So hello, I started this as a "change of scenery" so to speak from my Ouran story, I hope you enjoy :)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything other than my character and the plot
I'm not one to normally think about a girl any longer than I need to. I mean, a Malfoy, fawning over a girl, I don't think so. But now's not the time to talk about random girls. But one girl, this one girl, I can't get her out of my mind. She is quiet, mysterious, gets the best grades, still loses to Granger, but none the less, she is intelligent, has an aura about her that I've never noticed in anyone else, and… she is never far from my thoughts. Nobody knows much about her, let alone what she's like. Which just makes me more curious about her. It all started with a detention….
"Mister Malfoy, for your detention tonight, you will be helping out Professor Snape with whatever he asks of you. If I catch you after curfew one more time, there will be greater consequences." Professor McGonagall said with a stern look before going back to some paperwork. I trudged my way along the moving staircases, kept going past Peeves, who was trying to find some helpless passerby to mess with, and found myself in the cold, dark dungeons. I walked up to Snape's classroom and knocked lazily, and the door opened slowly to the potions room.
"Draco, I need you to sort out and organize the supply closet and shelves, I expect you to leave this room at midnight, whether you're finished or not." Snape said, not looking up from his desk, even though he said I didn't have to be finished, I knew that that wasn't an option. I started to take out my wand to start "organizing".
"And Draco. No magic." Snape said, almost a little reluctantly as he left the room and left me by myself. I scowled and put my wand down none to gently on the desk beside me. I opened up the first cabinet and started to organize cauldrons, ingredients, and other various supplies.
"Professor Snape, sorry I'm a little late, I had to sneak around Peeves. Do you have the ingredients you said you'd have ready by today?" a melodic voice asked from the half opened door after a while of sitting around, not doing much. A girl's face came out from the door with a large slytherin scarf wrapped comfortably around her neck and looked around, she froze when she looked at me with bright green eyes surrounded with black makeup and her mouth made a little 'o' in surprise.
"Oh, sorry for the intrusion, I'll be on my way then." she continued, nervously tucking her black hair behind her ear and biting the corner of her lip.
"Wait." I said, surprising the both of us, she stopped and looked back slowly towards me, looking slightly taken aback.
"Is there something you need?" she asked, looking at me with the brightest green eyes I had ever seen.
"What is your name, I've never seen you around before, are you new?" I ask, looking at this girl with curious eyes.
"I'm not new, I've been here since first year up until now." she replied, still looking at me with those ridiculously green eyes, "I'm here, all the time, nobody just seems to notice."
"Wont you tell me your name? And I would think I would remember a girl like you." I say, smirking at her in the way that all the other girls giggled flirtatiously, she rolled her eyes and scoffed.
"Yeah, of course you would." she replied dryly as she started to walk away.
"Hey, wait-"
"If you'll excuse me, I'll be off. I suggest you finish detention before McGonogall gives you double." she cut me off coldly and smirked as she cut me off and promptly walked out of the classroom. Leaving me in minor shock that a girl had so bluntly turned away from me like that. Not only that, but she had the nerve to not tell me her name. Oh, I will find out who she is.
I was always a loner, of sorts. I guess that's why I was so used to it. Before entering Hogwarts, I didn't realize just how alone I was. But I can't complain, I mean, I'm the girl who killed her own parents. Who would want to hang out with me. Even back home, people would talk to me, but out of pity, and no matter how lonely I am, I don't plan to sink that low. I guess I noticed how much I actually need someone, whether it just be a friend or not until I saw how everyone was never alone, no matter who they were, that is, except me. It all started with another late night in the library.
"Why can't Snape be like any other teacher and not assign us homework over the long weekend…" I grumbled darkly as I rubbed my neck to try to get rid of the soreness from reading the countless textbooks. Groaning as I worked out an especially sore spot, I put my quill down as I then started to roll my shoulders around in hopes of some relief of tension and stress. In my attempt to relax, I had accidentally dropped some of my books and quills and such. I growled in frustration as the little tension I had just relieved came back double as I started to pick up the mess. A hand, followed by another started helping pick up my things, I looked up curiously.
"I thought you would need some help." the person said before I could ask the question that was on the tip of my tongue. I blinked a couple times, astonished that someone would help me, they usually avoided me, pretty much at all costs.
"Oh… thank you, er…" I said, not knowing this helpful stranger's name.
"Oh, right, I'm Hermione Granger." she replied, smiling in a friendly manner, sticking her hand out to shake. I hesitantly shook her hand realized how pale and sickly I looked in comparison.
"I'm Delainy Rune." I said quietly, a little embarrassed at meeting a new person.
"It's nice to meet you Delainy, what are you doing by yourself?" Hermione asked, looking around for any other people, even though we were obviously the only two here.
"People tend to keep their distance with me. People in my house generally don't even notice I'm there, and because of my house, other people just tend to stay away from me, I guess." I say with a weak smile that didn't reach my eyes.
"You don't get along with your Slytherin housemates? Why?" Hermione asked, looking genuinely surprised.
"Well, I would rather not say, it's sort of personal." I say looking down, hoping that she doesn't ask anymore questions, this is probably the longest conversation that I've ever had with another student at Hogwarts so far. Not to mention that I feel like I can tell her anything, if I let my guard down, I could spill everything.
"Oh, that's fine. But it's getting late, we should head off to the Great Hall and eat, dinner's almost over." Hermione said, looking at a delicate wrist watch and putting the last book and quill on the huge pile of stuff on the table.
"Oh! It is?" I exclaimed, looking at my own watch, as if she wouldn't tell me the truth, "Ugh, Snape really needs to loosen up, I know he doesn't have a life, but all of us do. I would very much like to live it instead of working on homework…" I muttered darkly as I threw my stuff into my bag and slung it on my already quite sore shoulders. Hermione giggled a little, I didn't realize she was waiting for me, I looked over and there she was, waiting patiently and still smiling from my comment.
"I know right? Not that I mind, of course, I did it a while ago." she replied, still smiling, "Are you done? Let's walk together." she smiled brightly as she motioned for me to follow.
"Oh… yeah." I say a little awkwardly, trying to think of something we can talk about as we walked. This is the longest conversation I've had, so might as well make it last. I mean, it won't last long, she'll stop talking to me sooner or later.
"So, I sometimes see you class, but never outside of classes." Hermione asks, looking at me still with a small smile.
"Oh, I'm usually in the restricted section of the library, or near the owlry, sometimes the astronomy tower. I don't really think about it, I don't really keep track of where I go." I laugh a little dryly, but the first I've laughed in a while, so it was nice.
"How are you in the restricted section? I thought you needed a pass."
"I have skills." I smirk, walking a little quicker, leaving Hermione to catch up.
"No, seriously." Hermione laughs, catching up to me and playfully running into my shoulder lightly.
"Okay fine, I pulled some strings with good ol' Dumbledore so I don't have to worry about having a pass anymore, seeing as I would ask for one every day, Madame Pince was more than happy to not worry about writing me a slip all the time." I say, smiling for the first time in months at Hermione's shocked face.
"Dumbledore let you do that?" Hermione asked, shocked and sounding a little jealous.
"A good trickster never reveals her secret." I say with a smirk and opened the door to the Great Hall.
"Come on Delainy, tell me!" Hermione demands, trying not to laugh and keep a serious face.
"I told, you, it's a secret." I say putting my finger on my lips for the international "shh" sign.
"This is ridiculous, you have to tell me." Hermione huffed as she put her hand on her hip.
"Maybe when I deem you ready, young padewon" I reply calmly as I smiled, waved and started walking to the Slytherin table. At that point, I realized just how many people were looking at the two of us. Hermione Granger, Gryffindor, and me, the freak from Slytherin. I tried not to notice the looks from all the students, I also tried not to listen to the whispers. But it was hard, I fast walked to the table, grabbed a small plate of the first thing I could get my hand on and a glass of pumpkin juice, and fast walked out of the Great Hall as fast as I could looking down the whole time.
"Merlin, I'm so stupid, I knew I shouldn't have done that… Now Hermione is wrapped up in my issues…" I say quietly as I slowed down after rounding a corner.
"Why are you hanging out with the mudblood?" I hear a sneer from behind me, I turn slowly with a glare and a look of disgust slightly on my face.
"None of your business." I say darkly, and almost growled at the look on this arrogant blondie's face.
"What, it's not like I'm offending anyone, she's not your friend." he continued, ignoring my dirty look and comment.
"She is my friend, and as long as she is my friend, I will lament you deeper into the depths of hell every time you degrade her like that." I growl, getting close to his face, making him lean back in surprise. I turn, making sure to "accidentally" hit Draco with my bag and stalk off to the astronomy tower.
I stood there in shock as I watched the mysterious girl walk off fuming away from me. I had never been told off so harshly by anyone, well, except my father, and maybe Potter, Weasly, and Granger… But I'm not sure if I like it or not. Finally having someone have the guts to actually talk to me as if they are equal. I thought about her still standing where she left me when I heard someone behind me.
"Granger, what are you doing here." I sneer, "Did you finally fall for me, like the rest of the girls? Not that I'd want you to."
"No, Malfoy." she spat out my name in a disgusted manner, quite similarly to what that girl just did, "I thought you were coming out here be a bother to my friend, but I see that she handled herself just fine without me." she scowled, turned, and left quickly around the same corner as the girl had just went.
I panicked, once I got around the corner, I couldn't walk anymore. I took a couple steps, but my legs became useless, and I slid to the floor, sitting against the wall processing what I had just done. More importantly, what I had just said. I called her my friend. Now I really got Hermione tangled up in unnecessary business. This is just peachy, Hermione probably wont talk to me anymore once that stupid ferret face tells everyone.
"Delainy? Where are you?" I heard a voice ask worriedly from near the corner. I quickly held my breath and quietly pulled my legs in until I was curled up, hoping Hermione wouldn't find me.
"Delainy, I know you're here somewhere, I just saw you walking this way." Hermione said, looking around and walking closer and closer to where I was trying to hide. I desperately wanted to call out to her, but I knew I couldn't.
"I just want to thank you for standing up for me like that." Hermione stopped walking and stood there with a smile, "I would like to be friends with you as well, if you don't mind." she said, knowing that I was there. I shuffled because my book bag was twisted around my arm too tightly and accidentally made a sound, giving away my hiding spot.
"There you are Delainy, I knew you'd be around here somewhere. It's difficult after a face off like that with Malfoy, trust me." Hermione smiled as she walked towards me and sat down next to me. I mustered a weak grimace, it seems as I had reached my limit for smiles today. I was about to thank Hermione when my stomach growled loudly in protest, I started laughing at my stomach's horrible timing.
"Someone's hungry," Hermione laughed and stood up, "When's the last time you ate?" she asked, offering a hand to help me up.
"I think I had a glass of orange juice and a piece of toast for breakfast…. And a couple every flavor beans for a snack, I think." I say, looking up, as if that was going to help me remember better.
"Merlin, you must be starving! You barely ate all day! That's a sign of anorexia, Delainy." Hermione said, looking at me with a worried look, she quickly pulled me up and started dragging me back to the Great Hall.
"No, Hermione, stop it! I don't want to go back there! Everyone was staring!" I protest, trying to get away from her unnaturally strong grip, I guess that's what happens when you hang out with two boys all the time.
"No, I won't let you starve to death, especially after making a new friend." she said firmly, smiling wide as she pulled me along various corridors, my eyes widen in shock and my face slowly melts into a genuine smile as I get dragged along.
After a while of twisting corridors we finally stop once we got to a painting of a bowl of fruit. I quickly remember that I had left the little food I grabbed back in my hiding spot and sighed.
"Er, why are we looking at a bowl of fruit, I mean it's nice looking and all, but I don't see how this helps fill me up." I look at Hermione skeptically, "And I accidentally left a bowl of food and a drink where we left from…" I said, looking down with a small frown.
"Don't worry about it, I bet someone came along and got it, but we can go back and check once we're done here." before I could question her more, Hermione started to tickle the pear on the painting, causing it to giggle and open up. She tugged me in and to my surprise and wonder, there were house elves everywhere cleaning up dishes and such.
"Excuse me, could I get some food to eat?" Hermione asked, not looking too pleased when the elf bowed down extremely low and other elves from the corners of the giant kitchen came with mountains of food.
"Merlin… this is crazy. I always wondered why there wasn't a kitchen…" I say out loud as I vaguely thank a house elf that offered me a nice piece of sheperds's pie and nibbled on it absent-mindedly as I watched the flurry of elves and Hermione looking at them all with look of what I believed to be sadness.
"Do you not like something Hermione?" I ask, a little unsure if it's a sensitive topic or not.
"I just hate how they are being treated as slaves, they're not even being paid and they do this day in and day out without holidays!" Hermione started, getting heated up. I look at her a little wearily.
"I understand that you don't like how they're treated, but have you ever actually listened to what they thought of their job here?" I ask, a little frightened that I had said something wrong, getting ready to be yelled at.
"I… I actually only heard Dobby talk about how he likes being free…" she replied, looking down sheepishly. I smirk a little as I took a step closer to her and leaned on the counter next to her.
"I think one of these days, instead of automatically thinking someone doesn't like something, like these house elves here, you might want to get their side of the story. Instead of forcing them to listen to you speak of how horrible it might be for them." I say nonchalantly, "I think they're here because they like it here, I mean, have you ever seen any of them look unhappy when they're making food for us?" Hermione looked taken aback at my comment and did a good impression of a fish out of water as, maybe, for one of the first times in her life, she was left speechless. I smile and nod and take another bite of my pie, take a swig of pumpkin juice, and jump up to grab my bag that I had put down on the floor.
"Let's go Hermione." I say, motioning for her to follow me, "Thank you very much you guys." I say as I wave to the smiling house elves, who waved in return.
"Come back any time, Miss Rune and Miss Granger" they replied, going back to work in a chipper mood.
Thanks for reading, please review :D