"Hey. Wait up!" shouted a gravelly voice behind Hermione.
She looked over her shoulder as a tall boy jogged up. "Hi." he said, his blue and silver tie swinging against his chest. "It's Hermione, right?". He was a transfer student, likely from the Bulgarian school, Durmstrang, by the look of him.
"Hey." Hermione said, smiling up at him as they walked. "Aleksander?" she asked, holding her books against her chest.
"Just call me Alek." he smiled through a deep accent. "Hard class, huh?" he noted.
"Yeah. Professor Ashbeam is sure jumping into N.E.W.T level coursework quickly." She said loudly trying to speak over the croud of students filling the hall.
"So, I was wondering." he said, pushing a thick hand through his black hair. "Could I borrow your Transfiguration notes... or maybe we could, ya know, study together some time?"
Hermione glanced up at him. He was staring down the corridor, watching as they weaved through the steady flow of students. She had noticed the transfer students were relativity easy to place, if you looked long enough. The Bulgarian students, just like Victor, had a stoic, serious way about them. They were all sharp corners and shadows. Alek was no different. He walked as if in the military, his muscular chest and arms pulled back, chin lifted high.
Hermione tucked a stray brown curl behind her ear as she looked back down, smiling at the stone floor. "Um. Yeah. That would be okay." She said, shifting her leather bag on her shoulder.
It wasn't typical for Hermione to relinquish her notes to other students, or even study with them. In the past, she had feared her notes would be returned smudged, ripped...ruined, or other students would waste their study time goofing around. She realized, for many years, she let perfectionism and anxiety control her life. She had missed so many opportunities and friendships because she was too stubborn.
Hermione looked up, Alek was staring back down at her, his straight white teeth visible through his smile. "Great!" he chuckled. Hermione blushed, as she realized, she enjoyed his laugh...very much.
Shaking her head at herself, "I'll see you in potions?" She smiled, looking up into his hazel eyes.
"Perfect." He smiled. With a quick nod, he turned around, and she watched him walk away through the sea of younger students.
Hermione nearly skipped as she stepped through the large stone arch which separated the corridor and the book lined library. She had a free period before Potions and wanted to find a few books on N.E.W.T level curriculum before class. The library was dim, lit by several lamps. The air was warm and musty as she entered. Hermione felt like she was home.
The last table tucked into the last row of books was open to her delight. This was the table she discovered who Nicolas Flamel was, and when she first realized what was petrifying students during her second year. She had devoured book after book in this warm, secluded spot over the years.
Within a few minutes, Hermione had taken over. Dozens of books scattered across the oak wood. Parchment, already stained with dark ink, lay forgotten amongst the books as she sat precariously upon the wooden chair.
One black Mary-Jane was planted on the chair, her knee drawn close to her chest. Her remaining leg was resting on the chair next to her. Both hands gripping a large book close to her face. The handwritten text was in a tiny script. She could hardly make out the ingredients to the memory potion she was researching.
"Valerian root, horn of bicorn... shrivelfig." Hermione looked closer at the fading ink, but couldn't decipher the final two ingredients. "Damn it!"
"Wow, Granger." warned a deep voice. "Wouldn't want me to take away those precious Gryffindor house points. Would you." Hermione rolled her eyes and lowered her book, meeting Draco's eyes on the other side.
"Seriously?" she scuffed. He smirked at her. His face looked different though. Not his normal condescending smugness, something odd. Hermione was taken aback slightly when she finally realized the difference. Malfoy was actually joking with her... Joking. She thought, looking back at his face.
Draco's eyes no longer held her, his gaze instead fixated on her bent knee. No.. not her knee, Hermione realized, her bare leg. In her comfort, her plain school issued skirt had slid up her thigh, her position allowing the thick fabric to part just enough for a sliver of pale skin to become visible. A hint of white lace, just detectable.
Hermione was unable to move, her body heating up uncomfortably. Within a second, Draco's eyes were back to hers. His mouth no longer in a smirk, lips pursed as his chest rose with each fast breath. His pupils strikingly larger.
Draco took a slow step forward, his head lowered, blue eyes staring directly into hers. She blinked, exhaling the deep breath she had been holding within her lungs. She saw the shift instantly, his body rigid. In an instant Draco had turned and was hurrying from the library.
Hermione slowly allowed her leg to fall from the chair. Her book discarded in her lap. "Whoa." She whispered.
The potions class was nearly empty when she entered. Professor Slughorn sat at a large ornate wooden desk. "Granger." He said nodding his head in direction.
She made her way to a high table in the rear of the classroom. A caldron already perched on the table, a slow burning fire under it. Her workspace was nearly set up as other students slowly filtered in. Neville and Luna sat together at a table near the front, Hermione couldn't help but smile as she watched them. Neville smiled shyly in Luna's direction as he pulled the stool out for her.
The remaining tables filled quickly. The classroom arranged perfectly to fit the eighth years. Two rows of elevated tables, four tables in each row. Seamus Finnigan and Sophie Roper sat just to Hermiones right while Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst sat in front of them. Aleksander and a girl named Isobel MacDougal sat together just behind Luna and Neville. The remaining seats slowly filled with students Hermione recognised, but did not know their names.
"May I sit 'ere?" A thin blond questioned Hermione in a light French accent. "Of course." she gestured to the open stool, smiling. "I'm Adalene Dubois" The girl jutted her hand forward, her face serious. Hermiones smile faltered. "Um. Hermione Granger." She said releasing her icy hand.
Adalene began separating the table into two distinct workstations, using her forearm pushing Hermiones items far from her own. Hermione blinked in surprise, her eyes glued to the girl's face. "I work alone." The girl stated rudely through her curtain of pale hair. Hermione's retort cut off abruptly as Adalene spoke.
"Drraco!" She purred through pouty lips.
Draco and Theodore Nott had just taken their seats directly in front of Hermione and Adalene. Draco's shoulders stiffened at his name. Looking over his shoulder, Draco met Hermione's eyes, smirked and looked over at Adalene.
"You should 'ave saved a seat for me." she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "I 'ould have very much liked to sit with 'ou. She glanced in Hermiones direction, rolling her eyes in disdain.
Hermione couldn't help but let out an annoyed laugh as she began copying the blackboard into her notebook.
"Next class Adalene, I promise." he teased through his signature smirk. Adalene giggled as Draco turned around. The scratching of quills filled the room as Slughorn began the lesson. At the top of her parchment, Hermione scratched hard into the paper, "Find new seat in POTIONS!" she finished before underlining it twice.
