The uniforms at Hogwarts didn't change through the years. Hermione's shirt was loose, and her skirt was almost to her knees. She took off a few inches of both, not nearly scandalous but loads more flattering than they were prior. It was a new desire to try and look her best, but it was something small she found pleasure in. Each morning, in addition to her concealment charms to hide her scent, she would also tame her hair and add a glow to her skin.
If she was going to choose someone, she needed to get more serious about her selection process. There were tests she could perform to see how they would react and if they had any compatibility.
Malfoy wouldn't need a test, she often thought to herself. While she knew he would never entertain the thought, the voice in the back of her mind - the passenger that made itself know for the last several weeks- kept screaming he was the one. The moment she smelled him in the library, the passenger grabbed the reigns and led her practically in his lap.
The memory made her shutter. In embarrassment and something else far more powerful. The fact that Malfoy didn't insult or hex her was the only reason she didn't flee the country in humiliation.
She grabbed the stack of parchment she had been working on for a few days and handed it to Parvati and took a seat on her bed. Parvati held it up above her to inspect, before rolling over and reaching across Hermione to grab her wand and attempted a few revealing charms.
"Impressive. I still get to read your notes though, right?" Parvati asked, handing them back.
Hermione looked down at the charmed parchment. The sentences she wrote were clearly visible to her, but no one else would be able to see it unless she revealed it to them.
"Of course. And me yours from Runes?" Hermione said, wrapping the several pieces of enchanted parchment and putting it in her bag.
"Over there- I organize them by subject but they are also charmed to re-sort by date," she said.
"Thanks," Hermione said with a smile. "I've a meeting with McGonagall and then I'll be in the Great Hall if you want to come."
Parvati sat up. "Don't give in, Granger!"
"I'm not, I'm not," Hermione insisted walking towards the door. Parvati leaped up and blocked her path.
"You are not becoming a Prefect!" she insisted.
"I'm sure she just wants to say hello."
"You really want to go from fighting Voldemort to handing out detention to second years?" she pushed on.
"It's not about detention. It's about leadership- setting a good example!" Hermione protested.
"See!" Parvati yelled, comically pushing Hermione back into the room by her shoulders. "I cannot allow it."
"Why?" Hermione said, through her laughter.
"I'd be so bored," she responded, falling back onto her bed. "Fine, go ahead. Perhaps I'll lurk around the dungeons and will the Death Eaters to take me."
Hermione smacked her with a pillow. "I'm sure we are only meant to catch up."
Hermione walked out of McGonagall's office, pinning her Prefect badge onto the outside of her robes. In her defense, McGonagall tried to make her Head Girl, so becoming Prefect was a fair compromise. A conniving smile appeared on her face as she put a second badge in her bag for Parvati, having volunteered her services as well.
Hermione felt like herself again after her run in with Malfoy. The comfort lasted until morning when she woke up with an impulse to find him again. The last thing she needed was to make her decision too quickly. The worst thing would be for her to make her selection and be rejected.
It made her stomach turn when she thought of how much Malfoy hated her. No matter how drawn she was to him, he would likely always see her as a second-class citizen. It was safer to keep getting to know the others.
Once she got to the Great Hall, she took a seat next to Cormac and dished herself a plate. Against her initial judgment, she managed to identify the humor behind his brazen exterior. It was mostly all an act. A few of the other boys were in on it too, entertained by the way he played with the people who were… well, not like them.
There was a line between the students she had never noticed before. Harry, Cormac were part of one side while Ron and Seamus were on another with the majority of students. It was impossible to say exactly what the difference was, but Hermione just knew.
"You're a menace, McLaggen," Colin said, and Hermione hid her smile behind her glass as she took a drink.
"Tell him, Granger! The muggles have colorful bracelets, and they are used as communication devises to initiate different sexual activity," Cormac said turning to her. He pulled up his sleeve, revealing a thin purple rubber bracelet. "Go on, tell them what purple means."
"I think purple's for blokes who like fingers up their arse," Hermione said, calling his bluff and she could detect his amusement. It wasn't off-putting anymore, now that the passenger knew he was nothing but a friend.
Colin barked with laughter and Cormac pulled down his sleeve and wiggled his brows. "Wrong. Well… actually, not wrong at all. But the color actually means-"
"I'll see you in class!" Hermione said jumping up.
Hermione walked towards the Ravenclaw table, and without Cormac to fill the air, she inhaled a scent that she had been dreaming of the night before. She fought her eyes to stay open, not wanting to slip back into the mindless mess she was in the library. There was no way she could look over at the Slytherin table, if she laid eyes on him, it would be her undoing.
"Morning, Michael," she said, a little too chipper.
"Hey, Granger. I was about to offer to walk you to class," Michael responded with a smile. "Care to sit for a tick?"
"No, thank you. I just wanted to give you something," Hermione said.
Truth be told, she needed to get out of there and away from Malfoy's scent before she lost touch. She focused on Michael's; it was one of the more pleasant of those at school. He seemed genuinely happy she approached him, so she attempted to focus on that.
Hermione pulled out the charmed parchment. It was the first test – as Hermione decided to call it. To see how he would reciprocate to her starting to fulfill her duties and support his needs. She handed them over and he quickly unwrapped them.
"They are charmed so no one can see but the writer. Thought it might help you in classes with less optimal partners trying to cheat," she attempted to say jokingly, but Malfoy's presence grew stronger, and she fought the buckling in her knees.
"Really?! You're a lifesaver, Granger. Sprout made me and Zabini stay after class yesterday to redo our exam because we turned in all the same answers," he exclaimed.
"I like to help whenever I can," Hermione said with a shrug. Michael was pleased, but when he looked at her, his gaze started to darken.
"These will last about a week. I'll need more," he said as a matter of fact. "You can have them ready for me every Monday."
Demanding. No- Malfoy had been demanding in the library, this was different. This was ego. Audacity? He barely even acknowledged their complexity or thanked her.
Hermione spoke carefully. "I can show you how to do it. It's actually quite simple."
"You want to be helpful, don't you?" he questioned her, and she could feel herself getting nervous. The passenger only gently pressed her to do what he asked, still displeased with how he requested it. "Sit."
Hermione moved to take a step forward and then she stopped. "I should probably be going."
"I'll walk with you."
"No- no its alright. I was planning on walking with Seamus," Hermione insisted, backing away.
"You don't need Finnigan. I said I will walk you," he insisted and stood.
There was a sudden urge to hex him. Not that she was afraid, but he was going about this all wrong.
There was no denying she could feel the agitation in the room, but she realized it wasn't coming from Michael, but Malfoy. And it appeared the aroma had affected Michael too as he continued to get more possessive.
They walked to transfiguration, and once they were far from the Great Hall, things started to get back to normal, and they had a friendly conversation about their studies. After class, Michael thanked her again for the parchment, but also reaffirmed his request for her to supply them each week. It wasn't an absurd request she supposed, but it wasn't the response she was hoping for.
It was her first patrol of the new year. Parvati tried to vanish both their badges when she presented them to her, but in the end, she decided to accept the prefect role. They split up, confident they could handle any issues on their own and wanting to cover more ground to save time.
Halfway through her patrol, the corridor started to narrow, and the floor beneath her feet was shifting as she took each step. The passenger led her down the staircase and below the first floor. Hermione turned a corner in the corridor and nearly bumped into a group of Slytherin students.
"Lost, Granger?" Blaise Zabini asked her.
Her mind felt dazed, so she closed her eyes to try and regain control. It was then she realized she had been following Malfoy's scent, she only didn't recognize it right away because it was mixed with Zabini's.
"I'm a Prefect now," Hermione answered dumbly, gesturing to her badge. She felt her mind start to slip further with the proximity and balled her fist at her side to fight it.
"Good for you!" Zabini said sarcastically and the other boys laughed. Except for Malfoy. "Pity the badge is silver, gold is much more your brand."
"What are you doing down here?" Hermione asked, ignoring his taunts. "It's late."
"Going to give us detention?" Theo Nott snarked.
Hermione shook her head. "No, you're all of age. Wonder the castle all night if you'd like."
"Then why'd you stop us?" Zabini asked, skeptically.
"Am I meant to ignore your existence?" Hermione snapped back. She never even bothered approaching Zabini, she knew immediately they could never be compatible. "If you don't need any help, I'll be on my way."
"Been rather helpful to blokes lately, Granger?" Malfoy finally spoke.
The contempt seeping from him was filling the corridor and it made Hermione want to cave in on herself. That wasn't a possibility though, so she held her head high as she walked past them.
The boys continued down the hall, and Malfoy was the last person she passed.
"Breathe," Malfoy commanded her, and Hermione realized she had been holding her breath.
It only made her feel worse as she could detect his resentment of her in the air. What had she done? How could she have ruined their potential so quickly?
"You shouldn't be out without your boyfriend. Not when you're this close," Malfoy said, low and deep.
Hermione perked up, alarms going off in her mind.
"Close to what?" she nearly begged. Did Malfoy know what was going on with her? Was that why she was drawn to him more than the others?
Processing his own statement, he shook his head in confusion. "I don't know why I said that. Just- don't wander around without Corner. He'd be displeased to find you were alone with others."
"Corner isn't my…" Her what? Did she even consider them to be anything? "Others…? Other what?"
"You're not to do patrols alone, anymore. Do you understand?" Malfoy's voice was commanding, yet not condescending. She nodded, agreeing that her mental state had been unpredictable lately. "Smart girl. Stay away from me as well."
Draco walked down the corridor, catching up with the others. It only took Hermione a few minutes to find Parvati, and they finished their patrols together.
Halloween was approaching, and classes were in full swing as they got further into the term. Hermione had walked past Draco's table in the library several time, but he never did more than glance up at her before looking back to his studies in disinterest. He'd still yet to join the eighth years in Potions or DADA, but it would take a lot of time to make up an entire year of lessons.
The first set of tests she did brought back mediocre results at best. Most of the boys she provided a favor responded like Michael, and instantly tested on whether they could get more. Like they wanted to control her without giving a piece of themselves in return. Or they would interpret her generosity as an invitation to shag. That would never work for her. They were all wrong. Michael was the least offensive, and Hermione was pleased to find that they had a genuine friendship growing.
It felt like an act of defiance; walking through the library where she knew Malfoy sat. He was very clear that she was to stay away from him, and she tried. But it felt more like a betrayal to not help him when he had been working so hard.
"Hello," Hermione spoke, barely above a whisper.
"She speaks," Malfoy said, continuing his writing. "I don't think your boy-"
"I don't have a boyfriend," Hermione snapped, not in the mood to discuss her progress.
"What do you want, Granger?" Malfoy asked, looking up at her with his grey eyes.
The courage she had built up earlier wavered, but she walked forward on shaking legs. Pulling the book from her bag.
"I have something for you," she said, putting it on the table and sliding it over. "It's my potions notes, from sixth year. I added some extra sections the past few weeks on things I wished we went over before the start of this year. There are a few incomplete parts I'm still figuring out."
Malfoy grabbed the book and pulled it to him. His face gave nothing away. If anything, he looked unimpressed. Her insecurity must have been apparent, because when he looked up at her again, his face softened for a moment before returning to stone. Hermione worried her hands before losing her nerve completely and turning to flee.
"Wait," Malfoy said reflexively, stopping her in her tracks. He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger as he decided on his next move. When he spoke again, his voice was intentional and controlled, and Hermione felt the vibration of it in her lower stomach. "You said you added some notes, just for me?"
Hermione nodded, feeling on display standing before him. Malfoy inhaled deeply as he studied her, and she watched as his face turned confused, for only a moment.
"Would you show me?" Draco asked.
Hermione walked around the table, not wanting a repeat of last time and stood beside where Draco sat. She could sense his disappointment that she didn't crawl over to him again, and the memory made her blush.
Hermione flipped through the book, her fingers shaking. "It's these ones… here."
"Your handwriting is lovely," he said soothingly as he started to read. He flipped more towards the front and stopped on a section of liquid luck. "The tincture of thyme, it must be dehydrated first. I only figured that out last week. I wish I had this then."
"You told me to stay away from you," Hermione answered instantly, and the passenger was cross at her tone when Malfoy was being so nice.
"I'm glad you don't listen, then," Malfoy said with a smirk before looking back down. "This is incredible. Thank you."
His appreciation was evident, but it was with every boy she provided a favor to. It was always what happened next that turned her off.
"You're brilliant," Malfoy said, surprising her again. Her eyes went large, and her passenger preened, like it had needed the reassurance as much as she did after weeks without it. "I'm sure you know that already, but I don't think I've ever told you."
Hermione breathed a laugh, crossing her arms in front of her self-consciously. Malfoy's scent was so strong, and the effect on her was overwhelming as she lingered so close. The hostility and resentment were dissipating, replaced with endearment, arousal, and just enough possessiveness to make her feel wanted.
"Did you bind it as well?" Malfoy went on, inspecting the cover.
"Yeah, but don't look too closely it's a mess," Hermione said, trying to reach for it and Malfoy grabbed her wrist to stop her.
"Mine. Get your own," He joked, still looking down.
Rather than release her wrist, he casually started circling his thumb on the inside. She gasped, staring at him in admiration as he continued the small circles with one hand, and he flipped through the book with the other. "I think you just saved my entire year."
"It's nothing," she breathed, leaning against the table as Malfoy continued to apply glorious pressure to the inside of her wrist.
"You're such a kind girl. So generous. It's no wonder Potter tried to keep you for himself," Malfoy said, finally looking up at her. She tried to be, but the others made her feel like she never did enough. "Are you alright?"
Hermione closed her eyes and hummed. She inhaled and the air was soothing and pleased, and it ran through her body to release any lingering anxieties the last few weeks had brought.
Malfoy moved his chair so that he sat right in front of her, his legs surrounding hers. She started to lean more heavily against the table, like any moment she was going to fall right through.
"Granger, where are you going?" he asked in wonder but she wasn't sure. "Can you look at me?"
Hermione furrowed her brows and groaned but forced her eyes open to meet his.
"Good girl. Focus for me. What's making your mind drift away?" Malfoy was starting to get worried, but he was just as equally aroused. Deep down, they knew the answer. But it wasn't time for them to discover it yet.
Hermione looked down at where his large hand still encircled her wrist, and when he put it together, he pulled his hand back suddenly.
"Fuck, I'm sorry," Malfoy said.
"Don't stop," Hermione said under her breath, but he was already up and backing away.
"I have to go," he said as he pulled his bag onto his shoulder. The book she made him, he carried in his hand. "Thank you again, Granger. I'm honored, truly."
"You're welcome," she said. Mostly to herself, as he was already gone.
The following week, she received a package during breakfast. The box was unmarked, but inside was an ancient potions book with several bookmarks. A piece of parchment fell out, and Hermione opened it to read.
Granger,
I found the answers for the incomplete parts of your notes. I wrote some clarifying points on each bookmark- not too many of course, can't have anyone thinking you're a cheat, brilliant girl.
D.M.
The book was the private workings of a famous alchemist, his personal notes still written in the margins. Of all the favors she provided to the others, Malfoy was the first one to give her something in return. She pulled out a bookmark, forgetting to note which page it marked, and admired how Malfoy's handwriting was lovely as well.