brewing hatred (d.m)

Unexpected Detention Together

The tension between Draco and Ariana had reached an all-time high. Ever since their confrontation in the corridor, the air between them had been charged with unspoken words and unresolved feelings. They were both on edge, and it showed—especially in Potions class.

Snape's sharp voice cut through the air like a blade as he circled the classroom, glancing over bubbling cauldrons and hunched-over students. Ariana could feel Draco's presence next to her, like an irritating heat that wouldn't go away, and it didn't help that they had been paired together yet again for the day's assignment.

The classroom smelled of herbs and brewing potions, but all Ariana could focus on was the tension radiating between them.

"Stir the potion clockwise, Malfoy," Ariana snapped under her breath, her eyes darting toward Draco's hand, which had been moving counterclockwise.

"Don't tell me how to stir a bloody potion, Green," Draco muttered back, his voice tight with irritation. "I know what I'm doing."

"You clearly don't, because if you mess up the stirring pattern, we're going to—"

"Enough!" Snape's voice thundered from across the room, silencing both of them immediately. "Green, Malfoy, if you two are so eager to bicker instead of work, perhaps you'd like to spend some extra time together in detention?"

Ariana bit her lip, fighting the urge to snap back, while Draco simply scowled.

"Fine," Snape said, his tone icy. "Detention for the both of you. My classroom after dinner. We'll see if a little more time together doesn't solve your... inability to work as a team."

Draco muttered something under his breath, but Ariana didn't need to hear it to know exactly what kind of insult was being hurled her way. She just shot him a glare before turning her focus back to the potion, trying to ignore the growing knot of frustration in her chest.

Later that evening, the atmosphere in Snape's classroom felt heavy, as if the dungeon air itself knew what was brewing between them. Ariana and Draco sat in their seats, arms crossed and silent, waiting for Snape to give them their punishment. The only sound in the room was the distant dripping of water from somewhere deep in the castle.

Snape's dark figure moved toward them, his gaze cold and calculating. "You two are impossible," he said slowly, his voice low. "I have tried multiple times to pair you together in hopes that you might learn something about cooperation, but it seems all you've learned is how to make enemies of each other."

Draco rolled his eyes but said nothing.

"So, I will leave you both here," Snape continued. "For an hour. Alone. Perhaps in that time, you will be able to come to some sort of... understanding."

Ariana's eyes widened slightly. "Wait, you're leaving us here?"

Snape's lips curled into a faint, humorless smile. "Yes, Miss Green. You've both wasted enough of my time today. Perhaps you'll use this time to reflect."

With that, Snape turned and swept out of the room, leaving the two of them in silence. The door clicked shut behind him, and the dungeon seemed even colder than before.

Ariana stared at the door for a moment, then turned her attention back to Draco, who was sitting with his arms folded, looking annoyed but otherwise indifferent.

"This is ridiculous," she muttered.

Draco raised an eyebrow, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "You think I wanted to spend my evening with you?"

"No, but you didn't have to make things worse," she shot back. "Maybe if you'd just listened—"

"Listened?" Draco snorted, turning his full attention to her now. "You're the one who's always barking orders like you know better than everyone else."

"That's because I do!" Ariana snapped, feeling her temper flare. "If you weren't so busy trying to prove you're superior, maybe you'd actually notice that I'm not the enemy here!"

"Oh, please," Draco sneered. "You think I don't know that you've been gloating ever since you got here? You act like you're better than me, but all you've done is cause trouble. You and Pansy are like a walking disaster."

Ariana's fists clenched at her sides. "Maybe if you stopped acting like you owned the place, I wouldn't have to step in and show you up every chance I get."

Draco stood up abruptly, knocking his chair back with the force of his movement. He took a step closer to her, his eyes blazing with frustration. "Show me up? Is that what this is to you? A competition?"

Ariana stood up as well, her heart pounding, but she refused to back down. "Maybe it is," she shot back, her voice rising. "Maybe I'm tired of people like you thinking you can push everyone around just because you have a name."

"You don't know anything about me," Draco growled, his voice low, but there was something more behind his words—something that wasn't just anger.

"I know enough," Ariana replied, her voice steady even though her chest was tight. "I know you're arrogant. I know you're cruel. And I know that you can't stand the idea of someone not falling at your feet."

Draco's eyes darkened, and for a moment, she thought he was going to fire back another insult. But instead, he said something that made her heart skip.

"Maybe you don't know everything."

For a moment, the dungeon felt suffocating. The tension between them crackled like lightning, and Ariana could feel her pulse in her ears, her mind racing with confusion. She had never seen this side of Draco before, this raw frustration that went beyond their usual bickering.

Before she could say anything, Draco stepped back, running a hand through his platinum hair in agitation. "This is pointless," he muttered, turning away from her. "We're just going to keep fighting."

Ariana wanted to argue, to tell him that this wasn't about fighting anymore, but the words got stuck in her throat. Maybe he was right. Maybe they would just keep fighting.

The silence stretched on, thick and uncomfortable. Draco leaned against one of the desks, his posture tense but his face unreadable. Ariana stayed standing, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts.

Before either of them could break the silence, the door creaked open, and Snape strode back in. He glanced between the two of them, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly.

"Well?" Snape asked, his voice dripping with skepticism. "Have you come to any revelations during my absence?"

Ariana and Draco exchanged a glance, but neither of them spoke. The tension still hung in the air, unresolved.

Snape sighed, clearly unimpressed. "Very well," he said, his voice low. "Detention is over. I suggest you both reflect on how to control your tempers. I will not tolerate more disruptions in my class."

Without another word, Snape turned and dismissed them, his robes billowing as he walked away.

Draco didn't wait for her. He walked out of the classroom without so much as a backward glance, his expression closed off once more.

Ariana stood there for a moment, staring after him, feeling a strange mix of frustration and something she couldn't quite name. She didn't understand what had just happened between them, but one thing was clear: whatever this was, it was far from over.