The Ugly Truth 〚drarry〛

truth #1

September 1

Truth #1: "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Potter."

September 1st was probably Draco Malfoy's least favourite day ever. Each year on that very day, he would need to meet a new group of rowdy, greasy high school students and put up with them for seven hours a day. It marked the beginning of the school year; in other words, it marked the beginning of staying up late in order to mark tests. If asked, Mr Malfoy would tell you that he loves his job, and that isn't a lie, but some days he just wants to lie down and cry.

High school students have that sort of effect on him. Sure, some of them aren't half bad—at least the ones that stay out of his way. But then you have the real shit-disturbers, the kids that dedicate their lives to ruining his day. He felt like he would honestly give anything for just one day without any interruptions.

This particular September 1st was rather hot. There were only a few clouds in the sky. On his way to work, Draco found himself sweating, and he couldn't tell whether it was from nervousness or from the heat. Probably a combination of both, he'd say. His hands twitched and shook as he clutched at his steering wheel. His coffee burned his throat as he swallowed it without waiting for it to cool.

When he finally reached Hogwarts Academy, he walked in with a deep breath, telling himself to keep his composure. He faced this day every year and was somewhat used to it, but that didn't take away from the fact that he absolutely hated it. New staff members, new kids, new content to teach.

The school wasn't filled with sweaty students and noise yet; as a teacher, Draco had to come in early, which helped his headache quite a bit. With slightly slumped shoulders, he made his way to the staff room, where he and his coworkers were told to meet half an hour before first period. He reluctantly walked through the many hallways, his shoes thudding against the floor, and soon reached the staff door. With a sigh, he opened it, and came face-to-face with an overly enthusiastic Mrs Weasley.

"Draco!" She greeted with a smile, wrapping her arms around him the second he walked through the door. Mrs Weasley was an acquaintance of sorts, and although she sometimes gave Draco a headache, he found he genuinely enjoyed her company. She was quite peppy and cheery most of the time, but when she got down to work, she could destroy anything in her path. Draco found her quite admirable.

He awkwardly hugged the woman back. His chin rested on her shoulder as a result of the high heels she was wearing which gave her several more inches of height. He quickly glanced around the staff room over her shoulder, finding that most of the faces were familiar.

"Hello, Mrs Weasley," he greeted, smiling at her softly once she pulled away. She gave him a bit of a sour look.

"I told a million times to call me Hermione, Draco," she reminded him, and the corner of his lips twitched. Hermione Weasley was the Principal of Hogwarts Academy, and she really should be addressing her coworkers professionally. Again, she's a woman of power, and is quite ambitious and sometimes even frightening when upset; Draco reckoned that she could call her coworkers anything she wanted, because no one really had the power to stop her.

"Hey, I want to introduce you to someone new!" Mrs Weasley smiled at him before grabbing him by the hand and almost-dragging him across the room. He felt a bit of heat rising to his cheeks. He wasn't a big fan of skin-on-skin contact, especially with his boss.

She stopped at the other side of the staff table, where a bunch of teachers were absorbed in a conversation. She tapped the shoulder of a staff member who seemed unfamiliar to Draco. The man turned around.

"This is Harry Potter. He's a new math teacher. He was a pretty lucky hire, I'd say, his marks in university were simply outstanding!" Hermione introduced the man, but Draco was only half listening. His eyes were focused on the man in front of him. He wasn't exactly a Greek God, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't attractive. His dark hair was an artistic sort of messy and was strung across his forehead, probably slightly irritating his eyes, which were a brilliant green and hidden behind a pair of round glasses. He was the perfect combination of nerdy and gorgeous, and Draco could feel himself practically swooning before reminding himself that he was in public.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Potter," he finally managed to say, holding up a hand towards the newest member of the Hogwarts staff. "Draco Malfoy."

Mr Potter didn't hesitate in taking Draco's slightly twitching hand into a firm handshake, complete with a smile in his directions. Draco's hand fit perfectly with his, and he would have smiled, except for the fact that he could feel a certain type of band on Mr Potter's fourth finger.

"I'm glad you two get along!" Mrs Weasley commented from the side, and Draco honestly forgot she was even there. He released Mr Potter's hand and directed his attention to her. He shouldn't be focusing too much on his new coworker, lest he develop some sort of crush. Somehow, he knew in the back of his head from the moment he saw him that this man was taken; certainly he had a lineup of girls just waiting to claim him.

Mr Potter smiled politely once more and turned back to the group of teachers that he was previously conversing with. Mrs Weasley pulled Draco slightly more aside so their words would be private.

"I hope you two become friends," she told Draco in her mother-like tone, and he scoffed. "You seriously need to make more friends amongst your coworkers. You know that I'm not always available to chit chat with you," she continued to say, and although Draco rolled his eyes at her, he knew that she was telling the truth.

"Whatever," he replied. Yeah, Potter was attractive and all, but so what? That didn't mean he actually liked the guy. He barely knew him! How could he be friends with someone he doesn't know?

"Your classrooms are across the hall from each other, by the way," Mrs Weasley told him, and his frown deepened.

"Okay, calm down mother, I don't need you making friends for me," Draco half-joked, and Mrs Weasley gave him a look of disapproval before glancing at the clock on the wall.

"You've got twenty minutes before first period. Move along, kiddo, or I'll be forced to fire you," Mrs Weasley joked with a smile, and Draco's lips turned up.

"See you later, Mrs Weasley," he said before turning around with a slightly grin.

"That's Hermione to you, Malfoy!" She called after him, but he didn't turn around. His smile wouldn't fade. Of course she hasn't caught on yet that he only calls her Mrs Weasley for her guaranteed reaction every time.

As Draco Malfoy left the staff room, he found that he was still smiling a bit, and his shoulders weren't as slumped as they usually were on the first day of school. He had a strange feeling that this year would be much more interesting than the last.