AN: Sorry this is late guys. I had family matters to take care of. Big ups btw to my amazing betas and my alpha. This story would not be what it is without you. On with the story…
Breakfast the following morning was chaotic. According to plan, I -as Hermione- went to breakfast and ate with a few other early birds. I made sure to have an intelligent conversation with a sixth year in my house, and when the boys joined the table, I turned the conversation to them. Gradually leading the topic towards class, I hopped up. "I forgot to get that research for my Muggle Studies class!"
"Mione!" Ron whined. "It's the first day of class! There is no homework, so there is no research! We haven't even gone to class yet!"
"No, I promised the professor I'd bring him some research about the internet. I said I'd have it first class." I gathered up the book I was reading earlier and put it in my satchel. "I've got to run to the library, so I'll see you two in class." I turned and hurried towards the doors.
Malfoy was coming through the doors. Perfect. "Merlin, Granger, where's the fire?" he smirked. I scowled at him and muttered that I had to go to the library. He laughed. "Already? Wow!"
I pushed past him and headed in the direction of the library in case anyone was watching me. Once I was sure I was out of everyone's sight, I did my transformation. Pulling my mirror out of my bag, I made sure all the little changes Gin and I made last night were the same. I should probably research a way to get my desired look with only one spell. Using my fingers to comb through my short hair, I noticed the lack of makeup on my face. Shrugging my shoulders, I applied the dark red lipstick Ginny let me borrow and left it at that. Seems like Ginny's wish to teach me how to do makeup was going to come true. Finally satisfied with how my face looked, I returned my mirror to my bag. I undid the buttons on my robes so I could wear them open, and loosened my Gryffindor tie. I transformed my satchel to a gold color. Grudgingly, I shortened my school skirt and adjusted my shirt so you could see a little of the lace from the maroon camisole tank I had on underneath it. After doing one more mirror check, I sauntered back into the Great Hall. I made sure to pause at the doors so I could catch everyone's attention and then I sat down in between Ron and Harry. Harry sat with his jaw slack looking at me. I leaned over and ruffled his hair. "Now Harry, you can't be gawking at me like you just realized I'm a member of the opposite sex." I turned and ruffled Ron's hair, too. He blushed to the tips of his red hair. I looked up and caught a wink from Professor Dumbledore. Laughing, I looked over at the Slytherin table to see Draco fuming. I winked at him, gave him a little wave, and started to butter a piece of toast.
"I think you're having too much fun with this," Harry cautioned.
"Why, whatever do you mean, Harry?" I said with mock surprise.
He shook his head, running his fingers through his hair to try to fix it. "Did you have to make an entrance?"
I started to reply but a drawl interrupted me. "Of course, she did Potter. Did you expect anything less coming from someone so magnificent?"
The whole table quieted down when they realized that the voice belonged to Draco. Then, as they realized what he had said, all eyes turned towards me. Ron sputtered and almost choked on his pumpkin juice. Harry narrowed his eyes and simply asked, "What are you doing over here, Malfoy?"
I turned and looked up at him. He looked down at me and gave me that blasted smirk. "I came to escort this lovely lady to class. Belle, you didn't tell him?"
"She has a name you know," Ron scoffed. "You should probably use it. Or do you have so many girls that it's easier for you to use pet names so you don't accidentally say the wrong name?"
Ginny popped him on the back of the head as she sat down. "Shut up, Ron. I swear you act like Mum didn't teach you any manners." She kissed Harry on the cheek and looked over at Malfoy and I. "What's going on here?" She asked.
Malfoy was currently glaring at Ron. "Well simpleton, Belle means beautiful woman in French, but I wouldn't expect you to know that. I bet you just grunt like a caveman at your women and expect them to be infatuated with you." He smirked. "Infatuated means-"
"Well, we should be going." I cut him off and stood up. "I thought I was meeting you after breakfast?" I asked him, a little annoyed.
He took my bag from me, scowling at the color and slung it over his shoulder. He leaned over and said quietly in my ear, "I couldn't wait."
Blushing, I looked back toward my friends. Harry had a weird expression on his face and Ron's was getting more and more furious. "I will see you guys later." It was probably best to get out of here before Ron blew his top. There was no telling what he might say. I grabbed Malfoy's hand and started dragging him towards the doors.
He stopped. Unable to budge him, I dropped his hand and turned to look at him. "What are you doing?" I hissed.
"You haven't eaten. You just got here. Let's go sit at my table and get you some breakfast." He grabbed my hand and gently pulled me toward the Slytherin table.
"Is it safe?" I asked quietly.
"Dear, no one will touch you if you're with me."
"What the bloody hell?" I heard Ron say as we got closer to his table.
"Are you sure?" I whispered nervously to him as I was being led to the unknown. No Gryffindor had ever eaten at the Slytherin table. To be quite honest, I was petrified. Had Malfoy not had a hold of my hand, I would have been frozen where I stood. I looked up at Dumbledore for reassurance and, once again, he winked at me and flashed me a smile. "Draco, are you sure this is okay?" I grabbed his arm with my other hand. "They're not going to hex me to the ends of the earth, are they?" I looked at the Slytherins who were watching our every step. "Why do they look so mean?"
He laughed and patted my hand gently. "Sweetheart, you don't have a thing to worry about. They wouldn't dream of harming you, especially not after the talk I'll have with them as soon as we sit down." Finally, we reached our seats. Malfoy helped me onto the bench and then sat down himself. All eyes were still on us. He cleared his throat. I still hung onto his arm. "Do we have a problem?" he asked in a calm and quiet voice, it was scary. Everyone except Pansy quickly shook their heads. "Will we ever have a problem?" Once again everyone but Pansy shook their heads. "Okay. Then eat."
For a minute, I thought everything was cool. I was shocked. Malfoy had this much pull in his house? Amazing!
Pansy erupted.
"YOU BITCH! YOU BASTARD! YOU-" Pansy continued to yell but no sound was coming from her. Realizing this, her eyes bulged and then a fierce look of anger settled on her face. She gathered up her things and fled from the Great Hall. I looked at Malfoy in shock. He simply smirked at me and leaned over me to grab a piece of toast.
"But how?" I asked.
"There are many things about me of which you are not aware, my Bella." He buttered the toast and handed it to me. "I believe this is what you were about to eat before I stole you from your friends." Shocked I took the toast from him. "I'll have to keep doing things to surprise you because that look on your face is adorable." He smirked again.Damn that smirk to hell! Why is it suddenly extremely sexy to me?
The rest of breakfast went by without any other surprises or disruptions. The professors passed out everyone's timetables, I saw Professor McGonagall talking to Harry and Ron, and she handed an extra timetable to Harry. Then the owl post came.
A jet-black owl dropped a package in front of me. I looked at Malfoy questioningly. He shrugged his shoulders, so I opened the package. Inside was a silver bracelet with a serpent charm on it. Exactly like the one I had transformed my lion belly ring into last night. I gasped and brought my hand to my chest. "Draco! You didn't!" I looked at him again, only to see him smile. "I can't take this. It's too much." He reached for the bracelet and clasped it around my wrist. Well, now that it was on. "I love it!" I threw my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "You're truly going to spoil me if you keep this up. First the roses and now this bracelet?" I blushed. "You're too much."
"Of course not. I wanted you to have something." He said taking my face in his hands. "It's really not that big of a deal; I just thought it would match your piercing." I nodded, twirling the bracelet around my wrist. "Now let's go so I can walk you to class."
"I haven't got a schedule yet. I've got to go meet with Professor Dumbledore." I looked up at the table to see that Dumbledore had already left. "Walk me to his office? I don't know where it's at anyway."
"Fine by me." He helped me to my feet and then took my satchel as he had before, and we walked from the Great Hall. The walk to the gargoyle statue that led to Dumbledore's office was silent. "I don't know the password," Malfoy admitted upon our arrival.
"Harry told me it," I said, lying a bit. "It's Twizzlers." The look of confusion on Malfoy's face was priceless. "It's a Muggle candy." The gargoyle jumped out of the way. "Well, this is where you leave me," I said with my hand out for my bag.
He lifted my chin with his fingers to kiss my forehead. "I'll see you at lunch then?" I nodded. "I'll meet you at 12:15 outside the Great Hall okay?" I nodded again and quickly brushed my lips against his cheek again before I stepped past the gargoyle and headed up the stairs that led to Dumbledore's office.
"Come in." Slowly I opened the door. Every time I've ever been in Dumbledore's office, y eyes are automatically drawn to Fawkes' cage. I've always loved the idea of a phoenix, to be born again from one's ashes. It makes me believe that nothing is forever, anyone can change. Everyone can become a newer version of their past selves. "Sit Ms. Granger." I sat down in the seat directly in front of his desk. A smile played across his face. "A mirror? Ms. Granger?" Laughing at the puzzled look on my face, he handed me a mirror.
"What do I need a mirror for Professor?" I asked not looking in it.
"Look at your reflection and tell me what you see."
I looked into the mirror and gasped. My blonde hair was in my face and my bright blue eyes were big with surprise. "Oh!" I looked up at Dumbledore as his eyes twinkled. "But how did you know it was me?"
"An old man cannot tell his secrets. However, I must say the blonde look is quite interesting on you. I believe our Head Boy thinks the same."
I looked down. "Uhh – sir, Draco doesn't know it's me."
"So, I gathered, because if I remember correctly, I saw you run out as a brunette with long hair to return with short blonde hair. I take it you have undertaken an experiment."
"Well actually, it was all for fun at first, just a test of something we found in CosmoWitchly about changing your own appearance. Then Malfoy came up, and it kind of evolved into me changing him into someone decent." I looked up at him. "You're not angry, are you?"
"Oh no, dear! I think that's exactly what our Head Boy needs."
