Chapter 9

Hermione arrived into Potions the next morning, feeling oddly nervous. She supposed it was because today was the first official day that she was going to be paired with Malfoy in class. It was strange for her to feel like this, but she couldn't help but feel tingly inside.

She sat down next to Harry, and watched as Ron sat down beside Lavender Brown and slung his arm around her shoulders. She sank down slowly, feeling unhappy by the sight she saw. She didn't know why it bothered her so much still that Ron was with her, but it did, and she hated it.

She saw Harry watching her, but she refused to look in his direction. While she loved Harry to death, she didn't want him checking on her at the moment.

She looked up the exact moment that Malfoy had walked into the room. He had his hair perfectly groomed, as it usually was, and held his head up high. He didn't attempt to make eye contact with any of them, and Hermione knew that it was to protect the both of them. He walked over to a corner of the class and sat down beside Theodore Nott and Blasie Zabini.

Harry was watching Malfoy intently and gave him a glare. "Do you think that we can trust him?" Harry whispered quietly.

Hermione looked up at the boy beside her, confused. "It was your idea in first place Harry. Don't tell me that you're having second thoughts about all of this."

Harry shook his head, "It's not that. I mean I get where he's coming from. I would do anything to keep both you and Ron safe. But at the same time, all it took was one conversation with you, and all of a sudden, he's all aboard. I just can't shake the feeling that he was too willing to join up with us. Don't you feel anything of the sort?" Harry asked Hermione.

Hermione shook her head, "I think he's been unsure of his task from the moment he received it. But eventually time wore him away until he finally caved. Harry, do you seriously think that you would kill someone just because those you loved were on the line? Wouldn't you try and do anything that will prevent you from actually having to harm anyone? Because I know I would. I wouldn't be able to murder someone in the cold blood just because my family, or you or Ron were on the line. I would do every single thing in my power to prevent be from having to do that. And I think Malfoy finally couldn't find any other option, so he chose the best thing he could do for his family and for himself," Hermione whispered back. Luckily for them, those around the pair were engaged in conversations of their own.

Harry looked like he wanted to say something back, but Professor Slughorn walked in at that exact moment, so Harry simply nodded.

"Good Morning," Slughorn said cheerfully as he stood up at the front of the class. "Today we will be starting towards your NEWTS. I know, there's still over a year until you have to write them, but you need to start learning them now. The amount of potions that you will need to know for your NEWTS is a lot. I will be putting you into groups based upon skill level in my class.

Hermione looked down at her hand. So this was how he was planning upon giving the two of them an excuse to work together.

Slughorn began to read his roster of who he was pairing together. "…Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy."

The class had been fairly quiet up to the point where the last pair was announced. After that, the class began murmuring. Their professor tried to quiet them down, but it didn't seem to work.

"Professor, you can't be serious; pairing me up with her," Draco said in disgust. Hermione knew that he couldn't be accepting of the pairing in public; for it would only give them away.

"Please Professor, let me work in a group of three with Harry and Ron. I can't work with him. Surely you understand," she pleaded, acting along.

"Like I would want to work with you, Mudblood," he hissed.

At that word, the class went mad. The Gryffindors immediately began to insult the Slytherins who began to retaliate.

Hermione knew that he had said the word to go along with their charade, but she could not deny that it still hurt when she heard that word. It had been years since he had first called her that, and since that time many more had given her that name. The word was slowly beginning to lose its meaning, but some of the pain that it initially held was still there.

"Mr Malfoy, such language will not be tolerated in my classroom. 25 points from Slytherin, and if I hear it again, you will get a more severe punishment."

Draco slumped down in his seat, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Harry rubbed her hand softly, trying to reassure her that it was going to be alright. As Ron made their way over to where she was standing to work with Harry, Hermione looked at Malfoy, who was making no attempt to move in her direction. Sighing, she stood up and made her way over to where he was sitting.

"Malfoy," she said, nodding her head at him. For the benefit of those around her, who were eagerly eavesdropping, she added. "I would rather that I didn't have to work with you, but seeing that I can't change anything, I will. I don't like you, and I won't pretend to, but for the sake of my grade, I will do what needs to be done. Now, don't get me wrong. If you do anything that seems to jeopardize my grades, I will go to Dumbledore and tell him about this, and I will get a new partner, one way or another."

Malfoy smirked at her, "Don't worry princess; I won't do anything to mess with your precious grades."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, "Good. I'm glad we're on the same page."

"The potion that we will be working on first is the Draught of Sententia. Who can tell me what this does?" He asked. When he saw that Hermione had her hand raised her clapped his hand, "Miss Granger," he said, allowing her to answer.

"The Draught of Sententia is a potion which allows the drinker to have an emotional connection with the others who drank from the same cauldron," Hermione said knowingly.

Slughorn smiled, "Once again, well done Miss. Granger; 15 points for Gryffindor."

"Bookworm," Draco hissed loudly. The Slytherins in the room snickered, but Hermione ignored them. However, she couldn't help but notice a hint of a smile in the corner of his mouth.

Slughorn ignored Malfoy's statement and continued on with his lesson, "This is a highly advanced potion and I expect that it will take several attempts for most of you to get it correct. You may begin," Slughorn said, concluding his teaching part of the class.

Draco turned to the page in his Potions book which had the instructions for the potion. They worked quietly, both avoiding talking to each other. Hermione noticed that Harry and Ron were continuously giving glances in her direction, to make sure that she was alright. And it wasn't just them; it was all of the Gryffindors. Lavender, Parvati, Neville, Dean, and Seamus; they were all constantly looking her way to make sure that she was alright. She felt slightly annoyed. She wasn't that vulnerable that she couldn't protect herself against him, should he choose to attack her.

"Granger, you're stirring the cauldron the wrong way," Malfoy said, bringing her out of her thoughts.

She looked down, and saw her hand movements, then glanced at the book. "What are you talking about Malfoy; I'm stirring the correct way."

Draco smirked, "I know. I just wanted to rile you up," he said haughtily.

She jabbed him with her wand, and he pushed it away; rubbing the spot which she had poked. "Watch it Granger," He hissed at her.

She turned back to the potion, and resumed mixing.

As Draco reached over the cauldron to look at the book, his hand brushed hers. Whispering he said, "I'm sorry for this," before knocking the entire contents of the cauldron on the ground.

Hermione shrieked at stepped back hastily. "Malfoy, what have you done?" she yelled out.

"Me? This is your fault Granger! If you hadn't been so careless, then this wouldn't have happened," he yelled back.

"Mr. Malfoy, Miss. Granger, stop yelling at once! The two of you will stay after class to redo the potion. The rest of you are dismissed for the day."

Hermione waited for the rest of them to leave, before she turned to him. "What was that about Malfoy?"

"He's getting impatient," Malfoy murmured before pulling out a letter from his bag.

Hermione took the letter from him and wordlessly opened it.

Dearest Draco,

I'm sure it has come to your attention that He has decided to move his base to our Manor. It was your Aunt Bellatrix's idea, telling us that it would be a great honour to have him under roof. After everything our family has gone through lately, falling from our place at the top of society. But I cannot pretend to be keen on the idea Draco. You know that I've never been completely on agreeable with your father's views. While I understand them and believe in the use of His task. But having him in our home is a different story.

Draco, now that He's here, he constantly talks about his plans for you after the year is out. I am not entirely sure that he wants you to return next year. Bellatrix mentioned that he wants to groom you to be his heir to his legacy. But do not worry of that for now; I've manage to convince him that he would want a fully educated heir over one who dropped out before their final year at the school.

He also is getting noticeably impatient with your progress. I have told him constantly that you are sending me letters of your progress, but Potter seems to be thawing your every move. For now, he is redirecting his anger at your status towards the boy, and will be content with that. But Draco, as much as I don't want this life for you, I need you to be safe. And if the only way for that to happen is to go through with this, then I beg of you to do so. But if you can find another way, do try so.

With the deepest of love,

Mother

She looked up with him after rereading the final line. "Is she telling you to do what I think she is?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.

Draco shook his head. "I don't think that it's even crossed her mind that I should seek help from the order. I think she means for me to disappear entirely," he said, as he took the letter back from her.

"And she is fine with that?" Hermione asked. She failed to understand how Narcissa would want her only child to be on the run for the rest of his life.

"Well to her, it's better than having to kill someone. I don't think it's a good idea for me to go on the run either, but at least it means that she isn't willing for me to go through with this," Draco said softly.

Hermione gave him a gentle smile and squeezed his arm softly. "Hey, look at me," she said. Once he looked up at her, she continued, "I know you're worried about your mom Draco, but she will be fine. If anything, this letter proves that she is willing to do anything to keep you safe. And Draco, we will keep her safe," Hermione finished.

He gave her a smile; one of the first ones she had ever received from him. It made her heart race in a way that it never had before, and it confused her. It was probably just her being happy that he was starting to trust her. She shook it off, knowing that it was nothing and meant absolutely nothing.

"Thanks Granger. You're really good at this you know; at making people feel better," he said softly.

Hermione looked down, blushing at the compliment.

He took her face and tilted it upwards. "I mean it Hermione," he said, saying her name for the first time. "And I need to apologise to you. Not just for today, but for every time I've called you a mudblood. You can't choose who your parents are, so it is unfair of us to belittle you because of it. And to tell you the truth I don't really believe in it anymore, in any of it. I don't believe in the prejudices of our world, nor do I believe that we are really better than them. After all, from all we've learned in Muggle Studies, they are really innovative; to come up with their science to explain the world," he said.

She looked up in surprise. "You took Muggle Studies?" She asked in surprise. She had never thought that Draco, muggle despising, Malfoy, would have taken a class such at that.

"'Understand thy enemy,'" Draco said, quoting some source which Hermione couldn't place.

She nodded. Of course he had taken it for that reason. Most people ended up dropping the classes they didn't think they needed after their OWLs, so he had probably dropped the course. Hermione had to drop it as well; the stress of the time turners just weren't worth it.

"Thank you," she said quietly, accepting his apology. It was the first she had heard of his views changing. She knew he wanted out; but that simply could have been due to the fact that his life was on the line. But to know that his views had changed, changed something.

"So how angry was Weasley to know that we would be working together?" Draco asked, his smirk returning to his face.

"Furious. I though he was going to blow a fuse," she said, laughing.

"A fuse?" he asked, raising an eyebrow curiously. "What does elektrisity have to do with anything?"

"Electricity," she corrected. "And it's just a muggle saying, meaning that he looked like he would blow up."

He smirked, "And did you enjoy that?" he asked her teasingly.

"Why would I?" she asked, confused.

"Because he was acting protective of you, and was a bit jealous," he said, matter-of-factly.

She shrugged, "I hadn't noticed," she said, truthfully.

He gave her a look, "Just a while back, you were crying over him. And now you don't care that he's acting jealous?" he asked disbelievingly.

"It's not that I didn't notice. It's that I was busy feeling annoyed over the fact that he didn't thing I could handle myself against you if I needed to," she said.

"Ah yes, well we've already established that you just punch people who annoy you, haven't we," he teased.

She smacked his arm, "That was because you were being a prat," she protested, defending her actions of her third year.

"Still; my face has never been as gorgeous since," he said, feigning a sigh.

"Like that has ever stopped you from hitting on girls."

He moved closer to her, and she felt a chill run down her spine. "Oh really. So do you think my face is as gorgeous as it was back then?"

She pretended to think about it, while attempting to forget about the gap between them which was lessening by the moment. "Nope; it's gotten worse," she said dramatically.

Draco looked as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't. Instead, he took a step back and looked at the hourglass on the Professor's desk.

"Slughorn is going to be back at any moment. We should get the potion done before he returns," he said finally, as he began to get out the ingredients for the potion once more.

Hermione couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. She wasn't quite sure why it was that she felt that way, but she did. Taking a deep breath, she followed him back to the place where their cauldron sat. She began to add the correct ingredients, as he got them for her.

As their potion was complete, Draco drew a flask of it and labeled it with their names. He placed it on the shelf then faced her.

"Until next time," he said. And with that he turned around and swiftly left the room.

Feeling confused, Hermione cleaned up the remaining supplies, before heading back to the common room.

Ron and Harry stood up eagerly as they saw her enter the room. They followed her as she made her way to the boys' room. They closed the door and spelled the room, before turning to her.

"What happened Hermione? What did he want to talk about with you?" Harry asked as he sat on the bed beside her.

"He received a letter from his mother. She wants him to go on the run. Apparently Voldemort is staying at their house because of his Aunt. His mom wants him to do anything he can to try and get away from his task," she said quietly.

"And what's his task?" Ron prompted. Hermione hadn't told either one of them yet. She still wasn't sure how to react to it herself.

"He's supposed to kill Dumbledore," Hermione said softly.

The boys looked outraged by this.

"How can they expect him to succeed?" Harry asked.

"He doesn't," she said softly.

"Does Dumbledore know about this?" Ron asked after a moment's silence.

"I suppose he does."

"So what do we do now, that we know what he's supposed to do?" Harry asked.

"We wait; it's Voldemort's move now."