You Wouldn't Know

Harry and Hermione entered into Hogwarts, following the crowd of students. Most of the students departed, heading in the direction of their common room. Harry, Hermione, and a small group of Gryffindors continued down the corridor, going to the Gryffindor Tower. Hermione and Harry dragged behind the rest, holding hands as they strolled down the hall. As they neared the Headmaster's office, they suddenly were pushed down.

* * *

Draco Malfoy pushed his way past the students returning back from Hogsmeade. He sighed exasperatedly, forcing his way against the flow of the crowd. Suddenly, he collided with a pair of people. The impact of the crash pushed him down. He landed on the ground, striking his head against stone ground. His head throbbing, he pushed himself up to a sitting position. His eyes met an unpleasant sight. Harry and Hermione sat up, still hand in hand, meeting Draco's stare. Draco hastily stood up, scrounging up his dignity.

"Watch where the hell you're going!" Draco spat angrily. He watched Harry rise, pulling Hermione up with him. He watched them together and he felt a pang of jealousy.

"You crashed into us!" Harry yelled back at Malfoy. Harry glared at Malfoy, pulling Hermione closer to him. Draco's eyes began to storm. He watched Harry slide his hand around her waist and he saw the way Hermione looked so protected in his defense. Potter was not supposed to have this.

"Not my problem," Draco said, giving his usual sneer before departing. As he walked down the corridor, he could feel Potter's eyes on his back and he walked quickly, trying to avoid more conformation. As he walked to his common room, he thought to himself. Potter will suffer.

* * *

Monday came quickly and the students lazily woke up from their weekend. Double Potions came first, not the Gryffindor's favorite way of starting a new week. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all slumped to their seats right as class began.

"Good morning class," Snape said coldly. "Today we will be brewing Veritaserum, the strongest truth potion available. Now, this is a highly advanced potion and I can only hope that you all do not mess it up. But it is useless to hope, which is why I have assigned you partners!

The class exchanged looks. Snape pulled out the list and began reading out the list of the pairs.

"Longbottom and Parkinson."

"Potter and Goyle."

"Weasley and Crabbe."

"Granger and Malfoy."

The rest was all a blur to Hermione. She had to work with Malfoy? How the hell was she supposed to get along with him? Sure, he had brains enough to do the potion, but the social skills. She looked over at Harry and Ron, who both gave her sympathetic looks. Hermione laid her head on her hands and let out a sigh. Out of the corner of her eye, she said Draco walk over to her. Let the torture commence.

"Granger," Draco said sitting next to her. Hermione said not a word, but simply pulled out her books. He smirked at her, propping his head on his hand as he leaned across the table towards her. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned away from him, standing up to get their ingredients. She walked up to the cabinet and alas, looked back at Draco. There he was looking straight at her with an irresistible charm. She felt her stomach flip and she found herself looking into his stormy grey eyes. Light grey swirled into the dark grey emitting from his pupils in a trancelike way. As she stood, mesmerized, she found herself looking into a soul much deeper than what she had ever imagined. Suddenly, she was knocked back into reality.

"Ms. Granger, I shall insist that you tear your gaze away from Mr. Malfoy immediately and collect your ingredients so the rest of the class may access the cabinet," Snape hissed. Then, with a usual evil drip in his voice, he added, "Undoubtedly, Mr. Malfoy is attractive, but please, keep your love life separate from class."

Hermione blushed furiously and stared at the ground. She collected her ingredients silently and trudged back to her table she now shared with Malfoy. She set down her items and slowly seated herself in her chair. Odd, I thought I was a little further away from him. Then as she looked at the half inch gap between their chairs, she realized that indeed she had been sitting further away from him, about a further three feet. She moved her chair far over and began to stir the ingredients into the cauldron. Draco wasn't helping the slightest. Not that it bothered her, the less contact with him the better. But it was what he was doing that made her wish he was doing anything else. Draco simply sat staring at Hermione, his eyes glazed over, a small smile plastered on his lips, and an overall dazed look on his face. And as hard as Hermione tried to ignore it, she found herself shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Why was he doing this? Was he purposely trying to make her mess up? She shook her head and continued with the potion. The end of class was an enormous relief to Hermione. She hated Potions and was always anxious to leave but nothing compared to this time. She had sat under Malfoy's gaze for more than an hour, trying to avoid his glassy eyes and creepy smile. The students sat eagerly waiting for the bell to ring. Malfoy was constantly staring in her direction and Hermione continued to avoid him. Unfortunately, not even the end of the class would prove the end of seeing Malfoy.

"I didn't feel like today's class was hard work. Therefore, I am going to assign a paper due next class on the Veritaserum and its uses. In your partner groups. You are dismissed," Snape said, surveying his students wickedly. The students hurried out of class and Hermione found Harry and Ron. All three glumly set off down the hall without saying a word.