You guys! Thank you for all your reviews! I got an amazing response to the first chapter of this, and of course it made me want to write more, faster.
Just something I want to say really quickly though, is that I'm sorry if it seems like some parts are rushed or being left out entirely. I'm just trying to avoid retelling the entire story that we already know. I want to focus more on Draco and Hermione. I think it's safe to assume, that for the most part, if I don't write about a specific event, that it has happened just as it did in the book, unless another event causes it to change. If that doesn't make sense, tell me!
Another thing; I usually don't reply directly to reviews, unless a question is asked or there is something I need to comment on right away. If anyone has a problem with this, tell me, because I will be willing to reply if you want!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the amazing creation that it Harry Potter; everything belongs to J.K Rowling, and I am just borrowing her characters.
I hope you like this chapter, and if you do, leave me a review!
As November rolled around, Hermione began to spend as much of her time with Harry and Ron as she did with Draco. The difference was that with Draco, they slid into an easy conversation that always started out relating to whatever homework they had, whereas with the two Gryffindor boys, it almost always related to some kind of trouble they would get into.
Hermione was trying hard to keep her friendship with Draco a secret from Harry and Ron. They often asked her where she kept disappearing off to, but soon grew accustomed to her bookworm traits and didn't ask any more questions when she answered "the library." She and Draco both still agreed that it was imperative to their friendship that nobody else know about it.
As far as their friendship was progressing, ever since the troll incident they had grown increasingly close. Draco was curious about Hermione's life growing up in the muggle world, and Hermione was equally as interested in Draco's wizarding upbringing. When they finished all their work for the night, it was becoming a regular occurrence for them to take a walk through deserted corridors or out to the lake before curfew just to talk. Hermione introduced the game Twenty Questions, and Draco loved it. They asked each other anything and everything.
The one hiccup that Hermione could think of in their relationship was Draco's undying hatred for the rest of the Gryffindors. Especially "The Boy Who Wouldn't Die" and his Weasel friend. Hermione was offended the first time he said that, but soon discovered it was better to leave that topic be. It was enough of a miracle that Draco Malfoy was friends with her. She couldn't expect anything else. Especially with his reputation being as important as it was.
Hermione was quickly introduced to the ways of pureblood families, and the expectations they had for their children. Draco, by befriending her, was breaking about fifty family rules, but as many times as the topic came up in conversation, Draco always reassured her that he didn't care, as long as nobody found out.
November brought something new to Hogwarts, for the first years at least. The first Quidditch match of the season was coming up; Gryffindor against Slytherin. Hermione was interested to see how a game was played, but based on how much she hated flying lessons (something that she was continually mocked about, by everyone) she had no interest in ever trying the game.
Harry was a nervous wreck the morning of the game. He was paler than usual, and his eyebrows were scrunched together.
"Go on Harry," Ron said around a mouthful of food. "You have to eat something. Have some toast?"
"Not hungry," Harry mumbled keeping his mouth closed. Hermione wondered if he felt ill, and was trying not to vomit.
"You're going to need your strength Harry," she said, offering him half of a banana. He shook his head, but took a sip of the pumpkin juice in front of him.
"Good luck today, Potter," Professor Snape said from behind him. Harry visibly jumped, startled at the professors arrival. "Though after battling a troll, a simple game of Quidditch should be simple for you. Even if it is against Slytherin."
The professor glared, which was nothing abnormal, and limped off.
Limped? Hermione tilted her head questioning the professor's odd movements. Yes, he was definitely limping. Looking back, he had been for a few days. Since Halloween. Since the troll was let into the castle.
Hermione saw Harry come to the same conclusions she did, just a few seconds later. His gaze didn't leave the teachers leg until it was out of sight. Harry looked at Hermione when Snape was gone, and she met his eyes. They seemed to confirm each others suspicions without saying anything, but were unable to voice their opinions to Ron, who was stuffing his face obliviously, due to the arrival of Harry's owl.
It was a broomstick. Hermione wondered who had been stupid enough to give a first year a broomstick, a Nimbus 2000 no less, when there were plenty of perfectly fine Cleansweeps down by the field for use. It was against the rules.
Hermione felt someone looking at her. She looked up, and her eyes met those of Draco Malfoy. He raised an eyebrow at her, glancing at the broomstick. She shrugged unnoticeably at him in explanation, and watched as his eyes narrowed at the back of Harry's head, in jealousy or rage, she couldn't tell. She rolled her eyes and got up to follow Ron to the pitch for the game.
Gryffindor won, but of course, it wasn't without a few hiccups. For starters, Snape had jinxed Harry's broom, and Hermione had been forced to go on a rescue mission to save his life. Lighting a teacher on fire was fun, she acknowledged, even if it was against the rules and dangerous. She justified her actions with the fact that if she hadn't set Snape on fire, his jinx would have killed Harry.
The three Gryffindors ran into Hagrid the next day, Sunday, and managed to weasel out of him some more information. Poor Hagrid accidentally told them all about Nicolas Flamel. Hermione promised to do all the research she could in the month leading up to Christmas.
That night, Hermione and Draco met down by the Quidditch pitch, and neither was in the mood to do any homework, so they ended up sitting under the stands talking.
"What happened to Potter today then?" Draco asked, picking at a piece of grass.
"Someone was jinxing his broom," Hermione responded.
"Yeah, thanks, I knew that. Who was it?" Draco had to remind himself that even though he hated Potter, he couldn't bring it out on his best friend.
Hermione was silent, trying to decide how to answer. She was hesitant to tell the truth, because Snape was Draco's head of house. "I don't know."
"Don't lie to me. I know you know who it was. I saw you get up a few minutes before it stopped. You were still gone when there was that commotion in the teacher's box. Who. Was. It." Hermione could tell by his tone that Draco was hurt by her lie.
"You're not going to like it," she whispered. He held her eyes with a hard glare.
"Try me."
"It was Snape. He wasn't blinking and he was muttering something."
"Snape wouldn't do that," Draco denied.
"He did! I saw it. And when he broke eye contact, when I set his robes on fire," Draco's eyes widened at that, "the broom stopped acting funny."
"That doesn't make any sense! Why would he do that?"
"He hates Harry! And Harry saw him limping because of the- limping. Harry noticed the limping."
"Because of the what, Hermione?" Draco glared even harder, if that was possible.
"Because of nothing."
"Stop lying to me! I thought you trusted me!"
"I do. But Harry doesn't. You know that."
'So what? He doesn't need to know that I know anything. If you're in trouble, I want to help."
Hermione stared at Draco, again unsure about what to do.
"Please? Please tell me Hermione." Draco's glare relaxed, and a pleading, almost sad look came over his features. Hermione recognized this as the visual change from the Draco everyone knew and saw to the Draco that only a handful of people knew.
"Snape was jinxing the broom because Harry saw the cut on his leg from trying to get past the three headed dog in the abandoned third floor corridor, and letting the troll in as a diversion. He doesn't want Harry to know that he's trying to get past the dog, so he must have thought that killing him was the best idea."
"Three headed dog?" Draco yelled, sitting right up.
"Shush! Yeah, there's a three headed dog guarding something in there, but we don't know what. We are trying to figure it out, but we don't know hardly anything."
"Are you mad?" Draco asked, staring at his bushy haired friend as if she was about to crack.
"Quite possibly. look, all we know right now is that Snape is trying to step whatever that dog is guarding. We need to protect it!"
"You're twelve! You don't need to be protecting anything! Merlin, Hermione."
"Hey," Hermione said, moving closer to Draco and taking his hand. She squeezed it gently, and he held back. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
"I do worry. You've just told me that you're involving yourself with a three headed dog, and you expect me not to worry?"
"You could always help," Hermione said. "From behind the scenes. For example, have you ever heard of someone named Nicolas Flamel?"
"Help? Not likely! This is dangerous Hermione. You can't honestly think I'd risk my life like that, can you? And no, that name doesn't mean anything to me."
"I was just offering. I didn't think you'd agree. Drat. I've never heard of him either. But he's important."
"Hermione," Draco looked at the girl beside him. She looked back at him. "Please, for the love of Merlin, be careful. If you get yourself killed, I don't know what I'd do."
"I'll be careful. I promise." She looked up at the dark sky through the wooden stands. "We should probably go inside. It's got to be nearing curfew."
Draco silently agreed, nodding. They stood up, and before he could think about it too much, Draco pulled Hermione in for a hug. The pair stood for a minute before they pulled away.
"I'll see you in class tomorrow," Draco said. Hermione nodded. They walked silently up to the castle together, separating when they got to the front doors. Hermione went up to the Gryffindor common room, her mind turning with curiosity about the three headed dog and what it was guarding.
INSERT LINE HEREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Hermione packed her trunk for the Christmas holidays, ignoring the screeching of Lavender and Parvati as they gushed about some couple or other. Hermione didn't care, really, it was just that they were so loud. Even the other girls in their room were hardly ever around because of it.
She was meeting Draco that night to say goodbye and Merry Christmas and stuff before the train left the next morning. Though they wold both be on the train, they would obviously be unable to see each other.
Harry, Ron and Hermione had been so far unsuccessful in their search for anything about Nicolas Flamel. Hermione was hoping that Harry would be able to find something over the holiday, but they had already been in the library a million times looking.
"Have you lot checked the restricted section?" Draco asked later that night as the pair hid from the world in an abandoned classroom.
"The rest- Draco you are a genius! No we haven't!" Hermione shrieked, jumping on Draco with a massive hug. He chuckled at her enthusiasm and hugged her back lightly. "But how will we sneak in?"
"I don't know," he said as she pulled back, a pensive look etched on her face.
"We're creative, and Harry likes to break rules. We'll come up with something. After Christmas maybe."
"Are you excited to be going home?" Draco asked, changing the subject.
"A bit, I suppose. It'll be weird though. The whole situation is weird. I grew up with no magic, not even the possibility of any, but in just four months I've become so used to it. It'll be weird to go home for two weeks and have none of it." Hermione answered.
"I imagine it would be. For me as well. I have been using magic everyday for months, and now I'll go home to mother and father, to watch them do magic, but I won't be able to."
Hermione nodded. "It's just two weeks. I think we'll survive."
The next morning, Hermione was ready to go get in a carriage to travel to the train station. She had been looking for Harry and Ron, and finally found them in the Great Hall, playing chess.
"I see you've packed," Ron said as a greeting. Harry simply nodded at her.
"I see you haven't," she replied, confused. It was less than ten minutes until the carriages would board.
"Change of plans. My parents are going to Romania, to visit my brother Charlie for the holidays. I'm staying here. So are Percy, Fred and George."
"Good," Hermione said, grinning wickedly. "You can help Harry then. He'll be checking the library again for information about our elusive friend, Nicolas Flamel."
"We've looked a hundred times!" Ron groaned, slamming his fist into the table.
Hermione looked around to see if anyone was close enough to hear, or if there was anyone paying attention. When the coast was clear, she leaned in. "Not in the restricted section," she said smugly.
Both boys looked up at her with complete shock written on their faces. She grinned and stood upright again. "Happy Christmas," she said cheerfully, gathering her trunk and heading towards the doors.
"I think we've had a bad influence on her," Ron said to Harry, who nodded.
Hermione heard that and grinned. It had been Draco's idea. He was the one with the bad influence on her.
Christmas at the Granger household was simple. The night before the big day, the three resident Grangers went to visit Mr. Granger's parents. They were rather strict, old fashioned, no-nonsense Christians who refused to listen to any talk of "make-believe," saying it was the work of the devil. Hermione, over dinner, thought it would be hilarious to suddenly make something levitate, or for the lights to flicker on and off. She giggled to herself imagining the looks on her grandparents faces when she announced, with complete seriousness that she was a witch. They would want her looked at for sure.
Hermione's mother and father had talked to their daughter about their cover story. This would be the explanation for the distant boarding school their daughter went to, and why she was never home anymore. They reminded her no less that sixteen times on Christmas Eve day not to mention anything about magic. Her classes were normal ones; history, science, maths, gym, english, and her teachers were not "professors." She was also advised to cut out the idea of houses, because that would lead to questions about the founders.
Dinner was going well. Hermione and her parents maintained their charade, and it wasn't until her aunt, a very liberal woman, asked the name so she could look it up in the phone book or something.
Hermione's mother dropped her fork. Her father choked on some mashed turnips. Hermione blanched and said the first thing that came to mind. "McGonagall's School for, um, Advanced Talents."
"I've never heard of it. How did you come about learning of it dear?" Hermione, cleared her throat, hoping one of her still frozen parents would help her. Neither did, so she floundered.
"I got a letter. They had accepted me, I suppose based on talents I showed in my, er, previous life and education?"
Not technically a lie, Hermione thought as she said it.
"So what? Did your old school simply contact them, and they selected you?"
"I suppose that must be how it happened," Hermione said.
"And you said it's located where?"
"Scotland."
"Hmm. I must see about sending Mildred's records in. She is exceptionally talented."
Hermione smiled politely, but was already in the middle of a mouthful of mashed potatoes, so she couldn't say anything.
Finally, her father got over himself and changed the subject. "What are we expecting for the stocks this coming week dad?"
Christmas with Hermione's mother's parents the next day went much more smoothly. They were nowhere near as strict or uptight as her father's side of the family. By now, Hermione and her parents had come up with as many possible answers as they could for every question they thought of. McGonagall's School for Advanced Talents became their fake name, and fortunately, this side of the family was more interested in Hermione's social life there than the actual academics of the place.
The Granger's weren't able to breathe until they were back home that night though. There would be no more family visits for the remainder of the holidays. Hermione's parents had just managed to calm down and stop hyperventilating over the whole ordeal when a tapping at their living room window interrupted their movie.
"Holy!" Her father yelled jumping up. "What is that noise?"
"Hermione save us!" Her mother gasped, seeing a glowing pair of eyes in the darkness.
"It's an owl, mum, relax. Dad, let go of the lamp, it's not going to kill you." Hermione shook her head as her parents sat back down. She crossed over to the window and opened it so the bird could come it.
"If it takes a crap on our carpet, you're cleaning it up Hermione," her dad warned, not taking his eyes of the large owl that settled itself on the chair where Hermione had been. The owl hooted and ruffled it's feathers, acting as if it was offended by Mr. Granger's words. It probably was.
"Well aren't you a pretty bird. I wonder who you belong to?" Hermione didn't have to wonder long. Attached to the bird was a small package and a letter. She recognized the writing immediately as Draco's. "Wonderful! Wait here will you?" she asked the bird, who blinked in response.
She dashed up the stairs to her room, ignoring her parents' concerns over leaving the bird unattended. She left the package and letter on her bed for when the movie ended, and tried to find her own gift for Draco. She had written him a short letter to go with it, but now she scribbled a quick thank you in advance for the present she had received. She also promised that they would spend some time catching up on the first day back, before classes officially resumed.
She found the package, which contained several different muggle sweets he had never tried before, as well as the entire Chronicles of Narnia series. She had once mentioned how much she loved them, and Draco said that even though they were muggle book, he wanted to read them. She hoped he would like the gift, and she hoped that the apical owl wouldn't hate her too much for the large package.
It was similar in size and weight to the gift Draco had sent her, so she hoped it would be okay. Besides, she reasoned. Magical owls could carry massize things. Like Harry's broom.
Finding a treat in her trunk for the owl, Hermione turned to leave. Satisfied with her gift and letters, Hermione went back downstairs to find her parents still cowering from the owl.
"Honestly, it's a bord. One of the smartest birds out there. It's not going to kill you, and it won't relieve itself on the carpet," Hermione said, rolling her eyes as she tied the present securely to the bird. He hooted, and Hermione offered him the treat she found. He gulped it down happily, and went on his merry way, back to Malfoy Manor, direct to Draco. Draco had said before the holidays that if ever she needed to contact him, owl was the best way, but to make sure she said "Direct to Draco" or else it would be intersected.
"What on earth just happened?" Her mom asked.
"Mail," Hermone said, expectantly waiting for the movie to resume. Finally, someone made it start up, and Hermione lost herself in the last half hour of The Sound of Music.
Later that night, alone at last, Hermione opened up the gift and letter from Draco. She was delighted to see loads of wizard candy, something she would have to hide from her dentist parents. She was also happy that there were some homemade cauldron cakes, which Draco had let her try before. He said baking was the only thing his mother ever did around the house, but that she poured her heart into it. The package also contained a small, figurine of Godric Gryffindor, which Hermione was excited to put on display in her room.
The last thing in the package was a necklace. The pendant was a crystal snake, with a red bauble dangling on one side and a green one on the other. Hermione loved it, and she noted, relieved, that the chain was long. Long enough that she would be able to hide it under her shirt, but still wear it. She loved it, but didn't think her housemates would appreciate it as much. Content with her gifts, Hermione dug into a cauldron cake and opened the letter.
Merry Christmas Hermione!
I hope you're having a wonderful holiday; I am. Father's been away so far, so it's just mother, the house elves and myself. Mother and I made this batch of cauldron cakes this morning, so I think you'll enjoy them. Eat up, because they won't be fresh for long. She also doesn't know that I snapped up these six for you. She thinks I ate them, and has banned me rom helping any further in the kitchen.
I hope you enjoy your gifts, and I think you'll note that the chain is long enough that you can wear the necklace, but hide our friendship from the world.
Now, for the part I think you'll be most excited about. I know where you can find some information about N.F. Do you remember that book you checked out in November, that originally was going to help with Potions? He is mentioned in it! I recall you left it open and i went flipping through it. I saw his name but completely forgot until now. I believe the book was called Myths and Facts About Potions and Alchemy. Or something. Go check it again.
I hope the rest of your holiday is amazing, and I'll see you the Sunday we return. Meet me, no later than eight PM by the lake.
Miss you,
Draco.
Hermione smiled as she read the letter twice. Draco was a bloody genius. He was going to save the world, and he probably had no idea.