10

With detention over, Hermione was at a loss to what she could do now. She was entering her second week into the bet, leaving her with just twenty-three days left to achieve the impossible.

Since their Friday night in the forest, Hermione and Malfoy hadn't spoken. It had been an entire weekend now, and she had barely caught more than a glimpse of him. She also hadn't had another dream about him, which was a huge relief. Yes, the bet required her to get Draco Malfoy to confess his love for her, but that didn't mean Hermione had to reciprocate his feelings. She certainly didn't want to, despite her brains conflicting messages recently. Even if it meant she failed, maybe having a break away from the Slytherin was a good thing?

Then again, Hermione hated failing.

"So how's it going?" Lavender asked, brushing her long hair as they got ready for bed on Sunday night. Hermione didn't answer. "That well, huh?"

"It's going okay," Hermione said, irritated. Lavender had been asking for updates almost every day, and it was becoming tiring.

"Of course it is," came the patronising response.

"I dunno," Parvati said slowly. "I saw him nod to her as he passed her the other day." Yes, that had happened, hadn't it? It had only been a small thing, but Malfoy acknowledging her in the hallway had never happened before unless it was to hurl insults at her and her friends.

"Oh…" Lavender frowned, almost as if she were worried. "Well, that hardly means anything!"

Lavender's dismay worked at brightening Hermione's mood, and she fell asleep thinking positive thoughts for the next day.

The morning began with double potions. Hermione briefly wondered whether she would be paired with Malfoy again but was quickly disappointed when Snape partnered her up with a Slytherin named Heather Cluzor.

Hermione hadn't spent a lot of time in the company of Heather, and for good reason. Heather was a true Slytherin in nature. And a dumb one at that.

"Great, stuck with a filthy Mudblood for two hours," Heather grumbled under her breath as Hermione took a seat beside the bleached-blonde girl.

"Could be worse Cluzor," Malfoy said as he passed by to pair with his partner – Harry. "At least you'll pass for once." Hermione frowned at the comment. Had that been a compliment? Not a very good one, mind.

"He was insulting me, not complimenting you, bitch," Heather said under her breath. Intellect-wise, Heather was way down there at the bottom, but, annoyingly, she was very good at people. She always seemed to know what people were thinking and, with Hermione struggling to gain Malfoy's attention at every given minute, that was an extremely bad thing.

Heather, of course, did little to help Hermione with their potion which suited Hermione just fine. She worked in silence, keeping her head down. She didn't want to make Heather any more suspicious than she already was. She only looked up as she happened to overhear Harry.

"Shut it, Malfoy."

"Potter," Snape warned coldly, moving over to the pair. "Ten points from Gryffindor. Speak to your partner like that again, and I'll make it fifty."

Hermione stared at the pair, wondering what it was Malfoy had said. The Slytherin seem to feel her gaze and sent her a wicked smirk, making sure that Harry saw. Harry's cheeks flared bright red, and he clenched his fists, but otherwise he didn't react. He wasn't going to let Draco Malfoy be the reason he lost sixty points for Gryffindor.

Hermione looked away guiltily. She was betraying her friends with this bet. She had to tell them. She was sure they would never understand or forgive her should she win without telling them what was going on. However, telling them almost felt worse. Hermione couldn't imagine their reactions to the news. She knew it wouldn't be good, though. Ron, especially, would take it hard. Then again, it wasn't as if she wanted to be with Malfoy. She just wanted to win this bet and humiliate Lavender. And Malfoy.

Hermione dropped her phial. It smashed into a thousand tiny shards on the floor, sparkling in the low light of the room. Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare, but Hermione hardly noticed.

It had never occurred to her before that if she won the stupid bet - if Malfoy fell in love with her - then she would end up humiliating him as well. Only a week ago that wouldn't have been such a bad thing, but now… It had only been a week. Only one single week. One week shouldn't have been enough to undo years of hatred, and it wasn't, not really, but… well, it had been enough to change her perspective on him, just a little. Draco Malfoy would never be nice exactly, but he had been nicer to her.

Snape was yelling at her, but Hermione hardly noticed. Her gaze found Malfoy and he held her eye contact, his expression impossible to read. He looked amused, but there was something else there too.

"Granger!"

"Sorry!" Hermione snapped her gaze away from Malfoy as reality snatched her back. She shifted her feet and felt shards of glass crunch under shoe. Embarrassed, she mumbled an apology.

The rest of Potions dragged. As class ended, Hermione ducked out without waiting for her friends, desperate to avoid Malfoy. She hid in the shadows as he passed, Heather by his side.

"She kept staring at you," Heather was telling him, disgust coating her voice.

"She was probably staring at Potter. Everyone knows she has a thing for him. 'Chosen one' and all that bull." They were out of earshot before Heather responded.

"Hermione! There you are!" Ron frowned as he walked over, Harry by his side. "What did Cluzor say to you?"

"Huh?" Hermione was distracted. She tried to force herself to listen to her friend.

"You never break anything. It must have been bad." He sounded angry. Although unwarranted, it was nice to know he cared so much.

"She didn't really say anything," Hermione said. "I was just distracted. It was completely my fault. Anyway – " she changed the subject quickly. "I'm more interested in what Malfoy said to Harry."

"He had a lot to say about you," Harry said, uncomfortably. He wasn't meeting her eyes.

"Like what?"

"Nothing I'd like to repeat. Don't worry; I told him where to go." Hermione frowned. Just what had Malfoy been saying about her?