Basics
The Potions classroom was dimly lit, a heavy atmosphere hanging in the air as the last students trickled out. Snape stood at the front, his eyes narrowing as he focused on Juliet. "Miss Van Der Hart," he said, voice dripping with disdain, "you'll stay after class for your tutoring session. And I expect you to be sober this time."
Juliet rolled her eyes, crossing her arms defiantly. "I can handle it, Professor. I don't need your lectures."
"Clearly," Snape replied, his tone icy. "As Malfoy is assisting you, try not to waste his time — though I doubt there's much to salvage."
Draco leaned against the table, a smirk on his face. "Oh, this should be entertaining," he said, watching as Juliet slumped into a chair. "So, ready to fail again?"
"Shut up, Malfoy," she shot back, her frustration bubbling just below the surface. "You're not exactly a shining beacon of kindness."
"Kindness isn't in my job description," he replied, his arrogance apparent. "Let's get this over with. What do you even know about potions?"
Juliet glanced at the ingredient list, feeling a wave of anxiety wash over her. "I know... um, the basics?"
Draco scoffed. "The basics? You mean how to look pretty while everyone else does the actual work?"
She clenched her jaw, trying to ignore the sting of his words. "I'm not here to entertain you, Malfoy. Just show me what to do."
"Fine," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Grab the ingredients. Let's see if you can follow simple instructions."
As she fumbled through the list, Draco leaned against the table, watching her closely. The sight of her struggling stirred something in him — an irritation mixed with a flicker of annoyance. "You really don't take anything seriously, do you?" he asked, crossing his arms.
Juliet shot him a glare. "I take this seriously. Just because I'm not a try-hard like you doesn't mean I don't care."
"Caring isn't enough if you can't even remember the most basic steps," he retorted, a smirk forming on his lips. "How do you even manage to pass any classes?"
"By doing what I can!" she snapped back, her temper flaring. "I don't see you offering any real help here."
"You mean, with your parents doing everything they can to pay the school," he mocked with his arms crossed. "And why would I?" Draco leaned closer with a mocking grin. "You're a lost cause. I'm not wasting my time trying to save you from yourself."
Juliet felt her frustration boil over. "You know what? I didn't ask for your pity. I'm not looking for a savior, Malfoy. Just get through this without making it worse."
"Right, because you have everything under control," he said sarcastically. "Let's see how this goes, then."
As they moved through the steps, it was clear that Juliet struggled with every part of the potion. She spilled ingredients, misread instructions, and every misstep elicited a snicker from Draco. "This is just sad," he remarked dryly, watching her with a mix of disdain and morbid curiosity.
"I don't need your commentary," she shot back, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Too bad, I'm just getting started," he replied, a smirk playing on his lips. "This is the most fun I've had all week."
Juliet focused on her task, trying to ignore him, but every mistake felt amplified under his scrutiny. The weight of his judgment bore down on her, and she could feel her resolve starting to crumble.
"Can you just let me try without the constant barrage of insults?" she finally asked, exasperated.
"Where's the fun in that?" Draco said, feigning innocence. "But fine, let's see you actually do something right."
As she struggled through the next steps, he crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair. He thought it pathetic how she couldn't be bothered to retain first year basics in the class. He'd gotten a feeling that Snape had simply wanted to give him some entertainment for the time being, knowing himself that Juliet was a lost cause. But that was the thing, not even Draco could fully admit to himself that he wasn't fascinated by the party girl, Juliet Van Der Hart. Her name carried status, prestige and privilege more than any other.
To be frank, he'd waited for a time like this to happen. A professor getting the two of them together, just so Draco could find more about her than just at parties she would never remember the next morning. He tried not to care, it was obvious he wasn't important in her life. Who really was important in Juliet's life other than Juliet? Not even Pansy would be able to say with a straight face.
"Honestly, if you want to impress anyone, you need to try harder than this," he said, unable to resist another jab.
Juliet sighed, exasperated. "I'm trying, but I'm not you, Malfoy. Maybe if you showed a little patience..."
"Patience is overrated," he interrupted, shaking his head. "Just face it: you're better off sticking to parties and pretty clothes."
Her eyes flashed with anger, but she quickly masked it. "You think you know me so well, don't you?" she shot back, bitterness in her voice. "But maybe you don't know a thing."
"Maybe not," he admitted, his tone shifting slightly. "But right now, you're failing, and I can't help but wonder if you even care."
"Why should I care what you think?" Juliet snapped, her voice rising. "You're just a spoiled brat with a silver spoon in your mouth!"
Draco smirked, unfazed. "And you're just a cliché. Just another pretty face who can't keep up."
The tension in the room crackled as they continued to spar, both unwilling to back down. But beneath their hostility, something unspoken lingered — a tension that neither could fully acknowledge.
As the tutoring session dragged on, Draco found himself caught in a strange mix of frustration and curiosity. He wanted to write her off completely, but the flicker of determination he saw in her eyes was hard to ignore.
"Let's just finish this," he finally said, pushing aside any thoughts of sympathy. "We'll see if you can at least manage to brew something without blowing us up."
Juliet took a deep breath, forcing herself to focus despite the disdain surrounding her. "Fine. But don't expect me to fail."
Draco raised an eyebrow, his smirk returning. "Oh, I fully expect it."