Cunning Yet Kind [Draco/Harry]

Chapter Eleven

When December rolled around, the entirety of Ravenclaw house was back to speaking with Draco and other houses as well. Even Slytherin house was warming up to him, that's including Ginny Weasley who - although Draco still hated her - wasn't as annoying as she let people believe. Draco thought it was nice that all those he used to speak to and some new people finally pushed aside whatever it was that kept them from being remotely nice to him. Harry was even ecstatic when his house mates began to invite Draco to watch them practice for Quidditch (only, of course, so he could watch Harry) and to sit with them occasionally during dinner. However, Draco wasn't happy. He hadn't been.

He missed Hermione.

She wasn't just ignoring him now. She wasn't sitting in her normal seat at the Ravenclaw table, she wouldn't walk near enough to Draco just incase the boy wanted to reach out for her. She had switched seats in almost every class they shared, the most notable being Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. One day, in Defense, their professor - Remus Lupin - was teaching them about the three Unforgivable Curses. Walking by Hermione and Pansy, Remus had asked Hermione softly if she could name one of the three. She heard Harry snicker under his breath - who was later yelled at by Draco - as she shook her head, a look of fright on her face. She didn't want to learn about the curses. She only wanted to prevent them. Remus went about asking Neville Longbottom and Greggory Goyle about the Cruciatus curse and the Imperius curse.

As he wandered the classroom, Remus' attention turned to Harry - who was being glared at by Draco - and made his way over to their desk, leaning forward towards the Slytherin.

"Might you, Mister Potter, tell is about the last Unforgivable?" Remus asked kindly, a warm smile on his face. Even though he taught Defense, he never seemed to be in a bad mood. After all, he was happily engaged to Sirius Black and he enjoyed every moment of his job. Avoiding eye contact with Lupin, Harry shook his head. Draco looked at him oddly while Hermione and Pansy turned to look. Remus' brows furrowed. "Why's that?"

Harry's lips were pressed together tightly as he looked down at the desk, ignoring his professor. Draco placed his hand on Harry's knee for comfort as he looked at him, frowning. Remus sighed, gave Harry a nod and headed to the blackboard. Hermione was looking at Harry with some sort of look, as though she felt sympathy for him. As though she understood why. After all, Harry had never liked the Killing Curse and he had every reason. Listening to Professor Lupin write on the blackboard, Harry leaned towards Draco, who was still looking at him oddly, and took the hand Draco had resting on Harry's knee and intertwined their fingers. Draco have Harry's hand a quick squeeze before turning his attention back to the class. Hermione looked puzzled from the sight of Harry reaching out to Draco for comfort.

Another day, in Transfiguration, they had been split up into groups of three. Hermione noticed when Draco was in a group with Potter - he was always Potter to Hermione - and Ginny. Something inside her began to bubble up, as though she could explode at any moment, but she didn't. Herself, Pansy and Crabbe simply worked on during a writing quill into a bird. To no shock to Hermione, Draco had done it as quickly as her, leaving the other two of each group to figure it out. Hermione kept glancing over at Draco and Potter, watching as Draco laughed when Potter had only turned his quill halfway, making a disgruntled noise in result. She watched as Draco watched Potter, as though he was some sort of moving art piece in a gallery that he was studying. It made her stomach turn and she didn't know why.

Now, it was the day before Slughorn's Christmas party. Everyone - expect Hermione, and she hoped Ron - had dates. Pansy was going with Blaise, Crabbe had asked Hannah Abbot instead of Ginny Weasley, Justin was going with Luna Lovegood, Cedric was going with fellow Ravenclaw Cho Chang, Draco was - aggravatingly enough - going with Potter and Hermione, well.. Ron hadn't asked her. After months and many chances, he still hadn't even mentioned it to her. He had said he had a question to ask her, but never got around to it. It made Hermione wonder if he was just nervous, or if he didn't like her enough to ask. But, she did her best not to get hung up on it.