Optionless with Draco Malfoy

22. Sectumsempra

Draco

As Slughorn talked about the Pepperup Potion, my mind was somewhere else, as usual. Juliette sat beside me in potions, and I couldn't help but notice her fiddling with her hands as she took detailed notes about everything that Slughorn was saying. 

Before the holidays, I asked Juliette to be my partner for this potions project. After everything that happened during Christmas, I began to regret it. It's hard to forget about what my mother had said to me and I felt guilty for not telling Juliette about it.

"You may begin," said Slughorn and he walked towards his desk to grab his clipboard before roaming around the classroom.

Trails began talking to me about the potion and discussed what we had to do. I couldn't care less about what she was saying, I was already getting an 'O' in potions. I created this potion over the summer for fun.

"-then you can put in the beetle's shell. Slice the spider legs as well. Malfoy, are you even listening?"

"Huh? Right," I said, barely processing a word she said.

Potions was one of my best subjects. Unlike some, I didn't strut around bragging about my 'O' unlike Potter and Granger. It bothered me that Slughorn constantly boasted about Potter despite that I was also at the top of the class. 

"Gosh Malfoy, at least pay attention..." Juliette muttered. I dropped the beetle's shell into the cauldron as she instructed me to, and it began to turn a disgusting brown and grey.

"What the hell Trails, what are you reading to me? Here's a tip, the potion should never turn a bubbling grey-brown colour!" I said in a frustrated tone. " And you say your passing with an Exceeds Expectations..." I lightly pushed her away and began to fix the potion by pouring in some of the amoria and dropping some lemongrass into the bubbling liquid. It stopped bubbling and turned into an olive green, like how it should've been.

"H-h-how did you?"

"I made this potion over the summer. I'm not at the bottom class for potions in case you didn't know," I said in a matter-of-fact kind of tone.

I passed the ingredients back to her and she remained silent for the time being.

Once Slughorn came to our table, I began to stir the potion to make it seem like I was actually doing something. He praised both of us for having an accurate replica of the potion.

"This is great, Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Trails. I look forward to your written report."

I cursed under my breath quietly enough that Juliette didn't hear.

"I forgot about the report part. Shall we meet in the library tonight at eight-thirty?" She asked. For those few moments, it really felt like we were just Hogwarts students. Nothing more. Just a pair of students working on an assignment.

I wished things were that simple. 

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Juliette

Draco left dinner early, and he told me he would meet me at the library by eight-thirty. He rushed out of the hall, but I noticed that he had abruptly paused, and saw something. Or was it someone?

I looked closer, and saw Harry talking to, Katie Bell?

Relief rushed through me, and it didn't take me long to notice why he had paused and stared. After a few seconds, Draco made it clear that he was nearly sprinting out of the Great Hall.

I lost my gaze, when Goyle interrupted it, "Who are you staring at Trails? Malfoy or Potter?" He smirked, and the other Slytherins snickered. I noticed that Harry had left the Great Hall a minute after Draco did.