Tutoring the Enemy
Chapter One
One Disappointing Day
Hermione
Disclaimer: Fun, fun, fun. We love disclaimers. Some people hate them, but we're just odd. I don't own Harry Potter, but then my birthday is coming up, but then you never know.
A/N: Fun, fun, fun. What can we bore you with today. Oh, yeah, we both failed our ice skating test today, it was FUN! As you can see, some of us just had a frappacino. We've decided to repost this story, we've changed the name, we've changed the typo's, and now, it's 29 chapters long. Read. Review. Enjoy.
Today is such a boring day, I thought as I walked down the stairs from the Gryffindor Tower. It was only a few hours before dinner and I was about to tutor a student who was doing poorly in Herbology, so he can do better on the NEWTs. We would have our first lesson today at the greenhouses. This activity happens to be the high point of my day.
Being outside today was a wonderful experience. It was beautiful out, as I expected it would be. Just lovely! A clear blue sky except for a few white fluffy clouds. The plants in and around the greenhouses were in bloom, and there was a cute boy with white blonde hair standing in front one of them. This day was perfect!
Unfortunately, this cute boy turned around and I was left to face someone I hadn't even imagined it would be. It was Draco Malfoy! I figured it would be just another boy from my year (Professor Sprout had told me it was a boy, but she had been extremely busy at the time and forgot his name), I never suspected it would be him. How could this boy, who teases Neville Longbottom about his grades, be doing poorly in Herbology, which even Neville does well in? He and I just stood there for a moment in shock, staring at each other. He, however, recovered faster than I.
"You're my tutor!" he said. His voice was horrified and surprised.
"Yes," I replied shortly.
"No way is a mudblood smarter then me. There must have been a mistake." He was outraged, I noticed with satisfaction. I was smarter then he was.
"Professor Sprout told me she considered you the worst Herbology student, so unless there is a mistake, you can bet that more then one muggleborn is smarter then you. Not to mention Neville Longbottom." I retorted. I had to mention Neville because Malfoy is always picking on him.
"Probably because you sit next to him and help him along with his work. I doubt he would have ever made it past his first year with out you three goody-goodies being his personal academic body guards."
"Look, let's just get this lesson over with." I can't stand him! Of all the boys it could have been it had to be Draco Malfoy. The one who has been my enemy for the past six and a half years. There goes the high point of my day. This is more then I bargained for. I could tell already that the rest of the year was going to be very long.
Chapter 2
The Nightmare
Draco
I could not believe this! It had to be a nightmare! Somebody pinch me, please! Normally, I wouldn't mind at all being tutored by beautiful girl, but seriously. This was Granger! I mean she's come a long way since the buck-tooth and bushy-haired twelve year old smarty pants, but ... well... she's a mudblood, plus my archrival, Harry Potter, is her best friend. But she did look good. She came back at the beginning of sixth year different. Her hair was silky and straight which revealed a pretty dirty blonde color. It was also shorter, a little below the shoulders. But I did not like her then and I do not like her now.
She tried to teach, but with us fighting every two seconds we accomplished nothing. I really had to get my grades up. My father is planning to speak to the Death Eaters and convince them that even though Voldemort is gone we should still stand together as a group and work against that damn fool Dumbledore and Harry Potter. "If Voldemort were alive," he would say, "his top priority would be to kill them both and ban the mudbloods from school. We should do this for him." Ever since Voldemort was killed by Harry Potter last year, my father has been acting more ambitious, if that's possible. He always said that Voldemort talked about what he wanted to do, but never did it.
Father also said that someday I could be the right hand man, if I got better NEWTs then Harry Potter or at least beat him at Quidditch. So, while I was studding for Divination, my real weak point, I let an easy subject slide. So now I'm here.
"Ow!" My thoughts were interrupted by the fact that Hermione just slammed a nine hundred page Herbology book on my head, because I wasn't paying attention, and calling me a Hummus Brain. Oops.
Chapter 3
One Disappointing Night
Hermione
I stormed up stairs angrily. He is such a ... There aren't even words to describe him. He started day-dreaming write in the middle of class. I asked him the same question 3 times and he did not even answer. Men! Always thinking about Quidditch or girls when they should be working. I was at the fat lady's portrait now. "Pea-brain" I said.
I'm going to quit this tutoring job. Tomorrow, first chance I get, I'm going Professor Sprout and tell her that I can't work with Malfoy. I just can't.
As I entered the common room I looked around for Ron and Harry. I found them sitting with Julia and Ginny, their girlfriends. All four were laughing at something. Ron and Julia were on the couch by the fire sitting very close to each other. Ginny was on Harry's lap on a nearby chair. I walked over to join them. I sat on a chair next to Harry's and tried to join in on the conversation, but it was difficult. I had no idea what they were talking about.
It took them about five minutes to even notice I was there. When Ron finally did, he looked up at me and said in a joyful voice, "Hey, Hermione, where were you all afternoon?"
"At my tutoring session," I answered.
"Hermione, you don't need tutoring," Ron pointed out to me.
"No Ron, I was the tutor," I said.
"Oh." Ron replied.
During this conversation Harry was talking with Ginny.
"So who were you tutoring?" Ron asked me.
"Well, you won't believe this, I was tutoring..."
"Hey, Ron," Harry interrupted suddenly. "We never told Julia about the Chamber of Secrets."
Immediately conversation broke out. Conversation that did not include me, broke out. Not being able to contribute anything to this discussion, I left my seat.
So I went upstairs without anyone noticing me. I felt invisible lately. Nobody seemed to notice me; even Malfoy acted like I was not even there. The only way I could stop being the fifth wheel would be to start making my mark on this school. And I would start with tutoring. I would not quit this job.
Chapter 4
Thinking of You
Draco
"So, Draco, how did the tutoring stuff go?" asked Crabbe. Even his voice sounded dumb.
"Yeah! Who was it? Some hot babe?" Goyle interrogated while shooting a glance at Crabbe.
"No!" I quickly started to think up a story. "It was some guy from Ravenclaw. Almost as boring as Professor Binns himself. Can you imagine that!" My two minions roared with laughter. I thought they might like that joke, even though they sleep so much in his class that they probably can't even remember what he looked like. The only reason they care about the "tutoring stuff" is that I told them they could be Death Eaters if they didn't bother me when I was trying to study. Now they want me to do well on my NEWTs. I need to get myself some new lackeys.
"Look, guys, I'm beat. See you guys tomorrow. Oh, and try to think of something really evil to do to Longbottom. He's starting to pester me again." That should keep them occupied for a while, because they can't even remember their first names at times, they couldn't think up a whole new idea.
I can't believe that Granger is my tutor. I'd rather it be anybody else. Like Neville. Why can't it be Neville? He's not a mudblood, he's got decent grades in Herbology, or one of Harry Potter's best friends. And more importantly, I wouldn't be lying here in bed thinking about him. And not in murderous ways either.
Chapter 5
Potions
Hermione
It was Monday. The weekend was over, and I had just finished breakfast. I was on my way to my first class of the week--potions. Usually I would walk down there with Ron and Harry but they are walking their girlfriends to the sixth years first class. This means they will be late, again.
I walked down the steps and entered the dungeon. As usual, the dungeon was not very welcoming. With it's stone floor and walls. Not to mention the Slytherins waiting for the class to begin. I walked over to a caldron the back of the room, opened my Potions book, and began to study.
When Snape came in, the class started. It went on eventful until Harry and Ron came in late and got detention. Near the middle of class Goyle and Crabbe walked across the room and casually dropped two handfuls of spider legs into Neville's caldron. This would make the entire potion go wrong. They had done this prank about six times this year. Didn't they ever do something new. As I was leaving the dungeon to go to Transfiguration, I noticed that Draco was inching toward me, through the crowd. He looked like he was trying to be discreet about it, but it wasn't working very well.
"What are you doing?" I asked when he got close enough.
"Trying to tell you to meet me in front of Green House 4 after classes today, so we can study."
"Will you actually listen me this time?"
"Sorry, I had a lot of other stuff on my mind then."
"Hmm. Well, okay. See you there." Draco walked away without saying good bye. Figures, I thought. Its not like he'd be polite or anything.