Worthy

Chapter 4: Détente [Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks]

Professor Morder, a fortyish, tall, study, blond Norse woman came into the classroom. "Welcome to Provectus Potions. This class is different from any potions class you have had. Technically, it is self-study only with a final project due within ten weeks. Every two weeks, for posterity, you will record a speech on your progress that will be reviewed when you turn in your completed project." Just as McGonagall had predicted, she noted that Draco and Hermione diligently took notes, more so than the rest of the class. "You will use self-discipline since this is an independent project." She looked around and then continued. "By now, you have all the knowledge you need to create your own potions. You will be assigned a lab partner."

"You both will work together or not at all." Sharply, she glanced at the two who so far proved the old grudges remained. "The originality and importance of your potion will give you the chance to win the internationally renowned Coeus Award." She brought out a clipboard. "I will call your lab partner assignments." She named off various pairings, all were of different houses and mixed heritage. "Granger and Malfoy," she challenged, almost. In unison, they dropped their quills. As she glared at him, he sneered at her. "Now sit with your lab partner so you can begin to discuss your project." Reluctantly, they took seats next to each other but refused to acknowledge each other.

----------------------------------------------------------

The next day, Draco observed Hermione quietly studying in the library. I want to win this but I need to mend the fences with Hermione. Since I'm the wizard, I must make the first move and apologize. That's the way of the wizard world. Once a few of his pure-blood brethren left, he approached her. "May I have a word with you, alone?" With a look of utter disdain, she followed him to a quiet corner. "I'm sorry for the things I said to you before." She rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "I mean it. I'm under a lot of pressure right now and I've been lashing out at someone who doesn't deserve it."

"I don't believe you, Malfoy," she stated cynically.

"I don't blame you. Either way, we both want academic prestige to further our careers, so we might as well make the best of it." She rolled her eyes then stared at the ceiling. "Can we meet tomorrow at the Whomping Willow around two? We need to come up with ideas and I don't care to have our competition hear them." Seeing Hermione mull it over, he gave her some added impetus. "It's a Saturday. No one will be here so no one will suspect that we're going through with this."

"Very well," she replied.

-----------------------------------------------------------

That Saturday, Draco waited at the Whomping Willow. A slight chill filled the air as she approached precisely at two. "You're right. We need to make the most of this, for our careers only. No matter how disappointed we are with this pairing."

"Why would I be disappointed? I have the smartest witch of our time as my lab partner." A compliment or two always paved the road of ambition. "You and I were always at the top of the class in potions."

"Thanks." She looked at him incredulously. "Do you have any ideas?"

"No. I really haven't thought about it. Have you?"

"Sort of, but it would be difficult at best and more than likely impossible," she replied.

"I'm game." Since she is the brains of the triumvirate, this should be good. Wait a sec, why am I complimenting her?

"Well, I came up with it remembering how I was almost attacked by a werewolf. They are animals guided by instinct and by scent. Everyone has tried to make a potion to repel a werewolf but not successfully." Stopping in her tracks, she stood in front of him biting her lip. "I say we make that potion."

A werewolf potion would be the most unique potion created in the past several hundred years. The Malfoy name would be revered. In turn, maybe I can have the career I've always wanted. "That's brilliant. Let's do it." He paced back and forth a moment pondering his options. "First, I say we research what has already been done so we don't repeat the mistakes others have been made."

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Ambition replaced animosity, as she contemplated their next move. "However, everyone will know what we're working on when they see the books we're reading."

He thought a moment. "I have the perfect solution. Come to the Whomping Willow tomorrow morning."

"OK. I just can't believe we're doing this."

"Neither can I," he muttered. I just brain-stormed with Hermione Granger, mudblood, and it was brilliant. For the entire time, I didn't think about her status.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, they met as planned. Draco took her sleeve and touched a metallic emblem of his family crest, a portkey. "This way," he said.

Slightly trembling, Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the fully restored mansion. Looking down, Draco reluctantly recalled the time she spent there. "Malfoy Manor has been a place of splendor for many centuries." A very slight smile formed beneath his sad eyes. "For a few brief moments in its history, it became ...horribly unpleasant, even for me. For my own sanity, I put it behind me." In a welcoming manner, he motioned towards the manor. "Please let me show you it's magnificence." Knowing her love of books, he tried another method that worked briefly. "We have an extensive library and laboratory."

"No, I can't." Abruptly, she turned towards the gate.

"Let me give you a tour and if you're still uncomfortable, you can leave." Swiftly, he circumvented her and prevented further retreat. "You have my word that you may leave if you wish and that no harm will come to you."

"I don't think your family would want me here."

"My father is in Azkaban." Grabbed her hand, he practically dragged her inside. "You are MY guest and you are welcome here. I'm giving you a tour."

Putting the past behind her as best she could, Hermione bravely marched forth into Malfoy Manor. The sumptuous interior combined Middle Eastern and Victorian architecture. Each room contained Arabic tile, elaborate carvings within its ceilings and walls, velvet furnishings amongst oak and cherry woods furniture as well. Few paintings and artwork decorated the house, for the home itself was a work of art. "Your home... is gorgeous." She traced the patterns of some of the carvings. "Everything about it is unique." She studied some of the antiques. "There's so much history here. You must be proud."

Leisurely, he looked at every detail and the intricacy of the manor. "Yes, I am proud. I've just taken it for granted until recently." The tour ended in the family's extensive library. A glass case enclosed several magical Malfoy treasures. Golden Contego flies, similar to hornets, lined the inner case in an ornamental pattern. When she touched the glass, the flies began to move. "Hold on," Draco said as he touched the case. "Let me do this." He opened the case and let her look at some of the items. "Only a Malfoy can open the case and stop the flies. If anyone else tries, the flies will attack. After quite a bit of pain, the victim can actually die if stung enough times."

After, she admired a couple of talismans. Then she looked at the bottom case to the only book in it. Promptly, he removed it so she could see the cover only. "If anyone outside the family touches it, their hand catches fire." The black leather bound book with silver leaf pages bore the Malfoy family's crest on the cover. "This book contains all our family traditions, dating back hundreds of years. Each generation, the head of the family adds a tradition."

"That's wonderful," she said.

"Not when you've had to memorize all of them." He pointed to the far corner of the library. "We even have several volumes of family decrees but many are outdated and ignored."

"To uphold traditions dating back centuries, I would love have that," she mused. "Well, as long as they don't hinder my life."

"Really," he commented incredulously. She nodded. "Most pure-blood families believe that all non pure-blood witches and wizards want them to abandon their family traditions."

"Maybe some do but not me. Maybe you shouldn't stereotype."

"Maybe you're right." My father always told me that among other things. What other things did he tell me that were wrong?

"Many of the pure-blood decrees were the basis of modern ministry law." Hermione studied one of the books closely. "You should be proud."

"I am." Draco grabbed the books she seemed interested in. "After all that has happened, I've studied these decrees so I would have something to be proud of. Long ago, being a pure-blood meant something honorable." He handed her the book he held. "If you want, you can read this." Why do I feel so comfortable talking to her?

"Thank you," she replied, taking the book like it was gold.

"One pure-blood traditions that has been forgotten recently is giving one's word of honor. I give you my word that I won't let anyone or anything hurt you here." Draco then showed her to the fantastical creatures section of the library. "Now, are you alright with studying here?"

Slowly, Hermione walked through the shelves of books, running her fingers along them. "I think so."

"Shall we begin?" For an hour, they grabbed every book on werewolves and potions related to them. "You seem a bit different. I mean the way you look and dress. What happened?"

"Spa days, dance, yoga, pilates....oh and shopping; all in New York this summer." Hermione grimaced at the leaning stack of books on the floor. "Is there something wrong with that? "

"Not at all," he replied thinking he wished she did more often. "The results are very nice."

When they finished gathering books, they had a huge collection of leaning towers. "Let's take these to my study. It'll be more comfortable."

"Wingardium leviosa," they commanded together. Both looked at each other in astonishment. Smiling, they lead a processional of levitated books to Draco's study.

Enviously, Hermione looked around at the lavish antiquated study of cherry wood and leather, prominently dominated by everything dragon oriented, that was bigger than her parents' living room. Starting at one end, she sorted the books alphabetically from the beginning of the alphabet while he did the reverse from the end of the alphabet until they met in the middle. Tinkey brought some refreshments. Seeing the tiny house elf dressed in a stylish bright orange shirt that hung like a dress on her, Hermione smiled with approval. Draco and Hermione read and took notes until evening, barely speaking and only occasionally looking up at one another.

From his comfortable armchair, Draco watched her pack her quill and parchment, sitting as far away from him as she could. Then he stared at the walls of his study, thinking about how he wouldn't really have any company until Tuesday when they studied together once more. "Look, to make this easier, can we at least pretend to be friends, at least for the duration of this project?"

"Draco, all I've ever seen of you is an arrogant, self-centered, egotistical," she stated before she reminded herself that she was in his home.

"Go on," he challenged.

"While I realize that you didn't want to do some of the things you did during the war...." Hermione looked almost teary eyed as she herself remembered the pain and loss she knew. "All that aside, I don't know if you have any redeeming qualities so I could even pretend to be your friend." Reflecting on her statement, Hermione realized she was being too harsh to her lab partner who she needed to get along with for the next ten weeks. "I'm sure you have redeeming qualities but I've never seen them."

If only briefly, Draco cast his ego aside, reflecting on her statement. "I'll never be like your Saint Potter so why should I bother?"

"There you go; insulting my friends; insulting the wizard who saved your life."

"I meant that I'm not all sunshine and daisies like all of you in the Golden Trio." Slamming his quill and parchment on the table, Draco stood abruptly. "Even if I showed you my redeeming qualities, I'll still have qualities you consider undesirable. Plus, I'm not self-less." When he remembered how perfect all three of them thought they were, he regretted his decision to go through with project. Since they couldn't get along, he now doubted their chances of success.

Seeing the familiar sneer on his face, she reluctantly could see his point. "We're not all sunshine and daisies and I don't expect you to be." Hermione scooted nearer to him and straightened his notes. "I just want to know the wizard beneath all that obnoxiousness...to know that there's someone ...deeper, someone who's not so vicious and cold." Once Draco sat down, she continued beneath his irate stare. "What made you hate Harry so much, aside from the obvious?"

After having visited his father recently, the old wound reopened. "During our school years, my father cared more about Potter's doings than his own son's." Jaw twitching, he stared down at notes. "Does that satisfy you?" Not once looking at her, Draco walked to his study door and motioned for her to leave.

"It saddens me...but I understand the way you feel and I'm sorry your father did that to you." Now, standing in front of him, she stared directly ahead. "You have just proved that there is more to you than I thought." Once she decided that his cologne smelled wonderful, she grew tired of the silence. "Draco, I would really appreciate it if you looked at me. I'm tired of talking to your chest."

Tilting his head down, his expression softened slightly. "Then I'll talk to yours."

For a moment, she stood wondering if she had heard him correctly. When she saw a slight tug of a smile on his lips, she laughed. "Now, I know one of your redeeming qualities. You have a great sense of humor. How about we take it one step at a time?"

"Agreed," he stated. "Do you think we should meet Tuesday?"

"Definitely," she agreed.