Hermione spun around at the sound of his voice, her eyes widening slightly with an emotion midway between dismay and fear. Draco stood behind her, much closer than she had expected him to be. She blinked a few times, not yet certain if her mind was just bringing into being the face she had fell asleep thinking about most nights.
He stood looking at her for a moment, a sinister glint in his eye waiting for her to reply. He was dressed in a navy button down shirt with a dark jacket and black trousers. Apparently, even in August death eaters dressed for winter, she thought.
Closing the distance even more between them, he stepped towards her and leaned forward slightly until his hands came to rest on the back of her chair, either side of her, bringing him down a little closer to her height while she remained seated and did her best to look unbothered.
Rearranging her expression into something she hoped would pass disinterest she finally replied, 'Not really any of your business, is it Malfoy?'
She didn't see the point in correcting him if he thought they were on a date, that would only imply to him that she cared what he thought.
His eyes continued to glint as he probed further, 'First Weasley, now Longbottom. Seems to me, Granger, you've made it your mission to spread your filthy germs through your house,' He laughed darkly, his smug smirk daring her to defend herself.
She didn't bite back.
Rolling her eyes, and making sure he saw her do it, Hermione just make a quiet scoffing noise and hoped he would go away if she didn't play his game.
Their little verbal sparring wars had gone on for years and, frankly, she was tired of hearing the same insults from him again and again. After a while they just started to lose what little punch they did have. Like staring at a word until it loses meaning, Hermione found she no longer waited with a lump in her throat for him to spit the inevitable 'filthy little Mudblood' comment her way. It didn't really mean anything to her now anyway because, as she had come to slowly realise, only in the circles of Malfoy and his like did the word have any remote power behind it anyway.
She turned her back on him and waited for the inevitable abuse that usually followed whenever she was within earshot, but to her disbelief he didn't push it any further.
Feeling the weight of his hands leave the back of her chair, Hermione released a small breath she hadn't realised she had been holding.
Draco circled around until he was facing her front on and tilted his head in mock pity, 'Shame you probably won't have long to make a move on Scarhead,' he clicked his tongue, 'Potter's on borrowed time now.' he sneered down at her.
She pushed her chair away behind her roughly and made to stood to face him, 'Go away Malfoy, your empty little threats don't scare me, and they won't scare Harry.'
Draco started to smile, happy to get a rise out of her at last, as he whispered, 'They should.'
'You should leave.'
'And you should be careful. Potter and the rest of you scum pissed of a lot of important people with your little stunt at the Ministry,'
They faced each other. Only now, stood fairly close up to him did she appreciate how much he seemed to have changed in just a few short months. If she had thought Neville had grown over the summer, Malfoy had bested him there. He and his whole gang had always been slightly taller than her, much to her dismay, as it made her an even easier target to bully when they could all literally look down on her. But as she stood now across from him, she noticed with a little trepidation how he towered well above her, now by at least a head or so. As she regarded him briefly, she found it was his face she struggled to look at. Malfoy looked like he had aged at least five years since she'd last seen him. His features had hardened and his pronounced jawline was now dashed with the lightest stubble. His eyes were drawn and tired with dark rings circling them. She didn't need to ask if he had been sleeping ok, it was written all over his face that he hadn't. Had he not been Malfoy, she would have been mildly concerned.
'We have very different ideas about who qualifies as 'important' people Malfoy -' She raised her chin defiantly, retaking her seat to look up at him as she continued, '- for one thing, I don't associate with murderers.'
The faint hint of a smirk was now gone from his face and replaced with a cold, clinical expression that visibly hardened at her words.
Why Hermione couldn't just stop there she didn't know, it was almost a thrill, watching for a change as her words were thrown at him like weapons, when for so many years it had always been her on the receiving end.
'The death eaters we fought aren't important any more. Sent off to Azkaban to be forgotten about.. and, you know, I think they stand a good chance of rotting away in there for the rest of their lives.'
'You filthy-'
'Little Mudblood?' Hermione finished for him coolly, letting her gaze wander back up to the shops. She spotted the teachers making their way into the Three Broomsticks way up ahead. 'You should try changing your tune now and again Malfoy.' When she turned back to him, she wasn't quite sure what to make of his expression. He looked like he was trying to solve a difficult riddle but without particularly caring about the answer.
The tension between them began to grow thick as neither spoke again for a moment. Just when he looked as if he was about to reply, Neville came back to their table. He placed another butterbeer down in front of Hermione, keeping hold of his own as he sat across from her, his back to their unwanted third guest.
'Go away Malfoy, we don't want you anywhere near us.' Neville managed without a waver in his tone, he had changed so much from the Neville who had nearly cried at the thought of confrontation just a few years ago. Hermione felt a bit of pride in him for that.
'Like I care what either of you pathetic drabs want.' He drawled, looking from Neville, to Hermione and back again. 'Shame Weasley will be back tomorrow to split this disgusting affair up.' Neville looked up at him mildly confused by his insinuation.
Hermione cut in before Neville could retort, 'Why are you here anyway Malfoy?'
He glanced back at her, smirk finally creeping back to his face, 'And that's not really any of your business, is it Mudblood?'
Neville made to round on him at that last comment but Draco was already walking away from them. While Neville quietly muttered profanities about Malfoy under his breath, Hermione watched Draco's retreating figure move further into the village. At the far end of the street, he met up with a woman Hermione recognised as his mother from the one time she had seen her at the Quidditch World Cup, and together they went into the post office.
'Wonder what he's doing back?' Neville muttered, only sounding like he half cared for an answer.
'Not likely we'll find out. What a great way to ruin our last night having the run of the place though..' She smiled at him, knowing full well they had both enjoyed having the castle practically to themselves the last few days. The calm before the storm, as it were, in more ways than one.
She had expected them to bump into Malfoy soon, now that he was also back, for what reason that might be though she couldn't fathom. However to her surprise, and slight relief, they didn't cross paths again.
In fact, she didn't see him at all until the following evening on the first day of term. She and Neville headed down to grab seats in the courtyard ready to greet their friends as the evening drew in and the sound of turning wheels signalled the approach of the carriages. Malfoy's must have been one of the first to arrive as only a few fourth years trickled through the entrance courtyard before she saw him. He was flanked by Crabb and Goyle as always, with Pansy Parkinson trailing just behind them, her head down looking like she'd rather be anywhere else. They were all dressed in their robes already, meaning they'd arrived on the Express with everyone else in their year.
That puzzled her.
Why on earth he had been in Hogsmeade the day before? She presumed he must have headed back to London to catch the train at some point, but it seemed like a somewhat unnecessary trip to make just to come back up the following evening.
Her thoughts were still mulling over the now somewhat confusing encounter with him the day before, when she heard four reassuringly familiar voices growing closer.
'They float in and out of your head you see, muggles usually mistake them for memory lapses and dizziness, that sort of thing. They make your brain go all fuzzy, Ron your head is full of of them.' Luna mused softly.
'I've got what in my head!?'
'Nargles,' Harry and Ginny's voices said together.
At the sight of their friends rounding the corner Hermione and Neville ran forward to meet them. All thoughts of Malfoy temporarily flushed from her mind as she ran into their arms.
The group quickly became a tangle of embraces and breathless 'Hello's' after being apart for the last few months. Hermione came to Ron and Harry last, the three of them hugged each other tightly, they were simply her two greatest friends in the world and it felt like a homecoming for them to all be back together again.
'I've missed you both,' she said, arms linked between the two of them as they headed towards the school entrance.
'Where the hell have you been, your letter said school and early exams - have you lost it Hermione?' Ron laughed shaking his head, 'I mean I wasn't surprised but I just thought this might be a good year to take things a little easier..'
'I know, you and me both.' Hermione turned to Harry. 'Sorry I couldn't meet you all the burrow, how are you, how is everyone?'
Harry caught her up with his summer and how things were with the Order as they headed up to the great hall to find their seats. Neville walked ahead of them with Ron, Ginny and Luna and was talking their ears off about how well his gran's plant was doing already.
'Hermione can we talk later?' Harry said as they fell slightly behind the others. He kept a watchful eye on them walking just up ahead which told her he probably meant could they talk alone.
'Yeah sure, everything ok?'
Harry just nodded tightly. 'Everything's fine, later ok?'
'Of course.' She kept her voice light not wanting to come off too concerned about him already, just minutes into the new year.
Dumbledore asked for their attention to begin the start of term announcements. Hermione hadn't seen him at all since she had arrived back at the castle and had no idea where he had been travelling, she assumed he had only returned in time for the start of school.
What followed was mostly just the usual warnings of the dangers everywhere in the castle, intended mainly for the first years whom the hat had began to sort to a chorus of sporadic cheers as one by one they learnt their fate for the next seven years, nervously scooting off to their respective houses.
Her eyes scanned the hall for Malfoy. He was seated as far from them as possible, almost at the bottom end of the Slytherin benches at the back of the hall with his usual lot surrounding him. He was too far away for her to be completely sure, but he almost looked bored and had barely even looked towards Dumbledore the whole time he had been speaking.
Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione were practically sat next to the teachers at the very front of the hall. Ron and Hermione leant over to give the newly sorted arrivals a handshake, introduced themselves as their house's prefects and welcomed them to Gryffindor.
When the feast was over, Ron shouted up for all the new students to hang back, explaining they would now be shown to their dormitories and to stay as close to him and Hermione as they could so they wouldn't get lost. She saw Hannah Abbot and Ernie Macmillan do the same at the next table and over at the Ravenclaw end of the hall Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil were already making their way out of the hall herding their newest intake up to the Ravenclaw tower. Goldstein was loudly explaining some of the history of the castle and, to Hermione's amusement, she was that the small gaggle of eager Ravenclaw first years were hanging on to his every word.
Over at the Slytherin table, she saw Pansy Parkinson speaking privately to Snape who seemed to barely engage with whatever she was saying. She watched as Pansy then ushered the Slytherin intake together on her own. A larger group than normal had been sorted to their house and were looking to be a handful already. With a flustered huff she bade them to follow her down to the dungeons, clearly without any help from her partner as Malfoy was nowhere to be seen. Apparently the novelty of his prefect responsibilities had worn off already. She supposed being a prefect probably seemed like a step down the rung of the ladder after the power the inquisitorial squad have given him. The cruel doling out of punishments he got to experience with the squad probably made his prefect responsibilities look like child's play.
She and Ron herded their group of students up the stairs to the Gryffindor tower, minding them to watch their step as the stairs changed.
They were almost to the portrait when on the floor below an overly confident young boy with bright golden hair had been showing off, waiting until the last minute to jump onto the moving staircase in an attempt to impress the other youngsters in the group. He missed his chance by a second or so and was left staring after them as the staircase, and his classmates, were swept out of his reach. His mouth gaping open in fear. At the front of their group, a small thin girl with plaits almost to her waist tugged on Hermione's robe to get her attention.
Hermione followed the direction the girl pointed in and sighed with exasperation.
'I'll go back for him,' she said to Ron, motioning with her hands for the group to part down the middle for her.
She made her way down the stairs to the floor below, having to wait a few minutes for the staircase to right itself again. The young boy was wringing his hands looking at the floor as she finally reached him.
'As we said, watch your step,' he looked up to see the corners of her mouth turned up in amusement and then seemed to relax when he realised he wasn't going to receive a telling off. 'Come on,' she said.
By the time they had made their way back to the portrait of the fat lady Ron and the rest had already disappeared inside. She spoke the password clearly, 'Tapeworm.'
The young boy raised his eyebrows as the portrait slowly opened for them to enter, 'Don't ask.' Hermione mumbled, remembering the troubled sounds of the lady's stomach she had heard on her first night back. The young boy followed her into the tower; his home for the next seven years.
As the fat lady swung back into place someone else appeared, unseen, from the stairs above. A pair of stern grey eyes that had watched and waited for the gaggle of Gryffindor's to leave before making his way out of the seventh floor corridor back down to the dungeons. He had quickly shifted back around the corner when he caught sight of Granger and the young blonde lad heading his way. He could not think of one valid reason to explain his presence up here if anyone saw him.
He was, however, just within earshot as Granger gave the password and made a mental note of it. Draco smiled inwardly, thinking to himself it could only be a good thing if he had access to the golden trio's quarters - that could come in very useful for him one of these days..
Harry grabbed her just before bed later that night. They had been sat opposite ends of the sofa, Hermione with her class schedule in front of her, making notes as to what books she would want to check out the library first thing in the morning, and Harry with the paper.
He waited until the common room had almost emptied, Ron having gone to bed a few hours earlier, exhausted from the sheer amount of apple pie he had devoured at the feast.
'Hermione-' Harry began tentatively, setting his newspaper down on his lap, 'I need your honest opinion.'
She folded her schedule away, giving her full attention, and waited for him to continue.
'I feel a bit weird even bringing this up but I don't know who else I can speak to.'
She gently urged him, 'Whatever it is you can tell me Harry,'
He sighed, 'I think I'm starting to have feelings... for someone.' Harry looked down at his hands, clearly a little embarrassed. 'And I really want to do something about it, tell them you know? I left everything a little late with Cho and I don't want a repeat of that...'
'Cho really liked you Harry, everyone could tell that. It was just really unfortunate timing for the two of you last year.'
'Yeah I know it was, and I liked Cho, really I did. But this person, this time, it just feels... different.' He said, 'Good different I mean.. and I don't think it's just me, I'm almost sure she feels the same but-'
He broke off as they heard a floorboard on one of the dorm landings creak. They waited a few moments but nobody came down.
'But?'
'But, if I'm wrong it could make things awkward,' He said, looking guiltily at Hermione.
'Are they already dating someone?'
'No, it's not that.'
'Is someone else you know interested in them?'
'Not that I know of,' he admitted.
'Are they in Slytherin?' Hermione asked half-jokingly, however Harry's eyes narrowed a little.
'Of course not.'
'So you're not worried about breaking anyone up, and you wouldn't be stepping on anyone else's toes by giving it a go...'
He nodded in response.
Hermione had had a hunch this was coming for a while now. She chewed her lip thoughtfully picked up her class schedule and quill again, leaning back against the sofa and pulling her knees up so she could rest her schedule on them as a makeshift table.
Another floorboard creaked above them from the same place as before, this time however they heard Dean Thomas whisper directions to the bathroom and a hushed 'thank you!' in response.
Harry looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to offer up something of a solution, but Hermione's eyes were firmly back on her schedule. He sighed and leaned back in his seat, rubbing his eyes tiredly.
After she let him mull it over for a few minutes, Hermione finally said, 'I'll help you speak to Ron if you want, but for what it's worth I think you're right.' Her eyes lit up with a knowing smile. ' I think Ginny likes you back.'
Lessons began the next day with the usual buzz of energy across the castle. First thing, Gryffindor had potions with the Slytherins and they would be Professor Slughorn's first class. As they filed in and found their seats, it was clear from the Slytherin's faces they were apprehensive about how they'd fare without Snape's usual favouritism they had gotten away with consistently for the last five years.
Pansy in particular was nervously jotting down notes on every word Slughorn said for the first hour, while Draco was staring off into the distance. Hermione noticed he hadn't yet even opened his textbook.
Slughorn spent the first half of their lesson walking them through some examples of the type of potions they would be attempting throughout the next two years in preparation for their N.E.W.T's. Once he had covered everything Hermione had already read up on over the summer she noticed there was one potion left on his bench he hadn't covered.
Harry, noticing too, had already raised his hand. 'Professor what about that last one?' he asked, pointing to the small phial with a molten liquid inside.
'Ah well noticed Mr Potter, I had almost forgotten..' He walked back around to the back of his bench, taking the small phial in his his hand and raising it high before the class. 'This last curious little potion goes by the name of Felix Felicis.' Hermione audibly gasped and a few faces turned to look her way. 'I take it, Miss Granger, you know what it might be?' He smiled warmly her way.
'It's liquid luck.' She breathed, amazed to see it in the flesh. It was know to be a notoriously difficult potion to brew, potentially disastrous when not in the hands of an expert potion master and she had only ever heard it mentioned in passing in her reading. She blushed slightly, realising that every single member of their class had turned their attention now to her. 'It makes whoever drinks it incredibly lucky while under it's effects,' she finished and looked over to see Ron's eyes light up with interest.
'Well done Miss Granger you are of course correct. Incredibly difficult to brew and potentially fatal if not done correctly. While it's magic is in force, the drinker will find that all of his or her endeavours will succeed. Of course it can very easily be overdone, and over consumption can lead to dangerous consequences, so of course it's not advisable to drink every day..' He placed the phial back and with a quick wave of his wand the blackboard began to erase the list of N.E.W.T level potions that had previously been there and began to list the potion's effects, both good and bad, for them to note down. 'This leads me onto your task today. If you would all please you turn to page 10 in your copies of advance potion making...' Hermione thumbed eagerly to the right page as Slughorn continued, 'You will find the recipe to brew the Draught of Living Death. In the hour remaining, I offer the student who brews me the most accomplished version of the recipe one tiny vial of liquid luck which I will award today.'
Every student in the room sat up a little straighter and the frantic flicking of paper could be heard as everyone moved quickly to find the right page.
'As it were, good luck to you all.' Slughorn smiled sincerely at the room. 'You may begin.'
Hermione had scraped her hair back into a tight high ponytail, continuously tucking any strands that came loose back behind her ears. She was intently focused on the ingredients on the desk in front of her, however for a change she was not the only one.
The tension in the room was thick with concentration, the only sound being the occasional clink of glass as jars of ingredients were nudged together and the dull, soft thud of knives cutting their contents up on the benches.
At her table, everyone seemed to be doing okay so far. With just over thirty minutes left, Hermione estimated she would only needed around twenty five of them based on the instructions remaining. She had already made copious amounts of notes on this potion along with a few things she wanted to know more about, but given the award at stake she decided her questions for the professor could wait for another time.
When she came to one of the few remaining instructions to 'stir seven times anti-clockwise' she decided to take a bit of a risk. She had been reading up on another potion under the healing section requiring seven leaves of dittany, however in the book the author had left an anecdote theorising that where the recommended amount of anything was 'seven' then increasing the quantity of the instruction by seven itself usually had a fair chance of increasing the potions effectiveness and/or length of the intended effect. It wasn't a steadfast proven rule but the author, Oliver.. someone or other she seemed to remember, had found the suggestion to be effective in at least a quarter of his own healing potions.
Looking around the room, Hermione could see hers was not the only potion that stood a chance of winning today. While some were disastrous, Ron's for one had bubbled over the brim of the cauldron and had smothered the copy of the recipe he and Harry had been sharing with blue goo, others had fared much better. Pavarti and Dean on the next bench across from Hermione, were both looking pleased as they stirred their cauldrons and over on the Slytherin table Pansy had given up on her own potion and was watching Malfoy work looking fiendishly proud of him. Glancing over, she could see he was working away quietly with an undivided focus that she hadn't seen from him in any classes they had shared in the last five years. It was clear Malfoy saw this as a prize worth fighting for.
With her request from McGonagall back in her mind again, she knew she would need all the help she could get if she was going to do what had been asked of her, especially over the next week when she and McGonagall would see if their efforts had amounted to the result they wanted with the other potion.
Her mind made up, Hermione rolled up her sleeves and carefully began to stir anti-clockwise, slowly counting up from one to forty nine...
A few minutes later Slughorn asked them to step away from their cauldrons and made his way around the room.
As she expected, Dean and Pavarti both received praise and she assumed one of them must surely be the frontrunner, until Slughorn arrived at the Slytherins. 'Well Mr Malfoy, the shade is perhaps every so slightly murkier than desired but,' he paused, dropping a leaf dramatically into the potion and watching as it slowly curled in on itself, 'It performs its role well enough and in one hour I must say we have here an excellent effort. Well done.'
Malfoy was looking the happiest Hermione had seen him for some time. Pansy leaned over as Slughorn made his way to the final table and gave his forearm a congratulatory squeeze following which he quickly snatched it away from her and she instantly looked crestfallen.
Slughorn raised his eyebrows inquisitively in Harry and Ron's direction as his gaze briefly assessed their shared pile of blue goo. Seamus had already left to visit the hospital wing, his eyebrows smoking and his fringe completely singed at the front, so there was only Hermione left.
She looked down nervously at her feet, not looking forward to having to explain she had deviated from the recipe if Slughorn dismissed her potion as unusable.
He peered into her cauldron and gently lifted a ladle of it out for closer inspection. It was crystal clear and to the eye looked picture perfect. With a slightly bemused smile, Slughorn dropped first one, then two, finally three leaves into the cauldron each one crisping away at the edges and fading into nothing, leaving the cauldron as clear as it had been before.
Slughorn's mouth had fallen open slightly and he shook his head a little before he broke out into a huge grin and patted Hermione on the shoulder. 'Remarkable, Miss Granger. This potion would rival my own and you have had only one hour for a first attempt as well, remarkable..' he trailed off. 'Our clear winner!' he announced to the room, and offered her his hand to shake.
'Couldn't give it to anyone else for a change could you?' Ron winked at her to show he was only joking as he and the rest of the Gryffindors clapped their congratulations.
'Remember your own book next time hey Ron,' Harry muttered looking a little sour faced. From what Hermione had seen, Harry had been doing quite well himself before the goo.
As the class gathered their bags and one by one left the room, Hermione stayed back for Slughorn to award her prize. She had urged Harry and Ron to go on, saying she would meet them shortly afterwards in the courtyard for their morning break.
'Thank you,' she said pocketing the tiny golden phial.
'Most welcome Miss Granger, my recommendation is to use it sparingly and sensibly.'
'Professor I did want to ask something if that's ok?' she continued, as he began tidying away the potions from his desk back into a square, brown carrying case. He nodded for her to go on, 'Professor Snape was keeping a few ingredients in the stores for me, just for some private studying I have with McGonagall next week, you see. He had been planning to give me them today after class before he was appointed to defence against the dark arts. I just wondered if you would mind me going to grab them now?'
'Oh yes, I apologise Miss Granger I was left a note saying just as much as that but I'm afraid the old grey cells simply forgot to remind me this morning.' He reached into his desk drawer to hand her a small key. 'Black box, second shelf marked 'HG'.
'Thanks professor, I'll go fetch it now.' She turned to grab her things and was surprised to see Malfoy standing alone at his table, still clearing up his work bench and cauldron and looking suspiciously like he was also hanging back to speak to Slughorn privately.
Hermione felt his eyes on her as she passed his table, but kept her head high and tried to not look intimidated by his stare as she packed her things up as quick as she could.
She hadn't been looking his way as she made for the door and was startled to see him now in front of her, his arm resting on one of the tables as he stood in the aisle, blocking her exit.
He leaned in close as he said, 'I would watch myself if I were you Granger, you don't know what lengths people might go to to win that sort of prize..'
She took a few steps back to put some distance between them.
'Is that a threat Malfoy?' She snarled quietly, not wanting to cause a scene in front of Slughorn.
Draco looked towards the front of the class where the professor had his back to them and was fussing over the lock on his potions case. When he turned back to her his eyes were narrowed and he regarded her coldly, 'I don't need to make threats anymore Granger. Consider it a warning.'
She lingered only a moment longer before quickly shoving her way past. She walked purposefully out the door without looking back again and hoped he hadn't noticed her hands shake as she tightly clutched the key Slughorn had given her.
A/N: Obviously a lot of the last scene I've kept in line with the original in HBP, the main changes being that a) there is no copy of the HBP book in this story, it simply doesn't have a role to play so I've left it out and b) I think given the extra time Hermione had to study ahead for this she could have arguably won the prize, on that note I have no idea if her changes to the instructions would have gone down like but but I figured Snape can't have been the only Wizard in history to deviate from a recipe
I hope you're enjoying the story so far, things are about to get more interesting in the next chapter so look out for the an update probably by early next week. Thanks again for reading :)