Beautifully Damned (A Draco Malfoy Fanfic)

Chapter 13 - An afternoon well spent

Draco's POV

It had been a month since that night in the Great Hall with Jess. I'd screwed up big time with her. Every time I tried to talk to her in classes she would just make a snide comment and walk away. I guess she's more like me than she thinks. 

I was conflicted. I had never come across a girl like her. I was unusually intrigued by her.

She wasn't afraid to stand up to me either. Whenever I dished out insults she had no problem handing them straight back to me and I wasn't used to that. In some way her ability to do that made me respect her. 

Perhaps spending time with her for my task won't be so bad. 

Jesinta's POV 

It's my last class of the day, Potions. 

"Miss Hartley, how is your Fire Protection potion coming along?" Professor Slughorn looks into my cauldron and frowns. "Oh no this doesn't look right." He looks around and spots Draco standing by his, already done. "Ah Mr Malfoy, would you please come help Miss Hartley with her potion?" 

"Gladly." He gives me a sideways smirk and walks over to me. "So you need my help hey Hartley." 

"I can figure it out without you." I say coldly and turn my back to him. He senses my distaste for him. 

"Look Jess, I'm sorry about what I said that night." I turn to him confused, was he really apologising to me? "Truth is I had a good time with you." I remain silent urging him to continue. "I was brought up to have certain beliefs and opinions about the wizarding world." He looks directly into my eyes now, "But when I'm around you none of that stuff seems to matter anymore." He sees my expression soften. "Can we just agree to disagree on the whole blood debate?" 

"I guess so." I wasn't going to gush all over him just because he apologised, but it did please me. I turn back to my potion, "So are you gonna help me or not?" I smile slightly.

"Well for starters, you haven't put in the Salamander blood yet and you used way too many bursting mushrooms. We can just even out the other ingredients so the consistency matches." He says as he finishes off the solution for me and pours it into a glass jar. 

"Wow I'm actually impressed Draco" I'm taken back by his intelligence. 

"Well if you're impressed by that, let me show you what I'm really good at." 

"And what would that be?" I question him. 

Slughorn announces the end of class and everyone around us starts to saunter out of the room. 

"Just meet me on the Quidditch field in half an hour." He says. 

"What so I can watch while you show off on your broomstick?" I raise my eyebrows at him. 

"Just do it." He says and leaves the classroom. 

        *         *         * 

I hurry back to my dorm to change out of my school robes. 

"And where are you off to this afternoon?" Hermione walked into the room seeing me touching up my makeup. 

"Oh just thought I would take a walk, read a book by the lake or something." I lied. I didn't want her to know I was going to meet Draco. 

"That sounds nice, I'll come along." She smiles happily. "Oh wait, I promised Ron I'd help him with his essay in the library." 

Thank goodness, I didn't know how else  I would have gotten rid of her. 

"That’s ok Hermione, we can hang out later if you want?" 

"Sure sounds great!" She leaves with a wave goodbye. 

I head down to the Quidditch Pitch. I'm surprised by how eager I am to spend time with Draco. This whole month I've been avoiding him not only because of our argument but because I knew being around him would lower my inhibitions. Not to mention probably get me in trouble.

"Jess!" Draco calls out, he's standing in the middle of the field. 

I walk towards him, "Why are you holding two brooms?" 

"I going to teach you how to fly." 

"Are you crazy! I'm not getting on that broomstick!" 

He grins, "Don’t worry I'll take you up on my broom first so you can get used to it." He grabs my arm and pulls me over, I mount his Firebolt and he secures his arms around me. 

I look over my shoulder concerned. “But Draco, what if I fall?" 

A comforting smile washes over his face and he looks deep into my eyes, "I'll never let that happen Jess."

Little did he know that in that moment I was falling... for him.