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Linked by Philyra912
 Books » Harry Potter Rated: T, English, Romance, Draco M., Hermione G., Words: 61k+, Favs: 4k+, Follows: 920, Published: Jun 18, 2005 Updated: Jan 5, 2006
 2,542 Chapter 14: Beautiful Enemies
Disclaimer: I can think of a lot of things I'd like to own. Not least among them is the Harry Potter universe. Actually, if I owned that, I could probably buy all the other stuff I want. Hmm, now that's a plan . . .
A/N: First of all, I would like to apologize for the following piece of crappy writing (don't get mad at me, Lorett, it really is crappy):
"She cast her gaze down quickly, and therefore missed the look of puzzlement Malfoy sent her as a wave of gratitude washed over him, as cool and soothing as the breeze in spring."
This confused several people, for the simple fact that it wasn't clear, and I'm sorry. The gratitude was Hermione's because she was grateful to him for not bringing up that whole suicide thing, and who can blame her? It washed over him for obvious reasons, he was puzzled for equally obvious reasons, so on and so forth, forever and ever, amen. Sorry for the confusion.
Here's the next chapter. I'm debating about whether it's too romancy for this point in the story, but I don't think it is. Let me know, because I can always throw in a little Draco-the-pure-blooded-prat scene and slow this train down. Onto the chapter!
Chapter 13: Beautiful Enemies
In the familiar silence of the deserted library, they worked.
Despite his initial reluctance, Draco was soon as lost in the journals as Hermione. The first one he'd picked up, though ultimately unhelpful in his search, contained an extraordinary number of rather brilliant Healing potions and charms. Draco quietly prided himself on being well-versed in Healing magic (a necessary skill to acquire when one's closest relatives and circle of friends had the unfortunate propensity to get themselves into skirmishes with Aurors, Order members, and each other), and he was therefore aware of exactly how beneficial and ingenious her research really was. In some instances, her creations were now obsolete or redundant, the medical wizarding world having found ways to achieve the same result by different means, but many of the things he came across could change the face of mediwizardry as they knew it.
Pulled out of his reverie by the tingling shock waves of awed enthusiasm pulsing across the table from Hermione, he glanced up at her with curiosity. She was feverishly scribbling down notes on whatever Healing magic she had just come across, her excitement palpable even without the aid of their odd link. He seemed to remember that he had once overheard her chatting with Madam Pomfrey about the education and training required to become a Healer, and remembered the ease with which she had healed his aching head the morning before. It was little wonder that she was poring over the journals with such fervor; to a future Healer, Delilah James' research would be worth its weight in powdered horn of unicorn.
So engrossed was she in what she was doing that she didn't seem to feel his eyes on her, which she had often been able to do even before they'd taken the blasted potion that started this whole bloody mess. Draco took the opportunity to study his long-time adversary, and, perversely, the person who knew more about him than anyone else in the world.
Hermione Granger looked much the way one would expected a brainy, serious sort of girl to look. Her hair was wild and hopelessly unkempt, and a very common and unremarkable brown. She now wore it most often in a messy knot of untamable curls at the back of her head. Beneath that distinctive explosion of hair, her features were even and regular, but certainly not the sort of pretty that turned many heads at Hogwarts. Her skin was pale from too many hours cooped up with homework and dusty books, and her eyes were an unexceptional shade of golden brown. Though it was hard to tell beneath her voluminous and perfectly up-to-dress-code school uniform, she seemed to have a slight, petite build, and was perhaps an inch short of being exactly average in height.
