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“Sir, you loved a Gryffindor,” Draco said suddenly, leaning on the table, not reading any of the books open in front of him. “Rabastan told me.” He added, seeing the glare Snape was giving him.
“The dead should stay dead.” Severus muttered, looking back to the cauldron he was standing over. Raising an eyebrow at the fuchsia it was turning, nonchalantly throwing a handful of bicorn horn in, and letting it bubble into a more pleasing pink before nodding his head in satisfaction.
“But she was a Gryffindor and you loved her?” He pressed, Snape gave a loud drawn out sigh before answering with a tight 'Yes', his head practically in his cauldron. “What happened?”
“You're not here to pry about my past.” He snapped, whipping round to glare down at Draco, who looked immediately defensive.
“I'm just curious.” He mumbled with a shrug, lowering his eyes and pretending to scan the texts.
“Why can't you be curious about potions?” He asked severely, tapping the books he knew Draco wasn't reading. “It is what you're here for.”
“I'm here as a favour to my mother, it's not as though you're giving up the position any time soon.”
“Believe me, I would not have allowed this apprenticeship if I didn't think you capable, not even for your mother. Come and stir this.” He stepped out of the way and busied himself searching through cupboards as Draco dragged himself to his feet and stood where Severus had been, picking up the stirring rod and stirring counter clockwise.
“So, what did happen? With the... Gryffindor girl.”
“She died.” Severus said curtly.
“Before that.” Draco said, turning around impatiently.
“Eyes on the potion,” Severus grit out, Draco turned back with a sigh. “She married someone else,” Draco's shoulder's slumped and he looked thoroughly depressed. “Why?”
“Just wondered.” Draco shrugged, trying to be blasé but failing miserably.
“I see, you just felt like interrogating me on something that is completely none of your business and then try to pretend there was nothing in it.”
“Exactly.” Draco smirked. A moment passed as he stirred the potion, clockwise this time, and Severus took a tray of jars from the cupboard to pour the potion into, ready to be taken to the hospital wing.
“Who is it then?” The smirk fell and so did Draco almost; he caught himself before he did, burning his hand as he grabbed the cauldron to steady himself. He heard the sizzle of flesh before pulling away and then the groan of the Potions master as he caught his wrist. Severus pulled the hand up and took out his wand, holding it above the wound and steadily going around it. The skin healed over and his hand looked fine again, he could still feel the pain however. “Frankly, I'm not all that inclined right now to give this to you but...” Severus poured some liquid over Draco's palm - the pain dispersed instantly and Severus tucked the small vial back into his robes. Draco supposed that old habits die hard, or maybe Severus just liked to be prepared for anything.
“Thanks.” He said, inspecting his hand before flopping into a chair while Severus took over the potion once again.
“Perhaps he likes you back.” He suggested, taking Draco slightly off guard but he perked up at the thought.
“You think?”
“I don't know,” He shrugged not noticing, or caring about, the way Draco deflated, dropping his head on the table. “I don't know who it is, do I?”
“Ugh.”
“Yes, it must be so hard to be young, rich and handsome.” Severus gasped sardonically, rolling his eyes. “Stopper these.” He pushed the tray towards him, a few already laden with potion.
“He doesn't care about things like that.” Draco sighed miserably, sitting up and resting his head on his hand, indifferently picking up corks and forcing them into the vials.
“Then you're definitely out of luck because your personality isn't going to win him over.”
* * *
“Why don't you just ask Professor Potter out?” Severus asked a couple of days later, taking Draco by surprise.
“What?! How?! I never said anything about Potter!” Draco spluttered, blushing.
Severus rolled his eyes. “You two have been dancing around each other since you were at school together. Frankly it will be a relief from all the sexual tension.”
“Okay, so I like Potter,” Draco grumbled, crossing his arms. “That doesn't mean he likes me back, he's probably not even gay.”
“Not judging by what they say about him in the papers.” Severus muttered, slicing some roots.
“You could find out for me.” Draco said suddenly, Snape stared at him in disbelief, his roots completely forgotten.
“I am not using Legilimency on Potter.” He said firmly, stabbing his knife into his cutting board.
“Why? All you'd have to do is find something where he's with another guy.” Draco pleaded, as if his plan was foolproof.
“In the event that I talk to Potter and am looking him in the eyes, I find it highly unlikely that he will be recalling any sexual experiences,” Severus said as though the idea disgusted him, which it did. “And if he is, I don't want to know about it.” He added with a shudder.
“But I need to know.” Draco argued weakly, it was doubtful he was going to be able to change Snape's mind, he was stubborn like that.
“Then, and stick with me now, because this might sound crazy... ask him.” Severus rolled his eyes.
“I can't just ask him, what kind of Slytherin would I be if I just asked him?” He asked incredulously.
“The kind that's getting laid on a regular basis,” Severus smirked and crushed a bug before adding it to the potion. Draco was pouting, hands on his hips in indignation. “You're dismissed.” He waved him away.
* * *
“You could try wowing him with your Potions expertise.” Severus suggested, thrusting a cauldron at him.
“I don't think he cares much for Potions expertise.” Draco grunted, taking the heavy cauldron and carrying it to the sink.
“I'll sleep soundly with that knowledge,” He replied dryly, rolling up his sleeves, ready to let his pent up frustrations about idiot children and marking out on dried up old potion stains. “I'm here to teach you Potions, not act as a councillor for your relationship.”
Shoving the cauldron as well as he could into the sink and letting the icy jet of freezing dungeon water fill it Draco grumbled. “At this rate there's not going to be a relationship.” Turning off the water he hauled the cauldron over, setting it beside the one Severus was furiously scrubbing.
“Good, because I need you here Friday night.” With a last look inside the cauldron Severus nodded his assent and handed it to Draco to empty.
“Why? Where are you going to be?”
“Unlike some, I have a date.”
“Really?!” Draco whipped round so fast he splashed filthy water over the floor.
Severus snarled and threw a towel at him, gesturing for him to clean it up quickly. “No. I'll be here making sure you can stir a cauldron properly.”
“Lucky me.”
* * *
“Gut those Flobberworms for me.” Severus commanded, gesturing vaguely in their direction.
“Ugh, do I have to? It's disgusting, no one should do it. Blech.” He peered tentatively into the tray, taking up the knife.
“I seem to remember your 'boyfriend',” He rolled his eyes at the word. “Having to do that often in detention.”
“He's not my boyfriend.” Draco sighed, pausing in reflection. “I've never had a boyfriend.” He said finally, tapping his cheek with the knife. A hand came to pull the knife away from his face, with a stern glare.
“I thought you dated Blaise in your sixth year.” He muttered pulling a book from the shelf, flicking listlessly through it.
“Gross,” Draco winced, picking up a slippery worm. “No, we never really... connected.”
“I seem to remember you were both caught 'connecting' in the broom shed, the Astronomy Tower and, for some unfathomable reason, the kitchens.”
“No, a spiritual connection.”
Severus snorted, still scanning the index for the potion he needed. “I don't believe for a second that any connection you want to make with Potter is spiritual.”
* * *
“I don't want to hear it.” Draco snapped, storming in and slamming his textbooks on the table before dropping into a seat.
“I haven't said anything.”
“Yet.” He grouched, covering his face with his hands.
“Well, it was bad enough when you were cowering behind tapestries like some first year Hufflepuff whenever he walked past but now you finally get what you want, what you've been whining for all this time. He asks you to dine with him in his rooms and your response is to shriek like a harridan and run away.”
“I did not shriek.” He snapped his head up and pointed aggressively at the man.
“You screamed 'I'd never be seen dead in your hovel of a room.' and then ran away.”
“Yes, I know what I said.” He sighed, letting his head fall back onto the desk.
“Did you know before or after it came out of your mouth?”
“I panicked, okay?!” He banged a hand on the table bitterly.
“It didn't go without notice,” Severus chuckled, raising his voice as he disappeared into the cupboard. “Though most people don't panic and offend the object of their affection.”
“It was that or faint dead away.”
“At this point fainting would have made you seem more manly.”
“What am I going to do?”
“You know what's always helped me in times of strife?” He slammed a mortar and pestle down on the desk making Draco jump and sit up properly. “Powdering cockroaches.”
“You're not helpful.” He grimaced and snatched the cockroach jar Snape was testily holding over his shoulder, pouring out a liberal amount.
“Exactly what I was thinking about you. I should think the answer is obvious.”
“What?”
“Apologise.”
“Apologise?!” He whispered to himself. “I can't apologise...”
* * *
“I take it it went well,” Severus began tonelessly as a dopily grinning Draco entered, hanging his cloak up with a contented sigh. “Considering you didn't finish any of your work last night.”
“Oh. No, I got carried away talking to Harry. I went to go and apologise and accept his offer for dinner so we decided to have it last night, then one thing led to another and suddenly it was 2am and we'd talked half the night, work had completely gone from my mind.”
“Evidently.”
“It was so easy. After I apologised we had dinner, we talked, I asked him if he's gay and now we're going to see each other again Thursday. I don't know why you didn't just tell me to do that in the first place, it would've been so much quicker,” A loud crack broke him from his stupor, and he looked over to Severus, who was still hunched over his writing, a puddle of ink forming in front of him. “Oh, you've broken your quill.”
* * *
Really, Severus thought to himself, he should have known what he was about to walk in on when he saw that Draco was in early. “Glad that I am,” He interrupted their fumblings, trying not to smirk at the blush descending over Potter's face. “That I'm not going to have to listen to you whinging on any more, get out of my Potions lab and do that somewhere else.”
It didn't take more than a few seconds for the pair's minds to catch up to the situation, and soon they were leaping off each other to quickly do up robes and race out of the room calling out.
“Sorry Professor Snape.”
“About those runes I was supposed to...”
“I'll expect it tomorrow.” He said shortly, pushing the door firmly closed, rolling his eyes and chuckling to himself as he prepared to start his work.