Chapter 3: Date the Girl Who Puts You in Your Place

Draco was certain Granger was in his afternoon double Potions lesson. He'd watched her flick a warming fire under her cauldron with the ease of any pureblood. But as he made his way to retrieve a supply of wormwood from Madam Pomfrey's stores, he swore that it was her head of bushy curls in the near-empty corridor ahead of him.

Ignoring the corridor that led to the Hospital Wing, he instead continued to follow her, silencing the padding of his shoes on the stone. As she turned the corner to head up to the Arithmancy classroom, there was no mistaking that profile. Was he going mad? Maybe she'd gone ahead of him to the loo? But the bathrooms were in the opposite direction. And he was almost positive it was her quill he'd stopped to retrieve and set alongside her on the workstation table.

Of course it was, Malfoy, you dolt. You've been trying to make it up to her everyday since she slapped the piss out of you.

It was true—he knew he'd gone too far when it came to taunting Hagrid just to get a rise out of her. But he had a role to play, expectations. He couldn't display a soft spot for a muggleborn in front of Slytherin House. In his own way, however minute, he'd been trying to show her he wasn't that arsehole.

Touching the bridge of his nose—that still didn't sit quite right a week later—he stepped around the corner and right into the tip of a wand. His brows raised into his hairline and when he gulped the wand dug into his budding Adam's apple. "Why are you following me, Malfoy?"

He noticed then that her eyes weren't quite brown. Rather, they had flecks of gold and green dotting the iris until they were more hazel than anything. The specks almost danced with the anger surging through her, vibrating through the tip of her wand and right into his body, though a single curse hadn't been spoken.

He straightened his spine and dropped his shoulders, lengthening his body to appear more confident than he felt. "Sneaking around during class, Granger? I'm sure Snape would love to know that you're slinking away toward the opposite end of the castle when you're supposed to be brewing medicinal potions."

There was a glimmer of something—fear, maybe—and she lowered her wand. "Sod off, you pointy-faced prick."

Ouch. That stung a little. She turned to walk away. "So how are you doing it? A time turner?"

There was a falter in her step before she stopped. "Don't be ridiculous. The Ministry has a tight grip on such precarious magic."

"There are three in the Malfoy vaults," he replied coolly, leaning back against the wall as she turned to face him. "Can't be too regulated."

"What do you want?" She looked tired, almost defeated. He missed the spark of fire she'd shown when slapping him. He nearly wanted to get her riled up just to witness such a fierce display once more.

"So it is a time turner. Figures you'd spend such valuable magic on taking extra classes instead of anything worthwhile."

Granger rolled her eyes. "Do you have any sense of self-preservation? Because I've already hit you once. Next step is maiming you."

"Settle down, Mudblood," he said, internally groaning at the use of such language. Her eyes narrowed as she gripped her wand tighter, turning her knuckles white. "I'm simply curious."

"What business is it of yours?"

"There's no need to be hostile."

"Says the bully."

Draco bristled at that, knowing that it was true. A violent lurch in his belly nearly made him vomit. "I'm simply wondering what a brilliant witch like you was doing using such a powerful device to take extra lessons. Surely you could save the world with it?"

Granger's face scrunched up in disbelief. "Did you just compliment me?"

Draco scoffed and pushed her wand away from his throat. "You don't need the school bully to feed your ego. You know you're brilliant."

Her eyes darted around him, checking the silent corridor beyond them. Her eyes narrowed and she straightened herself to her full height—inches shorter than he, thanks to a recent growth spurt. "Is this some kind of a joke? Do you have your imbecilic cronies lurking somewhere to attack me?"

"They're in the Potions classroom where I left them. Where I left you."

"And what are you doing out of class?"

Draco shrugged, bored with her line of questioning. "Longbottom and Finnigan managed to ruin Snape's entire stock of wormwood in one go. He sent me to fetch some from Pomfrey. But, imagine my surprise to find you ahead of me when I was quite sure you were in the classroom I'd just left."

Granger bristled and muttered under her breath, "Stupid." She turned her attention back to him. "So you know I have it. It was approved by Dumbledore, so what exactly do you hope to accomplish? You won't be able to rat on me."

Draco couldn't help the next words that spewed from his mouth. Even as he said them, his brain began to catch up and his cheeks felt like they were burning in the hot sun. "There are plenty of days I wish I could turn back time and start over with a clean slate."

There was a flicker of something, pity maybe, that flashed in her eye as she lowered her wand and studied the way his face flushed. "You could start now. Stop being an arrogant berk and stop trying to live under your father's influences."

"You know nothing of my life." The delivery of this statement didn't quite have the venom behind it that Draco had hoped for. Even to his own ears, he sounded more exhausted than anything. "Of the expectations placed on me from birth."

"Always an excuse," she murmured, her voice dripping with disappointment. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get to Arithmancy. This little altercation has made me even later."

"Go back in time again. You'll never have to have this chat and you can make it to class just in the nick of time."

"And let you forget what I've told you? You can stop this nonsense now. We're nearly done with the school year, but why don't you mull things over this summer and start next year off without the attitude."

Her eyes bore into his, and he felt the uncomfortable flopping of his stomach as he refused to yield in his own stare. He tried to come up with some witty retort, anything to ease the tension and to slip back into their usual roles. He'd shown too much of his emotions in the few brief moments with her. Father would be disgusted. "Professor Vector is looking for you," he mentioned, gesturing over her shoulder at the teacher who had emerged from her classroom at the end of the corridor.

Granger looked over her shoulder and nodded, her lips pursing into thin lines over her too-large teeth. Draco opened his mouth, desperate not to end their strange encounter with such animosity. Unfortunately the amicable words died on his tongue as she turned and left him standing idiotically in the corridor.

He found himself unable to walk away until Granger entered her class, hoping for another glance his way. It never came, and she bowed her head as she uttered a quick apology to the teacher. "Get to class, Mr. Malfoy," Vector yelled down the hall.

Draco shook his head, trying to knock the racing thoughts from it. He knew the nerves tying themselves into knots in the pit of his stomach were from far more than a threatening wand. He hadn't tried to court any witches yet, but he knew instantly that he wanted to see those hazel eyes trained on him as he brought his lips to hers.

Salazar save him. He wanted to date the girl.