Hogwarts, its characters and affiliates all belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. I own nothing!
All throughout dinner, Draco could only concentrate on what had happened during the day. He picked at the food on his plate as he remembered breakfast, where he had caught Hermione staring at him. Why was she staring at me like that, he asked himself at the time, knowing he wouldn't get the answer. At first it had seemed as though she had been staring on purpose, but after a few minutes, Draco had realized she was simply lost in thought, her eyes unfocused on the world in front of her.
His thoughts then turned to lunch, where he'd sat in his usual place, conveniently opposite Hermione's on the other side of the Great Hall. This time it was he who stared at her, watching her movements, the way she laughed and how delicately she ate. It was during lunch that he realized that her hair had looked so nice, so much smoother and less frizzy than normal. Draco didn't know why he'd become so fixated on her, learning her and her mannerisms. He blamed it on the conversation the two of them shared on the train before the year began, but there was a very small voice in his head that disagreed.
Draco's thoughts finally turned to his double Potions lesson of the day, the class just before dinner. When he arrived in the dungeon hallway, he found the Gryffindor's waiting outside the closed door, with Hermione off to one side reading. He had no idea what had compelled him to her, but before he knew what happened he was standing above her, looking down. As Slughorn ushered them into his class, he whispered "Your hair looks nice today" in Hermione's ear as she passed without even thinking it.
Draco hadn't planned on standing over her, let alone speaking his mind about her hair, yet his actions seemed beyond his control. It was as if he couldn't control himself around her in those moments.
When Professor Slughorn went over the potion they would be making, then named off the classes pairs for the day, Draco was shocked to hear he would be partnered with Hermione. In that moment, every eye fell on him and her alike, yet Hermione made no movements. It seemed as though she hadn't heard or just didn't care. At her complete lack of caring about her partner, everyone soon lost interest on the two of them and began shifting places.
Once Ron had, reluctantly, moved from his seat, Draco slowly made his way over to Hermione's side. Even when he sat down and opened his book, she still didn't react or move at all. It was only when Professor Slughorn came to her other side was he able to snap her out of her stupor. Wanting to avoid eye contact with her, Draco bowed his head to his book, reading over the potion they would be making that day.
At first they worked in silence, but soon Hermione said something that took Draco aback. Only in his wildest dreams did he imagine she would speak up and thank him for the compliment. It was the most they had said to each other since the train ride, and it made Draco's insides flip in a very uncomfortable manner. He wasn't sure why, but when she thanked him, he suddenly began acting like his old self, defensive and insulting. He hadn't meant to be so rude to her, it was just a reflex he supposed. Thankfully she brushed his brashness off like it was nothing, apologized for her rudeness, and thanked him again. This time he decided a simple "You're welcome" would suffice.
When Hermione had suggested they work on another potion rather than doing nothing for the remainder of class, Draco had been both excited yet unimpressed at her work ethic. Since he hadn't gotten much of any sleep that night, he was exhausted and had looked forward to sleeping for the rest of the period. Upon seeing the potion she had in mind, his thoughts again shifted. If Slughorn allowed them to keep the potion once completed, he would be able to get a few good night's rest.
Determined to be able to get that much needed sleep, he put his pride aside and asked Slughorn himself if they could create the potion then keep it. He knew that if he was the one to ask Slughorn, there was a very good chance he would allow them to. Once Hermione had gotten up to get the ingredients they would need, Draco's exhaustion hit him hard, and he fell asleep at almost the exact moment his head touched his arms.
He had been having a wonderful dream, a dream which he would be too embarrassed to explain out loud when the cauldrons crashed to the floor, startling him awake. It took him a few moments to wake up and realize where he was, and it wasn't until Hermione asked, in such a small voice he almost didn't hear her, to move his hand from her thigh that he noticed the warmth seeping into his palm. Draco hadn't intended on taking his hand away from her thigh as fast as he had, but he nevertheless took it away so fast he was sure she would think he didn't want to touch her.
It wasn't until he caught the small blush playing across Hermione's cheeks that he realized her thoughts hadn't gone there at all. The blush definitely signified something, but what that was, Draco didn't know. He didn't know what to say after what had happened, so the two of them just sat, working in silence for the remainder of the period.
Refocusing his attention from his thoughts of class back to dinner, he looked up from his plate. Not much time had passed, so the Great Hall was still fairly full of other students, all chatting loudly and excitedly. Draco sat, alone, at the end of the Slytherin table. He was used to sitting alone during meals, as his old friends were either dead or in Azkaban, and none of the younger students wanted anything to do with him.
After Draco had looked around at the other tables, his eyes finally fell on the Gryffindor table across the hall and to Hermione. At that moment, Hermione had been looking at him, too, so they're eyes instantly met. The two of them sat like this for what seemed like ages until her attention was pulled away by the redheaded Weasley boy, her boyfriend, who kissed Hermione on the cheek to her dismay and disgust with a mouth full of mashed potatoes.
Draco didn't have an appetite any longer after catching that display, so he decided it was time to get started on his homework for the day. He exited the Great Hall, went down in the dungeons to the Slytherin Dormitory, grabbed his bag and books, and headed up to the library. He found the silence of the library more tolerable that the uncomfortable silence that always followed him in the Slytherin Common Room, so he found himself there more and more lately.
The halls were deserted as he made his way to the library, as everyone else could be found in the Great Hall still finishing up dinner. Draco was happier that way. He had no stares, no whispers, no funny looks or laughing to worry about when the halls were empty. He took his time to get there, relishing in the complete silence the castle offered him.
When he reached the library and pulled the doors open, Madame Pince welcomed him with a warm smile. Draco returned the smile and made his way to his normal spot in the very back corner. Draco began working on his homework assigned for the day, starting with Transfiguration.
Soon, other students began trickling into the library for some after dinner work, so the complete silence was replaced with a small, dull chatter. Draco was so into completing his essay for Arithromancy that he hadn't noticed the students or the chatter at all. It wasn't until the small sound of a throat clearing above his head did he finally tear his attention away from his work.
"Mr. Malfoy?"
"Yes, Professor?" Draco said as he looked up at McGonagall, Hogwarts' new Headmistress this year and long standing Transfiguration professor.
"Would you come with me, please?"
"Yes, Ma'am," he said as he began rolling his parchment up and gathering his books.
Draco's mind ran wildly as he followed McGonagall through the winding hallways of the castle, no idea where they were headed. He tried his hardest to remember if he had done something wrong, something to cause himself to get into trouble. As far as he could recall, he'd kept his head down, kept himself quiet, and did all of the work his teachers assigned him.
Draco finally decided to speak up as they continued to their unknown destination. "Professor?"
"Yes, Draco?"
"Am I in trouble?"
A small smile played across Professor McGonagall's lips, unbeknownst to Draco. "No, you're not in any sort of trouble. I will explain why I've gathered you soon."
The continued along the corridor in silence, only the sound of their shoes on the floor could be heard. To Draco's confusion, they had not run into any other students during their journey, which made him wonder where everyone could be.
Soon McGonagall stopped in front of a gargoyle statue, Draco close behind her. He heard her say the password "licorice snap" and the gargoyle leapt to the side, a winding staircase beginning to travel upward was found behind it. Draco knew this to be the Headmaster's office from his previous years, though he had never actually been inside. It surprised even him, what with all the trouble he had gotten into in his youth, that this would be his first time inside this office.
Once at the top of the stairs, McGonagall opened the door to the office and ushered Draco inside. It was a fairly large room, quite barren, without much along the walls except portraits of all previous headmasters. Dumbledore's portrait sat directly behind the chair to the desk, looking out above what was previously his office, with Dumbledore himself smiling down at young Draco. Looking around a bit he noticed, on a few tables scattered here and there, were random objects and funny looking items.
McGonagall made her way to her desk across the room as Draco stood at the door, taking the office in. "Come, Draco, sit." He heard McGonagall say, as she motioned to one of two chairs on the other side of her desk.
It wasn't until Draco had sat down in his chair that he noticed the chair next to him was occupied. Who else could it be but Hermione, sitting patiently, watching him, waiting for him to sit so they could learn why they had been asked to the Headmistress's office.
Author's note: Hurray! Chapter 8 is here! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, it was fun to write. It's shorter than the last, but runs about the same as the previous ones.
I'd like to thank you all for the amazing reviews so far! When I first started this story, I never imagined it would be as popular as it is, and it's all because of you guys! You're all so awesome!
Well, ta-ta for now, we'll see you next week for Chapter 9!