Chapter VII

Repeat

Hermione and Draco met twice every other week. On both Wednesdays and Fridays. Both learned to resent those days of the week. Neither of them were really improving in the subjects they were supposed to be getting help in.

"Hermione, dear, the whole point of assigning you a tutor was so that you could improve in playing the niopa. Yet, your progress is, at best my dear, halted completely." Professor Darling politely explained to Hermione after a disastrous lesson. Hermione almost growled at her.

When the Hermione's next tutoring session came up, she entered without a word and placed her bag on a chair. Normally, Draco would gesture at the niopa and Hermione would play her clumsy scales and torturous practice piece. Normally, Draco would sigh and tell her what she was doing wrong. Then Hermione's "spines" would "bristle" and she would snap back at him. Then they would start arguing. But today was different for some reason. About halfway through her practice piece, Draco told her to stop.

"Obviously this isn't working. We need to take a different approach." Draco said. Hermione didn't quite understand what he meant. What does he mean by "take a different approach"?

Instead of trying to teach Hermione the textbook way to play the niopa, he began teaching her the same little tricks that his father taught him when he was young. They started over again with hand positioning.

"Keep your hands and wrists loose." he reminded her.

"Think of it like holding a fragile egg." he repeated what his father told him all those years ago.

"Like this?" Hermione asked, hands stiff and tense.

"No, you're crushing the egg." Draco said. He walked over and sat next to Hermione on the bench. Hermione automatically scooched away from where Draco now sat. He grabbed her hands. She tried to pull them away but Draco held on, determined to make sure she got this right.

"Hey." he said. Hermione looked at him.

"Trust me, I kinda know what I'm doing." Draco said. Hermione relaxed a little bit, but only a little. He placed her hands on the niopa keys and positioned her fingers correctly.

"There." he said.

"Perfect." he looked up. Hermione was staring at him. For the first time, he realized that her eyes were a shade of warm chestnut with tiny flecks of gold. How had he never seen that before? Hermione looked down at the niopa keys. Draco blushed when he realized that he was still holding her hands. He took his hands off and the spell broke.

He cleared his throat and stood up, "Anyway...I think our time is up." Hermione stood up as well.

"Yeah…well I should be going…" she said. Draco grabbed his bag and headed out of the room in which sat the girl with the pretty chestnut-gold eyes.

Hermione walked back to the eighth year common rooms to catch up on homework after her Peer Tutoring session. She was very confused about what had just happened. Draco Malfoy grabbed your hands! That annoying voice in her head chose this time to speak. He could be manipulating you! Constant vigilance! But what if he's not? Hermione shook her head to clear it. She had more important things to focus on. For example, she had a Basic Wizaring Law paper to finish by tomorrow and a Defence Against The Dark Arts essay to start.

She walked into the cozy common room and waved to Par and Luna who were sitting in the corner. She walked up to them and put her bag down.

"So, have you just come back from another horrendous Peer Tutoring session with the great and terrible Draco Malfoy?" Parvati teased. She knew how much Hermione hated having to be tutored by Malfoy. She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I have. And it wasn't horrendous. It was just bleh." Hermione replied, a slight smile on her face.

"Besides, I need to focus on my homework. Have you done the DADA essay yet?" Hermione redirected the conversation.

"Oh yes, I think I have it here somewhere…" Luna searched though her bags.

"Luna, your DADA essay is upstairs in our dorms. I remember you leaving it there yesterday." Parvati reminded Luna.

"It is?"

"Come on, let's go check." Parvati said as she and Luna got up.

"Are you coming Hermione?" Luna asked.

"What? No, thanks. I think I'll stay down here. I have more...ah...homework." Well it's not a total lie. Hermione thought. I do have homework to do. But what I really need is time to think. She looks at her hands. Lots and lots of time to think...