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"Pay attention, Ms. Granger! You'll need to know this for the test!"
"Sorry, Professor."
It had been difficult for Hermione to concentrate in Transfiguration. Her mind had been wandering off from the lesson and it had started to think about other things. Apparently, Harry could tell.
"Hermione, this isn't like you. What are you thinking about?" he asked her in a low whisper, keeping his eyes on Professor McGonagall.
"I've just been thinking about, you know, Ginny and the raping and everything. I've been scared, Harry. For myself and for her." She whispered back, pretending to pay attention.
Harry leaned in closer to Hermione. "It'll be alright, Hermione. It's been over a week and no one's been attacked since Ginny. Maybe he wasn't a Hogwarts student and he was caught somewhere else." Harry predicted hopefully.
Hermione smiled at his attempt to reassure her, but they both knew that it didn't help much.
"Harry, I wish I knew who it was. I just want to know."
Her friend raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Why do you want to know? What good would it do for you to know?"
Hermione looked into Harry's eyes. "I just want to reassure myself that it's not someone I know."
"Granger! Potter! Do you both want detentions?"
The two friends shook their heads.
"Then I suggest you stop talking and pay attention..."
"Sorry, Professor..." the two apologized in unison. They looked at each other and then continued to take notes on what McGonagall was lecturing.
Later That Day...
"Now your assignment is to find the secret item that would make your cauldron have a reaction. It must turn a magenta color and once it has, call me over and I shall grade you on how...poorly or how decent your potion is..." replied the icy voice of Professor Snape.
Several students groaned at assignment but then began working. Hermione looked across the room to see Draco Malfoy working alone on his cauldron, adding the different ingredients to his coal black cauldron.
She too added the assigned ingredients into her own cauldron and watched as it turned a magnificent blue color.
"That's lovely, now would I use to make it turn magenta?" she thought aloud. For a few moments she looked around, trying to keep an eye out for the "perfect" ingredient. She finally spotted it except it was attached to Malfoy.
With a deep sigh she walked over to the blonde-haired boy and waited until he was done adding the ingredients in.
"Is there something I can help you with, Granger?"
Hermione stood there, half in shock. "I see how it is. You kiss me once and then snuff me, pretending nothing ever happened."
"Nothing did happen. You insisted on pushing me away. Now what did you come over here for?" Draco demanded, keeping his eyes on his cauldron.
Hermione felt herself about to lose her temper. "I need a part of your cloak, Draco. For my cauldron..."
Draco scoffed and then turned to face her. "And what makes you think that I'll actually tear off a piece for you?"
Hermione imagined his head blowing up inside her mind and then smiled. Then she looked at him with a straight face. "Fine, Malfoy. Don't expect me to give you anything when you need it." Hermione turned around and walked back to her cauldron.
Draco glared at her for several seconds and stared into his cauldron.
"Alright, time is up. Since none of you managed to get halfway done, you're going to collect the ingredients on your own time and return with them next week. Gather some of your potion you have so far and place half of the liquid in a small beaker, cover it well, and find your own ingredient. I will assume you all will have it done by next week and the ones who don't...well, let's just say you don't want to be in that select few."
Hermione did as she was told and disappeared from the classroom with her books in hand and headed up towards the Astronomy Tower.
As she made her way up the stairs, she had the peculiar feeling she was being followed. The staircase became darker and darker until she could barely see the steps.
"Oh good Merlin, what if it's the attacker? Would he really attack someone in daylight? Please don't let him attack me...not here..."
Her paranoia increased with every step she took until she no longer concentrated on taking the steps. Her mind was stuck on the attacker. Suddenly, she lost her balance. Hermione screamed, and waited to fall but nothing happened.
"Watch those stairs. They can be tricky when you're not paying attention." Replied a voice.
Hermione looked behind her and saw that Draco had caught her right before she fell backwards. This one the only time in her life that she was grateful to see him.
"T-thank you..." she caught her breathe, forcing herself to stand upright again.
She continued up the stairs until she made it to the very top and then spread out all her books, five in all, and took out a piece of parchment and a quill.
"Transfiguration?" Draco questioned, nodding towards her books.
Hermione stood up. "Is there something I can help you with, Draco?" she asked him, hesitating a little.
"What if he was the attacker? What if he had planned to rape her, right up here in the Astronomy Tower?" They were quite a long ways from screaming distance so no one would save her in time...
"Possibly, I need help with the potion. On the way up here I was thinking and I realized how a lock of your hair would work miracles for the assignment." Draco replied, walking towards her.
Hermione took out her wand and aimed it at him. "Don't you dare come near me! You aren't taking anything that belongs to me."
Draco came closer and aimed his wand at hers. "Expelliarmus!"
Her wand flew out of her reach; she stood there defenseless.
Draco strutted closer to the brunette until they were nearly touching. He placed his hand on her cheek, thumbing the softness of the right side of her face.
Her instincts were telling her that she wasn't safe. That he would take her innocence away. That she should run away any way she could, but she couldn't move.
"Relax, Granger...I just want a lock of your hair. Your beautiful, lavender-scented locks." Draco whispered as he placed his arm on her waist. She suddenly felt herself become safe, somehow. Draco Malfoy was touching her soft skin and she wasn't feeling scared. Hermione let him take her scent in for a few long minutes. His dark eyes looked into her caramel ones, searching for a sign of affection, searching for hope, searching for a sense of love.
After what seemed like ages in his warm, strong embrace, she reluctantly escaped it. She took a few steps back, glaring at him.
"What's wrong? You know you want it too, Granger."
Her facial expression turned into a look of confusion and then she felt weak. This man wasn't the rapist at Hogwarts. No, he couldn't be. There was something about the way he touched her that felt so...innocent.
"Draco, this isn't right. We aren't right. Us being together would be sinful." Hermione replied. She wasn't really sure what else to say. She was utterly confused about the whole situation and what was happening. She scolded herself, she was supposed to despise the Slytherins. She was supposed to despise Draco Malfoy. She had felt pure hate over the summer at him. Why now, when he had crossed her boundaries was she acting weak and acquiescent?
"Hermione, we were meant to be together. It sounds sinful but it's fate. It's destiny that we be together. I can't get over you. I've admired you since third year. Since Weasley was raped, I-I was scared for you..."
Hermione didn't allow herself to be oblivious to love. "She told me that her attacker had gray stone eyes. That just about fits your description, Malfoy."
"Granger, are you implying that I attacked her? I'm not the only person that would fit that description." Draco protested.
Hermione was bewildered; she wasn't sure what to believe anymore. How could someone feel so innocent and pure but his background be so dark and corrupted?
Hermione wasn't sure what to say or how to act now. She was behind enemy lines and what Draco was saying about her had started to make the young Gryffindor legs weak. She told herself mentally not to get involved with him, that he would just bring drama and chaos to the relationship.
"Draco, I'm sorry. You're showing me a side that I never saw before and this side of you is nice, it really is. I'm just not sure what to think of this. I don't know if you're just playing this role to get into my pants or if your intentions are pure..." Hermione replied, looking down at him.
Draco placed a hand on the side of her face but she gentle pulled it down.
"Can we at least be friends?"
Hermione hesitated. What could she say? He wanted to be friends and Hermione wasn't one to turn them down. Right now, she could use all the friends she could get, without appearing desperate. Their friendship would have to be kept in secret though, like their relationship would have to.
"I don't know. Let's just be acquaintances for now, and then see where that takes us."
Draco nodded and then stepped back from her so he could grab the beaker that they had been given in class.
"How about that Potion assignment? We both know that we need things from each other. Can we at least do that?" Draco asked with a smirk on his face.
Hermione smiled and nodded. "What do you need, Draco?"
"A lock of your hair."
Hermione grabbed a small, curly lock of her hair and gently pulled it out. "Now, can I have that piece of your cloak?"
It took awhile, but Draco finally cut out a small pattern of his cloak and handed the green piece of cloth to her.
"Thank you."
"Likewise, Granger."
Hermione looked into his eyes and couldn't help but smile. She wanted to be loved by someone, and it was a person who had secretly hated her since first year. It was a beautiful tale of irony but a magical one at that.