Scared, Potter?

Deatheater scum

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Things have been quite normal for Draco. Well, as normal as it could be. Draco still received harsh looks and a few shoves here and there from his peers, but it wasn't anything he didn't expect. After his little squabble with Harry, some of the other students were..a bit more..what's the word...reactive. But it wasn't anything Draco hadn't expected.

Draco knew he should've stuck to his original plan and laid low and not caused any negative attention to himself, but as always, Potter finds a way to mess it up. It had been a whole week later since that day in the library and Draco so far had only a few nurse visits.

Nothing too serious, of course. Just a few broken noses. Draco could handle that. But what Draco could not handle was the upset and concerned faces Theo had given him every time he left Madam Pomfrey's. That he could not handle.

"Draco this is the third time this week.." Theo grimaced at the amount of blood that had been on Draco's once porcelain skin.

"It's fine. Soon they'll get bored of it and leave me alone." Draco refused to meet Theo's gaze, staring down at the stone floor as they walked to the bathroom.

"Do you know how crazy that sounds? Wait until they get bored?" Theo's voice shook, making Draco's heart plummet. Theo didn't need to worry about Draco's problems. It wasn't his responsibility.

"That's what I said isn't it?" Draco said, more harshly than he intended. Draco approached the mirror in the boys bathroom, taking a look at the damage.

Theo didn't say anything for a moment. Just watching Draco through the mirror before soon speaking up "Draco.. you have to tell someone. Anyone."

"It's just a bloody nose, Theo. It's fine." Draco said, as if it didn't hurt every time. It did. The sound of the crack and the numbness that came long after the sharp pain. Draco rinsed off the dried blood in the sink, the metallic smell fresh in his mind.

Theo clenched his fist. "Draco, this is serious."

"I know. Look, Madam Pomfrey fixed it just fine." Draco tried shrugging it off.

"Draco!" The brunette raised his voice, his chest heaving with labor.

There was a long pause.. as if the air in the room had been sucked out. Despite no one saying anything, it was loud. The silence was loud.

"You cannot tell anyone about this, Theo." Draco muttered as he kept his gaze to the sink. "I mean it. It'll pass."

Theo just stared at him in disbelief before storming out of the room.
Draco just sighed heavily, taking in deep breaths. He didn't like upsetting Theo, not when they've grown so close. But Draco needed this, to feel this. The pain. So he could repay all that he's done in the past.

But there was no reason to reflect on that now. Draco slid on his poker face, fixed his hair, and headed to class with his head held high.
As Draco entered the Potions classroom just a bit late.
"Ah, Draco, come sit. I've switched everyone's seating around. It looks like you'll be seated with Mr Potter for this lesson." Professor Sonnet had put cauldrons on everyone's table.

Draco had to physically stop himself from screaming. 'Great..fucking great.' The blonde huffed before sitting in his seat across from Potter, refusing to look his way, awaiting further instructions from the Professor.

"Now I thought we'd do something a little intriguing this week. In front of you are cauldrons, obviously." The professor started, taking off the lid to her own cauldron. "We shall be making a very powerful potion."

The misty steam that came out of the cauldron was a faint pinkish color with distinctive spirals.
"I could tell each of you to come up and sniff it, but that'd be too easy and no fun at all. So, you'll be making Amortentia yourselves! Well, with a partner, of course. To speed things up."

Draco had the strongest urge to bang his head on the table. He knew it at least took a week to make the potion, meaning that he'd have to spend at least seven days with Harry.

"I'll also require an essay to be written about how each ingredient changes the potion and finally, what the potion smells like to you." The professor clasped her hands together.

Harry slid the instructions over to Draco. "Suppose I'll do the essay." He said slowly.

"Right then.." Draco looked over the instructions as Harry left to grab the ingredients.
Suddenly, Draco felt something small hit the back of his head, making him turn and look at the student who seemingly threw a small paper ball.

As Draco picked up the crumpled paper, a threat written in bold lettering could be seen.

WATCH YOURSELF, DEATHEATER.

Draco turned his gaze back to the student, who had then flipped Draco off. Draco couldn't help but narrow his eyes. What were they? Six? Who throws paper balls like that anymore?
Draco rolled his eyes and returned his attention to the instructions.

Soon, Harry returned with the ingredients. Draco was thoroughly surprised Harry went this long without saying anything else. Usually he'd start-

"Are you still upset about what happened in the library?" Harry's voice conveyed more emotion than the first time he spoke.

Draco didn't look at Harry, as he began adding water to the cauldron. "No." He responded dryly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Draco added in the lacewings and rose oil. Frankly, Draco wasn't really upset at Harry, at least not anymore.

"Err..well..I'm sorry anyways. There were some things I definitely shouldn't have said.." Harry fidgeted with his quill. "And I'm sorry about what happened in detention..when I almost..snapped."

"Okay." Was all Draco said as he stirred the cauldron 7 times counterclockwise.

"Okay.."

As Draco finished the first part of the potion, he went to put it in the back so it could brew, but Harry grabbed the handle first. "I got it."

Draco furrowed his brows slightly as he watched Harry put the cauldron away. What was his problem?
As the class began packing up, Harry stopped Draco
"Hey so..err..do you think we could go over the essay later? I know I said I'd do it but I wasn't actually..y'know."

"I know. You weren't paying attention." Draco huffed, rolling his eyes. Draco didn't necessarily hate Harry, but he wasn't quite in a rush to become besties with him. After all, Harry was still quite a prat. "Fine, we can work on the essay together after dinner."

"After dinner?" Harry tilted his head slightly, making him look almost like a confused puppy.

"Yes, after dinner. We can meet at the undercroft." Draco said, slinging his bag on his shoulder.

"Oh alright cool. I'll..see you then?"

"Yeah." Merlin, he's such a lost cause. Draco then made his way to the next class. Draco couldn't figure out why Harry was like this. Truly, it made no sense. One moment the bloke is throwing punches and the next he's acting all..dejected.

It just made no sense. No sense at all.

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