There was pin drop silence, and everybody turned to look at Hermione. Ginny, Harry, Ron and several other Gryffindors came up to Hermione and patted her back, while she was still blanched in shock. A few moments later, she finally closed her mouth and muttered a few words.
"Of all... Bloody people..." She regained herself. "I get Draco Sodding Malfoy?" She half-screamed.
"There there, Hermione." Ron soothed, but there were really no words of encouragement to feed to Hermione. She glared darkly at the floor. Ginny was shaking her head pitifully, hugging her knees to her chest while sitting on the plush sofa. Hermione suddenly shrugged everyone off.
"I'm going to bed." She muttered, and everyone looked at each other.
"Hermione..?" Harry trailed off, seeing Hermione, eerily calm, float up the stairs to the Girls Dormitory. He shook his head.
"I think that really cracked her." Neville said thoughtfully. "I mean, Malfoy of all people?" He shook his head. "The teachers must be having a laugh." Ginny nodded.
"The two of them alone for three weeks at one house, and another three weeks at another is a bloody disaster waiting to happen." She mused. Ron suddenly chuckled, and everyone looked at him.
"Sorry, I was just wondering how Malfoy's reacting right now." He said, and then laughed. Everyone grinned. He must have hexed the whole Common Room by now.
~.~.~
"Granger?" Draco said in disbelief as soon as Professor Snape had left the room. "Hermione. Fucking. Granger?"
"Language, Draco." Blaise chided, chuckling. Draco spun around to face him.
"Oh, shut up Blaise!" He snapped. "I can't make civil conversation with that girl, let alone stay at her bloody house!"
"Well, the trip might just be yours and her chance to try and make peace." Theodore interjected. Draco spun around to retort, but he paused.
"You think that's why the teachers put as together? As a sort of house unity thing?" Draco asked, and collapsed onto the sofa. Theodore shrugged.
"Well, who knows?" Blaise replied, and then chuckled. "You and Granger are literally the only people from opposite houses that are still at each other's throats."
"What're the bloody teachers thinking..?" Draco mused, ignoring Blaise, and then laughed bitterly. He was actually going to have to meet Hermione tomorrow, and plan their six, long, hard weeks together.
~.~.~
The next day, after break, Hermione would have to meet her pair, Draco Malfoy. She'd had another ambush of her memories in the night, and now her eyes looked dull and red-rimmed, no matter how much cold water she held up against it. Thank God that they were only pink by now, however she still prayed that Draco wouldn't make some snide comment on her weaknesses. She made her way down to the Main Hall which would be the meeting place for everyone. She walked in by herself, opening the giant oak doors and joined the crowd of people. The teachers shushed them.
"In order to create the least fuss possible," Professor Snape drawled, "we would like you to find your own pairs within the next two minutes." A lot of kerfuffle ensued, and Hermione was getting jostled about everywhere. She looked around to see most pairs together. Hermione sighed, running a hand through her hair, and looked behind her for any sign of the Dreaded Draco Malfoy, when suddenly a pair of grey eyes connected with hers. She looked at him for a moment, and then walked over to him.
"Malfoy." She muttered, averting her eyes.
"Granger." He greeted, equally low. They stood side by side to find themselves in front of desks, along with the other pairs. Seeing the confused faces, Dumbledore chuckled.
"Don't worry, these are only temporary. We'll transform them back into benches after this meeting is over." Dumbledore said warmly. "In the meantime, please, both pairs take a desk with two chairs opposite each other." He paused. "In the next week, you will be planning a rough outline of your trip. This, of course means that lessons will be postponed." Hermione heard someone mutter 'Yes!', and rolled her eyes, knowing it was Ron. Dumbledore spoke again. "So, chop chop! Get some work done in the hour you have!" Hermione and Draco paused, and then slid into the seats of the desk nearest to them. They stayed silent, and then glanced at each other. For some reason, Draco's eyes lingered longer on her than usual.
"What happened?" Draco asked, looking at her. Hermione frowned.
"What?" Hermione replied, curious and instantly defensive.
"Your eyes." was all he said. Hermione instantly lowered her them.
"Nothing." She muttered. Draco paused.
"Am I really that bad?" He asked, an eyebrow quirked. Was he making a joke? Hermione couldn't help but smile.
"I hope not." She replied. They both stalled, and then Hermione pulled out a piece of parchment. Draco frowned at her. She shook her head at him. "Didn't you hear Dumbledore? We have to plan, and we only have a week." Draco snorted. She glared at him, and he rolled his eyes.
"Are you serious?" He said, and then gestured to the rest of the room. "Do you really think all the students here are going to plan the 'trip' in what they think as free time?" It was Hermione's turn to roll her eyes.
"Well, doesn't that just mean we'll be ahead of them?" She said, raising an eyebrow. Draco sighed.
"Look, neither of us are happy with who we've been paired with." Draco paused, and Hermione nodded reluctantly. "If we plan, I'm betting we'll both get frustrated. We'll argue, and then nothing will get done anyway." Draco said. Hermione was taken aback by the actual logic behind his words. She was still uncomfortable, though.
"I suggest a compromise." She replied, and Draco indicated for her to go on. "You'll at least listen to my suggestions to what we should do, okay?" She finished. Draco pondered it, and then nodded slowly.
"But not too many at once, okay?" Draco said airily. Hermione rolled her eyes and nodded.
"So where do you want to meet tomorrow?" Hermione asked.
"Hmm. Under the tree near the Owlery?" Draco replied. Hermione shot him a look.
"Why there of all places?" She asked, looking at him. Draco shrugged.
"It's relaxing." He drawled. Hermione sighed. He was lazier than she had imagined. Then she frowned.
"Wait..." She said slowly, and Draco looked at her. "So in this whole week, what're we actually going to do, if we're not going to be planning?" Hermione asked, and glanced at Draco. His gaze caught onto hers, his dark grey eyes glinting.
"Well," he replied, his voice low and smooth. Hermione looked back at him uneasily. "I guess we're just going to have to get along to the pass the time, aren't we?"
A/N: Sorry for the shorter chapter! I hope you're happy that there's going to be a lot of interaction between the two of them in the week they have to 'plan'. I'm trying very hard to update faster, haha. Anyway, are you guys enjoying the story so far?