sweet talk ↯ draco malfoy

EIGHT

EIGHT | admiration mixed with curiosity

ROSALIE GRIMACED WHEN she heard Professor McGonagall's voice slipping through the cracks in the door. Rosalie might not have cared much what the professors thought of her, but it was different with McGonagall.

Rosalie excelled in Transfiguration back in Uagadou, the African Wizarding school. That and Astronomy were Rosalie's strongest subjects, and she adored them both.

So, if she had any regrets about showing late to a particular class - it was Professor McGonagall's. She wanted, needed, to make a good impression on McGonagall. But given that it was the first class and she was already late, Rosalie wasn't doing a very swell job.

With a deep breath of courage, Rosalie masked her nerves and pushed the large door open. She watched as a few heads turned, Professor McGonagall's included.

"Pleased to see you, Miss. Grimmett," the Professor said, pursing her lips at the brunette as she closed the door behind her.

"The pleasure is all mine, Professor." Rosalie spoke with a hint of fake sarcasm, hoping that McGonagall saw through her act.

McGonagall watched Rosalie with narrowing eyes, looking the girl up and down before speaking. "Please take a seat, Rosalie."

Rosalie lets out a sigh that she was unaware she was holding in before looking around at the empty seats left in the room. She stifles a groan when she looks between probably two of the worst seating options ever - next to Draco or Harry.

With an inaudible groan, Rosalie drags herself over to the empty seat next to Draco. After she throws herself into the seat, she looks at Draco who seems to be snickering into his fist.

"Don't think I'm happy about this, Malfoy," Rosalie growls, setting her wand down on the desk with a small bang.

"Then why did you sit with Potter?" Draco asks, his usual and infuriating smirk set on his face.

"I rather choke than be in the same vicinity of that git," Rosalie says, her eyes glancing over to Harry, who is intently listening to McGonagall explain the O.W.Ls.

"That's how I feel when I'm around you," Draco sneers, earning a laugh from Pansy Parkinson, who is sitting in front of the pair - clearly eavesdropping.

"Ouch," Rosalie says blankly. "That one hurt."

Rosalie turns her attention up to the front, where Professor McGonagall is explaining another portion of the O.W.Ls.

"You cannot pass an O.W.L.," said Professor McGonagall grimly, "without serious application, practice, and study. I see no reason why everybody in this class should not achieve an O.W.L. in Transfiguration as long as they put in the work."

Neville Longbottom, who is sitting diagonally to Rosalie, made a sad little disbelieving noise.

"Yes, you too, Longbottom," said Professor McGonagall. "There's nothing wrong with your work except lack of confidence. So . . . today we are starting Vanishing Spells. These are easier than Conjuring Spells, which you would not usually attempt until N.E.W.T. level, but they are still among the most difficult magic you will be tested on in your O.W.L."

For a regular student at Hogwarts, the Professor's statement would've rang true. But for a student that learned from one of the best schools regarding Transfiguration, it couldn't have been more wrong.

Unlike the rest of the class, who all seemed to be failing horribly except for a frizzy haired girl, Rosalie was able to vanish each of her three snails on her first attempts.

"Evanesco," Rosalie commanded as she pointed her wand at the final snail, or where it would've been. The snail disappeared without a trace, no slime or residue left on her desk.

"I must admit, Miss. Grimmett," Professor McGonagall, who had been watching over her student's shoulder, says from behind Rosalie. "I'm rather impressed."

Rosalie looks up at her professor with a kind smile on her face, something unusual for the cold girl. "Transfiguration has always been my favorite."

Professor McGonagall hums in delight, nodding her head. "Ten points to Slytherin!"

Rosalie leans back triumphantly in her seat, her eyes scanning over the rest of the class as she waited. The only person in the room that had vanished at least one of their snails was Hermione Granger - who was looking back at Rosalie with a look of pride.

Rolling her eyes, Rosalie turns her head to the side to check on Draco's progress. A small laugh left her lips at the sight of his overly concentrated face as he stared at the snails, repeating the incantation over and over again.

"Don't try so hard," Rosalie advises him, reaching out and poking one of his scrunched eyebrows. "You're over working yourself, Malfoy."

"I don't need your help," he spats, slapping her hand away. "Miss. Transfiguration-Has-Always-Been-My-Favorite."

Rosalie pulls her hand back quickly, a loud gasp leaving her lips as she stares down at her hand - the one with the words 'I must not tell lies' engraved into it. Draco's smack pulled the skin apart causing small dots of blood to seep through.

"What, did that hurt?" Draco asks, the teasing in his voice dripping into seriousness as he leans forward to get a look at Rosalie's reddening hand.

"Don't flatter yourself," Rosalie says, pulling her robe sleeve down to cover the back of her hand before he's able to get a good glance at her hand.

For the remaining few minutes in class, Rosalie and Draco sit in silence, listening to McGonagall as she assigns homework to those who weren't successful in the vanishing spell. In other words, everyone except for Hermione and Rosalie were to practice the spell tonight.

Rosalie quickly shoves her things back into her bag and tosses it over her shoulder, desperate to get away from Draco before she can give him another shot at insulting her, after the bell rings.

With one final glance at him, she stalks out of the classroom. Unknowingly, both Draco and Harry watch her exit the room with an equal amount of curiosity about the girl.

Except with Draco, a hint of admiration mixed with curiosity.

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