The following week had dragged to a standstill as Hermione had found herself with a case of Malfoy on the brain. She'd silently watched him over the course of the week, and it had been an eye-opener. On Monday evening, she'd found him in the library after dinner—studying with Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini. In between working on his assignments, he was tutoring Crabbe and Goyle in Charms and Herbology and in between doing her Runes homework, she kept glancing surreptitiously at the small group of Slytherins and she'd been amazed at how patient Malfoy had been helping his...friends?
Could she really call them cronies if Malfoy was taking the time to make sure Crabbe and Goyle were doing well in their classes?
Hasn't she done the same for Harry and Ron over the years?
Tuesday, on the way to Arithmancy, she'd caught Malfoy talking to a couple of older Ravenclaw witches, his expression tight and unyielding. He was holding something in his hand before he put it into his book bag, and Hermione couldn't quite make it out at first. It wasn't until right before dinner she'd seen him outside the Great Hall handing whatever it was to Luna. The Ravenclaw's smile was genuine as she nodded at the Slytherin and then skipped into dinner.
But it wasn't until the next afternoon, that Ginny had told her that two seventh year Ravenclaw witches at been harassing Luna repeatedly and taking her shoes—hiding them in the castle. Harry had overheard the story too, his own expression angry on their friend's behalf.
Everyone had been gobsmacked at how Malfoy had stood up for Luna.
Thursday had been a quiet day but in the evening Malfoy was back in the library, studying with a few Slytherin underclassmen. He was tutoring them in Potions, and she silently watched how he helped not only a few of the fifth years—but several first and second years, who came to him with questions.
How had she never noticed this before?
On Friday, the most shocking moment of the week had come. She was walking down the fourth floor corridor, heading back to Gryffindor Tower from class, when she heard Malfoy's voice—but it was who he was talking to that brought her up short.
"What happened?" His voice was calm and kind.
"Those two boys were mean to me again."
It was Sally's voice, and it was clear she had been crying.
Hermione heard Draco sigh heavily, and then she heard some shuffling before he spoke again.
"I'm so sorry Sally. I promise, I will have another talk with them again."
A few more sniffles could be heard and then Sally responded. "Why do they hate me so much? I've never done anything to them? I don't even know them!"
Hermione heard Draco sigh again and then she heard a bit more shuffling, almost as if he was leading Sally to sit down.
"I know this isn't easy to understand Sally," Draco began, "but there are many witches and wizards who feel that those born of Muggle parents have no right to be here. Some feel that muggleborns steal their magic."
"That's just barmy!" Sally replied indignantly, causing Hermione to smile. "That makes no sense? How is one supposed to steal magic?"
There was a lengthy pause, so Hermione silently moved down the corridor a bit so she could hear their conversation better.
She was stunned when she heard Draco chuckle.
"That's a very good question."
"And?"
"A magical core can be drained, but the truth is I've never heard of a spell to transfer magic from one person to another. Now, there are specific bonds that can strengthen magic between a mated couple but I'm unsure how magic might be stolen."
"Like werewolves?"
"And just what would a first year know about werewolf bonds?"
Hermione grinned even wider as she heard Sally huff. "I can read you know."
This got a barked laugh out of Malfoy, and Hermione felt herself giggling before quickly clamping a hand over her mouth.
"Merlin little witch, you sound just like someone else I know."
"Really?"
"Mmhmm," Draco drawled with amusement before his voice took on a serious edge. "Do me a favor, okay?"
"What?"
"From now on, walk with a friend or two around the hallways. Don't go anywhere alone if you can help it. I will talk to my classmates again, but sometimes it's better not to give gits like that an opening."
"Okay," Sally replied softly.
Hermione heard them stand up. She was quick to disillusion herself and place a silencing charm up as she watched Malfoy and Sally move back around the corner. She smiled when the little Gryffindor gave Malfoy a hug, and felt her heart soften when Malfoy hugged the girl back.
"Stay out of trouble, okay?"
"I'll try, but I make no promises."
Draco chuckled and nodded as he watched the little witch scamper down the hallway with a indulgent expression on his face.
Then it morphed into a scowl as he headed back down towards the dungeons and Hermione had to wonder just what he was going to do to his two Slytherin classmates.
Her answer had come the next morning, when Selwyn and his friend walked morosely into the Great Hall for breakfast. Their faces and arms were covered in red hives...an itching hex had been placed—and Hermione smirked to herself while everyone laughed at the two.
When Draco sauntered in a few moments later, he caught Sally's eye and winked at her—and Hermione giggled softly at the pleased expression on the firstie's face.
It would seem that Draco Malfoy had his very own fan club by the swooning looks he was getting from the first and second year Gryffindor witches.
Shaking her head, Hermione couldn't help but wonder where the old Draco Malfoy had gone and if this new version was just a blip or something more permanent.
Hours later, Hermione was still pondering those questions as she made her way into the potions classroom where Draco was standing by his normal station, working on his Polyjuice potion.
"Hi."
Grey eyes lifted and a small smile quirked over the corner of his lips.
"You came."
"I said I would."
Malfoy didn't respond as his attention was back on his potions making. Hermione noticed he had the fluxweed and knotgrass measured, and at his station was a brass cauldron.
"Why a brass cauldron?"
"It cuts down the brewing time in the first step by twelve minutes, which I'm sure you're aware..." he smirked at her and she nodded, waiting for him to elaborated further...which he did after a moment, "But brass is the best thermal exchanger of heat of the three cauldron choices. Electrical and thermal."
Hermione's eyes widened comically. "You know about electricity?"
Draco's expression was smug, but he nodded in response. "Yes, Draco Malfoy knows about electricity. Shocking!"
Hermione chocked in her laughter. "That was truly awful, Malfoy."
His light chuckle had her stomach fluttering a bit and she couldn't help but smile in response. She perused his work station and hummed thoughtfully to herself as she noticed the mortar, pestle, lacewing flies and leeches all separated in their proper containers.
"So, you brewed this second year?"
Hermione's head shot up as she took in Malfoy's questioning look.
"I did."
"Impressive."
"Thanks."
He nodded and started the potion-making process measuring the fluxweed carefully then adding it to the cauldron. Hermione observed quietly as the first step was completed effortlessly and allowed to simmer for 68 minutes exactly.
Checking the time, she noticed that it was about twenty minutes until their Amortentia was completed and could be bottled.
"Are you here every Saturday?"
Malfoy shrugged. "No. Sometimes I'm here on Sundays too. I have to watch my schedule closely to make sure that whatever I choose to brew, I can be here at the exact timed intervals to stir or add ingredients. So my schedule for the next few months is relatively set."
"Are you planning on getting your potions Mastery after school?"
Draco gazed at her briefly, before he moved over to the potions closet to grab a few things. When he came back, Hermione noticed he had a few smaller containers that he set down next to his ingredients.
"My internship with Severus will cut my mastery time in half. I should be done with it a year after school ends. I'm researching a few ideas for improving Dreamless Sleep as well as combining a calming draught with a standard pain potion."
Hermione's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "That's intriguing. How close are you?"
"To figuring it out?"
She nodded.
"I have a few formulaic ideas for the latter but I've hit a bit of a stumbling block on the Dreamless sleep. I'll figure it out eventually."
She didn't respond, not wanting to feed into Malfoy's ego anymore than strictly necessary even if he was rather brilliant at potions.
The remainder of the time was met in silence as she watched him prepare the next ingredients with precision and when his wand vibrated, he set aside his preparation and sauntered over to where their Amortentia had been left. He uncovered the gold cauldron and placed the silk cloth on the table, and she could see the perfectly pearlescent sheen of their finished product.
Malfoy eyed her for a split second before he took a whiff of the potion, his eyes glazing for a second before he smirked.
"Well?" She asked curiously.
"Why don't you take a whiff for yourself and you tell me?"
Reluctantly, Hermione made her way over and took a small sniff of the potion...her eyes closing briefly as she smelled the fragrant smells of new parchment, sandlewood and green apples. Steeping back, she nodded once refusing to make eye contact with Malfoy...who's gaze was scope-locked on her.
"So, what do you smell, Miss Prewett?"
"You first, Malfoy."
Hermione's expression was even but Malfoy just grinned as he tilted his head in acquiescence.
"Fine." He chuckled again in that infuriating way that made him look delectable. "I smell old books, ink, vanilla and plumeria."
Hermione's eyes flew up to his in shock. She used vanilla bath oil daily and her perfume had both notes of vanilla and plumeria.
It was a strange coincidence, right?
"And you?"
She cleared her throat and said unconvincingly. "Uhm...new parchment, sandlewood and spearmint toothpaste."
She watched Draco's eyebrow lift but he didn't refute her claim, he just slowly turned around and bottled their finished product for Professor Slughorn.
"Have you given any thought as to what we discussed last week?" He eventually said, as he set aside their potion and covered the gold cauldron with the silk cloth again.
"I have."
"And?"
Hermione sighed. She was still reluctant to trust Malfoy after everything that had happened between them, but it wasn't his fault that he'd been in the wrong place at the right time.
"You'd really swear an oath?"
"On my family magic?" He queried, and Hermione nodded. "Yes, Prewett. I would have no problem doing so."
Biting her lip, Hermione was about to speak with the classroom door opened and in walked the one witch she'd rather not see.
"There you are."
Malfoy turned around and Hermione could feel his irritation as he watched the buxom witch enter the room.
"Therese, what can I do for you?"
"I thought we had plans for today?"
Hermione seethed inwardly as the blonde witch came over and placed a possessive hand on Malfoy's arm.
"No, I told you I was busy." His voice was short and clipped. "How is Ivan?"
Hermione watched Rowle's expression morph into a pinched look as she stared at Malfoy.
"He is fine." She said with faux sweetness. "But he knows that we've been spending time together, Draco. He's not a jealous wizard."
Draco sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's too bad." He drawled coldly. "Perhaps that might work for him, but I'm not into sharing Therese. What we had is over and if you'd told me about the betrothal before, I would've never allowed our assignation to get as far as it did."
Hermione's face was passive, but inside her stomach was doing pole vaults as she watched the scene play before her.
"You knew Draco."
Malfoy put his hand up and shook his head. "I knew you two were seeing each other, but I didn't know your families had all but the signed contracts in place. Imagine my surprise when I got a nice little letter from Thorfinn asking me what my intentions were? Did you seek to try and trap me?"
The Slytherin witch just scowled. "You know that wasn't my intention Draco. We were just having a bit of fun."
Malfoy nodded. "And now it's done." His voice was cutting as he waved his hand towards the door. "Now, if you wouldn't mind? I'm fairly busy and have no time to rehash this with you. Give my best to Ivan."
Therese's lips pursed as she sent Hermione a scathing look, then swept out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
After a few moments of silence, Hermione noticed that Malfoy looked tired.
"I'm sorry?"
Grey eyes lifted and held hers for a moment. "Don't be. It's my own fault. I knew she was seeing Ivan, but I didn't know how serious is was until recently. I had heard rumors, but I tend to ignore such musings. Perhaps this time I should've done my due diligence a bit better."
"When did you find out?"
"The night you found us."
"Oh?"
"Mmhmm," Malfoy hummed in acknowledgement. "I was angry and I didn't handle it very well. What you likely saw that night was the result of that irritation."
"Towards me? Or her?"
Draco smirked. "Touché," he shook his head again, "for what it's worth? I'm sorry if I didn't handle any of this very well. Like I said, my emotions have been a bit off this past month. I don't think I even recognized it myself until that night."
"Do you think if I gave you back the memories, you might be better?"
"I don't know to be honest. Even Severus couldn't tell me for sure."
Dipping her head down in shame, Hermione bit her lip hard as she contemplated what to do. After a few moments of internal debate, she moved over into Malfoy's space and said quietly, "I'm sorry for what it's worth. I didn't know about the option of a vow and I allowed my own fear and distrust of our shared past to influence my decision. For that, I apologize."
Draco sighed. "Prewett...Hermione..." her eyes widened at the use of her first name, even as her stomach swarmed with butterflies at how sensual it sounded coming out of Malfoy's mouth. "Our past is less than stellar, it's true. I've been a right git to you and I wish I could tell you that the spoilt prat I was, isn't still a part of me. But I can promise you that I'm trying to be better and do better."
"I know." She smiled slightly. "I know you are."
Draco swallowed heavily and nodded. "I vow on my family magic, as a Malfoy that whatever you share with me now and in the future will be held in the strictest of confidences...so mote it be."
Hermione's eyes felt like they were starting to water slightly as she felt the force of the magical vow take hold ever them both, and she swallowed tightly as she gently placed her hands on Malfoy's cheeks...his own hands coming up to hold her into place.
Then she spoke into his mind.
"Malfoy?"
After a second or two, his voice answered. "Yes."
He then watched as Hermione showed him the way into the Hogwarts library in his mind. They walked together down a long aisle until they reached a shelf where there were several editions of Hogwarts a History. Inwardly, Draco chuckled as he said deeply, "I should've known."
He could feel Hermione's responded mirth as she opened the book and took out the key that had been banished there. She then noticed herself back in the same stark room she'd been in before and saw the door in the middle of the room. Walking up to it, she took in her surroundings, but didn't see any pewter box, so she opened the door...once...twice until she noticed a small box over in the corner of the room. Walking over, she picked it up and held it inside her hands...her mind silently asking Malfoy for permission to open it.
"Go ahead witch."
She grinned and then took the key and unlocked the box...opening it and allowing the memory to come forth.
She watched in awe as Draco relived that night...and everything that had happened. She felt his shock, wonder and awe as he watched the scene unfold before him a second time. When she nipped at him in her animagus form, she felt his chest rumble in amusement and when Theo confronted him and then right before the fateful memory charm was placed...she felt his sadness and despair.
Then she felt his gratitude, pleasure and peace.
"Thank you Hermione." His voice was husky and playful, just like it had been that night.
"You're welcome Draco."
She felt his pleased emotions as she said his given name into his mind but not wishing to belabor the point, she broke eye contact immediately.
When she went to remove her hands from his cheeks, she felt his own hands grip hers a bit tighter and she gazed up into his grey eyes as he considered her heatedly.
"Can I ask a question?" He murmured.
She continued to stare up into his eyes and nodded.
"This thing with Adrian? Is it serious?"
Hermione's breath caught and she bit her lip as she felt trapped in an endless stormy abyss that was watching her avidly, waiting for her response.
After a moment she said softly, "I don't know."
He hummed and then smirked. "When you figure it out, do let me know."
"Why?" She blurted out stunned and felt his chest rumble beneath hers again, as he smiled lopsidedly...his expression soft and warm.
It was as disconcerting as it was charming.
"Because I fully intend to court you Miss Prewett. But I won't do so until you give me permission. I won't assume to do that again where you're concerned."
Hermione just rolled her eyes even as her stomach erupted in butterflies. "You're assuming I want to be courted by you, Malfoy."
He leant forward and then whispered into her ear hotly, "I know that you fibbed to me about your Amortentia, witch. When you're ready to admit what it was you really smelled, please let me know."
And with that, she felt his hands leave hers as he turned around to complete his potions tasks.
Staring at him completely flabbergasted, Hermione wasn't sure what to think about anything right now and she couldn't leave the room fast enough...missing the pleased grin on Malfoy's face as she left him to his potions making.