A Talk with the Potions Master

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. Anything that doesn't belong to JKR belongs to me.

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A Talk with the Potions Master

Draco Malfoy gracefully strode through the lower region of Hogwarts with nary a sound, despite the heavy dragon-hide boots he wore. His robes rippled behind him and gave the occasional snap whenever he would turn a corner just right. Draco allowed himself a small smirk at the thought of his godfather actually grading him on his lurking through the dungeons. He supposed he would get an Outstanding, considering whom he had learned it from.

Coming to stop in front of the heavy door that led to the Potions classroom, Draco knocked four times, the way he always did.

"Enter!"

Draco walked inside and closed the door as silently as he could. As he suspected, his godfather, Professor Snape, had a few cauldrons bubbling and wanted to make sure they were not disturbed from his presence. Draco took a seat at the front of the room and waited.

As the dark-haired man swooped from cauldron to cauldron, adding ingredients and stirring as he moved, Draco couldn't help feeling how lucky he was to be able to see Severus like this once again.

When Draco's father was sent to Azkaban at the end of his sixth year, Severus had been there for both him and his mother, and with an oath of secrecy, disclosed that he was in fact a spy for the Order. The remaining Malfoys were shocked to the core, but the more Severus talked, the more reality began to sink in. They were in more danger than they had realized with Lucius imprisoned, and Severus was walking the thinnest line imaginable, as far as his life was concerned. Draco and his mother decided then and there to do everything in their power to make sure that both Severus and they survived.

It wasn't a moment too soon as they found out. Once they were safely secluded inside of Hogwarts, they gave Professor Dumbledore enough information and access to Malfoy Manor to prove most valuable. The Order had apparently been busy and were in the process of planning their final move when the Manor fell into their lap. A trap was soon set, and on the very next night, Harry Potter killed Lord Voldemort.

Draco sighed. His former self would've loathed to admit that he was, dare he say, grateful for Potter's... bravery. Okay, even now he hated to admit it, but he guessed that's simply what living does to a person.

"I assume from your silence that this isn't a social call?"

Pulled from his thoughts, Draco glanced up to see the familiar wand movements Severus usually made near a potion's completion, meaning that it was now safe to talk.

"Not completely, sir."

The dark-haired man took a seat at his desk and merely raised an eyebrow for Draco to continue.

As his professor picked up a quill and started to write, Draco decided to go in for the kill. Affixing his usual smirk on his lips, he began.

"I thought it was appropriate to let you know what I have discovered tonight. After Zabini left me in the company of Miss Bloom in Hufflepuff territory, we both came upon a couple of students having sex in an unused classroom, thanks to your spell," Draco drawled. "As it stands now, Zabini and I, along with Misses Bloom and Reed, are working to find a suitable punishment for Copeland and Parkinson."

SNAP!

Oh, yes. That was worth it, Draco thought as he watched Severus stumble over himself to find words, as well as a new quill.

After a moment's pause, Severus' face contorted to look like he had just sucked on a rather strong lemon.

"In Hufflepuff?"

Draco snorted. "Yes, sir. Not too far from their common room actually."

The Potions master pinched the bridge of his nose and released a long-winded, irritated breath. "From the beginning, Mister Malfoy," he grated.

So Draco recounted the night from the time Blaise had called out to Jessie, to when they escorted the girls back to Ravenclaw. He left out a few things, like his reactions and feelings about it all, but everything else was retold accurately enough.

"And you believe that Pansy has put a glamour on the necklace?"

"I am nearly certain. Jessie and I witnessed them together, and she said she never saw the necklace."

"But you did."

"Yes," Draco murmured.

"I must say, Draco, that you are taking this far better than I would have expected you to," Severus said in a soothing tone.

Knowing that his godfather would press him if he tried to pass it off as though it was of little importance, Draco had no choice but to talk honestly, something he wasn't entirely used to.

"I'm more relieved than angry, really. Pansy... I thought I knew her better than that. I thought she had respected me more as a person, than to do this to me, to our friendship. At least I know where she stands now, and I can move on from this, relatively unscathed."

Severus gave a nod of approval. "It seems that everyone has changed in some way since the war ended. Some for the better, I suspect," he said with a meaningful look to his godson. "Maybe your friendship can still be saved depending on where her motivation in this lies?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Draco shrugged. "As for Copeland—"

"Copeland," Severus interrupted with a sneer, "will spend the rest of this year, if not his life, ruing the day he was ever sorted into Slytherin! Ruddy buggering twit..."

Draco quietly laughed as Severus continued to insult his, now hated, housemate under his breath. It was good to know that no matter what kind of punishment they decided to give Copeland, he would still get exactly what was coming to him one way or another.

"The other reason I came was to see if you could change the seating arrangement in Potions."

"You want me to separate Bloom and Copeland?" Severus asked.

"I—" Draco uttered before his mouth clicked shut.

He had assumed that his situation with Pansy would've been the clear reason for the seating change and would naturally come across as such; however, Severus saw right through that. Draco could easily act as he always did with Pansy while he planned revenge against her, whereas Jessie could not. Which was why he had asked, and was why he suddenly didn't know what to say.

Severus chuckled at Draco's discomfort. "I had wondered why you seemed so cordial as far as Miss Bloom was concerned." Letting Draco off the hook, he said, "I shall see what I can do, Draco. Now off with you. It is late."

Thankful for the dismissal, Draco got up immediately. "Thank you, sir," he said as he left.

As he got ready for bed, Draco realized that he really hadn't changed that much at all. He was still as driven and passionate as he used to be, it was just what he was passionate for that had really changed.

With that thought, he crawled into bed and thought about Jessie. Now that was a change for him. He was prepared to have a blubbering girl on his hands when he showed her what was going on within that classroom; instead, he found someone who seemed to worry and care more about how he was feeling. It was... nice. He wasn't used to someone doing that for him, and as he succumbed to the softness of his pillow, Draco smiled.

TBC...