Chapter 2: A Plan in Mind

A/N I am sorry for not updating in a while, the only excuse I have is my own procrastination. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review! Let's begin.

Blaise's POV

I was sitting in my seat, dying to get on with the current Potions lesson, and just be done with the day. Right now, I was pretty much lost in my train of thought, thinking about other things, like how to get my stubborn friend set up with someone. Pansy, maybe? No, Draco secretly thinks she's an annoying clingy girl, there's no way they could be a couple. Astoria or Daphne Greengrass? No, they're just friends, I thought, groaning silently. If you said you wanted a girlfriend, why did you have to make it so hard to find one? I sighed, cursing my stubborn friend.

Suddenly, a voice rang out. "Mr. Zabini, what is the use of the Draught of Living Death and what are the effects of it?" asked Professor Slughorn. I could just see Granger quietly raising her hand in the front of the room, but it was because she knew I didn't want to answer the question. Oh come on, just call her instead of me..I silently prayed. No such luck.

Oh no, the professor probably thought I was daydreaming. "Uh..The Draught of Living Death is used to put someone in a deathlike slumber? I think it's like suspended animation of a sort." I answer unsure, but I knew a little about this potion thanks to my friend's vast potion knowledge. "Correct, Mr. Zabini." said Professor Slughorn. He went on with the lesson, telling the class to take notes during the lesson. After what seemed like forever, the bell signaling the next period finally rang.

"Freedom!" I yelled, glad to be out of the stuffy lab. Potions was more fun with Professor Snape, but a dead man just can't teach. Or maybe his ghost can? There was always that boring History of Magic professor teaching. Ok, I'll stop being disrespectful to the dead, and I'll probably get out now. Well, now that heading I'm outside and afternoon classes are done and dinner isn't in session right now, I can think of how to set Draco up. And I knew just who to do it with now. Time to go to the library. I found my friend heading over there, and I followed him quietly, but I accidentally stepped on a pebble. I hope he didn't notice that, I winced. Draco asked "Who's behind me?" Ok, maybe I should learn to hide in the bushes a lot more quietly, I thought to myself. Time to put a plan in motion. I was going to shove Granger towards Draco, thus forcing them into physical contact. They usually are seated at tables close to each other, conveniently. This will work, I thought, with a grin. Draco should thank me after this, I jokingly thought.

Draco's POV

I was going to the library to finally get some peace from all of the Hogwarts chaos. While I was going there, I heard a noise and some footsteps. Was someone there? "Who's behind me?" I said, with uncertainty. Oh well. When I arrived at the library, Granger was sitting at a desk already, and she actually looked peaceful, with her curls around her face. Wait, why did I stare at her for this long? I looked away quickly when I realized this so that she wouldn't notice that I looked at her. I sat down, grabbed a book, and read quietly.

Reading gave me a period of peace in my busy life. The book I chose had facts about wizarding marriage laws, at least for arranged ones. My parents, but mostly my mom, insisted that I get a suitable girlfriend in my early 20s, or that my father would find one for me. Hopefully when my father gets out of Azkaban, he'll have changed his mind about old pureblood laws. Most of the old pureblood laws were very outdated, and some of them completely ridiculous, but I was taught to follow them when I was younger. While I was pondering about this, a hand shoved Granger, obviously against her will, towards my direction. She was about to fall to the ground. A instinct, out of politeness, told me to do the right thing and catch her. In that moment, I somehow saw a fraction of Granger's thoughts and memories. I did have the ability to look at more memories. I couldn't resist, and took a quiet peek at her thoughts. My aunt may have only taught me in Occulmency, but I was the one who trained myself to be a Legilimens. I saw a memory in first year, when a 2nd-year Gryffindor pushed her to the ground, and told her she would never amount to anything, because of her being a muggleborn. I felt guilty because it was what I used to do as a younger boy. Anger pulsed out of her body, and she glared at him. She looks kind of cute when she's mad-wait did I just think that?, I thought, groaning inwardly. I jumped to a later memory. Granger had apparently snuck into the boys' dormitories, and swapped the boy's quills for a set of quills developed by Hermione. These ones only only wrote curse words and love letters. She snuck them into the Gryffindor's bag. Every professor (save the ghost) had made a habit of checking bags, so as I experienced the memory, I was laughing inwardly as the professors saw the effects of the pill.

I switched to a different memory suddenly and found Granger being tortured by none other than my aunt, Bellatrix. I grimaced at that memory because all I was doing was standing there like an idiot while Bellatrix broke her, both physically and emotionally. I really should have done something, I thought regretfully.

Suddenly, I was shut out of her memories by Granger, as she thanked me for helping her up, and then looked at me with curiosity and suspicion. Apparently she was a Occlumens too, I thought, still thinking about those memories I saw.

Hermione's POV

I was in the library, finding a book to read. A few minutes after I started reading, I was pushed by someone. As I fell, I was caught by someone else..Wait, was that Malfoy? I could feel him reading my thoughts, and searching my memories, but I did not say or do anything until I felt ready to get up, and even then I was struck with surprise that Malfoy helped me up. As I stood, I said a simple "Thank you" to Malfoy and promptly shut him out of my memories. "So, did you see anything embarrassing?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't make fun of me. "No," he replied, "just a funny memory where you got a 2nd-year in trouble."

"Well, that wasn't the best thing I've done." I said, letting out a small giggle at the incident. "Morally, or in the sense of pranking someone?" he asked.

"Oh, well I can make up a better prank than that." I said, smirking.

"But you're Hermione Granger and you never prank-" he objected, but was cut short.

"Save it! Someone's coming!" I said, dragging him to a secret area I found in the library. "If you really want to talk, here's a place." When he gaped, I said, "Don't ask me. I found it while I was sad and getting over-well, something. I was desperate to find a good book, and found a whole area instead, and the books are interesting."

"And Potter and Weasley have never found you?" I said, impressed with the new passage. "Yeah, not even the infamous Weasley Twins, Fred and George have found this, and besides, they weren't really into exploring the library when Madam Pince was there, ready to kick your butt if you laid a finger on her precious books." I said jokingly, feeling happy.

As Malfoy, no wait, Draco (I felt like secretly calling him this in my mind) told me about some of the misadventures he's been through at Hogwarts, both of us got caught up and didn't notice what time of day it was.

Draco's POV

I had just finished telling about the time I had decided to get Daphne Greengrass a present by convincing Blaise to go in to his house, then steal his mother's makeup kit. When she laughed, I felt happy for the first time in, well about the time that the war started. Surprisingly, I had a nice time talking in the library and finding that secret passage, os I asked Granger, "Want to meet up again? I mean, being heads and sharing a dorm doesn't count." I added sarcasm on the last statement. Luckily, she replied with "Sure thing, if I can get some time alone."

"What, no one leaves you in peace because you're a war heroine?" I jokingly asked.

"Yeah, a swarm usually surrounds me whenever people remember who I am." she sighed, her smile fading for a millisecond, then appearing again. "Anyways, I'm sure we can find a time to meet up, that doesn't involve portraits snooping on us in the head rooms. See you later in the dorms!" she said, making her way out of the deserted library. Not even one person is there, I thought. That's odd. I headed for the Slytherin dorms to pick up my notes from my friends, who borrowed them for an assignment. I was still thinking about how long we spent together. That was actually really enjoyable, I thought. It was almost like a date, maybe. No it wasn't, some other voice said we just ended up spending an entire afternoon together just because she got shoved into me. She was just repaying me for my kindness, yes, that's it, thought Draco, mostly to reassure himself he was not going out with someone anytime soon.

Blaise's POV

I was crouching behind a shelf in the library, watching Draco and Hermione talking together. As I saw a student coming in as both of them were going out, I worried for a second or two, then I used a spell that emanated a stinky scent on the student, and she wrinkled her nose and strutted out of the library to change her clothes. It's not my best work, but it's still a success! I thought, triumphantly. I just hope I can get to the more fun parts of matchmaking, I have a couple of ideas to get Draco with Hermione. I thought, already knowing this would be fun.

Hermione's POV

Ew, what is that smell? I held my nose as I ran out of the building, although even a rancid smell of something rotten couldn't stop me from thinking about today. I hated to admit it, but that was the happiest I had ever felt since before the war. I don't know why I felt like this, but I would hold on to this feeling because feeling happy was a foreign emotion for me most of the time, ever since the war. I was usually sad, angry, or frustrated. This was usually because of the war memories or it was just sadness from when Ron argued with me or Harry, the arguments were just escalating, and they usually became off topic. But, I was glad to feel happy, even if that feeling would go away with the sunrise. I headed for the head dorms to go prepare for bed, with a smile for the first time in a while on my face.

Was this chapter too long? Too short? Tell me your opinions in a review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you in the next one!