A/N: Song Recommendation, 'Up in the Air' - Thirty Seconds to Mars

Hell is loving you in my sleep, and then waking up alone.

Monday. The morning had drug on. Draco had been anticipating Potions class ever since he had heard from Theo that he, Draco, was going to be partnered up with Hermione. Lovely.

Draco dragged his feet all the way down to Professor Slughorn's class after his lunch and he was the first one to arrive.

"Oh. Mr. Malfoy." Slughorn rubbed his belly, smiling. "Lunch time has already come and gone?"

"Er. No. I just finished my lunch early. I had come to ask you a question."

Slughorn looked upon Draco curiously, but nodded for him to go on.

"Can you possibly pair me with someone different for the class?"

Pursing his brows together, Slughorn shook his head, "No, no dear boy. The potions I am having you students mix together, are all combined with wits and measure."

"You're quoting Ravenclaw?"

"No. It has to deal with the mind. You and Miss Granger have very similar minds."

Draco grimaced, and he then turned to the tapping of footsteps behind him.

"Oh. I hadn't realized...Well..."

Hermione started.

"No, come." Slughorn gestured her over, "Mister Malfoy and I were just speaking about your assignment."

Hermione dropped her books onto the table she stood beside. "And?"

"And your minds work well together. I can see it through you work."

Hermione nodded, and Draco slid into one of the chairs at the table she had reserved for herself.

She turned toward him, "Just because we're partners, doesn't mean we have to sit together."

Draco rolled his eyes, keeping his smug look apparent. Hermione sat down beside him, harshly opening up one of her books. "Class hasn't even started yet. Are you that bored?" Draco accused.

"Not that I have to explain myself to you, Malfoy. I actually was trying to decide what potion we would be brewing together. I was thinking maybe a "respect potion" what do you think?" Hermione glared, not looking at him.

Scoffing, Draco leaned up toward the table, "Or maybe how to purify blood." At that, Hermione jerked her head toward him, "Your words are nothing but sour, Malfoy. So instead of wasting your breath, just keep your nastiness to yourself."

Hermione looked very adorable with her anger. Merlin, how could he have never noticed this before now? It ached Draco that he had to be such a prat toward her, all he wanted was to get to know her, see the man and woman he saw in those memories.

The rest of the students began piling into the classroom, taking their seats, some were even commenting on the pair sitting at the front of the classroom.

Theo strode in and spotted the two. He casually walked to the blonde and brunette and then threw his arms over both of their shoulders, "Ello. Hope you don't kill one another."

"Not likely." Hermione said distastefully.

Theo patted her back and ruffled Draco's hair.

Hermione smirked softly, and Draco scowled.

"Settle down everyone," Horace Slughorn began, "today we will be partnering up. Your partner is all based on brains, which means, whoever I think you'd work best with, is who you'll work with."

A couple groans escaped mouths, but Slughorn paid no mind.

"Mister Zabini and Mister Potter."

Hermione turned to see Harry's expression, he looked agitated.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy."

"Mr. Nott, Mr. Wollamby." At that Theo clapped his hand on the table and looked absolutely offended. Ron looked over toward him, snarling. Great.

Slughorn finished partnering up each student with their potion assignment and sent them all on their ways to find the ingredients.

Hermione gathered a few phials and the list and began toward the door not saying anything to Draco as she did. He followed behind her, slowly.

"And where are we going?" He said once they had reached the Grounds doors.

"To get the ingredients, weren't you paying attention?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I was. But you know where to find Fairy Wings?"

"Yes. Don't you?"

Of course she fucking knew. She knew everything.

"Actually, no. I don't Granger. Mind telling me where we're going, so I can send an owl off to Theo to come looking for me, if I don't return?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "You're so impatient. We're going to the Forbidden Forest."

"You do remember the last time we were in there, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. And believe it or not, I am actually on quite good terms with most of the creatures."

"Most."

"Fairy wings, unicorn hair, I'm sure we can find a dark place in there to find morning dew."

The two forwarded on to the Forest, Draco slightly behind her; Watching the way her feet carried her.

Hermione tugged a phial from her pocket and squat down to catch a drop of dew from a flower.

"You're awfully quiet." she said pointedly.

"Nothing to say." Draco replied quietly.

"That's new." Draco ignored her remark, but she obviously felt that as an invitation to egg it on.

"No mudblood, or blood superiority lines?"

Draco could feel his temperament rising, but he bit his tongue, walking ahead of her now.

Hermione didn't like to be ignored, especially by Draco, not right now. She had him all alone, right where she wanted him. It's only fair she get some answers.

"It's just rather odd, you being so...civil."

Draco stopped in his tracks and turned to her, "What would you like me to say? You want me to call you a filthy mudblood, will that get you off?"

Hermione twisted her lips, "No. I'm just trying to figure you out, is all."

He squinted his eyes, "Well don't."

Gods, he hated acting so petulant toward her. What he really wanted to do was sit down with her, and talk to her about the future that'd they were destined to have together.

"I just want to understand you." She said blatantly, "You can be so quiet and almost confusing alone, but as soon as we get back there, you'll go back to being an absolute arse."

Draco felt the guilt rising up like bile, but he knew what he needed to do.

"You really don't shut up, ever do you?"

Hermione crossed her arms, and pursed her lips as if she has won a prize. "There it is."

Draco pushed out an arrogant laugh, licking his lips and nodding his head, "That's right. You're always wanting to be bloody right about everything, don't you Granger? Stupid mudblood, your presence disgusts me, and I'd really rather get this stupid fucking assignment over with, so I don't have to be around your snooty arse anymore."

Hermione didn't budge, "I hope you mean yourself, Malfoy. The only snooty one around here is you." She pointed defiantly at him.

Draco flourished his hand before him, "This whole bloody thing is ridiculous, and your petulant pushing of your curiosity is really buggering me. So why don't we get the fucking ingridients so I don't have to spend anymore Gods awful time with you."

Hermione now stepped toward him, "You're still foul, you're still loathsome, but you're not evil Draco. There is more to you than you lead on."

Draco.

Oh how he longed to hear his name roll from her tongue.

He stepped toward her, now their faces only inches apart, noses almost grazing. "No. There's not." Hermione had closed her eyes, reveling in his warm breath, minty.

"I'd really rather appreciate you not call me by my first name. We're not on friendly terms."

Breaking away from their closeness, he turned away, "Let's finish this bloody potion, so we can go back on to our own lives."

"You know what Malfoy? Fuck you!"

Woah. Did that just come from Hermione Granger's mouth.

It was a slight turn on.

Draco faced her once more, smirking arrogantly, "Careful with your awful attitude, Granger. It's unbecoming."

The steam was basically protruding from Hermione's ears. "WHY DO YOU HATE ME SO MUCH? WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU?"

"I DONT HATE YOU!"

Fuck.

Hermione wiped the tear stream from her cheeks, and sniffed silently. "Then why do you treat me as such?"

Draco couldn't make eye contact with her, he couldn't even look at her.

This wasn't what he wanted to do. He hated that he caused her to cry.

"Everything isn't always about you, Granger."

Yet, it was. This whole nonsense plan was about her.

Hermione grabbed the list from her cloak pocket, "We need to get a unicorn hair."

She trudged past him, sniffling once more.

The pair made their ways back to the classroom, fortunately the rest of their classes that day had been canceled, so they had time to work on their assignment.

"Pass me the dew." Draco slid the phial across the table toward her, she caught it in good time before it fell from it. "Are you done grinding the wings?"

He nodded, pouring them into the cauldron.

"Alright, you stir, while I put the petals in, but stir slowly."

Draco sneered, not meaningfully, he rather liked watching Hermione working. She had a glow about her, her passion for learning was intriguing.

Draco continued to stir as she heated the cauldron up. "Lady's Mantle." She whispered to herself as she added that into the cauldron as well.

"Why did you choose this potion?" Draco asked suddenly, pulling her away from the instructions, "I don't know. It was just one of the ones that caught my attention."

Draco nodded. "Didn't want it for yourself?" A sly grin curved at the edges of his lips.

"You're really rude." Hermione said as she caught the flicker of lightening in his stormy eyes.

"Beautification potion is just an easy one to do."

She added quickly, "Stir vigorously, I have to add the unicorn hair now."

He did as she said. She finished with the ginger root, and waved her wand over the cauldron. "That should do it."

She grabbed a ladle and poured some into a couple different phials.

She handed one over to Draco, "Just in case."

He raised his brows, "You're trusting me."

"Like I said, there's more to you than you lead on."

Grabbing her books and then placing the phial into her cloak pocket, "See you tomorrow."