Wilted Celandine

Chapter Three

Third person, Hermione's POV

Hermione eyed her figure darkly in the mirror. Fingering a ringlet of her hair, she spun around, frowning at the lack of attractiveness of her body. She had sworn to herself, back in Second Year, that she would never care about what she looked like. But lately, perhaps partly due to influence from other Gryffindor girl gossip, Hermione had begun to care.

She was curvy enough, actually. But the problem was, it wasn't obvious. She needed to draw people's eyes. Malfoy's eyes, Hermione thought, before quickly stopping that train of thought. What is wrong with me? Just because he helped me up and happened to hold me close to pick me up off my chair doesn't mean anything. Besides, he slung me over his shoulder like a sack of grain, and he obviously has no respect for me whatsoever. Even more, he knows just by glancing at me, or something vague like that, that I'm a virgin!

Hermione sighed. What am I to do? I don't want to look like a slut, and I don't want the change to be extremely obvious! I just want to give myself the chance to get a second glance when I'm out in public. That's it. She tried to convince herself of this, but then failed. Okay, so that's not true, I want to be acknowledged as something other than a bookworm, Prefect, smart Gryffindor, and club member. I want to know that someone thinks I'm attractive, and I want...A boy. I want a boy to look at me. I know it's horrible of me, really, but...I can't help it! The hormones have begun marching. Maybe it's just my period? Oh god, I don't know, argh! I just wish I could find the right clothing that fits me well but isn't ostentatious!

Biting her lip, Hermione glanced around the room, and that's when she spotted it.

It was black.

It was suede.

It was perfect.

-----*-----

Grunting, Hermione stumbled to the left, barely avoiding dropping her pile of study material. Today was Tuesday, the day for the first Private Herbology Tutoring Lesson with Malfoy. And it was currently 6:50. Ten minutes to go.

"Oh, NO!"

Hermione shrieked as she tripped, and she and her notebooks and other things began to fall. With a series of loud thumps, the thick hardback notebooks hit the floor, paperback creasing as it landed the wrong way. In her desperate fumbling to not drop her quill and parchment, the tip of the quill nicked Hermione's arm. Grumbling, Hermione quickly picked the books back up and ran the rest of the way to the Astronomy Tower.

When she got there, Malfoy was sitting at a table waiting, arms crossed, gazing up at the blanket of twinkling stars that was the night sky. He looked up as she rushed to the table, and plopped herself into a chair and her notebooks into his arms.

He looked up to give her a quizzical look, eyes glinting silver in the moonlight. "No books, Granger?"

Breathing heavily, Hermione said, "No books. Just notebooks."

"Why?"

"Open one."

Malfoy opened the green notebook to the first page, glancing down at the list of words in neat, small handwriting. "Is this a Table of Contents? It looks like one. Magical Spy ware...Vampires...Tentacula and Celandine...Wizarding Obituaries...What is this, Granger?"

"It's one of my notebooks that I use to take notes in. I have a section for each subject. Turn to page 150, that's where Herbology starts. I want you to read three pages of that, and then tell me----or write down--what you don't understand. Don't worry, it's what we've been studying lately. Afterwards, I want you to write a one-page essay on common traits between different types of poisonous plants. Then, after that, you'll write a list of the names of the ten poisonous plants we've been studying lately--in Latin."

Malfoy looked up, his wide eyes revealing surprise in the usually expressionless, vacant, stormy gaze. Hermione smiled at the look he gave her. "Me thinks you doth protest too much! Malfoy, this is the beginning. Be grateful for the easy work while you're assigned. Now hit the books! Or should I say, the notebooks. And there's one thing I want you to keep clear in your mind as you do this--This was your decision!"

-----*-----

Now, a week later, and Hermione was eating lunch alone in the common room, reading over his essay and questions:

How is it possible for Celandine to have been studied if the roots were the poisonous part? You said that the root of the plant is what tells the magical properties inside and density of the plants inner juices, so how is it that the P.W.I. studied Celandine? Also, when you mix Amaranthus with Agrostremma githago, why does it only kill mammals? What about...

Hermione grinned. It was an enjoyable experience teaching Malfoy. It was actually much more fun than S.E.E, her educational club that helped teach First Years that had problems understanding things. When teaching Malfoy, Hermione felt on an equal level with the Slytherin, and she felt like she, although only one Gryffindor, and he, although only one Slytherin, were breaching the gap between the burnt bridge of their Houses.

His questions were intelligent, and he pointed out things in his essays that Hermione herself hadn't noticed at first. She didn't understand why he wanted, and somehow thought he needed, help in Herbology, but as the experience was fun and she was getting Extra Credit points for it, she continued teaching him. When she had asked him once why he had requested Private Herbology Tutoring Lessons, when he did fine in class and could have asked for almost anything else, Malfoy had answered her in one sentence: "Knowledge is power."

Then, for a while, Hermione had been doubtful as to whether she should continue teaching Malfoy, for if he was only going to use his knowledge to dominate over others, she did not want to teach him. But in the next lesson, his steady continued unusual kindness and enjoyable inquisitiveness, as well as the challenging questions he directed at her made her decide that there was no harm in continuing.

It was Tuesday again, and Hermione was on her way to Lesson Number Three. She was quite looking forward to it, and had decided this time to focus on the plant she herself was intrigued by most: Celandine. It was an herb that was not used often in Potions class, and the cause for her hospitalization when her potion spilt on her in class had turned her orange. The pain had been intense, and she had had to stay under Madam Pomfrey's care for an entire week.

Grinning, Hermione reached the top of the stairway to the Astronomy Tower, and then stopped in mid-step.

Malfoy wasn't there.