So I do this thing where I tell people thanks. But I say thanks as I post a chapter, so newer names are in the newer chapters. I'm just going back and cleaning some things...On to thanks!
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If Hermione was going from the events of this morning, the rest of the day was going to suck. First she slept in too late, then she had to run and get breakfast, then she had to run so she wasn't late to potions, attacked, and then she and Malfoy got in a row.
The last part wasn't all that surprising, old habits die hard, but it was still annoying! She was absolutely mortified at the scene moments ago. Malfoy made all those horrible accusations, and in front of the new girl! For all Hermione knew, the American Slytherin thought she was some loose...floozy!
Hermione let her head plunk onto the Potions desk in front of her. She had rushed into the room in a huff and slammed her bag onto the floor before plopping into her chair. She was aware of Harry's and Ron's questioning gazes on her, but they were smart enough not to comment on the matter.
A noise at the back of the room told her someone else was coming into the room. She didn't have to lift her head to know it was Valerie and the slimy git. There was a scrape of chairs on the floor and some rustling of clothing. She thought she heard Valerie laugh.
At least I got Malfoy back.
Hermione would cherish the look on his face when she got the last word in for the rest of her life. Whenever Malfoy and Hermione got into a fight, neither usually came out on top. Sure there were the few times one got the other, but for the most part they would fight until their faces were blue and one stormed off.
This is a great way to start fresh. Not even 48 hours in, and we're already biting each other's heads off.
Finally calm, Hermione raised her head and started getting out her quill and parchments. As she was digging around in her bag she glanced up just a fraction and saw Valerie and Malfoy sitting next to each other. Valerie was talking in a quiet tone with a smirk on her face.
Finding what she was looking for, Hermione sat up in her chair and straightened out her desk. Curiosity got the best of her and she glanced back over at Malfoy and Valerie. Valerie was still talking to Malfoy, while Malfoy just looked at her like she had lost her marbles. Valerie stopped talking for a moment and stared at Malfoy with an annoyed look. She said something else and Malfoy recoiled with a look of horror on his face. His eyes shot over to Hermione and glanced at her. Hermione jumped in surprise again.
Dammit I need to stop doing that!
Malfoy looked back at Valerie. Draco's stare in a different direction caught Valerie's attention. She followed Malfoy's line of vision. A smile broke out on her face and she said something else which caused Malfoy to glare with a fiery intensity at her. Valerie laughed. Draco turned away from her and gave the front of the room rapt attention.
Slughorn came waddling in at that precise moment, and Hermione turned her attention off of the Slytherins. Zabini and Parkinson came through the door and tip toed to some chairs in the back.
Slughorn had gotten to the front of the room and looked around his desk for a moment before he grabbed a paper and called for the students to be quiet.
"Yes, well welcome back students! I'm glad to see you for your sev- uh, eighth year." He smiled. "Yes, well I'm afraid we must delve straight into this, uh, new year. So, shall we get started then? Uh, for these first two months we will be making an assortment of healing potions. Now these potions are quite difficult to make, which means that you will all be partnered."
Whispers of excitement broke out in the room. "Now listen close because I will be calling out yours and your partner's name." Those excited whispers turned into groans. "Now quiet down, quiet down. I've partnered each of you randomly, so there is no need to fret." Hermione hoped so. The worst-case scenario is that she would be partnered with Neville.
Not that she hated Neville, but he was a fright in the Potions classroom.
Maybe he won't be so bad not that Snapes's not here.
Grief hit her, and she immediately regretted thinking that thought. Snape may have been horrible to them all when they were in school, but if it wasn't for him Harry would probably be dead. In fact, there would probably be more deaths in the Light side's ranks.
Harry had shown her a memory of Snape talking to Dumbledore one time about her. About her unbelievable knack for retaining information and her enthusiasm to learn. His only problem with her had been her friendship with Harry. Harry had laughed with humor when he told her about it. She especially had a soft spot for the old Potions professor after learning that everything he had done, he had done for Lily Potter. It was almost impossible to think that a Death Eater could have loved a Muggle-born.
Her thoughts were disrupted when she felt Ron shake her shoulder.
"You think there's any chance you'd get partnered with either me or Harry?" he whispered.
I hope not.
She loved those two, she really did, but she knew that if she was partnered with them, she'd get stuck with the work. Not that she minded working, thank you very much, but it was the principle of the matter. They should at least make an effort to try their hardest. She knew that even if she wasn't parted with them that she would end up helping them out anyway.
"I don't know Ronald. We'll see." She turned her attention back to Slughorn.
"After you have all gotten with your partner, one of you shall come forward and pull a slip of paper from this jar."
He held up a small jar with several slips of paper inside. "Each piece of paper will have a certain healing potion name written on it. It is your job, along with your partner, to study and make this healing potion. Now, do be advised that there will be some pairs who have the same potion. This does not mean that you can all group together and use the same batch. Any students caught doing so will be punished with detention in addition to failing this assignment. Any questions?"
Ron raised his hand.
"Yes Mister Weasley?"
"Sir, if we do end up drawing the same potion as another group, are we allowed to study together? I mean, pool or trade notes and such?"
Slughorn thought about that for a moment. "I see no problem with that as long as everybody does their share amount of work. You can discuss your notes together, but there is also a report that will go along with the potion, and those need to be done with your original partner only."
"Oh." Ron sounded disappointed. Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled. When Slughorn wasn't asked any more questions, he smiled again and continued.
"So, when I call out your partners, I want you to move and sit next to each other. Neville Longbottom will be paired with Seamus Finnigan."
Everyone in the class cringed. With Neville being accident-prone and Seamus always blowing stuff up by accident...well it just couldn't end well.
"Dean Thomas and Parvati Patil." Hermione could just imagine Parvati's happiness.
"Blaise Zabini and Valerie Jacobson." Hermione peeked over at Valerie to see her shrug her shoulders.
"Theodore Nott and Gregory Goyle. Millicent Bulstrode and Daphne Greengrass. Harry Potter and Felix Markins. Ron Weasley and Pansy Parkinson."
"WHAT?!" Ron and Pansy had exclaimed at the same time. They looked at each other, then back at Slughorn, then back to each other again. Thus the arguments began.
"I can't be partnered with her she's a Slytherin!"
"He's a Weasley!"
They almost couldn't be heard over the rest of the class laughing, although some of their shouting got through.
"-slimy snake-"
"-with that ghastly red hair-"
"-bloody outrageous-"
Hermione was herself couldn't stop laughing. Like she said, she loved Ron, but there were some things that were just too funny that you couldn't help but laugh. She was trying to stifle her laugher for the sake of Ron, but she couldn't help it. She smothered her hand over her mouth to try and help, but that didn't work either. It took a few minutes, but Slughorn managed to calm the class down enough to be heard.
"Now that is enough! You would think that after the previous year, these house rivalries would be abolished! I am ashamed at the both of you for your behavior. Now Mr. Weasley and Miss Parkinson will both be staying after class-" Slughorn was interrupted by Pansy's whine.
"But Sir! We're the only two not paired with someone from our own house."
It was then that Hermione's laughter stopped and her smile slipped. She had forgotten that her name had not been called. And neither had...No.
"As it is Miss Parkinson that is not the case. If both you and Mr. Weasley had not started arguing like a pair of First years, you would have heard me with the last pair in the class: Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy."
Hermione had remembered that right after the Final Battle there was stillness. A silence that had settled. It was a peaceful seeming moment after just utter chaos. She had remembered looking at all her friends and smiling. When Harry had defeated the Dark Lord, and people had finished cheering, they had stood staring at one another as if saying, "Now what?"
The war was all they had known for that year. Even before that actually. The war had consumed their life and they were left with the devastating rubble. But people did not know what to do or how to react. There was no greater understatement than for people being glad that Voldemort had been defeated, and that it was all over.
Well, it may have been all over, but people were lost. They simply could not process that there wasn't a threat anymore or that they didn't have to fight for their lives.
There was a silence in this particular moment.
But it wasn't like the silence after everyone had seen Voldemort fall and his wand go flying. No, this silence was the one like before the Finale Battle. The moment where everyone was bracing themselves, preparing for battle. That was a lit silence. The moment where everyone was waiting for the bomb to go off.
Hermione stayed silent. Granted the world did not slow like before the Finale Battle, but it was an agonizing wait. All of the class looked at each other silently asking "Did I hear that right?" People were waiting for a fight a hundred times worse than Pansy and Ron's.
Hermione dare not turn her head to look at Malfoy, or anyone for that matter. She did not want to see the disgusted face of Malfoy sneering at her with those cold silver eyes. She kept her gaze forward and unfocused.
"You're kidding right Sir?"
Surprisingly this comment was not from Malfoy, but Harry.
"Not in the least dear boy. Yes, Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy will be partnered for this assignment. Now, find your partner and send someone forward to draw for your potion name."
Nobody moved.
"Come along class, get together."
People started to move, albeit with a sluggish motion like they were in water. Hermione didn't move. She was aware of Ron and Harry's pitying gaze as she sat there. Hermione finally gathered her courage and looked over at Malfoy. He was still sitting in his seat as well and looking at her with a face completely made of stone. Neither of them moved.
It was a game. Everyone was waiting to see who would move first. They were waiting to see who surrendered and admitted defeat. Hermione still sat. She had played this waiting game before and it was as annoying as a blast-ended skrewt. There was no way in hell, be it Muggle or Wizard, that Hermione was getting up and going over to him. Hermione raised her eyebrows at the blonde, challenging him. He narrowed his eyes at her. It seemed like eternity had passed before Slughorn spoke up.
"Mr. Malfoy, if you will please gather your things and join Miss Granger."
Hermione sat with her head facing the front now. She inhaled a deep breath and let it out very slow. No one had won the game. There was going to end up being a rematch. Malfoy gathered his bag from the floor and made his way to her table. Pulling the chair out, he flopped into it like she had done upon entering the class earlier.
Slughorn, being happy with lack of fighting, but oblivious to the lingering tension, smiled again.
"Now if one person from each pair will come up and draw for their potion." Hermione couldn't get out of her seat fast enough. She did not miss Malfoy's dry chuckle. She was behind Valerie in the line for the jar, and both were considerably far back in the line.
This was Hermione's chance to clear Valerie about the situation before class.
"Um, excuse me," Hermione started in a quiet tone. Valerie turned around and faced Hermione. "About earlier, with the ferret-" Valerie held up her hand and smiled.
"Don't worry. I think no less of you. Everyone has their guilty pleasures."
Hermione blanched and started sputtering. It took her a moment longer than she would like to admit for her to notice the mischievous grin on Valerie's face.
"I'm joking. I know that didn't happen. I've only known Malfoy for less than a day, and I know not to trust everything he says. He's far too like me."
Hermione didn't know whether to laugh or frown at the honesty.
"Well, I was hoping you wouldn't get the wrong impression of me."
"Oh, don't worry. I've already judged you from the tabloids." This time Hermione knew she was joking.
"Too much like yourself as well?" She asked.
Valerie snorted. "No, just too fucking annoying."
Hermione laughed. It was Valerie's turn to draw from the jar. She reached her hand in and pulled out a slip of paper.
"Burnt Flesh Regeneration Potion. They always have such lovely names for these."
Hermione stepped forward and stuck her hand in and got a piece of paper. She pulled it out and read what she and Malfoy, she shuddered, would have to make.
"Rapid Revival Potion." Valerie's eyes brightened and looked at Hermione's scrap of paper.
"Ah, you got the fun one."
Hermione looked at Valerie in surprise. "You've made it before?" Valerie and Hermione started walking back to their desks. Hermione made sure to walk slowly.
"No, not by myself anyway. My old Potions class at Salem had an entire week where our teacher demonstrated several potions and their effects. The Rapid Revival Potion was just the most fun to watch. There are several different effects after you add each ingredient."
Valerie looked behind Hermione and smiled. "I think someone is waiting for you."
Hermione turned around and saw Malfoy glare at her with his arms crossed. She rolled her eyes.
"Oh he won't mind waiting."
Valerie laughed.
"I think we will get along ravishingly. Well Miss Granger it was nice to meet you in the flesh. I didn't get the chance to act like a star struck idiot earlier, so we must see each other again."
Valerie stuck her hand out and Hermione shook it. Hermione smiled.
"Um, thank you. Oh, and thank you for, um, earlier. In the hallway." Valerie smiled.
"No problem." She turned walked back to her desk with Blaise Zabini. Zabini, she noticed, was watching her and Valerie while they had their conversation. Hermione went back to her table with the evil blonde git.
Valerie seemed nice. She was pleased to know that Valerie wasn't as scary as her appearance. Hermione should have learned by now not to judge based on appearance. Valerie seemed quick-witted and had her own opinions, rather than jumping on the bandwagon.
There was also the humor that Valerie had that made Hermione think they would be good friends. It was a sort of dry humor that Hermione always thought had the most effect. She hoped they became friends. Harry and Ron were amazing, but Hermione had only Ginny as a real best friend who was a girl.
Ginny had been her best girl friend since fourth year, but Ginny was dating Harry and they told each other everything. Hermione ran to Ginny whenever she had a girl problem that she felt she couldn't tell Harry or Ron, but Ginny was also madly in love with Harry and Hermione didn't want to intrude with their relationship.
After all that had happened, Harry deserved some peace and love. Parvati was brilliant and one of the nicest people ever, sure, but Parvati was also best friends with Lavender. Valerie seemed really lovely as well, and Hermione felt some sort of connection with the girl. Granted she didn't know why, but Hermione felt like she could relate to her.
Hermione was going to try and make this the best year at Hogwarts.
She got back to her desk. Trying being the operative word.
"Took you long enough Granger."
"I was having polite conversation with someone. You should try it sometime."
"I'll have you know that I have polite conversations all the time."
Hermione snorted in derision. Malfoy glared at her and tapped his fingers on his arm.
"So you have polite conversations just not with me?"
"Pretty much."
Hermione huffed. Draco gave her a smirk. She hated that smirk. He always did that when he thought he had won an argument. The only time she had gotten rid of that damned smirk was in third year when she punched him.
She smiled at the fondness of the memory. Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her.
"I don't like you smiling. Why are you smiling?"
"Does my smile intimidate you, Malfoy?"
"Not even close."
"And I was just recalling a certain moment in third year is all."
Malfoy wasn't an idiot. He knew what she was referring to. He leaned in close to Granger and was pleased when her breath hitched.
"Make no mistake Granger. You struck me once. I assure you, it won't happen again."
Hermione was sick of this game. It was a vicious cycle with Malfoy and her. They fought, they went away to lick their wounds, irritated each other, and then fought again. She was trying, no; she was going to have a spectacular new year damn it! And she wasn't about to let the ferret ruin that for her. The only way to end this was to start being, dare she even think it, 'nice to Malfoy. I'm just going to have to have patience.'
She shuddered again.
"Well Malfoy, we were young children then, so I highly doubt it will come to a time like
that again." Malfoy gave her a strange look at her change in attitude.
"Shall we start on our potion then?"
"We don't even know the ingredients to the potion." Patience.
"I meant discussing what we know about it," she strained out.
"Ok," Malfoy said slowly.
They were saved from talking to each other further when the bell signified the end of class. Sighing in relief Hermione gathered up her stuff in a rush and got up to leave. She was walking past Slughorn when he called, "Oh, Miss Granger! If you would stay after class please. And you too Mr. Malfoy," he said pointing at Malfoy.
"Bloody hell," said Ron.
Harry gave her and Ron a reassuring smile before he left. Hermione, Malfoy, Ron, and Pansy all walked toward Slughorn's desk to stand in front.
"I'm sure you are wondering why I have partnered you four as I have."
"Bit of an understatement Sir." Ron stated. Hermione elbowed him in his side.
Slughorn cleared his throat. "I was hoping that by partnering you the way I did, would help to stamp out any lingering house rivalries. I was serious before about hoping that there were no more of the rivalries since the War had ended, but it appeared I was wrong."
"But Sir, why not have Harry paired with a Slytherin then? He is the Chosen One after all. People would stop if it seemed like he was friends with the sna- Slytherins."
Hermione heard Pansy and Malfoy snort in disgust. Ron was right, however. Sad to say that if Harry did start being friends with Slytherins, Hogwarts would follow suit. Instead of making their own decisions, they would follow Harry's choices like a flock of sheep.
Hermione wasn't fooled. She didn't mind the Slytherin House, just the people in it. It was that way since Malfoy and his gang had made fun of her and called her Mudblood.
"While I am aware of that Mr. Weasley, Harry does not have quite the animosity for Slytherin house that you do." When Ron made a sound of protest, Professor Slughorn held up his hand. "Mr. Weasley my decision is final. Besides that, it was Headmistress McGonagall's idea for the pairing."
That explained it. While Professor Slughorn was brilliant in his own mind he was still too much like a spaced out child to Hermione.
"That still doesn't explain why you paired Malfoy and me together Sir."
"You're joking right?" Ron and Pansy had said at the same time again. They both sneered at each other and put a little more space between the two of them. Hermione had also noticed that Malfoy had rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Miss Granger, you are one of the brightest and more mature students I have ever had. But your conflict with Mr. Malfoy is also one like I have never seen. I am hoping that between you two, you can at least learn to be civil."
No one said anything else, accepting their fate.
Slughorn dismissed them. "Now off you go."
None of the students talked to each other, not even Ron and Hermione. They were all contemplating what Slughorn had just told them. They were done with fighting; in fact they were sick of it. But trying to erase seven years' worth of animosity was like telling a cheetah to change his spots. Impossible. There had also always been house rivalry. Hell, even Hufflepuff had participated in this century old tradition. It was just fun team spirit. Although when it came to Slytherin and the rest of Hogwarts, the lines for that rivalry were amped up to the highest point.
Hermione had already told herself she would try to be civil with Malfoy, but it wouldn't work if Malfoy didn't try.
At the stairwells, the four students parted ways. Where the other three were headed Hermione did not know, but she was headed to Arithmancy.
When she got to the class though, Hermione found her thoughts could not focus on the subject at hand. She was still stuck on the whole Potions debacle.
Even if we're civil, there will always be something unsettled between us.
Hermione had remembered once when she was studying in the library in fifth year, Malfoy had to sit next to her since there were no other chairs open. They had tried their best to ignore each other, but...well Hermione didn't want to get into it. It just ended horribly.
As it turned out, Arithmancy was not the only class that she could not focus in. Hermione couldn't decipher one thing in Ancient Runes.
Before long though, it was time for lunch. Hermione dropped into the seat besides Harry and across from Ron in the Dining Hall. Pushing her plate of food away, she let her head fall forward onto the table where she proceeded to bang her head repeatedly.
"Uhh, Hermione?" asked Ginny.
"I wouldn't Ginny." stated Ron.
"What happened?"
Ginny heard Hermione mumble something in a detached tone.
"What?"
"I've been partnered with Malfoy in potions."
There was silence around the table of Gryffindors. They were all sad for their poor comrade. None of them liked Malfoy, and they wouldn't wish him on their worst enemy. The fact that their fellow Gryffindor - and Hermione Granger at that - was partnered with him was a very sad circumstance indeed.
"You're barking!" Ginny exclaimed.
"She's not." Harry said.
"For how long?"
Hermione looked at Harry, Ron, and the rest of the Gryffindors. "You guys didn't tell her?"
"Well frankly we were waiting for you to break the news."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "I don't see why it's such a big deal."
A collected gasp went up at the table.
"What? Aren't you all just tired of the bickering? Frankly I have better things to do then to re-hash some buried problem between myself and the Slytherins. And wasn't it you Harry who said it was time to stop the fighting?" Harry blushed under Ginny's stern gaze.
"Well...I...yeah." Ginny gave Harry a look.
"There's no 'well, I, yeah' about it. It's time we built bridges to mend the gaps between us. I think Hermione being partnered with Malfoy is a great way to start."
"Hermione and Ron," added Felix as he sat down next to the freckled ginger boy.
"What does Ron have to do with it?" Ginny asked.
Harry started laughing again. "Ron got paired with Pansy Parkinson."
Ginny stared at her boyfriend for a long minute before she burst out laughing. The entire table followed suit.
"I don't get why my situation is so funny and Hermione's is so morbid," whined Ron.
Felix was in the middle of shoveling food into his mouth with a fork when it stopped midway.
"Are you serious?" He looked around at the others. "He doesn't know?"
Ginny chuckled. "He's rather oblivious."
"What? What's so funny?" Ron demanded.
The side of Felix's mouth quirked up.
"Because Malfoy doesn't have a crush on Hermione, and Pansy has one on you." Felix said.
Ron's face reddened at the American boy's comments and he opened and closed his mouth so much, he was starting to look like a fish.
"But...I don't...there's no...No you can't be right. Pansy Parkinson does not have a crush on me. Where would you get a rubbish idea like that?"
"Well, she looks at you a lot," Harry said.
"Then she's always running into you," Ginny added.
Ron shook his head back and forth rapidly. "You're wrong mate," he told Felix.
Felix merely looked at Ron. "You're telling a Veela that he's wrong about love and attraction. For crying out loud, when she looked at you in Potions class I could smell her happiness at the thought of you and her being partnered."
Ron looked rather disgusted. "You can smell happiness? How the bloody hell do you smell happiness? What the bloody hell would happiness even smell like?"
"Like sunshine." This came from a new voice. Hermione lifted her head to see Valerie walk up to Felix and whisper something in his ear. He turned to her in surprise and raised his eyebrows. "When?" Valerie looked at him with a disbelieving look. Felix shot her an exasperated look in return. "I meant the time."
"You need to be there before 11:34 at the latest. After that..." Valerie looked around at the people of the Gryffindor table. She turned her gaze back to Felix.
"Just be there before 11:34." She turned and started making her way around the end of the Gryffindor table toward the Slytherin table. She stopped mid step before she turned to face Felix again and started walking backward. "Oh, and by the way? You have to escort the newbie there as well."
Felix got a dejected look on his face. "What?! Why?"
Valerie grinned in an evil fashion. "Because I said so." She about-faced and strode to a seat by Blaise Zabini at the Slytherin table.
There was a confused silence before Dean laughed and said, "Wow mate. For a powerful magical creature, you're whipped." Harry and Ron laughed. Ginny hit Harry in the arm.
Felix shook his head. "I wouldn't call it being whipped."
"What would you call it then?" asked Seamus.
"Self-preservation." Felix said with a smirk.
The rest of the Gryffindors laughed.
Ron still had a look of confusion on his face. "Happiness smells like sunshine? And how would she know what it smells like?" Ron gestured to Valerie.
"Yes, happiness smells like sunshine. As a Veela, even a half Veela, I'm attuned to the emotions of people. Those emotions can have a specific scent, especially if it is a strong emotion. Kind of like hearing colors or seeing sounds." Everybody considered that for a moment before nodding their head in understanding.
Hermione was the only one who seemed to notice that Felix didn't answer Ron's second question.
For the rest of the day Hermione's thoughts were consumed on the situation with Malfoy. Hermione went through Muggle Studies trying to figure out the problem. That's when it hit her. The thing that Hermione was best at was solving problems. Homework problems, Ron problems, and not to mention the how to destroy a Horcrux problem. So why not treat this competition or whatever it was between her and Malfoy as another problem? Hermione smiled to herself.
Maybe this won't be so hard after all.