Disclaimer: Only my original stuff is mine
A/N: Okay so strangely enough I've written another chapter – Hope you enjoy! (BTW this is AU after 5th year!
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Chapter Two: Explanations of a Malfoy Kind
Hermione gaped out into the hall shocked, 'did he really just say my name or am I imagining things,' she thought to herself, in fact Hermione Granger was so shocked to be chosen that she didn't even remember that this was a partners tournament. In fact she completely forgot that a second name had been listed.
"Come on Hermione get up! Go to the back room!" Harry said nudging her with a smile that held just a bit of regret. "They called your name! Go!"
Hermione slowly got to her feet and walked across the great hall in a daze, lost in the thunderous applause of the Gryffindor students. By the time she had reached the door, Hermione's astute mind had caught up with her, 'Wait if I'm one champion than whose my partner?' she questioned herself, as she slowed in front of the door. A second later, her question was answered.
"Move it Granger we haven't got all day," drawled a smug voice. In fact it was a voice that Hermione knew quite well, and as Hermione figured out what had happened she groaned mentally.
She looked behind her and as expected a blonde, smirking boy stood behind her impatiently. "I'm going Malfoy," she said irritated as she opened the door to the room, her mind thinking in over drive.
'Merlin, what did I do to deserve this. Harry was right I shouldn't have entered this tournament. I mean the only reason I did was to win the apprenticeship, but it's totally not worth it if I'm stuck with Malfoy as a partner. What a git, this is going to be hard, he's only going to ruin our chances and I know he isn't going to study new spells. Why did he even enter? Why did I even enter?"
Hermione's mental rant only lasted a second and she forced herself to forget it as she entered the room of the champions.
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Draco looked at the four people in the room and evaluated each of his competitors.
From his observations none of the partners seemed to be particularly close, Elena Delacour, a 7th year student looked much like her cousin Fleur and it was obvious she had inherited some of the vela genes. Fleur was holding her nose in the air as she glanced over at her partner disapprovingly. Carolina Duey was looking down and blushing slightly and was as far away from her partner as the couch would allow. She was a plain girl with short brown hair and features that were ordinary in every way.
'They're no threat, the two can't stand each other, and that Carolina girl isn't from a prominent family, she's probably a mudblood, but I could say the same about my "partner,"' Draco though spitefully 'At least the other two are more impressive and Sanguil will be competition, his father is very prominent, he must be as he was invited to the Malfoy ball last year," he thought with slightly more respect as he glanced inconspicuously at the dark boy
Sanguil was looking around the room and absorbing as much information as he could, not that most people would notice. But Draco Malfoy had been raised as a Slytherin by the best and he could read the boys face easily. Draco could not get a lead on Sanguil's partner William. The boy was extremely pale and almost white with bright red hair growing only an inch around his head. He had black eyes that betrayed no emotion, even to Draco, and he did not look around. He didn't seem to dislike his partner, but he could have been stone as no emotions showed on his face and he did not even twitch or look up as Draco and Granger had entered the room.
'Granger,' Draco thought disgustedly as he looked at his partner, 'the little bookworm will be no use to me in this tournament and I must win, that spoiled little Gryffindor will hinder rather than help.' Draco shivered involuntarily as he though of what his punishment would be if he lost and remembered his father's words.
-Flashback-
"Draco I have a mission for you, the Dark Lord will be very pleased with you if you complete this mission properly." Draco gulped mentally at those words, not daring to show outward expression of any kind, lest his father see. Though not a Death Eater yet, if the Dark Lord was happy with him Draco would be marked at the end of 7th year, in the meantime he was to serve him faithfully in whatever way he could.
"What is the mission father?" Draco inquired in his most respectful tones, when his father had grown silent.
"I have learned through my sources that Hogwarts is to have another tournament and a prize will be an apprenticeship with a top professor. I have discovered who that professor is and the Dark Lord wishes him to be dead." Lucius drawled as he stroked the snake on his cane. "You must win this tournament and then the Dark Lord will give you instruction on how to dispose of this man."
"What if I am not chosen?" Draco asked careful to keep any fear out of his tone, he must never show emotion to his father.
"You must be chosen and you must win, or you will be punished," his father said sadistically, smirking when he said the word punishment.
"Do you have any more information on the tournament?" Draco asked.
"No. There is some other secret, but my sources do not know what it is. Do not fail me. Do not fail the Dark Lord. You are his servant and he has plans for you."
-Flashback over-
Draco was therefore very relieved to be chosen, though he seemed indifferent due to his aristocratic training. 'But this partner thing is irritating, this must be the secret father didn't find out. Why could I not have had a Slytherin for a partner? I could even deal with a Ravenclaw. Even a foolish Hufflepuff would be better than an impetuous Gryffindor, especially one like her. Not only is she a mudblood but all she can do is memorize things. She is nor intelligent, just favored because she is a Gryffindor. She will hurt my chances. Not to mention the fact that I must work with her. I must win . . . I do not even want to think of the consequences if I lose. . ."
Finally, after 10 minutes of eerie silence in the small room, the sitting champions were aroused from their thoughts by the opening of the door. Five people filed in standing in front of the room's three couches, the Durmstrang champions were seated normally, whereas the Beauxbatons and Hogwarts champions were as far from each other as possible. Draco examined the five that had entered, the bumbling, incompetent, muggle-loving fool - Dumbledore, the oaf half-breed who ran the French school - Madame Maxine, the powerful, the respectable replacement of the traitor Karkaroff- Balthazar Arquette, and the two ministry flunkies of the year neither which Draco should hopefully easily manipulate, some auror named Kinglsey Shacklebot and Ombernon Zambini, a distant cousin of his year mate Blaise.
Dumbledore stood in the middle of the five and smiled happily, "Hello champions, it is good to see such bright, promising students, and I know you all must be cheerful and happy to be here!"
Draco snorted softly at this, especially after glancing at his partner Granger, only to be disgusted by the sight of her almost bouncing with excitement.
Dumbledore continued merrily as if he were a 3 year old in a candy store, "I'm so happy that this tournament is about to start again, and now to announce the First Task we have Ombernon Zambini!"
Ombernon stood up slowly he was an older man obvious by his movements but his features had a youthful resilient look to them. He cleared his throat and said in a precise voice with no discernable accent, "Hello, I am about to announce some very important information about your first task!"
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A/N: Okay I did actually write another chapter and am incredibly happy with the fact that I managed over 1,300 words! Yay! If people want me to continue writing, next chapter has a lot more Draco/Hermione interaction as well as each houses reaction, also you'll learn about the first task, please tell me if you want me to continue! Bye! - Shiechan