Underwater Calls

Transfiguration was a class with Slytherins and Gryffindor’s. And needless to say, there were old prejudices and House rivalries amongst the students.
Or more specifically, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.
“You would think that, after everything your family has been through Malfoy, you would be less arrogant in class,” Potter shot to Draco after his comment about Weasley’s family. Malfoy smirked, and Rosabella rolled her eyes as Siobhan budged both her best friends.
“And this, my girls, is why I love this class,” she whispered excitedly; Laura knew just how much Siobhan liked to gossip and witness fights that occurred within the Hogwarts classes.
Laura sighed heavily, going back to her assignment – Professor McGonagall had only left for five minutes, but the boys had already spewed and cursed each other. She didn’t care for petty fights – she knew that Harry Potter was indeed the one who would defeat Voldemort, no matter what. Not only because he had the cleverest witch of their generation as a best friend, nor the most loyal of families by his side, but because he had the courage in him to fight for what he didn’t ask to do but what he had to do. His life was a miracle, and he would make sure that he saved those who depended on him.
Laura smiled gently, and then looked up and her eyes met the green ones she was just thinking about. He really was their hero, she mused, winking at him. He had never said a word out of spite to her or her friends, and she laughed gently as he rolled his eyes in mock annoyance and turned in his seat. She watched in fascination as Ron Weasley, who looked a bit too surprised at the silent exchange between the two, asked Harry just exactly what had happened moments ago.
“You would think, knowing that the Weasley’s are rather civil to every type of blood group out there, that Ron Weasley should be able to comprehend the fact that a Slytherin and a Gryffindor student do talk without being rude or having to hide the communication from everyone else,” she stated to her best friends, who looked over at the redhead. They were rather laid back and the much more kind Slytherins, even though most didn’t know this unless they had crossed paths with the Slytherin trio.
And just then, Professor McGonagall walked back in, ushering the class into silence and resuming her lecture on the importance of being able to live in conditions which required you to change the state of a solid into something worthwhile.

Laura fell asleep during the first period of Potions, not listening to anything Snape was talking about to the class. But during the second lesion of Potions, she decided that she had had enough sleep, making amends to waking up so early that morning. Stretching, she moaned softly as her back clicked and her body felt stiff from the position she had been sleeping in. She felt her body slowly relax back, and clicked her neck. Getting up, she realised that some of the students were working on a practical.
“Hey guys, what are we making?” she asked her best friends, who were just a desk in front of her, cutting up herbs and letting a foul smelling liquid boil.
“The truth serum, Veritaserum,” Rosabella enquired for her, and Laura scowled. She hated that potion with a passion – she believed in a person having free will, and if they didn’t want to tell something, they shouldn’t be forced to. Yeah, sometimes it had a good reason behind it, such as the Ministry of Magic using it, but she didn’t like it at all.
Experience was the only word she would say about that goddamn potion.
“Finally awake, Laura?” Snape said, hovering over to their desk. She nodded, wrinkling her nose up as she watched her friends complete the ingredients for the serum. “Very well, you can help store away the potion for your group. Don't let this happen again, I can’t always stop mouths running about letting my own House slack,” he said the underlying tone of warning evident in his monotone voice. Nodding, she got up, and poured the simmering serum into a beaker, her face anything but pleased with the task.
She walked to the back of the classroom, where there was a door that connected them to another underground dungeon, where she knew experimental potions were stored. She opened the door and walked down the dimly lit stairs, and sighed as she finally placed the bottle down and marked it with their initials. She might not like the potion itself, but she needed to make sure that they had the correct potion as she didn’t want to fail Potions. Hesitating, she decided to put a binding spell on the label, and grinning slightly, she turned back to head out of the stuffy room.
And saw Malfoy standing at the frame that led up to the stairs, arms crossed, watching her.
“Something bothering you, Malfoy?” she said, annoyance evident in her voice. He smirked slightly, liking the look on her face. Everything that made her edgy gave him a satisfaction – or otherwise, how else would he see that expression on her face?
“Yes, Moon. A lot of stuff is bothering me actually,” he said, pushing himself off against the frame and advancing towards her, “and one of them is you.”
“Me? Im bothering you?” she said in disbelief, her temper starting to slowly simmer. She looked back at the door, hoping for someone to walk in, anyone – she wouldn’t mind if it was Seamus himself, who always got on her nerves, or Snape, telling them to hurry up. Just anyone –
But no one did.
“Yes, you. Your prickly and annoying presence has been bothering me since the summer, actually,” he said, offhandedly. She wanted to punch him, she realised. Punch the smirk and the cocky note in his voice right out of him.
“Really, Malfoy? If that’s the case, then why don't you get rid of my presence?” she said, her voice taking an edge. He smirked, knowing just what he wanted to do to her. He would like to devastate her presence in more than one way, and in a way that she didn’t suggest.
Get a grip, he thought, straightening his posture. He wasn’t going to let her get to him. He turned to the stairs, and then carelessly threw a look over his shoulder to her.
“Oh, don't you worry about it, Laura Moon. I know exactly what I am going to do about you,” he said, and walked up the stairs.
It was a good thing he did, Laura thought, so that he didn’t see her hold her heart at the look that had made her topple over the edge.
But the edge of what, she did not know.