WHAT YOU DO TO ME | Draco Malfoy

Year Five - Part Four

I had been successfully avoiding Malfoy for a few weeks since my realization that I was attracted to him. Surprisingly, he was doing the same. The only time we saw each other was in the classes we shared, and were forced to sit next to one another. We barely spoke, just to read each other instructions in potions. He hadn't even threatened me with any more detentions.

"Did you hear about Umbridge?" Hermione asked me at breakfast one morning. I had been in such a fog lately that I had been paying no mind to Umbridge's tyrany at Hogwarts.

"No, what now?" I asked.

"She's appointed herself to the position of High Inquisitor and is going to start monitoring all of our classes."

"Brilliant." I said sarcastically, "Surely Dumbledore can do something about it."

"Dumbledore would actually have to be here to do something about it." Harry shot back coldly. I glared at him. I never took kindly to Potter's attitude swings, and he knew it. "Sorry." He muttered.

"It'll be a laugh seeing her have a go at Snape today." Ron said excitedly. "Could be fun."

"Oh yeah, loads, Ronald." I chided him, "All it cost to be able to laugh at Snape for an hour was Hogwarts's autonomy from the Ministry. But it'll be a laugh."

"I'm just trying to look at the positives here, Liv." Ron frowned at me, "You're getting just as bad as Harry."

"Bugger off." Harry and I said together. We were both insulted by his comment for different reasons.

"Want to head to potions?" Harry asked me, being the friendliest he had in a while now. He glared at Ron, proving that his niceness was only at the expense of our other friend.

I nodded and linked arms with him, "Gladly."

"This Umbridge stuff is getting out of order, I'll admit." I lamented to Harry once we were alone in the corridor on our way to the dungeons.

"There's got to be something we can do, I just haven't figured it out yet." Harry sighed, "Even McGonagall seems helpless."

When we got to potions, all of the Slytherin students were there and prepared to start the lesson, even though class wasn't to begin for another ten minutes or so. Umbridge was there too, looking like a bright pink monstrosity. It was clear to me Snape informed the Slytherins to be early to make a good impression, but failed to pass that same advice along to the Gryffindor students.

Harry and I had to separate once we entered the class. He went to his empty table, because he was the only other Gryffindor, and I went to sit next to Malfoy. He didn't look up at me, as usual, and continued reading his book.

"How peculiar, Severus." Umbridge said as she stared at me with her toad-like eyes. "These two sit together in my classroom as well." Malfoy's head shot up when he realized Umbridge was referring to him and his eyes quickly darted over to me before he looked away. "Do you often pair together your brightest students with some of your worst students?"

Draco grinned laughed quietly to himself. I glared at him and kicked him under the table and he scowled.

"On the contrary, Professor." Snape said, addressing Umbridge's remarks, "Miss Fern and Mr Malfoy are both two of my brightest students. That's why I keep them paired up together." His face hinted at a smile, and I almost couldn't believe it. Snape... liked me?

"It's interesting how a student can be so good in one class and so absolutely horrible in another, isn't it, Severus?" Umbridge said.

"Maybe that has nothing to do with the student and everything to do with the teacher." I snapped.