Disclaimer: Nope I don't own Harry Potter, even as much as I wish so...
A/N: I know it hasn't been edited well, sorry XD
Oh yes and keep in mind that Draco is a bit OOC
A Simple Potions Class
"I don't know why we're studying stupid truth potions." Draco muttered underneath his breath and Blaise nodded absently in agreement. Both Slytherin and Gryffindor 7th Year students were in the Potions classroom staring at a very jubilant-looking Horace Slughorn. The Professor hurried them to start the task.
"And today, we want to try something a bit different than usual." Practically everyone groaned in unison, but for some reason, that escaped Slughorn's attention.
"I'll put you with your partners and they'll be across the two houses." Draco sat up a bit straighter on his chair, gazing over the Gryffindor's in distaste. Potter…ew. Weasley…gag him. Granger…
Granger. He smirked. Over the year, Hermione Granger has become the center of his attention. He loved the way she smiled with her friends, laughed at jokes, ate her food, walked patrols, read her books, raised her hand in class…
Face it. He was in love. Or at least -as he figured- strangely, over-obssessedly (if that was even a word) infatuated. He couldn't ever stop staring at her. However, he knew that she believed he was only trying to un-nerve her. That he wanted to make her angry or aggravated. She never guessed his true feelings.
"Harry, Mr. Zabini." Blaise stood up and reluctantly shuffled towards Potter's table.
"Mr. Weasley, Ms. Parkinson." Pansy rolled her eyes as Ronald Weasley let out a huge sigh and tripped on his way towards her desk.
"Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger." Well, well, well. This –as well as many other things- goes to show how Draco Malfoy always gets what he wants. Always.
Hermione turned a bit paler than usual when she heard her name called after Malfoy's. Didn't Professor Slughorn know better than to do the whole 'partners between houses' thing? When it's Gryffindor and Slytherin? Snape was thought to be the only instigator of such atrocity.
She glanced at Malfoy. He looked like he was about to stand up eagerly to walk over to here, then as if he changed his mind abruptly, he sat down. Lazy pig.
Hermione gathered her things and sat down next to Malfoy. She flipped open her book and looked at the materials list.
"Hello Granger." She nodded slowly in reply.
"Not much of a hello, eh Granger?" She was still scanning the page and ignored him.
"Granger!?" Hermione was startled and turned towards her blonde haired partner.
"I've already seen you all day," she snapped, "I don't need to greet you with more than a nod."
"Tsk, tsk. Watch your temper. Fiery, aren't we?" She sighed in frustration. Could Malfoy be anymore annoying? This was one of the reasons why she avoided him even more these days. Although he has stopped the name calling, he never failed to constantly stare at her and make the most irritating comments. If he wasn't Draco Malfoy, she would have thought he had some 2nd grader crush on her!
At least this was better than when he was…quite nasty to her.
"I'll go get the materials." She struggled out a civilized tone. He chuckled; you've really got to love Hermione Granger.
Approximately forty-five minutes later: the pair had finished the potion, as many of the materials had been prepared earlier on. And of course, it did help that they were both top students of the class.
"Good, good, good." Slughorn praised, "Now how about you two test it out while I go check on other students?"
The two stared at him and when he left, they stared at each other. Both didn't want to be the first one to try it. Hell, both didn't want to try it at all.
"You go first," Hermione said quickly, "be a man," she challenged.
"How does this have anything to do with being a man?"
"You know…you need to be more courageous and…stuff." She offered a weak smile, yet the first smile she's ever given to him. It almost made him smile back. Almost.
"Well, yeah? Be the Gryffindor. Aren't you lot supposed to have all the bravery and courage? What's happened to yours, Granger? Did you lose it?" He knew he had her there. Rule number one: Never tell a Gryffindor he/she is not brave.
"Give me the Veritaserum, for goodness sake!" She grabbed the dial from him and dropped a bit into her glass of water. After stirring it, she gulped it down.
By this time, Draco Malfoy was nearly on the ground, laughing his head off. Realizing Hermione had gone very quiet; he got back onto his chair and looked at her.
"Do you feel okay?"
"Yes," she whispered, her eyes wide open.
"Okay…let me ask you some questions then." He glanced around the room searching his head for some good questions.
"No." She whispered again, pleading him. Hermione? Pleading him? That's a sight you don't see everyday. He looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Please," she said quietly, "no," she repeated once more.
He took a deep breath, "fine. I won't ask personal questions. What's your favorite color?"
And as if they were long life friends, she patted his hand and smiled. This caused his heartbeat to rise slightly. "Grey." She said simply. Then she clamped her hands over her mouth. Where did that come from? She always thought her favorite color was red! Why in Merlin's name did she say grey? Grey isn't even that pretty of a color! Except when it's the color of someone's eyes.
And it just so happens Draco Malfoy's eyes are grey. Misty. Cloudy. Mysterious. Grey.
He looked at her weirdly, as if she sprouted horns on the top of her head. "What's your favorite pastime?"
That's easy enough a question. "Reading. Reading is an adventure. There are so many books in the world: all with different tastes, different worlds, and different experiences. There are many that-"
"Okay, I get it." He interrupted rudely. "I asked you what you're favorite pastime is, not explain what you do 24/7." He chuckled to himself again as Hermione glared.
"Okay, one last question. Hmm…" He lifted his head up, in deep thought. Might as well have one fun question. "Who would you rather kiss, me or Weasel?"
She gritted her teeth and didn't want to open her mouth. After awhile, she gave up and her mouth flew open as if it were a door. "You." She spat, then grabbed the dial and poured a bit into his cup. "Drink." She ordered and he did as he was told. He didn't want to cross her when she's this mad. And also he was smiling pretty broadly from her answer.
When he gazed up, he realized she was smiling sweetly at him. This was an ominous sign. What is she going to ask? All he did was ask one embarrassing question. And actually, he knew what her answer would be. Because who in the right mind would rather kiss Weasley than him? In fact, who would rather kiss Weasley compared to, well, anything?
"Yes, Hermione?" She flinched at his utter of her own first name.
"Draco," she stressed, "why do you always stare at me?"
"Because I'm in love with you." He didn't really care that she knew anymore. At least, in this circumstance, she couldn't accuse him of lying and trying to trick her. Yet, she still seemed suspicious.
"Wh-what?"
"You heard me." She pretended she didn't and continued asking questions. Denial. Such a wonderful stage.
"Why do you direct those…irksome comments at me?"
"Because I'm in love with you." She ignored his answer again.
"Why have you stopped calling me…whatever you used to call me?"
"Because I'm in love with you. And in addition, I don't believe my blood is any higher status or thicker or better than your's."
Her eyebrows furrowed in worry. She was worrying whether Malfoy was ill. Or whether he didn't actually drink the potion. Or whether they made it wrong.
"What's your favorite color?" He scoffed at the simplicity of the question, then replied: "Brown."
Brown? Oh, yeah, the brown in Granger's eyes are quite hypnotizing.
She seemed to notice what he was thinking and looked away immediately.
"Professor?" She raised her hand. "Our Veritaserum works perfectly, but I don't feel so well. May I be excused?" When Slughorn agreed, she practically ran out of the classroom.
Draco asked to be excused as well and was granted this but his request caused a lot of stares from his classmates.
"Hermione!" He ran after her in the empty corridors of the dungeons. "Hermione, wait!"
She stopped like a statue and turned towards him. "Don't call me that!" The brunette warned darkly.
"Why? It's your name…"
"You aren't supposed to call me that! You aren't supposed to be kind to me!"
"But I already told you, I-"
"Don't say it!" She shrieked.
"-love you." He finished and smirked in famous Malfoy smirk. He loved seeing her get heated up like this. It was so fascinating to watch. But then again, he loved seeing her smile and laugh even more.
"Hermione, I'm sorry."
"Don't call me that, I said." She bit her lip.
"I am sorry though. I didn't mean for you to react like that."
"Of course you didn't." She said bitterly.
He knew that this was going nowhere. That she would never accept it. Stubborn girl. Beautiful, brilliant, stubborn girl. He groaned, there was only one solution. He's going to have to lie to her. But did the Veritaserum wear off yet to let him do so?
"Granger?"
"What?" She was cautious. Despite his change of behavior towards her this year, she still feared him.
"It was a joke." Yes! It had worn off after all.
"What?" Hermione assumed she heard it incorrectly. What did he just say?
"I said," he tried to seem impatient, "it was a joke. I never drank the Veritaserum, I just pretended I did to have some fun."
"Oh," and if he was correct, her face fell slightly. Why? Did she want him to love her? And how could she believe such a blatant lie?
"Fun joke, eh?" He said, lamely.
"Hilarious." She mumbled, and then she remembered who she was, who he was, and their relationship between each other. "Funny, Malfoy, extremely funny." She added, sarcastically. "You think you are so great, don't you? Think you can walk over everyone?"
"At least I'm not some know-it-all, who's stuck in the library all day…"
"That insult is getting seriously old, when will you ever think of a new one?"
And on they went. After they got tired of the conversation of insults, they both left and went their own way. What Hermione didn't know was that Draco was once again regretting his actions and mentally hitting himself for being so stupid. What Draco didn't know was that Hermione was in her dormitory, staring at the ceiling, and wondering what Draco truly felt about her.
We really do live in a confusing world.
Author's Note: Review? Please? I'll love you so much if you do =D.
And most recently, I've been trying to write in different styles to see which are most popular. Check out my other fics if you don't like this one as much...XD