This was written as a Christmas present for Elyse in 2002. Harry Potter and all related things are not mine. This story contains some m/m references but nothing vivid or squicky. There's a bit of mild language as well. At one point I had planned a sequel to it, but I was going in too many directions with it and the story became unfocused, so this is a stand-alone piece. Maybe someday I will start working on the sequel again. Please give me feedback! I love to know what people think of my work.

Unauthorized Surveillance

The library smelled of old books and dust. Though, if one really thinks about it, the two smells are nearly indistinguishable anyway, so perhaps to say that it smelled of both is redundant. But this isn't about a library. It is about what started in the library, and what came of it later.

Though truthfully, it didn't really start in the library. It started in Potions class. Professor Snape had requested one day for Hermione and Draco to stay after for a moment. The children were all confused. Why would Snape want to see those two? Normally he only called on Gryffindor students to stay after, and Hermione was never asked to stay without Ron and Harry. And as for Draco, he had never been asked to stay. Draco was a Slytherin, after all, and therefore above reproach, at least in Snape's class. Apparently things were changing.

As the students filed out of the room after class, Harry and Ron cast curious glances back at Hermione. Why would she have to stay after with Draco? It made no sense. Later, when she filled them in, it made even less sense.

"He wants me to tutor Draco."

"What?!" Harry and Ron exclaimed in unison.

"Apparently Draco isn't doing so well in Potions, and failing is not an option, so he has to be tutored. I have the highest grade, so Snape suggested I do it."

"Are you going to?" Harry wondered.

"Well, it's not like I really have a choice, Harry. Besides, it'll promote unity. Draco and his lackeys won't pick on us so much anymore, at least for the time being. Draco needs me, and he won't jeopardize this. His father would kill him."

"Probably literally," muttered Ron.

"Besides," Hermione grinned evilly, "doing this means defeat for Draco in three ways. One, he's not the best at something and this time Daddy's influence won't help him. Two, he needs help from a Gryffindor, which we know will kill him. And thirdly, he has to spend time with a 'mudblood.' He probably peed his pants when Snape told him I was to tutor him. I bet he's afraid he'll get infected."

Ron snorted. "It'd be more likely that you'd catch something from him."

"I don't think being an asshole is contagious, Ron," said Harry, laughing.

Hermione laughed. "I would certainly hope not! I'm the one who has to spend time with him!"

So a fateful day in Potions leads us to a fateful day in the library. Hermione and Draco were sitting together at a small table in a secluded area meant for quiet studying. Draco's main trouble seemed to be telling the difference between certain common ingredients. This, of course, would result in him making some extremely strange concoctions (not to say that the potions he was attempting to make weren't strange to begin with…).

"Well, I guess we should start with the basics," Hermione offered, attempting to make kind conversation. Draco sneered but grudgingly agreed to get working.

"Whatever. The sooner we do this, the sooner I don't have to spend any more time with you."

Hermione managed not to hit him. "It's not exactly what I'd like to do with my time, either, but this is how it is, so suck it up and take it like a man, you little ferret."

"Bitch."

Hermione laughed derisively. "Two points for originality, Malfoy."

"Fuck you."

She clapped sarcastically. "Bravo. You are truly the master of witty repartee." They glared at each other for a minute. Finally, Hermione, always practical, sighed. "Look, I know you hate me, and Lord knows I'm not too particularly fond of you, but to paraphrase you, the sooner we do this, the sooner we don't have to spend time together anymore. So let's just get this over with. I tutor you, you raise your grade, and then we can ignore each other. Until that time, I suggest we call a truce. Fighting will only interfere with your studies. So shall we call it pax for now?" Draco nodded sullenly. "Great. Now then, why don't you go get Potions for Beginners?"

"Beginners? I'm a third year!!!"

"A third year who is failing the Potions course for third years. We start small and figure out what you know and what you don't know. It's pointless for me to tutor you on what you know already, but I have to see how well you know the subject."

"Fine." Draco got up to get it. Hermione noted with satisfaction that he was heading in the right direction. Harry and Ron were always quite clue-less about where to look for the books they needed, and after helping them through two years of book locating, she was quite tired of people who couldn't understand the library system.

Draco, however, didn't know anything about the library system. It was simply a lucky guess. However, he soon began searching through the wrong aisles, tracking further and further away from the book he intended to find. And of course, he was too proud to go tell Hermione he couldn't find it, so he had to keep looking. And lo and behold, whom should he discover looking through a book but Harry Potter himself! Draco grinned. Now would be a perfect time to sneak up on him and give him a fright. Draco was about to pounce when Harry suddenly looked up. Draco, not wanting his surprise to be ruined, quickly ducked behind the corner and waited. He heard Harry slide the book back onto the shelf and then walk out the other side of the aisle. Draco shrugged. He could scare Harry some other time. Besides, he needed to find that book.

'Speaking of books…' Draco thought, 'I wonder what Potter was looking at so intently.' Draco entered the aisle and started looking for the heavy volume he had seen Harry holding. 'It had a maroon cover… And gold lettering on the binding… Ah! Here it is!' Draco pulled it from the shelf, unable to read the writing on the side of the book. It was an old book, and the lettering appeared to have been mostly worn off by a lot of handling. 'It must be a popular book, to be so worn…' He looked at the cover, but the title wasn't written there. "Odd," he whispered. "I can understand the title being worn off the side, but how is it not on the cover? I've never seen a book with a blank cover."

Draco opened to the title page. The font was indecipherable. "Is this even written in English?" he muttered. He turned the page and dropped the book. Not only was the title written in readable script, it was something he'd never expected, and there was an accompanying illustration. Draco picked up the book and looked again, to make sure he hadn't been seeing things. "My God…" he whispered. "Harry was reading this?" He quickly put the book away, to be sure he wouldn't be caught with it, and rushed back to Hermione.

She was waiting at the table, Potions for Beginners in her hand. "Find something more interesting than passing Potions? You were in entirely the wrong section!"

"Yes!" he whispered excitedly.

"What?"

"Yes, I found something more interesting. You won't believe the book I saw Potter reading!!!"

Hermione laughed. "Harry, voluntarily reading? You're out of your mind. If he has free time, he's playing Quidditch or thwarting evil. Harry hasn't time to read."

"Well then he was looking at the pictures! And let me tell you, he was getting an eyeful!" Hermione gave him a blank stare. Draco grabbed her arm and took her back to the section he'd been in. "He was reading this!" Draco proclaimed, handing her the book.

"And this is exciting because…?"

Draco opened the book to the page he'd seen before dropping it. Hermione's eyes grew exponentially. She blinked and cleared her throat. "Majick and Homosexuality: History's Secret Pair." She looked at Draco. "Harry was reading this?"

"He looked about halfway through, actually." Hermione opened the book to about the halfway point. She made a funny squeaking noise. "What?" Draco asked, curious. Hermione squeaked again and pointed to the chapter title. Draco read it aloud. "Spells for Preparation and Flexibility." Hermione, morbidly curious, turned the page. She squeaked yet again.

"They've illustrations, too." They looked at each other. "I think we should put this away now."

Draco nodded. "Agreed. …Though it would be fun to hear you squeak again."

Hermione made a face at him and put the book away. "Bite my bum."

Draco grinned evilly. "I'm certain there's a chapter on that, if you'd like me to look it up. Want to be sure I do it properly."

Hermione made another face. "You keep the hell away from my bum. Now come on, we've got to study."

"You want to study?" he asked incredulously. "After we found this? How can you think of studying?"

Hermione formed the words slowly, as one might do for a known imbecile. "You… need… to… pass… Potions. You… need… to… study." Draco glared at her. She resumed a normal speed. "Studying is more important than some book you say Harry was reading."

"He was reading it."

"I'm sure. After all, I've never met anyone more faggity than Harry," she said sarcastically.

"You don't believe me," Draco stated.

"Obviously. I don't think Harry's gay. I wouldn't care if he is, but I don't think he is, and this conversation is pointless."

Draco, insisting on continuing the topic, asked, "What makes you so sure he's straight?"

Hermione shrugged. "I suppose it's mostly lack of proof otherwise." Draco pointed to the book. Hermione answered his unspoken question. "No, I don't consider that proof. I never saw him anywhere near it, let alone reading it."

"So my word's not good enough for you, eh?"

"Quite frankly, no. And what makes you so sure he's gay? Besides this book he was 'reading.'"

"Lack of proof otherwise," Draco mocked. "I've never seen him with a girl except you, and whenever he's with you, Ron's there too. And I highly doubt the three of you are together."

Hermione made yet another face. (She had quite a repertoire of them.) "Oh, gross. Harry's like a brother to me. That'd be sick."

Draco chuckled. "I notice you didn't say anything about being with Ron."

Hermione flushed red for a second. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were stalling so you wouldn't have to study for Potions," she stammered, trying to change the topic.

Draco grinned. "All right, fine. We'll study now. But I'm going to prove it to you."

"How? Buy him a sex toy and spy on him?"

"Nothing quite that extreme… But not a bad idea, nonetheless." Draco looked thoughtful.

"I didn't just give you a terrible idea, did I?" Hermione asked, already knowing the answer and dreading it.

"Actually, you gave me a very brilliant idea," he said with a grin.

"I don't like the way you're smiling…"

Draco's grin grew larger as he considered more and more of his plan. "Perfect…" he whispered, having mapped out a basic idea in his mind. "Of course, I'll expect your assistance."

"Why should I help you with your crazy plans?"

"Because if my plan doesn't work, then you're right about him, and you can lord it over me for the rest of our time at Hogwarts."

"Big deal. If I'm right, I'd want a better prize than having your permission to make fun of you."

Draco rolled his eyes. "What then?"

Hermione pondered. "Stop being an ass all the time. And wear a big sign that says, 'I love muggles.'"

He shrugged and nodded. "Done. And when I win, you have to… do all my homework for a month."

"A month?"

"What's the matter? Afraid you'll lose?" he grinned cockily.

Hermione narrowed her eyes and thrust out her right hand. "You're on, Malfoy."

"Indeed. I look forward to proving you wrong," he said, grasping her hand and shaking.

"Likewise."

And so, a hasty bargain was forged that day in the library. Draco and Hermione eventually did get the work done, and Draco's grades started to improve drastically as a result of Hermione's help. He was actually a very smart boy, Hermione grudgingly admitted to herself. Draco was also forced to admit that Hermione wasn't too unbearable, even for a 'mudblood' (which, by the way, he refrained from calling her again, unless it was to keep pretense with his friends). Actually, they became almost like friends in their time together, though neither would admit it. Draco's grades improved to the point where he no longer needed a tutor, and could in fact have become a tutor himself should the need arise, but they still kept having their lessons in the library. But as either would hastily inform you if you would ask, it was merely to insure that his grades didn't begin to slip again.