Parcheesi

Chapter 1: Who am I?

By: Keiko

"I can't believe it!" Hermione Granger walked into the Gryffindor common room, startling anyone who heard her outburst.

"What's wrong Mione'?" Harry asked cautiously, Hermione never yells unnecessarily.

"What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong!" she fumed. Ron, Ginny, and Harry all flinched as Hermione's voice reached the pitch of a Cornish Pixie's yell.

"That man", she started "That disgusting, foul, loathsome man Snape-",

"Hermione!" Ron said flabbergasted, "You just insulted a teacher!" Hermione was one of the most respectful students that attended Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry.

"Yes, Ron, I'm quite aware of that." she said absent-mindedly, "That man Snape is the foulest- the foulest creature on earth. You –you know that I was sick today, so I missed Potions. The long-term project that he gave you guys-where he assigned us all pairs- he stopped me in the hallway to inform me of whom I am paired with. He paired me with- with-."

"With who?" Ginny asked softly.

Hermione looked at her "Ferret Boy. Snape paired me with Ferret Boy! And he gave us THE hardest project!" She turned and kicked the chair, hard in anger, and watched it as it repaired itself.

"But mione, he paired the rest of us up with our own houses. He must have felt like being extra horrible to you." Harry said sympathetically.

"Obviously. I swear, if Malfoy mutters mudblood once-"

"I'll hex his arse into oblivion!" Ron yelled, his face about the same color as his hair.

Ron and Hermione had started dating the summer before sixth year, and were still going strong the late fall of sixth year. Harry and Lavender Brown had started dating. As was to be expected, Ron was acting like a protective boyfriend should. Hermione detested this. She detested patriarchy. Ron wasn't exactly being patriarchic, it's just that she hated when men try to take absolute control of a situation.

"Ronald, you will do nothing of the sort. You will keep your nose clean and stay out of trouble."

"But- but Mione'!" Ron whined

"No but's Ron." She protested, "I'm a big girl, which means that I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."

After a short silence Ron agreed. "Alright, but if there is anything you can't handle yourself-"

"I'll come to you hon." By then Hermione had calmed down, and became amused by Ron's behavior. Harry looked as if he would burst a gut in laughter.

"And, Ron, do me a favor. Stop acting like superman."

Harry gave in, and laughed until his face turned the color of fresh blood.

"What's so funny, and who's Superman?" Ron asked.

Harry answered with "Ron, idiot, friend. Superman is a muggle superhero, with super powers."

Ron looked absolutely bewildered. "If he has super powers, then how is he muggle?"

"I dunno Ron. He's not real." Hermione answered.

"Then why did you tell me not to act like him if he's not real?"

"I told you not to act like his character."

"No you didn't! You said 'And, Ron, do me a favor. Stop acting like Superman.' I remember!"

"Ron I was merely telling you not to save me!"

"But that's not what you said!"

Through all of this, Ginny and Harry were watching the two, and laughing as if there was no tomorrow.

After a few more sentences were exchanged between Hermione and Ron, Ron noticed the opposite couple laughing. He felt his face grow warm with an oncoming blush of embarrassment.

"Oh, shut up you two!" Ron barked. He just made them laugh more.

Ron balled up a leftover piece of parchment and moved on to pelt them at the laughing bodies. That started a parchment ball fight between the quartet.

By the time they grew tired of pitching paper, they were all laughing extremely hard, and the common room floor was scattered with paper. By then, everyone in the common room were giggling at the sight of the famous trio's encounter.

Hermione performed a quick "Scorgio" charm to clean the common room floor, and allowed the garbage bin to devour the paper.

Five muinetes had passed with the occasional chuckle or giggle, and each person felt quite content after exposing their momentary lapse of maturity.

Hermione got up from her comfortable seat on the floor, and squeezed herself into the loveseat next to her boyfriend. Ron simply acknowledged her presence by leaning over and wrapping her in his arms. Hermione snuggled closer to him, and they continued to cuddle.

"Ron, Mione. It's sickening. Please." Harry playfully ridiculed them.

"Oh, shut-up Harry. Cuz' we never say anything about you and lavender.", Hermione laughed at Harry.

"That's because we never see you and Lavender." Ron said.

"We prefer to keep our business between us, thanks.", Harry crooned.

"You mean the business you perform after curfew, in the Astronomy Tower?" Ron asked slyly.

"Yes, that business." They all laughed.

After a short silence, an origami-shaped piece of parchment flew into the common room, and landed gracefully in Hermione's lap.

She opened it tentatively, and read the words that were hastily scrawled inside.

Mudblood,

Meet me in the north Tower at 11:00. I want to get started on the bloody project so that I won't have to be around your filth any longer than needed.

Malfoy

P.S: DO NOT STAND ME UP!

"Who does he think he is?" Hermione mused out loud, "My father? Puh-lease."

Ron, who had been reading over her shoulder, informed her that "You don't have to ruin your evening by going to meet that idiotic git."

"Don't worry Ron.", Hermione started, "I want to."

"Why?" Ron asked, alarmed.

"Well, because I want to show him that I'm more than just a mudblood."

"Why?" Ron asked, again, obviously confused.

"What do you mean 'Why'?" Hermione said, becoming very annoyed, very quickly. "Because I'm more than that, and I'm tired of him treating me like he's my superior."

"Oh. What?"

"Nothing, Ron. Nothing. But, I'm going."

Harry looked at Hermione, with the now familiar look of concern in his eyes. "Are you sure Mione'?"

Hermione stared at Harry, "Harry, don't make me mad."

Draco Malfoy sat in his common room, contemplating past and upcoming events. Mostly Death Eater business. At least that's the way other people would think of it. It wasn't really Death Eater business. Yes, it had to do with the subject of Death Eaters, but not real business. Draco sighed in exsasperation. Nobody understood. He didn't even understand it.

Since the day Draco could comprehend what the words kill, evil, and Mudblood meant, Draco's father had been prodding him about his destiny.

"You are the Dark Lords successor!" he would say "You will be the next Dark Lord. You will rule the Wizarding World."

Draco didn't get the logic, if there was any to begin with. They were supposed to rid the Wizarding World of all muggle-borns, when their very own leader was one himself.

He didn't want to be a Death Eater; he never had. He always saw it as a sorry excuse for a hobby. And that Mark! It was hideous! He always prided himself on having absolutely flawless skin, and the Dark Mark would ruin it.

Draco smiled at this. He was conceited and he knew it.

Just as he was about to start musing again, Pansy Parkinson sauntered in, breaking his contemplative state-of–mind. He groaned under his breath, not sure of he would be able to deal with her at that moment.

"Hi Draco!" she squeaked

"What do you want Pansy?" he asked, already annoyed with the high pitch sound of her voice.

"Am I not allowed to stare at my luscious boyfriend?" she asked, trying hard to sound sexy, but to no avail.

"No, you aren't.", he said

"Pansy, why don't you go play with Crabbe." He suggested slyly

"I can't." she said, "Because Crabbe is busy playing with Millicent."

Draco stared at her with revulsion, wondering why (or how) he ever put up with such a shallow creature.

He would never admit it later on, but at that moment, he was actually looking forward to meeting Granger. He was about ready to do anything to escape Pansy's much undesired company.

"Don't you have anything to do? Other than bother me?" He asked, praying that she would get the hint and abscond.

"Well….", she started, thinking deeply "I have Snape's essay that's due in three days. And I have to work on the Transfiguration essay for McGonnagal. And I also have to do the "Magical History In A Nutshell" for Binns. Oh, and I've-"

"So why don't you go do it." He interrupted, aggravated.

"Why? You're more important." She said, totally oblivious to Draco's attitude.

Draco was absolutely determined to rid himself of Pansy, so when he saw Blaise Zambini walk through the Slytherin Portrait that led to the common room, Draco shot him a desperate look. Blaise laughed and quickly thought of a good way to eliminate Pansy the civilly.

"Hey, Pansy, Catherine Coulter is having a cosmetics party. She told me to tell you that she's in the west wing. The Asz Room." He said, as seriously as his face would let him be.

"Wow! Are you serious? She hasn't hosted one of those in a long time!" She said, over animated.

"Yah," Blaise started, feeding the story more and more as he went along, "And she said that she wants you to help her set up. So I think you should go. She said that she hasn't even started the decorating, and that she wants you to do the honors."

"Oh Merlin! Thanks for the info Blaise!" she squeaked, and ran away.

"I am the master." Blaise said, quite proud of his story telling.

"That was good, mate. Finding a way to get rid of Pansy, and lead her to her humiliation. Original." Draco said to his best friend, chuckling all the while.

"You have got to admit, though. I am a pretty damn good liar." Blaise said smugly.

"I'll give you that," Draco said "I'll definitely give you that."

"So!" Blaise started, enthusiastically "What are you doing tonight? Adding to your lists of conquests?"

Draco sighed, "I wish. Nah, I have to go meet Granger. Bloody Potions project."

"Ah, sorry, mate." Blaise said, not so sympathetically, "But worse things have happened. Get over yourself and do what you have to do."

This is what Draco loved most about there friendship. They kept each other grounded. Down-to-earth. Blaise kept Draco from being a drama queen, and Daco kept Blaise from having too much fun. All in all, they were perfect for each other. Since they first met, when they were five, they've been the closest of friends. Draco only kept Crabbe and Goyle around to be his slaves. And they did so willingly. It was pretty sad when you thought about it. Poor, poor, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Yeah." Draco surrendered "I guess your right."

"O'course I'm right." Blaise said, through a mouthful of chocolates.

"Hey, where'd you get those from?" Draco asked, curiously.

Blaise smirked, "Chantal Canalog asked me out again."

Draco laughed. "I don't why you don't just shag her, go out with her for a couple of days, and then tell her that it isn't working out and drop her."

"You know, I was thinking about that." Blaise said, " I should do that, shouldn't I."

"Yes, you should."

"Maybe I will."

"You will?"

"I think so……"

"You think so, or you know so."

"I'm not sure."

"Well, hurry up and make up your mind."

"Okay, I will."

"Will what? Make up your mind?"

"No, do what you said."

"Oh, good."

"Good."

"Good."

"Good."

"Well GOOD."

"And I think I'll go do it now." Blaise jumped up and flounced of towards the entrance.

"That kid is crazy." Draco said to himself after Blaise had left.

For a little while longer, Draco just sat and stared at the fire, thinking about different things. Philosophical things.

Draco picked his head from his fist, and looked at the clock that hung over the fireplace. It read 12:08.

'Alright, enough of this fashionably late crap. I'm leaving before Pansy comes back.' he thought.

He reached into his bag, grabbed his invisibility cloak, and began the travel to his destination point.

(A.N.) Hi guys! This is my first Harry Potter fan fic, and I'm nervous as heck. I'm not gonna bug you all for reviews like other people, but I will hint that I would appreciate them. Even flamers. Thank You.

-Keiko