19 Years (HP - Drarry)

Chapter 16: Lunch Date

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Draco floated through his classes the following day in a daze. He had no idea what he was saying, if he made any sense at all - his mind was still back in the hospital wing with Harry.

And he was Harry now, damn him. Draco scowled fiercely, frustrated at himself for being unable to stay away. He was startled by a terrified squeak, and he looked down in surprise at the first-year whose potion he was staring at. She was cowering away from him. He sighed. "Oh for heavens - I'm not going to bite, Miss Leatherwood. Now, what color is this, uh," he glanced at her notes, which were legible and thorough, thank Merlin, since he didn't have a clue what they were making, "burn salve supposed to be?"

She squeaked again. "Um," she stuttered, trembling slightly, "g-gold, sir."

Draco sighed. "No, Miss Leatherwood." He tapped a pale finger onto the line in her notes which clearly described the color. "Red-gold. There's a difference."

She frowned and peered into her cauldron, forgetting her terror. "There is?"

Draco snorted. "Yes. Gold would, in this case, indicate a mediocre brewing. Unfortunately, your potion is neither."

She bit her lip. "What color is it then?"

Draco stared at her. "Miss Leatherwood. Your potion is a truly violent shade of orange."

She frowned. "Oh."

Realization hit, and Draco sighed. "You're colorblind."

"Yes, sir," she said softly. "I think – I think I might be."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. All right, Miss Leatherwood. You have," he cast a quick tempus, "thirty minutes until lunch, yes?" She nodded. "Good. I want you to go directly to the hospital wing. Tell Miss Bones that you need an eye exam."

"But..." She bit her lip again, looking at the ingredients scattered across her table.

"Don't worry about that," Draco said, waving a hand impatiently. "I dare say I can manage to clean one workbench. And you'll need to be able to distinguish colors if you're to get on in potions at all."

She nodded gratefully, grabbed her bag, and slipped out of the classroom.

Draco turned back to the class, all of whom were staring at him instead of watching their potions. He sighed. "Mister Bulstrode, I estimate you have approximately twenty seconds to add the powdered dragon scale before your potion explodes."

The students turned hurriedly back to their work, and Draco pressed his lips firmly together to prevent the smile from escaping. He made quick work of setting Miss Leatherwood's desk to rights, only to discover that she'd left her potions notes behind.

---

Draco wavered for a moment, suddenly unsure. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, bringing the notes to the hospital wing. He knew Miss Leatherwood wouldn't be done with the exam yet. It was only logical that he bring her notes here. She might need them, after all, before tomorrow's class. And yet...

Draco's traitorous feet carried him into the room before he realized it, and he was abruptly confronted with the "and yet" - all blazing green eyes and tight expression. He held the sheaf of parchment up quickly, a feeble shield against that gaze, but all he had.

"Miss Leatherwood left her potions notes when she came for her eye exam. I was just bringing them to her."

The tiny girl bounced into the room just then, dark pigtails swinging jauntily. "Hullo, Professor Malfoy," she said, puzzled. "Did I forget something?"