A/N: A big thank you to my lovely friend, Mcal, for her unwavering support as an alpha, and for her skills as a beta. The comma struggle is real y'all!

Chapter 3

Draco had always been a leader among his peers. In light of his actions after the war that distinction extended beyond the dungeness walls of Slytherin house and into the whole of Hogwarts.

The castle was badly damaged during the final battle and, though the most essential areas were repaired there remained much work to be done. With the guidance and support of the Headmistress, Draco organized teams of students to assist with cleanup and reconstruction for the remainder of the castle.

"Dracooo," Theo whined, slumping against the wall, "Are we almost finished?"

Draco shot him a glare, annoyed at the continual complaints. "Don't mind him, mate." Blaise slapped him on the back as he waved his wand to levitate a pile of rubble into a bin, "He's got a date with Lovegood."

"Get up, Theo." Theo groaned as he stood from the wall. "It's just this last bit, then you can shag Lovegood to your heart's content."

Rolling his eyes at Draco, Theo flicked his wand and sent a stack of intact stones back into their proper place. "Not that it's any of your business, Draco, but Luna and I are going to the Black Lake to search for… blimplimpie dingereedoos… or something." Theo waved off his confusion at the name, "doesn't matter, apparently they're easiest to attract while naked." He finished with playful wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Please, Nott my nightmares are terrifying enough without the idea of your skinny naked arse."

Theo leaned forward and shook said skinny arse to and fro much to the chagrin of his restoration partners.

"Good Godric! I did not need to see that!" Theo stilled, his shaggy head of brown hair peeking through his legs and Blaise and Draco glancing over their shoulders to see Hermione Granger the remains of laughter still dancing in her eyes.

Blaise was first to recover, sauntering over and slinging an arm around the diminutive witch, "I know what you mean, that is a terrible excuse for a backside." Hermione put her hand over her mouth to stifle her amusement and once she got herself under control she looked at Draco, "We're finished with the adjacent hall. Do you need any more help on this side?"

Draco looked around, a few more spells would see this hall repaired, "I think we have it under control, Granger."

"Very well, let us know if you need any more help." Just then Ginny Weasley popped around the corner and called Hermione away. Blaise watched the two witches walk away in their muggle denims, "Now that's what I call an arse," he groaned just a bit too loudly and Ginny pulled Hermione up short, whipping her long red ponytail over her shoulder, eyebrows cocked in challenge. "That's right. I was talking about you, Red."

"This is the Chosen Arse of the Chosen One, sorry, Zabini." Then she smirked pulling Hermione forward, her hips swaying exaggeratedly.

Draco landed a smack to the back of Blaise's head, "Things are only beginning to settle, please don't anger our revered hero by hitting on his girl."

"All in good fun, besides, tell me that was not a delectable body that just flounced away."

"Blaise! I am working hard to reform my image and myself, I will not even entertain a fleeting impure thought about Potter's paramour."

"Potter's paramour," Theo teased in an exaggerated haughty tone.

"Not Weasley," Blaise shook his head slowly and savored the next syllables out of his mouth, "Granger."

Blaise's suggestion that Granger was now a romantic option vexed Draco in unexpected ways. He could admit that he had not taken a go at her in a couple of years. Additionally, she was quieter since the war, seemingly more introspective; though, Draco thought that was not unusual given all they had been through.

She was often with Ginny Weasley, and of course an absolute fixture in the library, but the few interactions they had were civil, if not professional. It struck him that he may enjoy more friendly interaction with her, if for nothing else than to engage in intelligent debate.

Draco found his first opportunity a few weeks later on a quiet evening in the library. He'd seen her hunched over the table, books and parchments surrounding her. He ducked in the next row of shelves and moved the books aside to watch her work.

He'd always imagined that she spent hour upon hour copying texts verbatim in order to regurgitate the knowledge at will, but what he saw intrigued him. She would read a passage in one book, only to turn immediately to no less than two others. At times she would wave and arc her wand, or draw runes in the air with her finger before making a note on the page.

Before he realized how creepy he was watching her, she completed an essay, rolled the parchment up and pulled out a potions text. If this wasn't a sign then he didn't know what was.

Striding around the bookshelves and onto her aisle, he began to scan the shelves as if searching for a certain book. He noticed her stiffen from the corner of his eye, but continued his farcical mission. Finally approaching the table he made his move, "Granger..." He cleared his throat, this was harder than he thought. "Would you happen to have the copy of Potions Moste Obscure?"

Hermione simply held up the book she had open to show him the cover of the aforementioned book and then went back to reading. Draco wasn't quite sure how to proceed if she wouldn't talk, so he sat down across from her. She glanced up momentarily and then went back to the words on the page. He heard her sigh and saw her place her finger on a line, "Do you think that interspecies hybridization of plants might alter the results or effectiveness of certain potions?"

The less than elegant noise that escaped his mouth was not his finest moment, but Granger didn't seem to notice and continued, "Orchids for example, it's the second largest family of flowering plants, and there are thousands of species." Her eyes focused somewhere past him, "new hybrids are created all the time, for color, hardiness, bloom proliferation-there's even natural cross pollination that occurs. What if a species used in the original formulation of a potion was more apt to interact with the other components for the desired effect." She made a hasty note on her parchment, "Then through the years, the plants cross pollinated with others in the species, or were purposefully cross bred for some other reason…" she trailed off again, her quill scratching across the parchment.

When she looked up and finally made solid eye contact, Draco raised his eyebrows and motioned for her to continue, now genuinely interested in her theory. She hesitated but a moment, "Then there is the consideration of subspecies…" she trailed again and began to mumble to herself as she dug in her bag for another piece of parchment.

Draco attempted to school his features into one of serious academic consideration, "Expound on subspecies."

She stilled, nervously straightening the parchment in front of her and chewed her lip as he saw her formulate her next thought. "I'd say we would be classified as a subspecies."

"I am no under species, Granger." His tone rich with the haught of his youth, but his smirk and eyes playful.

She didn't notice as her back was rigid and her eyes glinted with that righteous indignation he was so accustomed to. "Not under, per say, but by the principles of Linnaean taxonomy, more distinct."

"Make no mistake I am distinct no matter the classification system."

"You're insufferable. I'm going back to the tower," she groaned as she began to pack her things. Draco stopped her with a gentle hand; she froze.

He tried to soften his expression, but was remarkably unsuccessful if her narrowed eyes meant anything, "I'm taking the piss, Granger, tell me about your little theories." He waved his hand to encourage her to continue. Her curls were haphazard around her face and she slowly pushed them away as she drew in a breath. Merlin he could see the lecture coming.

"We-all people-magical or muggle, are classified as Homo sapiens. Human beings. As magical human beings, we exist as a distinct subset, owing to the gift of magic."

Draco stroked his chin in consideration, if for nothing more than to fuel her annoyance with him, "And this has to do with potions how exactly?"

"Salix reticulata for example. There are two subspecies, reticulata and gabellicarpa, but they both yield salicin." She was in full on lecture mode now.

"Salix reticulata?"

"Net-leaved willow." Her tone one of disbelief.

"Of course, of course, as is used in the skin regeneration potion," he nodded, "do go on."

She sniffed, "The primary difference is the geographic distribution, but the physical features do differ slightly. For instance the glabellicarpa has a less pronounced veining on the leaves."

"And you believe that if the potioneer used one over the other the results would be altered."

She bit her bottom lip and tugged at a stray curl, Draco felt quite smug about engaging her in conversation. "I believe they would… yes. While they are essentially the same plant, and both produce the needed anti-inflammatory agent, the cellular structure of the leaves reinforces the mechanism of action of the mermaid scales for dermal regeneration."

They volleyed ideas about plants and potions for another half-hour; and after enduring four rounds of Madam Pince's glares for silence, Hermione stowed her parchments and gathered her books leaving Draco to stare at the wood grain of the table as he thought of more ways to engage with the insightful and charismatic witch.

From her vantage in the adjacent aisle, Pansy watched with narrowed eyes as Draco deigned to speak to the disgusting mudblood. How could he stand to spend so long discussing her meaningless ramblings? He seemed so lost in his own head that he sauntered right past her as he stood from the table and ventured into the stacks his long fingers grazing the spines with care.

Pansy longed for those fingers to touch her, those sparkling grey eyes to crinkle at the corners as he listened raptly to her musings. She could not stomach a moment of his interaction with the mudblood.

She strolled onto the same aisle as Draco, feigning distraction as she pulled a book from the shelf at random. She made no effort to turn the pages quietly and she was rewarded. "Pansy, I didn't see you there."

She sniffed. "Here I am." Then went back to flipping the pages of the book.

In her periphery, she could see Draco shuffle on his feet and his hand rubbing the back of his neck; a sure sign of his discomfort. She had known him all her life after all.

He cleared his throat and she looked up from under her lashes, "I'm sorry I've been busy. How are you doing?"

"Honestly, Draco, you worry too much, if I needed you, I know where to find you." She waved him off and turned back to the shelves.

"I'm happy to hear that, Pansy, but if you need anything… you'll let me know, yeah?"

"Don't be silly, I'm just fine."

Draco slipped a book from the self and nodded once before exiting the aisle. Pansy watched him walk toward the circulation desk, her expression darkening as she muttered, "You're the one who needs help, Draco. But don't worry… I'll save you."

A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying it and you'll let me know what you think.