Chapter 1:  Seating Arrangements

"Good morning class, I hope that you all had a nice summer," Professor Vector smiled widely at her students. "As you can see our class is a little larger this year when compared to previous years. For some reason, there isn't a very high demand for Arithmancy among most of your classmates. I have no idea why," she grinned wryly at her class. "But since the numbers were so low, Headmaster Dumbledore has decided to combine all the houses together to have their Arithmancy lesson at the same time."

Hermione sat at the front table smiling at Professor Vector, next to her sat Dean Thomas, they had worked together for the last two years. For the first time, Hermione actually noticed that the class was larger than it had been before, not much larger though. Dean and her were the only fifth year Gryffindors taking Arithmancy, they'd had it last year and the year before with the Ravenclaws while Hufflepuff and Slytherin were together on a separate day. But now that she looked around the classroom she was surprised to see Hannah Abbot and Justin Finch-Fletchely, two Hufflepuffs. She could also see Blaise Zambini, a Slytherin, out of the corner of her eye. Hermione had to admit that it was still a small class. She turned her attention back to the Professor who was still talking. 

"I believe that you have all fallen into a rut of conformity and tradition. You all sit together, ready to work with the exact same people, your books are out and prepared, you even sit in the same seats as last year. You are young! You must seize life, you must experience new things, and I'm about to help you do it." She smiled at them again, ignoring their shocked faces.

Hermione turned to Dean with an eyebrow raised; this wasn't the Professor Vector that she knew. This wasn't the same quiet; shy Professor that they'd had in previous years. What Hermione didn't know was that over the summer Professor Vector had experienced a little unpleasantness with a banshee. She returned to Hogwarts a changed woman longing for adventure, and she had decided to help her students experience life to it's fullest, whether they wanted to or not.

"With this being said, I've decided to change some things around here. First off, all of your work will be done in pairs. We won't be using the books nearly as much as we have before. Arithmancy is a delightful and complicated magic, but you need to put it to use. So we will be having a more hands on year. I'm sure that we will all have fun." Professor Vector grinned triumphantly at their doubting faces.

"Oh yes, one more thing, I'm assigning you new partners." Hannah and Justin looked petrified around the room, they were the only Hufflepuffs there, and they also happened to be a couple. Professor Vector saw their distraught faces and laughed.

"Now, now Justin, Hannah, it won't harm either of you to spend a few hours apart." But from the looks on their faces, Hermione could tell that they greatly doubted this. "I've already broken you up into pairs that I believe will suit you all nicely." And with this the Professor pulled a list out of her book and started to read the new groupings.

"Ms. Abbot and Mr. Boot"
"Mr. Finch-Fletchley and Ms Perks"
"Mr. Thomas and Ms. Broklehurst"

Hermione sighed as Dean stood up and collected his things. He smiled at her before walking over to where Mandy Broklehurst, a Ravenclaw, was sitting. Hermione was sad to see him go, Dean was surprisingly good at Arithmancy, and they had worked very well together. She suddenly realized that almost everyone else had been paired up, had she missed her name?

"Oh yes, Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy." Professor Vector folded up her list and turned to put it away.

Hermione choked, Malfoy? "But Malfoy isn't even in this class, is he?" She wondered to herself. A sickening feeling was rising up inside of her, "He's not in this class, I heard wrong, he's not in this class," she repeated to herself. Slowly she turned around in her seat and sure enough, sitting in the last row was Draco Malfoy, glaring at her.

"Pr...Professor Vector?" She called out in a shaky voice, Professor Vector turned to look at her, "Professor, I don't think that Malfoy and I can work together." The Professor raised her eyebrows in amazement; Hermione never questioned a teacher.

"It's just that...that our views are so often...opposing." Hermione continued trying to give the professor a charming smile while that nauseous feeling swirled in her stomach. 

"Nonsense Ms. Granger, my two best Arithmancy students paired together, I can't wait to see what the two of you can do. And besides, opposites attract." Hermione blanched at her teacher's words. She couldn't believe her luck, her favorite class. She turned and looked over her shoulder at Malfoy, he was giving her a dark look. Finally he spoke.

"Well," he drawled out, "I'm not coming to you Granger." Hermione sent him a cold glare before she started to gather her books. As she walked towards the back of the room Dean caught her eye and gave her a commiserating smile.

"Yeah, like he has any idea," grumbled Hermione, "he gets to work with a Ravenclaw, I have to work with a Slytherin, and not just any Slytherin." She thought angrily as she reached the table where Malfoy was sitting. With a deep sigh she placed her books as far from Malfoy as possibly. She pulled out a quill and started to diligently take notes. After a few minutes she was able to forget that she was sitting next to her most hated adversary, that is, until a strong breeze from the open window blew a roll of parchment across the table coming to rest against Malfoy's arm. Not paying any attention, Hermione reached out for it, accidentally brushing Malfoy with her fingertips as she took back the parchment.

"Don't, touch me Mudblood," Malfoy hissed at her, moving farther down the table from her. Hermione looked up startled, with extreme dislike she glared at him.

"Malfoy, the day that I willingly touch you is the day that you can stick a bow on my head and ship me off to Voldemort to become a Death Eater." She snapped at him angrily, putting the misbehaving parchment back into her bag.

Draco was oddly impressed, not many people were brave enough to say the Dark Lord's name, he was sure that his father never said it if at all possible. He returned to his notes, his were almost as neat and orderly as Hermione's. Draco was beginning to get bored though; Professor Vector was now explaining something to that stupid Hufflepuff girl, something that Draco had figured out ages ago. Turning to look at Granger, he noticed that she too wasn't listening. "No time like the present to wreck some havoc," he thought with an evil grin.

"So Granger, where are Potty and the Weasel?" Hermione didn't look up. "I wouldn't think that you'd be able to stand being separated from your boyfriend for a whole class period. Which one is it again? Or do they just trade you amongst themselves?" Draco was pleased to see that Hermione was starting to flush with anger. "Not that it's your fault, you might be a dirty Mudblood, but I can understand how neither Potty or the Weasel would be enough of a man for any girl, if you can call yourself a gi..."

Before Malfoy could finish his sentence, Hermione had taken her Arithmancy book, which was four times larger than any of their other books, and soundly hit him in the shoulder with it. She hit him hard enough that Malfoy, who had certainly not expected an attack, was knocked right out of his chair.

"Ms. Granger!" Professor Vector was staring at her, the book still clenched in her hands daring Malfoy to keep talking. Hermione was suddenly aware of all eyes upon her.

"Umm...Professor, I'm so sorry, I slipped." Hermione started to count to ten under her breath as she put the book back down on the desk. Malfoy stood up, still rubbing his shoulder, and warily sat in his chair.

"Yes, well we'll try to avoid that in the future. Right Ms. Granger?" Professor Vector asked.

"Of course Professor, of course." Hermione gave her a sweet smile and tried to look innocent and turned once again to her notes. She kept her head down afraid that Professor Vector might notice the triumphant smile on her face. Dean certainly had, he turned and gave her a thumbs-up when Vector was looking away. 

Hermione and Malfoy sat silently for the rest of the class, pointedly ignoring each other, although Malfoy did keep a wary eye on her. Professor Vector passed out a few Arithmancy chart for their homework. Hermione was surprised, they were more detailed than any previous chart that she had done before, and it was also much longer.

"Now don't be concerned class, I know this looks a little long, but you're supposed to be working with your partner now. I expect you to do this work together." Vector smiled at Hermione, obviously oblivious to the look of absolute disbelief that she was wearing.

"How can she possibly expect me to work with that...that self-centered, egotistical, malicious, evil..." Hermione probably would have continued muttering expletives at Malfoy under her breath if he hadn't reached over and plucked the chart out of her hands. "Hey, give that back, that's my homework!" She reached out angrily for it.

"It's my homework to you know," he snapped at her, "just let me do it."

"Oh of course Malfoy, I'm going to entrust my grade to the likes of you! Give it to me, I'll do it!" Hermione again lunged forward and tried to pluck the parchments from his hands.

"Yes, I'm dying to let my excellent grade rest in your ever so caring hands. There is no way that I'm going to let you do this." Malfoy stepped back dodging her hands as she grabbed for the charts.

"Fine, we'll have to do it together then." She muttered.

"Fine, we'll meet in the library," Malfoy agreed finally, spitting the words out as if they hurt him.

"Fine, seven o'clock tonight." Hermione spat back, and then seeing her opportunity, swept for forward and snatched several of the charts back out of his hands. "And I'll just keep these with me until then." And before he could even react she had plunged them deep into her bag and slipped down out into the corridor to be lost amid the bustle of the students.

Chapter 2:  The Library

Draco silently closed the door to the boy's dormitory behind him, he wanted to slam it shut, but all of his years in the Malfoy manner had taught him to act coolly and hide strong emotions. His father had always told him that showing emotions only gave someone a means to control you, Draco let a small frown creep onto his features as he thought about Lucius. As much as he disliked thinking about his father it was slightly better than the alternative at the moment.

"That blasted Mudblood," Draco growled to no in particular since the room was empty.

Walking to his four-poster in the corner of the low ceiling room he drew back his dark green curtains and laid down on his bed. His arms crossed over his chest and his eyes closed, he let his body drift peacefully into the meditative state that Lucius had ground into him at an early age. According to Lucius, one must be centered in order to be powerful. Draco continued to let his mind delve over thoughts of his parents, he hadn't heard from them in several weeks, which was fine as far as he was concerned. His father had been busy with business associates, although Draco highly doubted that any business that his father might be conducting with that lot was legal. Draco gave a small scornful laugh as he thought of Lucius and his friends, those death eaters. Draco had worshiped his father as a child, but with the return of Voldemort, Draco had seen how weak his father was. Draco could really care less about the plight of Mudbloods or those stupid muggles. But to see his father prostrate himself to a man that had been reduced to a shattered wreck by a mere infant had made Draco sick. With the return of Voldemort, Lucius had talked of little else on the rare occasions when he came home. He had told Draco again and again how wonderful everything would be now that the Dark Lord had been returned to power. The Dark Lord, Lucius hadn't even been able to say his name. Draco had wondered how anyone that could invoke such terror from his own supporters could possibly be good for anybody. In his mind he could see the horrified expression of his father's face when he had told him that he had no intention of becoming a death eater, The horror had quickly turned to rage, Lucius had almost killed him that night, Draco had come back to Hogwarts a few days later without ever seeing his father, He could see in his mind the pale face, so similar to his own, suffused with anger. Draco could feel himself drifting slowly into sleep, the image of his father still infused on his mind when another, even more unwelcome visage appeared. An angry face surrounded by a cloud of bushy brown hair. Draco groaned and sat up.

"Stupid Mudblood," he muttered under his breath.

Draco couldn't believe that Professor Vector had paired him with one of Potter's merry sidekicks. He glanced at his watch, he would be leaving for dinner in a few minutes, and then he would have to go to the library and meet her. He made a face as he thought about the upcoming encounter. Draco wondered what Lucius would think if he found out that he was working with a Mudblood, Draco grinned to himself then, Lucius would be beside himself in fury, and that almost made working with Granger worthwhile.

The dormitory door crashed open and Draco could hear heavy footsteps approaching his bed.

"Draco, you there?" Pulling back his curtains, Draco looked into the dull faces of Crabbe and Goyle.

"It's time for dinner," Crabbe told him proudly, obviously impressed with his ability to tell time.

Draco dug through his pile of textbooks until he found the Arithmancy book. Crabbe and Goyle looked surprised as he slipped it into his pack and then pulled it up onto his shoulder. Draco sighed and wished yet again for smarter companions.

"I have to meet that Mudblood Granger in the library after dinner. We have to do our Arithmancy homework together." He told them this in a slow even voice, hoping that he wouldn't have to explain things to them.

"Well why do you want to go do a thing like that?" Goyle asked despite Draco's silent prayer that they would actually be able to comprehend something.

"It isn't as if I planned it, Professor Vector assigned us as partners, I don't have a choice. Now we had better hurry or we'll miss dinner." Draco switched topics quickly not really wanting to talk about Granger if he could help it.

His ploy worked as Crabbe and Goyle's eyes lit up at the mention of food and the trio made their way out of the dorms and up to the great hall.



Draco stood momentarily in front of the library doors. He studied their wood paneling then his eyes swept down, examining the large stone slabs that made up most of the floor in Hogwarts. He ruefully acknowledged that he had no real interest in the doors to the library. Draco felt a sliver of shame, Malfoy's did not stall, especially not when it came to insufferable Mudblood, All eyes in the library rose to watch him when he swung the doors open more forcefully than he had intended. The thick wooden doors banged into the stonewalls with a resounding thud that drew a furious look from Madame Pince

Draco found Granger on the far side of the library hidden deep amongst the various shelves. She had obviously hoped that he wouldn't be able to find her, annoyance was plainly clear across her face. He gave her a sour look before pulling a chair back from the small table and sat down.

"You're late," she said looking back down at the charts that she had already started on.

"I would have been on time had you not wanted to find such a secluded spot for our rendezvous." Draco said calmly, a small smirk playing at the corners of his mouth

"Do you really want people to see us working together?" She hissed at him.

"Why should I care what other people think, you're the Mudblood, not me," Draco shuffled through the neat stack of charts on the table and began to work.

Granger started to speak, but seemed to think better of it and returned to the chart that she had been working on. Silence followed for quite some time and Draco soon lost himself in the chart. Arithmancy had always come easy to him, figuring out the long charts and scrolls of numbers had always been oddly comforting to him, He believed that it was the order that they represented that he liked. So much of the magical world was ruled by chance and odd occurrences, but Arithmancy had rules and structure. Finishing the chart, he let a smile of triumphant cross his face. It had always pleased him that he was so good at something that most people found so hard, He looked up from the chart and his gray eyes met brown ones. Granger was still sitting across from him; the other Arithmancy chart lay finished in front of her. Granger had her arms crossed over her chest and she was watching him, studying him.

"I know that I'm astonishingly handsome, but don't you have anything better to do with your time?" The smile left his face as he glared at her annoyed that she had been watching him surprised that he hadn't noticed, and rather put out that she had finished her chart first.

"Have you always been so conceited? Does it just happen naturally or do you really have to work at it?" Her brown eyes hadn't left his yet and he was beginning to find her gaze rather disconcerting.

"Actually I can be quite the gentleman when the mood takes me. That's very rare of course." Draco was smiling at her sardonically now, enjoying the way that she seemed to fidget when he smiled, he liked that he could make know-it-all Granger nervous. Draco continued to smile at her, now he was the one forcing eye contact, her deep brown eyes widened and Draco felt a strange tingle in the pit of his stomach. Surprised, he blinked his eyes and allowed Granger the time to look away.

"Are you finished?" She asked, reaching for his chart. Her voice sounded slightly odd and her hand trembled ever so slightly as she picked up the chart.

Lucius had trained Draco to watch people; he had always claimed that if you knew what to look for, you would never have need of a truth potion. Most people cannot hide their true emotions and fears he had always told Draco. But as Draco studied the girt, he found that he didn't know what she was thinking. After another moments pause, he began to check her chart, looking for some mistake, praying for some small mistake. There were none though, he handed back her chart unmarked, and he wasn't surprised when his own came back unmarked.

'You didn't mess up Granger, congratulations." He told her.

"Oh shut up Malfoy," She retorted as she shoved her Arithmancy book back into her sack. "We are going to be working together from now on, you could try to be a little less unpleasant."

"You could try to brush your hair, but I won't hold my breath," He smugly began to gather up his belongings.

"Oh go walk off a cliff Malfoy," Granger snapped at him as she struggled with the clasp on her bag.

Without thinking Draco reached across the table and easily twisted the strap to one side and slipped the snap closed. Granger was staring at him in surprise. Draco himself was feeling rather surprised. Without a single word to her he turned and walked away.

Draco walked out through the large library doors and found Crabbe and Goyle leaning against the wall across from him. They had been busy leering at a couple of first years that had nervously wandered by, but they snapped to attention when they noticed Draco. 

"What are you two doing here?" He asked them.

"Well, we came to find you." Crabbe told him.

"Well yes, obviously, I'm surprised that you even knew where the library was. But what do you want?" Draco responded.

"I heard from a seventh year that the gamekeeper had some large crate arrive for him today. It was brought by a bunch of wizards too. He saw them carrying it around the lake in his Herbology class." Goyle was being much more informative than usual.

"We thought that it would be funny to sneak out and see what's in the crate, don't you think it would be funny Draco?" Crabbe asked him.

"Yes, actually, I think it could be very funny indeed." Draco felt someone's eyes upon him again and he turned to see Granger watching them from the doorway, He wondered what she had heard. It took Crabbe and Goyle a little longer to notice her, but when they did they started towards her menacingly. Granger just turned and walked away her head held high.

Chapter 3:  Into the Woods

Hermione sat crankily at a table in the back of the Gryffindor common room; She was still trying to calm down after her meeting with Malfoy. "That self-centered prat," she muttered, crumpling up a piece of parchment with a fit of anger before realizing to late that it was her homework for Transfiguration. "Damn it," She grumbled as she tried to straighten out the sheet. The parchment was decidedly against flattening out though; with a deep groan she pulled out a new piece of parchment preparing to transcribe it all over again.

"Stupid Malfoy," she muttered under her breath, she had been unable to get his cruel smirk out of her mind since she had left the library.

She spent a few minutes writing, her mind wandered from Malfoy and happily immersed itself in her work. A cool breeze blew across the table from the near-by window, floating papers to the floor. As she pulled the window shut, something caught her eyes. Three figures were skirting the lake, dodging behind trees and rocks, heading towards the forbidden forest, towards Hagrid's hut. Hermione watched interestedly, wondering who they were. One figure, the leader, stopped and waited for the two larger ones. Hermione strained her eyes trying to catch some feature in the disappearing light. A shock of white blond hair got her attention, immediately she felt her blood start to boil.

"Malfoy," she hissed, her fists clenching.

If the leader was Malfoy there was no doubt about the other two, Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione jumped to her feet, turning to get Harry and Ron, she suddenly remembered that they were at Quidditch practice. Ron had been so delighted to land the keeper position on the Gryffindor team. He and Harry spent a great deal of time practicing now. She glanced around the room looking for anyone that could help. The common room was empty save Neville Longbottom and a few first years.

"Well, I'll have to stop them myself," Hermione muttered.

She slipped quietly up to the boy's dorm, finding it empty; she went to Harry's trunk and dug out the invisibility cloak. "I'll go warn Hagrid. I'll be damned if I let Malfoy ruin another class for me!"

Hermione darted back down to the common room and pushed through the portrait hole. Leaning into a dark alcove, she put the cloak on. Running as quietly as possible, she soon reached the main doors and was out on the grounds. Since she was invisible, she could cut right across the lawn instead of circling through the forest in order to stay hidden. She took a deep breath, pulling the cloak tighter, and began to run.

Hermione reached Hagrid's hut only a few minutes before Malfoy, there was no sign of Hagrid, however. There was no answer when she knocked on the door. She realized that Hagrid must have gone down to Hogsmeade. Suddenly she heard something. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle could be seen peaking through the trees at the hut, Panicked, she looked for somewhere to hide. She was pressed up against the hut wall; there weren't any bushes near her. Malfoy carefully crept forward into the clearing. Hermione's eyes darted around her desperate for some place to escape to. Malfoy glanced right at her, and then away, he didn't seem to notice her. Hermione stared at him in complete shock. "Idiot!" she hissed softly, smacking her forehead with the palm of her head. Of course he didn't see her; she was invisible. Malfoy, however, paused and looked in her direction again, he seemed to have heard something. He walked towards her. She sank slowly to the ground as he leaned forward to look through the window into the hut. Hermione thought her heart had stopped as she looked up at him, his hand rested against the wall only a foot above her head. But Malfoy was unaware of her presence and he drew back from the wall. Turning to look at where Crabbe and Goyle were hiding, he called out to them.

"That drunken oaf isn't home and he must have taken that brutish beast with him."

Hermione realized that Malloy was right, Fang was nowhere to be seen, Crabbe and Goyle stepped tentatively into the open. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as Malfoy headed towards the paddock. It was only then that Hermione saw that it wasn't empty.

"Well would you look at that." Malfoy asked his voice seemed stunned,
"The things that half-giant thinks he can get away with. Well we'll just have to show him what happens when someone keeps monsters for pets." His voice was completely emotionless. Crabbe and Goyle stood nervously behind him, not wanting to get any closer to the monster.

Stifling a gasp, Hermione gazed at a cage sitting alone in the paddock. Inside the cage was a manticore. She had never seen one, but not surprisingly, she had read all about them. They were very rare, and by all accounts, this was a good thing since they were very dangerous. While never having seen one, it fit the description perfectly, the head of a man, the body of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion. "This one must be a girl," Hermione thought, the manticore had a female face, a young female face not much older than them. It was almost beautiful, if you could ignore the claws and the scorpion tail that hovered behind it's back. Almond shaped eyes gazed at them through the bars, it didn't move at all. With a shock, Hermione realized that it was looking at her as well, it must be able to see through invisibility cloaks, or maybe it had heard her when she first entered the clearing. Hermione was amazed that Hagrid had acquired a manticore. Hippogriffs and dragons were one thing, but a manticore was known to be not only highly intelligent possessing odd magical abilities, but they were also known to associate with dark forces. As Hermione made eye contact with it, a deep chill ran through her and she felt an intense need to get closer to it. With a gasp she pulled her eyes away and stared at the ground.

Crabbe and Goyle were looking at each other warily; Crabbe finally seemed to get up the nerve to talk to Malfoy, "What does happen when you keep monsters as pets, Draco?"

Malfoy didn't turn to look at them; his eyes hadn't left the manticore's since he had reached the paddock. "Sometimes they get loose," he whispered.

Crabbe and Goyle seemed almost panic stricken, Goyle found his voice first though, "it wouldn't be a very good idea to let it out, right Draco? I'm sure that we can get rid of Hagrid some other way. It could hurt us, don't you think?" He seemed to be pleading with Malfoy, but the blonde boy didn't turn his head.


"I don't think it will hurt us." Malfoy responded. Hermione stared at him in shack, was he crazy? Manticores were some of the most vicious creatures found in the wild, as she watched Malfoy climb over the fence she tried to remember everything that she had read about them. They were long thought to be the same thing as a sphinx, but more modern research had proven that sphinxes were not aligned with the forces of evil like the manticores were. A manticore had three rows of long vicious teeth, and the scorpion barb carried a lethal amount of poison, Luckily enough far them, this one was only a juvenile. The young manticore stood only four feet high when it was on all fours, a full-grown manticore could reach as high as ten feet.

"Draco..." Crabbe and Goyle cautioned in unison as their leader placed a hand between the bars and touched the dark brown fur of the creature.

"See," he drawled in a low, soothing voice, as much to the manticore as to Crabbe and Goyle. "I told you that it wouldn't hurt us."

Hermione stared in horrified shock as Malfoy withdrew his hand and turned to the lock, a strange glint in his eyes. Pulling out his wand he whispered a single word

"Alohomora!"

Hermione watched with a horrible sinking feeling as the cage door swung open and Draco turned his back on the manticore to face Crabbe and Goyle. Both of them had taken several steps back, in a far distant part of her mind; Hermione was amazed at the astonishing level of intelligence that they were showing. What happened next went by so quickly that it was almost impossible to follow. One moment Malfoy was standing triumphantly in front of the cage door, the next moment the creature had come down upon him. Malfoy was knocked to the ground, his wand rolled out of his hand. The manticore bit deeply into his shoulder and lifted him up off the ground only to slam him back down again. Standing atop Malfoy it brought its long tail up above its head like a dagger and plunged it down into his thigh. Malfoy gave one quick cry filled with shock and pain but then there was only silence. Crabbe and Goyle looked at their prone hero and then turned and ran from the clearing leaving Malfoy to the beast.

Hermione had bitten her lip to keep back a scream when the manticore had attacked. She watched in horror as Crabbe and Goyle ran away. She stood now, watching the monster with Malfoy. The seconds slowed as time stopped. A part of her whispered in the back of her mind, "Turn around and leave, walk away, save yourself. He would never save you if things were in reverse. He asked for this and now he's getting what he deserves." She shuddered hard as the voice died away. Hermione turned away preparing to run and then stopped, "No one deserves this," She said firmly as she raised her wand and her courage and cried out at it

"Expelliarmus!"

The manticore dropped Malfoy hard; it turned to bring its gaze to Hermione's. She trembled as the almond eyes seemed to look deep into her. She shouted another spell at it before she could lose her nerve.

"Stupefy!"

The manticore didn't freeze however. The monster tensed its muscles preparing to leap. Hermione whimpered and tried to remember all the hexes that she had helped Harry learn the year before in preparation for all the triwizard tasks but nothing seemed useful. The manticore was lunging through the air, closer it came, the wind whipping its fur as it neared her.

"Please...make...it...stop... Stupefy!' She screamed as hard as she could, the tip of her wand pointing straight at the beast's chest. It knocked her to the ground and distantly she could hear the sound of a sickening crack. She lay stunned underneath the hulking monster, waiting for the searing pain to come, but besides a distant throbbing in her wrist and chest, there was nothing, the beast lay still. Hermione gave out a shaky sob and pushed the creature away from her, it was terribly heavy, but she managed to get out from under it. Hermione figured later that she must have been suffering from sort of shock because she was overly concerned with making sure that Harry's cloak didn't get any blood on it. She carefully pulled it off and tucked it into her bag. She looked down at the manticore wondering how long it would stay unconscious. Hermione suddenly remembered Malfoy. She rushed to his side and fell to her knees besides him. Hermione shuddered as she looked at him, while not the squeamish type, the sight was almost too much to handle. The normally pale boy was almost devoid of color; only red remained. A large gash ran across his shoulder where he had been bitten and a deep hole was in his leg. Crimson blood was pooling around him, while an odd colored substance seemed to be thickening on his leg, Hermione figured that it was the poison. She desperately searched her bag for a handkerchief. She held it to his wound in hopes of staunching the flow.

"Malfoy," she whispered, trying to wake him up. There was no response from the prone boy. However, she could tell that he was breathing.

"Malfoy wake up!" she hissed, glancing behind her at the creature. It suddenly gave a disturbing jerk. She stared at it, terror beginning to build. She knew that the only reason why the spells had worked in the first place was because it had been surprised. It wouldn't be surprised when it woke up, it would only be angry. She wanted to run but she couldn't just leave Malfoy here to die.

"Draco please..."she pleaded, tears coming to her eyes. She didn't want to see him die, no matter how much she hated him. This seemed to do the trick though as deep, gray eyes gazed up at her.

"You said my name Granger," he whispered in a low voice. His eyes filled with sudden panic as things began to sink in. "The manticore," he cried sitting up.

Hermione felt very relieved, and very hysterical, but she knew that now was not the time to get any more upset. "It's unconscious, but I don't know for how much longer," The manticore gave another jerk and emitted a strange guttural sound. Standing up, she turned to Malfoy and grabbed his hand. He couldn't put much weight on his wounded leg so Hermione let him put an arm around her shoulders and they hobbled quickly from the clearing.

They were half way to the castle, moving as quickly as possible across the open expanse of green. Their pace was jolting; Malfoy was dripping blood and could barely walk. Hermione was becoming aware of the pain in her wrist, glancing down at it she realized that it was at a rather odd angle. More disturbing than her wrist though was a strange tightness in her chest. Her short breaths were becoming harder to draw. Despite all of these ailments, both of them were starting to get back their bad tempers.

"You know Malfoy, I just saved your life, doesn't that mean that there is some sort at special bond between us?" Hermione asked, knowing perfectly well that the idea at a bond with a mudblood would drive Malfoy insane.

"Shut up, if you dare mention this to anyone I will make to regret it." He hissed back at her through clenched teeth. He was having a very hard time concentrating on what he was saying; flashing pain was starting to fan up from his leg and into his chest.

"You know Malfoy, you aren't nearly that threatening when you're bleeding to death." Hermione snapped back, feeling suddenly guilty when she remembered how she had almost let him die back there, She wondered briefly if he still might die, his wounds were very bad. The pain in her wrist was becoming almost unbearable, and as the shock wore off, she noticed that her chest was starting to have shooting pains as well. They reached the doors at Hogwarts and with their last ounce of strength they pushed them open. Staggering forward into the entrance hall they stopped, Malfoy was unable to go any farther, he let go of Hermione and sank to the ground, unable to move due to the poison. Hermione stood uncertainly for a moment, knowing that she needed to continue, knowing that she had to get Malfoy to the hospital wing. "It'll be my fault if he dies, I should have acted faster." She thought miserably as she swayed. A sudden light appeared at the top of the stairs.

"What in the world, students out on the grounds at this time of nig..." The voice of Professor McGonagall tailed off as she came down the stairs. "Ms. Granger?!" She ran down the rest of the steps and over to Hermione. Hermione couldn't wait for her though, she sank down next to Malfoy, pain searing her body, it was becoming impossible to draw in a breath. She could hear Professor McGonagall yelling, but it was fading as darkness overcame her.

Chapter 4:  The Curtain Between

"They're lucky to be alive Minerva," a hushed voice could be heard in the darkness.

Draco groggily opened his eyes and then wished that he hadn't, With his eyes now opened, he was fully awake and he flinched as a wave of pain washed over him, Squeezing his eyes shut he sucked in a deep breath and willed the pain to go away. Lucius had trained him to ignore the affects of pain. After a few more deep breaths, the pain was far enough from his mind for him to open his eyes again.

The room was dark; a few rays of moonlight were shining through the window. He was trying to remember what had happened to the curtains that he had around his four-poster when he realized that he was in the hospital wing.

"The Headmaster has been notified?" the hushed voice whispered again, Draco knew that it was Madame Pomfrey.

"Of course Poppy," a new voice, that of Professor McGonagall, answered her. "He went with Hagrid to catch that infernal thing. I imagine that he will be very interested in just what Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy were doing out there."

"Why did they bring that wretched thing here anyway? I know that Hagrid has a soft spot for monsters but this is going a bit to far." Madame Pomfrey sounded rather vexed

"There was little choice in the matter Poppy, they had to bring it someplace for safe keeping until it could be properly disposed of and Hagrid is the only one that could handle such an abomination." Professor McGonagall said softly.

Draco could barely hear Professor McGonagall as her voice became more hushed, but at the mention of that beast, Draco started to remember the events that led him to the hospital wing. The walk out to the hut, the manticore, the attack, and something else, warm brown eyes filled with an emotion that he couldn't quite place. If Draco's father had been anyone other than Luciue Malfoy, he would have had no problems recognizing the emotion to be concern.

"The Mudblood," he hissed. She had been there, but why? He remembered how she had ... what had she done? The pain was starting to fog his memory again, "She saved me," he remembered out loud. An odd warmth seemed to flash through him for a moment, but he dismissed it as simply being a side effect of all the pain.

The voices had stopped and a sudden light shone across the bed. Madame Pomfrey bustled into the room, Professor McGonagall on her heels.

"You shouldn't be awake Mr. Malfoy," the nurse said softly as she came to his side. "You must be quiet, I don't want you to wake up Ms. Granger."

Draco carefully turned his head to look at the bed besides his. He found that moving caused a great deal of pain but years of experience let him hide it from the watchful eyes of the nurse, Sure enough, he could see Granger's bushy hair spread out on the pillow; framing her dead-white face.

"What's wrong with Granger?" His voice sounded harsh as it passed from his cracked lips. He couldn't remember her getting hurt.

"Ms Granger broke her wrist and suffered several broken ribs, one that punctured her lung." Madame Pomfrey's tone was trying to stay neutral.

"Will she be all right?" Draco was just as shocked that such a question could come from him as Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall were. They both turned to look at each other, the nurse's eyebrows raised slightly.

"Yes, both you and Ms. Granger will be fine." The nurse told him, "however, you'll both need to stay here in the hospital wing for a few days. The poison should have killed you, but the manticore was too young to be lethal."

"What I want to know Mr. Malfoy," Professor McGonagall was now glaring at him darkly, "is just what exactly were you doing down at Hagrid's Hut?"

"I...," Draco looked at Professor McGonagall's face, then glanced towards Granger again. "Gran...I mean Hermione and l had a few questions for Hagrid about his next Care of Magical Creatures lesson."

Professor McGonagall's eyes narrowed angrily. "Oh really? I don't seem to recall you and Ms. Granger spending much time together in class or out of it for that matter.

Draco felt his heart sink but he didn't let it show. He tried to hold his head a little bit higher, focus on a spot just below McGonagall's chin, and try not to think of what Lucius was going to say when he got expelled, He wished briefly that the manticore had gone ahead and finished him off, it certainly would have been a quicker death than the one that would await him at the manor.m

"Professor McGonagall," a hoarse voice from Draco's right brought him out of his reverie. Granger had opened her eyes and was looking at Professor McGonagall.

"Malfoy and I are Arithmancy partners. We were talking about Care of Magical Creatures in the library and we decided to go get Hagrid's opinion on a few things, I know that it was to late to go out, but I didn't think we'd be gone long," Granger closed her eyes with a grimace. Draco couldn't believe his ears. What was she playing at? She could easily get him expelled, why didn't she? What did she want from him?

Professor McGonagall looked suspiciously at Granger, probably wondering the same thing as Draco. She opened her mouth to ask more questions, but Madame Pomfrey pushed her aside.

"That will be enough questions Minerva, both of these children need to sleep." With these words she deftly caught Draco's chin with her hand and poured part of a potion down his throat. He watched her walk to Granger's bedside with the potion, his eyelids felt heavier and heavier. Granger turned her head to look at him, their eyes connected for a moment, and Draco felt a strange emotion pass between the two before he slipped into sleep.

Draco was awakened by voices sometime later; He had obviously been sleeping for quite sometime because sunlight was streaming through the window near his bed. The voices were coming from the other side of a curtain that had been put up between his bed and Granger's. He identified the voices as belonging to Potter and Weasley. He remained silent, listening to their conversation.

"What in the world were you thinking? Going to Hagrid's with Malfoy? How could you go anywhere with Malfoy? Have you gone daft?" Weasley's voice sounded furious, but the anger couldn't mask the obvious concern.

"Ron, I'm sure that Hermione had a good reason for being with Malfoy, right Hermione?" Potter, always the mediator, was trying to calm his friend.

"All right, all right. So why were you with Malfoy? And don't tell us that it was about class, Malfoy hates Care of Magical Creatures." Weasley's voice drifted through the curtain.

"Look Ron, Harry, I really don't want to talk about Malfoy. I don't want to think about Malfoy, or look at Malfoy, I've had quite enough of him. Please, can't we talk about something else?" Granger's voice pleaded softly.

Potter quickly changed the subject from Draco to the manticore. "Why did Hagrid even have one?" He asked.

"I'm not sure, Professor McGonagall said that they had to bring it here until it could be properly disposed of. But l don't know who they are or where the blasted thing came from. Do you know if they caught it?" Hermione had obviously been awake and listening to McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey last right too.

"I certainly hope they did," Weasley's voice cut in, "as if there weren't enough nasty things running around in the Forbidden Forest, now we have a manticore to watch out for."

"Hey Ron, we have to go to class now. We'll bring you your homework Hermione. And we'll come back in and see you during lunch, all right? Try not to let Malfoy bother you." Potter told her.

Draco could hear them saying good-bye to each other and then feigned sleep as Potter and Weasley came out around the curtain and walked to the door. Draco waited a few more minutes to make absolutely sure that they were gone before he climbed carefully out of bed. He gingerly tested his leg and found that while it was still sore, he could walk. He looked around for Madame Pomfrey and saw that her office door was closed. Draco took a deep breath and then pulled the curtain back. He was pleased to see Granger jump back with a tiny cry of surprise. He advanced on her quickly and grabbed her arm before she could slip off the other side of the bed away from him. His grip on her arm was so tight that she couldn't get up. He leaned down so that his face was only inches from hers.

"Why?" he asked.

"What?" Granger whispered, her eyes wide.

"Why are you lying to protect me, what do you want?" He hissed angrily at her, careful to keep his voice low so as not to attract the nurse's attention.

"I...I don't want anything from you Malfoy." She snapped back, anger quickly suffusing her face.

Draco tightened his grip on her arm; "I never pictured you as the type to blackmail, Mudblood." He twisted his hold slightly, watching her face pale.

"You're hurting me," she said softly, pain evident in her voice.

Draco immediately let go of her arm and stepped back. He could see where his hand had been, there would probably be bruising later. Granger reached up with her other hand and gingerly touched the white marks that his hand had left.

"I...I'm sorry, I hadn't meant too." He apologized, surprising both of them. He stood there awkwardly for a minute, not quite knowing why he had apologized or why he was even still standing there.

"How is your leg?" Granger asked him, breaking the strange silence.

"What do you think? it hurts," he snapped at her.

Granger didn't say anything else to him; she turned over onto one side to face the wall. Draco stood for another moment, just looking at her, before he went back to his own bed and drew the curtain between them.

Chapter 5:  Hagrid Wants a Word

Hermione carefully shifted her bag and winced slightly as it fell against her sore back. Madame Pomfrey might be able to mend bones in a few minutes, but the whole process had left Hermione in a fair amount of pain. She had spent two days in the hospital wing with Malfoy. After that first morning it had been in stiff silence. Professor Dumbledore had come to talk to them later that afternoon. With a dubious look to Hermione, Malfoy had stuck with the fabricated story. Before the Headmaster had left, he had asked Hermione if there was anything else that she would like to add. The doubt was obvious in his twinkling eyes, but he hadn't seemed angry, only amused. Hermione had felt a deep urge to tell him the truth, tell him everything, but then she thought of Malfoy, lying broken and bleeding on the ground. She thought of how she had turned to run, to leave him, and Hermione shuddered. Professor Dumbledore had left the hospital wing without an answer from Hermione.

Hermione tried switching her book bag to the other shoulder only to find that this hurt even more. She moved over to a small alcove off to the side in the hallway, trying to avoid the jostling students around her. Harry and Ron had been helping her with her bag, but now she was on her way to Arithmancy while they were off to the other side of the school for Divination. Hermione glanced at her watch; class would be starting in only a few minutes. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to swing her bag back onto her back when a voice called out.

"Hullo Hermione, what're you doing? Hiding from monsters or Malfoy?" Fred and George Weasley were standing there grinning at her.

The fact that a manticore was being kept on school grounds had been hushed up by the faculty, so of course, everyone knew about it. Few details were known though; both Hermione and Malfoy had refused to speak much about it to anyone. Many students were wondering just what had a Gryffindor and a Slytherin been doing outside after hours together?

"Where are you headed?" Fred asked her.

"To Arithmancy," she answered, returning their smiles.

"We're gong to Transfiguration, that's not too far from your class, we'll help you get there." George said.

"Here, let me get that for you." Fred moved forward and took a hold of Hermione's bag. With a loud Oomph, he crashed into the wall. "Crikey Hermione, what do you carry in this thing?"

"Here Fred, let me help." George came forward and grasped the other strap and nearly knelt to the floor. "Can't...hold...on."

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and glared at them, a bemused glint in her eyes. "It's not that heavy." She told them.

"Is she kidding George? She must have the whole library in this bag." Fred tried to appear strained as he struggled to hold the bag.

George leaned against the wall to try and get a better grip on the strap. "You must be the strongest girl in the world Hermione."

Fred sank to his knees, faking an expression of pain. "I think I've pulled something." He gave a loud, exaggerated moan that drew glances from passing students.

"Oh, you too are being ridiculous," Hermione, snapped at them. "Just give it here, I'll manage."

"No, No fair damsel!" Fred jumped easily to his feet.

"As your knights in shining armor, we must make sure that you make it safely to your destination." George bowed to her.

With a deep sigh, Hermione followed Fred and George towards class. They held her book bag between them like a precious icon. As they passed through the hall they called out to the other students to hear.

"Make way for the Lady Hermione and her noble library."

Hermione rubbed her forehead. The scene that the twins were creating did have its benefits. The students parted to watch the procession and Hermione no longer had to worry about bumping into other people. She reached for her bag when they reached the door of her class, but Fred and George wouldn't hear of it. They escorted her into the room and up to her seat. Malfoy was already there, watching her with his slate eyes. Fred and George each gave him a dark look before they turned back to Hermione and bowed to her again.

"Any time that you have need of our knightly services, just let us know." They said in unison.

"Thanks you guys, I'll keep that in mind." Hermione smiled at them as they left.

"Well that was certainly a touching scene. Are the Weasleys that desperate for money that would enter the service of a Mudblood?" Malfoy's snide drawl made Hermione's skin crawl.

"Just shut up Malfoy, I'm not in the mood. We spent two wonderfully silent days in the hospital wing, can't we just keep it that way?" She said softly, trying very hard not to rise to his bait.

"If that's how you want it Granger." Malfoy turned his attention to Professor Vector.

The rest of the class passed uneventfully, Hermione and Malfoy sat silently, copying down notes. The windows were opened, but no breeze drifted through today. It was stifling hot inside. Hermione figured that it would probably be one of the last hot days before the colder weather set in. She pushed up the sleazes of her robe, trying to cool herself, and continued to take notes. Out of the corner of his eye, Malfoy noticed that angry dark splotches marked the pale white of her arm; his handiwork he realized. Malfoy felt a strange emotion pass swiftly through him. For a moment, he thought that it was regret, but it was gone so quickly that he couldn't be quite sure.

The end of the class came fairly quickly. Professor Vector passed out the charts for them to work on. Hermione was almost ready to go when she realized that the Professor hadn't given one to them.

"Um Professor Vector?" Hermione came down the steps to stand by her teacher's desk. "You forgot to give us the chart."

"Actually Ms. Granger, I had something else in mind for you and Mr. Malfoy." The teacher smiled at her warmly.

Malfoy came down the steps to stand next to Hermione. She found him to be standing uncomfortably close to her. His arm was almost brushing hers. She gave him an angry glare and stepped back from him, but Malfoy seemed to take no notice.

"I was looking over your charts, you do realize that you turned them in a week early?" Professor Vector looked at them. Hermione glanced at Malfoy, their eyes met and he shrugged at her.

"No Professor," Hermione started, "I thought it was do today. The accident must have confused us."

"That's not the point Ms. Granger." Professor Vector shuffled through a stack of parchment and retrieved a few pages that Hermione knew belonged to her and Malfoy. 

"Is there something wrong with them Professor?" Malfoy asked simply, voicing the question that Hermione couldn't bring herself to ask.

"On the contrary Mr. Malfoy, the charts are perfect. I don't think that either of you are being challenged in my class. So the problem is what am I going to do with the two of you?" Professor Vector asked them.

It was Malfoy this time that caught Hermione's eye. Hermione shrugged at him and then brought her attention back to Professor Vector.

"I've been talking to Professor Dumbledore, and he informed me of a recent addition to the restricted section of the library. We've received an ancient collection of charts and manuscripts that were written by an old wizard several centuries ago. I'm sure that most of it is terribly boring, but some of it could be useful." She looked directly at Hermione and then Malfoy, slightly amused by their confused expressions. "The Headmaster wants me to go through the old charts and see if there is anything interesting in them. I don't really want to spend that much time in the library. But I think that this might be what the two of you need. It will be far more challenging than anything that we will do in class. I must warn you, it will be very hard, but you are both excellent students. I've already talked about this with the Headmaster and he too thinks it would be a good idea for the two of you to go through the charts." She smiled at them and waited for a response.

Hermione was stunned; this was a big responsibility that they were being offered. A chance to work fairly unsupervised in the restricted section of the library. Hermione could feel anticipation building as she thought about piles of dusty old charts waiting in large boxes to be opened and explored.

"What exactly do we have to do with them Professor?" Malfoy asked quickly, Hermione noticed that there seemed to be a spark in those silver eyes of his and she knew that he too was interested.

"Well, the charts need to sorted and then plotted. Arithmancy was a different magic several hundred years ago when compared to now. For the two of you to be able to explore, first hand, these differences, is very exciting." She grinned at them and was pleased to have Hermione return her smile. Malfoy simply nodded at her.

"So let's meet today after dinner, 8 o'clock in the library, and I will go into detail about what is expected of you both." Professor Vector shuffled her parchments back together and turned to go.

Hermione walked quickly back up the steps, she felt extremely elated this was an excellent chance. She loved Arithmancy and to be given such an opportunity to devote herself to it was exciting. A face appeared in the back of her mind, Malfoy, she'd have to do all of this with Malfoy. Hermione stopped suddenly when she realized this. Malfoy who had been following her back up the steps to get his own bag wasn't prepared for her to pause. He knocked into her, and Hermione fell forward. The ground was swiftly rising up to meet her when she felt his arms go around her waist. The breath was knocked out of her as her quick decent was suddenly halted. Malfoy righted her but didn't let go right away; he seemed to be examining her. Hermione met his eyes.

"Thanks," she muttered and quickly looked away.

Malfoy released her and brushed angrily past. He grabbed his bag of the desk and then swept back down out of the room. Hermione stood where she was, an odd fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach. She stared down at the stone floor, lost in thought. Malfoy was acting almost civil, well, as civil as Malfoy could act.

"Hermione?"

Hermione looked up startled and saw Harry and Ron walking up the steps to her.

"We ran into Fred and George on our way to lunch, they said that you were having a time of it with your bag earlier." Harry grinned at her and took her bag off the desk and easily tossed it onto his shoulder. Ron stood behind him muttering something about the Divinations teacher, Professor Trewlawney that made Hermione gasp.

"Ron!"

Ron gave Hermione a sheepish grin. "Sorry Hermione, you just will not believe the amount of homework that she gave us. And for no reason!"

"Well actually Ron, she might have doubled it because you told Seamus that Professor Trewlawney belonged in St. Mungo's and she overheard you." Harry responded with a grin.

"Oh... well there is that too I suppose." Ron said smiling. "Oi, I'm hungry, let's go have lunch."

"Hermione, we were going to go talk to Hagrid during our break." Harry told her.

"Good, I wanted to ask about that manticore." Hermione firmly replied as they walked through the hall.

All during lunch Hermione told them about her new Arithmancy project. Both Harry and Ron were doing their best to look vaguely interested. Half way through her lunch she felt someone watching her. Turning her head casually to look around, she caught a flash of silver blonde hair and her cinnamon eyes met slate ones. Malfoy was glaring at her.

"I save his life, and he hates me even more." She muttered softly as she turned back to her lunch.



The walk to Hagrid's hut was very different than the previous one for Hermione. The afternoon sun shone down on them as they strolled leisurely across the grounds. There were many students scattered across the grass attempting to enjoy the last bit of warm weather before the fall set in.

Hagrid stood outside his hut digging in his vegetable patch. He looked up as they approached and called out to them.

"Been expectin' you three."

He ushered them into his hut. Fang immediately sprung up to Harry, knocking him back against the wall. Harry grinned and started to scratch behind the giant boarhound's ears. As soon as the door was closed, Hagrid turned to Hermione, a searching expression in his eyes.

"Just what were you thinking Hermione? Comin' down 'ere with that git Malfoy? An l don' want to 'ear any rubbish bout wantin' to ask me a question." Hagrid's beetle eyes flashed at her.

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the floor of the hut. Hagrid looked over her head at Ron and Harry who both shrugged.

"Hermione won't tell us what happened either." Harry supplied. Ron simply gave Hermione a glare.

"An yeh come down 'ere and let it escape, thought you were smarter than that Hermione." At Hagrid's words, Hermione flushed angrily and snapped back at him.

"l didn't let it out! I know what that thing is!" Hermione glowered at her friends.

"So Malfoy did let it out!" Ron cried out triumphantly. "So we'll just go up to Professor McGonagall and you'll tell her the truth and Malfoy will finally be out"

Ron had jumped to his feet, an elated expression on his freckled face. He was almost to the door when Hermione's voice called out to him.

"Ron I can't, I'm sorry, but I can't." Ron swung around to look at Hermione who had become extremely interested in her shoe.

"Why can't you?" Harry asked her simply.

"I...I just can't. I'm sorry. It's not that I don't want too, I'd love to never have to look at Malfoy again, but I just can't." Hermione could feel her resolve to not turn Malfoy in quaver, but again she saw his pale face, and heard that horrible little voice in her head as it told her to leave him. "I just can't Ron."

"Hagrid, where did it come from?" Harry hoped that by side stepping the Malfoy issue, they could dodge another fight.

"Er... I'm not supposed ter tell yeh that," Hagrid started to busy himself with cleaning some teacups.

"Hagrid, that thing almost killed Hermione and Malfoy. It's not like those things are native. They aren't, are they Hermione?" Harry paused to look at Hermione who quickly shook her head. "I mean, how did one end up in your yard? Who brought it?"

"Look, 's none of your concern. Yeh 'ave no need to worry yourselves with what those dark wizards are up to." Hagrid suddenly stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Professor Dumbledore thinks that they're releasing dangerous creatures."

"But what would that accomplish?" Hermione asked him as he handed her a cup of tea.

"I dunno, make trouble for the ministry?" Hagrid offered them a plate of hard cookies that they all politely refused.

"Well they aren't doing a very good job of picking monsters are they? Darn thing couldn't even properly bite Malfoy's arm off, let alone kill him." Ron grinned at Harry but Hermione looked a little grave.

"Ron, don't say that!" She snapped at him.

"Why are you sticking up for Malfoy now?" Ron snapped back at her.

"Look, you weren't there, you didn't see it. There was so much blood, and that...that thing, and..." Hermione's voice trailed off and she looked down at her teacup. Hagrid leaned over and patted her gently on the back.

"Are yeh all righ' Hermione?" He asked her quietly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks Hagrid." Hermione looked down at her watch and called out in a fairly relieved voice, "Oh look at the time, classes will be starting in a few minutes. Good-bye Hagrid!" And before Ron, Harry, or Hagrid could say another thing to her, Hermione had darted out the door.

Chapter 6:  Their Little Room

Draco sat in a far corner of the library his feet propped up on the desk in front of him, a book open in his lap. He had managed to give Crabbe and Goyle the slip by coming here. They had been simpering over him ever since they found out that the manticore hadn't finished him off. They were gratified when he told them that he didn't mind that they left him to die. And in their turn, they believed his story of fighting the beast off single handedly. Their sycophantic nature did start to wear on his nerves though, and needing a break from their constant apologies, he had darted into the library, a place that he knew they wouldn't follow. He didn't really hold them responsible for running off on him though, he probably would have, that's one good reason to not have true friends, no responsibilities to them. He had decided that since he was in the library, he ought to take advantage of this opportunity to look into manticores. The table in front of him was now covered in every book that he could find that mentioned them. The large tome that he held casually contained a great deal of information on the beasts. He had to admit that they were quite extraordinary. Draco turned a page and began to read.

"The manticore, a fierce and deadly beast, is known to inhabit Greece and the surrounding islands. Some have been known to migrate farther south into the Middle East; however, their progress westward into Africa was halted by the presence of the sphinxes in Egypt. (Manticores and sphinxes have long been natural enemies.) There are no living manticores in England, their ferocious nature, powerful magic, and taste for human flesh has made it illegal to own one in the British Isles."

At this passage Draco paused and then chuckled mirthlessly to himself, "there is one now."

Manticores possess a strange type of magic that allows it to sooth it's would be prey into a state of docility. The creature is able to sense what its prey wants and then emanates those feelings and thoughts to the prey. (They are very similar to the Boggart in this aspect of telepathy. For further Boggart information: pg. 120.)

Draco stopped here, realization forming in his mind. In the past several days since the incident, he had tried to understand what had made him open the cage. He had known perfectly well what it was and what it was capable of. But as he had looked into it's eyes, he had felt peace. He had been lulled into an unnatural fit of trust simply because that monster could see what he wanted. But the feelings that it had shown him were those of warmth and friendship, he didn't care about such laughable things. Draco wanted power. Draco considered that to be the one redeemable quality of the Dark Lord, he had power, and Draco could respect that.

Draco had become deeply immersed in the book when he became aware of someone moving slowly through the aisles near his table. He raised his eyes from the pages before him to watch the figure through the shelves. The figure paused at the section where he had gotten the books on manticores, with a sinking feeling, Draco knew who it was. Granger emerged from the aisle looking slightly putout.

"Looking for these Mudblood?" Draco drawled and gestured to the books in front of him.

Granger gave him a dark look, "No, I was just waiting for Professor Vector."

Malfoy casually looked at his watch. "An hour and a half early? I hadn't realized that you actually lived in the library. But then again, I'm sure that almost anywhere would be preferable to a common room full of Gryffindors."

"You were here first," Granger said simply.

Draco looked at her, she was refusing to rise to his taunts, which was somewhat of a shame, fighting with Granger was fairly entertaining. But now as he studied her, he noticed how tired she looked. Her normally warm, brown eyes seemed somewhat dull, defeated.

"Here," Draco marked his place and then extended the book to her.

Granger looked at him suspiciously and then reached out to it, but paused before taking the text.

"Granger, I don't hex library books." He was starting to find this amusing once he had gotten over his initial shock of actually offering the book to her. And even more surprising, he felt himself start to grin.

Granger's eyes widened in surprise but she did take the book from him.

"Thanks," she muttered and walked away. She paused before disappearing back between the shelves to give him a confused look and then she was gone.



Through the large arched windows, Draco could see the sky darkening; the few remaining rays from the once vivid sunset were now melting into twilight. With a glance at his watch he knew that it was times to go find Professor Vector. He stood up slowly and brushed his silvery gold hair back from his face and started out through the aisles. He took a sharp turn around one rather prominent shelf and walked right into someone.

"Watch it," he hissed as he caught himself before he could trip.

"Why don't you?" Said an unpleasantly familiar voice.

"Mudblood," Draco hissed and looked down.

Granger had been unsuccessful in her attempt to maintain balance and was now splayed out on the floor in front of him. Strands of curly hair had pulled loose from her ponytail and were framing her annoyed face. She pulled herself to her feet and then slipped her book bag up onto her shoulder. Draco noticed that she flinched when she did this. He wondered briefly if the pain was from the manticore attack, Madame Pomfrey had been able to heal him fairly easily. He wondered why she had saved him when she could have so easily been killed as well. And not for the last time he wondered what did she want in return? But Granger said nothing, only put a book back onto a near-by shelf before giving him a disgruntled glare. Turning on her heel she left to go find the Professor. Draco had little choice but to follow her.

Professor Vector was standing near Madame Pince's desk looking excited. She smiled warmly when she them and walked quickly over to them. Draco noticed right away that she was a bit more dressed up than usual, and that a small waft of perfume emanated from her.

"Oh good, you're both on time. Come quickly and I'll explain while we walk. I don't have much time." The professor once again beamed at them both. Draco simply glowered at her, her enthusiasm often made him feel a little nauseous. "Now" she started as Draco and Granger struggled to keep up with her increasing gait, "you're going to be using a small ante-chamber in the library. You'll both be given keys for it, and it will be for your use only. It will be much easier for you both to get your work done if there isn't an influx of people there and this way you will always have a quiet place to work on it. Ahh, here we are."

Professor Vector had led them to the back of the library and up a small spiral staircase that led to a walkway that had several closed doors down it. Draco noticed with a smirk that Granger seemed slightly out of breath, they had practically ran here, but his pulse rate wasn't even up. Professor Vector stopped at the second door on the walkway, pulled out a key ring, and fitted a small silver key into the lock. The door opened and Draco had to use all of the skills that Lucius taught him to not look surprised, or impressed. The room was larger than he had expected. Windows bordered the far wall and a fireplace was already roaring merrily away. There was a large table and several chairs. Even though the room was rather large, there was hardly room to walk around in it. Piled everywhere were large crates and old trunks. One had been opened to reveal that it was full of ancient looking parchment rolls and thick books with peeling covers and binds tied with string. 

"Now, as I had explained earlier, these writings all belong to a wizard that lived approximately five hundred years ago. I say approximately because no one knows for sure. There were rumors for a long time about a wizard that lived like a monk in some part of the Irish wilderness. I don't know how Professor Dumbledore managed to locate all of this, but here we are. The wizard's name was Gregorius O'Leary." Professor Vector swept around the room checking boxes as she talked. "Most of these texts deal with Arithmancy and how it affects people. From what Dumbledore has told me, this wizard believed that the number pattern that is the foundation of Arithmancy is also the foundation for most magic. He spent most of his life making records of Arithmantic patterns."

Draco glanced at Granger who had come forward a few steps into the room; her eyes that had seemed tired earlier were now alight with excitement. Her hands were clasped tightly together and she was looking around the room trying to take in as much as possible. Granger had no skill at all in hiding her emotion. Draco made a soft derisive noise that she ignored. Draco was itching to tear into a crate and see what he could find, but he calmly stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, an expression of mild boredom furrowing his brow.

Professor Vector glanced at a small watch that she was wearing and then started talking again, this time a little faster. "What you're supposed to do is go through his writings and study his findings, see if there is any real connection between the base Arithmancy pattern and anything else. You'll be allowed access to the restricted section because the Headmaster believes that it might prove useful to your work somehow. You'll have to make weekly progress reports and please, try to stay out of trouble. The Headmaster and I are placing a great deal of responsibility on the two of you." She glanced nervously at her watch again and then looked at herself in the glass of one of the windows. Draco could swear that she was checking her make-up. "Well, that about does it, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me tomorrow. I really must be going now, here are your keys, and good luck!" And with that Professor Vector practically ran out of the room.

Granger was unable to contain herself any longer; she darted forward to the open box and kneeled by it, her eyes wide with excitement. Draco could hear her mutter, "Amazing!" to herself.

Draco looked back through the door; he could see most of the library from up above like this. He took another look and could see Professor Vector rushing out the doors. He closed the door and strolled into the room coming to stand next to Granger who was lifting out an old scroll with a great show of reverence.

"It's not your first born Granger, although that is a scary thought, you're face, Weasley's hair." Draco grimaced at her but she was smiling when she looked up at him, she was dripping with delight.

"Look at this Malfoy, it's amazing." She held the scroll out to him and for a second Draco realized what it would be like to have her as friend. Granger was practically glowing at Draco as she held it out for him to take.

"I don't want it, it's been soiled by your touch." He growled at her, finding himself uncomfortable with the way she had just looked at him. Her delight seemed to fade slightly and she lowered the scroll that Draco was dying to look at. She said nothing to him for quite some time.

Granger pulled open a few other crates and rummaged around their contents while Draco did the same. He eventually decided to start with a few old tomes with dark red bindings while Granger had a pile of scrolls on the table in front of her. They worked quietly, taking notes and plotting points. Granger was the first to break the silence.

"Look, we're going to be spending a lot of time here together. And I'm not about to give up this chance just to avoid you." Granger started to roll up the scroll that she had just gone through which contained a great deal of information on the reproduction cycle of flobberworms when contrasted with the number nine.

"And your point would be what Mudblood?" He asked her not looking up. 

"We should have some sort of truce." Surprised by these words, Draco glanced up and met Granger's eyes. He briefly wondered how her eyes could have so many different shades of brown in them.

"A truce?" Draco repeated as he mused over his last though, deciding that he didn't care how many shades of brown the Mudblood had in her eyes.

"Yeah, a truce. You know, a white flag, we lay down our arms." Granger unrolled another scroll and immediately began to take notes. "This will go easier if we work together."

"Work together? Draco Malfoy work together with Mudblood Granger? Are you insane?" Even as he said these words he knew that she was right. Their work would go much smoother if they weren't constantly at each other's throats.

Granger stopped working to watch him mull this idea over. "I don't want to be constantly worried that you're going to hex me." She told him, "I find it distracting when I have to constantly watch you."

"Why Granger, you watch me? I didn't know you cared." Draco gave her his best smirk; Granger only rolled her eyes. "Fine, we'll have a truce. I swear that when we're in this room, I won't hex you. Will that do?"

Granger seemed to consider this and finally nodded.

"Of course, outside of this room, there is no truce." He told her firmly expecting some sort of argument, but Granger just nodded agreeably at him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way Malfoy."

"Well since we're being all peaceful-like, I have a question for you Granger." Draco closed the book that he was going through and set it down. "What exactly happened the other night?"

"I...I saw you from the window and I followed, to warn Hagrid. When it attacked I..." Granger paused here and looked away from Draco, "I stunned it and then managed to wake you up and get you to the castle."

"Where were you? We didn't see you." Malfoy was staring at her now, picking up on every little thing that she did, the way her eyes darted around the room avoiding his gaze, the way that she kept playing with a strand of her hair, the way she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It all told him something very important; she was hiding something.

"I was invisible," she muttered.

"How could you have been invisible? Invisibility charms are very advanced, even for know-it-all Granger. You being capable of performing an invisibility charm is almost as unlikely as you having an invisibility cloak." Draco smirked at her but found that she was now decidedly not looking at him. "You have an invisibility cloak?"

"N...no I don't have one." She answered and he could tell that she wasn't lying, but she wasn't being entirely truthful either. And then he understood. She didn't have one, but someone else did. There wasn't any way that Weasley could afford an invisibility cloak so it must be...

"Potter, it's Potter's cloak." He said matter-a-factly and then smiled inwardly. That was definitely something interesting to know. "But why did you save me?"

"Nobody deserves to die like that." She muttered and started to read her scroll again.

Draco leaned across the table and snatched it out of her hands. She looked up angrily and met his eyes. "Not even me Granger?"

"No, not even you Malfoy." Her brown eyes flashed at him and he felt that she could be dangerous if she ever got angry enough. She leaned across the table to take the scroll back from him when he reached forward and grabbed her arm. "Let me go Malfoy!" She yelled at him, trying to pull away.

"Why haven't you told anyone that truth? Why didn't you rat me out?" He leaned towards her; this question had been weighing on his mind since it happened. He didn't want her to have any control over him; he needed to know what could have possessed her to protect him.

"I just didn't want to tell, that's all, now let me go." She struggled more furiously against him, but Draco held on. He knew that if he let her go she would bolt for the door. He found himself holding her arm more gently than he had before in the hospital wing, some tiny part of him didn't want to hurt her.

"I don't believe you. I know that you and your merry men would give anything to have me thrown out of Hogwarts. What could possibly stop you?" He leaned closer to her, their faces only a few inches away from each other; he looked into her eyes trying to find the answer. And then he saw it, guilt. "You feel guilty?" He asked, surprised, why in the world would she feel guilty.

Granger seemed to lose her glow and once again she looked very tired. She stopped fighting his hold and stayed still. "I...I was going to leave you." Draco's eyes widened. "I was going to let you die. I turned to go, to run, but I'm not like that. I don't know who that was in me that wanted to let you die. But nobody deserves that." Her voice died down to a low murmur and then stopped.

She was now looking at him with an expression that shocked him. Her eyes seemed to be asking forgiveness. She looked only a few more words away from tears. This wasn't the Mudblood Granger that he was familiar with. She suddenly seemed to become aware of how close he was to her and she jerked back. He let go and she sat down. Draco just sat and stared at her, he wasn't quite sure how to handle her at the moment, it was much easier when they were insulting each other. But before the silence could get too oppressive, she started to pack up her bag. She slipped her little silver key into her pocket and then walked to the door. She cast one last glance at Draco before she darted out the door. Draco rose to his feet and went out onto the walkway; he could see her curly head disappear out through the main doors. 


"Well," he whispered to himself, "that was certainly interesting."

Chapter 7:  Confessions of Innocence

Hermione sagged against a wall and took a deep breath. "Why in the world did I tell him that?" She asked herself.

When Malfoy looked at her that way, with those gray eyes that seemed to darken with his mood, she was unable to lie. She had told him what she hadn't told anyone else, she had almost let him die, done something that she would think only dark wizards would do. And now Malfoy knew. 

Hermione let her bag drop to the ground and then sank to sit besides it. She let her dark hair fall into her face as she pulled her knees up and let her forehead rest against them. Things would be perfect right now if it wasn't for him. The little that she had accomplished in the library that evening had been very interesting. Hermione knew that she could easily lose herself up in that room. She loved Arithmancy; it was so ordered and structured. But no, how could she lose herself with Malfoy glaring at her? It made her so angry to think about him, that smug look, that malicious smirk. All he did was make trouble. 

"And he thinks that he's handsome just because his eyes sparkle sometimes." Hermione grumbled and then stopped, "What am I thinking? If his eyes sparkle it's only because he's thinking something evil." 

"Hermione? What're you doing?"

Hermione jerked up to find Dean Thomas staring down at her,

"Hello Dean," she said smiling at him.

"Are you all right Hermione?" Dean looked fairly concerned about finding the young Gryffindor alone in a dark corridor.

"I'm fine, just thinking about how much I hate Malfoy." Hermione glared around at nothing in particular.

"Oh, and here I thought that something was bothering you." Dean broke out in a large, easy grin. "Now if you didn't hate Malfoy, then we'd start to worry."

Hermione felt herself relax and she took the hand that Dean offered her. He easily pulled her to her feet.

They walked back to the Gryffindor common room together. As they leisurely strolled along, Hermione spoke non-stop about what Malfoy and her were doing up in the little chamber off the library. They stepped threw the portrait hole and the image of Malfoy's face faded completely from Hermione's mind. She had always found the common room to be warm and soothing, at least, when it wasn't being used for as a testing zone for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. The evening's Quidditch practice had obviously just come to an end because the whole of Gryffindor's team was standing near the doorway, covered head to foot in mud, and discussing strategy. Hermione waved at Ron and Harry, stifled a yawn, and then started up to the girl's dormitory. Lavendar and Parvarti were whispering merrily to each other over a divination book entitled Palmistry of Love, Hermione shrugged her shoulders and stowed books under her bed. She pulled on her pajamas and crawled thankfully into bed. Her last thought before sleep claimed her was "I hate Draco Malfoy."



"C'mon Hermione, how long does it take you to eat a bowl of porridge anyway?" Ron was impatiently pushing a few raisins around his plate with a fork. 

"Well it is Saturday. I'm not exactly in a rush you know." Hermione told him as she refilled her glass of pumpkin juice. As she told him this, the owls swept in through the high windows. As usual, a brown owl deposited the Daily Prophet in front of Hermione. But before the first owl could take off again, another owl had landed next to it. This owl was a little larger than the delivery owl and a grayish color. A letter was tied to the foot that it extended over Hermione's bowl. 

"Who's that from Hermione?" Harry asked as he watched Hedwig who flew down to deposit a note from Hagrid into his lap. 

Hermione looked up in time to notice Malfoy's eagle owl land at the Slytherin table. "It's from Viktor." She told them. 

Ron's face suffused with color at the mention of the Quidditch player's name. "What's that git still sending you letters for? I thought you told him that you just wanted to be friends."

"I did tell him that I just wanted to be friends, and we are friends, which is why he sends me letters. Really Ron, I thought that you would have gotten past this by now." Hermione slipped the letter into her bag to save for later. There was no point in further antagonizing Ron by reading it here. 

"Are you two ready? Hagrid wants us to come down for a visit." Harry told them as Hedwig flew off with the other owls. Ron turned to Hermione to see if she was done eating.

"You two go on, I'm going to the library in for a bit." She told them as she tore into a piece of toast.

"The library? Hermione, it's the weekend!" Ron told her in a plaintive voice. 

"Well I want to go now so that I can avoid Malfoy." She told them.

"How do you know that Malfoy won't be there now?" Ron asked her.

"I know that Malfoy won't be there because you and Harry were just complaining about how you two can't play Quidditch this morning because the Slytherins reserved the field for practice, he is their seeker in case you have forgotten." She took a drink of juice and pushed her bowl away from her. 

"Well, we'll see you for lunch then I suppose," Harry told her as he and Ron stood up. "And watch out for Malfoy!" He said with a grin.



Hermione sat up in the room in the library. She had opened several different crates that morning. Each seemed to contain charts and scrolls from different years. A few even contained fragile spell books. She looked through these for quite some time before she finally stopped and started to work. Every once in a while she would get up to go look out the window, from here she could see the Quidditch field. Glancing at her watch, Hermione decided to check to make sure that Malfoy was still out on the field. Sure enough, various broom-seated figures were shooting around the field, and one of them had a shock of white-gold hair. Hermione paused and watched for a moment. She had to admit that Malfoy was a decent Seeker, nothing like Harry of course, but he probably wouldn't have needed to buy his way onto the team. 

Hermione opened a window and then sat back down at the table. She opened a scroll and found that it wasn't nearly as interesting as the previous ones had been. This scroll had more to do with divination than with Arithmancy. Hermione yawned and pulled out her quill and settled herself more comfortably in the squishy chair that she had pulled over to the table from the fireplace. Unfortunately, she had made herself a bit too comfortable, and when the quill fell out of her hand and her head came to rest against her folded arms on the table in front of her, she didn't even notice. 

"Granger." 

Distantly Hermione heard a soft voice. There was a light touch to her cheek and the whisper sounded again.

"Granger." 

Hermione breathed in a little deeper and wondered why Lavendar and Parvarti couldn't keep their voices down in the dorm. She felt a soft puff of breath against her cheek and she raised her hand to pet Crookshanks, but instead of fur her hand touched something smooth and cool. The voice, which was becoming clearer as she slowly woke up, repeated again.

"Granger."

Her hand was still pressed up against the smooth surface of what wasn't Crookshanks. Hermione blinked open her eyes and yanked her hand back as if burned with a small cry of shock. Her hand had been resting against Malfoy's cheek. He was kneeling next to her chair, his face only a few inches from her own. Hermione shoved her chair back hard and it began to tip. She only had a moment to realize that it was going over when Malfoy's hand caught hers and he pulled her forward again. He pulled her right out of her chair and she stumbled onto her knees next to him.

"You're awfully clumsy Granger. Tell me, is that because you're a mudblood or is it a Gryffindor thing?" He smirked at her and let go of her hand.

"I thought we had a truce Malfoy!" Hermione snapped as she got quickly to her feet.

"What, have you been hexed?" He asked her innocently as she stood up as well.

Hermione looked around the room at her books and then she held up her arms and examined then looking for some telltale sign of magic, but there was nothing. 

"It did take all of my resolve to not hex you, of course, but I do keep my promises. I am a Malfoy after all." He walked around the table and sat down. 

"And that counts for so much. Death Eaters are known for their truthful ways aren't they?" Hermione pulled her chair back up and started to pack up her bag. Her face was flushed and she felt rather embarrassed about Malfoy finding her asleep. 

"I'm not a Death Eater." Malfoy said quietly. His voice was so firm that Hermione looked up at him surprised. His voice seemed filled with deep resolve and he had a far away look in his slate eyes.

"But your father..." Hermione started only to be cut off by Malfoy who stood up angrily.

"I never said anything about my father. Don't they train you goody-two-shoes not to judge people by their parents?" He came around the table to stand in front of her. All of the amusement that he had felt earlier was gone.

"I've never judged you because of your parents, I've judged you because you are an ill-tempered prat!" Hermione turned to face Malfoy straight on. 

"You take that back Mudblood!" Malfoy growled savagely as he stood before her, his gray eyes seemed to darken as Hermione met them with her amber ones. 

"I will not." Hermione glowered at him and then turned and walked to the door. She stopped before leaving though and turned back to him a slight frown on her face. "You're really not a Death Eater?" 

He glared at her silently and she thought that he wasn't going to answer her, but as she walked through the door she could hear him call out behind her. 

"No Granger, I'm not."