Disclaimer: I don't own some of the characters. Credit to J.K. Rowling.

Plot based on pixie-dust-24's Dark Desire


Recall

Blaise saw Draco drag Ivana. Knowing Draco had bruised her one time, he punched him and walked away with Ivana.

Blaise made a vain attempt to make Ivana open up to him.


Chapter 12

Meddling


There was one place where Hermione felt like her old self again. That place was the Library. Though Harry and Ron loathed that place, it was her sanctuary. It surprised her to see this certain Gryffindor who she didn't expect to see in the library.

"Hi!" Lavender greeted Hermione. "You're the transferee, right?"

Hermione looked at her and nodded slowly.

"I'm Lavender," she held out her hand.

Hermione took it. Ivana, she reminded herself. "I'm Ivana."

Lavender smiled. "Mind if we share the table?"

"I don't mind," Hermione said, half-lying.

Lavender was part of her old life. The life she was trying so desperately to forget. Hermione had spent time with her in the past years that's why she avoided her as much as she can ever since she arrived in Hogwarts. Lavender reminded her of Ron and Ron reminded her of Harry then it all leads back to the past.

It would seem rude if Hermione would suddenly stand up and leave, so she didn't. She just continued writing while Lavender flipped the pages of a book.

"How did you become so smart?" Lavender suddenly asked. She was watching Hermione write a ten-inch essay for Advanced Arithmancy. Hermione stopped writing and looked up at Lavender with a confused look.

"In class, you seem to understand everything the professors say," Lavender added. "You get the highest scores in most of the subjects."

Hermione's expression changed. "I just listen."

"I try so hard to listen and my mind seems to wander," Lavender said with a smile.

Hermione smiled back. "I have those moments too."

"You remind me of the Head Girl," Lavender said. "I'm not talking about Kia Mizan. I'm talking about Hermione Granger."

Hermione flinched at the mention of her name but Lavender didn't notice. Ivana Casso Vinci, she reminded herself.

"Oh, you don't know her. You didn't get a chance to meet her. Kia replaced her as Head Girl because she didn't come to Hogwarts this year," Lavender continued.

Hermione just smiled.

"I've heard rumors that her parents pulled her out of Hogwarts because they heard about You-Know-Who. But I don't think that rumor's true. Coz you see… Hermione's muggle-born," Lavender said.

Hermione wished she could call herself a muggle-born again. Life was much easier.

"But she's one of the smartest witches Hogwarts had ever known," Lavender beamed.

Hermione smiled.

"You're not that active when it comes to answering the professors' questions though, huh?" Lavender asked, with a bit of caution in her voice.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm scared of them," she lied.

"You're a Gryffindor! Hermione was never scared," Lavender continued. "She would even challenge Professor Snape if she had the chance."

"Professor Snape?" Hermione asked, remembering that she wasn't supposed to know Professor Snape.

"Professor Snape. Oh! You don't know him! I forgot! Sorry… He was our professor in Potions," Lavender explained.

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. Before anything else could be said, Parvati arrived with another Gryffindor, Lilian.

"Lavender! Lavender!" Parvati called out. The Ravenclaws who were occupying one of the tables hushed her. Parvati glared at them. Parvati waved at Lavender to go with her.

"I'm going," Lavender started to gather her things. "Bye! See you around!"


Ron threw his books on top of his trunk at the foot of his four-poster bed and sighed. The room was empty. He flopped on his bed, feeling exhausted. He was only starting to enjoy the silence when someone broke it.

"Ron! Ron!"

Ron groaned grumpily then slowly lifted himself to a sitting position to turn to Harry who was holding out a rolled parchment.

"What's this?" Ron asked.

"It's from Hermione," Harry replied.

Ron forgot about his exhaustion. He took it from Harry.

Bonjour!

I'm sorry it's only now that I wrote to you guys. I was a bit tied up and

it took time for me to adjust that's why I wasn't able to owl you for the

past months. I'm really sorry. Please don't be mad.

I'm not going to Hogwarts this year. I'm going to finish my last year

in Beauxbatons.

My parents somehow found out about the Dark Lord and his return…

and Dumbledore's passing away. They had trusted Dumbledore but now

that he's gone, they feel that Hogwarts isn't a safe place anymore. I tried

so hard to convince them that it is the safest place but they didn't want to

listen to me.

Then, my dad's company offered him a position in the company's branch

in France. It came to a point where they told me to choose between going

to Beauxbatons – to be closer to them, geographically – or to go to a muggle

school and probably never set foot in the wizarding world ever again.

So… there. I won't be seeing you guys as much as last year but at least

we'll still have a chance to see each other – probably after graduation.

I miss you guys. Take care always.

Love,

Hermione

"She could have just jinxed her parents and came to Hogwarts. It would have been bloody easier," Ron said. He felt relieved in a way and annoyed at what Hermione's parents did.

Harry chuckled. "Would you have jinxed your parents if you were in her position?"

Ron shook his head. "No."

"Then the more Hermione wouldn't do that," Harry said and sat down beside Ron on his bed.

"We'll be seeing her soon," Ron muttered.

"The Order is picking itself up," Harry said after a moment of silence.

"Can you beat Voldemort while balancing school?" Ron said with a grin.

"I'll see what I can do," Harry replied and they both laughed. They both leaned back – their palms supporting them behind their backs.

"You know, school was much easier with Hermione around," Ron said when they stopped laughing.

"That's 'cause she was there to stop us from getting low grades," Harry replied as they stared at the dormitory's ceiling.

"I miss her already," Ron added.

"But I'm glad she's safe," Harry smiled at the ceiling.

Ron nodded in agreement. "Me too."


"Hermione wrote to us," Ron said to Ginny.

"Really? What did she say?" Ginny said excitedly.

"She's fine but she won't be coming to Hogwarts this year. She's in Beauxbatons," Harry chimed in.

The owls flew into the Great Hall. A rolled parchment fell into Ron's drink. Ron winced and took the parchment from his goblet.

"Here you go, it's for you," Ron said and handed the dripping parchment to Collin who was sitting across him.

"Thanks," Collin replied and took it from him.

Harry stopped himself from laughing. Ron's goblet disappeared and was replaced by a new one. This was the scene that Hermione was watching several seats away. She was smiling slightly as she ate.

Pansy was sitting beside Draco. She was telling him about her plans for Hogsmeade weekend. Draco pretended to listen as he watched Hermione smiling at her friends. An owl landed in front of him. The owl blocked his view of Hermione. Draco took the red envelope from the owl's beak.

Draco

It was written in the same familiar writing. He opened it.

You're engaged, my son.

Don't ever forget that.

Draco huffed and imagined his mother telling him that in person.

"Who's it from?" Pansy asked and tried to peek. Draco pocketed the letter right away.

"My mother," Draco replied.

"What did she say?"

"Nothing."

They both fell silent. Pansy went back to eating and Draco tried to eat. He glanced occasionally where Hermione was and shook his head.


"Good luck, Draco!" Pansy said with a smile. Draco had almost forgotten about the Quidditch match. Draco nodded in acknowledgement.

"Good luck!" Millicent said to him before she left with Pansy. Draco gave a slight nod.

Draco walked into the Slytherin common room and made his way to his room to retrieve his broom.

Later, he met up with the other players. Slughorn had not allowed him to join the Quidditch team because it would get in the way of his Head duties. The team begged the House Head to allow Draco because he was the only one they knew who could play the position well. Slughorn had no choice left but to allow him to play.

The Slytherin team and the Gryffindor team met up in the middle of the field. Draco glared at Harry and Harry glared at Draco. Draco saw that the stands were filled with people in red and gold and people in green and silver.

And Christmas is just around the corner, he thought as he saw the combination of colors.

Draco caught sight of Hermione sitting at the edge of the Gryffindor stand. She was beside Blaise who was at the edge of the Slytherin stand. She was busy talking to Blaise and didn't notice him watching them. Draco turned his attention back to Harry.

All the players mounted their brooms.

The snitch was released.

The game was on.

Draco flew towards the golden ball but later it disappeared. He didn't see where it went. Harry was flying around looking for the snitch. Draco did the same.

Hermione watched intently from the stands. Blaise glanced at her. She had that certain look in her eye where determination, anger, and hope were all merged into one.

"What are you thinking?" Blaise asked.

"Nothing," Hermione lied. She was wishing that Harry would knock Draco off his broom. Blaise shook his head and smiled to himself. He knew she was lying and that look didn't mean 'nothing'.

Two bludgers went into the ring in favor of Slytherin. Harry cursed as he turned to the score board. Gene Walder, Ravenclaw, replaced Lee Jordan as the commentator. He was talking about the two seekers trying to find the golden snitch.

Hermione watched and gripped her robe when the bludger missed Draco's head. Draco felt the bludger zoom by his ear. He ducked and cursed. He flew towards the stands and stayed there for a while.

"Draco!" Pansy called. Draco glanced at her. She was pointing behind him. Draco turned and ducked again as another bludger missed him.

"Why are the bludgers after me?" Draco asked no one as he flew to another direction passing by where Hermione and Blaise were.

Hermione met Draco's gaze and held it for a while before he flew away from the stands. The Gryffindors cheered, snapping Hermione from her reverie. For a second, she thought they had already won. The Gryffindors were just leading. She turned to the audience and they were all anticipating what was about to happen again.

Lillian, a Gryffindor player, was hit by a bludger and was freefalling thirty feet above the ground. Ron caught her just before she could hit the ground. He didn't get off his broom. He just let her land gently on the ground before returning to the game. Cries and cheers came from the Gryffindor stand.

"Slytherin is leading by twenty – now, thirty – points!"

Hermione searched for Harry. Harry saw that Draco was chasing the snitch. He flew towards Draco and went after him. A bludger zoomed by and the snitch was nowhere to be seen again.

Draco flew around the field. Then he heard the sound – the sound that ended the game. Harry had caught the snitch.

"Gryffindor wins!"

The Gryffindors cheered.

Draco cursed when he was fifty feet above the ground. Hermione smiled triumphantly as she watched him slowly descend to the ground.

"Congratulations," Blaise said and grinned at her. She turned to Blaise and smiled.

"See you around," Hermione said and smiled at him and left the stands to join the group of Gryffindors heading for the group of players in the field.

"Harry! Nice play!" One of the Gryffindors said and patted him on the back.

"Are you kidding?!" Another chimed in. "It was bloody awesome!"

"Another one for the Gryffindors!" Ron shouted with a stupid grin on his face.

Hermione tried to make her way to the front of the crowd but couldn't. If only she was Hermione, these people would have made way for her to run to her best friends and hug them.

"Great game," she muttered. Her voice was drowned by the cheering from the crowd surrounding the players. She looked to the ground and slowly turned around.

Before any sad thought could fill her mind, a strong arm gripped her forearm. Hermione's head shot up and met Draco's gaze.

"You want to talk to Potter?" Draco drawled.

"Mind your own business," Hermione replied and jerked her arm away. That was probably the fourth time he did that to her and it was getting irritating.

"Too bad you can't," Draco said, ignoring what she said.

"Don't throw your anger of losing at me," Hermione said nonchalantly.

Draco glared at her. "You did something to the bludgers."

"You're accusing me now, huh?" Hermione said and raised an eyebrow. "Bitter git."

"I know what I'm saying. You charmed those bludgers," Draco said menacingly.

"It's not my fault you lost, alright?" Hermione inched away from him. She glanced at the group of Gryffindors that was dispersing and making their way up the castle. Draco stopped her from following by grabbing her writsts.

"Hey! I said mind your own business! And as far as I know, I am not your business," Hermione jerked her arm free.

"I'll stop interfering with your life if you stop messing with mine!"

"I never messed with your life! It was our parents who did!"

"We both know that we hate each others guts. So now you can stop reporting to my mother."

"I'm not reporting to your mother!" Hermione protested.

"Stop writing to her!"

"I don't even write to my own mother!"

Draco was about to grip her arm again.

"Ivana, let's go," Blaise's calm voice broke the tension between the two. Hermione glanced at him then turned her eyes to Draco. She glared at him for a while then walked towards Blaise. They both walked silently up to the castle.


Author's Note: Sorry about the late post. Blame my schedule. Three weeks more before the Holiday break. I hope I can post at least three more chapters before the break.

Thanks to all your wonderful reviews!

The more reviews, the more pressured I am to update… that's a fact, haha….

Read and Review... :)