Smile Like You Mean It

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Chapter 25 - Brewing


Class had already started by the time Aera stumbled in, one side of her face splattered with a vivid blue substance. Her face was a picture of fury and chagrin. The viscous sludge dripped onto her shoulder as she strode to the front of the class. Silence followed her as Snape watched her without expression.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Sir. Peeves way-laid me." She said quietly. It was well known that tardiness was totally unacceptable in Potions.

Snape remained silent for a moment and Aera felt her face begin to go red with embarrassment. She knew that simply walking to her desk without waiting for a response would result in an even more severe punishment so she waited, feeling stupid.

When Snape pulled out his wand and waved it across her face, Aera felt confused. She had been warned time and again by Harry, Ron and Hermione not to get on the wrong side of their Potion's teacher. So why wasn't he reprimanding her? Why hadn't he humiliated her in front of the class yet?

She felt something slide from her cheek and without thought she lifted a hand to touch it. Her skin was soft, free from the gooey ooze.

"You may join Mr Malfoy and begin your potion."

Snape began shuffling through the papers on his desk, clearly finished with her but Aera felt unable to move. Astonishment and confusion warred within her. At the very least she had expected house points to be taken off. Yet, it appeared that he meant to let her walk away free. Something unheard of in this class.

He looked up, cold questioning on his face. "Was there something else, Miss Vale?"

Aera felt her face redden further. "No Sir." she said quickly, turning away to find the entire class staring. Hermione was absently stirring her potion whilst Ron held a handful of leaves over it, paused in the act of adding them. Harry was clearly baffled, glancing from Snape to Aera and back again. She shrugged at him and the class hastily resumed their tasks.

Draco was standing at a cauldron beside Blaise's. She felt a momentary flicker of pity. Blaise was fine at preparing potions yet it was always more difficult working alone. She would be working with Draco for at least a week.

"Come on, I've only just started." Draco said, still stirring the iron pot. "We need to get it to the first stage in this class or it will congeal."

Though anyone listening in would have heard derisiveness in his tone, Aera ignored it. She knew he would be careful to maintain their routine and she refused to let it get to her. For now their delicate relationship would be concealed.

Aera dropped her bag on her chair and went to join Draco. She glanced at his notes with the instructions carefully jotted down and then into the cauldron. It was the exact shade of primrose yellow that was described so she scanned down the directions to see what came next. Clearly the Prophet's Elixir started as a simple Sleep Potion, with the other elements being added later on. So the next ingredient to be added was the Sodalite crystal shards.

She began crushing the crystal up with the mortar and pestle, rolling her sleeves back to allow for movement. It took a while for the stone to give way, splintering with a sharp cracking sound. Snape looked up at them and nodded approvingly as Aera weighed the precise amount and tipped it into the cauldron. Looking in she saw the blue of the crystal swirling through the yellow in a beautiful pattern of spirals. Exactly what the instructions predicted.

By the time class finished both Aera and Draco had removed their robes, the heat causing a sheen of sweat on their foreheads. The substance was thicker now, proving more difficult to stir so Aera had left Draco to do that part. As the bell rang she scattered a handful of camomile seeds that sizzled and popped to release their essence once they touched the surface of the potion. Draco shot her a covert grin as the brew suddenly became smooth liquid again. They had succeeded in finishing the first part of the potion. Now it would sit until they finished their classes for the day.

As Aera packed up her tools she was delighted to feel exhilarated at the idea of coming back to this dark, gloomy dungeon room. The Elixir was difficult but rewarding in it creation. She was looking forward to spending a few hours during the evening with Draco, mixing and brewing and alone.


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"Snape is so weird." commented Hermione during dinner. She was balancing a book of runes against a large tureen of soup whilst scanning the pages. Aera silently admired the girl's ability to multi-task.

"Yeah, what's with his liking Aera? Thought he hated just about everyone. 'Cept maybe Malfoy." Ron put in, speaking around a mouthful of poached fish.

Aera shrugged, pushing the serving of mashed potato and salad around her plate. She wasn't all that hungry, eager to be back in the dungeons. But caution was required in not appearing too keen so she was determined to at least seem interested in dinner.

"Maybe he's just impressed by her skill in potions. After all, he did ask her to take on that extra assignment. It's not really a bad thing though. At least you don't have to deal with him making your life hell." Harry shot at Aera who grinned back at him.

"Hey guys! What's happening?" Ginny had arrived with her usual buoyant mood.

Aera used the distraction to excuse herself, slipping away from the group almost unnoticed as talk moved on to the upcoming Quidditch Match. Ginny, Harry and Ron had practice that evening and Hermione was going down to the pitch to watch so she wouldn't be missed too much.

Draco had beaten her out of the Hall and was waiting by the classroom door for her. He gave her hand a quick squeeze before letting it go as they entered the dungeon.

Snape was already waiting for them. He was seated at his desk, pouring through completed essays. He looked up as they entered and nodded in approval.

"You made it in good time. The ingredients you need for the next phase of the potion are on the desk. I will not be available for the evening so I expect you to work with focus and care. Am I clear?"

"Yes Sir." Aera and Draco replied, moving to position themselves by the cauldron. The fire was dimming so Draco bent to feed it. Aera glanced over the array of components. There were things there that she recognised but had never used before and she felt a cautionary doubt. This part of the potion would be much more difficult than what they had covered that morning.

"Very good. I will be back here at nine o'clock. If you finish before then, wait here." With that the pale man swept out of the classroom, clearly hurrying to be elsewhere.

Aera turned to face Draco and found his eyes already on her. Heat settled in the pit of her stomach at the fire in his blue eyes and she couldn't help leaning forward to plant a kiss firmly on his lips.

His reaction was immediate, pulling her closer until her body was pressed up against him, her back arching so her lips stayed pressed to his. She lost herself in the moment, feeling his hands on her back, her waist, her cheek. Her own hands were wrapped in his hair, determined not to let go.

It wasn't long before the reality of their situation occurred to them both and they reluctantly pulled away from each other.

"We'd better get started or we'll never be done before Snape get back." Aera sighed. Right then she wanted nothing more than for Draco to press her up against the professor's desk and never stop kissing her. The wanton thought of it made her smile again, but it didn't change the loss she felt having to step away from him.

Draco was clearly having similar thoughts, though he hid them much better. He ran a hand through his ruffled hair, swallowing. His eyes roamed over Aera with her bruised lips and flushed face. He would never get tired of seeing the effect he had on her. It was addictive. His own personal drug.

It wasn't long, however, before the two of them were completely engrossed in brewing the potion. They worked quietly and effectively, speaking only when it was necessary to point out a particular passage of instructions or to identify an unknown ingredient. Items passed between them seamlessly, without conscious thought.

There was ground wolf teeth, kyanite and red jasper crystal dust for promotion of dreaming, a swan's feather to help guide the drinker into a dream once asleep. Every element added was a powerful constituent. Aera reeled off the properties of each in her head as she dropped them in. Draco was focused on the stirring of the pot, muttering under his breath as he counted off each rotation, then switching to the new pattern of stirring.

It was complicated and challenging work. They were both slick with sweat by the time Snape strode into the room, his face surprised to find them still working. They barely looked up as he came and stood over the cauldron, peering into it with an expression of admiration .

"You added a portion of spider-web?" he asked suspiciously.

"Only a thimble's worth, Sir." Aera said calmly. It had been she who had handed the web to Draco who hadn't even bothered to question her about it. "It . . . seemed to need it."

Snape nodded slowly. "Yes, I suppose that would help the potion somewhat. Acting as a binder it also has the additional elements that go with adding the spiders later on. Balance is important in the Elixir."

"We're nearly done, Sir." Draco said, switching from stirring in a circle to a figure of eight and back again.

"It is nine o'clock. I will give you both notes so that Filch will have no reason to stop you in the halls on your way back to your respective houses. I will finish this part of the potion myself." Snape grasped a piece of parchment between two long fingers from his desk and scrawled an explanation in his tilting, elegant hand. He tore the sheet in two and handed them to Aera and Draco.

Aera wanted to refuse. She disliked the idea of handing over her intricate potion to the professor, despite knowing he was fully capable of continuing it. Once a person began a potion it was hard to relinquish it into someone else's hands. No matter how capable they were.

She sighed, picking up her robe and slinging it over her shoulder. Draco hadn't waited for her, taking the note from Snape and slipping out of the dungeon without looking back. He was almost too good at pretending to dislike Aera. It was a cruel, but necessary, act.

Bag on shoulder and note in hand, Aera made her way out of the classroom. The corridor was dark and sinister. The brackets holding torches created strange, twisting shadows that crept along the walls. She squinted up the hallway and saw a tall, muscular figure waiting for her at the corner. So Draco hadn't just left.

She approached him slowly, still feeling the effects of the ominous lighting and cold stone walls. There were no windows down this deep in the castle, so no moonlight filtered through.But during the day more torches would be lit to help students find their way easier. The house-elves didn't need much light during the night hours.

Aera wasn't ready for Draco grabbing her around the waist and pushing her against the chilly stone of the wall. She was about to complain when his mouth came down on hers, scattering all thought from her mind. She arched against him eagerly, feeling the heat of his body, at the same time as his arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer still.

His hands began to move with more purpose, skimming up under her shirt to stroke the firm skin of her stomach. She responded with a moan, hooking one leg around his calf to pull him in tighter against her. They were quickly losing control, hands pulling at clothing, bags thrown to the ground. It was Draco who pulled back first, his chest heaving as he tried to control his lust. Aera stared up at him from under heavy lashes, unable to form sensible thought.

"This may not be the wisest idea." Draco murmured, one hand planted against the wall by Aera's head, the other still stroking the soft skin just above her hip. "We should probably just go to bed."

Aera nodded numbly, not trusting herself to speak. She was trying to hold on to the reasons why this was a bad idea, standing in the middle of a corridor, late at night, in the arms of her brother's enemy. But she was losing it again, distracted by the sensation of Draco's fingers on her skin, the way his lips parted to draw in ragged breaths. And his eyes, burning in the torchlight as they met her own.

She couldn't help herself. She lifted her chin slightly, letting her lips brush against his jaw-line. She was rewarded with a barely audible groan. Delighted that she could elicit the same reactions from him as he did for her, Aera continued with her exploration down the edge of his neck. He let his head fall to one side with another husky moan, making goosebumps prickle over Aera's arms.

Suddenly there were hands against her shoulders, pressing her back against the wall and Draco had pushed himself away from her. She looked at him with startled eyes, trying to determine what she had done wrong.

"Don't." he rasped, "Not unless you want me to take you right here."

Aera smiled, half with amusement, half with nerves. She didn't think that would be a very good idea.

Satisfied that Aera wasn't going to continue with her seductive kisses, Draco let her go and bent to pick up her bag. He handed it to her, pressing a gentle kiss against her lips.

"Do you want me to walk you back to the Gryffindor tower?"

Aera shook her head. "That note says you were with Snape. If Filch catches you he'll want to know why you're all the way up the other end of the castle when your own dorm is down here. I'll be fine."

Draco nodded reluctantly. He didn't really fancy the idea of Aera walking the halls at night by herself, but doubted if he'd be able to avoid Filch on the journey back.

Aera leaned forward, letting her tongue slip into his welcoming mouth as she kissed him goodnight. "I'll see you tomorrow." she promised.

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Draco watched as Aera slipped away down the corridor. He had no idea how she had gotten under his skin so quickly. He hadn't been exaggerating his feelings. He would have quite happily have taken her right there on the stone floor if she hadn't stopped. For some bizarre reason he seemed completely unable to restrain himself around her. Even those few kisses had been dangerous. If Snape had wandered out of the classroom for any reason they would have been caught red-handed. Or maybe red-faced would be a better description.

He reflected back on their time making the potion as he made his way to the entrance of the Slytherin quarters. It had felt so comfortable with her, no hesitation in sharing his love for potion brewing.

What was it about Aera Potter that totally unhinged him? He had no defences for her academic prowess, her innocent touch that evoked such powerful responses in his own body. Even now, after she was gone, he could feel the pressure in his groin that was refusing to go away.

He laughed quietly to himself. It would be another lonely night of self-indulgence.


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xxx Aera