Harry Potter and the Pure Blood Prince [Drarry]

About the firewood

Hermione told Harry that she had actually examined the firewood while Harry and Ron were in detention. „The fireplace caught fire again, when we put new wood in it, that kind of concerned me", she explained. That's why she decided to take a closer look at the wood that Malfoy poured the liquor over.
Harry wasn't really able to follow her when she told him what she did to the wood, but he listend attentively when she told him what she had found out. According to her the wood seemed to have a thin layer on it, which made it unable to catch fire. After she had it scratched off the sheet she had secretly tested how it reacted with some potions in Slughorns class. Harry had no clue how she came to her conclusion, but she told him that she was quite sure that the substance contained deathly poison.
„But why would Slughorn keep poisonous champagne in his basement?", inserted Harry, poking sluggishly in his food.
„Did you forget that were talking about Dracos behavior all the time? It was his fault of course. He poisoned the bottle, because Slughorn wanted to give it to Dumbledore. He's after Dumbledore!", she whispered heatedly, „It all makes sence now Harry. Think about the weird necklace that Katie Bell was ordered to bring Dumbledore. Malfoy wants to harm him."
Harrys head was overcrowded with too many thoughts at the same time. „But- he pushed the drink out of my hand.. he destroyed the bottle..", contradicted Harry. He started stuttering while speaking, because he knew that Hermione's explanation still made sense somehow.
„Yeah, Harry. Because he didn't want to cause any more chaos. Three - or maybe more students could have died if he hadn't undone his act."
It was ridiculous but it still kind of hurt Harry that Hermiones first thought wasn't that Malfoy simply wanted to protect him, rather than just not wanted to cause more chaos.
„Do you really think he wants to hurt Dumbledore?", asked Harry quietly.
„If my theory is right he even wants him dead", she answered deliberately.
Harry couldn't swallow the food he was chewing on, he felt nauseous, overwhelmed by negative feelings, ashamed of what he had done with his with nemesis. The urge to jump up again and be alone with the colossal mess that was building up in his head overcame him, but his legs felt to weak to make a move.
„Harry?", Hermione grabbed one of Harrys quivering hands.
„It's nothing. Really. I'm just feeling unwell today. I don't know why, maybe it's just the sleep deprivation."
„Are you having your nightmares again?", she asked concerned.
„No, I'm good."
Pictures of the actual cause why Harry didn't sleep last night came into his mind. Pictures of Draco beaming at him, looking at him longingly.
The memory made a little smile appear on Harrys lips.
Hermione shook her head. „You're so weird today."

The next Monday they continued training non-verbal spells in Defense against the Dark Arts. Snape still looked down on Harry but had to admit to himself that Harrys skills were way above average in this subject.
In the afternoon they had potions class with Slughorn. Thanks to HBP Harry was the best student there, brewed every mixture effortlessly, and was praised by Slughorn all the time. It was fitting that Slughorn appreciated Harry that much, because Dumbledore had given him the task to get to know the professor a little better.
In todays lesson they needed to brew Amortentia. According to Slughorn the love potion was extremely dangerous considering it only created an insane obsession not real love.
„It smells different for everybody, depending on what you like", Slughorn had explained earlier when introducing the potion.
Harry glanced at Malfoy when he leafed through HBPs potion book, looking for the modified recipe for Amortentia. Malfoy seemed as absent as most of the time lately, he looked pale and unhappy but when their eyes met for a second, it seemed like Draco was giving him a little smile.
Harry blushed and accidentally slipped to many rose petals into the caldron. Bemused he fished the petals out of his mixture before Slughorn would notice. He giggled softly and saw that Draco also surppressed laughing. When he noticed Blaise scowling and clenching his jaw he quickly looked in an other direction.
After the lesson Harry engaged in a little smalltalk with Slughorn. He told him about their next meeting with the Slug club and how proud he was of Harry always mixing the best potions. Harry couldn't quite concentrate on what he was saying because while all the other students had already left the room Draco packed his things super slowly and then sneaked up to Harry's table. He mumbled his goodbyes to their professor when he finally left the room.
Harry felt the urge to brush past Slughorn as quickly as possible just to check what Draco did back there.
„It's going to be an amazing evening", he stated about the upcoming Slug Club meeting then he stepped to his table leaving Slughorn mid sentence.
Everything looked untouched on the tabletop from the dirty caldron to his closed „advanced potion making" book. Confused he put his stuff in his bag, but when he lifted his book a folded piece of paper slipped to the ground. Harry picked it up but wasn't able to unfold it. Ron had shouted his name several times now, he and Hermione were probably standing outside the classroom waiting just for him.
„C'mon, Harry, we're going to be late for training!", yelled Ron.
„I'll be right back", yelled Harry in Ron's direction. His heart startet pounding and wouldn't stop after he finally opened the note back in the common room. Ron descended on Ginny and Dean and what an awful couple they were, Hermione was immersed in a new book of hers. Demonstratively incidental Harry put out HBPs book and opened the page where he had slipped Draco's note in. Then he unfolded it trying to avoid any rustling. „Meet me by the Shrieking Shack tomorrow at 7pm", it said, written in an unadorned bold font. Of course he recognized Draco's plain handwriting from all the years they had had lessons together. His heart seemed to explode from the excitement. Harry exhaled loudly and immediately caught a strange look from Hermione. She bended over to him but Harry had let the note disappear between the book pages just in time.