AN- No I don't own the characters
This story was inspired by Beauty and the Beast!
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Chapter 2
"Hey Hermione, are you alright?" Ron asked in concern, as he sat beside her on the couch.
She flashed him a hesitant smile before answering, "Yes of course. Why do you ask?"
Ron shrugged, as he began pulling his assignments out of his bag. ''Ever since you got back from the library this morning, you've been a bit down."
Hermione bit her bottom lip nervously as she lied, "I have just been a bit stressed out lately."
"But why?" Harry asked, glancing up at her as he continued to dip his quill into the ink, "Our Eighth Yearhas barely started, Hermione. We only had two classes so far this morning. How can you be stressed out already?"
"War's over, Voldemort's gone," Ron said, as he counted off on his fingers. "Majority of the Slytherins are gone, you're Head Girl, so what could possibly make you be such a downer this year, shouldn't you be happy?"
She sighed deeply. If only they knew who was making her unhappy.
"I'm just tired, is all." She stuffed her belongings into her bag and got up, "I'm going to go for a walk."
"Want us to come with you so we can go to our evening class together?" Harry asked, already reaching for his parchment to put it away.
''No, it's fine." Hermione grinned, "You and Ron need to finish your assignments and I'm already done."
"Of course." Ron muttered, ''Hey, when you come back, you mind erm... you know if it's not a bother to... well-
Hermione rolled her eyes and laughed, "No, Ronald. When you're done with your assignments, leave it at the table so I can look over your work. I'll mark the ones that's wrong for you."
"You're wonderful, Hermione." Ron said, flashing her a smile. "Sometimes I wish Gabrielle Delacour was like you. Always helpful."
Hermione felt her cheeks reddening from embarrassment, "Right well. See you."
Ron and Harry muttered their good-byes, until Hermione finally felt her stiffing shoulders relax.
She didn't realize where her feet were taking her until she suddenly stopped walking, seeing the view of the lake. Sighing, she gently sat down and pulled the broken Muggle fairy tale book Draco had destroyed that morning in the library.
"Reparo!" Hermione murmured, feeling her spirits slightly lift up when the pages and the bindings rearranged itself.
Sighing in contentment, she turned to the page she had left off at and continued on with her light reading.
"Well, well, well." A voice that Hermione hated, drawled lazily. "If it isn't Mudblood Granger coming to ruin the day again."
Ugh, him again. What the hell does he want now? Hasn't she suffered enough?
"Ay Mudblood!" He snapped, "I'm talking to you. What's that you got there, huh?"
She ignored his close presence. Maybe if she ignored him the whole time, he'll grow bored and leave her alone?
Wishful thinking.
"You actually fixed that pathetic book of yours, Granger?"
Snickers and giggles were heard, interrupting her chain of thought.
Hermione looked up at the sound and groaned. It was as if Draco invited his whole Slytherin gang. She glared at them all before giving Draco her special hatred-filled look.
"What do you want, Malfoy?"
"Now is that the way to address your superior?" Draco smirked, crossing his arms. "I thought I taught you a lesson, Granger?"
Tired of his nonsense, she got up and marched towards him with determination.
"20 points from Slytherin for harassing the Head Girl."
That shut him up. He kept the smirk on his face, but his eyes gave him a menacing look as he glanced toward the book. "Ah, what do we have here?"
"Don't touch it, Draco!" Astoria Greengrass screeched, "You might infect yourself with Mudblood filth!"
He took out his wand and turned to his friend, Blaise Zabini, who surprisingly looked annoyed.
"How should I punish her this time, Blaise?" Draco asked in a business-like tone. "This morning she-
"What's going on here?"
They all turned around to see Ernie MacMillan, Head boy, striding towards them. His gaze shifted from Draco to Hermione, with a frown of his face.
"We're just talking." Draco said casually, slyly tucking his wand away.
Ernie walked up to Hermione and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Everything okay, Hermione?"
Wanting to get away from the Slytherins, she nodded. "Everything's fine."
Ernie frowned, not believing her. However, he turned to the Slytherins and said, "Lunch is about to start in a few minutes. I suggest you all leave right now if you want to get good seats."
Blaise, Astoria, and the other Slytherin students left immediately. Draco lingered a minute longer, only to give Hermione a wink that annoyed and unnerved her.
What is that git up to?
Groaning in frustration, Hermione turned around to pick up her book and shoved it inside her bag. Right when she was heading back to the castle, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"You okay, Hermione?" Ernie asked softly, concerned with the Head Girl's behavior. "I couldn't help but notice you've been a bit quiet lately."
She gave him the same smile she reserved mainly for Harry and Ron. "Just stressed out and tired, is all."
Ernie nodded, "Okay. Well who's patrolling where tonight?"
Hermione shrugged, "I don't mind where, Ernie. You can choose where you want to patrol."
He took a minute to think about it before answering her. "I really want to patrol my house and Ravenclaw. Unless... you want to?"
Hermione inwardly groan. She didn't have the energy to extinguish his choices. She was stuck with Slytherin. She flashed him another smile and shrugged, "Then it's settled."
Ernie grinned, "Cool. Congrats on being Head Girl, by the way. It was pretty obvious it was going to be you."
Hermione blushed and muttered her thanks.
"See you later, Hermione!" Ernie called out, waving at her.
She waved back as he sprinted towards the castle, hoping to reach the Great Hall before it became too crowded.
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Hermione was too focused on the floor; she didn't see the other person in front of her until she bumped into them.
"Oof!" She yelped, losing her footing as she fell on the floor along with her heavy bag.
"Watch where you're going, will you?" The person snapped in annoyance.
"I'm sorry." She muttered as she got up, "Wasn't watching where I was going."
"Obviously." The person retorted back.
Once she straightened herself, Hermione turned to face the person she bumped into.
Blaise Zabini rolled his eyes, "For a Head Girl, you're not very good at your duties. The least you can do is watch where you're going so no harm can be done."
Hermione glared at him and crossed her arms, "What duties? And for your information, I was a bit distracted."
"That's another thing." Blaise pointed out, "Separate your personal problems from your duties."
"I didn't do anything!" Hermione hissed, "Just because I bumped into you on accident-
"Oh please." Another voice interrupted her, "That was no accident."
Hermione was so busy arguing with Blaise, she didn't notice Draco was with him the whole time, wearing a smug smirk on his face.
"Go away, Malfoy." She muttered.
"I was talking to him before you decided to bump into me." Blaise scoffed, "You should be the one to leave."
"She probably fancies you, mate." Draco snickered, earning glares from both of them.
"Don't make me sick." The corner of Blaise's lips curved into a disgusted snarl.
Hermione ignored the insulted pain and snapped at Draco, "Shut up, Malfoy!"
Draco's grin widened evilly, as he raised his voice. "Hey everyone, want to know something?"
Students, who were passing by, slowed their pace while some of them just paused out of their curiosity.
Hermione stared at him in confusion. "What are you doing?"
He ignored her and continued to talk out loud for everyone to hear. "Our dearest Head Girl has a bit of a soft spot for Blaise!"
"No I don't!" Hermione shouted back, "Shut up, Malfoy!"
Draco raised an eyebrow, "Oh? So, it's not Blaise then? Perhaps it's a Ron Weasley you fantasize about?"
Hermione stiffened. A crowd of students were forming around them, muttering and whispering as they stayed to hear what else Draco wanted to announce.
Draco noticed the rigid posture of her body and chuckled darkly. "Hit the jackpot, have I? Aww look at that, everyone! Our Head Girl is clearly in love with Weasley!"
The Slytherins in the crowd snickered.
Hermione shook her head, her eyes stinging with the threat of tears. She really hoped none of her friends was in the crowd. She hitched her bag on her shoulder and made to walk away, but felt a vine-like grip on her wrist.
"I'm not done with my fun yet, Granger." Draco sweetly hissed in her ear.
"Let go of me!" Hermione cried out, trying to remove his hand from her wrist.
"I feel sorry for you though." Draco continued on out loud. "Actually no. I don't. Have you seen the Weasel's girlfriend? At least he has good taste when it comes to girls. That little Delacour is quite a lovely lady, something you're filthy self isn't. Am I right, Granger?"
Hermione tried to reach for her wand, but couldn't.
"Who would want to date her!" Pansy Parkinson cackled, "Look at her!"
"She's ugly!"
"Mudblood!"
"Buck tooth!"
"Filth! Filth! Filth!"
This is a nightmare. This just has to be.
Hermione shook her head as she felt her chest clench painfully from the humiliation Draco was causing her in public. Why is he doing this?
Was this his little revenge because she and her friends sent his father to Azkaban few months ago?
"Stop it." Hermione whispered to him, feeling tired of fighting.
Draco ignored her, "Exactly! Even Blaise here wouldn't go for her!"
"Take this outside, Draco." Blaise muttered, "You don't want the Professors to catch you."
"Almost done, mate." Draco said dismissively.
Hermione tried her best to ignore the insults being thrown at her by the Slytherins. Where are the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs?
Now that she thought about it, only Slytherins were gathered around them. As she glanced around her, she noticed why. She had accidentally been walking to the corridors where the Slytherin dungeon was headed, not the Great Hall.
"Let's see what's in her bag, shall we?" Draco asked the Slytherins, roughly snatching her bag.
"Stop!" She cried out, trying to grab her bag back.
Without warning, Draco had taken out his own wand and muttered a spell to make her stay where she's at. Hermione had no choice but to watch as Draco went through her stuff as if she was some Muggle criminal who were hiding Muggle illegal stuff.
"This again?" Draco said with disgust, taking out the fairy tale book.
"Malfoy, please give it back!" Hermione sobbed, hating the fact that she couldn't run up to punch him.
Merlin, how she wanted to punch him so bad right now. How dare he? Why is he doing this? What has she ever done to him?
"I honestly thought I destroyed this." Draco snickered, holding it up for the others to see.
"What is that?" A younger Slytherin student yelled.
"50 points of Slytherin, Malfoy!" Hermione shouted, "GIVE IT BACK!"
Out of nowhere, a loud smack was heard that. It had comefrom Hermione.
"Shut up, Mudblood." Astoria sneered, waving her hand to ease the sting away.
Hermione brought her hands to her cheek, wincing at the soreness from being slapped. "How dare you! You wait till I tell McGonagall about this! 100 points-
"Silencio!"
Hermione's voice cut off from Draco's spell. She rounded at him and tried to plead him to stop with her eyes. He gave her an icy look back.
"Where were we? Oh yeah." Draco opened the book and tore a handful of page. He glanced at Hermione's face and smirked, "Seem familiar, Granger?"
''What is that?" Blaise asked, looking at the fallen pages on the floor.
Draco shrugged, "Apparently her grandmother gave it to her."
STOP IT MALFOY, PLEASE! Hermione mouthed out silently. THAT'S MINE! GIVE IT BACK, STOP IT! But of course, Draco couldn't hear her.
Once he finished tearing out the pages, he threw it on the floor and spat on it.
"That's what I think of you, Mudblood." He silently snarled at her, only for her to hear. "This is for all the problems you and your friends caused me."
He then looked at the crowed and raised his voice for everyone to hear, "I think I realized my mistake this morning when I tried to destroy this book. I forgot to do this."
He pointed his wand at the ruined Muggle book Hermione had treasured and muttered, "Incendio!"
As Draco and the others laughed with glee, Hermione stared in horror as the book suffered in flames. Smirking, Draco released Hermione from the spell and watched as she dropped on the floor, looking helpless.
Draco walked up to her and bent down. He lifted her chin with his finger and whispered, "If you tell any of your stupid friends about this, Mudblood, I won't hesitate to do worse."
He stood up and glared down at her before spitting on the flaming book, "Congrats on earning Head Girl, Mudblood. Hope you liked my gift to you."
Unbeknownst to all of them, a figure from the crowd was watching the whole scene with a disappointed look on their face.
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Draco stared at the lake, ignoring the cold night air blowing harshly in his skin. Today would have been an alright day, if he hadn't bumped into that Mudblood.
She always had to ruin everything.
"Hello."
He whipped around to see an attractive woman smiling at him. He couldn't help but smile back as he stood up, "Hello, there."
"What's your name?"
"Draco Malfoy." He couldn't help but wonder why he never saw this beautiful woman before.
She's really pretty. No doubt a Pureblood. Good for a Malfoy.
"Who are you?" He asked.
The woman's smile vanished. "I saw you today."
He smirked, stepping closer. "Oh?"
"You were nasty to that Muggle-born." She said sadly.
Draco sneered, "She's nobody."
"She's Hermione Granger. A lovely girl who-
"She's filthy." He said, "She and her friends don't deserve my respect because of what they did. They always have to ruin everything. Especially her."
"Don't be horrible to someone you barely know." The woman said lightly. "She has done many good deeds to you and others. If you got to know her better, you might even like her. Possibly even grow to know how to love-
Draco scoffed, interrupting her. "Oh please. Don't make me puke my dinner now. I rather suffer for the rest of my life as a Dragon than show her any act of this rubbish called love."
To a Malfoy, love is a sign of weakness.
The woman smiled.
Draco mistook that as a sign as if she agreed, and smirked back. He walked closer to her and grinned when he felt her warm hands on his.
"Who are you?" Draco murmured, tightening his hands on hers.
The woman opened her mouth and spoke. But the he couldn't comprehend the words, because he suddenly felt an agonizing pain all over his body, causing him to drop her hands.
He fell to the ground and screamed and screamed, until the pain became unbearable, knocking him into unconsciousness.
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Minutes later, he woke up in the middle of the forest. Confused, he made to stand up but couldn't. He was trapped inside a net, caused by the Centaurs who were crowded around him with their spears ready.
He looked down to grab his wand, but stiffened when he noticed the body he's in isn't exactly human.
Wait what the fu-
"What is your business here, Dragon?"
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Review = update! =)
Thank you to the awesome Jucy Sam for being a cool beta!