Author's Note
Thanks for the reviews and follows.
Malfoy remained poker face but his eyes shone with joy and relief.
"You're going to regret this Granger." he said not really in it.
"I know what I'm doing." Hermione assured. She smiled lightly at him. "I'll see you tomorrow Malfoy. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Granger." Malfoy replied softly.
Hermione walked into her first class of the day. Their new DADA teacher was fair enough so even when the bell rang signaling the beginning of class, he didn't say a word.
The only seat open since she was late was next to Malfoy. She shyly made her way over there and even though they were friends, he didn't protest her sitting here.
She pulled out her wand before professor Giurbin began.
"Alright class. This class is DADA but the ministry insists that we teach a little House Unity. So, since the war is over, we will divide DADA lessons in half. Half DADA and half House Unity. I've made pairs for you to practice both in and House Unity will be marked on. So, the pairs are as follows. Draco and Neville. Hermione and Blaise. Dean and Pansy. Gregory and Seamus. Lavender and Theodore and Parvati and Millicent. We will commence with DADA. Practice your counter jinxes using Finite Incantatem to prevent your opponent who will be using the simple Tarantallegra. Get it? Got it? Good." professor Giurbin said in a dull emotionless voice waving his hand as the desks disappeared.
Hermione walked towards Zabini, unsure of what to expect.
"So you're the girl that's got Draco Malfoy running in circles." Zabini drawled eyeing her up and down. She felt like a prey being surveyed by the predator whom was beginning to make her feel highly uncomfortable.
"I have no clue what you are blabbing about so if we can begin….." Hermione said rather annoyed as she drew her wand. She noticed that his eyes were hard and focused. She grew anxious and felt the gut feeling to put up a shield and counter curse.
"I can see why he fancies you…." Zabini said snapping out of his stare. He smirked the classic Slytherin smirk. "Always prepared huh mudblood?"
"Don't even begin with that language Zabini or I will dock points!" she warned narrowing her eyes and maintaining her shield.
"I needed to see what he saw in you before the name calling commenced." Zabini sighed rolling his neck. "Let's start." he said. "Melofors!" Zabini yelled.
Hermione was taken by surprise and raised her shield at the last minute. It was not a very stable shield so the impact threw her back into the wall behind her. There were several cries as her vision blurred. She felt her face and was relieved to feel it was still her own.
"Zabini. Detention. 50 points. You were not instructed to turn your partner's head into a pumpkin. Headmistress' office. Now." Giurbin said blank faced. "Malfoy and Parkinson. Assist Granger to the hospital ward." he added turning back to his papers.
"I was joking around professor!" Zabini protested. "It didn't even hit her!"
"20 points." Malfoy snapped. Zabini and the rest of the class gaped at him.
"I am not touching that mudblood and neither is Draco." Pansy scoffed. Her scoff quickly disappeared as Malfoy reached down and scooped up Hermione without a second thought and marched out of the room.
"Thank you." Hermione murmured leaning on his chest.
"What are friends for?" he asked looking around.
"If you feel embarrassed to be touching me, I'll walk." she said noticing his behaviour. "Zabini was right. I only feel dizzy."
"I'm not embarrassed." Malfoy said. "I just hope no death eaters are watching and observing." he corrected in a lower voice.
"I can take care of myself." Hermione repeated.
Malfoy looked down at her and raised an eyebrow.
"In my defense I wasn't ready! And it was Zabini's turn to be the defender and it wasn't his turn to cast such a ridiculous and immature spell!" Hermione said sticking her nose in the air.
Malfoy grinned but said no more.
Hermione trudged out of the hospital ward after missing the rest of her classes and dinner to rest up in the hospital. She made her way back to her dorm hoping she didn't miss too much.
She entered to find Malfoy doing his homework on the couch.
"Did you bring my homework?" she asked grabbing her bag, quill and books.
He smirked. "I don't know, did I?" he asked swinging a few notes filled with teacher's instructions of what she missed.
"Oh I could kiss you right now." Hermione beamed as she snatched the papers and began scribbling down answers.
"You owe me." he reminded waggling his finger as if I were a child. "For A-bringing you out of your shell. B-Saving your ass the first day back. C-Being a civil friend and Head boy. D-Carrying you to the hospital today and E-docking points when injustice was in our midst." Malfoy said mockingly thinking. "And what else….I could go on forever." he said cocking his head.
"Oh shut up!" Hermione laughed as she began flipping through the chapters she missed.
At 11:30, Hermione yawned and packed up her bag.
"Goodnight Hermione." Malfoy said as they went their separate ways. Hermione raised her eyebrow in question.
"Oh please! If we're friends we can at least submit to first names." he said sounding awfully like a child.
Hermione smirked. "Goodnight Draco."
It was October 30th and Hermione was in the Great Hall assisting with the decorations for the Halloween feast the next day.
"You missed a spot." a voice drawled as he directed her arm towards the missing location.
Hermione turned with a huff and put her hands on her hips. "I was getting there." she snapped at Draco who was smirking.
"Sure you were," Draco said as he whisked off to attend to the music.
Hermione scowled. Their friendship was still continuing to be civil and even more friend like. That didn't separate the fact that he liked no loved to tease and annoy her.
She finished decorating her share by 8 and decided to visit Gryffindor common room. She walked in and bumped into the redhead she was looking for.
"Hermione!" Ginny squealed as she hugged Hermione tightly. "I rarely see you!"
Hermione laughed. "I know Gin. I miss you. How's school?"
"Of course that's the first question you ask me." Ginny sighed as she dragged her up to the girls dorm. "Let's talk about the interesting stuff."
"School is interesting." Hermione protested. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"To you. Hermione. To you."Ginny said smiling good naturedly. "How's living with Malfoy?"
"And that's supposed to be a topic of interest?" Hermione laughed as Ginny sighed smacking her head. "Alright alright. It's...civil actually. Completely different in a good way compared to what I anticipated." Hermione said smiling back at the past few weeks.
"I knew it! So is he as good a kisser as Pansy keeps blabbing about?" Ginny asked excitedly.
"You're not mad that I'm friends with him?" Hermione asked shocked. She had thought that if she joked around the whole thing, she would not be reprimanded. But here Ginny was predicting another separate thing and was encouraging it.
"Oh please. I can see the way your face lights up when he walks into a room. Or how your eyes twinkle when he's a topic of discussion." Ginny scoffed.
Hermione blushed beet red. Did she really act that foolish at the mere mention of him? Ginny smirked. "It's alright. When you're married and have children and live happily ever after remind me to say that he was always a topic of discussion. When it comes to you."
Hermione blushed yet again. "He is not nor is ever going to be a topic of interest to me. Nor will we ever get that far. We are friends. And it's a comfortable friendship." Hermione huffed.
"For now." Ginny singsonged. Hermione blushed again and whacked Ginny with a pillow.
Ginny laughed and surrendered. "Okay okay! Calm your bullocks! Just remember that I called it!" she laughed as my face turned into a scowl.
As I walked back to my dorm, I pondered over Ginny's prediction. Of course it was wild and unrealistic. But it made her wonder. What if….?
No. Impossible. They were on opposite sides of the war last year, they were pure school enemies they weren't supposed to get a long. Then this year, he comes along as an alright guy who brings her out of her shell and makes her see things. He's not a total jerk and he's actually fairly nice when he tries to be. Did she really act like a flobberworm when he was mentioned or discussed? She hoped not.
And did she really just compare herself to a flobberworm?
She shook her head as she whispered Beauty and the Beast to the portrait and walked in. She would still have to demand to know what the meaning of the password was.
"Your back late." Draco drawled as he looked up from his book.
"It's Friday night. Give me a break." Hermione blushed. After the conversation with Ginny, she felt rather uncomfortable talking like this.
"McGonagall told me to tell you that we are to partially chaperone during the dance. Not the entire dance but we serve punishments as we see fit." Draco said going back to his book.
"Jolly," Hermione muttered as she stomped up to her room.
"And er….Hermione?" Draco called uncertainly.
"Yes?" she breathed refusing to look at him in fear of what Ginny said.
"We also have to have the first dance." he said awkwardly.
"What?!" Hermione shouted swiveling to gape at him.
"WE HAVE TO HAVE THE FIRST DANCE!" Draco yelled with an evil smile.
"I heard you you git!" she retorted sitting at the entrance to her room. He closed his book and walked over sitting beside Hermione. His close proximity scared her.
"I assure you I am not a terrible dancer." Draco said mockingly.
"It's not your ridiculous dancing skills." Hermione whispered chewing on her lip.
"Then what is it?" he asked looking at her.
"Dancing with you." Hermione said to the wall completely avoiding Draco's gaze.
"I'm sorry you feel that way but it's one dance, just gather your Gryffindor pride and just do it." he said clearly stung as he stood to leave.
"Wait Draco! I didn't mean it like that. I just...I don't know…" Hermione said putting her head in her hands.
"I'm sure you didn't." he said walking towards his room. Hermione felt terrible so she lept up and stopped him.
"I would be honoured to dance with you. Just promise me that it won't be a mistake." Hermione said putting emphasis on mistake. Deep down, she didn't mean dancing with him as a mistake but trusting him.
"I promise." he said. Looking at his eyes, she felt as if he did know what she meant.
Hermione shuffled down to the Great hall and began preparing the last few preparations. She still had to make her way down to the kitchens to triple check the food for tonight. McGonagall was counting on her and as Head girl, she was determined to get it right.
As she made her way to the kitchens, she bumped into Blaise Zabini.
"Watch where you're going." Hermione snapped at him as she continued on her way. His arm stretched out and stopped her.
"I want to apologize." he mumbled barely audible.
"I'm sorry?" she asked raising an eyebrow. He shifted around uncomfortably. "Get on with it Zabini I don't have all day." Hermione said impatiently.
"I want to apologize." he said rather quickly.
Hermione glared at him. "Anything else?"
"No," he sighed. "But take care of Draco. He needs a light to guide him and speaking as his best friend and not the pureblood, Slytherin, he needs someone to be just that so, don't crush him." he said fidgeting.
She gave a curt nod and a raised eyebrow for confusion. What was that supposed to mean?
As the night drew closer, Hermione headed to her common room to prepare for the feast. She wasn't one to go big or fancy. She just needed to look presentable and neat. It was just a feast, so there was no need for dress robes. So she pulled on her school ones, combed out her hair and headed down dreading the moment where she had to dance with Draco. She didn't understand why though. They were friends, they had crossed that barrier. Maybe, it was because she was scared that if it ever reached that level, Ginny had suggested, it could all fall down like it did with Ron. She supposed that she just didn't want a repeat. And she was scared to go out and find out if she was willing to risk being rejected and cheated on again. It had nothing to do with Draco. It was her fear of any close relationship.
"Finally." Draco said smiling lightly.
"I didn't take that long." Hermione said checking her watch.
"I know. I just came out too." Draco smirked. Hermione rolled her eyes and walked out the portrait door.
They reached the Great hall meeting Flitwick out front.
"Quick quick! The first dance commences in a few moments if you two would kindly stand here and wait for the music where will lead out, dance the traditional wizarding dance and then you may return to your adolescents lives," he said quickly before bustling off after the peeves. He was a little stressed right now, so Hermione decided to cut him some slack.
"Adolescent? We are not 12 anymore." Draco said under his breath. Hermione turned and gave him a disapproving look. "What? We're not!" Draco said childishly.
Hermione couldn't help but left which was quickly interrupted by the loud but gentle play of the music. Draco raised his eyebrow and offered his arm. Almost as if he were challenging her. She bit her lip and took his arms. They were friends after all weren't they?
They walked onto the dance floor and Draco spun her around until they were facing each other. He lead her through the song and true to his word, he wasn't a terrible dancer.
"See? I can dance." Draco said smirking. Hermione laughed and shook her head.
"I never said you couldn't." she said.
"You doubted my mad dancing skills." he said pretending to be offended.
"What dancing skills?" Hermione asked laughing as his face grew mockingly angry.
"How dare you?" he said looking at her with disbelief. "I'm wounded Hermione."
"Good." she grinned playfully. He returned the grin and soon the song was over.
"Wasn't so bad." Draco said squeezing her hand before letting go.
"For you or for me?" Hermione asked biting back fit of laughter. Draco looked mock outraged.
"You will pay for this Granger. I promise you that." Draco called as Hermione walked off to find her friends. She smiled inwardly.
"I'm wounded Hermione." mocked a voice from behind. She turned to see a smirking Ginny.
"You little eavesdropper!" Hermione accused blushing wildly.
Ginny laughed. "I wasn't eavesdropping, please who do you think I am? Ron? No. No sweetie, your husband was yapping quite loudly and I wasn't dancing too far away." Ginny explained as she watched Hermione's blush flickr.
"Whatever. And he's not my husband." Hermione said.
"Mhm." Ginny said before Hermione walked off to reprimand a couple of students.
By the end of the night, she had docked 10 points from Gryffindor after catching a couple students trying to use Weasley Wizard Wheezes products. 10 from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw for trying to spike the punch with amorentia. And 30 from Slytherin for trying to pants the skeleton singers on stage.
She sighed as she made her way back to her common room. She opened the door to find the fire dying and Draco standing there as if expecting her.
She cocked an eyebrow waiting for an explanation.
"I thought we could have a real friendly dance since you ruined our first with your insulting comments." he said with a slight grin.
"And I should because….?" Hermione asked crossing her arms.
"Oh come on. We're friends after all." Draco said pulling her closer. His hand was warm in hers and she inwardly shivered at their touch. His eyes were studying her and she felt a blush overtake her cheeks.
"Is this really necessary?" Hermione asked smiling awkwardly.
"Yes. I always get the last word." he said grinning evilly.
Hermione furrowed her brows in confusion before she was tackled to the floor.
"What do you think-?" she demanded before bursting into uncontrollable laughter. Draco had began mercilessly tickling her.
"This isn't fair!" she wheezed as he continued.
"It is too! You insulted my fantastic dancing skills multiple times and were truly wicked tonight Hermione. I highly think this is more than fair as you Gryffindors say." Draco said finally stopping.
"You evil little boy!" Hermione said panting.
"I'm not little." Draco said standing up to full height.
"Physically or mentally?" Hermione asked raising an eyebrow before taking off to her room as angry footsteps chased after.
The next few days were easy going as Hermione continued on with her final year, studying hard for N.E.W.T's.
"You need to relax." Ginny said as Hermione scanned through her charms textbook one morning. "Come to the Gryffindor commons tonight."
"On a school night?" Hermione asked uncertainly.
"Oh come on Hermione! You more than deserve a break." Ginny chidded.
"Alright. But if I fail a subject because of you and I fail to get a good sustainable job in the future, I am living in your basement!" Hermione warned jokingly as she packed up and marched to class.
After a long day of classes and a night in the Gryffindor commons, she made her way back to her common room absolutely exhausted.
She opened the door and walked in. In front of the fire, Draco was reading a letter and glaring intently.
"Draco…?" Hermione asked cautiously.
He jumped up in surprise and drew his wand. He noticed Hermione and stuffed his wand angrily back into his robes.
"Something wrong?" Hermione asked sitting next to him. He threw what she thought was a letter into the burning fire. It turned out to actually be a newspaper article and then he turned to look at Hermione.
"Everythings wonderful. Just peachy. In fact, I Draco Lucius Malfoy, pureblood swine, son of a death eater junkie who was thrown into Azkaban, evil, nasty, cruel, vile, never changing, foolish arrogant arse, spoiled, selfish, bratty wizard who was the meanest and harshest and most stuck up git of his generation who is also a cold blooded murderer and tormenter, a cowardly jerk who was no is a devilish and beastly prat is perfectly fine thanks." Draco vented before stomping to his room.
What happened to the changing boy that Hermione had grown accustomed to, she didn't know. But she missed him. She wanted so much to go back to the Draco Malfoy who was trying to change who had put so much effort into trying to be friends with Hermione. Where did he go?
She wouldn't say that he was back to bullying and all that stuff he did as a foolish boy. He was just more isolated and depressed and angry and sad and distant from everyone and everything. The Slytherins seemed to think that it was just Draco Malfoy back to being Draco Malfoy after a small phase.
But Hermione knew better. This was not the Draco Malfoy that he wanted to be. And she had no idea whatsoever why he was going back.
She mulled over it repeatedly the past few days. He wasn't the same and he even ignored Hermione after his rant the nights before.
He had called himself nothing but insults. It all started after he read that newspaper article or whatever it was. He started growing angry and upset and he was just lashing out from his hurt.
She wanted to believe that. He hadn't technically broken his promise that it wouldn't be a mistake. So she couldn't fuss over that. Although he was totally ignoring and avoiding Hermione altogether.
She decided to confront him and demand to know the truth. He had his few days to himself to get over whatever this was. Now it was time to man up.
She cornered him in the common room one evening after dinner.
"Draco what's going on?" Hermione asked tossing her bag onto the couch.
He ignored her and continued reading his book.
"Draco! What's going on? You've been acting up and isolating yourself and completely ignoring me and everyone else!" Hermione exclaimed snapping his fingers in front of his face.
"Everything is perfect Hermione! The way it's supposed to be! I'm just a beastly git and I'm not...this is not….I'm not good for you right now so please. I can't be your friend. It's not you, really, it's not. I've explained my reasons and there are hundreds more I'd rather not explain. I just can't." Draco said.
Author's Note
The days in the chapters have passed quite quickly like I said so their friendship is moving along. Or is it? (the ending of this chapter) :)
Pls review!
