Quite a Pair

Chapter 3

Hermione walked into the courtyard with Draco's arm over her shoulder, guiding her. She is rereading the chapter on the transfiguration lesson they just had, hoping to cement the knowledge into her brain. Draco guides them over to their group of friends at their normal spot under one of the trees. Once they arrive, his arm drops from her shoulders and instead settles around her waist. 

"What did McGonagall want?" Blaise asked the couple. 

"She was just going over this weeks prefect patrols." Draco answered with a shrug "How is escorting going?" 

"Nothing to report yet. A few snide comments, mostly aimed at you of course." Blaise answered with a small smirk. 

"Of course." Draco rolled his eyes. 

"They don't expect anything yet. If you ask me, they might be to self absorbed to figure it out." Blaise said, motioning with his head to the other side of the courtyard. Harry and Ron seemed to be telling Neville a story, or several, and apparently have not noticed their best friend walk by. 

"Typical." Draco said with a snort. "Well we are going to head to potions now since Mia is deep in her book and it always slows us down a little bit." He brings his arm back to her shoulders and starts to lead her away. 

"Wait for me!" Theo calls, rushing to catch up with them. "Brown has been giving me looks all morning and I don't want to risk being cornered by her." 

Draco laughs and he sees Hermione's lips twitch up in a small smile. 

"Hey, I saw that, Granger! Can't get your head out of a book for anything but somehow my misery does the trick. Heartless." Theo pouts. 

Hermione glances up at Draco and rolls her eyes. "So dramatic." She mumbles, loud enough for Theo to hear. Draco laughs again and Theo just scowls at her. Hermione finishes her chapter right as they arrive to the potions classroom in the basement. Hermione and Draco are partners in this class so they settle in at their normal table. Theo sits at his normal table behind them and they both turn around to face him. 

"Seriously guys, what should I do about Brown? Ive told her several times that i'm not interested in her and she still wont back off." 

"Well, have you stopped shagging her?" Draco asked. Theo looked away with a grimace. 

"Oh for Merlin's sake Theo!" Hermione exclaimed. 

"Well what the bloody hell am I supposed to do?! Just last night she ambushed me walking to the Slytherin dorms after dinner and pulled me into the abandoned charms classroom. Then, before I could blink, she was on her knees, pulling out my--" 

"Ew! I don't want details! So gross!" 

"Oh please!" Theo rolls his eyes. "Im sure you and Draco have done that and more in the same classroom." 

"Yeah and that is never going to happen again. You've effectively ruined the room for me forever." Hermione said with a shiver. 

"Thanks a lot, Theo." Draco said with a glare. Theo just shot him a smirk. 

"What did Theo do now?" Pansy asked, taking her seat next to him. 

"He's a pig." Hermione replied. 

"Well I could have told you that." 

Hermione looked at Pansy. "'Anything?" 

Pansy shook her head in answer, a frown forming on her face. Hermione slumped in her own chair. 

"I'm sorry Pans. Men suck." 

"Hey!" Draco protested. 

"Not you sweetie." Hermione said, patting his cheek affectionately. He grabbed her hand and placed a quick kiss on her palm before he released it.

 The room had started to fill up with students and class was just about to start. Hermione was talking to Pansy again when the door opened and Blaise walked in, followed closely by Harry, Ron, Dean, and Hannah. Hermione's eyes flickered up at the sound of the door and she made eye contact with Ron and Harry. Both boys quickly smiled at her but she just turned her attention back to Pansy. 

Ron made to move towards her but Snape entered the room from the door behind his desk at that moment. 

"Potter. Weasley. Are you capable of finding the empty station by yourselves or should I have       Mr. Zabini hold your hands and walk you there as well?" Snape drawled in his normal bored tone. Blaise snickered from his seat next to Justin. Harry and Ron both glared at Snape and then stomped to the only empty station left. It was on the other side of the room, facing Hermione.  

"Very well. Today we will be brewing Essence of Dittany. This potion is able to fix almost any non-lethal wound instantaneously. It is a very advanced potion so I expect complete focus to get it done. The ingredients with instructions are on the board and I will be periodically checking in with each group to monitor your progress. You may begin." Snape finished, motioning to the board with his wand to reveal the ingredients and instructions. 

Hermione's station was right next to the storage pantry so she was able to get all their ingredients and make it back to her station before Harry or Ron could intercept her. She and Draco immediately started to work on their potion, prepping and adding the necessary ingredients. Hermione could feel Harry and Ron watching her from across the room but she just continued to ignore them. 

After about half the class time had passed, Hermione was stirring their potion absentmindedly when she felt Draco give her a small nudge. She looked up to see him already studying her face with a small frown. 

"You okay?" 

She nodded in response. His eyes scanned her face some more. 

"Talk to me." 

Hermione sighed "It's weird. I almost forgot they were here at all until they walked in the door. I thought I would see them and it would really hit me how much I missed them, but all I feel is.. indifferent? Does that make me a bad person?" 

Draco was silent for a couple minutes, thinking it through. Hermione loved that about him. He never dismissed her questions, and he always took his time to really think about it before he gave her an answer. 

"I think that for 6 years, Potter and Weasley were your only friends. Sure, you had Ginny and you were friendly with a lot of people, but it wasn't the same. And I think that they isolated you to an extent, by never giving you the confidence to try to deepen some of those relationships without them. Then they didn't come back to school, and they ignored your letters, and you were forced to build friendships with other people for once. And because you're so amazing, it was easier than you ever expected it to be. Now you have all these amazing relationships with so many people and you're finally realizing what all of us knew all along." Draco reached over to grab the ladle from her to continue stirring. 

"And what's that?" Hermione asked him quietly. 

"That there is so much more to you than just being Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley's best friend. And that you never needed them." He looked down at her then and held her gaze. She could see the seriousness in his eyes. She reached between them and interlaced her fingers with his. 

"Thank you." She whispered and he squeezed her hand. She leaned against him slightly and squeezed his hand back before releasing it and turning back to their potion.