Chapter 2.
Hermione slowly nibbled on her toast.
Last night was interesting to say the least. It was interesting for many reasons.
The major one was how Draco ignored her as he walked up to his bedroom in their shared Head common room.
The other interesting thing that happened last night was how very few students returned and came into for this school year. Normally the list would be over 20 students, but this year, it was only 8 students who got sorted.
2 Hufflepuffs, 2 Ravenclaws, 3 Slytherins and just 1 Gryffindor joined the student body.
It was really sad to see this when the long wooden tables were so empty of people. The welcome speech from Professor McGonagall was short, to the point and everyone that starting this school year, everyone could sit wherever they liked except on the first night back and the last night of the school year.
The News reporter; thankfully not Rita Skeeter, took some pictures and was writing away on what had happened last night. It another attempt for people to see "hey if Harry Potter went back to school, Hogwarts must safe again".
Hermione heavily sighed as she was waking up and thinking these over again in her tired mind.
"Morning, Mione," Harry tiredly greeted her as he sat down.
"Morning Harry. How are you?" She asked him sipping her cup of coffee.
"Could be better. How were things last night with you?" he asked her in return.
Hermione nodded and then softly said "Tense. He glared at me and sneered that I shouldn't help him at all and then Malfoy stomped to his own room. I find it very strange to be on the third floor since that's where all of our adventures began,"
Harry smiled as he fixed his own cup of coffee with "Yeah. Eons ago, it feels like,"
"Yeah," Hermione replied softly, looking into her cup.
What she missed was how Draco and Blaise walked in. How Blaise was scowling at Draco and that he was putting away his wand in his robes, as a group of seventh years came in, high fiving one another, snickering.
"I wonder how this year is going to go," Harry said, digging into his breakfast.
"I don't know. I just know that Professor McGonagall will keep it the same way as did Professor Dumbledore had since he was headmaster," Hermione said back.
"Yeah," Harry said as a seventh year approached them.
"Good morning, Harry," he said, handing them both their schedules.
"Oh, thank you," He said as he handed Hermione's hers.
"Thank you," she told the seventh year as he walked away.
She looked at her schedule:
"Monday, Wednesday, Friday:
Defense against the dark arts, Charms, Potions
Tuesday and Thursday:
Ancient Ruins, Herbology, Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures"
"What classes do you have Harry?" Hermione asked him, still looking at her schedule.
"DADA, Charms, Potions, Divination, Herbology, Transfiguration and Magical Creatures," he replied, shaking his head.
"That's very odd," Hermione commented to herself.
"What?" he asked her curiously.
"I noticed that for us 8th years, we have a solid one hour at 8 AM, a solid two hour after that, lunch, and a solid three hour after that to end our day," Hermione told him, looking up at him.
Harry quickly saw where she was reading it and gulped out "Well, Ron won't be happy with this,"
"No, he won't. But we get out at 3 in the afternoon. Normally classes don't end until 4:30-5PM," Hermione said, trying to figure this out.
"Hermione," Harry began, looking at her. "We're not supposed to be here, yet we are. I'm sure Professor McGonagall has something in mind,"
"That I do, Potter," Professor McGonagall approached them.
"Good Morning, Professor," they both commented back to her.
"Good Morning. Now, when the Great hall is filled, I will make my speech," she said and walked to the staff table.
Hermione nodded as she finished with her breakfast and just sipped on her cup of coffee some more.
It didn't take long for the Great Hall to fill up as Professor McGonagall stood up and stood at the podium.
A hush fell upon everyone.
"Good morning, students and staff. I hope that you all had a good night's rest and are ready for today's events. 8th years, I am addressing mostly to you, because I know that you have noticed, that your schedules are not what a normal schedule is. However, just like Mr. Potter has said: You are not supposed to be here, but yet you are. You started this journey, it is about time that you ended it and hopefully by next June, graduates," Professor McGonagall began as everyone listened to her tiredly. "Your schedule, 8th years, is lighter than our 7th years. But do not squander it on leaving your studies behind. I'm looking at you, Ronald Weasley,"
A low chuckle went through the crowd as Ron blushed heavily.
"I will see you all very soon. Good day," Professor McGonagall concluded and walked back to her chair.
"I bet Ron won't forget this," Harry chuckled.
"No, I don't think he will either," Hermione smiled.
"So why is he always with Kelly?" Harry asked her curiously.
"You know how it is; you want to spend as much time with that person as possible. He'll be back with us, Harry. Don't worry about that," Hermione soothed his worries.
He nodded and then said "Yeah. I'll be holding trial meets this Saturday. Is that alright with you, Head Girl?"
"Yeah. Just don't have it extended into Sunday. That's Slytherin's try outs," she told him, getting up and walking out of the Great Hall.
Harry soon caught up with her and said "Where are you going?"
"Have to get to class. It's almost 8 Harry," she told him, shaking her head.
He nodded and then asked "Wha do we have for this morning?"
"It's Monday, so Defense against the dark arts, Charms, and Potions," she told him.
"Joy, really," Ron entered their conversation.
"Finally joined us?" Harry teased, smiling.
"Hey, I needed to see Kelly," he replied, shrugging.
"Come on, you two," Hermione rolled her eyes and picked up her pace.
"We're walking ain't we?" Ron protested.
"Not fast enough," she said, climbing the staircase to where the classroom was.
Suddenly it happened. Hermione saw rubble, broken beams, and an unknown person lying on the ground.
"Breathe, Hermione," Harry said in her ear as she sank to her knees.
Everyone else that was on the staircase walked by them, ignoring them as they walked to their classes.
It was like the world suddenly went from this massive place, down to a needle point all within seconds.
"Get out of the way," a snotty voice pierced through the hazy fog.
"Not, leaving Hermione behind!" Ron snapped back.
"She'll be alright, Malfoy. Just go to class," Harry maturely told him.
"Come on Granger," Draco hissed low for only she could hear "snap out of it,"
Forcing herself to suck in a large amount of air made things easier. The memory faded and the present was there in her face.
Draco held her confused gaze for a little while until he stood up, nodded and then walked away.
"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Ron asked, but no one answered.
Harry however, knelt down to Hermione.
"You okay, now, Hermione?" Harry asked, knowing that she had a flashback.
"I-I-I…Ahem. I will be," she shakily said, forcing herself to get up.
"Come on," Harry said, gently taking her arm and guiding her.
Ron then asked "Hermione, what was the deal with Malfoy?"
"I don't know, Ron," she whispered, still dazed.
Harry gave Ron a stern warning look as they dropped the subject for now. They made it to the classroom and sat in the back.
The professor who was hired was a great, great, great granddaughter of Galatea Merrythought or what Hermione had heard.
The students were softly talking amongst themselves as the professor hadn't arrived just yet.
"I heard that she's really good," Ron whispered to Harry and Hermione.
"How good?" Harry asked.
"She didn't go to Hogwarts or any kind of school…she was taught at home for almost all of her life," Ron continued.
"That's really amazing," Dean said, joining in.
"Yeah. Her great, great, great grandmother used to teach here. For fifty years, until she retired in 1945," Ron supplied more.
Harry clenched his jaw but nodded.
Hermione knew that his thoughts raced with that of Lord Voldemort. No one could fault him but, at times, Harry really did need to let that go.
"That is correct, Mister Weasley," a confident women's voice interrupted the class.
Everyone turned behind them as there stood a woman who was very petite, short, had purple hair with warm blue eyes.
"Hello, I'm Natalie Arks. I will be teaching you in this class. However, will all of you follow me? We won't have enough space here," Natalie introduced herself and then walked away.
Everyone got up and walked down the corridor. They climbed another set of stairs and then entered a very long massive room.
"This will do much better," she said, smiling.
Everyone filed in and gathered near the door.
"Come in, come in. You will be getting quite comfortable with this room. Now, I have a roll of parchment with all of your names and your partners for this last year," Natalie said, waving her wand as two of the scrolls floated to her.
The students moved little into the room.
"Right, Dean Thomas. Lavender Brown. Seamus Finnigan. Harry Potter. Ronald Weasley. Hermione Granger. Neville Longbottom. Parvati Patil. Daphne Greengrass. Draco Malfoy. Pansy Parkinson. Carolyn Ives. Jason Suns. Mary Wingless. Howard Creek. And Daniel Fortson," she called everyone.
Hermione shifted uneasily as she suddenly realized it was a room of nothing but Gryffindors and Slytherins.
"Alright. Now, your partners for the rest of this year are: Dean Thomas and Howard Creek. Lavender Brown and Daniel Fortson. Seamus Finnigan and Pansy Parkinson. Harry Potter and Daphne Greengrass. Ronald Weasley and Mary Wingless. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. Neville Longbottom and Carolyn Ives. Parvati Patil and Jason Suns. Get with your partner! I want you to get to know him or her for 20 minutes," Professor Natalie instructed to them.
Thick tension rained down between the two houses as they had split into two groups.
Professor Natalie just waited. She knew that they still didn't like one another and probably never will.
"Oh, come on!" Hermione getting fed up and walked over to Draco.
Everyone watched her as she walked over to Draco, grabbed his hand and tugged him near one of the windows.
"Let go, Granger," Draco hissed low.
"Oh grow up, Malfoy. We're not kids anymore," she hissed back.
He glared at her as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"I don't think you need to know who I am. You already figured that one out this past summer," he growled low.
"No, I don't know you at all, Draco," she huffed back.
Everyone else slowly paired up with their partners and was at different areas of the massive room.
Draco glared more at her and hissed low "I'm in Slytherin. I'm in the same year as you and Potter. There is a profound deep seated hatred between me and Weasel. I like flying. What more do you want?"
She stared at him for a long moment and then said softly "What do you like to eat? What is your favorite color? Why do you wear an all black suit? How are you doing since you last got hexed?"
A growl erupted from Draco's throat as he then snarled low "That is none of your business, Granger,"
"It is my business if I am going to be partnered up with you for the rest of the school year!" she snapped at him.
It got Harry's and Neville's attention as Ron was too busy shouting at his partner now.
Draco ignored her as he turned to where Mary and Ron were. Despite the battle, Draco knew that the Slytherins that survived still looked out for one another.
Meanwhile, with Harry he looked at Daphne.
"I'm not here to cause trouble," he told her softly.
"I know you're not, but that won't hold with your other housemates," she retorted salty back.
"No. So, let's see. Do you like Quidditch?" Harry asked her curiously.
"Who doesn't? I'm not that good on a broom but, try outs are this weekend," Daphne said, looking over at Mary worriedly.
"Ron will get over his judgment of you guys. He may not like this arrangement but, he'll learn to deal with it," Harry tried to soothe her worry.
She nodded and then said "I like his brother's joke shop and what they did when that harpy was here,"
Harry smiled softly and said "Yeah. Ron is thinking of joining his older brother to help maintain it,"
"That's really…sweet of him to do," Daphne said, tearing her eyes away from Mary to Harry.
"Yeah," Harry said back.
Meanwhile Ron was suddenly falling over board stiff.
Everyone turned to look at him as Mary was beat red in the face and glaring at his frozen body.
"Slytherin, 40 points taken from you. And Mary, you will serve detention for the next month," Professor Natalie stepped in now.
"What!" Mary snapped at her.
"You are a grown woman. You just went through a battle. Act your age or get out of my class and never come back," Professor Natalie stated firmly to her.
Mary glared at her heatedly, walked over to her bag, took it and left the classroom.
Everyone remained silent.
"I'm not doing this so that your houses can fight. I am doing this under the order of the headmistress. You are going to write a report on how you see your partner. Anyone who fails to do so will serve detention for the rest of the school year," Professor Natalie told them all.
"This is stupid!" Seamus protested.
"No, what differences do you see? When you came here, 8 years ago now, you got along because you didn't know which house you would be sorted into. When you did get sorted, the walls of judgment went up and you never spoke to one another ever again. Those walls need to be torn down because, you may be working with each other or you may not, in the ministry or elsewhere," Professor Natalie stated.
Silence hung so heavily in that classroom, not even a knife could cut through it.
"Get ready, because this will be the same thing that you will encounter from this class onward for this school year. Professor McGonagall has had enough of this stupidity and wants you to get to know your fellow housemates. Lord Voldemort is no more," Professor Natalie continued.
Ron was free from the Full Body-Bind spell. He stood next to the window, ignoring everyone.
"Mr. Weasley, please go and find Miss Wingless," Professor Natalie said to him.
"Thought she could never come back?" he retorted to her.
"Be the bigger person, Mister Weasley," Professor Natalie called him out.
Ron grumbled and marched out of the room.
Professor Natalie looked at the others and asked "Anymore?"
No one said anything as they didn't move.
"Good. Please proceed," she said almost charmingly.
For the next half hour, it was quiet. It didn't help much in the long run, but it was something.
So when the bell rung the students walked out.
Harry and Hermione soon found Ron rubbing his face where from the looks of it, a punch was thrown at him.
"Here Ron," Harry said, handing him his bag.
"Thanks," he grumbled and they walked to Charms.
Thankfully this class had Hufflepuffs in it.
It was much better for them to calm down. The poor Hufflepuffs were just shaking their heads and keeping the Gryffindors distracted.
It wasn't until after lunch that Hermione soon saw how these days would go. Gryffindors and Slytherins in the morning, Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs to cool down near lunch. And Gryffindors and Slytherins once more for the end of the day.
Regardless it being Potions, Hermione felt exhausted. She had forgotten how strong willed she was before the Battle of Hogwarts.
"Now, these are going to be your partners for the rest of the school year," Professor Slughorn said charmingly.
"Here we go again," Ron retorted under his breath as he moved over to where Malfoy was sitting.
"Who am I paired up?" Hermione whispered low to Harry.
"Mary, but I don't think Ron will last that long with Malfoy," Harry whispered back.
"No," she agreed and walked over to where Mary was sitting.
Mary glared at her and snarled out "I don't need you breathing down my neck on how much we need to be buddy-buddy. You do one half of the potion and I'll do the other. Stay out of my way or you'll get a knuckle sandwich,"
"Whoa. I'm not doing anything wrong but just walking over here. I am sorry for what Ronald had said and done to you this morning," Hermione replied back.
Mary huffed and ignored her.
Hermione looked over her shoulder and saw Ron and Malfoy. They were moving their lips but, no one could hear them.
"Come on, Granger! I want an O on this project!" Mary snarled at her.
"Then do it yourself," she said softly.
KABOOM!
The room shook as Hermione pulled Mary under the desk. Potions on the shelves rained down from being rattled from their places.
"Is everyone alright?" Professor Slughorn asked, looking around warily.
Harry ran over to where Ron was. He was covered in the potion as Draco had hid behind the storage door when their cauldron went off.
"Blimey. I didn't do it this time," Seamus said, smirking.
"Not funny, Mr. Finnigan. Harry, please take Mr. Whidbey, to the hospital wing," Professor Slughorn said to them.
Harry nodded as he took out his wand and levitated Ron in the air and moved him that way to the hospital wing.
"Miss Granger," Professor Slughorn said looking at her "Care to change partners. I don't think Mr. Wimpy will do with Mr. Malfoy,"
Hermione swallowed and said "Yes, sir,"
Mary groaned and then came out from under the desk as did Hermione.
The head girl walked over to where Draco and Ron were, but Draco shook his head and grabbed his bag.
"Draco!" Hermione said but he was out the door before anything else could happen.
Hermione didn't think twice, she grabbed her stuff and ran after him.
"Stay away from me, Granger!" Draco snarled as he marched more down the corridor.
"What am I suppose to do without my partner?" she asked him, running to catch up.
Draco turned on the dime and looked down at her as she collided with him.
"I don't need you!" he shouted.
"Look! Whatever Ron said, I'm sure it wasn't right. I however, do not see that of you or any other Slytherin for that matter! Just, please, Draco, just …talk to me," she softly told him, looking up with pleading eyes.
"No," he growled out and walked away.
Hermione felt like she needed to go after him. He needed to understand that she wasn't here to put more judgment on him, but he wasn't going to see that.
So instead of returning to Potions, like she should have, she walked towards the library.
Finding the window in the nook, in the far back, she laid out her stuff. She wrote up the Charms essay pretty easily and then started on the potion that they were going to do in class.
With this one, Hermione poured over every book and information on the said potion. Instead of just 15 inches of it, she went and had done a whole 42 inches.
Her hand was cramping up badly when she had finished it all.
So during the time that it took for her scroll to dry and her hand to have a much needed rest, her mind wandered to that of Draco Malfoy.
She didn't know how to write this next essay but, she had to try.
It wasn't until the final bell for the 8th years had rung for the day that Hermione still had a blank scroll with just the name: Draco Malfoy.
"Granger," his voice greeted her.
Hermione looked up and saw Draco in a much calmer state but still scowling.
"Good afternoon, Draco. What can I do for you?" she replied, trying to let him know that it was ok.
"Let's get this interview out of the way," he said, sitting down across from her.
"Please because I am still struggling on what to write about you," she replied, looking at him.
"This isn't an interview for everyone to know. This is just to get this blasted essay out of the way," he retorted back.
"Okay. Fire away," she replied.
"Parents?" he asked her.
"Muggles, their job is healers of teeth," she answered him.
"Aren't they…dentists?" Draco asked her curiously.
"How…yes, they are," she replied in shock.
He nodded and wrote that down.
"Siblings?" he asked her next.
"I did once;" she softly said "She died from a disease called Scarlet Fever. My parents and I haven't been the same since,"
Draco stared at the woman before him and nodded.
"Pets? And chosen career?" he asked her next.
"While I was growing up, we had a couple cats and dogs. And Chosen career …I haven't thought that much on," she replied back.
"Come on, Granger. It's you, we're talking about. What job, no matter what it might be, could you possibly want?" Draco retorted.
Hermione was silent for a while and then looked at him.
"I wouldn't mind wanting to be Minister of Magic," she told him.
Draco held his tongue and wrote that down.
"Alright, Malfoy, I think you got enough on me," she said smiling a little.
"Not really. Just the bare facts. I know you study like no one else has within these walls," he said.
"Okay. I hate flying because I am terrified of heights. I love the color indigo. My favorite books are classics, romance and history. Doing things the muggle way isn't that bad and makes you learn something from it. Harry is like an older brother to me and I'm like his only sister," she said some more.
Draco wrote all of that down and then said "Weasley won't stop calling us Slytherins: Death Eaters,"
"Is that why Mary and you got so upset today?" Hermione asked him in awe.
"I don't know what his deal is, Granger, but him getting punched in the mouth by Mary should've waked him up," Draco said instead.
"If he did say that, which I'm going to look into tonight, then yeah, I agree with you. If he didn't, then Mary needs to apologize to him. And please don't get started on the fact that he and his family are poor," she told him.
Draco glared at her but nodded once.
"I think I have what I needed for my essay. Later Granger," he said, standing up and leaving her.
"Draco!" she said loudly but he kept walking.
Groaning, Hermione didn't ask anything about Draco himself.
"Miss Granger," an older woman's voice greeted her.
"Yes, Madame Pince?" she asked her warily.
"I know that you are Head girl, but this is the library. If you wanted to shout, please do it outside of these walls. Good day," Madame Pince scolded her and walked away.
Heavily sighing, Hermione knew that she was screwed.
Author's note:
I usually have this up top but, I wanted to try this out. Thank you so much for the follows/favorites/reviews and such. It means a lot.
I swear, this chapter just did not want to be written out. Had to delete a lot because it wasn't what I wanted from it.
So, most of you are probably wondering: What did Ron say to both Mary and Draco? Yeah, he accused them of being Death Eaters. This is going to be interesting to say the least. I don't know if this is within the realms of Draco and Hermione being in character but, I hope it is.
Anyway, thank you for reading. Please leave a review.
Alonia143.