Chapter 3
Plan
"So, when do you plan on telling me what's been bothering you?" Ginny asked Hermione while they were doing homework together in the library. Harry and Ron were at Quidditch Practice, for it was Tuesday. The brown-haired girl looked up from her empty parchment that was supposed to be her Charms essay.
"What do you mean?" she said, though she knew exactly what she was referring to.
"You're working on an essay that's due tomorrow, and you usually do those three days in advance. Your replies to Harry, Ron, and my questions are short, and you're definitely not as happy as you normally are in the beginning of the year," Ginny replied knowingly. She really did know her too well. She refused to make eye contact with the younger redhead. Ginny was being unbelievably patient with her.
"I'm just stressed out about working with Malfoy and I haven't been getting much sleep considering all the homework and duties I have to fulfill," Hermione said. She wasn't lying, but she did leave out one more thing that's been bothering her.
"Oh, and also, your comebacks to that ferret when you bicker are not as smart as they could be. And I know that no matter how exhausted you were in the past, you always had the energy to insult Malfoy," she explained her knowledge. "So, obviously, this annoyance is from the one and only ferret."
"Well, this year, I'm just too exhausted to come up with smarter comebacks. You don't know the difficulties that come from being Head Girl. It's tiring," Hermione said. It wasn't really a lie either.
"And you also told me that you would tell me what was wrong with you on the train," Ginny said. "What happened?"
Hermione sighed. It's not like she could get away with a simple 'nothing.' Ginny was smarter and much more of a fighter than that.
"I bumped into Malfoy when I went out of the compartment to get the trolley lady," Hermione said, hoping Ginny would let her get away with just that.
"It has to be more than just 'I bumped into Malfoy.' Something must have happened."
"He... just brought back some stuff from... a while ago... that made me upset." Hermione didn't know how she was going to explain the story of their childhood.
"Like what?" Ginny asked, urging her to go on.
Hermione sat back in her chair and pushed an invisible strand of hair behind her ear.
"Er..." She was struggling with where she should start. "Our childhood." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Ginny dropped her quill... and her jaw. "Ch-childhood? Does that mean you knew him be-before...?"
"I've known him since I was four." She still wasn't making eye contact. She felt weird telling her about their hidden childhood. No one knew about it except her parents, his parents, and Blaise Zabini.
Ginny choked on her saliva. "Since-since you were four? How come I've never heard about this? And what happened?"
"I met him when I was in preschool. Something happened on my tenth birthday that... caused us to not talk anymore," Hermione started. She was fiddling with her fingers, thinking ahead of time of what she was going to say. Ginny thought she looked like a little child admitting to her mom that she was the one who stole the cookie from the cookie jar. She continued with what she knew was going to be a long talk. "So, it was my tenth birthday..."
Hermione explained about how they were best friends, earning a surprised remark from Ginny, saying, "You? Him? Best friends? No one could have ever guessed..."
She continued with how she had went to his house to get her birthday present with Blaise there. She told her about the bracelet she had made him for his birthday. She told her about the scrapbook, the tulip, and locket, how Blaise and herself had a conversation that caused her to throw the stuff he gave her at him. How he had thrown rocks at her window, what the papers she stuck her window said, how she cried herself to sleep that night. She told Ginny about how upset she was that she lost her best friend, how she found the letter and tulip taped to her window, and how she still had all these items.
Then, she moved on to the story on the train, how she saw that he still had the bracelet on his wrist until now.
Ginny's mouth was open the whole time, completely shocked by this new realization. Hermione and Malfoy? Best friends?
It was silent for several minutes.
"Do you have anything to say?" Hermione asked. It felt good to finally bring her hidden past out to someone.
Ginny swallowed hard, finally closing her mouth. "That's... new."
"Yeah, since thirteen years ago," she muttered. She checked the time on the clock in the library. "That was a good forty-five-minute talk."
"Forty-five minutes?" she asked incredulously. "Wow."
"Patrol starts in five minutes. That conversation ended at a perfect time. Want to walk to the meeting room?" Hermione asked her.
"Sure."
They gathered their things in their knapsacks and slung them on their shoulders. They then started their journey to the meeting room by the Room of Requirement.
"I still can't believe that you spent practically only one year before Hogwarts started for you guys. But I know he wouldn't have kept that thing on if he didn't care. Which means he still cares now. You don't remember that conversation you had with Zabini?"
"Barely. I just remember him saying that everything was an act and that he was glad that he was moving away so he'll be away from me."
"This is unbelievable. The scrapbook, Undying Tulip, and locket? That's so sweet. And throwing rocks at your window? It's like an old muggle film, except with ten-year-olds," Ginny said. Hermione looked at her with a questioning look. "Hey, I've watched muggle things before on that telly thing of yours. Dad's crazy about muggles, remember?"
Hermione laughed. "Of course."
"So, that's what's been bothering you?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, he tells me he hates me all the time, but he still wears the bracelet -- he still kept his promise. I don't get it," Hermione said, frustrated.
"It's the same with you because you still have the tulip, locket, and letter," Ginny pointed out.
"I'm actually thinking of throwing those things at him too. Not literally..."
"That's horrible! Okay, so he's a big, huge, slimy git, but he has some heart if he still has the thing. I'll bet he still has the scrapbook hidden somewhere in his Manor-home place."
"Maybe," Hermione said, tired of thinking about this. "This is ridiculous. I've forgotten about my past for so long and it just comes back without even warning me? Does life hate me?"
Ginny chuckled, though she knew it wasn't the time. Hermione didn't notice.
"No, it doesn't hate you. It probably just wants you to do something about it," Ginny said.
They reached the meeting room and dropped their stuff on the long table. There were several other knapsacks there, and only a few people. Everyone would meet here first, then Hermione would give out where they would patrol, then they would go on with their duties.
"That long conversation made me later than I usually am. I'm always the first one here," Hermione said as if she was ashamed of herself.
"But you're still early, so don't fret."
"Malfoy better not be late again, or I'll seriously murder him and his ferret arse," she said through gritted teeth. He's been late every single day for patrols so far. One day, he didn't even bother to come at all.
"He's coming, Hermione. Don't worry. And so there's a second day where he doesn't come again. Is it that big of a deal? At least you wouldn't have to see his face for a couple more hours."
"It's great that I don't get to see him, but he is Head Boy for Merlin's sake. He should be more responsible than this. It makes me angry how he's not even helping in planning events for Hogwarts. He's doing practically none of the responsibilities we have, leaving me with even more work," Hermione explained, frustrated.
"Then talk to him about that during patrol. There's two hours of doing basically nothing." Ginny made sure her voice was calm.
"Two agonizing hours of bickering and bickering and bickering..."
"You two are an odd bunch." The redhead rolled her eyes. "So, where are Mr. StinkyBrains and I patrolling today?"
Hermione chuckled. "You'll be patrolling the Grand Staircase," Hermione replied. "Which reminds me, it looks like everyone's here. Except one."
As if on cue, Draco came into the room, looking disheveled, and yelling, "Bloody hell, Pansy. Get the fuck away from me!"
"Fine. If you don't like my evening snogs, don't come at all!" Pansy yelled back, outside the door.
"I never came," he said, mimicking her voice when he said 'came.' "I was on my way to patrols and you jumped on me, god dammit!"
People in the room snickered at the conversation they were able to hear. Even Hermione had a smile on her face.
"UGH!" Pansy groaned like a little girl. She stomped away, saying loudly, "Stupid Malfoy. Fucking prat. Can't even snog!"
Everyone in the room laughed at the girl's words. Most were clutching their stomachs from laughing so hard. Hermione didn't laugh as hard, but was laughing. Draco's teeth were gritted and he looked completely angry and embarrassed.
"Okay, everyone," the Head Girl said above all the Prefects' laughing. "Rachel and Miles, you will be patrolling outside on the Hogwarts Grounds. Ginny and Michael, the Grand Staircase. Susie and Carl, the library. Tim and Grace, the wing by the Statue of the One-Eyed Witch. Nikki and Louis, the first and second corridor, where the Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Muggle Studies classrooms are. Malfoy and I will be taking the Dungeons today. Does everyone know where to go?" The Prefects nodded. "All right. Go to where you've been assigned. Dismiss."
Everyone filed out of the room and went to their desired places. Draco and Hermione took the required turns and stairs down to the Dungeons. Patrols were incredibly boring, but it's something that they had to do. There were not many people who were out past curfew, so it was always pretty much boring and awkward.
If Hermione was allowed to, she would allow Draco and herself to never have to patrol in the Dungeons. She actually could, but she made the schedule so that everyone would get each area evenly. She was too fair to change it how she wanted. Honestly, she hated patrolling the Dungeons, even if she would be with someone the whole time. It was darker than any other corridor and the Bloody Baron lurked around here. Though none of the Hogwarts ghosts could do anything to you, it still creeped her out.
It surprised her how neither Draco nor herself have insulted or acknowledged each other yet. They would be bickering like mad by now, never really stopping until a long time. During patrols, it did get quiet and they did get tired of arguing, but they found each other at random times muttering small insults.
Hermione fought the urge to look at his wrist, for she knew he was going to see her and get mad.
Just sneak a little peek... a voice in her mind said.
No! Don't! This silence is something new. Don't ruin it by looking at his wrist! another voice said.
Come on, just look at him. He won't notice. Look at him, he's angry and hasn't even spoken to you yet! He certainly wouldn't notice a simple glance at his wrist.
Silence is golden!
Just a little glance.
This was maddening. Her inner voices were fighting at whether she should look at Draco's wrist or not. For the love of Merlin.
She looked at his wrist. Green and silver threads. Still there. He didn't notice.
Her mind wandered back to the conversation Ginny and her had minutes before patrols. She couldn't believe she had finally spilled it all out to someone. It was relieving, but it didn't make that annoying thought at the back of her brain stop nagging at her. It still wondered why he still had it on, and it still wondered why she still kept everything too. Maybe she should give everything back to him. But how? She could start an argument about how their friendship was fake again. Yeah, that would get him worked up. Then, she could take the required items out of her pocket and throw them at him and stalk away at the end of patrols. Ha!
She would definitely do that Monday when she would actually have the items in her pocket. Sounds like a master plan.
Hermione snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the guy next to her laugh. It was a light, genuine one. She thought of how much he should do that more often. Then, she glared at him.
"Why are you laughing?" she asked.
"Your face when you're thinking. It's pretty goddamn hilarious if you ask me," he said, his laugh dying away.
Hermione looked away from him and blushed. She must have been smiling to herself when she was thinking of her master plan.
"Not as funny as your face when you're yelling at Parkinson," she fired back.
The smile disappeared from his face and she almost regretted bringing it up. Almost.
"That wasn't funny," he said through gritted teeth.
"Then why was I laughing?" A smile crawled on to her lips, flashing back to that moment of Draco and Pansy yelling at each other.
"Maybe your beaver --" He stopped when he realized he couldn't insult her teeth anymore, for they weren't big now.
Her smile grew. "Don't have a comeback to that anymore, Malfoy?"
"Shut the hell up, Granger."
His perfect teeth were gritting against each other so hard, he was surprised they hadn't shattered yet.
"'Can't even snog!'" she mimicked Pansy's voice. "That was pretty goddamn hilarious, wasn't it?" She had used the words he said earlier. "Sounds like it's true, too."
"Ha! 'Cause you can," he said sarcastically. "Your little Weaselbee was probably relieved after he got your lips away from his forever by breaking up with you."
"That was a year ago! We never even snogged," Hermione said defensively.
"I can see why," he said, smirking.
"At least I managed to still keep him as my friend. How many of your ex-girlfriends do you still talk to?"
"I don't talk. I snog." He sounded proud.
Hermione made a disgusted noise. "Pig."
"That's what you look like."
- x -
"God, Granger. You're unbelievably irritating sometimes," Draco said to her while they were in the library during their free period on Monday.
"And you aren't?" Hermione asked him as she hunched over from her standing position to write something down on the piece of parchment in front of her. She had stood up from her seat when Draco and her started arguing. "We have to finish the schedule for at least this whole week..."
"So where are Susie and Carl going to patrol today?" he questioned, hunching over the piece of parchment also. They were unusually close, but Hermione pretended not to notice.
"They'll be in the Dungeons today. I already told you." Hermione was getting annoyed by him, but she tried to stay calm.
"Stop acting like you're annoyed," he snapped. Odd how he could tell. He was good at being able to tell if she was annoyed now. It was the only emotion they showed to each other. That, and anger.
She stood up straight, making him stand up straight also, so he could look taller. She took a small step back when she realized how close their bodies were. "How can I not? We had already planned the patrols for the next month, but silly me thought that you would be responsible enough to not burn the schedule by accident."
"I wasn't the one who burned it. Pansy took it from me and fucking thought it would be funny if she burned it. Obviously, it causes quite the tantrum from a certain mudblood. I, however, didn't find it such a big deal," he said.
She glared at him. "How could you not think it's a big deal? We wouldn't even have to be working together right now if it didn't happen! As a matter of fact, consider anything I give you important."
He snorted. "As if I'd accept anything you'll give me in the future."
"Well, you sure accepted that schedule your little girlfriend burned up." She hunched over again and wrote something down on the parchment.
"She sure as hell is not my fucking girlfriend," he said seriously.
"You emphasized a lot of words in that one sentence," Hermione pointed out bluntly without looking at him.
"She's not my girlfriend," he mumbled.
"I heard you the first time. And I was just kidding. Not in some funny way, though," she said, standing straight up again and playing around with the quill with her fingers.
He glared at her. "What else do we need to plan?" he asked through gritted teeth.
"I said at least this whole week. God, don't you listen, Malfoy?"
"It took us half an hour just to plan today's schedule! How long will it bloody take to make four more days?" he said frustratedly.
"Stop complaining, will you?" she snapped at him. "It only took us so long because you can't seem to stop throwing insults at me every three seconds, causing me to throw some at you, causing us to bicker like mad. We should already be done by now."
"Then get your mudblood arse to work, then." He turned on his heel and started walking away, thinking by some chance in the universe that she wouldn't notice.
"Your ferret face is going to help me, too."
"I'll only work until our beloved free period ends."
"It ends in twenty minutes!" she yelled, looking at the clock.
"Exactly. I don't want to work through dinner."
"No, Malfoy. You will work as hard as I'm working to get this done. I'm sick and tired of you being too damn lazy to get your share of the work done and dumping it on me. You better get your ferret arse back over here and help me get this done."
She seemed to be cursing a lot lately, which means that she's been angry lately, considering she only curses when she's mad.
"Until free period ends only." He turned back around to face her. She was looking at him in anger, annoyance, and a tiny hint of desperation that he's never seen etched on her face before.
"Until we are done." She crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn't going to let him off the hook anymore.
"Until free period, Granger."
"See, it's arguments like this that hold us back," she said smartly.
"It's mudbloods like you that make the world so hard to live in."
"You're the one who's being difficult right now! If you could just stop insulting me for an hour, then we'd be done!"
"If you could stop being an irritating know-it-all, then I wouldn't throw any insults at you."
"Crabbe and Goyle are irritating dimwits and you don't seem to insult them at all."
"Because they're not as irritating as you, Granger."
"As me? Look at you! You're the one just taking insults out of the air and whipping them at me! Just get your arse over here and help me for Merlin's sake!"
He groaned and walked back to the table she was standing at. "I fucking hate you, Granger," he muttered. He put his hand on the table and turned the parchment so it was easier for him to read. The green and silver threads caught her attention almost immediately. It reminded her of the locket, tulip, and note she had put in her robe's enormous pocket this morning. She wanted nothing more than to give him the items right now. "Stop looking at my wrist." How did he know?
"I'm looking at the parchment, you dimwit," she lied.
"No you're not, mudblood. I can feel your eyes on me."
She gave in. "Well, it's right in front of my bloody face."
"Then move so that it's not."
"Why don't you just take it off?"
"Sounded dirty there, Granger." He smirked.
She glared at him and groaned. "Seriously, why?"
"Why does it sound dirty? Well, you desperately told me to take--"
Hermione groaned. "Just shut up, Malfoy."
- x -
A/N: There's Chapter 3! I hope you guys liked it. (: Now, review!