Author's Note:

It's that time again! The Weekly update! I hope you've all had a lovely week and get to enjoy chapter 4 before returning to that tiring place known as school.

Also, shoutout time!

Thanks again to emmaxxclaire and my talented cousin, TigerL1ly81. Go check out her PJO fanfics!

Also to 'Paris Jackson' for being really helpfully honest and as well as letting me know that I was accidentily spelling 'Mcgonagall' wrong! So sorry about that!

Please continue to leave helpful reveiws and like as well! If you do not... well, let's just say 'my father will hear about this!'

CHAPTER FOUR

The Spilled Potion

"So tonight is your last detention with Malfoy?" Ron asked

"Yes," I sighed, "finally I'll be done organizing Snape's shelves. You know, I never thought I'd be sick if books and magical items, but now I don't want to see any more for at least a month."

Both Harry and Ron gasped, pretending to be utterly shocked at my proclamation.

"Oh, stop it you two," I said throwing a spare roll of parchment at them from across the sun-kissed library table, "I'm not always a goody-two-shoes that only cares about books and stupid old good grades."

They both burst out laughing, and I finally let loose a chuckle as well.

It wasn't terribly funny, but we were all in the mood for a nice laugh after the difficult homework and studying we had been up to the past week.

The library was fairly quiet that afternoon, most students off enjoying their free time before supper, but I had insisted that we all work hard for at least an hour... so far the better part of the hour we spent chatting.
Sitting there, I realized something.

Sometimes, in the most normal of moments, the most causal of days, I realized how much it really meant to me to be there at Hogwarts. With my best guy-friends and practicing magic most muggles only dreamed of. I had been raised all my life, until I was eleven, going to school like any normal girl, and living with my dentist parents, never even bothering to sit and daydream about the what-ifs, but everything has changed since then.

For the better, I was sure.

The last few detentions before that night had gone as the first one ended, Malfoy and I showed up, got a refreshment of our instructions, and sorted through potions and ingredients and books for around two hours, sometimes longer. Hardly a word had been spoken, besides the occasional , "I need to put this right there," or "would this be under 'E' for enchantments, or 'B' for potion of bitterness?".

Once, I caught myself feeling grateful towards Malfoy for helping me, but then, of course, I remembered that it was his fault I had to do it in the first place, and it wasn't crazily kind, although surprising considering his nature, to give a hand.

I led myself down the corridors and into Professor Snape's room, where he opened the door for me to sit. Draco was already reclining at one of the tables, aimlessly drumming his hands on the wood surface.

"You will be again sorting through my shelves. This is your last night, so do try to get some steady work done, I hate oh so much to have an untidy room." Snape sighed sarcastically, and once more, he left us to work.

Draco sat up and strode over to our task, and I followed suit, mentally preparing myself for another tiring night.

It had been around ten to fifteen minutes when it happened. My arm had suddenly knocked against a glass bottle of an unknown brown substance, splashing all over Malfoy's chest, and sending him crumpling onto the floor.

"Draco!" I screamed, "are you okay?!"

He appeared to be in a genuine amount of pain as he clutched his stomach. He winced as the thick brown potion sizzled against his arms, and burned holes in his white button up.

Panicking, I rushed about the room, spotted a clean rag in the corner, and hurting back down to attempt to dry up whatever I could. "What was that?" I asked, talking to myself, and whipped back around to look at the shattered glass.
Burning level 1 it read.
"No, no, no, no!" I yelled, furiously rubbing it off his pale skin.

"It's okay, Granger, I'm fine." Draco said, wincing again as he sat up and attempted to stand.

The whole bottom part of his shirt had been burned, holes peeking out everywhere, and his skin was bright red from the sizzling sensation. Thankfully, it hadn't spread anywhere else.

As he stood up, I couldn't seem to wrap my head around the fact that I had caused that.

"I'm so sorry Draco! My hand just knocked it over and.. And I didn't know..I'm so..."

He attempted to scowl at me for worrying so sillily, but only succeeding in grimacing.

"You have to go see Madam Pompfrey right now, it can't wait until the end of detention." I said, helping him as he leaned against the table.

"Fine." He agreed, making his way towards the door, "tell the professor where I've gone."

"You can't go all the way over to the hospital wing by yourself!" I yelped, standing up and putting his arm around my shoulders, allowing him to put weight on me.

He looked curiously at me, but none the less, continued out the door with my help.

"Never thought I'd see the day when a mudblood tried to help me." Draco commented under his breath, but still loud enough for me to hear.

I pursed my lips at the word 'mudblood' but mumbled back,

"I guess I deserved that for spilling the potion on you in the first place."

He said nothing for a few minutes, as we made slow but steady progress through the deserted hallways, but then spoke up with a dark chuckle,
"You and those Gryffendors, always getting me hurt."

I rolled my eyes at that.
"I'm sorry again. But, you do know that both Harry and I tried to help you following the two incidents. You could try to be on better terms with him, you're both just getting each other into trouble with your stupid fights."

To this he laughed out, "Technicalities, Hermione, I can still hate Potter whether he helped me or not."

I stopped in the middle of the corridor, processing his words.

"What? You know I hate Potter and Weasley, nothing's ever going to change there, you may as well accept-"

I cut him off in the middle of his sentence,

"It's not that.. I just... I've never heard you call me Hermione before. Usually it's just 'Granger' or 'filthy little mudblood'."

Draco seemed at a loss for words as well, as we started moving again, now only a hallway between us and the hospital wing.

"Doesn't mean you're not still a filthy little mudblood," he grumbled, obviously taken aback by naming me correctly for the first time.

I laughed at his sullen words, and he gave me a confused look.
"Why are you laughing?" He questioned.

I dried the tears that had sprung up from laughter away, and replied,

"Just never seen you so defeated by simply calling me by my real name for once."

We reached the hospital room, and I knocked for him.

"Good heavens child!" Madam Pomfrey gasped as she opened up the door, already cozy in her nightwear. "What in the world happened?"

"We-we were in detention and I-" I began only to be stopped by Draco.

"I accidentally spilled this burning potion on myself," he said, avoiding the confused look I was giving him.

"Well, do come in Mr. Malfoy, I'll get you fixed up. And for the second time this week!" She exclaimed, taking his arm from my shoulder and helping him inside.

"Should I stay, Madam Pomfrey?" I asked.

"No that's not necessary, dear, you can go back to detention- who did you say you had detention with?" She questioned.

"Pro-Professor Snape." I replied.

What would his reaction be when he returned to find just me in the room, alone? What would I tell him? He would probably blame everything on me even if I went with Draco's questionable story.

The kind nurse understood at once the position I was in; a Gryffendor student at Snape's mercy.

She looked a bit worried but continued on anyway,
"And you're in Gryffendor, correct? Very well, go back to your room, and I'll let the Professor know what has happened."

I gave her a smile of thanks for her understanding, and hurried off to Gryffendor Tower, wondering all the while about why Draco had taken the blame on himself. One moment he was being a total jerk, the next, seemingly helping me. I didn't think I would ever understand his ways.

Stay awesome,

ThePondFamily3