Chapter Two: Scheduling
Draco pushed open the castle doors and swept gracefully down the steps and toward the greenhouses, his feet light. The late summer sun shone on the lake and reflected off the greenhouse's windows. The school year had been pleasant, and he was looking forward to the more rigorous teaching. He was second in his classes with Hermione, first in the ones without. He had received top marks on his O.W.L s and was looking forward to pursuing his training, which centered on the development of new potions, and discovering alternate uses for common potion ingredients. He shared no classes with his Slytherin cronies; all having chose different career paths. He veered toward Greenhouse 5, nearly flattening a group of twittering, and obviously lost, first years. Probably Hufflepuff, he reasoned disgustedly.
The fall air was crisp and bright, quite a contrast to the dim, muggy interior of the greenhouse. He set his bag on an empty table and took a seat, surveying the varied plant life with practiced dis-taste. He pointedly ignored the assembled students. Draco was early but the contents of the "classroom" were able to keep him occupied and he hardly noticed when Hermione Granger begrudgingly took the only empty seat left, which happened to be at his table.
Draco had cool relations with students from Ravenclaw and occasionally with a member or two from Gryffindor, but drew the line at Hufflepuff. The Herbology class was compromised mainly of Hufflepuffs with the exception of Hermione and himself, hence the wide berth he had been given. The room was dank and earthy, and the table had a bit of mold on it. " Scourgify." Hermione took care of it. Draco turned to her. She flushed but held her gaze. " What do you want?" she asked, behaving as though she didn't care. Her voice told Draco differently. " I was wondering what illness would possess someone into attempting to clean this greenhouse. It's obviously quite severe." he responded indifferently, edging a bit of acid in at the last. He looked pointedly at the broken pots and crates filled with earth and seed, the sludgy puddles of water and overall filth of the plants, some of which contently secreted thick fluids. Hermione defiantly ignored him, and pulled a thick roll of parchment and a quill from her own bag, waiting for further instructions from Professor Sprout, who had entered the room, her apron already dingy with earth. Draco took out his own parchment and quill, the room scratched busily for a quarter of an hour. Presently, Professor Sprout told them to put up the papers and grab an apron. " I'll be demonstrating the correct way to prune Thornisus, a particular vicious garden shrub, commonly used for protection of the home, but it's leaves are used in potent sedatives when ground. You'll need your gloves for this one." She usually had the students describe the magical properties of the plants she introduced, but with Draco and Hermione in the class, the competition would have probably led to violence. Draco and Hermione both made note, and then moved forward with the rest of the group, grabbing aprons and pulling on gloves.
Professor Sprout lead them to a small bush, whose glossy viridian leaves, began to jab deftly when it sensed approach. " I looks like Mistletoe!" declared a curly haired Hufflepuff, brightly. Draco sneered. Professor Sprout, however, smiled." I do believe the Weasley Twins agreed." she said. Hermione, laughed, and Draco smiled thinly, both remembering the ensuing ruckus at last years Yule Ball when Fred and George had affixed the leaves decoratively around the table edges, and it had looked like innocent holly. The twins served detentions daily for a month, both however, considered it worth it. Draco did to. Professor Sprout, armed with small sharp garden shears, a straw and a jug of Butterbeer, approached d the shrub. She stuck one end of the straw into the jugs and jammed the other into the soil in the plants pot. Greedy sucking noises filled the room. " Thornisus usually drinks water, but if you want it to cooperate, which you do," she promised, " you give it Butterbeer or a similar sweet, which makes it quite companionable." The shrub purred for benefit. " It's obviously intelligent, and some wizards believe it can understand human voice, hence it's ability to protect our homes." She clipped at a few branches while she spoke, and they flew toward the students, most of whom had the sensibility to duck. " I want you in pairs, and ready to prune some
Thornisus!" she said enthusiastically when they had finished. The students rushed wildly, and within minuets everyone had a partner, Draco and Hermione forced to work together, as neither had friends in Hufflepuff. Professor Sprout handed them butterbeer, and shears, then pointed them toward a tangled shrub that she didn't trust the others with. They approached the shrub, wary of each other and stared at it. The girl working next to them turned. " Are you Hermione Granger?" she asked, and Draco was reminded of Pansy's joking simper. " I see you in the library sometimes, but I'm too busy with friends to work, I guess you can do it though." she was oblivious to the insult and smiled cutely. Hermione gaped, to shocked to respond, clearly growing angrier. " Normal people don't consider stuffed animals friends." Draco said offhandedly, between swigs of Butterbeer. The girl looked confused and turned to her partner for help. Hermione seized the Butterbeer from Draco and jammed the straw furiously into the soil. She clipped haphazardly and branches flew past her, some Draco was barely able to dodge. Her eyes were bright and furious, Draco noticed. Draco looked at the girl who appeared to be whispering to her friend. Hermione noticed as well and turned a brighter vermillion. Draco stooped gracefully and gathered a few of the branches in his hand, before they could begin to jab at him he pointed to the girl, the branches tensed, stiffening the leaves. Hermione turned just as Draco released them, and began to call out as they sped toward the girls' ample buttocks. She cut off her words, when she noticed the target, and her face was blank. Draco watched her consideringly as the girl was hit and began to yelp. 'It isn't like her to willingly attack someone, even indirectly.' he mused. He continued watching her, as the girl was lead to the infirmary, wincing with each step.
Hermione finally turned. " What?" she snapped, her eyes flashed dangerously. " I'm surprised the honorable Granger allowed that to happen." he gestured toward the plant. " Well, I'm surprised the stoic Malfoy admits to confusion." she responded, snatching the butterbeer from his fist. " Stop drinking this!"
Hermione, Draco decided, was much more fun alone.