I hope you all continue to enjoy this! Thank you for the comments and follows; since I never specified the time frame for this, the stuff about Sirius and Bellatrix has already happened. As always, let me know if you love or hate it. I appreciate all feedback and learn from it. I love you guys!
LCailan
10. Seeing Stars
Professor Trelawney pushed her large, round glasses up her nose with an impossibly thin finger and her green eyes stared up at Draco, large and curious.
"You want to work with Miss Hermione Granger you say?"
The Divination Tower was dark and stuffy, and Draco wanted to gag at the smells coming from the cauldron in the far corner of the room. Indeed he must have made a face because Professor Trelawney's large, buggy eyes moved in the same direction and she offered a knowing smile.
"It is an ancient brew, Mister Malfoy; it helps enhance the second sight."
Draco nodded, trying not to make a face.
"Right, so…Gra-Hermione Granger, Professor?"
Professor Trelawney got to her feet and even at her full height Draco towered over her. She adjusted the long, bejeweled shawl she wore over her robes and then stepped closer to him, squinting up at him from behind her thick lenses.
"And why would you want to work on this assignment with her, young man? After the mayhem you both caused in the library several weeks ago? I sense all is not as it seems."
Draco wiped his forehead, the heat and lack of air getting to him. He didn't understand how this strange woman refused to leave her tower most days, confining herself to her tiny office and the room where she taught her classes. He figured she deserved whatever people said about her. Probably all the ancient concoctions she was brewing up in her cauldron had long ago addled her brain.
Hermione Granger is a brilliant witch," Draco pointed out hating to admit that let alone vocalize it. "She could teach me a lot. Your lessons are quite challenging," he added thinking it couldn't hurt to flatter her a bit.
Trelawney looked at him as if he had gone suddenly mental.
"Hermione Granger might be brilliant, young man, but she doesn't have the Sight."
Draco tried to fix his face into an expression of understanding.
What the piss is the Sight?
Trelawney was moving between the large chintz chairs that were haphazardly plopped around in her room, waving her arms around so that her many bangles tinkled in the quiet.
"She doesn't see, Mister Malfoy. She doesn't have the gift that helps her divine the future. Not everyone does, after all. I always say that Divination is one of the most difficult studies."
Draco nodded.
"Right! But I'm quite good at it and I thought I might help her."
He had thought that emphasizing how much help he needed would get results. Apparently he had to play the opposite hand and strangely enough it made him feel a bit triumphant. There was something Granger wasn't good at!
Professor Trelawney paused, running her hand along the glittering scarf that was wrapped around her frizzy hair.
"Yes, yes…well, of course, I want to see all my students succeed, after all. Perhaps you might be able to help her. I don't usually make a habit of pairing up my students as I feel their Sight leads them to the one they should work with but in this case I think I might just do that!"
Draco tried not to appear triumphant.
"Thank you, professor. I know a lot about the constellations; my relatives were named after them, as you might know."
Trelawney blinked stupidly for a few seconds.
"Ah, ha! Of course, the Black family…at any rate, we can talk about this more in class tomorrow, Mister Malfoy. Go now, I see a long night ahead of you full of homework."
Draco tried not to roll his eyes as he bid her good night. Any stupid bint would be able to tell a student her or she had a ton of homework! It was Hogwarts after all. No rest for the weary.
Hermione sat down in between Harry and Ron and pulled her curly hair up into a ponytail. The Divination classroom was already sweltering and she knew Professor Trelawney's fireplace as always blazing. The room was scented with a sickly sweet odor that made her want to wretch. She chanced a glance towards Ron who looked positively gray and wore an expression of disgust, as if he had eaten dragon dung.
On the other side of the room the Slytherins were just gathering their things and flopping down on the large, overstuffed chairs. Hermione didn't dare glance at Malfoy though she could feel his eyes on her. She pretended that she was busy looking through her Divination book.
Today they were studying the constellations; she was glad the whole debacle with the moon was over and done with. It was unfortunate however that she still had nearly a whole year of classes to sit through before she never had to take another Divination class again.
"Hello my dears!"
Professor Trelawney floated into the room, smiling at the students. Her hair was wilder than usual and pulled away from her tiny, thin face with a filmy scarf. It magnified her already buggy eyes. As she walked along the front of the classroom, careful not to trip over her long robes and scarves, she waved her wand and above the students a glittering array of stars appeared.
"Today we begin our study of the constellations and how they can reveal our futures. You've all heard it said, 'as above, so below and as below, so above.' Our whole world is connected both here on earth and what is going on in the heavens. It helps shape our futures and the wise student needs to have a grasp on what the skies are telling us. Of course, this does not replace the Sight…it enhances it."
She was waving her arms in the air, filling the stifling room with the jangling of her bracelets.
Hermione fought valiantly to keep her eyes from fluttering closed as Professor Trelawney continued her introduction to astral divination.
"So you see," she was saying breathily, "the stars can tell us our fortunes, when we should seek employment and what days will be our lucky ones. The stars can divine even those who would be our best partners in life and love."
Hermione jumped at the touch of Ron's fingers against hers under the table they were sharing and dared to glimpse in his direction. She returned his warm smile, desperately trying not to feel the guilt that threatened to flood her heart.
They held hands the remainder of Professor Trelawney's increasingly boring lecture and when she motioned them to open their books to the chapter on constellations, Hermione tuned out her teacher and began idly flipping through pages.
"For your assignment this week we will start with the basics. You will use your book and spend several evenings studying the constellations visible in the skies this time of month. And you will write a report on the constellation of your choosing."
There was a murmur of interest from the Gryffindors and obvious eye-rolls from the Slytherins.
Hermione turned to Harry and Ron.
"I thought this was going to be a terrible assignment," she whispered. "But honestly a few evenings out on the school grounds sound quite nice."
Harry and Ron began discussing in hushed whispers which constellation the trio would write about. Hermione was certain that they were going to let her write it whilst pretending they were helping out but she didn't mind; that would be a bit of normalcy in the last several weeks of her life.
"If I could have your attention!"
Trelawney had returned to her large wooden desk and was watching the class with hands raised, her large scarves draped along the sleeves of her robes. The students, eagerly talking to one another about whom they would pair up with and what they were going to write about fell silent as they turned to their professor.
"I had a student approach me last night about the upcoming assignment. Though he didn't know what we would be doing he guessed that it would involve some teamwork. I wager he has the Sight."
She was smiling serenely in the direction of a group of Slytherins and even though Hermione wanted to she refused to look, afraid that Draco would be staring in her direction. To her right, Ron snorted.
"Bet you it was Malfoy," he hissed. "Anything to suck up to one of the professors. It's the only way he can get a good grade."
Hermione shushed him as Professor Trelawney continued.
"Since here at Hogwarts we believe in inter-house unity I think it would be a wonderful idea to separate you into teams of my own choosing. Some of the students in this class are better at Divination than others. It would help all of you to get along better with one another and those who need some extra attention can receive it from those who are excelling."
Hermione stifled a groan. Just bloody wonderful; she knew she was horrid at Divination and with a feeling of dread she wondered who Trelawney had paired her with. She didn't even hear Ron and Harry's mutters of disappointment or Professor Trelawney's voice reminding them that the preliminary work was due the next day and to come up to the front of the classroom to get their partners.
She was only focused on one thing.
Please not Malfoy, please not Malfoy!
Hermione wore a scowl that could have terrified a first year. Harry and Ron stood by trying to be as sympathetic as possible. Neither of them knew the real reason for their friend's anger but both agreed that Hermione hadn't been this angry in ages.
"Malfoy! Why Malfoy of all sodding people?!"
She stomped down the stairs after class was over, glaring at anyone who got in her way.
"She knows I'm no good at her rubbish class! She did this on purpose!"
Harry tried to intervene.
"Hermione, it isn't like we all got paired up with our friends. Look at Ron; he's got to work with Millicent Bullstrode-"
Hermione who had reached the bottom of the spiral staircase first, whirled on her friends, eyes flashing.
"It's not the same! Millie Bullstrode hasn't terrorized us for years!"
The two boys were silent as Hermione raged.
"And now my day is ruined! I can't even enjoy supper because I've got to meet Malfoy afterwards to pick out our constellation. I have indigestion just thinking about it."
Ron reached out to lace his fingers through Hermione's but she flung him away.
"Just don't," she muttered. Her face had lost all color and her brown eyes filled with tears. Ron didn't know what to do so he stumbled back, feeling helpless.
"Maybe if you talk to Dumbledore, he's pretty reasonable…"
Hermione had turned around and rushed down the hallway, bushy hair flying behind her. The two boys followed, not wanting her to be alone when she was this upset. But no matter how hard they tried, Hermione refused to say another word to them and when they reached the common room she disappeared upstairs towards the girls' dormitory and didn't come down again until after they gave up and left for supper.
Harry sighed and stood up, gathering his Divination book and a stack of scrolls.
"Well, I suppose we should get ready to go," he muttered looking down at Neville and Ron. The three had eaten their fill of the night's supper and had opted to dawdle as long as possible before meeting their partners for Trelawney's assignment.
Ron glared up at his friend.
"Easy for you to say, mate. You aren't paired up with Bullstrode," he muttered, wishing that it had been Hermione who was his partner. He had been hoping to get her alone all week and the stars sounded romantic-
"It isn't like Theo Nott is exactly my personal choice for company. Come on, we'll be late."
Neville, who was paired with Lavender Brown, said nothing while gathering his books and joining his friends. The three headed towards the entrance hall, talking about who disliked Trelawney the most. Conversation turned quickly to Hermione.
"Did you try to get her to come down to supper?"
"Mate, I tried three times and she said she was too upset to eat."
Ron looked downright crestfallen.
"Not sure what else I can do."
Harry sighed.
"Girls are strange, Ron. Sometimes you think things are going brilliantly and then the next moment you wonder what in Merlin's name got into them. Sometimes I think they're harder to understand than all our lessons put together!"
He was trying to make light of the situation but was also worried as Hermione was acting strange. When Neville said his goodbye to meet Lavender at the clock tower courtyard, Harry turned to Ron.
"I didn't want to ask but…how are things with you and Hermione?"
Ron's miserable expression didn't change.
"I wouldn't know. I don't see her much; I mean, I think things are all right…honestly, nothing much has changed. Not sure if that's the way it's supposed to be."
Ron was watching Harry, hoping someone could ease his worries.
"I don't understand girls," Harry admitted as they left the castle and stepped into the cool night air. Both boys looked around trying to catch a glimpse of Hermione but she was nowhere to be found. Here or there they could see trios or pairs of students from their Divination class moving around the grounds, using their wands as light. The sky was an inky black and dotted with brilliant stars which glimmered like diamonds.
Ron groaned inwardly when he saw the tall, rather rotund silhouette or Millicent Bullstrode waiting for him on the path that led down the hill. Taking a deep breath he moved to join her.
Hermione was furious. She stood over Draco Malfoy, glaring down at him.
"It was you, wasn't it? Sneaky little ferret planting ideas in Trelawney's head!" she hissed.
Draco was lounging on a patch of grass that faced the Black Lake in the distance and looked up at her trying not to laugh.
"Sit down, Granger. We're stuck doing this together whether you like it or not and I'd rather not hear you ranting and raving just because you weren't paired up with your boyfriend."
Hermione threw her things on the ground, missing Malfoy only by a few inches. She sat down then, as far away from him as possible but continued to glare at him in the darkness.
"You're insufferable! Just because you want something doesn't mean you have to manipulate everyone around you to get it! First me and now Trelawney! Merlin knows she's a bit dim but still!"
Draco laughed and then pulled out his wand and Divination book.
"Come, Granger. You know as well as I do that I'm doing you a favor seeing as you're horrible at Divination and I've…well, I've got top marks."
"Doing me a favor?" she nearly screeched. "How can you lie like that? You manipulated the situation to get me alone and then you say you're doing me a favor?!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, you are quite fond of yourself, aren't you, Granger? How do you know it was to get you alone?" he asked innocently.
Furiously she opened her book and flipped it to the chapter about Astronomy, hating Draco Malfoy more than she had ever before. She was glad for the darkness because otherwise he would have seen her blushing.
"I'm done talking to you, Malfoy! I hate you more than I've ever hated anyone!"
"Granger-"
"Shut up," she hissed suddenly turning on him with a vehemence that made his gray eyes widen in shock. "Or I'll hex you within an inch of your life and don't think I won't try it. You don't know what I'm capable of if I'm pushed."
Hermione was unnerved and thrilled at the way he was watching her in the dim light of their wands. Shocked and almost….impressed. Was that even possible with a Malfoy?
There was no sound but her ragged breathing and the faraway sounds of the Forbidden Forest and the night breeze.
"Fine, Granger. I admit it; I may have talked to Trelawney about pairing us up for this assignment but it's completely all your fault."
"My fault?" she snapped. "Can you never take the blame for anything?"
Malfoy ignored her.
"Yes, your fault. If you haven't noticed, you're rather uncooperative and altogether much too stubborn for your own good. I knew you wouldn't meet me again after the other night and so this was the only thing short of the Imperius curse I could think of, and we all know that's forbidden."
His lips turned up in a smirk at the mention of such a thing.
"If you were a normal witch maybe we wouldn't be having this discussion, although I doubt it."
Hermione was shocked at his matter-of-fact tone and the honesty on his face. She relented and then lowered her wand if not her guard.
"I'm not stubborn," she argued weakly. "I just don't want to see you, Malfoy. Is it that difficult to understand? I thought you prided yourself on your brains?"
"You can't deny we work well together. What about the essay on the Blood Moon and that she-wolf?"
"That wasn't a choice," she replied stiffly. "It was punishment. You didn't want to do that assignment any more than I did."
When Malfoy didn't respond immediately, Hermione glanced at him from the corner of her eye, wondering why her breath caught in her throat.
"At first, you're right, I didn't. But you can't deny there's something between us. I can't seem to shake it, Granger and I know you feel the same way. Contrary to popular opinion, I don't possess a prevaricating nature and I'd rather call things by their real names."
Hermione was shocked, feeling heat rising up from the pit of her belly.
What in Merlin's name is he saying?
She watched as he inched closer to her on the grass and could feel the heat of his closeness a contrast to the cool night air.
"Granger," he said and his fingers slipped over hers. "I know none of this makes sense but can't we work through it together?"
She turned her face towards his.
"How?"
"Can I tell you a secret?"
She nodded mutely and he offered her a sly grin.
"I'm actually a right prat most of the time, Granger. I know that might be shocking but it's true. I've done some things to you and your friends that I'm not proud of. And I've called you some horrible names. Can we have a clean slate? I'm apologizing."
Hermione's heart began pounding like a bass drum.
Stop being such a ninny, Hermione! You shouldn't even be feeling anything for him!
"Why don't we just…start on this assignment, Malfoy," she muttered tightly pulling out a worn piece of scroll with her scribblings on it. "According to the research I did in the library earlier there are about ten constellations visible this month. I say we just pick one and split the work."
She shoved the scroll towards him.
"I say we do Capricornus. It's quite popular and we can be done with it quickly and move on with our lives."
She felt him chuckling quietly as he stared at her scribbles by wand light.
"My, your penmanship could use some work," he muttered.
She tore the parchment back from him.
"I refuse to work with you if you insist on acting like a child, and I will not take your insults! I didn't think you actually were sincere about your earlier apology; I'm glad I was right," she finished snippily.
He relented.
"Merlin, you're testy. I was only playing, Granger."
"Stop!"
They glared at one another by the white light of their wands.
"Fine! You should work on being less snotty. And I don't want to work on Capricornus; the zodiac is for Muggles."
Hermione glared down at the ground, jaw set.
"At least Muggles are better than you and your stupid pureblood ideals! I should have figured you'd be prejudiced about this."
"What about the constellation Cygnus?"
"As if that's better? I know what you're getting at; Cygnus is your grandfather, isn't he? Great man he wasn't. Spawning witches like Bellatrix Lestrange!"
She saw the look of shock cross his pale features again.
"How do you know about my family, Granger? You're quite nosy, you know that?"
"Common knowledge, isn't it? Or where have you been the last five or six years? Who was it that killed Sirius Black? And tortured Neville Longbottom's parents? Fine family you have."
"You know, if you would stop running your mouth so much maybe you'd realize that just because there's a bad egg in the family doesn't mean we're all rotten."
Hermione let out a short, derisive laugh.
"Please, Malfoy. I'd rather be a Mudblood than ever be associated with your family. You can't truly justify what your family has done, Malfoy. That would make you even worse than they are."
Her words died on the cool night air and Hermione found that Malfoy did not have a retort; she had gotten the best of him and it should have felt better, she knew.
"Look, let's just not…talk about this," she muttered. "Why don't we each do some research before tomorrow and talk about which one would make the best essay?"
Though it appeared as if he was going to make another snippy comeback to her suggestion, Hermione saw him relent and nod.
"Best thing either of us has said tonight."
He turned his face up towards the heavens and Hermione found herself following suit, staring up at the beautiful night tapestry.
"Granger, I know you have a right to feel the way you do about me but I was sincere earlier when I apologized. I am sorry for the things I've done and said. I'm not perfect but I'm also not my family."
She watched him stand up and brush off his robes; his heat was gone and the scent of him – the spicy sweet freshness – hinted at her senses. He offered his hand down to her and Hermione hesitated only briefly before taking it. His grip was certain and warm; she felt him lifting her to her feet and pulling her close and she felt dizzy being so close to him now.
"Will you accept my apology?"
Hermione swallowed hard.
"I don't – I mean, I'm not always unforgiving it's just that…it's hard to trust you."
She saw him sigh.
"Trust is earned, so they say. And I know I have none of your trust so I'm asking you for some time to earn it."
It was dark except for their wands and the moon that hung over the Forbidden Forest but Hermione could see that Draco was as sincere as she had ever seen him.
"To make up for the rubbish way I treated you, Granger. You can't deny you want that, can you?"
Ignoring him, she gathered her things up from where she had dropped them trying to keep her heart from wanting to trust what she was feeling.
"What I want right now is for us to finish this assignment. I'm not promising anything else, Malfoy. I'll be researching at the library after classes tomorrow and then I'll meet you here, same time?"
She was as firm as she could possibly be, steeling herself from the inevitable draw she felt to him; it would do her no good now.
"Same time, then," he responded.
Hermione waited for a few moments, wondering – no – wanting him to kiss her good night as he had the day before but when he didn't move she felt herself blushing furiously at her foolishness and turned to rush back towards the castle, books clutched to her chest. She never saw him gazing after her with longing and confusion.
And so it began – whatever it was between them – really began.