A/N: So I think I'm just going to keep posting as I write! I appreciate all the reviews, follows and favorites! Makes me so happy to think that some of you actually care and like my fic *wipes tear away* But seriously, I really am glad that you all like this, I was really nervous about posting my first fic!
Your feedback was very helpful, I think I will just continue posting as I have been for the time being and whether or not I split the fic into two parts will be decided when I get that far. :)
Okay, now, the story you've been waiting for…
"Draco," Hermione began.
He looked up and raised an eyebrow, miffed, "What do you need now, Granger?"
"You have a red handprint on your cheek," she tried to hide a small smile forming, "I think the concealment charm wore off."
"Fuck off."
Hermione laughed silently to herself.
Draco saw and whispered, "Langlock."
Hermione's tongue shot up to the middle of her mouth. She sneered at him before silently waving her wand and performing the counter-jinx.
Draco looked puzzled, "How do you know how to perform non-verbals? Didn't we just learn them?"
Hermione blanked; the only reason that she knew how to perform non-verbals so well was because she had been performing them all of last-well, no this (it was terribly confusing to separate the timelines) year.
"I practice a lot."
"Of course you would."
Hermione was about to comment that there was nothing wrong with being a dedicated student, but a loud whistle from outside drew her attention.
Waving her wand, Hermione sent a bookshelf to the other wall with ease and enlarged the window so she could have easier viewing access to the tryouts. She got up from her chair to get a better view.
"Brilliant," Draco drawled, "Rather than work on homework, which is oh-so-important to you, we're going to watch Weasley try and figure out how to work a broomstick."
Hermione didn't say anything as she was quietly wondering if spells could go through windows. If so, she could possibly send a sneaky confundus Cormac's way.
Draco stood up from his chair and walked over to the window, where Hermione was already standing. He glared at her and looked out the window, watching as everyone mounted their brooms and glided up into the sky.
Harry yelled something inaudible and some chasers grabbed their quaffles and hurled them toward one of the Keepers hoops, where Ron . He blocked it and a few onlooking Gryffindors cheered. Standing up in the stands, staring at Ron admiringly, was Lavender Brown. Hermione felt herself narrow her eyes at the girl.
If Draco noticed, he said nothing. They continued shooting and blocking goals until Ron nearly fell off his broomstick and was plummeting slowly toward the ground. Hermione gasped and Draco scoffed at her concern. He missed the Quaffle, meaning that if Cormac blocked the next quaffle, he would get the position.
"What'd I tell you? I knew that the Weasel would fall off," Malfoy laughed.
Hermione didn't say anything and watched until Ron and Cormac were tied.
"Say," she turned to Draco, "do you think that I could send a spell through the window and out into the pitch?"
Draco raised an eyebrow,"What? You want to make sure you precious Weasley makes the Quidditch team? I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be honest and righteous and brave and all that shit."
"I," Hermione blushed, "That's not-Oh, whatever."
She crossed her arms as she watched the final Quaffle get sent hurtling toward Cormac, who easily hit it out of the way. A few Gryffindors cheered lightly and Ron dejectedly flew back toward the ground. Cormac pumped his fist in a moment of triumph and flew down to give Ron a handshake, nudging him and saying something that likely aggravated poor Ron greatly. He reddened and scratched his neck before he walked toward the locker rooms.
Harry shook his head and looked up at the sky before flying down to call the tryouts to an end.
"Ha," Draco said, turning away from the window and taking his seat back in the armchair, "Weasley could've used your help, don't you think?"
Yes! That's why I'm pissed that I have to be here, working, with you, you slimy git!
"No," Hermione turned her nose up at the comment, "I think he's a perfectly good flier. Unless you're forgetting, last year his performance was very good."
"Ah, yes," he snickered, a smirk growing on his face, "King Weasley was just amazing at quidditch."
Hermione blushed slightly, not sure how to win the argument with her little knowledge of the sport and changed the subject, "Well, seeing as this argument is futile, I think we should make the most of the remaining twenty minutes. Shall we make an outline?"
Draco mimicked her childishly, using an unbearably whiny voice, "Shall we make an outline?" His voice returned to normal as he rolled his eyes, "Bloody hell, Granger, you and I are not the same, academically."
Hermione thought she heard him mutter, "or in any other way," but brushed the insult aside and crossed her arms.
"I think you're wrong."
"Oh, really, Granger? And why's that?"
Hermione deeply inhaled as she explained, "You're, and I'll kill you if you mention this to anyone, much smarter than you give yourself credit for."
Draco's expression looked satisfied as he watched her compliment him, obviously pained from having to say kind things about her enemy.
"I mean, look at your schedule. We share nearly all of our classes with each other, surely that tells you something. Just think about how well you could do if you applied yourself!"
Draco's satisfied expression turned into a glare at the last second, "Granger, I honestly don't care whether or not you think I would be an academic scholar if I 'applied myself'. Sometimes, things are more important than school and I think everyone at Hogwarts is waiting for you to grow up and realize that."
Hermione glared back as Draco stood up threateningly, replying in a low voice, "Trust me, I know more than anyone. You think I don't realize that Voldemort, a man who is out to kill people like me, is out there? You think I don't see the looming threat of war? I have news for you; I know that there are thousands of things more important than school. I know! But academics brings me some sense of normalcy, and I can't help but wish you'd realize that and feel that normalcy as well."
She grabbed her bag and took a steadying breath, "Look, today was a bad day to work on this.. I'll see you on Monday."
"Wait, Granger," Draco grabbed her arm in one quick movement, "What do you mean?"
"What?"
"What do you mean 'you wish I'd realize too so I can feel normal?' What makes you think that I don't?" Draco was suspiciously eyeing her.
Hermione desperate to leave, having had enough of Draco and his bullshit, snapped, "Think about it. You've changed since fifth year, or don't you think we haven't noticed?"
She yanked her arm from his firm grasp and fled, leaving Draco Malfoy alone in the Room of Requirement with his thoughts.
...
When she entered the Great Hall for lunch a few moments later, Hermione felt an uneasy knot growing steadily in the pit of her stomach.
She saw Harry sitting with Ginny and Dean at the table and joined them, exchanging greetings quickly.
"So," Hermione said when their conversation came to a halt, "I saw the tryouts."
"Ah," Harry nodded grimly, "So you know about McLaggen then?"
"Yes," said Hermione with a sad grimace, "How is Ron handling it?"
"Not well," Ginny shook her head, "He's locked himself away in the boy's dormitory and will only answer questions with snippets of answers. I mean, he's not here eating, so that should tell you something."
"Maybe you can talk to him, Hermione?" Harry asked.
"I-" Hermione began, ready to explain that she and Ron constantly bicker and that it would do no good, but changed her mind, "Maybe, yeah. But after our classes are done."
Looking down, Hermione found that she really didn't have much of an appetite.
"Er, Harry," Hermione said as she rose from her seat, "I think I'm going to go to the library. I'll see you later."
"Are you sure?"
Hermione nodded with a smile but didn't feel like smiling inside.
"Okay, then," Harry looked up at her, remembering something, "Don't forget to tell me how it went with Malfoy later! I'm curious about my theory."
Hermione agreed with a dismissive eyebrow raise at the mention of his theory and departed the Great Hall, where Draco was not to be seen. She walked slowly toward the library, reflecting on what she had said to Draco as she walked.
But academics brings me a sense of normalcy, and I can't help but wish you'd realize that and feel that normalcy.
The words kept bouncing around her head, and truthfully, she didn't know what she was trying to express by saying them. Thinking back, it sounded like she was worried about Draco.
His puzzled response alluded to her that her words had touched a nerve in him, so perhaps she was correct. She already knew that he had changed over the summer. It was possible that her suggestion of normalcy to him told Draco that she had suspicions about his well being and position in the war.
Or maybe she was reading too far into this, and rather than suspecting that Hermione knew he was a Death Eater, Draco was just not used to people worrying over him. It was probably the latter, but Hermione could not help but think that there was a chance her cover had been blown and that Malfoy had realized that she knew about him.
She sighed loudly in the empty hallway scratching her neck tiredly. The amount of work and thought she had been putting into the boy she hated more than Divination was tiring.
When she entered the library, she decided that now would be a good time to research Tempus Itinerantur.
She grabbed the book and made her way back to her spot in the very back of the library, where a cozy red armchair sat by a large window overlooking the Great Lake and a constantly burning fireplace.
Settling down into the used chair, she began to read.
When the bell rang, meaning that lunch was over and it was time for Double Potions, Hermione jumped and closed the lightly-used book with a loud snap. Placing it back on the shelf, she began walking to the dungeons.
The book, The Unknown and Rare Spells Forgotten By the Wizarding World, had only a two-page segment dedicated to the spell. When she read that and learned nothing new, she decided to continue reading, hoping to find some other spell that held a connection with Tempus Itinerantur. Unfortunately, she had yet to see any similarities between a time-travel spell and the other spell's features, such as a spell that would protect you from the Black Plague, which was now eradicated.
In Potions, Slughorn announced that they would be brewing the potions that he had introduced on the first day of class, starting with veritaserum. After he instructed them on the page they should turn to, Slughorn let the students be free to brew for the rest of the class.
Ron, who hadn't been listening to Slughorn and held his ginger head in his hands with a downcasted slump, sat up when the mini-lecture ended.
Hermione urged him, "Ron, I know that you are mad at yourself and mad at Cormac, but you can't let Cormac know that. Look, he's right there, probably judging you for being a sore loser. Come on!"
Ron lifted his head up and sneaked a glance at Cormac, who was talking with Seamus Finnigan, likely boasting about his success at tryouts.
Ron emitted a dramatic sigh and rolled off his stool to begin gathering ingredients.
To think, all of this could have been prevented if Professor Babbling hadn't decided to assign a partnered assignment.
Hermione followed his actions and began to collect her ingredients from the storage cabinet. Of course, when she neared the supply cupboard, she heard Ron and Draco bickering. She stood outside the cupboard to listen, not wanting to have to confront Draco for a third time that day.
"Saw you didn't quite make the cut for the Gryffindor team, hm, Weasley?" His words were tauntingly malicious.
"Shove off," Ron ignored him, probably blushing. "Besides, I know that you didn't see because you and Hermione were studying. So quit spewing lies, you wanker."
Draco's voice was almost gleeful, "Oh, so you didn't know? Granger and I watched you from the window. In fact, she wanted to use a spell to make you wi-"
Hermione saw where his conversation was going and burst into the room before Draco could finish that thought.
"Ron!" she exclaimed, trying to distract him. She continued, trailing her words off, not sure what to say now, "How are you?"
Ron looked at Draco with a scowl before shaking his head at Hermione, "Piss off."
Hermione was still as Ron moved past her and looked at the ceiling with exasperation at the situation that she just witnessed.
She snapped her head back down at the sound of snickering. Draco laughed mockingly and grabbed a jar of blowflies and a cup of bundimun secretion before leaving the room.
Why was this year so much harder for Hermione this time?
...
When Hermione had finished with her classes and her dinner, which were both spent in silence as Ron refused to speak to her and Harry gave up at his awkward attempts to talk to the two of them, she retired to the common room.
First years were discussing a supposed duel that was supposed to be taking place, which Hermione quickly put a stop to as a prefect. Other than that, the Common Room was relatively empty, with a few others reading or playing chess throughout the tall room.
She sat down with a dejected sigh and grabbed her homework to begin working. Luckily, most of the information, Hermione already knew, so she didn't have to give much thought to the assignments as she quickly wrote.
While scribbling away, she reflected on the tumultuous day. Slapping Draco, watching Ron's failure at tryouts, telling Draco that she wished he felt normalcy… Hermione didn't know what to think of their relationship. Constantly fighting, today both verbally and physically, was not a good sign, but she had been trying to view the slap as a fresh start.
She hoped that the harsh slap to the face would stop the name calling. So far, it had worked, but a month from now? She doubted it.
Hermione began referring to Malfoy as Draco, even in thought, because she felt that it would be impossible for a friendship to grow if they only referred to one another as 'Granger' and 'Malfoy'. Despite this, Draco refused to call her by her given name.
And then there was the issue of Ron. Draco had gone and deviously told Ron that she had considered the use of magic to cheat Ron onto the team. Ron was now ignoring her for the second time this year. Harry, being friends with the both of them, tried to talk to them, but what they were left with was an awkward conversation spoken mainly by Harry.
Hermione was unsure where her two friends had wandered off to, and realizing that the library would be open for another hour, packed her things off and ventured out of the Common Room with a quick step.
While stepping through the hole to the hallway, she ran into Harry and Ron, who was avoiding eye contact with her.
"Hello, Ron," she tried with an apprehensive smile.
Ron mumbled below his breath and turned his head away from her.
"Evening," Harry said, obviously uncomfortable. "Where are you off to?"
"Probably to go joke with her Slytherin pal, Malfoy, about what a lousy player I am," Ron sneered, finally making eye contact with her.
"Ron!" Hermione protested, "You know that I would never say such a thing! I stuck up for you in front of him and cheered you on from the window! Trust me, I had faith in your skills."
"Oh, right!" he laughed sarcastically. Ron's voice was growing in volume as his face deepened a shade and his ears looked purple, "So much bloody faith! In fact, you believed in me so much you tried to cheat my way onto the team, isn't that fucking right, Hermione?"
"You know I-" Hermione began, "Ron, I-I-"
Ron crossed his arms, "That's right. You can't even come up with a lie. Leave me alone, I'm sure you'd rather go talk with Malfoy anyway."
"Ron, I can't stand Draco anymore than you-"
Harry winced as Ron yelled, "Oh, it's Draco now, hm? Well, you and 'Draco' can fuck off."
At that, Ron pushed past Hermione aggressively and barged into the Common Room.
"Hermione," Harry tried, "You know that he's just mad about now making the team, right?"
"Yeah," Hermione felt tears start to pool in her eyes. She tried to keep her voice steady but heard the obvious waver and felt the obvious blush, "Look, Harry, I've got to go to the library, so I'll see you later."
Harry tried to call her back to comfort her but Hermione was off, definitely not on her way to the library.
When she reached her destination, the Room of Requirement, she asked for a place to have some solitude and time to reflect on her thoughts. The Room appeased her needs and presented itself with a bed, a bookshelf, some parchment and a quill as well as a skylight window with a beautiful view of the stars.
She closed the door and removed her robes to go lay on the bed as the tears began to pour down her face. This mission was too stressful and Hermione, although ecstatic to help the Order, hadn't realized how emotionally and mentally draining it would be to keep up with school, maintain her relationships with her friends and save Draco from killing himself over the stress of the Vanishing Cabinet, which she had realized was what Draco had been working on while reading about Tempus Itinerantur in the library earlier that day.
So far, she had managed to keep up with the homework load, but her friendship with Ron was more screwed up than ever and earlier that day, she slapped Draco, not necessarily supporting him. She suspected that Ron had feelings for her as well, which she couldn't even begin to address due to other priorities, and that he was jealous of the time she wasn't spending with him.
But what did she know about boys? She had snogged Viktor Krum once in fourth year and kissed a boy she met over the summer once. She had little to no experience with the romantic side of the male sex, and she wasn't sure how to maneuver school, Ron, romance and Draco at once.
Subsequently, the stress of it all was taking a large toll on her mental health. She closed her eyes, thankful that it was Friday and that she wouldn't have to deal with Draco for the next two days. Almost immediately, Hermione drifted off into a much-needed sleep, momentarily forgetting the problems at hand.