The Potions Master's Daughter (Book Five)

Chapter 21

The next morning we all met up at breakfast instead of in the common room, since Hermione and I had woken up a bit later than normal. I sat between Neville and Harry which was a small switch up, but Harry wanted to force Hermione and ron to sit next to each other.

Ron looked awful, and wasn't touching a single thing he ate, probably nerves from the upcoming match. The three of us were getting goodluck wishes left and right from other members of our house that wanted to see us win this game despite not having Katie. Dean seemed nervous too from what I could see of him down the table. He and Harry still weren't great because of Ginny, but he was the next best choice for Chaser.

"Hey mate, you aren't looking too great. I'm sure you're going to wonderful, and afterall it is just a match. You've done this before."

Ron stared down at his plate not eating anything, which was especially bad since it was Ron, who normally ate anything, "I just know I'm going to screw this up. I hope you've got someone else picked out for Keeper after this game."

"Here drink this, you'll feel a lot better, I promise," Harry said as I wondered how some pumpkin juice was going to fix all this.

He was about to take a sip when Hermione exclaimed, "No! I wasn't going to say anything but you mustn't drink that. Harry put something in it, didn't you Harry?"

Harry merely shrugged and smirked slightly, "Drink it mate, you'll be all better."

With a second glance at Hermione Ron gulped down the pumpkin juice. Immediately his mood picked up a bit. He put on a smile and straightened out the Quidditch shirt he had on.

"Well I'm going to go get ready for the game, maybe get some flying practice in beforehand. I'll see you all soon," he said cheerfully standing up and leaving.

Hermione hissed at Harry, "You really shouldn't have done that. I get helping Ron, but you could be expelled for that! You aren't supposed to use anything, especially Luck Potions to help you in the games."

Harry held up a small vial that was still filled to the brim with yellow liquid, "Wow you didn't actually give it to him, he only thinks you did."

Harry nodded, "All he needed wa the confidence, he's already an amazing player. Also I think it would give him even more confidence and make him play even better if you were to talk to him a bit, and tell him you think he shouldn't quit and that he's a good player, he values your opinion a lot I think."

I was left with my mouth slightly agape, Harry was heading in pretty strong with our whole plan to get the two of them together. I thought we would go slowly, and finally make them realize their love for each other.

To my surprise she stood and said, "I think I'll go do that. I think I've been a bit harsh on him lately, I couldn't stand it if i actually lost him as a friend."

Soon Ginny came to join us, and Harry, Ginny, Neville and I sat at the Gryffindor table laughing and joking around as though we were just two teenage couples with no worries in the world.

It was only when Draco Malfoy came striding into the Great Hall right over to me that my fantasy was broken, "Jessica, could I speak to you?"

I nodded and sent a look to my friends as though to say, I'll explain later, though I was sure I would never explain to them why Draco was coming up to me in the Great Hall.

I followed Draco back out of the Great Hall and to an empty classroom. His posse hadn't even come with him. He looked horrible, their were bags under his eyes and I could tell he had lost quite a bit of weight.

"What's wrong draco?" I asked softly.

His shoulders slumped, finally releasing any tension and responsibility he had been shouldering, "I don't know really. Honestly I just needed someone to talk to, and none of my friends understand. Blake is great and all, but he and I don't seem to click the way I do with you, and I think I need a girl's mind, and you're brilliant. I need your help with my task, I know you have as much riding on this as I do. Until we find a way out of this we need to keep trying as hard as we can or Severus will also die."

I took in a big gulp of air then let it out in a huff of frustration, "I know we do. I have to say, the necklace idea was one of your dumbest ideas ever though, and you hurt Katie!"

He looked down at the floor, "I hadn't meant for her to get hurt in all of this. I had one of the death eaters bring it to her in the bathroom and tell her to give it to Dumbledore. I never thought she would open it and touch it! I feel awful about that. But what am I supposed to do? I can't just give up, he'll kill us all!"

I sighed, "I know. What is your next plan?"

He replied, "I am working on  vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement that will be able to bring in anything I need right here to Hogwarts without having to make its way through security. It's connected to one in Borgin and Burkes. I was also going to poison this bottle of mead I know professor Slughorn is planning to give Dumbledore as a gift."

"Severus can give you a poison to use."

'

"Okay, thank you."

"You should let Severus help you," I told him, "He has to help you or he'll die."

"I'm trying to keep him safe. If I just don't let him help me, but he tries his hardest to help me, then the Vow is still being kept but he also doesn't have to do anything that will hurt him. And besides, I was the one given this task, I can help my family out of this on my own. They are both really counting on me right now, and my mother definitely doesn't deserve any of what is happening to her."

I nodded in agreement, "I don't think she does either. I appreciate you trying to help Severus, but he's a lot older and has more experience, he can help you a lot. You don't need to do any of this alone. You have his help, and honestly I'm here for you too Draco. I don't want to see you go through any of this either, I care about you."

As I said the words I realized I did mean them. I did care about Draco's wellbeing. He was not someone I had ever imagined feeling pity for, or feeling a desire to be friends, but there was a lot more to him than met the eye. He was just a boy that was caught in the middle of something he couldn't escape. He was a lot like me in a way.

I wasn't prepared for him to rush forward and plant his lips on mine messily. I was too stunned to do anything so I stood there for a moment before I pushed him off of me.

"Draco!" I yelled, "What the hell!"

He hung his head, "I'm sorry Jessica, I didn't even mean that. I really don't feel that way about you. I just haven't had anyone tell me thy cared about me in a long time. Sure people need things from me, or help me because they have to, but I don't know of anyone that just cares about me because they want to. I'm really sorry, I shouldn't' have done that at all."

I reached out and squeezed his shoulder, "DOn't worry about it, I get where you're coming from. I'll be your friend Draco, and I wasn't lying about caring about you. In this weird way, I definitely do care about you. You don't deserve anything that is coming for you. You are a slave to your father's choices from his childhood, and no one should have to deal with that."

He rushed out again, but this time he just hugged me and said, "Thank you for this Jessica. I'm really glad I Met up, even if it wasn't he best way to make a new friend. I'm here for you too, I know you won't be able to have all your real friends for a while soon, but you can have me."

I hugged him back tightly, relishing in the fact that there was someone else I could rely on when the time finally came to betray all my friends, "Thank you Draco. I just want to help you."

He pulled away and wiped a stray tear from his eye, "You can help me and I'll help you. There's no reason for either of us to go through any of this alone. I don't want to hold you up from the match, or from your friends, but would I be able to come talk to you again sometime soon?"

He looked so afraid that I might say no, that it broke my heart so I said softly with a small smile, "Of course you can anytime you'd like, that's what friends do."

Without another word to each other we left the classroom. I wasn't expecting anything to change publically, but I was glad I had another friend in my life, you could never get too many of those.