Interhouse Relationships

Draco woke up early the next morning. Sometime last night he shot up in bed, remembering that Potions assignment he hadn’t finished yet.

Sitting up stretching, he checked the time. There was a good hour before breakfast. If he worked fast, he would be able to finish it.

Draco had a quick shower before dressing, and by the time he was out the door of his dorm he was fully awake.

Arriving in the library, he browsed the shelves until he found three advanced potions books. With that, he settled at a table and started working on his assignment.

Draco had been in there for about fifteen minutes before Hermione Granger walked into the library. He saw her, head up, shoulders back. “As if she had every right to be there, even though she is a mudblood,” thought Draco disgustingly.

Hermione quickly flashed Draco a quick, condescending look before she disappeared into the stacks.

“I'll ignore the bitch,” Draco thought, since she obviously thought she was to good for him! The thought actually made him laugh quietly to himself. Then he focused again on his essay. Draco would need a good grade on this if he wanted to be head boy next year.

"You took all the advanced potions books, Malfoy," a girl's voice told him.

"I thought you would finish all your homework on the first day Granger. Shame on you," Draco said sarcastically.

"Just give me a book."

"What's the magic word? Don't want you developing any rude habits, do we Granger?" He said with a tint of malice in his voice.

"I hope your having fun Malfoy, playing juvenile little games," Hermione shook her head sadly, "It makes me wonder just how many people your father had to pay to get you that Prefect badge."

Draco scoffed at her. "You know Granger, there were times when Mudbloods like yourself wouldn't have been able to get into wizarding schools. Your kind will always be third class and it would do you good to remember it."

Hermione looked like she was going to explode. Instead, she grabbed the book that he had been using and stormed over to the farthest table away from him to do her potions essay.

* * * *

Hermione was furious! She wanted to hit Draco over the head with the potions book she had taken from. Yet she was a prefect and Hermione believed that prefects should act mature. Yet it wasn’t and didn’t seem mature to hit someone over the head, no matter how big a prick they were.

But he seriously deserved it, and coming from a female mudblood it would wipe that cocky snerk off his face. It took all her strength from going over there and smacking him once.

Concentrating on her work she started writing, referring to text every once in awhile.

When she finished she glanced at the clock. There was time for her to grab something to eat.

Malfoy seemed to be scribbling furiously. “Maybe he won't finish it, ” she thought, laughing cruelly.

As Hermione exited the library she impulsively looked back over he shoulder at him.

Draco had raised his head as he was watching her leave. He had a strange look on his face, which scared Hermione. He looked so far away and lonely and not even a git like Malfoy deserved to feel all alone, isolated from everyone else.

She walked quickly down to the Great Hall trying to figure out what that look meant. Hermione was so preoccupied she never noticed that Harry was approaching her ‘till he spoke.

"Hey Hermione, is something wrong? You look upset."

Jumping slightly, she focused on her friend. "Thinking about Potions. Just the image of Snape gives me the chills," she joked. "But seriously Harry, everything is fine."

At that moment Draco emerged from the library. He still had the look on his face. Surprisingly, when he walked past Harry and Hermione he had his head down staring at the ground, walking... submissively. “Something must be wrong with him,” Hermione thought but she decided not to think about him, since he was the slimy ass hole who had been insulting her heritage just half an hour ago. No need to think about that.

Hermione grabbed some toast from the Gryffindor Table and went up to Ron, "Let's go to Potions, Ron."

He looked at her quickly then gathered his books. They left the Hall, rounding up Harry on the way out. He already had his books.

* * * *

Ever since his conversation with Hermione in the library Draco had felt depressed.

He wished he hadn't talked to her like the way he did and that instead of sitting across the room from her, he wished he had sat across the table instead.

Draco was the first person to arrive in Potions. Professor Snape looked up from the potion ingrediants he was sorting.

"Welcome back, Mr Malfoy," he said.

"Hello Professor."

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm matching the Gryffindors with Slytherins but I'm not sure who to put you with. Any suggestions?"

"Hermione Granger, sir," Draco said quickly, absentminded of the consequences he could create by telling this to Snape.

"Why her, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Because we're both Prefects. It seems appropriate."

"So is Mr. Longbottom. Perhaps you should work with him."

"But Professor, I'd rather that my potions remained in my cauldron, not in my face."

"Point taken Mr. Malfoy. Oh, it seems your classmates are arriving.” He gestured to Draco as he said, “Kindly take you seat Mr. Malfoy."

Draco turned around to see that the 'Gryffindor Trio' had arrived, namely Hermione and her friends Harry and Ron.

Draco snorted. He did not need friends to be happy, just little sheep who would do your every bidding. Or so Lucius Malfoy had instilled into a young Draco's heart at the tender age of six.

Soon Gryffindors and Slytherins crowded the room, talking to their housemates but not to the offensive non-House members.

Pansy Parkinson swept into the room with terrible, loud inquiries about his whereabouts at breakfast and that she was deeply disappointed he had not walked her to class.

"Pansy, all though you have many qualities of a bitch, like their terrible odor, you do not need me to be your dog handler, nor do I wish to be." Draco said calmly, as Pansy looked about ready to burst into tears. "It's not a rule that you eat every meal with me, although if I could detach you from my leg, I'd make sure you never did again." Draco said, emotionless. With that, Pansy fled the room, crying her eyes out.

Everyone in the room was taken aback. Gryffindors as well as Slytherins stood in silence, ‘till Snape interupted,

"Well class, into your seats for now. Shortly I will assign your seats for the rest of the semester, as you will not be sitting with your house members."

Everyone groaned and the Gryffindor Trio were probably discussing who would end up with Draco.

"But first, everyone is to hand in their potions essay which they did over the summer," and in a softer, more sinister voice, "or that they did this morning in the library." He eyed Hermione and Draco to whom the last comment was directed to.

* * * *

Draco! Draco Malfoy was her potions partner? I’m having terrible luck today she thought bitterly.

"Well Malfoy, I'm not moving, so get your ass back here." Wow, never thought I'd hear myself say that, she thought.

"You better not hurt her Malfoy," Ron told him as he moved his things out of Malfoy's new spot, "You treat her bad and I'll kick your ass."

"Wouldn't dream of it Weasel," Malfoy told Ron, settling his books down.

Hermione just shock her head sadly and told Malfoy, "Don't be a prick."

"I'm deeply insulted that you think so little of me, Granger."

"Just work on the Potions Malfoy."

After that Draco only talked to Hermione when need be, which Hermione was eternally grateful for. Malfoys didn't seem much for small talk.

"All right, hand me the willow roots," Draco told Hermione. She noticed that he didn't say her name... ever.

As Hermione passed him the roots, their hands brushed against each other and Hermione almost felt sparks fly. They both froze, then Draco grabbed the roots, not touching her, and dumped the contents from his hands into the cauldron they were sharing. Hermione turned her back to him and re-read the instructions. Whenever Draco asked for ingredients, Hermione would put everything on the table, so as not to touch or even look at him for that matter.

They finished their potion before the rest of the class. Snape came over to check over their work.

"You work well together. Good choice of a partner Mr. Malfoy." He smirked and walked away.

Hermione just stared at Draco who was turning pink, all the way to roots of his hair. “Malfoy wanted to work with me?” Hermione thought. Bizarre.

"What are you gawking at Granger?" Draco interrupted her train of thought. Obviously he had recovered from Snape's embarrassing remark. "I need a definite 'A' in this class if I want to be Head Boy next year."

Hermione didn't really think that was the reason he picked her. "Or maybe you’re just more fond of muggles than you let on... Ferret Boy." She said as she smiled wickedly at the last comment.

Any retaliation was interrupted by a loud explosion. Neville had just blown up his and Goyle's potion.