Fire and Ice

Potions Partners

"Partners!" Snape suddenly shouted. The class jumped, before scurrying around like headless beetles, searching for their friends to pair up with.

"Settle down!" the Potions Master ordered, and a hush of silence enveloped the students. Clearly, Snape had uttered a Silencing charm under his breath.

"I will be picking the partners today." Snape murmured. Somehow, his quiet whisper was a scream in Draco's ear. No no no no, please don't do this... Draco's breath hitched, then quickened in anticipation. He ran his fingers through his hair in silent agitation.

Painfully and painfully, Snape began pairing up the students, until there were four left: Draco, Ginny, Evenry Valence (a mousy Griffindoor) and Calen Soshry (a snooty Slytherin).

"Malfoy - Miss Valence, aisle eight. Soshry - Miss Weasley, aisle two." Draco didn't know whether to be pleased, disappointed, relieved, or... jealous?

"Class, you have twenty minutes. Whoever finishes first, will win a prize. And believe me, you want to win. BEGIN."

An excited chatter began after the mention of the prize as she students hurried to collect the ingredients. Draco looked his partner up and down disdainfully. She was very skinny, very pale and very watery, with pale eyes and thin lips. She nervously caught Draco's eye and looked away immediately. Draco smirked to himself at the reaction every girl had when seeing him. Well, nearly every girl.

"I'll... just... get the stuff" she spluttered and ran to the centre wooden table, where the ingredients were set out. Draco sighed as he racked his mind for the Lust Potion instructions. He didn't care about the prize at all, he just needed good grades in Potions, to stay on his father's good side.

His silent musings were interrupted by an annoyed "ouch!" coming from aisle two. Frowning slightly, Draco raised his head to see Ginny rubbing an angry burn on her wrist, and Soshry -the prick- snickering to himself and holding his sparking wand  as he ordered Ginny around. Draco hissed and narrowed his eyes.

A second later, Soshry's sleeve caught fire.

"AAAAARGH!" Soshry yelled, flapping his sleeves, giving the amusing impression of a flaming phoenix taking flight. The almost-invisible smiles on Ginny and Draco's face were identical.

From the corner of her eye, Ginny looked at him under her long lashes.

Everything froze at that moment.

Ginny didn't feel the harsh breeze of Soshry waving his sleeves near her face, fanning her body.

Draco didn't hear Snape utter counter curse after counter curse, attempting to combat to Draco's Fire Spell, yelling until the flames subsided.

Everything around them melted away when they locked eyes.

"ENOUGH!" Snape suddenly bellowed. Shocked, another Gryffindor stumbled into Ginny and the contact was broken. Just like that, they were back in a Potions dungeon.

"MALFOY!" he yellowed. Draco turned slowly and faced him coolly.

"Clean up the mess at your aisle," Snape hissed. Looking down, Draco was faintly amused to see that his partner, Evenry, had spilled the entire contents of the ingredients caldron on the table, and floor. Draco waved his wand, and the mess vanished.

Seething, Snape dismissed the class.