Happy Wednesday! I'm posting this chapter early as my family and I will be going camping for the next few days. My lovely beta, ravenslight, was able to do this extra chapter for me ahead of time, woohoo!
Much love to all my readers, followers, and commenters! Your encouragement keeps me going!
Also, throwing lots of love to my hufflebestie and huffletwin, Sweet Little Bullet, who also acts as my alpha.
And now, without further ado, on to the story!
xoxo HufflepuffMommy
The noise level rose as students began gathering their things and making their way out of the Great Hall.
Ginny looked towards Hermione with a frown. "What does she mean 'living quarters'?" she asked. "I thought you were going to stay in Gryffindor Tower like always?"
Hermione frowned but she couldn't quell her curiosity. "I guess not. If I don't see you later tonight, then I'll fill you in tomorrow morning, okay?"
Ginny nodded and followed the rest of the students out the door.
Hermione picked up her belongings and walked towards the front of the Hall, closer to where the professors were, and noted that the others staying behind were doing the same.
There were a handful of students from each house that were returning for an additional 8th year: Neville, Seamus, Dean, Pavarti, and herself from Gryffindor; Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott, and Susan Bones from Hufflepuff; Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, Padma Patil, and Lisa Turpin from Ravenclaw; and, surprisingly, Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson, and Daphne Greengrass from Slytherin.
"Thank you for your time, I promise to make this quick," McGonagall started as she walked over to the group. "As you can see, there are quite a number of you returning for an additional year. Usually, in rare cases when a student needs to complete an additional term, we can make accommodations in their own common areas. However, since there are so many of you, myself and the Heads of Houses all thought it would be best if you had your own quarters."
"All of us?" asked Hannah, looking around at the group of students, her eyes stopping only briefly on the cluster of Slytherins; an act that didn't go unnoticed.
"Yes, Miss Abbott. The lot of you will share a common a room, but you will each have individual dormitories."
The small Hufflepuff nodded, looking slightly relieved at the information.
"Now, if you will please follow me, I will show you to your new living area."
The Headmistress led the way out of the Great Hall, and the gaggle of students followed.
Hermione realized that they were heading towards the library and was instantly excited; now she wouldn't have to trek so far to get to her favourite place in the whole castle.
Before the library, McGonagall made a right into a hall that must have been an additional section added, as Hermione had never noticed this corridor before.
The walls on either side of the hall boasted portraits of the four founders; Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin on the left; Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw on the right. They nodded to the students in greeting as they passed but otherwise didn't speak.
At the end of the hall was an archway with a door in its center. Adorning it was the Hogwarts Crest with all four houses carved into it, and Hermione frowned when she noticed there wasn't a handle of any sort to open it with.
McGonagall soon answered her silent question by placing her hand on the lion of the crest. Small gasps all around could be heard as the door vanished before their eyes.
"As you just saw, to open the door you only need to place your hand upon your house on the crest. There is no password to get in; however, there is an age line at the threshold. No one under seventeen years of age can get into your common room, no matter how hard they try," she said as she motioned for them to enter and have a look around.
The eighteen students walked through the door and into their new common room.
The walls were made of stone, and two large fires that glowed in their respective hearths warmed the place instantly. Four house banners lined the walls, along with paintings, portraits, and sculptures on pedestals. There were pieces of their old common rooms in this room as well: potted and hanging plants from Hufflepuff; large bookshelves from Ravenclaw; plush sofas and chairs in grey and tan colors that were similar to the ones in Gryffindor; and large fireplaces with soft rugs that Hermione assumed were similar to those found in the dungeons of Slytherin.
Small round tables were littered throughout, each with their own laps and comfortable chairs, perfect for studying and doing homework. On the other side of the common room were two hallways; one for girls and one for boys. The doors along the halls had the name of the student who was to take residence.
"I expect you all to behave in accordance to the school rules," McGonagall said in a stern voice, gaining the students attention once more. "I know there are some… animosities between some of you, but I would hope that you could put aside your differences. Let bygones be bygones and show the younger students that we can get past these house rivalries and behave like model students. Everyone in this room is here because they can be trusted. Do I make myself clear?" She raised a thin brow, mostly towards the Gryffindors and Slytherins. The majority of the students mumbled their acceptance while others nodded.
"Alright, well, now that that is cleared up, I will see you all in the Great Hall tomorrow morning. Have a good night."
The Headmistress exited out of the common room, leaving the students to themselves.
An awkward silence stretched out until Justin finally took a breath and walked towards the Slytherins. "I, for one, agree with McGonagall." He stuck out his hand towards the three Slytherin boys. "Bygones be bygones?" he asked.
They looked at the hand and its owner before Theodore Nott finally shrugged slightly and accepted the gesture. "Sure, why the hell not."
"Yeah, well, it's going to take some time for some of us to be able to trust the lot of you," Seamus glowered, picking up his rucksack and slinging it over his shoulder. "So leave me alone," he finished as he walked past the group and went towards the boys' dormitories.
Draco rolled his eyes but stepped aside as others followed suit. Some offered hesitant smiles while others completely ignored the students in green and silver.
"This is bullshit," Pansy muttered under her breath, taking her own things to the girls dormitory. She looked over her shoulder at Draco. "I'll leave my door unlocked if you wish to come and… entertain me," she said with a wink.
Draco wrinkled his nose and scoffed. "That won't be necessary, Pansy."
"Well, you don't have to be an arse about it!" Pansy huffed as she stalked off towards the girls area, Daphne following close behind.
Theo chuckled next to him, and Draco shot him a glare.
"And that's my cue. See ya tomorrow, Drake," Theo said, clapping the blond on the shoulder. Blaise followed after, sending a mock solute his way.
With the common room empty, Draco sat in one of the plush chairs near the fire and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands.
His eyelids drooped with exhaustion and he could feel the weight of the day on his shoulder. Though he knew he should head to bed, the memories that had assaulted him as he walked through the halls plagued him once more, and he needed a few minutes to calm his nerves. The fire was soothing, and he stared into its flickering depths until he saw movement from the corner of his eye.
Hermione had entered the common room with a book in her hand and when she spotted Draco by the fire she stopped in her tracks.
"Granger," he greeted, his voice dry, before returning his attention to the fire.
"Malfoy," she returned stiffly. She must have decided not to be run out by the likes of him, considering she made her way to one of the sofas and curled up on the end, closest to the fire. From his peripheral vision, he saw her open her book and pointedly ignore his presence. Deciding to follow suit, he did the same, and saw that the action gained her attention.
"Luna said you two sat together on the train," he heard her say quietly.
Draco made a noncommittal noise, but otherwise didn't disagree.
"She also said you were… friends?" she asked hesitantly.
Draco scoffed. "Yeah, well, there's a reason people call her spacey sometimes," Draco remarked, opening his book.
Hermione glared at him. "Don't talk about Luna like that!" she hissed. "She's one of the smartest —bravest—witches I've ever met. And I—"
"It's because her mother ate Moon Frogs," Draco said, cutting her off, his eyes never leaving the pages of his book.
"Her… what?" Hermione asked, slightly confused.
"That's what Lovegood told me," he said with a slight shrug.
Hermione frowned and looked down at her own book before mumbling "What the hell are Moon Frogs?"
Draco's lips quirked up a small smile. "No clue, but that's what she told me on the train."
"And was this before or after you shared fudge with her?"
"After, of course."
Unsure of what to say next, Hermione went back to her book.
They sat in silence for a while longer until Draco finally succumbed to his tiredness. He looked over to the couch and noted that Hermione was still engrossed in her own book.
He stood and walked towards the boys dormitories, but he didn't disappear through the doorway before saying "Goodnight, Granger," over his shoulder.
Hermione looked up, confused by his decent behavior.
"Perhaps he really has changed," she mused as she closed her book. She absently scratched at her wrist—the one where the initials were located—and made her way back to her personal dormitory.
When Hermione woke the next morning, she was momentarily confused about her surroundings. Looking around, she realized she was in her own room in her new dormitory. The walls were the same stone as the common area, and the sheets were the same colour and fabric as they had been in Gryffindor Tower. There was a wood stove for heat, a desk with a chair for studying, and a small attached bathroom all to herself. Hermione was thankful she didn't have to share a bathroom with four other girls anymore, and not having any roommates meant not having to deal with giggly gossip in the early morning or late hours of the day.
A large rug took up most of the area of the room, which her feet were thankful for when they didn't touch cold stone early in the morning.
She walked over to the small window and opened it, breathing in the fresh air of the Scottish countryside. She smiled as she headed to the shower, getting ready to start the day.
"So how is it?" Ginny asked as she scooped eggs onto her plate.
"It's actually rather nice," Hermione said as she spread some strawberry jam onto a slice of toast and took a bite. "We have a large common room that has elements from all the houses in there. Sofas and armchairs, two fireplaces, small desks around the room that are great for studying. The dorms are the only thing different in that we have our own rooms, and—"
"What?" Ginny said, nearly choking on her eggs. "Your own room? That's not fair!"
Hermione shrugged. "They probably thought that we would want our own personal space since we were all adults and doing an extra year."
Ginny grumbled something along the lines of "still not fair" but quickly changed the subject. "So how is it, you know, with the snakes?" Ginny whispered.
Again, Hermione shrugged. "Fine. But then again I didn't see any of them this morning and last night everyone went to bed as soon as McGonagall left. Though Malfoy and I did read together in the common room—"
"You and Malfoy! Together?!" Ginny whispered harshly.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Not like that, you loon. He was sitting in an armchair, and I was on a sofa, reading our own separate books. We said barely ten sentences to each other the entire time."
Ginny's eyebrows raised. "I'm surprised you two spoke at all, honestly."
"McGonagall had a chat with us all before she left; she wants us all to put everything behind us and show the younger students how to behave properly and stop this silly house rivalry stuff. Which I fully agree with," she said pointedly to the redhead next to her, who was about to interrupt again.
Ginny shook her head and ate another spoonful of her breakfast. "I still find it weird that the lot of you share a common space now. I bet Ron would have had a fit if he found out you were hanging out with Malfoy, of all people."
"Yes, well, even if he and I were together, he couldn't tell me who I can or cannot be around," Hermione said hotly.
"I still can't believe you two broke up. I thought you were meant to be," Ginny said, a wistful half-smile ghosting over her face.
"We're not all the perfect match like you and Harry, Gin," Hermione said, giving the other girl a comforting smile. "Ron and I… while we're great friends, it just wasn't working out as anything more." The fact that she felt sick to her stomach every time they tried to be romantic was purposefully left unsaid, which reminded Hermione that she needed to head to the library sometime soon.
Ginny sighed and faced the witch next to her. "I don't think Harry and I are perfect either. I mean, I still really like him, but… things have changed since I was in sixth year. We went through a war… we're completely different now."
Hermione frowned. "I had no idea, Gin… I thought you and Harry were happy together."
"Yeah, well, Mum always said I could take up being an actress with the performances I can put on," she said, laughing weakly.
"If you need to talk—"
"I'm okay," Ginny said, cutting her off. "I should probably head to class anyways. Did you get your schedule yet?"
Hermione nodded, holding hers up. "Yes. Potions first thing."
"I have Defence Against the Dark Arts," Ginny said, getting up and grabbing her bookbag.
"I'll see you at dinner?"
Hermione nodded as her friend left. She made a mental note to owl Harry and find out his side of the story; as far as she could tell, Harry was still very besotted with his red-haired witch.
Drinking the rest of her orange juice, Hermione grabbed her school things and made her way down to the dungeons.