New Beginnings

Chapter 4: Fraternising With the Enemy

A/N: I know, it's been yonks since I've updated on anything, but I'm having a catch up on most stories right now. Anyways, get in touch, let me know what you think, either by PM or review, it would be a pleasure to hear from you. Hope you're all having a good summer, why not get in touch, feel free to let me know what you're all up to, either way I hope it's been spiffing. Enjoy:

Hermione met up with Harry and Ron several times in the two weeks after their meeting on the Hogwarts grounds, much to the dismay of Draco and the First Year Slytherin crowd. Hermione however seemed oblivious to her best friends' displeasure, enjoying having the best of both worlds with her friends from different houses. When she wasn't with her friends, she was enjoying her classes, coming top in most, busying herself with preparations for the upcoming examinations or visiting the library, which was fast becoming her home in the school. Draco was not sharing her enthusiasm in lessons. He was particularly horrified when she moved to sit with that Potter kid in History of Magic instead of sitting with him, which turned into a constant occurrence, and when she walked to Herbology with the Gryffindors instead of standing with her expectant green tribe. Of course, Draco wasn't jealous; it wasn't becoming of a Malfoy to stoop to such a feeling as jealousy. He was just…worried that his best friend was leaving him, and angry that he had allowed himself to become so attached to her.

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"Hey…Hey Hermione!" shouted Potter as he came up to Draco and Hermione as they ambled towards the Great Hall. "Oh, hiya Harry, you okay?" she replied, smiling. "I'm fine thanks, but Ron and I were just wondering if you'd want to come and eat breakfast with us this morning? You don't have to, it's just that there is something that we have to…discuss." "Oh, okay, yeah sure, I'd be delighted to! I'll see you later Draco," she added over her shoulder as she walked away and headed for the Gryffindor table, as Draco just looked on in a mixture of anger and disbelief.

(AT THE GRYFFINDOR TABLE)

"Morning Hermione, how did you sleep?" asked Ron politely between bites of toast. "Hey Ron, I slept well thanks, you?" "Yeah, not bad," replied Ron. "Umm, Hermione, we have something to ask of you…"began Harry. And then began an explanation of their situation regarding the Philosophers Stone. "Well, I know nothing of this Stone, but if you're free at lunch, we could go research it in the library?" she smiled as she scooped up a spoon of oatmeal from her bowl. "I haven't finished that Herbology essay yet," grumbled Ron. "I'll just have to help you with that simultaneously then, wont I?!"

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"I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading," heaved Hermione, dropping a big book onto their library table with a BANG! Once the dust had cleared, Ron looked up and said; "You call this light?!" While they pursued a certain Nicholas Flammel, they were unknowingly being watched by a rather jealous best friend. Draco watched the three First Years in silence from behind a bookshelf as his best friend sat happily with her new friends, running her fingers down the pages of the books strewn about the table, the two boys interrupting every so often with a sudden revelation. Draco hated these boys much more for stealing his Hermione from him than anything else. She didn't sit with him in lessons anymore, not even much at mealtimes; she always came back to the common room late at night, only just entering the Slytherin abode before their curfew. He missed her.

One night, he decided he would wait up for her, hoping they could spend some time together for once before heading up to bed. However, unknown to him, Hermione had been waiting for half ten, after the curfew, so she could sneak out unnoticed by her fellow Slytherins. She was on a mission.

As she crept down the hard, cold, stone steps into the seemingly deserted Common Room, looking slightly creepy with its green furnishings, Draco watched from behind a sofa as she slowly headed for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Draco, standing up and giving Hermione a mini heart attack. "Draco! What are you doing up at this hour?" she whispered. "I could ask you the same question." He replied, trying to sound confident.

"It's none of your business where I'm going!" she answered, turning to walk away. "It's them, isn't it," asked Draco, suddenly feeling rather small. "So what if it is?" she said, pausing her steps but not turning to her best friends face. "You are a disgrace to Slytherin! This could be classed as fraternising with the enemy! And what about the exams? What about all the revision you were doing before you met them? What about the help you were giving Crabbe and Goyle? What about us? What about me?" he burst out.

She turned sharply; looking him in the eyes. "Why do you have such a problem with them? They are my friends to, Draco, you know, I am allowed more than one friend. You can't…you aren't…you're jealous?!" she looked up from the floor she had been talking to with disbelief. "Oh my god, you're actually jealous? Seriously?! Honestly, that's pathetic Malfoy! I…" she faltered as he looked at her in shock.

"You just called me Malfoy! You're one of them, I knew it. And for the record I am not jealous! Malfoy's do not get jealous of anything or anyone! Go on then! Go off with your new little Gryffindor friends! I certainly don't want to be friends with someone who hangs around with their sort. Go on, run off to them!" he finished, turning and running to his dormitory, not once looking back.

So, there we have it, they have decided to have a domestic in the middle of the common room, in the middle of the night. Where could Hermione be going? I'm not going to tell you, because it's already written beautifully by J. in the Philosophers (Or Sorcerer's Stone, if you're from across the pond, I'm British if you hadn't already guessed) Stone. That's right, that was the night that Harry, Ron and Hermione went to the 3rd Floor Corridor, made Fluffy (the three headed dog) fall asleep, and ended up at the chess board. In the next chapter, I think I'll skip to when Hermione gets out of hospital. What do you all want from this story? Because to be honest I'm just letting my brain flow free with loads of random ideas for these two kids over their years at Hogwarts. However, I think you should have a say, as you are the ones who have to read it! So let me know what your thoughts are in a review or PM if you have an account, I'd love to hear from you! So, hope you enjoyed it, I know all my chapters have been rather short, I'm not proud of I, but I am trying! Honest! Love you all xxxxxxxxxxx