The White Peacock (A Draco Malfoy Fanfic)

Chapter 19: Potions

I arrive at Potions, I spent the entire weekend studying in preparation for the class, as much as I didn't want to admit it, the thought of getting into the club, being admired by a respected teacher it did excite me. I suppose deep down I will always be an ambitious Slytherin.

This was one of the few classes I had with Malfoy, it always made me uneasy to see him, yet I also looked forward to it. I walked in and realised I was the last to arrive, most of the tables seemed full. I see Harry, Ron and Hermione at a table together but there wasn't any room for me, I walk through the tables of cauldrons and of course the only seat available was next to Malfoy.

The last thing I needed in this class was a distraction like Malfoy, but I had no choice, and I wanted to be civil with him. I made my way to the table and stood at a cauldron next to Malfoy. As usual he didn't react, and almost looked uninterested.

"Amortentia is the name of this potion, and if you ask me, it's one of the deadliest potions out there, as it is a love potion" Slughorn explains. "Now it cannot create real love however it will create a terrible infatuation with the person who created it, if you smell the potion, it is said to resemble the scent of what attracts you" he says.

This made me nervous, and I knew why, I knew who I was going to smell in that cauldron, and I knew it was going to hurt when I did

Slughorn sends the cauldron around the room giving everyone an opportunity to smell it and say what they smell, to explain how it smells different to each person. Hermione informs everyone that she smells freshly mown grass and mint toothpaste, it was obvious who she smelt, well too me anyways.

The cauldron begins approaching our table, I see Romilda Vane, eagerly bending forward to get a sniff. This was the moment I was dreading I take a moment to smell the potion, and the smell I missed so much flooded into my nose, it was so intoxicating I didn't want to stop smelling it "Ah Miss Murphy, I see the Amortentia has got you hooked, what do you smell?" Slughorn says in front of the class, causing Draco to stare at me.

I could have lied, but for some reason I couldn't, "Um, I think I smell Mint, um Green Apples and cologne" I say meeting the gaze of Malfoy.

"what about you Mr Malfoy?" Slughorn demands.

Malfoy doesn't say anything, I wouldn't expect anything less from him I thought.

"Strawberries" he says with no emotion, causing my heart to beat faster. He always would tell me my hair smelt like Strawberries, but that could just be a coincidence, it's a pretty common smell. I didn't want to think about it, I didn't want to think of the possibility he still liked me, it was easier staying away from him when I thought he despised me.

"Now students, I have a task for you today, is to brew the draught of living death, however today there is a reward for the first student who can successfully brew it" Slughorn explains as he reveals a dainty vile in his hand "this here is the rewards, a vile of Felix Felice, or more commonly known as..." he continues saying as I interrupt him.

"Liquid luck" I say in an attempt to impress him, I had read up on it over the weekend. "It's a potion that will make the drinker lucky for period of time, in which everything they attempt will be successful" I say confidently.

"Well done, Miss Murphy, that is exactly right" he says "right students, good luck your time starts now" Slughorn says cheerfully.

Okay I got this, I read up about this potion, however I knew the method was complicated and lengthy, I flip over to page I needed, and begin tying up my tangled mess of hair. As I do this, I see Malfoy looking at me in the corner of my eye, I meet his gaze as I finish tying up my hair, and he looks away. He confidently begins making the potion, I thought he wouldn't bother but maybe the prize was enticing for him, I wondered why.

I begin following the instructions, however found myself struggling, I was not the only one, everyone looked a mess. Everyone except Harry, which was odd, he never usually excelled in potion making.

I started to whine out loud as I mixed continuously and vigorously in hopes of seeing a change of texture. "Why is this not working" I mumble out loud.

"Because you are doing it wrong" Malfoy says dryly as he slowly mixed his potion. I was taken off guard to hear him speak to me.

"I followed every instruction perfectly" I cry.

"Except you are mixing it too quickly" he says.

I roll my eyes at him trying to help as though he was better than me, well unfortunately he was good at most things, which annoyed me further causing me to mix my potion even faster out of spite.

"Still stubborn I see" he says dryly. Making my stomach flutter.

Feeling distracted at his words, I grab the wrong ingredient and throw it into the potion making explode on to me. I screamed while being covered in this black liquid.

"Oh no, Miss Murphy, I hope you are alright, you are more than welcome to be excused from class" Slughorn says compassionately.

"Thanks Professor" I say solemnly wiping my face, I look over at Draco,and he's smiling as he continues to mix his potion. It was the first time I saw him smile since coming back I thought.