(Warning! Long waffly AN. Feel free to disregard it and move onto the story...I do recommend reading the part in bold though, as it sets the scene for the fic. Enjoy!)
Hello! Ok, so I was midway through writing a sequel to my previous Hunger Games fanfiction, when I was suddenly hit by a wave of PPD (Post Potter Depression, if you're wondering.) So I watched all the films, read all the books and a LOT of fanfiction, rediscovering my love of non-canon ships. *cough* Drarry *cough* So, I pondered and started to write one of my own. (Ob-viously.) I've written quite a lot of chapters, because I know from my previous fic how hard it is to do them one by one, and it's how I lost interest for the sequel to it! I'll try my very hardest to finish this to beat off my PPD (though it may be terminal...) I'm not sure how often I'll update, I don't want to run out of chapters! Of course it also all depends on if you like it (and reviews?...) One last thing, this story's main pairing is Harry/Draco, (it won't be anything explicit as I'd feel uncomfortable writing smut) but it's slash, yaoi, whatever you want to call it, but if you don't like that kind of thing, that's fine, just don't read this fanfiction as I don't want to offend you. Thanks! Enough of my rambling, on with the story!
This story is set in the school year after the war, all events of the books happened, except possibly the epilogue ;) Everyone repeated their year because of how the previous school year was tainted by the Carrows. Any more questions, if anything's unclear and I'll answer them! Enjoy, and please review! Apologies for OOC-ness and also for any grammar mistakes, I don't have a beta!
CHAPTER ONE
Harry Potter has been pining away for Draco Malfoy for too long, thought Hermione Granger. She was sitting in the library as usual, surrounded by books. A particularly heavy book was resting on top of her homework. It was a rare thing for Hermione to value anything above homework, but something that could make her best friend happy was one of them. She flicked through pages fretfully, looking for something that could work. She wasn't sure what she was looking for. Something to make Malfoy fall for Harry? Something to simply make him not hate Harry?
Hermione let out an exasperated sigh. Why, she thought to herself, does Harry have to love one of the most difficult people she had ever met? Why does Harry have to be so difficult as well? The answer to the first question was the second question, she realised. They're both difficult and stubborn. That's why they were perfect for each other.
A lesser student would have given up, the task of bringing enemies together too hard, but Hermione was determined. She mulled more thoughts over in her head. Both of the boys had their similarities, but they had their differences, both had been through terrible things throughout their lives, damaging them both, and the two of them were quick to judge each other over them. It was when she turned to the next page that she realised what had to be done. They needed to see what it was like to be the other person. A saying appeared in her mind: 'Don't judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins.' Not that Harry or Malfoy wore moccasins (that she knew of) but the symbolism was there. Maybe the plan she quickly concocted wasn't going to make them fall in love, but it just might make them realise that they don't, and shouldn't hate each other as much as they pretend to, in Harry's case.
Hermione dug a bookmark out of her bag (she didn't believe in folding over pages, especially not library books) and tucked it into the page she had decided to use. She took it over to Madam Pince and got it checked out, then left the library to start walking back to the Gryffindor common room. The potion she needed to make would take a couple of days, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. But she needed an accomplice. Normally, she'd ask Ron, in a heartbeat, but sadly, no matter how loyal he was, her boyfriend wouldn't be able to help her here. He didn't even know Harry liked Malfoy. Hermione figured that out for herself, and when she confronted Harry about it, she was proved correct. But back to the point, Hermione needed someone to help her. She needed someone to help her with the Malfoy side of her plan. She would easily be able to slip Harry the potion, but Malfoy was a problem. True, he didn't insult her every-time she walked past him now, but they had yet to have a proper conversation.
Hermione approached the painting of the Fat Lady, said the password and entered the common room. She said a quick goodnight to Ron and Harry who were playing Wizard Chess, Ron eating (as usual) and headed off to bed. She always found that a good night's sleep would help her to clear her head.
The next day, she headed off to Potions with Harry and Ron, both of them still grumbling about being up so early. Hermione was chipper, and ready to start her plan. They had potions with the Slytherins this morning, and Hermione was certain she could find an accomplice today. They waited outside the dungeon for Snape to arrive. Ron was complaining that he was hungry.
"You just had breakfast," Hermione pointed out.
Ron shrugged. Hermione rolled her eyes and rummaged around in her bag and found a half-eaten bar of Honeydukes chocolate. She tossed it to Ron, who promptly grabbed her in a fierce hug. No-one could accuse Hermione Granger of being a bad girlfriend.
"I love you, Hermione." Ron said, before he shoved the chocolate into his mouth. "Have I told you that?"
"Yes, Ronald. Don't talk with your mouth full."
Harry chuckled from next to them. Then they were no longer alone, a group of Slytherins sauntered up to the doorway. Hermione watched Harry's gaze quickly fall on Malfoy, then dart away hoping no-one had noticed. She smiled to herself, and itched to help her friend even more. She subtly squeezed his hand, the robes they both wore hiding it.
Harry squeezed back, and then let his hand fall back to his side, along with a slight exhale. Draco was looking especially gorgeous today. He cursed himself once again for thinking this, as he had for the past few months. But he couldn't help himself. One day the Slytherin was Malfoy, the ferret, a smug, arrogant, prat. Then the next, he was Draco, an impossibly beautiful boy that Harry couldn't help but fall in love with. He wasn't sure why.
"Hey Potter!" Draco spat. "How many hedges have you been dragged through this morning?"
His cronies around him laughed. Harry swallowed down his feelings and eyed Draco coldly.
"At least I didn't spend all morning doing my hair like you obviously have, you vain bastard."
Harry wasn't lying. Draco had quite clearly put some effort into his hair. The impossibly blond strands were neat and under control, but as he no longer slicked his hair back, a few strands were hanging loosely in a very attractive way. Harry tried hard not to drool.
Ron slapped his shoulder, breaking him out of his reverie. "Nice one, mate."
Hermione rolled her eyes, taking in the scene. Boys will be boys. Then Slughorn arrived, hurriedly greeting a few members of the class (herself, Harry and 'Donald' included), and instructed them all to enter the classroom. Malfoy shoved past Harry to get in, and Hermione's heart bled a little at Harry's expression. She was going to help that boy, dammit!
"Don't sit down just yet. I will be assigning you partners for today's lesson," Slughorn said, "And the rest of term."
There was a collective groan but Slughorn didn't seem to notice and he began to read out names. Three pairs stuck in Hermione's mind. Hers, Ron's and Harry's. Especially Harry, as he was paired with Malfoy. Ron was with Pansy, and she was to be paired with Blaise Zabini.
"Morning, Granger," he said curtly, sitting next to her. They had a civil friendship, as Hermione had once caught Blaise staring at Ginny, and he had begged her not to tell anyone. Something clicked in Hermione's mind. She was sitting next to a Slytherin who owed her a favour. She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.
"Hey, Zabini, do you remember that favour you owe me?"