After the 'little dragon issue', the other Slytherins began to take the first year group under their collective wing. After all, Draco had lost them fifty points in one night (a very bad thing) while also getting four Gryffindors caught doing the same thing, making them lose two hundred points (a very good thing). Now all he had to do was get Snape to confirm his story and finish that detention.
"If you would just up and ask him, this might not drag on so long! Besides, if you wait long enough, McGonagall will probably renegade on her deal. Which as you remember-"
"Is bad yes I remember." Said Draco shortly, cutting off Theo. "Come on, we've got astronomy tonight and I want to check my star charts. "
Draco hurried down to the dungeon with the boy following after. On the way, the very same professor they had been discussing swept along the hallways coming towards them.
"Oh, professor Snape. That night I lost those points, McGonagall said she would give back half if you said that I was out because Potter had a dragon..."
Draco trailed off, glancing at Theo for help.
"And we were hoping you could tell her that he wasn't 'gallivanting', he was trying to be a help. Or just show her the letter Draco gave you." Theo finished helpfully.
Mentally, Draco heaved a sigh of relief, then glanced at the man looming over them.
"Very well, though I hardly need remind you two that next time you are on your own. It was entirely foolish of you not to trust the matter to me. Potter shall be dealt with as befits him by someone of authority. Now run along back to your common rooms. "
Nodding politely, they hurried away without looking back.
Hermione groaned.
"Pansy, there are four months left to exams! How can you not be revising?!"
"It's like you said Hermione: there are four months let to exams!" Said Pansy, mimicking her friend. Before Hermione could respond, Daphne ran over with Blaise.
"Oi you two! We're staring a game of wizard chess. Wanna watch?"
"Alright I'm game, if Hermione doesn't care about missing her four month in advance revisions." Said Pansy mischievously.
"It's a serious business! Why-"
But exactly what, she never said because the other three dragged her off with mentions of house pride, personal pride, and something about 'you can't pass for pureblood if you keep going on like that'.
Draco and Theo swaggered into the room almost expecting a bored group of first years to congratulate their success. Instead, they found much of the lower year students and even some upper years cheering Blaise on as he...as he what?
"Ten to one says it's another chess match." Whispered Theo. Draco nodded, rather disappointed his friends weren't paying attention to him yet.
"DRACO! COME PLAY THE WINNER WHEN WE FINISH!" Daphne yelled cheerfully. Draco perked up and began to swagger across the commons, until he tripped on his robes.
"Oh I don't know. I'm waiting to hear from Snape. He promised to go tell that Gryffindor windbag McGonagall to give back those points I lost. She made a deal with me you know." He said, puffing out his chest. But nobody was listening. Daphne had just taken one of Blaise's bishops and proclaimed 'check'. In frustration, Draco stalked off and began to write to his mother. She always knew what to say, especially since she wasn't so commanding as his father.
Time seemed to whirl away even faster than before, so that January and February passed before they'd even noticed, in a blaze of schoolwork and quidditch matches. Potter and the Weasley were only out of favour with their house for a short while, until the seeker managed to win some matches for Gryffindor. If the two boys continued to act suspiciously, Theo or Blaise covertly eavesdropped and reported back to the girls.
"Those Gryffindors are complete idiots. I'm not sure why you keep watching them. " Hermione muttered.
"Well you're essentially a genius, but that doesn't keep you from studying like a maniac does it?Daphne pointed out. Hermione huffed and pointedly returned to her work. In frustrate, Blaise grabbed the parchments she was writing on and tossed them into the fire.
"Blaise!" She cried. "That, that was my work! It took hours to get all of that. "
"I'm sorry, but this is for your own good." Said Daphne sadly. "You're working yourself into nothing at this rate. "
Hermione spluttered, a panicked look entering her eyes.
"Tell you what," said Blaise quickly. "Exams are in June. You can start revising in May. "
The morning of May 1 Hermione was up and in the common room before anyone had even woken, books and parchments spread around like a protective force. Blaise only shrugged. What could they do?
Unfortunately, she also tried to force the others to join her.
"How will you pass these exams if you don't study?" She'd say randomly. "Look, I've made a study schedule for you, and even included a free hour so you can catch up on things you thing you missed. "
"Hermione, only swots are studying this hard." Said Draco after three days of forced planners and colour coded subjects. "You're a Slytherin, not a swot. And guess what? I'm not one either!" Saying so, Draco took the planner in her outstretched hand and flung it into the fire. She gasped, and then glared at him.
"Well, well-" she sputtered indignantly, "when you fail the exams and your parents do their 'we're so disappointed in you' speech, I will cheerfully tell you 'I told you so'!" And with that, she stomped off to the dorms.
Hermione curled up on her bed and began to cry. She really wasn't a part of their elite pureblood circle was she, what with the studying, and the stressing about being accepted. And that's all it was, really, was stressing. Until Hogwarts, she'd had no friends aside from her books and parents, and even Hermione knew that neither of those counted. On top of that, despite her top marks, no school had kept her for very long once the 'incidences' began. Magic, McGonagall had explained when she delivered the letter from Hogwarts. And while this thrilled her, this new life where she shouldn't be a freak anymore, it also scared her. Other kids had grown up in this life. If she got kicked out of Hogwarts, if she failed her exams, it was back to the muggle world for her. Surprisingly, the thought seemed terrible now, akin to prison. Draco couldn't understand this. If they failed Hogwarts, they'd live with their parents and homeschool or attend some other school. But they wouldn't fail. Things she couldn't comprehend, such as why there was such animosity between the goblins and the Wizards throughout history, all of it was second nature to Blaise and the others. They'd grown up with it all, heard their parents talking about it.
"Hermione? Hey-" someone clapped a hand on Hermione's shoulder and she jumped in surprise.
"YAAAGGGGHHHHH!"
Daphne jumped back, hands held up protectively.
"Woah there! Just me, Daphne. Sorry to scare you. Anyways, you alright? I came to get something for dinner and you seemed...distraught." Daphne gently sat down on Hermione's bed and smiled at her friend.
"It's fine. Draco's a prat is all." Sniffed Hermione, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand.
"Hah! I could have told you that. Whatever he said is either flat out wrong, or exaggerated and rude. Wanna tell me about it on the way up? I've got something to tell you too anyways." Daphne smiled and offered her hand, which Hermione took gratefully and got up.
"I offered to help Draco study, even made up a planner for him, and he flung it into the fire! I spent a long time making sure it worked with his schedule! And, and, even worse, he said that I was a swot and not a Slytherin at all!"
"He's such a pigheaded idiot, don't listen to him. You're just as Slytherin as any of you study less? Yes of course. What Draco entirely terrible about that? Yes of course. "
Only one phrase seemed to register with Hermione, who turned and looked at her friend with watery eyes.
"Study less?"
Daphne paused, and slowed down her pace to look at Hermione properly.
"Well, a little yeah. I mean," Daphne paused to choose her words carefully, then switched tactics. "Look, you study so that you know the material and are familiar with it, yeah? So you can take these ideas and theories and apply them right? Well, then, I don't see why you need to study so much as the rest of us even, considering the fact that you remember a lot of what you read, obviously understand it, and have no trouble applying those principles to your magic.
Hermione frowned a little, and nodded a little.
"Yeah, yeah I guess so. But-"
"-no buts, Hermione." Said Daphne firmly. "From now on, why don't you let Theo and I help choose your study schedule? You have to admit that Theo and I study and are hardly idiots. We won't let you fail your classes, we just want to make sure you don't "
"Make up my study schedules?" Hermione hiccoughed slightly, not terribly pleased at the prospect. "...fine. Only if you give me at least four hours a week. And also try to give me some hours to study pureblood etiquette and social rules. Pansy was talking about the three or four of us girls going to her house this summer and I want to be prepared. "
"Three hours minimum a week. Now anyways, listen up. I got a letter from my mother. Obviously I didn't tell her everything about Potter and Weasley and Flamel, just made up a similar situation. And she said that the professors, especially Dumbledore, probably already know. After all, they implemented the security for it and know it's here, and thus expect someone to try and steal it, right? Mother said a common goblin tactic at the banks is to put it somewhere safe with new security, but let the thief try and steal it anyways so they can catch him. She strongly advised we leave the situation to them. "
At that, Hermione nodded, dropping a little.
"I don't think Potter and Weasley will do the same. They'll probably try to go after the thief. Not to mention, I haven't really met many adults who are so capable. Most of my professors before Hogwarts, well, they were negligent and stupid. "
"Well it's different here." Said Daphne bracingly. "Not to mention we can always just get the Gryffindors to deal with the thief and keep our hands clean in the process. Easy. "
A/N: this chapter has been revised and edited.