Thank you to those of you who reviewed ! It's much appreciated and very encouraging.
Creds however, must go to JK Rowling
"Ugh I cannot express how horrible that was!" Ginny Weasley moaned as the four friends trooped back to Gryffindor tower. "Please tell me that all of you hated that too!"
"Malfoy was Malfoy, need I say more?" Hermione said bitterly.
"Daphne wasn't so bad," Ron commented, shooting a furtive sideways glance at Hermione. "I never thought I'd say that about a Slytherin but she really was alright. For a Slytherin I mean. We chatted about our summers."
Hermione almost snorted. Did he really think he was going to make her jealous using a Slytherin!?
"I haven't made up my mind about Zabini yet. He still acts all superior, but I'm beginning to think that was just for show all along, and that he might actually be a cool guy. Maybe he'll feel comfortable being himself now that the war's over." Harry said.
"Well if he's anything like Malfoy, don't hold your breath. He certainly hasn't changed one bit." Hermione said.
xxxxx
Later that day, Harry, Ron, and Hermione decided to pay Hagrid a quick visit before dinner. They hadn't seen their dear friend in quite a while. As they were heading down the hall, Hermione realised that she had forgotten her sweater. The weather had turned chillier in recent days, so she told the boys that she was going to run back to the tower and grab her sweater.
"You go on ahead, I'll catch up."
They were deeply engrossed in a quidditch debate so they barely registered her departure. She rushed to the tower, collected her sweater and began hurrying back. As she rounded the corner to the grand foyer, someone else was coming the other way and she ran right into them.
"Sorry," the person mumbled.
Straightening up, Hermione found herself face to face with none other than Draco Malfoy, whose face closed off as he recognized Hermione.
"Still sorry?" she asked cheekily.
His face darkened momentarily until he realized that she was joking.
"Of course not." he sneered, but Hermione could have sworn that a flash of humour crossed his face. Nodding curtly, she continued toward the foyer.
"Hey Granger!" he called.
She turned around. "Yes?" she asked impassively.
He paused for a moment, and he seemed to be deliberating something. Finally, he said,
"Do try and tame that hair will you, so you can at least see properly? Clearly it's a hazard." He smirked, not unkindly, then abruptly, he walked off.
Hermione continued on to Hagrid's in a slight daze, pondering what had just happened. Did Malfoy hate her or not? It was as though he acted cruelly toward her because he felt obligated to. She supposed feelings like that were exactly what the Adjustments class was trying to remedy.
xxxxx
It was so nice to see Hagrid, you could always count on him for a cheery smile Hermione thought as she sipped the tea he had made and pretended to eat his rock cookies. Ron filled Hagrid in on Charlie's work with the dragons and Fang drooled on Harry's lap. It was just like the old days, and exactly the type of thing Hermione had been looking forward to returning to.
Eventually, the inevitable happened.
"How did the Adjustments class go today?" Hagrid asked the three, his face turning serious.
"Well, Hermione certainly got the short end of the stick between the three of us," Harry told him.
"Why's that?" Hagrid asked Hermione, his face full of concern.
"I got the great honour of getting paired with Draco Malfoy," Hermione explained sullenly.
"Oh dear." Hagrid said. After a moment however, he added, "Maybe it's for the best Hermione."
"However could this be for the best!?" Hermione cried indignantly. "I got paired with the school bully, the cruelest Slytherin, and the bane of my existence, all rolled into one!"
"And if anyone is up to that challenge, it's you. You're the brightest witch of your age, and the most kind-hearted person I know. Surely Draco doesn't want to be the way he is anymore after last year. He's probably too scared or ashamed to let his guard down, or maybe he just doesn't know how to be kind. How could he, after being raised by a family like that? But if there's anyone up to the task of rescuing him, it's you Hermione."
Hermione didn't say anything after Hagrid finished his little speech, but deep down, she didn't take his words lightly. Could there be a good side to Draco Malfoy? Did she want to find it? If Hermione was completely honest with herself, she was scared of finding out, because to do so, she would have to make herself completely vulnerable to her enemy, and also set herself up to admit that she had been wrong, not to mention biased just like Malfoy himself. She didn't know if she wanted to do that. But she was Hermione Granger, kind to a fault, and this was a class project, and Hermione didn't know how not to try hard for a class, so she would indeed try to find the good side of Malfoy.
xxxx
The following Adjustments class, Hermione sat down in her prescribed spot next to Malfoy with a smile plastered on her face and said,
"Good morning!"
Draco merely grunted. Hermione clenched her fists but kept her smile in place. She knew going into this that it wasn't going to be easy, and Malfoy wasn't disappointing.
"Well, I'll take this as a sign of progress, at least you didn't hex me," Hermione said lightly.
"Don't tempt me Granger," Draco warned.
At this, Hermione laughed. This finally caught Draco's attention as he looked up in surprise. Had he really just made Granger laugh?
"Why are you laughing?! " He asked.
"It's either that or I scream," Hermione admitted.
"That would be more fun."
"Don't tempt me," she retorted.
At this, he raised an eyebrow. She was better at this than he gave her credit for. Boarder line amusing in fact. Then he caught himself. Had he really just called talking to Granger amusing? He had to do damage control again.
"So I see that you didn't tame that hazardous hair of yours," he began with a smirk.
She grinned, clearly falling for his trap. But before she could get out her clever retort to begin what she thought would be playful banter, he added,
"When you do get around to it, fix your face as well. It's so ugly that it's also hazardous, to the eyes. And don't worry, I'm not saying that because of your blood status, it's just a question of genetics. Some people are born beautiful, and other unfortunate souls are born looking like you." He added a sneer as the finishing touch.
Hermione stared in horror. He had just crossed the carefully constructed line she had drawn to mark their progress. Such unnecessary, humiliating comments. She wasn't getting through to him. He was still vile and cruel. She turned and faced the front, and would not utter another word for the remainder of class.
xxxx
The next day however, after she'd cooled down and had some time to reflect, her clever mind had picked out a pattern, and she planned on confronting Malfoy about it during that days Adjustments class. She plunged in immediately during the "discussion period" that took place between partners at the beginning of each class.
"I noticed something Malfoy," she began.
"What's that Granger? That your hair is a complete frizz fest?"
Taking a deep calming breath, Hermione ignored his comment completely.
"You and I go through cycles. We reach a point where we almost get along, then you withdraw and attack me. It's as though as soon as we start to make progress, you have to destroy it. One step forward two steps back so to speak. Tell me, why is that? "
Malfoy was at a loss. What was he going to say now? If he offended her, she would just assume that he was 'taking two steps back.' Damn, why did she have to be so freaking clever?
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don't want to get along with you?"
"Why though, being enemies takes so much effort!"
"Because you remind me of stuff okay!"
"What kind of stuff?"
"Never mind alright!"
"Alright Malfoy, alright." Hermione said, but she smiled to herself. That, had been progress.
A/N Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter will have another class assignment! I think that I can also start moving things along between them without becoming unrealistic. Slowly but surely :)