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Molly hurried down the corridor, robes billowing out behind her as she headed for the Hogwarts library. In her arms, she cradled the clay pot that contained her beloved fluxweed plant. The flowering plant had been a gift from her grandmother for successfully achieving 5 O.W.L.s, and she treasured it greatly.
The library wasn't particularly crowded, but Molly still slowed her pace once inside, not wanting to bump into any of the stories-tall bookcases housed in the cavernous space. She wound her way between several shelves before arriving at her destination: one of the study nooks nestled in the back of the room.
"Sorry I'm late," she panted, skidding to a stop in front of the agreed-upon table. She took a moment to carefully set down the fluxweed and her school bag before looking around with a frown. How could it be that her partner wasn't here yet? She was nearly ten minutes late for their study session, yet he was nowhere to be seen.
Molly rolled her eyes. Perhaps she shouldn't be so surprised that Malfoy wasn't there. After all, he had made no secret of his disdain for the project they were supposed to be working on. He felt that Herbology was a waste of time and frequently said as much—no matter that it was Molly's favorite subject.
The two had clashed over their views on several occasions already, and Molly wasn't sure how she was going to put up with him for the duration of the project. The Malfoy heir was an arrogant git who didn't seem to care about anyone but himself.
Molly slumped onto a chair and propped her head up in her hands so that she could gaze at her fluxweed plant. Its purple flowers were as vibrant as she had ever seen them, which was a good sign that they were nearing their greatest potency. Reaching out, she gently stroked one of the fluxweed's narrow, pointy leaves with her finger.
"Beautiful," she murmured. "You are quite the specimen."
"I sincerely hope that you're not conversing with that plant, Prewett," Malfoy's voice sounded from somewhere behind her. She twisted in her seat and glared at the sneering blond boy as he stepped out from behind a bookcase. "It really isn't a good look for you."
Molly's temper flared up instantly. Malfoy always seemed to know exactly how to rile her up, and she was powerless to stop her anger from consuming all rational thought.
"I really don't give a damn how it makes me look, Malfoy," she snapped. "Maybe you should focus on things that actually concern you, like being on time to study sessions?"
Malfoy scowled. "Considering how little I care about this study session, I am hardly concerned about my punctuality."
"So you've said," Molly retorted through gritted teeth. She took a deep breath and gestured to her potted fluxweed. "'That plant,' as you so disparagingly called it, just might be the key to earning us an O."
"I find that difficult to believe," Malfoy sniffed, taking a seat across from her. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "However, since you have shown a certain...aptitude for Herbology, I suppose I can trust that you mean what you say."
"Thank you," Molly said dryly. She reached down and hoisted her school bag onto her lap, rummaging through it until she found the sheets of parchment that she had been searching for. "Here are my notes from Professor Beery's lecture on the properties of fluxweed. I think that we can try and make its healing properties more effective by changing a few key things—namely, the soil and the amount of time we spend interacting with it…"
She continued to lay out the details of the experiment that she had carefully designed, growing more and more excited with each step. She was so passionate about her idea that she managed to forget about her audience—that is, until she looked over and realised that Malfoy's eyes had all but glazed over.
"Hey." She snapped her fingers and watched as he blinked himself back to the present. "If I'm going to be doing all the work here, the least you can do is pay attention."
"It seems as though you have everything under control, Prewett," Malfoy said, not sounding the least bit apologetic. He stood, towering over her. "My input would be wasted here, and I have a Transfiguration essay to finish, so I'll leave you to it."
Molly's jaw dropped. "You can't just—you're leaving?"
"Yes, I believe that's what I said."
Molly got to her feet as well, planting her hands on her hips. She wasn't going to let Malfoy get away with doing nothing.
"No way. We're partners, Malfoy. We're supposed to work together. That's the whole point of the project."
"I thought the whole point of the project was to further explore one of the plants we learned about this term."
"Right, but Professor Beery paired everyone up for a reason. It isn't fair to saddle one person with all of the work—"
"It's hardly work to you, though, is it?" Malfoy asked. "You like this sort of thing."
"Even so—"
"Good luck, Prewett. I'll check in with you tomorrow."
Molly stared in disbelief as Malfoy turned and walked away from her, his figure quickly disappearing behind a nearby bookshelf.
Molly hummed to herself as she wandered through Greenhouse Six. Surrounding herself with magical plants and fungi always soothed her, and she was in desperate need of peace after Malfoy's despicable behaviour in the library. After returning the fluxweed to her dorm room, she had immediately made her way down to the greenhouses.
Now, as she strolled between the Fanged Geraniums, ducking occasionally when one aimed its teeth in her direction, she took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down. She didn't have to let Malfoy get under her skin. Maybe she could speak to Professor Beery about the situation and ask to switch partners. He liked her—surely he would be willing to oblige.
She had just made up her mind to seek out her professor when she spotted a movement out of the corner of her eye. She spun towards it, heart beating fast, but her face soon relaxed into a smile.
"Hi, Arthur."
Her redheaded classmate was seated on a small wooden bench, his legs curled up to his chest. He started when Molly spoke, but a moment later he was smiling back at her.
"Hello, Molly."
Molly walked over and settled onto the bench beside him. From this angle, they had the perfect view of the Snargaluffs, which were currently inert. Without thinking about it, she leaned her head on his shoulder, letting out a sigh as she did so.
"Something wrong?" Arthur asked, shifting to put an arm around her.
She sighed again. "It's the Herbology project. Malfoy's being...well, Malfoy. Today, he basically told me to do all of the work."
She felt Arthur's arm tense. "He really said that?"
Molly felt a wave of affection for Arthur Weasley wash over her. He was usually so even-tempered and calm, but his indignance on her behalf was quite endearing.
"He did," she confirmed. "But he's a total git, so it wasn't a surprise or anything."
"Git or not, he shouldn't have said that," Arthur said flatly. "That is inexcusable."
Molly closed her eyes. "I wish you were my partner," she murmured. "You're so much nicer than Malfoy."
"You know that I would work with you in a heartbeat if Professor Beery would allow it."
Molly looked up to find him smiling down at her.
"Well, I was thinking of asking Professor Beery to switch," she admitted, her cheeks flushed.
"He won't do it, I heard Bertram Macmillan already asked. He told Bertram that it was important to learn how to work with anyone."
Molly groaned, disappointment flooding through her. She understood where her professor was coming from, but that didn't make her feel any better. Arthur's next words, however, cheered her up immensely.
"But you can come talk to me about the project anytime and tell me all about how Malfoy's being an idiot," he offered. "I'm always here for you."
"Thanks, Arthur." She leaned into him again, enjoying the quiet intimacy. Eventually, Arthur nodded off, his arm still around her. Before long, she too was asleep, the Herbology project—and her insufferable partner—forgotten for the moment.