A/N: I know I know… it's been a long time since I updated… a really long time. But I'm going to stick with the story now. I made an outline on the rest of the story so I already know what's going to happen, sorta. I'm going to try to update as often as I can. Which hopefully will be often… please review on the chapter. ENJOY.
Disclaimer: Anyone you recognize belongs to J. K. Rowling. But you know that already don't you?
Chapter 3 The Test
Hermione couldn't help but look at Malfoy as they took the test on Thursday. She was nervous, not only for him but for herself. She didn't know how good of a tutor she was and she hadn't told anyone this but her fallback career choice, if she couldn't become an Auror, was to become a professor at Hogwarts. She helped Harry and Ron in the past but they were special cases. They were just special themselves, and she knew that in some classes they cheated off of her. She never told them she knew but she knew nonetheless. Malfoy was different. She would really know how good she was. She would also know how good Malfoy was. He did say he understood her over the past couple of days, but sometimes she wasn't sure if he really did. After writing down an answer for question 22 she took another quick peak at Malfoy's paper. Her heart was racing. I know you know this stuff Draco, she thought; prove to me that you know it.
"Is there a problem Miss Granger?" The whispered question came from Professor Vector who had been standing right behind her.
Hermione jumped in her seat as she turned around to look at her professor. "No, sir" she whispered back and looked back down at her test.
"I didn't think so," he whispered putting a hand on her desk, "let's keep our eyes on our own paper shall we?" He patted her desk twice before walking back up the row.
Hermione faced turned a deep crimson as she looked at Malfoy. He was staring right at her with a questioning look on his face. "Cheating?" he whispered as quietly as he could. He shook his head disapprovingly with an evil smirk on his face and moved his paper a little farther away from her shielding it from view. Hermione rolled her eyes and finished her test without taking the chance of looking at Malfoy again.
The bell rang throughout the castle signaling the end of class. "Alright ladies and gentlemen, quills down please, the test is now complete. Please place your tests face down on your desk. I will see you all tomorrow and I expect chapter 6 to be read. We might have a quiz on it tomorrow or Monday, I haven't made up my mind yet." The class groaned when they heard this.
As Hermione turned her test face down on her desk she gave Malfoy a look that he knew meant, "How'd ya do?" All he did was shrug his shoulders, grab his bag and walked out of the room. Hermione watched his retreating back and had the urge to look at his test. When she glanced at the front of the room she saw Professor Vector looking at her so she didn't look at Malfoy's test. Instead she grabbed her bag and walked to the front of the class. "Professor-"
"Good day Miss Granger." He cut her off.
"But I just want you to know that I wasn't…"
"Good day Miss Granger," He repeated tapping his wand on the blackboard putting up notes for the next class. Hermione looked at him and nodded before walking out of the room.
Hermione was so nervous about Malfoy's test that she kept staring at him throughout Potions. She almost added the wrong ingredient to the potion her and Harry were working on. He had just grabbed her hand before she added it. "Hermione, are you ok?" Harry asked as her took the nettles out of her hand and put them on the counter. Hermione still hadn't taken her gaze off of Malfoy. Harry looked at her concernedly. Finally she looked at Harry.
"I'm sorry. What were you saying, Harry?" Hermione turned her gazed to face him.
Harry looked from Hermione to Malfoy then back to Hermione. "Are you ok?" He asked again.
"What? Yeah, I'm perfectly fine," Hermione smiled, "why do you ask?"
"Hermione, you're not the type to be screwing up a potion." Harry looked deep into her eyes. "Are you ok? Did something happen? Does it have anything to do with Malfoy? Cause I'll kill him if he hurt you…"
"Harry, I'm fine!" Hermione said cutting him off. "I'm just a little distracted. Nothing happened."
"Why are you distracted?" Harry still wasn't sure if she was ok.
"I just had a wicked hard test in Arithmancy." Hermione answered. "I'm just worried that I didn't do as well as I thought I could have."
"That's it?" Harry asked in a disbelieving tone. "Hermione, I'm sure you did fine. I know you got at least a 100 on it. If not, well, then you got a 200."
Hermione smiled at Harry, "thanks, Harry. That really means a lot to me. But I don't think anyone could get a 200 on a test. Not even Dumbledore."
Harry smiled too, "alright, maybe a 150."
"I still don't think anyone could get a 150, Harry."
"You got a 112 in a first year. You're almost up there." Harry shrugged. "And knowing you, you would be the first one in Hogwarts history to get a 200 on a test."
"Potter! Granger!" Snape yelled from behind them, "This is not social hour! 20 points from Gryffindor. Now get to work on your potion or it will be a detention for both of you."
As Snape walked away from Harry and Hermione they grinned guiltily at each other before getting back to work on their potion.
Hermione decided not to worry about Malfoy's test anymore. She would find out tomorrow how he did. She shouldn't worry herself, or anyone else around her, by freaking out about Malfoy's test. It wasn't even her test. Why worry?
Hermione sat at her desk on Friday in Arithmancy waiting for class to start. Malfoy wasn't there yet, but neither was Professor Vector so it wasn't like Hermione could find out his grade right now anyway. As Hermione got out her books Malfoy walked in and took his seat next to her. There was something different about him. He took out his books and stared at the door to Professor Vector's office. What is so different about him? Hermione thought.
"Come on Vector." Malfoy muttered to himself. It was then that Hermione figured out what was so different about Malfoy.
"Nervous much Malfoy?" Hermione asked with a grin.
"What makes you think I'm nervous, Granger?" Malfoy spat back without looking at her.
Hermione chuckled to herself before answering. "You walked in without saying anything mean. No rude, grotesque comment that you are infamous for. I didn't know what it was until you stared at Professor Vector's office door. You nervous about the test aren't you?"
"Ok Miss Know-it-all," Malfoy said in a deadly whisper, "I'm not nervous about the test. I'm just curious about it is all."
"Ok Malfoy." Hermione grinned again. It was nice to know that Malfoy was nervous about his test too. It helped her to know that he really wanted to do better. Hermione started thinking about what she would teach Malfoy on Sunday when Professor Vector walked in.
"The tests are graded," he said holding the tests up above his head before dropping them on his desk. "I have to say, I've seen some improvements with some people. Still, others aren't doing so hot and should seek help, whether it is with me or with a classmate or an older student. To those who ask I can give some names of students in my seventh year class who are willing to tutor you." Hermione noticed Malfoy's head drop as the professor continued to talk. "You need to understand the basics before you can do any better in this class." Hermione felt that Professor Vector looked at Malfoy when he said this statement and made a mental note of it. Malfoy must not understand the basics. "I have also decided not to give a quiz on chapter six today. But expect one on Monday." Professor Vector then proceeded to hand out the tests.
Hermione stared at her test for what felt like forever. She had gotten a 124. That was the highest test grade she had ever gotten and considering the way she left class yesterday it was quite a surprise. As she looked through the test she saw comments of "excellent" and "outstanding" written by her answers. Then on the very last page she saw a long comment written on the page. Miss Granger, I just want you to know that I know that you wouldn't cheat on a test. Especially off of Mr. Malfoy, but I do have to keep up appearances to the rest of the class. Let's just make sure that next test you don't look at anyone's test.
Hermione smiled at the note on her test. Then she looked over at Malfoy. Malfoy had wide eyes as he stared at his test. Hermione then looked at his grade. He got a 79. Nothing she would have been proud of but then again. This had to have been his best grade ever. She smiled to herself as she thought that she helped him get that grade.
A/N: well that's it… sorry again about abandoning the story but I'm back on it now and won't give up until it's done. Got to go get to work on chapter four! It'll be up soon. Keep Smilin'