Hateful Love

Chapter Nine

NOTE: I do not own any of the ideas or characters expressed in this story (except Cassie Jackson). All of these belong to J.K. Rowling.

~*~ 

Draco P.O.V.

          “Damn it, Jackson, pay attention!” I snap, grabbing her wrist before she can dump dragon scales into the bubbling cauldron. “You have to put in claws, not scales.”

          “I’m sorry!” she cries, looking so flustered. “I thought you said scales…”

          “Jesus,” I breathe with annoyance. “Aren’t you listening to me?”

          Jackson steps away from the cauldron and runs her fingers through her golden-brown hair. “No.”

          “Jackson, this is our third time of me tutoring you. I can’t help you if you’re not even listening to me!”

          “I know,” she sighs quietly. “I’m just tired. It’s three in the morning, and we have school tomorrow.”

          “No shit,” I snap harshly, then soften my voice when I notice the dark circles under her eyes. Although I know mine are much worse, I can’t help but feel a little guilty. “It’s okay, we’ll meet here straight after classes tomorrow. But if you don’t start paying attention to me, you’ll have to get help from someone else.”

          Jackson blinks her slightly puffy eyes and whispers almost silently, “Thanks, Draco.” Before I can process what she even said, she’s stumbled out the door and is gone.

          Did she just…call me Draco? No, I think in disbelief. I’m only Malfoy to her, and it’s going to stay that way if I have anything to say about it.

~*~

Cassie P.O.V.

          Despite my issues with paying attention, I’m actually starting to do better in Potions. Malfoy isn’t as stupid as I thought, and it seems like he actually knows what he’s doing. He’s been tutoring me for about two weeks now, and Christmas vacation is coming up. Three days before everyone will be leaving for break, Malfoy sends me an owl, telling me to come to the Room of Requirement.

          “Hey,” I say as I enter the room he thought up for our tutoring. He returns our mutually decided greeting as I drop my bag beside the center table.

          “Did you start the essay?” he asks, rubbing his face.

I sit down at the table with a groan and retrieve the scroll of paper from my bag, responding, “Yeah, but it sucks.”

          Malfoy laughs at this, and holds the paper up to scan it over. “Well, for one thing, ‘definitely’ does not have three ‘e’s in it.”

          “…it doesn’t?”

          He rolls his eyes and smirks, “Really, Jackson? You can’t listen, read, or spell?”

          I have a burst of indignation and say with annoyance, “At least I’m better at actual spells than you!”

          “I doubt it,” he scoffs. “I know spells you couldn’t even dream of.”

          “But I’m doing better than you in Charms.”

          “Who cares about Charms class? Anyway, stop distracting me.” Malfoy sets the essay down on the table and tries to read it over, but I keep leaning over to see the mistakes he’s correcting. “Jackson, I can’t fix your stupid essay with you staring at everything I do.”