AN: Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to update this, but I had some severe writer's block that couldn't go away DX but I went to a club called Writer's Block and I unblocked myself...imagine that! Ironic, isn't it? So this chapter is nice and long, hopefully it makes up for the long break. So read, enjoy, and tell me what you think!
By the time that Hermione reached Draco, he was already halfway to the castle. She fell into a comfortable step next to him, as she turned to look at him.
"That was a little harsh, wasn't it? I mean, I know it's Pansy, and Pansy's Pansy," Hermione wrinkled her nose as if smelling something rancid, then continued, "But it seems like she really likes you."
"Listen, Hermione. I already told her over the summer that I'm finished with our 'friends-with-benefits' relationship. And really 'Mione, you think she likes me? There's only one thing about me that she likes, and that just happens to a certain appendage that I have that about half the population doesn't," Draco said, raising his eyebrows and letting out a small laugh as he saw Hermione's face tinge pink.
"You didn't have to phrase it that way, Draco!"
"Well, it's the truth. What other way was I supposed to phrase it?" He questioned.
Hermione stood, her mouth opened with unspoken words, trying to find an answer to Draco's question. She closed her mouth, as she looked and saw Draco's victorious face.
"Oh, hush Draco."
"What ever do you mean, hush? I didn't say anything," Draco reasoned.
"Yes, but your face said everything," Hermione retorted.
'Come on now Hermione, like I said before, we really must go. We really don't need McGonagall pissed off at us, now do we? So, let's go now, shall we?" Draco questioned, as her leaned down to wrap his arms around Hermione's waist and lifted her over his shoulder, and then started to run towards the castle.
"DRACO LUCIOUS MALFOY, YOU LET ME DOWN, RIGHT! NOW!" Hermione yelled, pounding her fists into his back.
"No, I don't think that I will. This is much faster and you do like to be the first one there, don't you, so I think that all in all, this is for the best." Draco replied, as he continued to run towards the castle.
When they finally got to the castle, Hermione spoke up, "Now Draco, can you please let me down?" She finished her question with a giggle.
Before Draco could speak up, the two heard a throat clear from behind them, "Yes, Mr. Malfoy, perhaps it would be wise to let down Miss. Granger. I do not want to have to reconsider the choice for Head Boy, but I will do whatever is necessary." Professor McGonagall warned.
Draco carefully put down Hermione, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, "Sorry Professor won't happen again."
"You would do well not to, Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall drawled, "Now; I just came to tell you that after the sorting tonight, you are not to go back to your dormitories. Professor Dumbledore and I have some things that we wish to discuss with you. The prefects will take the new students to the dormitory as usual, so you needn't worry about that. Now on you go, the first years should be arriving soon."
"Yes, Professor," the two chorused. McGonagall nodded sternly, turned on her heel, and headed back to the castle
"Well, you heard the woman, let's go," Draco said making a grand gesture with his hands, pointing towards the castle, "What would we do if we missed the sorting? Oh the horror," he drawled sarcastically.
By the time that Hermione and Draco made it to the Great Hall, the first years were just about to go through with their sorting. The two could see the mass of students huddled together in front of the massive doors in front of the Hall. McGonagall was just about to start talking to the group of first years when she saw the two Heads running towards the door, shooting them a glare and pursed lips that was obviously meant to scare, before returning her attention to the younger students in front of her.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup," McGonagall finished, and looked over to the spot that had previously occupied by Draco and Hermione only to see that the two had already ventured into the Great Hall to join the rest of their friends. McGonagall looked over the students in front of her once more, some of their faces decorated with wide grins and others with faces of fear, perhaps of being sorted into the wrong house. She turned her back on the students and opened the door to the Great Hall, letting the enchanting ceiling and floating candles illuminate the faces of the students that walked behind her.
The students were huddled in front of an old tattered hat that sat on what looked to be an equally old and rickety chair. Hermione looked at the students in front of her, wondering how many of them were muggleborn, and having their first taste of any true magic. She could remember the feeling that she got upon walking into the Great Hall that first night, sure she had read about it in Hogwarts: A History, but she never truly understood what it was like to be surrounded by magic. In her younger years, before learning that she was a witch, she would read stories about Arthur and his knights, and stories written about the Brothers Grimm, each spinning its own tale about the character of magic, be it used for positive or negative purposes. But when she got to Hogwarts, all those preconceived notions had disappeared. She was immediately taken by the beauty of the grounds, the rolling hills and greenery that encompassed the land for as far as the eye could see. However, nothing could compare to the first time that she had seen the castle. When she had first laid eyes on Hogwarts, her breath was taken away. She couldn't believe the beauty that stood in front of her. Everything had changed for her in that moment. It was then that she fully allowed herself to believe that she was truly a witch and that the whole journey so far hadn't been a crazy dream.
She scanned the faces of the first years from her seat between Harry and Ron at the Gryffindor table. She could see the faces of some of the students in such awe and wide eyes that she could have sworn their eyes would have just popped out of their sockets. There were others who looked smugly upon the scene, like it was nothing special to them, that they were above all that was before them, that they had seen everything that they could possibly see, magic-wise, already. Hermione made a mental note to watch out for those students later in the year. However, all the students radiated the same feeling of excitement and anxiety as they looked towards the old ratty hat that sat in front of them. Hermione knew the feeling, not only as a first year, but in all the subsequent years as well. She always felt anxious as she welcomed the new students into Gryffindor, the place that had provided her a home at Hogwarts for the past six years, and this year was no different. As she looked at the faces of her fellow Gryffindors, seeing the smiling faces of Harry and Ron, the ever-present bashfulness of Neville, the freckled face of Ginny, she couldn't help but peek again at the group of first years in front of her. She scanned the crowd, looking for any of the students who seemed to exude the traits of a true Gryffindor, yet all she saw were hopeful faces staring longingly at the hat placed in front of them. She looked across the room towards the Slytherin table, searching for Draco. She found him sitting with Blaise, Pansy, and who she believed to be Theo Nott near the head of the table. He was laughing at something that Blaise had said, completely oblivious, it seemed, to the sorting which was about to begin.
She began to think about the year ahead and what it would hold. She would definitely be spending more time with Draco and there would be a lot more work to be done, between Head duties, homework, and studying for the N.E.W.T.S. However, none of it seemed to faze her. All she could think about was how this was her last year at Hogwarts and she was determined to make the most of it.
She returned her attention to the first years, who were growing seemingly impatient with every passing minute that the sorting didn't start. As if sensing the tension in the year, the sorting hat sprung to life, giving a little yawn, and stretching out, before starting its song.
Four noble houses, so strong and so true
And I will decide which is the right house for you
For eons ago in this very spot
The founders created this school for students to be taught
Helga Hufflepuff created a place
Where diligence, hard work, and patience never disgrace
Rowena Ravenclaw valued knowledge, and intelligence, and wit
She thought these qualities for a student were the perfect fit
And Salazar Slytherin wanted cunning, resourcefulness, and ambition
To put a student in the perfect position
And we mustn't forget Godric Gryffindor, who was one of the founders too
He wanted his students to have nerve, chivalry, daring, and bravery true
So now you step up and I will decide
Which of these houses in which you shall reside
After the sorting hat finished his song, the Great Hall sounded out in applause, only to be stopped by McGonagall clearing her throat as a signal that the sorting was to beginning. She unraveled a large parchment, and speaking in a loud, clear voice, spoke the name of the first student to be sorted.
"Rachel Adamson," McGonagall paused waiting for the girl to come up to the front of the crowd, removing the hat of the chair in the process.
A small, timidly looking girl with a mop of blond curls on her head tentatively made her way to the front of the group. From her seat, Hermione could make out a slight blush over the spattering of freckles that consumed her face. Hermione could see the slight shake in her step as she made her way to the seat, clearly aware of the hundreds of pairs of eyes that were on her. She finally got to the stool and sat down, nervously waiting her sorting as McGonagall placed the hat down on her head.
The sorting hat took a deep gasp as he was placed down on her head, "Oh. I know just what to do with you," the sorting hat paused before yelling out, "Ravenclaw!"
There was quiet applause from the other houses of tables as the Ravenclaw house burst out into loud screams and applause at the induction of their newest member.
"Eric Ademan," McGonagall drawled.
A confident looking brunette burst from the crowd. He swaggered up to the stool and sat down, a smirk playing across his lips. The epitome of a perfect Slytherin, Hermione thought to herself. She looked over to the Slytherin table. Most of them were watching the boy intently, some nudging the people to their sides with their elbows. They seem to think so too, Hermione thought. She returned her attention to the front of the Hall where McGonagall was putting the sorting hat on Eric's head. The sorting hat paused momentarily, as if making sure his decision was correct.
"Gryffindor!"
The boy's features radiated shock. One could see it from a mile away. His eyes wide, his mouth hanging open, and frozen to the seat, McGonagall had to lift him by the armpits off of the seat to get him moving towards the table of equally confused, clapping Gryffindors.
Hermione turned towards Ron, "He just exudes Slytherin, how did he get sorting into Gryffindor?"
"He doesn't just exude Slytherin, he was basically bred Slytherin. His whole family has been in Slytherin for as long as student's names have been recorded at Hogwarts. The Ademan's are almost as prestigious as the Malfoy's when it comes down to pureblood notoriety. Sure, there have been some great purebloods in Gryffindor; I mean all of the Weasley's have been in Gryffindor," he added cheekily with a half grin, "but never has an Ademan been in anything but a house related to that of Salazar."
"Oh, wow," Hermione mumbled, turning her attention to McGonagall once again.
"Avery Corclin."
The tiny girl made it up to the stool, where she sat down, looking out to the Great Hall and the rest of the students with a look of awe on her face. She looked up when she felt McGonagall put the hat on her head.
"Hmm, you are very knowledgeable, no doubt a great quality for Ravenclaw" the hat thought aloud, "yet I can see you have a great love for joking and foolery. I know the perfect place for you…GRYFFINDOR!"
There was a thunderous outburst of clapping and shouting emanating from the Gryffindor table. Avery scuttled over to the Gryffindor table, sitting down on one of the long benches next to Eric and a couple of the second years. The sorting went on until each of the two-hundred and fifty students were inducted into the houses that would become their homes for the next seven years. The clapping slowly dissipated, and Dumbledore walked up to the podium in the front of the teacher's table.
"Now before we start stuffing ourselves with the feast," he paused to glance at Ron, the ever-present twinkle in his eye, "Mr. Filch, the caretaker on these grounds, would like me to remind you that the list of prohibited objects that have been forbidden from these halls of Hogwarts can still be viewed in his office. He would also like me to inform you that the list has indeed grown from last year. Also, please note that note that no student is allowed out of the dormitories after curfew and that the Forbidden Forest is exactly what its name suggests, forbidden. I'd also like to congratulate our newest Heads, Hermione Granger of Gryffindor and Draco Malfoy of Slytherin. They are here to help you if you so need it, but do not think that if you are in their house or their friend you will receive preferential treatment. They have been informed that they are to act in the utmost dignity and follow through with all the responsibilities of their jobs, which include the giving and taking away of points. Now, I do feel like I've talked too much, and I've never been one to stand in the way of a good meal, so with that I leave you with a feast," he finished spreading out his arms, and the feast magically appearing on all of the tables in front of him.
Once everyone was finished their eating, they sat back for a while longer, unable to move from all that they had just ate. Most of the crowd had dissipated, the first years left with the prefects and most of the school going back to their dorms to relax before their first day. Hermione and her friends chatted lively about their summers. Hermione was listening to a dragged out tale of how Seamus once again burned his eyebrows off, when she felt a tapping on her shoulder. She looked up and saw the silver eyes of one Draco Malfoy.
"Dumbledore wants to see us in his office now, Hermione," Draco said quietly as not to disturb the story-telling.
"Oh! Okay…hey guys," she interrupted, "I have to go meet with Dumbledore. I should be back to the dormitories soon so just save me a seat by the fireplace, okay?"
"Sure, no problem, 'Mione," Harry nodded his head as a double affirmative.
"Alright, I'll see you guys later then," she sat up, brushed off her pants, and looked to Draco, "Ready?"
"Yup, let's go," he said as he started walking towards the doors of the Great Hall.
"So, what's the password?" Hermione questioned.
"Wizding bubble bats. I swear, these passwords just get crazier every year, and yet you're still adamant that he's not an old bat," Draco scoffed.
"Hey, Dumbledore likes a good joke. I mean, could you imagine every time Snape comes to visit Dumbledore? Snape having to say the crazy phrases are probably most of the reason why Dumbledore chooses his passwords. I mean, picture it. Snape. He's going to Dumbledore because some student made fun of his billowing robes in class and he wants to know what the perfect punishment is for him. So, he goes to that eagle statue and what does he have to do? Say this incredibly stupid password, and you know Snape's disfavor for anything stupid. So, he's just there, already annoyed and he has to say this password. I seriously think that Dumbledore only does this for fun," Hermione rattled off.
"It does seem like something that would be funny," Draco imagined, a smile playing across his lips.
"So, what do you think that Dumbledore wants to see us about?" Hermione asked as they approached Dumbledore's office.
"I really have no idea. Head duties maybe?" He pondered
"Well, I guess that now is as good of a time as any to find out. Ready?" Hermione looked up at Draco
"As ready as I'll ever be."
Hope this wasn't too non-dialoguey, but I like the way it turned out. Leave a review so I know what you guys think :D you want more dialogue in the next chapter, or is it cool like this? Until next time!