CHAPTER THREE: A PEEK

Hermione woke up smiling the next day. The minute she opened her eyes, however, she heard a gentle tapping on the window of the girls' dormitory.
Hermione rushed to the window and saw the sound coming from a familiar bird. It was Draco's eagle. Opening the window eagerly, she let in the bird and untied a note from its leg. At once the eagle flew outside again through the open window, sunshine streaming into the room. Hermione took a quick look around. All the girls were already downstairs for breakfast besides Lavender, who was sound asleep. Hermione opened the note, suddenly afraid Draco was cancelling their meet up today. Instead she was pleasantly surprised to read,

Granger,

Why don't we meet at the lake today instead? It'd be warmer and I don't think we're allowed cauldrons in the library anyway.

- Draco

Hermione was impressed by his handwriting. Though masculine, it was elegant and refined. She dressed carefully this morning, packed up her cauldron, books, and necessary ingredients (which she had prepared for days) into her bag and headed down to the Great Hall.

Draco was not at breakfast however. Hermione's smile faded as she bit into a piece of toast, now feeling a bit ridiculous at her outfit. Although no one noticed, she had hitched up her skirt a bit higher, and rolled up the sleeves of her white dress shirt. She had also unbuttoned an extra button on her blouse while upstairs but turned scarlet, although she had been alone, and hastily buttoned it back up before anyone saw.

Getting up, Hermione left the Great Hall, walked past the Entrance Hall, and outside to the lake. Draco was nowhere to be seen, and Hermione felt annoyed rather than upset.

"Over here, Granger," Draco said as Hermione was about to cross her arms. She had been staring at the water and turned around to find Draco half hidden by a few leafy trees on the far end of the forest, close to the lake. He was leaning against a tree, hands in his pockets, a slight breeze swaying the collar of his own white dress shirt. Hermione shivered.

"Oh, hello," she said stiffly, and immediately regretted it. Draco grinned and Hermione was taken aback, and even more so when he beckoned her to follow him into the forest. After a few tentative steps she too, was hidden by trees, though still able to see the lake, shimmering in the sun.

They went a bit deeper into the forest, which was light from the sun shining over the top of the trees. It was nothing like the rest of the Forbidden Forest. Draco and Hermione found themselves at a clearing with a pretty, white picnic bench, surrounded by large white stones that sparkled, and flowers that looked like massive blue dandelions. Hermione was pleased but said nothing.

"So Granger," Draco said casually, sitting down on one side of the bench and opening his potions book, "your skirt's rather high up today. Hoping to impress someone in particular?"

Hermione was determined to avoid blushing but was unsuccessful – she felt heat creep into her face, but realized then, that he had noticed what everyone else had not. Instead of answering his question, she asked, "Malfoy, why is it that you've stopped calling me 'Mudblood'?"

Draco stopped flipping the pages of his book and said, "Things change," and began flipping again.

"Well then you might as well call me Hermione now, we're going to be working together for quite a while. Until October, actually."

Draco once again looked like he was fighting the urge to laugh, but nodded. Hermione ignored his grin and they worked on the potion, agreeing to meet up according to the potion's needs of stirring and adding additional ingredients.

"So, uhm, Draco," Hermione started, pausing after saying his name for the first time, "Why did you want to meet outside?" Her pulse quickened, and she held her breath, hoping for the answer she wanted.

"We can stay inside the castle all winter," Draco replied, and continued stirring the potion in the heated cauldron in front of them. Hermione's heart sank and she nodded a little too quickly.

She thought he hadn't noticed but he had, and he said, "We could use some privacy as well," and he moved his foot to where hers was dangling, gently stroking it with his own. He was surprised she did not jump or yelp, and quite enticed that she did not move away.

They sat like this for over a half hour, eyes glued to the cauldron in front of them, Hermione sneaking glances at Draco much to his amusement.

"We should go," Hermione said, getting up from her side of the bench. Two buttons from her blouse came undone however, now exposing not just a bit of collarbone and cleavage, which she had planned in the morning, but the middle of her cream coloured bra.

Draco grinned and tried not to stare, but it was difficult. Hermione suggested they meet tomorrow and then began a little spell on her cauldron to make it vanish and appear in her dormitory while Draco agreed and stole another glance. He felt a bit hot when he looked back in Hermione's eyes and told her he'd see her tomorrow. Hermione began to walk off to Herbology a short distance away and the grin faded off Draco's face as he realized he'd have to carry his books in front of the crotch of his pants.

Hermione, walking in front of him to the lake, looked down and seemed to quickly fidget with something. By the heat now between them in the forest, Draco knew she had noticed her open blouse.