Chapter 2- Breakfast, Truth, and Dinner
A/N: thanks again to my way- awesome beta, Gayle!
Draco had not talked to Hermione all throughout the sorting hat ceremony and the feast. When they arrived at their beautiful new dorm, she had just marched right past him and into her room. Since McGonnagall had told them they had to live with each other for the rest of the year, Draco figured she would try to call a truce or something, but she just walked past him. "Then again," he thought upon reflection, "I probably do deserve it. Wait a minute, what am I thinking? Any other girl in this school would worship the ground I walked on but no. Not Granger!" after a minute he finally decided to follow her up the stairs to her room, to give her a chance to call a truce and so he could get his book back.
Hermione was lying on her lush red and gold queen sized four-post bed reading Malfoy's book when she heard a knock on the door. Knowing whom it was, she hastily shoved the book under her bed and got up to let Malfoy in. "What do you want?" she asked in a cool manner.
"Why you so upset Granger?" replied Malfoy, as he pushed his way into the room. "Has the golden trio finally broken up? Is that why weasel wasn't looking for you on the train?"
"Shove off Malfoy." Replied Hermione, her voice rising to match her temper.
"Did I hit a nerve, Granger?"
"As much as I love these little chats of ours, is there any particular reason you have decided to waste my time?"
"I was actually looking for my book. You know, the one you stole." Said Malfoy, his smirk beginning to drive Hermione insane.
Without a word, Hermione dropped to the floor, and pulled his book out from under her bed. "Here." She said, shoving it into his hands and shoving him towards the door.
"Wait, Hermione." He said, turning around to face her. Hermione startled, looked at him in wonder. For he had not calling her "Granger" or "Mudblood" but "Hermione." Draco smirked again at her reaction and said coolly, "As much as I detest the idea of living with you all year, McGonagall did tell us that if we didn't act mature our positions would be taken away. I am NOT losing my head boy position because of a little mudblood, so I'm willing to be civil to you if you extend me the same courtesy." Hermione studied him carefully.
"You know Malfoy, I think in your own twisted mind you were actually trying to be nice to me." She said, a smile spreading across her face. Malfoy actually laughed, not a harsh cruel laugh but one filled with mirth. Hermione could see all his cold features turn soft and beautiful without his usual sneer. But even with his sneer he was still incredibly sexy…
"Hermione!" Draco said, and she raised her eyes to meet his, blushing. "Stop staring at my face and give me an answer so I can leave this Gryffindor-infested room!"
Hermione choked back a laugh. "Fine then!" she said, and pushed him out into the hallway. "Goodnight Draco." She added, before closing her door.
"Draco." He repeated in his mind, as he descended the stairs, running his hand through his blonde hair. He really liked how she said his name. Disgusted with himself, Draco walked up to his room to sleep. An object on the floor that caught her eye, however, distracted Hermione.
"The stupid prat forgot his book again!" she thought, as she turned off the light to fall back on her bed, leaving the book untouched.
~
Draco's Dream:
Hermione was coming to him with a smile on her face. She was holding something in her hand, but when he asked what it was, she silenced him with a kiss. He wanted another one but suddenly she stepped back laughing, and handed him a letter. It was addressed to him in his father's handwriting but as he looked from the letter to Hermione, she changed into Pansy Parkinson, who quickly took the letter back with a smile and left Draco with a longing for Hermione more than the letter.
~
Draco woke up suddenly as Hermione walked into his room. "What the hell are you doing here, Granger?!" he cried, still frazzled from his dream.
Hermione raised an eyebrow and walked over to him with a letter. A major wave of de-ja-vu swept over Draco until Hermione thrust a piece of paper under his nose and stalked out of the room. Draco looked at the paper, recognizing his class schedule. Quickly hurrying out of bed, he ran out of his room in only his boxers to get to Hermione before she left. "Wait! Hermione." He said as she started gathering up her things in the common room.
"What?" She replied, impatiently.
"What time is it?! We usually get our schedules in the Great Hall before classes start!" Hermione smiled.
"You might want to invest some of that Malfoy fortune on an alarm clock, Draco. Breakfast is over… you wouldn't wake up earlier. Classes start in 10 minutes- but you shouldn't have a problem, its double potions. Anyways I took pity on you and brought you some breakfast. Now, since Snape isn't as considerate to late Gryffindors as he is to late Slytherins, I have to get down to the dungeons. Later." With a quick wink she departed, leaving behind a rather startled Slytherin.
~
Hermione watched from her table as Draco arrived 20 minutes late to potions. After a quick "settle down" from Snape, he moved to the back of the room, giving a quick sneer to her before turning his back.
"As I was saying," continued Snape, as though nothing had happened, after you make the Veritaserum, I would like you to feed one drop and ONLY one drop to your partner… who I will choose." He added as an afterthought. "The rest of the potion will be put into a vial and labeled for correction. You are now in OWLs potions, which mean I expect you all to act responsibly when using the Veritaserum. It also means we will just be moving onto more complicated potions as the year progresses…"
Hermione's thoughts wandered to Draco. The poor kid was so funny, he had no idea how shocked he looked when he looked at her… but then maybe if he had he would have killed himself. Malfoy's aren't suppose to have emotions…
"Miss Granger!" shouted a voice from the front of the class. Hermione looked up at Snape and a blush rose to her cheeks. "Ten points from Gryffindor! Now as I was saying, you're partnered with Malfoy."
Disgusted, Hermione didn't say a word as she picked up her books and made her way to Malfoy's seat.
"Now if we can continue…" snarled Snape, as he finished calling off partners, flicking of his arm towards the blackboard revieling the instructions was added with a sharp "Begin!" as he sat down behind his desk. Still fuming about being caught not paying attention by Snape, Hermione set to work without looking at her partner. His eyes, however, hadn't left her face for a second.
"Here." She said, pushing some ingredients towards him. "Help." And that was all she said to him.
A clear simmering potion was bubbling in Hermione's cauldron only 20 minutes later. "I'm going first." Said Hermione, giving Malfoy a drop before he could argue and a blank look suddenly took over his face. Quickly, Hermione said, "Are you, or do you plan to become a death eater and follow in you father's footsteps?" in a whisper.
"No." replied Malfoy, in a flat tone. "I'm a spy for Dumbledore and the ministry right now."
Hermione gasped at Malfoy as the potion wore off. He looked at her, worried about what he might have said since her face was practically glowing. "Umm… Hermione?" he said, forgetting to use her surname in front of others. To his surprise though, she jumped up and screamed, "OH MY GOSH!" giving him a hug before he could say anything.
"What the hell, Granger?!" he yelled, shaken.
"That will be another ten points from Gryffindor for your outburst Miss Granger." Snapped Professor Snape from behind Hermione.
Immediately Hermione's giddy feeling left her and she didn't speak a word until he moved away. Draco offered her a drop and she took it silently.
"Now," thought Draco, "I can get her back for making a scene earlier on." Loudly he said, "What's going on between you and Weasly, Granger?"
Hermione took a breath, her face slack, and said, "Nothing now. We went out, he dumped me, and now he's going out with Lavender. Its awkward between us so he's been avoiding me."
Pissed he wasted his question, Malfoy grabbed his books, and shoved them into his cauldron bringing the vial up to the front of the room and leaving class before the bell rang.
~
When the bell rang, Hermione left quickly heading for herbology, wondering what Malfoy was so pissed about. But still, she couldn't believe it. Malfoy? Becoming a spy for Dumbledore? She thought for sure he would join Voldemort and become a death eater. She shook her long hair back. "Maybe I should give him a chance?" She thought, as she took her next to Harry.
~
That night Hermione took her place at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall for dinner. Looking around, she realized how much she was already missing everyone. She glanced at Harry and Ron, giving them a small smile before returning to her food. She and Ron were talking again, although she was still a little formal with him. Hermione had just returned from the library, and Harry and Ron were discussing Quidditch. Just like old times. She sighed as she lowered her hand to pick up a biscuit when all of a sudden she was aware of a pair of gray eyes watching her from across the great hall. Knowing whom the eyes belonged to she didn't turn around. Ron however, did.
"Hermione!" he said accusingly and she looked up reluctantly meeting his eyes. "Do you realize that Malfoy hasn't stopped starring at you since you sat down?!"
Fighting back a laugh, Hermione replied, "Ever heard that opposites attract?" in the most serious voice she could muster.
Ron dropped his fork quickly and pushed his food away. "I'm not hungry anymore," he said, and left the Great Hall quickly. Harry, chuckling, looked at Hermione.
"You really know how to push his buttons don't you?"
"Its not the hardest thing in the world." She replied carelessly, and laughed as she turned back to her food, knowing all to well that a blonde-haired Slytherin had witnessed everything.