𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖆𝖈𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖜𝖔𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌 - 𝖍.𝖏.𝖕

𝟹.𝟺 - "𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍𝚢 𝙱𝚘𝚐𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚝"

"Violet! If you will!

-

Malfoy hadn't decided to show up to classes until late on Thursday morning, when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were half way through double Potions. He swaggered into the dungeon, his right arm covered with bandages and bound up in a sling, acting as though, in Harry's opinion, he was some survivor in a horrible battle.

"How is it, Draco?" simpered Pansy Parkinson. "Does it hurt much?"
"Yeah," said Malfoy, putting on some sort of brave grimace. But Harry could've sworn he had him wink at Crabbe and Goyle once he noticed Pansy looked away.

"Settle down, Settle down." said Professor Snape idly.

Ron and Harry scowled at each other; Snape wouldn't have said 'settle down' if they'd walk in late, they'd be given detention. But Malfoy was always able to get away in Snape's classes; Snape was Head of Slytherin house, and generally favored his students before others.

They were making a new potion today, a Shrinking Solution. Malfoy set up his cauldron right next to Harry and Ron, so they were preparing their ingredients on the same table.

"Sir," Malfoy called, "sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm-"

"Weasley, cut up his roots." said Snape, without even looking up, looking at Violet's cauldron so he could point out any mistakes.

Ron went brick red.
   "There's nothing wrong with your arm!" he hissed at Malfoy.

Malfoy smirked across the table.
"Weasley, you heard Professor Snape, cut up these roots."

Ron seized his knife, pulled Malfoy's root towards him and began cutting them roughly so that they would be different sizes.

"Professor," drawled Malfoy, "Weasley's mutilating my roots, sir."

Snape finally looked away from Violet's cauldron, who had to admit she wasn't doing anything wrong, and stared down at the roots. Then gave Ron an unpleasant smile from beneath his long, greasy black hair.

"Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley."
"But Sir-!"

Ron had spent the last quarter of an hour carefully cutting his roots into equal pieces.

"Now." said Professor Snape in his most dangerous voice.

Ron moved his own beautifully cut roots across the table to Malfoy, then took up the knife again.
Violet tapped his shoulder and shoved her roots and a piece of parchment to him before taking the roots Ron was forced with and cut them back herself.

Ron opened the parchment that read,
"Consider this a gift for not telling anyone."

Ron smiled appreciatively at Violet, who pretended she didn't know why he was smiling. Though Ron's smile disappeared when Malfoy spoke again,