Together (A Harry Potter love story) 1

12

HARRYS POV

At the start of term banquet, I had got the idea that Snape disliked me. By the end of the first potions lesson, I knew I'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike me - he hated me.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the register, and like Flitwick, he paused at Millies name, and then at mine.

"Donovan? Of course, our new - celebrity."

"Potter? Ah yes, our OTHER celebrity ."

I glanced at Millie as Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands, but she just continued staring forward. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class.

MILLIES POV

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making..."

I zoned out after that. Snape had a droning voice, which made me want to fall asleep. However, a familiar voice jerked my out of my trance.

"I'm bored," Harry whispered, running one of his hands through his raven-hair.

"Same," I mumbled, leaning my head into my hands.

"Let's have a bet," he whispered suddenly.

For the first time, something that had come out of the boy's mouth entranced me. "About what?" I said, tilting my head to look at him.

"That I will get more told off than you in this lesson today."

"Fine," I said. "What if I win?"

"Dunno. But if I win, you have to hug me," He said triumphantly, smirking. I rolled my eyes, but slowly nodded. He held his hand out and I shook it.

"Potter!" Snape yelled suddenly, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin. "Keep your hands to yourself !"

The whole class turned around to see my hand glued to Harry's. I quickly let go, but Harry just smiled playfully, leaning back in his chair as though he was not bothered one bit.

"Clearly you think that you do not need to pay attention in my class, Potter," Snape snarled. "We shall see. What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

I glared at Malfoy who was slumped on the desk from trying not to laugh. On the other side of me, Mione's hand shot into the air.

"I don't know, Sir," I heard Harry say.

Snapes lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything." He ignored Mione's hand. "Let's try Miss Donovan."

My eyes snapped away from Malfoy and landed on Snape instead.

"Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" Snape asked me, narrowing his dark eyes.

Mione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without leaving her seat, whilst I was left without the faintest clue of what a bezoar was. I tried with all my mite not to look at Crabbe and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter, whilst Malfoy watched me intently.

"I don't know," I said.

"I don't know, Sir," Snape growled.

"I am not a sir actually, I am a Miss, as you kindly demonstrated earlier," I said loudly. Snape was being unfair. How was I supposed to know this stuff?

"Five points from Gryffindor for disgusting attitude,"Snape said. Everyone stopped laughing immediately. He looked furious, but I didn't care. I just glared at him. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Malfoy with his mouth hanging slightly open. "Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Donovan?"

I forced myself to keep looking into his dark eyes. I actually had looked through the books at home, but how did Snape expect me to remember everything? He was still ignoring Miones hand too.

"Potter!" Snape yelled.

"Yeah?"

What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this point, Mione stood up, her hand stretching towards the dungeon ceiling.

"I don't know," Harry said. "I think Hermione does though, why don't you try her?"

Once again, everyone laughed, and even I couldn't help but giggle quietly, whilst looking at Harry in amazement. I caught Seamus's eye and he winked. Snape, however, was now even more angry than before.

"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "Another five points from Gryffindor for your cheek, Potter. And for your information, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the draught of living death. As for you Donovan, a bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. And Monkshood and wolfsbane, Potter, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And keep your hands where I can see them."

My palms slapped my forehead as Harry chuckled quietly.

Things didn't improve for us Gryffindors as the potions lesson continued. Snape put us all into pairs, me with Mione. He set us to mix up a small potion to cure boils, sweeping around in his long, ugly cloak, watching us weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticising almost everyone except Malfoy, who he seemed to like. He was just telling us all to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs, when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Coughing and spluttering, I could just make out Neville, who had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob. Their potion was seeping all across the floor, burning holes in people around them's shoes. Within seconds, Mione had pulled me up onto our stools along with the rest of the class, while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as big, red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" Snape snarled, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville just whimpered as boils started to spring up on his nose.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus, as I began climbing down from my stool. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.

"You - Potter - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

I saw Harry open his mouth to argue, but Ron punched him and whispered something. Harry looked up and met my gaze, but I quickly looked away. What a lesson.