Toxic

The Other Side

Too high, can't come down...

Draco stood outside the townhouse and looked down at the paper and then back up. It was large, but not nearly as new as his own. Noticeably older. But it was still nice. He walked up the path and stood in front of the door a few moments before knocking. He then stepped back and waited.

Not a few moments passed before the door opened and Olivia stood there dressed in an old t-shirt and a pair of shorts, her hair pulled up in a messy ponytail.

"You made it," she said, almost as though she didn't think that he would come.

"Not as though you gave me much of a choice," he replied.

"Right..." Olivia said. She then stepped back, motioning him inside. Draco walked in and looked around at the entryway, suddenly realizing that she had invited him to her home.

For a moment, he panicked. Something inside him told him that this was a massive step - potentially a mistake - but he managed to swallow his nerves as he followed her up the stairs, his curiosity growing. Why had she invited him here? She then pushed open a door and they walked into a massive library with a huge, top of the line potion set up that took up two large tables in front of the window, along with some sort of setup involving glass tubes and containers. There were other tables covered in various other equipment.

He had never seen anything like it before. This was far more advanced that even what he worked with at the Ministry.

"I like to work on my stuff at home. In private," she explained quickly, her nerves apparent. She walked over and began fiddling with a few glass tubes, then glanced over at him. "I, ah, like to marry no-maj with magic... chemistry sets make it a lot easier to brew potions. Just wish the rest of the world would get on board with it."

"This is... impressive," Draco said, finding it was the only thing he could think to say about it. "But... why am I here?"

Olivia took a deep breath and slowly let it out, turning to lean against the table as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Okay, so I told you that I was interested in your work. That was one of the main reasons I took the job," she confessed. "I think what you're working on... I think that it could help in my own research. If we work together." Draco's mouth nearly dropped open, but he didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue. "So my father... he is pureblood, but my mother isn't. In fact... my grandparents are no-maj... and well, my grandmother is sick. Really sick. It's called Alzheimer's." She pushed off a table and walked over to a desk, picking up some papers. "It affects the memory... over time the person's brain is affected by the illness until eventually... they completely forget who they are and everything." She walked back over, holding the papers out to him.

Immediately, he felt his heart go out to her. Bloody hell, he had been a right bastard to her and she was dealing with this. Fuck, he felt like the world's largest prat.

"I've been using magic and no-maj science to try and find a cure for the last two years," she said. "I've had some success, but something is... missing... and I think it might be you."

Draco's eyes widened as she began chewing on her lower lip, obviously nervous about everything she had just told him.

"Me?" he asked, finding it the best place to start.

"Yes, well, I guess your research, to be more specific. You've been working in potions that affect the mind. Protect it. I think that what you're doing and what I'm doing... if we combine it, we might be able to find the missing pieces for both of us," she said, turning back to the potions set.