The next morning Y/n received an owl during breakfast which said that she and Malfoy should be utilising to practice for the upcoming potions competition. The letter by Snape stated that they had to meet at least thrice a week. Except, Snape took the courtesy of highlighting their common free periods and study periods, and would be checking their progress.
Y/n trudged up the dimly lit staircase to the top floor of Hogwarts, and she couldn't shake the feeling of dread and exhaustion. She was tired from staying up late studying for her upcoming exam and the last thing she wanted was to be awake early for a Potions competition practice with Malfoy. As she reached the top floor, the bright morning light streamed in from the high windows making her squint. The air was chilly, and she hugged her arms to her chest, wishing she had grabbed a cloak or sweater before leaving her dormitory.
Malfoy appeared from around the corner, looking just as dishevelled as Y/n felt. His face was neutral and his eyes turned to her. They made their way to one of the old, unused classrooms at the end of the corridor. The door creaked as Malfoy pushed it open. The air was thick with the musty smell of old books, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of peace and tranquillity. It was nice to be away from the chaos and noise of the rest of the school, just focusing on the task at hand. "I can't believe we have to do this," Y/n grumbled, rubbing her tired eyes.
Malfoy replied with a shrug, pulling out a large, tattered book from his bag and flipping through its pages. "At least it's just the two of us, so we can practice without any distractions." After a long moment, he seemed to remember the reason they were here. "What do you suggest we start with?"
Y/n took a deep breath, explaining what the logical thing to do was "I think it would be best if we start with the basic potions and work our way up to the more complex ones. That way, we can ensure we have a solid foundation." She came prepared, with all her notebooks and textbooks bookmarked according to difficulty and skill level.
Malfoy raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging on his lips. "Sounds boring. Why don't we just jump right into the challenging stuff? That way, we'll know exactly where we stand."
Y/n shook her head, determined not to let him get the best of her. "No, I think we should start slow and steady. That's the best way to make progress." Except, it would be far from tedious to do something challenging.
Malfoy rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "Fine, have it your way. But I still think we're wasting our time."
As they studied, the room filled with the sound of pages turning and the occasional murmur as they discussed potential potions and their ingredients. They always found ourselves working surprisingly well together, bouncing ideas off each other and building on each other's suggestions. Eventually, their bickering became less frequent, and they found themselves working in comfortable silence. Turns out, Y/n was right after all. They both had a few faults in some basic potions but they made a note of that and fixed it.
She finished scribbling down her sentence and dropped her Quill against her notebook She closed her books and gathered her belongings."I don't know about you, but I'm starving. I'm going to go down for Breakfast."
Malfoy interrupted her, circling a word on a piece of parchment. "Breakfast doesn't start for another fifteen minutes. Let's just finish this Y/l/n, so I don't have to see you more than I already have to."
Y/n rolled her eyes slinging her bookbag across her arm, "You can finish up. I'm still going to go. I can't stand to look at your face any longer, Malfoy. It's making me feel sick."
Malfoy finally looked up at her, "Y/l/n, we're almost done with this and we'll be wasting time if we have to finish this off later."
Y/n couldn't stand him, not one bit. Every part of him grated on her nerves, and she could not bear to endure this any longer. Potions were already a struggle she could tolerate, but this? How much longer would she have to put up with working alongside him? Until she left Hogwarts? She pondered for a moment, then decided, "Let's just finish on the way."
With a sigh that seemed to echo through the castle's ancient walls, Malfoy carefully gathered his belongings, clutching a weathered book in his hand. Side by side, they made their way along the corridors, trying to navigate their way by the ever-shifting stairs. "Girding Potion gives the consumer prolonged endurance. The maximum dosage is two vials."
Y/n cleared her throat, recalling the words of Professor Snape from their second year, "Lastly, add toasted dragonfly thoraxes until the potion turns blue. Then, add three flying seahorses and heat until the potion turns green." Unexpectedly, the stairway beneath their feet began to move in an unwelcome direction. Instead of their intended path to the second floor, they found themselves ascending towards the fifth. "What the hell is going on here?" Malfoy grumbled, looking around for a solution. They both sighed in frustration.
"Great, just great," Y/n muttered, "Stairs moving again. I swear this castle is alive and trying to drive me crazy."
Malfoy rolled his eyes, "It's not the castle's fault, it's yours. You're just not paying attention."
"Excuse me?" Y/n retorted, "I'm always paying attention. It's you who's always too busy being a pompous git, asking me about a Girding Potion."
"Oh please," Malfoy scoffed, "At least I have some sense of style. You look like you just rolled out of bed."
Y/n couldn't bear his taunts any longer, clutching the staircase's railing, mindful not to lose her footing. "At least I don't have to try so hard to look good," she retorted, "You're just compensating for your insecurities."
They glanced around, seeking an alternative path to the Great Hall. Y/n's eyes fell upon a portrait of an elderly man engrossed in a chess game, a portrait they had never seen before. "Maybe we can ask this guy for help," she suggested.
Y/n couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration as Draco dismissed the idea of seeking help from the portrait. She had hoped that maybe, just maybe, there would be some hidden wisdom in the wizard's cryptic expression, "Right, because a dead Wizard is going to be so much help" Malfoy shook his head.
Y/n approached the portrait, but all the wizard did was shoot them a dirty look and tell them off, "What do we do now?" Y/n asked looking around.
"I don't know about you, but I'm not about to climb back up and start all over again," Malfoy replied with a scowl.
"Well, I don't see any other options," Y/n crossed her arms. They continued down the staircase, bickering all the while. Once they reached the bottom of the staircase, they found themselves in a long, dark corridor. The walls were made of stone, and the flickering torches along the wall provided the only source of light. Y/n's eyes sparkled with amusement and she could see a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of Malfoy's mouth. They set off the small, hidden corridor leading them straight to The Great Hall. Y/n turned around to get a good look at the corridor but it was gone.
~
Y/n had a long lesson on the History of Magic, and finally, her study period began. She didn't have much work to do but decided to make flashcards instead. Aura and Jack joined her. They all chatted and laughed, surrounded by the buzz of their classmates.
Y/n went on to describe what happened with her and Malfoy in the morning, with the moving stairs. Aura and Jack listened intently, interrupting with the occasional question."Hey, have you guys heard about the Hogsmeade trip next weekend?" Aura asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement. The last Hogsmeade trip was good, but this one was going to be even better. Aura was gushing about all the things she wanted to try, and Jack was trying to convince them to visit Zonko's joke Shop. "Look, I won't prank you this time and I have apologised about your hair.." The last time they visited the Joke Shop together, Jack turned Aura and Y/n's hair purple. It took almost a week to get rid of the colour.
Just then, Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the room, and as usual, all eyes were on them. They made their way over to Y/n, joining in on their conversation.
"I heard Lupin's not teaching today either," Jack mentioned, furrowing his brow.
Ron nodded promptly, rummaging in his bag "Oh yeah, heard about that. They say he caught a really bad cold." Couldn't wizards cure something like a cure almost instantly? All one needed was to visit Madame Pomfrey.
Y/n nodded along, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Harry looked tired, and his usual cheerfulness seemed to be lacking. He seemed distant and preoccupied. Y/n made a mental note to speak to him later and try to see if there was anything she could do to help.
"What are you thinking about?" Aura asked.
"Oh, nothing," Y/n replied, turning her attention back to the conversation at hand. Slowly, the room began to fall silent and was no longer filled with the sound of chatter. She felt a nudge from Hermione and turned to see her holding out a book.
"I think you'll find this interesting," Hermione whispered, as she handed her the book. Hermione and Y/n were always recommending each other books.