authorsnote: here we goooo.

I love this couple, love this fic, hope you do to! lemme know if you, fav/follow for updates and pls enjoy!

songrecs: two weeks - fka twigs

It was just two days after their altercation at the library and Hermione refused to even glance his way. It was difficult of course, for ever since he had come to Hogwarts, she had found her gaze straying to him, finding him when she didn't mean to. She knew it were wrong, she didn't even know him! He was arrogant, insulting and clearly had thrown his lot in with the Slytherin's, but she had been unable to help it.

And yet, after he had insulted her in the library, she had managed to keep her gaze away from him, though she sat tense at mealtimes, and in class. He wasn't one to raise his hand, unlike her, so she could ignore him steadily, and it worked for her.

Until Potions class.

Slughorn had moved on from the subject after his one year, and now they were taught by a somehow older potioneer, with a gruff voice, Professor Calhorn who more or less left them to it but graded harshly. That was fine with Hermione, and as she walked into class, always five minutes early, Harry and Ron grumpily trailing at her heels, she found herself a desk at the front, set up her cauldron and ingredients, and soon the rest of the class followed.

She could hear him come in, though she didn't turn to look. She knew what he would be looking like, he had a swagger to his step that was subtle but there all the same. He'd be walking with his cronies, smirking as he often did, she wasn't sure she'd ever seen him actually smile. He'd sit at the back of the class, offer no answers to questions, ignore everyone, and still do the best.

It was absolutely infuriating.

And unfair! She worked her ass off, and he had just paraded in and stolen the top spot from her. Still, ever since their argument in the library she had been trying not to think of him too much and had resolved to work harder. She knew she was only a few points off him in Potions, she could catch up, would catch up, and now with being mad at him and steadfastly ignoring him, she figured was the perfect time.

Of course, she knew it was ridiculous to be so swept up in thinking about him, hence her vow to herself to stop thinking about him so much. She didn't even know him! He was a stranger, and so she needed to stop being so fixated on him, she needed to focus.

"Okay" Professor Calhorn quieted them all down and Hermione immediately began to pay attention as he put up instructions for a new assignment on the chalk board. "You'll be pairing up for this one, and it is a large project, so work hard and you'll do well"

And then he began to list the pairings. She knew before he got to her name, she knew before he finally reached 'G' for Granger, and her eyes had slid shut, as she knew, she knew who he'd pair her with. Part of her wanted to interrupt, cut him off before he read her partners name but she would never disrespect a teacher like that … well at least not one who hadn't wronged her, though that was debatable as he read out.

"Hermione Granger, paired with Tom Pevel"

The girls shot her some jealous looks, Harry and Ron shrugged (she hadn't told them about her little starring contests with the new boy, nor their disagreement in the library), and went to their partners, and she knew she'd need to make her way to Tom. She lingered just a second at her own bench, to collect her thoughts, before picking up her things and making her way to the back of the classroom.

He didn't look at her as she walked over, instead his gaze was on his textbook and she resisted making some comment about how it seemed he actually did study. She knew if she let it, this could spiral out of control, and she'd be arguing with him more than working. She resolved to simply treat him like a colleague, to work together but nothing more. She had to keep her gaze off him, and she would not fight with him again.

"Hello Hermione" He spoke first of course, in that silky voice she hated. She resisted the urge to glare at him as she sat down, opened up her books and looked straight ahead, she would talk to him as little as possible during this project, and treat him civilly, otherwise she was sure she'd end up shrieking at him.

He was too … slippery, he made her tongue tied and made her doubt herself, which was worse she felt than Malfoy's bullying or the taunts from the Slytherin girls. She'd rather they call her bucktoothed or ugly than have Tom make her question her own abilities.

"Now start off by chatting to your partner, decide on your project" Her new Professor said, and she wanted to stand up and yell at him for forcing her to partner with Tom or perhaps beg him to change his mind. She knew they were paired because they were the two highest scoring in the class, but she could still be annoyed about it. "The rules of the project are, you have to create an improvement upon an older potion, anything 10 years old should be fine, but it must not have been improved upon since creation" At that he nodded and left them too it.

Instantly the room rioted in chatters, in partners from different houses shaking hands and chatting away about their plans. She turned to Tom, knowing she couldn't completely ignore him, and tried to be cordial as she spoke, though it was hard as he just looked at her, with that insufferable smirk on his features.

"I would suggest we do something like Capillum potion, for hair growth, or for something more challenging perhaps Somnium? The dream potion" She forgot for a moment her resolve to keep the conversation short as she went on one, as she often did with academic ideas, "Or we could go for something more difficult, take a potion from the early 1900's?" She mulled then, and reached for a quill and piece of parchment, scratching down her suggestions.

Sure, she could feel unsettled around Tom, she could feel uneasy and uncomfortable, but to hell would she let him mess up her schoolwork. She was already in 2nd place thanks to him; she would not slip to 3rd because she found him to make her nervous.

"No" He said simply, and she turned to him with a raised eyebrow then, halting her writing? No? No? When he didn't seem inclined to elaborate, she spoke, a little aghast.

"No? Care to elaborate? Explain why?" She asked, not used to being questioned and decidedly not liking it.

"Your ideas are boring" He was unapologetic and that was worse. The few times she'd been corrected by peers in her schoolwork they did so from an angle of trying to help, apologetic to criticise, but with Tom? He seemed almost happy to pick apart her work, tell her why she was wrong.

It made her want to curse him into next week.

"Hair growth? Dreams?" He rolled his eyes then, and reached for her parchment, plucked her quill from her hands, and as he always did ignored her splutter of annoyance. He scratched down his own words (and of course he had perfect script), and then tossed the parchment back to her, with his smirk firmly in place. "Have some imagination Hermione"

When she saw what he wrote she looked at him in shock, but again he was unapologetic, head tilted slightly to the side, smirking as always.

This time she wanted to punch him.

"No" It was her turn to respond in that kind now, "The Draught of Living Death is too complicated and dangerous to mess with" She shook her head, "Spellman's 5th Guide on Complex Potions says that any alterations could make it more deadly and the effects irreversible"

He had the audacity to tut at her then, shake his head and gather his things, she could see other people filing out then, for it had been a shorter lesson and people were in a hurry to get to dinner.

She knew they had more to discuss but she could feel herself getting worked up, perhaps leaving it for the moment was the better option. After all she had promised herself, she'd be civil and not engage with him as she had in the library. Perhaps leaving things until next lesson was for the best.

And yet Tom didn't seem to think that.

Instead, as others filed out, he took his time gathering his things, Hermione gathered hers too and yet she could sense he had more to say. Why she lingered to see if he did, she wasn't sure. Wasn't she supposed to be not engaging with him? She had avoided where he sat in the library since their confrontation, and her whole plan was to ignore him outside of this project. Why was she lingering? She shouldn't have.

As she'd learn as the last student left the room. Only when the classroom was empty, and Hermione decided okay, she should make a dash for the door did Tom turn to her, things forgotten, suddenly far too close for her liking.

He stepped closer, forcing her to step back, trapping her between himself and the bench. When she was trapped, he placed an arm either side of her, trapping her fully then, and she reached for her wand, only to see it in his pocket … how?

"You need to open your mind Hermione" He spoke, so smug, staring her down like predator to prey. Her heartbeat quickened, and she hated the warmth that bloomed in her belly at his sultry tone. She should slap him, shove him back, and yet she could only manage anger in her words.

"Get away from me" She said, through gritted teeth, her hands clenching at the desk, palms sweaty.

"Make me" He said simply, and when she went to shove him, he rolled his eyes and grabbed her wrists, and she gasped in shock as he hauled her closer to him, his gaze boring into hers.

Part of her knew she should scream, look away, ask him what his problem was, but she felt trapped, like she couldn't move, or turn, or even blink. As he looked down at her, hands holding onto her wrists, she was stuck, like an animal in a trap, and yet the fear she felt, came with a healthy dose of something else, something that made her feel warm … something she couldn't or didn't want to understand.

"You need to open your mind" He said again, "Think beyond what they try and teach you, beyond what they limit you too" He leaned in closer then, forcing her to tip her head back. Her heart fluttered, and she knew her breathing was heavy as he leaned in a little closer, his lips almost brushing hers. "Think beyond it Hermione, you could be great"

At that his lips barely ghosted hers and her eyes fluttered shut, so sure he'd kiss her, part of her brain screaming to stop him, the other powerless to do so, and the main part? Not wanting to.

And yet, he didn't kiss her, he released her wrists, stepped back, and by the time she opened her eyes he was gone.

As soon as he was gone, she sunk to the floor, shaking, and her fingertips touched her tingling lips.

'You could be great'

A little whimper left her lips then … who was he? And why did he make her feel like this? It was something she'd never felt before, something he stoked in her that sat alongside her anger at him, if anything her anger intensified him.

How could she go from wanting to scream at him to being almost dizzy with desire?

'You could be great'

She skipped dinner that night, sat herself in the potions classroom for a while, her fingertips on her tingling lips, as she tried to figure out just what effect Tom Pevel had on her.

sooo thoughts?

I do hope you enjoyed! as I upload this I also just uploaded a new Tomione WIP - Wish, go check it out if you like!

will update again asap, fav/follow for updates.

speak soon