Draco Malfoy was not in a good mood. All he had needed today was a quiet spot to sit down and process his thoughts. Everywhere he went in hopes of peace, though, he had found anything but. He was trying to go to the most obscure locations he could think of: surely, at least, no one else had found the nook behind the stairwell on the third floor. Convincing himself that he would get his peaceful thinking time, he made his way towards the spot. Rounding the corner leading to the stairwell, though, he heard clunky footsteps that echoed through the stone corridor. Turning around to see who could possibly be making so much noise, he saw Pansy Parkinson waddling up to him with a giant smile on her smashed-in pug-like face. Oh, Merlin, please no, let her not have recognized me… But he had no such luck, for Pansy ended up right beside him.
"Drakey-Poo, Where are you going?" her shrill voice pierced his ears. "Don't you have classes? Are you SKIPPING them? Oh, you rebel! You know… I have a thing for rebels…" she continued with what she must have thought was attractive, ridiculous pouty expression. At the last part, Draco turned to the annoying twit with an expression of horror. One hookup in a broom closet during sixth year and all of a sudden Pansy seemed to think that they were married or something.
"Pansy, go away" he pleaded, and sped up in the opposite direction.
"But Drakey! Why…" He cut her off with a stern look, and decided he would try a diplomatic approach.
"Pansy, if you don't leave me alone, I swear to Merlin I will confingo all of those ridiculous clothes that you insist on wearing. While you're wearing them." Okay. So maybe not diplomatic, but effective, as Pansy had shut up with a stunned look on her face. Obviously, she didn't want her precious wardrobe set aflame. Or herself, for that matter. Quickly retreating and making strange noises that reminded Draco of one of those muggle whatcya macallems… Oh yes, lawn movers, when they won't start. Oh wait. That wasn't right…. Whatever, though, he thought to himself. As soon as Draco was blessedly rid of the vile creature that is Pansy Parkinson, he surveyed his surroundings.
Shit. Where am I? He thought. He had been trying so hard to figure out how to evade Pansy that he had turned himself around. The corridor he was now standing in had a lower ceiling than the rest, with old rusted suits of armor lining it alternating with dusty tapestries in various states of disrepair. Figuring that he couldn't get any more lost, he figured why not and made his way down the hall. The further down he went though, the darker it got and the more curious he became. Eventually, the light disappeared completely and he had to cast a lumos just to see. Where in the hell does this go to? He was thinking, until he ran smack into a wall. Then all he thought was Ow.
The hall seemed to go on forever, but in fact it veered sharply to the right and ended abruptly. This doesn't make any sense! He thought to himself. Looking at the wall directly in front of him, he saw a portrait. In the picture there was a man reading a book in front of a fireplace. "What?" Malfoy accidentally said out loud. The man in the portrait jumped up in surprise from his chair.
"Two in one day? That's a first. What do you need, young man?" He asked in a gravelly voice. In response to Draco's silence, he continued. "Oh, never mind. I'm sure you're just looking for somewhere to sit in peace. They all are. Well, if you can't find peace in here there is no peace for you in this world, boy." The man continued with a chuckle and a nod. "Here you are, then." And with that, the portrait swung open, revealing a room.
"Um… T-Thanks?" Draco responded, unsure and confused. Figuring that it was probably nothing dangerous, Draco walked through the portrait hole and found himself in a cozy, medium sized, warm room. Along the walls there was bookshelves, and the floor was covered by a large ornately designed rug. Filling the room were several gloriously comfortable looking armchairs and even a loveseat which was facing the wall opposite Draco. The loveseat was also facing a small but merry fire that cackled quietly.
Finally, I can just lay and think about this mess that has become my life… his thoughts were cut off midstream. He had approached the loveseat (the most comfortable looking seat of any of the chairs) only to see a figure already doing what he had wanted to. Looking closely, he realized that it was a sleeping girl… and none other than Hermione Granger. What! You've got to be kidding me. Find peace, my ass. Draco stood there and sneered at Granger, hoping to awaken her with his hatred… although, his expression softened when he saw her smile in her sleep. She really wasn't as hideous as he had always made her out to be. Especailly lately, for she had been taking extra care to manage her frizzy hair and even started to wear attractive clothes. Actually, she's really pretty. Maybe even beautiful… If only that know it all personality wasn't so strong, he mused.
Hermione's eyes opened, and she blinked to adjust to being awake. That's weird. Usually nothing woke her up from naps aside from a fire or…. "Eep!" She yelped. There was some person standing in front of her, his face obscured by shadow. Bolting up, she took a closer look. It was none other than Draco Malfoy. What? She thought to herself. This is supposed to be a place of peace, and that weasel is certainly anything but! "What are you doing here?" She demanded.
"Um… uh, I…" Draco was speechless. He genuinely didn't know why he was there. Then he remembered what he had just been thinking, and felt an embarrassed flush crawl against his pale face. Then he got defensive. "None of your business, Granger." He sneered. Better to attack back then to show vulnerability.
"Hmph. Well, no matter, I was leaving anyways. How's a girl supposed to find peace with an inbred albino like you around?" she voiced with contempt and promptly turned on her heel towards the portrait hole.
"Albino? Inbred? Excuse me!" Draco was gasping, trying to process what he would later grudgingly admit was a brilliant insult. He stormed after her, outraged. "Why do you think that your better than every one else, anyways? Everyone knows that your actually just a useless mudbl-" He cut himself off. He had promised himself that his second chance at a seventh year would be different. He'd turn the name Malfoy back into a respected one and this wasn't the way to do it. "Actually, Gran- Hermione." Looking into her eyes and causing her to pause momentarily, something in him softened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that, or interrupt your nap. I'll leave, okay? "
Hermione couldn't believe her ears. Did he just say that? It has to be a trick or something, she thought. Looking into his steel gray eyes, though, she saw nothing but sincere honesty. "Oh. Well… thanks, I guess. But I have a class soon, so I ought to be leaving…" she approached the portrait hole. But something was wrong. There was no doorknob… weird. There always was. "Malf- Draco, why isn't there a doorknob on this anymore?" she asked.
"If I knew, I'd tell you. Why?" bewildered, he went back to where she was standing and looked at the same portrait hole. "Maybe you have to push it open?" He asked, and started pushing to no avail. "Hey, some help maybe?" He raised his eyebrows at Hermione who was watching him work at the door.
"Oh, sure…" But neither of them could open the door with any sort of man power. "Well, are we not wizards? Hermione asked after about five minutes of pushing. She tried every spell she knew that had to do with doors, and none of them worked. Starting to panic, Draco joined in with spells that could have blasted an elephant through a cinderblock wall, but the door wouldn't give.
"Crap!" Hermione exclaimed. Draco looked over with a look on his face, questioning her with a simple raise of the eyebrows. "This is the room of tranquility. It has incantations set in which the door will only open to those in need of peace, and you can't leave until you have reached an inner peace of sorts with the situation that brought you here." Scowling, she turned to Draco.
"How do you even know that, Granger?" Draco asked, incredulous. It seemed strange that she knew that. Then again, this was the bookworm he was talking to.
"It was in Hogwarts, A History: The Extended Edition."
"First of all, there was an extended edition? I barely got through the regular version without snoring! Second, what does that mean for… us?" He finished with lack of a better word.
Hermione turned to look at him. "It means that we're stuck here until we reach a point where we're considered at peace."
Oh, shit. Thought Draco. This ought to be good.