Disclaimer: Nothing is mine but the story plot.
A/n: Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Season 2 Round 2. The story must include Hermione riding somewhere, no matter how minor the scene is. Prompts used were #14 (you don't tell me to relax) and #15 (breezy).
Everyone thinks that invisibility is some sort of great accomplishment. Let me tell you something though- it's nothing special.
Yeah, there are invisibility cloaks out there that are a real pain to get your hands on, but who has time for that? What happens if you lose it? Hell, how would you even find it?
I invested a lot of time in invisibility spells while avoiding my father. He's a bit delusional these days you see, chasing me around to marry before the end of my eighth year. It's tedious really, and I can't handle that pressure on top of actually completing my education. It just can't be done. So I took it upon myself to come up with a much more complicated solution.
Invisibility cloaks are way too mainstream- I decided that I needed to become invisible completely. With that capability I was able to hide from my father for winter break. I was pretty impressed with myself.
People have things backwards. They think that it's the act of turning invisible that's so difficult but that isn't the half of it. Turning invisible is easy; you just find the right potion combinations (with the help of some nifty books) and you're transparent. No, it's turning back to visible that's the tricky part.
I managed to avoid getting caught by my father all break while hiding in Malfoy Manor, watching him get frustrated each day when he couldn't find me. It truly was a joyous thing. But now I've maneuvered back to Hogwarts through a crowded train station and on the ride here, yet I still can't see myself. It's very frustrating.
I can't do that much in this invisible form. It's hard to get much anything done. So as a last resort now that I've scrounged through every book I can think of, I'm turning to the last person I ever wanted to get help from.
She's probably going to find it humorous and leave me this way, so long as she doesn't run away screaming when she hears my disembodied voice.
No, she'll likely hex me instead. Bloody Gryffindor.
I can see her approaching the castle, returning on one of the self-moving carriages. It's a long ride from Hogsmeade and sometimes they let us use the carriages that bring students back to the castle from the train. It looks like she is alone, which is good. Alone means there are less bloody people I have to explain this to.
She approaches, leaving her ride behind, and I start approaching. She has absolutely no idea that someone is nearby, as I've learned to train my breathing to avoid being found. Avoiding my father's plans this summer helped me with that. I wait until we're only a few unpleasant feet apart before speaking.
"Granger."
She doesn't jump in surprise like one would hope, and instead keeps her wits about her, spinning around with her wand drawn as her eyes narrow. Am I really worth hexing for a simple hello?
"Malfoy?" she asks uncertainly, looking around.
"You look like an idiot searching for nothing."
She repeats the same sequence, looking all around and narrowing her eyes again. An eyebrow slowly rises up and she stops circling. "Where are you?"
"I thought you might be able to find me Granger."
Her eyes narrow. "This isn't funny Malfoy, come out this instant! I will not talk to the wind."
I roll my silver orbs in return. Now I remember why I never bothered to talk to her- other than the obvious reasons. She's bloody annoying.
"Trust me Granger, if I could come out and play I would."
"What do you mean?" she asks again, never putting that blasted wand away. "Malfoy, I don't know what you're getting at here-"
It really pains me to say this next statement. "Granger, I need your help."
Now she's silent, letting that sink in. She glances around again, as though expecting me to pop out from behind something. I'm far too close to her though to appear from behind those trees off in the distance, and she knows it too.
"Why won't you show yourself Malfoy? If you won't come out I refuse to talk to you any further."
"Granger, I can't come out. That's part of the problem."
"How do I know you're not bluffing?"
I sigh, quietly stepping closer to her. When I'm within an arms distance of her, I tap her shoulder, making absolutely sure I do not touch her skin. She spins around quicker than expected, her wand unintentionally hitting my invisible side. Startled she jumps back, both eyebrows shooting up.
"Malfoy?"
"Hello Granger, I'm so glad you finally noticed my problem."
"You're invisible?" she asks, reaching out again. I step back out of her reach.
"Don't touch me; I am trying to remain civil. But I can revert to other names if you insist on constantly touching me."
She shakes her head at my words. "How did you manage that? I've read about invisibility potions, but I've never actually attempted one. How long does it last?"
She's trying to find me again, and I continue to move back from her. "I don't know. I used an increased about of ingredients from the prescribed ones to make the affects long lasting. Now I have a proposition for you Granger."
The brunette raises an eyebrow, looking over in my general direction. "You've come to make a deal with me invisible boy?"
"I really need to stop being invisible. I've been this way long enough, and it is tricky business to reverse the affects."
"Snape's prized student can't come up with his own solution to reverse a potion?"
I grit my teeth, refusing the urge to pull my wand out of my pocket and hex her. But she would see my wand then, as only my body and the clothes I wore the day I took the potion are invisible. It's been a tedious task to constantly rewash the same outfit over and again to keep this spell lasting.
"I don't know what kind of deal you would accept Granger, but I assure you I would never search you out unless the situation was dire. I am only here asking you because I have no other option."
She studies the space she assumes to be me, which is almost a foot off from where I'm actually standing. It's amusing to watch her talk to a tree.
"What kind of deal do you want to make?"
"Use that annoying bookworm head of yours and search through books to find a solution. I'll pay you in return." I can see the gears turning in her head, like she wants to make a different offer.
"Okay."
It's too easy. I feel like she's playing me. I'm about to say thanks and just get out of there, but she speaks once more.
"I'll contact you when I know something Malfoy. Until then we have a deal."
Until then? I already have a bad feeling that she's going to ask for something more, but Granger's never been one to drop hints. I watch her wander off, her head spinning around often enough to check and see if she can spot me. I watch her go, my mind spinning a bit.
I'm going to pay her for the bloody deed. What else could she want?
It's almost two weeks before Granger gets back to me. After finding the Headmistress and explaining to her my predicament I've taken to doing my studies in my room and eating whenever I please until the problem is resolved. Occasionally Blaise comes to visit me, but it's hard to have a conversation with someone who is constantly throwing powder around the room in an attempt to see you. He's worried I'll play a trick on him.
She owled me to meet her in the back of the library in a secluded area. I don't know why seclusion is a big deal if no one can see me in the first place. My wand and a hefty bag of coins lie in my pockets, ready to be used if necessary. I sincerely hope she has found a solution by now. I'm sick and tired of being invisible. I can't even tell if I look good or not in the mirror.
I decide to scare her when I arrive. Knocking several books off a shelf at once does the trick. She immediately knows who it is when no one appears.
"Malfoy, that's not funny. The poor books haven't done anything to you."
I wave my hand before realizing she cannot see my dismissive gesture. "They are fine Granger. Now do you have something for me?"
She rolls her eyes. Digging around in her pocket she produces a slip of paper and hands it to me. I snatch it from her hand.
"These are instructions to make a potion Granger. I wanted you to actually make the bloody thing!"
"Well, you're supposedly Snape's best student," she replies coyly, crossing her arms. "Who better to make it than the very best? Besides, I have other things to do with my time than to wander around doing your dirty work. You are fully capable of handling this one yourself. I did the research like you requested, now the rest is up to you."
"That's not what we agreed on! You have to do this or I won't pay you."
She laughs then, her hair blowing lightly in the breezy weather drifting in from outside. "Oh Malfoy, we didn't set any specifications. Now please, pay up. I have a cause for the money you're going to owe me."
I consider cutting her pay since she only did half the work, but decide to just throw the whole bag of coins her way. I can't stand here and argue if I need to go and raid the new potion teacher's closet. Since Uncle Sev isn't here, I'm going to actually have to be sneaky.
If Uncle Sev was here I wouldn't have to bother with her in the first place.
She's alarmed when the bag flies out of nowhere, nearly missing it. But she manages to somehow catch the bag, surprised at the coins that fall out. Her eyes widen.
"I didn't realize you were going to pay me this much."
"It's pocket change Granger. I figured it would be more than you are used to anyways."
"You nearly gave me a heart attack just throwing bags out of the middle of nowhere Malfoy. Just because you can see me doesn't mean I always completely know where you are."
I smirk them, slithering around past where she is standing. I get up behind her, deciding to mess with her head a little. She's causing more work than I intended. And she's ignoring the fact that I did give her more money than she's used to. Maybe she'll finally buy something half-way decent to wear.
"You never know where I am like this," I say, breathing on her ear. She jumps about a foot in the air, spinning around to fire off a hex. I dodge it easily enough, breaking into a fit of laughter at her alarmed look.
"Don't do that Malfoy!"
"Going to have a heart attack again?"
"Shut up!"
I laugh once more, straightening myself. I pat one of my pockets, ensuring that I didn't lose the slip of paper when I stumbled back from her reaction.
"Relax Granger. It's funny to see you so uncertain."
"You don't tell me to relax," she mutters, shaking her head. Without another word she departs, saying something else under her breath. I don't bother listening too hard though; I have another plan forming in my head.
Something I can do to her once I'm visible again.
When I finally reappear at school it's a sight to see. I make up excuses for where I've been, never mentioning my adventure with the invisibility potion. Now that I've got the antidote to the potion, I can use it again whenever I want.
But the crowds of people aren't who draw my eyes. I've been watching Granger for two long days now, ever since I became visible again. She won't even glance my way.
Knowing her nosy tendencies, I find it somewhat interesting. Even her determination to ignore me doesn't deter my newfound plan. I know she thinks she's done something grand by not completing the task I set before her, by leaving parts of it for me to finish, but I have something else up my sleeve. Nothing extreme, just something to ruffle her feathers.
I can't leave her thinking that she had the upper hand in the end, now can I?
When the mail arrives three days after my reappearance I watch for the telltale sign of a letter getting dropped for her. She looks around uncertainly at first, wondering just who sent her a letter. I smirk as she reads the short in scripted message before her cheeks turn red and she spins to briefly glance my way. I don't bother hiding the expression on my face.
Perfect. I've gotten under her skin again.
"Granger looks annoyed over there," Blaise comments at my side. "She doesn't look too happy with whatever that letter is."
"No, she doesn't look happy at all," I reply, my voice happier than it should be. She shoots me a second venomous look before turning back to her friends, doing her best to ignore me.
I sit back, content. And she thought I couldn't tell her to relax. I don't know if she'll ever relax again.
A/n: I've written better, but here it is. I thought throwing an invisible Draco in might be a nice change from basic stories, but it was hard to incorporate. Hopefully it worked out well enough though :) Reviews welcome.