inevitable - draco malfoy

chapter forty

Draco and I made our way to potions the next morning with Professor Slughorn. We had chosen all the same classes this year as I don't think either one of us would be able to cope having to sit in class alone.

I was happy to see Ron and Harry both decided not to take the class this year, however I did see Hermione at the other end of the classroom.

Slughorn gathered us round his cauldron and began showing us the first potion. I looked up at Draco and could tell he was a million miles away and paying barely any interest at all and I didn't blame him. His jaw was tense, and his eyes were glazed over as he stared at a wall.

Before I could say anything to him, the whole class was disrupted by none other than Harry and Ron walking in late. I watched as Draco's nose turned up in disgust, mirroring Blaise's beside him. Slughorn welcomed them in making my stomach churn slightly. This is the closest I'd been to the both of them for months.

"As I was saying, I prepared some concoctions this morning." Slughorn continued teaching. "Any ideas what these might be?"

Hermione's hand shot right up, unsurprisingly.

"That one there is Veritaserum – it's a truth telling serum." Hermione began, stepping forwards. "And that one is Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world." She continued as Harry and Ron made their way over to the group. "It's rumored to smell differently to each person according to what attracts them. For example, I smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and... spearmint toothpaste." Hermione seemed to be getting lost in her words and the love potion clearly began to take its toll on her.

I, along with the other girls, began to feel intrigued by the potion too. Slughorns words drowned out as my attention was solely on the cauldron in front of me. The scent of green apples, vanilla, mint and fresh pine.

"Amortentia doesn't create actual love, that would be impossible, but it does cause powerful infatuation or obsession." Slughorn began, but my mind was elsewhere as the girls were all coming closer to the cauldron. "And for that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room."

Slughorn abruptly places the lid back on the cauldron and I was snapped out of my daydream along with the other girls. I jumped back slightly and turned around to see Draco with a small smirk on his face. It was nice to see his face with something other than a frown; however, I was still feeling embarrassed as I made my way back to him.

"What did you smell?" He mumbled to me; smirk still intact.

"What do you think?" I grumbled, elbowing his side and rolling my eyes.

Slughorn then sent us all on a task to attempt to make a draught of Living Death in return for a drop of Felix Felicis however it was proving exceedingly difficult.

Draco began becoming frustrated as nothing was going correctly and he is usually top of the class for potions, I could tell it was annoying him that he wasn't making a good first impression on Slughorn.

"Are you going to Quidditch practice later?" I attempted to distract him as I placed my ingredients down, not extremely interested in the potion.

"I'm quitting." Draco sighed, frustratedly. The smirk from earlier now washed away and back to his usual frown.

"What, why?" I questioned, looking up at him.

"You know why." He almost bit back, but soon regretted his tone. "I can't be distracted." He continued slightly softer which I just answered with a nod, not wanting to agitate him further. Draco was doing much better than everyone else around us, however, still couldn't seem to get the potion right.