And if we dream - Draco Malfoy/ OC

Chapter 15- Herbology for dummies.

Summary: Like some magnetic force, like some unbreakable bond she was drawn back to him again and again. And now, staying away was an inconceivable notion. "Always." she murmured, one hand finding his, the other tangling into his platinum hair, "Always."

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I'm re writing it to my story so the dialogue is not that same as it is in the books or films in the scenes you may recognise =]

So I watched the new Harry Potter tonight and just had to start writing again. It was freaking awesome!

Draco in this chapter! Hope you enjoy!

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It was two days after the Herbology incident, as Avery had now taken to calling it, that she realised she did not currently have ownership of her own DADA book. Somewhere along the line between receiving the homework essay and this day she had mistaken someone else's book for her own and swapped them. What was worse, she had no idea whose book she did posses, the essay inside was written neatly, almost regally, compact and thin and contained almost a lazy intelligence that she couldn't quite pinpoint. None of her friends recognised the handwriting either and of course there was no name, in the book or on the homework. Avery was reassured that her own name was splashed across her book and essay so surely if one of her classmates found it they would return it, even a spiteful Slytherin would want their own book back, especially if risking Snape's wrath. Sure, Avery had much more work to be getting on with during the first of the new study lessons in Hogwarts library, that McGonagall had brought forward for this year but she would have much preferred to complete her essay. She could only hope that if she didn't have her half finished homework back by the due date then Snape would understand. Fat chance of that she thought.

"Avery! Are you even listening to me?" Hermione hissed as Avery continued to absently run her finger along the face of the DADA book before her.

"Yeah," she sighed, "I know I have to do my Herbology. I'll get onto it."

"Like Ronald gets on with his work? Do it now Avery." Hermione replied, sounding angry.

"Okay!" Avery replied, "Our defence work has a closer due date though."

"You don't have your work Avery. There's no point sitting here and fretting over it when you could be doing something else."

"Yeah you're right." Avery sighed, "I need to take out a book on Herbology then."

"Go ahead." Hermione said, her tone that of a teacher talking to a first year, Avery rolled her eyes and glanced around the library, numerous students from her year were settled around, some working on various pieces of homework, others were charming various pieces of paper to fire at their friends, some were simply throwing or spitting them manually. Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zambini and a group of Slytherins were laughing raucously in a corner earning harsh glances from both the librarian and Hermione. Neville Longbottom sat opposite Luna, slumped over in his seat, drool pooling in the corner of his mouth as he snored quietly. Avery smiled fondly at her friend and glanced towards a large window, she could almost make out the forms of the Gryffindor Quidditch team practicing. She found herself wishing she was more than a competent flyer so she could be out in the sun rather than cooped up inside on such a glorious day. Cho Chang and a group of her friends sat in the corner, giggling at some kind of crude drawing on some parchment. Avery sort of wished she were sat with them instead of the bushy haired slave driver who was once again calling her name irritably.

"Sorry?"

"You're procrastinating again. Go and get your book."

"Yes mother." Avery said with a salute as she pushed back her chair and stretched languidly, "Luna!" she called across the room, "Where are the Herbology books?"

"That way, Avery." Luna called dreamily, pointing to the left of her seat, "Watch out for the dust mites, they've very sharp teeth you know."

"Brilliant. Thanks Luna." Avery answered as she moved behind her into the rows of shelves, in search of the Herbology section.

"H- H-a- H-e. Herbs, Herbology: forbidden plants. Forbidden plants? Herbology: the secrets of growing. Herbology for dummies?" Avery frowned and turned the dusty tome over in her hands, "The complete easy step guide to Herbology for even the most unfocused of minds." she read aloud from the back, "Well that sounds like fun."

"Talking to yourself Greenwood?" A cool voice startled her from her reverie, Avery squeaked and jolted in her spot, whirling to face him angrily.

"Stalking people in dark libraries now Malfoy?" she growled.

"Simply returning this." the blonde replied with a smirk, nodding his head towards his hand in which he held a familiar footprint marred defence book, "and telling you to return mine."

"It's yours? I must have taken the wrong book from Herbology." Avery didn't miss the fact that Herbology seemed to be ruling her entire life recently, nor did she miss Malfoys sarcastic reply of "Evidently."

"I'll go and get it." Avery said, "You wait here."

"Like I would accompany you anyway." he snorted behind her.

Avery squashed down the almost overwhelming urge to punch the pig headed Slytherin and instead moved towards the table where it seemed Hermione hadn't even moved an inch and grabbed the book from the table. Hermione raised her head from her book and questioned, "Did you find who the book belonged to?"

"Yup."

"Who?"

Avery quickly debated whether or not to tell the truth, eventually opting to do so, "Malfoy."

Hermione's face seemed to drain of colour, "Need me to come with you?" the brunette asked hesitantly.

"I've got it." Avery smiled reassuringly, as she moved back towards the alcove where Malfoy lurked like the damn snake he was, shoulders tense.

"Here." she said abruptly, holding the book out towards him, mouth set in a straight line, "Can I have mine?"

"I hope you haven't copied my essay Gryffindor, Professor Snape will notice." Malfoy commented as the books exchanged hands.

"I've got my own thank you Malfoy." came Avery's reply, "I don't need yours. I am rather good at Defence."

"Of course. You're a Gryffindor."

"You're a Slytherin, the dark arts must be your forte, so defence of them but be easy."

"Of course it is." Malfoy smirked.

Avery rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

"By the way-" the blonde started.

"Save it Malfoy" Avery interrupted, raising a hand before his face, "I've spent too much time with you already today."

"Don't you want this book?" he asked, waving the large tome in the air, "Herbology for dummies?" A small frown puckered onto his forehead, "What a strangely muggle saying."

"How would you- forget it. No. You keep it." Avery sighed, turning away, feeling a soft pounding begin at her temples, a headache forming. "You probably need it just as much as I do." Not that I care, she thought, I just want you out of my hair.

She moved around the bookshelves, clutching her book to her, at the same time Harry, Ron, Ginny and a couple other Gryffindor Quidditch team members bustled in loudly, immediately earning hissed reprimands from the librarian.

"Ave!" Ron called with a wave.

"How'd practice go Ron?" she asked, moving into step beside the ginger, nodding at Harry who was talking, a little uncomfortably with McCormack, the substitute keeper and sometimes beater.

"Brilliant!" he exclaimed, "Much better than homework that's for sure. You get your defence book back?"

"Right here." she smiled, dropping back into her seat as the group reached Hermione's table, talking tactics about the first game they were to play that term. Avery had no idea what they were talking about. She was a fairly good flyer, adept and she moved well and fast when the situation called for it but she had never had a head for sports of any kind. That, and Quidditch was violent, the games usually ended with more injuries than points scored, especially if between the Gryffindor house and Slytherin.

"Do you have any idea what they're talking about?" Hermione asked, slipping into the seat next to Avery and dropping her books with a thud. Avery looked towards her friend questioningly, in response Hermione just nodded towards her previous seat and Avery noticed McCormack, who was no longer talking to Harry and had slipped into the seat next to Hermione's previous. He was currently grinning widely at her across the table, seemingly completely unfazed by the smart girls obvious rejection. Avery felt herself shudder in sympathy for Hermione's plight. By the time conversation had died down it was time to head for lunch and Avery had gotten no further with any of her work than was intended for these study sessions.

"Oh great!" Ron chirped, "Dinner!"

"Pig." Ginny snorted loudly as she passed, Harry and Hermione in tow.

Avery laughed and followed her friends from the library, books held tightly in her arms, resolutely ignoring the group of Slytherin students, now joined by a thoughtful looking Malfoy, as they tried to push through the door first.

It took a few minutes to reach the great hall, thankful that they had managed to climb onto a staircase just seconds before it moved in the opposite direction.

"This is heavenly." Ron said, "I don't think I say it enough, truly brilliant this food."

"Heavenly? That's a big word Ronald." Hermione spoke, astonished.

"It's been known to happen." Ron smiled, red cheeks darker than usual.

"Hi Ron." Lavender Brown said sweetly, as the group moved past her seat, drawing the red heads attention away from Hermione.

"Oh, hi Lavender." he replied awkwardly with a small wave.

"That girls so weird." Ginny whispered into Avery's ear as they found an empty space on the Gryffindor table and Ron immediately began to inhale his food eagerly.

Avery had known the guy so longer that she no longer found the pure animalism disgusting enough to frown at and moved to pick her own food.

"Is it mail today?" Harry asked.

"Nah, Ah don't fink so!" Ron spat around a mouthful of food, "Why?"

"Because there is an owl coming this way." Harry said slowly, "with a parcel."

"Huh." Ron said noncommittally, focussed instead on his food helpings. Avery shrugged as the fairly nondescript grey owl swooped past them, a large square object tied to its small feet. It was moments later that the same owl landed before her, the package thudding hard onto the table.

"Who is sending you mail?" Seamus asked loudly across the table, "Its not even the mail day?"

"I don't know." Avery shrugged again as she moved to untie the package from the owl, her second name scrawled neatly across the folded piece of parchment attached to what she could now see was a book. She picked a small piece of bread from her plate and fed it to the owl as she sent it off with a "Thank you."

"Whose owl is that?" Someone asked.

"It's a Hogwarts owl." Someone else answered.

"Well? What is it?" Ron cried.

"It's clearly a book Ronald."

Avery didn't know many people who would risk sending an owl out of the allotted mail time and even those she could think of would not sign there name, she glanced towards the teachers table surreptitiously, McGonagall had noticed the commotion but had made no move towards them. After all, the owl was gone, no way to trace the sender and compared to some of the detention worthy things that happened in this school, usually courtesy of the Weasley twins and their products, sending an owl was not that big of a deal. She pulled the parchment off of the book and unfolded it gently. Neat, elegant, familiar writing sat directly in the middle, it read : Contrary to what you might believe, I do not need this. Also, concerning your, not so terrible Defence against the dark arts essay, Unforgivable curses cannot be performed wordlessly, these are the only curses for which this is true.

The note was brief and slightly patronizing. Avery frowned and folded the parchment again. "Whose it from?" Harry asked.

"Doesn't say. Just says that I might need this for Herbology." Avery lied, knowing exactly who had sent the book. She glanced towards the Sltherin table where Malfoy sat in deep conversation with Crabbe and then towards the offending book: Herbology for dummies.

Avery smiled.

So the word Herbology appeared in this chapter 14 times! 15 if you count the chapter title, 16 if you count this sentence. It's a cool word.

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A/N I genuinely don't have any idea if an unforgivable cannot be done wordlessly. In this fic they cant be. Also don't really know how this turned out but its 5.30 am and I have to get ready for college on no sleep so I hope this is good!

Thanks for reading! More up soon!