AN: Hello again! This is my entry for the Pottermore Challenge TDP using the prompts fiendishly difficult crossword, editor's office and Zamira Gulch. Hope you enjoy!
Draco cursed, flinging the quill he had been using to fill out his usual morning crossword across the table, causing it to land inside a pot of porridge, making the Slytherin reaching for it glare at him, all passing unnoticed as the youngest Malfoy glared down at the crossword section of the Daily Prophet.
Blaise Zabini, sitting next to him, glanced at him, thoroughly amused, and said: "What, can't figure out what another word for mission is?" in a voice that is obviously meant to hide laughter, but miserably failing in its task.
"Ha-bloody-ha Zabini," Draco sniped sarcastically," when you can figure out what another word for unchained is, starting with a t and nine letters long, then you can laugh at me."
Still snickering at his friend, who usually finishes the daily crossword in five minutes, Blaise took the paper, looking for the place where his friend had stuck. Still studying the paper, his smile grew smaller and smaller, until his frown was just as pronounced as Draco's had been a few seconds ago.
Draco was now studying his friend with a smirk, delighted that he wasn't the only one to struggle with the crossword. Watching his friend grow more and more agitated as he studied the crossword, he heard a frustrated cry from the Gryffindor table and, turning around, he saw the bushy haired mudblood staring at her Daily Prophet in dismay, and he would've bet a thousand galleons that she was staring at the crossword he had been struggling with just a few minutes before, before passing it onto Blaise who was now looking at the paper in disgust, as if he couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing.
"This-this is impossible. These words don't even exist! I'm sure of it!"
Shaking his head in defeat, Blaise took out his wand to incendio the paper. Seeing what his friend was trying to do, Draco grabbed his hand, shaking his head.
"No, don't. I want to go to the Library after class, see if I can find anything to help me with this fiendishly difficult crossword."
So saying, Draco grabbed his bag and the crossword, and set of for his first class of the day, Potions.
He was lucky that he had potions first, as he wasn't paying attention in class in the slightest. When the bell rung for the next class, he didn't even notice, so caught up in the crossword was he. He only moved when Blaise kicked him, causing him to look around with alarm, and, noticing Snape staring at him suspiciously, he flushed and packed up his books, determined to pay attention in class, at least until lunch rolled around.
When lunch came, he half ran into the great hall, grabbed a sandwich, and made his way to the Library.
Getting there, he immediately went to the language section, looking for a dictionary. Not finding it where it usually was, he frowned, looked around, and scowled, as right in his line of vision sat the Granger, with the Daily Prophet spread out before and surely every dictionary that the library owned spread out around her.
Still sporting an impressive scowl, he made his way over to her and stood glaring at her until she felt uncomfortable and turned around.
Seeing him, her face arranged itself in scowl as ferocious as his own, and she asked in her high and mighty voice: "What do you want Malfoy?"
"Those books you stole."
"I didn't steal them you idiot, I'm looking for something."
Intensifying his glare at her, he replied: "Well, would you mind looking into one at a time, the rest of the population of Hogwarts also needs a library."
Frowning, Hermione looked at the books spread out around her. Her shoulders slumped and she said: "Look, Malfoy, I need this books, but," she said looking pained, "I would be willing to share them with you."
Looking at her incredulously, as if checking to see if she is being serious, he saw nothing but pleading in her eyes, unwilling to part from even a single book. He shook his head, and, looking at her one last time, they sat side by side and looked through the books for an answer, even asking each other's opinions now and then.
So they sat for almost the whole lunch hour, until, five minutes before the bell rang, Blaise came running in, panting, and holding out an official looking letter.
"L-letter from th-the editor," he said gasping.
Grabbing the letter from his hand, Draco and Hermione both leaned over it, not seeming to notice their closeness. The letter said:
Letter from the Editor's Office
We would like to apologize for the faulty Daily Prophet sent out this morning. The faulty crossword was an ill-though out office prank, and, rest be assured, the trespasser have been dealt with.
A new copy of the Daily Prophet will be arriving with the night edition.
We apologise for the inconvenience.
Yours truly
Zamira Gulch
After they finished the letter, Draco and Hermione both let out a relieved sigh, glad that it wasn't them that was wrong, but the paper. Suddenly, realising how close they had been sitting, they scooted away from each other, and, Draco, grabbing his bag, strode out of the library, a confused Zabini following him, and leaving a confused and flushed Hermione in his wake.