It had been two days since Hermione and Draco hit it off at the Heritage Studies lesson. Hermione was still angry and Harry and Ron, openly avoiding them in all her classes.

Meanwhile, her and Draco were spending more time together. Instead of their usual partners, they would work together in classes. If they passed in the halls they would smile and say "hi" to each other, which earned them many strange looks from their classmates. Dean and Seamus decided to talk to Hermione.

"Hello boys! What can I do for you today?" Hermione greeted them at breakfast.

"Well, we noticed that you have been avoiding Harry and Ron. Is everything good between you guys?" Seamus' sweet, thick accent always comforted Hermione, as if he was her brother.

"We just disagreed about someone's personality, that's all. I'm waiting for them to open their eyes and see he's a good person," she said, her eyes wandering to the Slytherin table where Draco was laughing at something Blaise said.

"Ahh. I see. Malfoy. That brings us to our second point. Are you two okay? You've been enemies for seven years and suddenly you're talking in the hallways and partnering up in class," Dean said.

"Yeah we don't mean to be nosy but are you sure that's, you know, safe?"

"Of course it is! Why does everyone keep saying that!" Now Hermione's voice was rising, enough to make some people look over, including Draco and his buddies. "Draco is a wonderful person that's trying to change from the ways laid upon him by his family. Is that so bad? We've all done some things that we regret, but we all accept each other afterwards. So let's accept Draco. Stop picking on him. I'm being his friend, why can't you?"

By the end of her short speech, the entire student body was watching her say this.

"Okay Hermione, if you really think so. But, maybe just be careful?" Seamus said, glancing at Dean before they walked away.

Hermione angrily grabbed some breakfast and walked out of the great Hall, heading to the library.

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"Thought I'd find you here," Draco said.

"If you're here to tell me why I shouldn't hang out with you, don't bother. Enough people have tried - and failed."

"No. I came to thank you. What you said in the Great Hall this morning, well, it meant a lot to me. Not very many people see that I'm trying to become a better person. I'm glad you do." He said the last part quietly, so much so that Hermione barely heard. But she did.

"Of course. I would stand up for a friend anytime." Hermione said sincerely, looking up at him. They looked at each other's eyes for a moment too long, just enough to make it awkward.

"Anyway," Draco said, looking away, "we have classes we have to get to now. But maybe we should come to the library tonight to research our theory?"

"That... sounds great. See you then, Draco."

As she passed him, her hand brushed his. Sparks flared in both of their hearts, but neither made a move to enhance that moment. When she left the library, she had an unreasonable desire just to be with him. But she would wait until tonight.

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Hermione was already at the library when Draco walked in. It was six minutes past 6:30, when they said they would meet.

"You're late."

"I'd like to think I'm fashionably late," he said with a smirk. "Plus, I brought food!"

"Thanks, I'm starved. Where did you get all this? There's no way you could've snuck it out of the great hall."

"I talked to the house elves.  In sixth year, when I got the mark, I would avoid eating in the Great Hall.  The house elves took pity on me and started bringing me food.  I just asked them nicely to make us some for tonight."

"You didn't force them, right? Because S.P.E.W. is still an honorable foundation."

"S.P.E.W.?" Draco asked confusedly.

"Never mind. I'm glad you treat the house elves well."

"I do. We should start researching."

As they munched on the food, the looked through books quietly and pointed out anything they found. It was hard work, but they quickly lost track of time.

"Draco, I love spending time with you in the library, but it's late. We should go-"

"Look! I found something!" Draco pushed the book towards Hermione and read aloud.

"In the year before the first Wizarding War, there was a program called Ancestry Analysis. It was a program in the Ministry of Magic that allowed someone to research who their predecessors were, and to see how rich their blood was. 

"If one was to participate in the program, depending on ones blood richness, one could be paid.  Wizards and witches that had royal families or a heritage rich in pure blood were paid more than those with muggle families.   Nobody knows why the MoM began unfairly treating citizens, but it got worse as time went on.

"People began fighting and rubbing their riches in the faces of poorer families.  Those pure bloods allied with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to control bloodlines.  Many protested for a law to be put in place saying that pure bloods weren't allowed to mate with anyone of lower status, and neither were half-bloods.  Muggle borns had a lower chance of giving birth to a magical child if both parents were muggle borns. 

"Some pure bloods even went as far as killing muggle borns and sometimes half-bloods.  That is when Harry Potter was born.  He defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in one night, and the nonsense ended.  For now."

"I knew it!  They are trying to do the same thing that was done here with Ancestry Analysis," Draco exclaimed.

"Well then we have to stop them!  But... why would they try to do this again? It doesn't make sense."

"I don't know why either.  Let's find out tomorrow.  Same place, same time?"  Draco asked.

"Sure.  We should go back to our dorms."

"Let me walk you to the Gryffindor Tower."

As they walked towards the tower, they heard voices coming from behind the curtains.  Draco and Hermione shared a glance before walking closer to listen in.

"I told you to make it absolutely clear that pure bloods are the greater part of our species.  That's why we let you take this job!  You said you would do anything we needed you to."  It was a deep, angry, male voice speaking.  Then a female vice began speaking.

"But why?  Why would pure bloods need to be promoted?  We just finished fighting a war, we don't need to spark another one!"  It was Instructor Cattermole speaking now, sounding defiant.

Suddenly they heard the clap of a hand meeting flesh.  By the sound of the whimper, the man had just slapped Cattermole.  

"Let's try this again.  From this moment on, your lessons do not promote blood equality.  They will make students aware that pure bloods are the higher form of wizard and witch.  It's how we hold up our end of the deal with him.  Understood?"

"Yes, sir.  I'm sorry sir."  Cattermole spoke quietly and submissively.  

"Good.  I expect to hear better reports of you from now on."

Hermione and Draco hurried away so they wouldn't be caught.  Once they were around the corner, out of breath for a few moments, Hermione asked the question pressing them both.

"The Ministry is up to something, we know this now for sure.  But... who did they mean by he?"

"I don't know, but if it's who I think it is... we're in trouble."