Certain tastes can go in and out of fashion with every shift of the second hand; opinions can fly in an out of the mind in less time than it takes you to blink. But of one thing I would always be sure, and that was that I, Hermione Jean Granger, absolutely positively loathed the boy they all so reverently called Draco Malfoy.
So why had I spent all morning thinking about him?
"Uh, Hermione…" said Ron, indignant. "Are you planning on going to school at all this year? 'Cause the train is about to leave if you don't board sometime this week."
The reverie ended abruptly as I climbed the stairs to the Hogwarts Express, glaring at Harry, who was laughing, and Ron, who lugging the suitcases in behind us. Nearly all the seats were taken, except for the one in the back, which caught all the worse bumps and in all the wrong places, and the seat in the very front that usually smelled like bad eggs. We took the back one.
"So what were you thinking about anyway, Hermione?" asked Harry as we settled into our places. "You looked like you were really into it."
An involuntary flush crept up my cheeks.
"That embarrassing, huh?"
"No! It's just…."
I trailed off, unsure myself of what I had been thinking about. Well, of course, it had been Malfoy, but what about him? Was his sudden disheartened demeanor? Or was it the way he had walked straight past us without throwing even one insult?
Or was it the way he kept staring at me? Across from us I could see him, pouring over our compartment with his eyes. I flared up at once and pressed myself into the seat, a position in which I was sure I'd be safe.
Unfortunately the boys had noticed. "What's up with you now?" said Ron, somewhat exasperatedly. I blushed even further for reasons unexplainable even to myself. After a lengthy, calculating stare, Ron shook his head and turned his attention to other matters.
"Anyway….Harry. Did you do that essay for McGonagall? It took me three hours and I still haven't got enough words! Mind if I look off yours?"
As Harry and Ron became enraptured in their homework, I chanced a glance across the train.
Draco had closed the curtain.
My apologies for the shortness. I always have that problem with extra-tiny chapters in the beginning, but I guess I'll get over it eventually XD. There's not much to Review at the moment so I won't even bother. Just stick around for Chapter Two, and will not disappoint you!
-LxTmidnight