Chapter 10Fitting In

Later that day, after enduring a History of Magic lecture from the most appalling teacher she'd ever had the misfortune to encounter, Hallia wanted to retire to the library. She only had access to muggle books before and they were usually about impractical things like a pair of magical pants or princesses of small populaces. She already had a small pile in her bag and was heading back to the common room.

She was anxious to read them. She was thinking so hard about which one to start with and how many she could read in a night, she didn't notice a figure behind her until it was too late. Zabini crept up to her, and whispered, "Diffindo!" Her bag split open and she got a fleeting image of her brother doing the same thing to some seventh year, which she did not find helpful, before everything in it crashed to the floor. Her inkbottle smashed and drenched her shiny new notebooks and doused her library books in tar-like goo. Her scrolls of parchment were splotched with ink all over them and her safe fell out with a loud clang. Zabini sniggered and walked away as Hallia, with gritted teeth, recollected her scattered books. That crabby librarian will murder me if I return any of these like this, she thought.

Just when things couldn't get any worse, or so she thought, a pale hand picked up a book, Defying Dragons, and handed it to her. She took it in her grasp and was afraid to look up. And when she did, there he was. She wondered briefly how much of everything he had seen. She cringed. That Zabini was going to pay.

"Are you ok?" he asked gently. Memories of him that weren't hers flooded her mind. Never had he been kind, she knew that for sure. Why was he now? What did he want?

"Yeah," she muttered distractedly, wrenching the book from his clasp. He picked up her safe and turned over in his hands. He gave her a curious look. She could see sparks dancing in his eyes. No, he hadn't ever been kind.

"What's this?"

She tensed. "Give me it!" She reached for it lighting fast, but he was quicker. She scowled in annoyance.

"What is it?" Malfoy repeated. He stood up and examined it. Hallia knew he wouldn't be able to open it. The magic she used was too advanced, but it still made her nervous to have it in someone else's clutches. What if he took it to a teacher? She'd be in big trouble if they found out she took notes on everyone. She'll be just like Harriet the Spy or that kid in Best of the Best by Marilyn Kaye.

"Give it to me and I'll tell you," she said finally, after trying to control her instant panic.

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "Open it."

"Give it to me," Hallia replied staunchly. "Give it to me or I swear I'll hex you."

Malfoy hesitated, and then threw it to her. She caught it with ease. "Let's see it, then. What's your big secret?"

Hallia sighed. "Exposisno," she murmured. A series of letters came onto the box, glistening mysteriously. Careful to shield it from Malfoy, she arranged them to form a password. After that was done, came a little pad in which she placed her forefinger until it clicked open.

Malfoy looked impressed and she couldn't help but grin a little. "A notebook?" He scooped it up immediately and began flipping through the pages. "Regulus Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter…" He skipped to the more recent pages. "Draco Malfoy?!" Why did the fates have to be so twisted and cruel?

"Accio!" Hallia cried frantically. Her notebook zoomed back into her hand.

Malfoy shrugged as if he wasn't dying to read it and began leafing through her other things. "Songs?" he scoffed, once he saw her lyrics and CD's. "You have a super-secret box and all you keep in there is a notebook and muggle song lyrics?"
"Oh, shut up," Hallia snapped. "You've seen what I've got. Hand it over."

"Not yet," Malfoy replied, still flipping through her pages. "Who's JoJo? I like her style."

Hallia bristled. "No one you've ever heard of, now give it back."

Malfoy looked at her malevolently. "Why should I?"

Her answer came simply. "Because if you don't, I'll mess up your face and there'll be no healing it this time."

Much to her annoyance, Malfoy smirked. "Suit yourself." He hurled it back and walked off. Hallia was dazed but her reflexes made her catch her safe just before it hit the ground, barely flinching when it scraped her nails. This guy was just too confusing for her.

She walked into the common room absently. The people still weren't finished staring at her, even the ones who've never heard of Harry Potter because a friend explained it to them or they knew the cursed hat wasn't suppose to sort you out loud or because they weren't thick enough to think there wasn't anything fishy with a seventeen year old starting school. She was becoming increasingly petulant about all the attention. Then she spotted Harry.

"Hey, Hallia," he said. "How'd you like your first ever History of Magic class?"

She hesitated a while before replying. "It stinks."

"Told you!" Ron said triumphantly to Hermione. "No relation of Harry is going to like History of Magic."

Hermione glared at him. "Hallia!" she said reproachfully. "History of Magic is very interesting."

Hallia rolled her eyes and flopped onto the nearest armchair, remembering that dreadful lesson. "No, it's supposed to be interesting. We're suppose to learn and debate about how much truth there were to the Salem Witch Trials and where the muggles got their idea of Halloween from, not goblin rebellions. Plus Binns has got the most boring voice ever. I thought I was going to fall asleep. Why did they let a ghost teach here, anyway?"

Ron shrugged. "He probably died teaching and never realized it."

"Well the guy's totally lost it. I'm telling McGonagall I'm quitting first thing tomorrow."

Hermione was shocked. "You can't quit! Harry!" She glared at him reproachfully.

He opened one eye under his Herbology homework. "What?"

"Hallia wants to quit History of Magic."

"So? Let her. It's boring."

"See?" Hallia gloated. "Harry thinks so too. Besides, you quit Care of Magical Creatures."

"And Divination," Ron muttered. Hermione glowered at him and stalked up to her room.

"Do you think I upset her?" Hallia asked, worried.

"Nah," Ron answered. "She's just in one of her weird moods. Wanna help me with my Herbology homework?"

She aimed a kick at him then snatched his blotchy homework from him. She sighed at the dismal mess. So this was what it was like to be Hermione. No wonder she was so moody all the time.