Disclaimer: After two days since my last entry, I still, unfortunately, do not own the rights to Harry Potter or anything else by JK Rowling.
New Projects
It had been two days since Malfoy had joined the Gryffindors and already he was wondering why he didn't choose expulsion. The Gryffindors didn't really bother him much; in fact, they ignored him as much as they could. The problem was their remarks that they made to each other behind his back. Or, what they thought was behind his back. He would hear their comments about him and what they think about him, but he knew he couldn't do anything to stop him. He was too out-numbered.
Malfoy tried to spend most of his time hiding in his dorm, closing the drapes around his four poster. The other boys tried to ignore his being there, but they knew they could no longer make rude remarks about Slytherins in their room with him in there.
When classes began again on Monday, Malfoy had been given a new schedule so that he can have all his classes with Gryffindors. That meant having only two classes with Slytherins: Potions and Care of Magical Creatures. They had double potions on Tuesday mornings and regular on Friday afternoons. Care of Magical Creatures was on Wednesday mornings and Thursday afternoon.
When Malfoy first walked into the Great Hall on Monday morning, he instinctively went towards the Slytherin table before realizing he could no longer sit with his friends. Walking towards the Gryffindor table, he sat at the end of the table, shooting death glares to anyone who did so much as look at him or dare speak to him simply asking him to pass the toast.
When the bell rang, Malfoy went towards Transfiguration before remembering that he no longer had that class at this time, but instead had Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. When he arrived at the classroom, just before the bell rang, he didn't know where to sit. Usually he sat between Crabbe and Goyle, but now he was in a room surrounded by all faces he couldn't stand. The only available seat was next to Hermione, so, with a sigh, he took it, refusing to look at her.
Hermione, of course, was not happy about the arrangement either. He was, after all, the person who set fire to her robes and could have done some serious harm to her or any of her friends at the table. She tried her best to avoid noticing he was there, but it proved to be impossible when he smacked his gum loudly.
Professor Baxter (the new DADA teacher) quitted the class down before beginning his lesson.
"Today, class, we're going to be starting a new assignment. While it's not really related with Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Dumbledore has asked all the 6th year classes to participate starting with their first class on Monday.
"This class will be dividing into pairs and with your partner; you will be beginning a new…project, if you will. In this project, you will be teamed up with your partner and practicing life when you leave Hogwarts. Most of you, who don't choose to move back home, will be living with a friend, thus the partner. You will be moving into separate rooms, outside of your house ("Yes!" Malfoy thought to himself. "That was easy"). And you will be there for a month minimum. Depending on how Professor Dumbledore thinks the project is going, he may make it longer. In this project, you will be faced with many challenges such as dealing with these Dark times, getting a job, supporting each other, and getting along. Some of you will not enjoy your partner, but with time, you will learn to get along and work very well together."
"I'm sorry, sir," Ron started, "you said we may not like our partner? Do you mean we don't get to pick?"
"Well, you do, in a manner of speaking. Whomever you chose to sit next to today will be your partner, so, you will be with Mr. Potter".
At this moment, Hermione and Malfoy looked at each other, hate filled in Malfoy's eyes and desperation filled in Hermione's. "Sir," Hermione said, raising her hand, "Sir, is there anyway these partners could be…switched?" she asked, looking hopeful.
"I'm afraid not, Miss Granger. Dumbledore said it must be the person you're sitting next to. When you sat down in your seat, a magical bond grew between you and your partner making it impossible to be partners with anyone else."
Hermione, upon hearing this, put her face in her hands, refusing to look at anyone. Malfoy simply started hitting his head on the desk as hard as he could thinking that if he were to make himself unconscious he might get out of the project.
"I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger; there is nothing I can do. If you have a problem with your partner, try speaking to Professor Dumbledore about it. I don't know if there's anything he can do, but it couldn't hurt to try. I think that you and Mr. Malfoy could learn to get along quite well, though!"
Ron and Harry both gave Hermione pitying looks before they turned and looked at each other with a grin knowing how easy it would be for them to get along and get an O on their project.
"Look Granger," Malfoy said, finally raising his head and looking at the poor girl. "We'll go talk to Dumbledore as soon as class is over. He knows we'd kill each other if we were stuck in a house together. He'll let us get out of it and put us with people we actually belong with."
"Fine." Hermione said, not wanting to think about it anymore.
For the rest of the period Professor Baxter reviewed with them, wanting to know all of what they've learned over the past five years so that he can teach them something new. When the bell finally rung, Malfoy and Hermione stayed behind and then headed towards Dumbledore's office together, neither looking at one another.
"Erm, you don't know the password, do you?" Malfoy asked with a tentative glance at the girl.
"No…I don't. I suppose we could just guess." She responded, looking at the dead-still gargoyles. "Licorice wand?" No movement. "Bertie Botts Every-Flavored Beans? Oh wait, Harry told me Dumbledore didn't like those. Oh look! Professor McGonagall's coming this way! Professor!" She said to the oncoming teacher.
"Yes, Miss Granger? Something I can help you with?"
"Yes Professor. You see, Malfoy and I were stuck together in partners for the new project for the 6th years and, well, we were trying to talk to Professor Dumbledore to see if we could…change it."
"I'm afraid there's absolutely no changing once the partner's have been assigned, Miss Granger. You and Mr. Malfoy will learn to get along in time, I'm sure. I have faith in you." And with that, the Professor walked down the hall and disappeared from view.
Malfoy's mouth hung open. "You've got to be kidding me! I cannot be stuck with a Mudblood for a partner! How am I supposed to do well?" he sulked.
"You'll start by learning not to call me that awful name" Hermione threatened, clinging onto her wand by her side so hard that her hands began to sweat.
"Look, Granger, I'll call you whatever I want and there's nothing you can do about it."
At that moment, Dumbledore came down from his office almost walking right into the students by his doorway. "Call Miss Granger what, Mr. Malfoy?"
"Oh," Malfoy began, turning red, something that Hermione had never seen before. "Nothing, sir. We were actually just coming to talk to you. We want out of our arrangement for our projects. We got partnered together and we know that we can't complete the project if we don't get separated."
"I'm afraid that's quite impossible, Mr. Malfoy. You and Miss Granger are magically bonded together and trying to break that bond could have severe consequences. I'm sure you and Miss Granger will learn to get along just fine and by the end of this little…adventure, you may even get along." Dumbledore said with a slight smile.
"Not likely" Malfoy said under his breath.
"Well, good day to both of you and I will see you at lunch." He said as he walked down the corridor as he, too, disappeared from view.
"First I get stuck in Gryffindor and I'm now I'm stuck with you for a partner! What could possibly make this day worse?"
At that moment, Peeves came floating down the corridor and spotting the twin innocent students, began pelting them both with bubble gum, getting it stuck in their hair, followed by breaking a large water balloon on top of Malfoy's head.
As they both headed towards their next class, Herbology, Malfoy was fuming. Hermione had used a simple spell to get the gum out of her hair, when she offered to help Malfoy out, he refused saying that he was more than capable of doing it himself. In the end, Malfoy's hair was gumless, but had turned a bright shade of bubblegum pink. Malfoy's mood had not improved as they arrived down at the greenhouses. Class had already started, so he was stuck with Hermione for a partner again and her bossiness gets very old after a while.
When it was time for lunch, Malfoy sat at the end of the table again, not speaking to anyone and left as soon as he was done to sit in the library. He had free period after this and he wasn't sure what he was going to do now that he couldn't spend it in the Slytherin common room. About five minutes after he arrived in the library, Hermione came in looking for books on plants for her Herbology homework. She saw Malfoy and after some careful thought, she got the book she needed and went to sit down across from him.
"Look" she said quickly before he could tell her to leave, "I know you don't want to be partnered with me, and believe me, you're the last person I want to be partnered with, but let's just try to get along, alright? Professor Baxter said we'd have to stay in our arrangement longer if we don't get along and I think that's the last thing the two of us need."
Malfoy, having not looked up from the spot in the book he was focusing on, hoping that if he ignored her long enough that she would disappear, finally looked up and looked her right in the eye. "Alright, Granger, you want to pretend to be all buddy-buddy and get along, that's your thing, but as for me, I've got a Slytherin and Malfoy reputation to live up and there's no way I'm going to ruin that for some stupid project. Even if I'm not in Slytherin anymore…" he trailed off.
"Fine, but didn't you volunteer to go into Gryffindor so that you wouldn't get expelled? You wouldn't want to cause more trouble by refusing to do a project, would you? Besides, if you agree to do this and try to act civilized, you'd only have to deal with me and not all the other Gryffindors. So, what do you say?" She asked, reaching out her hand.
"Fine. We'll try it your bloody way, but if you start to annoy me, I won't hesitate to curse you. You actually want me to touch a Mudblood?" He said, looking down at her outstretched hand.
Taking away her hand, she added, "And that's another thing. No more name calling. I'll call you Draco and you call me Hermione. Got it?"
"Whatever." He said, sighing. "Now would you mind leaving? I would want people to actually think we talked."
"You don't have to worry about any of your Slytherins coming in here. I doubt any of them can read." She responded coldly as she got up and walked towards the door. "See you around Draco."
The next day when they were in Transfiguration, McGonagall began the lesson by explaining more about their project.
"In this project, you and your partner will share a small house. This will consist of a common room, two bedrooms, and a bathroom. You may have other people over to your house, but there will be no inappropriate activities allowed. The houses will each have a password that yourselves and the teachers will know. If at any time a teacher checks up on you and/or your partner and there is anything inappropriate in the room, that student will be expelled. Do I make myself clear?" The room nodded. "Good. Now, as for classes, they will carry on as normal, except once a week, you and your partner will have to go to 'work'. By 'work' I mean, they will have a job around the castle. Some of you might be teachers or tutors, others might be caretakers and help Filch out, and others will have various other jobs.
"But that's like going to detention every week!" Malfoy protested.
McGonagall carried on like she didn't hear him. "If you fail to show up to work, you will be docked points. If you are late, you will be docked points. If you leave before you have permission, you will be docked points. And, to answer your question, Mr. Malfoy, no, it will not be like detention because you will be paid."
"Paid!" The students chorused out, excitedly. "Yes!" Ron yelled. "Finally!"
"Your projects will begin tomorrow night. Good luck to you all. Your assignments will be given to you when you reach your house. I trust all of you will behave well…" She trailed off, looking at each of them in the eye, lingering on Ron and Harry.
"Well, this won't be so bad, will it?" Hermione said, looking at Draco full of hope.
"What do you mean this won't be so bad? We've got to work! I've never done that in my life!" He said with a groan.
"Well, there's a first time for everything!" She responded with a smile.
Author's Notes:
Okay, so what do you all think so far?
Let me know if there's anything I should change.
I love all of your suggestions.
We'll start to see some of the changes in everybody in the next chapter.
I love all your inputs and review and I will change my story accordingly.
Thanks all.