Teach Me How To Love| ᵈʳᵃʳʳʸ

01

"Well, I invited him here. I thought we could all meet beforehand and well... diffuse any tension..."

"Neville, Who is it?"

Just then a figure walked up to their booth and sat down next to Neville. "Hello, Potter," he said.

Harry's mouth dropped. "Malfoy. You're the new Potions professor?"

"Why so surprised, Potter? You know I was top of our class. If you and Longbottom can get in as professors, it shouldn't be nearly as hard for me to become one as well."

Harry couldn't think of anything to say besides: "Hermione was top of our year."

"I'm sure she was the top Gryffindor but I was the top student in Potions. Slughorn told me himself."

Harry sat dumbstruck, his mouth ajar as he stared at Draco Malfoy in shock. Neville smiled nervously as looked back and forth between Harry and Draco. "Would you like a muffin, Draco?" Neville asked, gesturing to the container he had given Harry earlier.

"Sure, thank you, Long-Neville." Draco reached for the container, and Harry let him take it as he continued to stare at him. He didn't know whether he was surprised in a positive or negative aspect. Draco bit into a muffin and let out a moan of delight. "These are wonderful, did you make them?" He asked Neville.

Neville shook his head. "No, my gran's neighbour did."

"All the same, a muffin's a muffin," Malfoy said before grinning to himself as if he had made some clever joke. "So Neville, Theo tells me that you're teaching him how to garden," he said.

"Of course! Who else is going to take care of my plants while I'm away? It's not like we have any roommates. And most of them are for the healers at St. Mungo's. They rely on them for their antidotes and medicines."

"Couldn't you take them to Hogwarts with you?"

"No room. We've got a whole greenhouse at home, there's no way I would be able to fit it in my quarters, and I don't want the students touching them. Sorry, I have to go use the loo, if you'll excuse me..."

Draco slid out of the seat so that Neville could pass, then sat back down in front of Harry, who sat with his head down and his hands in his lap.

"Harry-"

Harry looked up at the sound of his name. He hadn't heard them from these lips in such a long time, and the sound of it gave him goosebumps. And then he turned away, remembering that he hated Draco Malfoy with every fibre of his being.

"Harry, please listen to me, we don't have much time until Neville comes back," Draco said with a hurried, quiet tone.

"I don't want to listen to a thing you say, Malfoy," Harry spat back, keeping his voice down.

"Oh, so we're back on last name basis? How mature!"

"You're the one who left! Don't go on acting so high and mighty! You should have seen this coming!"

"Please! If you hadn't been off flirting with Weaslette, none of this would have happened!"

"What do you mean, flirting? I have never flirted with Ginny in my entire life! Well, besides sixth year, but that's not the point! In case you didn't realize, Malfoy, I've only ever been interested in dating-"

Harry stopped talking and put on a fake smile as Neville returned. "Everything alright, nobody tried to kill each other while I was away?" Neville asked with a nervous smile.

"Oh, no. We're getting along quite well, actually," Harry said with a pointed look towards Draco as Neville slid back into the booth.

"Well, that's wonderful! I thought it would take a bit more time, but it's great that you're getting along! It'll make the school year a lot less stressful, that's for sure."