A fine misty drizzle was falling as they make their way to the damp courtyard so that the people standing in huddles around the edges of the yard looked blurred at the edges. Harry, Millie, Ron, and Hermione chose a secluded corner under a heavily dripping balcony, turning up the collars of their robes against the chilly September air. Millie once caught Harry's gaze, but the boy quickly turn around and face his friend and they started talking about what a professor named Snape was likely to set for them in their first lesson of the year. They had got as far as agreeing that it was likely to be something extremely difficult, just to catch them off guard after a two-month holiday, when someone walked around the corner towards them.
'Hello, Harry!' A very pretty girl that moves elegantly, stopped in front of Harry, and as if Harry saw a ghost, he was stunned.
'Hi,' said Harry, feeling his face grow hot.
Millie clench her fist at the sight. She doesn't even know she was clenching them at all. All she knew at that time, was that she was instantly irritated at the smile on Harry's lips upon seeing the girl. They even chat with smiles on their lips, as if they really enjoy each other's company. Even Ron was constantly slipping on their conversation.
It was when the girl was gone, that Hermione speaks up.
"You are so tactless!" she exclaimed.
"What? I only asked her if-" Harry tried to reason, but quickly got cut off.
Millie instantly knew that something was going on between the two. She clearly can't understand why she felt so disappointed at the realization, but she didn't wait for the bell and quickly head off towards the dungeon where they would have their second class with Professor Snape. She was in a rush to leave them behind that she didn't notice the boy behind her, only when he made a sound.
"Hey." Millie stopped walking and face Draco, who was surprisingly smiling at her sincerely. No smirks on his lips, and definitely no cockiness in his voice. Really far from what she kept hearing from the golden trio.
"What do you want?" Millie unenthusiastically asked, continuing her walk with the boy now walking beside her.
"Well, maybe someone to walk with towards Potion." Millie looks at him from the corner of her eyes and frown.
"Potion? Do we have Potion together?" Draco just glances at her before smirking. Though it wasn't playful enough to appear as teasing.
"Every Slytherin has it. That's the only class we have together, and that doesn't make sense considering the house you were in."
Millie glance longer at the silver-haired boy and wonder whether the golden trio just really hates the boy and was bluffing about everything, or the boy in front of him was wearing a mask? Because he seems nice, even though Millie won't deny that he definitely has the thick air of arrogance around him.
"Maybe because I was a transfer, and that I have a lot of classes to catch up that matches my previous classes in my previous school," Millie stated, lending out neatly the lie Dumbledore told her if ever someone asks her.
Draco just shrugs, his hands inside his pockets. Millie just then realizes that he was alone. She can't help but wonder where the two boys he has with him this morning have gone off to.
"So... Are you going to tell me where the insults you told me this morning have come from?" Millie raises a brow at him and grins.
"Why would I?" She playfully said, letting the boy open the door to their room and letting her come in first, before following her into a vacant table behind the room.
"Maybe because it has something to do with me?" Draco countered back, matching the grin Millie has on her lips.
"Maybe I'll tell you when I can guarantee that you're not a pain in the ass anymore," Draco smirks at this.
"Deal?" he said, lending out his hand in front of him, which Millie grab and shake with.
"Deal!"
It didn't take long for the others to arrive. Millie's attention was surprisingly occupied by Draco, that she didn't even notice Harry, Ron, and Hermione, at all.
"Settle down," said Snape coldly, the professor that Millie remembers called her last night to tell her that Harry would show her around. He loudly shut the door behind him, that Millie had the impression that he was mad or something.
There was no real need for the call to order; the moment the class had heard the door close, quiet had fallen and fidgeting stopped. Millie notices that Snape's mere presence was totally enough to ensure a class's silence.
"Before we begin today's lesson," said Snape, sweeping over to his desk and staring around at them all, "I think it's appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this undoubtedly is, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your OWL, or suffer my... displeasure."
His gaze lingered this time on a boy on the row of the Gryffindors, who gulped. Obviously knowing that the professor was talking about him.
"After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape went on. "1 take only the very best into my NEWT Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying goodbye." his eyes rested on Harry and his lip curled.
Millie quickly glances in Harry's direction and caught Harry glaring back at the professor as if feeling a grim pleasure at the idea that he would be able to give up Potions after the fifth year.
"But we have another year to go before that happy moment for farewell," said Snape softly, "so, whether or not you are intending to attempt NEWT, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high pass level I have come to expect from my OWL students."
Millie didn't give her all attention to what he was saying, considering that she was only attending the school just because Dumbledore said so. She didn't think that she'll pass the NEWT he was talking about, not because she's dumb, but because she believes that when the time of death comes, that exam won't revive her ass up.
"You seem uninterested," Draco whispered, looking at her face for any reaction.
"Being interested is a rare thing for me," she stated, not even glancing in Draco's direction.
"Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned: if you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so need to pay close attention to what you are doing."
On Harry's left Hermione sat up a little straighter, her expression one of utmost attention.
"The ingredients and method -" Snape flicked his wand, "- are on the blackboard -" (they appeared there) "- you will find everything you need -" he flicked his wand again "- in the store cupboard -" (the door of the said cupboard sprang open) "- you have an hour and a half... start."
Millie doesn't know whether she'll be in trouble with the task being easy or hard, since she doesn't even know anything about everything the professor just said. She just decided to take it easy considering the method on the blackboard.
The ingredients had to be added to the cauldron in precisely the right order and quantities; the mixture had to be stirred exactly the right number of times, firstly clockwise, then in anti-clockwise directions; the heat of the flames on which it was simmering had to below red or exactly the right level for a specific number of minutes before final ingredients was added. It wasn't group work, so Millie was working on her own, but she notices that Draco would constantly check her process even she doesn't say so. She didn't say anything about it and just let him be, feeling confident with her work.
"A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potion," called Snape, with ten minutes left to go.
A smirk finds its way on Millie's work turns out the exact thing the Professor just said. It was the Slytherin that Snape surveyed first. Sweeping one by one on the student's cauldrons. There were so few that got the outcome he wants, and when he swept by in front of Millie's cauldron, the man gazes at her with unreadable looks before turning around and heading towards the Gryffindors.
"He didn't say anything, does that mean it's okay?" Millie muttered out loudly, enough for Draco to hear.
"You can say that." He answered, looking at his cauldron that finally started letting out a mist of silver vapors.
Content with her work, Millie profoundly look around to see other's works, especially the golden trio. Harry, who was sweating profusely looked desperately around the dungeon, though he didn't meet Millie's gaze. His own cauldron was issuing copious amounts of dark grey steam; Ron's was spitting green spark. A boy near them was feverishly prodding the flames at the base of his cauldron with the tip of his wand, as they seemed to be going out. The surface of Hermione's potion, however, was a shimmering mist of silver vapor, and as Snape swept by he looked down his hooked nose at it without comment, which meant he could do nothing to criticize.
At Harry's cauldron, however, Snape stopped and looked down at it with a horrible smirk on his face.
"Potter, what is this supposed to be?" Millie suddenly felt a strong urge to throw her cauldron at the back of Professor's head. It seems that Snape has favoritism that needs some beating the s**t out.
The Slytherins at the front of the class, aside from Millie, all looked up eagerly; they loved hearing Snape taunt Harry.
"The Draught of Peace," said Harry tensely.
"Tell me, Potter," said Snape softly, "can you read?" At the professor's words, Millie almost snapped, if only she didn't see Hermione's warning looks, she would've storm towards the professor and cuss him. Seems like, Dumbledore was right about her so thin of patience.
Draco Malfoy laughed at what the professor said, but then stopped when he felt the dark stare Millie was giving him.
"Yes, I can," said Harry, his fingers clenched tightly around his hand.
"Read the third line of instructions for me, Potter." Harry squinted at the blackboard; it was not easy to make out the institutions through the haze of multi-colored steam now filling the dungeon.
"Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counter-clockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes then add two drops of syrup of hellebore." His art sank. Harry had not added syrup of hellebore but had proceeded straight to the fourth line of the instructions after allowing his potion to simmer for seven minutes.
"Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?" The professor, the mocking tone so vivid on Millie's ears.
"No.," said Harry very quietly.
"I beg your pardon?"
"No.," said Harry, more loudly. "I forgot the hellebore."
"I know you did Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. Evanesce."
The contents of Harry's potion vanished; he was left standing foolishly beside an empty cauldron.
"Those of you who have managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name and bring it up to my desk for testing," said Snape. "'Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed on Thursday."
Millie frustratedly follows the man's instructions and fill one flagon with a sample of her potion, and label it with her name before thrusting it into Draco's hands.
"Do me a favor and bring that on Snape's desk. I don't like him." Millie exclaimed, not even waiting for Draco's answer then bolted out of the room. Clenching her fists constantly as she tries to calm her anger down. The bell hasn't ring at all, but she's already far from the room, seething with frustration she can't even understand the reason for.
She was not alone when she came to the great hall. There were other students from other houses and different years. Even the table for the Slytherin was not vacant. She took a seat at the end of the table, just so there's no one to bother her, and start her lunch.
It was Harry who came after her from the class of Potions. Hermione and Ron were not behind him, so Millie that he might've left them behind, seeing that he's also seething with anger.
Shaking her head, she continues eating her own lunch, trying not to look at Harry, even though she keep struggling with keeping her eyes on her food. It didn't take long for Hermione and Ron to appear. Harry had started his lunch when they came, after that, they chat. While Millie, remains sitting along on the table she was in.
Well, that was until Draco take a seat beside her, followed by Blaise Zabini, Pug face, b***h Face, and Goyle. She didn't ask for their names, she heard them from Draco.
"Do you love being alone?" It was Pansy who asked, a.k.a b***h Face.
"Do you love sticking your nose to other people's businesses?" Once again, she was too stunned to answer, while Bulstrode a.k.a Pug Face just glares at her.
Draco, Blaise, and Goyle snicker at her remarks, which pissed Pansy more.
"So... Why don't you like Professor Snape?" Draco curiously asked, remembering how Millie practically ordered him to bring her sample to Professor Snape's desk just because she hates the man.
"Maybe because her itsy bitsy precious Potter got scolded. I mean, it was obvious that she likes him." If Millie could stab anyone she hates, she would definitely stab Pansy first.
"Oh, yes, Pansy. I like Potter. Well, at least I have the strength to confess, instead of sticking my ass on a boy's d**k just so he can notice me."
This causes an uproar around the table. Those who had heard what Millie said, have either gasp or laugh, while Pansy was clearly offended. She slams the table in front of her and abruptly stands up, glaring intensely at Millie.
"What are you trying to say, you b***h?!"
"What?! I was just telling the truth, Parkinson. It has only been few hours since I started here, but that hours were enough for me to see how desperate you can get just so Draco can notice you. Am I wrong? I mean, I'm definitely new here and you guys know each other for years, but isn't it that hard to hide your fantasies? I bet, that if you could just have a chance, even a bit, you'll jump at Draco and do everything to make him make out with you."
There was a sickening grin on Millie's lips. The very proof that shows how much she enjoys what's going on. She raises a brow in the direction of the seething Pansy, waiting for the girl to say something, but instead of doing so, the girl launches forward and grab Millie's hair. Taking the latter into surprise.
Draco quickly launches from his seat to stop Pansy, but Bulstrode was pushing him aside, clearly enjoying what was happening. But only Hermione has seen how Millie gets when she gets angry...
What she truly capable of when anger blinded her...
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