Draco Malfoy picked up the golden book he had received from his mother as an early Christmas gift. He opened it to the first blank page and the blank silver lines stared back at him. Taking out a quill and some ink, he started writing.
'Dear Journal,
My life has been rather bothersome as of late and I feel the urge to blurt it all out somewhere. Pressure is coming upon me from every angle and I'm feeling very stressed.
Sometimes I feel as if I'm being crushed. I don't think anyone in this whole school could fathom everything wrong with my life. The only thing going for me at the moment is my great
looks and being head boy. Which isn't much of a surprise to me.
Potty and the Weasel aren't making my life any easier. Just when I feel they are too boring to even bother with, they start on me! Me! A Malfoy! The Weasel ratted me out in Transfiguration. Too bad, Neville would have been quite surprised when his twig turned into a scorpion. And then Potty decides to try and get me in trouble in potions. I didn't do anything at all! Damn do-gooding gits.
-Time for Potions.'
He closed the book and put every curse he could think of on it. If his father found out, he would be in for more than just his normal lashings. After fixing his hair and checking himself over his mirror said, "You look splendid today!"
"I quite agree," he said in his normal drawl. But, he didn't feel splendid at all.
~*~
Hermione was walking briskly towards the Potions room when she was slammed into by someone. Falling to the floor, she looked up at her attacker. "Watch it Mudblood," a voice said half-heartedly. Glaring angrily at him she got to her feet and her bag split open. A bunch of first year Slytherins laughed at the Gryffindor head girl and she was prepared for a 'Malfoy comment', but he just walked into the class. She blinked at his retreating form for a moment. 'He must be feeling generous today,' she thought sarcastically and picked up her books.
When Hermione entered the Potions room, Snape called out, "Granger and Malfoy." She inwardly groaned and hoped it meant nothing at all. But, as all the remaining people filled in, he called out their names in pairs. "I hope you all listened when I announced your partners for this entire semester." Everyone shouted out in protest, but Snape held up a hand. "Assignment's on the board. Get to work."
Draco moved over to where Hermione was sitting and smirked. "So Mudblood, you have the honor of working with me. How--"
"Unlucky? Repulsive?" She cut in and prepared the cauldron with some of the ingredients.
"Well. I tried to be pleasant," he said dully and started to cut up some ginger root. The rest of the class went by with the two being silent aside from the occasional "Pass me this." The class was almost over when Draco spoke. "When do you want to meet for the rest of this project?"
"What?" She responded as she bottled the potion for tomorrow's session. Draco nodded his head towards the board and she saw the part about a research paper. "Bugger…. How about the common room?" she said with a sigh.
"Fine with me. You get the books though," he said and left the room as Snape dismissed the class. She didn't even get to ask him what time.
"Damn slimy git!" She said and started to push her book back into her bag. It threatened to give way again as Harry and Ron came up next to her. Harry cast a spell to fix the bag. "Thanks Harry. You're a life saver," she said quickly as they exited the classroom.
"No problem Mione. You've got some back luck though. Stuck with Malfoy," he said in a sorry tone as they went up a flight of steps.
"Don't remind me. I feel bad for you though Ron," she said and turned to him. "You got stuck with Pansy."
"I know! Snape probably did it just to spite me! Of all the horrid ways to pick partners. She tripped me on the way in!" Rom was half fuming and continued to storm as Hermione left them to go to Arithmanticy.
~*~ Later that night, Hermione was at a desk in their common room. She was finishing her charts for Arithmanticy when Draco came through the portal. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
She said angrily as he took a seat near her. He sat down so quickly that her papers flew everywhere. "Just great!" She said irritably and went to pick them up. "I had some late night work to accomplish. I'm surprised you waited for me." Draco said and pulled a piece of hair back from his face. He took out the few notes he'd taken down for the chapter. Most of the things in Potions he absorbed as he heard them.
"I care about my grade. Or else I'd be in bed!" Hermione took out the three books they needed for the project and lit a second candle so he could see. He just snorted and started working.
After a while he spoke up. "Find anything yet, Mudblood." She snapped her quill in two.
"That's it. If we are going to be stuck with each other, the least you can do is call me by name." She said and glared at him.
"And I suppose you'd give me the same courtesy?" Draco said with a hint of mocking as he leaned back in his chair. The fire was lighting up his gray eyes.
"Yes, I would." She said and started reading the same passage she was on.
"Fine then Granger." He drawled and she looked up again.
"Not Granger or Mudblood. Her-mi-o-nee!" She declared quietly.
"No. Granger." She could see he was having a field day with her display of anger and she slammed her hand down on the desk. Ink flew all over her face and clothes. Draco's breath caught in his throat.
'Dark blood, dripping from everywhere… Coming out painfully slow in the coldness. Darkness all around him… Screaming. His voice. Screaming. "Stop it…stop…it…"'
Hermione stopped fretting about her clothes and saw Draco, breathing heavy with fear in his eyes. She cast a spell to repel the ink and placed her wand back on the table. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she shook him lightly and he turned to her. His eyes were ice blue and staring right through her. He snapped out of it suddenly and turned his head down. "Excuse me." Draco said quietly and looked at her for a second. His voice was weak, but his eyes were slowly turning gray again. Placing an arm on the desk, he pushed himself up and walked up to where his room would be. Hermione stayed down in the common room for a few minutes.
'Maybe there's more to that slimy git than I though…' She thought and went up to bed.
(PS - Sorry I wrote prefect in there before. I just took ti out when I re-wrote part of this chapter before putting it up. If it happens again, remember they r head boy and head girl. ^^; And they live in connected quarters. I took that idea from a lot of other fics I've read ^^;;; )