AMBIVALENCE - D. M.

9

She was stirring the potion with a frown on her face. She hasn't met my eyes since we walked in the classroom. I was staring, I knew I was staring but I couldn't stop. Why does she have to be so bloody perfect? I mean perfect grades, perfect face, perfect hair, perfect ey- "Malfoy!" Perfect loudness. "What?" "The knotgrass? Did you get it?" Fuck. "No, I'll be right back." She cursed to herself shaking her head, mumbling about me.

I walked over to get the grass and something came to mind. Malfoy. She hasn't called me Draco since our professor made me walk her back to the Ravenclaw house. Not that I minded but she's acted odd since then. I mean she always acts odd or maybe she is odd, I erased the thought from my mind. "Here." I handed her the knotgrass. "Are you not going to help?"

She looked me in the eye. Fuck.

"You're snappy today." She scoffed. I laughed, "Of course I'm going to help." I took the grass from her hands, my fingers brushing hers, she tensed up. I ignored it and added the bundles of knotgrass into our cauldron. She looked at me, I turned my head towards her hand, stirring. "Thank you," she muttered, barely understandable.

I smirked, "Sorry, didn't catch that." She glared at me, "I said thank you for doing the bare minimum and helping me even though it's what you're supposed to be doing." "You really are one of the kindest people I know, truly," I smiled. She didn't answer, still wearing a frown, eyes staring into the cauldron but mind deep in thought.

I was staring again. "Do you want to wave your wand or shall I?" I nodded to her and she pulled out her wand saying the incantation. Snape clapped, getting our attention, "Once you have said the incantation, bring your cauldron to the storage room then wait allotted time till you can add more ingredients in the great hall during lunch. You are dismissed only when you are done."

Everly and I looked at each other. I grabbed the cauldron and she walked with me to the storage room. We showed it to Snape, he simply nodded before waving us off. Everly walked back to our station, grabbed her bag, and practically ran out of the class. I called after her, "Potter! Wait!" She stopped and turned towards me.

"Merlin, you walk fast." She folded her arms across her chest, "I'm hungry," she continued walking and I started with her. "Why are you walking with me?" See, odd. "We're going to the same place if you didn't know." She scowled. Why was this bothering me? She was still walking fast so I was trying to keep up with her.

She had brought her hair down after we had finished the potion. She usually has it tied back or out of her face, it was weird seeing her hair fall over her face. "You're staring Malfoy." "What?" "At me? You're staring at me." "Oh. Sorry, just have your hair down." "Keen observation." She seemed to walk faster. I walked slower.

Eventually I was walking a few yards behind her, she didn't seem to notice until we walked into the Great Hall when she turned to look at me. Her eyes became wide as she made eye contact with me and she turned to walk to the Ravenclaw table while I walked to the Slytherin table. Blaise and Pansy walked in a bit after I did and Pansy said, "How do you think you're doing on the Polyjuice potion?" "I think it's going well you?" "Bloody Blaise stirred the potion counter-clockwise." "I said I was sorry!" Pansy eyed him with a scowl.

"How are you doing with the Potter girl?" I stared at my food, "Fine, why?" She laughed, "Doesn't she annoy you to pieces, or was your rant a couple weeks ago not about her." I glared at her, "She's not annoying she just knows how to get under my skin, and we've been getting along fine lately, not today but even so I think we both agree this is easier." "Being friends." I scoffed, "Not friends, tolerating each other, barely."

"Seems more than toleration mate." I glared at him, "What is that supposed to mean Blaise?" "Just saying you two seem a lot more than friendly." Pansy laughed. "Bloody hell," I ran my hand over my face. "We aren't even friends, we're.. acquaintances." Both Pansy and Blaise laughed at that. "What?" They laughed even harder. "Sometimes you are really thick, Dray."

"No I'm not." They started laughing even more, I didn't say anything else all of lunch. They were mad, both of them, thinking I was friends with Potter? Please. She's frustrating and annoying. And perfect. Shit. Why did I think that, I mean of course I knew she's cute but anyone who's not insane can see that. Her brown hair and green eyes and fuck me, her smile? 

What is going on with me?

Blaise, Pansy, and I were walking back to Potions when I saw her with Arkstran. She was laughing, looking her in the eye, and calling her by her first name. Why is it so difficult for her to do that with me? "Draco?" "Hm?" "Why are you looking at her?" I turned my eyes towards Pansy, "Fuck you." She pouted, "That's not very nice, I'm going to tell mummy." I rolled my eyes, "Like my mother would ever listen to anything you say about me."

"Your mum loves me." Blaise chimed in, "She really does." "I hate both of you." They both just smiled. As we walked back into the class Snape said, "Everyone get your cauldrons from the room and start brewing, some of your potions might not be ready yet so just wait." Everly and I found each other and went to get our cauldron, there was 2 minutes and 17 seconds left on the clock.

"You get the clock, I'll get the cauldron?" She just nodded, grabbing the clock and walking out of the room. I saw her make her way to the ingredients table grabbing leeches and lacewing flies. I set the cauldron on the table and she opened her book and brought out her wand. As soon as the clock hit zero she added the leeches and asked, "Could you crush up the lacewing flies."

I nodded, grabbing the mortar and setting the flies into the bowl, kneading them. As soon as the flies were crushed to paste I looked to her to give her the mortar and she was staring up at me, waiting. I couldn't tell you how long she'd been staring, maybe since I started crushing up the lacewing, but I handed the bowl to her and she poured it into our cauldron. She waited thirty seconds and asked me to wave my wand this time.

I waved my wand completing Part One of our potion. Soon after we placed our cauldron back in the storage room and left Potions at the same time. She was still looking at me, thinking, contemplating. Her eyes gave everything away. Then she opened her mouth to say, "Thank you, Bye Draco." I fought my smile, "Bye Everly, and don't say thank you it's required." "Still, thank you." Again she looked up at me smiling.

I couldn't help but smile as well as she walked away heading towards the stairs. Bye Draco, she said.

Draco.