All I Ask Of You (Sequel to "The Point Of No Return (Draco Malfoy)"

Chapter Seven

I turned the page of my potions book, attempting to find the instructions I was looking for. It wasn’t until I’d searched nearly the whole book that I figured out that the page I needed had been ripped out.

            I sighed, dropping the book on the table and pressing my fingers to my temple. I raised my left hand, the blood draining down my limb.

            “Here.” He mumbled, pushing his book to the middle of the table in front of us. I gave a half smile.

            “Thanks.” I said in return. Then he smiled back. Not a lot, but a flicker of happiness crossed his face. I couldn’t tell if he’d thought of something that made him happy, or if he was genuinely happy I’d taken the book.

            I started to follow the directions, quickly becoming confused. I tried to match the pictures on the page with the ingredients in front of me, but I just couldn’t get it.

            I took a deep breath, trying to recall how Cedric told me to remember the ingredients we used. He had me memorize them by color, shape, and weight.

            “Natalie,” I heard. I waved my hand, thinking as hard as I could. I heard my name again, but I continued to read the page and look at the ingredients and try to remember.

            “Natalie!” My head snapped up. Draco reached over me and turned my flame off. A black, syrupy liquid boiled over the top and ran down onto the table.

            “Oh, shit!” I pulled all my papers off the desk, shoving them into my book. “What the fuck?” I muttered while I dropped my things on the floor.

            Then he started laughing. I was mad at first, but as I realized what a fool I must have looked like, I began to laugh too. It didn’t last long, though.

            Snape was angry. He told me that I need to start paying attention to the cauldron and that I’d have to finish the potion with Draco.

            “But,” I began. He held up his hand, “do not argue my decisions Miss Hailey.” His stern tone told me that I should keep my mouth shut from now on.

            “I mess everything up.” I muttered to myself as I magically cleaned the cauldron.

            “No you don’t.” Draco mumbled. I turned to him. “What?”

            “You’re just doing it wrong. You’re not reading the directions right. You added the belladonna before the pomegranate.” He pointed out.

            “How do you know what I did?” I crossed my arms.

            “Because I saw you.” He said bluntly.

            “You were watching me?”

            “No, I just happened to see.”

            “Whatever.”

            “Okay then.” He said, a smirk playing on the corners of his lips.

            I watched as he did the majority of the work. I handed him the ingredients he asked for, when he asked for them. Sometimes he’d get them himself.

            As he studied the page I suddenly became curious. I didn’t know what was happening, but I liked it. For the first time in months I felt kind of good inside. I didn’t care that Pansy Parkinson was glaring at me across the room. I didn’t care that I was supposed to be mad at Draco. I just liked having someone to talk to in class.

            “So, are you going home for Christmas?” I asked slowly. He looked at me with a blank look on his face. He nodded and I waited for him to ask about me, but he didn’t. He continued adding things to the potion.

            “Did you ask for anything good?” I tried again.

            “Not really.” He replied, dropping another piece of belladonna in the cauldron. I sighed, turning the page.

            “Stop doing that.” He told me. I shrugged.

            “Sorry. I’m just bored. Why don’t you let me help?” I asked. He shook his head.

            “You’re not good at potions.” He said simply. A scowl crossed my face. How could he insult me like that? I didn’t do anything except try to help him. Since when was it a bad thing to offer your help?

            The rest of the class passed in silence. I let Draco finish the potion and it came out perfectly. He probably did great in the class, unlike me.

            That night at dinner, Brent Yearwood was the hot topic for the third day in a row. I poked Aly with my spoon.

            “So? Did you kiss him yet?” I questioned. She giggled and shook her head.

            “Not yet! But I will! He said he wants me to go with him to watch his quidditch try outs!” She squealed.

            “Are you going to go?” Luc asked her.

            “Of course! This is Brent we’re talking about! He’s practically in love with me!” She shouted. “Maybe.” She added as she poked at the food left on her plate.

            “Natalie, I meant to ask you about potions.” Kay said. I nodded in return. “Did you get a black liquid today? I don’t know what I did wrong.”

            “Yes! I did! I guess I read the directions wrong. Draco said to add the pomegranate before the belladonna. Is that what you did wrong?”

            “Wait, you talked to him today?” Lucinda asked, putting her hand on the table. I nodded slowly.

            “Yeah, I guess I did.” I confessed.

            “Why?” They all asked.

            “Because I ruined my potion. Snape told me to work with him. So I asked him about his plans for Christmas and he said that I read the directions wrong.”

            “What else did he say?” Aly asked me. She fiddled with her hands on the table in an anxious way.

            “He didn’t tell me. He just kind of, ignored me.” My head and shoulders naturally sunk in self pity.

            “I guess he still doesn’t want to be friends with me…” I trailed off, wishing I was lying in bed already. I just wanted the day to be over. There’d been too much thinking. I needed to get away from everything going on.

            I needed someone to distract me.