Breaking the Habit (D/H)

It was a just another day. A Tuesday, to be exact. Hermione Granger walked out of her dorm to meet Harry and Ron in the Great Hall. She had breakfast and went to her classes (History of Magic, Herbology, and Transfiguration). She ate lunch and went to Charms and Potions. It was in that final class that this Tuesday took a turn for the extremely bizarre.

"Miss Granger," Snape drawled, "If you can bear to be parted from the Gryffindor hero and his sidekick, please move up to this front desk with Mr. Malfoy."

"Yes professor," Hermione said as politely as she could after the dig at her friends.

Snape gave instructions to the rest of the class about how they were to pair up and attempt (because he highly doubted that they would get it right) a Fainting Solution.

"Should you correctly concoct the first three ingredients, the fumes will be kept hovering directly above your cauldron. You may begin," he said. He turned back to Draco and Hermione, "We'll see how your friends do without the two of you hissing instructions at them…"

So, thought Hermione, this was just another way to make Harry look bad. Well, at least Crabbe and Goyle would suffer too.

"Granger," Malfoy said, "I know you don't like me. I certainly don't like you. So let's just finish this potion, get our A, and get out of here. Sound good?"

"Sure," Hermione said, slightly taken aback. Malfoy's words, harsh to anyone else, were positively pleasant to Hermione.

"Would you cut up the billywig wings?" he asked, "I'll measure the unicorn horn."

"Good idea," she said. He looked at her quizzically, as if trying to figure out whether or not she was taking the mickey. Finally, he looked back to what he was doing.

Though she hated to admit it, she was enjoying working with Malfoy. Sure, he only talked when he needed something; and he constantly called her "Granger", but it was good having a competent Potions partner for once. She loved both Ron and Harry, but having to constantly whisper instructions and correct things could get a little wearing.

The class wore on. It seemed that they might make it through their block of double Potions without incident, but then…

"Arrghhhh!"

Oh no, Hermione thought, Neville's melted his cauldron again.

Without the protective ingredients kept in a small space, the fumes and liquid were quickly spreading; and Gryffindors were dropping like flies…

"Outside! Outside, everyone!" Snape yelled angrily.

There was a mad scramble for the back door. Draco and Hermione took their time, seeing as running to the door would only get them stuck close to the fumes. Finally, everyone made it outside. Snape got rid of the potion spill and revived those unlucky enough to get the worst of it.

"You will work with your partners on a paper," he said when they had filled back into their seats, "The correct way to brew this potion. Five feet, to be handed in next Friday. Class dismissed."

The students exited the dungeon and Hermione caught up with Ron and Harry.

"Bad luck Hermione, stuck working with Malfoy," Harry said sympathetically.

"It wasn't bad," she said walking up the stairs.

"Wasn't bad?" Ron asked incredulously, "Hermione, this is Malfoy we're talking about—"

"I know that, Ron," she told him," but he was alright, honestly."

"You think he's confunded her without anyone noticing?" Ron asked Harry.

"Might have," Harry said, looking concerned.

"You two! No one's confunded me, ok?" Hermione said, exasperated.

"Weasley, could I talk to Granger for a moment?" said a voice from behind them.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked.

Draco rolled his eyes at the two boys' protectiveness.

"She's my Potions partner Potter," he said evenly, "We need to set a time to study."

"Is tomorrow night ok?" Hermione asked him.

"'s fine. See you in the library at seven. Don't be late Granger," he said, walking away.

"What," Ron said after Malfoy walked away, "was that? Did he get a personality transplant?"