Fact. She hated Malfoy. She hated his smug air and the attitude of superiority to everyone, even his friends. She felt sorry for the idiocy of Goyle and Crabbe for having to put up with it. She felt sorry for the girls so desperately in love with him as if there was something in him that was worth falling in love with. She hated his bloody pureblood ideology and how cruel his thought was, oblivious of any common sense and compassion. She hated Draco Malfoy from the moment they spoke for the first time, but most of all, she hated him now, fiercely for his behavior and confused expressions, and difficulty to read. But Hermione hated, even more, the fact that the last few days she only thought about him and how annoying or how much she hated had to change for the sake of her sanity. Maybe she could convince him to let her do all the work but there was a big if, and that was Snape who was going to find out, somehow. There had to be another way to avoid this.

"Hermione, are you listening?" asked Harry, sitting across from her at the table of the great hall.

"Sorry, I was thinking about homework for ancient ruins. What were you talking about?" she said beginning to eat the breakfast eggs, which she had not yet touched.

"Harry's conspiracies." said Ron with his mouth full. "Malfoy."

"Hermione, Malfoy's been acting very suspiciously lately, and we cannot ignore what we've seen!" said Harry enthusiastically. "He's one of them."

"Harry, please. He's sixteen, what use you know who gains with him? said Hermione annoyed. The last thing she wanted was to talk about Malfoy when he was already in her head.

"We saw him walking on the seventh floor yesterday. What could he do there?" Harry asked victoriously as if he already knew the answer.

"Yes, he seemed agitated." Ron agreed with his mouth full.

"What time was that?"

"A few minutes before five, why?" Harry replied.

"Bastard. We had to do that damn potion and he showed up hours later. Stupid git." Hermione grunted, eating furiously.

"He's plotting something, Hermione, I know." he said confidently. Hermione always supported Harry in his actions and in what he thought, even when they did not make sense, or when he was being carried away by his temper.

"Okay Harry, if that's true, what can we do?" said Hermione who suddenly lost her appetite.

"Confront him."

"That would not be good for anyone. Someone would get hurt, Harry." Hermione advised. "Please do not do anything impulsive. If you really think he's one of them, you have to prove it."

"Hermione, you and Malfoy are partners. You can keep an eye on him." said Harry enthusiastically. "And find out if he's one of them."

Hermione wanted to laugh. "I'm not going to spend another minute with him more than I'm supposed to."

"Harry, this is a bad idea, we're talking about Malfoy. Hermione cannot spend time with that piece of shit." Ron came to his defense, like a white knight, if the knight's mouth was dirty with sauce.

"I can do it." Hermione said determinedly. Something about Ron's comment shook her as if she were weak enough that she could not be over his presence. She was anything but weak. "I already have to do the assignment with him so I can do this Harry."

"But Hermione …" Ron intervened but was quickly silenced by Hermione's rough voice.

"No, Ronald, I can take care of myself and we both know I'm a better wizard than Malfoy, so there's nothing to worry about."

"Thank you, Hermione, for doing this." Harry smiled at her genuinely, and the young witch was invaded by a welcoming feeling of seeing his best friend happy. She knew how much it meant to Harry that someone believed him and his crazy theories. And after last year, she did not want her best friend to go back to the same lonely abyss where he was.

There goes the plan to avoid Malfoy at all costs.

"When's the next full moon?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Last week of the month." he answered annoyingly sitting in the chair watching Hermione flip through a series of books.

Hermione merely nodded and continued her frantic search for something, Draco had already given up on knowing what she was doing and merely did his own research on the potion. An hour had passed since the two of them were in the library and this was the first time any of them spoke to Draco's happiness.

This was Hermione Granger's natural habitat and Draco could not help noticing how focused and determined she was and how quickly her eyes flicked through the information in the book. Today she decided to wear her hair on a high ponytail and a few strands of hair hung over her face, modeling her asymmetrically perfect face to Draco's surprise. He had never really looked at Hermione to the point of noticing the little freckles or the fact she bites her lip slightly when she discovered something exhilarating. She could be a muggle-born, but Malfoy was a boy, and he could admire a girl's appearance.

The sunset fell on the library windows and reflected on Hermione's light brown hair. Her small figure was covered in a golden light, her face glowed slightly, and her eyes grew even more prominent. She looked peaceful and happy, Draco thought and envied her for it. By her relaxed appearance, her enthusiasm and desire for something, for her lightness. Seeing her this way made him feel uncomfortable and nauseous.

This mission really was affecting his head.

"I think I found the right formula." said Hermione, smiling broadly at Draco. "It's complicated and we need questionable ingredients but ... I think I found it."

Draco was taken aback by her genuine smile. How she could smile at him even after all he had ever done to her.

"Good." he replied uncomfortably. "I can get the most questionable ingredients."

"We're going to need the tears of a centaur."

"What the fuck?" Draco exclaimed.

"We will make it." she said positively. "I know a trustworthy one. He will hear us."

"Oh of course you do." said Draco sarcastically. "And tell me, how is your plan to make the damn creature cry?"

"I do not know." she said "Say please?

Draco laughed genuinely. "Yea, that would do."

Hermione could not help but smile at Malfoy's laughter. This was the first time she had heard him laughing, genuinely, and free from his usual scorn, and no matter how hard she admitted it was a pleasant sound.

"I can talk to Harry. I'm not sure he already figures this potion out, but he helps us."

Something stirred Malfoy's anger, and his formerly laid-back features were now in an agonizing mood.

"Cannot you do anything by yourself, without him behind you every minute of your day?" he replied furiously.

"What's your problem?" Hermione answered him in the same tone. "Do you have a death wish or are you arrogant enough to think we can just talk to these creatures?"

"They are inferior to us in any way." Draco said convinced.

"You arrogant git. You really believe that." she said in disbelief. "We need Harry to do this so just stick your pride in your ass and let me figure it out. You can watch if you want" She finished with a triumphant smile.

Damn. That was hot. He thought. And immediately hated himself for thinking that.

"Fine," he grunted. "Good adventure."

"Thank you." she said, continuing to smile at him. "I do not believe Snape would force us to do this knowing how dangerous and proud these creatures are. Half the class will not be able to complete the potion unless Harry manages to persuade Bane to help us. "

"Yes, because Hagrid is not a total madman with his damned creatures. " said Malfoy angrily.

"Oh, come on." Hermione looked at him with a reticent look, "He has no idea how dangerous these creatures can be. He had no intention of hurting you."

"Whatever. He's not crazier than Snape."

"Fair enough. I think the rest of the ingredients are easier to get, like a salamander."

"Let's just get this over with." said Draco, starting to pack the papers and books into his backpack.

"I agree." Hermione started to sort her things too slowly. She had promised to find out what was wrong with Malfoy and the time was running out. "Tomorrow we have patrols.

"Yes, Granger. I'm aware." he replied without looking at her.

This was going to be a lot harder than she figured out. How did someone talk to Draco Malfoy? Hermione did not know what to say. It was very easy to annoy him to the point that he wanted to cast a spell on her, but to meet him, that was beyond the capabilities of the young witch. Hermione watched him closely as he tidied up his things oblivious of the look on him. His hair was messy, but he still looked nice, even with messy hair his features resemble high aristocracy. His face had also thinned down in the last few months, and only an idiot did not notice the increasingly dark circles around his eyes. Clearly, he was not eating enough too, or getting enough sleep. He was careless, distracted in class, and less irritating and malicious than he had been, he wasted no time throwing insults at her friends, not even at her. He seemed indifferent to everything.

"Thanks for the advice ... of last night." Hermione said stammering.

Draco stopped what he was doing, surprised by what she had said. He did not want her to think he cared for her, because he did not. He just said it because he felt a mere empathy for the witch, he was not a monster after all. Not yet at least.

"Whatever." he said, going back to packing his things faster. He knew how to talk to Granger when she was irritated with him, when she was deeply angry to the point of being all red, he could also be civil for a few minutes and do what was supposed to be done but talk to her as if they were friends that he would not do.

"How did you know that Madam Pomfrey would give me the potion? It is not the norm for her to give the students such potion."

"I heard rumors she could give." Draco got up abruptly and put the bag on his shoulder. Hermione got up too and for minutes she wanted to follow him and keep talking.

"Do you have nightmares?" Hermione asked feeling like a complete idiot, a child. What a stupid question that was. "Never mind."

Draco stopped for a few minutes and turned to Hermione, who was too embarrassed to look at him.

"I'm going to talk to Harry. Tomorrow be there in time " she said and left in quick steps past Draco without looking at him.

Stupid. Stupid, she thought.