Fire & Ice - A Draco Malfoy fanfiction

Chapter 9 - Clouds rain too when they're too heavy

Know your worth. You must find the courage to leave the table when respect is no longer served.

- Tene Edwards

I looked at Malfoy for the millionth time that class. Snape had turned this into a competition which was a very, very bad move. If I was anything, it'd be competitive, especially if Malfoy was one of the people I was competing with.

My new partner was Theodore Nott and even though I did not like the guy at all, he was very smart. He had a very eerie vibe and was very big on pureblood supremacy. He gave me the creeps to be honest, but at least he was respectful. His family and mine were acquainted, so I saw him at events regularly, but I never really talked to him much. But we worked together and he didn't mess up.

Malfoy was less lucky with his partner, which was Crabbe. It took Malfoy a good 30 seconds before he told Crabbe to back off and let him brew the potion. Ever since, he had been glancing over to see how I was doing. But I was going to win this whatever it took.

"What's with the glances at Malfoy? I wouldn't take him as an example, he's with Crabbe", Theodore asked.

"Example? Hardly. I'm just checking to make sure we beat him", I grinned, carefully adding the salamander blood to our nearly finished strengthening potion. It had been exactly a week since the accident and tonight, my bandage could finally come off completely. There was some minor scarring on my hand, but most of the wounds had healed perfectly.

"Quit staring, will you", Malfoy said, clearly aggravated. His one hand was clenching the desk, turning his knuckled white and his hair was slightly messy. It brought me joy to see him so distraught.

"Quit losing, will you?" I winked, making sure to stir the potion constantly whilst Theo added powdered Griffin claw.

He grunted and focused back on his potion. I didn't like to admit it, but Malfoy wasn't half bad at Potions. He had gotten an O for every single exam these past four years. I knew that because he had rubbed it in my face every single summer holiday. But not this time.

"Time's up, hands off your cauldron", Snape said, rising from behind his desk.

"Evans, I said hands off. Five points from Gryffindor", he sneered. I gave Benjamin an emphatic look as he sighed and stopped stirring. His potion was bright pink, even though it should have been turquoise. Snape walked around the class and looked in each cauldron dropping in an insect here and there.

"Very good", he mumbled when he passed Malfoy's cauldron, causing me to curse internally. He could not win.

Malfoy glanced over his shoulder and threw me a satisfied smirk. I narrowed my eyes and shot him daggers, which only made his grin wider.

Snape passed our desk, so I straightened my back and looked at his facial expression attentively. He dropped in the insect and it swelled up. I had no idea if that was supposed to happen or not. It was a strengthening potion, not a swelling solution. Why hadn't I studied the effects properly? Snape's expression gave away absolutely nothing.

And then he walked on.

Malfoy sniggered as he watched Snape move on without a word.

"Shut it", I hissed.

"I just enjoy being better than you, Selwyn", he grinned.

"Most of your potions were rather disastrous", Snape sighed. "Only one was executed perfectly."

"Earning twenty points for Slytherin, the best potion was that of Nott and Selwyn."

The look of Malfoy's smile turning into a deep frown was a moment I'd savour in my brain for eternity.