Hermione Has a Plan

Hermione has a plan

Draco Malfoy was sitting in the library, his aristocratic nose buried in Moste Potente Potions. It was his fifth year at Hogwarts, and he still had to live down being outshone in every subject by that little muggle-born Hermione Granger. He was paying extra attention to potions this year. At least his father wouldn't be able to throw "in ALL subjects" at him any more.

But it was tough going. Draco had to admit that Hermione had a thirst for knowledge he could not equal. Plus, her wide reading in every subject allowed her to see connections that he, with his limited reading, couldn't. At one time, he had hated her. Hated her for the beatings his father gave him every summer when he went home with his grades, which were always second, below Hermione's.

Last summer, however, the beatings stopped. Either Lucius Malfoy had realised that his son was growing up and wouldn't take the beatings lying down any more, or he had given up. Although Hermione was muggle-born, she definitely had a near-genius IQ, and even Draco could not be faulted for not being able to keep up with her.

Since then, Draco had stopped taunting Hermione. He hadn't called her Mudblood even once this year. His "foe" radar was now focused on his bete noire Harry Potter and his sidekick Ron Weasley. But even there, Malfoy had to admit, his earlier passionate rage was gone, replaced by a quiet dislike. The OWLs weren't far away, and he had a lot of studying to do to get enough OWLs for entrance into the Wizarding University in Paris.

The chair to his left was pulled back. He looked up to see Hermione Granger gracefully sit down and pull it forward to lean her arms against the table.

Draco looked up in surprise, "Granger?"

"Managed to get rid of Pansy, Malfoy?" Hermione asked, a grin lighting up her face.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no, I haven't," Draco answered, his face screwed up at the mention of Pansy. Pansy Parkinson had got it into her head that she would like to become the future Mrs Malfoy. She had mounted an all-out campaign, even getting her parents to drop hints to Narcissa Malfoy. And in school, she had become the reigning pest, haunting Draco like a shadow, and in general making his life hell. He had tried everything, short of hexing, to get rid of her, and nothing had worked. She persisted in dreaming that Draco would some day reward her "devotion".

"Want any help with that?"

Draco's eyebrows rose, "Help? From you?"

Hermione shrugged, "You scratch my back..."

Draco grinned, reluctantly, "Ok. What do I have to do?"

"Ask me out."

Draco looked horrified, "What? Ask you out??? Are you mad? My father will throw a fit if he finds out I dated a Mu.. mu.. muggle-born!"

Hermione smiled devilishly. "And you want to please him, right?" she asked sarcastically.

Draco stopped short, startled. Hermione was right, of course. Nothing would piss his father off more than knowing his son was dating a mudblood, and he had to admit he didn't particularly care. In fact, making his father angry would be a bonus. His father had ruled his life far too long, and it was time for Draco to show a little independence. But date Granger? The enemy?

"All right, Granger. You have a point. But why should I date you? We certainly don't like each other. In fact we can barely stand each other!"

"Very true, Malfoy. And that, in a nutshell, is the point. Imagine how Pansy Parkinson, heir to the Parkinson estate, would react when she finds out she's been jilted for a Mudblood," Hermione lip curled in disdain.

"All right, all right. You don't have to rub it in. I'm sorry I called you Mudblood. I didn't know how rude a term it was, really! My father used it all the time."

Hermione's eyes softened, "Apology accepted."

"All right. I'll do it. And what do I have to do in return?

"Nothing. That's it."

"That's it?"

"Don't play dumb, Draco. You know I'm hoping to get a reaction out of..."

Malfoy grinned, "Who is it, Granger? Potter, or Weasley?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Hermione rose gracefully out of the chair. "Oh and by the way, it can't be too sudden, so start by paying attention to me and staring at me a lot for two weeks, ok? Send me some "secret admirer" letters and gifts if you can exert yourself that much."

She turned and walked off, her robes swishing around her ankles.

Draco grinned at her retreating back. Trust Hermione to plan ahead. He suddenly felt very curious. Who was she trying to trap? He felt sorry for the poor guy - any boy Hermione had her eye on was a dead duck. At the same time, he had to be something to catch Hermione's eye - she was picky. Viktor Krum had done it, but hadn't managed to hold on to her.

Suddenly Draco's eyes lit up. Potter definitely had a crush on Granger. The whole school knew that. This little plan of Granger's would bring the added bonus of making Potter jealous. Draco sighed. Even without that added bonus, getting rid of Pansy Parkinson would be enough. She was a pest.