#potions class

He could tell you were still bothered today; he could feel it, in the rise of your heart rate intermittently throughout the morning, or the white hot heat that would settle in his (your) chest before evening out just as quickly. He had learned by now that you were quite attuned with your own feelings, and seemed to control them very well. Remus found himself quite jealous of that trait. It was clear how deeply you were attuned to emotions, both yours and others, and the way that tended to influence your behaviours.

You seemed to be content right now, and Remus found himself wondering where on the castle grounds you might be right now.

Gods, he was such a freak.

Want. Mine? Where mine?  

He fought the urge to groan at Moony as he returned his gaze to the front of the class.

It appeared that Remus wasn't the only one with a lack of interest in Binns’ wearisome lesson as most of his classmates were beyond even pretending to pay attention; a few even drooling on their textbooks and letting out the odd snore.

It didn’t appear to bother Binns much who continued drilling on about the role goblin metal played in the rebellions.

Remus wondered if the professor had ever put himself to sleep during one of his lectures. He let out a small snort at that.

Before he could be concerned about whether anyone heard him or not, Remus felt an abrupt tension wash through him. No, not him. You. 

You were beyond tense, a tight kind of worry worming its way through your core. 

Not good. Not good. Not good. 

Though Remus didn’t find himself in a position to argue with Moony, he didn’t find the commentary particularly helpful. But for the first time since the soulbond came into effect, Moony quieted completely - almost as if he was allowing Remus to fully lock in on you. 

Shock - horror? You’d been startled… a painful surprise. Why couldn’t Remus think of the bloody word for the way you were feeling?

It quickly moved to heartbreak; it was as if Remus could feel himself sinking to the ground along with your heart.

Where the hell were you right now?

The heavy, sinking pain settled in Remus’ stomach whilst the sounds of Professor Binns and the surrounding student’s snores fell away into a quiet hum; Remus simply ceased to exist in the physical world as his consciousness went looking for you. 

Disappointment and guilt is what you seemed to settle on; a decisive determination forming in your mind. 

Then your heart spiked.

Worry?

Pain? 

Panic???

Remus had little time to acknowledge his realisation before an ice cold terror overtook you.

He could feel the violent rattle of your heart in your chest as your lungs started to burn; it was as if he could hear you screaming. 

And Moony went feral. 

NOW. NOW. NOWNOWNOWNOWNOWNOWNOW NOW. 

Remus hardly even realised that he had shot up until the chair fell to the ground with a loud thunk, likely startling the many napping students out of their slumber but he found that he just didn’t care about the disturbance he made as he took off in a full sprint out of the History classroom. 

He took the stairs two at a time in what felt like an arbitrary direction; he couldn’t tell you even if he tried where his feet were taking him, all his mind was concerned with was getting to you.

Remus had no idea where you were, but he'd find you.

If he didn’t know something was terribly wrong before, he certainly knew it now when your panic turned into a frantic desperation; cold, so cold was the terror that seeped down into your very soul. He was certain your magic was calling out to him, even as your core began to weaken. 

I’m coming, dove. I’m coming. Remus chanted as Moony howled in agreement. 

Remus’ own lungs burned nearly as badly as his legs did but he didn’t slow down, even when he shoved past a group of first years as he tore through the courtyard. He’d be sorry later; right now he had somewhere to get to, someone to get to.

Remus was just beginning to regret not taking up James’ offers to go for runs with him in the mornings when he felt a sharp relieved feeling - it was not relief, but a relieved moment - before shock and horror took over.

Your heart rate was a riot and you were distressed but Remus was sure he could feel you breathing and it was enough, it had to be enough until he got to you. 

He had to get to you. 

“Remus!” James shouted in a manner that told Remus it hadn’t been the first time he did so. 

Remus simply turned to look at him over his shoulder without slowing down.

“Mate! What the hell?!”

“Something is wrong.” Remus shouted.

“Yeah, you’ve bloody lost the plot it seems - I’d say that’s very wrong!” James replied breathlessly. 

Remus was going to tell him to sod off when relief came in the sight of you, though the relief was tentative when he noticed you soaking and hunched in on yourself in the sand. 

“Y/N!” He shouted then; you didn’t react, which only resulted in him panicking more.

“Y/N!” He shouted again as he made it to you; sinking to his knees in the wet sand as his chest burned. “Dovey, hey. Hey, look at me. Are you okay? Baby please, look at me.”

He finally brought a hand to your chin and tilted your head up to him; your skin was horridly cold and eyes were wild as your own chest heaved like you, too, had just run all this way.

“What happened, dove? Are- are you okay? What happened?” He was practically begging at this point but he couldn’t bring himself to care, even as James made his way over to stand behind you. 

“What’s going on?” James asked quietly; Remus could only shake his head at him.

“You’re soaked. Did you fall in?” He tried asking you; you simply looked towards the water in response. 

James quickly shed his jumper and handed it to Remus who wrapped it around you before he shed his own cardigan to wrap that around you as well. 

“Please baby, talk to me?” Remus begged. Your lip trembled and you pointed your gaze to your lap. 

He felt completely helpless; he had this deep desire - no, need - to help you, to protect you. He wanted to know what happened so he could fix this; he wanted to fix this.

But this wasn’t about what Remus wanted, it was about what you needed… what you deserved. 

“Prongs?” Remus said quietly as he simply settled into the wet sand beside you, pulling you into his lap and cocooning you with his body to provide you with some of his warmth. “Can you go get Junior? Please?”

James quickly looked between the two of you before nodding and running back towards the castle. 

·。·。·。·。·。·。·。·。·。·。·。·。·。·。·

Remus had been unable to encourage any more from you than a few shuddering breaths and a squeeze of your hand that he was holding hostage in his.

He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to let you go again.

Unfortunately, this appeared to be one more of his many plans destined for failure.

“Treasure!?” Barty called as he and James ran over. “Hey! Tres, you okay?” He breathed as he knelt in front of you and Remus, much like Remus had when he found you mere moments ago. 

“Talk to me.” Barty whispered as he pushed your damp hair away from your face.

You let out a short breath that had you deflating significantly, as if you’d been sitting with every string in your body pulled taut until Barty had shown up. 

It hurt, for a moment, knowing you weren’t Remus’ person - or rather, that he wasn’t yours - but he bit back the emotion flooding in his mouth because it still wasn’t about what Remus wanted, it was about what you needed.

And right now, you needed Barty.

Your chin dimpled as your bottom lip began to wobble and Remus watched as your eyes filled with tears. 

“What happened?” Barty begged through a whisper, and that seemed to be the last of your resolve.

Remus was forced to relinquish his hold on you as you dissolved into tears and fell bodily into Barty’s embrace; he seemed to be expecting it though and caught you readily in a way Remus wondered if he’d ever be capable of.

Unable to explain your hurt to Barty, you simply sobbed and clung to him as he looked at Remus in horrified bemusement.

Remus could only shrug his shoulders and shake his head remorsefully. 

“Okay, you’re alright Treasure. We’ll figure this out, yeah? We’ve always figured it out; you and me, okay?” 

Remus immediately felt like he was encroaching on something entirely too private and stood; bitterness, grief, and worry twisting up an emotional cocktail that he knew would taste horrid on the way down.

“Lupin.” Barty called out, forcing Remus to pause as he made his way towards James. “Thank you, for fetching me.”

Remus simply nodded before turning back for the castle. 

“I’ll-” Barty called again before pausing, waiting for Remus to turn around once more. “I’ll let you know how we make out.”

Remus nodded and let out a breath. “Thank you.”

The two boys shared a knowing look before Remus turned, joining James as they headed back towards the castle - no doubt facing a detention or two for causing a scene and abandoning class - in silence. 

Remus learnt little else about what happened at the lake until dinner when Regulus approached them with the small amount of information Barty had managed to get from you.

“She said she fell in?” James asked quizzically then.

Regulus tilted his head side to side in a so-so. “It was less that she said it and more that she agreed with Barty that that’s what happened. Why?”

James shook his head as if jostling around the thoughts in his brain would make it make more sense. “She’s been going to that dock for months to feed the mermaids, I-”

“She wasn’t feeding them.” Remus interjected quickly. “She was bringing them gifts.”

Remus looked up from his novel to see his friends and Regulus staring at him incredulously.

“Right…” James continued after a beat. “So, she’s been going to that dock for months to bring gifts to the mermaids, and she’s never once had an issue. Why now?” 

Regulus heaved a sigh as he shrugged his shoulders defeatedly. “We’ve not been able to get much more out of her; she just keeps saying she needs to ‘fix things’.”

“What things?” James asked then, causing the younger Black brother to sneer at him. 

“I just said we haven’t been able to get more out of her, Potter. Merlin; tu t’entoures d’idiots, frère.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Sirius moaned in exasperation. “Thank you, Reg.”

“Thank you.” Remus seconded, earning him a nod of understanding from the younger Black.

Remus returned to his novel, though he found himself unable to make sense of any of the words. James was right; something just didn’t make sense.

Just yesterday you had laughed at Remus for his concern for you on the dock 

… Remus quickly stood and gently helped you stand and pulled you closer to the middle of the dock, away from the edge you’d been inhabiting.

You giggled at him; the first real spontaneous emotion he thinks he had ever heard from you, and it caused Remus’ heart rate to speed up double time.

“You needn’t worry, Remus.” You expressed solemnly. “I’m very careful.”  …

And James seemed to know that to be true as well.

What weren’t you telling them? And what did you need to fix?

It wasn’t until later that evening that Remus came to realise what it was that you weren’t telling them. 

“Remus! Is she okay!?” He heard Amelia call breathlessly as she approached him in the library.

Remus was momentarily confused; he hadn’t spoken to Amelia in what felt like weeks, and he couldn’t imagine who she was possibly referring to.

“Pardon?” He asked dumbly.

“Y/N.” Amelia answered quickly; a deep divot present between her brows. “I just heard what happened; I swear I had no idea what they were doing, Rem. I would have never allowed it!”

Remus quickly slammed his History tome closed and stood over her menacingly. 

“Allowed what?” He sneered at her. “Who are ‘they’ and what exactly did ‘they’ do to her?”

Amelia seemed to baulk at the sudden severity of Remus, but she soldiered on. “I.. it was Silas, Shirley, and Coraline. They- I guess they figured, well-”

“Spit it out, Amelia.” Remus hissed at her.

“They think they were like, defending me, or something… by picking on her. I guess they tried to tell her to back off from you, and Silas said he shoved her in the Lake.”

Bad. Bad, bad, bad. Kill.

And while Remus knew, generally speaking, that he couldn’t kill a bunch of Hufflepuffs, he didn’t exactly disagree with the enraged and murderous Wolf howling inside of him.

“Is she okay?” Amelia asked again, quieter this time.

Remus felt bad when he noticed her cowering slightly beneath him; he felt bad about all of it.

Leading her on, playing with her feelings when he knew she liked him as more than a friend, and for ever getting you tangled up in this mess of his. 

He planned to never let it happen again.

“I’m not sure, Amelia.” He admitted then, realising somewhat belatedly that he had been simply waiting on you to come to him instead of actively working to help you fix this. “But she will be; I’ll make sure of it.”

Amelia offered him a sad smile at that. “Okay…thank you, Remus.”

“I’m sorry, Amelia.” He blurted then, watching as her sad smile turned soft.

“Thank you, Remus. Tell Y/N I’m sorry, too, okay?” 

And Remus watched Amelia walk away as he formulated a plan. 

James was easy to find, seeing as he was currently hanging on to every word coming out of Lily Evan’s mouth as she practised her presentation for the upcoming Herbology assignment.

“Hey, Rem.” Lily greeted with a smile as she shuffled through her cue cards, causing James to turn comically in his place on the couch where he’d been sitting with his elbows on his knees and his chin on fists.

“‘Lo Moons!” 

“Prongs, I’m sorry, but are you terribly busy right now?” Remus immediately felt bad for asking when James grimaced and turned to look at Lily. “It’s Y/N.” He clarified.

James immediately turned back towards him. “Is she okay?” 

Remus shrugged his shoulders. “But I know what happened.”

James’ face turned solemn as he turned to give Lily an apologetic smile.

She quickly smiled tenderly at him and waved him off. “Go, Potter. Make sure she’s okay for me, yeah?” 

James beamed at her before jumping up and planting a smacking kiss on the red-head’s cheek. “You were doing brilliantly, Lils! I’ll help you practise more later!”

“That seemed cosy.” Remus murmured as they stepped into the hallway and shut the door behind them. 

“It certainly felt cosy.” James agreed readily.

With the map that James had on his person, finding Sirius was an easy feat - what was not an easy feat was opening the broom closet door to find him and a Ravenclaw in various states of undress with their tongues down each other’s throats.

“Sorry, sweets.” Sirius winked at the other student as he pulled up his fly. “Duty calls.”

They found Pete in Chess Club and pulled him away from the game he was currently “winning, you absolute sods!” by the collar of his uniform shirt. 

And with the full moon a little bit more than 24 hours away, even Moony couldn’t deny the advantage they’d have with a little more help…

“It says he’s in the library.” Peter explained as he trailed behind the group with the map.

“Where’s my- where’s Y/N?” Remus quickly corrected himself.

Peter hummed as he searched the map whilst Sirius and James shared a knowing look behind Remus’ back. “Says she’s in Ravenclaw.”

Good, that was good.

You were fine. Safe.

And Remus knew that just had to be true, because Barty wouldn’t have agreed to leave your side otherwise. 

Back where Remus had begun this search, they did indeed find Barty hunched over a large looking tome at a table as Regulus, Dorcas, and Evan conversed quietly beside him. 

“Unless you’re here to learn the art of the Mermish language, bugger off.” Barty muttered without raising his head as Evan and Dorcas eyed the Marauders warily. 

“Relax, Meadows.” Sirius taunted. “We’re not here to prank you lot.”

“Forgive me if I don’t particularly believe you.” She muttered in response, narrowing her eyes at the boy. 

“To what do we owe this displeasure?” Evan drawled as he twirled his want in his hand.

“Play nice, Rosier.” Regulus muttered; obviously not particularly grateful for the Gryffindors’ company but clearly understanding there was  a reason for it.

“What, did you just say you were learning Mermish?” James asked Barty then; never one to manage to stay on task. 

Barty did look up at that only to look at James in bemusement. “Yes?”

“Why?” James continued, causing Barty to scoff.

“To thank them for saving Treasure, obviously. Do keep up, Potter.”

A disbelieving breath escaped Remus’ lips as he scrutinised your oldest friend. “That’s…actually really nice of you, Junior.” He admitted quietly, causing Barty’s bemused gaze to flit to him.

“Well yeah…I’m a real sweetie pie.” Barty muttered as if that had been really quite obvious and didn’t know why they were all talking about it, suddenly. 

“Listen, I found out what happened to Y/N.” Remus announced then; every Slytherin quickly standing at attention for Remus to explain. 

“They shoved her in?” Regulus confirmed slowly, earning him a nod in agreement from Remus.

“Well boys,” Barty started as he stood with a flourish, pausing at Dorcas’ pointed ‘ahem’ to amend “and Meadows, fuck’s sake”, “looks like we’ve got some Hufflepuff’s to kill!” He cheered gleefully, moving towards the library doors as if expecting everyone to follow him.

“We’re…we’re not going to actually kill them, right guys?” Peter asked nervously as the Slytherin’s rose from their respective seats, and the Gryffindor’s trailed after them.

“Right!?”

At last, the moment had arrived. To everyone’s surprise, Slughorn had finally given in to the students’ persistent requests to brew a particular potion. It hadn’t been part of the official curriculum, but the excitement that had spread through the classroom had been enough to convince him.

Veritaserum.

After reading about it in every kind of book and newspaper, none of them could wait to begin brewing the miraculous concoction that wiped away every doubt or hesitation when it came to “truth.”

Once everyone had completed the preparation, Slughorn clapped his hands a few times to draw attention and rubbed them together with enthusiasm.

The students moved away from their cauldrons, and Ramona crossed her legs on her desk, while the familiar scent of potions and extinguished flames spread through the classroom.

“You all have your small dose of freshly brewed Veritaserum in front of you, ready to be tested! …Of course, what I haven’t told you yet is how we’ll be testing it!”

Slughorn’s eyes sparkled as he looked around, clearly enjoying the reactions of the students, who had already started whispering nervously.

“Well, it won’t be on yourselves, but on one of your classmates. But don’t worry…” he added, raising a pacifying hand as some students exchanged frightened and uneasy glances.

“I’ve already formed the pairs you’ll be working in, and I promise none of you are paired with your worst enemy. We wouldn’t want to ruin friendships or create scandals in your final year, now would we?”

Then, with a mischievous smile, he added:

“Well… let’s hope not.”

A piece of chalk began scribbling noisily across the blackboard on its own, making a neat list of names appear.

Granger – BrownPotter – WeasleyGoyle – CrabbeNott – Zabini

When Malfoy – Grimsby finally appeared on the board, Draco and Ramona exchanged a knowing, amused glance.

“Slughorn’s got it in for you, Draco” Theodore chuckled, shooting Ramona a smirk. “A Veritaserum session with your girlfriend is lethal…” “Not as lethal as pairing Granger and Brown” Draco muttered with a hint of sarcasm, nodding toward the fiery glares Hermione and Lavender were already exchanging across the room.

Ramona laughed along with the others, and as Draco approached the desk to return to his seat, she tugged lightly on his tie, pulling him closer to her ear.

“Looks like it’s going to be a fun afternoon, love… I’ve already got a couple questions in mind for you.”

Draco stared at her for a moment, amused by the mischief curling on her lips. But before he could reply, Slughorn’s stern voice rang through the room.

“Miss Grimsby, for heaven’s sake! This is a classroom, not a private corner!” he snapped, visibly annoyed. “Take your seats and behave like students… Oh, I should’ve paired you with Mr. Potter instead, that’s what I should’ve done.”

“Yeah… I don’t think so” Draco said venomously, not bothering to lower his voice.

Ramona slowly let go of Draco’s tie, returning to her seat with an innocent look that fooled no one. For some strange reason, Potions always seemed to bring out the best in her, at least when it came to teasing Draco.

“Be a good girl, Ray” Draco murmured into her ear before taking his seat across from her.

Ramona simply bit her lip, then grabbed the ladle with a lazy gesture and dipped it into the cauldron in front of her. She let the liquid drip into a bronze goblet, and Draco did the same.

They exchanged a mock toast and a sly smile that revealed just how aware they were of the potential disaster they were about to unleash.

In one swift gulp, the viscous liquid slid down their throats, leaving behind a bitter, metallic aftertaste.

Ramona coughed lightly, swallowing to get rid of the unpleasant taste, while a warm sensation began to spread from her throat to her chest. Draco blinked a few times, feeling the same warmth spreading under his skin. His hands, usually so steady, started to tingle slightly.

“I love the Christmas presents your mother gives me” Draco said, licking his lips. “Hmm, no… I can still lie. You must’ve messed something up” he added after a moment, setting the goblet down.

Ramona raised an eyebrow, but before she could respond, Slughorn’s familiar voice interrupted them from behind.

“Nothing’s wrong, Mr. Malfoy” he interjected calmly, though a glint of amusement sparkled in his eyes. “The potion takes a few minutes to kick in… and when it does, believe me, you’ll know.”

Slughorn watched them for another moment, then added with an impish smile: “I paired you two together trusting in your… relationship as a couple. And also because I didn’t trust either of you with anyone else. And please.. don't be too...intrusive" he added as he moved to the next table. “When have I ever been intrusive?” Ramona sighed, shrugging.

From the next table, Pansy let out a snort of laughter.

Blaise muttered a “Good luck” to Draco before snapping his gaze toward Theodore.

“Their potion’s already working” Draco murmured, watching Blaise laugh at something Theodore had whispered. Then both of them turned toward him. Or rather, not exactly toward him.

“Oh, I don’t even want to know what Theodore just said.” “Probably something about offering me a shoulder to cry on when you reveal all your dirty secrets” Ramona muttered, glancing the same way and drumming her fingers on the desk.

She felt her temples pulsing slightly and the warmth in her throat rising, clear signs their potion was beginning to take effect.

Draco smirked faintly, studying her face as if analyzing every flicker of emotion. “And would you cry on Theo’s shoulder, Ray?” he asked slowly, every word sharpened like a blade.

Ramona turned to face him, lips parting slightly as her heartbeat pounded in her ears. She could feel the Veritaserum coursing through her, an invisible grip making it impossible to lie, even if she wanted to. And Draco had noticed.

A smirk spread across his face, and Ramona realized, in that moment, just how dirty he planned to play.

“Hmm… not a fan of Theo’s shoulders, to be honest…” “Oh, no?” he raised an eyebrow. “Then what do you like?”

Ramona felt a flush of heat bloom in her stomach. The potion was betraying her, dragging thoughts to the surface she would’ve rather kept buried. She tried to keep control, but resistance was slipping.

“Your hands” she said finally, the words disarmingly sincere as her gaze dropped involuntarily to Draco’s hand resting just inches from hers on the desk. “When you touch me… and hold me down.”

Draco stiffened for a moment, his smirk replaced by a frustrated look.

If he had played dirty, Ramona had no intention of holding back either. She licked her lips slightly, eyes locked on his, knowing it was now his turn in the hot seat.

“Ready?” she asked with a playful smile, tilting her head.

Draco gave a challenging nod, and Ramona took a beat, as if evaluating her options.

“When did you know you wanted to be with me?”

Draco gave a small smile, as if surprised by how simple the question was.

“Third year” he answered quickly. “During a Quidditch match. You were in the stands and…” Draco paused, as if making sure not to leave out any detail. “…I think you made Potter’s cloak levitate behind him on his broom.”

Ramona let out a clear, crystalline laugh.

“Oh, McGonagall kicked me out of the pitch for that…” she added “I think Potter fainted, thought it was a Dementor or something…”

Ramona ran a hand through her hair, tucking a lock behind her ear, then narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Wait a second” she said thoughtfully. “We’d already been dating for months when that match happened… before that, what... you weren’t sure? Or… were you considering other options?”

Draco bit the inside of his cheek. He knew it wasn’t going to be an easy question.

“I was… considering other options” he confessed against his will, his voice almost irritated by the Veritaserum forcing him to spill the truth.

Ramona tensed for a moment, then tilted her head slightly, taking in a breath to stop herself from exploding.

“Such as…?” she asked with apparent calm, but Draco raised a hand to stop her.

“It’s my turn to ask...”

“What other options, Draco?” she insisted, and the potion prevented him from changing the subject.

He couldn’t lie. He couldn’t redirect the conversation. He sighed.

“Pansy… Daphne… Astoria…”

Ramona stopped drumming her fingers, her hands now still on the desk. She didn’t speak immediately, knowing her first reaction would be too impulsive, too explosive. She took a deep breath, as if silently counting to ten.

“Pansy, Daphne, and Astoria” she repeated slowly, letting each name brand itself into her mind. “How far exactly did you explore these options?” she asked, and Draco couldn’t help but laugh.

Very few things genuinely amused him. But watching jealousy burn in Ramona’s cerulean eyes was one of them.

“What exactly are you asking me, Grimsby?” he said, eyeing her like she was his favorite pastime.

“What do you think?” she shot back flatly, not a hint of humor on her face.

Draco slowly licked his lower lip, as though weighing his words carefully, but he knew he couldn’t play games. Not under Veritaserum.

“Pansy and Daphne, I never touched, and you know it” he said, his tone tired, as if the answer was self-evident. “You live with them, for Merlin’s sake. If anything had ever happened, you'd have known the same night.”

Ramona didn’t reply right away, but the way she tilted her head made it clear she wasn’t satisfied.

“And Astoria?”

Draco rolled his eyes, like the question was far too ridiculous to even deserve an answer.

“Ramona, she was twelve. The most we ever did was go to Honeydukes to buy sweets.”

Ramona barely parted her lips, but her stern expression didn’t fade.

“I know for a fact I wasn’t the first girl you slept with, Draco. So… who...”

Draco raised a finger dramatically, cutting her off before she could finish the sentence.

“Ah, ah! My turn” he said with a satisfied little smirk, while Ramona bit her lip in frustration.

Slowly, Draco leaned back on the desk and fixed his gaze on her, sharp and deliberate, ready to strike where it would land hardest.

“How many times have you thought about cheating on me with Nott?”

Ramona pressed her lips together, the flush on her cheeks deepening as she felt the Veritaserum keeping her from dodging the question. There was no way out. Not this time. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again and rolled her eyes.

“Never” she finally said.

But then she raised her eyes to him, a flicker of defiance in her gaze.

“Not for the pleasure of doing it, at least… But I’ve thought about it countless times just to make you jealous.”

Draco stared at her for a moment, surprised by the answer. Then, slowly, a smirk crept back onto his lips.

“Shame I always knew you were doing it on purpose” he said, letting his eyes fall lazily to her lips. “You bat your lashes when you talk to others… with me, you barely blink. Like you’re too caught up to even remember to breathe.”

He bit his lip as if this whole conversation was truly making it hard for him to keep it together in class.

Ramona tilted her head slightly, her expression somewhere between amused and provocative. She knew exactly what she was doing.

“Oh, am I making things difficult for you, Malfoy?” she whispered, leaning forward slightly, her elbow resting on the desk, chin propped in her hand.

Under the desk, Ramona had slipped off one shoe, and Draco felt the pressure of her foot between his already tense legs.

“I do hope you two are sticking to academic questions, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Grimsby!” came Slughorn’s voice suddenly, making them both jump.

Ramona quickly pulled her leg back and Draco straightened up in his chair with casual composure.

“I was just asking her what her favorite part of the last lesson was, Professor” Draco replied with a flawless little smile, and Ramona bit her tongue, squinting slightly.

Slughorn eyed them for a few seconds, as if judging whether or not to believe him, but eventually gave a nod and moved on.

“…Last lesson, you said...Hmm, I’m rather torn between you slipping two fingers between my legs or begging me to leave class before the bell” Ramona murmured sweetly once Slughorn was out of earshot, biting a fingernail lightly.

“Ramona… for Merlin’s sake…” Draco began, running a hand over his face, and Ramona couldn’t suppress a smirk.

“If you keep this up, we’ll be scrubbing cauldrons in detention until graduation.” “Not my fault if Veritaserum makes me more creative” she replied, her fingers playing with the rim of her goblet still on the desk.

Draco brought a hand to his mouth to hide a crooked smile and took a deep breath. He was on the edge.

“Your turn… and be gentle” he said, the ghost of a smile already forming.

Ramona looked up at the ceiling for a moment, then back at him thoughtfully.

“Did you… consider any more options?” she asked at last, her tone lighter than the weight of the question suggested.

“No” Draco answered without a second’s hesitation. Then leaned back in his chair, eyes gleaming with mischief. “You’re a sociopath with delusions of grandeur, poor impulse control, a quick wand, and an unhealthy obsession with me” he added, his lips curving into a grin. “Why would I go looking elsewhere and risk to have you sent to Azkaban?”

Ramona leaned in slightly, smiling wide.

“You really need to stop complimenting me like this, Malfoy, or I’m going to get a big head.”

Draco leaned in just a touch, lowering his voice to a whisper.

“Oh, that head’s already swollen beyond help, Grimsby” he said, amused but genuinely fond.

Ramona rested her face in her hands, her eyes half-closed, lips curling into a smile. To the untrained eye, she might’ve seemed like the calmest, most smitten girl in the world. But Draco knew how to read her smiles.

“Back to the ‘shoulders’ conversation…” she began, her voice velvety with a touch of mischief. “The moment we get out of here, my legs will be very well-positioned… over your shoulders.”

Draco raised an eyebrow, his crooked grin returning as if he could already picture it.

Reader’s Perspective: 

I hate him. I hate him so much.

I stare at a clipboard revealing the newest scores on the potions exam. 

He scored the whole 25 points while I got 24. I don’t understand how this could happen. 

I studied, I paid attention in class, I knew every single question on that exam. 

Just as I feel myself about to lose it, I see him casually saunter over to the table look at his score, then mine, and just shrug at me. 

“Should’ve studied more sweetheart, maybe you’ll catch up to me one day” 

oh how I wanted to slap that smirk off his face, but silent revenge is more satisfying. 

I decided I was going to spend every minute of the next two weeks preparing for the upcoming exam.

There is no way I was going to let him beat me again.

Draco’s Perspective : 

As I head back to my dorm I picture my favorite rival’s face heating up. 

I study for the exam just to see that look on her face when I score higher. 

If i was going to be completely honest, the grades themselves are not my main interest. 

I love getting her all riled up, and I strangely like her giving me so much attention. 

Tomorrow we start a new unit in potions, I’d better focus if I want to beat her again.

She seems quite determined to outscore me on the next exam. 

Maybe I could let her score higher. I wonder what she would do to repay me…

I wonder what she would let me do… 

Nevermind that I can’t be having those thoughts about her. 

She’s insufferable and probably a terrible snog. 

Reader’s perspective: 

Today, as potions class begins the professor gives us a new seating chart. 

I go up the board at the front of the class and I realize I am sat at the back of the class with no other than Draco Malfoy

I silently groan and unenthusiastically make my way over to my seat at my table, where Malfoy is already sitting. 

As I sit down, Malfoy sneers and says “well guess it was meant to be”

I turned my head away from him and say “whatever Malfoy just keep your grimy hands away and don’t mess anything up” 

I don’t know why but sitting with Malfoy didn’t really irritate me as much as it should’ve 

There’s no other person that can match me in the class although his personality can be off putting, his intellect makes up for it 

professor Slughorn writes the potion that we are making today: Felix Felicis, otherwise known as liquid luck. 

This is a difficult potion to make as every root requires different treatment, but I’m sure I can do it. 

Before I can begin to get the ingredients, I turn and see Malfoy is already in the closet diligently finding each one.

The potion requires horseradish, Ashwinder egg, squill bulb, murtlap tentacles, tincture of thyme, Occamy eggshell, and powdered common rue which is added at the very end. 

I grab the cauldron and begin setting up, Malfoy comes up to the table and carefully puts the ingredients on it. 

We begin working and so far no bickering has insued and we are working in sync with each other. 

Just as we are finishing the potion, Malfoy begins to unintentionally jab me with his elbow. 

Instead of starting a fighting match I just slyly move away. 

I am slowly learning how to avoid altercations with him so I can continue to sit next to him and have a peaceful environment. 

We finish the potion perfectly and I look into the cauldron and see a beautiful molten gold colour. 

The class ended with professor slughorn playing favorites instead of looking at the execution and giving the prize of a perfectly made liquid luck to potter. 

One of the only things me and Malfoy have in common is our competitive spirit,

And this blatant favoritism didn’t sit right with either of us.

The worst part was neither of us was able to complain, especially since Malfoy got in trouble last time his father tried to intervene on a matter. 

The following day came and Slughorn told the class that he was going to be absent for the remainder of the period and to use the time allotted to catch up on other work.

I’ve never been so cheerful in potions before, even Malfoy seems to look pleased.

As soon as Slughorn is gone, everyone begins to relax and some read or chat with their friends if it’s their seatmate. 

The professor sometimes like to check in, so we try not to get too loud in case someone decides to tell him. (Usually peeves) 

I was so focused on my thoughts I hadn’t noticed that Malfoy has shifted a noticeable amount closer to me.

Our knees and arms are touching. He feels quite warm and the touch makes me feel a certain way that I’d never vocalize. 

I take out a book to try and distract myself, it’s about Greek mythology and therefore very interesting. 

I’ve always had a fascination with the topic.

As I’m reading the same page over for the second time, Malfoy gets more bold and I feel a sort of brush of the hand on my thigh. 

I don’t know why but I don’t shift away when he does it. In fact I think I enjoyed it a little.

Maybe a little too much for someone who supposedly doesn’t like him at all. 

A few minutes later he does it again but this time it feels solid, intentional.

His hand lays over my thigh and he’s even cheeky enough to give it a bit of a squeeze before moving a bit up and resting there. 

He glances over as if to make sure I’m okay with this behavior and I don’t give him any inclination that I dislike his actions.

I don’t know exactly what I feel about him but he’s making me very hot and bothered. 

I can imagine him slowly creeping his hand even more up my thigh and reaching the place where I want him the most. 

He would go very torturously slow and tease me for a while before his long slender fingers stretch me out bit by bit. 

As if he can listen to my thoughts his hand begins to move slowly, but surely up my thigh until he slips under the first bit of my skirt.

He seems to take caution with moving up more and looks over.

I want his fingers inside me so badly, I spread my legs a bit for him.

He takes this as a sign to continue and started making circles around my entrance with his middle finger over my panties. 

He moves closer and turns over to whisper in my ear “be a good girl for me and stay quiet” 

It’s so hard to not moan when I finally feel him move my panties to the side and dip in one finger, his middle, and slowly thrusts it in and out.

Once he feels just how wet I am for him, he easily slips in a second digit.

He begins to pick up the pace a bit and it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to not cry out in pleasure.

If anyone looked back at our table, they would see me with my legs spread almost submissively and Malfoy rapidly shoving his fingers in me.

I’m so wet I start seeping onto the seat a bit and Malfoy turns to me and says in my ear, “thought you didn’t like me, but turns out a get a few of my fingers in you and you turn into a dripping submissive girl huh?” 

I turn over and quietly whisper “Fuck you Malfoy”

He chuckles and responds with “well that does sound quite pleasant I might take you up on that offer once everyone leaves.” 

I try to think of something to retort back at him but his fingers are starting to go even faster now and I feel quite close to cumming. 

He seems to realize I am close and stops going as quickly. He turns over to me and says “if you want to cum I wanna hear you beg me”

At first I’m completely opposed to the idea but I’m so horny I’ll do anything to cum so I lean over and whisper “please I’ll do anything, please let me cum I want it so bad, you make me feel so good”

He grins and says “good girl” before gaining speed with his fingers again.

I grip the desk but it doesn’t stop me from letting a few Moans slip when I finally fall over the edge.

As soon as people start gathering out the room I realize the whole period has passed while me and Malfoy have been doing nefarious activities in the back.

He pulls his fingers out of me and sucks them off in his mouth.

If it were in any other circumstance I would find that behavior revolted but for some reason It makes me feel horny again.

When I pack up my things and prepare to leave, Malfoy stops me and says “I think I’ll take you up on that offer now”

Before I can react or formulate a response he has me bent over the desk and slaps my ass hard enough to leave a mark.

I hear the belt on his trousers be undone and before I know it I feel his hard length being slowly slid around my entrance.

I whine quietly before I can hold it back, and Malfoy doesn’t miss it.

“Being quiet doesn’t suit you, I wanna hear every noise you make” 

He starts slowly entering me from behind and the stretch burns and feels so good at the same time. 

I can’t see him but he feels big. Really big. 

He finally bottoms out in me and we’re both breathing hard by now. 

He starts with a shallow thrust and I instantly moan. 

He begins to pick up the pace and grabs my hips so he can fuck me harder. 

It feels so good the world around me becomes incoherent. I start to loudly beg him. 

“Please Malfoy please let me cum, you fuck me so good” 

I’ve never cum so hard in my entire life, my legs are shaking, and I saw white spots. 

He’s still pounding me and it takes me a second to realize he hasn’t cum yet. 

He starts to fuck me even faster and I know he’s close now. 

“I’m gonna cum in you and fill you up so deep, that no matter how much time passes I’ll always be inside you” 

I moan at this and say “please fill me up please I promise I’ll keep it inside me so good for you” 

His his start to splutter against me and I hear him groan loudly, his cum filling me. 

He slightly slumps his body in exhaustion, and we sit like this for about a minute before he pulls out of me and casts a contraceptive charm.

He surprisingly helps me get cleaned up and when I give him a look of confusion he says, “I may like it rough but that doesn’t mean I don’t do aftercare” 

After we’re both dressed and looking mostly presentable, we finally look back at each other and just sit in silence.

I don’t know what he could possibly be thinking, I don’t even know what I’m thinking.

Before I can dwell on my uncertainty for too long he speaks, “I want to do this right, we should go out on a date” 

I can’t help the look of surprise and the slight noise of shock I make. 

Malfoy isn’t usually one to take out a girl on a formal date.

But before I can control myself I saw yes and I watch his face morph into a small smile.

I realize now I’ve never seen him genuinely smile before, it makes me feel a bit warm in a pleasant way I can’t describe.

When we finally walk out of the classroom, he holds my books and kisses my lips softly as he drops me off at my class.

Maybe Malfoy isn’t the worse partner to be stuck with.