Hermione bid a quick goodbye to Ron and Harry before whisking off down the stairs, in the opposite direction of the droves of students sluggishly walking towards Gryffindor tower. The feast had ended moments before, and everyone was eager to get to bed. Hermione had been feeling similarly drowsy herself, until hearing the end of Professor Dumbledore's speech. He had asked that herself and none other than Draco Malfoy come to his office immediately, and offered no further explanation. This announcement had sent quite a few whispers across the Great Hall, but they were soon lost in the scraping of benches and the bustle to get to bed. It would be the next morning that the rumors really took off.
Hermione had no shortage of guesses as to what she could be being called in for. Perhaps she had managed to inadvertently break some rule already, even though she had combed through the rules and regulations list that summer, like every year. Or maybe there had been some mistake with her OWLs, and she wouldn't be able to take any of her NEWT-level classes. Or maybe she was losing her status as a prefect; that would certainly explain why Malfoy had been called, too.
Hermione was feeling thoroughly nervous when she reached the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office. It stepped aside as she walked up, as if it had been expecting her, and she proceeded to ascend the spiral stairs. She stepped inside the office to find Malfoy already there, looking rather uncomfortable and perched on the very edge of a chintz armchair across the desk from Professor Dumbledore.
"Miss Granger. Do sit down." His cool tone helped ease her nerves somewhat, and she managed a small smile before taking her seat next to Malfoy, who was studiously avoiding eye contact with anything and anyone. "Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, I am sure you are well aware of the valedictorian award that will is presented at this school. It will go to the witch or wizard with the most prestigious academic record, including OWL and NEWT scores."
"Yes, Professor, but isn't the award traditionally given at the end of seventh year?"
"Yes, Miss Granger. I have called the two of you here to notify you that you currently occupy the top spots in your class, and are therefore the frontrunners for this award." Hermione could not help but smile smugly at this. It wasn't as if she didn't know she was at the top of her class, but it felt nice to hear it.
"Thank you, Professor," she said. Malfoy had remained silent through all of this, and he looked as if simply being there was causing him great pain. Dumbledore smiled serenely.
"I only hope that you will continue to apply yourselves with the dedication that you have shown throughout the last five years." Professor Dumbledore gave a strained look at Malfoy, one that Hermione had often seen on Ron's face when he was listening to a Chudley Cannons game on the wireless. Like he was rooting for the team, but knew they would never win.
"Well, that is all. Off to bed now, both of you." Hermione had to restrain herself from skipping out of the office and down the stairs. She couldn't keep a smile off her face, but she noticed that Malfoy still looked resolutely sullen. Hermione put that out of her mind as she ambled down the hallways, off to her warm, inviting bed in Gryffindor tower.
Hermione shuddered slightly as she entered the Great Hall. Just behind her eyelids, she could see it, over and over again: Katie being thrown up in the air, screaming in agony, and then her body falling, seemingly lifelessly, to the ground. Madam Pomfrey had offered Harry, Ron, and Hermione a chance to stay in the hospital wing that day, to deal with the stress of the whole ordeal, but Hermione had declined on the behalf of the trio, insisting that they needed the day to catch up on homework. She wasn't exactly regretting her decision now, but...
"Look at Malfoy," Harry grumbled. "Upset that his plan didn't quite work? Hoping to finish her off?" Hermione sighed.
"Harry, we've talked about this. There's simply no proof that he sent the necklace!"
"You've seen how suspicious he's been acting lately." Harry was picking at his toast now, tearing it up into little bits instead of eating it. Ron was staring at his eggs, too tired or still too much in shock to opine.
"Well, no, I haven't, as I haven't been obsessively watching him like you always are." That seemed to shut Harry up. "Besides, he's probably just stressed out because of all the academic pressure he's under." Hermione had told Harry and Ron about the valedictorian race the morning after she'd found out. Professor Dumbledore hadn't told her to keep it a secret, but she got the sense that she shouldn't go blabbing about it to their entire year.
Harry seemed to done with the topic for the moment—although Hermione knew he wouldn't let it rest for long—and they finished their breakfast in silence, still contemplating the events that had unfolded on Saturday. When Harry and Ron got up to leave, Hermione told them she would be along in a minute. When she was sure they were gone, she made her way to the Slytherin table.
Malfoy was sitting alone, for which Hermione thanked every god she could think of. She tapped his shoulder lightly to get his attention, and he spun around quickly, jumpily. He relaxed somewhat when he saw who it was.
"What do you want, Granger," he spat. She tried not to be affronted. This was exactly what she had signed up for, walking over to him. In fact, she had been expecting to be called something worse. She swallowed resolutely before replying.
"I was wondering if you wanted to study together." She paused. He just stared at her. "You know, the two best students in our year, helping each other out. It could be mutually beneficial." He finally seemed to snap out of it. For a fraction of a second, Hermione thought she wasn't going to be spurned and insulted.
"I don't need the help of a filthy mudblood." She held his icy stare. The fire in his eyes didn't seem to be burning as harshly as usual, but she must have been imagining it. Well, she certainly didn't want to help him now. Hermione spun on her heel and made her way up to the Gryffindor common room, where Harry and Ron were still too out of it to wonder why she had been gone.