"The Thursday Before Now"
Chapter 1
The year's first Quidditch game. . . .
It was always the biggest game of the year. Annabel, Vivian, Narcissa along with a throng of girls from their house found their spots in the crowd.
"Gosh Bel!" whispered Vivian lowly, careful not to let the other girls walking with them to hear. "I forgot how much fun we had during these, it's really exciting. Did you know that snitches are originally enchanted by Shelliferous Drogodflikerous?"
Annabel stopped to look at her.
Poor Luna she was still very much Luna and if there were such a thing as Shelliferous Drogo-whatever-she-just-said, then only she would know it.
"What on earth are you blabbering about Vivian?" Narcissa asked following just behind them and another girl. They went up one more row before selecting seats.
"Drogodflikerous, they are little winged creatures. Some say they are human but nothing like you or I, very smart really. Their world is not far from the central park in London. Drogodflikerous are creators of the snitch. They've done so for centuries and for a small wager. It requires a great deal of skill and—"
"—and let's just watch the game Vivian." Interrupted Hermione to her partner.
There was spread of laughter coming from the seats below as a chaser missed his shot at the ring.
"Don't you think we should get a little bit lower," asked the young Narcissa. Her black hair was pulled back into a smooth pigtail. "Buldgers love the high crowds when they're roaming, I don't fancy a night in the infirmary Bel."
"Annabel Ackett!" shout Lucius Malfoy from below. "Get your arse down here!"
Hermione stopped midways through her applause. She looked fiercely down at Malfoy. Where in the hell has he been all day and how was she supposed to save his bloody neck when he kept shaking her off at the first opportunity he found.
"You're a liar!" he shouted up at her pointing.
She continued to ignore him. Then after the calling of the score, she looked down at him. "Awww and here I thought you been looking for me all this time to help you with your papers."
"Was your mother a troll? I don't need anyone's help with my schoolwork, least of all yours Bel." He stormed up the steps leading to the girl's row two at a time. His white blonde hair had begun to escape from his ponytail. Hermione knew he often used a glamour charm to give it an extra measure of shine. He was so arrogant that she couldn't stand it.
Strands of hair trailed freely around the young man's face, as handsome as the Quidditch field below. She hated admitting that a prat like Lucius had such a masculine beauty. Hermione pushed the thought away and prepared herself to give him his due thrashing for being so unbelievable rude to her this morning at breakfast.
His black cloak and Slytherin green uniform couldn't have fitted any one better than it did him. His heavy striped scarf encircled his neck and chin. Puffs of water vapored clouds ushered past his lips and his skin was pale and perfect against the new autumn chill.
Hermione could only imagine that his slender hips and everything else held beneath that cloak was equally as lovely as his outward features.
There was a terrible scream from the crowd below as the Ravenclaw seeker missed the Snitch for a third time and went cascading to the grassy field.
"If that's the case then what is there to worry about? I take it you've finished concluding our research reports for Alchemy then, its due tomorrow you know?"
"I reckon you thought you were going to get away with it didn't you Ackett?"
Hermione tried to ignore him agian. Yet curiosity rattled her a little and she gave in. "Care to reciprocate that, what do you mean, get away with what Malfoy, with hexing your arse plum to Hades and back in time for the feast? I could still give it a go if you like." She retrieved her wand from her own cloak aiming it directly at him.
"You! Cast a hex on me, come on, you're not as stupid as you're pretending to be."
"I suppose stupid has become contagious then. Transferrable by mere acquaintance."
"What is that supposed to mean?" he frowned and was getting really pissed with her saucy ass rejoinders all the time.
"So you found me," Hermione said. "can I help you with anything Malfoy?"
"No not anymore," Lucius gave a rather devilish sneer. "As a matter of fact I don't think you're going to be around to help anyone much longer Annabel." He said inclining his head towards the four blokes who had come with him. "Your basket of little lies are up the sparrow's arse now my little Annabel." Lucius was still flashing her his most evil smile.
"Honestly, I don't have time for this Tom-foolery get on with it then," she huffed "You've come to say what you're on about or not?"
Vivian stopped watching the game, and looked at them both.
Hermione froze. She would admit nothing. Sweet Merlin. Nothing what so ever. But there was no denying that his sudden and strange accusations were getting the best of her. With so much at stake and in a matter as serious as theirs, she must insist on a little more hard evidence as to where he was going with accusing her of being a liar.
