Tormented by our Futures (Part 1)

I went back to the eighth-year common room after smoking and tried to get back to sleep, though I didn't get much. I think I slept a whole three more hours before I was dragged out of bed by Ron to go and get breakfast. I wasn't hungry, but I ate a little for Hermione, who kept persisting. I was too busy trying to keep my eyes open, feeling almost dead with the sheer lack of sleep that I was getting.

The day's first lesson, just like last week, is triple potions. Triple theory potions. Professor Slughorn arranged the classroom in rows of desks instead of our usual work benches. And as soon as I walked into his class, he immediately told us to sit with our partners. It really looks like I'm not getting rid of Malfoy any time soon.

Malfoy, who got in before me, sat at the back of the room out of the way of everyone else. I am too tired to complain about it, so I just planted myself next to him. I wouldn't have usually sat at the back of the class, even with Malfoy, I would have tried to sit closer to the front near my friends, I can also see better at the front.

I managed to get through an entire ten minutes of Slughorn's talking before I slipped my glasses off, folded my arms on the desk, and rested my head on my arms. After that, it honestly didn't take long until I fell asleep.

"Potter," Malfoy nudges me in my side, waking me from my not-so-deep sleep. I hadn't been asleep for long, and this git was already ruining it. "Potter, you need to do the work," He said in a hushed voice.

I lift my head slightly and prop my chin upon my forearm. I scan the parchment in front of me, though not very well as I haven't put my glasses back on and have zero intention of doing so, I did write something down and it was what Slughorn told us to do. "I did it," I say groggily, sliding the parchment towards Malfoy to show him.

He glances at the paper once before pinning his grey eyes back at me. "That's your name, the heading and the subheading Potter that's not enough." He said sending me an odd look I can't read. Seriously, what is his problem? I groan and slide the parchment back onto my side of the desk.

"Why do you care? It's not your life. Your grades aren't on the line." I huff, half asleep, shifting my head slightly and nuzzling my nose into the side of my arm. Malfoy doesn't say anything, which is strange considering it's Malfoy who never shuts up. I turn my head to look at him. He stares blankly at Professor Slughorn. "Aww, you care about me, that's so sweet," I say mockingly.

"I do not care about you," Malfoy snaps. It's clear that he couldn't read my tone through my tiredness, and it's quite funny to see him get so defensive. I'm too tired to lift my own head and even I can see that he cares, even if it's just a little.

"Alright then, if you say so," I say, smirking to myself. Malfoy puts on this stoney emotion and he has done so since about fifth year, the only emotion you can really see is hatred, but sometimes on infrequent occasions, you can see that he cares and there are other feelings under that cold mask.

Malfoy huffs next to me, and I see him roll his eyes. "I'm going to kill you, Potter," he growls lowly, not to attract attention. I mimic Malfoy's eye-rolling and rest my nose on my arm again while making a soft snoring noise to show that his threats mean nothing to me.

"Do it, put me out of my misery," I groan, burying my face in my arms again, covering my eyes with my elbow. I'm going back to sleep and nothing Malfoy does will stop me.

"Don't say that," Malfoy said softly after a moment.

"I'm not wrong," I say, muffled into my arms though loud enough for Malfoy to hear.

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I watch Potter fall asleep next to me, knowing full well that there is no point in waking him up again as he will just fall back to sleep. Slughorn continues to waffle on about the essay we're supposed to be writing, the thing is it would be so much easier to write it if he would just shut up. I look over to where Potter sleeps peacefully next to me. He looks peaceful though I'm not sure if he is.