All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
"Here come the Weasleys, the literal definition of walking entertainment." Draco Malfoy drawled from her left. Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, and Blaise Zambini were sitting at a round table just outside Florean Fortesque's ice cream parlor in Diagon Alley, enjoying a cool treat while waiting for their parents to return from the depths of the ever gloomy Knockturn Alley.
Hermione smirked as Molly Weasley's shriek could be heard from within the store. "Quickly now, everyone pick a small treat to celebrate Ronnie going to school!" She could never get over Molly Weasley's ability to make scene where ever she went, whether it be her lack of respectable clothing, her high pitched screech she calls a voice, or her pigs she deems children.
"A small treat…" Pansy chuckled quietly. "Are they sure they should indulge upon such a delicacy? I mean, that mother hen looks fit to burst and we know their 'patriarch'" Pansy continued with disdain. "Makes little money. Purchasing such a treat as ice cream seems impulsive." She finished sarcastically, as if ice cream was a rare novelty. As it was, all four children had grown up in wealthy, pureblood families and had tasted true delicacies, as Pansy put it, on more than one occasion.
The Weasley children were now running about outside the parlor, attempting to knock each other's treat off the cone before the screeching hen told them to sit and eat respectably, as if they knew the meaning of the word. "Ohh," Hermione grinned mischievously, "here come our parents, this will be true entertainment." She said quietly to her friends, watching the coming disaster unfold. The four children watched as the youngest and only female Weasley threw her arm back in an attempt to keep her brothers from touching her ice cream, only to have it land on an unsuspecting Narcissa Malfoy. Hermione's eyes went wide, she had been hoping for a slight altercation but this would be gold. Not only would the group's parents make the Weasley family's lack of manners known, but the Malfoy's were famous for their revenge, aside from their obvious wealth and power.
Looking over at Draco, she could already see his menacing sneer in place. Lucius had an equally frightening look on his face and combined with Narcissa's gasp of shock and outrage had the Alley silent for at least five feet in each direction, everyone waiting with baited breath. "Oh Narcissa, are you alright?" Hermione's mother Helena fretted while gracefully coming to her side.
"Careful Helen, you never know if those awful children might attack you next. I would hate for you to get hurt darling." Hermione's father warned with a sinister smirk.
"To right you are John. In fact, Cissa, Helen, why don't you and Patricia and Arabella take the children and have them finish their snack outside the café down the street. I don't want any of you near this dangerous bunch and I would hate for the children to be harmed." Lucius continued while staring directly at Arthur Weasley, whose face was slowly growing red with anger. Quickly standing, the four children grabbed their things before gliding to their parents with posture and superiority that came from years of tutoring. With their chins held high, they left with their mothers, pausing only long enough for Draco to slyly sneer, "See you at school, Ronny." Before they made their exit, hearing only spluttering from Ronald, and an angry return about how the whole event was an obvious mistake and that he and his family were far less dangerous than a group of ex-death eaters. Hermione rolled her eyes at the lame comeback that was obviously meant to be hurtful but ended up falling a few yards short of the intended mark. Hermione could hear her Uncle Lucius laugh as she walked.
The group ended up waiting for their fathers and husbands in the Leaky Cauldron as they were finished shopping for now and decided it to be a good time for lunch. The children, still happily eating their ice cream, opted for a simple Butterbeer each and a basket of fries to share. Hermione's mother Helena sat with her Aunt Narcissa, Aunt Patricia (Pansy's mother), and Aunt Arabella. While not actually related, the four families were so close that the children had essentially grown up together with the parents take roles and aunts and uncles. The four children in particular were very close, Hermione and Pansy had a relationship as close as twin sisters and told each other everything. The same could be said about Blaise and Draco, who spent time playing quidditch while the girls did their girly thing. And while together, the four were a tightly packed group, it was very obvious that when provoked, Draco and Blaise were exceedingly protective of the girls. Draco more so of Hermione, the two had grown close when they discovered their mutual love of witty, intelligent banter that often left others in the dust. Blaise was in turn more protective of Pansy whom he had always harbored a crush on, not to mention their affinity with cooking.
"Girls, the ladies and I are going to the restroom to see what we can do to remove the residual stain from Aunt Cissa's dress, why don't you join us to freshen up before the food arrives?" Her mother had come gliding up to their table while the four had been finishing eating. Hermione had a couple more bites of her ice cream and so handed her cone to Draco to hold before standing to join her mother.
"That's a wonderful idea Mother, let me just remind Draco of something and Pans and I will meet you there." Hermione smiled sweetly at her mother, the picture of innocence. Helena nodded with a smile before whisking the other mothers away. Turning back to the table, Hermione slowly lent towards Draco before whispering in his ear, "Draco, if you take so much as take a lick of my ice cream, I'll make your life hell." Hermione warned in an innocent voice before giving him a friendly peck on the cheek, slipping her arm through Pansy's and gliding towards the restroom.
Draco was left with his mouth slightly agape from shock and Blaise was nearly falling out of his chair with laughter; having received no such warning from Pansy who had already finished her snack.
Smirking devilishly at Pansy, Hermione reveled in the feeling of being feared. Draco always had such a strong aura of power that every now and then, Hermione couldn't help but remind him that she was just as deadly as he.
When the girls entered the restroom, they found all four mothers speaking in quiet whispers, Aunt Cissa's stain long gone as were any other occupants of the room. Helena caught sight of the girls first and cut off the other women before they revealed their topic. "Ah hello girls, come and wash your hands real quick and we will return to the table together." She said with a small grin. While many people believed purebloods to be ice cold and heartless, Hermione and her family and friends were simply above average at hiding their emotions. In order to protect yourself, her father once taught her, you can never let you opponent know what you are truly thinking. From that day one, only her friends and family truly knew what Hermione was thinking, and only because she told them. Draco was the only one who could see past her mask, a skill that Hermione could return and had brought the two closer together.
Hermione and Pansy quickly and quietly cleaned their hands, straining their ears in an attempt to pick up what their mothers and aunts were saying. Unfortunately, they had ended their whispering when the girls entered and were merely discussing this season's fashion. Looking at each other from the corners of their eyes, they made the silent agreement to discuss the occurrence with the boys once they returned home.
When the two had finally finished, the six women left the bathroom to find the husbands and fathers had returned and Hermione's ice cream had melt all over the table at Draco's dutiful refusal to take a lick. Hermione stopped to give her father a hug and ask how their 'conversation' went. "Hello my princess, I do hope none of those filthy Weasley's touched you and ruined your beautiful dress. You look so beautiful in it." John spoke to his daughter with a flicker of love and warmth in his eyes.
"No daddy, my dress is perfectly fine. Although, Uncle Lucius, what that terrible girl did to Aunt Cissa's dress is horrible, I hope you didn't make them pay for it?" Hermione responded, looking at her uncle with hope and admiration, a glimmer of sinister shining through as well. "If they had to pay for such a thing, they wouldn't be able to attend Hogwarts and then we would be out of such easy entertainment." Hermione finished in a pout. Her three friends burst into laughter at her comment and the adults chuckled, Lucius smirked while easing her fears and her father gave her a brief hug to show his pride in her wit. Kissing her father's cheek, Hermione walked off to resume her seat with her friends, rewarding Draco with another kiss on the check before ordering a nearby maid to clean up the mess, leaving Draco with pink checks and a maid covered in sticky ice cream.
It wasn't until late that night, after having dinner together, that the four friends could talk. Their families had gathered at Malfoy Manor to eat and finalizing plans for when the children would leave for Hogwarts tomorrow. Gathering in the library, they sat in their favorite set of couches, a fire blazing beside them, Pansy and Hermione relayed their journey to the bathroom. Upon finishing the rather short tail, Hermione looked over at Draco, who was sitting on the couch next to her. "Well, obviously they're planning something, the question is why they're hiding it from us." Draco mused quietly.
"Perhaps it's something at Hogwarts, I'm sure if they were planning something that involved the school they would want it to either be a surprise or, it involves things we're not old enough to be a part of yet." Hermione responded with a measured look, her reference to exploits in the name of the Dark Lord thinly veiled. All four had grown up hearing stories of his greatness, and how they hoped someday for his return or for a successor at the very least, to continue the fight for their anti-muggle ideals.
"What do we do then?" Blaise asked quietly from the opposite couch.
Hermione glanced at Draco for a second before responding, "We keep are eyes and ears out for suspicious behavior, and subtly report back with findings." All was quiet after that. It wasn't until at least five minutes later that Hermione broke the silence, "Ugh, I can't sit still and think about this any longer, I'm going to walk about the manner to burn some energy from dinner off before going to bed. I'll see you all tomorrow, shall we sit together on the train?" She asked quietly while rising to her feet.
"Of course we shall." Draco said in a tone that broke no argument. "I'll join you on your walk, though, Hermione. My mind needs settling as well." Hermione merely nodded her head in reply before sending a smile at Blaise and Pansy and walking with Draco out the door.
Walking quietly down the hall, Draco grasped Hermione's left hand with his left, curling it around the crook his right arm, before giving her a small smile and continuing their walk. Hermione had a slight blush and a please smile across her face. While she and Draco had always been friends, her romantic inclination towards him had only recently begun and she had, so far, kept it a secret. Draco's actions, while many may have over looked, simply showed that he cared deeply for her, for women only hold the arm of men they have ties to, and Hermione was currently holding Draco's arm. Not even Pansy and Blaise had done this yet, Hermione thought, and they are so obvious about their feelings for each other.
"Mia," Draco said quietly, breaking Hermione out of her inner monologue. "I'm worried about this year." He continued, still looking straight ahead, down the hallway.
"I am too," Hermione replied while watching his impassive face, before turning her gaze down the hall as well. "Something feels off, and I don't think it has anything to do with us going to Hogwarts. I can't remember the last time our parents purposely kept information from us." She said thoughtfully. "Perhaps if we bring it up at breakfast tomorrow, they may give us information to think on." Hermione suggested as the rounded the corner and began walking down the stairs, Draco moving his left hand to grip her hand resting on his arm to give her more support and balance.
"Perhaps," he mumbled quietly. Neither noticed the group standing just off the bottom of the stairs. Hermione and Draco's parents, as well as a Professor Snape of Potions at Hogwarts, were watching as Draco ensured Hermione's safety down the stairs and Hermione as she blushed a deeper red each step she took. None of them could remember the last time Draco had treated something so delicately and protectively, nor did Hermione have her emotions so obviously on display for any and all to see. Helena and Narcissa shared a glance, barely containing their glee, for neither had failed to notice Hermione's arm that was wound around Draco's. Both knew exactly what this meant and they were already planning their weddings. While the children may only be eleven, it was quite obvious that these feelings ran deep and both families hoped they remained through the future.
When Hermione and Draco finally reached the bottom step, Draco let go of Hermione's hand, though ensured it remained where it was resting on his arm, before they both looked up, only to find their respective families smiling widely at them. With one quick glance, they each communicated their strong desire to not talk about their… thing, for lack of a better word, until they had grown much older. Quickly, Hermione's mask was thrown back up, her blush receding quickly and her eyes no longer sharing her deepest secrets, while Draco let her arm drop and asked if she was feeling well in an attempt to play the entire thing off as Hermione needing help going down the stairs without falling. After responding in the affirmative, both children looked back at their parents before Hermione, with one more glance at Draco, asked, "Daddy, is there any chance I can speak with you for a moment?"
Her father smirked before answering, "Of course princess, just let me introduce you to a friend of your Uncle Lucius and I's. This is Professor Snape, Hermione, he is the potions master at Hogwarts." Hermione gave the requisite slight curtsey to her new professor, a show of her understanding of pureblood ways. Her mother had taught her all the names of society that she ought to know and therefore understood that while Snape was merely a half-blood, his prestige in potion making earned him her respect, resulting in a small curtsey. Snape, for his part, bowed back deeply, as was expected when being introduced to a pureblood. Had he been closer, he would have placed a kiss on her hand. As it is, Hermione was glad for the distance, their difference in age and his standing as her professor would have made things exceedingly awkward.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Professor, I look forward to class with you later in the week." Hermione said quietly.
"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Granger. I have heard of your intelligence by many, and combined with Mr. Malfoy, it has given me hope that there may be a few students worth instructing this year, instead of the bumbling buffoons I am used to dealing with." He replied, sarcasm practically dripping from his mouth. Hermione simply smirked at his rather obvious attempt at humor. It's sad really, Hermione thought, he won't be any fun to play mind games with. He will simply say exactly what he thinks, there's no challenge. One look at Draco and his smirk told her he knew exactly what she was thinking.
"Alright, come and walk with me a moment Hermione and ask me your questions. I promise to return her to you in short time Draco." Her father bid her to him while sending Draco a smirk. Blushing just a hint, Hermione began walking down the hallway, slipping her arm into her father's as Draco had done to her at the beginning of their walk.
"Father, I hope you don't find me imprudent, it's just that I heard something, or a rather lack of something, and was hoping you could fill me in on what's missing." Hermione said innocently, widening her sparkling brown eyes as much as she could in the hopes of weakening her father's resolve. This technique only proved effective 50% of the time, but there was no harm in trying. "You see, Pansy and I saw the mother's whispering urgently to each other earlier today in Diagon Alley, but when we moved closer to join them, they immediately stopped and moved on when they noticed us. Normally I wouldn't have though anything of it, but the four families have been together so often that I simply had to draw the conclusion that you were all planning something. Can you please tell me Daddy?" Hermione continued quietly, staring deeply into her father's eyes.
"You, my princess, are too smart and beautiful for your own good." He replied with a wink. "Yes, we are planning something and yes, as I know you have already connected the dots, something is happening at Hogwarts this year." John continued, biding his only and most precious daughter into the window seat they had walked to. "Your aunts, uncles, mother and I recently realized that Harry Potter would be a first year with Draco, Blaise, Pansy, and yourself. We were hoping that his presence at the school may bring the Dark Lord out of hiding, wherever he may be. We have ensured this by setting the base work for a precious artifact to be hidden within Hogwarts. Should the Dark Lord be in a position where he is ill or unable to support himself, this artifact would be able to do so, and having it at Hogwarts would alert us to his location and allow us to help his return to power." While John truly wished to protect the children, most especially his daughter, he also understood the manipulative and cunning qualities all four possessed. Their natural abilities may help the adults pick up on information that doesn't make it outside Hogwarts' hallowed halls.
"I see." Hermione responded simply. "Well Daddy, the four of us have already discussed what you may have been planning and while we didn't come to any conclusions, we did decided to be extra observant at school this year and to write to you with any unusual behavior. Would that be acceptable?" Hermione asked. Wishing deep within her that her father would accept and let her and her friends help. It was Hermione deepest ambition to make her father and mother proud of her, little did she know that she had already accomplished such a task and that the love they shared for their little princess would never diminish, no matter her failings.
"Oh my princess, that would be wonderful. Remember though, your safety comes first, don't do anything dangerous Hermione, please." Her father responded, a proud smile on his face before worry clouded his shining eyes.
"We won't Daddy, I promise." Hermione responded with a blinding smile.
"Very well, let's walk back to your Draco and the family." John stood with a small smirk directed towards his daughter's lightly blushed face. Giving her his arm once more, the two made their way back down the hall. Upon joining the family, Hermione and Draco bid the family good night, kissing their relatives cheeks and giving slight bows and curtseys to Professor Snape who responded in kind. The pair turned around and made their way back up the stairs, standing exactly one foot apart, as propriety demanded, and very aware that all eyes from the crowd below were focused on them.