So I decided to post this earlier than intended. I figured why not?
Forgot to mention, I have no beta so if the editing is rough my apologizes! I do my best but it's easy to look over words when you've read it a million times!
Enjoy!
"What?!"
Hermione nodded her head and wrapped her fingers around the handle of her small suitcase. Most of her belongings had been transferred to her new dorm, but she wished to inform her friends of her leaving and say goodbye to the Gryffindor tower.
"Malfoy?" Ron gawked for the billionth time. He leaned forwards with his elbows on his knees and covered his mouth with his hand. He stared into the fire with shock.
"Yes." She confirmed. It took all her effort not to scowl at the entire situation. Annoyed was a polite term for what she felt. McGongall talked her into the idea and made it sound like sense at the time, but the more she thought about it the crazier it sounded. And the more she hated it.
Why did she say yes again? She should make a list of pros and cons. The con being one in big bold letters that read DRACO MALFOY and that con alone was enough to make her second guess everything.
"Malfoy?" He asked again in utter disbelief. His hand slid languidly off his face and dangled across his leg. He looked up at Hermione, his eyes cloudy in confusion. "That bell-end bastard?"
"Yes Ronald, I already said yes three times." She snapped sharply. "Please stop saying his name." Ron leaned back against the couch, now looking off into the distance and trying to wrap his head around the situation. He wasn't offended by her retort, only confused.
"But why?" Ginny asked, sitting on the edge of her seat. "This really doesn't make sense."
Ginny, Harry, and Ron were squished onto one of the Gryffindor couches and Hermione stood in front of them, feeling very much like a mom having to give the children bad news. They stared at her with stunned expressions, like she was the insane one. It wasn't her bloody idea!
Hermione shrugged one shoulder, trying to keep calm as physically possible. "Apparently, McGonagall feels that this will help break the tension between houses."
"He could also make it a lot worse." Harry pointed out, a slight edge to his voice.
"Yes I know that Harry but it wasn't my decision." Hermione felt her own tone matching his sharpness. Harry frowned and leaned back against the couch. He put his elbow on the armrest and rubbed the side of his face. He was thinking very hard, apparently.
Ron crossed his arms and pouted. "But it was your decision to accept."
"Well obviously!" Hermione exclaimed, incensed at his disapproval. It wasn't like she was jumping with joy about the news herself, and he had the gall to insensate it as her fault. "But I want to be Head Girl and I will not let anybody, least of all Draco Malfoy, get in the way of what I want." She had let go of her suitcase and shoved her fists against her hips. Honestly! It wasn't like they were going to have to deal with the diabolical man.
Ron flinched at her anger and he frowned. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you 'Mione. I'm just worried is all."
She took a deep breath, cooling her head and relaxing her shoulders. "Don't be. I will be quite alright."
"Will you really be fine though? I mean, I doubt he'll harm you physically, he's not an idiot." Ginny added. "But having to be around him all the time? He's bullied you from day one." She rubbed her hands against her thighs and fidgeted. None of them trusted Malfoy, not for a moment. Even if he had supposedly changed, how much? Hermione couldn't see Malfoy as anything other than cruel and degrading.
Ginny swallowed hard and quietly said, "And after what happened at the Malfoy Manor I just think-"
"I'll be fine." Hermione cut her off quickly. Ginny knew more than she should and Hermione felt the color drain from her face.
Ron pointed at her aggressively, "I'm serious 'Mione, if he even looks at you the wrong way I'll kick his teeth in. I swear it." Ron's face scrunched up like he ate something sour and his other hand was balled into a tight fist, ready to fight at that very moment. Hermione's annoyance turned swiftly into endearment. She knew that they loved her and cared deeply, they were being protective because they were her friends. She knew if the situation were reversed she'd be saying the same things.
"You'll have to kick a lot of teeth then, he looks at everyone the wrong way." Her lips tilted into a sad, lopsided smile. "Now stop it all of you, I appreciate the concern but I am capable of taking care of myself."
"We know you're capable, I would just like the honor of breaking his face in myself." Ron nodded once with a scowl that meant business.
"Be my guest, but I get the first go of it. If anyone is going to break his pretentious face I think I deserve the first punch."
Harry, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, changed the subject. "So you're leaving the tower then?"
"I am, there are special dormitories for the head students. They're apparently very nice and set up like an apartment. I'm looking forward to having the space." She paused and looked at her friends longingly. "Though, I'm going to miss the tower. It's strange to think I'll probably never be back here."
"What do you mean never be back?" Harry sat forwards quickly, a soft smile gracing his face. "What? Now that you're Head Girl you think you're too good for us to come visit?" He was teasing her.
"Oh hush! You know what I meant." Hermione matched his grin.
"It really won't be the same without you here." Ginny whined and stood up to embrace her friend. She crushed Hermione into a tight hug. "And to think I was so excited to share a dormitory with you. I was planning on pillow forts and everything."
Hermione giggled at her silliness, "Well as Harry pointed out I'll come visit! And since my dorm is supposedly bigger, you are welcome to come crash any time. We can make all the pillow forts we want." She teased and it was Ginny's turn to laugh. They girls pulled away and Ginny stepped aside.
Hermione then glanced lovingly at Harry and Ron before she rolled her eyes dramatically. "And I guess you both are welcome to come too."
Harry smiled and raised a single eyebrow, "Go ahead and try to keep us away."
"Yeah, I'm afraid you can't get rid of us that easily. Like cockroaches we are."
Hermione tilted her head back and laughed, "Ronald, comparing yourself to a cockroach shouldn't be a good thing."
Ron grinned wildly at her in response, shimmering with affection. The two locked eyes for a moment and Hermione felt her heart sink. God, why couldn't they have worked? Why couldn't they have been in love? Feeling the intimacy of the moment, they both awkwardly turned their heads. Ron's cheeks flared red.
If Harry and Ginny noticed, they had the courtesy to pretend the didn't. Hermione straightened up and cleared her throat. "Well, just don't sit there and stare at me all night." She said and opened her arms, beckoning for a hug from two of the most important people in her life.
"What are we hugging you for? We'll see you tomorrow." Ron reminded her as he slouched lower in his seat, getting comfortable.
"Exactly." Harry nodded and crossed his arms. "We can hug you tomorrow." He said very professionally.
She laughed at them and leaped towards the couch. She warped her arms around her best friends and crushed their heads together. The three embraced and she could feel their grins against her cheeks.
"You're idiots but oh, I will miss you both."
"We'll miss you too." Harry said. Hermione let go of them and stood. She flattened out the robes she hadn't changed out of since arriving to Hogwarts, it had been a long and busy day. Then she grabbed the handle of her suitcase and gave a final glance to each of her friends.
"Well, better be off and see this fancy new place." She exclaimed and began walking towards the exit of the Gryffindor tower. Ron turned around on the couch and hollered after her.
"Be sure to kick Malfoy in the shins for me when you see him, yeah?"
The Head Boy and Girls living area was arranged to be accessible to all the houses in case of emergencies. It was semi centralized to Hogwarts the best it could be but Hermione realized she had never noticed it was there. Now she could see why.
It initially appeared to be merely a broom cupboard. The unimpressive wooden door was flat against the stone wall and there was nothing around it to indicate it as anything but a closet. Hermione opened the small door and was met with a steep flight of stone stairs. They went straight up and she couldn't see the top from the first step. She marched up the narrow staircase, levitating her suitcase along with her.
Reaching the top of the stairs, only slightly winded, the floor stretched out into a quaint, narrow hallway. There were two parallel doors that faced each other in the middle of the hall, the door on the right side had a small name case that said 'Head Boy' while the left said 'Head Girl'. They were nearly four feet apart from each other. At the far end of the hallway was a little door that led to a singular bathroom.
Good god, she would have to share a bathroom with Draco Malfoy? What had her life come to?
"Are you going to stand in the bloody hallway forever, Granger?" That sharp, cold voice stiffened her spine. She could have picked that pretentious, snarky voice out in a crowded room. Her knuckles tightened around the handle of the suitcase and she raised her eyes to the ceiling. He was standing behind her and he must have followed her up the stairs but she hadn't heard him come up.
"Perhaps you'd like to guard it like a bridge troll." He sneered, "God knows you already look like one."
She raised her chin high and prepared herself for battle. She spun around to face him, determined not to let him goad her. He was closer to her than expected, but far enough not to cause her alarm. It occurred to her that this was the first time they've been in each other's vicinity since last May. In fact, this was the first time they've spoken in...lord knows how long. Well, if you call what they did speaking.
There was something different about him that she couldn't pinpoint. "Malfoy." She said curtly.
He regarded her with an emotionless, hard stare. "Granger."
She scowled, hating the way he said her name. it was so harsh like it was a bitter taste in his mouth. They stood there, staring at each other in silence. She began to feel uncomfortable and decided on an unusual approach, to try and be nice.
"Seems we are to be neighbors." She commented and gestured to their rooms close proximity.
"Seems to be." Malfoy said blandly. "I'd appreciate it if you kept the elephant stomping to a minimum, I'd like to have some peace in my own room."
Her stomach tightened from annoyance and her skin started to burn. "Already resorting to childish insults I see, how mature." She bit back.
Malfoy didn't react and it infuriated her further. He stood tall and unmoving, regarding her calmly. Hermione had no idea what he was thinking as she examined his icy grey eyes, they were emotionless. He wasn't always like that, was he? He never bothered to hide either his disgust or his anger before.
Suddenly, one side of his mouth slid into a frosty smirk.
"And you're already atop your high horse I see," he leaned against the wall and spoke softly, mocking her. "But we both know all you want to do shout obscenities at me."
"Well they would be nothing short of the truth." She muttered and put a hand on her hip."For godsake, don't you think we should at least try to be civil?"
"What's the point? We'll never be friends, we're not even acquaintances." He shrugged.
She gawked at him, her eyebrows digging into her eyes. "We have to fucking work together you twat. I would safely say we're acquaintances."
Still, no expression. Instead he barely titled his head. "People feel nothing towards acquaintances and I have a great disdain for you. Therefore, we can't be acquaintances."
"Then what the hell are we?" She folded her arms and shifted her weight on one leg. "Enemies?
He crossed his arms casually. "I think more of business partners, you don't have to like a business partner."
"But you do have to be civil to a business partner." She pointed out.
"Alright fine, we don't have to be business partners." He shrugged. "I suppose Nemesis has a nice ring to it."
She rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, "Malfoy, this isn't a joke."
"Did I say it was?"
It had been barely five minutes and she already wanted to hex him and then herself. She glared furiously, "You're treating it like one. I'll have you know that I take the duty of Head Girl seriously and if that means I have to put up with you then so be it. Listen, I hate this just as much as you-"
"Doubtful."
"-But we have to get over our childhood squabbles. We have to be civil."
He sighed and the cold mask fell from his face. She blinked at the sudden release of emotion spreading across his face. Malfoy scowled and ran a hand through his blonde, already pushed back hair. "I'm trying my hardest to be nice."
He what?
"Trying your hardest!?" She scoffed with a bitter laugh, "Honestly! You call this being nice?" She jabbed an angry finger at him.
"Honestly." He gave a wicked smirk that cause her skin to crawl. "This is my civil."
She realized that he was telling the truth. She thought back to all the times he had thrown insults at her through the years and this was definitely mild in comparison. Hermione grimaced, he really was holding back.
She stood straighter, trying to match his height despite the obvious failure to do so."So you're just always in this perpetual state of asshole then?"
"In the same way you're perpetually agitating and annoying. Just hearing you speak makes me want to carve out my ears." He dramatically gestured at his ears.
She was flustered, annoyed, and irritated. He wasn't helping them adjust to this strange situation, in fact he was making it much worse! He just couldn't help himself could he? Why did he have to be such an ass all the time!?
"Must you really be a loathsome dick?"
He blinked at the rhetorical question before a cold, irritating sneer slid up his face. "Its childish to resort to name calling Granger. Don't you think it's time we acted like adults?" He leaned forwards, "We do have to work together you know."
And now he was mocking her, excellent. Bloody brilliant! That was it, he had royally pissed her off! She narrowed her eyes."You haven't changed at all, have you?"
"Were you expecting me to?" He clicked his tongue once. "My bad. It is such a shame to disappoint." It was dripping with sarcasm and Hermione had had enough of him toying with her. She was no mouse for him to play with.
A sadistic grin tilted the corners of her lips. "Malfoy, you've always been disappointing. Ask your Father he'd very much say the same thing." She said evenly. A heavy intensity cracked in the air and shivered up her spine. She was playing with fire mentioning Lucius, she knew it was bold.
The amused glint in his eyes vanished but nothing else about him reacted. It was like he was frozen. He stared at her, clouds of dark anger rolling across his eyes and for a moment she recoiled, afraid she went to far. She knew his relationship with his Father was rocky at best. And as much as she hated both Lucius and Malfoy, he was still Malfoy's Father. But then again he started this, he was the one who goaded her. It's his own fault.
She took a brave step forwards and stood her ground. "It must have been disappointing for him that you were always coming up second to a muggle-born. Must have been so hard never being able to make Daddy proud." She pouted her lips mockingly and tilted her head to the side. "Shame about him though, being in Azkaban and all. Now how will you ever make him proud?"
He pushed off the wall and hastily closed the gap between them, standing merely inches away from her. He was taller than she remember and she had to raise her chin up to look him in the eye. His expression hadn't changed, but his eyes were giving him away. He was pissed. Hermione quietly reached for the wand in her pocket as a bubbling of fear arose within her.
She went to far.
His words were tight. "If you ever mention him again, I will make your life fucking hell."
Fear spiked down her body. It wasn't the words that scared her, it was the tone. She knew she shouldn't be afraid of him. He wouldn't, no couldn't, do anything to her. Refusing to admit her fear, she felt the surge of adrenaline making her bold.
"Oh? And how are you going to do that? Don't you know who I am?"
He said nothing as his nose flared with anger.
"I am Hermione Granger, a god damn war hero." She said through clenched teeth. She pushed her finger against his solid chest, "and you were on the side that lost so I don't think you will be doing anything."
Malfoy didn't move for what felt like forever, her nerves screaming the longer nothing happened. Hermione's fingers wrapped so tightly on her wand that she was afraid she would snap it. She didn't know why she was challenging him like this, perhaps she was testing to see what he would do. Whatever the reason, she couldn't have stopped the words that spilled out.
His jaw was tight and the hot breathes brushed against her cheek. The ice in his eyes melted with wild fury and there was a vein along his neck that bulged out. He was about to explode and Hermione was preparing to fight, should need be.
Suddenly he moved. Hermione planting her heels harder in the ground as he sidestepped and shoved against her shoulder, storming past her. She turned and watched him pry open his door and slam it hard. The sound echoed in the narrow hallway and made Hermione flinch.
She sneered, he was running away. She leaned into his door and shouted, "Whose the bloody child now?" Then she opened her own door and couldn't help but slam hers shut too.
What a git.
Hermione took a deep breath and let her nerves and anger calm. How was she supposed to do this for a whole year?
She gazed around the room. It was set up like a quaint apartment. There was a small sitting area with an old couch and a leather sitting chair facing a little fireplace. The opposite side had a tiny kitchenette with a ridiculous amount of cabinets. Against the wall, between the sitting area and the kitchenette, was the door to the bedroom. She marched her way into it, still dragging her suitcase. The room had a lovely queen sized bed that took up majority of the space and a desk shoved to the side. The rest of her belongings were stacked in the open corner.
It was small but homey. And it was vastly different then the shared dormitories in the Houses. She already felt more independent, if not a little isolated. She sat on the bed, exhausted from the emotional day. She glanced outside the one window in her room and listened to the cold silence. She suddenly hoped that Ginny would take her up on her offer to visit more often. Being alone here, with Draco Malfoy only four feet away form her door, was going to drive her crazy. She seriously might murder him by Christmas.
It certainly was going to be an interesting year.
He sauntered into class with the worst headache. He barely got an ounce of sleep last night, again, and he knew he must look like hell. He cast a glamour charm so no one could see the outrageous lines under his eyes and he fixed his green tie as he gazed around the classroom. It was odd being in Hogwarts uniform again. There was a time he thought he would never come here, that his life as he knew was all over. Yet there he was, standing in a classroom with an armful of books and the Slytherin colors draped around his neck.
He noticed Nott and Zabini holding out in the corner and joined them. The desks were aligned to fit only two, so Draco sat in a desk by himself.
They were taking the seventh year Alchemy class, supposedly one of the harder classes, and the Slytherins shared it with Gryffindor of course. He scowled realizing that the impossible three would be there too. Great.
"Well well if it isn't the big man on Hogwarts, Head Boy himself." Nott smirked. His brown hair was wild this morning and there was an annoying glint in his green eyes. He hadn't told anyone that he was Head Boy, so there must have already been rumors spreading around for Nott to have known. Brilliant.
"Fuck off." Draco growled, he was too tired for the usual banter.
Nott raised his eyebrows, recognizing that Malfoy meant it. He glanced at Zabini, sharing a suspicious look."Did I say something offensive?"
Zabini shrugged, "No but give it a few minutes."
Nott ignored Blaise and leaned towards Draco, he didn't bother to whisper. "Is it because you're working alongside the wonder bitch? You know, I'm excited to hear about all the bitching, and I mean bitching coming from you."
"What are you on about Nott?" Zabini asked, rolling his grey uniform and white undershirt sleeves up to his elbows.
"Haven't heard? All of Hogwarts is shocked, shocked I tell you. The Slytherin traitor and the Gryffindor Princess herself, Hermione fucking Granger." He raised both his hands like they were pedestals. "Head boy and Head girl, working together. How will they do it? No one knows."
Zabini's eyebrows shot up his forehead and he leaned back in his chair. "Is that so?" He glanced at Draco.
"Unfortunately." Draco murmured and shoved his elbows on his desk and messaged his temples with his fingers.
"You're telling me that you'll be forced to spend time alone with Granger on a daily basis? Working with her and seeing her all the time?" Blaise asked, a shimmer of amusement in his voice.
Draco sighed and glowered. "Living a whole fucking four feet apart from each other."
Blaise and Theo glanced at each other before bursting into laughter. Draco sunk into his seat, feeling like a child, and growled at them. Their laughter only contributed to his aching head and he was seconds away from hexing them. They laughed so loud that most of the students turned around to look at them. Malfoy did his best to ignore the students and the two knobheads next to him. He couldn't fail to notice the few glares being thrown at him, almost all from the Gryffindors.
"You have to admit it's ironic! You hate her guts." Nott explained between laughs.
"And she hates mine." Draco said to no one in particular.
"Brilliant." Blaise had an unusually wide grin. It wasn't often Zabini genuinely smiled and Draco wanted to punch it off of his charming face.
Nott subdued his laughter and sat back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head. "It doesn't have to be all bad. You know Malfoy she's not bad looking for a mudblood. Merlin knows you could use a little fun."
Draco suppressed his flinch. He hadn't heard that word in a while, not since his time among the death eaters. A flash of memories jumped at him and he fought to push them away.
"Plus it would be great to rub it in Potter's and the Weasel's face." He added.
"I was already feeling nauseous this morning Theo, don't make it worse." Draco warned and continued to rub his tired eyes. "Besides, I think you missed the point that we hate each other."
"What does that matter? Hate is just as powerful of a passion as love." Theo pointed out. He had a good point, hate was powerful indeed.
"Shut up dickhead. It's too early for such philosophical bullshit."
"Alright alright jeeze." Theo chuckled, but then his tone became serious for once. "I was only teasing Malfoy, I know it would never happen. She'd rather do me and that's really saying something."
Draco didn't grace Nott with his attention. He disliked the stab of annoyance he felt from the truth that she probably would rather be with Nott than him. Draco couldn't be worse than the bloody lunatic next to him but Granger despised him that much, and not without reason.
"How the hell did you get asked to be head boy?" Blaze inquired, no longer caring for Theo's antics. "I thought it was to go to a student that showed upstanding moral character which you completely lack. Besides the fact you dragged your reputation through hell and back."
Theo shifted in his seat and dropped his arms. He didn't say anything but his eyes shifted towards Draco with a knowing look. Zabini didn't understand. Unlike he and Theo, Blaise didn't have parents who were death eaters. Although he was raised with the same horseshit about blood and status, he had no ties to Voldemort directly. He didn't understand what it felt like to feel pressure. The pressure of torture and death, of parents. Draco played a large part in ruining his reputation, but he had no choice. His fucking Father ruined it plenty without Draco's help. If things had ended differently, his family would have been revered by Voldemort.
That thought made him sick. Even though Voldemort was dead, Malfoy could still only feel fear and disgust when he thought of him.
Malfoy folded his arms to keep his annoyance to himself and merely muttered. "Ask McGongall if you're so sodding curious."
Zabini shrugged, apathetic to Draco's coarse response. A comfortable silence ascending on them as they waited for class to begin. It was one of the new professors teaching the class so Draco wasn't sure what to expect. Alchemy was difficult but he knew he'd do fine. What made him on edge was the frequent stares and glares from multiple Gryffindor students. Not just at him, but at all of Slytherin. They were watching them, as if they didn't trust the Slytherins not to stand up and fire curses at them.
McGongall was right, it's even worse than before.
Nott nudged Draco when the Golden trio and their sidekick, the she Weasley, sauntered into class. They were smiling and chatting whimsically and Draco had the urge to roll his eyes. Everything they did got under his skin, it couldn't be helped. They acted like the world was puppies and flowers and it made him want to vomit.
Potter and Weasley split off to sit together while Granger and younger Weasley sat behind them. Draco studied Granger as she spoke with the she demon softly. Her expressions and mannerism were less exaggerated than the redheads, she wasn't as boisterous. She seemed different than he remembered. Then again, she also looked different than he remembered.
She still had the wild, light brown curly hair and her features were the same, but she looked older. Her jawline was more defined and her cheeks were slim, accentuating her sharp caramel colored eyes. Her nose was the same as was her smile, but there were more laugh lines around the corners of her lips. He couldn't help but notice that her body filled out a little more too. She was as still thin, but her hips had a lovely little curve. In fact, everything had more of curve.
She had grown into a woman, and an attractive one at that.
Alright, what the fuck? Attractive? Granger? He must have been losing his damn mind. He blamed it on the severe lack of sleep, slamming headache, and Theo's comments. No, there was no way he could find her attractive. She annoyed him to no end, it wasn't possible.
To his surprise, she hesitantly turned her head to the side and peeked over her shoulder at him. He sat up straighter when they made eye contact and he noticed a fire leap in her eyes. Draco felt one of his eyebrows raise in amusement. Was she looking for him? Or did she just by chance meet his eye? Her lips thinned into a fierce frown before she broke their stare.
The professor finally showed up to class, late on the first day. The woman ran in with her witch hat crooked on her head. She was a middle aged blonde woman with dark blue tips in her hair. She was short and slim, and she didn't look like a Professor. She looked younger than she most likely was. She held an enormous stack of books while other stacks levitated in behind her. As she walked down the small isle of desks, the books began to spread out and fly to each student's desk as she passed down the middle.
Draco looked down at the book, The Secrets and Sorcery of Alchemy. He flipped open the first page and scanned the introduction. Alchemy was a complex study and he was strangely excited about the class. He enjoyed an intellectual challenge.
The Professor got to the front of the class and exhaled a heavy breath. "My apologizes students, I struggled to find the old Alchemy books in the library." Her voice was sweet and light. Draco also took note that her eyes were huge.
"Welcome to Alchemy! My name is Cordelia Morsten I am so excited to be teaching you all this year, as it is my first year at Hogwarts. I ask that you may be patient with me as I sort myself. We can begin this journey of Alchemy together!"
Oh Merlin, she was one of those Professors. Draco tuned out as she babbled on and gave an 'encouraging' speech as half the students started falling asleep.
"One final thing to go over," She said that caught Draco's attention again. "Just because you are all veterans around here, doesn't mean you can't make new friends! And because I know students like to be with their friends, I have already paired you off with a partner in which you will be doing most of the assignments and projects together."
The class groaned and looked frightened.
"I shall introduce them now and for the rest of the period, you can meet your partner and read through the first chapter of your book!"
She produced a list out of nowhere and cleared her throat dramatically. She read through the list quickly and Draco realized that she had paired everyone with the opposite house. Well, as much as she could...there were far less Slytherins than Gryffindors now.
"Blaise Zabini, Rachel Conrad."
"Harry Potter, Daphne Greengrass."
"Theodore Nott, Ginny Weasley."
Draco smirked at Nott. Poor fucker. Yet Draco didn't feel the least bit sorry for him.
"Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger."
Draco stiffened at her name. He couldn't believe this, he couldn't fucking believe it! He wanted nothing more than to slam his head into the desk and he barely managed to refrain himself. Hermione quickly glanced at him with an expression of borderline horror. At least she looked scared, that made him feel a little better. She acted like she wasn't intimidated by him but he knew she was. Everyone was.
The professor continued with the names but Draco stopped listening. His mind was running on repeat of how this could happen to him. How was it possible that in a full class, he was paired up with the one Gryffindor that drove him mad? What are the odds? They were in his favor that he wouldn't be with Granger but he must be the most unlucky bastard in the entire world.
Well, he guessed she was better than either Potter or Weasley, at least she had a brain unlike the other two wankers who shared one brain cell between them
"Now, go on! pair up."
Draco wasn't going to move for shit. He waited stubbornly until Hermione finally made her way to the back of the classroom and sat where Nott was previously occupied. They sat in silence, both looking straight forwards.
She fidgeted and swallowed hard. "Malfoy I feel I should apologize for yesterday." She muttered quietly, like she was hoping he couldn't hear her. He heard the reluctance in her voice.
He scrunching his nose in disgust, "God please don't."
"But I-"
"Just forget it."
Another silence. They looked forwards; Draco put both his hands on his knees and sat still while Hermione kept fidgeting and the seat squeaked with her movements, it was bloody annoying.
"Why is it that I can't escape you?" Hermione finally sighed. He was surprised at the hint of dark humor in her voice. Malfoy glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. He had been asking the same question for the past two minutes.
"I've been thinking it's all an elaborate joke."
Hermione shifted in her seat and folded her arms under her chest. She was uncomfortable, he realized. "I don't find it funny." She muttered.
Draco scoffed and glanced over at his friends. Nott paired with Ginny Weasley and Zabini with a Gryffindor in Ginny's year. He wanted nothing more than to laugh in Nott's face for being with the redhead. A taste of his own medicine and Draco didn't feel the least bit sorry. He could see why they thought it was funny, Nott already looked miserable and Draco soared with the thought.
"Zabini and Nott evidently do."
"Do they?" Hermione inquired and finally turned her head towards him. Draco kept his shoulders facing forwards and tilted his head slightly to look at her.
"They think it's funny I'm stuck with the Gryffindor know-it-all. They love to watch me suffer."
She blinked a few times, "No offense then Malfoy, but get better friends."
He would hardly call them "friends". And they weren't exactly what one would call warmth and support, but they each had qualities in which Draco valued. While Nott could be rude, obnoxious, and crass, he understood human nature better than anyone Draco ever met. And while Zabini could be vain and apathetic, he was very perceptive and steady.
"Friends." Draco chuckled darkly. "I don't have any. And I don't know if you noticed but I have few allies nowadays so beggars can't be choosers."
Hermione said nothing at first, she smirked instead. Draco turned his attention fully to her, irritated at her evil grin.
"That's funny." Amusement lit her golden brown eyes.
"Is it? why?" Draco bit out.
Hermione leaned forwards and placed her chin in her hand. She was still smiling as she contemplated him. "Cause the wealthy, rakish, and all powerful Draco Malfoy has fallen so far that he's begging for friendships. It is very amusing."
Draco rolled his eyes. "It's an expression, I never beg. Plus I could care less if those idiots never spoke to me again."
Hermione continued to watch him, their was still a faint smile to her lips and Draco couldn't look away from her intense gaze. Her hand moved up so it was holding her head and strands of curly auburn hair wove through her fingers. Draco kept his expression natural and frozen in place as she tried to read him. He disliked her scrutiny.
"No, you do care." She decided.
To his own surprise, Draco admitted the truth to her. "Alright, I do." He shrugged. "Loyalty is not always so easily earned." Draco glanced over at Zabini and Nott. Nott was sneering and Zabini appeared bored. "I don't know why I earned theirs but I have and I'm grateful for their acquaintances and acceptance."
Hermione raised her eyebrows and twirled a curl of her hair with fingers. She was still scanning him and he finally twitched from the discomfort of her gaze. Her face softened but only for a moment. When she finally tore away from his face it was to look over his shoulder at Theo.
"Acceptance? Aren't you lot all the same? Blood believers and all that disgusting ideology?" She spat out the last words and Draco flinched. He scowled at her but couldn't disagree, no matter how much he wanted to. She was right, they were raised with the same mindset. He thought of Nott's father and how sick that man was. Lucius had his flaws but he was nothing compared to Nott. It bothered Draco he used to share his beliefs with that mad man.
She continued to look over his shoulder "Nott's family in particular. I hardly think they had difficulty accepting your dogmas. His family was just as bad yours."
That flared his temper. He tightened his fists from under the desk. "And what do you know of it?" He spoke slowly, keeping his voice cold and even. "Be cautious Granger because you know nothing."
She perked an eyebrow and her lips thinned. "Don't I? I would say that I-"
"No, you don't." He cut her off. He stared vehemently into her defiant eyes, seeing that she obviously disagreed. "You know nothing of Theo's home or how he was raised. And you may think you know mine but you don't. Only rumors and theories, nothing real."
Her eyes flashed with emotion he couldn't understand. She frowned but didn't appear angry. He noticed her hand lowering to the opposite sleeve and tugging at it. "You forget how intimately acquainted I've become with your family."
"I am not my family. Their actions are not mine." He said quickly, unable to mask the small desperation in his tone. Hermione didn't seem to notice it. Instead she sat upright and stared at him with fierce determination.
Professor Mortsen's voice broke their intensity. "Alright class, you are dismissed! I am most excited to see you again soon so that we may dive into the wonderful world of Alchemy."
Draco immediately rose to leave, grabbing his books and marching away from Hermione as fast as he could without running. He couldn't get out of there soon enough! He quickly left the classroom and filtered into the hallway that was now crowded with students.
"You act as if you had no part in what you did." Hermione called after him. He glanced over his shoulder and realized that she had been following him close against his heels. Apparently, she wasn't done with the bloody conversation. Draco took a few more steps before he stopped and turned around. He couldn't gauge whether she was annoyed or defensive.
Draco scowled and narrowed his eyes. The mood of this conversation had taken a sudden redirection, he was getting mad. "How would you have me act? Bowing at your feet and begging for forgiveness?"
Hermione tilted her chin up to hold her noise in the air. "It'd be a start."
"I already told you I don't beg."
They matched each others glares. Challenging one another to back down. A spark of tension fired between them as neither broke eye contact. Draco realized that Hermione had a ring of gold around her pupils and her eyelashes were quite long against her cheeks. They're was something intriguing about her eyes, like they demanded to be looked at.
They were standing to the side of the hallway, only a foot away from each other. They didn't care about the students walking by and the looks they received. They held the intensity, refusing to back away from each other.
"You are too proud Malfoy."
"Proud?" Draco raised his chin, anger and bitterness pouring out of him in waves. "Everyone has taken everything away from me. Everything!" His words were elevating and he repressed the desire to scream at her. "My reputation, my dignity, my beliefs." Then his voice became hauntingly cold. "My pride."
Hermione faltered for only a moment, her eyes softened and she looked down at the ground. Her determination fell as she processed his words. When she looked back at him he saw something else in it's stead, it could have been close to sympathy. Her eyes glittered with pity and it enraged him. He didn't want her god damn pity.
"So I'd like to hold on to the little pride that I do have left."
With that he spun on his heels to walk away again. He managed only a few feet before he heard running footsteps behind him. He groaned, what the hell did she want!? Why can't she leave him alone?
"Malfoy wait." She beckoned. When he didn't stop she reached out and grabbed the back of his collar and yanked him to a stop. He was pulled to a halt and turned around with a vengeance. How fucking dare she?
"Don't not touch me you sodding bitch!" He flared, borderline shouting. Thankfully most of the students were out of the hallway by now and didn't hear him. Causing a scene with the famous Hermione Granger would not look good for him.
She ignored the hostile command and shoved both her hands on her hips. "Well we can't always end our bloody conversations with you storming off!"
"Then don't always say something that makes me want to strangle you." He snapped, feeling the irritation soaring through his veins. He widened his stance in an attempt to intimidate her, it didn't seem to work.
She frowned, her brown eyes were big as she looked up at him. Her head tilted back a little to meet his stare and Malfoy glanced down at her neck as it stretched up. He never realized how lovely her neck was.
Oh come the fuck on! Get your shit together Draco, he thought to himself. Perhaps Nott was right, he had gone too long without a good shag that he was romanticizing even Granger!
"We need to discuss the perfects meeting tonight." She insisted. She was calm and steady like his obvious anger didn't bother her.
"Can't we do that later?" He bit off impatiently.
"I have a break now and I figured we might as well plan. I'd hate to walk into the meeting with only five minutes of preparation."
Draco recovered his anger under his control and forced back the cold mask. "What else is there to prepare? Five minutes should be sufficient."
"Well we should double it since I'm sure that half the time will be spent insulting me." She shifted her weight between feet. He couldn't help the tiny smile pulling at his lips.
"I'm positive I can shave the insults down to two minutes. Leaving three to prepare."
She scoffed, "Three is hardly enough."
He scrunched his nose with contempt. He had a feeling she was going to win this one. "Three will have to do because I have class."
She lowered her eyebrows and glared. "You do not."
"How would you know?"
"I looked at your schedule."
"Did you? Need to keep a constant eye on me Granger?"
Her lips curled into a half-smile. "Something like that."
"God you give me a headache" He muttered and held a hand to his forehead. He massaged the bridge of his nose with his thumb and finger. Draco huffed an exaggerated sigh, "Fine. Whatever, lead the way."
Till next chapter dear readers!
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