Friendly Competition

[5] Warm Honey

Draco added the fluxweed to his cauldron, and then set his newest experimental healing draught to simmer, before checking the time and making note of it in careful handwriting on the scrap piece of parchment he had out for notes.

Well, he had about half an hour to waste, and nothing in particular to do with it. Unless he wanted to get a head start on his marking, which he really didn't, and besides, he had the whole winter holidays to do it. And the holidays had already started for him, since his last class right now was a free period, so if nothing else, that was certainly something he had over Harry, because he was near certain Harry wasn't in the same situation at all.

Oh. That was definitely what he should go do: bother Harry and be insufferably smug about it.

He set off out of the dungeons in high spirits, humming Christmas carols as he made his way up to the first floor.

As he approached Harry's classroom, however, his vague rendition of God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs trailed off as he started to hear intermittent shouts, which only got louder the closer he got. The scene inside, when he peeked through the door, left standing slightly ajar, was absolute bedlam, which may have been a bit predictable from the shouting, but was still a little shocking.

He looked for Harry, and found him standing calmly, the eye of the storm, watching the children and occasionally flicking his wand at one of them and saying a few words of instruction or encouragement.

Well. Apparently he was in control, but still, Draco didn't envy him his place at the moment.

As he looked closer, he saw that it was the third year Slytherins and Ravenclaws, and that they were ostensibly practising duelling, with many students on the floor with wobbling legs or doubled over with uncontrollable laughter. A good number of them were repeatedly failing at jinxing their opponent first, and yet everybody still seemed to be having fun.

Hmph. Draco leaned back against the wall. Maybe Harry's classes were fun, but Draco's were still far superior. Even if the students didn't actually appear to be having fun.

Ugh. They were here to learn anyway.

Draco peeked back through the door after a moment, and couldn't help but laugh quietly to himself; it was just all so ridiculous. The fact that Harry was so calm and encouraging in the middle of it made the situation even more hilarious.

"Alright, that's enough for today!" Harry called, quickly restoring the few students who were still under jinxes to their normal state. "We'll work on response times and improving counter-jinxes after the holidays. You're all dismissed."

The students started to go gather their things to leave.

"And no, you may not practise jinxing other students under the guise of studying for my class," Harry added quickly.

Draco smiled at how apprehensive he sounded, and entered the classroom as the students began to leave.

"Hey Professor Malfoy! What are you doing up here?" one of the students asked with a smile.

"Just come to talk to Professor Potter. I do occasionally come upstairs, you know — I don't have to stay in the dungeons."

Harry rolled his eyes at Draco's response and went into his office, and Draco followed and casually sat himself on Harry's desk, leaning back on his hands on top of all of Harry's papers and crossing his legs.

Harry sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Why is it that you're more comfortable on my furniture than I am? I don't even like you. And please remove yourself from my papers."