𝐃 𝐈 𝐕 𝐈 𝐍 𝐄, 𝐝.𝐦

𝐞𝐱 𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐦

s i x t h y e a r

THERE was enough room at the Slytherin tables for everyone to spread out to complete their Potions practical assignment. Not many from their house were taking the subject this year so they shared a spacious area, unlike the Gryffindors.

Despite this, all of the Slytherins bunched together at one table in order to avoid Adeline. There were a few people at the end of her bench, far away from her as possible, but the rest of her house made sure to avoid her altogether.

Pansy Parkinson, of course, made sure the entire classroom knew their intentions.

"Nobody wants anything to do with the blood-traitorous whore, anyway."

There were a few snickers but nothing she couldn't ignore. Slughorn didn't seem to even be paying much mind.

Adeline was too busy with the task at hand, anyway. Besides, the rest of her attention was stolen by Draco taking off his robes and revealing his Slytherin sweater underneath.

It was new and pristine, like the one he had begun wearing in third year which he had evidently grown out of.

There was a pinch in his brow as he concentrated solely on his potion-making, not even registering the snide remarks coming from the girl beside him.

Adeline got to work, only half her mind making the potion Slughorn wanted. Her hands worked quietly and swiftly, not drawing any attention to herself as she made two complex potions at once.

It wasn't difficult for her, this kind of thing never had been. She was gifted in subjects like Advanced Potions and Herbology, things she had interests in.

Adeline was in her own little world, the bickering between Potter and Granger going unnoticed just as one of the Gryffindors blew up his cauldron and his eyebrows.

Quietly, the gifted Levier made herself the Amortentia potion and snuck it into its own small vile.

She had no intention of using it on anyone but herself, but not for the reasons many would fear.

Adeline just needed the scent, that's all. One last desperate hope for her sanity.

THE textbook was opened beside Adeline but practically abandoned. She used the printed ingredients listed on the pages of the new textbook but disregarded the guided instructions.

There was really no need for them, not when she knew what she was doing.

An odd calm came over her, if not for the smell of things she held close to her heart, but for the patience that came with potion-making. She always enjoyed the craft, losing herself in creating magic by hand.

By the time Slughorn was moving around the room, Adeline hadn't realised so much time had passed with little thought to anything but what was in front of her.

It was pleasant to find her mind hadn't wandered or betrayed her in any way. But all good things must come to an end, and they did when her gaze landed on Draco.

He looked stressed and disorganised, which was always so unlike him. He was an intelligent person who had always playfully competed with Adeline in their shared classes. It was something she had enjoyed so much during their first year at Hogwarts. Before everything changed.

So, it was unusual to see him so perplexed at the objects in front of him. This shouldn't be so hard because while certain things like potions didn't come as naturally to Draco as it did to Adeline, he was still talented enough to get through the task.

If not getting through it, at least being better than Parkinson - who appeared to be having more luck than him.

She couldn't help but think Draco wasn't trying hard enough.

As Adeline let her gaze wander, she noticed Blaise Zabini getting through it with ease, if not before his cauldron set on fire. It was clear he had a talent, just one that needed to be refined.

Looking down at her own, Adeline noticed how well she was doing compared to everyone else. Hermione Granger even seemed to be struggling, her hair a fuzzy mess while she frowned at the boy beside her.

Harry Potter, with all the same surprise of his brunette friend, seemed to be at ease. His potion looked nearly complete, if not by a few seconds.

And if it was Harry Potter, the now sharer of the spotlight, who was excelling at Potions just as she was, Adeline knew something had to change.

With a touch of disappointment, just as Slughorn was rounding on her, Adeline took the jar of rose thorns she needed for her Amortentia and added it to her more than acceptable brewing of Draught of Living Death.

Mournfully, Adeline watched at the rose thorns fizzled into the brewing and began to bubble aggressively, until it fizzled out into a sad puddle of slush.

Professor Slughorn looked down at her work, frowning between her and the cauldron while looking far too surprised. Wordlessly, he moved on to the next student.

Adeline felt glum but she knew she couldn't be one of the only ones in the class to do this successfully.

As her disappointment began to subside into acceptance, Adeline looked around the room as a few began to pack up, obviously giving up.

And she froze. Staring back at her with cloaked confusion and brittle defeat was Draco Malfoy's stone-grey eyes.

A fast shiver swiped up her spine, paralysing her in her place as she looked into the gaze of someone who hadn't acknowledged her existence since the middle of Fourth Year.

Someone who she had pushed away just as much as he had run.

It lasted only a moment but it was enough to affect her forever. Slughorn announced Harry Potter as the winner and everything returned back to normal, with Slytherin frowning at the Chosen One and Draco ignoring everything around him for a lifeless spiral of thought.

Adeline couldn't move, not when people began to leave and Harry was rewarded his Liquid Luck, she was far too busy staring down at her dark sludge, her shaky hands in the pockets of her robes while her left clings to a silver hope that remains to centre her.

Adeline couldn't even comprehend what was happening around her, not when one thought had her mind staggering.

Draco Malfoy knows she sabotaged herself, watched from a far as she refused to be in the limelight. He acknowledged her in a way that she recognised, with a question in his eyes that begged for her to answer.

Draco Malfoy was paying attention.