DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, that belongs to J.K. Rowling

A/N: I would again like to thank all my wonderful reviewers! A couple of you have asked questions, so here are my answers:

silvia665 - don't worry, the romance will start soon. In order to keep the characters as in character as possible I decided to make it start out really slow, but don't worry, it will happen! :D
amy85 - I'm glad you're liking the story, but I can't let you know anything about the ending, cause it would ruin it for you!

And to all the rest of my reviewers, I again say thank you, and I hope everyone enjoys the latest chapter!

Chapter 5: Tiny Breakthroughs

 The next couple weeks passed without much trouble. Draco and Hermione both continued about their research during class time, yet they never spoke much, unless it was to ask about a book or something simple. They had found all of the ingredients they needed except for one that all their research mentioned, yet never named. It was as if the ingredient was so obvious that it didn't need naming, yet both students were completely stumped as to what it could be. They had two weeks left to go until the first Hogsmeade weekend, so they were both beginning to get anxious about whether or not they would find it. Unbeknownst to Draco, Hermione had asked the librarian for help one evening when she was alone, but even that effort proved futile.

Hermione was greatly relieved that their study sessions had become more relaxed, and sometimes when she was particularly frustrated her eyes would unconsciously drift over to Draco, and every time she would marvel at how handsome he was. She enjoyed seeing the serious look on his face when he was deeply involved in his studies. Little did she know that he was having similar thoughts about her when she wasn't looking. Draco was very amused by the way she would bite her bottom lip when she was thinking hard, and the way her eyes lit up when she found something interesting.

During one such study session, both students were particularly frustrated because no matter where they looked they could not find the missing ingredient. Draco closed the book he was reading and threw it on threw floor, Hermione looked up in surprise.

"I give up," Draco muttered, "no wonder no one makes this potion anymore, no one knows how to make it cause some stupid moron forgot to write down all the ingredients."

"Well, maybe we're going about it the wrong way," suggested Hermione.

"What are you talking about Granger? How else are we supposed to find the missing ingredient if it's not written anywhere?" retorted Draco.

"Well, let's examine what we have so far," Hermione pulled out her notes on the potion. "All the research we've done says that the missing ingredient is the most important one. . . "

"Well thank you for stating the obvious," Draco mocked with that all- to-familiar smirk on his face.

Hermione gave him a reprimanding look and continued as if she hadn't heard him, "so we know that whatever this ingredient is, it must provide the potion with the main power of restoring the body to health once it's been injured."

"And your point?" Draco asked as he lay back in his chair staring at the ceiling.

"The point," Hermione said sternly "is that perhaps we've been going about this the wrong way."

"Are you going to say what you mean? Or are you going to make me listen to you all day?" interrupted Draco.

"What I'm saying," continued Hermione, "is maybe we should just put our heads together and try to think of what ingredient we know of that can do something like that."

"Excuse me? You want me, Draco Malfoy, to work with a mudblood?" Draco said pompously.

Hermione was enraged at him, but she knew they needed to work together if they were going to ever get this potion made, so she chose to ignore him and change her persuasive tactics, "yes, that's what I'm asking you to do. But I understand if you don't want to, I mean I always knew Slytherins were chickens, so I shouldn't have expected you to have the guts to work with a muggle born Gryffindor. I guess we'll just have to tell professor Snape that we couldn't do it. I'm sure he wouldn't mind writing to your father telling him how his son failed a project." Hermione silently applauded herself as she viewed Draco's reaction to her words. She finally managed to hit a nerve in the impenetrable Draco Malfoy.

He looked at her first with wide-eyed anger that evolved into a sly smile "Draco Malfoy never turns down a challenge." He was about to continue when the bell signaling the end of class sounded, "Okay Granger, next class session, we start working together."

"Deal," agreed Hermione.

So Hermione walked into the next study session with high hopes that she and Malfoy would finally get some work done without trying to kill each other. Malfoy on the other hand was not in a good mood that morning, all because of a letter he had received from Lucius at breakfast.

Draco,
Good news! He has accepted our request and you shall officially join us at the end of the school year. I shall not accept any hesitation on your part, and I shall accept no excuses for anything but top performance from you. You shall meet us in the Hogs Head during your next Hogsmeade weekend at 12:00 noon so we can finalize the arrangements. No excuses and I will not accept tardiness!
Lucius

Draco, far from being pleased to receive this news from his father, was highly upset. His bad mood traveled with him everywhere, including into the library where he went to meet Hermione. He threw down his bag and took out his notes, "lets get this over with."

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked with a touch of concern, she hadn't seen him this angry in quite a while.

"None of your business mudblood!" Draco spat at her.

"Well excuse me for caring then," retorted Hermione sarcastically. "That's the last time I'll ever be concerned about little junior Death Eater Draco's wellbeing."

Draco turned to her and slammed his fist on the desk causing Hermione to jump back in fright, "I am not a Death Eater!" he shouted. In a rush of anger, he turned away from her and moved over to the window. He stared out upon the grounds looking as if he were ready to kill.

Hermione jumped back in shock, she had no idea what she said was going to provoke that kind of reaction in him. And knowing what his father was, she was equally surprised to hear him so enraged about being called a Death Eater. She watched him turn away and move to the window, rage seemed to be boiling from deep inside him. She realized that she had inadvertently hit a nerve. Vaguely she wondered if perhaps he didn't want to be a Death Eater. She was also mad at herself for sinking down to his level with the name calling, and she kicked herself for it. She vowed to never allow Draco to provoke her like that again because she always hated herself afterwards. After a couple minutes of awkward silence, Hermione got up and approached Draco, "umm, Malfoy?"

"What?" he spat in a nasty tone while continuing to stare out the window.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry like that," Hermione apologized. She looked at him scared to hear his reaction.

He turned to look at her, and when his eyes met hers and she saw the raging storm reflected within them she turned her eyes away. She could not bring herself to look into those eyes; they were more terrifying than anything she had ever seen because the anger was real. He was dangerous. His expression mellowed slightly at the sight of her turn away, he could tell she was frightened, and for some reason that bothered him. "I'm not a Death Eater," he repeated, but this time his voice was calmer, still firm, but not threatening. His change in tone startled Hermione almost as if he had been shouting at her, before she could stop herself, she looked into his eyes. Though his face was set and expressionless, his eyes were pained and troubled, the only window to the raging storm he was experiencing inside. Hermione was longing to ask why he was not a Death Eater, why he seemed to care so much, but she thought better of it.

Hermione took in a steadying breath in an attempt to regain her composure, "Let's make a deal then, I won't call you a Death Eater, if you won't call me a mudblood," Hermione held out her hand to shake his. At first he just looked at her, his face still revealing no emotion. As she was about to drop her hand and give up, he suddenly he grabbed her hand and shook it. As he did, he noticed how soft and smooth her skin was, and he could not believe he had just made a deal with her. Hermione too was surprised; his hand was strong and rough from quidditch, but oddly comforting to hold.

"Deal," he agreed. Hermione took a deep breath, and then the two students made their way back to their study materials and set to work. They worked together for the remainder of the class time and by the time the bell rang they had compiled a list of requirements for the missing ingredient, but they were no closer to discovering what that ingredient could be than they were when they started.

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