Chapter #3

D.P.O.V.

I pulled out my wand from my robe pocket and pointed it at the eagle. Damn, I forgot how to pronounce it. I lowered my wand again.

'Venge-ara,' no that wasn't it. 'Ving-dara,' shit, that wasn't it either.

I couldn't believe it. The day had gotten this far and I was about to screw it up. Come on Draco picture what you read.

I tried to recall what I had seen in the book.

It was no use. I couldn't for the life of me remember how to say to it right. I could faintly remember reading about the wrist movements and rotation.

But how do you say it?

'That's it, I really have no idea'.

Hermione was watching with anticipation.

'He can't do it.' She thought to herself. 'And such a simple spell too.' She laughed.

He seemed normal enough. Not at all showing any of the nervousness she new was there. He had already been standing in front of the class for quite some time now, but all he had done was pull out is wand and stare at the eagle so far. To everyone else he may have looked like he was running the spell over in his head, but she knew he was clueless.

"Mr. Malfoy?" McGonagall Began "Would you like some assistance?" she questioned, a small smile on her face.

"No I've got it" he answered sounding like knew what he was doing

as he raised his wand up to the eagle.

'This is it' Hermione rejoiced.

Without hesitation Malfoy murmured a spell under his breath sounding sure of himself.

The eagle turned into a perfect green bike with silver snakes painted up and down it. It was beautiful. It even hovered above the ground with the charm used for home made brooms.

The whole classes' jaws dropped to the floor and Hermione's through it. Most people made simple bikes a single color and black or white at that.

The spell was meant to be small and simple but he had turned it into something complex. It took a lot of concentration for someone to transfigure a bike like that out of something as small as an eagle.

Even the professor looked taken aback by this outcome.

"Well done Mr. Malfoy!" She exclaimed. "20 points to Slythrin. You may return to you seat now." Walking back up to the front she spoke to the class "Mr. Malfoy seems well prepared for his test. Let us hope you are all as fit for this test as he is because I will be grading on a curve." She finished.

There was the usual murmur of disappointment and Hermione, still flabbergasted was about to scream.

What was he up to? She had to know. This was becoming ridiculous and even still he returned to his seat without glaring at her or smirking to the class. He seemed content with having just gotten the spell right.

Hermione calmed herself again for the hundredth time that day and looked down at the test that had just been handed to her by Lavender. The first part was written then the next part was a performance evaluation. She got to work right away, determined to finish before Malfoy.

D.P.O.V.

I was sitting in my seat looking over the test paper that Brown had just handed me sending a wink my way as well. She'd be getting something a little later.

Well, on another note, I realized that I needed to make sure I studied more for transfiguration than for any other class. I had completely guessed how to pronounce that spell and I couldn't bet on being so lucky next time.

But I am just a natural fuck up with this subject. Well, better than most of the students but not even close to being better than Granger.

As much as I hate to admit it, if I'm going to do this all year I'm going to need help.

So the great Draco Malfoy does have a flaw, a miner one I might add. Who could I ask to tutor me? Ahg, the thought of me, in need of a peer mentor, honestly, it is disgraceful.

I would have to figure that out later.

I looked over at Granger her hideous bushy hair keeping her paper hidden. From this point of view, she seemed to be devouring her test paper. Poured over it like a savage beast.

I looked down at the questions and I knew that there was no way I would finish my test before her, especially now that the she was working with exhilarated speed.

I needed an excuse to get out of this test but what?

"Psst, Draco, you seem to be a bit lost mate?" Blaise said looking at me with amusement.

I turned away from him feeling the urge to punch him for his obvious assessment. He knew damn well that had no luck with transfiguration.

"Aw, I'm sorry, did I upset you? Afraid you're well thought out plan is about to flop?" he teased. I knew he was joking but sometimes Blaise could go too far.

I looked down at my paper and started scratching my quill on it far harder than necessary.

I was almost done with question 2 when Blaise passed me a folded up piece of parchment. I took it and eyed it curiously before opening it.

'The answers to the test?'

Above the answers he had written a message.

'You don't have to use it if you don't want to. I know you're trying to go the straight and narrow on this. But if you don't want this to have been a waist of time then just use it. It's up to you.'

Your best mate,

-Blaise

I looked at it for a while debating with myself. I said I wouldn't cheat but this was a special case. I glanced at Blaise and he just shrugged. My gaze drifted to Granger. She would be done soon.

What the hell? One time and then never again. I have to get in the game before I can play it.

Four minutes later I was done scribbling out the answers and was still trying to figure out how I was going to get through the performance part of the exam.

Hermione was almost finished with her test when she decided to check up on Malfoy. He looked extremely concentrated. She figured he was probably trying to figure out how he was going to get past the performance.

Malfoy had gotten lucky in the beginning of class with that first spell. She couldn't exactly prove it, but she knew that he had no idea what he was doing. Even though he had seemed to look confident she could tell he was unsure.

He was not going to beat her in her best subject, especially when it was his worst. His charade was over. Hermione thought as she finished her last question.

'But then why I'm I so worried?' She wondered.

She was about to raise her hand and turn in her paper when-

"I'm done professor."

Hermione began to hyper ventilate. "No." she whispered.

"Are you okay…?" the girl beside her asked.

Hermione's head cranked robotically toward the girl.

"I'm…" Hermione started, finding it very difficult to continue through her deep breaths. "…fine" she finished through a clenched smile.

Harry was about to say something but thought better of it. Which was good because if he had she would have exploded right there.

As Draco walked behind a black curtain with professor McGonagall for the next part of the exam, Hermione scrambled through her bag for her romance novel that had been lent to her from Ginny, (which she had no real intention of reading) but desperate times called for desperate measures. She pulled it out and started to read the first chapter. Trying to calm her nerves.

D.P.O.V.

I wanted to burst out laughing when I saw the look on Grangers face. She was so sure she would have me.

But this was no time to gloat because I was still in deep shit.

The professor drew the curtain and closed off this small cubicle and told me to take a seat in the chair in the middle.

She conjured a table and told me to prepare myself because when she gave me the spell number I would be timed on how long it took me to perform.

I recapped all the spells I had read during lunch and knew it was going to be one of ten in chapter 7, only six of which I read through.

"Are you ready Mr. Malfoy?" She asked me with this sort of look that made me feel like she was waiting for another repeat of the spell I performed at the beginning of class.

Well I was as ready as I was ever going to be so no point in putting it off.

"Yes." I answered sounding sure of myself when really I was far less than that.

"Spell #367C please?" She requested.

I picked up my wand and held my breath as a chicken appeared on the table.

Well here goes nothing.

Hermione, within the span of 6 minutes had already made it to chapter three of the smutty romance book. She was feeling somewhat better now and felt it safe enough to stop reading and put the book down.

She looked around at everyone still working on the test then over to the drawn closed black curtain that Malfoy was behind.

If only she could at least hear what was going on, but a silencing charm prevented that. So she would just have to wait until he emerged looking disappointed to be sure that he had failed, as she predicted.

Only a minute later did McGonagall pull back the curtain, and Hermione watched Malfoy walk back to his seat. She couldn't read his face. He didn't look disappointed, but she could never count on him ever expressing that. But then, he didn't look smug either, which she had learned today she could not rely on anymore.

He took his seat and opened his transfiguration book, reading again. That jerk. She wanted to know how he had done, but he never showed her anything. Even the things she was sure of about him were still only guesses and instinct. Like that he was doing this on purpose. There was no evidence and he definitely wasn't giving any hints, but she just new it somehow, and she hoped that everyone else would too.

Hermione raised her hand and McGonagall waved her down. She followed the professor into the cubical and sat in the chair. She wanted to get this done. She was well prepared for whatever spell she would get.

"I'm ready when you are professor." Hermione said recognizing that her tone sounded a bit snobbish.

The professor took no time in announcing the spell.

"Spell #366C please?" she requested.

'Piece of cake' Hermione thought as she watched a swan appear on the desk in front of her.

She lifted her wand and just as she was about to say the spell she wondered if Malfoy had been given this same one.

'What if he had done it perfectly?'

Hermione said the spell and watched as the swan began to change.

D.P.O.V.

Well I had performed less than without a hitch, but not as bad as I had predicted. Still, as I watched Granger walk into the cubicle I knew that a minor slip up would seem a lot larger after she was done wowing McGonagall.

So much for a perfect day.

I continued to read my transfiguration book, trying not to think too much into it.

Granger emerged from the cubicle not but a minute later. I was shocked to see that she looked immensely disgruntled. She began to stomp her way to her seat but not before sending an evil glare my way and that's when it hit me. Hermione Granger had screwed up her spell.

I wanted to burst out laughing, I couldn't believe it. But instead I pretended not to notice. And here I was, doubting myself.

Blaise nudged me and I looked at him letting my smirk show for just a moment but quickly removed it. Blaise was eyeing me as though I were some sort of god, and with the power that I held over Granger, I wouldn't deny it.

Hermione stormed back to her seat. She had been so caught up in thinking Malfoy got a better grade that she slightly pronounced the spell wrong. She burned with embarrassment as she remembered the disappointed look on McGonagall's face. She again pulled out the romance novel and continued on from chapter three.

By the end of the book, the class was coming to a close. She packed up her bag in no hurry to get back to the great hall, to feel the eyes on her back and hear the hushed whispers of her peers.

Most everyone had left the class by now but she stayed rooted to her seat, unwilling to face the task ahead of her. How was she supposed to walk in and pretend that nothing had happened?

She watched as Malfoy walked out of the class, his face still in his book. No, she couldn't handle it. She started to think that she may even feel better if Malfoy would at least call her out on it.

She finally headed out the door and stopped in the hall to tell Harry that she was going back to the head dorm. "Are you sure Hermione?" Harry asked sincerely.

"Yes," Hermione answered, "I don't have much of an appetite anyway", as she walked down the hallway.