The next few tutoring lessons Draco improved heartily. He no longer dreaded them. They became a custom, and a distraction to what the Dark Lord had in store for him. In fact, he looked forward to the hours spent in the closed library with He-Granger, listening to her beautiful voice and taking notes from the books she prescribed for him. By the end of the six months, Draco had moved from a Dreadful-Troll to an Outstanding, and he was second-best in the class only to Hermione Granger.
"Well, you have passed. You will remain in my class, and you may stop being tutored if you wish it," McGonagall said finally one day after Transfiguration. Draco had thought this too, but he enjoyed the company of the Mudblood
Granger and the time spent alone with her. He figured she was the only way he would be able to survive the rest of the year of Transfiguration. For some reason, she got him to focus better than anyone else, even Pansy Parkinson could.
During the last tutoring session before Christmas, Draco decided to ask Hermione to come with him back to the Wiltshire Manor for Christmas. He did want her company over the break, and besides he could use tutoring as an excuse to have her around.
He planned his speech carefully.
"Well, that's that until after Christmas break," H-Granger concluded after the last lesson. Hermione got up and turned to leave before Draco grabbed her wrist.
"What are you doing? Get off me!" she cried, startled.
"Like I said that to you before you bawled like a baby all over me by that lake," Draco rolled his eyes. Hermione blushed. "I was thinking, why don't you come over Christmas break so you can continue tutoring me? I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind. They want to me to have good education."
Hermione looked at him strangely. Why was he asking her this? It wasn't as if he liked her, was it? Hermione cleared her throat and looked down to the hems of her robes.
"Sorry, I can't. I don't truly trust you, Draco."
And she turned on her heel away from him.