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Chapter 7
Mysteries
Hermione continued their late night meetings together as their project progressed. Though they actually seemed to be accomplishing something each time, each rendezvous always ended with the same fight: Draco criticizing Hermione for being a stupid know-it-all and Hermione lashing back at him for his arrogance and hostility. Little did they know that things were gradually changing between them with this new alliance. Draco began using the term 'mudblood' less and less often, as Hermione could be heard saying 'Malfoy' instead of the ominous 'Malfoy'. The wall of indifference was breaking.
"Draco! Will you please wake up and pay attention? I am trying to work on our group project, but I can't do that without the rest of my group," Hermione said one late night.
"Why do they call it 'groups' anyway? There are only two of us," Draco said groggily as he lifted his head off the table.
"Shut up and help me. We're almost done with Part 1; we just need a name. I was thinking 'Pages a'Plenty'."
"Boring."
"Well then, you think of something if you're so smart."
"How about the 'My Head is Killing Me and Hermione's Nagging isn't Helping Shop'?"
She glared at him.
"Fine, fine. Why not, uh 'Just Around the Corner'? It sounds...homey."
"Hm," she crinkled her brow in contemplation, "I like it. We're gonna use it."
"Good, can I leave now. I feel like I'm about to pass out from exhaustion and annoyance."
"Yes, leave," she said with a wave of her hand. He got up from his seat and before he reached the door, she called out quietly,
"Good night."
She swore she heard him respond with a 'night' before he closed the door behind him, but she wasn't sure.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning at breakfast in the Great Hall, Harry and Ron were complaining about everything and everyone as usual. Hermione just sat silently and slowly ate her oatmeal, but her ears perked up when Draco was mentioned in the bickering.
"He thinks he owns the school just because his father is, well was, on the board, and their pureblood. He's such a show-off weasel-faced git. I-."
"He's really not that bad when you get to know him," Hermione interrupted.
"What!" they yelled together.
"I said that he-,"
"I know what you said, but, Hermione are you feeling O.K.?" Ron reached across the table and clumsily felt her forehead.
"I'm fine Ron."
"Then why are you sticking up for Malfoy."
"I'm simply stating the truth."
"But how can you do that after all he's done," Harry intervened..
"Look, when we discovered that we had to do that project together we both decided to put aside our differences and make peace. He only tries to be showy so he can be good enough for his father who measures him against unruly standards."
"Are you his psychiamist?"
"No Ron, and the word is psychiatrist. I'm just reading between the lines. He's different."
"I don't believe you," Harry stated.
"Maybe he put her under the Imperius Curse," Ron said to Harry who replied, "Possibly."
"You guys! I am perfectly fine you two are just too narrow-minded to understand!" She got up from her unfinished breakfast and left, most likely going to the library.
"Do you think we made her angry?" Ron asked his friend quietly.
"Nah, I guess it's a girl thing."
"Yah."
Hermione sat at a secluded table in the back corner of the library to try to sort out her thoughts. Why was she defending Malfoy? Those words had just seemed to come out naturally. Was she getting soft with him and feeling sorry for him? Truly, she enjoyed their meetings. They were exciting and full of surprises, just like Draco. He was a work of art. In a way, she viewed him as a challenge or a problem that she had to solve. But all in all he was a person, one with a scary past and future and life already foretold to him. He, of course, never told her any of this, but she could read it in those cold grey eyes of his. The eyes that looked like stone at times, yet may also seem soft as a feather too. He was a mystery.
That night when they met, she began looking at him differently, more so than before, and when she looking into his eyes, she saw to window to his soul. But when she gazed upon him, he just ignored her.
Why was Granger looking at me like that? Draco thought as he walked into the classroom. It was as if she knew how he saw those amber eyes of hers in his dreams every night and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why. She was haunting him, and being constantly around her wasn't doing any good.
The night passed in silence, both of them doing individual work, and when it came time to part they said good-bye and went their separate ways.
Draco had received another letter from his father that evening. It told furthered him on their meeting that was coming up in a few days. To a secluded flat he must go located on the outskirts of Hosmeade. There, Lucius would be awaiting him and the meeting would commence. Draco knew that he wouldn't be staying at Hogsmeade, they would definitely travel to someplace much more private, where no one would know what you were up to.
The morning of the first Hogsmeade dawned on Draco all too soon. He dressing and ate a light breakfast as usual. Then he began his walk down to the village, hoping to buy a few things before the meeting. The sky was dark for it was only morning but the clouds churned overhead unforgivingly.
When it was time, he walked up to the designated place and knocked on the door. After a few silent moments, it opened.
Chapter 7
Mysteries
Hermione continued their late night meetings together as their project progressed. Though they actually seemed to be accomplishing something each time, each rendezvous always ended with the same fight: Draco criticizing Hermione for being a stupid know-it-all and Hermione lashing back at him for his arrogance and hostility. Little did they know that things were gradually changing between them with this new alliance. Draco began using the term 'mudblood' less and less often, as Hermione could be heard saying 'Malfoy' instead of the ominous 'Malfoy'. The wall of indifference was breaking.
"Draco! Will you please wake up and pay attention? I am trying to work on our group project, but I can't do that without the rest of my group," Hermione said one late night.
"Why do they call it 'groups' anyway? There are only two of us," Draco said groggily as he lifted his head off the table.
"Shut up and help me. We're almost done with Part 1; we just need a name. I was thinking 'Pages a'Plenty'."
"Boring."
"Well then, you think of something if you're so smart."
"How about the 'My Head is Killing Me and Hermione's Nagging isn't Helping Shop'?"
She glared at him.
"Fine, fine. Why not, uh 'Just Around the Corner'? It sounds...homey."
"Hm," she crinkled her brow in contemplation, "I like it. We're gonna use it."
"Good, can I leave now. I feel like I'm about to pass out from exhaustion and annoyance."
"Yes, leave," she said with a wave of her hand. He got up from his seat and before he reached the door, she called out quietly,
"Good night."
She swore she heard him respond with a 'night' before he closed the door behind him, but she wasn't sure.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning at breakfast in the Great Hall, Harry and Ron were complaining about everything and everyone as usual. Hermione just sat silently and slowly ate her oatmeal, but her ears perked up when Draco was mentioned in the bickering.
"He thinks he owns the school just because his father is, well was, on the board, and their pureblood. He's such a show-off weasel-faced git. I-."
"He's really not that bad when you get to know him," Hermione interrupted.
"What!" they yelled together.
"I said that he-,"
"I know what you said, but, Hermione are you feeling O.K.?" Ron reached across the table and clumsily felt her forehead.
"I'm fine Ron."
"Then why are you sticking up for Malfoy."
"I'm simply stating the truth."
"But how can you do that after all he's done," Harry intervened..
"Look, when we discovered that we had to do that project together we both decided to put aside our differences and make peace. He only tries to be showy so he can be good enough for his father who measures him against unruly standards."
"Are you his psychiamist?"
"No Ron, and the word is psychiatrist. I'm just reading between the lines. He's different."
"I don't believe you," Harry stated.
"Maybe he put her under the Imperius Curse," Ron said to Harry who replied, "Possibly."
"You guys! I am perfectly fine you two are just too narrow-minded to understand!" She got up from her unfinished breakfast and left, most likely going to the library.
"Do you think we made her angry?" Ron asked his friend quietly.
"Nah, I guess it's a girl thing."
"Yah."
Hermione sat at a secluded table in the back corner of the library to try to sort out her thoughts. Why was she defending Malfoy? Those words had just seemed to come out naturally. Was she getting soft with him and feeling sorry for him? Truly, she enjoyed their meetings. They were exciting and full of surprises, just like Draco. He was a work of art. In a way, she viewed him as a challenge or a problem that she had to solve. But all in all he was a person, one with a scary past and future and life already foretold to him. He, of course, never told her any of this, but she could read it in those cold grey eyes of his. The eyes that looked like stone at times, yet may also seem soft as a feather too. He was a mystery.
That night when they met, she began looking at him differently, more so than before, and when she looking into his eyes, she saw to window to his soul. But when she gazed upon him, he just ignored her.
Why was Granger looking at me like that? Draco thought as he walked into the classroom. It was as if she knew how he saw those amber eyes of hers in his dreams every night and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why. She was haunting him, and being constantly around her wasn't doing any good.
The night passed in silence, both of them doing individual work, and when it came time to part they said good-bye and went their separate ways.
Draco had received another letter from his father that evening. It told furthered him on their meeting that was coming up in a few days. To a secluded flat he must go located on the outskirts of Hosmeade. There, Lucius would be awaiting him and the meeting would commence. Draco knew that he wouldn't be staying at Hogsmeade, they would definitely travel to someplace much more private, where no one would know what you were up to.
The morning of the first Hogsmeade dawned on Draco all too soon. He dressing and ate a light breakfast as usual. Then he began his walk down to the village, hoping to buy a few things before the meeting. The sky was dark for it was only morning but the clouds churned overhead unforgivingly.
When it was time, he walked up to the designated place and knocked on the door. After a few silent moments, it opened.