering with the Slytherins. Avoiding eye contact with Malfoy, she opted for a subtle wave at Daphne, acknowledging their friendship amidst the tense dynamics.

     She had just exchanged hellos with Ernie when the dungeon door opened. The students filed into the classroom as Professor Slughorn greeted his new students.

     Different smells swarmed Jade's nose as she settled at a table with Hermione and Ernie.  The four Slytherins settled at their own table, and the four Ravenclaws did the same.

     Professor Slughorn had just begun introducing himself and the four potions on his desk when Harry and Ron walked into the classroom.

     "Ah. Harry, old boy. I was beginning to worry. We've got someone with us, I see," Slughorn said, greeting Harry and looking over at Ron.

     "Ron Weasley, Sir," He said introducing himself, "but I'm dead awful at potions, a menace actually, so I'll probably just go—"

     "Nonsense, we'll sort you out. Any friend of Harry's is a friend of mine," Slughorn told him before turning to the class, "right then, books out."

     Jade pulled her new copy of Advanced Potion-Making out of her bag. This was completely unfair. Were Harry and Ron going to waltz in here and join the class without getting assigned a tutor? She was going to have to endure Malfoy for weeks even though she had received the same O.W.L. grade as Harry.

     "Sorry, Sir, I haven't actually got my book yet, nor has Ron," Harry told him.

     "Not to worry. You can get what you need from the cupboard," Slughorn replied, his attention turning back to the cauldrons on his desk. "Now, as I was saying, I prepared some concoctions this morning. Any ideas what these might be? Yes, Miss...?"