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Hermione made her way back to the Gryffindor common room after her surprising conversation with Draco. She sat down to reread Where the Red Fern Grows, and only two minutes later did Harry, Parvati, Padma, and Eloise enter the common room, covered in snow.
“Mione!” Harry called. “How was Malfoy?”
Hermione looked away from her book long enough to call back, “Okay.”
“I can’t believe Malfoy,” Eloise said. “He tries to kill Dumbledore and yet he has the balls to talk to Hermione. If I were you, Mione, I would’ve hexed him into next week.”
Hermione bit back a snappy retort. Ever since Draco and her conversation, she had started feeling pity towards the young Malfoy. It wasn’t his fault he was forced into the war.
“Yeah, well, I didn’t. I actually agreed to tutoring him,” Hermione responded.
A long silence ensued. Hermione enjoyed this time to go back to her reading until she heard Harry say, “You what?”
“He asked if I could tutor him in Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and I said sure.”
“Mione,” Parvati said, “I know you’re all about forgiving and forgetting, but you can’t forget this is Malfoy we’re talking about, the boy whose aunt gave you your-”
“I know,” Hermione interrupted. “But it wasn’t Draco who did it, was it?”
“Draco?” Harry asked. “You’re calling Malfoy-”
“By his real name, yeah,” Hermione interrupted again. “Honestly, Harry, just because his last name is Malfoy doesn’t mean he’s like the rest of his family.”
Harry’s mouth dropped open. “Hermione, when we were in third year he called you a Mudblood! He obviously knows what he’s doing!”
“He only said that because his father uses the word mercilessly. You can’t blame him for that.”
“Watch me,” Harry snapped. “I’m sorry, Hermione, but I’m not letting you go around the castle with Malfoy.”
“You’re not letting me?” Hermione laughed. “Last time I checked, I don’t need your permission, Harry. Anyways, I can take care of myself.”
“Hermione, what I think Harry’s concerned about is that you may not know when Draco’s genuine or not. There’s too much that could go wrong,” Padma said.
“You’re right then, Harry,” Hermione agreed. “I’ll never know when Draco’s genuine or not. But I do know that if he picks up his wand against me, I’ll be the first to hex his brains out, alright, Harry?”
Harry grunted, but soon said, “Yeah, alright.”

On Monday morning, Hermione woke up with Parvati and Eloise leaning over her bed, shaking her awake.
“Mione! You’ve got a letter from your boyfriend!” Parvati yelled.
“My what?” Hermione groaned into her blanket.
Parvati waved a rolled-up foot of parchment in her face. “You got a letter from Won-won!”
Oh, Ron.
Hermione snatched the parchment from Parvati’s hands. Both Parvati and Eloise stood there waiting for her to open it, until she finally said, “I’m not opening it in front of you two.”
“Oh,” Parvati said. “So, it’s that kind of mail,” she emphasized by wriggling her eyebrows.
“Oh, shut up,” Hermione complained.
Hermione waited for Parvati and Eloise to clear the room before she started reading her letter.
Dear Mione,
Blimey, I wish you were hear at the Burrow with me. Mum made us clean, and it would’ve been much faster with you here. I wanted to ask Mum if I could stay at Hogwarts, but I would’ve been dead if I had.
Guess what, Mione? George asked me if I wanted to run Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes with him! I know you’d think that’s a waste of time but look at how bloody rich it got him! I told him I’d think about it, but I’m gonna say yes.
Really, I hate being away from you. I wish you’d have come, because I don’t want to be like Harry and Ginny. I’ve been trying to get out of her who she’s been snogging over Harry’s head, but last time I asked I got hit by a nasty bat-boogey hex. Maybe you should try and get it out of Harry this time.
We’re going to Diagon Alley to buy Christmas presents, and I’ve already got a surprise for you. Believe me, it’ll be wicked.
Love you Mione,
Ron.
Hermione put down the letter on her bedside table. She felt disappointed. She has expected it to be a romantic letter, something that would say, “I’m sorry I’m such an introvert in person, maybe this letter will make you fall in love with me again,” not, “Hey, buddy”. But what was she supposed to expect?
“Whatever,” Hermione sighed. She figured that she would write to Ron this evening.
Hermione hurried down to breakfast. She sat between Harry and Hannah, who were in a conversation about Potions.
“I don’t know why you continued potions, Harry,” Hannah said. “It’s just a waste of time.”
Harry stuffed a piece of toast in his mouth. “Buh Hannah, I eed oo ake potions ef I-” Harry swallowed, “-If I wanna be an Auror.”
“Harry, I think it’s fantastic that you want to be an Auror,” Hannah said, “but haven’t you done enough already? I mean, after You-Know-Who-”
“You might as well call him Voldemort, Hannah,” Hermione said. “He’s dead anyways.”
Hannah slightly cringed at the name. “I know, but,” she shrugged. “old habits.”
“So, Mione,” Parvati sang. “How was your letter from your boyfriend?”
“Yeah, Mione,” Eloise said. “What was so bad about it that you had to chase us out of the room?”
“I did not,” Hermione said.
“Yeah, you pretty much did,” Parvati countered.
Harry almost choked on his toast. “Ron sent you a letter?”
“Yeah, why?”
Harry’s expression showed slight disappointment. “Yeah, well, he didn’t send me anything.”
Parvati rolled her eyes. “Obviously he didn’t, because he didn’t want to write a letter to you after he had written a descriptive letter to Hermione-”
“The only special thing he said to me was that wished I was there, because their chores would go by faster,” Hermione snapped.
Padma cringed. “Ouch.”
Hermione shook her head. “What can you expect? It’s Ron,” Hermione turned to Harry. “And, Harry, how are you and Ginny?”
Harry stopped mid-chew, and responded, “I dunno wha you’re alking bout.”
Hermione gave him a knowing look. “Yes, you do. Ginny been in the clouds, and you’ve been down on earth. What happened?”
Harry swallowed his food, blushed, then said, “Nothing happened. Just…”
“Just what?” Parvati inquired.
Harry shrugged. “I dunno. Ginny’s just been acting weird lately.”
“Then are you going to dump her?” Padma asked.
Harry gave her a cold stare. “No. I’ll wait, and if nothing happens, we’ll just separate. I’m not nasty enough to dump her.”
Padma shrugged. “Sorry for asking, jeez.”
Harry shook his head. “Why are you asking, Mione?”
“Because Ron asked. Seems Ginny’s been acting weird around the Burrow as well.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Parvati said. “I thought Luna liked her for a while.”
It was true. After her fifth year, Luna had admitted to Hermione that she had a soft-spot for Ginny, but didn’t know what to do about it, since all she ever dated were guys. Hermione had felt bad for Luna, but was it any different than Ginny’s crush on Harry? She knew she had no chance but look where she was now. But Hermione couldn’t guess on anything, because all Hermione could know is that Ginny is as straight as a pencil. But you never know.
Harry almost choked on his orange juice. “What?”
“You didn’t know?” Hannah said without looking up from her oatmeal. “I thought it was obvious.”
“Yeah, but Harry’s as observant as a brick wall,” Parvati answered.
“True,” Hermione agreed.
“Hey!” Harry complained. “I am very observant!”
“You didn’t notice me time-traveling miles around you for our whole third year,” Hermione offered.
“Ron didn’t either!”
Hermione shrugged. “At least he asked questions.”
Harry drank the rest of his orange juice and slammed the glass on the table. “Alright, I’m done with this conversation. I’m going to write Ginny a letter. See you later, Mione.”
As Harry left, Eloise made a surprised face. “Damn, someone’s mad.”

Hermione headed towards the Potions dungeon at two o’clock to see Draco already there, waiting for her. He had obviously been staring impatiently at the door just to stage his reaction as she walked in, but it created the same effect nonetheless.
“Glad you finally made it, Granger,” Draco sneered. “I thought you were tutoring me, not the other way around.”
Hermione returned his sneer. She sat down at the table closest to the front and starting un-packing her equipment.
Draco grunted but sat down next to her and started unpacking his possessions as well. When they were both done, Hermione opened her book to the Table of Contents. She gestured to the book when Draco gave her a confused face.
“What do you want from me, Granger?”
Hermione frowned. “I thought we were calling each other by our first names, Draco. And anyways, pick a potion so we can make it.”
Draco sneered. “That’s it?”
Hermione returned his sneer with a smile. “Yep, that’s it.”
Draco b gave Hermione an overexaggerated blink, then looked at the potions book. He shrugged, then said, “You pick, I don’t care.”
Hermione rolled her eyes. “Fine. How about we start with some simple ones?”
Draco leaned back in his chair and put his arms behind his head. “Nah, how about we start with some hard ones?”
“Like what, Draco?”
“I dunno, Hermione.”
Hermione got an idea. “Well, then just close your eyes and point at the page, and we’ll make whatever potion you point at, or whichever one is closest to where you point.”
Draco grunted and did as she said. He closed his eyes and slammed his finger onto a Snuffling Potion.
“Hm,” Hermione said. “That’s too simple. How about,” Hermione moved his hand aside, “we’ll do the Invisibility Potion instead, okay?”
“Alright,” Draco grunted.
So, they did. As Draco crushed down the cherries, Hermione asked, “Why ask me?”
Draco didn’t look away from his task while saying, “I already told you. Every teacher adores you.”
“Yes,” Hermione said, slightly annoyed, “but plenty of others that are also teacher’s favorites.”
Draco sighed. “I guess, but none of them would be willing to tutor a Death Eater, now would they, Hermione?”
Hermione nodded. “I guess. I just thought, since I am,” Hermione tugged on her left sleeve to slightly reveal her scar, “a Mudblood-”
“Why would you call yourself that? It’s like you’re insulting yourself.”
“It’s true though. I am Muggleborn, and that’s fine by me.”
Draco poured the cherries into the cauldron, and it turned a fair red. “Well, on a bright note, the potion’s done.”

(Sorry it took a while to get this next chapter out. And next time I swear, this story will get more interesting. Please have patience!!!)