Finding Draco - A Dramione Novel

Chapter 10 - Hermione

Afternoon classes were enjoyable by Hermione's standards. Double Potions, taught by the Headmaster himself. Hermione couldn't understand how he had the time to manage a school and teach, but he was an astute professor. Kind and encouraging, the two hour class flew by. The slightly malevolent tone he carried in their initial meeting had disappeared.

Seventh years weren't assigned a Potions book, which Hermione could hardly believe. They would be writing and making their own potion, which required them to consort reference texts and be "flexible and inventive," as Professor Neeper put it. The first month was to be used for research and drafting the potion. The second month was for brewing their elixir.

Earlier, Halvard tried to convince her to rest instead of attending class, but Hermione flat out refused.

"One stunning spell will hardly keep me from attending class, especially on the first day!"

"I think you should reconsider. Yenner is a great dueler. You may not realize how hard you were hit."

"That oaf isn't that good. He's just a dirty trickster. I'm still intrigued by how sorting works here. How can someone so horrid be in Beasts? Seems like more of a Dueler to me!"

"Yenner, a Duels?" Halvard laughed so hard Hermione thought he would cry. "No way, he is an absolute Beast. His animagus form is even a bull. Complete ninny."

"He's an animagus! That's supposed to be a difficult spell to work out!" Hermione was shocked, thinking of Rita Skeeter and her beetle.

"Well, I don't think you can be sorted into Beasts unless the tree says you can. Beasts is the smallest house. I think that's why."

"Every Beast can become an animagus?"Hermione found it unfair that certain houses got to learn more in-depth magic than others.

Hermione watched Draco Malfoy stroll over to where she and Halvard sat.

"Well, well Granger! It only took you a day to incur the wrath of another blonde-haired boy. Must be your luck." Malfoy gave her half a smile. "Don't think you are getting out of our lessons because you were stunned. Should hardly be something the Golden Girl couldn't recover from."

"Of course. I'm perfectly capable of handling our little lesson. I will meet you out by the lake after dinner."

"Right then, see you after dinner." Draco turned on his heel and left for his room.

After double Potions, the house team had quidditch practice, and Potions students had flying. Amira relegated Hermione to laps with the fifth years to ensure she didn't embarrass them by trying anything above her skill level. Draco's first lesson rang in her ears as she used small, perceptible movements—her confidence growing with each turn.

Whenever she made the third turn, she would catch a glimpse of the house team practicing drills. Draco's pale blonde hair stood out as he deftly maneuvered in and out of the other players, tossing the quaffle easily past the outstretched fingers of the keeper and into the hoop.

Hermione remembered watching Ron during Gryffindor house tryouts. Ron carried none of the charisma and confidence that Draco did on a broom. Ron's self-doubt extended further than his capabilities.  He required so much ego stroking to come out of his shell. Hermione laughed to herself when she remembered confounding MacLaggen during Keeper tryouts—he was awful, and she barely regretted cheating to help Ron.

Her eyes found Draco again, and she wondered if things were different between them now that they shared a house.

As Hermione walked to meet him by the lake, she took a deep breath in through her nose and tightened her fists to steel her nerve. Of course, Draco was waiting on the dock, tossing a quaffle absentmindedly up into the air and catching it with one hand. His entire focus seemed to be on a small seal swimming in the lake.