Happy New Year's, everyone! It might not be New Year's yet, but I'm giving you all this present early. Please give me some feedback, and PLEASE tell me what you think should happen next. I've got vague ideas, but I would love to hear any of your ideas for plot, characterization, etc.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
After the last class of the day, Hermione was fully prepared to head back to the room, pick up a very intriguing book on boggarts, and relax. Unfortunately, Malfoy had a rather nasty surprise in store for her.
"We have to go to the Quidditch pitch." He told her.
"What?" Hermione snapped. "Look, whether you're on the team or not, I refuse to get on a broom. You can't make. I don't care if you're the dominant force or whatever, I will hex you and I won't consider the consequences of my acti –"
"Granger." Malfoy interrupted. "We're not going flying."
"Oh." Hermione paused.
"We're holding tryouts for a new Seeker. I am team captain, however, so I do have to be there." Malfoy replied. "Don't worry; I wouldn't get on a broom with you if it meant that it would save my life."
"Good." Hermione cleared her throat. "Erm, aren't you worried that I'll blab all your strategies to Harry?"
Malfoy snorted. "Please, be my guest. I'd like to see you try, since I won't be further than twenty feet away from you the entire time. Besides, you're a Gryffindor; you have honor and all that."
Hermione shrugged. "Whatever. Can we at least stop at the common room on our way there so I can pick up something to do?"
"I've got to change into my Quidditch uniform anyway." Malfoy replied.
As they approached their room in silence, Hermione reveled in the absolute civility of the conversation they had just had. It made her feel proud to know that they could speak to each other politely, if they had to.
Of course, most of the time, they were completely silent, hardly ever addressing each other. What was that old Muggle saying? If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all.
Hermione grabbed her book and sat on her neatly-made bed while Malfoy headed into the bathroom. It wasn't long before he was done and they were heading out to the Quidditch area.
"You brought Granger?" A young third-year said in shock, staring as Malfoy and Hermione made their way toward the team.
"It's not like I couldn't." Malfoy sneered. Hermione rolled her eyes and opened up her rather large book.
"Alright, team, let's get ready. I'll be up in the bleachers." Malfoy started. "Granger, go sit in the bleachers so I can see what they're doing."
Hermione wandered over to the bleachers, her head still buried in the book.
She lost herself in the words of R.O. Everett, the man who had written the book. It had plenty of interesting facts on boggarts, and how to effectively capture them, fight them, use them, etc. It even had a chapter on theories of what the average boggart looked like, before it turned into a fear.
"Granger."
Hermione looked up in annoyance, expecting to see Malfoy frowning down at her. Instead, the petite form of Daphne Greengrass smiled uncertainly at her. Hermione quickly shut her book and went to stand up.
"Oh, no, please, don't stand. May I sit?" Daphne asked nervously.
Hermione nodded. "Oh, of course."
"Listen, um, Hermione, I just wanted to say thank you. Your…your advice actually worked, and…well –" Daphne broke off as Malfoy's loud words reached them.
"NOTT! Focus on the Quaffle, you idiot, not your girlfriend!"
Daphne turned bright red, and Hermione grinned at her. "Congratulations!"
Daphne smiled. "I just had to say that I really appreciate it. Pansy – well, Pansy isn't certain that you helped me out of the goodness of your heart, so if there's anything you want, name your price now, please."
Hermione was shocked. "No, no, Daphne, there's nothing I want. I promise. I just want you and Nott to have a successful relationship."
Daphne nodded slowly. "I thought so. Everybody's always going on about how Gryffindors rarely do anything for their own benefit."
"No, we do, on occasion." Hermione grinned mischievously. "But most of the time, we don't even know what the benefit will be, so we just do nice things for the heck of it."
Daphne laughed lightly. "It seems to help you out when you need it."
"There's a Muggle saying for that, actually. I scratch your back, you scratch mine." Hermione replied thoughtfully.
"Oh, I've heard the saying "what comes around goes around." Daphne answered. "In Muggle Studies."
"I guess both sayings do fit." Hermione admitted. "Either way, we both know what I meant."
"Yes." Daphne agreed. "I understood. Anyway, I've got to get going. Teddy's eyeing me again and I'm sure he'll accidentally fall off the broom if he doesn't start paying attention."
Hermione chuckled and glanced at the pitch, where the boys were zooming around at dizzying speeds.
"HEATH, KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE SNITCH!" Malfoy shouted. "WHAT ARE YOU, BLIND?
"Well, I'll see you later." Daphne offered a hand out. Hermione took it without hesitation.
"Absolutely." She said firmly.
Daphne moved away, and Hermione cracked open her book. She couldn't help but let her mind wander back to the Slytherin girl. She seemed incredibly sweet, a lot different than what Hermione had thought.
All it had taken was a simple olive branch, extended from Hermione, to reveal how lovely Daphne really was. Most Slytherins must not be that bad.
At that moment, Hermione decided that she would find the good in each Slytherin, and bring it out so that everyone else could see it, too. Hermione Granger could never resist when she felt like someone was in trouble or needed her help, and she felt absolutely certain that the Slytherins deserved her attention.
And thus, "Finding the Unknown Goodness of Slytherins" was born.
F.U.G.S.
Hermione focused back on her book, satisfied with her new project. Operation F.U.G.S. was soon to be underway.
