Beauty and the Beast [Draco Malfoy]

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Lizzie's POV:

"What are the ingredients in the Draught of Peace?" I asked Draco a few nights after my fight with Pansy. I was sitting in between his legs on the sofa in the common room, working on my most recent potions homework. He was absentmindedly playing with my hair, twisting it together and then brushing it out with his fingers.

The fire was roaring to my left. Some cold seventh year had cast an Engorgio spell to help ward against the cold leaching through the walls of the dungeon. I could feel the heat radiating onto my legs and spreading through my body.

"Powdered moonstone, syrup of hellebore, powdered unicorn horn, and powdered porcupine quills," he replied. Draco was a potions genius. I wouldn't doubt it if he became a Hogwarts Potions master.

"Thanks."

He dragged his fingers through my hair once more, brushing against my neck and making me shiver despite the warmth of the fire.

"Of course," he hummed.

The common room around us was alive with chatter. Dinner had finished about an hour ago and people were still filtering back from wherever they had been. There was a group of third years behind the sofa playing a game of makeshift poker, occasionally shouting with joy or booing in distress. The tables surrounding us were filled with other students working on their own homework.

I wrote about the Draught of Peace to my best extent.

The Draught of Peace potion reduces anxiety or agitation, as the name suggests. It is made by combining powdered moonstone, syrup of hellebore, powdered unicorn horn, and powdered porcupine quills.

The morning after I had dueled Pansy, Draco had dragged me to Madam Pomfrey. She asked no questions but made sure I was fine before she sent me off. When Professor Snape approached me later that day about the state of Pansy's face, I told him it was 'long overdue self-defense'. He had almost smiled at this, which had made me grin back at him.

When I figured I had done a decent enough job on my essay, I blew on my parchment to dry the last of my ink before carefully rolling it up and placing it in my bag beside my Transfigurations and Defence Against the Dark Arts essays.

"Are you done, now?" Draco asked, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my left shoulder.

"Yep," I smiled, twisting around to face him and clasping my hands behind his neck.

"Good," he grinned. "Come here." He held his arms out and leaned backwards on the sofa. I happily obliged and curled up next to him. His back was against the back sofa and his chest facing me. My back was to the fire. He wrapped his arms protectively around me and pulled me close to him so our chests were touching.

I burrowed my head into his neck and breathed in his scent. It was a scent that I had come to enjoy over the years but had never gotten to experience it like this. He smelled of peppermint. Like the candy canes that hung on our Christmas tree at home. It reminded me of childhood holiday memories with my mum and Gray.

"Are you sniffing me?" Draco asked, a tone of amusement in his voice.

"You smell good," I mumble. My words had come out pretty muffled due to my face being buried in Draco.

"Oh I do, do I?" he mused with a chuckle. The deep rumble jostled my head.

"Mmm yeah," I sighed. "Like peppermint."

"Huh, peppermint," he repeated.

"Yeah like candy canes." I cuddled closer to him.

"Christmas is over, Liz," he laughed.