Fuck

“Smash it,” Draco instructed his sixth years, “No, Dominick, not like that.”

He often wondered how he’d wound up in his position at twenty three years of age. Or who had thought it was a good idea to give him a shot at educating young wizards and witches. Dumbledore was behind it all, he supposed. Sly old bastard.

The children and the rest of the school’s mind were elsewhere, that evening was the first Slytherin match. Not that he was head of the house, or that he had anything to do with the team anymore, but he still enjoyed a good show.

Everyone raced one another to the courtyard, students flooding the halls, “No running in the halls!” He shouted and groaned as three fifth years bumped into him not even caring about who they’d just ran into.

The courtyard was just as crowded, but most of the students weren’t running, just congregated in a massive cluster right in the middle. He noticed a pastel lilac colored hat in the sea of black. Plowing through the group his words failed him.

In the eye of the storm stood a tall beautiful woman, her beret tilted revealing overflowing locks of brunette hair that glistened in the sunlight, and sinister hazel eyes that burnt holes into his mind. She wore a classic white sundress that hugged her curves loosely and a pair of black heels he’d seen his mother wear a million times. She radiated class and style and beauty and he had absolutely no idea who she was. She shifted her beige overcoat to her other arm, freeing her right hand.

“Alright, alright, let her breathe, she's not a zoo animal! Don’t you have a match to get to?” He said to the crowd, deepening his tone to mimic his teaching voice. “May I help you, miss?”

“Actually, yes,” she said breathlessly, followed by a beaming smile. “My name’s Lena Periwinkle, I’m looking for professor Dumbledore.”

“I’ll show you the way.” He cringed at his quickness to bend to the woman. She hadn’t even asked him to do that, nor did he need to be doing it in the first place. “What are you applying for?”

“I already applied,” she responded quickly, the sound of her heels echoing through the now empty halls. “I had business elsewhere to attend to first before I could start. My understanding is, Professor Binns isn’t too eager to leave so Dumbledore didn’t mind a bit.”

“Oh,” he said before he could stop himself. Realizing how rude his tone sounded. “History of magic then?”

“correct.” She said with another smile. “I was in South America, not that you asked, but I was studying. My training didn’t finish till now.”

“Castelobruxo?”

“Yes, quite magical, pun intended.” Her laugh was awkward, but genuine and he liked that. “What do you teach?”

“Potions.” He answered flatly. Realizing she was finishing up her studies meant she was young. “Wait, how old are you?”

“Twenty-two,” she answered softly, “I know, I’m quite young to be here—“

“—definitely a switch up from Binns. This’ll be good though, that’s everyone’s least favorite class. And with good reason, being taught a seemingly boring subject by a ghost isn’t exactly interesting.”

“And potions is?” She joked.

He cracked a smile as they stood at Dumbledore’s door, “we’re here. Headmasters office—“

Draco's words were cut short by the intricate door opening, revealing a very pleased Dumbledore. “Lena! You darling duck, what a day to welcome you!”

“Albus!” She said with a massive smile. Throwing her arms around the man, embracing each other as if they were old friends. “It’s been so long, the family sent their love and—“ she snapped her fingers revealing a rather large metal tin, “treats of course.”

The sound that came from Dumbledore next was completely bewildering, he giggled with delight, grabbing the tin and then turning to Draco, “Professor Malfoy, don’t miss out on the match, Miss periwinkle and I have much to catch up on.”

It all happened too quickly before his eyes. All that was left was Draco, alone, in the middle of the hallway.

He couldn’t concentrate during the match, a beautiful woman plagued his thoughts. And funnily enough it wasn’t his betrothed.

—