Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K. Rowling… the lucky little so-and-so ;)
...
-Back Rub?-
A whirlwind of chestnut curls plopped itself down next to one Harry Potter.
"Where've you been all weekend, Hermione?"
"You probably won't believe this, but I was with Malfoy."
Her cheeks reddened at the memory of finding Malfoy behind her in only his boxers--she knew she should have threatened him to put something decent on--teaching her the altering spells that were used to redesign the dormitories. Uncomfortable, to put it mildly.
Quickly realizing her mistake and coupled with the blushes shown on her cheeks, the girl explained more elaborately, "Fixing up the dormitories. We actually have a truce. Goodness Harry, think better of me next time, would you?" She intentionally left out the part about the kiss.
The green tinge around Harry's face lessened but was not completely gone.
"Right. I was just responding the same way that you'd respond if I said, 'I'm shagging Parkinson and no, she doesn't have me under the Imperius curse right now.'"
Hermione snickered slightly at his remark, but now she had the image in her head.
"Hermione? What's wrong, you're making a face."
"I'm fine, Harry, really. Just images. Really, really bad images," she made a face. Bad Hermione.
"Now what's this about a truce?"
"Malfoy and I... we have a truce. Since we're going to be working together this year, and what with the NEWT level classes, it wouldn't hurt to have some civility between partners."
Harry frowned, "I don't trust him, but you know what's best for yourself, Hermione. Just tell me if he's been acting up. Moody taught me the spell to transform people into ferrets."
She chuckled at the thought of Malfoy as a ferret. Oooh, that would be good.
Seizing the opportunity, Harry thought to use the light tone of their conversation as a segue for a more serious matter. Ron, naturally.
Not knowing what Harry had in mind, Hermione innocently asked, "So, where's Ron?"
Harry smiled devilishly, "With Lavender."
"Really? Did they get back together? Pass the toast."
Not liking her indifferent reaction, Harry pressed, "Yes, in fact. Ron approached her. And asked her on a date."
"That's very adult of him. Usually he'd wait for the girl to make the move. But I suppose everybody grows up sooner or later," she shot Harry a grin, "But some of us not soon enough. Pass the toast, please."
Truthfully, Hermione wasn't at all bothered by the fact that Ron had not chosen her to be his girlfriend. It was more about whom he actually chose to be his girlfriend. Any other girl and it would have been fine.
This girl in particular, Lavender, had rubbed her the wrong way since fourth year when Lavender had told everybody that Hermione had used a glamour charm at the Yule Ball and tricked Viktor Krum into taking her to the ball by using a love potion. As if she could make a love potion. Well she could, but she didn't have to. Unlike somebody else and his or her annoying friends.
The canaries Hermione had used to attack Lavender were some well overdue stress release. The side effect of not having to maintain their so-called friendship was just a plus for Hermione.
"Hermione," Harry chided, "Shouldn't you be the least bit sad? Or angry? Angry would be great, too."
Harry looked at her furtively hoping that she would explode at any second and proclaim her love for Ron.
But alas, "Why would I be sad or angry? I think it's great that Ron has a girlfriend, granted it's Lavender, but whatever makes him happy."
She gave up on asking Harry for the toast and instead reached for it herself.
"Hermione… you know that Ron has had that crush on you for years now. Don't you two think that you should just own up to your feelings and start dating already?"
"'Own up to my feelings'? Harry, you know that I now only think of Ron as a brother. A few years ago I would've been ecstatic, but now... not so much. Dating would be awkward. Besides that, he has chosen Lavender as you already said. I wouldn't want to be the cause for their breakup knowing that Ron and I would never work."
Hermione said the last part as icily as possible hoping that Harry would just drop the subject.
Thankfully, he did.
"So…," Harry quickly looked for a safe subject to converse on, "Double Potions first thing this fine Monday morning. Up for it?"
"As always. I'm just a bit nervous that it's a NEWT level class."
"Come on Hermione. You're bloody brilliant. You're going to pass with flying colors."
"Yes, yes, that's what you always say to me," she smiled, "However, that's not the only thing I'm worried about. I'm not sure I even need to take Potions at all. I don't want to end up taking a class that I don't need and have it turn out that I did need a class but didn't have time for it."
"Rough bit of patchwork there, but I'm sure you'll decide in time. Me and Ron have already decided that we're going to become Aurors, it's the only reason why we're even taking the blasted class."
"You guys have it so lucky. Already knowing what you want. I'm stuck between either something in Healing or Law Enforcement... or maybe Regulation? They all seem so interesting," she groaned.
Her words sounded frantic, another understatement. It seemed that she had been thinking about her future career for quite awhile, but the answer eluded her. She was unprepared for the world and the experiences she'd have to go through.
On the verge of hyperventilation, Harry calmed her by taking her into an embrace and whispering soothing words into her ears.
This seemed to placate her somewhat as her breathing became regular again. That is until a voice interrupted them.
"Harry! Is this why you wanted me to ask Lavender out? So that you could make a move on Hermione without me in the way?" Ron glared at his male best friend.
The two broke apart, startled.
"What? No, Ron. I was just trying to calm her down."
"Of course you were, seemed downright cozy to me."
"Ronald, don't make it seem like you're jealous. It'll make Lavender feel uncomfortable. Besides, there's nothing going on between me and Harry. Just like nothing will ever go on with me and you," she added as a hint.
Ron's face reddened drastically.
Lavender interceded feeling the tense mood between the three, "Ron-Ron, let's go. It's almost time for class."
For once, Hermione was thankful that Lavender had spoken up.
The four walked each other to class until Lavender had to leave for her own class after failing countless times to catch Ron's attention who was glaring at Harry. Harry, who was keeping his distance for Hermione, was just trying to avoid any outbursts.
This at least, seemed to ease Ron's earlier suspicions.
x
The class broke out in interested whispers. The Potions Master, Snape, had just assigned them to concoct the truth serum, Veritaserum.
Eagerly awaiting to be paired up, the class listened intently for their names as Snape stated aloud, "As some ingredients require a longer preparation process, I will provide those. The rest, you're on your own. Listen closely; Potter… Chang, Goldstein… Zabini, Mr. Malfoy… Weasley. As for you Miss Granger, you will be attempting to brew it alone. Surely the Head Girl is competent enough for this simple serum? I suggest you not make a mess of it or I might have to start docking House Points so early in the year."
The words seemed regretful, it was the way he said that that led to Hermione's anger that Snape would resort to deducting House Points to rile her up.
From beside her, Harry had an elated aura about him, three guesses why. Still holding on to his juvenile crush, he had to silently thank Snape for pairing him up with Cho.
Zabini could care less whom his partner was as long as they weren't: one, a muggleborn, and two, in his way. However, Malfoy was fuming. The nerve of their Potions Professor pairing him up with a Weasel.
It was the simple act of a power play. Each waited for the other to to come sit at their workstation.
Reluctantly, Ron walked over to Malfoy's desk and the two worked in silent anger.
Across the room, Hermione was already making headway into the production of her potion. It was simmering exactly how the book said it would.
x
It's too quiet, Hermione thought, something should have happened by now. She could practically feel the dread washing over her. Almost as if she had predicted it, an explosion on the other side of the room sounded.
She snorted, if she believed that Divinations wasn't a total crock, she would have clapped her hands merrily and proclaimed that she was a seer and rubbed it in Trelawney's face. Good thing she knew better.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor! Get yourself to the hospital wing, Weasley."
Ron did so as he told while clutching his face.
Malfoy, on the other hand, appeared unscathed. Interesting.
"Mr. Malfoy, gather your things. You will be working with Miss Granger for the remainder of the assignment."
Hermione momentarily lost her composure. She hadn't seen or talked to Malfoy since their 'truce' as she had avoided him that night and the morning after and then until now. The thought of it brought a slight blush to her face.
Malfoy appeared in front of her, "Granger."
With an air of indifference around her or at least she hoped it was indifference, Hermione replied, "Malfoy."
x
With an enormous amount of strain on his features, Snape eventually grounded out that Malfoy and Hermione's potion received full marks before sending them to their next class. To the rest, Snape gladly dismissed them with less than mediocre scores.
The class was safely at the exit before hearing their Professor drawl, "Each of you will be taking the Veritaserum," he snorted before continuing, "while your partners question you before taking it themselves. I expect the essay to be at least three feet long on the effects of the Veritaserum by this Friday. You are dismissed."
Cautiously wondering what questions they were going to use, the students ambled down the corridors unenthusiastically towards their next class.
Before parting ways in the corridors, Malfoy managed to catch Hermione's eye. From Hermione's vantage point, she clearly saw that his lips were twisted into a seductive smile, but his eyes were full of mischief.
It sent shivers down her spine. Bad shivers, she assured herself.
She gasped realizing his plans. She was sure he was going to ask her humiliating questions and then use them to spread rumors about her. Damn.
x
She was only halfheartedly listening to her other Professors' lectures for the rest of the day. There was dread within her of the coming meeting with Malfoy in the commons. Surely, he would want to start as soon as possible, the little prat.
Barely through the dormitory portal, Malfoy whisked Hermione swiftly towards the middle of the common room. Yes, he was eager to start.
"Listen, Malfoy, I'm pretty beat. Grueling day and all that. So let's do this later…" she trailed off. Malfoy had pressed his fingers to her lips, silencing her.
"Now, now, Hermione," he stressed her name, "Don't you think we're past all that last-name business, yes? Think of the truce."
Hermione pouted, but nodded.
Malfoy lowered his hand.
"But Mal—"
His fingers descended upon her mouth again. She was getting a little irked with his methods of quieting her.
"Tsk tsk tsk. First name, yes?"
He lowered his hand again.
"Draco—"
"That's my name."
She glared at him.
"As I was saying, I'm pretty tired, maybe we should start later?"
"Tired?" he asked, concerned, "Poor Hermione. Here, a back rub will sort you out, yes?"
"No!" her eyes were wide with panic and her arms were out in front of her to ward off his advances.
"Well, you seem active enough. Let's start."
Hermione groaned.
Yes, they were going to start. Damn.
...
Hermione's dreams will be used as a sort of window to her future. Just glimpses really and either soon or much later in the chapters. I haven't decided which yet.
Anxious to see what questions they're going to ask? You know what to do.
It's not a straight out glimpse to the future, so don't get your hopes up.
.:Review Please:.
Thanks.