Slightly different to the previous chapters. Hermione's explanation is very short but a story leads on from this one. I'm now a quarter of the way through this story :D but I thought that this chapter needed to be written on April Fool's Day. Enjoy!
She didn't know what had made her do it, maybe it had something to do with Harry moaning about her not having fun or Ron saying she never did anything daring. The desire to prove them wrong had now left her in the predicament of standing face to face with a very angry looking Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini. For some reason she assumed the lion tails she had charmed to appear out of their school trousers and the sprouting ears had something to do with it.
"April Fools," she smiled sheepishly as the tail and ears disappeared with her words. The look on their faces varied from shock to anger and then confusion. "You know if you think I did this to the two of you then you are completely wrong," she chuckled exaggerating her words with a large smile on her face.
"You better have a good explanation for this Ganger," Draco snapped slightly relieved to be rid of the tail and ears.
"I just told you, April Fools."
"Who is April Fools and what does she have to do with you charming a lion's tail and ears to us," Blaise said trying to keep hold of his temper.
Hermione's smile dropped as she noticed the slight flashes of hurt in their eyes, to all the Muggleborns in the Great Hall who knew the story behind the 1st of April laughed for such a good April fool's day prank. Everyone else who had no idea what April the 1st represented just laughed along to the prank enjoying Malfoy and Zabini's clear embarrassment. She never considered that Draco and Blaise would have been hurt from the prank she had pulled, completely forgetting their Pureblood upbringing would know nothing about April fool's day.
"Well to start with April Fools isn't a person, it's a day. In the Muggle world on the 1st of April people pull pranks on one another and yell April Fools it's meant to be a joke. And the reason I did it was to prove a point to Harry and Ron when they said I never did anything fun or daring. I wanted to prove them wrong by pulling a Weasley Twin worthy prank." She explained looking up feeling guilty.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Draco asked his anger disappearing.
"It wouldn't have been a prank if you knew it was going to happen. And I forgot you wouldn't know about April Fools."
"So what is this April Fools?" Blaise said taking her hand pulling them both on the sofa.
"Well April Fools is a day where you prank people or play hoaxes on them. It's all a bit of fun and one of the most common pranks is telling ones mother that you're pregnant then yelling April Fools to show that they are only joking." Hermione explained. "It's not a holiday of any sorts that we celebrate just a day we pull pranks on people,"
"Is that it then?" Draco said, "Just a pulling prank day?" Hermione nodded and relaxed into the two men.
"Nothing special, you can pull pranks on your friends, your family your enemies."
"Can you imagine the Deatheaters pulling a prank on the Dark lord?" Blaise chuckled, "my lord, my lord Harry Potter is dead! Haha no I'm kidding April Fools!"
"Nah Blaise I've a better one. My lord my lord Harry Potter is outside selling biscuits in a frilly pink apron." Draco joked laughing.
"What about telling your Aunt Bellatrix that Lord Voldermort is madly in love with her and saying he wants to marry her and then go April Fools he's really gay and banging off Wormtail." The two boys burst out in laughter.
"That Hermione Granger is a disturbing thought. I'm pretty sure that if you did that you'd probably be killed by either one." Draco said chuckling and then stopping mid-laugh his face suddenly gaining a large smirk. "Is there any way we can get out of Hogwarts before half 10?"
"Yes why what are you thinking Draco?" Hermione said glancing over to Blaise who was equally puzzled.
"Well you said you can pull pranks on family and I just happen to know my father loves his long blonde hair and I also happen to know a spell that can change the colour of one's hair." Hermione and Blaise looked at him in amusement. "So I was wondering do either of you fancy coming to Malfoy Manor?"
"Draco won't your father be awake now?" Hermione laughed.
"Nope he doesn't get up before 11 on a Saturday. I'm sure mother wouldn't mind been in on the joke." He told her smiling jumping to his feet and rushing to put on his shoes looking at Blaise and Hermione sat on the sofa staring at him. "Well come on then, we don't have all day,"
Hermione looked over to Blaise and laughed, "I think I've become a bad influence on him,"
"I think you have," he said walking towards Draco putting his own shoes on. When they were ready they quickly left the Commonroom and with Hermione's knowledge they ran to the Whomping Willow and slid through the hole under the tree crawling all the way through the passageway until they arrived at the shrieking shack, Blaise who had been to Malfoy Manor apparated on his own but Hermione who had never been apparated beside Draco. Landing in the grounds they quickly hurried up towards the house when they stopped coming face to face with Narcissa Malfoy scowling down on them from the stairs.
"Why are you not at school?" She asked coldly scowling at all three of them. Hermione didn't care what anyone said she had decided that Narcissa Malfoy was much more intimidating than Lucius Malfoy.
"Mother have you ever heard of the expression of April Fools?" the blonde witch shook her head listening to Draco's explanation carefully as he informed her what the day was.
"So what does this have to do with you being out of school?"
"Well you see mother you can prank anyone this can be a friend, an enemy or your family. I'm sure you've not forgotten the time he turned you into a canary?" Blaise and Hermione had to hold in their laughter upon hearing that the pristine Narcissa Malfoy had once been a canary. "So I thought I'd teach father a lesson. I know a spell that can make hair change colour and I'm sure father would look lovely with hair the colours of Gryffindor." A smirk so commonly seen on her sons face spread across hers as Narcissa looked at the trio.
"Very well but do be quiet he will wake if you are too loud," she stood past as she let the three of them in to the house. When they were out of sight she smiled. "Try and turn me into a canary again Lucius Malfoy if you dare."
Hermione and Blaise followed Draco as he climbed the stairs and weaved down corridors towards the master suit. "How did your father turn your mother into a canary?" Blaise asked as the image of her as a canary floated around his head.
"I had bought some canary creams from the Weasley twins shop hoping to give them to Potter and Weasley after Christmas but my father caught me with them and told me I had to give him one. I explained to him what they were and he was like excellent and disappeared with the canary cream in his hand. I followed him in to the library where mother was and he handed her the biscuit saying she had to try them so she did next minute he's laughing as my mother was pecking him. He did say those Weasley twins had a gift for trouble making."
"I'll be sure to tell Fred and George your fathers compliment," Hermione said before stopping outside a door.
Quietly Draco pushed open the door and walked into the room. Lucius was laid out in the bed fast asleep his hair spread across the pillow. He waved his hand telling Hermione and Blaise to enter the room. Silently they watched as Draco waved his hand and the once blonde locks turned to bright red and yellow stripes. Holding in their laugh they snuck out of the room and downstairs to where Narcissa was sat. Whispering something into her ear she nodded kissing him good bye as they apparated out of the house.
"You know Draco your father will kill you when he finds out," said Blaise chuckling as they made their way to the castle.
"I know he'll probably try and turn me in to a canary." He laughed, "I'm sure Fred and George Weasley will be getting my father's customs very soon. I like this April fool's day,"
"Great, look what I've started now," Hermione moaned dropping behind the two Slytherins she waved her wand watching as the lion tails reappeared smirking she caught up pretending nothing had happened.
Back at Malfoy Manor Lucius had awoken and had walked down stairs to greet his wife. Walking in to the library he watched as her eyes widened and a small smile appeared on her face before she took a deep breath to return her features to how they were earlier.
"Good Morning Narcissa," he greeted smoothly placing a kiss on her cheek.
"Good morning Lucius, Draco came by to tell you something this morning but I told him you were a sleep so he told me to tell you April Fools!" she couldn't hold it in anymore she burst out laughing producing a mirror.
Lucius picked up the mirror and looked and to his horror his hair was bright red and yellow. "DRACO!"
Not the best written piece I have written but it does amuse me. Please Review :)