Chapter ten – Unpopular Pairing
Hermione could not get Draco's face expression from earlier that day out of her during dinner that evening. She had shared a great meal in the Great Hall with her fellows, where she had discussed Harry's Malfoy-Death-Eater theory -in a whisper of course, with their Housemates within earshot. Hermione didn't believe Draco to be a Death Eater, he couldn't be. Even though she had to admit some of Harry's arguments were quite convincing, as why he was showing his arm to Borgin in Borgin And Burkes before term began. Yes, it was the arm they usually put the Dark Mark on, but Hermione could not make herself believe it. Draco had been nice to her on her short, unexpected visit to the Malfoy Mansion during the holiday. He didn't seem to have anything to hide.
"Hermione, did you have a good Christmas?" Ginny Weasly asked Hermione in the common room just around twelve o'clock. Ron was out for a sneak walk with Lavender, discussing their relationship, and Harry was reading through his Potions book - again. Hermione wanted to tear the book apart. The Half-Blood Prince was probably just a nobody whom had gone to Hogwarts years back. Whoever it was were manipulating with Harry's mind.
"Yes, thank you, I did. And you?" Hermione knew exactly how Ginny had spent her Christmas because it was the same every year.
"It was fine, thank you. I heard you and Luna saw each other..."
"Oh, uhm yeah we did." She had not thought it through – what if someone asked Luna? She sighed with how far out the lie had gotten. "Blimey, I've forgotten my – er - bag in Transfiguration," Hermione said, once again lying. But she deemed this lie necessary to make sure she didn't get caught in the other one. When this ended she was never, ever going to lie again. It was far too complicated for her liking. But first she had to sort out this lie.
"Can't you just pick it up tomorrow? It's past curfew," Ginny suggested.
"Uhm, I have some homework in it which is due tomorrow morning. I'll be back in a few." Ginny looked at Hermione in disbelief. Hermione had not been near the Transfiguration-classroom that day since it was the first day back, and she for the same reason didn't have any homework due. Ginny knew that Hermione was up to something, but she couldn't tell what.
"Don't get caught," Ginny said at last. She decided that it was Hermione's own business, and Ginny could question her later on. If she really was in trouble she'd ask for help, Ginny was sure of it.
Hermione nodded at Ginny, then walked out through the portrait hole and towards the Ravenclaw-Tower. It was a long way and she had to tiptoe to not get caught by Filch or any of the Professors. She couldn't even imagine how much trouble she'd be in getting caught on the first day back.
"Lumos," she whispered, making a light appear at the tip of her wand. It lit up the darkened corridors just enough for Hermione to be able to see the sleeping portraits on the walls.
All of a sudden another light appeared ahead. As she looked closer she realised it too was a lit wand. Somebody was right in front of her and she couldn't escape. She was caught. Hermione turned of her light with a simple "Nox".
"All right, you got me," she said surrendering.
Silence fled in, leaving Hermione thinking the worst. Maybe it was a Death Eater who had sneaked in? She shook that thought of her. No, a Death Eater could not enter Hogwarts like that. Not without anybody noticing.
"Granger?" a voice, the other person, asked in surprise. Hermione jumped with the sound of Draco Malfoy's voice. She lit her wand again and led it towards the place where the honey-soft voice had just sounded. There he was, looking rather worried and sweaty in a white shirt and black trousers.
"Malfoy? As a Prefect I will have to-" Draco cut her off.
"Yeah you're out, too," he said with a smirk. Hermione felt as if she had just hit a brick wall. He had a point; she was out too, breaking the rules. And Draco was also a Prefect. He had the same abilities as her and could easily turn her in. He probably would, considering the expression he had worn earlier.
"Why don't we just walk hand in hand down to McGonagall's office and turn each other in then?" Hermione suggested with sarcasm in her voice. She rarely spoke sarcastic, and Draco was not afraid to show that he was surprised.
"Great idea, why don't you just knock on the Dark Lord's door and tell him your blood-type, now you're there?" Draco replied, too in sarcasm. Hermione felt hurt, she always did when she got called a Mudblood or her blood type was pointed out. Coincidentally, these insults often came from the mouth of the boy in front of her.
"So you do know where he lives!" Draco frowned. He was ashamed of his family's relation to Voldemort, but that was something he would never admit. Especially not to Hermione Granger. For a long time none of them said a word, though they did still look at each other. Hermione had a strange feeling in her gut. She wanted Draco to take another step towards her, grab her hips... She quickly shook the picture that crossed her mind off.
"Well, if you are not going to arrest me or send me to the wise dead, I have to move on," Hermione said as she got too tired of the silence. She loved silence when she was reading, studying or thinking, but awkward silence in the middle of a conversation made her go insane.
"And where is it exactly you are going, I may ask?"
"The Ravenclaw-Tower, curious ferret-face." Hermione was referring to the episode where Barty Crouch Jr. acting out as Mad-Eye Moody, had transfigured Draco into a small ferret in front of his mates. Hermione herself had not been present at the hilarious event, but Harry had explained it very detailed to her. He had loved seeing Draco embarrassed.
"I hope you get caught, Muggleborn." Draco walked further down the corridor, making sure to bump into Hermione as he passed her by.
As Hermione finally arrived at the beginning of the staircase leading to the Ravenclaw common-room, she realised she probably couldn't solve whatever conundrum the door would give her. They were always very tricky and smart.
Hermione stood there for a while wondering, but smart as she was she quickly agreed with herself that it was a part of her Prefect duty to check up on how the Ravenclaws were doing.
She walked up the spiral staircase, and did - with a bit of hesitation - knock softly on the door. She hoped a few students would still be awake and open it for her. After a minute or two a Seventh year Ravenclaw student, whom Hermione had only seen around but never talked to, opened the door.
"Hermione Granger? I would never have believed to see you out past curfew," the Ravenclaw girl said with surprise in her voice. She was tall - even taller than Ron - and had short, dark blonde hair.
"Just doing my Prefect duty. May I have a word with Luna Lovegood, please?" Hermione pinched herself discreetly because she once again had lied to another person.
"Is she in trouble?" the girl asked, looking a bit concerned.
"No - not at all. I just need to talk to her."
"Oh, good. Sure, I'll send her out. Just a second," the blonde girl said, and re-entered the common-room.
Shortly after a dirty-blonde haired girl with silvery-grey eyes showed up.
"Hermione, hi!" Luna nearly sang. Her voice was beautiful, Hermione had to admit, even though she often found it a bit annoying after a while of talking.
"Hi, Luna. The reason I am here is actually to ask you for a – er - favour," Hermione said with a shaking voice. "If I may, of course," she quickly added, not wanting to sound dis-polite. She fumbled nervously with her robes awaiting Luna's reaction.
"Yes of course, Hermione! Do you need help finding the Nargles? Don't say they've hurt you!" Luna looked sincerely worried.
"No, that's not it. It's... If anyone asks you about your Christmas Eve, will you please say you spent it with me?" Hermione's eyes were begging.
"Sure I'll do so. Now, sleep well, Hermione," Luna said, not even asking why she had to lie. She swung her long hair, smiled gently and walked back in. Hermione liked her for that – she was not very curious and didn't question anything.
Feeling relieved Hermione tiptoed back to the Gryffindor common-room.
"Fairy Lights," she whispered, and the Fat Lady swung aside.
First day back in classes were hard. All of the teachers were throwing homework at them as if their N.E.W.T's were just around the corner, and not over a year away.
Especially Potions with Professor Slughorn was tricky. He had over the holidays decided that they should all become friends and see each other as equals. He therefore wanted to mix up the Gryffindors and the Slytherins.
"It will be good for you. Maybe you'll even make friends!" Professor Slughorn said with false anticipation and a bit of sarcasm. He knew none of them would make friends, which was like expecting Hagrid to fear such a big spider as Aragog. Slughorn looked down at the rather mad students of his.
"Er, Harry m'boy, you and Mr. Zabini, eh?"
Harry Potter had a relieved expression on his face - probably because he didn't end up with Draco - but he was still mad about having to work with a Slytherin, one of his sworn enemies.
"Weasly and Parkinson," Slughorn continued - making Ron's face turn bright red, and Pansy slip out a moan - and then read up the rest of the names. Many sighs filled the room. Nobody seemed to be pleased with their partnerships.
"Oh, and at last, Malfoy and Granger. Make some magic!"
"But..." Hermione protested, but she didn't know how to finish the sentence.
"Just go with it! See if you can get some inside information," Harry whispered to her. Hermione sighed at Harry's silliness – he was so set on exposing Draco as a Death Eater.
"He wouldn't share anything with me," she stated and moved over to the table where Draco was seated. He had not bothered doing his hair that day; it was a filthy mess. It still looked great, though, Hermione thought.
"Malfoy," she said and sat down without looking at him.
"Granger. Why do you seem to show up anywhere I go?" Draco asked. Hermione had been wondering that exact same thing. Could it really be just a coincidence that Draco appeared everywhere – she saw him in every crowd, ran into him in corridors and even ended up in his mansion after a failed floo powder trip?
"All right, what you are supposed to do is brew the potion Calming Draught. I have written the instructions on the chalkboard. You have to help each other to make it correctly," Slughorn instructed and advised.
Both Hermione and Draco read the instructions on the chalkboard carefully.
"Sir?" Zabini began, "will there be any prizes to the best potion?"
Slughorn quickly searched through his pockets, and at last found a little piece of parchment with some writing on it that Hermione couldn't make out from distance.
"Yes, Zabini, the pair who makes the best potion will get awarded with a gift-card to dinner for two at Hog's Head!" He was now speaking to the entire class.
The thought of going out to dinner with Draco made Hermione decide she wanted to brew the potion poorly.
"Knock yourselves out, m'friends!"
"So you don't fancy going out with me, then?" Draco commented after ten minutes of intense preparing. He was watching over their cauldron, making sure it didn't explode, while Hermione was chopping pieces of ordinary Muggle radishes.
"Why would you think that?" The tension that had been between them that night in the corridors seemed to have vanished – it was almost like being back at the roof.
"The instructions clearly states to cut the radish into tiny pieces, and your pieces are at the size of my thumps!" Hermione could feel herself blush, she felt warm all over. She thought he wouldn't notice.
"Let me," Draco said. He walked up to Hermione, placed his hands on hers and helped cutting the radish into smaller pieces. His touch on her was warm, which Hermione had never expected with Draco being so pale. He looked as someone who had really cold skin and constantly icy fingers, but luckily that wasn't the case.
After an hour of sweat, failed attempts and loads of fights between the two Houses, Slughorn called class to an end.
"Now, let us see..." he said, walking amongst the classroom's desks, looking into different cauldrons. He wrinkled his nose at Ron and Pansy's. Hermione had not expected differently. She was sure the two of them couldn't get along. It was in nature. Like matching a giant elephant with a mouse - Ron was the elephant; stomping down everything and terrified of Pansy.
"Wenby, you can do better than this, and same goes for you Parkinson. I would defiantly not drink this." He moved on to Neville's desk.
"Harry m'boy, this should be good!" Slughorn said as he approached Harry and Blaise. But the face expression that crossed was different from what everyone had expected it to be.
"Er, interesting, you two... Ah, I smell... leaf, is that correct? You must've misread my instructions." Hermione held back a giggle. It was obvious that Harry had not been using his Half-Blood Prince book because Blaise was watching him. That just told Slughorn how bad Harry actually was at Potions.
After a while of walking, Slughorn approached Draco and Hermione's table with a disappointed look on his face. He had expected more from his student - at least from Harry.
"Granger, Malfoy, you're Calming Draught is.." Slughorn paused and took an extra look at their cauldron. "…Perfect! How did you do this? It is nearly impossible for a Sixth Year student to do!" Hermione was used to being praised by her teachers, but Slughorn had never quite liked her; Harry had been shining so bright that it had blinded Slughorn for Hermione's brilliance. It was difficult for her not to excellence in every subject.
"P-perfect?" Draco stammered. "I mean, of course it's perfect! Why'd you expect any different from me?" He was being his normal smug self.
"Yes, perfect, Mr. Malfoy." He searched through his pockets once more. "Here you go, enjoy Hog's Head!" Draco received the card with a smile on his face, which he was trying to hide.
Hermione on the other hand couldn't hide her joy. She was smiling all over her face -probably looking like a jerk, she thought. But what did that mean to her? She had just won over Harry and proved to herself that she after all was excellent at Potions.