A Childhood Long Forgotten
The Hogwart's Express just boarded the station at Hogsmeade. All of the students were getting off of the train; first through seventh years. Hagrid was leading the first years to the Black Lake as everyone else were getting into a carriage that were pulled by the majestic thestrals.
Three Gryffindors were getting into the last carriage. They were the Golden Trio. There was Harry Potter, the infamous "Boy-Who-Lived". He looked the same basically. His messy raven-colored hair was still long and still hiding that notorious scar. He did grow a few inches taller, but he still looked small.. at least compared to Ron. Ronald Weasley, known for his red hair and bad temper. Although Ron hardly got mad, everyone knew to leave him alone; everyone, that is, who isn't looking for a fight. Ron's gangly form only added to his look, plus he was even taller now. Hermione Granger, the bookworm of the group. She too grew of the summer, but you wouldn't be able to tell with Ron's massive height. She looked more different than the other two. Her hair was no longer bushy, but wavy; and it wasn't just boring brown anymore. She had blonde highlights in, making her hair look lighter. She also became more full over the summer. Curves in all the right places. Hermione looked… pretty. Plus all the work she has done over the years at Hogwarts has finally paid off, because she made Head-Girl. She had yet to find out who made Head-Boy, but she would soon. She was so excited.
'This is going to be a good year' Hermione thought to herself with a huge smile on her face.
"What are you smiling at?" Ron asked in a bitter tone. He was in a foul mood because Pigwedeon died over the summer. Ron's mother had a huge fit of course, and blamed him; saying he didn't feed Pig enough.
Hermione was too happy though. She wouldn't let Ron's temper ruin her good mood. "Nothing, Ron. It's just… aren't you glad to be back?"
"Anything to get away from that woman." Ron murmured as he plotted to get away from his mother forever.
Harry laughed at this while Hermione rolled her eyes.
The carriage finally stopped. "I'm glad I'm back." Harry said to Hermione as he opened the door.
As they all got out and started heading inside of the castle Malfoy stopped them, followed by Crabbe and Goyle.
Malfoy looked the same. Cold steely eyes, white-golden hair falling in his face, and his infamous annoying smirk. Crabbe and Goyle, well… looked like two trolls. Moronic beasts.
"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry asked. Him and Ron already drawing for their wands.
"Cool down Potty and Weasel. I simply want to talk to the mudblood." Malfoy stated with a straight face.
Harry and Ron looked at each other baffled.
"She has a name!" Ron shouted at Malfoy. In response Malfoy simply folded his arms.
Hermione saw Harry and Ron were itching to attack Malfoy, so she stepped forward. "What is it Malfoy?"
Malfoy walked closer to her. Sneering as he saw Harry and Ron tense up. He bent towards her and whispered "I heard you was Head-Girl. Not surprising, but I just thought I'd let you know… don't get in my way and I won't have to make you run crying to Pothead and Weasel."
Hermione's eyes grew wide, not in fear, but in curiosity and anger of him trying to boss her around. Hermione only leaned back to stare him in the face. She tried to find any expression that she might possibly be able to read, yet there was none. As she continued to examine his face, she couldn't help but feel like she knew him before; before Hogwarts. Finally, with the thanks of Malfoy's growling causing her to snap out of her thoughts, Hermione spoke.
"What are you talking about you prat?"
"Are you, or are you not the Head-Girl,… mudblood?" Malfoy questioned.
"I am,… ferret?"
"Then watch your back. Like I said, don't get in my way. You may be Head-Girl, but I just so happen to be Head-Boy." Malfoy gloated as he stood up tall and proud.
Hermione's, Harry's and Ron's mouth dropped.
"Don't gawk over me too much. I need a day's rest from all of my admirers from time to time." laughed out Malfoy. Malfoy then turned and went into Hogwarts, followed by his two witless goons.
"How- how did he get to be Head-Boy?" Ron asked no one in particular.
"Well, maybe it's his grades. He isn't failing you know." Hermione spoke, but still dazed by the information she just received. Then it hit her.
"Oh no! I'm going to have to share a whole common room with him! I'll see him practically everyday."
"Poor Hermione." Harry whispered to Ron.
"I wish there was something we could do." Ro whispered back.
"Maybe there is…" Harry began.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione made it into the Great Hall when everyone was feasting.
"Aww. They'd have eaten all the good food. We'll have left overs for sure." Ron moaned.
"Must you be so pessimistic, Ron? Besides there's enough food to feed everyone ten times. Now come on, we're making a scene." Hermione harshly whispered.
"Yes ma'am, professor." Ron answered. He received a dark scowl from Hermione, so he said "Oh- I mean Head-Girl." She still rolled her eyes at him.
The Trio sat down at the table. Harry next to Ron with Hermione across from them. Ron immediately began to fill his plate.
"Are you okay, Hermione?" Harry asked with a look of concern.
"Yes. I just have a headache." Hermione said as she massaged her temples.
"If Malfoy's that big of a prob…"
"No!" Hermione interrupted. "It's not that, it's… I'm trying to remember something."
"Like what?"
"I'm not sure, but with his comments it's a little nerve-racking." Hermione said motioning towards Ron.
"W-ll ahm saw-e." Ron mumbled with a mouth full of food.
Hermione only rolled her eyes and went back to massaging her temples.
Harry constantly watched her, but didn't see her sneak a peek towards the Slytherin's table.
'Blond hair, grey eyes, a prideful gloating air about him, and that annoying smirk. He seems so familiar.' Hermione thought.
"Of course heseems familiar. We known the git for six years." Harry said as started to put food on his plate. Apparently Hermione thought out loud.
"What?" Hermione said jumping out of her thoughts.
"You were describing Malfoy right. I mean who else fits that category?" Harry said before he took a bite of his roast beef.
"Um…" Hermione didn't want Harry to know she was thinking about Malfoy. 'Harry and Ron might think I'm seriously stressed about this Head-Boy/Head-Girl living quarters thing. Next thing you know, they'll be planning a full frontal attack.'
"No, I wasn't thinking of… that Malfoy. I was thinking of Lucius Malfoy." Hermione lied. 'What the hell am I thinking. As if Lucius is any better than Draco.'
"Loo-sus! Why wore oo thunk-ng aboat hm?" Ron asked with his mouth full of chicken.
"What?" Harry and Hermione said in unison.
Ron took a swig of his Pumpkin Juice to make sure all the food in his mouth washed down. "I said… 'Lucius! Why were you thinking about him?'"
"Oh. Well…" Hermione began. She was fidgeting and hoping for and interruption.
"Ahem." Dumbledore was clearing his throat at the podium in the attempt of getting everyone's attention and preparing his voice for his speech.
'Thank goodness.' Hermione thought.
"I would like to thank the house elves for that wonderful feast-" Dumbledore began, but Ron and Harry were still wondering about Hermione.
"You never answered my question, Hermione." Ron said as he turned from Dumbledore to focus his attention on her.
"Never mind that." Hermione said, hoping they wouldn't push it.
"But 'Mione, why were you thinking about him? He's a death eater." Harry asked this time.
Hermione was getting fed up now, especially when Harry called her 'Mione. "Don't call me that! Anyway I'm free to think about anyone I please. Now leave it be!" Hermione barely whispered.
Before Harry or Ron could protest, Dumbledore announced the Head-Boy and -Girl. Hermione stood to receive her applause. An applause that didn't come from the Slytherin's side of the room.
After Hermione sat down Dumbledore finished his speech shortly and asked that Hermione and Malfoy stay behind.
"Hermione…" Ron began, but Hermione interrupted him.
"Go!" Hermione said pointing towards the doors. Malfoy saw this and headed over when Harry and Ron left.
"What's the matter; trouble in paradise?" Malfoy said pretending to care.
Hermione scowled and was ready to insult him, but Dumbledore mad his way over to the two.
"Now as Head-Boy and Head-Girl there will be a list of duties in your common room. I know that you two aren't the best of friends, but you really should act civilized when associating with the other. I say this for most likely someone may be watching. You can be role models for the younger years. Who knows, you may encourage inter-house unity! Now your common room is on the fifth floor in the east wing. You must come to an agreement at what the password shall be. And with that said, I am off. Good luck." Dumbledore said and apparated to Merlin knows where.
"That fool isn't even going to show us to our living quarters." Malfoy grunted as he began to leave the Great Hall.
"Don't call him that." Hermione said as she followed him.
"What? It's not like the poof can hear me. Besides the old bat is still trying to enforce that house-unity shit." Malfoy inwardly laughed at the professor's blindness of how low a percentage of Slytherins uniting with those Gryffindorks.
"Be that as it may, he's still our headmaster."
"Not for long. This is my last year. Yours too, in fact."
"Don't remind me." Hermione sighed. She sulked the rest of the way to the Head-Boy and -Girl's common room.
Up ahead of her she didn't notice Malfoy stop, so she walked right into him.
"Hell, Granger! Watch where you're going." Malfoy yelled as he wiped his robes off as if she got them dirty.
"Sorry." She mumbled. She was so busy sulking that she didn't even realize they were there.
"So… what's the password gonna be?" Malfoy asked with a calmer voice. However it seemed monotone.
"Password? Oh yeah. It can't be easy, but it can't be so hard that we won't remember, and we have to agree- so…" Hermione was thinking aloud.
"How about 'Insufferable Know-It-All'?" Malfoy interrupted.
Hermione scowled. "Real funny. How about 'Ferret-Boy'?"
"Yeah you're right, Know-It-All doesn't work. How about 'Mudblood'!"
"Or 'Pathetic excuse for a Pureblood." Hermione replied.
"You stupid mudblood bitch!" Malfoy yelled as we walked closer to Hermione. They were inches apart. Malfoy was only daring Hermione to say something else, and she did.
"Who are you to talk. Damned Death Eater's Son!" Hermione yelled back. As soon as she said it she regretted it because the look in Malfoy's eyes were that of how a murder's would look before he killed someone.
"Ahem." said the man in Portrait hole. He apparently sensed the tension and decided to distract them.
Both Hermione and Malfoy looked at the portrait, not knowing what to say or think.
"Were you there… the whole time?" Hermione asked.
"Yes. Yes I was." He answered.
Hermione blushed and Malfoy folded his arms as he looked the other way.
"Since neither Head-Boy," The man said as he looked at Malfoy, then at Hermione when he said "or the Head-Girl- can come up with a decent password, it is up to I to come up with one; and in seeing your argument I have decided. Your password shall be 'Complications'."
"Complications?" Hermione and Malfoy said in unison.
"Yes. Complications. It seems as if your relationship and your stay here will be complicated."
"We have no relationship." Malfoy said still avoiding eye contact with anyone.
"Enemies have relationships. It's a heated and hated one, but they have relationships." Hermione said matter of factly.
Malfoy walked to the portrait. "Complications." He said, and the portrait door swung open. Right before he walked in he said to Hermione "You're not my enemy. It'd be an insult to all my enemies to say you were like them. I, from now on, see you as nothing but a walking corpse. Why associate with a dead being. You're not worth it. You're below anything that ever walked this world. You're dead to me!"
After saying that Malfoy walked in and went straight to his dorm room. The man in the portrait looked at Hermione sadly, because even though she tried to hide it he could see a tear in the corner of her eye as she walked in through the portrait hole too.
Hermione walked into the common room and forgot all about Malfoy and the fight. The common room was decorated with both Gryffindor and Slytherin colors. There was a couch sitting in front of the fireplace, and on the sides of the couch was two armchairs. On the left side of the common room were some stairs that led up to her dorm room. On the right were some stairs that led to Malfoy's.
She continued to look around when she saw the letter from Dumbledore.
'Must be the Head-Boy/Girl duties. Malfoy should know what it says too.' Hermione thought as she picked up the letter.
She looked up at Malfoy's door and just stared at it for awhile.
She hesitated at first, but then yelled from the bottom of stairs. "Malfoy! I have the letter that tells us what we're supposed to do all this year." She waited for him to come out or at least reply, but… nothing.
"Oh come on Malfoy! The sooner you get down here and read this the sooner you can leave to go roaming the halls, looking for anyone out past curfew!"
This must have got to Malfoy because he finally came out of his room and down the stairs. Hermione was getting ready to open the letter and read to the both of them when Malfoy snatched it out of her hand and read it himself.
"So what does it say?" Hermione asked when she thought he was through. However, Malfoy dropped the letter and left through the portrait hole.
Hermione felt bad as she picked up the letter and read it herself.
"We have to conduct two dances, a Seventh Year trip, and plan the prefect meetings. I could barely get Malfoy down to read this. How am I supposed to get him to cooperate with me. Merlin! I don't mean him any harm, it's just… he can be so thick-headed sometimes." Hermione said to herself, not knowing Malfoy was still there.
"Come on, Granger! Talk to yourself later. We have to patrol the halls." Malfoy said with his arms crossed and leaning against the portrait door.
Hermione jumped. She was so surprised he was talking to her. She walked over to hem skeptically. 'This must be a trap.' She thought to herself as she walked out the portrait door and they began to roam the halls.
"Did you here what I was saying back there?" Hermione asked him.
"Why? Was there something I shouldn't have heard?" Malfoy laughed inwardly as he quickened his pace.
Hermione quickened hers as well to catch up. She decided to be silent the whole time, as not to accidentally annoy him. If they were to get into an argument surely the whole castle would here.
They've been walking for at least thirty minutes now, and Hermione couldn't stand the silence, and there was a question that she wanted to know the answer to.
"M- Malfoy?" Hermione began. Malfoy didn't look at her but he grunted, so she took that as an approval to go on. "I thought you said I was dead to you? Why are you patrolling with me, let alone talking to me; even though you only told me to hurry up and to stop talking to mysel…"
"Shut it Granger!" Malfoy interrupted. "I have other things to worry about rather than keeping a promise to you. Besides, who could ignore something so ugly?" Malfoy laughed.
She was glaring at him, and was just about to comment when…
"Here we split up." Malfoy said before Hermione said something. "You go that way, and I'll go left." He said as he began to leave.
"You're going towards the dungeons." Hermione pointed out.
"Nice of you to notice." Malfoy said, but continued to walk away.
Soon he was out of sight, so Hermione walked down her hall. Not a soul in sight. 'I bet if he sees anyone from Slytherin that he won't even take a point from them.' She thought to herself as she walked further and further down the hall.
In the Dungeons
"Who's there?" Malfoy asked as he heard a whisper.
Two figures came from out of a shadow it was…
"Well what do you know, Potty and Weasel. Out for a late night snog?" Malfoy drawled.
"No! We were looking for you." Harry said as he was trying to hold Ron back from jumping on Malfoy because of the comment.
"What the hell do you two want?" Malfoy demanded.
"We want you to leave Hermione alone." Ron said as he cooled down a bit.
"I haven't done anything to that mudblood." Malfoy was getting mad at their accusation of him doing something to there 'precious' friend.
"Not yet, but you'll try." Harry said.
"Yeah, you already have her demented." Ron added.
"And what does that mean?" Malfoy questioned as he started to get bored.
'I should just take points from them and continue to walk on.'
"I mean she was talking about you stupid father earlier today." Ron said.
"What?" This got Malfoy's attention. "What did she say about my father?" He demanded to know.
"We don't know. She wouldn't tell us; but that's not important. You just remember to leave Hermione alone." Harry said as he and Ron walked away; heading towards the Gryffindor common room.
Malfoy was so deep in his thoughts that he forgot to take points away from Harry and Ron.
'What could that mudblood possibly be saying about my father? It doesn't matter. No one can talk about a Malfoy and get away with it.'
Portrait Door
"Complications." Hermione said. The portrait swung open and she walked in. 'My feet hurt so bad. I just need to rest for a little bit. Who knew patrolling would take so long?' Hermione was thinking when she was walking to the couch.
When Hermione was about to sit down she saw Malfoy already stretched across the couch preventing her from sitting down.
"So… Granger. Have fun?" Malfoy asked with his trademark smirk.
"What do you want? Just get to the point. I'm too tired for this." Hermione said still standing up.
"Okay then. I want to know what the hell you were saying about my father!" Malfoy said as he too stood up.
"Your father? What are you talking about?" Hermione asked.
"Potter and Weasley said you were talking about my father earlier today!" Malfoy started to yell.
"They did? So you saw them?"
"Never mind that!" Malfoy shouted
Hermione began to think 'When was I talking about Lucius? Oh I remember…'
"I wasn't talking about your father, Malfoy. I was talking about you. I just didn't want Harry and Ron to know I was talking about you, so I said I was talking about your father." Hermione said matter of factly.
"What? Then what were you saying about me?" Malfoy pressed on.
"N- nothing important." Hermione said as she finally sat down.
"It damn well is important if you're talking about me!" Malfoy said as he too sat down.
"Look Malfoy-"
Before Hermione could completely answer Malfoy began grinning. He was trying to stifle his laughing for some reason.
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked.
Malfoy just shook his head and began laughing.
"Okay! I demand to know what you're laughing at."
"You demand to know?" Malfoy could barely say that without laughing. He had to control himself to say the next part. "Granger I knew you were dirty because of you blood, but not literally."
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked. She was confused and angry at him for calling her dirty.
"Granger, you have-" Malfoy began laughing again.
"I have what? What is so funny?" Hermione started to yell. She was tired of asking Malfoy what he was laughing at.
Malfoy stopped his laughing long enough to say "You have a caterpillar in your hair."
"What?" Hermione began to run her hands through her hair all the while Malfoy was laughing. She felt a lump and pulled at it. Sure enough Hermione pulled a caterpillar out of her head.
Malfoy was laughing so hard at this. Hermione just frowned as she put the caterpillar on the table and headed up stairs to her room.
When Hermione was in her room, she was too tired to climb out of her clothes. She crawled straight into bed and fell fast asleep.
Hermione's mother took her to the park that morning. Hermione loved going to the park. She loved the open room and all the things to play with, especially in the sand box. You see Hermione is 5 years old. She had her hair in two messy pigtails. She was wearing pink overalls and a white t-shirt. Her mother dropped her off in the sand box and went to sit on a nearby bench. Hermione immediately began to make a castle. She had her shovel and pail ready. Just as she was about to begin digging, a little boy walked over and sat in front of her. He had short blond hair a pointy nose. He was wearing all black.
"Hi." Hermione said in her chipper voice. Hermione waited for a reply, because in her book of manners it says that when someone says hello to you, you're supposed to say hello back. As Hermione waited she saw him grinning. The boy began to laugh and roll in the sand.
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked with her hands on her tiny little hips. The boy stopped laughing to tell her, "You have a caterpillar in your hair."
Hermione felt around her hair and found it. Her eyes began to water as she was about to cry. The little boy stopped laughing when he saw her.
"Don't cry." he said in his high-pitched voice. "I'll get it." The little boy crawled over to Hermione and got it out. When he showed Hermione, she began to smile.
"Thank you." She said still sniffing.
"It's no problem. I'm the 'Man of a Million Beasts'." He said as he stood up proud.
"What?" Hermione asked. She thought he looked silly, but didn't laugh.
"I save people." He told her.
"Oh… like a super hero. Okay Beastie-Boy." Hermione replied.
"No it's 'Man of a Million Beasts'." The boy said as he stomped.
"But you're just a boy, Beastie-Boy." Hermione said confused.
"Nuh-uh. I'm a man, and it's not Beastie-Boy!" The little boy whined.
Before Hermione could say anything a tall man with long blond hair came over.
"Come along Draco. We do not associate with these people." The man said as he took hold of the little boy's hand and began to walk away.
"Yes father." The boy said as he looked reluctant to go. The little boy looked back to the girl. Hermione saw him looking at her so she waved goodbye to him and whispered to herself "Goodbye Beastie-Boy."
Hermione woke up that morning, with a massive head ache.
'Oww.' She thought. 'What time is it?' Hermione was searching her room for her watch when it hit her. "That dream. It must be real. Like a memory, that was triggered with that caterpillar incident last night. That's why he seems so familiar. It must be that." Hermione said aloud.
"Granger, will you shut up!" Malfoy said through the door. "I swear you're mental."
"Oh I'm sorry… Beastie-Boy." Hermione said as she laughed inwardly.
Malfoy opened the door. It's a good thing she had clothes on.
"How do you know about that?" Malfoy asked with what Hermione saw for the first time on him, a blush.
"Oh I don't know." Hermione said as she was walking passed him. He was following her to the common room wanting answers. "You know, seventeen is of age, so… I guess it's 'Man of a Million Beasts' now." Hermione chimed as she walked into the Head-Boy/-Girl's bathroom.
Just as Malfoy opened his mouth to say something Hermione closed the bathroom door.
As Hermione was laughing on one side of the door, Malfoy had a shocked expression over his face.
'How does she know about that?' He thought.
As Hermione was stepping into the shower she had a huge smile on her face.
"It's going to be a wonderful year!"