Parchment (d.m)

Chapter 4

Penelope and Hermione walked to Potions after working on the piles of homework they had in the library. Shortly after arriving, Draco and Blaise plodded in and stood in an empty area to the side. Penelope kept her head down and only raised it when Slughorn approached the class. 

"Always good to see everyone's faces," he laughed. "Let's just get right into the lesson. Can anyone tell me the most powerful truth serum?" 

Hermione's hand shot up. "Miss Granger?"

Hermione took a step forward from the crowd. "Veritaserum, sir." 

"Very good, Miss Granger." Hermione nodded and smiled as she took a step back. "Now, can anyone tell me the proper time to use such a potion? Miss Parkinson?" 

Pansy jolted herself awake and directed her attention to the professor. "Professor?" 

Hermione's hand shot up again but Slughorn looked past to another student. "Miss Burton?"

"Oh—the potion shouldn't be used since the Ministry has tight restrictions."

"Correct. And even if one were to try and use such a potion, some are able to resist the effects. This is why the Ministry doesn't use it themselves. Well, anyway, Veritaserum is what you all will make today. Should be on—" The professor began flipping through his book.

"—page sixty-four, sir," Hermione interjected.

"Yes, page sixty-four. Go on." The professor waved his class off as he stepped away to the front. 

Penelope and Hermione hurried over to their usual spots and began prepping for the assignment. After making sure her desk was completely clear, she noticed Draco walk up to the spot across from her with Blaise at the station beside him. Penelope waved her thoughts away and walked over to grab the things she needed: griffin claw, cinnamon, dandelion root . . .

Once she arrived back at her station, she flipped her book over to reveal the dark powder missing from the cover but the indentation still present. There were limited people in the room who were aware of the incident: Draco, Blaise, Pansy, and Penelope. Blaise and Pansy had nothing to gain from repairing Draco's damage and Draco seemed to enjoy the show he put on days prior. 

She finally looked up and found the blonde working vigorously with his head bowed and his finger trailing down his book like a leaf along a tree. Penelope cleared her throat in the hopes of gaining his attention but failed. Instead, he added his measured amount of dandelion root into his cauldron, causing a gurgle to sound. She attempted to gain his attention once more before tapping her wand on the outside of his cauldron. 

"What?" he spat quietly, raising his head to allow their eyes to meet.

"Did you touch my book?" 

"I have my own book. And even if I didn't, I wouldn't use that pitiful thing." He nodded his head in the direction of her book. "Only a fucking fool could destroy their book as you did," he snickered, returning back to his work. 

"You were the one to destroy it, you git!" she whispered.

"No—but please inform the class. They'll think you're a nutter."

Hermione looked up from her station. "Is there a problem?"

Draco fixed his attention back on Penelope and repeated the question. "Is there a problem?" It became a test to see whether or not Penelope would put up with him—a simple pass or fail. Either way, whether pass or fail, she would remain a brainless idiot in his mind, but the answer to the question was riveting to hear. 

She stood like a deer in headlights, nowhere to run. Telling Hermione was simple. But it was as though her mouth was sewn shut like she was unable to speak. After acknowledging her potential lie, it then became a task to convince herself, repeating to herself it was not her concern, even though a small sliver of her knew it wasn't true. Yet she was defending him like he was a helpless bunny who was waiting to be pounced on by a predator. And maybe there was a predator and it may have been the Ministry but Draco was giving her no reason to protect him. He didn't need protection; he told her himself.