Blaise Zabini looked in his eyes and nodded toward the other side of the Great Hall. Draco pretended to be overly confused. Zabini repeated the motion, accompanied by a pointed glare. The Malfoy heir rolled his eyes and crossed his arms defensively, refusing to steal a glance at Granger whose hands seemed to be stuck to the potion's book.

"What's she doing with that book?" Blaise asked after a while, sipping earl grey tea, the etiquette drilled into him as he refused to stare at the deputy Head Girl further. "I knew you had to learn the recipes from backwards to anagrams, but why is it with Grager? I thought it burnt with..."

Draco's clutch tightened around his poor fork. He knew what Blaise wanted to say – burnt with Crabbe. He shivered and put the cutlery down. Suddenly he wasn't all that hungry.

"It did. That one's a copy from our library."

At Balise's confused expression, Draco sighed. He knew he'd eventually need to talk about his plans, but he'd never expected this confrontation to be this soon, even before he could have made sure Granger accepted his offer. "I need her help. But now, she does not have any knowing of that."

Blaise nodded in acknowledgement and took a toast from the platter in front of him. Zabini looked for blueberry jam and when he found it with his eyes, he couldn't resist scowling. It was on the other side of the table, between the excitedly buzzing firsties. Surprisingly there were more than ten eleven-years-old sorted in Slytherin this year, which was really high number compared to the only one second year in their house.

Zabini accio'ed the container at which the little newbies marvelled with eyes comically wide like they had just witnessed a murder.

Draco scowled at the thought and looked away, wishing for bitter coffee that he took a liking of during this summer, during his house arrest. In Slytherin's table all you could get was either mocha or cocoa, none being his desired morning fuel.

"There's a quill poking out from the book," Blaise blurted out, chewing on his bite in slow motion, hoping it also did slow the seconds. He didn't want to go in Potions just like that, all sober and bored beyond bearing.

Draco subtly glanced at the woman, sitting primly at the Gryffindor table, the Weaselette continuously jabbing her with her elbow just to get her attention. It didn't bother Granger's focus.

"Page ninety-three, the Essence of Spurius," he told Blaise and looked up when hearing his cough. With this, he nearly managed to choke his friend. It was just Draco's usual luck that he didn't manage.

"And pray tell me how this is supposed to persuade her to give you a hand?" he demanded, at his forceful tone attracting more eyes than his former accio spell.

Draco sighed and reached for the jar full of cocoa, trying hard not to think about his perfect coffee that would make a half-dead horse jump on its four feet and gallop away, immediately. "I have my reasons," he answered in the Slytherin way, not giving away any details. "Besides, if she is what her reputation suggests, the Brightest Witch of her Age, and all that, she'd figure it out before we clash. And I'm sure she'd realize it, the moment she reads the part about the effect."

Blaise pulled up a well-mannered eyebrow at him, "You know that she will."

It made Draco smirk in satisfaction, entirely tuning Blaise out entirely, "Headaches, hallucinations, stinging feeling, the burning inside the veins..., and paralysation. That would be the clues she'd most certainly pick up on."

"What are you playing Draco?" Blaise asked again, worried about the brunette who had not the slightest idea about this conversation or Draco's fucked up way of scheming.

"Nothing harmful," Malfoy answered, downing the cocoa from his mug in one go. Maybe it did not wake him up, but he couldn't deny its fineness, he licked his lips to get every drop of the sweet liquid. "She needs just as much my help as I need hers. She'd find the solution for my tiny little problem. All I need to do is to provide her with information."

With that, he stood up, not bothered by the many stares he'd received. He got a hold of a green apple from one of the trays, so polished that it was practically glinting at him, and bit in it, hard. During the process he made eye contact with Hermione Granger who narrowed her beautiful, honey coloured eyes at him, definitely not with humour. She was studying him with the intention of putting the pieces together. As if he were some kind of puzzle, hah!

But this confirmed his suspicion. Hermione had totally read that description and got the traces all right. It shouldn't be long before she'd seek him out.

Draco Malfoy smirked in the apple, not concerned by its liquid rolling down on his lower lip. He swaggered out of the Great Hall in a good mood, contented with the process he'd made just by this breakfast.

Blaise Zabini chewed on his toast, enjoying the taste of blueberry in lack of better things to do as he was unable to get the inextricable right. He locked eyes with Wealette who now – yet again – struggled to attract Granger's attention. She didn't get it.

When she pulled up her ginger eyebrows in questions, he shrugged his shoulder. He had no idea what the deputy Heads were on about. And he had a feeling he'd better not know, too.

Let's prepare yourself for an exhausting confrontation between our lovey-dovey idiots. They don't know it but they oh-so-much care about each other. I may have awh'd, but it'd be totally ridiculous, given it's my story. I won't awh. So much.

Hope you had fun! Please be kind and leave comment! I decided to make it a goal of my life to reach 80 reviews before next chapter. You know, if you love me... ;D Also, self-promo: I'm also on tumblr - aischenna dot tumblr dot com. Good day folks! ;D