MEMENTO MORI | DRACO MALFOY

EIGHT

     "Make sure yer wearin' yer protective gloves." Hagrid added as they began to walk around the grounds with their Skrewts. They probably would have looked absolutely insane to any onlookers who didn't know Hagrid and his absurd lessons.

     Unfortunately, for Ophelia, her Skrewt was quite active. It darted around on the lawn as it tried to get at any other Skrewt in its radius. She grunted as she tried to keep up with the creature as it bounded towards Draco's Skrewt that appeared to be sedentary and hadn't moved an inch since they'd started.

     "Move, you big piece of sh—" Draco was quickly cut off by Ophelia's Skrewt practically mauling his. "Ugh, watch it, Rosier, these are new shoes." he snapped.

     "Sorry, Malfoy," she seethed, trying to catch her breath. "Next time I'll make sure my Skrewt doesn't step on your precious toes."

     She yanked on the leash but the Skrewt was stronger than she was, despite its size. She was lucky it wasn't dragging her across the lawn. It remained practically lying on top of Malfoy's Skrewt.

     "What's it doing? Get it off." Malfoy ordered, attempting to yank his own leash to pull his skrewt out from under hers.

     The Skrewts were at least twice the size that they were when they were first introduced. They had to be about three feet long now. They also had since grew shells that made them look even more frightening.

     "At least yours isn't practically dragging you everywhere. It's almost as lazy as you." She teased, hoping to lighten his mood. She never had trouble making Draco laugh in the past.

     His jaw was set. "I'm not lazy, Rosier. For your information, I worked out all summ—"

     He was quickly cut off by a squeal coming from his Skrewt.

     "What the bloody hell is yours doing to mine!? It's going to kill it! Rosier, get your bloody creature off of mine before I end up failing the class."

     Another squeal.

     "What's it doing?!"

     "I— I think its—" she stuttered, her eyes wide with horror. "I think they're—"

     "Wonderful! They do mate!" Hagrid bellowed excitedly. "I wasn't sure if it were possible with these creatures but you both figured it out! Well done! Twenty points to Slytherin!"

     Draco and Ophelia stared at their Skrewts in disgust and shock before slowly looking up at one another.

     "Eugh!" They groaned in unison, quickly looking away and dropping their leashes simultaneously.

* * *

     "Only you and Draco would get those bloody creatures to mate." Blaise laughed loudly after class had ended. He hadn't stopped laughing actually until they reached the castle for lunch.

     "What is that supposed to mean?"

     "Nothing." Blaise smirked, directing his gaze forward. "Just that you two have been so tense lately, and maybe those Skrewts were trying to tell you something."

     "Trying to tell me that Draco and I should—?" She scoffed.

     Blaise shrugged. "I don't know, maybe it would help."