Narcissa's Time Turner

Chapter 9: Prosperous Potions

The potions classroom that morning was full of students from all the houses chatting quietly to one another. Potions Draco had never before seen lined the walls, and the desks were arranged quite differently than usual. Well, different professors have different styles. Potter and the Weasel arrived late but Hermione was, of course, right on time. The broken feeling in Draco's chest slightly lessened when she was in his sight, but the madness in his mind increased since she was not yet his. It was a trade-off he was willing to take. 

Professor Slughorn wore bright plum robes and a tasseled hat; the man really had a flair for the dramatic. Once everyone had arrived, Slughorn began, "I've prepared some concoctions this morning. Any idea as to what these might be? Yes, there, Ms.-"

"Granger, sir. That one there is Veritaserum, a truth telling serum..." Hermione peered into the second cauldron. "This one is Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world. It is rumored to smell different to everyone based on what attracts them. For example, I smell... Peppermint...and... something I can't quite name." 

Was that what she had said the first time? Draco was deep in thought. He remembered something being different about her answer but couldn't put his finger on what...

"Very good," Slughorn commended her. "Now Amortentia doesn't create actual love that's impossible, but it does cause infatuation and obsession, making it the most dangerous in this room. And here, we have a curious little potion known as Felix Felicis, more commonly referred to as-"

"Liquid luck!" Hermione exclaimed, a bright light in her eyes.

"Yes, Ms. Granger, liquid luck. Ten points to Gryffindor. One sip and you will find all your endeavors succeed. This is what I offer today, to the student who successfully creates the draught of living death. But I warn you, only one student has ever been able to claim this prize. Let the brewing begin!"

Draco had seen Potter win the first time this happened, but he felt that repeating Potter's actions exactly and possibly depriving him of this luck might have disastrous consequences against the Dark Lord. Hermione could never live happily in a world where the Dark Lord ruled. However, doing well on this could help him earn a spot in the Slug Club and get closer to the most beautiful creature to ever walk the earth, so he decided to only mostly copy Harry's actions. 

Draco took out the green enchanted quill to write his notes as he brewed, and as expected it quickly drew Hermione's attention. She kept sneaking glances his way, as if trying to figure out if it was really her quill. As Draco wrote his notes, he realized he was writing far faster than usual. Ah, this must be the enchantment. Of course Granger wouldn't have a cheating quill. 

Hermione's hair was even poofier than normal after standing over the hot cauldron all morning. She truly looked like a Gryffindor lion now, especially with the look of extreme concentration on her downcast face. Draco's attention was split between looking at Hermione's adorable furrowed eyebrows and subtly copying Harry's actions, until Slughorn passed by the Slytherin table.

"Sir, I think you knew my grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy?" 

Harry looked up, intrigued. "Yes," said Slughorn, without looking at Malfoy, "I was sorry to hear he had died, although of course it wasn't unexpected, dragonpox at his age. . . ."

Draco knew from the past that just this much was not enough to get on his good side, so he continued. Flattery was surely the way to the Slug's heart. "He spoke rather often of you, so much that I was excited to take your class. He said you were the best potions master he had ever seen."

"Did he now?" Slughorn stopped by the table for a moment, looking pleased with himself. "High praise from one such as himself." Peering into the cauldron, Slughorn saw a smooth lilac liquid at this stage, much better than Malfoy had once had. He was rather impressed.

"How are you doing that?" Hermione demanded, when she saw Harry's potion also turning light pink.

"Add a clockwise stir-"

"No, the book says counterclockwise!" She snapped.

How like his booksmart mate, Draco thought. Never deviating from the straight and narrow path, always following instructions. It was one of many things he was only now realizing he found endearing about her. She wasn't the top of every class for no reason. Admiring her was far less mentally exhausting than trying to point out her few flaws. 

Harry glanced around. Only Malfoy had a potion the color of his, but that was to be expected. He was elated, never before had he done so well in potions, famously his worst class. Harry kept following the instructions scrawled into the margins of his beaten-up potions book. 

"And time's...up!" called Slughorn. "Stop stirring, please!"Slughorn moved slowly among the tables, peering into cauldrons. He made no comment, but occasionally gave the potions astir or a sniff. He gave Hermione's potion an approving nod, and his eyes widened at Draco's. 

"Well, this is rather close. Draco, yours is very good, yes very good indeed, but Harry's is better. Never before have I seen two draughts of living death get to this level! Excellent, Harry! It's clear you inherited your mother's talent at potions! Lily was a savant, she was, as was Abraxas. Here you are my boy: liquid luck. Use it well."

Hermione seemed rather cross, but begrudgingly acknowledged Harry's success. Harry felt guilty looking at her disappointed face, but wasn't satisfied with the bemused expression on Malfoy's. Shouldn't winning over Malfoy feel better than this, shouldn't Malfoy be annoyed? Malfoy looked like he expected this, somehow. 

Draco took an extra moment to gather his things so he could be among the last leaving the room, as Hermione usually was. Hermione felt something brush her hand. It was Draco handing her the quill. These quills weren't ~technically~ allowed at Hogwarts, but she never used it on a test so she didn't think it was much of an issue, so long as it was her little secret. Still, a prefect had caught her, and Malfoy at that! He had used it to write so of course he knew it was enchanted. 

"Never knew you liked green," Draco remarked in a cheeky fashion. He must have meant using such a quill was a cunning characteristic, but she couldn't exactly blurt out that she had never used it on a test! Others would gossip for sure. She blushed, and Draco winked at her with his lips slightly upturned before returning to his room. She reddened even more furiously. 

How different was he this year?! The old Malfoy would've reported her immediately to boost his shot at getting the top grades. He was always just one spot behind her, except in potions where he sometimes pulled the top grade. The old Malfoy would never have willingly touched a mudblood, nor helped one. Hermione was touched he didn't get her in trouble. Even Ron might have done so, jealous as he was over her stellar grades. 

Draco knew the lesson today was on felix felicis, and so of course knew that Slughorn had a habit of brewing this famous potion. The potions classroom was in the dungeons, near the Slytherin rooms. Draco quickly grabbed some ashwinder eggs that had a freezing charm on them (to prevent them from catching fire) from his personal ingredient trunk, and returned to the Potions room. He secretly thanked the universe for infesting Malfoy Manor's fireplace with ashwinders earlier that year, and knocked on the now-closed door.

"Come in!" Slughorn shouted from his desk.

"Professor, I thought I might gift these to you," Draco stated as he gently laid the ashwinder eggs on the Professor's desk.

Slughorn peered over his glasses and exclaimed, "My, Draco! But these are so valuable, I couldn't possibly..." he drifted off, looking up and waiting for Draco to insist.

"I insist, Professor, I have no other use for them. I haven't any murlap tentacles or Occamy eggshells, nor your talent, so it's not as if I could make felix felicis on my own."

"Thank you kindly my boy, I did require more of these for next year's batch of liquid luck of course, and they are so incredibly difficult to procure... Say, why don't you join me for dinner sometime? I'll send an invitation along one of these days, it's the least I could do."

"Thank you so much Professor!" Malfoy said with genuine excitement lighting up his face. He couldn't believe getting into the Slug Club had been so easy, flattery really was Slughorn's achilles heel. "I'd be honored."