Chapter 8
And So It Begins
Hogwarts Express-Last Car, Last Cabin, 7:36 pm, September 1st
The evening sun was beginning to set when Ginny woke up to the gentle jerks from the train. A soft breath was released against her neck. What the hell…SHIT! Shit, shit, shit!!! Harry's dark head was resting on her naked chest. Ginny's eyes swept across his broad shoulders and down his smooth back, slightly marred by fading red scratches. She blushed as she remembered what had happened. What am I going to do? This is worse, much worse than I thought it could be. Why couldn't I have thought this through? I have to get out of here before he wakes up!
As if the goddesses were watching out for her, at that moment the train jerked a bit and she slid out from under Harry's warm body. Her eyes searched for her robes. Idiot! She screamed at herself. What in the bloody hell was I thinking? How am I supposed to fix this now? She pulled her robes on. Then the answer hit her.
In the bookstore, she had come across a book of memory charms. A few had caught her eye, but now, one stood out from the rest. Come on Ginny, what was it called? Remember, remember! Yeah! The Partial Veritas Charm.
What do I need? Her mind raced as she searched her memory for the particulars of the charm. A pensieve, and her wand. Not too hard. She reached into her robe and pulled out her wand. Wand, check! Pensieve, pensieve, where to find a pensieve? She was feeling creative, so she reached for Harry's right shoe that lay next to her left knee. Excellent! Now I just have to transfigure the shoe into a pensieve. She did this quickly and was pleased as a newly formed pensieve lay before her ready to be used.
The train jerked violently, and Ginny held her breath as a nude Harry grunted and rolled onto his back. Damn that was close. If he would have woken up and seen me like this, I am not sure what would be worse, explaining everything, or explaining everything plus the fact that I was about to alter his memories. Without a moment's hesitation, she stupefied him so she could hurry up and finish this and get out.
Ginny used her wand to retrieve the memories they had just made, and place them in the pensieve. When she was done, she entered the shimmering bowl.
Methodically she set about to use her wand as a muggle eraser to smudge her face from all of his memories. He would remember making love to her, but he wouldn't be able to recall her face. When she was done, she carefully replaced his edited memories from whence they came. She transfigured the bowl back into a shoe and was about to leave when she looked back at him. He is even beautiful when he is asleep….wait! He is still naked!
Harry would defiantly find something amiss if he woke up with no clothes on! She quickly charmed his clothes back onto his body with a quietly muttered Envestiate! She even levitated him back onto the seat.
With her dirty little secret tidied up, she slipped out the door and…
"Umph!" Ginny grunted as she collided with a hard mass. She looked up into her brother's eyes. "Sorry!" She said in a high pitched voice, and she hurried off to her own compartment as Ron entered his.
Ginny rushed into her compartment and closed the door behind her. She leaned against the door and closed her eyes. After a few moments, her heart stopped racing and she opened her eyes. Wait a minute. The lights are off. She lit the tip of her wand her breath caught in her throat as her eyes fell upon Hermoine's naked back, her slim body wrapped around a lean, muscular blonde. Wait, make that platinum blonde! Only one person in all of Hogwarts has hair that color. Ginny inched closer to get a better look. Damn! It is Malfoy.
"Stupify!" she whispered.
The colored beam from her wand hit Malfoy and Hermione, although Ginny had aimed it at Draco's head alone. Damn jerking train! Oh well, let's get this over with. As she definitely didn't need to see any more of either of them naked, she immediately charmed their clothes on. She quickly set about altering Malfoy's memory like she had done to Harry's. Within moments, she was done. Damn, I am getting better at this every time I do it! Practice make perfect! She chuckled to herself.
"I should have been in Slytherin. No Gryffindor would avoid their problems like this, but hell. It doesn't look like I have much of a choice." Ginny said to no one in particular as she peeked out of her door. The coast is clear. She levitated a still unconscious Malfoy from the compartment and quickly walked him to the loo.
She placed him roughly on the toilet. Ha! The Slytherin Prince upon his throne! She laughed out loud before she could stop herself. She undid the stupefy charm, and placed a short sleeping charm on him that would only last five minutes. That gives me enough time to get back to Hermione.
Safely back in her own compartment, Ginny began to think. Hmm, what to do, what to do? Let's think this through logically. There is no way in hell Hermione could have actually wanted Malfoy to… Eww! I don't want to even think it. After all these years of 'Mudblood this, mudblood that' from him, plus seeing Ron again for the first time in months, and this whole prophecy thing, I don't think she could take it. I guess I will have to fix this too, I mean this is what friends are for, right?
After a few more moments of internal arguing, Ginny did what she decided was the right thing, and erased Malfoy's face from her best friend's memory.
As the sun slipped below the horizon, Hermione woke from the short sleeping charm, and the girls dressed in their school robes. Neither spoke, one from guilt, and the other from ignorance. When the train stopped, the girls waited until all was quiet in their car and then exited.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Hogwarts, September 1st , 8:00 pm
The last Thestral drawn carriage took them to the castle. When they finally made it to the castle, they had five minutes until the Sorting Ceremony ended and Dumbledore's speech began. They slipped into the Great Hall right after the last student, Capri Miller, was sorted into Slytherin, while the entire school looked on.
Poor Girl! Hermione thought to herself, as she sat at the end of her table, thankful her housemates' attention was focused somewhere else.
Dumbledore hadn't missed anything though. He had watched the two girls come into the Great Hall, unnoticed by all their peers. Their new appearances didn't fool him. He would know those two anywhere. Besides, he had kept his eyes on them all summer and he knew this year was going to be a year to remember, from start to finish. He cleared his throat to begin his start of term speech.
"Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. As most of you are aware, the forbidden forest is, as the name would suggest, still forbidden to any students after nightfall without permission." Ginny's stomach began to churn as Dumbledore neared the part that included her. I am not so sure I am ready for this. If I leave now, I won't have to face him. I can just put it off a little longer. Yes, that could work. Then reality took over. Things could be worse. He could remember what happened on the train. At least that is taken care of. All I have to do is stick to the idea that Hermione and I wanted to surprise him. Yeah, that is it. We wanted to surprise him.
"I would now like to introduce this year's prefects. As your names are called please come to the front to be recognized." As Dumbledore announced the prefects, two in each house, for Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, the students from those houses cheered madly for their housemates, who all but strutted to the front of the dais Dumbledore stood behind.
"The Slytherin prefects are Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson." Slytherin broke out into raucous cheers as Blaise moved indifferently towards the front. Pansy followed, but instead of the preening, twit-like behavior she had displayed the year before, her expression was neutral and aloof. How strange, Hermione thought, wonder what had caused the change.
She looked over at Ginny who looked nervous as hell. Poor Ginny, I hope she is okay. All things considered, she looks great and she is going to knock 'em dead. Ginny was about to shock the school with her transformation from Ron Weasley's baby sister to a divine entity, as far as this school was concerned.
"Your Gryffindor prefects are Harry Potter," the entire Gryffindor table erupted in applause as Harry stood and walked to the front of the Great Hall with the other prefects, "and Ginny Weasley."
The table looked near where Harry had been seated for Ginny, because she was always with the Golden Trio. But she wasn't there. The entire Great Hall went silent. While everyone had been looking at the front of the table, Ginny had already made her way halfway up her table, continuing to walk slowly to the front. Suddenly, all eyes were on her. Some of the younger students began whispering behind their hands.
Harry, who had been congratulating Luna Lovegood on getting Ravenclaw prefect, looked up when he heard Ginny's name being called. He hadn't seen her at all this summer. Then he realized that the Great Hall had gone silent. His eyes swept up the middle aisle to land on the stiletto clad feet of the angel walking toward him, he knew the person he saw coming towards him in the Gryffindor robes, was not the Ginny he once knew. It was the girl from his dreams. Oh shit, oh damn. It was Ginny, from my dreams. His mind raced. Crap! I told Ron about my dreams. Dreams about his little sister! Oh Merlin, he is going to be furious!
Under Harry's intense scrutiny, Ginny began to blush. Yep, Harry thought, That is Ginny. Wait…that means…oh shit. The girl from the bookstore, the prophecy, wait there was another girl. Who was the other girl? He thought for a moment and as Dumbledore began to announce the Head Boy and Girl, he gulped, and began to sweat nervously.
Harry looked over at Ron, who was still in shock over the fact that the girl before him was no longer recognizable as his baby sister. Ron is going to be even more shocked in a few more moments, Harry thought as he waited for the explosion. He turned his head back to Ginny who was now standing beside him and waited for the announcement that would overshadow the shock Ginny had just given the school.
Interesting. Very Interesting. Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled from behind his spectacles. Dumbledore smiled slightly, but no one noticed. The males were all looking at Ginny the same way a starving man looks at a steak. The females were less complimentary, many looked at her with pure envy, and many couldn't wait to find out what beauty charms she used. Just wait until they see Miss Granger. There will be a riot, Dumbledore chucked to himself.
"Your Head Boy this year is Draco Malfoy!" The old man watched as the young blonde all but strutted up to stand in front of the prefects. Boy is he in for the shock of a lifetime. "And your Head Girl, with the highest marks, second only to my own, Hermione Granger!"
Draco made a distasteful face. Oh come on. It is bad enough that I have to live with her for the next year, but did you have to announce to the entire school that she got better marks than me! Now everyone knows that that frizzy haired, know it all, mud…. Draco stopped walking because the Great Hall had gone silent. It can't be that much of a surprise that I got Head Boy, he thought tried to think of what could have taken the limelight from him.
Before he saw, his ears picked up on the seductive sound of stilettos clicking on the stone floor. Stilettos? Who could be wearing stilettos? Surely not…Draco's jaw dropped as he swung his body around to he see the Head Girl walking towards him. No…His mind couldn't even function properly. Granger?
Hermione was nervous as hell. Never had all eyes been on her like this. She felt as though she were naked. Come on Hermione. Just breathe. Breathe in, breathe out. One foot in front of the other. Whatever you do don't look at Malfoy. She focused on Dumbledore's podium, and made her way up to the front.
Hermione didn't even look at him. She looked past him, until she reached him, then she looked out over the silent student body. Like Draco, their jaws were all but touching the floor. The boys looked at her with lust, and the girls with pure venom.
In accordance with Hogwarts tradition, Malfoy reached for her right hand and brought it to his lips. His ice blue eyes locked with hers and he elegantly arched his eyebrow at her, as if in silent question.
Hermione dipped into a demure curtsy. Shit! He remembers. I am so dead. Might as fight fire with fire. Gryffindors are known for their courage after all. She gracefully, she rose back up and arched her brow to back at him in an obvious challenge. She even added a sexy smirk for effect. Take that you Slytherin prat.
Behind them, Pansy loudly sucked in her breath, while Blaise looked on in shock that his best mate was still touching the mudblood. Ron was getting redder and redder by the moment, and Draco just smirked into Hermione's hand.
The old man knew he had to do something to prevent the battle he saw brewing between the two Heads.
"Let the feast begin!" Dumbledore clapped his hands and the feast appeared. He looked at the prefects and dismissed them. He smiled at the Head Boy and Girl. "When you get to your apartment, you must decide on a password together, and say it at the same time." He handed them each a piece of paper with the location of their new abode. "Congratulations and enjoy the feast!" He turned and left them.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermione tried to eat her supper, but she couldn't. She could feel his ice cold gaze piercing her from across the room. After another ten minutes of pushing the food around on her plate, she tried to slip from the room. Unfortunately, Draco watched her leave, rose and followed her.
She needed to escape. She needed to think. The Head Boy was going to kill her when he caught up with her. As Hermione stood outside the portrait of a fairy tale like landscape, catching her breath, she began to pace.
By the time Malfoy reached the hall that their common room was located in, he had thought of hundreds of ways to punish the Head Girl for tricking him. As he rounded the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks and closed his eyes. The hair on the back of his neck was standing up. His skin began to prickle and warm. The lust he had been feeling for his 'mystery girl' was coming back, strong and fast. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that Hermione was no less than ten yards away. He could feel her. What is going on? I can't believe it was Granger I was lusting after. I can't have her. It isn't supposed to be like this. He slowly opened his eyes anyway. He couldn't help it.
Hermione was still pacing. How on earth am I supposed to get into this damned room? We have to say something in unison to set the password. Without him here I can't get in. With him here, I don't want to go in. SHIT!
Malfoy couldn't take it anymore. He knew he had to have her, yet at the same time, he knew he couldn't. He also needed revenge for that little 'incident' in Paris. As his plan formed in his head, he rounded the corner and headed toward Hermione as fast as he could without running.
In the middle of her conversation with herself, Hermione heard footsteps. She looked up and saw Malfoy getting closer and closer to her, his black cloak billowing behind him. He looked like the devil himself.
"Malfoy…Wait…I can explain. Just…" Before she could finish, she was being backed into the door and his lips were on hers.
It is perfect. Damn it! It isn't supposed to be this way. Come on Draco, you can do this, just back away. Draco couldn't stop himself as his hands went straight for her waist. His fingertips dug into her hips as he lifted her up, without breaking the kiss. Hermione instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, as he pulled her closer. As her center touched his erection, they both let out twin groans of ecstacy and the door to the common room swung open.
He backed her into the wall of the hallway and separated from her before he became consumed by the flames he had just created. His breath was hot against her neck and his lips were inches from her ear when he whispered, "Payback."
Hermione opened her eyes to look into his steely grey orbs. "I beg your pardon?" She asked.
"Payback," he said simply. "P-A-Y-B-A-C-K. Payback. Would you care for a definition?" He asked with malice in his voice.
"No damn you, I don't. I would however like and explanation for what just happened." She said angrily.
Malfoy looked at her with a malevolent smile. He turned and began walking towards the door marked with an enchanted snake slithering across its expanse. "It is a shame you won't get one. Enjoy the password, mudblood."
"Password?" She said aloud to herself. She called out in question, "But we didn't say anything together?" Then she remembered what had happened right before the door had opened.
Malfoy smirked to himself. He was imagining her lovely face turning dark red in embarrassment, and to his immense pleasure he heard her cursing him all the way to her room. She knew. I know she knew what she was doing, when she acted that way in Paris. How dare she? Well, at least I have the upper hand here. I know about the little prophesy. And that password, pure genius. Ha! If she thinks that was all, she has another thing coming. I will make her pay! He went to bed with vengeance on his mind.
Hermione didn't know what to say to him. She knew he had every right to be angry with her. She deserved it, but the password trick was cold-blooded, pure and simple. It's okay, she thought to herself, I'll get him back. Tomorrow.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Gryffindor Tower, 10:35 pm, September 1st
At the same time, in the Gryffindor tower, Ginny was struggling with her own emotions. She knew who he was, yet she risked their friendship by taking advantage of his ignorance. She looked up from her seat in one of the armchairs and glanced at Harry. His emerald eyes were unreadable. She left the common room before the tears began to fall.
Harry was trying to decide how he felt. Oh course he was upset that she knew who he was and didn't tell him, then again he wasn't exactly honest with her about what he knew. In his mind, they were even. He just didn't know how to tell her.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Heads Suite, 5:29 am, September 2nd
Hermione rose early the next morning as was her custom. Looking over at the clock, she realized it was 5:30. Plenty of time to relax and enjoy myself. If I am lucky, and Malfoy is the lazy shit I think he is, I can take my time and be out of here by the time he wake up. Perfect, just perfect.
She quietly crept to the kitchen, and began to look through the cabinet. Right beside a gas stove was a copper tea kettle. It looked like the one she had at home. She picked it up and filled it with water as she hummed a song by one of her favorite muggle musicians, Norah Jones. The melody of Nightingale, filled the small kitchen. While the water was heating, she searched for tea, a mug, a spoon, and some honey. One by one, she found everything she needed, from a crimson mug, to a container of Irish Breakfast tea. Perfect. Aboslutely, perfect. Just what I was looking for.
As she reached the end of the tune, the kettle began to whistle. Hermione quickly removed the kettle from the eye and turned it off, before it woke up her suitemate. Should have let it wake his sorry arse up. She smiled to herself then frowned. Then I would have to look at him. Nevermind. Let him sleep. She let the tea steep and closed her eyes as the aroma wafted through her, filling her with pleasant memories of home. She removed the teabags and added a bit of honey.
Hermione took her drink and settled comfortably into a feminine gold armchair that sat next to a very masculine forest green (for lack of a better word) throne, in front of the fireplace. That should suit is gigantic ego! She pulled a red pillow into her lap and curled her legs underneath her. As she sipped at her tea, she felt her body relax and the tension and anger leave her body, replaced by warmth and well being.
Now I can think. Think calmly and cleverly on how to get Malfoy back. Once again, as though someone was reading her mind, she heard a slight pop. Dobby, her favorite house elf appeared.
"Dobby! What are you doing here so early in the morning? Would you like some tea?" she asked pleased to see the elf.
The house elf looked lovingly at his favorite witch. "No Miss Hermione. I am just supposed to put this notice from the Headmaster on the door for you and Mr. Malfoy. That's all." Before Hermione could ask any other questions, Dobby disappeared, leaving the sealed parchment on the table next to her.
The Head Girl reached for the letter and broke the seal. By the time she finished reading, she already had a plan, and a smirk Malfoy would be proud of was spread evilly across her face. "Payback is a bitch Malfoy!"
She quietly crept to his bedroom door. "Alohomora!" Thank Merlin these doors will open for me, even if I can't go in! I just have to be creative. "Accio Clock!" The clock flew from Malfoy's nightstand right into Hermione's outstretched hands. She quickly figured out how to work his clock, and set his alarm to go off at 8:45 am. Forty-five minutes after….well after. She grinned broadly and levitated the clock back to his bedside.
After closing the door and locking it back, she hurried off to her room to get ready for the fireworks. She knew he would know it was her, but as far as she was concerned, she had drawn first blood for the day, and she couldn't be happier.
Great Hall, 7:45 am, September 2nd
Hermione breezed into the Great Hall. She felt great, and she looked great. Her dark brown curls were tousled, her make-up was flawless, and her robes clung to her curves in all the right places, sexy, without being slutty. Something Lavender Brown and her cosmetically driven cronies had never managed with or without magic. Her comfy flats tapped against the stone floor as she made her way to her seat, next to her best friend and partner in crime, Ginny.
"Look who decided to grace us with her presence! Not only that, but she looks pleased herself, like the cat that ate the canary. Wait…you didn't kill Malfoy in his sleep did you? Am I going to have to help you dispose of the body?" Ginny asked with a bright smile.
Hermione just smiled at her friend and grabbed a shiny red apple. "No, he is still alive." She took a bite out of the apple and chewed thoughtfully, relishing the day to come.
Ginny wasn't satisfied. "What did you do? You are going to have to tell me. I know you did something, it is written all over your face."
"You will just have to wait like all the others. Beside I didn't even touch his person, personally or with magic." Hermione took another bite. "So how did your night go? How upset was Harry? How did your brother take it?"
The blond hung her head. "He didn't even talk to me, Mione. He just looked at me as if I had killed Hedwig. I felt so bad I had to leave the room before I cried in front of him. I felt so damn guilty. I don't know about Ron though. At the feast, he turned red as a beet, but didn't say anything. I guess we will just have to wait and see." She felt something funny in her stomach and looked towards the door. "Speak of the devil."
Hermione turned to see Harry Potter in the doorway of the Great Hall. When his green eyes finally spotted them, he fixed an indifferent expression on his face and started towards them.
"Morning ladies. So nice to see that you didn't run from the very sight of me this lovely morning. I have grown so used to seeing the back of your pretty heads, I almost didn't recognize you." His gaze was unchanging until he realized Ginny was close to tears. "Kidding guys, can't you two take a joke?" He smiled encouragingly at his two best female friends.
Hermione decided to speak for the both of them since Ginny didn't look like she could get out a coherent sentence. "Harry, we are so sorry. We didn't mean to hurt your feelings. We just wanted to surprise everyone, like we did last night. That is why we ran from you. I hope you understand."
Even though Harry knew better, he figured it would be easier on himself if he just played dumb. "I knew you two must have had a good reason for running away from me, even though I didn't know who you were. I mean it isn't everyday that two beautiful girls run and hide from 'The Boy Who Lived!' " He put an easy smile on his face. "So Hermione, did the Head Boy survive the night? The seventh year Gryffindors bet he wouldn't make through the night and to breakfast in one piece."
Hermione let out a throaty laugh. "I sure hope you bet a lot on me. Because unless someone intercedes for him, he will not be at breakfast this morning." She smiled as the color drained from Harry's face.
"Tell me you didn't kill him. Please tell me you didn't kill him. I don't know if I can get you out of Azkaban. I can see the headlines now, 'Gryffindor Princess brutally murders Slytherin Prince in his sleep.' Did you at least give him a fighting chance?" Harry asked worriedly.
"Don't worry. Like I already told Gin, he still breathes. There has been no physical damage inflicted. He will be just fine and I predict he will enter the Great Hall between approximately 8:50 and 9 o'clock am." Hermione smirked into her glass of milk. "And I bet he won't be happy."
Ginny cocked her head a bit to the left. "Didn't Dumbledore's message say there was a mandatory meeting in the Great Hall for all sixth and seventh years at 8 am?" She looked at Hermione, whose grin was getting bigger by the minute. "You are going to make him late on purpose, and have Dumbledore embarrass him in front of everyone aren't you?"
"Who me? I am the quite little bookworm who has never broken a rule in her life. I would never purposely reset the Head Boy's alarm clock to 8:45, knowing that his presence is requested in the Great Hall forty five minutes before that. Nope, not me. Must be someone else you know." She began to laugh, thoroughly pleased with herself.
Unbeknownst to her, the person she wanted to see the very least of all at that moment walked into the room. Harry spotted him over her shoulder and tried to tell him with his eyes that coming to sit with them at that moment wasn't the best idea in the world. As usual, Ron was oblivious to everything.
"Morning all." He said, as if nothing had changed. Hermione's laughter died instantly. "So, how is everyone?" He asked without looking up, since he was much more worried with what he was having for breakfast. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
To try to break the silence, Harry answered, "Fine. So what do you think of Ginny's new look?" He desperately hoped Ron wouldn't say something stupid. No such luck.
"Mum is going to be pissed." He said between bites of scrambled eggs and toast. "You cut your hair off." More eggs and toast. "And you dyed it." A sip of pumpkin juice. "I hope it isn't permanent." A link of sausage. "And those shoes. You look like a hooker." He finished off the pumpkin juice. "The entire male student body looked like they would jump you in an instant." Ron wiped his mouth. "Your display was an embarrassment to the family. You looked like a trollop"
Harry's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe Ron had just said that. If Ron wasn't his best mate, Harry probably would have hit him then and there. Ginny and Hermione looked a lot less forgiving. Whereas Hermione's icy anger was almost veiled from all, hidden in her eyes, Ginny's was bubbling over. Her entire body was tense, her face was red, and her fists were clenched. She looked like she was about to come across the table and beat the hell out of her brother.
Just as she was about to do just that, Lavender Brown sauntered up behind Ron. Her long hair fell seductively around face. Her make-up was on way too thick. Where Hermione and Ginny's robes were simply fitted and slightly lengthened, Lavender's reached her mid thigh and barely that far. Her blouse was unbuttoned, almost to the point of indecency. She pursed her over glossed lips and glared at Hermione, almost challenging her. Bending at the waist and flashing a fair amount of cleavage, she slowly wrapped her arms around Ron's neck and kissed him loudly. "Morning luv. Did you sleep well?"
Ginny was so shocked she couldn't even react. What the hell did Lavender think she was doing? Ron had the nerve to say she looked like a whore. Well if I am a whore, I don't even want to know what she would be considered. How dare her brother allow his trashy girlfriend to act like this, and in public? Lavender squeezed in between Harry and Ron and all but wrapped herself around the redhead. Eww! I don't even want to know where her hand is!!
Ron leaned over and kissed her, then went straight back to his breakfast. After a few bites, he was about to open his mouth to address Hermione, when Dumbledore's voice was heard above the din of the breakfast chatter.
"Good Morning students. Everyone, except sixth and seventh years, are dismissed to go to their classes. Will everyone please leave the Great Hall for a few moments, you will need to be back in 5 minutes. Do not be late."
Just in time. Harry said to himself, as he and the rest of the student body left the Great Hall. Ginny was about to kill her own brother in front of everyone. It is a shame that he deserved it.
*~*~*~*~*~*
