It was two days later and two days until the Hogsmeade trip and the first dreaded tutoring session with Malfoy in an hour. I was making an attempt to distract myself from how nervous and annoyed I was about having to tutor Malfoy by piling my plate as high as Ron's, to which he nodded approvingly.
"Told you the food was good here, Harry you should have more chicken, get yourself ready for the Quidditch season....hey Victoria, what's your team?"
"My team?"
"Your Quidditch team, mine's the Chudley Cannons, bottom of the league unfortunately it I still love them."
"I've never actually seen Quidditch." Everyone looked at me like I I'd just said you-know-who's name out loud. Ron dropped the potato he had on his fork.
"You've never seen Quidditch?! But how?!"
"I grew up in a muggle society remember?"
"Well.....wait does this mean you've never played?"
I took a deep breath, heat rising up to my cheeks with embarrassment as I said "I've never ridden a broom before." By this point even Hermione had looked up from her book and was staring at me with raised eyebrows. But she wasn't the only person that had heard. I heard a snigger from behind me and saw none other Malfoy leaning against the wall.
"16 years old and never ridden a broom before? Oh Greenwood how embarrassing"
"Shut up Malfoy", Harry said protectively.
"Oh I'm so sorry I didn't realise you two were together, see you for our study session Greenwood" and off he walked, with a wink.
"Study session?" Harry turned to me and asked.
"Snape seems to think I can help him get his grade up in potions. I personally think he's a lost cause, much like me with Quidditch."
"Hey, I can help you learn to ride a broom, I remember the first time Oliver Wood the old Gryffindor captain taught me all about Quidditch, are you free tomorrow evening? I can teach you the basics if you want!"
I smiled gratefully at Harry. "That would be brilliant, thankyou Harry. Now if you excuse me I have to go teach an ungrateful boy about calming droughts."
This was the last thing I wanted to do with my evening. Malfoy was unbearable to be around, how anyone would want to be his friend baffles me. He was waiting outside the potions classroom for me, leaning against the wall with his arms folded, looking bored already.
"Ahhhh Professor Greenwood, here you are"
"Hello Malfoy."
"I've always wanted a hot professor, Snape just doesn't really do it for me. Now what are we making today? Amortentia? Babies?"
I scoffed. "If you think I'd come anywhere near you if I wasn't forced to do this by Snape then you're wrong. Let's just get you this exam passed and we can go back to being strangers."
As we entered the empty potions classroom, where Snape had already got the ingredients ready for us and laid them out with a threatening note not to touch anything else, Malfoy closed the door behind him and came up behind me, so close his chest was pressed against my back and I could feel his warm breath on the back of my neck.
"I don't think you want to be strangers with me do you Greenwood" He whispered in my ear. Trying to ignore the feeling of my whole body tingling I elbowed him in the ribs.
"Don't be stupid, now, calming draught...find it in your textbook."
Malfoy had jumped back and had a hand over his torso as his face was screwed up with pain. I couldn't help but notice his hands, they looked almost perfect, especially with the ring he wore on his right hand. I shook my head trying to shake all the thoughts rushing through my head away and focus on the potion.
"This is hopeless" he moaned a while later, I had been watching him attempt to make the potion on his own and was trying my hardest not to intervene. "Help me Greenwood."
Reluctantly I stepped forward and looked into his cauldron. "You haven't stirred it the right way, stir it this way and it will work, it's not bad", I showed him how to stir it and he took over, but still nothing happened to the incorrect potion.
"You're not focusing, it needs to have your full focus to work. What's distracting you?" I asked, with my arms folded as I leant against the wall, frustrated.
That's when I heard it. "You" he whispered to himself quietly, not thinking I'd heard. He looked up at me and saw from my facial expression that I had heard.
"You, standing there with your rolled up sleeves and blue eyes..." he began walking towards me, this time he wasn't smirking or doing anything stupid and I found myself rooted to the spot, almost as if I was in a trance. He was standing inches from me now. "Your messed up hair from running your hand through it 17 times in the last 30 minutes..." he gently brushed a strand that had fallen over my face behind my ear and the breath caught in my throat as his fingers gently brushed against my skin. His hand lingered on my face, he gently moved them down towards my jaw, and then grazed my lips gently with his thumb. I was frozen. Completely under his spell. "Malfoy" I said, stuttering. His grey eyes met mine, staring at me so intensely I was scared he could read my mind. "We can't do this"
"Do what Greenwood. I'm just trying to focus."
"I think we're done for today." I pulled out of his grip and he stood, confused. It's almost as if no one had ever rejected him before and he didn't know how to take it.
"Of course.....professor." He spat as he stormed out of the room, leaving behind a now perfectly brewed calming drought.
As I got back to the common room my mind was racing. My whole body was tingling and my mind was running with unsavoury thoughts of what I secretly wanted to happen in that classroom. I touched my face, running my hands along the same places his own hands had been and sighed deeply.
I can't let this happen.