Chapter 9: Breakfast with Blaise

Disclaimer: We own only the plot, out of school friends, and nail files

Draco's POV

On the first day back to school, I woke up to see my father's eagle outside the window. I walked over and took the letter from its leg and watched it fly off. The letter said:

'My son,

It has just come to my attention that the Dark Lord's daughter goes to school with you. It has also come to my attention that you are both prefects. I have had it arranged that you will be able to participate in many of your classes together, keep a close watch on her. I am unable to put anymore in this letter. Write back to me telling me how school is going and how the ride was.

Sincerely,

L. Malfoy'

'What the fuck is this shit! I only came to school yesterday and you're already hounding me to find out how the year is going! And if I told you who the Dark Lord's daughter has been for the past sixteen years, you would do something to cause me to go insane.' I thought.

My father always expected too much from me. And what did he mean by the classes and keeping a watch over her? And about the 'I am unable to put anymore in this letter'?

Whatever. I yawned and put on my uniform. It was a sunny, but chilly day. I looked my schedule over to see that I would be spending most of my day outdoors, with the Griffyndors. I hated the Potty and Weasel, but at least I would be able to talk to Emma,

NO! WHAT AM I THINKING! SHE LIED TO ME AND TOOK ADVANTAGE OF MY TRUST! WHY WOULD I EVEN THINK ABOUT EVEN TALKING TO HER? LET ALONE EVEN THINK ABOUT HER!

I made my way downstairs to breakfast. Everyone was there, but no one was eating. They were either gossiping or looking at Emma. The place was full of chatter. I sat down at my usual place, but Zambini sat down next to me instead of Goyle.

"So what's today's gossip" I asked quietly so only Blaise heard. I hate being behind.

"They're just talking about the usual; a couple of break-ups, rumors about the new DADA teacher, turns out she's part mermaid," I gave him a look of disbelief, "don't ask, and the back to school dance"

"What else is new, I bet that the girls are talking about who they're going with and what to wear, and the boys are talking about how far they're going to try to get." I said casually while lifting up my newspaper and taking a sip of my pumpkin juice (A/N and we all know what that means is coming up)

"Actually, they're talking about how Dumbledore hired PMS to be the band." (here it comes!)

I spit my pumpkin juice all over my newspaper, causing a flood in the picture of the draught in some poor country.

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, we're gonna be able to see mubl..." he began

"Don't you dare call her that." I hissed at him, giving the coldest death glare I could muster.

"OK," he took a bite of his eggs, "You got a thing for Granger?"

"No, it's…complicated, so don't ever bring it up or mention thins to anyone."

I got up, took a piece of toast, and walked to the greenhouses to my first class. I took a glance at Emma and saw that she was wearing the ring I gave her. I turned around and walked out of the hall.

When I got to the greenhouses, I sat down under a nearby tree to think. There was still at least half an hour until class began, so I was safe from being disturbed.

'Why was she wearing the ring? Did it match her outfit, did she forget to take it off? I know now that it means nothing to her, and nothing to me, but why am I obsessing over it?' I banged my head on the tree and looked out into the distance. She was coming over, unaccompanied by anyone. The wonder boys must have told everyone that she was at potions or something.

I looked at her and saw that she didn't look the same as she did yesterday. Her hair was highlighted red with a little bit of gold. She had dark red lip-gloss and was wearing studs instead of her usual bar. Her uniform, too, looked different.

Instead of the usual vest, button down shirt, ugly knee-length skirt, and loose robe, she was wearing a tight black camisole with a button down shirt that had the top few buttons open with the school emblem over her left breast. Instead of the usual ugly skirt, she wore tight pants in the same ugly color, but it didn't look bad on her. They actually looked like altered versions of the pants that the boys are required to wear. Her robe was loose, but that only showed off her figure even more. She was wearing high black sandals, which made her look like she was 5'5, a few inches shorter than me. Of course she was wearing jewelry that finished the look perfectly. I stood up to greet her, but then remembered why I left the Great Hall early.

She walked to me and said "I'm sorry that I hurt you Draco, and I hope you can forgive me, but if I had told you who I've been, then would we have had the friendship that we did?" Her eyes showed that she truly was sorry, but I just couldn't forgive her, not that easily.

I stared coldly into her eyes and told her "If you had been honest with me would we be having this argument, mistress?"

I could tell that that hurt her. She looked away and began to walk towards Greenhouse 5, but I stopped her.

"Where are you going?" I said

"Like you would care" she mumbled

"I don't, but your father does. Now that you can no longer be followed by an adult, it is once again my responsibility to watch over you" I said in the most "I'm in charge" voice.

"You didn't care at the beach! You didn't care when a stranger took me somewhere! You never cared and you never even cared about my past! So it's just as much your fault!" She looked straight into my eyes as she said it, but I could tell that she was about to cry, using all of her strength to hold it in.

She turned and ran away. I saw her run past Potty and Weasel. They looked at where she was running from and saw me. I couldn't believe what I just heard and saw.

It hurt, but she hurt me. She was the first person I ever confided in and she couldn't even confide in me! How could she say that I don't care about her?

'BECAUSE YOU DON'T DRACO!' I told myself

I looked up and saw the Boy Who Lucked and the Weasel King standing angrily in front of me.

"B.O.B, Back Off Bitch, you wouldn't want to join your mommy and daddy, would you?" I said threatingly to Potter.

"Where did you learn that?" Weasly demanded

"I don't take orders from those who are beneath me, but if you must know I heard a friend say it" I said casually

"The only person in this whole school and out of everyone else I know, the only person who says that is 'Mione! And we just saw her running away from you, crying!" Potter yelled.

I had forgotten which friend said that. DAMN!

"She was crying?" I didn't even realise that I was showing the slightest bit of remorse. I felt my eyes soften and immediately put on a mask of indiference.

"Yes, you son of a bitch!" Potter looked like he was ready to slug me.

'SHIT! now my father was going to find out that she was upset (the Dark Lord has his ways) and I was going to get in trouble.'

"Like I care, now if you will excuse me, I must get to class" I said as I made my way to the greenhouse where everyone was beginning to gather.

NOBODY'S POV

Hermione didn't go to herbology. Instead she went to her room and cried.

'Why am I letting him get to me? He's just the same old Ferret that he was last year, and the year before. Why am I crying over him?' she thought

She looked down at her finger. The ring lay there, the perfect fit. It was beautiful, just like he was this summer (nice, fun, bla bla bla). Now he was at school and everything changed. The bells rang, signaling that I was time for potions with the Slytherins.

Hermione accidentally grabbed Artemis who was on her potions books and the books themselves and ran down to the dungeons. She would not let Draco get to her.

She got to the potions room just on time. She scanned the room and saw three empty desks at the back of the room. She made her way there, but then remembered that Harry and Ron had potions at a different time than her (she was in a more advanced class than them). Hermione sat down and took out her sketchbook. She was in the middle of drawing a bird when Snape walked into the room. Artemis was coiled in her bookbag. Five minutes into the lesson, Malfoy walked in.

"I was in the loo, professor" he explained in a bored tone.

"Don't let it happen again, no please sit down next to Granger." Snape told him as he tried to make his way to the back of the classroom.

Hermione looked down at Artemis, who was ready to bite Malfoy, but she rubbed her head to calm the snake down. She had noticed the little snake as Draco walked into the room.

"This semester, we will be learning about the potion to see all that is hidden, does anyone know what it is called and further explain it?" Snape said

Hermione's hand flew into the air.

"Yes Miss Granger"

"It is called the 'Opensium' and it helps people to see how people are, weather physically or mentally..."

"Correct" Snape interrupted "Now can anyone tell me what the main ingredients are?"

Once again, Hermione's hand was the only one raised.

"Miss Granger"

"The main ingredients are a hair from the mane of a lion or lioness, a pure white owl feather, and a scale from a snake"

"Specify what kind of snake"

"A king cobra for physically, a garden snake for mentally"

"Specify mentally"

"The person would only be able to speak what they believe, they would not be able to act like what they are not, and so on"

"Specify physically"

"The person would not be able to hide anything on their body, like a pimple, or a tattoo, or even a third eye"

"Correct. Now you shall be working on this potion with the person next to you and at the end of the quarter you will be testing the potion on your partner. I will be walking around asking questions about this potion and grade you according to your answer. The instructions are on the board, begin"

Hermione turned to Malfoy and said, "Neither of us wants to work with the other, so let's divide this up, you'll do the cutting and I'll do everything else, now go get the ingredients." She didn't want to have to take his bull again. If he wanted to be a bitch, that was his deal and she did not want to let him know that it got to her.

"Didn't you just say that you'd do everything besides the cutting?"

"You know what I meant, now go get the ingredients so we can begin"

"Fine, mistriss" He whispered the last bit in her ear as he reached into her bag and pulled out Artemis.

"And what s that, Mister Malfoy?" Snape said from behind Mafloy

"She's mine, she must have snuck into my bag to take a nap, I'm sorry professor, would you like me to take her to my room?" Hermione tried to cover.

"No, I will keep her with me until the end of class, 50 points from Gryffindor for bringing a snake to class and you may join me for detention tonight at eight."

"Yes sir"

"Now one of you, tell me how long it takes to brew this potion"

"One moon rotation, if you use a king cobra and three weeks if you use a garden snake" Hermione said.

"Correct, but I said this potion, meaning the one that you will be doing. You fail, Mister Malfoy, would you please tell me how long it will take to brew the potion you will be making?"

"Our potion will take, um," Hermione tapped his foot one time. "Three weeks" he finished.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his immaturity. He was doing this on purpose.

"Very well, then here is the scale of a gardensnake" Snape said handing Malfoy a scale from a jar he was holding. "Full marks". He turned and walked away.

When Snape got to his desk, he conjured up a cage and put Artemis into it.

"Class, I will be leaving you for a short time, I expect you all to at least be past the first two steps when I get back." With a swish of his cloak, Snape made his way to Professor Dombledore's office.

"Cookie dough bites" He said to the gargoyle. He stepped into the office, Artemis (in the cage) in his hand and walked up to the Headmaster. As he opened the door, he saw Dumbledorefeeding his god foresaken bird.

"Headmaster, we have a problem."

"Yes Severus?"

"I found Mister Malfoy holding this," he held up the cage, "Miss Granger said it was hers."

"And what do you suppose we do? We cannot just say that she isn't allowed to bring her pet to school"

"But the students are only allowed to bring either a cat, owl or a frog. And we both know about her father. What if he knows too?"

"Then we shall hope that the two do not cross paths, and that she does not get the signs. She is, after all, her mother's daughter too" the old man said with a twinkle in his eye, "And as for the snake, can you not see that she is already miserable, I heard that she skipped herbology, that she ran away crying. She is going through a difficult time, she needs all the support she can get." Snape rolled his eiyes. Why should the princess of darkness be allowed to get away with but a slap on her wrist, "Let her keep the snake, but I shall talk to her about it tonight at the head meeting, she shall be coming to discuss her band supplying the entertainment. Now if I am not mistaken, you have a class now?"

"Yes sir" Snape said. He turned and walked out of the office and headed for the classroom in a very foul mood.