the boy who had no choice [d.m]

𝖘𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓

"I SAW HIM WITH HIS LITTLE POSSE by Hagrid's hut but that's probably just because he wanted to taunt Harry Potter."

Snape sat behind his desk, watching her as she spoke, the tips of his fingers on each hand pressed together.

"He's doing exceptionally well in Potions - which is expected. He's a marvel at it, really. And you already know how he is in DADA -"

"He's still first in my class," Snape mused, sitting back. "He's even surpassed repulsive Miss Granger."

"Yes." Elara ignored the pang of jealousy she felt as she realised her parents would scold her to no end for not being first in every class. "He mentioned once that since he's the Malfoy heir, he's expected to know how to duel better than his peers so that could explain -"

"He's right," Snape cut her off, his dull eyes thoughtful. "As the only son of the most powerful pureblood family in history, I wouldn't be surprised if Draco Malfoy knew how to waltz as well as he duels."

Elara could believe that. She'd seen Draco waltz at two balls so far and she'd never forgotten the graceful way he moved and how he'd seemed to have been doing it forever.

"Right. Well. That's all for this week." She turned to leave.

"And how are your dueling classes going with him?"

Elara faltered and slowly, turned back to face her teacher. "Good," she said, carefully. "Despite his sarcastic remarks, he can be patient when he wants to be."

Snape didn't say anything.

Elara took the hint. "I mean, he - sometimes -" She inhaled a breath and tried again. "Sometimes, I catch these glimpses of him. Who he is without that stupid mask he always wears. But it's so brief and so far and few in between -"

"That's enough for us," Snape told her, fixing her with those steely eyes. "Considering that he doesn't show anybody else that, I'd say that's progress. Get him to trust you, Jacobs. It's the only way you'll be able to get anything out of him."

Easier said than done.

|

"Focus. You need to put all your energy into this. Concentrate. Put aside all your worries about your classes and Quidditch and your non-existent love life."

Elara barely contained the roll of her eyes. "Just couldn't pass up the opportunity, could you?" She glared at her pointed wand, trying to feed her energy into it.

"I said, focus," came Draco's stern voice from behind her. "Channel all your emotions, all your feelings into your wand."

Elara blew out a breath and tried again. It had been almost a month of Draco training her and although she'd gotten better, especially at deflecting spells and aiming them, non-verbal spells still seemed to stump her whenever he commanded her to.