Leather and Lace
A/N: Here's a quick overview so as to help your comprehension of the story. I'm pretending that the war took place during the summer in between their 6th and 7th year, so this story is Post-war. There isn't really much else to say other then the new Defense the Dark Arts teacher is going to be Mr. White, who is a made up character. I've updated this story to give it a little more flair, so I would hope to get some new feedback!
Chapter One: The Joys of Being a Head Prefect
It was their last year at Hogwarts, not to mention their most stressful. Both Draco and Hermione had been made Head Prefects, and it certainly wasn't one of the most pleasant experiences the two had gone through. Not only did the two have extremely difficult courses in which they were involved in this year as well as Head duties which they had to take care of together, such as patrolling the hallways and meeting with Prefects, they had to live together. Under normal circumstances, this would have been pretty bad, but since both were immensely stressed and irritable, living together in the Head's dormitories was downright torture. They were constantly bickering over the most ridiculous issues, and often times their fighting would get so bad that a Professor would be forced to enter the Head's Commons to quiet the two. The professors themselves had grown so sick of it that they actually played eenie-meenie-miney-mo in order to choose the next victim. Luckily, none of the Professors has needed to resort to putting a Body Bind Spell on either of them… yet.
It has only actually been the first two weeks of school, and Draco has already dismembered one of Hermione's dolls, torn the last page out of her newest book, read her first year diary aloud at lunch and many other unspeakable acts. However, Hermione has resorted to raising a pair of his polka dot boxers on the school flag pole, hidden his broom, "lost" his Ancient Runes homework as well as several other actions which are too embarrassing to speak of. Currently, the two are stuck in Potions bickering about some other odd issue.
"Malfoy, what are you DOING!" Hermione was quietly screaming at Malfoy during Advanced Potions. He gave her a dirty smirk, and smartly replied.
"I am doing exactly what the directions say. Now stop nagging me and keep your attention on the boiling ingredients. Unless you enjoy the idea of getting 3rd degree burns when it boils over."
Hermione let out an angry huff, and smartly replied back.
"You are supposed to be cutting the Mandrake roots vertically so as to release more juice, not horizontally you idiot!"
Draco re-read the direction several times before turning slightly pink.
"Well I'm sorry miss know-it-all, but I didn't really think it mattered either way."
He knew that it was dreadfully important, but he refused to give her the satisfaction of knowing she had corrected one of his mistakes…again.
"Now you just wasted some perfectly good ingredients and we have lost five minutes of precious time! Go get some more Mandrake Roots from Professor Slughorn… NOW!"
Hermione was in a tizzy, and went back to stirring the mixture in the cauldron furiously with one hand while nervously running her other hand through her wavy chestnut hair .
Draco angrily marched up to the front desk and asked Professor Slughorn for some replacement Mandrake Roots. Slughorn chuckled as he stood up from his lounging position at his desk and strolled into his supply closet . After drumming his fingers on Slughorn's desk for several moments, Draco was relieved to see the professor return with a jar containing the Mandrake Roots. Slughorn handed Draco the ingredients, but before grabbing the jar from the teacher, he decided to ask a question that had been bugging him since school first started.
"Professor Slughorn, why on earth did you have to pair me with Granger? There are plenty of other skilled students in this classroom, but just like every other teacher in this school, you have chosen to pair me with that insane bookworm!"
A look of disgust crossed his features as he thought of the fact that he still has 3 more classes to put up with her in. Slughorn laughed when he saw Draco's face, and merely replied, "You know full well why you have been paired with her! You are both the very best students in this class, other then Harry and Blaise of course, and it is only right that you get paired with someone of equal ability."
Malfoy gave him a pouty lip and started to argue in an extremely child-like manner.
"But Professor Slughorn, I mean… I don't want to sound rude, but I work horribly with her, and I am quite sure that her and Harry would make much better partners, as would Blaise and I."
Slughorn chuckled and simply went back to his paperwork, signaling Draco to go back to his seat.
"Stupid Slug Club members. He only paired them together because because they are two of his favorites."
He mumbled several incoherent curses under his breath before he arrived back to his seat, and started cutting the ingredients in an angry manner. Hermione stopped stirring to glance in his direction, then resumed stirring furiously while staring intently at the cauldron.
At the end of class, each group turned in samples of their potions before departing to head to their next destination. Hermione, Harry, and Ron darted off to eat lunch. Once The Golden Trio had sat themselves down to eat, Hermione immediately started complaining.
"I cannot stand working with that boy, he is incompetent, rude, thoughtless…"
Harry and Ron immediately tuned her out and quietly whispered to each other.
"I swear, they sound like a married couple! Constantly fighting and arguing. It's absolutely maddening!"
Harry nodded in response to Ron's statement, and then replied.
"I know Hermione will refuse to admit it, but if the two stopped arguing, they could accomplish great things in class. I mean look, they bickered practically all of Potions, but their potion turned out nearly perfect!"
They whispered amongst themselves for a few more seconds before Harry quickly sat back up to interrupt Hermione's rant.
"Hermione, if you two could attempt to get along for just a little while, you really could accomplish a lot. I know that you don't want to admit it, but working with him is much better then working with me or Ron. Both of us could truly care less how our potions turned out, so whenever we were able to work together, you were always stuck with most of the work. The only other person in the class you willingly paired yourself with would be Neville, and then you were stuck with doing the Potion AND fixing what he messed up."
Hermione grimaced as she remembered several accidents that had occurred while working with Neville, and slowly sighed.
"I guess you're right Harry. He is a good student, and out of all the people here, he makes the best partner."
Harry and Ron both nodded in agreement, and after noting that she was silent for the time being, snatched up some food and started eating.
In between mouthfuls however, Ron said, " 'hat doesn't mean 'e still isn't a bloke or a ferret."
Meanwhile, Pansy and Blaise were stuck listening to Draco ramble on about how impossible Hermione was while eating at the Slytherin table.
"That woman is such a nag! And she doesn't just yell at me for doing something wrong in class, no, she yells at me for leaving things in our common room too! Malfoy, pick your shirt up, Malfoy, don't leave your scrolls laying about, Malfoy…"
"Shut up." Blaise interjected. Pansy laughed at his quick wit, and he sat gloating for a few moments until deciding to speak.
"Sorry mate, but listening to you ramble on about Granger is driving me mad. If I didn't know you, I would truthfully think that you two were a couple or something. I mean, you talk about her constantly! Do you want some advice? Why don't you try to actually get along with her so that your life is a little less miserable."
Draco slowly nodded in answer to Blaise's suggestion, and then after thinking for several moments, moved to stand up. Blaise made a grab for his robe, and pulled him down quickly so as to whisper in his ear.
"If I were in your situation though, I would do anything in my power to get that chick in bed. She's hot, and I don't know how you can constantly be around her without thinking that!"
Malfoy gave him a disgusted look, and attempted to stand up again when Pansy grabbed his robe.
"Where are you going? You haven't even eaten lunch yet?" Pansy inquired.
"I'm going to the common room to get my Transfiguration books; I forgot to grab them this morning."
In response to the question he was sure Pansy was going to ask next, he grabbed a sandwich and apple from the table to show that he was going to eat on his way, and left.
As Draco was leaving the Great Hall, he looked over to the Gryffindor table to see if Hermione was looking up. Upon seeing her glance up in his direction, he jerked his head, motioning for her to follow him. Bewildered, Hermione stood up to follow. Ron and Harry both gave her a shocked expression, as if to say "How can you leave before eating!" She rolled her eyes and gave a quick explanation.
"Hey, I have to head off to the library for a little while. I have an upcoming Ancient Runes test and I need to study as much as possible." She then grabbed a banana and brownie, and abandoned her half eaten salad and chicken. The boys gave each other questioning looks as they saw her run out of the room. After a few more seconds of silent contemplating, Ron grabbed her half eaten chicken leg and set it down on his already overflowing plate.
So that's the first chapter! I know it's short, but it's just the first chapter! Now be nice and review for me, I am suffering from lack of support!