At the scheduled time for her and Malfoy's study meeting, Hermione walked into the library to see Malfoy chatting with Shandra and John. Malfoy looked up as she approached. "Hey, Granger. Shandra plays basketball."
"Oh?" Hermione replied, wondering what his point was.
"Shandra can join us teaching the kids basketball."
"Oh," Hermione repeated, still not entirely enlightened.
"Shandra can bring Jordan who will then invite her muggle friends to join us," Malfoy said a little slowly. "So we can intermingle the purebloods with some muggle influence?"
"Oooh." Hermione turned to Shandra. "Daryn would let you take Jordan with you?"
Shandra inclined her head and popped a bubble in her gum. "I'm actually Jordan's step-aunt or something like that. Her Dad is my step-brother." Shandra shrugged. "I sometimes babysit but my side of the family isn't as close as his."
Hermione blinked and looked around the table for the other's responses to this new factoid. "None of you seemed surprised by this."
"Yeah, didn't you know?" John asked, tilting his chair back a little. "Wait... no, you don't. We talked about it when we planned your surprise party."
"Hmm," Hermione responded, trying to fight down the feeling of being left out. She glanced at her watch. "Has anyone started studying?"
"What, exactly, was your agenda, Granger?"
Hermione gave Malfoy a look. "You didn't have to agree to this Malfoy."
"But yet, I did." Malfoy leaned back and tucked his arms behind his head. "So, please, let me know what was so important that I interrupted my day for you."
Hermione quirked an eyebrow at him and yanked out her time table with lists of what needed to be done and when. She took the few steps towards and Malfoy and shoved it into his chest. At the sudden force, Malfoy grabbed her arm to keep from falling. Hermione pulled at his grip but he didn't release it.
"Hmm..." Malfoy glanced over the sheet. "Signum Vitalis? You really think that's what we should be focusing on? There is going to be a test on the new healing spells next week."
Hermione snatched it back with her free hand, tearing it a little. "Signum Vitalis is the spell that guides you to which spell to use. If you don't understand the inherent magical disorder behind the imbalance, how do you expect to properly use a spell meant to correct that ailment?"
Malfoy tilted his head to the side. "We practice the healing spells too and you've won me over."
Hermione smiled and looked over to the other two, but Shandra was already reading something and occasionally muttering about it and John was completely entranced by her mouth.
"Erm..." Hermione turned back to Malfoy, who merely smirked.
"Poor kid."
Hermione bit her lip as she leaned a little closer and asked, "When did this happen?"
Malfoy shrugged. "Beats me. Not the type to document my friends' love lives."
Hermione raised her eyebrows again but returned to her seat.
"Now, the spell," Hermione started but was distracted when Malfoy pulled out his wand and pointed it towards her. "Erm..." she trailed off and tried to swallow against the sudden dryness in her mouth.
His wand hand tiled downwards as he rested it against the desk to brace him as he leaned towards her. "Granger?"
"It's- It's nothing."
He shrugged and brought his hand up again. She flinched, she couldn't help it. Apparently working with Daryn in class had only made her used to Daryn.
He made an annoyed sound. "Granger, if you didn't want me to practice with you, why didn't you ask someone else?" He shifted forward in his seat, starting to push off the desk with his hands
Hermione reached out and grabbed his hand. "Sit down!" she hissed.
He stopped trying to leave and cocked his head at her.
She glanced nervously over at their classmates. Shandra was showing John the exact wand movements and neither of them had looked up. Still, she whispered. "Malfoy, it's not just you. I have a hard time when anyone points a wand at me. Just... Just warn me before you point your wand, please?"
His face froze in a little frown.
"Malfoy?"
His face didn't change but he said, "I'm going to try the spell out now, okay, Granger?"
She swallowed and nodded.
His wand raised and Malfoy held eye contact with her as it traced through the familiar pattern. Hermione's heart rate sped up but she tried to keep her breathing even. When the spell ended he looked down at his book and the moment broke.
"How are we supposed to tell between such infinitesimal color changes?" he grumbled.
"Once you get used to them, it's not that difficult," Hermione supplied.
"What about those people who don't distinguish between colors so easily?"
"Well, I know that isn't you, Malfoy. I've seen how you dress."
He looked up sharply. "How I dress?"
"It's just always... very coordinated. Yes. That's it," Hermione stumbled. She wasn't about to tell him that she had overheard some girls talking about how well he dressed in class and then started noticing it herself.
There was a bark of laughter from her right and she looked over to see John grinning.
"I did it! Did you see that? It was perfect!" he crowed.
Shandra patted his hand with a small smile. "Your practicing is really starting to show," she agreed. "I think you'll pass as long as we keep this up."
John punched the air with his fist and then stood up and did a victory dance similar to an American Football player's touch down celebration. It was infectious to watch and everybody smiled, even Malfoy. Celebration completed, he looked over at Hermione and Malfoy. "How far have you guys got?"
Hermione was about to say 'not very' but Malfoy beat her to it. "We got distracted by discussing my wardrobe," he drawled.
"We were not!" Hermione protested and then blushed when she was pinned down by the stares of both John and Shandra. "It was just a sentence out of the whole conversation," she amended.
Shandra rested her cheek on her hand and smiled a slow almost closed-lip smile. "So clothes were discussed, then?"
"Apparently Granger thinks I'm a well-dressed man," Malfoy agreed.
"Shut it! All of you!" Hermione said, trying to cover her embarrassment, and picked up her wand. "Let's get back to the actual point of being here." She turned and pointed her wand at Malfoy. His fingers twitched almost imperceptibly around his wand. She dropped her wand's point. Maybe Malfoy had the same problems as she did.
She looked away to catch Shandra and John sharing a look before looking back at them. "What?" she asked defensively.
Shandra smirked and John winked. They were not thinking- Hermione sighed. Yes, they were. She rolled her eyes and proceeded to ignore them.
"Erm, what do you think you would follow that spell with in the clinic?" she asked Malfoy.
Malfoy was arching an eyebrow at John but turned when she spoke. "Well, if I've got this right, it looks like you do have an imbalance. Hmmm... I think I would test your magical balances first."
"What about the basic functions of the other systems?" Hermione argued. "Why the magical one first? It's part of this almost blind view of the magical culture-"
"Granger, calm down. You don't look in physical distress- well, other than getting worked up about the 'blindness of our culture.'" Hermione's mouth twitched but he continued, "Our lives are saturated by magic. Might as well rule it out at the very least."
"Ooh, he's got you there, Hermione!" John cracked.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, thank you, John."
"Ready, Granger?" Malfoy had his hand on his wand.
Hermione inhaled then nodded.
He performed the spell. He cocked his head and started muttering over his book again. "If I keep practicing on you, I'll never know what normal is, Granger."
"But you get to see what abnormal is," Hermione reasoned. "Actually try out some clinical reasoning."
"You're still taking those potions, aren't you?"
Hermione shrugged. "So?"
"Prolonged potion use can affect your magic."
"I know, Malfoy, I was in that class too. That's why I'm taking potions to counteract it."
Malfoy ran his fingers through his hair and raised an eyebrow but continued their previous line of conversation. "So, potions explain the magical imbalances, mostly. Ready for the next one?"
And so Malfoy ran through the various diagnostics spells as Hermione patiently sat through them. Each time, Malfoy would warn her before lifting his wand. Slowly, Hermione's heart stopped pounding each time his wand was pointed at her. She could feel the tightness in her chest slowly loosening.
He ran through the healing spells after that. None of them were very complex but it was difficult to produce them properly without the ailment.
In the middle of one of the spells, Hermione interrupted, "No, no, that's not how you do it. There was intention there. How do you expect it to actually affect a person's-"
"How do you know my intentions, Granger?" Malfoy retorted as he flipped his wand in his fingers. "Want a tour of my head?"
"With all the room your ego takes up, I don't think I'd fit."
"Ah, you're right. All that hair sure wouldn't."
"Now, listen-"
"Switch!" John yelled cheerfully.
Hermione and Malfoy paused to look up.
"Partners," John clarified. "Let's switch partners."
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.
"Ah, well, Shandra said it would be good practice for the exam," John said with a little laugh.
Shandra smiled blandly at all of them.
"Draco, my man, show me all your secrets," John said cheerfully.
Hermione switched desks to sit across from Shandra. "Is it alright if I start?" Hermione asked.
Because she had watched Malfoy and had gone into lengthy conversations about the spells, Hermione made quick work of the spells and it only took her a few tries to iron out even the more difficult ones.
"I guess they don't call you the 'Brightest Witch of her Age' for nothing," Shandra said admiringly.
"And it sells," Hermione added. "Nothing like one of the Golden Trio's own personal titles to catch the eye."
"Hmm... maybe that's part of it, but I just saw you in action. So, what was Draco's title in school? He never talks about it."
"Git," Hermione deadpanned. She saw Malfoy's head tilt in their direction.
"Git? No way was his nickname git," Shandra scoffed.
"Oh, you're right. There were generally expletives sprinkled in as well."
Hermione heard Malfoy snort.
"But surely if someone said 'The Git' nobody knew who you were talking about."
"It was a pretty easy to guess if you were given two chances," Hermione said.
Shandra pursed her lips and her eyebrows scrunched down. "Draco, is she really telling the truth?"
Malfoy shrugged. "I'd say git was one of the tamer titles I was given."
"What did you call her?"
"Swotty Gryffindor Princess, Bushy-haired-"
Hermione held a hand up. "I don't want to hear it, Malfoy."
"I haven't even gotten to the best ones."
"Just finish the spell practice, guys," Hermione groaned, turning back to Shandra.
Shandra leaned forward and tilted her face away from the boys. "So, finally seen how good Malfoy is?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You have very little comprehension of the situation, Shandra."
Shandra merely gave her a look from underneath her eyelashes.
"Really," Hermione affirmed in the face of Shandra's skepticism. "Anyway, can you come to the Wizard Children's Club on Friday?"
Shandra agreed and they started hammering out details until the librarian came and told them to leave.
"We weren't being that loud," John complained.
"It's closing time," corrected Hermione. "We've been here for hours!" She was cut off by a huge yawn.
"Don't forget about Daryn's Halloween gig this weekend!" Shandra called as they lined up to use the floos.
Everyone assented and left for their apartments.
Hermione expected to come home and fall into her bed exhausted. Instead she came home to Luna running past her frantically.
"Luna? Luna what's wrong?"
"There are reports of a rash of Tiyanak sightings along the coast!" Luna called over her shoulder as she pushed various vials into her bag.
"But it's almost ten o' clock! You don't have to check it out right away, do you?"
"It's actually really important, Hermione. Tiyanak often follow the presence of Dementors."
"Dementors?" Hermione took a moment to catch her breath. "I've never heard of that. Are you sure?"
Luna didn't bother replying and zipped up her bag. Luna tucked her hair back and then caught sight of Hermione's face.
"There have been no Dementor sightings, Hermione," she said gently. "It's important to check this, but you aren't in danger."
Hermione tried to smile. Luna pulled Hermione into a quick half-hug and then was gone through the floo.
"Dementors," Hermione muttered to herself. "No... It can't be. There haven't been any reports. No unusual killings in the news. We're fine. I'm fine." Still, her hands were shaking.
It took a long time to fall asleep that night.