Chapter 10: He Knows
"What do you mean?" Hermione said casually, while looking at a painting of a bowl of fruit.
"In her office," Malfoy pointed, "you were trying to stop me from doing my duty!"
Hermione began to walk away, but Malfoy's firm fingers, gripped her fable upper arm, "Look, Malfoy! I don't know what you're talking about, so stop pestering me!" Hermione began to slowly back up into the wall where the bowl of fruit was. She slid a bit and started to hear soft giggles. She turned around and found herself facing a kitchen full of house elves.
"The kitchen?" Malfoy had never been in the kitchen before now.
"What?" Hermione smirked andbegan to forget about their argument, "Never been here before?"
"Well, uh-"
"Come on!" Hermione grabbed Malfoy's hand and lured him through the portrait's doorway. A group of house elves came up to them with platters of tarts and Danish's. Hermione refused. Then, she heard a familiar voice coming from one of the counters.
"Hermione Granger!" the voice squeeked.
"Dobby?" Hermione ran towards her old friend to greet him. Dobby glanced passed her and ran to hide behind the counter, "Dobby, what's wrong?"
"Master Malfoy!" he piped, "What's he doing in Dobby's kitchen! Master Malfoy will be angry with Dobby!"
"Now, now. Malfoy and I just, well, happened, to get here. He's probably forgot-" but a voice butted in.
"You! Why I aughtta.augh!" Malfoy threatened while making rude gestures towards Dobby.
"We'd better leave," Hermione decided, "goodbye Dobby, and I hope I will see you soon."
"Goodbye!" Dobby replied.
So Hermione and Malfoy (with a lot of help from Hermione) left the kitchen. They exited the portrait and an excited voice started to ring through their ears. It was Filch.
"Looky here. Students out wandering the corridors late at night," Hermione looked at her watch and turned her face into a bewildering expression.
"But we are the Head Boy and Girl!" she pointed at her badge.
"That could belong to anyone. For all I know, you could have stole it!" Filch snarled. "Follow me."
Hermione and Malfoy had no choice but to follow. They didn't bother paying attention to where they were going, because they were right. Besides, they were fuming about what had happened. Filch didn't care about any of this. He never cared what house you were in (although that was usually a good thing), how old you were, or if you had special privileges. He only cared about when he could use the chains in his office,
"Go in and sit down. Because you are in my office, you will touch none of my possessions! I have had certain students who felt they could so," Hermione thought of Fred and George, "Now, I will be right back," Filch said all this rather quickly.
"Good job, mudblood. You probably landed us both in detention!" Malfoy spat.
"Me? It's your fault, Malfoy. If you didn't ask me so many questions outside of McGonnagal's office, we wouldn't be here!" Hermione snapped back.
"Miss. Granger? Mr. Malfoy? What are you doing here?" McGonnagal stepped into Filch's office, followed by Filch himself.
"Well, see-" they both began.
"I told you both to go straight back to your dormitories. Did you think it be wise to continue to wander the halls at this hour? You will both be punished for not following instructions," Malfoy shot Hermione a rather dirty look. "I will have you serve a detention tomorrow at 8:00 pm. Come to my office then, and don't be late!" McGonnagal ordered, "Now go to bed!"
Hermione got up from where she was sitting, and headed directly for her common room. Malfoy followed silently.
"Pepperment Stick," Hermione muttered to the portrait. It swung open, and Hermione threw her badge on the couch. She regretted it, because it bounced to the floor. She went to pick it up so no one would step on it. She reached towards it, but Malfoy's hand got their first. He stood up and pocketed the badge.
"I want to know," he said calmly. Hermione stood up as well, and took a deep breath.
"Do you really want to know? Do you?" Malfoy nodded slowly, "You'll be so scared and frightened, that it will make Askaban look like a birthday party!" "Nothing is worse than Askaban," he drawled.
"Well I know somebody who is. I'm scared, Malfoy. Scared for everyone," a single tear strolled down Hermione's right eye.
"Don't be. I think I already know," his gray eyes seemed scared like Hermione had never seen. He began to walk towards the stairs, but stopped. He turned around and walked towards her. He placed her badge in the palm of her hand then closed it with his own. He held his hand there.
"I'm here," he said.
More tears came down Hermione's face.
"What do you mean?" Hermione said casually, while looking at a painting of a bowl of fruit.
"In her office," Malfoy pointed, "you were trying to stop me from doing my duty!"
Hermione began to walk away, but Malfoy's firm fingers, gripped her fable upper arm, "Look, Malfoy! I don't know what you're talking about, so stop pestering me!" Hermione began to slowly back up into the wall where the bowl of fruit was. She slid a bit and started to hear soft giggles. She turned around and found herself facing a kitchen full of house elves.
"The kitchen?" Malfoy had never been in the kitchen before now.
"What?" Hermione smirked andbegan to forget about their argument, "Never been here before?"
"Well, uh-"
"Come on!" Hermione grabbed Malfoy's hand and lured him through the portrait's doorway. A group of house elves came up to them with platters of tarts and Danish's. Hermione refused. Then, she heard a familiar voice coming from one of the counters.
"Hermione Granger!" the voice squeeked.
"Dobby?" Hermione ran towards her old friend to greet him. Dobby glanced passed her and ran to hide behind the counter, "Dobby, what's wrong?"
"Master Malfoy!" he piped, "What's he doing in Dobby's kitchen! Master Malfoy will be angry with Dobby!"
"Now, now. Malfoy and I just, well, happened, to get here. He's probably forgot-" but a voice butted in.
"You! Why I aughtta.augh!" Malfoy threatened while making rude gestures towards Dobby.
"We'd better leave," Hermione decided, "goodbye Dobby, and I hope I will see you soon."
"Goodbye!" Dobby replied.
So Hermione and Malfoy (with a lot of help from Hermione) left the kitchen. They exited the portrait and an excited voice started to ring through their ears. It was Filch.
"Looky here. Students out wandering the corridors late at night," Hermione looked at her watch and turned her face into a bewildering expression.
"But we are the Head Boy and Girl!" she pointed at her badge.
"That could belong to anyone. For all I know, you could have stole it!" Filch snarled. "Follow me."
Hermione and Malfoy had no choice but to follow. They didn't bother paying attention to where they were going, because they were right. Besides, they were fuming about what had happened. Filch didn't care about any of this. He never cared what house you were in (although that was usually a good thing), how old you were, or if you had special privileges. He only cared about when he could use the chains in his office,
"Go in and sit down. Because you are in my office, you will touch none of my possessions! I have had certain students who felt they could so," Hermione thought of Fred and George, "Now, I will be right back," Filch said all this rather quickly.
"Good job, mudblood. You probably landed us both in detention!" Malfoy spat.
"Me? It's your fault, Malfoy. If you didn't ask me so many questions outside of McGonnagal's office, we wouldn't be here!" Hermione snapped back.
"Miss. Granger? Mr. Malfoy? What are you doing here?" McGonnagal stepped into Filch's office, followed by Filch himself.
"Well, see-" they both began.
"I told you both to go straight back to your dormitories. Did you think it be wise to continue to wander the halls at this hour? You will both be punished for not following instructions," Malfoy shot Hermione a rather dirty look. "I will have you serve a detention tomorrow at 8:00 pm. Come to my office then, and don't be late!" McGonnagal ordered, "Now go to bed!"
Hermione got up from where she was sitting, and headed directly for her common room. Malfoy followed silently.
"Pepperment Stick," Hermione muttered to the portrait. It swung open, and Hermione threw her badge on the couch. She regretted it, because it bounced to the floor. She went to pick it up so no one would step on it. She reached towards it, but Malfoy's hand got their first. He stood up and pocketed the badge.
"I want to know," he said calmly. Hermione stood up as well, and took a deep breath.
"Do you really want to know? Do you?" Malfoy nodded slowly, "You'll be so scared and frightened, that it will make Askaban look like a birthday party!" "Nothing is worse than Askaban," he drawled.
"Well I know somebody who is. I'm scared, Malfoy. Scared for everyone," a single tear strolled down Hermione's right eye.
"Don't be. I think I already know," his gray eyes seemed scared like Hermione had never seen. He began to walk towards the stairs, but stopped. He turned around and walked towards her. He placed her badge in the palm of her hand then closed it with his own. He held his hand there.
"I'm here," he said.
More tears came down Hermione's face.