The Girl Who Lived (Draco Malfoy x OC)

The Trials

September 6th 1996

Harper had no idea how Neville could appreciate all plants including the Fanged Geranium. Whenever her hands came anywhere near the flora it would nip her fingers. Thankfully her gloves were heavy duty otherwise she would be missing a pinky at this stage, even if it meant adjusting the bulky material on her small hands every five minutes.

It was a foggy morning outside of the greenhouse, the sky a dark stormy grey. Harper winced as she tried to see outside the fogged glass, hoping the weather would clear for Quidditch tryouts tomorrow. She unfortunately lost the standoff with Montague and they agreed Slytherin could use the pitch first and Gryffindor second.

Hopefully it would rain for them.

She started to dig through the roots of her plant with her hands, sprinkling extra seedlings as instructed by Sprout. Besider her, Lavender was cringing as dirt travelled into her gloves and possibly her nails. The class was going quite peacefully for the first half, surprisingly Harper was finding it enjoyable. Then suddenly, loud gallivanting filled the far end of the greenhouse where the Slytherin's resided.

Theodore Nott's Fanged Geranium was attacking him brutally. It's stem-like neck twisting and shooting towards his dodging figure, trying to catch a bite. Blaise was beside him, trying to swat it's mouth with his Herbology book, only for the plant to bite down on it and make it rain parchment. Malfoy, on the other side of their table, leaned over and tried to strangle it's neck and regain some control, unlucky for him that just called its attention to him.

"Fucking hell, Nott!" Malfoy shouted as he ducked it's clamping jaws.

Blaise, who was half trying to gather his book back together, barely had a chance to act before the plant swung and knocked him in the chest. He fell backwards with a girlish scream and crashed into a rack of smaller plants.

"Tame your Geranium!" Sprout shouted down to Theodore who was poking it violently with a hand-rake.

Harper and Lavender were in fits of laughter at this point as well as the rest of the class. Karma, she thought considering Theodore embarrassed her the night before.

"I don't think the gardening life is quite for you, Nott," she teased as they exited Herbology later that day.

Theodore was rubbing his sore hand where the Geranium eventually bit him. "Yes, well," he mumbled, "it's servants work anyway."

"So you better get practicing, Potter," Malfoy's voice chimed in, a smug smile plastered on his face.

"Oh, Potter doesn't have any time, Draco," Blaise then added and Harper frowned, not understanding where he was going with that. "She's too busy writing love notes."

Theodore then sniggered strongly. "Tell us, Harper, how did you go with that one? Did their heart sing for you?"

Her cheeks radiated like a hot pan. "You have no idea what you're talking about," she gritted her teeth defiantly, adding more speed to her pace.

"What are they talking about?" Lavender asked under her breath as she hurried to keep up with the frustrated girl.

⋄⋄⋄

"Yes, what are you two brainless buffoons talking about?" Draco Malfoy snapped as his two friends chortled their way to the castle.

Theodore shook his head, his smile lingering as he eyed the retreating Gryffindor. "Just some stupid thing I took off Potter."

"And what was this stupid thing?" Draco asked adamant.