Transformations:
Classes went well for the rest of the day. Everyone but Cara had potions and Snape sneered at their group the entire time. He actually took points away from Slytherin when Draco laughed at a joke Ron was telling him. In Snape's mind he probably thought that Draco betrayed him somehow.
Lunch came afterwards and they split up a little. James went to the Slytherin table with Draco—surprisingly Draco still had a few friends such as Blaise, and Pansy still followed him around, which he complained much about—Chase went to go sit with his newly found friend Cara at the Ravenclaw table, and Hermione sat with her house and was soon joined by Fred and George on either side of her. She stirred her food around a bit with a mere smile for a 'hello' to the twins.
"What's got ya down popit?" Fred placed a hand on her shoulder as she sighed.
"It's one of those muggles she brought back with her from Camp." Harry answered for her, "he was fun this morning and he seemed really nice, but he just….I dunno. He seemed like he could care less about this place. And Hermione."
"Thanks Harry," Hermione gave him a nasty sarcastic look, like she couldn't handle her own questions. Although she was glad Harry knew her so well as to tell what she was feeling.
George looked over his shoulder to the Slytherin table, "That's the one over there right? By Draco?" he pointed with his pinky.
Hermione didn't even have to look, "Yep, that's him."
Fred turned around as well, "Well he looks pretty happy to be here right now."
Hermione swung her head around to the scene. Draco sat in between James and Blaze, but he only seemed to be talking to Blaze. Pansy was talking to James but was clearly trying to look past him to Draco. Either way James was laughing with whatever she had just said.
Draco looked to the Gryffindors. He smiled kindly to Hermione. She smiled back but turned back to her table and exhaled. Fred and George followed suit, mocking her exhaling with their own pipes.
Draco mumbled something to Blaise and got up from his seat. He looked closely at the back of his best friend's head: her soft tight curls flowing about her back seemed thrown over an obvious, sad posture. He walked over to the Ravenclaw table and picked up Chase and Cara for his journey to the Gryffindor table.
With a rude sexual comment to Hermione—which was actually an attempt to make her laugh—the Weasley twins left their friends and siblings saying they had somewhere important to be.
"Room for some more?" Draco asked from behind Hermione.
She turned, smiled, and got up to hug him.
He smelt to good.
She felt to good.
They let go.
"I brought more," Draco tossed his hand towards Cara and Chase. The three sat down at the table. The Gryffindor table.
Chase continued to get along better and better with Harry and Ron. Hermione was so pleased with this. But where had her James gone? The boy she had brought here out of the goodness of her heart. The boy she knew as her brother. Her book buddy. Her……best friend. She turned to look at him again. The boy who she had sat next to for so many years at camp, now laughing with Parkinson.
Draco, who sat to her left, wrapped an arm around her and helped turn her face away from James, "Don't let it hurt you, love."
"You know I'm stronger then that." Hermione tried to laugh but tears were clearly beneath it.
"You are the strongest person I know, 'Mione." Ron chimed in.
"Don't EVER doubt yourself," Harry added awkward wisdom.
Chase smiled wrapped his arm round her waist. Cara reached to patted her back around Chase.
"I'm sure if I knew you real well, I would say you are strong too," Cara added.
The muggles muddled through the rest of their classes all right. The teachers were very understanding of their lack of knowledge and counted on Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco to teach them proper techniques. What struck Hermione the most, was that she and James exchanged very few words throughout the day, in some classes, none at all.
After lunch Slytherin and Gryffindor had Potions. Then Harry, Ron, Hermione, Chase, and Cara had an off period while Draco and James had Transfigurations. Later, Harry Ron and Hermione went to magical creatures while the muggles, Cara, and Draco slept through Herbology. Another off period for everyone followed. They spent their time roaming about the school ignoring the homework they had just recieved. Lastly, Harry, Ron and Hermione went to Herbology and Draco went to magical creatures with the muggles and Cara. The muggles found it an exhausting day and they went to bed extremely early, without doing ANY homework.
Hermione and Draco said goodnight to Harry and Ron and fled to their tower.
"Draco," Hermione walked through the portrait.
"Hmmm?" He plopped down on the green sofa. She took a seat next to him.
"What was wrong with James today? Tell me. He went from white to black in an instant, did he not?"
"I think…I don't know what I think. Maybe he's just in shock or something."
"I suppose."
They cuddled closer and fell asleep in each others' warm arms; homework undone, drama filling their minds, beds empty, but hearts full.
After another harsh day of new classes, it was late that next night, the group had gone to study in the library. Chase sat with Ron and Harry attempting to learn easy first year stuff. James simply roamed about, found something interesting, read most of it till he got bored, put it back, then found something new. He stayed mostly in the history section. Hermione and Draco sat doing actual potions homework at a little table far off from the group. Hermione was helping Draco with what few ingredients couldn't be mixed with certain others.
"But this is so much to remember," Draco groaned, thumping his head to table, "How can you remember all of these. Bat wings can not be mixed with lizard eyes, but only when the eyes are green or blue, and only when you are using more then seven ingredients in the potion?"
"Only fruit bat wings." She said almost hoping he wouldn't hear her.
"YOU SEE," he threw his arms up and lifted his head, "how the bloody hell do you know all this."
Hermione sighed, "I've picked up lots of school reading on my spare time Draco. Before this year."
"Obviously." he slumped over in his seat.
Hermione hunched over in another sigh then stood up slowly, extending and arm to Draco then grabbing his elbow, "Come on."
"Nooo, you can't make me," he mimicked a child.
"Oh, you pansy, come on."
Draco got up out of his seat, took Hermione's hand and followed her down through the shelves of books. She stopped deep within the layers where books looked like they needed a good dusting. Hermione leaned herself back up against a shelf, her hands lacing back and forth over Draco's. He moved his head closer to hers, but she stopped him.
"Now, what kind of bat wings can't be mixed with lizard eyes when the eyes are green or blue in a seven ingredient, or more, potion?" her tone was extremely sexy and manipulative.
"Oh Hermione, I don't give shit." His eyes closed as he made for her lips, but her finger stopped him.
"What kind of bat wings?" she insisted.
Damn, she's serious, "Umm," he opened his eyes, "Vampire?….wait no Fruit."
Hermione's lips parted a little more and she cocked her head up to him. With his lids closed Draco followed his heart and trailed towards the soft heat she puckered to him.
It had been so long since their lips entwined, Hermione had almost forgotten what it felt like for their tongues to glaze over one another.
Draco's heart lifted, for he knew she too felt what he was feeling. Pure love.
In other parts of the library James roamed around all by his lonesome.
Peeking through a shelf of books he spotted what he had been looking for. Her eyes met his and they sparked with joy. He could feel her happiness to see him. This new school was working out just fine. He smiled widely through the books and came around the other side, so he could join Pansy and her friends at a study table.
"And what flower must be ground into a powder before mixed with any animal particle."
"Lavender…no no, Lillies."
Hermione shook her head "You were right the first time," she pulled him into another passionate kiss.
Draco needed a breather, but his body surged with heat, "Man, I could do this all day."
"Sweet Merlin, what time is it?" she almost shoved him off of her, but he held on tight to her waist.
"Nearly eight."
Hermione sighed but followed it with a fake smile.
"We really should study something else," she slid out from his arms slightly.
"Awe, I was liking this. Can we use the same technique in our other studies?" Draco made a pouty face.
"Unfortunately not," she grinned, pulling him from their spot and walking back through the shelves of books.
"Well, I know what class I need to brush up on." Their linked hands swayed as they almost skipped along.
"And what class is that."
"Oh," Draco quickly but quietly shoved her up against another shelf, taking her wrists and locking them above her head, "Anatomy." He let go of her wrists and trailed his hands down her body. His thumbs brushed her nipples—where she flinched a little but was soon overcome by passion—and continued down past her hips where his fingertips gave her bottom a slight squeeze. Hermione gasped but threw her arms around her friend's neck, locking them in another kiss.
But she cut them off again by grabbing his hand and rushing him farther away, "No, seriously, we must get to work."
"Aweee." He only followed because their hands were connected.
When they finally reached their original study table Hermione gave her biggest sigh of the day.
"What?" Draco took his seat and patted his lap, motioning for her to sit on it. She did not sit at all.
"Oh, I left my Transfigurations book in our tower. I'll just go grab it. Do you need anything from the tower?" she began to walk away.
"Ummm, nah, you be quick now,"
"Like a fox."
"My foxy 'Mione." He leaned back in his seat with his feat on the table.
She giggled over her shoulder then headed out of the library and towards the head's tower.
Hermione had been gone for a little while longer then Draco expected when Chase approached him.
"Hey, mate, how's i--" then he noticed how out-of-breath his muggle friend was, "What's going on?" his tone changed completely.
"Hermione's…not with you…. is she?" he said between breaths.
Draco pushed the chair out from behind him forcefully as he stood up, knocking books of the table, "What happened?!!"
(Cliffhanger, evil laughterPLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!)
