-Chapter 4-
It was a bright and sunny morning at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and it was also the first day of classes. Everyone, save for Hermione, woke with a bit of chagrin but they were all happy to see Hogwarts in a better state nevertheless.
Hermione had her textbook, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (by Newt Scamander), propped up against her milk jug as she ate toast in the Great Hall for breakfast. Ron and Harry joined her minutes later, but Ginny had not made it yet, and Hermione wondered if she'd even show, given the previous night's events.
"Morning Mione," Harry said as he sat across from her.
"Morning Harry," she replied happily.
Ron took a seat next to her and after mumbling a greeting, and receiving a peck on the cheek from Hermione, immediately started to scarf down his bacon.
"Why're you reading tha- Mione?" He asked as he chewed, and she fought the revulsion in her stomach.
"Are you joking? I've already read it-"
"-Front to back probably about ten times," Harry commented with a grin, and she glared, but laughed with him after a few moments.
"Even though I enjoyed Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid, of course, I'm very pleased they've required more learning from books from him about the different creatures and where they can be found. It's quite an interesting branch of studying, and provides many opportunities at the Ministry-"
"-Alright Hermione, Merlin, we get it. I don't know why you're even bothering with the class if you've already learned it all," Ron muttered.
"Well it doesn't hurt to read ahead," she said defensively.
It was actually the Gryffindor's first class of the day. They were paired, much to their surprise, with Slytherin for many of the classes.
"So how was last night?" Ron asked after a moment. His eyes narrowed considerably.
"No need to sound suspicious Ronald, nothing happened really, Malfoy opened up the Quidditch cabinet and let out and old Snitch but-"
"-Hermione managed to catch it," Ginny told them, interrupting Hermione for the third time that morning. Harry fell quiet at her arrival but Ron made a half-hearted try to keep the conversation going.
"Wow, Hermione, brilliant. You must've had some good luck then, almost like that one capture by R—Rodger something…"
"Roderick Plumpton," Hermione informed him, feeling a bit wary.
"What?"
"Roderick Plumpton, he captured the Snitch in three and a half seconds back in 1921… come on Ronald, I don't even like Quidditch."
"Well you read all the bloody time," he muttered irritably as he shoved not so sunny side eggs into his mouth. Hermione wasn't sure how he could stomach so much food.
Just then owls were heard above, signaling that it was time for the mail to come.
A tawny owl swooped over Harry's head. After the loss of Hedwig, he had finally relented upon getting a new one. This owl, however, was not affectionate like Hedwig. It was actually very snobby, and ruffled its feathers in displeasure until Harry would feed him a snack, and then it would take off.
The Daily Prophet was dropped, and he caught it before it could land in his pumpkin juice, swearing angrily under his breath about moody owls.
Nothing arrived for Hermione, so she took to reading her textbook again.
"Err- Hermione?" Harry asked, his eyes wide, staring at the paper.
"What is it, Harry?" She didn't look up from the passage she was reading about Billywigs.
He flattened the paper out in front of her, over her book, and she glanced at him curiously.
"Harry, honestly, if this is another one of those stupid comics-"
"Just read it, Hermione!"
Hermione rolled her eyes and read the article, which his bony finger was currently stabbing, aloud.
-Unknown Affairs-
-Rita Skeeter-
It seems as though, yet again, our favorite Hogwarts heroine Hermione Granger has not one, but two young men wrapped around her finger. It is known today that she is currently dating Ronald Weasley, and the both of them helped Harry Potter on his quest to defeat Voldemort, but what is unknown to everyone, perhaps even Ronald Weasley, is that she was, and is still secretly involved with Cormac McLaggen.
"We were together in our sixth year, damn near inseparable, but of course we did not want to display our relationship so it was kept secret, and naturally no one has known about it until now. We were together going into our seventh year, but of course her friendship with Potter proved to be solid, so she went off chasing Dark wizards to help him, and I didn't hear from her much. And then I caught wind of Weasley but I'm sure it's just a fling so I've decided to return for my own seventh year at Hogwarts to set things right."
"Beautiful dear, such a star-crossed story. Now everyone finally knows, and you can remain with her. Poor Ronald Weasley, I might add."
This has not been confirmed OR denied by Hermione Granger herself, and we'll expect she'll have a lot of explaining to do.
"What a load of rubbish, merlin, she'll cook up any story won't she?" Hermione snorted.
No one responded, and when she looked up, she met Ron's rapidly reddening face.
"Ron?"
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL HERMIONE? CORMAC MCLAGGEN? ARE YOU JOKING? YOU'D TAKE THE LIKES OF HIM, OVER ME?! IT'S THE MONEY ISN'T IT! I SWEAR-"
"RONALD!" Ginny exclaimed sharply, daring him to say more. The room had been silently watching the exchange, and they watched as Hermione picked up her things angrily and stalked out of the room, slamming the doors. Everyone burst into a loud chatter then, debating the odds of a Skeeter article actually being true.
"Well of course it's true," Pansy Parkinson was saying, (she was known for strongly disliking the Gryffindor), "she's a harlot, and that's no secret to anyone. Remember Viktor Krum and Harry Potter back in fourth year?"
"Come off it, Parkinson, you know that wasn't true. Granger isn't a harlot. That bat of a woman is always trying to stir up some kind of trouble," said Draco bitterly.
Pansy scoffed and rounded on Blaise. "Do you believe it?"
"I'm inclined to agree with Drake, Hermione isn't like that."
xxx
The Gryffindors and Slytherins made their way down to Hagrid's for their Fantastic Beasts and Magical Creatures class, which Professor McGonagall had renamed to prevent Hagrid from bringing any illegal species to the grounds for the class to see.
Granger was already there. A small tent was next to his hut, and he ushered everyone inside.
It was large on the inside. Either he had bought the tent like this, or a simple spell was cast, and Draco assumed the latter because Granger was looking rather smug at her handiwork.
It was bewitched to look like a very normal class room, with rows of desks, and a larger one at the front of the room which contained books about all types of creatures, and even small jars which Draco guessed had specimen in them.
Draco watched as Hagrid quickly read a book hidden from view, and then shoved it into one of his deep pockets.
"Al'righ, now would everyone jus' stand, and I'll put yer in assigned seats. Ey' now! – He said over everyone's protests – there are some new err, policies a' Hogwarts." He said in his deep voice.
"You there, uh, Daphne Greengrass, you can sit righ' over there, an Bulstrode, you can sit next to her. Ginny an Malfoy," Hagrid tripped over Draco's name," you can sit here. Uh, Ron an 'Arry right here… Pansy Parkinson an Hermione…"
Hagrid directed the rest of the seventh years to their seats, marched to his desk, and picked up his own copy of their books. Draco was sure putting Granger and Parkinson together was a horrible mistake, but the giant didn't seem to notice.
"Al'righ, err, Professor McGonagall reckons we should do some book work, I think tha's rubbish bu' there was some complaints and all about the creatures… we'll be havin some creatures in class but for t'day let's use the book."
Hagrid flipped through 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them', and stopped at a random page it seemed. His finger trailed down the page and he suddenly said "Jarveys!"
"Can anyone tell me what a Jarvey is?"
It was like first year Potions all over again, her hand was the first and only hand to shoot up in the air. Pansy Parkinson rolled her eyes.
"Hermione?"
"Jarveys have a Ministry of Magic Classification of 'XXX' (meaning a competent wizard could cooperate with them), and are found in Britain, Ireland, and North America. They strongly resemble-"
She trailed off and everyone turned in their seats to stare.
"Resemble wha' 'Ermione?"
"Uh, overgrown ferrets… but they can talk. They talk in a constant stream of short and often rude phrases, live mostly below ground, and pursue gnomes."
"I know who that sounds like," Weasley muttered under his breath to Potter, who choked back a laugh.
Draco tried desperately to ignore their sniggers.
After class was up, they all put away their things after attempting to draw what they thought a Jarvey would look like. Of course Weasley did not waste this opportunity to torment Draco further.
"Think mine is probably the closest to its actual appearance," he said loudly, and people glanced at his parchment curiously. As he was passing, he saw it: it was a crude drawing of Draco himself.
xxx
"Malfoy!" Hermione called to the retreating blond.
He continued briskly up the path, not bothering to look back at her. His pride wouldn't allow it.
"Malfoy!" She called again, this time she was closer.
Somehow she managed to catch up to him.
"Malfoy… Look I'm really sorry about-"
"If you're trying to apologize on your boyfriend's behalf, don't bother," he said coldly.
She felt her face flush, and she bit back a retort. "Actually, if you'd let me finish my sentence, I was apologizing about the Jarvey mess. I didn't mean to attract attention to your… incident." She tried not to laugh as she remembered fourth year, when Malfoy had been taunting Harry, and Alastor Moody had turned him into a ferret.
"Thanks," he remarked dryly, "so you and Cormac? Wouldn't guess he was your type, but then again he's rather arrogant, much like Weasley."
"Thought you'd fit an insult somewhere in there, after I just apologized did you?" She wasn't disagreeing with his statement though, but she didn't have to admit that.
"Naturally," said Malfoy.
Hermione noticed after a few silent moments that their next class was Divination (which she thoroughly pleaded against having to Professor McGonagall, but she had insisted she should fill the hole in her schedule) and it was with Slytherins, and she was rather awkwardly walking to class with him. This wouldn't seem like anything to fuss over in anyone's opinion if it was two completely different people walking together, but they were Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy.
"Err, do you like Divination?" She asked, trying to fill the silence and sound indifferent to his answer. She was actually very curious.
He smirked. "No, I think it's illogical really."
Hermione couldn't help but feel profoundly impressed; she felt the exact same way.
"I couldn't agree more."
xxx
"I have reasons to believe that all of the bloody professors have lost their minds," Blaise murmured to Ginny over his tea leaves minutes later.
"And why's that?" She asked, sounding amused.
"Well first McGonagall makes Draco and Hermione Head Boy and Girl, put them in a dormitory together, and now thanks to their 'new policies' which with no doubt they made for their 'House Unification' mission, they have them sitting together. And Divination is both of their least favorite subjects."
She laughed. "Very true."
Ginny hunched over her cup, trying to sort out the shapes in the tea leaves when Professor Trelawney gasped as she peered over her spectacles into her brother, Ron's cup.
"Looks as if my brother will be the one dying this year," She said darkly.
"Oh… oh dear how sad," Trelawney muttered.
"I've got a knife… and…"
"And a wolf," the Professor informed him. "The knife means broken friendship, and the wolf means jealousy. My dear boy, you've got a rather fickle future don't you?" Ron reddened slightly.
Ginny listened to Hermione, who was at the table next to hers, read Malfoy his leaves.
"Let's see… a triangle, and… a shoe?" She asked doubtfully.
"Do not question Fate my dear," Trelawney said sternly over her shoulder. Hermione was visibly trying not to retort.
"A shoe means 'change for the better', and a triangle means 'something unexpected.'" said Malfoy.
"Oh," Hermione sounded surprised, "well that doesn't sound awful at all."
"You've got… a parasol, a cigar, and… wings," Malfoy said, his nose wrinkling.
"A new lover, unexpected friendship, and messages? Come off it Malfoy, what do you really see?" She scoffed as her finger ran over the shape's meanings in her book.
"I'd say you have them right, with the exception of the cigar. See how it merges with this shape here?" she pointed, "so really it's not one at all. But you missed this, look at the shape and tell me what you see," said Trelawney excitedly.
"Is that… is that an hourglass? A need for decision?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed, positively beaming.
Blaise smirked at Ginny, and she tried not to laugh as she watched Hermione's eyes roll.
"Okay okay, what do you see?" asked Ginny with a grin.
"I see a wasp, a lamp, off to the side, and oh Ginny, so scandalous, an owl."
Ginny snickered into her cup. "Romantic problems, secrets revealed, and scandal. Such is the life of the greatly admired," she said dreamily.
Blaise snorted. "Your turn."
"A heart, rabbit, a rake, and a dog: pleasure or loves, a need for bravery, watch details, and since it's at the bottom it means a friend needs help."
"A need for bravery eh? I am quite the hero aren't I?" He threw out his chest, and Professor Trelawney sauntered over.
"What have we here? I'm sensing a betrayal… very soon actually, very soon. But, but! Alas! A great forgiveness… deep passion. Interesting... very interesting indeed."
Ginny's eyes cast away, towards the floor.
Suddenly, a loud bickering could be heard.
"That right there is a gate, I'm telling you! It's not a harp, Professor; tell her it's not a harp! What does she know about Divination? She loathes it," said Malfoy.
"Future success or love? Hmm, I'd say it is a harp dear boy, she is correct, maybe your reluctant acceptance of the Sight is rewarding you Miss Granger…" she said wistfully.
When class was over, Malfoy and Hermione left notably ignoring each other. However, she was also still ignoring Ron, and since Harry was with him, she stormed out alone.
Malfoy caught up to Ginny and Blaise as they climbed down the trap door ladder.
"Divination is a load of rubbish I tell you, some fortune telling joke invented by some Muggles I'd say…" he was muttering. Parvati Patil, whose favorite subject happened to be Divination, glared at him balefully.
"Oh Drake 'my dear boy'," Blaise mocked, "You're just angry you've got a Harp in your leaves. You've gone soft on me."
xxx
Much to Hermione's pleasure, Gryffindor's Astronomy, Charms, and Herbology lessons were not with the Slytherins according to a quick check of her schedule, and all that left for the day was Potions.
Luckily, Professor Slughorn sat her next to Ginny.
"I have noticed today that spirits of some of our students are not high, so with inspiration from Mr. Potter a year or so back, I thought it would be quite amusing to have the class create 'Elixir to Induce Euphoria'. The first to complete their potion correctly will earn two bottles of this potion. Begin!"
Hermione and Ginny set quickly to work, given that they were both very competitive.
"Ginny?" Hermione asked while she added peppermint to counteract the potion's side effects.
"Yes?"
"I was curious… you and Blaise…?" She tried to sound innocent.
Ginny's eyes narrowed. "I don't know what you're going on about Hermione. Blaise has a girlfriend, Pansy Parkinson I might add," She made a disgusted sort of face, "and we're just friends. Besides, I've only just broken up with Harry."
"Of course, just curious," she murmured as she stirred in Sopophorous Beans.
At the end of class, both Hermione and Ginny, and Bulstrode and Malfoy had finished their potions at the same time, so they were each given one potion. Malfoy took theirs, while Hermione offered their share to Ginny.
"I just enjoy the competition really," she insisted.
xxx
(A/N: Yay! Chapter Four! Okay… I'm not saying Chapter Five will be a revelation but… it kind of will. By for now! Happy New Year, may 2014 be enjoyable to you all! PLEASE REVIEW! I would love you forever…
