Silver and Gold // Dramione

Fear or Fun?

6th Year, September 18th

Draco noticed that Hermione wasn't in potions the next day, or the day after that. He suspected that Pompfrey had demanded she take bed rest as her head healed. 

He hadn't even seen her in the Great Hall and he expected that Pompfrey had imprisoned her in the infirmary to ensure she followed directions.

She was back at Supper on Thursday, but didn't return to classes the rest of the week. Because of this, her partner, Aurie, had to be put in a new group. Slughorn decided that since Draco was excelling, in the class, only next to Potter and Hermione, that Aurie would do best in his group.

Despite being a Hufflepuff, she was quite clever, in an odd way Draco noted. He might have compared her to Luna "Loony" Lovegood if it weren't for her normal appearance and eloquent speaking voice. She did well at simple steps, but fumbled on prestigious wand work. Letting Draco do it instead, and talking with Pansy in the meantime.

Pansy had taken a liking to her straight away, and Draco felt for once in the past three years that he wasn't the centre of her mind.

They had successfully brewed the Drought of Living Death for the rest of the week. Slughorn ensured that by the close of Friday's class, every student had completed it nearly perfectly. Draco, Pansy, and Aurie had finished by the end of Tuesday.

The rest of the week was spent with Pansy and Aurie huddled in the corner talking amongst each other, and Draco offering to help Slughorn in the classroom to ensure he was on his good side.

His eyes wandered over to the Gryffindor table at Saturday's supper feast. He didn't know why, but every meal since Tuesday morning he found himself looking at her table, looking for her. Perhaps it was to look at the healing bruise on her forehead he told himself, or to size her up, and get to know her tendencies now that he was almost certain they would end up forced to live amongst each other.

He was confident he had successfully woo'd Slughorn with his newfound interest in potions. His "daring rescue" certainly improved his chances with McGonagell. Pomfrey also seemed taken aback by his appearance at the infirmary, and he betted that she would vouch for him.

Snape had assured him privately on Wednesday that he would rally for him, after Draco had briefly explained why the position would be beneficial to his mission.

He had miraculously managed to impress Professor Flitwick after charms class the day previously by offering to help some first years with their wand work. Flitwick was astounded at his request to provide some help in the classroom, and much to Draco's dismay, he was mostly helping muggle-born first years learn how to hold their wands all of Thursday evening.

But it managed to work, or at least he assumed it had when Flitwick smiled at him when he greeted him earlier in the day at class.

Now he was staring at Hermione Fucking Granger, the Gryffindor Princess, just waiting for McGonagell to announce thet they would be the most trusted students in the school... And have to live together. It was like a living nightmare to any Slytherin to have to live with Gryffindor, much less a Pureblood forced to room with a muggle-born.

Yet, when he looked at her, he wasn't fully repulsed. He certainly wasn't very thrilled at the prospect, but he rather enjoyed the idea of subtly getting under her nerves, and feeding into her 'House Unity' fantasy by pretending to be civil and trustworthy.

"Ahem" Dumbledore's voice pierced the Hall, willing it to fall silent.

It was the first time many of the student's ad heard him speak this year. Draco himself only heard him when he had brought Hermione to the Infirmary. Some of the first years looked stunned that he was even capable of speech as they all fell eerily silent.