Chapter 2
Hogsmeade
(Hermione's P.O.V.)
I walked through the quiet, little town of Hogsmeade alone. Just as I had ridden there in the carriage alone. I had told Harry and Ron that I had wanted to be alone for a bit which had caused a flow of unwanted questions. Finally I had blown up and the interrogation had, thankfully, ended. I sighed as the wind kicked up and tossed my hair about my face, ticling my cheeks in a teasing dance. It was a lovely day and I was determined to enjoy myself for the first time. No books, no school, no work, just me and the town. I stopped in for a butterbeer and pondered over what I should do. Then it hit me: if I wanted to change then I needed, not only, to change my attitude but my whole look as well. I didn't even want to give off the air of a bookworm anymore. It was too much pressure. I needed a change.
I walked into a clothing store across the street. 'First thing: clothes.' I exited the tiny shop twenty minutes later with so many bags I could hardly carry them. I quickly shrunk them and placed them into my robe pocket. I had bought myself a whole new wardrobe complete with matching shoes, and I couldn't be happier. I continued walking lazily when I realized that new clothes would certainly not be enough. I headed down to the hair and make-up store. I walked into the hair dye section and quickly walked past the browns without even a second glance. I quickly picked out dying potions for my hair in deep reds, dark blondes, and even black. I snatched up a large container of frizzless potion and another bottle of hair growth formula so that I could try new lengths. I headed to the makeup side of the shop and quickly grabbed up concealer (though I rarely needed it), foundation, powder, bronze shimmer, masara, black & gold eyeliners, eye shadow in a wide array of colors, and the usual blush. When I got to lipsticks I put almost every color in the basket. Next was nail polish and that should do it. When I faced the enormous wall of nail polish I just quickly grabbed one of each shade and color. When I exited the shop I sighed as I shrunk the ten bags that I was carrying and added those to my little collection in my pocket. My last stop was the store 'Secret Sins' for lingerie. I got quite a few sinful things but I figure I'm the only one who's gonna see them so why not spoil myself. I quickly dropped into the Hogs Head and got myself a shot of Dirty Bong Water thankful that the wizarding drinking age was seventeen. I walked briskly back towards the carriages hopeful that I could get back to the Head dorms before the Head Boy showed up.
I was almost at the Head's carriage when I heard someone behind me. It was a slow, drawl that I knew all to well. "Well, well, well what have we here. If it's not the filthy, little mudblood, Granger. Where is your usual escort of Wonder Boy and the Weasel? Did they finally realize how disgusting you actually are and decide to leave you?" His smirk was trademark and I recognized it. Instead of giving him the reaction that he expected and longed for, a smirk appeared on my face that outdid even Malfoy's.
"Well, well, well... If it isn't Master Malfoy. The pureblood prince and Slytherin's Sex God. What are you doing here Malfoy? And all alone I see. Where are your usual cronies? Finally decided that you should try and fight your battles on your own? And Pug-face Parkinson is missing as well! Does that mean that your little whore finally decided that you just weren't enough?" My smirk widened as his face took on a stunned look that was almost immediately covered by a sneer.
"Shut your mouth you filthy, little mudblood!" He hissed at me. I almost forgot myself and smiled but instead countered his move. "Oh Malfoy! I'm so sorry. What was I thinking? A filthy mudblood like me speaking to someone as high as you? Drop it Malfoy. Your insults don't do a damn thing any longer. They are just words. Words that mean nothing and cleverly reveal your loathing. It's just a word Malfoy. Mudblood, mudblood, mudblood, mudblood." I ranted as his eyes grew wider with each word I uttered. "See? Just a word." His eyes were the size of saucers and he looked completely dumbfounded. I turned and stepped up into the carriage. Before I closed the door I turned back to him. "Go away Malfoy. This is one mudblood that you can't annoy today." With that I quickly closed the carriage door and took one last glimpse of his face as the carriage pulled me out of sight. His face was priceless, really. He looked as though he had no idea what had just happened.
Upon reaching the castle I immediately headed for the Head's dormitory. I went into my room and placed all of my bags on the floor before quickly saying the spell that would make them their original size again. I quickly put the new clothes away and stepped back to admire my new wardrobe before closing my closet doors again. I went into Malfoy's and my adjoining bathroom and began to put my things away on my side of the sink and in the drawers underneath the sink. When everything was in the proper order I looked up at my face in the mirror and decided that there was no better time to start the transformation. I pulled all three hair dying potions from beneath the sink again and set them on the counter. I carefully read the instructions through so that I wouldn't mess up my hair. I took the blonde potion first. All of the directions were the same. Meerly take the potion, think of the style you want, and in two minutes you would have the desired results. I took one potion and waited two minutes before taking the next. I repeated this with the last potion before grabbing the frizzless potion from it's resting place beneath the sink as well. It said that I needed to take a small amount ( a vial full) and wait for the desired amount of time. One minute for each frizzless day. I took enough for a month. Knowing that I would have a lot of time to wait I stripped down and threw on my new pink silk robe. It stopped half way up my thigh and looked stunning.
I headed downstairs into the little kitchenette and grabbed a strawberry daquari. I curled up on the couch and lit a fag from the pack that I had purchased earlier that day. I then waved my hand so flames spewed up from the fireplace. I sat there for thirty-one minutes before heading up to the bathroom to finish up. I gulped down some of the hair lengthening potion and thought of the length I wanted as it instructed. When it was done I stepped into the shower and threw my robe over the side. I allowed the hot water to soak into my skin, soothing my muscles. I washed quickly and stepped out. I used a drying spell when I noticed that I had forgotten a towel. I cast one more drying spell on my hair and slipped into my robe. I tied the sash firmly as I approached the mirror for the first time since I started the change. When I looked up I didn't recognize the girl looking back at me. I had to reach up and touch my cheek to assure myself that it was truly me. It was. I stood there, stunned, for a moment before smiling at my reflection. My hair now hung to the small of my back in perfect silky ringlets. It had dark gold highlights along with dark auburn streaks and black streaks as dark as midnight. I looked daring. I looked HOT! For the first time in my life I looked good.
I smiled and walked out to the common room for another drink and fag. Tonight the seventh years were allowed to go back to Hogsmeade as a treat since it was the first trip and this was their last year at the school. I sat, contemplating what I should do later that night. I had a new wardrobe, a new look, and a new attitude. Now I needed a plan for my first night out of Hogwarts in my seven years there. I curled my legs underneath me and stared into the fire as I thought of what I could do.
(Draco's P.O.V.)
I walked down the halls silently. I knew that I was sulking but I just couldn't help it. That mudblood had bested me. I couldn't believe it. I was better than her. Everyone knew I was better than her (!) yet she had the nerve to try and humiliate me! No, not try, succeed. How had she possibly bested me at my own game? No one had ever beaten a Malfoy and I'll be damned if I let some filthy, mudblood named Granger be the first. Where had all of that nerve and daring come from anyways? She had never been like that before (though I have to admit that I was quite impressed at her actions), she was just a pushover. What had changed and why? Those were the questions I needed answered. After all to be a good hunter you must think like your prey. So my new goal was to find out what made Hermione Granger tick. Once I knew that it would be all too easy to bring her to her knees. A sinister smile spread across my face. Things were looking up.
I was still smiling when I entered the common room. Before the portrait hole closed behind me I stopped dead. I was frozen to the spot from the sight before me. On my couch sat the most heavenly creature that I had ever laid eyes on. She was absolutely stunning. My eyes traveled up the overly long, smooth, tanned legs to the hem of a pink silk robe that ended at right above the middle of those glorious thighs. Pink silk flowed over an obviously toned stomach and reached up to lick at perfectly shaped shoulders and an elegantly long neck. Dark curls with flashes of color rioted down her back in a waterfall that looked smoother than the silk that adorned her skin. Her profile was flawless and, I had to admit, the best part of what I had seen by far. She had a petite, straight nose that tipped up just at the end. Her mouth was full and cherry red. Her eyes were the color of heated honey and had long lashes that curled up and just brushed below her perfectly sculpted eyebrows. Her complection was flawless and smooth with high cheekbones. She looked like a goddess with the firelight playing shadows over her.I had never seen anything to rival her beauty. The only question that appeared before me was 'What the hell is this goddess doing sitting on the couch that I shared with Granger?' I didn't truly care what the answer was to that question as long as she stayed exactly where she was.
In the middle of my musings the portrait clicked shut behind me and she looked up with those beautiful wide eyes, plainly startled. For some reason those eyes pulled at me. It was as if I had seen them before. I felt that as long as those eyes remained locked with mine the whole world disappeared. Where had I seen those eyes before? As I stared deeply into her honey eyes my feet moved me forward, until I was standing directly before her.
(Hermione's P.O.V.)
The portrait hole closed with a clang that startled me out of my reverie. I snapped my head around thinking that it would be Ron or Harry to interrogate me further. My spirits rose, however, when I realized it was neither of them, and then quickly dropped back down when I realized that it was Malfoy obviously seeking revenge. My eyes widened even more as his traveled over me and then locked with my own. No matter how I tried I couldn't seem to tear my gaze away from his. His eyes mesmerized me. I had always thought that they were a hardened gray like the color of steel but as I stared at them I realized that they were a light silver color with the slightest hint of blue to them. How odd that I should notice that now. They were really rather nice. 'No! I can't think that way about Malfoy. I mean he's Malfoy. That's just so wrong! Isn't it? ...' I mentally shook myself. 'Of course it is you prat!' I mentally scolded myself.
As I was pondering all of these things he had approached me and was now standing right next to me. OMG! What the hell is he gonna do now? I was, quite honestly, scared shitless. He probably had something horrid planned out for me. I couldn't help but wonder if he was gonna drag it out or if he would at least have the decency to make it, if not painless, fairly quick. My eyes only widened farther however when he smiled at me. My eyes probably look like saucers at this point. I didn't really care as I was wondering why the hell he was smiling at me. Me! Hermione Granger! What? Did he hit his head or something? What he did next, however, shocked me even more. He pointed a finger at my pack of fags on the table and asked if he could have one. I nodded slowly and he took one and lit it, plopping down next to me on the couch as he inhaled the sweet smoke and let it escape from his lungs again in soft ripples. I thought I was shocked at that. Little did I know it would get worse in a matter of seconds.
Malfoy stuck out his hand and said "Hi. I'm Draco. Draco Malfoy." with a rather large smile on his face. What the...? Oh. Dear. God. Malfoy had no idea who I was. I couldn't believe my luck. Maybe I could just play along and eventually sneak away.
I forced a smile onto my face and said simply. "I know." At the look on his face I elaborated though what I said made me want to throw up. "I mean... everyone knows who Draco Malfoy is."
He smiled slightly and asked that fatal question. "And you are?" It was all I could do not to laugh in his face. Oh. My. God.
Well I was already basically lying so I stuck my hand in his and answered, "Mya. My friends call me Mya." Hey! In my defense that is kind of true. Harry and Ron do call me Mya even though I absolutely despise the name.
"Mya." He said it as though he was rolling it across his tongue to test the sound which made me not hate it so much anymore. Okay so I like the way he says that stupid nickname so what! "Well, it's nice to meet you, Mya." He said as he lifted my hand and brushed it with his lips. I will never admit that it felt nice or that it sent tingles down my spine. NEVER! I would so rather die painfully before ever admitting that.
"Nice to meet you too, Draco." I basically had to force the last word out, but as soon as it crossed my lips I realized I rather enjoyed the sound of it. What the hell was happening? I stood up abruptly. "I'm sorry but I should go." I said quickly before practically running to my room.
(Draco's P.O.V.)
I watched as she ran into Granger's room without glancing back. What had I said and why the hell was that beauty hanging out with Granger? Who knew. I only knew that I couldn't wait to see the gorgeous Mya again, and hopefully as soon as possible. I sighed as I pushed myself from the couch and made my way to my room, turning and looking at Granger's door one last time before closing mine and going to sleep.
(Hermione's P.O.V.)
I leaned against the door, breathing heavily. I had not just been charmed by Dra... Malfoy. Oh. God help me. I sighed as I readied for bed and quickly slipped beneath the covers. What the hell had I gotten myself into? He was going to be so royally pissed when he realized what I had done.
That was when it dawned on me. He didn't have to find out. I could simply charm myself to look like I used to when I was in the common room. As for in the halls and classes all I had to do was tell my friends that I wanted them to call me Mya because I was playing a trick on Malfoy. They'd all agree thinking that it's hilarious. I sighed again. I was safe. At least for the time being. I fell asleep asking myself why I even cared what he'd do if he found out, but never got an answer.