Disclaimer: Sadly, no. I do not own any of these characters.
A/N: This is my fist ever Harry Potter Fic. Please review. Burn if you like, I care, but I'd just be happy to see that you have read my story. It's a bit fluffy, but I am in the mood for romance. Aw… I used one line from The Princess Bride. Give credit where credit is due.
"Hermione, dear…" Mrs. Granger called up the stairs to her only daughter, "You cannot keep this up! This is summer, shouldn't you be out enjoying yourself?"
"Mother!" Hermione called back, "I cannot stress the importance of my summer homework enough. If I do not get it done, and know everything I could, my first term grade will fall drastically, and I cannot have that." Hermione appeared at the top of the stairs, looking drained and stressed out.
"All I ask is that you take a little break, go out and see Paris while we are here." Her mother replied calmly. During the summer holidays, the Grangers go to live at their Villa in Paris, France. Hermione, however, has not been out of the house since she arrived. Her summer homework has taken all of her time and strength.
"I promise, mum, that when I finish, I will go out shopping with you and daddy." When she saw her mother's face relax, Hermione repeated with feeling, "when I am finished." And with that she marched back into her room to work on her Charms.
"Vinedo!" She pointed her wand at her pillow on top of her slay style bed. The pillow immediately responded by disappearing with a small puff. Hermione gave a small smile at the quick response of the charm. "One down, fourteen to go." She was working on the charms for the rest of the afternoon, when suddenly her mother called out to her again.
"Hermione! A classmate is here to see you."
She jumped at this sudden news. Butterflies quickly formed in her stomach and the hairs on the back of her head stood upright. "Ron!" She thought to herself, "it must be Ron! He is coming to visit me, oh! He said he would!" Hermione's crush on Ron started only last year, but she was very passionate about him.
She quickly brushed her hair and put a charm that she had found to make it run smoothly down her back. She hustled out of her room and down the marble staircase. She stopped suddenly at the foot of the stairs. "Oh, Draco, how are you?" She hid her disappointment rather well.
Draco Malfoy, known tormentor of Hermione and her two friends, Ron and Harry, was standing with her mother in the entrance hall. He did nothing hide his boredom, even the grandness of the Granger's villa did not impress him. "I'm just peachy, Granger." Malfoy showed a little snarl at the end of his lips.
"Well, I will leave you two alone. Hermione, there is fresh milk and cookies in the fridge." And her mother left the room and made her way out into the terrace, where her book was awaiting her. Hermione rolled her eyes at her embarrassing mother.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione questioned, unmoving from her spot on the staircase.
"I came to give you a proposition." Malfoy glided over to her with a smirk forming on his pale face. His soft gray eyes shining the ocean after a storm.
"And it would be…" Hermione trailed off. Half from impatience of wanting to get back to work, and half from being shocked at Malfoy's beautiful eyes. Eyes which she had never noticed before.
"I was having a bit of trouble with the Potions homework, I figured we could come up with an arrangement to benefit both of us." Malfoy came right up to her. They were only inches away. For a moment, a brief moment, Hermione thought he was going to kiss her.
"And what could I possibly get out of this 'arrangement'?" Hermione asked, close to a whisper.
"I dunno." Malfoy responded, backing away from her. He went to the living room and was inspecting the glassware place around on tables. He would pick them up, flip them over and read the label, smirk, than place it back in the wrong spot.
Hermione followed him, eyeing him suspiciously. "You were having trouble in Potions? That seems strange seeing that it is your best class."
"The potions Snape has us concocting are absolutely absurd! Honestly, when will I ever need a Foot Odor Decreasing Potion? My feet smell like daisies all the time." He slid down an antique chair with his hands folded around his neck. He promptly placed his feet on the coffee table.
"That's not the point. The point is to practice the art of making potions over the summer." Hermione briskly walked over to him and shoved his feet off the table. He bolted upright, surprised at her sudden confidence. He then noticed it, how she'd changed. Her hair, now the melted color of butterscotch and honey, laid lightly on her back. Her clear green eyes could penetrate the soul.
"She grew up." Malfoy thought to himself, "Ugly Duckling Mudblood Granger grew into a Swan. Who wouldda thought?"
"Listen, Granger," He said out loud, leaning over to where she was sitting on the couch to the right of him. "I could help you out with all the other subjects, I have it all done. I just need someone to help me out with Potions, and since you are the closest to my Chateau, it will be of the best convince for the both of us. You won't be cheating or anything, we will do it just like we did in school, in pairs. I know Crabb is helping Goyle out this summer, but they are back in London and I am stranded here. What do you say?"
He could tell Hermione was contemplating in her head what she should do. "All right, I will help you. But no cheating, we are going to do this equally and fairly. Am I making myself clear?" Her voice rising as she pointed her finger in Malfoy's face.
Malfoy was hiding his surprise at this cool and confident Hermione Granger. He was also awed by her seemingly sudden beauty "Alright, Granger," he replied, sliding himself back in the chair, "we have a deal. We start tomorrow at three o'clock."