Pairings: Draco/Hermione
Disclaimer: Alas, no, I own Him not.
***
Tick, tick, tick.
Question 49a: Give the basic theory for the transformation of humans to animals [Animagus]
Draco alternated his gaze between the clock on the wall and the blank spaces on his Transfiguration pre-course exam.
Sighing heavily, Draco picked up his eagle feather quill and began to slowly scratch out his answer. He was sitting McGonagall's N.E.W.T. Transfiguration class, for the second year in a row. And, as always, he was stumped.
Draco paused to let his ink dry. Quickly, he stole a glance around the room. Seventh years of every House sat in the warm Transfiguration classroom. Expression varied from the carefree ones of the Ravenclaws to the very tense ones of the Slytherins.
Class size dwindled each year since they had taken their O.W.L.s; students changed majors and switched classes what seemed like every week. McGonagall had announced she wouldn't allow any of her class to move after their first week.
So there Draco sat. He was one of the last Slytherins still there, save for Millicent Bulstrode, Tahmores Bleacou, and Blaise Zabini. The class consisted of mostly Ravenclaws, a few Hufflepuffs, and…
The League of Wonders, Draco thought with a mental sneer as his gaze landed on three heads in the front. Weasley, with his flaming red hair, sat farthest from the aisle with Potter right next to him. Hermione was seated next to them, head bent in concentration and chewing on the tip of her quill.
Draco tugged his green tie loose. The classroom was uncomfortably warm, he thought, and he noticed several other students had shrugged off their robes. Draco shifted and realized he still had three questions left. He took his eyes off of Hermione and looked back down to his exam.
Ten minutes later, McGonagall popped out of her feline form (she'd been lurking near her desk) and announced time was up. Draco frowned at his answers, prating to the gods that he'd passed.
It was a little-known fact, but Draco's chosen profession was an Auror. Granted, if his father had still been alive, it wouldn't even have crossed his mind. But it was a glory job…and right about now, a Malfoy could use a little glory. There was a certain aura of chivalry, Draco thought, to being a Defender of Justice-type.
Draco walked up to McGonagall's desk and dropped his parchment onto the pile. As he turned, he made sure to catch Hermione's eye. She looked up at him, surprised, but didn't blink. She merely glared.
Draco sighed. So typical.
He tossed his quill into his bag, frowning. He'd been brooding over Saturday night for nearly five days now. Truth be told, he'd been so put out by being one-uped at his own game, it had achieved the first-rank spot in his mind. He hadn't even chosen a Flavor-of-the-Week yet!
Moments later the bell rung and the crowd melded into the hallway, chattering. Draco stood against the wall and watched Hermione walk away, chattering happily with Weasley and Potter. Her laugh rang out down the hallway as the trio rounded a corner.
"Kinda makes you all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn't it, Malfoy?"
Draco turned to face Blaise Zabini, who grinning pointedly in the direction in which Draco had just been staring.
"How's the bet coming along?" Blaise asked, standing up straight as Draco led them to the dungeons. Draco shrugged.
"Could be worse."
Blaise gave a chuckle. "If you were Neville Longbottom, maybe. Don't you think I haven't heard all about Saturday night?"
"Oh, shut up, Zabini," Draco muttered.
The Italian shook his head as they reached stone door that concealed the Slytherin common room. "No, seriously, my man, that was some trick Granger pulled on you. Ginny told me what they'd been up to."
Draco didn't respond. He'd thought about it enough. Hermione Granger was decidedly a right little vixen. There were only certain Slytherins with that kind of seductability.
Not, of course, that he was pleased he'd been beaten in the game he practically created, but Draco enjoyed being the one to bring out the wilder side of Hermione Athena Granger.
If only there was some way to play the same kind of dirty trick on her…
"Revenge," Draco said suddenly.
Blaise looked up from kicking his bag away. "Eh?"
"Revenge," Draco said, standing, a bright light coming to his crystal blue eyes. "On Granger! Blaise, if I could get her to kiss me then we'll have this deal clinched. All I need is a plan," he finished wildly, sinking down onto one of Slytherin's leather couches. "A well-developed plan…"
Blaise whipped out parchment and a quill. "What's your poison?" he asked.
Draco stopped short, looking thoughtful. "Hell if I know," he finally said. With a prompting look from Blaise, Draco sighed. "Time for the Shakespeare already?"
Blaise grinned. "Good…because we hear its Hermione's birthday tomorrow…"
***
Hermione hurried into the Great Hall Friday morning. She had overslept by ten minutes and awoke only when Lavender Alohamora'd the door and charge in with a mascara wand. Ron and Harry and Ginny had all gone down to breakfast without her.
Not to mention it was her 17th birthday.
Hermione compulsively straightened the collar of her shirt before entering the Great Hall. Students milled about, chatting with friends and passing homework about. Hermione received a smile from the Headmaster as she hurried over to Gryffindor table.
"Morning, Hermione," Harry said as he scooted over to make space between himself and Ron. Hermione gladly took the seat.
"Harry," Hermione acknowledged, giving him his traditional morning hug. She turned to Ron and hugged him too. Awkwardly, he hugged her back. From over his shoulder, Hermione could see Ginny laughing at Ron's enflamed face.
Plainly seeing that her friends hadn't remembered her birthday (for the third consecutive year), Hermione glumly picked up a croissant and began peeling the outer layer off.
Ron looked at her oddly with his boyish blue eyes. "Are you seriously going to do that every morning, Mione?" he asked.
Hermione's head jerked up. "Mmmmhmmm," she said. Ron raised his eyebrows at Harry who pantomimed insanity behind her back. Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes as she tossed the first layer to her plate.
Just then a great swooping noise could be heard, and Hermione knew the post owls were arriving. Birds dive-bombed the students at all angles as they dropped off letters and packages to their owners.
Hermione began to drift off into thought about whether or not she'd be forced to Patrol that night when Ginny tapped her. "You've got an owl," Ginny said; pointing to a large, sleek black bird. Hermione gasped upon closer inspection. It was a raven.
"Oooooh," Lavender squealed. "A raven! Who's it from, Hermione?"
Hermione snatched the letter out of the gorgeous bird's beak. "No clue," she muttered. She rarely got mail, much less such an extravagant and rare mail bird. She had read somewhere that only very wealthy wizards used ravens…
Hermione tore open the envelope and unrolled the parchment and read to herself:
Granger—
For your information, Saturday night's charade was not cute. Yes, I'm still brooding over it. But if you dress like you did every time we go patrolling it will be the highlight of my week.
So perhaps we'll meet again in some dark corridor? You left a lasting impression, I guess. You argue like a girl though.
But I'll leave you with this:
'O, tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!'
~from HENRY VI, Shakespeare
--Malfoy
P.S. I guess Weasley gets the duty of giving the 17 Birthday Spanks? Too bad, Granger, too bad.
Hermione gulped down her shock with a large swallow of pumpkin juice.
"Who's it from?" Harry asked, fixing his glasses. "Hermione? You're looking a little…"
"You look like a Weasley," Ron finished. "Is it human to turn that pink?"
Hermione didn't respond to Ron's comment, but merely gaped at the letter in her hand.
How was it that Draco Malfoy had sent her mail over breakfast? Quickly, Hermione grabbed a bit of skin and pinched, hard. Ow, she thought. Okay, definitely not dreaming. But he had remembered her birthday! Quoted Shakespeare! Sexually harassed her!
All in one half a roll of parchment!
Ron waved a hand in front of her face. "Hermione!" He shook her by the shoulders. "Come back to this planet!"
Hermione jumped. She looked over to the Slytherin table. Malfoy was sitting, cool as a cucumber, between Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini, talking low with the latter. Hermione looked down at her letter. It must be a prank, she thought disbelieving. There's no way…
But just then, Draco looked up, right across the Hall. His blue eyes met her brown ones and their gazes locked. Draco quirked an eyebrow innocently. Hermione held up the paper slowly, a half-smile half-frown on her face. Draco nodded and sent a wink before being nudged by Blaise.
Hermione practically yelled.
"Hermione?" Ron asked, poking her shoulder. "Mione?"
Hermione turned to him with an expression of mixed delight and horror. She let out an excited little squeak, waving the letter around. "I'll see you guys in Defense Against the Dark Arts, okay?" And with that, she picked up her bag and all but ran from the Hall.
Ron gawked after her, open-mouthed. Turning back to Harry and Ginny, he pointed after her. "What's gotten into her lately, Gin?" he asked.
Ginny gave an insolent shrug. "How should I know," Ginny lied, twisting a lock of hair. "Maybe you should ask her, Ron."
Ron flushed pink. Ginny and Harry shared a glance—they both knew Ron had a "thing" for Hermione.
"Maybe I will," said Ron with some defiance, gazing at the doors that Hermione had run through.
***
Meanwhile, at the Slytherin table, Blaise and Draco shared a conspiratorial sneer as they watched Hermione flee from the Hall. She threw a passing glance to Draco and flushed as she disappeared through the doors.
"The fun starts here," Blaise snickered. Draco grinned evilly.
***
A/N: And we're live.
Well, another chapter. It's rather short, I guess, but it's kind of a plot-hole-filler type thing. I'm impatient for the good parts of this story. If there ARE good parts.
Time for thank you-s. I couldn't believe how much everyone liked the story! "You're all so kind!"
Unicorn13: Thanks for coming back. I loved your Pansy fic. Going to write any more of them?
Zackvlad: So true, what you said about those kinds of stories. They make me laugh. But I'm glad you enjoy this one so much!
Loony bout Lupin: Thanks for your energetic review; it amused me. Here's more more more more…well, you get the point.
Liar: You, my friend, are a godsend. I can't even tell you how glad I was to here that you liked it. I've read your stuff and it's really good. Thanks 100x for putting me on your faves list.
I Feel Loved
*MADame