Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characthers, they all belong to J.K. Rowling
Chapter One:
"Potter! Keep that tongue of yours in your mouth! I'm trying to teach a lesson! Now, who can tell me what the leech juice does to this potion?" Snape questioned. Instantly Hermione's hand shot up.
"Figures," Draco Malfoy snorted as Crabbe and Goyle smirked.
"Shut up Malfoy," Harry muttered. Snape looked around, ignoring Hermione. Her hand, the only hand up in the whole class, reaching up as if to touch a star, all her fingers wriggling.
"Oh, oh! I know Professor!" She said.
"Longbottom! Answer. Now!" Snape glared at Neville Longbottom. Snickers came from Malfoy and his group as they watched Neville turn pink and stutter.
"5 points from Gryffindor, for not knowing the required material!" Snape bellowed.
"That's not fair! Hermione knew it! Why didn't you ask her?" Harry complained.
"Hold your tongue Potter! Another 5 points from Gryffindor!" More snickers from Malfoy. By the end of class, Gryffindor had lost yet another 5 points because Hermione had helped Neville with his potion.
Hermione walked with Harry and Ron back to the Gryffindor Common Room, then sat in a corner reading a note. By lunch, Hermione swallowed her meal whole before mumbling a quick goodbye to her friends, then ran out the doors.
"Hmmm...wonder where she's going?" Harry wondered.
"The library, where else?" Ron joked.
* * * * * * * *
Outside, near the quidditch pitch, Hermione stopped and looked around. No one was in sight.
"Malfoy?" Hermione whispered. She stood still for a moment, then heard rustling under the bleachers. Quietly she made her way to where the noise came from and again whispered, "Malfoy? Where are you?"
"Shut up Granger! Someone'll hear you...get in quick," Malfoy said opening up a flap, revealing a little cozy area with lamps and his potions books. Hermione, obviously amazed at the small, home-like tent, just stood there wide-eyed.
"Sit down," Malfoy spoke in a soft tone. She sat, and asked, "Okay, so you need help with potions huh? Fine, what sections...all of it?" She added sarcastically.
"Yea, well..." he muttered something else under his breath.
"Ok Malfoy, listen up, " Hermione's tone was slightly angered, "if you want me to help you, I just want one thing; respect from you during these homework sessions okay? No bad-mouthing, no yelling, no threats, and no smart-alec remarks, you got it? One word out of your mouth that falls under these catagories and I'm leaving...I'm serious Malfoy. Understood?"
Draco who was a little taken aback by Hermione's outburst just nodded slowly.
"Good! Now let's start, " She said.
"Wait, one thing Granger, DO NOT tell ANYONE about these homework sessions okay? Especially not to Potter and Weasley okay?"
Hermione looked into his eyes trying to decipher his reasons, "Okay Draco, you have complete confidence in me to keep this a secret. And it's Hermione, not Granger. "
For the first time, a genuine smile appeared on Draco's face, "Alright Gra-, " He paused, then smiled again, "Hermione." For the rest of lunch Hermione explained the different potions and ingrediants, while Draco listened quietly, absorbing every little detail as possible.
The next day, Tuesday, Hermione again meet Draco under the bleachers. She started to explain the Growing Potion to him, when he stopped her.
"Wait, you're going to fast. Slow down. What does the heart of pig do anyways?" He asked. She sighed loudly, " Draco you're not listening! I told you that the heart of pig contributes to the actual GROWING...hence the name "Growing Potion". You need to pay closer attention if you want to learn."
"Well, EXCUSE me for not being perfect Granger!"
"LISTEN DRACO! THIS WAS NOT MY IDEA TO HELP YOU!" She screamed.
"I told you to HELP me, not DICTATE me!"
"TOLD me?! Since WHEN? As far as I'M concerned, I can LEAVE whenever I WANT to!" She yelled, furious with him.
"FINE!!! LEAVE THEN! I don't need you to help me!"
With that she stormed out of the tent and marched to her room.
' I HATE him! Why did I even BOTHER trying to help him! Argh!' She thought as she started to do her own homework.
In Potions the following morning, Draco quietly slipped her a note, telling her that he still needed her help, but he never apologized. She sighed as she read the note, then meet him under the bleachers in the tent, after school.
"So, are we ready to try this again?" She asked him. His eyes didn't meet her's but he nodded slightly.
"Fine. Open your book to page 78; tonight's homework."
"I know."
"Draco, " she warned. He shut his mouth and opened the book. He didn't speak the rest of the night, except to answer her questions. She put up with his bad mood, and later was rewarded.
At the end of that day's session, before Hermione left, Draco asked her, "Do you want to eat lunch here tomorrow?"
She looked at him, then nodded slowly, "Sure Draco. Why not?"
"Then it's settled, tomorrow at the beginning of lunch here, " he said as he let her out.
Thursday was a quiet one, as each teacher didn't give much homework, all except Snape of course.
"This isn't FAIR!" Ron complained to Harry and Hermione, " Don't you agree Harry? Hermione?"
He turned to see Harry, but Hermione was nowhere to be seen.
"Hermione?" Ron called. Hermione had left her friends the instant Snape let them out, and rushed outside to meet Draco for lunch. Inside his tent under the bleachers, Draco had conjured up some fries and chicken fingers along with some Butterbeer which he had purchased earlier. They ate in silence for a few moments then Hermione had started to talk about that day's Potions homework.
"Hermione? No offense or anything, but let's not talk about homework right now...it's lunch, so let's just eat. And if you want to talk about something, talk about anything besides homework, " Draco told her, as he smiled. She smiled back and even giggled a bit
"Ok, " she said, " So..."
"So..."
Once again, they continued to eat in silence, but this time, Draco spoke up by asking her about new gossip in the castle. She responded and they started up a conversation; one that didn't stop until the end of lunch.
"Oh my gosh! Draco we didn't even TOUCH the homework!" Hermione panicked.
"Don't worry, I'll figure it out, " Draco said, as they exited the tent.
Since that day, Draco slowly, but surely became more secure with himself, and treated Hermione with more respect with each passing day. There were a few bad days, with arguements, but they were soon solved and Hermione continued to help Draco with his homework.
Harry and Ron barey nothiced her gone during lunch, but soon became worried when she'd return to the Gryffindor's Common Room after dark.
"Hermione, Ron and I have been kinda worried about you. You never spend lunch with us, and you come back late almost every night!" Harry cornered her in Potions class and asked. Ron nodded behind him, agreeing. Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly caught Draco's eye, his soft blue eyes had a piercing glare to them, as he looked at her.
"Hermione? You wanna tell me and Rom what you've been up to?"
Hermione turned her head away from Harry and Ron, pretending to fumble with her papers, "Just to the library, I need to work on a few essays and I've been doing some research."
Although Harry wasn't satisfied with her answer, he left her alone. Hermione watched Harry and Ron take their seats, and noticed a sort of hurt look on Harry's face. She sat down and sighed quietly.
'I wish I could tell Harry and Ron, but I can't. I promised Draco, I could never turn my back on Draco now, ' she thought to herself.
* * * * * * * *
' I can't believe she didn't say anything to Potter. Maybe she really will keep her word...hmmm...I can really trust her,' Malfoy thought as he glanced over at her, ' I wonder if I can tell her that I - '
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