(A/N: Hope you like it! Thanks to those who reviewed!)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or setting described in this chapter.
~*~*~*~*~*
CHAPTER SEVEN: LEANING
Everybody dreaded Potions the next day, but nobody dreaded it more than Hermione Granger. She would have to be with that prat for the next two weeks. Upon arrival to Potions, she gathered with all the other Gryffindors for as long as possible until Snape arrived in the classroom.
"Good morning, as surely you all remember, we will begin brewing the Tihaferdon potion today. Now would you all switch seats next to your partner." Seeing as Malfoy wouldn't move Hermione sighed and gathered her things, making her way over to the ferret.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
For the first half an hour no words were muttered to one another except instructions and ingredients but by then neither one could stand much more silence.
"So you *really* enjoy watching people suffer?" Hermione asked with a tone as icy as Lucius himself, trying to make conversation.
"No for your information, I don't. And I told you yesterday that I meant what I said," Draco replied calmly "Pass the roots"
Hermione was dumbfounded. He couldn't have meant it. He was Malfoy, the muggle hater. Why on earth would he care about her parents; her? "Well if you didn't intend to make fun why did you say it?" she asked. The icy tone gone since she was now naturally curious.
"Goodness Granger for a know-it-all you sure are thick." Malfoy said jokingly as he sat down, waiting for the potion to boil. Draco turned around and faced her, and without thinking the distance between their faces became only about a foot apart. "I meant what I said," he said softly almost to a whisper, looking into her beautiful chocolate eyes. She met his gaze, entranced by his cloudy gray ones. Suddenly she could see that he was telling the truth.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Don't be. I'm the one who's sorry remember" he replied entranced by her eyes, putting a lock of hair behind her ears. To Hermione's horror she saw Ron and Harry out of the corner of her eyes, gaping at her, with their mouth wide open.
Ignoring her friends, she smiled up at him. "Thanks"
To Hermione's surprise, he smiled. A genuine smile that Hermione had never seen before. It had always clouded over by that famous Malfoy smirk. "Your welcome" And with that, the bell rung. Malfoy left, and Hermione was left to deal with the horror-stricken faces of her two best friends.
"What?" she asked expectantly
"Wh- uh- te-pwf-" Ron tried to get words out of his mouth but nothing worked. It was Harry who recovered the fastest.
"What the Bloody Hell just happened Hermione?" Harry shouted.
"What?" She asked sweetly.
"That, that *thing* With Malfoy!" Harry stuttered
"I don't know what your talking about Harry. But I can assure you that I hate the git just as much as I did this morning at breakfast." She stated plainly.
Truth was she didn't know *what* had happened between her and Malfoy but she did know that she wasn't upset with him like she was this morning at breakfast. He seemed different: Like a completely different person!
The remark seemed to convince Harry somewhat, but by that time, Ron had found his voice again and was apparently more upset by it than Harry.
"Hermione! He put your hair behind your ears!" Ron yelled.
"So? You two do that all the time," she said nonchalantly.
"But *we're* your best friends. He's MALFOY. The ferret. Our enemy. He's made life a living nightmare for us all!" Ron practically screamed.
"Ron! I can't believe you are saying this! You know perfectly well how I feel about the ferret. I *HATE* him and you know that. Now this discussion is over." Hermione said forcefully, as she started walking towards Herbology. The two, as predicted, appeared at her side each one mumbling their apologies.
~*~*~*~*~*~
As Malfoy walked towards History of Magic, he couldn't help thinking about what had happened between him and the mudblood. Stop it. It's Granger not Mudblood. The name reminded him of other evil things that Lucius had taught him.
Draco had no idea whatsoever what had happened between them. One minute she was annoying him and the next.Draco wanted to kiss her. She was so beautiful Draco remembered. Stop it! He mentally slapped himself. Though Draco had changed, he hadn't changed enough to kiss Potter's best friend.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Throughout her day, his eyes haunted Hermione. They were confusing eyes, with many emotions jumbled together. She easily saw amusement but the other emotions were harder to recognize. She thought she had seen anger, pity, fear, sadness, and even care. Hermione just couldn't get over the new side of Malfoy she had seen.
Harry and Ron threw her glances the rest of her day. It bothered her since she didn't know what had happened between Malfoy and herself. If *she* didn't know, how could she explain it to her friends? She replayed the scene over and over again in her mind, searching for clues. One minute she was angry with him the next. well it doesn't matter since nothing happened Hermione reassured herself as she continued the rest of her day.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or setting described in this chapter.
~*~*~*~*~*
CHAPTER SEVEN: LEANING
Everybody dreaded Potions the next day, but nobody dreaded it more than Hermione Granger. She would have to be with that prat for the next two weeks. Upon arrival to Potions, she gathered with all the other Gryffindors for as long as possible until Snape arrived in the classroom.
"Good morning, as surely you all remember, we will begin brewing the Tihaferdon potion today. Now would you all switch seats next to your partner." Seeing as Malfoy wouldn't move Hermione sighed and gathered her things, making her way over to the ferret.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
For the first half an hour no words were muttered to one another except instructions and ingredients but by then neither one could stand much more silence.
"So you *really* enjoy watching people suffer?" Hermione asked with a tone as icy as Lucius himself, trying to make conversation.
"No for your information, I don't. And I told you yesterday that I meant what I said," Draco replied calmly "Pass the roots"
Hermione was dumbfounded. He couldn't have meant it. He was Malfoy, the muggle hater. Why on earth would he care about her parents; her? "Well if you didn't intend to make fun why did you say it?" she asked. The icy tone gone since she was now naturally curious.
"Goodness Granger for a know-it-all you sure are thick." Malfoy said jokingly as he sat down, waiting for the potion to boil. Draco turned around and faced her, and without thinking the distance between their faces became only about a foot apart. "I meant what I said," he said softly almost to a whisper, looking into her beautiful chocolate eyes. She met his gaze, entranced by his cloudy gray ones. Suddenly she could see that he was telling the truth.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Don't be. I'm the one who's sorry remember" he replied entranced by her eyes, putting a lock of hair behind her ears. To Hermione's horror she saw Ron and Harry out of the corner of her eyes, gaping at her, with their mouth wide open.
Ignoring her friends, she smiled up at him. "Thanks"
To Hermione's surprise, he smiled. A genuine smile that Hermione had never seen before. It had always clouded over by that famous Malfoy smirk. "Your welcome" And with that, the bell rung. Malfoy left, and Hermione was left to deal with the horror-stricken faces of her two best friends.
"What?" she asked expectantly
"Wh- uh- te-pwf-" Ron tried to get words out of his mouth but nothing worked. It was Harry who recovered the fastest.
"What the Bloody Hell just happened Hermione?" Harry shouted.
"What?" She asked sweetly.
"That, that *thing* With Malfoy!" Harry stuttered
"I don't know what your talking about Harry. But I can assure you that I hate the git just as much as I did this morning at breakfast." She stated plainly.
Truth was she didn't know *what* had happened between her and Malfoy but she did know that she wasn't upset with him like she was this morning at breakfast. He seemed different: Like a completely different person!
The remark seemed to convince Harry somewhat, but by that time, Ron had found his voice again and was apparently more upset by it than Harry.
"Hermione! He put your hair behind your ears!" Ron yelled.
"So? You two do that all the time," she said nonchalantly.
"But *we're* your best friends. He's MALFOY. The ferret. Our enemy. He's made life a living nightmare for us all!" Ron practically screamed.
"Ron! I can't believe you are saying this! You know perfectly well how I feel about the ferret. I *HATE* him and you know that. Now this discussion is over." Hermione said forcefully, as she started walking towards Herbology. The two, as predicted, appeared at her side each one mumbling their apologies.
~*~*~*~*~*~
As Malfoy walked towards History of Magic, he couldn't help thinking about what had happened between him and the mudblood. Stop it. It's Granger not Mudblood. The name reminded him of other evil things that Lucius had taught him.
Draco had no idea whatsoever what had happened between them. One minute she was annoying him and the next.Draco wanted to kiss her. She was so beautiful Draco remembered. Stop it! He mentally slapped himself. Though Draco had changed, he hadn't changed enough to kiss Potter's best friend.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Throughout her day, his eyes haunted Hermione. They were confusing eyes, with many emotions jumbled together. She easily saw amusement but the other emotions were harder to recognize. She thought she had seen anger, pity, fear, sadness, and even care. Hermione just couldn't get over the new side of Malfoy she had seen.
Harry and Ron threw her glances the rest of her day. It bothered her since she didn't know what had happened between Malfoy and herself. If *she* didn't know, how could she explain it to her friends? She replayed the scene over and over again in her mind, searching for clues. One minute she was angry with him the next. well it doesn't matter since nothing happened Hermione reassured herself as she continued the rest of her day.