Disclaimer: I own no part of the Harry Potter franchise; all characters and ideas belong to J.K. Rowling.
A/N: This is a little tidbit that's been sitting around in my files for a while; I finally decided to share it with you. I'm debating doing more with it in the future, time permitting.
Lucius pushed open the door of the bookshop with one strong, gloved hand and heard the bell tinkle overhead. He smiled to himself as he took a first look around before heading further into the store. He walked slowly and deliberately, with a confidence in his manners that many found intimidating.
To all appearances, Lucius Malfoy led a charmed life.
Other patrons in the aisles scattered quickly when they saw his shadow approach. Pausing before one particular shelf, he took some time to straighten his gloves. Tug, tug, tug on the fingers until they sat properly over his long digits. There was a rustle next to him and he looked down in consternation. Who dared stand so close to him in such a small space? Who dared pick books off the shelf from right beneath his nose?
He found he was looking directly into the top of a particularly bushy head of hair and made a small noise of frustration. Merlin, hadn't the child ever heard of hairbrushes and conditioner? Straightening serum?
The child paused her movements of picking yet another high level book from the shelf and looked up slowly, as if frightened of what she might see. It wasn't as if she hadn't noticed the shadow hanging over the aisle she had been sitting in. It was why she'd stood up in the first place. To give whomever was making everyone else leave more room.
She certainly wasn't going to leave just because some big bully thought he needed extra room. Besides, he clearly had the advantage over her just now. He was tall enough to see the titles on the top shelf. She wasn't. In fact, now that she thought about it…
"Oh, good," she murmured happily. "Would you mind getting that book up there for me?" she asked, smiling at the man in front of her.
Lucius began to frown, then, noticing the girl's attire, realized she must be on her way to her first year at Hogwarts. How delightful. But then, who was she? Surely he hadn't seen her with any of the wizarding couples he knew…then again, there were some who kept to themselves…or perhaps she was half French or something. It wasn't uncommon for parents to send their children abroad. Hadn't he wanted to send his own little boy to Durmstrang, after all?
"Of course, my dear," he murmured in return, reaching up and slipping the indicated book off the shelf. He lowered it and handed the volume to her. "Hogwarts, A History. One of my favorites from my younger days. I hope you enjoy it," he said, smiling at her. She smiled brightly in return.
"Oh, I do! I've read it five times already- my old copy is all worn out and I haven't even started school yet, can you believe?" she babbled for a moment, then suddenly fell silent and lifted her eyes to his, as if apologizing for her outburst. "Er, well, thank you ever so much. Good bye, sir!" she squeaked out and turned away, scurrying down the aisle and rounding a corner out of sight.
He stood there a moment, surprised by her ingenuous confession. He'd found it rather…refreshing, in fact. Continuing to smile, he began to peruse the books upon that aisle himself and made a note to describe the girl to Draco at holidays. Perhaps his son might make friends with her. The boy could certainly use some intelligent friends.
Tapping his cane gently upon the floor, he continued to read titles. The aisle fell quiet once more.
Up at the register, the girl rang up her purchases and left to join her parents on the street outside.
"Mum! Dad, thanks so much for letting me get another copy. I'm so excited about this year!"
Her parents smiled and laughed. While they felt some trepidation, they were mostly relieved that their little girl was adapting so well to the thought of living in a completely new world, all on her own.
"Well, then, how about some afternoon tea and we'll be on our way, eh, Hermione?" her dad asked, taking her free hand.
Nodding happily, the girl and her parents made their way across the street. The sun shone brightly upon them in the balmy late summer weather.
From the window of the bookstore, a pair of grey eyes followed the trio's movement across the street to the café. A presence moved up behind the boy and he turned his head at the sound of his father's voice.
"Ah, I see you've spotted one of your new classmates, Draco."
"Who is she, Father? She looks awfully…" his nose wrinkled, "average."
"Now, now, Draco. Play nice. I spoke with her earlier. I don't know her name, but perhaps you'll be friends. I believe she's awfully smart. Whoever her parents are, they've certainly raised her properly. Look, they're going to have tea instead of rushing off to that awful ice cream parlor."
"But Father, all my friends go there- and Mother likes it, too. You take her there, yourself, sometimes!"
Lucius smirked and coughed discretely. "Yes, well, that's different. One sometimes has to sacrifice taste in order to maintain conjugal, er, bliss."
"What, Mother won't let you bugger her if you don't buy her sweets every now and then?"
Lucius glared at his son and rapped him sharply on the back of his head with his cane. "Watch your mouth, Draco!" he murmured, turning away. "Now come and let me purchase your books for you. And stop staring! It's isn't polite."
The eleven year old rubbed the back of his head and followed his father morosely up to the front counter. He couldn't help his eyes wandering to the little girl sitting across the street with her family. They were seated at an outdoor table, an umbrella casting shade over them as they sipped their afternoon tea. The girl nibbled daintily on a biscuit until her father reprimanded her for eating sweets; and he noticed with satisfaction that the she set the half eaten biscuit down with great reluctance.
"Draco!" came his father's commanding voice once more and he turned away from the scene completely. His head remained full of little girls with bushy brown hair and creamy eyes that longed for a good sweet, however.
Much later that night, Hermione wrote a single entry in her journal.
Dear Journal,
Today was lovely. Mum and Dad and I went to Diagon Alley again, since I needed some more supplies and an additional copy of Hogwarts, A History. You know I ruined my old copy with highlights and pencil markings in the margins. Well, I think it's rather perfect, actually, but Mum insisted I get a new copy. I'll take the old one to school as well anyway. (Even though it's hardly old- I've only had it two months, but I couldn't put it down! I have to know everything I possibly can before going to school. I couldn't bear if I embarrassed myself the first year of school and I already have so much time to make up for. Eleven whole years, some of the other students will have on me in terms of experience and knowledge!)
Well, when I was in the bookstore I was having trouble reaching the proper shelf- it stinks being short for one's age, sometimes- but there was a really nice gentleman there who helped me. Actually, he was rather scary to look at, all imposing and tall, but he was really romantic as well. Just what I'd expect a wizard to look like! Tall, broad shoulders, mysterious grey eyes, and long, silky hair. It was practically white, his hair was so blonde! And he held a proper gentleman's cane with a shiny silver snakehead and wore long black robes with gloves and everything! He smiled and made some conversation with me, but I completely blundered it by babbling about my school books- oh, I was so embarrassed! I could've had a fit right there!
I know, Journal, this isn't like me at all. But everything about this transition has been so exciting…how can I not lose it once in a while? Besides, I've never met a man like that one before in my life! So elegant! So…well, that's enough fanciful thinking for one day, I suppose. I wonder if I'll meet any other wizards who are as interesting looking as he was. I wonder if he has any children who attend Hogwarts…that would be lovely, don't you think? I want to make some friends so very badly.
Months later, Lucius Malfoy waited with his wife for their son to disembark from the Hogwarts train. It was the holidays and time for the student's Christmas break and, as usual, only three quarters of the students who boarded the train earlier that fall got off now. Lucius was well aware that many parents let their children remain at the school for the Christmas holidays; he supposed it provided a good opportunity for studying in peace and quiet, but he suspected that the students who stayed got just as little school work finished as those who went home for the holidays. Besides, Narcissa was extremely protective of their boy. She would never let Draco spend a moment away from home longer than was absolutely necessary. Honestly, it was going to make the boy go soft if he didn't counter her obsessive mothering. Luckily the boy did have some more manly redeeming qualities…ones which he would exploit as soon as possible. After Christmas. For now, he knew all three of them would want to enjoy being together again.
Two cars down, a familiar head of hair was peaking out an open doorway. Lucius saw the girl glance his way and nodded at her. He smiled as she blushed and pulled her head back inside quickly before reemerging a moment later towing a large trunk behind her. How interesting, he thought, considering the girl's reaction. The trunk, he noticed , looked to be about five times the size of the girl herself. So, she was just as short and thin as she had been four months ago when he'd first seen her. Still, her eyes seemed bright and she was smiling happily at her own parents. Perhaps Hogwarts had agreed with her after all.
Narcissa made a sudden movement next to him and took his arm as she waved ecstatically at Draco, who was exiting the same car as the girl had just moved from. Lucius and his wife moved closer to greet their son and as they neared the car, he could see the girl had turned and cast a resentful glare at his son, who was looking at the girl in return with a murderous scowl upon his face.
"Draco," Lucius said quietly, catching his son's attention. The boy started guiltily and looked up to his father and mother. Then, turning his back on the girl, he promptly ignored her and marched up to his mother with his trunk in hand. The girl turned away as well and marched off with her own parents, who cast anxious glances back at Draco and his parents.
Lucius narrowed his eyes. "I thought I told you to play nice, Draco." He caught the hint of red and gold about the girl's retreating neck and smiled thoughtfully. "Just because she's a Gryffindor doesn't mean you can't make friends."
Draco glared up at his father. "She's a muggleborn, Father. And she always gets better scores than me at everything! I can't stand her, always hanging around that traitor Potter and his friend Weasley. Makes me sick!"
Narcissa gasped. "Oh, my poor darling! Well, perhaps we can hire you a tutor over the holidays to help improve your grades if that's what you're worried about-."
Draco cut his own mother off. "That's not the problem, Mother! If Hogwarts didn't let her kind in, then I wouldn't even have to worry about my grades to begin with! I can't believe her, always knowing all the answers. It's so irritating!"
Lucius, while rather taken aback that the adorable, curly topped brunette was, in fact, a mudblood, found himself annoyed with his son's prattling.
"You know, Draco, I believe we should order you a tutor this break. After all, as there's nothing to be done about the girl's presence at the school, you'll just have to work harder to stay on top. Stop blaming your inability to study well on some defenseless creature."
Narcissa smiled at her husband, missing the point as usual. "See? Your father agrees. I'll look for someone appropriate first thing tomorrow."
Draco stared up at his father balefully while Lucius only smirked down at his son. If Draco had been older, he would have perhaps noticed the vague uncertainty that flashed through his father's eyes.
So. The girl was muggleborn and his son was losing out to her in an obscenely obsessive manner. That was anything but good. He flexed his arm muscles a bit and gripped the head of his cane tighter as he snapped for their house elf to come and take Draco's trunk. Narcissa was babbling away to Draco about their plans for the holidays and Lucius winced. Well, perhaps the break would not be such a bad thing…it might help his son gain some perspective on the issue. Maybe then he's stop being such a little prat. He eyed his son affectionately and sighed to himself.
Well, it was too bad about the girl, but there was nothing to be done. And she had seemed so promising…he chuckled to himself, remembering her remark about buying a second copy of Hogwarts, A History and recalled himself in time. Narcissa turned and cast a strange glance in his direction.
"Never mind, dear. Carry on," he murmured, walking ahead of his family. There was no time for scheming now, after all…it was almost Christmas.
Hermione caught one last look at Draco and his parents before her own whisked her away towards the car. She could hardly believe her awful luck…all these months day dreaming about a certain ideally romantic wizard and it turned out he was the father of her most hated classmate. Well…perhaps she didn't hate him, exactly, but he didn't make it easy to think kindly of him, that was certain. The little prat.
She made sure to write in her journal that evening.
Dear Journal,
I'm so pleased Mum and Dad didn't ask me about that spat back at the station. God! That Malfoy…if he was worth hating, I would certainly hate his guts with all my heart! He picked on me again, saying something about my trunk weighing as much as my nest of hair and how it matched my eyes, being a nasty brown color. When I told him my trunk was green, he said something even worse. Oh! He makes me so angry, I swear, I just want to hex him!
Mum would tell me to think rationally and I try to, honestly. But the git won't let up on me. Always whispering behind my back…and he only ever insults me to my face if we're alone, like he doesn't want other people to see him talking to me. It's really creepy. I'd hoped that I'd make friends and I sort of have- Harry is great and Ron is nice enough, I suppose. But I haven't met anyone as elegant or interesting as the man who has turned out to be Malfoy's father. I hope his father doesn't feel the same way that his son does, although I know that's unlikely. Perhaps he's not Malfoy's father? I know they look a lot alike, but maybe he's just an uncle instead…
I'm so depressed by all of this. Here I was, hoping for a lovely, romantic Christmas holiday and I'm stuck writing papers and daydreaming about men who are only good looking on the outside. Journal, I know I'm only twelve, but doesn't even a twelve year old deserve some lovely daydreams? That's my Christmas wish. I want to have a nice holiday with my parents and meet some new crush that isn't connected with nasty wizards in any way! The end. Now I'm off to bed so I can wake up early and go skating with Mum and Dad. Happy boring Christmas, me.
Across the great hall, Draco sat at his house's table and cheered as they were announced winners of the house cup. He couldn't help but glance over at the Gryffindor table as he clapped, however…and a pair of creamy chocolate eyes caught his, full of tears and longing. Ha. Served her right, being all sad and mopey. She alone had broken half the rules in school, not to mention all the points that Potter lost by breaking his share of the rules. Those wimps. Never mind that Potter had single handedly gotten to do half the cool things that Hogwarts had to offer that year…Draco would make Quidditch next year, for sure. Then he would show them all. He could be just as awesome as everyone thought Potter was. Especially that stupid little muggleborn…she would see just what she was missing by being a lowly piece of filth on the totem pole of wizards.
All his father's words over the break about being polite and playing nice had flown out the window with his arrival back at school. He found he wanted to mess up Potter and his friends more than ever, particularly the book worm. She was just so…self righteous! It drove him positively mad and he full intended to make her life as miserable as she made his.
She caught his eye across the way once again and frowned at him. God, he just wouldn't let up, would he? Stupid boy. Harry was much nicer. She focused on the boy next to her and felt Malfoy's eyes watching her still. She shivered, thoroughly creeped out by his constant and unwanted observation. Didn't he know that there were laws in the muggle world that could stop him from pestering her? She wondered how he would react if she came to school next year with a restraining order against him. That would be a lark, wouldn't it?
Sighing, she remembered his father and began poking at the banquet food once more. It was really too bad about that. She'd gotten the whole story from Ron and was completely disillusioned with the man and his family. Purebloods, muggleborns…she didn't see what difference it made, honestly. One had only to look at the royal family to know that purity of blood line was a bad idea.
They'd all gone insane and killed one another, eventually. Every last royal family throughout history had led to the downfall of their empires through excessive intermarriage and maintenance of the pure bloodlines.
Ha! Pure bloodlines, her foot. Every second grader in England could claim some kind of relation to royalty somewhere and she suspected the same went for so called pureblood wizarding families. Noticing Malfoy's intense stare once more, she looked up and stuck her tongue out at him for good measure. Perhaps she could write a paper or two on the purity of the wizarding world over the summer, in addition to her homework. She bet McGonagall would give her extra credit.
There was a sudden roar and she looked up to realize that the decorations were changing and Dumbledore was making an important announcement. She glanced about her and suddenly everyone at her table was cheering and then she was cheering too, caught up in the excitement of the moment. They had won…the house cup was theirs and all because of some stupid stunts she and her friends had pulled! It was exciting, but practically unfathomable. How could Dumbledore be supporting their behavior in this manner? And in front of all the other students, at that? Surely there could have been a less humiliating way for them to gain the cup…after all, he had just taken the cup away from the Slytherins in a rather fantastic manner…
She looked across the hall to Slytherin's table and caught Malfoy's eye. He was tearing his hat from his head and throwing it onto the table, looking just like the spoiled little boy she knew he was. He saw her staring and glared. She grinned and stuck her tongue out again before joining her house in the celebration once more.
Never mind the Slytherins, after all. They could probably stand to be humiliated every once in a while. Jerks.
Draco tried not to stare at the Gryffindor table too much. He was afraid of catching the glance of that terror, Hermione, again. How dare she be so cruel? Where did a mudblood like her get off sticking her tongue out at him? He felt a jab to his side and glanced over.
"What're you staring at, Draco?" muttered Pansy, a fellow Slytherin who had been making eyes at him already. He glared at her.
"Nothing," he mumbled, but let his eyes stray to the petite Gryffindor's face once more. How he longed to wipe that happy smile from her face.
Someday, he felt sure he would.
Lucius could tell there was something wrong the moment his son disembarked from the train. He was not smiling or even wearing a content expression upon his face. No, his son- the little terror that he was- was frowning in a most thorough fashion, not even bothering to drag his trunk up to his parents before demanding a house elf collect it. Instead, he got as far as the final step of the car and waited for his parents to greet him and take the trunk from him. Lucius stood back, arms folded across his solid chest, and watched his wife rush up to the boy, cooing and fawning needlessly. He snapped his fingers and a house elf arrived.
Pointing, he watched as the elf approached his son and wife and timidly took the trunk from the young master's grip. Draco snarled at the creature and made as if to kick it before he glanced up and saw his father's stern glare focused upon him. He gulped and lowered his foot. The elf nodded and disapparated with the luggage. Lucius remained where he was as his wife consoled their boy over whatever thing had not gone his way. He sighed and flipped his hair behind one shoulder, tapping one foot lightly on the concrete.
A bushy head of hair caught his eye, once more peaking around the door just as she had at Christmas. He smiled to himself and watched her.
There, she was exiting, dragging the large trunk behind her small body. Instead of immediately walking over to her parents, this time she paused and said good bye to two little boys, paying especial attention to the little dark haired one. Potter, perhaps? He looked enough like a miniature James. Lucius allowed his frown to deepen as he watched the fond farewells. It really was too bad about her…she carried herself well, in spite of her general appearance. That frizzy hair…thin frame…probably had never had a decent manicure in her life, either. She looked like the type to nibble upon her fingernails as she read. And he was certain she read a great deal. He wondered if his son had resolved his issues with the child.
He knew how unhealthy obsessions could be. And an obsession with a girl, especially a muggle born girl, could be particularly unhealthy. Dangerous, even. Lucius glanced back at his son with an appraising eye.
Draco showed all the signs of harboring an obsession. Even now, in the midst of arriving home for the summer break, of being comforted and adored by his doting mother, of watching his father for looks of approval, he was casting surreptitious glares in the girl's direction. There was something growing inside his boy against this other child and he wasn't sure he could help it now.
He wasn't sure he wanted to help it.
The more his son harbored feelings for or against her, the more he would be able to keep an eye on her.
It was important to keep an eye on muggleborns. There was no telling what they could do…or grow up into. Lucius was intrigued and he admitted it freely, to everyone except his family and colleagues. And he would never be able to explain why he was intrigued. He wasn't sure he wanted to know, himself. He smiled again and the girl glanced over her shoulder. When she saw him looking at her, she flushed to the roots of her hair and turned away quickly, but not before he saw her eyes dart towards his son and caught the way they narrowed. He smiled a little wider.
Things grew more intriguing every second.
Hermione walked ahead of her parents, suddenly eager to leave the train station. It wasn't that she wanted to leave her friends, she didn't- it was that Malfoy and his father were beasts! She bit her lip, frustrated with herself. She knew the only evidence she had against the elder Malfoy was his son's horrid behavior, but it was certainly enough to convince her. She now detested the man as much as she'd liked him at the start of the year.
And yet her wish for Christmas had not come true and he was still the most elegant man she'd ever seen. The most fascinating. The kind of man witches wrote romance novels about.
His son was another matter entirely, however. She growled at herself and shoved her trunk in the back of her parents car, then crawled in the back seat and huffed, waiting for them to get a move on. She wanted to be as far away from all things Malfoy as possible just then.
Far, far away.
Dear Journal,
I saw him again…that man that won't leave my head. Honestly, can I help it that he made a strong first impression? Still, I've had little luck expelling him from my brain. Perhaps with a few months away from things that remind me of him I'll be alright. After all, I'm young and intelligent. I don't have to maintain a silly crush if I don't want to, right?
This summer will be lovely, I know. No Malfoys, no Professor Snape, no dangerous circumstances. Just vacation and letter writing and summer essays. It will be a breeze compared to regular school work. I've already completed half my homework anyway. The rest is perfectly manageable. Of course, I'm concerned about Harry and Ron getting everything done, Harry especially. I know his relatives can't be that nice, not from what he's said. Ron is a bit thick to catch on, though. I do hope he'll be alright.
At any rate, Malfoy won't be able to bother him while he's home, which is a blessing, I'm sure- oh. Oh, dear. I've done it again. And just when I told myself I could keep them from my mind. Maybe there's no escaping a Malfoy once he's bitten? Ha! That's a funny image. They do remind me of snakes, though. Cold, calculating. No, no matter how nice the older one was at the beginning of the year, he's that dumb boy's father and a child always learns from somewhere, I expect. That's what Mum always says, anyhow. Fine, enough moping. If I put my mind to it I'm sure I can have a Malfoy free summer. At least they can't bother me at home. Alright, I'm off to get started on that Potions essay!
Unfortunately for Hermione Granger, much of her journal entries for the rest of the summer read the same.
And Lucius Malfoy once again had little luck instilling manners in his son.