A/N- I'm back! Happy to hear that most of you are enjoying where I'm taking this story. There have been a few naysayers but that's normal. Anyways, thanks to everyone again for supporting me in writing this story. Y'all are the bomb. Now that I've rambled on long enough, I'll get started on the stuff you really want to read.
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. The characters are JKR's, I only use them for my own nefarious means. I'm sure that the plot has been done before by the hordes of fanfiction writers that came before me.
Chapter 12
October 18, 1991
Harry ran a hand through his unruly hair as he and Ron headed to breakfast. He suspected that someone had put itching powder or something of the like in his trunk. It sounded exactly like something that the twins would do. He would have suspected the Slytherins but there was no way that they had been able to get into his dormitory whereas the twins only had to open a door.
Ron was chattering next to him about something that Parvati and Lavender had said. Harry sighed. He liked both girls, he really did, but when they got together they were an unstoppable force of fashion and gossip. It wasn't something that he particularly liked to listen to.
Parvati had started hanging around himself and Ron over a month ago. She was pleasant enough; the Indian girl was never mean or rude to him. He enjoyed having someone around that wasn't Ron. Harry knew that Ron was his best mate but when he went off on his tangents that all Slytherins were evil, he just couldn't handle it.
Since Parvati was always around, he couldn't help but wonder if she was only feigning friendship because of who he was. He knew that while the boys in his dorm were genuine in their liking him, he knew that the older students that tried to befriend him were only doing so because he was famous or on the quidditch team. Harry snorted. He wished he wasn't famous at all and simply had his parents.
Thoughts like these were dangerous. Whenever he became melancholy about the loss of his parents or how terrible his life was outside of Hogwarts' walls, he always thought of Hermione Black. They were rarely charitable thoughts to be truthful.
Harry couldn't help but feel the sting of betrayal even stronger than before when he realized that everyone outside of his own house seemed to genuinely like the girl. Her father was responsible for his situation, she was trying to befriend him, so she could haul him home to her father to finish the job. Dumbledore had made it clear that since Hermione had no mother, Sirius Black could do anything he wanted and not get thrown into Azkaban. He could murder Harry in front of the whole school and he would only be fined by the Ministry.
He had briefly wondered why the esteemed Lord Black hadn't done anything else that was illegal, but he quickly remembered Professor McGonagall's words. The Blacks were like royalty. He wouldn't want to do anything to tarnish his perfect reputation even though Harry thought that it was already shite. Murder tends to do that to a person.
Even though he rarely had thoughts about Hermione Black that weren't negative, he couldn't help but admit that she was beautiful. In fact, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, even Ron agreed when he could pause his diatribe about her traitor father. Though he would never admit it to anyone, it was Hermione's face that he saw in his mind when he wanked at night. It was a new development for him, wanking in general, and it made him feel dirty that he imagined the daughter of the traitor responsible for his parent's death.
Not that there was anything on the twelve-year-old girl to really look at. She was still very much a child and always wore proper clothing. Harry had gone to fetch something for his aunt one day over the summer and had seen a magazine on his uncle's bedside table. There was a scantily clad woman on the front and Harry hadn't been able to stop himself from flipping it open and ogling the naked women inside. It seemed far more likely that his mind would return to that instance when he brought himself to completion but that was never the case. It made him sick.
Harry and Ron took their seats at the Gryffindor table, Seamus and Dean already seated and shoveling food into their mouths. Harry served himself at a much more sedate pace; he no longer stuffed himself like he wasn't going to get to eat again. He had even gained some weight and no longer appeared to be gangly when he looked at himself in the mirror. The proper nutrition had also done wonders for his height. He was still the shortest boy in school, but he had shot up two inches. Neville was standing at the Slytherin table, talking and laughing with Hermione and Malfoy. Harry knew that they had been friends before school, but he still couldn't piece together why he would want to be friends with someone who's family had destroyed their own.
Neville had come clean late one night in their dorm room about his parents and what had happened to them. All the boys had listened raptly as Neville told them what he knew of what had been done to his parents. Apparently, Malfoy's aunt and Hermione's cousin had taken her husband, brother-in-law, and another ardent follower of Voldemort and tortured his parents into insanity. They were later caught and sent to Azkaban, where they had now resided for the last ten years, but the damage was done and while his parents were certainly still alive, they weren't capable of acting as true parents should. With a parting retort, Neville laughed and re-joined them at the lion's table. Harry couldn't help it when he blurted out the question.
"How can you be friends with them when you know what their family did your parents?" Harry instantly regretted the question when he saw the flash of pain cross his friend's eyes. His face hardened slightly before he spoke.
"While their family may have done harm to mine, Hermione and Draco did nothing to me. Hermione was two years old, Draco only one." Ron seized on his words like a dog on a bone.
"I understand that, but you've gone over to their houses since you were little. How can your gran let that happen knowing what happened?" Neville slammed his cup down on the table and there was fury etched in his features now.
"Not that I expect you to understand, Ron, but Lord Black has done right by my family. He cast Bellatrix from the family tree and then paid an extremely large amount of money to my family in reparation. Not only did he pay us reparation, he has taken care of all my schooling since he feels responsible for the fact that Bellatrix took away my parents. It wasn't his fault in any way but since it was his family that caused it, he insisted on doing the right thing."
This wasn't what Harry had been expecting him to say. He had expected stuttering, maybe telling them that he just did what his gran told him to do. That would have been the response Ron would have given. It was clear that Ron feared his mother on a very visceral level. Not that he blamed him. He had heard the howler that Molly Weasley had sent the twins after the prank on Hermione Black. It was clear that she was the reason that they had apologized the way they did but they were quick to reassure everyone that since giving her a chance, they did indeed like her a lot. Ron, however, just had to keep pushing.
"You're letting that traitor pay for your schooling? Well, I guess that makes sense why you're nice to them." Neville's face suddenly went impassive at his words. Harry wondered if it was something that purebloods were taught as children. Every single one of them aside from Ron seemed to be able to turn their emotions off at will.
"I'm nice to them because they're my friends. Lord Black paid the Longbottom family reparation when I was two years old. A fund was set up for my schooling at the same time. It has never been spoken of since. I attended parties at both their homes and nobody ever treated me poorly. Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix's sister, was always welcoming and motherly, she never made me feel guilty for my parents landing her sister in prison. For the record, Ron, you might want to start referring to Lord Black by his title. If the right people were to tell him that you were disrespecting him, and yes, I mean Hermione and Draco, he could retaliate on your father. There's a reason that your mother ordered the twins to apologize no matter how much she doesn't like the situation." The twins, who had been sitting just a couple down, leaned over and nodded their heads sagely.
"If you would just give her a chance, I think you'd like her. Yeah, mum made us apologize but we quite like her now. She always helps us when we ask for it, she and Malfoy are really smart. The rest of the little firsties aren't as bad as we thought they'd be either." Ron shook his head angrily.
"I don't recall asking the two of you for your opinions." Harry couldn't help but agree with Ron. While he wasn't going to go out and make war with Hermione and Malfoy, he had every intention of heeding Dumbledore's advice when it came to befriending Hermione Black.
Ron was the only person that he had confided in regarding what he and Dumbledore had spoken about. Since the redhead hadn't had the full story on what happened that Halloween night ten years ago, he had hung on every word and told Harry that staying away from the Slytherin pair was probably his smartest move. Harry felt somewhat vindicated; at least someone else agreed with his decision to follow Dumbledore's advice.
The argument was halted by the bell, dismissing them to their first class. Transfiguration was up first, with the Slytherins of course. Harry couldn't help but wonder who had decided to put the snakes and lions together for almost all their classes. He and Ron stood, the rest of the boys following suit after snatching one last piece of toast for the way. They traversed the corridors quietly, the tension still vibrating between Ron and Neville. Once they arrived, Neville took his usual seat with Faye and he and Ron took the table next to them.
Harry noticed that the Slytherins were already present; he always wondered why it was that they were always early and always seemed to be prepared the second that the bell rang. Harry could appreciate being punctual and ready for class, but they seemed to take it to a whole new level.
He watched from the other side of Ron as Hermione pulled her text out of her bag, scattering a stack of parchment across the floor as she did so. She huffed angrily and went to her knees to gather her parchment, but Ron managed to snatch a few of them that had landed near his feet. She jumped to her feet and glared at him.
"Please give me back my parchments." The Slytherin side of the room was silent as they listened to her overly polite tone. Harry saw Malfoy reach out and touch her back, probably trying to calm her down. Ron sneered her way.
"I don't think that I will. The last thing you need is another O on your homework. Maybe I'll just burn it and you can take a T for once." Dean and Seamus were snickering off to the side of them. Hermione's face went completely impassive.
"That's a nice thought but those aren't assignments for Hogwarts. Please return them before I'm forced to take them." Ron smirked at her before he took the parchment in both hands and ripped them in half. Hermione launched herself at Ron but was stopped by a spell hitting her. Harry turned to see Professor McGonagall standing in the doorway, wand held aloft, expression thunderous.
"Just what do you think you're doing, Miss Black?" Harry hated that he instantly thought that the color that suffused her cheeks made her look lovely.
"Parchment fell out of my bag when I pulled out my text. I was picking them up and Weasley took some. I politely asked for them back and he refused. Then he tore them in half." His Head of House swung her gaze to his friend, who did look rather shamefaced.
"I was just funning about, Professor, they could be mended easily enough." McGonagall didn't look impressed.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley, for attempting to destroy another student's property. Forty points from Slytherin, Miss Black, for being caught in the act of trying to harm another student. Anymore incidents and you'll both be in detention." The stern woman held out her hand to Ron and he handed them to her. She waved her wand over them, repairing them, before she really paid attention to them. Her eyes narrowed in confusion and then began flipping through them. Harry could see that Hermione was gritting her teeth at the intrusion but remained silent. Her face finally came up and met Hermione's gaze.
"What are these, Miss Black? They are far too advanced for you." Harry could see the cold fury at her words.
"They are assignments that Madam Cambridge sent Draco and I. I have to owl them to her today, so I would appreciate having them back." Harry wondered what was on the parchment.
"Is Madam Cambridge a private tutor?" She gave one sharp nod.
"Why are you learning about spell theory and wards? Ancient Runes and Arithmancy aren't offered until third year." The young girl was back to gritting her teeth.
"Draco and I have been learning all of those things for years. Please return my assignments to me." Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes at the tone but handed them back to Hermione.
"Why are you still continuing with Madam Cambridge while you're at Hogwarts?" Hermione seemed to be contemplating her answer. Finally, she gave a matter-of-fact answer.
"Draco and I aren't challenged here. We want to continue to learn. It's quite simple." His Head of House's eyebrows went up.
"Today, we're turning parchment into silk. When did you learn that spell?" Hermione raised a single eyebrow. Harry wished that he could do that.
"When we were five. We made sure the spell worked once we got to school." Harry didn't quite believe that fully, but he wasn't going to speak out of turn and land himself in detention. He was still unsure as to why this conversation was occurring in front of the entire class.
"How far have you made it in your studies?" Hermione got a confused look on her face but answered anyways.
"The end of four year. Hence, why we are continuing our education with Madam Cambridge while we are here at Hogwarts." Harry wasn't sure that his Head of House even remembered that they were in class because she just kept going.
"Why have you not told anyone that you aren't challenged?" Hermione quirked her eye brow again.
"Do you really want the answer to that, Professor?" The reply was curt.
"Yes, I do." Hermione stiffened her spine and raised her chin, her shoulders squaring as she stared down the Transfiguration professor.
"Nobody aside from Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick would do anything about it." McGonagall instantly looked offended at her statement and began to sputter.
"Of course, we would, we want all our students to do well." Hermione cocked her head to her side as she scoffed.
"No, you wouldn't. You think that Draco and I don't know that all the teachers don't like us because of who are our parents are? You think we don't know that the Headmaster hates us? You think we're unaware that as Slytherins, everyone looks at us like we're evil? Trust me, we're well-aware and know exactly what would happen if we were to ask for special treatment. Everyone would say that we wanted an easier curriculum, that since our families are wealthy that we wanted everyone to cater to us. The fact that we're bored out of our minds holds no bearing. Ma'am." It was clear that she tacked the ma'am on the end of her spiel because she didn't want to end up in trouble for disrespect.
Harry could tell that his Head of House was shaken to her core. It seemed that everything Hermione had said was ringing true to her and it made Harry wonder what she was going to do about it. In the short time that he had spent at Hogwarts, he had learned that McGonagall was not a witch to be toyed with and who was a force to be reckoned with when her mind was set on something.
"I assure you, Miss Black, that I will be speaking with the Headmaster about your education." Hermione shook her head as she took her seat.
"That isn't necessary, Professor. We're fine with the arrangement we have now." Suddenly recalling that they were indeed in class, their Transfiguration professor cleared her throat and strode to the front of the class and began her lesson.
Harry sighed. That wasn't what he had anticipated happening when he came to class today.
-O-
Hermione was livid. Not only had the ginger git taken her assignments and then tore them in half, Professor McGonagall had questioned and quizzed her about her education as if she had the right to. She turned her assignments in every day and they were always perfect. Beyond that, her education was none of the woman's business.
While Hermione would absolutely love to get a more advanced curriculum, especially in Transfiguration, she knew that it would never happen. The Headmaster wouldn't approve it. She was sure that they could probably fight his decision since Uncle Luci was on the Board of Governors, but Hermione really didn't want to hassle with it. It would be more trouble that it was worth, especially since she was still receiving a quality education from Madam Cambridge.
When the Gryffindor Head of House had promised her that she was going to take the matter to the Headmaster, she wanted to laugh out loud. The woman didn't have to like her, but she should want to teach her students to the best of her ability without being guided by guilt. Hermione knew exactly the effect her words to the professor had had: extreme guilt that she had let prejudices keep her from doing her job. As far as Hermione was concerned, getting more difficult work for herself and Draco should have been broached ages ago. They'd been in class for almost two months and neither had turned in anything less than a perfect essay or failed to perfect a spell on the first try.
Professor Flitwick had indeed been the only professor to ask them if they were challenged enough. While she had hated lying to the half-goblin, Hermione had told him that they were, that they were extremely diligent in their schoolwork. She knew that he would have to bring a curriculum change to the Headmaster and once again, that was more trouble than it was worth.
Hermione was forced out of her thoughts by the bell ringing. She gathered her text and pushed it into her satchel. Draco led her out of the classroom and turned them towards the Charms corridor. They took their usual seats at the front of the classroom and waited patiently for class to begin. Others were trickling in as the time passed, obviously not eager for class. Draco leaned over and whispered in her ear.
"I can't believe you took Professor Cat down a peg or two. It was brilliant." Hermione snorted as the met his eyes.
"Until Uncle Sev finds out. I'll be in detention for days." Draco ruffled her hair much to her chagrin.
"I bet he isn't angry at all. You didn't lose points, you didn't get detention, and you pointed out that the whole school is prejudiced against not only us but all Slytherins." She nodded but they were silenced by Professor Flitwick entering and beginning their lesson.
They were learning the fire-making spell, something that Hermione and Draco had mastered long ago. She still checked her notes against what the half-goblin was teaching them, not adding a single thing to her notes. They were paired off to begin practicing. Hermione and Draco decided to be sporting and pair off with other people, so they could help where needed. It wasn't something that they normally did but since it was the fire-making spell, they decided that it was worth it.
Draco paired Greg while Hermione paired up with Millie, the worst in their group at Charms. She wasn't sure if they girl hated the subject or what exactly caused her complete and total failures in that class, but Hermione decided to help where she could. Much to her surprise, Draco had Goyle casting the spell properly on his third try, something unheard of for the boy. While he really did have a sweet personality, Greg wasn't known for being the most intelligent She knew that other houses made fun of Greg and Vince both, said that they were nothing but boulders, but she didn't believe that. It just took them longer to grasp things.
Millie was another story. Hermione couldn't fault her effort, it was clear that the girl was trying her hardest to produce flames, but her magic wasn't cooperating. When Hermione considered it, she realized that while Millie always did well on her classroom assignments, she always faltered on practical application in almost every class. She was going to have to research and see if she could discover something to help the girl.
Much to the bigger girl's absolute delight, her spell was successful on her eighth attempt. She laughed and threw her arms around Hermione in glee, thanking her profusely for helping her to cast the spell. Hermione just hugged her back, there wasn't much else she could do since the girl was hanging around her neck, laughed, and told the girl that she needed to gain confidence.
Professor Flitwick awarded everyone points that had successfully cast the spell. The only ones that hadn't managed it were Lavender and Pansy, so they were assigned extra practice as homework. Both grumbled to themselves about it but neither voiced complaints. Professor Flitwick dismissed them just moments before the bell rang, telling them that lunch would be served momentarily in the Great Hall. Hermione was excited since she was starving.
Lunch ended up not being in the cards, however, since just outside the Charms classroom, Ron Weasley stepped in front of her, effectively blocking her way. Hermione sighed; the last thing she wanted to do was deal with him being a complete git to her. Draco, however, wasn't going to take his shite now that they weren't in class.
"Why can't you just leave her alone, Weasel? We told you before, she doesn't have a crush on you. Go talk to the blond, she can't seem to stop staring at you." Hermione knew that would piss him off, so she was unsurprised when the redhead drew his wand and let it hang at his side.
"Like I would have a crush on a traitor. Take it back or I'll make sure I curse you both bald." Draco laughed openly now.
"You just heard in Transfiguration that Hermione and I are already through most of the fourth-year curriculum. You think you stand a chance against us? It's not like you're quickest snitch in the sky anyways." Ron stepped forward, but Harry held him back, so he could step forward himself.
"Don't insult my best mate. He didn't have a thing to say to you. You need to just keep your face out of his business." Draco smirked at Harry, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Hermione is my business. She's my cousin and best friend and your 'best mate' does nothing but torment her and insult her. Maybe if he wasn't a complete waste of space, he would know that it's impolite to treat young ladies as such, especially when she has done nothing to him." Harry's chest was heaving, and she could tell that he was angry.
"He treats her that way because she's a traitor, she was raised by a traitor. When you embrace that kind of life, you have to be willing to suffer the consequences." Draco laughed again at how angry Harry was.
"Hermione is a traitor? Traitor to who, to what? That doesn't even make any sense. If you seriously believe that Uncle Sirius is a traitor than you aren't half as intelligent as I had hoped." Ron finally spoke again, fury evident in his voice.
"We'll settle this once and for all. Wizard's duel, tonight at nine. Trophy room and don't be late. Bring your second. I hope Harry wipes the floor with you." Before Draco could retort, Ron grabbed Harry by the shirt and pulled him away from them and down the corridor. Hermione wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry.
"I can't believe that they want to fight a wizard's duel. They've been taught a total of twenty spells since they've gotten here. They can't be serious." Draco laughed softly as they started for the Great Hall.
"I think they are, though Harry didn't appear to even know what a wizard's duel is. I'm a little surprised that Weasley did." Hermione couldn't help but chuckle at his words but sobered quickly.
"I'm your second and you are not going to hurt them. It wouldn't be sporting." He rolled his eyes at her.
"I know, Miney, Merlin. Do you think I'm an evil Slytherin too?" She laughed and shoved him in his shoulder.
"Oh hush. I'm starving, and we need to get to lunch." Draco offered her his arm with a grin.
"We wouldn't want Princess Black to waste away from hunger." Hermione shoved him again before taking his arm and letting him lead her down the corridor.
-O-
Severus was nearly growling in irritation by the time he reached Albus' office. He had received a message from a house elf that his presence was requested in the Headmaster's office during lunch. He was sure that his Slytherins were being blamed for something, especially since the marked point loss that morning, which put him in the worst mood.
The door swung open to reveal that Albus and Minerva were both present and sitting tensely by the fire together. Severus sighed. Why did he have a feeling that this meeting was about both his godchildren? Deciding that there was nothing to do but get the ball rolling, he took a seat in an armchair before the fire as well. After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke.
"I'm missing lunch. Does anyone want to inform me what this impromptu meeting is about?" The Headmaster gestured to Minerva.
"Minerva called this meeting, not me. I'm just as clueless as you are." Severus turned his eyes to his colleague. She took a deep breath and met his gaze.
"Did you know that Miss Black and Mr. Malfoy are highly advanced students? There was an altercation in Transfiguration and I found papers that Miss Black said she needed to send off to a Madam Cambridge. I shouldn't have but I rifled through them after I repaired them and found work on wards, ancient runes, spell theory, spell creation, and arithmancy. When I questioned Miss Black, she told me that she and Mr. Malfoy weren't challenged so their tutor sent them work to do in their free time." Severus steepled his hands under his chin and cursed inwardly. He had no idea how Minerva had encountered her assignments from Madam Cambridge but if she knew, Albus would certainly know. Hoping that the children hadn't spoken of his part in their education, he nodded curtly.
"Of course, I know they're advanced. Draco is my godson and he's attended lessons with Miss Black since they were infants. Lucius has always been proud of them and boasts about them every chance he gets." Minerva stared at him, shocked.
"You knew that they were this advanced? Miss Black told me that they had worked their way through most of the fourth-year curriculum." Severus nodded.
"Yes, I knew. Not the specific level but I knew they were far above their peers. They don't want special treatment, so they just do all matters of assignments from Madam Cambridge and owl them back and forth." Minerva shook her head.
"This is unacceptable. I asked her why they had never said anything that they weren't challenged, and she told me that nobody would do anything if they knew. She informed me in front of the whole class that she knew that the professors didn't like herself and Mr. Malfoy and that everyone would assume they wanted special treatment because they're wealthy. She also insinuated that nobody would do anything because they're Slytherin and everyone thought they're evil. I'm here now to demand that they be put in higher classes. There is no sense in them biding their time, wasting their time and money on classes that they have no need of." Severus smirked. It was cute that she thought she was going to get her way on this when the Headmaster would have to be the one that agree to it. True to form, Albus began stroking his beard.
"Minerva, that isn't possible. You know as well as I do that if we do that for them, then there will be people out there that want to make the classes easier because their children aren't as gifted. It's a double-edged sword. Not to mention that they would be ridiculed not only by their peers but by the older students they would have classes with." Her mouth fell open in disbelief. She was silent for several seconds before she found her voice.
"That is unacceptable, Albus. Those children aren't learning a thing and that isn't right. We're professors above all else and teaching is what we're supposed to do. Besides, nobody is going to ridicule a Black and Malfoy, least of all the Slytherins. They're royalty in our world, you know that. It would simply broaden their horizons. You have to agree to this." Severus almost felt bad for the witch. She was trying to do the right thing, but guilt was her motivator and that made him just a little sick at his stomach. Albus was shaking his head.
"I can't, Minerva. If I start showing favoritism now, I'll have to show it to everyone. They may continue their correspondence with their tutor but that is all I'm willing to do." Severus hadn't expected any less. No doubt the Headmaster felt that if the pair weren't learning anything, it would be less that they could do to Harry. That truly did make him sick. Therefore, Severus sneered at his colleague.
"Dumbledore has spoken, Minerva. You should know by now that he only wants what's best for his students. By students, that means everyone except my students." Severus knew that the old man would probably be pissed at his words, but he would blame it on keeping his cover. She pursed her lips and went to her feet.
"I'll have you know that I expected better, Albus. I expected that we would be better educators than this." She didn't say anything else before she swept out of his office, head held high. Albus watched her go before he turned to Severus.
"You know that isn't the case. You care about all your students." Severus nodded his head.
"I know, I was keeping up appearances. It wouldn't do for me to appear to be too friendly or caring. She knows that I care for my students and the others can go hang." Albus chuckled.
"We both know that isn't true. You protect Harry with your life." Severus wanted to snort at the man but thought better of it. He didn't want to protect the little brat since he insisted on hurting his goddaughter's feelings constantly. However, he didn't feel like allowing the Headmaster to get a dig in without getting in one of his own.
"I also know that you filled Minerva full of dragon shite. The only reason you aren't making sure that they learn anything here is, so they won't have as much in their arsenal to use against Potter." Dumbledore nodded his head.
"Yes. We can ill afford for Black or Malfoy to get to Harry. The last thing that we need is to lose him to either. The fight would be over before it begun." Severus felt vindicated that the man admitted as such to him. However, he questioned him.
"You really think that is their goal? Get Potter to be their friend and then take him home to their fathers to do their worst?" Albus nodded his head again.
"It is my fear. I'm not certain that is their plan but just the possibility is frightening." Severus made commiserating noises in the back of his throat.
"I suppose. I have never heard of such plans from either. Lucius trusts me, I think that he would inform me of this plan and implore for me to help if I could." Albus was silent for several seconds.
"That may be true, but I remember well the animosity between yourself and Sirius Black. I'm not sure that he would want to include you in any plans that involve something important to him." Severus wanted to laugh outright now but held it back. If only the old man knew that they were the closest of friends now.
"I defer to you in this matter, Headmaster. Now I find I must make my way to lunch." Albus twinkled his eyes at him as he nodded a final time.
"Good day, Severus."
Severus left with a scowl on his face, robes billowing behind him.
-O-
Sirius was sitting in his library with Lucius and they were discussing the latest bill to come through the Wizengamot. It wasn't too terribly exciting, but it was better than sitting there by himself. It was just before dinner and the pair were winding down Narcissa arrived.
Sirius was lonely, that much was certain. He missed his daughter and his cousin, the sounds they made in the house even when all was quiet. The elves all doted on him even more now that there was nobody else to care for and it wore his nerves. He was officially counting down the days until the Christmas holidays. Sirius threw back another swig of his fire whiskey as Narcissa flounced in the room in the palest blue taffeta gown he had ever seen. They both stood, and his cousin floated into her husband's arms, kissing his cheek in greeting.
"Hello, how was the Wizengamot today?" Lucius returned the kiss and Sirius was kept from answering by a tapping on the window of the library. He rose and walked over to the window, throwing it open to allow in an ebony owl with bright yellow eyes. Sirius couldn't help but worry; this was Severus' owl. Lucius and Narcissa seemed to realize it as well and looked on nervously. He shoved the bowl of owl treats at his friend's owl and returned to his chair before ripping the letter open and reading it aloud.
Sirius,
I hope this letter finds you well, well, as well as you can be considering the Wizengamot is in session. I don't have much to report this week. Hermione and Draco are both doing extremely well in class, though Hermione did lose forty house points this morning because of an altercation with a Ronald Weasley. Apparently, he tore her assignments for Madam Cambridge in half and she went after him. Minerva walked in at that moment and stopped her, only taking points rather than assigning detentions.
Your daughter is a fireball, that much is true. When Minerva mended her parchment, she caught sight of exactly what they consisted of. When she questioned Hermione, she told her that Hogwarts didn't challenge her or Draco. They went back and forth before the entire class, Hermione finally telling her that she didn't tell anyone because nobody would do anything about it, not only because they aren't liked in school due to their parentage but because all Slytherins are assumed evil.
Minerva got indignant and righteous, calling me to Albus' office so she could demand that they be allowed in more advanced classes. It did nothing to sway his answer, of course, but it was amusing to watch her try to better the educational experience of the children because a twelve-year-old guilted her.
I haven't spoken to either of them since the incident and if I know Hermione, she's avoiding me. She probably thinks that I'll be cross with her because of the forty points she lost and the information that was discovered. I'll let her stew for a few days before I finally put her out of her misery and tell her I'm proud of her.
I must go to dinner now so I'm ready to patrol the halls and find all the little monsters out breaking the rules. I'll write you if anything catastrophic occurs but otherwise, expect my owl next week.
Severus
Sirius wanted to get angry at the letter, but he knew that it wouldn't do any good. He expected Dumbledore to do everything in his power to keep his little girl down. The whole situation was a shit show but it was what it was.
Sirius had wanted to go to the Ministry the second that Severus had told him that Albus had tried to use legilimency on Hermione. While he had been expecting it, it didn't make it any easier once it actually happened. Lucius and Narcissa had both stopped him but he was shaking in anger at the intrusion. They reminded him that Hermione had kept him out and she had called him out on his actions, ensuring that he wouldn't do it again. Draco would now be safe as well since Severus had never hid the fact that the two took lessons together and learned the same things.
Lucius and Narcissa arched eyebrows at the letter. There was nothing bad in this one, aside from the fact that Hermione was still being bullied by the youngest Weasley. None of them worried about the situation though. Hermione and Draco had both wrote home and told them that Draco was quick to defend her when she didn't do it for herself. Lucius was the first to break the silence.
"Our little girl put Minerva McGonagall in her place in front of their whole class. She guilted her into taking action." Narcissa was grinning and Sirius gave into the amusement of the situation.
"She is a little fireball, that much is true." He raised his glass of fire whiskey, duplicating it so one could be handed to Narcissa. She and Lucius both followed suit.
"To Hermione and Draco, they're going to take Hogwarts by storm." They all drank to the toast, Candy popping in next to Sirius.
"Dinners is done, master. Yous and Malfoys get to dining room before it's cold." He chuckled at the affronted look on Lucius' face. Candy popped back out and Lucius shook his head.
"That elf is a pushy harridan." Sirius laughed and nodded.
"Yes, yes she is." He gestured for the two of them to lead the way, leaving the letter from Severus on the table next to his chair. His belly growled loudly.
Dinner was calling.
-O-
Hermione was being as quiet as possible as she sneaked out of the Slytherin common room behind Draco. Draco had told their friends about the duel, laughing about how Weasley had decided it was a good idea. They had all shaken their heads, surprised at the idiocy being shown by the redhead. None of them had the experience to participate in a wizard's duel.
All their friends had wanted to come watch, but Draco had told them no. The more people that sneaked out, the bigger chance of them being discovered. Being caught out of their common room after curfew to fight a wizard's duel would most certainly net them detention. They had reluctantly agreed with Draco and made them promise to give details of what happened when they returned.
Draco led them out of the common room and through the dungeons up to the fourth floor where the trophy room was located. Hermione couldn't help but feel nervous, not for the duel itself, but because she was scared to death of getting caught by someone. There were voices ahead of them and Hermione knew that it was Harry and Ron. They slowed momentarily to listen to their conversation before showing themselves.
"You're going to do fine, Harry. We've learned plenty of spells, just use them and dodge anything he throws at you. If you go down, I'll take your spot." Hermione rolled her eyes. The simplest way to explain dueling in the history of. Draco decided that they had heard enough and appeared in the open doorway. He stepped through, Hermione behind him, and Harry and Ron fell silent. Silence held for several moments before Ron burst out laughing.
"You brought Black as your second? A girl?" Draco raised an eyebrow, but Hermione stepped forward.
"You should worry, Weasley. You take several tries in class to get your spells right. I've known the spells you know for years. For your sake, I hope that Harry doesn't fail." His mouth closed with a snap and Draco laughed out loud before gently pushing her over to the side.
"You stay over there, 'Mi. If Potter disarms me or knocks me to the ground, you're up." Hermione could see Harry gesturing for Ron to do the same thing. Hermione did as her cousin asked and waited passively for them to begin. Draco paced out the distance between them and smirked at Harry.
"We must observe the niceties. First, we bow. Since I'm a gentleman, I'll allow you to cast the first spell." Harry nodded and both boys bowed to one another. Hermione watched as Harry lifted his wand and cast.
"Locomotor mortis." Hermione was a little surprised to see him use the leg-locker curse, she had anticipated the body-bind, but it was executed beautifully. Draco seemed a little surprised that his aim was perfect. Rather than cast a shield, he moved quickly to the side and the spell crashed into a large trophy on the shelf behind Draco. It clattered noisily to the floor, the sound reverberating through the room and the surrounding corridor. They all stood there silent and still, making sure that nobody had heard them. It was only moments later, however, that Filch's voice could be heard.
"There are students out of bed, Mrs. Norris. Go find them!" Hermione didn't bother waiting to see if she was going to come their direction. She grasped Draco's hand dragged him out of the room towards the nearest staircase. Harry and Ron were hot on their heels. Even though they needed to go up rather than down, they launched themselves onto the moving staircase right behind Hermione and Draco.
Since it was only one staircase, it ended when they reached the third floor. Knowing full well that they had to find another staircase to go down or up, both boys followed Hermione and her cousin. There were footsteps coming from the far end of the corridor and she suspected that they belonged to her godfather. The Slytherin made a snap decision that she hoped would keep them out of trouble.
Hermione reached the door and tried to open it, only to find it locked. Knowing that they needed somewhere to hide, she pulled her wand and whispered the unlocking spell. The door swung open and the four of them piled in the room and slammed the door shut. They all waited in bated silence to see if someone burst in the room and assigned them detention. After a full minute of only their breathing filling the room, Hermione sighed and turned around to see the room they had taken refuge in. What she saw surprised her.
An enormous three-headed dog was sitting atop a trap door.
The dog came awake slowly and Hermione was silent, unable to warn any of them of the danger they were in. Not only did the dog look pissed off, it was extremely close. She could see that it was chained to the floor but that did little to make her feel better. The boys finally turned and saw exactly what she did, and Ron screamed.
The dog was no longer calm. It jumped forward, barking and snapping its jaws. Hermione tried to move out of it's range but since the others were in her way, it was hard to do. Instead of catching her with it's teeth, it caught the skirt of her uniform and ripped it. She felt Draco and Harry both take hold of her arms and haul her closer to them, further out of reach. Draco's wand appeared, and he was quick to unlock the door once more, so they could escape before anyone got seriously hurt.
After her cousin shoved her unceremoniously through the door, Hermione looked down and realized that her skirt was torn beyond help. She also saw that her blue silk knickers were on display, along with a red scratch on her upper thigh. She squeaked when she realized that the boys would see everything, trying desperately to cover herself with her hands.
Her squeak caught the attention of Harry and Ron and they were both now staring at her exposed skin. Hermione tried to hide behind Draco, the only boy that had ever seen her in her knickers before and that had been years before. He was checking to make sure that the door was locked securely behind them. When he turned to see why she was dancing around him, he saw her predicament and then realized that the boys were staring at her. He shoved her behind him while he took his robes off and thrust them behind him. Once she was putting them on, he turned angrily to Harry and Ron and raised his wand, casting stinging hexes on them both.
"Ow, what the bloody fuck, Malfoy!?" Ron just got angry.
"We're telling the professor you did that!" Hermione could see that Harry rolled his eyes and elbowed his friend. Draco answered first, however.
"Go ahead, tell a professor. Make sure you also tell them that you were out after curfew, fighting a wizard's duel, and got hexed because you were being uncouth bastards and staring at a girl's knickers when her clothing became compromised." Ron started to speak but Harry interrupted him.
"We aren't telling a professor, Ron. Use your head." He turned to Hermione and she fully expected that he was going to make fun of her. Instead, she was pleasantly surprised.
"I apologize for my behavior, Miss Black." Hermione made sure that her cousin's robes were fastened all the way up before she stepped out from behind Draco.
"I accept your apology, Mr. Potter." She noticed that she got nothing in the way of an apology from Ron. Draco laid his hand on her lower back, turning her towards the dungeons.
"We all need to get back to our common rooms now." The Gryffindors needed no further urging and turned to go in the opposite direction.
Hermione followed behind Draco back towards their common room, keeping an eye open for the prefects and professors that were still out patrolling. Although, Hermione had a feeling that it was getting to be late enough that there wouldn't be many people left. When they were only a corridor away from their common room entrance, Hermione pulled her cousin to a stop.
"Did you see underneath that dog?" He raised his eyebrows and shook his head. She couldn't help but feel contemplative.
"It was guarding a trap door. We were in the third-floor corridor, the one that Dumbledore said is forbidden." A look of comprehension crossed his features.
"I wonder what he's hiding down there." Hermione shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm not sure but I have a feeling it's dangerous whatever it is." Draco nodded and put an arm around her shoulders.
"Come on, lets get inside. You know the others are going to want to hear about our adventures." Hermione giggled slightly before allowing her cousin to lead her towards the Slytherin common room.
Hopefully, it was going to a short tale and she could go to bed.
-O-
Harry and Ron rushed into the Gryffindor common room, out of breath from running from Mrs. Norris. He had never felt any certain way about cats, but that beast was enough to make him hate them for life. Ron was already heading towards the couch, panting, then taking a seat to catch his breath. Harry took a seat next to him, mirroring his actions. Finally, Ron was recovered enough to speak.
"Why did you apologize to her?" Harry rolled his eyes.
"Even if her father is a traitor and I don't want anything to do with her, it was still rude and wrong of us to do. We shouldn't have been staring at her like that when it obviously made her uncomfortable." Ron nodded agreement for once but kept talking.
"Did you see those knickers though? They looked super expensive." Harry rolled his eyes again only Ron didn't notice.
"Well, her father in the second-wealthiest man in Britain. The wealthiest man in Britain is her uncle. I'm sure that they are very expensive, especially since Neville said that Malfoy's mum takes her shopping all the time." Ron shrugged his shoulders, obviously not sure what else to say. In the end, he went to his feet and yawned.
"Come on, mate, let's go to bed. We have Potions in the morning." Harry stood and followed his friend up to their dormitory where they stripped off their clothes and put on their pajamas. Harry flopped down in his bed after a quick goodnight to Ron, pulling his curtains closed.
His mind went to the ridiculous duel that they had tried to take part in. It was clear that he was way out of his league when it came to dueling and would probably stay that way until they practiced it in class. Percy had told them that they would begin in fourth year, which seemed so far away. There was nothing for it though, he would just have to wait. His eyes were growing heavy as he laid there in the dark.
His mind went back to Hermione Black standing there in her knickers and he cursed himself inwardly. Where Ron had been worried about how expensive they were, Harry couldn't get it out of his mind how perfect that color had looked on her. Her skin was pale, much like her cousin's, except for the angry red scratch across her thigh. He knew he shouldn't feel bad about the scratch marring her skin, but he did.
He hadn't even thought twice about reaching out and pulling her closer to himself and Malfoy. No matter how much he despised her father, he would never wish death or disfigurement on her. Harry knew that he should keep his distance, even if that meant her being injured, but it just seemed wrong to let her get hurt because he and his friend had been stupid enough to call for a duel. Besides, she had saved their hides by finding that room, regardless of what was inside.
Harry yawned and willed his mind to quiet. He was tired of thinking about Hermione Black and her father and he refused to continue when he had to face Professor Snape in the morning. After all, she was quite forgettable, Hermione Black. Harry snorted to himself.
Just keep telling yourself that.
A/N- Holy hells bells, another long chapter! It wasn't originally going to be this long but what do you do? Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this installment! Leave me a message after the beep and tell me what you think. Reviews are like chocolate and whiskey shots.
Next chapter, an encounter with a troll.
Love,
Alicia
