7th Year

The Dull, the Bland, and the Who Reads This Stuff Anyway?

By byebye

Author's Note : I have no idea what to put up here.. a disclaimer? Or do those have their own little section to take up space in? Anyhow, this is my first *published sorta* fanfiction, so.. I don't know, review to make my work better. Or review to make me feel better about my horrendous writing. Either one is fine. And if you're one of those people like me who copies and pastes, here is my lovely title so that you may come back, find my story *by looking in the directory and searching appropriately, for you people like me*, and give me a comment. And I don't own anyone.. Well, I mean, they're more on a contract.. I owe them money now. Look what you people have gotten me into. "Yes, Hermione, those drinks are coming!" See what I mean. Well, I've got to go, so I don't own the original people that J.K.Rowling came up with, but I DO own the storyline. Not that I can do anything about people taking it *sob* *sob*. Who would want my storyline though? I mean, it's not like I'm some original aspiring writer.. Oh well..

*****

Hermione fidgeted as she was fitted for robes, stepping off of the pedestal willingly as folds of silk were handed to her in a large dark bag. She coughed slightly as her throat sored. "Thank you." The woman nodded with a slight smile as the teenager left. It was going to be a long last year at Hogwarts. Or fast, depending, but.. Smiling weakly, she ducked into the apothecary, lifting an ornate glass orb with diamond-like gems encrusted around it on a slender silver wire like a snake that wrapped around the sphere. 'Slytherin' Nearly dropping it, she caught it with a slight fumble and set it back down without releasing her hold. What was it? Pausing only for a moment, she stood, still holding the orb between two fingers. Finding everything that she had listed on the scroll, she moved to the counter, setting the figure down delicately. Who knew what it was, but.. She would have it, for now. She had the extra spending money anyhow.

"That'll be 20 Galleons, dear." Muffling her grimace at the thought of being the gnarled lady's 'dear', she dropped the gold onto the counter and pulled the smaller bag along her arm, leaving the store with the orb placed carefully in her pocket.

"Hermione?" There was an indecisive tone in the deeply masculine voice as she looked up with a slight smile.

'The twins..' "George! Wonderful to see you again!" She smiled warmly as he took one of her small hands in both of his; he had grown since the last time she had seen him; they had matured but splendidly. Mrs.Weasley was proud.

"Well, you, of all people, can tell us apart." Fred grinned behind auburn hair streaked with the traditional flaming red and shook her hand as well. "Good to see you again." The twins had started up their own shop, comparable to Zonko's, and it was doing quite well, despite their parent's more than slight unease. "Percy's wondering how school is for you; he couldn't come down to see everyone himself."

She nodded understandingly and smiled. The eldest Weasley had become the head of the Ministry of Magic, and quickly rising. "Quite well, thank you. They've announced me Head Girl for the last year. Being prefect, I suppose, was their type of premonition for it."

"I'll say." Ron pushed his way past his brothers to greet Hermione with a warm hug, tightening his embrace before he let go. "Have you seen Harry yet? He was supposed to be here a while ago."

She frowned. "Ronald Weasley! You know how to make a girl feel special." She shook her head as Ron shrugged with a grin.

"You know I don't mean to." Fred shook his head slightly, and George nodded as though they had a telepathic connection. It was just because they were twins.

"Well, Hermoine, sorry to disappoint, but we were only here accompanying Ron." George shrugged broad shoulders. "We'll see you around at Hogsmeade though; we're going to be setting up around there, if things go as planned. Catch you later, Ron, Hermione."

Ron nodded and continued to look around before turning to face Hermione, pausing at her face before looking down at the bags she was carrying; she had gotten almost everything needed for Hogwarts, just not books. She would be getting other things as well, but that was all left for necessities. "Done enough shopping without us, Hermione?" He grinned, lips spreading sensuously in a smile as she blushed slightly. "That's alright- at least you'll know where to find everything, right?" Draping an arm around her shoulder easily, he dragged her around until they found who he was looking for in the Quidditch store. "Harry!"

The tall lad looking over a slender broomstick turned to look outside the shop window and froze for a moment before rushing outside, robes billowing behind him. "Ron, Hermione!" He nodded at Ron and leaned his upper body down to catch Hermione in a hug, stealing two of her bags from her. The weight difference was surprising as she pulled away.

"Harry, how are you?" She smiled questioningly as he shifted the bags from one arm to another.

His eyebrows came together. "Hermione, are you feeling quite alright? I'm perfectly fine. A bit deprived of Quidditch though- George and Fred were no use practicing. Too busy with their store and all. Don't blame them though."

"You'd bloody well not!" Ron shoved him and they walked along so that the two could get their supplies as well. "They're going to start the biggest joking business since Zonko's. Most successful too." With a grin they entered the bookstore; Ron and Harry's grins died upon walking in as they noticed the spark in Hermione's eye at the expansive bookshelves.

"I won't be forever you know. The two of you can take your bloody time finding them though. Knowing you two I know it'll be a while." She smiled. "I'll be waiting by the entrance when you're done." With that she walked along the linings of bookshelves, pulling books out only to put them back in, then taking out the school books for good before adding several more, paying at the counter readily before turning to walk to the proposed destination.

"Granger." A snide voice sounded above her and she pulled back a bit, sweeping her gaze up to Draco Malfoy's cold face. She sighed.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" She really didn't have time for this if she was going to be catching up with Harry and Ron. They didn't take so long that she'd have time to get in an argument; hers tended to get long. "I really.. don't have time."

He smirked, emphasizing the aristocratic edge that defined his cheekbones. He really could look noble, if he'd stop being, as Ron put it, such a slimy git. "Whatever you say. You're Head Girl, Hermione." It was more a statement than a question, and she raised her eyebrows. "I'm Head Boy." Silver eyes rimmed with black blinked, and the midnight lining seeped into the metallic shading, pooling in dark liquid spikes. "We'll be living near each other, to say the least."

'and the worst, for that matter,' she added. Or at least she hoped that would be the worst. "Is that all? Because I really must be going."

"Wouldn't want to hold you back." His smirk disappeared and his face was once more cold and expressionless. "See you at Hogwarts, Granger." She nodded stiffly and he left into the rows of bookshelves as Harry and Ron left the counter from paying.

"You alright, Hermione?" Ron looked back at Draco before turning to her again. "If he's done anything.."

She smiled slightly as he frowned protectively. "I'm fine, Ron. Malfoy isn't up to his usual level of.. whatever you might choose to call it. I'm sure I'll survive the mental trauma."

"If you say so.." Harry shook his head at Ron and they made their rounds, collecting all of the school supplies before Harry pushed them up to the Quidditch store again.

Approaching a long, slender broomstick of dark, finely polished wood, Harry ran his fingers slowly along it, wrapping them around it longingly as they slid easily off the sleek handle. The twigs at the end were dark as well, not all identical, but in a sort of pattern, loosely aerodynamic, in a rugged way. "Isn't it just..?" Harry sighed as Hermione eyed the price tag.

"Harry Potter! Have you seen this?" She waved the tag between her fingers impatiently. "If your parents hadn't left you a fortune, you'd be working off debt until your mid-thirties!"

"'Mione.. Don't exaggerate. Please. Have you any idea how much this would help the Gryffindor team? Even just for one player.." Ron gazed at it as Harry spoke, nodding reverently. "Just.. Don't chastise me or anything, if I happen to get it?"

Shaking her head knowingly, she nodded, smiling. They couldn't actually expect her to get mad at them. "Well.. Shall we go down and meet up with your brothers then, Ron?"

"Eh? Oh, they actually did leave when you came with me; they were on their way to getting some of their things patented or something." He shrugged. "Anyhow, are we all done here?"

Hermione looked at Ron in amazement that he would willingly leave this store while Harry continued to gaze at the broom. "Well, I suppose. Ron, are you feeling alright yourself?"

He shook himself. "Yes. Can we stop by Zonko's to buy a few things?" he asked meekly. "Fred and George's store isn't set up yet, or else I would go there, but..?"

Harry laughed, but Ron's eyes remained on Hermione. She noticed. "What? Fine! I'm not your regulator, or moderator or anything!" she exclaimed indignantly. "Do what you want."

"Thanks, Hermione." They stopped by the shop on their way out, picking up a few trick items that could be handy in school. Not to each other though; Hermione threatened to hex the first one who played a prank on her. "Alright then, well, let's get going then.. Apparatus." Ron found himself at his house with Harry; Hermione had obviously gone to her house instead. "Well, Harry?"

Harry looked at him questioningly as they walked up to Ron's room. "Didn't your mum invite Hermione over until Hogwarts started?"

"Bloody-! I forgot; I'll go call her." Ron began to run down the stairs rather dangerously, but Harry let him; he had learned to use a phone correctly in 5th year.

*ring* *ring*

Looking up from her relaxed state on her bed, Hermione frowned at the phone for a few moments before picking it up. "Hello?"

There was muttering on the other end. "Oh! Hermione? It's me, Ron." She smiled, folding her legs in a sitting position as she leaned against the backboard. "You're invited to spend the last few nights before Hogwarts with my family, if you'd like."

Glancing up from her book, half-startled, her smile faded for a moment as she thought. "Well.. I suppose that'd be alright.. When do you want me to come over?"

"Anyti-! Hey! What the-!?"

"Ron, are you alright?"

There was a stumbling in the background following the crash, and Ron came on. "Sorry- I dropped the phone when.. nevermind. So you can come over whenever you'd like, okay?"

"Well.. If you say so. I'll be over in a few minutes. Til Hogwarts? Your parents are taking the three of us?"

"Yes, Hermione. If.. Can I go? There's kind of something I need to do right now.. There's this stuff on my leg, and it's a bit.." There was another crash. "Um, I've got to go.. Harry!" The phone line went dead, and Hermione grinned. It was probably just a spider.

Lugging her school suitcase onto the bed (she had already packed it with clothes and her supplies and everything), Hermione grabbed her duffel bag, stuffing clothes for the last few days and nights into it, among other things, before apparating over to Ron's house and walking up the steps to his room, large suitcase in one hand, her duffel bag in the other. "Ron, Harry?"

The two looked up from their chess game, Harry a bit longingly; he was losing terribly. Although he had gotten better, so had Ron. "Oh, Hermione! You did come.. Well, you've got Percy's room, if you'd like. Unless you want to stay in here, that's where..?"

"I'll sleep there, Ron. Just let me go put my stuff away and I'll be back." Hermione shoved her stuff in the room, considerably larger than Ron's, and went back; the chess set had been put away, much to Harry's delight, and the two boys sat talking as she came in. "So is there anything we're going to be doing?" They both looked up and she sighed. It was as though they had forgotten she was staying there as well.

"Oh.." Ron caught himself first. "Not in particular, I don't think.. We could go out, but.. Or we could all just stay here for the next two days, then go off to Hogwarts. A bit like a relaxation period..?"

She shrugged slightly and took a seat at the back of the bed, watching the two boys debate over some Quidditch technique used by ___ ___. It was going to be a long three days.

*****

"Harry, Ron, get up!" Harry rolled over on his side on Ron's bed; Ron was on the floor where he had been shoved, not bothering to get up. "Harry!"

"Alright." His voice was low in the mornings, and his throat was sore, producing an abrading tenor, slightly gravely (as in gravel-sounding, but I'm not too sure whether gravely as in grave and gravely as in gravel are supposed to be spelled the same. I'll check later). "Why do we have to get up anyhow? I thought we weren't doing anything.." He pushed himself up out of the bed and glanced at her expectantly to explain before he fully woke up.

"What? Oh, well.. I just thought.. Well, normal people usually wake up in mornings, Harry." She sighed as he fell back onto the bed. "Get up. Your mom is making breakfast."

"What?!" Ron shot up and quickly changed as Hermione averted her eyes, blushing, then ran down the stairs to the table to eat.

Harry shrugged. "Sorry, but that is a better reason," he said, moving so he could stand to change. He wasn't wearing a shirt, only loose boxers, and he moved over to where his bag was in Ron's room as Hermione watched him thoughtlessly, her mind on something else. "'Mione, do you mind?"

"What? Oh." She snapped out of what she was thinking and left, leaving Harry to change into loose pants and a gray hooded sweater; even if it was hot, it was thin, and kept the heat from getting to him, for whatever reason.

Letting out a huge yawn, he stumbled down the stairs, seating himself at the table as breakfast was put before them all. He heard Hermione say thank you before he and Ron piled the food onto their plates, eating like starving dogs. He preferred ravenous. Mouth full, he tried to thank Mrs.Weasley, but she only shook her head kindly, going upstairs to clean up. "So, Hermione, what did you have planned for the three of us, were we to listen to you and comply."

She frowned huffily. "Nothing. Anymore that is. I was going to take all of us to the Quidditch hearing in –"

"Oh, yeah, Harry, remember?" Ron interrupted her. "Sorry Hermione, we'll go." Harry nodded vigorously with a full mouth.

"Well, alright. Finish up then, and I'll go fix up."

The two boys shook their head when she left back for Percy's room to do whatever; Harry finished his mouthful. "That's nice of her, but what is she going to do there? Listen to the lecture?"

"Knowing her she'll probably record it, but that's not the point; we're going. Finish eating, Harry, because we're not going to get another chance." Ron paused, looking at both of their outfits. Even he could care less, but Hermione was a different story. "We'd better change before Hermione gets a better look at us. Nodding, Harry initiated the walk up to the room.

"Ron? Harry?" Hermione walked downstairs to an empty kitchen. They couldn't have gone without her, but they didn't ever take the time to get ready. She thought she had been proven wrong when they left from Ron's bedroom in a new, normal set of clothes. "Ready?" she asked incredulously. This was a first.

"Yes, yes. Hermione, would you stop looking at us like we're your science experiment?" Harry shook his head slightly. "Let's go then. Apparatus."

They appeared on the edge of grounds crowded with witches and wizards; Hermione shook her head dizzily and nodded when Harry and Ron asked to go off on their own. She knew that they would when they got there.

"Left by your friends?" sneered a familiar voice.

"Malfoy?" She sighed, straightening her loose pants with a slender finger. "Do you need something?"

He smirked as she looked up at him expectantly. "Not from you, Granger. Why are you here, anyhow? Not to satiate Tweedle-dum and dumber."

"Actually, Malfoy, I did. Some people actually have friends that do that. Not that you'd know," she muttered under her breath.

"I heard that, Granger." He frowned, looking at her with distaste. "Looking forward to this year?"

She raised her eyebrows. Was he initiating a normal conversation? She must be hallucinating- this sort of Malfoy didn't really exist. What had she taken in the past 24 hours? "I suppose," she said doubtfully, pinching herself. "And you?" She had asked it to be polite.

"Not in particular." He smirked, and a breeze blew a strand of his coolly silver hair back. It wasn't as splendid in the daytime, but it looked.. innocent. "What're you looking at?"

"Oh,.. nothing. Before.. You said something about the two of us living near each other?" She frowned slightly and glanced up at him as though to ask him what he meant without voicing it.

He smirked. Again. "Yes. Looking forward to a bloody good year, that's for sure." She was fairly sure he was being sarcastic, but there wasn't a funny bone in him. "That was sarcasm, Granger. What, do you want me to say that I'd bloody well love to hurt you enough to keep you out of Hogwarts?"

"Is that a threat?"

"No. Not yet." He frowned; she wouldn't be getting any less-than-cruel comments from him again. "Besides Granger, what would the school do without you as Head Girl? Tell Lavender that she needs to study up and replace you?" He shook his head as she opened her mouth to respond. "Forget I said anything. Why did you come here?"

"I told you."

"You told me what you wanted yourself to think. Why did you come?" His facial expressions were hovering between caring and cold anger, though subtly muted.

"I-.. What? I did come here for them. Surely not to record it into some document. They've already done that."

He smiled softly and she hid her suspicious frown. "Whatever you say. Listen, not that I need to hear this, but it is about Quidditch, and the speaker is rather well-known, so-"

"So you'd rather stalk off and listen?" She shrugged her shoulders back languidly. "Do whatever you'd like; I'm not your keeper." He muttered something incoherent under his breath; She ignored it. "Where are your.. friends?" She sniggered silently. If you could call Crabbe and Goyle friends, much less natural human beings.

"Gone." He frowned with distaste. "They don't care for Quidditch enough to listen to someone actually talk about it. Besides, I don't they'd be able to comprehend most of it." That much was right, at least. "Why are you here, Granger? It's not to make Potter and Weasley like you more, and it's not to take notes on what you can criticize about his grammar or references."

She frowned. She really didn't know what he was talking about. "What, you think I want to play Quidditch?" She laughed incredulously, her upper body still quivering. "Is that what you think, Malfoy?"

Draco huffed slightly. "What makes you think I'm that dense. How could you start playing Quidditch when you're this old. You'd get yourself hurt, if you even got on the team for pity."

"I-!" Hermione halted her indignant tirade. Even if he had a point, he needn't shove it in her face. "If that makes you feel better, Malfoy." 'It's not like you didn't buy the team in the beginning or anything.' But she didn't hold that against him. She would think he was quite good, if his attitude towards her hadn't made her see him differently. Though she did still acknowledge how much better he had gotten. "I might not be as good as you in it, but-"

"You'd never be as good as me in Quidditch, Granger." He frowned his distaste and sighed. "You would have tried though, at least, right? Am I right?"

She frowned now. He needn't make fun of comforting bits of nothing. "Well! …Yes."

Hermione was quieter now, and the crowing that she expected to come out of Malfoy's mouth didn't, instead it was quiet and resigned, almost apologetic. "Granger, Granger,.. No need for your ego to break in two. The pompous you is rather.. Well, pompous, but.." He shook himself. Why was he comforting her? She seemed to realize that as well.

"Draco, were you.. Were you just..?" She glanced up at him in amazement.

His lips twitched. "Yes, Granger, I do have a caring side."

'Just like you have a revolting one.' She grimaced as the thought came to her. "..Well." She smiled slightly. "Two days before school begins; Draco Malfoy actually says something to make me feel better." He turned to walk away.

"Mark the time."

*****

Soooooooooorry that Hermione is so meek in the beginning. And sorry that Draco is being *nice* (OOC). "Not that it's a bad thing!" D'ya think he heard me? D'ya think he'll cut me a break and not make me give him money *commonly called a salary* to be in my *lovely* fanfiction? No? Oh.. Ok. Anyhow, if anyone reads these things *which I know they do because usually they're amusing and of that sort*, please Read and Review. Please. I'll give you your own lovely spot in my next chapter after/before the story. Thankies, and, well.. *sorry everyone, that my story has no evident plot. it's long though, so can ya cut me some slack? I did this much in two days, think of what I can do in three! Of course, that would consist of me figuring out a plot and putting it to work, so scratch that* Thank you, everyone who took the time to read my.. whatever you call th^at. I promise I'll update soon, so check every *week? Is that soon? I'm not sure. If that length a week is fine, then.. *.. Week it is. Or about a week, until this is done. And if I get some really nice reviews *hint hint* I might want to update sooner. *What do you mean that's not encouraging? I'm scaring people off?! Grr..*

PSSSSSSS I just realized I didn't put a title up in my author's note or whatever. It's right above it, people. The first one. I sincerely hope you're not that dense. *and if you are, you can't fool me by pretending you know that word. It's a compliment, promise!*