Scarhead (A Drarry Fic)

Chapter Eighteen-Slughorn

Harry met back up with Ron and Hermione once inside the castle, leaving Draco at the Slytherin table once they had entered the great hall, the room was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heaven. He stared at Draco through the sorting hat song and the actual sorting, but he did not look back at him.

Disappointed he listened in to Ron and Hermione's conversation. Finding none of it even remotely interesting. He kept looking back at the Slytherin table to make sure that Draco wasn't trying to get his attention in the moments where he wasn't in complete engrossment with his surroundings, but Draco did no such thing. He just stared at his empty plate whilst Pansy and Blaise argued on either side of him.

Dumbledore got up from his seat and the hall immediately fell silent, "there has been a slight change in our staff this year," he said, "for starters, I would like to welcome professor Slughorn as the new potions teacher." murmuring from the students grew heavy and he waited for it to die down before starting once more, "as for the defense against the dark arts job, that has been given to Professor Severus Snape." unlike professor Slughorn, who was waving and smiling at the mass of students, Snape did not move, he just stared at them with his cold, black eyes.

Harry once more looked over at Draco to see his reaction, but the boy had not given any indication that he had even heard the announcement. Something was undoubtedly wrong with him. Once the feast had commenced he thought about going over to talk with him, but the thought did not simply become action. He was nervous about the other Slytherin around him, and to put it plainly, that he would shrug it off again and tell him it was fine or that he was tired. He would tell him eventually, Harry concluded and marched off with the other Gryffindor to the common room.

The night was treacherously long. Harry fought a mental battle during those hours, coming up with theory after theory about what could be biting at Draco's nerves. He had almost won this battle as his mind began to silence, but one last thought had pushed its way through, he's a death eater.

He sat up as quick as a lightning strike. "No," he mouthed. He spent the rest of the night coming up with reasons for why Draco could not possibly be a death eater. He was too young, Voldemort would never require the assistance of a sixteen-year-old boy, this was the most frequently brought up reason in Harry's head that night. It did little to calm his nerves.

The sun arouse through the windows that next morning with much excitement, the beaming and glittering rays of vibrant light danced around the room, making the atmosphere of the room feel lighter and much happier than usual. It had little to no effect on Harry, who pulled himself glumly out of bed, straining from the tiredness that he felt in his bones. He pulled on his robes and followed Ron to breakfast.

The three of them looked over their schedules, Hermione went off about how hard each one of her classes was that year and how much homework she would probably receive. Harry tuned this out, he had his own classes to worry about. And not just his classes, Draco. Hermione has stopped talking to take a bite of toast and Harry took the opportunity to bring up his concern.

"I think Draco is a death eater."

Ron spit his pumpkin juice across the table. "Bloody hell Harry, I'm not quite sure that's possible."

"Ron's right, Draco is much too young, and do you really think that his mother would let something like that happen. I heard she isn't even a proper one herself, hasn't got the mark at all," Hermione said boldly. Harry smiled at them, they were right, he had nothing to worry about. All he really needed was a reaffirmation from his friends that he was wrong in thinking that Draco was working for the Dark Lord. 

His mind was a little more at ease but he still couldn't fully shake the thought away. How would this affect their relationship?

He shouldered his bag when the bell rang and trailed behind Ron and Hermione, their first class was potions with Slughorn. Harry felt a tad bit better about not having to learn potions from Snape anymore, but there was now a new problem, defense against the dark arts was now taught by his most hated professor. The subject that had once been his favorite, now ruined by the greasy haired professor who had long proclaimed his goal of making Harry's life a living hell.

Walking into the classroom, that had a much softer feel to it without Snape's presence. He stopped once he saw the back of Draco's head. The spot next to him was occupied by Blaise. "Draco," He called. The blonde turned in his chair and stared.

"Sorry," he mouthed, "next class." he pointed towards the seat next to him. Getting the sum of what Draco was telling him he took a seat next to Ron and behind a cauldron of steaming liquid Somehow the smell reminded him simultaneously of, the woody smell of a broomstick handle, Draco's hair gel, and something flowery he thought he might have smelled at the Burrow, possibly in the garden. He found that he was breathing very slowly and deeply and that the potion's fumes seemed to be filling him up like drink.

Pulling into the classroom, Slughorn greeted the class with a hardy laugh. "Welcome! Today we will be learning about Amortenia. Who can tell me what that is." Hermione's hand shot up in the air, "er..you," he said pointing at her.

"Amortentia is the most powerful love potion in the world. It is distinctive for its mother-of-pearl sheen, and steam rises from the potion in spirals. Amortentia smells different to each person, according to what attracts them," she said with confidence.

"Yes, that is precisely what it is, ten points to Gryffindor."

He thought about the smell of Draco's hair, he wondered what Draco was smelling when he put his nose over the cauldron. Class went on with Slughorn droning on about the love potion, occasionally he stopped and asked a question that was invariably answered by Hermione, to which he would respond by giving Gryffindor ten more points.

At the end of class, he snuck past Ron and Hermione to get to Draco. He laced his fingers in his and pulled him to an empty hallway. "Merlin potter, you sure are clingy."

"Whatever, I just wanted to ask what the Amortenia smells like to you."

"I smelled, the wood of a broomstick, my hair gel, my mothers Yorkshire pudding, oh and one more thing, it's really annoying and needy," he smirked at Harry who just rolled his eyes, "what did you smell then?"

"Wood of a broomstick, treacle tart, your hair gel, and the burrow," he replied.

There was a moment of silence.

"I better go, I don't want to be late for class," Draco said.

"Wait," Harry said. "Can we meet tonight, in the astronomy tower after dinner?"

"Yeah, that would be nice." Draco then smiled a genuine smile whilst turning the corner, leaving Harry alone in the corridor.