Little Bird

Chapter Thirty-Seven

            "Shut up," Flint snapped, but it was barely understandable. I waved to Flint before allowing Draco to lead me away from the Slytherin table, his hand tight around mine.

            "This sucks that we won't have Potions together again," I teased, catching up with Draco's long strides and walking beside him out of the Great Hall. "You won't be able to get annoyed with me for—what was it? 'Stirring at the pace of a sloth'?"

            "How do you even remember that?" Draco grinned slightly and shook his head, looking down at me as we entered the Entrance Hall. He walked with me to the staircase that led up to the floor with the Charms classroom, coming to a stop by the edge of it. Not many people were around as he kissed me quickly, telling me, "See you for Care of Magical Creatures?"

            "Yeah," I smiled shyly up at him, my cheeks growing warm at the way he was looking at me. "Okay. Have fun in Potions."

            He rolled his eyes and let go of my hand as I started for the stairs, calling after me, "I'll try."

            I finally turned away and started up the staircase to Charms, a small grin still fixed on my face.

~*~

Draco

            The good mood Eve had put me in quickly faded when I saw who I would be having Potions with this year.

            "Hey, Malfoy," Zabini called from his place beside Christian Hunter and Goyle, pointing to the empty chair at their table. "Sit with us, mate."

            I tried not to groan out loud as I reluctantly headed over to their table by the back of the classroom, hoping my distaste for Zabini wasn't too obvious. Suddenly very grateful Eve wasn't in this class with me, I sat at the table and nodded to Zabini. "Alright, mate?"

            "Yeah, and you?" Zabini asked, to which I only nodded. He lifted his chin to Christian and said, "Hunter's heard that the new Potions teacher is a complete moron."

            "Not surprised," I said, which made Christian laugh. "Good summer, Hunter?"

            "It was alright," he grinned, leaning back in his chair. "I heard Flint wants you to be co-captain this year."

            I shifted awkwardly in my seat, keeping my tone cool as I told him, "I'm not playing this year, actually."

            "You're not—what?" Christian gaped at me, as though he couldn't believe it. "You can't be serious. We need a Seeker, and you're the only one we've got."

            "Nice," I said dryly. "I don't have time for Quidditch this year."

            "What do you mean you—"

            "Hunter," Zabini snapped, giving him a pointed look from across the table. When Christian still didn't catch on, he continued in annoyance, "You know why he doesn't have time."

            I stared down at the surface of the table as Christian finally remembered, my grip on my textbook tightening as I heard him say quietly, "Oh. Right. Sorry, Malfoy, I forgot."

            If only I could forget it that easily. I was almost relieved when the new Potions professor finally entered the classroom and I could escape Hunter's pitied look, twisting in my seat to get a good look at Slughorn. I recognized him from the photos my father had shown me at the start of the year when the rest of the Death Eaters had been trying to get him back into helping the Dark Lord again. As he stumbled his way to the front of the room with a few apologies, I wondered why the Dark Lord had wanted him in the first place.