Chapter 8 Only Draco's Mudblood

Step 1 of the plan was put into play immediately. Dumbledore did a such a good job that Hermione might have even believed that bumping Jacque up to sixth year was school policy, but she knew better. Many of the other Slytherins that were in allegiance with Hashim found it very upsetting and odd. Although, Hermione had to admit they weren't as dumb as she had thought them to be, they didn't seem very smart for choosing to side with the outsider from Saudi Arabia.

The next school day began without incident. Hermione had classes with the Slytherins more then she had originally thought. To keep Jacque around the rest of his friends from over seas (which were in Gryffindor) Dumbledore and switched the houses around so that Gryffindor was now almost always partnered with Slytherin. Normally, this would have bother Hermione, but it didn't. After all it had been her idea.

Professor Snape seemed to be the only instructor who was actually upset about the issue. He made Jacque sit in the corner on the first day simply for 'walking in like a muggle'.

Draco and his goons had started to snicker at that but with one hurt look from Jacque, Malfoy smacked his bodyguards and told them to behave. "After all," he had told them. "The runt's one of us now."

Jacque hadn't exactly grown to like the nickname, but he had come to terms with the fact that there would be no changing of Malfoy's mind. He was Malfoy after all and if Hashim couldn't change him, then there was no way he could.

The second day of class went by a little easier for them. Jacque wasn't allowed to sit by Malfoy and he constantly felt the glare from Hashim over his shoulder. So when, Snape assigned him to sit next to Hermione, he could of hugged the guy…. Almost.

Jacque sat down next to Hermione and smiled. She smiled back and they went to open their books. Jacque gasped suddenly.

Hermione glanced over and noticed an origami spider crawl out from a page in Jacque's text book. She slapped at it and it laid down, unmoving.

For a moment, Jacque just stared at it before he picked it up and opened it. Inside there was a very vivid drawling of Jacque with a Slytherin snake around his neck. The snake pulled and Jacque's figure was decapitated.

Anger flared through Hermione veins and he looked over her shoulder. Malfoy wasn't paying attention to them or the lesson. In fact, the only thing he seemed interested in was what he was reading. Hermione wasn't sure what it was, but she knew it wasn't the text book. She looked over at Hashim and noticed his gaze was staring back at them. He sneered at her and winked. Hermione's blood ran cold.

There was nothing she wanted more in that moment then to run over there to curse him, or strangle him… or something. But she didn't. She was a Gryffindor. She understood patience….

She'd wait until AFTER class.

And she did. Right after class was dismissed she told Jacque to find someone to walk with and took off. Jacque was surprised, but he shrugged and went after the Slytherins.

"Hashim!"

Hashim stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Hermione. "Who are you to talk to me?" he snapped.

Hermione ignored the question and walked right up to him. "Stay away from Jacque," she hissed angrily. Her eyes glared at him.

He pushed her away. "Excuse yourself, muggle!" Hashim put on a look of disgust. "Don't touch me, you piece of filth!"

She stared at him. "And I guess that makes you slime?"

"Sir!" Hashim snapped. "You shall refer to me as sir. How dare you insult me? Do you think yourself equal with me?!"

Hermione swallowed to keep from screaming. "I will never call you such a thing."

"Then keep your mudblood face away!"

She blinked and let her mouth drop open. "What did you just call me?"

"I do not repeat myself for such a low commoner."

It was all Hermione could do not to reach out and slap him. Part of her wanted to scream, another wanted to cry. So she did neither. Hermione glared at him and started to walk away.

"You're a waste of my time," she hissed behind her. "Stay away from me."

"Like I would want to be near you," Hashim sneered. "I might get dirty just from your presence."

Then the tears did come into her eyes, but Hermione wouldn't let the fall. She could hear Hashim still tormenting her with words, but she tuned him out. How could anyone follow him? she thought. How? Even Malfoy was better then him.

Harry and Ron appeared down the hall. They were laughing about something but they stopped the moment they saw her.

"Hermione!" Ron called.

"What happened?" Harry put a hand on her arm. "Tell us."

Hermione just shook her head and kept walking. "No," she whispered. "I'll tell you later." She tried to smile at them. "What were you laughing at? I could use a joke?"

"A joke?" Ron beamed. "Oh I've got tons of jokes."

Harry moaned. "Here we go."

"So there's this one about a toad named Frog…"

"How dare you filth!" Hashim voice rang out through the hall.

Hermione spun around to see him stalking towards her.

"I was speaking to you! How dare you turn your back on me?!"

Ron and Harry stepped in front of her. "Back off," Harry warned.

"You!" Hashim glared at him. "I wasn't addressing you. Get out of the way."

"Leave her alone," Ron growled.

"Or what?" Hashim asked. He came within inches of Ron's face. "You'll do what? Curse me with health? You know nothing about magic."

Hermione found her voice and stepped up. "But I do and I can stick up for myself."

Hashim didn't even look at her. His eyes were locked with Ron, who was trying very hard to keep contact. Hashim smirked at him. "Wimp."

"He's not a wimp!" Harry snapped.

"And there's nothing royal about being mean to people," Hermione offered her advice. "You can't just go around treating people…"

Hashim stopped her with a slap across the face. Before Hermione could react, Ron was trying to tackle him and Harry was pulling out his wand. Hashim had been expecting that however, and quickly sent both Harry and Ron flying down the hallway with his wand.

Hermione shoved Hashim away from her, but he put a wand to her throat. Hermione had hers against his throat before he could blink and they stood there, waiting for the other to move.