Chapter Three
It begins
"Sleep well mate?" said Blaise laughing as he got dressed the next morning, pinning his head boy badge on with a little too much pride in Draco's opinion.
"Bugger off", said Draco dragging himself slowly out of bed and wishing he hadn't slept in his uniform.
"It's the first day back and you're going to go looking like that", said Nott loosening his tie in front of the mirror so that it sat just right.
Draco looked down at his creased clothes and ran a hand through his hair, shrugging at his friend. "What do I care?"
"At least fix yourself mate", said Blaise gesturing to Draco's wand which was still lying on his bedside table. "You may not care but we have to look at you plus you'll get points taken away for slovenliness".
Draco rolled his eyes at his two friends but snatched his wand murmuring a quick spell that would smooth the creases in his clothes and leave them smelling fresh. He knew the household chores book he had bought his mother two Christmases ago would come in handy, even if she never read it. She had done the customary gracious thanks and then put the book to one side. Draco had known this would happen but had failed to care. What else was he going to buy her? A new house elf?
He took a quick glance in the mirror, keeping his top button undone and his tie loose as was his style and despaired at the purple bags under his eyes.
"Why do I have to be so goddamn pale? It makes everything stand out all the more", he said pulling at his face in frustration.
"It's part of your allure", said Nott knowingly carefully spraying cologne on his neck. "It's why the blonde hair stands out so much too".
"Yea Nott, I wasn't actually asking because I don't actually care", said Draco turning from the mirror to fix his friend with a look before throwing his shoes on. "I leave vanity to you".
Nott simply shrugged and grabbed his bag, "Coming?"
"I wonder if Slughorn will have his Slug Club thing again this year", said Blaise following his friends out of the dormitory.
"All I know is if I have to see Sluggers head shoved up Potter's arse again I'm going to hurl", said Draco darkly fixing the straps on his bag so he could carry it one shoulder.
"Yea it was pretty bad but to be fair, Potter didn't seem to like the attention either", said Nott.
"Potter loves attention", muttered Draco shoving his hands into his pockets refusing to give his enemy any credit.
"Speaking of getting attention, there's Granger", said Blaise motioning with his head to a girl walking into the Great Hall in front of them.
Draco felt the knot in his stomach twist as he once again got a good look at the back of her.
"Go talk to her then", said Nott shoving Draco before marching ahead into the hall.
What the hell am I supposed to say? Draco's head screamed at him so before he changed his mind, he did the only thing he could think of in that moment, grabbed his wand and cast a spell to split her bag open.
"Oh you did not just do what I've seen Potter do before?" laughed Blaise the tears forming in his eyes. "What a rookie move mate, I would swear you were thirteen not seventeen".
"Shove off", said Draco not looking at him as he watched her tell her friends to go in without her. He waited for Blaise to go ahead of him before he took a deep breath to steady himself. He walked forward determinedly so that nobody had any time to question his motives.
No sooner had he reached her and picked up her Potions book, the whispers started around them. Draco rolled his eyes inwardly this was just going to be the start of it, it could only get worse. He heard a distinct Oh my God whisper before he blocked out all other sounds. This was a trait he had learned from years of listening to his parents argue. He could block out anything while still being present and maintaining the appearance of someone who was listening.
"What are you doing?"
That question, that inane, stupid question made Draco want to roll his eyes, was his first encounter with Granger. She took the book from his hand tentatively and rose to her feet, prompting him to rise with her. He stared at her face, yea she may have filled out and her hair was less bushy plus being tanned but as he looked at her, all he saw was the girl who had irritated him for seven years. Her freckled nose, her furrowed brow and clear complexion just heightened his disgust as he could see she hadn't really changed at all.
Her brown eyes narrowed slightly at his obvious measurement of her features.
"Just helping", he said shrugging before bending down to retrieve some parchment from the ground. This time she didn't bend down with him but continued to stare at him with a suspicious look of derision, levelling him with her eyes, which was impressive considering she stood a good eight inches beneath him.
"I don't need your help", she said and it amazed him how much she meant those words as he handed the parchment to her.
"I was just being nice", he said becoming irritated already and attempting to keep the nonchalance in his voice before he punched the wall and hexed her into oblivion.
"When are you ever nice?" She countered folding her arms and applying all her weight to one foot giving her a matronly air.
"You don't think people can change Granger?" He ground out, trying and failing to keep his temper. His fists clenched and he knew his knuckles would be turning white. Couldn't she see how hard he was trying? The vein in his temple throbbed painfully.
"People can, you can't", she said simply gathering the rest of her things while Draco watched her in stony silence. She stood when she was finished and fixed him with a glare, "Still here?"
"You're insufferable", he hissed through clenched teeth.
"The feeling is mutual ferret", she replied grinning wickedly at him. He started, what had happened to Granger?
"You little..." He stopped himself just in time, Blaise's words from the train ringing in his ears.
"Go on; say the word that we both know you're dying to use since it is the only one you've got in your arsenal. It's just a word Malfoy, maybe you should get another insult because that one is so five years ago", she drawled the last words out in a tone that would have made Malfoy proud had he not been furious right now.
"I fucking hate you", he whispered squaring his shoulders and drawing himself up to his full height, ignoring the strands of hair that were falling into his eyes, all thoughts of the bet forgotten in his lividness.
"Oh Malfoy, the feeling has always been and will always be mutual", she said shaking her head at his stupidity as if he was a slow but nice dog that she felt sorry for. "What good are you anyway?"
He watched as she tossed her hair and sauntered into the Great Hall. She may not look much different but the layer of thick skin Draco had been sure she would never grow had suddenly materialised over the summer.
Draco groaned his anger subsiding, how was he supposed to win this bet if he couldn't manage a simple conversation with her without getting angry? How dare she...those words...
What good are you anyway?
Those words swirled around his head making him angrier by the second but they also made him feel something else...something akin to nausea...something he didn't care to think about...something almost like hurt and shock.
What good are you anyway?
He walked slowly into the Great Hall and towards a smirking Blaise who could tell by the look of thunder on his friend's face how the first conversation had gone.
"So...dare I ask?" He said barely able to contain his mirth.
"No, just pass me some bacon. I'm going to drown my sorrow in saturated fat, clog my arteries and have a heart attack so that my biggest problem will be not dying and it will also mean I'll never have to speak to her again", said Draco dramatically throwing himself into a seat and preparing to load up on food.
"Melodramatic much", muttered Nott shuffling the Daily Prophet and not looking up.
"Shut up", said Draco as he piled bacon onto his plate.
What good are you anyway?
"It can't have been that bad", said Blaise.
"You got my hopes up but she hasn't changed at all", said Draco, his mouth full. "Oh wait no, that's a lie, she has decided that last summer was the perfect time to grow some thick skin and renew her vocabulary insult bank".
"Oh shit", said Blaise but he was still smiling.
Draco said nothing for the rest of breakfast but proceeded to eat eight strips of bacon and it would have been more if Blaise hadn't slapped ninth piece out of his hand and dragged him to History of Magic.
By lunch, Draco was feeling better. His classes thus far had been interesting so blocking Granger out had been easy. It was unfortunate for him that she had chosen the same subjects. However, they were sufficiently difficult and devoid of pair work so he could avoid her completely.
"You didn't tell me", said Blaise as Draco sat down for lunch.
Draco pulled some soup towards him, not at all hungry after that morning.
"Tell you what?" said Draco.
"That you got Quidditch Captain", said Nott taking a seat and grabbing some sandwiches.
"Oh yea", said Draco turning to Blaise. "I got Quidditch Captain".
"Why didn't you say anything?" said Blaise still clearly annoyed.
"Why does it matter? I didn't even tell my parents", said Draco shrugging. "What makes you so important?"
"I'm happy for you and I'm your friend that's why. I had to hear it off Potter who definitely looked smug when he could see I didn't know", said Blaise sulking into his food.
"Potter knows?" said Draco pausing between mouthfuls. "Weird, I didn't tell him".
"He got Gryffindor Captain", said Nott. "So McGonagall probably told him".
"Why do you always offer this kind of information?" said Draco exasperatedly. "It's like you just pipe up to offer some knowledge that is going to irritate us and then disappear again, like a turtle that pokes his head out and then goes back into his shell".
Nott shrugged, "Just being useful is all".
Draco gave him a dark look before turning to Blaise who was now speaking.
"He got Gryffindor Captain?" said Blaise. "Didn't see that coming", he finished sarcastically.
"Well all the more reason for us to pummel his ass into the ground", said Draco nonchalantly.
"Granger might not like you beating him", said Nott. "Could influence your bet, not that I give a rat's ass".
"I don't give a shit what she likes or doesn't like, when it comes to Quidditch, she can butt out", said Draco shoving his empty bowl away and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand suddenly annoyed again at the mention of Granger and the bet.
What good are you anyway?
"Could you figure out those runes in Arithmancy? I swear I'm going to be doing that homework until next May", said Nott taking his homework diary out of his bag.
Draco wasn't listening though, he was watching Granger and trying to decipher what he would have to do to get her to talk to him and avoid being angry himself.
"Potions next", said Blaise when Draco didn't answer Nott's question.
"That's it", said Draco smiling suddenly.
"That's what?" retorted Blaise in a drone.
""I'll get Sluggers to pair me with her. You know he always pairs us up and leaves us in those pairs for the entire year. Last year I got stuck with Parkinson for the whole fucking year and I swear to god she nearly melted my skin off more than once", said Draco grabbing his bag and moving away from the table, speaking over his shoulder as his friends followed him.
"That's a plan", said Blaise thoughtfully.
"Not a very good one though", said Nott.
"There you go again with the turtle thing", said Draco growled not turning around.
"I just meant that she will never agree to it", said Nott simply.
"Oh I won't give her a chance to disagree", said Draco tapping his temple, "Genius remember?"
Nott and Blaise rolled their eyes but Draco was finally happy. If he was paired with her they would have to work together which meant that it might be easier to control his anger around her. It would make life simpler anyway if they had something in common and potions could be it.
Besides, old Sluggers would love it if the two best in the class were partnered together. Draco was sure of it and that gave Granger no room to manoeuvre.
He smirked to himself gaining some startled looks from the first years around him and a few simpering glances from the older Slytherin girls.
Oh yes, things were finally looking up.