{Disclaimer} The entire world of Harry Potter belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. I only came up with the plot ;)
Detention
The bleak grey skies threatened to spill their load as Hermione, Harry and Ron left greenhouse five. The sodden grass and fallen leaves squelched beneath their feet as the made their way across the grounds.
Hermione could feel the cold penetrating deep down to her bones, she held her aching hands to her mouth hoping her breath would create some warmth.
"It really isn't that cold Hermione," Ron commented but Hermione just replied with a look and continued to walk on in silence.
The students were greeted at the entrance by the sour-faced caretaker, Argus Filch, who was muttering to himself and going mad with his broom. He was trying to sweep the trodden-in leaves out from the entrance hall but with every gust of wind, even more came blowing in, causing Filch to rant and rave whilst shaking his broom and stomping his feet.
As they walked past him, Ron let out a poorly suppressed laugh, "I'll remember that picture forever," he said waving his arms about in a poor imitation of the unfortunate caretaker.
Hermione swiped at Ron's shoulder but she too let out a quiet giggle.
"Nice dance Weasley," Seamus snickered as he made his way up the stairs. Ron flushed. Even the tips of his ears had turned bright red. Ron stalked off with massive strides, without another word; leaving Harry and Hermione to jog along after him. With his massive strides, Ron made it hard for them to catch up, leaving both running and out of breath as they approached the potions classroom.
Horace Slughorn, the Potions Master, was already at the door waiting to greet them, as they arrived. Hermione smiled kindly at the portly old teacher before brushing past him and taking her seat beside her two friends.
"Come in, come in," the burly professor's voice bellowed around the classroom as he greeted we the last few stragglers to enter. "Right then, we haven't much time today so please take out your books quickly and turn to page forty-six. You will be brewing the Wiggenweld potion and it should take most of the remaining lesson, please begin. Help yourself to anything from the store." The door to the store cupboard sprung open as he gestured to it.
Hermione read through the instructions through twice before going to gather her ingredients. Ron and Harry were whispering excitedly on the other side of the table, Hermione recognised the familiar scrawl that had graffitied over Harry's book. She gave her friends a deathly stare, one reminiscent of Mrs Weasley and elbowed her way past them.
Hermione set to work quietly, intent on ignoring the whispers from her friends. Though she would never admit it, Hermione was struggling with the complexity of the potion. Twice she had heated powdered unicorn horn only for it to burn within seconds, causing it to become a charred black lump at the bottom of her cauldron. On her third attempt she succeeded and now her potion was quite close to the colour the textbook indicated it should be.
As she slowly added the Salamander blood her cauldron began to bubble over violently. Hermione reduced the flames beneath her cauldron but to no avail, her potion was out of control. The steam that rose from the boiling stew formed water droplets to roll down her cheeks; making her look as if she were sweating profusely. The humidity caused her already bushy hair to spring out uncontrollably, like a lion's mane.
Professor Slughorn walked behind her and she flushed even more as she felt him look down into her potion and walk away without a word. After stirring the pot for a few minutes, Hermione finally gained control over the concoction and began to calm down.
She looked over at Harry and Ron. Ron was having more trouble with the potion than she was, his face was the colour of beetroot and he looked close to tears. Harry's potion, however, was the exact shade of turquoise that it should be, he looked utterly relaxed and nonplussed as he stirred his potion one last time.
Rage stabbed through Hermione, in her eyes what Harry was doing equated to nothing more than cheating. He should be punished for it, not praised. Hermione felt guilty for thinking this way about her friend but if only he'd listen to her.
"You need to stir it counter-clockwise three times, not one," Harry said peering into her cauldron.
"No, the book says to stir four times clockwise, one time counter-clockwise followed by a further two clockwise stirs," she snapped back.
Harry shrugged his shoulders, "I was only trying to help."
Hermione ignored his advice but she couldn't help but notice that his potion was so much better than her own.
"Well done, Harry, m' boy. Such natural flair," Professor Slughorn beamed.
Inside Hermione was seething.
She poured her mediocre potion, though better than Rons which resembled snot with its ugly green colour and lumpy texture, into a flask and took it to the front desk.
Lost in her thoughts Hermione barely noticed as a shoulder bumped into her.
"Watch it, mudblood."
Hermione looked up to see Draco Malfoy's cold grey stare leering at her. The anger she had felt previously magnified, all the tensions she had felt, all the hatred boiled up and came to surface. Without thinking what she was doing Hermione whipped out it her wand and pointed it directly at Draco's heart, "Or what? What are you going to do about it, ferret?"
Draco too, pulled out his wand, aiming it at her face. The hate in his eyes was mirrored in hers. Shock held the room as students gasped, shuffled away and whispered amongst themselves. Slughorn stormed over his voice raging like thunder,
"Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy put your wands down now." The usually mellow and amenable teacher now cast a stern figure, fearsome even. Hermione and Draco both lowered their wands slowly but held their loathing stare.
"Detention, both of you. Now get cleared away".
Hermione's face felt as if it were on fire, her whole body flushed, She had never had a detention before. Gosh, she had never really been told off before.
Hermione cleared away her area quickly and ran from the class as soon as it ended. Unable to face the humiliation, Hermione fled to her dormitories, jumped into her bed and promptly closed all the curtains around it.
After what felt like a couple of hours, Lavender and Parvati entered the common room to check on her, probably at Harry or Ron's request, but Hermione just kept the curtains closed and answered them in as little words as possible. Her other two roommates left her alone, and Hermione was glad.
The hunger pains the next morning told her that she would be unable to skip another meal. Once dawn had broken, Hermione crept out of her dorm room as quietly as possible, as it was Saturday her roommates were likely to wake up later than normal and went down to the Great Hall.
Hermione took a seat at the empty Gryffindor table and took out her slightly used copy of Advanced Rune Translation, before helping herself to a bowl of porridge. Soon enough Hermione was joined by Harry and Ron, who were quick to criticise both Slughorn and Malfoy profusely. Ginny too, sat beside them and told her not to worry, she'd had detention with Slughorn before and it had been almost quite fun. Despite the words of encouragement from her friends Hermione could just not get over her embarrassment, not just because of the detention but at what she was actually willing to do in the moment. She would have cursed Malfoy in an instant if they hadn't been interrupted.
After finishing her cereal and nibbling on some toast Hermione packed away her book and got up to leave, just as the post owls came soaring overhead. A handsome tawny owl she recognised as one of the schools, picked her out from the crowd and landed on the table, in front of her and held out its leg for her to unburden him. Hermione rarely got post other than The Daily Prophet; her parents did send her the occasional letter via owl but her mother's fear of birds made communicating that way quite difficult. Hermione untied the letter from the owl's leg and gave it Rons bacon rinds, from the side of his plate, as a treat. The owl flew away happily as Hermione took a seat again to open her letter, it was stamped with an unfamiliar crest, a large, ornate S set in green wax. The envelope contained a scrap of parchment with a messy scrawl.
Dear Miss Granger,
Your detention has been scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday. It will take place in the Potions Lab.
Hoping you are well,
Horace Slughorn.
Hermione flushed with embarrassment again as she stuffed the offending letter in her bag.
"My detention is on Tuesday," she replied to the quizzing looks of her friends. She looked down at the table in shame.
"Well at least you have four days when you don't have to think about it," Ron said, rather unhelpfully.
"I'd rather just get it over with, now I've got this hanging over me on the weekend," Hermione replied honestly.
The weekend passed by in a haze of never-ending homework and rain. Soon Tuesday came with gloom and black stormy skies. The weight of the impending unknown was heavy on Hermione's shoulders as she struggled through her classes. She went to the great hall for dinner and ate hastily, without even bothering to shed her heavy backpack. Ron and Harry were nowhere to be found, she was hoping they would be able to give her a few last words of encouragement.
The corridors seemed endless as she ran to the dungeons not wanting to be late, an unnecessary worry as she arrived a half an hour early.
The classroom was empty and her professor was nowhere in sight. Without knowing what to do, Hermione stood at the back of the classroom awaiting instruction. As she surveyed the room she noted two cauldrons, one on the teacher's desk and the other on the desk directly in front of it. Brewing potions, that wouldn't be so bad, she thought. Calming slightly, she rolled on the balls of her feet watching the clock.
Forty-five minutes passed before there was any other sign of life. Hermione began to panic, she read Slughorn note over and over to make sure she had the right details. Had it changed without her knowing?
Draco Malfoy came running into the room slightly flushed. Despite a hint of blush in his cheeks, Hermione could tell that he was deathly pale, even paler than usual. Harry was convinced that Draco had followed in his father's footsteps and had enlisted as a death eater, Hermione remained unconvinced on this matter but she could not deny that there was definitely something wrong.
"Stay away from me," he growled as he sneered at her.
Before she could retaliate, they were interrupted by the monotonous tone of their former potions master. Hermione let out a gasp hoping it was inaudible. Nobody had said that Snape would be taking detention. This was going to be even worse than she could have ever imagined.
Snape strolled the length of the room before turning to them, "Sit," he commanded.
Hermione took the seat at the front of the classroom, where the cauldron sat. Draco, however, opted for his usual seat at the back of the room.
Snape raised one eyebrow as if to challenge the younger man, "Do you see a cauldron in front of you, Mister Malfoy?"
"No, sir," Draco emphasised the last word as he replied to his teacher.
"Can we assume then, that you are sitting in the wrong seat," Snape drawled.
Draco scanned the room whilst Hermione kept her eyes on her desk. Recognition dawned on the Slytherin's face. "You want me to work with her?" He scoffed.
Snape cocked his head slightly to the left as he regarded his student, his black eyes were alight with daring, willing the younger man to challenge him again. Draco did not but kicked his chair out from underneath him and stomped over to where Hermione was sitting.
"You will be assisting me in brewing a few essential potions that Madame Pompfrey requires. You will be brewing the blood replenishing potion, I assume you are adept?" Snape questioned. Without waiting for a response he turned and set about working on his own potion.
A neat parchment recipe had been laid out on the desk, as had all the relevant ingredients. Hermione studied the instructions as Draco threw himself into a chair.
"Give me that" he mumbled as he grabbed the fragile parchment and pulled it towards her.
"What are you doing? Stop it," Hermione whispered, not risking the wrath of the ex-potions master but refusing to let go.
"Just give it to me. I'll brew it and you can just stick that big nose in a book, as usual," Draco's voice dripped with malice.
Why had Snape forced her to work with Malfoy, it could only end in disaster. This was a sick kind of retribution. Neither of them could spend even five minutes in the others company without tempers flaring.
"But I'm better at potions than you," she blurted. Hermione knew the argument was childish but she could not help herself, where Malfoy was concerned she lost all control of her temper.
Snape looked livid as he'd been torn away from his work by their senseless bickering, "I understand that when working with a partner silence is impossible, but if we could keep the noise to a minimum," he said threateningly.
Grudgingly Hermione and Draco worked together, with just the occasional grunt to pass an ingredient. Draco tried to take over, taking the spoon out of Hermione's hand's mid-stir but she slapped him away and continued, whilst keeping her fragile temper at bay.
Hermione dared to glance up at the heavy clock, the hands were moving very slowly as of they had been charmed to do so. Professor Snape wouldn't be so cruel, surely. The greasy professor caught Hermione eye as she stared to the front.
A small first-year student knocked on the door and walked up to Snape to hand him a note. With the look of absolute fear in his eyes, he scurried out of the room as quickly as he good. Snape regarded the piece of paper.
"I will be back in exactly fifteen minutes," He said. "If any wands are drawn when I come back I can promise you immediate expulsion, do you understand?" Snape shifted his weight onto his arms to hoist himself up. He took one last look at his potion before setting off, his cape billowing windlessly behind him. Draco took advantage of the teachers' absence and took the opportunity to revert to his usual arrogant self.
Draco took advantage of the teachers' absence and took the opportunity to revert to his usual arrogant self.
"Two.. three... four..Malfoy!" Hermione was counting her stirs as Malfoy pulled the long wooden spoon from her hands and began stirring the bubbling pot himself.
Stooping to his level, Hermione grabbed the spoon back from him, her hand brushed against hers as she wrestled the spoon from him. Dropping all pretence of caring about the potion, Draco's face changed to a mask of pure fury. Hermione was slightly scared.
"Don't touch me! Scum," he spat.
Hermione stood in utter shock, it took a few seconds to compose herself.
"What is your problem?" she glared at him, she wanted him to see that this hatred was completely mutual.
"You. You are my problem!"
Hermione scoffed.
They stood facing each other, bracing for attack, both daring the other to reach for their wand.
"You act all high and mighty with your precious Potter and that drip Weasley, but you, you are nothing but scum!" Draco spat at her, throwing the wooden spoon down onto the desk.
"I'm scum? That's rich, seeing as you come from a family who tortures those who they consider beneath them," she spat back at him.
"You are beneath me! You're nothing but a thief," Draco was shaking.
The words registered and Hermione stood dumbstruck, "And what is it exactly that have I stolen?" her voice now filled with confusion and not the anger that was there only moments ago.
"Magic. That's what you and your kind do! Your race steals our magical knowledge and uses it for their own gain. You're nothing but vicious muggle filth."
"That's bullshit and you know it. How the hell would only have stolen magic, that impossible. What kind of senseless logic is that, really? You've known me since I was eleven years old, I have always displayed magic since then, yes? So you are saying that I, a muggle child, under ten was able to steal magic successfully, without any means to do so? You know damned well that is crap! If I could steal magic, Malfoy. I would steal yours right now."
Draco recoiled as if from a physical attack, his features now contorted with fear. He really did believe this nonsense.
"I really cannot believe that it is this pathetic ideology that is at the heart of this war," Hermione said to no-one, her shoulders shrugged in defeat.
"You are the reason for this war. You. You and your bastard kind. Without you, the wizard race would live in peace and harmony. You are the barbaric ones. You are the reason I live in hell!" Draco's face was a mask of pure hatred.
Hermione could not contain the anger that was bubbling in her chest, her thoughts were racing at a mile a minute, most of them containing insults about this audacious prick.
"What do you know of hell?" she spat in disgust. "I live my life knowing that there is a constant danger creeping up on me. I am not safe, my family and friends are not safe. At a moment's notice, any one or every one of us could be dead. I am persecuted for my birthright, which is out of my control. I am plagued by fear everywhere I go. All for some fucked up ideology. That is hell!" her cheeks were burning with rage and she could no longer control herself.
"You know nothing. That fear you speak of, that is far away in some distant future. I am living it now. You fear death? I would welcome death right now. You know nothing of true hell. I feel it constantly. It snakes around my chest, suffocating me. It lingers in my every thought, my every move. I have been subjected to daily torture and beatings just for mere entertainment. I have been ridiculed and treated as lowly as a dog by those who were family friends, in years past. And now my family and I are sure to die, and there is not one thing I can do to change that" Draco was void of any anger now, his face was blank, his eyes expressionless, he looked close to catatonic.
Hermione was horrified, she did not want to offend but she could not help that her mouth was agape as she stared at him, frozen to the spot.
In the distance, thunder roared and then lightning struck and rumbled through the castle. Hermione tripped lost her footing as the torches went out, leaving a blanket of darkness in the room.
Without really knowing what he was doing, Draco lunged forwards and caught her. Before she could register any confusion, his lips were on hers. He was kissing her.
It was hard, but not unfriendly. Hermione was unsure of what to do.
Draco deepened the kiss as he found her lips and kissed her tenderly, she couldn't help but get swept away in the moment. Gently gliding his fingers down to her back, he reached for her hips and pulled her into him.
She felt his tongue graze her lips and she parted her mouth slightly in response. His hands stroked her back before he cupped her neck, holding her close to him. Hermione reached and wrapped her arms around Draco's shoulders. She traced the surprisingly noticeable outline of his broad, toned muscles, softly with her fingers. Causing him to gasp, ever so slightly. The heat between them was building which left them panting between kisses. Hermione followed the curve of his muscles down to his arms. Draco shuddered at her touch she traced further, down towards his wrist, as something in Draco changed.
Every muscle in his body tensed, he stopped kissing her and drew in a sharp breath. He snapped and all but threw her off him with such force that she stumbled into the stool behind her.
"Don't touch me, you filthy mudblood" he spat
Hermione was so confused. What had just happened? And how had it led to this? Aware that the torches were now lit, Hermione turned away from the Slytherin, unable to face him.
"You kissed me," she replied meekly
"I did no such thing." Draco sneered.
Hermione felt tears welling up, threatening to spill over. What had just happened? She was forced to try and hold them back as the Professor flung open the door and stormed through the classroom.
"Well, I do not think you two have learned your lesson at all. One would think that a teacher could leave two sixth year students alone for five minutes, but sadly not. The two of you need constant babysitting, as you have just proven by having me pulled from a very important meeting to deal with your petty little arguments. You will both have detention with me for the rest of the week, where you will make up for this atrocious work tonight. Clear up your things and go. I will see you here at six pm tomorrow," Snape was livid.
Once the greasy looking professor had dismissed them, Hermione quickly gathered her things and ran out of the room without a second glance at either Slytherin.