Harry and Draco. Hermione, you're on your own.'
Hermione nodded and Draco wondered if she had worked this out with Lupin ahead of time. He was mildly surprised that he had been put with Harry but suspected that this was because Lupin knew that he was unlikely to get along with anyone else.
'Each team will have the rest of the year to work on their projects,' Lupin continued. 'Now, I've tried to make these projects flexible to allow you to use your own inventiveness — a great part of being a successful Auror requires quick and adaptable thinking. It also requires creativity-'
'I plan to make a diorama,' said Draco solemnly.
'No,' said Lupin patiently, 'not that kind of creativity.'
'But it'll be an evil diorama. And then Harry can destroy it.'
Lupin's voice held a warning tone. 'Draco.'
Draco subsided, although next to him, Harry's shoulders were shaking with silent laughter. Hermione rolled her eyes.
'The tasks,' Lupin went on, 'are divided into three categories: pure research, curse-breaking, and Dark creatures.' He began handing out parchments, which the students passed along the table. Draco took his and glanced at it quickly. Describe a method you might use for breaking the Medusa curse. Successfully train yourself to resist the Imperius Curse.
(Not you, Harry.) Research the history of Azkaban. Describe how you might elude a Tracking Curse. Write a history of the Founders of Hogwarts; please include the Ten Years' War and the founding of the Auror's Guild. The next one made Draco smile. Conceive a plan by which a Manticore might be defeated. (Not you, Harry, or Draco either!)
'There are thirty in total,' Lupin added. 'Each set of two students please select three projects to do, one from each category — Hermione, since you're alone, you need do only two. On the first of May, we'll start presentations of final projects, on which your final marks will depend.
Any questions?'
Neville raised his hand slowly. 'What if we want to research a curse that isn't on this list?'
Lupin's eyes darkened. 'Then talk to me after class.'
'Will we be able to get books out of the Restricted Section?' asked Padma.
Lupin nodded. 'Just give me a list of what you need and I'll sign it out for you.'
Draco only half-heard this, his attention had begun to wander. He looked out from under the fringe of his lowered lashes, first at Harry, who had regained his seriousness and was busy studying the project list. He looked severe, and not a little tired. Which was probably good, Draco thought, since that afternoon he would be flying against Harry, they might as well both be exhausted or it would be an uneven match. Harry exhausted was still a just-about-unbeatable Seeker. Nothing broke his concentration: not pain, not fear, not anger, not tiredness. Not anything.
Draco moved his gaze to Hermione. She was taking notes. Typical. She had her lower lip caught between her teeth as she often did when she was thinking. He looked away. His glance slid over Padma (pretty enough but not his type) to Neville (looking very tense) to Terry (utterly boring; Draco had never spoken to him) to Eloise (she had briefly dated Crabbe in fifth year, and by all accounts even kissed him, which had always struck Draco as a biological impossibility) to Lupin, who to his surprise was looking back at him. 'Draco,' he said. 'You seem elsewhere.'
'Just excited about my upcoming project, Professor,' said Draco innocently.
Lupin gave him a nice-try-kid look. 'See me after class, Mr. Malfoy.'
Busted! Harry's voice sang out in Draco's head. He shot his soon-to-be-stepbrother an annoyed look, but Harry's expression was quite innocent.
He remembered when it would have been a near impossibility for Harry to hide anything he was feeling. No longer. He resolved to try to prevent Harry from picking up any more of his bad habits in future.
Class ended five minutes early to allow the students time to get down to the Quidditch pitch. Harry left with Hermione, his arm around her, the parchment with their assignment on it shoved into his bookbag. I'll see you on the pitch, he said, half turning around.
Draco nodded slightly in response. When he turned back to Lupin, he found the DaDA professor folding his parchments into a leather carrying case with gold buckles that Draco didn't care for — gold was so affected.
Then again, they wouldn't very well be silver, would they? 'It was very reassuring to hear that you're looking forward to your assignment, Draco, especially since outlines of your project choices will be due after Christmas vacation.' He smiled. 'Which is why I put you and Harry on the same team, since I know you'll be spending your holiday break together.'
'He'll be with Hermione too. You didn't need to put him with me.'
'She can work alone. You can't.'
'I can — '
'You'll work better with Harry,' said Lupin, with finality. 'Is this a problem?'
'No…uh, no.' Draco was a bit taken a back at his own behavior. He wanted to work with Harry. He rather suspected he had just been fishing for information about Hermione's private project. Bad Draco, he told himself experimentally, but nothing happened — self-criticism was not his forte. 'I don't mind working with Harry.'
'Good, because Dumbledore and I discussed it and we want you together.'
'You talked about us?'
'We often do.' Lupin smiled and picked up his case. 'Surprised?'
'I suppose not.' Draco held the door open for Lupin to walk out of the room and they started down the corridor together. 'I don't imagine it'd do any good to ask what you say?'
'None,' said Lupin pleasantly.
'Any reason you kept me after class?'
Lupin stopped walking and faced him, his eyes thoughtful. 'Just to tell you that if you and Harry run into any problems, I want you to come directly to me. I'll also be at the Manor over Christmas, and available to you then as well.'
'Oh. Okay.' Draco didn't know what else to say — he had never in his life gone to a teacher for extra assistance, and he knew exactly how Harry felt about going to teachers for anything at all. It was a bit of a mania with Harry, doing things on his own; then again, Draco supposed he himself was much the same way. 'Will do.'
'And you have a good idea what kinds of materials you might need?'
Draco nodded. 'We're sorted, thanks.'
Lupin nodded. 'All right. Good luck on the game, then,' he added, and surprised Draco by shaking his hand. 'May the best team win.'
'I thought you were a Gryffindor fan, professor,' said Draco curiously. 'I thought you were all in Gryffindor, you and Harry's dad and Sirius and…'
'Is that what you thought?' said Lupin mildly, and turned away. Draco looked for a moment after him with great curiosity — what did he mean by that? — before he turned and bolted for the Quidditch pitch, anxious not to be late.
Ginny tried to stifle a yawn. She was sitting between Elizabeth and Seamus on the uncomfortable wooden benches in the Gryffindor Quidditch changing room, listening to Harry give his pre-game pep talk. Everyone seemed to be paying rapt attention, even Ron, who was fiddling with the fastenings on his knee guards. Harry was excellent at pep talks, which had always surprised Ginny since he was so unenthusiastic in general about public speaking. But Quidditch, like Hermione, was a subject that brought out the passion in him — he gestured with his hands while he talked, his black hair dancing, green eyes sparking animatedly. He also, she thought, looked his best in his Quidditch uniform — the burgundy-and-gold striped sweater, light corduroys, and knee-high leather knee protectors suited him. Harry tended not to wear the regulation elbow protectors, as he claimed they slowed down his reach and made him less effective at catching the Snitch, but he did wear the fingerless black leather
