Chapter 13: Um…I don't hate you.
Three days after the little 'incident' in the potions lab, all was forgotten, literally. Hermione obliviated the memory of that day, and Draco, for good measures, did the same. All went well, and their spell was showing much progress for the past days. With one week and three days left before the deadline, Hermione and Draco were working very hard to perfect their spell. Hermione Granger was a finish-the-job-or-die kind of person, so Draco had no other choice but to follow suit.
They spent every waking moment of their free time working and working and working, they hardly ever get a decent conversation, it's just 'start?' and 'yes' or 'done' and 'bye'.
"Hermione?" Harry asked her one night while they were doing their homework and she was dozing off. "Are you quite alright?"
"Yeah, you've spent every moment of your life for the past few weeks with that stinking ferret!" Ron agreed. Hermione stirred and looked at the two boys with weary and droopy eyes.
"Oh, please don't pester me with such a pointless question." Hermione snapped irately. "You very well know why I'm spending my time with him."
"You know Hermione, if you've just made a simple counter-curse to a curse or something like that, you wouldn't have to work too much." Harry told her while scribbling away at his Transfiguration essay. Then Hermione was brought out of her sleepy daze and became wide awake.
"Don't you see Harry?" she said passionately, her eyes twinkling with enthusiasm. "I want to higher the standards of magic education! I want to bring it to its fullest extent! And I want to make a historical breakthrough that will fill the future Defensive Spellbooks in the future.!"
"Yeah, and when you're name's finally published in one, Malfoy's name will be next to it." Ron cried out hysterically.
"Oh, come off it, Ron! So what if I have to share my glory with someone else?" Hermione scoffed.
"It's okay with us if it's just anybody, but it's Malfoy." Ron reasoned out.
"Ugh! I'm sick of this! What do you have against Malfoy anyway? I know we've been enemies the moment we've set our eyes on each other, but, doesn't he deserve a little break from our glares and insults? He's mother and father's dead, he's been involved with the death eaters, and his sister suddenly pops in his life after thirteen years. How much pressure can you get?"
"Why do you defend him so much anyway?" said Ron, arching an eyebrow. "Did he befuddle your brains or something?"
"Listen," Hermione said, finally calming down. "I know how this must look from your perspective, but with all the loathing I have for him in my heart a drop of sympathy has mingled with it."
"I understand what Hermione's trying to say, Ron." Said Harry, finally looking up. "I felt that for him, too, last year. He may be a bitter insufferable, arrogant chap, but he's gone a bit pathetic, really. I know how it's like, losing both of your parents and losing track of your life."
"Yes, Harry's absolutely right. You just don't know what it feels to be extremely miserable because you have a very happy and big family. You never feel alone."
"So, what you're saying is you're extremely miserable too because you can understand him?" Ron demanded of her.
"Well, I'm not an insensitive bint like you, so I can feel people's emotions radiating off of them." Hermione snapped at him. "Honestly Ron, when will you ever learn?"
Ron grimaced at the two adjoining forces, so he decided to give up on his Malfoy-is-a-really-annoying-git-and-he-deserves- a-good-kick-up-the- toot rant and proceeded to do the rest of his homework.
"I'm so glad that you're finally getting cozy with Hermione Granger." Professor Vivien said excitedly one night when Draco went to her office.
"Uh, what are you talking about?" Draco inquired sounding rather stupidly.
"That day in the Potions lab." Professor Vivien did not get the initial reaction she expected.
"Funny," Draco looked a bit exhausted because of all the work he's been doing. "I have no idea what you're talking about. You must congratulate yourself for knowing more than I do about my life."
"Darn it! Must've cast a memory charm on yourselves, have you? Never mind, you wouldn't remember anyway." Professor Vivien looked unsatisfied for the rest of Draco's stay.
"So I guess we're doing well, are we?" Draco asked after narrating the week's events, except for the part about the potion incident which he undoubtedly does not recall anymore."
"More or less, yes. You two make a wonderful team. I guess that random transportation charm was a good one." She answered brightly.
"Oh don't act all innocent like you didn't set us up on purpose. And for the last time, I do not fancy her!" Draco bellowed.
"Why, I never mentioned anything about you fancying her Draco! You must really like her for denying it without anyone pursuing you to." She laughed to herself and looked at the time. "You must sleep now; you have much work to be done tomorrow."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. 'Night!" he shut the door and strode away.
"Wow, what an improvement! Bidding me goodnight? Hermione's a real influence."
"Morning!" Hermione greeted automatically as Draco passed by.
"Morning." He greeted back.
"Whoa! Since when are you on normal speaking terms with Draco Malfoy?" Lavender Brown asked curiously during breakfast that Saturday.
"Oh, it's just a daily routine we developed while doing the project. It's harmless, really." Hermione explained as she drank her coffee.
"And since when do you drink coffee?" Parvati interrogated furthermore. "Or anything with caffeine for that matter?"
"Since I aspired to invent the only defensive spell that can overcome the Cruciatus curse!" she replied jubilantly. "This reminds me, we need to finish that conclusion before lunch, and that's going to take ages to make."
"Wow, you're already making the conclusion? We're just halfway in finishing the spell." Lavender cried out in awe.
"Yeah, that means you're already finished in making the spell! How'd you do that? There's still one week before deadline!!" Parvati curiously stated.
"Just consistency and a lot of anger management." Hermione answered happily as she grabbed a piece of toast, took one last sip of coffee and strode away.
"I admire her, really."
"We must learn from that girl."
"Yeah, imagine spending every single day with a really cute guy and still have the tolerance not to-,"(/)
"Hey," Hermione acknowledged her presence. "Sorry I was late, got held up at breakfast."
"It's alright, I'm half-way through it anyway, you can just double-check it, in case." He responded very casually as if they've known each other for seven years, which, technically speaking, they have, except, they haven't known each other that much.
"Okay, alright."
After a few minutes, Hermione was ruffling through the pages of the conclusion and adding additional notes here and there, making it even longer. Finally after 17 minutes and 32 seconds (who's counting?) Hermione finished the incredibly long report of their project.
"Well, we're finally finished!!" she said excitedly.
"Wow! We're really that good are we?" he praised their reliable teamwork.
"This calls for a celebration in Hogsmeade!!" Hermione half-shouted out of anticipation.
"Aren't you going there with pothead and weasel?"
"I would, but we wouldn't be able to celebrate. They wouldn't exactly be thrilled to spend a whole with you, would they?" Hermione reasoned out.
"I suppose you're right then. I'll meet you at the Three Broomsticks at 2 so you could spend time with your little friends." He said as he stood up the chair and out of the library.
Hermione hung around a little with Harry and Ron for three hours in Hogsmeade and told them to go back to the castle because she was doing something Ginny. Ginny was the only person she confided to about the little celebration with Malfoy. But she wasn't coming with them nonetheless.
As she stepped in the Three Broomsticks, she felt warmth spread over her. She saw Draco sitting on a chair drinking a steaming cocktail with raspberries.
"I never thought you were much of a cocktail person, Malfoy."
"Oh, hi." He replied sipping his cocktail. "It's a new drink, I wanted to try it."
Hermione sat down in front of him and was about to stand up again to order a drink when Draco stopped her.
"I already ordered something for you, don't bother."
"That's oddly considerate of you." Hermione arched a brown eyebrow and sat down.
"Well, I guess I owe it to you that I'll finally get a decent grade in Defense Against the Dark Arts." He answered smiling, really smiling.
"You played a big role too you know, you don't have to give all the credit to me." Hermione stated humbly. Suddenly the drink Draco ordered arrived.
"You're not as modest as you look, Granger."
"What is this anyway?" she inquired eying the drink curiously. It was a bright shade of magenta and green bubbles were emiiting from it.
"Maybe if you take a sip you'll find out." Draco said with a smirk.
She took a great gulp and almost drained the whole goblet if Draco hasn't stopped her.
"You're not supposed to drink it that way, Granger." He said anxiously.
Immediately, Hermione felt like her head was cracking open and her stomach was full of butterflies. A dreamy expression spread over her face and she turned to look at Draco.
"Oh, well. We are celebrating." Draco drained the remaining drink in Hermione's goblet and felt the same swirling sensation in his stomach. He looked at Hermione with the same dreamy expression.
"Let's play 20 questions!" Hermione squealed, clearly very, very drunk.
"Okay!!" Draco replied, as drunk as Hermione was.
"Let's start with; have you ever been in love before?"
"I don't think so." Draco answered truthfully under the power of the drink.
"Who was your first kiss?"
"I remember almost kissing someone, but no, I didn't."
Hermione asked and asked until they were at question number 18.
"Okaaaaay, so, do you hate me?"
"Um…I don't hate you. I don't think I do."
"Who do you fancy at this very moment?" Hermione asked mindlessly.
"You."
Hermione remained speechless. She was as silent as ever. Draco looked at her inquisitively.
"You still have one more question left."
A/n: (/) snog him senseless. I thought it was quite inappropriate to write so I put it here so you little innocent hypocrites won't jump into any hasty conclusions! I'm not that corrupt you know! and for my too naive readers who can't seem to get the point!
