Title: The Carriage Ride
Previously on Chapter 9…
A pink layer dusted on Amanda's delicate and pale skin, making her look like a pampered doll.
More like a voodoo doll with all those needles, thought Hermione unkindly.
The stench in the carriage was becoming unbearable and now Hermione was having the horrible sensation that the goat's head was staring at her.
Suddenly, Amanda focused her eyes on Hermione.
"You and the Slytherin make such a good couple," she said with a sigh quickly following.
"What?"
Chapter 10
Hermione didn't know if she should laugh or yell. She was sure that the people inside the carriage were slowly becoming insane (Hermione was certain that the goat head helped a lot).
Her and Draco a couple? It was the most ridiculous thing Hermione had ever heard. The brown haired witch finally decided with snort while silently wondering what kind of warped thoughts were in Amanda's head.
"Please," said Hermione and snorted again, something that was very unlike her. Harry and Ron both raised their eyebrows, staring at their snorting friend.
"Granger, please stop imitating a pig. It's irritating," said Draco with an annoyed expression.
"Don't say that to Hermione," replied Ron, defending his friend. "She can snort all she wants!"
Hermione closed her eyes, wishing she could disappear instantly. Draco's laughter doubled the young witch's embarrassment.
Ron means well, she reminded herself.
"By all means then Granger, snort away," Draco managed to say before bursting into laughter once more.
Hermine couldn't help herself. She shot Ron a very irritated look.
"What?" asked Ron, completely dumbfounded. Harry put a hand on the redhead's shoulder, shaking his head.
"You're just jealous," spoke Amanda, her eyes settling on Draco.
The blond Slytherin immediately quiet down.
"I'm jealous?" he asked incredibly. "Of what?"
"Of him," said Amanda simply, pointing her middle finger at Ron (which he found offending).
"Please," snorted Draco, oddly sounding like Hermione only a few moments ago. "There is absolutely nothing to be jealous about."
With that statement, Draco sent Hermione a smug smirk. His eyes suddenly widened for a moment and then landed on Ron. Hermione detected a glint of mischievous amusement and felt uneasy.
He better not do anything to cause more trouble, she thought. But of course Draco wouldn't just sit down quietly while looking out the window, deep in thought (or read a book). He just had to make the long hours a complete hell for everyone.
"Why would I be jealous if Granger has been secretly desiring me for so many years?" the blond wizard asked.
Hermione snorted.
This is becoming a very bad habit, she thought, covering her nose with her hand. Thankfully Harry and Ron looked just as disbelieving as she felt. Finally we agree on something.
"Yes, I always suspected as much," agreed Amanda full heartedly.
Ron, Harry and Hermione threw the girl a glare.
"Would you please be quiet?" hissed Hermione, her angry eyes on the curly haired Hufflepuff. Amanda shrugged.
"You can never hide true love," Amanda said, crossly her arms in front of her defiantly.
Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron, however was turning red in the face. He whipped around to face the startled Hermione, his blue eyes searching.
"Choose," he said simply.
"What?" asked Hermione mystified.
"Choose who you like more," clarified Ron impatiently.
"What for? It's completely pointless," argued Hermione.
"Choose!" exclaimed Ron, the color coming back to his face full force.
Hermione frowned immediately at the imperious order.
"Don't you yell at me, Ronald Weasley," replied Hermione disapprovingly," I can hear you perfectly fine."
Ron cursed under his breath, his words reaching Hermione's sensitive ears.
"In case you've forgotten, it was you who threw the head at me," added Hermione icily.
Ron avoided her cold glare, managing in such a short period of time to look away sheepishly.
"Don't try to change the topic, Hermione. Just pretend to choose for Weasel's sake," boasted Draco loudly, sending the angry Ron a superior look.
"Why don't you shut it?" asked Ron and Harry in unison.
"No need to scream. I can unfortunately hear you well enough," replied the Slytherin, having the grace to look annoyed.
"I wish I brought a camera," sighed Amanda dreamily, "This whole trip would have made a great photo album. I would get everyone's signature at the back."
"I wish I never came on this carriage. These people are crazy," mumbled John to himself. He was hunched over, as though scared to touch anyone as though they carried a deadly disease.
Hermione couldn't believe the situation she was in. After saying one tiny, little comment, it turned to this. She gave a long sigh, wishing that she was inside Hogwarts instead of a cramped carriage with some very strange people. It felt like days she had been stuck in the carriage, not a mere few hours. Her stomach kindly reminded her that she only had two Chocolate Frogs for lunch and she was paying dearly for it. Remembering the magnificent feast from the previous year made didn't help, as her stomach grumbled impatiently. Hermione's mouth water as her mind wandered over to the idea of the feast waiting for her.
But where was she? Stuck in a ridiculous argument that was brewing into a fight. Hermione could practically feel the tension rolling off of Harry and Ron likes waves.
"This is so stupid," she muttered to no one in particular.
Unfortunately, there was no one generous enough to voice the same opinion. Hermione send a glare to the three.
Boys.
"Choose!" yelled Ron once more, his voice becoming hoarse.
"Honestly Granger, you're killing him. Let the boy suffer in peace," Draco said, his voice laced with arrogance.
"This is so pointless," insisted the brown haired Gryffindor, clearly not wanting to be in any part of this mess. Ron's blue eyes narrowed, barely looking more than slits, at the word "boy".
"Is this the way you talk to your husband?" asked Draco with dramatic shock.
Hermione narrowed her eyes, knowing that Drao was cruelly playing with her best friends. Why Draco had suddenly taken an interest in calling her "his wife", Hermione didn't know. She thought about it as she eyed the said wizard, wondering if she wanted to know the reason behind it. Ron and Harry meanwhile wore matching scowls, their furious eyes roasting Draco alive like a dead pig.
"Why do you keep mentioning that?" asked Hermione. "Why do you call me your wife?"
Harry suddenly focused his attention on Hermione. His scowl, making The-Boy-Who-Lived nothing short of livid and menacing, was completely erased. With the angry lines vanished from his face, he looked so…innocent. Hermione did a double take.
Since when did Harry have more mood swings than a girl? she thought incredibly, thinking how this somehow had passed her by all this time.
"You mean you don't want Malfoy to call you that?" asked Harry so quietly that Hermione had to strain to hear it. She raised her eyebrows, noticing the barely concealed glee and relief thick in his voice.
"Of course not!" she cried once the words registered in her tired head. She couldn't help but feel shocked and rather insulted that Harry had thought other wise.
"She loves me, Potter," answered Draco at the same time.
To prove his point, the handsome blond patted his heart. Then, with a devilish smile intact, Draco reached out to pat Hermione's heart as well.
No matter how anybody looked at it, that little act of affection was not innocent. Hermione's face turned beet red as she slapped Draco's warm hand away. Her steady eye contact with Harry was broken as she pierced Draco with a scowl of her own.
"I do not want you to touch me," said Hermione, bringing out her wand to show that she meant business.
Hermione's heart was beating too fast and she suddenly felt the existence of what felt like a thousand butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She definitely wasn't hungry now.
Pull yourself together, she said to herself sternly.
And so with great difficulty, Hermione looked back at Harry, not liking the fact that her face was still red.
Ron's eyebrow twitched noticeably. The vein bulging from the side of his head didn't fail to capture people's attention.
"So you won't mind if I beat him up if he says that again?" asked Ron, eyeing the blond Slytherin as though he was an ugly bug he dearly wanted to step on.
Hermione couldn't help but frowned upon the act of violence while Harry cheered the redhead on. Her frown deepened as Draco let out a dirty comment about her, him and a French maid dress.
A/N: Terribly sorry for the long, long update. I wrote this chapter with a very big headache and a bad cough so please excuse all the spelling mistakes. I'll edit it soon enough. Chapter 11 is already more than half done so my gracious readers won't have to wait so long. Here's a little preview of chapter 11…
Preview of chapter 11
Just when Hermione thought things couldn't get any worse, the door opened. Freezing rain rushed inside while two identical heads came into view. Devilishly sly and wicked smiles lit up freckled faces that belonged to none other than Fred and George Weasley. Their eyes traveled from the girls huddled in a corner, Harry holding his nose in pain, Ron rubbing his head and Draco on top of Hermione on the ground
"You guys sure don't know how to have a party," they noted in unison, shaking their hair in shame.
A dozen faces stared with dumb expressions on their faces, watching the half naked brothers invite themselves inside the already crowded carriage. The twins were missing quite a few clothing. The only clothes they did have on were muddy shocks, black pants and Gryffindor ties.
"How the bloody hell did you find yourselves outside?" asked Ron surprised, finally finding his voice.
Fred, who had closed the door, muttered something under his breath.
"What?" asked Ron.
"He said," said George, speaking up for his brother, "that you guys must have had a farting contest in here."
The two waved their hand back and forth in front of their faces to prove their point.
"It's like that time when little Ronny didn't shower for a week," said Fred loudly, an evil grin on his wet face. He dodged Ron's punch with surprising grace.
"Or that other time when a horse crapped on him," added George, a smile of his own creeping on his face. Ron aimed for his shins only to hit air.
Fred looked down at Hermione and Draco and raised an eyebrow.
"Aren't you comfy?"
Thanks for reading! Reviews please?