The Slytherin Princess | Draco Malfoy x Reader

Chapter 9: Potions & Cedric Diggory

He dropped it in, watching for a few seconds before picking up the spoon again.

"Four more stirs, and it should turn clear," you said, reading the book over his shoulder.

He stirred four more times, and gasped slightly when the mixture did, indeed, turn clear.

"Now wave your wand over it and it should be done," you said, feeling your chest swell with pride at the fact that you taught someone else something.

He waved his wand in a perfect figure eight over the cauldron, and with a spark from his wand, the potion was finished.

"You did it, Draco!" you said happily, holding up your hand for a high-five.

Instead Draco grabbed you and pulled you close for a hug, which was almost the exact opposite of what you had been expecting. You froze for a second before just giving in, and you wrapped your arms around the boy's neck, holding him tightly to yourself before he pulled away.

"S-sorry, I just got excited," he said sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"It's okay, Draco, you should be proud of yourself. See how much good taking it slow can do?" you said, nudging him playfully.

"I'll remember that," he said with a wink, and suddenly your knees went weak.

You hoped he didn't notice when you turned away to hide the blush on your face, but you were honestly shocked at your own reaction to what Draco had done.

You couldn't rationalize the reaction you had just had, and you weren't sure you wanted to. You knew Draco hadn't meant anything by that wink, so you tried your best to shrug it off as you thumbed to the page for the Bitterroot Balm potion.

"Here, this is the one that nearly ruined your cauldron on Monday," you pointed out, sliding the book over into Draco's view. He looked down at it, nodding. "That sure is it," he mumbled, his eyes glazing over as if he was replaying the incident in his head.

"Alright, now just remember, take your time and count your stirs," you reminded him, pouring part of the elixir you had finished into a vial to show Snape later, and the rest of it down the drain. You rinsed the cauldron thoroughly and got more water into it before setting it back down in front of Draco.

He looked down at the book. "It says the first thing we need to put in is the paste from this aloe plant," he said, holding the leaf oddly.

"Cut it open," you advised, and he nodded. But then he looked at it more closely, squeezing it with his fingers before simply snapping it open.

"Well, that's one way to do it," you said with a chuckle as you helped him squeeze the paste from the plant into the cauldron.

"I mean, did you see a knife?" Draco asked, and you gave him a funny look as you pointed down to the small knife you had procured from Snape's desk.

"Fuck, I guess I'm just blind," Draco said with a laugh.

You laughed. "I won't argue that."

"Hey, that's rude."

You attempted to wink back. "That's my best quality," you said jokingly, and Draco laughed—a real laugh—at that one.

The two of you continued working through the potion, and when this one came out just as successful as the elixir, you praised the Slytherin Prince once again. He didn't hug you this time, but you hated that you found yourself wishing he would have.

You went your separate ways after cleaning up in Potions, the two vials clinking in your robe pocket to proudly show Snape come Monday.

~~~