Far Away (Draco Malfoy)

~ 7 ~

     The Charms classroom hummed with energy as Professor Flitwick stood atop his stack of books, gesturing animatedly to demonstrate the day's lesson. On the board, the spell for the day was scrawled in neat handwriting:

     Wingardium Leviosa — Levitation Charm.

     "Today, you'll be working in pairs to perfect the charm," Flitwick said, his high-pitched voice ringing out across the room. "I want to see your feathers float gracefully, not just hover like balloons!"

     I glanced nervously at the small feather on my desk, gripping my wand tightly. I was still shaky on some of the fundamentals, and I could already feel my stomach tightening at the thought of making a fool of myself in front of everyone.

     "Miss Thunderbrooke!" Flitwick called, snapping me out of my thoughts. "You'll be working with... Mr. Malfoy!"

     My heart sank as I turned to see Draco's smirk spreading across his face. He sauntered over to my desk, taking his time as he sat down beside me, his every movement exuding confidence.

     You've gotta be fucking kidding me.

     "Looks like you're stuck with me," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Try to keep up."

     "I was about to say the same to you," I shot back, though my voice lacked the confidence I wished it had.

     Draco chuckled, pulling out his wand and twirling it between his fingers. "This should be fun."

     The class buzzed with activity as students paired off and began practicing the charm. Draco wasted no time, his voice smooth and confident as he said, "Wingardium Leviosa."

     The feather on his desk floated effortlessly into the air, spinning lazily before settling back down. He glanced at me, his smirk deepening. "Your turn."

     I tightened my grip on my wand, my mind racing. Focus. Picture the feather floating. It's just a feather.

     "Wingardium Leviosa," I said, flicking my wand in what I hoped was the correct motion.

     The feather trembled slightly, but instead of floating, it spun erratically and dropped back onto the desk.

     Draco let out a low laugh, shaking his head. "Not bad... if you were trying to make it dizzy."

     "Shut up," I muttered, my cheeks burning. "I just need to try again."

     "By all means," he said, gesturing grandly. "I'll wait."

     I shot him a glare before trying again. "Wingardium Leviosa!"

     This time, the feather lifted a few inches before wobbling and crashing back down.

     "You might want to check if that's actually a wand you're holding," Draco said, his tone dripping with mockery. "Could be a twig someone picked up from the Forbidden Forest."

     I clenched my jaw, refusing to let him get under my skin. "I'll get it."

     "Will you?" Draco said, raising an eyebrow. "Because so far, it's looking like I'll be the one carrying this team."

     "Oh, please," I snapped. "You're not that impressive."

     "Really?" he said, leaning closer. "Because it seems to me like you could use a few lessons from someone who actually knows what they're doing."

     "I don't need your help," I said firmly, though my grip on my wand tightened as my frustration grew.

     "Clearly," Draco said with a smirk, leaning back in his chair as if he had all the time in the world.