You sit next to Draco in Positions class, and this particular class session does not go very well for you...
~~~
The weekend ended way too quickly for your liking, and Monday morning found you bright and early—and in Potions class at Draco's table.
You'd been his partner all year, so Potions class was always miserable, but you hated having to be in such close proximity with him. He was always such a prick to you, and today wasn't any better.
"Y/N, just so you know, the book says counterclockwise, so if I see you stir it clockwise I'll clock you in the head."
"Do it then, pussy," you muttered under your breath.
Snape was still walking around the room, watching as the other students brewed their memory-enhancing potions. "Remember, students," he drawled, "eighteen stirs precisely counterclockwise. Then add the crushed bitterroot. If you don't stir it enough it will turn black and likely ruin your cauldron."
You were grateful, at least, that you didn't share a cauldron with Draco. Which meant that when he inevitably ruined his cauldron, it wouldn't be on your pocket to eradicate the issue.
"Y/N, is it coming along?" Snape asked lowly, coming around to watch your stirring process.
"Yes, sir," you said quickly, pulling the spoon out of the cauldron as you watched the blue mixture continue to swirl. You ground the bitterroot up in the bowl you had brought to the table, sprinkling it in bit by bit and watching as it began to sparkle.
Snape nodded approvingly—or at least, what you assumed was approvingly—and walked over to Draco.
You hadn't looked at him in a few moments, but the joy you felt at seeing the black smudge oozing out of his cauldron was inexplicable.
"Ten points from Slytherin, Malfoy," Snape said angrily, rushing the cauldron to the drain on the other side of the room. "I specifically said eighteen stirs precisely."
You snickered a bit as you waved your wand over your own potion, and Draco shoved you harshly in response. You fell hard, and you felt your shoulder pop as you did so.
You cried out in pain, tears springing to your eyes as you sat up.
"Y/N! Whatever is the matter?" Snape said, rushing back to you.
"I—" you started, looking up at Draco. He still looked angry, but you saw the fear flash through his eyes. He wasn't even good enough to hide that.
"Spit it out, child," Snape snapped, pulling you up. You yelped again, your shoulder searing in pain. Snape recoiled a bit, but his hand didn't leave your arm. "I-I fell, sir," you said meekly. "It was an accident, my robe caught on my foot and I fell."
Snape took one look at your arm and pointed to the door. "Nurse's office," he said lowly. "That looks dislocated."
You felt queasy at the thought.
"Class, continue with the potion recipe, I'll return after I escort Miss Everglade to the nurse's office."
You were ushered in and left pretty quickly, and only started crying when Madam Pomfrey came over to assess you.
"Darling, it's just dislocated," she said softly, before popping it back into place unexpectedly.
You let out a cry of pain and shock, but before you could react further, she cast a healing charm on your shoulder and the pain disappeared.
"Make sure it doesn't swell up again," she said kindly. "If it does, you'll need to come back. Maybe stay out of Quidditch practice for the next few days, you still need to rest it. I'll let your captain know."
You nodded, tears still streaming down your face.
"You go on back to your room and lay down, dear," she said, "I'll make sure your teachers know you've been excused for the rest of the day."
You gave her a quiet "thank you" and left to go back to your room.
It felt like minutes later when Juniper burst into your room, her eyes wide.
"Did Draco actually dislocate your shoulder?" she cried.
"Damn, news really does travel quickly," you mumbled. "But yes. Madam Pomfrey fixed it, but I have to rest it for the next few days."
"Arlie's not going to be happy," she quipped, and you rolled your eyes. "Have him tell that to Draco," you snapped. "It's not like I threw myself off the stool."
"Word through the grapevine is he feels really bad, though," she said slowly.
You scoffed. "Sure. He can apologize himself if he really feels that bad," you said, rolling back over. "I'm going back to sleep. Bring me back some butternut squash soup from the Great Hall."
You fell asleep so quickly, you didn't even hear Juniper's response.
~~~
You moved through your classes very slowly the next day. Draco didn't meet your eyes in Potions, and you were grateful that for once he didn't say anything to you.
You ate lunch with Marin and Silver, who both hounded you with questions about your injury.
"I'm gonna be fine to play this weekend, Madam Pomfrey said two days out of practice. As long as it doesn't swell up again, I'm fine," you insisted. Silver sagged in visible relief.
"Well, that's good," he said slowly. "Arlie asked if Draco would be willing to be a backup Seeker last night, and he said no."
"What? Why?" You were shocked. You assumed Draco would've jumped at the chance to have his old position back.
"Something about how you would definitely be fine to play and that we shouldn't jump to replace you, or something," he said with a shrug, turning back to his plate full of chicken.
You couldn't believe your ears. Draco had defended you?
"He was super fidgety in Herbology," Marin piped up. "Professor Sprout kept asking him what was wrong, and he looked super guilty. He wouldn't answer her."
You sat and stared down at your grilled cheese sandwich. Why was he acting like this? He'd been such a dick in Hogsmeade just three days ago—not to mention he'd literally caused you to dislocate your shoulder—so what was causing this sudden mood swing?
The rest of your day was uneventful—though you wished it could've been more exciting than having three essays to write, each of them at least four feet of parchment long. You scrubbed at your eyes as you struggled to continue writing, before finally standing up and grabbing your parchment roll to head down to the Common Room. You needed a change of scenery, and you knew that curling up by the fire in the Common Room would help.
Your optimistic mood fell flat when you saw Draco sitting on the long couch by the fire, staring blankly into it. You chose to refrain from speaking to him, instead pulling up a seat right beside the crackling furnace.
"Y/N," Draco breathed when he saw you, almost like he didn't believe you were there.
"Malfoy," you said curtly, tucking your legs underneath you as you continued to write about the history of the mighty griffin. Care of Magical Creatures was easily your favorite class, and not just because it was a class you didn't share with Draco.
"I—how's your shoulder?" he asked tentatively, although he was afraid you would snap.
"Perfectly fine, no thanks to you," you responded. "Now if you don't mind, I've got two feet of parchment left to fill."
"You're going to be back to Quidditch practice tomorrow, right?" he asked again.
You sighed heavily, laying your quill down. "What's it to you?" you snarked.
"N-nothing," he said, his eyes averting your gaze. "Arlie just, was wondering."
"And Arlie couldn't ask me because..?" You had to admit, you enjoyed seeing Draco so lost for words, much unlike his usual motus operandi of throwing as many insults at you as he could fit in one sentence.
"You were in your dorm all day," Draco snipped. Just like that, his flustered façade was gone. You knew it had to be fake, you'd never once seen Draco act in any other way besides stony and cold—or downright mean.
"I'm so sorry," you said sarcastically, turning back to your parchment. "It's not like I'm roommates with Arlie's girlfriend or anything—oh, wait!"
Draco rolled his eyes. "All you had to do was say you'd be back tomorrow," he griped. "You don't have to be a bitch about it."
You scoffed. "You're the one who dislocated my shoulder," you snapped. "And instead of apologizing you're in here bugging me to get back to Quidditch practice. If you want my position this weekend you can have it, I doubt Arlie will even let me play after missing so much practice."
"It won't be the same without you," Draco blurted, and your eyes widened as he clamped his mouth shut.
"What did you say?" you asked incredulously.
"We won't be a full team without you," Draco said, stumbling over his words. "That's what I meant. We can't play unless you're present—otherwise we forfeit."
You shrugged. "C'est la vie."
Draco opened his mouth like he was going to say something else—then turned on his heel and headed up the stairs to the boys' dormitory instead.
You turned back to your parchment, but you were only able to write down a few more sentences. Your mind kept wandering to what Draco had said moments before—that playing Quidditch wouldn't be the same without you.
Silver's words about Draco's supposed feelings for you played through your head again, but you shook your head quickly to rid yourself of the thought. You wouldn't entertain that your long-standing enemy had suddenly fallen for you—how cliché would that be?
But as you returned to your dorm only a little while later, your parchment still three feet from being finished, you couldn't get Draco's words—or Silver's—out of your head.
~~~
A/N: Hi! Sorry I just wanted to clarify that your last name in this story is Everglade. <3