The next day at breakfast the previous night had not been spoken of yet, Blaise and Draco remained on good terms but Pansy and Blaise were another story. Pansy had been refusing to talk to Blaise all morning, well actually to be more precise she hadn't even looked at him this morning. Not even an evil glance. And this was rather disturbing for the surrounding Slytherins as the five friends sat and ate breakfast together. Pansy was completely ignoring Blaise and he was doing everything he could to try and snap her out of it but she really wasn't responding to anything he did.
"Oh Pansy, just smack him around his dirty cheating face and get the anger out already." Draco said exasperated, her repeated ignorance was dulling his mood. She looked up at him her expression blank from across the table, and then returned to eating her apple and reading her book.
"Come on Pansy, I know you, violence from you would be charming right now." Draco said wiggling his eyebrows trying to make her laugh, Blaise just tutted. Pansy had just sucked the happiness out of him. "Oh Pansy look, look quick!" Draco chirped. She glanced up.
He then proceeded to jump to his feet stand behind Blaise, grab his friends head and swing it side to side singing,
"Smack that all on the floor, smack that, give me some more, smack that, till you get sore, Smack that! Ohhhh…" Draco and Blaise burst out laughing but Pansy just collected her things and left the table leaving Draco and Blaise in a heavy silence.
Hermione loved Sundays; it mustn't have been until around ten when the sun finally woke her up. And when she did wake up she was surrounded by ink covered sheets, arms and pyjamas. Okay, this was getting ridiculous now, how had she even got hold of a quill in her sleep? But then her question was answered when she remembered she had a biro under her pillow with a note pad. She looked down at her bed sheets as she climbed out her bed. Well, it was a good job her dorms mates slept like the dead.
She sighed, flopping back down on the bed. She needed to find out why this was happening. She held her left arm up in the air in front of her face to read what she'd wrote as it was fascinating the things she always wrote.
'I tell myself I don't need him,
His words and passion,
But I'm fuelling this addiction,
When I know I should be stopping this stupid affliction.'
"Interesting, by Merlin Mystery Boy what are you doing to me?" She thought out loud and allowed her arm to drop back onto the bed.
Well, she best get these cleaned before her dorm mates woke up and thought she was mad. She sighed pulling her sheets off, she was starting to regret arguing against elf labour…
It wasn't until around twelve that Hermione finished cleaning her sheets, getting dressed and gathering her supplies to have a day in the library again. She had decided to make a little more of an effort with today, she was after all in a brilliant mood despite the fact she had spent half an hour in the shower scrubbing ink off her body.
She had scooped her hair up into a messy bun and put a lily flower into the top of it; her hair was damp so she knew she would pay for this later as it would be a nightmare to tame after it dried. And she was feeling pretty comfortable today so she settled for wearing a pair of slipper-like-shoes, her faded blue jeans and a loose jumper. She looked at herself in the mirror ink free and feeling... Muggle. She liked dressing like this once in a while at Hogwarts; she didn't want to forget of her original heritance. It was nice to feel comfortable now and then, robes and wizard clothing was just so formal.
She smiled to her reflection in the mirror before grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. As she turned around she realised her dorm mates were gone, they hadn't even said goodbye! Well, how rude. She shrugged, not like it mattered anyway. They must have gone out when she was in the shower.
As she walked out the dormitory and down the stairs she figured she should really go to the kitchen and get something to eat. She was going to spend longer in the library today; she would make more of an effort to find what was wrong with her. Maybe Mystery Boy would be there? Or maybe not, but it was a nice thought that bought a smile to her face.
The smile didn't last long because the first thing she saw in the common room was Ron and Harry playing chess in front of the fire. And instantly she remembered all the times she had sat and watched them. If they were friends she'd be moaning at the about not doing their homework right now. She wouldn't admit it to them but she was hurt they had forgot about her so fast since their argument (well, her accusation), they hadn't spoken to her. Then she reminded herself she didn't really want them to speak to her anyway.
Even though Mystery Boy had explained several times that it was not them playing with her mind, she still couldn't help but feel hurt that they didn't even deny it. Maybe it was them then. Harry stood up and stretched and she darted behind one of the couches, ducking low onto the floor. She really didn't want to see them right now. She held her right hand firmly as it started twitching. Maybe the library wasn't such a good idea after all. She inwardly cursed herself for deciding to go now.
She was just about to leave and sneak back up to her dorm when she heard something interesting. She strained her ears. Normally she didn't do this but it was her name she had heard.
"What are we gonna do 'bout 'Mione?"
"Well first we need to convince her it wasn't us; I think she's still pretty pissed at what I did."
"Harry we've been through this, it wasn't-"
"Yeah, I know Ron, it's just scary you know? I want to help her but I feel like this is my entire fault. Especially with-"
"With what Harry?"
"Oh, nothing it doesn't matter. What's important is trying to make Hermione like us again."
"Do you think we should tell her about it?"
"Nah, she'd freak out and kill us probably, you saw how she reacted the other day."
"I suppose so…"
She didn't want to hear any more, it WAS Harry and Ron! How could they do this to her? They were supposed to be her friends! And last night she had thought of apologising and just a moment ago she was missing them. She abruptly stood up and Ron gasped when he saw her.
"'Mione, you scared me! Where'd you come from? How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough," She replied folding her arms, she wouldn't cry, she was better than that. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction.
"Oh good I mean now we can,"
"THE NERVE OF YOU TWO! DOING THIS TO ME! AND TO THINK I WAS FEELING GUILTY FOR ACCUSING YOU WHEN ALL ALONG IT WAS YOU! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME! I HATE YOU BOTH; DON'T EVEN LOOK AT ME EVER AGAIN!" Hermione stormed off leaving a shocked Harry and Ron for the second time in one week. She practically slammed the portrait closed when she climbed out and didn't listen to the fat lady's protests.
She was just daring anyone to annoy her today; she would hex them into the next millennia. How could they? They were so selfish! She never really used the word hate before because she had always felt it was such a strong word but now it really was fitting to how she felt about Harry and Ron.
Hermione was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice a certain brown haired boy lurking in Gryffindor territory. After all, it was a long way from the dungeons.
Back down in the dungeons Draco was sat in an arm chair rubbing his temples in slow circles. He had been trying to read more about Soul Expressions learn a little about them, see if he could prevent his random bouts of singing. And of course he couldn't concentrate. Pansy and Blaise were arguing, he wasn't listening to what they were saying, he didn't care. It was petty and pathetic and even worse, it had given him a migraine. He stood up and walked into his dorm and allowed himself to flop onto the bed.
"They were annoying you too?" Draco looked up.
"Oh it's you, didn't recognise your voice for a sec then, Theo."
"Sorry. They've been yelling for well over an hour, did you realize? Everyone retreated to the dorms." He said, he wasn't too bothered; it was more of a statement than anything else. Theodore was a rather isolated person and preferred time in the dormitories anyway.
"I know," Draco moaned, pulling his pillow on top of his head. "And even the walls don't block out the noise." Came Draco's muffled reply.
"Headache?" Theodore looked up for the second time from his book and reached into the bottom of his trunk grabbing a veil of potion. Draco noticed he had quite a few potions in there; he frowned not recognising any of the colours in the viles. What were they? Draco's attention was redirected as he threw it at him and it hit him on his hip. Draco jumped at the cold glass that had attacked his skin for a brief second.
"Oh thanks, Theo," he said uncorking it and swallowing it whole. He smiled as he sunk back into his bed, pillow off his head this time as he felt the pain slowly ebb away. He loved that feeling.
CRASH!
"YOU KNOW WHAT PANSY, FUCK YOU! THIS ARGUMENT IS OVER, GO GET BENT!" Blaise's voices easily pierced through the door and then another massive smash was heard then:
"!" Pansy's muffled high pitched scream drifted into the room as well, she was screaming into a pillow by the sound of it. Draco being the brotherly figure in the group stood up and slowly creaked open the door only to be greeted with a vase of flowers being thrown at the wall right beside his head, fuck being brotherly, she's getting disowned! Draco grabbed his book again and sat on the bed reading through it, it propped up against his legs as he sat in bed.
"Were you aware that there's a rumour about you and Blaise going around at the moment? Apparently, Snape walked out of here last night disgusted because he caught you and Blaise having sex against the window, or chair or in the bath or something like that. But don't worry, I've been spreading it's a lie, I know for a fact you're not gay and Blaise is taken." Theodore said as casually as possible, not looking up from his book.
Draco had stopped listening at 'sex against window' friends just shouldn't picture themselves in a situation like that with their mates, it was just… Disturbing. Draco cringed as another image flashed in his head.
"Fucking Slytherins, you're right, of course we weren't. Excuse me, I need to go and cleanse my mind before it self-destructs." Draco dragged himself back out of bed and into the common room, and then popped his head back around the door.
"Oh, Theo?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks, keep up the work, really masculine you know. Really homophobic, spread it a bit yeah?"
"Oh, okay Malfoy. Okay."
Harry and Ron were sat opposite each other in the common room still for long after Hermione left. Whatever she had heard she had took it horribly wrong. Harry was completely miserable and Ron was fuming.
"She's so, so ignorant! We've been friends six years why would we do that to her anyway! After everything! She's completely mental at the moment."
"Ron, it's the spell, no potion and it's dangerous remember. Of course there's going to be an increased paranoia and her own body isn't controlling itself anymore. We can only imagine how hurt and confused she's feeling." Harry said curling his feet underneath him on the couch.
"I know but, we need to tell her."
"I know, you're moaning and we haven't even tried yet!"
"No I'm not, we need to trick her into meeting us, or we could kidnap her for a bit and,"
"RON! Don't be irrational, she's our friend!"
"But Harry! She's-" Ron protested.
"Ron, don't I can't cope with this, it's too much, I need to think and," He looked at his watch. "I was supposed to meet the Slytherins ten minutes ago." Ron who was previously egging on a knight and a rook who had started fighting almost fell of his chair.
"What?"
"I said, I can't cope,"
"Nononono, Slytherins. Why are you meeting Slytherins?" Ron said, panicking.
"Ron, calm down, you can come too if you want, it's just about the spells and stuff, they did say the other day. Don't you remember?" Harry replied smoothly.
"No?"
"Well, are you coming?" Harry said, standing up. Ron pulled a face.
"Nah, you go ahead, I'll just go… do something." Muttered Ron standing up and walking up to the dorms muttering about 'hanging all Slytherin,' or something to that effect. Harry smiled to himself and walked out the portrait to be greeted with big watering brown eyes.
"Are you okay?" Harry said, concerned, as he wiped away the tears.
"Doesn't matter. How'd you get away? I was going to set up camp waiting."
"Anything for you!" Harry said smirking and bringing pale pink lips to his own, two smiles making one.
When Hermione arrived at the library she didn't even realise she'd walked over to the book shelf where she usually met Mystery Boy until she actually had sat on the floor. She paused, then smiled to herself shaking her head slightly in surprise. Oh well, she could get just as much done here than at a table and with more privacy.
Like she had decided earlier she hadn't went straight to the library but went down to the kitchen first grabbing a beaker refillable tea, two muffins and a bar of chocolate. She put them on the floor beside her and reached into her bag to get the book she was trying and failing to read Saturday morning. She opened the cover and stared at the contents page.
"Come on, you're not doing this again, you're getting no-where it's pointless." Hermione muttered picking up her tea.
"What is?" A voice whispered into her ear.
"Wow, what!" Hermione shouted as she jumped and split tea all over herself. "Mystery boy!" She cursed. She muttered a few spells cleaning up her mess, then putting down her beaker which had refilled itself already.
"The one and only!" Come the deep smooth voice from behind her, she could hear him giggling at her. "You know, you shouldn't drink in the library."
Silence.
"How did you know I was drinking?"
"Because I saw you."
"W, what?" Hermione stammered.
"Well, seen the drink go all over you're jeans anyway, nice hair by the way. It smells gorgeous Mystery girl." Draco said turning back around. He had been so close; he had actually spoken into her ear. He knew what she smelt like, jasmine and something else which was kind of spicy. He recognised it from somewhere, maybe it was a perfume? Oh and he had took advantage of that, he had actually sniffed her. Now normally he didn't go around sniffing people, but you know, seems his new pastime was going around and singing at people he decided it didn't really matter.
"Oh Merlin, you scared me then! I thought you meant you SAW me, as in knew who I was." Hermione was so relieved. "Now what would you have done if it wasn't me and some unsuspecting victim?" She teased, blushing at the compliment about her hair.
"Oh I dunno? Avada Kedavra'ed myself in embarrassment?" he joked. "But then? What would you ever do without me?"
"Not get fat, you keep feeding me."
"I fed you once and it was a bit of chocolate, that's all. Besides, you said you love chocolate." Draco whispered back to her. Her voice was so soothing to his ears.
"I do."
Silence.
"Do you want some chocolate?" Draco laughed.
"What?" She smiled.
"You! Complain about me feeding you chocolate then offer me some!" Hermione giggled.
"Well, I thought I would return the favour." When Draco turned around there was a bar of chocolate on the shelf like he had done last night. He took it smiling; it was exactly the same as the stuff he had got yesterday. Mystery girl had been to the kitchens.
Silence.
Flutter.
Munch.
"Is that even possible?" Hermione said looking up from her book; she thankfully had got past the contents page now.
"What?"
"To Avarda Kedavra yourself?"
"I don't suppose it is, why?"
"Curious."
Silence.
"What are you doing here anyway?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Reading."
"Same." Draco stared blankly at the page in his book. "Well, actually my friends have kind of had a misunderstanding, a bit like yours I guess so they're not talking to each other."
"Oh?" She stopped reading. Draco fingered his ring, twisting it around.
"Yeah, erm, I've got this boy mate and this girl mate and they normally bicker but it's because there total opposites and I thought it was because they fancied each other but it turned out my boy mate is already seeing someone, so now my girl mates in a bit of a mood with him, he only told us last night."
"Wait so, is she in a mood because of who he's seeing or because he's seeing someone because even if I liked my friend, I'd be happy he'd found someone."
Silence.
"I don't know." Draco hadn't thought about it. Who was Blaise seeing? "I have no idea, I just realised Bla- my boy mate didn't say who he was seeing." Maybe it was for the best if Pansy was in a mood over that, Draco realised he was probably better off not knowing.
"Well, why didn't he tell you? That seems a bit weird to say he's seeing someone then refuse to say who it is."
"No, you misunderstand me," Draco corrected her. "He didn't refuse, it just didn't cross my mind to ask, he was kind of upset when we were talking about it. He probably was so wrapped up in being upset that it was the last thing on his mind."
"Maybe."
Silence.
"So… Just reading or, are you here for another reason."
"Oh, another pointless argument with my friends, I found out it wasn't a misunderstanding, they did do something to me. I overheard them talking about it. It just… Hurt. I mean, I've been best friends with them six years now."
"Oh, well that's a bummer. It might work out."
"It might, but… I'm not sure if I want it to. Is that bad of me?" Hermione whispered leaning her head back against the shelf. She felt a few books slide back slightly.
"No, I don't think it is, I mean, it takes a lot to trust someone and when they betray that, it might never be that same, after all what would stop them doing it again."
"You're very Slytherin. Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?"
"You're very Gryffindor. A Death Eater doesn't change its mark. Once a Death Eater always a Death Eater. "
"I suppose. You shouldn't say that, you could get in trouble."
"It's just an expression. Actually, you have a point; I scolded a friend for the same thing yesterday actually."
"Funny."
Silence.
For the next ten minutes or so all could be heard was the turning of pages, soft breathing and the occasional bite of chocolate and sip of tea.
"Hey, I never got to tell you my secret did I? I mean, I need some help with something. Will you swear never to tell a soul?" At this comment Draco felt touched and he remembered last night when they had held hands through the book shelf and how close he had felt to her, he hadn't stopped dreaming about it last night. He was itching to do it again. Hermione felt the same.
"On one condition, if you hold my hand again."
"And why would I do that?" Hermione asked in mock disgust, but he could easily hear the humour in her voice.
"Well, because you can't resist my charm?" He smiled. Oh so he had an ego, a rather big one? Interesting, should she fuel it?
"You must have been reading my mind." She smiled and turned to the side pushing her waiting hand under the gap in the shelf. Soon she felt a cool hand slip into hers, soft skinned and a gentle caress across her thumb and he stroked his across hers. She could feel the even the warm metal of his ring on her fingers and she smiled. This was just as good as last night.
"So mystery girl, what can I help you with?"
"Well," Hermione took a deep breath, it was now or never. "Well, I've been acting rather strange lately, like a spell or potion has been put on me. I've been confused and forgetful and," Draco didn't let her continue he sat up straight and she felt him tense his hand.
"Have you been doing something strange? Like erm… I dunno, just something really weird?"
"Yeah, I've been writing poems everywhere actually."
"You've got a soul expression like me." Draco hissed through the bookcase.
Silence.
Hermione paled. The thought hadn't crossed her mind even when Mystery boy had told her about his expression last night.
"Listen," Hermione tuned back in and tried to stop her hand twitching a bit. "When my expression was cast, it reflected from the Slytherin table all the way to the Gryffindor, it easily could have hit you! Me and six other people not including Dumbledore and Snape have been searching for people it could have hit. You obviously are one of them!" Draco concluded. His mystery girl had an expression like him!
Everything clicked into place for Hermione. She hadn't registered it last night, but he had sung a muggle song and who else had jumped past her in the hall way humming a muggle song? With that Zabini boy, Hermione's heart dropped.
"You're Draco Malfoy aren't you?" The hand tensed.
"Erm… Is that a bad thing?" Hermione thought for a moment and resisted pulling her hand away. This was Draco Malfoy. She was holding Draco Malfoy's hand. Malfoy Malfoy Malfoy! She thought to herself before doing something she regretted. She was holding the hand of Draco Malfoy who had a soul expression on him, not allowing him to deny true feeling or to lie, or he would sing the truth, every time he tried to suppress the truth he sang. Like he did yesterday.
"See how I've opened up? You've made me trust. I've never felt like this before. I'm naked around you. Does it show?" She smiled.
"No, that isn't a problem." Draco's grin could have split his face.
Draco, as Hermione now called him, had left the library around three o'clock leaving her to think of everything they had talked about. The soul expression, him, Ron and Harry (not that he knew it was them) and just everything. She had enjoyed holding his hand the whole time. And she just smiled and held her head high. She didn't care, she loved holding his hand. Even though he was Malfoy, she had seen a side she knew no-one else had. She felt… privileged and touched he'd shown it to her. Not that he knew who she was but still, all the same. And what relieved her and made her trust him more, he had told her about the soul expression, figured it out; it had to be true, the spell made so much sense to her now. She had all the symptoms to someone with a soul expression spell and lacking the potion. And he was going to fix her as soon as possible and it was their secret.
She had even asked the question she had always wondered about, was his hair really that blonde? It was apparently, and up until he was around eight it was white, but then had darkened slightly with age. They talked about a lot of things in those three hours, and the soul expression wasn't really a big subject. There had been a random burst of questions. She smiled at the memory, never wanting to forget.
"Colour?"
"Silver."
"Goes with your eyes."
"What about yours?"
"Purple."
"Does that go with your eyes?" he had joked.
"Oh yeh, mine are really bright purple, glow in the dark and everything." He giggled. Hermione had corrected herself at that moment, Malfoy didn't giggle… It was like a, a, no it was a giggle. She was looking for something more masculine but nothing fit.
"Food?"
"Do you really have to ask?"
"It's chocolate isn't it Mystery girl?"
"Why yes it is… Draco." She loved the sound of his name rolling off her tongue; it was a very beautiful name after all. "Well, actually, it's rather ironic; my parents are dentists, obsessed with teeth and stuff. I never eat chocolate at home, they'd kill me. It's probably why I love it so much, I'd never really ate any until I came to Hogwarts."
"Never ate chocolate? Well I say. Honestly, I've always ate sweets and chocolate, obsessed with it. I've got a raging sweet tooth. Mother sends me stuff on a regular basis actually, you've probably seen Falcon, that's my owl, deliver it before."
"Yes I have to admit, everyone envies the presents you receive from home." Hermione smiled; well she knew Ron did for certain.
"I guess you understand what I meant now as well, about me being pressured to act a certain way, about the whole arranged marriage thing… now you know who I am."
"Yes, it all makes sense Draco. Heartbreaking sense."
And in this conversation, she figured, he wasn't evil… He was... Misunderstood. Seriously over judged, she almost rolled her eyes at that thought. He was still Malfoy, the boy who called her a mudblood now and then, but since the potion, he hadn't so he couldn't have meant it when he was saying it. He hadn't insulted anyone really. Not even Harry and Ron.
Harry and Ron….
Even though Hermione wasn't a spiteful person she smirked at the thought on her lips.
"If only they knew."
Draco Malfoy felt like he was flying, not only did he feel like he was on cloud nine, he could have better described it as cloud fifty-two he was soaring so high. This girl, who ever she was, was in Gryffindor and didn't care who he was and by the sound of it she wasn't some bimbo. So he wasn't in danger of a gold digger. Brilliant!
She was sweet and caring, understanding, he could trust her, she was interesting, funny and shared his love for chocolate, what more could he ask for?
He skipped, yes, skipped down the front steps and onto the grounds, he was meeting his friends by the lake, they always went there on Sundays between three and dinner to skip stones.
"I see trees of green, red roses too, I see them bloom for me and you, and I think to myself what a wonderful world." Draco sang enthusiastically as he jumped down the reminder of steps and petrified a few second year Hufflepuffs as he did so. Some Gryffindors got up and moved out of his way muttering something to do with 'bleaching their eyes' His smile wasn't that bad, his mother had always called him handsome when he smiled! Oh well, NOTHING could dampen his mood at the moment. NOTHING!
"The colours of the rainbow so pretty in the sky, are also on the faces of people going by, I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do, and they're really saying I love you." Draco paused as he approached his friends.
"Whatever you're on Draco, I want some." Pansy said turning to him looking miserable. Pansy was sat on top of a rock, her legs dangling and her face in her hands, Crabbe and Goyle were already skipping the stones. He looked up at her; he'd never seen Pansy Parkinson look so depressed in his life.
"What's up Pansy? Where's Blaise?"
"That's what's up! He's off with lover boy again." She exclaimed throwing her arms up in the air dramatically.
"Excuse me? Boy?" Draco choked out. Pansy looked gob smacked down at him.
"He didn't tell you, did he?" She smirked unbelieving and looking shocked at the same time.
"Tell me what? What am I missing? I don't understand! Why am I the last to know?" So much for nobody ruining his mood! "Actually no, I don't want to know, he's gay I'm over it, he likes it up the arse, good! So now that's clear, Crabbe stop hogging them stones I'm gunna kick your ass."
"But Draco, it's really important!" Pansy said jumping off the rock.
"Pansy, shut it!" Draco said aiming to skip a rock.
"But,"
"Just,"
"But,"
"Shut,"
"But,"
"It. Shhh…" Pansy sighed defeated. "Look see that's not so bad is it. Just listen to the silence…"
"You know what, Malfoy?"
"What my little petal?" Draco said with false enthusiasm.
"You're pure evil you know that?"
"Oh Pansy, you're so cute… I'm not evil, I'm just better than you."
When Hermione got back to the tower at around 8 after dinner she was confronted with Harry sitting at the bottom step to the girls' dorms. Upon seeing her he stood up and walked towards her.
But Hermione was determined for him not to spoil her good mood. She clearly avoided his eye contact and walked straight past him and up the stairs.
"Hermione, Just hear me out! Okay? We need to talk!" Harry tried to walk up the stairs bit he just slid back down. "HERMIONE!" Harry winced as he heard a door slam from Hermione's direction. He turned around rubbing the back of his neck. The whole common room was staring at him. So much for the direct approach, Ron was right. This needed to be sneaky.
"Smack That" is the first single from Akon's second album Konvicted and features Eminem. "What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele (as George Douglas) and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1968.
Fanfiction is by Faith Valconbridge. These stories hosted on this website contain characters created and owned by J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing, Scholastic, Inc. and AOL/Time Warner, Inc., and may incorporate characters, locations and things created and/or owned by other third parties including but not limited to Joss Whedon, George Lucas and/or Lucasfilm, Fox, Paramount, Random House, Pengun Putnam, Inc., Ballantine Books, and a lot of other people. No permission has been given and since no money is being made here, no infringement is intended.
