I'll Take That Chance

CH 42 - "... It's Gone..."

"Alright, we need to stir this counterclockwise for thirty more seconds and then we will be done," Draco mumbled, watching the time on his pocket watch and stirring at the same time. He kept stirring, watching the hand ticking its way around the clock and then finally put the watch down on the table and took the spoon out. Harry smiled as Draco chewed his lip; he loved watching Draco work, and Potions was a good place to do that. Everyone else was so preoccupied with their potions that Harry was always able to watch him closely. He furrowed his eyebrows stirring potions the same way he did when he stirred his morning coffee. Draco nudged him with a small smile and brought him back to class. Harry leaned over and looked into the cauldron. The liquid had turned from a thick white to a bright silver.

"Finished," Draco said as he pulled out a vial. They had finished it in under forty-five minutes, well ahead of most of the class. Draco grabbed the watch and checked the time, noting their speed in his book. He put the watch back in his pocket and Slughorn came over and looked into their cauldron as well.

"This has been our fastest potion yet," Harry noted, looking down at Draco's notes.

"You make a great team, very well done!" Slughorn exclaimed. He took the vial from them and examined it.

"What time is it?" Harry asked. Draco handed him the pocket watch and began clearing their table. Harry clicked it open as the class bell rang. He smiled at the warm memory the photo gave him of he and Draco and he tried not to sigh. Hermione interrupted his thoughts as she slammed her spoon on the table and Ron put their potion in a vial and ran it to Slughorn, grinning.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley. Now," he added, turning back to Harry and Draco, "I'd like to have a quick word with you before you head off to your next class. About your end of year exams. If you would, please take these up to my desk for me and I'll meet you up there." He walked off to finish collecting vials and Harry put the pocket watch on the table and helped grab the vials. Draco was labeling theirs when Slughorn came up behind them.

"I wanted to talk to you about your final assignment. It will be a very complicated potion with a lengthy essay and I want the two of you to work together on it. I have a soft spot for you two and I think this will help ease some of the burden from your minds. Goodness knows youve had enough stress this year. What do you say?"

"Well..." Harry began but Draco interrupted him.

"We appreciate the offer, Professor. This will help so much, thank you." Harry looked at the smug grin on Draco's face and shook his head, suppressing a laugh. Thinking about it, he was relived to be offered the extra help. Even through working with Draco and all the extra tutoring from him, he was still lacking somewhat in Potions. He looked past Draco and saw Slughorns next class filing into the room. They were Slytherins and when Draco turned to look at them as well, he stiffened. They both turned back to their teacher and wrote down the name of the potion and the things they would need to complete everything. There were a few students loitering around their table and he and Draco thanked their professor once more and hastily scooped up their bags and hurried out. Draco nudged Harry again and grinned at him as they walked out of class.

"Relieved?" he asked and raised his eyebrows playfully.

"Very funny, wise guy," Harry laughed and nudged him back, causing him to drop a book. "But yes, I am relieved. I just don't have the knack for Potions that you do."

"You have improved tremendously this year though, you know. And Slughorn forgot to assign homework!"

"He sure did," Harry winked at him. "I don't think McGonagall will forget though." They inched her door open and tried to sneak in, but Harry tripped on Draco's robes and he fell, his books flying, and Draco stumbled ungracefully into the room. He turned to look wide-eyed at Harry who was red-faced and mortified. The entire class, Professor McGonagall included, stared at them incredulously.