Hey guys, hope you enjoy this chapter. Anyway I know that Pansy is normally portrayed as an evil character but I decided to make her a good friend of Draco's. The Slytherin password means 'cunning always triumphs.'
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other character, J.K Rowling does. I do however own the plot.
Hermione looked up with eyes that shone with confusion and a hint of mischief, her rose coloured lips curving in a smile that could only be described as wicked. "Sure, as long as they realise their mistake. Now I take it that you have a plan?"
Draco nodded his head and began to speak, "before I tell you my awe inspiring plan, you have to agree to follow through with it, no matter what," he said as his silver eyes met her warm honey coloured eyes.
Hermione tilted her head to the side slightly and seemed deep in thought for a few minutes before her smile returned once more. Putting out her hand, she said, "deal."
Draco looked at her for a few seconds before reaching out and grasping her hand in a handshake. Their eyes met yet again and immediately a blush rose in both their cheeks.
Draco cleared his throat and released Hermione's hand before getting up and gesturing towards the entrance with his head. Hermione awoke from the couch and walked towards him with shaky legs. Draco muttered a curse before stepping forward and interlocking arms with her to lead her through the door.
Hermione cast a surreptitious at their joined arms before letting Draco tug her gently towards the Slytherin common room. When they finally reached the Slytherin portrait, Draco quickly said, "astutus semper triumphat," and the serpent which was draped around a silver sword slowly unravelled and with a hiss, opened the door.
Draco pushed the door open fully and led a now terrified Hermione into the common room. When the pair entered, all eyes were immediately on them. Hermione drew closer to Draco and peeked at his face from under her lashes when she noticed how the students around them acknowledged Draco with not only fear but respect and the way that Draco seemed to carry himself as if he were a redeemed prince who was once again amongst his people.
Hermione instantly evaluated the situation and straightened up while letting go off Draco's arm, choosing instead to hold on to his hand. She no longer cowered behind his lithely muscular frame and those who observed the pair would later say that she seemed as if she were a courageous princess who had fought and finally found her prince.
Draco finally stopped walking when he reached the entrance of the girls dormitories. He pushed aside the door and walked through the corridor until he reached a door which proclaimed the owner of the room to be Pansy Parkinson. Hermione let go of his hand and looked at the door before looking back at him with a question on her lips. Draco placed a finger on his lips to silence her and stepped forward to knock on the door. The pair waited in suspense until the door was flung open and out stepped Pansy in her uniform.
"What is it, Draco?" Pansy asked in an impatient voice.
"I need your help Pans," Draco replied, his voice maintaining a neutral tone.
Pansy's eyes moved from Draco to Hermione and then back to Draco. "I should have known this would have happened sooner or later," she muttered before moving aside to allow the two to enter. When the pair had passed the threshold, she quickly shut the door and placed a silencing charm around the room before striding over to a luxurious looking chair and sitting down directly across from Hermione and Draco.
"Well are you just going to sit there or are you going to tell me what's going on?" Pansy asked with her arms folded around her.
Draco drew in a deep breath and began to tell her how he had witnessed Hermione's break down and the cause of it as well. Hermione found her cheeks burning as he recounted her outburst and was relieved when he did skip the part about the kiss. She was still trying to decipher her feelings about it and wasn't fully prepared for someone else knowing about it.
"Well it's about time that you used that brain you're famous for. I can't believe that your supposed best friends would treat you like that. I would only expect this from Gryffindors, "Pansy said as she cleaned imaginary dirt out from the side of her fingernail.
At her comment, Hermione let out a snort.
Pansy immediately narrowed her eyes, "do you have a problem Granger?"
"It seems a little ironic that a Slytherin would say such a thing," Hermione said innocently.
"We Slytherins always look out for our own. That is the way it is and that is the way it will always be," Pansy said before turning to face Draco, "I like her, she's got guts if she can come to the vipers den and insult us. You made a good choice Drake," Pansy said with a tone that could only be described as that of sisterly affection.
Draco, who had been staying out of the verbal show of dominance between the girls, sent a quick smile to Hermione before looking back at Pansy, "I know I did. Now let's get to the plan. Firstly we need to draw as much attention as we can to Hermione, which means one thing, she needs a makeover. And that's where you come in," Draco said as he turned towards Pansy. Hermione let out a low growl while glaring at Draco with narrowed eyes. Draco stopped talking at the sound and shot Hermione a nervous look, "Of course, Hermione looks amazing the way she is. But we need to make her stand out a little bit more." At his words, Hermione's face relaxed and she gave a small nod, which Draco returned with a relieved expression.
Pansy observed the pair before letting out a giggle and clapping her hands together, "I'll help you guy, oh this is going to turn out to be such an interesting year, I can't wait." Pansy then got out of the chair and shooed Draco off to a corner of her room before pulling Hermione to sit in front of the large mirror and table containing an large assortment of devices which seemed like instruments of torture to Hermione rather than beautifying tools. Hermione gave the door a forlorn look before shutting her eyes, choosing instead to escape to the confines of her mind as Pansy began her work.
Hours later…
Hermione was nudged awake and opened her bleary eyes to see Pansy staring back her with a look of pride and next to her stood Draco whose expression could only be described as that of a person rendered speechless.
"Does it look that bad?" Hermione asked as she straightened up in the chair and self-consciously tugged at her skirt.
Pansy shook her head before walking away with a snort. At the sound of her voice, Draco was shocked out of his stupor. Clearing his throat, he said, "you look…amazing, not that you didn't before... ugh you should see how you look," Draco mumbled in a shy voice.
When Draco moved away from her, Hermione looked into the mirror. At first glance the girl in reflected in the mirror seemed as if she were a graceful forest nymph or a queen sitting amidst her suitors. It was only when Hermione raised her hand that it finally sunk in that the girl in the mirror was actually her. She quickly stood up and looked at herself in front of the mirror. Her bushy hair had been charmed into bouncy ringlets with streak of honey blond. Her clothes now fit snugly to her lithe form and her make-up had been done in such a way that it gave her a mysterious aura.
"Wow, thank you. I barely recognise myself," Hermione said breathlessly as she stepped away from the mirror to thank Pansy.
"It's nothing. I just highlighted what was there already," Pansy said with a wave of her hand, "now get to dinner and show those fools what they're missing out on."
Hermione simply nodded her head and looked at Draco, who held out his hand for her to take. Hermione drew in a deep breath as she grasped his offered hand and let him lead her out of the girls dormitory, through the Slytherin common room and out into the passageway.
"Wow," Hermione said breathlessly for the second time that day. "I never expected Pansy to be so… accepting."
"The war changed us all," Draco said in a regretful voice.
Hermione looked up at him and squeezed his hand. The pair continued to walk in silence until they reached the doors of the Great Hall. There, Draco stopped and looked at Hermione, "ready?" he asked, alertness lacing his voice.
"Ready," Hermione replied.
Both of them drew in a deep breath before opening the doors…
Okay so I left you guys at a cliff-hanger. I'll try to post the next chapter soon, I promise. Please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter.
Ps: sorry for any errors.
Arriva deci!
