Love Letters From the Enemy
Chapter Four
Interruptions
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. Unless an OC shows up. Then they belong to me and my friend. But other than that, the characters belong to the genius J.K. Rowling.
A/n: So how did everyone like the last chapter? After I wrote that last line, all the little plot bunnies came out of hiding and latched themselves on. There are so many possibilities on who the "unwanted" visitor could be but I could only pick one so here is the next chapter and hopefully you'll be surprised.
"Get the hell away from her now, Malfoy!" Malfoy turned around to see someone he only recognized as another Gryffindor whose name escaped him. The girl's gray-blue eyes bore into him as Hermione took the opportunity to shove him away. Hermione moved toward the girl who put an arm around Hermione's shoulder.
"Who are you and how did you get in here?" Malfoy demanded, his eyes flashing with anger.
"I'm Isabella, but you can call me Bella for short. The door was open so I thought I'd come see Hermione." Isabella said, turning toward Hermione. "He wasn't trying anything, was he Hermione? 'Cause if he was, I'll hex him for you." Hermione laughed at this and smiled at Isabella.
"No, that won't be necessary, Bella. Malfoy was just being Malfoy, which means he was being an ass as per usual." Hermione told Bella, shooting a glare at Malfoy. "Come on, we can go to my room." Hermione grabbed her things that she had and led Bella to her room, leaving Malfoy to stand alone in the bathroom.
x x x
Malfoy watched as Hermione took Bella to her room. For some reason, Bella looked strangely familiar but he couldn't figure out why. All he knew was that her grey-blue eyes and platinum blonde hair matched his own. He decided to see just what the two would talk about so he placed his modified version of the "Sonorus" spell on the two girls.
"Sonorus alius- ignotus" Draco whispered. The spell would cause their voices to be magnified, but they wouldn't know about it. Smiling to himself, Draco listened intently.
x x x
"All right, Hermione, spill. What was going on before I interrupted?" Bella inquired, a slight note of excitement in her voice.
"Nothing happened, Bella. Malfoy was being Malfoy." Hermione told her, sitting on her bed.
"It sure looked like something, Hermione. Come on, you can tell me." Bella pressed, she really wanted to know if there was something going on between the two Heads.
"Well, all right. But swear you won't say a word. I mean, I know you barely know Harry and Ron, but they would still try to get information about me out of you. So, promise not to say anything to them?" Bella nodded and Hermione told her what happened. "I'll start with Malfoy and I agreeing on how to share the bathroom. He said it should be whoever gets to it first, which is what I had in mind also. I told him he could have the bathroom first tonight since he actually had been there first. Now this is where it gets...interesting if you will. When I knocked on the door about an hour later he said to come in so I did. He was standing in front of the mirror, shirtless, combing his hair. That's why he didn't have his shirt when you came in. I couldn't help but look at him in in the mirror."
Bella's eyes lit up as Hermione said this.
"And what exactly where you looking at?" Bella asked, knowing exactly what the answer was.
"I will admit that I was looking him over and well, I can't help but say that Quidditch has done him good. Of course I'll never tell him this. He needn't know. Anyway, he turned around and asked if I saw something I liked so I instinctively tell him no, that I was just wondering why he said I could go into the bathroom if he wasn't finished. He then said 'I said you could come in so I could do this' then he backed me against the door. When I asked what he was doing he told me that if I'd be quite long enough I'd find out. I think he was about to kiss me when you interrupted." As Hermione finished telling Bella what happened, Bella was smiling.
"Why are you smiling, Bella?"
"Because Malfoy likes you, that's why. I mean, it's obvious. Why else would he do that?"
"No, Bella, you don't know what it's been like between us the past 7 years. He's always hated me and he still does. And that's just fine with me because I hate the twitchy little ferret just as much as he hates me, if not more." Bella smiled at Hermione, shaking her head.
"You can believe that if you want to. You just wait and see though. I know I'm right." Hermione laughed at her new friend's confidence in Malfoy liking her but Hermione just couldn't bring herself to believe it and didn't want to. Bella's grey-blue eyes twinkled with light and laughter, so unlike those of Malfoy's. His were always cold and emotionless.
x x x
In the bathroom, Malfoy stood in shock at the conversation he'd just heard. The new girl, Bella, believed he liked Granger. Had this been the beginning of 4th year, he would have laughed at it. But now he had to wonder how the Gryffindor could tell just by hearing the story of what had happened. Maybe he should get to know her, become friends with her.
It's not a bad idea, one part of him told him. But they other disagreed. She's a bloody Gryffindor! Slytherins hate Gryffindors! Malfoy sighed, he wasn't going to stand there arguing with himself about something as what house two people were in. He decided that he would just befriend the new girl and find out why she seemed so familiar to him. Malfoy whispered the counter spell of "Quietus" and headed to his room to sleep.
x x x
Once Bella left Hermione gathered her night clothes and made her way to the bathroom, happy to find Malfoy had vacated. Hermione went to the edge of the large tub and turned the water on, using the scented bath oils and the bubbles. She used her favourite scent, dragon's blood. Normally it would be too strong to use as a bath oil, but it spilled from the taps with a light, soothing aroma. As soon as the tub was full, Hermione removed her clothes and stepped into the hot water, relaxing as the bubbles in it surrounded her.
x x x
The next morning Hermione awoke to a tapping at her window. She walked over to the window and drew the curtains to find Hedwig waiting for her.
"Well hello, Hedwig." Hermione said as the bird held it's leg out for her to take the parchment tied to it. As Hermione took it, Hedwig gave Hermione a loving peck on the hand and hooted happily as Hermione found her a treat. After Hedwig flew off Hermione unfolded the parchment and read.
Hermione,
Meet us in Gryffindor Tower at 6:45 and we'll all go down to breakfast together.
Harry, Ron, and Bella
Hermione smiled. The boys must have gotten along rather well with Bella if they were having her go to breakfast with them. Hurriedly she changed into her school robes and brushed her hair, which she had managed to tame over the summer. She put on a little foundation and eyeliner and was ready. Grabbing her school bag she glanced at the clock. It read 6:25 so she decided to wait a little bit in the common room before heading to Gryffindor Tower. As she came down the stairs she saw a figure on the couch and as she walked into the room she saw it was Malfoy and he was doing something she'd never have expected from him. He was reading. It wasn't that he was reading, no, it was what he was reading. In his hands was a copy of Hogwarts A History. In fact, Hermione was sure it was her copy of the book.
"Malfoy, is that my book you're reading?" Hermione questioned, trying not to rude.
"Oh, sorry, Granger. It was on the counter in the bathroom. You must have left it in there last night. Um...here." Malfoy said, handing her the book back. If Hermione didn't know better, she'd say he was trying to be civil toward her.
"Do you mind if I ask why you were reading it?"
"Because I felt like reading it, Granger. Why so many bloody questions?"
"Because I feel like asking them." Malfoy's trademark smirk spread across his face.
"Catchy comeback, Granger. Is that all you can think of?"
"Why don't you go spend some time with you're slutty little girlfriend, ferret."
"If you're talking about Parkinson, she's not my girlfriend and never will be. That whiny pug-faced bitch thinks she can get her daddy to make me date her and that won't happen either." There was a genuine sound of disgust in Malfoy's voice when he spoke about Pansy Parkinson.
I guess he really doesn't like her Hermione thought.
"I'm going to breakfast. See you in Potions, Malfoy." Hermione said, trying to be as civil as possible. All he did was turn and walk away so Hermione left, heading toward Gryffindor Tower.
x x x
Breakfast went by quickly and soon the Golden Trio, now accompanied by Bella, made their way to the dungeons for Potions with the Slytherins. Harry, Ron, and Hermione took seats with each other as they always did but Bella had to find a seat near the back which meant she would be stuck sitting with the Slytherins. Bella walked to the back and saw Draco Malfoy. He was smiling at her and waved his hand for her to come over.
"Hi, Bella. How are you?" Malfoy asked politely, much to the shock of his fellow Slytherins.
"I'm fine, but there's no where to sit up front with the rest of my house." Bella said, scanning the front of the room.
"Then why don't you sit with us? Make a few new friends." Malfoy grinned at her, his grey-blue eyes flashed crystal blue for half a second then they were back to their usual cold, grey-blue. Bella smiled and wearily took a seat in the chair that Malfoy indicated, looking back over to Harry, Ron, and, Hermione, hoping they wouldn't be mad at her. Bella chatted animatedly with Malfoy about Quidditch until the door flew open and Professor Severus Snape strode into the classroom, his black robes billowing behind him. But something was different about him.
"Good morning, class. We will be making a rather difficult potion and you will be paired off. Quickly take these notes so I can tell you who your partner is." Snape pointed his wand at the blackboard and the ingredients for the potion appeared, along with the directions on how to prepare it. Snape pushed a lock of hair that had fallen into his face away. That was it! The difference was that he'd washed his hair. Hermione made a mental note to tell Harry and Ron of this and quickly jotted down the notes. Once Snape was sure everyone had copied the notes down, he cleared the blackboard and held a piece of parchment out.
"All right, when I read off who you're paired with, get to work. Weasley and Longbottom." Ron groaned at this pairing and Snape ignored it, continuing to read. "Parkinson and Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini, Malfoy and..."
A/n2: Mwahahahahaha! I know, I'm evil! I just keep putting in cliffhangers. But those are the kind of endings that cause all the plot bunnies to come out of hiding. Does anyone wonder why Snape is different? Well, maybe we'll find out soon. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know I enjoyed writing it.