Asking

After an uneventful breakfast Draco slipped out quickly to get to the potions dungeon.


"Uncle Sev?"


"Mr. Malfoy, you know you are to refer to me as professor when in school. What do you need, young man?"


"I need you to make Hermione Granger my potions partner. I'm sick of partners who can't carry their weight."


"So, you request Miss. Granger?"{Why would the boy ask for her? I know the boy switched sides last summer, but why Granger?}


"She does have the best marks in school."{And, in the history of Hogwarts.}


"Boy, I've known you since you were born. I was the first person your father told once he found out your mother was pregnant. You have ulterior motives, I will give you a pass to stay after class. At that time, you will explain yourself. Do I make myself clear?"


{Hell, why does he have to know me so bloody well?} "Yes, sir. Will you still make Granger my partner?"


"You know I will, Draco. Although, it pains me to disrupt my class in such a way."


"You could match everyone with their closest academic match, regardless of house and simply mark it up to inter-house cooperation."


"You do not need to tell me how to handle this situation, though you are responsible for it. Scroll, adjust my seating chart to pair students with the member of the opposing house whose marks most closely match. When the chart is complete, post it on the front wall."


"Thank you, Uncle. I promise to explain after class what this is all about."


"Yes, you will. Now, the scroll is finished setting the seats, get to yours, your classmates should be here any minute."


No sooner were the words out of Severus Snape's mouth than Hermione, Ron and Harry entered the room, followed closely by the other members of Gryffindor House.


"Students of OWLS Potions, there is a new seating chart posted on the front wall, you will have these seats and partners for the remainder of the school year. There will be no exceptions."


"Harry, who's your partner?"


"Oh, bloody hell! I got stuck with Parkinson! Professor, how was this years' seating chart prepared?"


"In the interest of inter-house unity, my scroll has paired each student with the classmate from the opposite house whose marks most closely match. It would be most beneficial to the pairs to get along as your grades depend on it."


{This is ridiculous! Snape has never cared about house unity. Why would he suddenly change his mind in seventh year?}Hermione was confused. Then she saw who her Potions partner would be.


"Oh, God! Harry, Ron, I got paired with Malfoy! This can't be right."


"Well, 'Mione, he is a right git, but his marks are always near yours. I guess Snape's scroll figured you two would be a good pair to keep each other¢s marks at the top of the class. Think of it like this, at least since we're paired with Slytherins we shouldn't lose too many House Points to Snape."


"I can't believe you're being so calm about this Ron, especially since you're apparently paired with Millicent Bulstrode."


"Bulstrode may not be the most attractive girl I've ever met, but at least she's not as dumb as Crabbe or Goyle. If I talk to her, maybe we can agree to work together this year, if only to pass our finals. Besides, since she's not a complete imbecile, I've got it better than Harry, remember, he still has to work with Parkinson."


"Speaking of, where are all the Slytherins? Only Malfoy is here."


"Don't mention them, Hermione, if we don't speak their names, we won't invoke their presence."


"Too late, Harry. They just started entering the room. Guess we should get to our new seats and prepare to suffer."


-------------------------------------------------------------------A/N: Just in case anyone's wondering, the partnerships are: Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley and Millicent Bulstrode, Harry Potter and Pansy Parkinson, Neville Longbottom and Theodore Nott, Dean Thomas and Blaise Zabini, Parvati Patil and Gregory Goyle[hahaha], Seamus Finnegan and Daphne Greengrass, and Lavender Brown and Vincent Crabbe. Sorry, I'm not a big fan of Parvati or Lavender so, yeah they get bricks for partners. :D