A/N: I originally wrote this back in July 2002, before OotP was ever
scheduled for release, and it was intended to be set in the 5th year... that's changed now, obviously, so I s'pose you can either consider it 6th
or 7th year or A/U. Whatever floats your boat. ;-)
Chapter Two
Pansy practically leapt over to Draco. "I'm so glad I at least have you as a partner," she said, "instead of that." She nodded her head toward Granger, who was walking over to their little table, not looking pleased. Draco nodded absently. He was busy going over in his mind the various ways he could get out of doing this project. I don't even know what the assignment is, he realized.
He turned to Pansy. "D'you know what we're supposed to be doing?" he asked, making sure he sounded utterly bored out of his mind and not at all interested in the assignment. He wasn't, really, but he felt more in control of the situation if he knew what was going on.
Pansy sighed. "No," she said emphatically. "Maybe the Brain over here will know." She giggled wildly at her own stupid joke as Hermione sat down, looking prim. Draco just rolled his eyes.
Hermione cleared her throat.
Draco glared at her. "What is it, Granger? Ready to take charge already? I mean, we know you're so much smarter than us. Might as well do the whole project yourself."
Pansy snickered, although there was nothing really to laugh at. Draco would've liked to smack her, but he couldn't hit a girl. Despite the fact that this particular girl grated on his nerves in the worst of ways. Perhaps Granger would do it. She'd had no qualms about hitting him before.
The Gryffindor girl made a small tutting sound. "I imagine we ought to get started on the project. It seems quite involved, don't you think?"
Draco stared blankly at her. "Care to elucidate a bit further, Granger?"
Hermione frowned. "You don't even know what the assignment is, do you?" she asked exasperatedly.
"Of course not," muttered Draco lazily. "That's what you're here for."
Pansy giggled. Draco shot her a dangerous look. She was ruining his opportunities for sarcasm. Her laughter stopped abruptly.
Hermione pursed her lips. "Well," she said loudly, "perhaps you'd like to know what we're supposed to be working on."
"That would be nice," drawled Draco.
Hermione picked up the piece of parchment and began to read aloud. "'The treatment of werewolves as dark creatures throughout magical history is a topic of much debate. Should existing laws, such as the Sentient Beast Anti- Wand Legislations, limiting the ability for werewolves to remain a part of wizarding society, be kept in place? Should werewolves be required to register with the Ministry of Magic? Choose a side in the debate on werewolf rights and defend your stance through textual references, past courtroom cases, newspaper articles, interviews, etc. Present the material in a creative and professional matter. You will be graded on how convincing your argument is and on how well it has been presented.'"
"What does this have to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts?" asked Draco. "We did werewolves years ago. Shouldn't we be learning about curses and stuff?"
Hermione shook her head. "These are important issues! Just like house elves, they ought to be treated bett-"
Draco rolled his eyes again. "Get off your high horse, Granger." He sighed. "Let's get back on topic, shall we?"
"Well, I think our 'stance' is pretty obvious," offered Pansy. "Werewolves are monsters. They have no business being around peop-"
"That's not true," said Hermione. "Professor Lupin was the best teacher we'd ever had. He-"
"Yeah," said Draco doubtfully, "He was fine, when he remembered to take that potion. But we all know that he forgot, that one night."
"You don't know the whole story," snapped Hermione. "It wasn't his fault. Professor Snape brought the potion out and then everything happened so fast that it was no wonder Professor Lupin didn't get a chance to drink it."
Draco shook his head. "Doesn't matter," he said defensively. "He should've been more responsible. He might have killed someone."
"Like you would have cared if he did, as long as it wasn't you!" said Hermione, her voice rising. "All you care about is yourself!"
Draco raised one silvery blonde eyebrow. He'd never known Granger was so feisty. Well, there was the time that she'd slapped him. but he'd always assumed that had just been a one-time shot. Pansy, meanwhile, was watching this with a slightly confused expression on her face. She didn't seem to know how to jump in to the conversation.
He frowned at Hermione. "Whatever," he muttered. "I suggest we take a vote. Who thinks we ought to oppose the werewolves?"
"I do," said Pansy enthusiastically.
Draco nodded. "I agree. Granger?"
Hermione just crossed her arms. "Hmph."
"Majority rules, Granger."
"I have values to uphold. Something you probably wouldn't know anything about."
He had to admit, the girl was stubborn. He had to give her credit for- no! God, she was a mudblood after all! But, unlike Pansy, she didn't cave for him, which was rather refreshing. Not that he really cared.
"Sorry, Granger, go talk to Professor Nightshade if you've got a problem with it. See if you can't whine yourself into another group."
"Yeah," responded Pansy.
He was this close to just whacking that girl right in the face. Couldn't she keep her stupid mouth shut for a minute? I'm beginning to sound like Nightshade, he thought.
Hermione was obviously seething. "I'll stay," she said angrily, "but only because Professor Nightshade doesn't like me very much and I don't feel like dealing with her right now." She paused. "You should be begging me to stay, anyway. It's not like you're going to get much done without me."
Draco ignored her comments and grabbed a piece of parchment. "Right then." He wrote their names at the top of it with his peacock-feather quill and tossed it to Hermione. "Do your thing, Granger," he said lazily, leaning back in his chair.
"What?" the girl exclaimed. "You expect me to-"
"Yeah, Granger, we do," said Draco. "After all, 'it's not like we're going to get much done without you.'" He smirked, testing her, waiting to see her reaction.
But Hermione seemed to know what he was doing and skipped right over the remark. She glanced at her watch. "Class is almost over. We ought to meet in the library later on, maybe after dinner."
"I'm not doing any more work today," said Draco, just waiting for Pansy to chime in with her usual, "Yeah!"
She did, and it took all his willpower to keep from slapping her right in her pug-nosed little face.
"What are you talking about? We haven't done anything yet!"
Draco yawned. "Tomorrow. It's Saturday." He sighed heavily, as though it was really paining him to do schoolwork on the weekend, enjoying the incredulous look on Hermione's face. ".but I think I can manage. Four o'clock, we'll meet in the library." He stood up and stretched just as the bell rang to signal the end of the period. He flashed a devious little grin over his shoulder and left the classroom, not even realizing what he had just-
What had he just done?
He'd just smiled at Hermione Granger. The Mudblood. The Gryffindor.
Ugh.
Draco shuddered and walked more quickly toward the Great Hall for lunch, not realizing until he got there that Crabbe and Goyle were not behind him.
What the hell was wrong with him today?
scheduled for release, and it was intended to be set in the 5th year... that's changed now, obviously, so I s'pose you can either consider it 6th
or 7th year or A/U. Whatever floats your boat. ;-)
Chapter Two
Pansy practically leapt over to Draco. "I'm so glad I at least have you as a partner," she said, "instead of that." She nodded her head toward Granger, who was walking over to their little table, not looking pleased. Draco nodded absently. He was busy going over in his mind the various ways he could get out of doing this project. I don't even know what the assignment is, he realized.
He turned to Pansy. "D'you know what we're supposed to be doing?" he asked, making sure he sounded utterly bored out of his mind and not at all interested in the assignment. He wasn't, really, but he felt more in control of the situation if he knew what was going on.
Pansy sighed. "No," she said emphatically. "Maybe the Brain over here will know." She giggled wildly at her own stupid joke as Hermione sat down, looking prim. Draco just rolled his eyes.
Hermione cleared her throat.
Draco glared at her. "What is it, Granger? Ready to take charge already? I mean, we know you're so much smarter than us. Might as well do the whole project yourself."
Pansy snickered, although there was nothing really to laugh at. Draco would've liked to smack her, but he couldn't hit a girl. Despite the fact that this particular girl grated on his nerves in the worst of ways. Perhaps Granger would do it. She'd had no qualms about hitting him before.
The Gryffindor girl made a small tutting sound. "I imagine we ought to get started on the project. It seems quite involved, don't you think?"
Draco stared blankly at her. "Care to elucidate a bit further, Granger?"
Hermione frowned. "You don't even know what the assignment is, do you?" she asked exasperatedly.
"Of course not," muttered Draco lazily. "That's what you're here for."
Pansy giggled. Draco shot her a dangerous look. She was ruining his opportunities for sarcasm. Her laughter stopped abruptly.
Hermione pursed her lips. "Well," she said loudly, "perhaps you'd like to know what we're supposed to be working on."
"That would be nice," drawled Draco.
Hermione picked up the piece of parchment and began to read aloud. "'The treatment of werewolves as dark creatures throughout magical history is a topic of much debate. Should existing laws, such as the Sentient Beast Anti- Wand Legislations, limiting the ability for werewolves to remain a part of wizarding society, be kept in place? Should werewolves be required to register with the Ministry of Magic? Choose a side in the debate on werewolf rights and defend your stance through textual references, past courtroom cases, newspaper articles, interviews, etc. Present the material in a creative and professional matter. You will be graded on how convincing your argument is and on how well it has been presented.'"
"What does this have to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts?" asked Draco. "We did werewolves years ago. Shouldn't we be learning about curses and stuff?"
Hermione shook her head. "These are important issues! Just like house elves, they ought to be treated bett-"
Draco rolled his eyes again. "Get off your high horse, Granger." He sighed. "Let's get back on topic, shall we?"
"Well, I think our 'stance' is pretty obvious," offered Pansy. "Werewolves are monsters. They have no business being around peop-"
"That's not true," said Hermione. "Professor Lupin was the best teacher we'd ever had. He-"
"Yeah," said Draco doubtfully, "He was fine, when he remembered to take that potion. But we all know that he forgot, that one night."
"You don't know the whole story," snapped Hermione. "It wasn't his fault. Professor Snape brought the potion out and then everything happened so fast that it was no wonder Professor Lupin didn't get a chance to drink it."
Draco shook his head. "Doesn't matter," he said defensively. "He should've been more responsible. He might have killed someone."
"Like you would have cared if he did, as long as it wasn't you!" said Hermione, her voice rising. "All you care about is yourself!"
Draco raised one silvery blonde eyebrow. He'd never known Granger was so feisty. Well, there was the time that she'd slapped him. but he'd always assumed that had just been a one-time shot. Pansy, meanwhile, was watching this with a slightly confused expression on her face. She didn't seem to know how to jump in to the conversation.
He frowned at Hermione. "Whatever," he muttered. "I suggest we take a vote. Who thinks we ought to oppose the werewolves?"
"I do," said Pansy enthusiastically.
Draco nodded. "I agree. Granger?"
Hermione just crossed her arms. "Hmph."
"Majority rules, Granger."
"I have values to uphold. Something you probably wouldn't know anything about."
He had to admit, the girl was stubborn. He had to give her credit for- no! God, she was a mudblood after all! But, unlike Pansy, she didn't cave for him, which was rather refreshing. Not that he really cared.
"Sorry, Granger, go talk to Professor Nightshade if you've got a problem with it. See if you can't whine yourself into another group."
"Yeah," responded Pansy.
He was this close to just whacking that girl right in the face. Couldn't she keep her stupid mouth shut for a minute? I'm beginning to sound like Nightshade, he thought.
Hermione was obviously seething. "I'll stay," she said angrily, "but only because Professor Nightshade doesn't like me very much and I don't feel like dealing with her right now." She paused. "You should be begging me to stay, anyway. It's not like you're going to get much done without me."
Draco ignored her comments and grabbed a piece of parchment. "Right then." He wrote their names at the top of it with his peacock-feather quill and tossed it to Hermione. "Do your thing, Granger," he said lazily, leaning back in his chair.
"What?" the girl exclaimed. "You expect me to-"
"Yeah, Granger, we do," said Draco. "After all, 'it's not like we're going to get much done without you.'" He smirked, testing her, waiting to see her reaction.
But Hermione seemed to know what he was doing and skipped right over the remark. She glanced at her watch. "Class is almost over. We ought to meet in the library later on, maybe after dinner."
"I'm not doing any more work today," said Draco, just waiting for Pansy to chime in with her usual, "Yeah!"
She did, and it took all his willpower to keep from slapping her right in her pug-nosed little face.
"What are you talking about? We haven't done anything yet!"
Draco yawned. "Tomorrow. It's Saturday." He sighed heavily, as though it was really paining him to do schoolwork on the weekend, enjoying the incredulous look on Hermione's face. ".but I think I can manage. Four o'clock, we'll meet in the library." He stood up and stretched just as the bell rang to signal the end of the period. He flashed a devious little grin over his shoulder and left the classroom, not even realizing what he had just-
What had he just done?
He'd just smiled at Hermione Granger. The Mudblood. The Gryffindor.
Ugh.
Draco shuddered and walked more quickly toward the Great Hall for lunch, not realizing until he got there that Crabbe and Goyle were not behind him.
What the hell was wrong with him today?