Hermione was pulling her trunk behind her tired frame, her tawny owl throwing angry looks at the Muggles staring at it. She couldn't help joining her messenger's mood, even if her anger was rather towards the wizards surrounding them. They were all so noisy when the first of September finally showed the tip of its nose. She snorted loudly as the Weasley family ran past her in an orange flash of light, except for famous Harry Potter's dark hair. Even a goblin would have given a better Muggle-disguise than Arthur Weasley. One would think that as Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Department, he would know better than to combine dusty pin-striped trousers with a loose flower-embroidered blouse.
Hermione finally decided that those matters were far from being of her concern, flattened the black silk dress Narcissa had given her past Christmas and casually leaned against the barrier between platform nine and ten. A second later, she was standing next to the Hogwarts Express, thick white smoke issuing from the engine and covering the chatty crowd. She slightly sighted at the picture of dozens of Hogwarts students, young and older, flinging their arms around their parents' neck a last time. Her anger was mostly due to her jealousy over those who had a proper family, but she wasn't yet ready to admit it.
She took her eyes off the Ravenclaw-Gryffindor Patil twins, another group of Potter's friends - though Parvati might not be so fond of him anymore since the Yule Ball - and finally entered the train. The Yule Ball … Of all the girls who threw themselves at Draco's feet in Fourth Year, how could he have chosen Pansy Parkinson and her bulldog face? If at least she had been witty or funny … Hermione fought hard to dispel any trace of anger from her face as she caught a glimpse of Draco's compartment. And she succeeded, for when she greeted her friends, her face was as blank of emotions as Crabbe's mind was blank of any spirit.
"Alone once more, Granger?" Pansy commented as the bushy-haired Slytherin took place in front of her, between Draco and Blaise, while Goyle hoister her trunk up. Pansy had never borne the idea that Draco kept a seat for Hermione next to him every year.
"Everybody doesn't need to be pampered until they are of age" Hermione backfired coolly. The guys slightly smirked. Pansy's parents wouldn't leave her alone before the very last call, no matter if they now were in Sixth Year. In fact, both of Pans'y parents were still standing behind the train's window, beaming at their only daughter.
"Funny, to me it rather sounds like you have something to hide." Pansy asked, boring deeper into Hermione's lies.
"My parents are in France. You wouldn't expect them to travel all the way here just to see their daughter step onto a train, would you? They are very busy people, I expect you can understand that, Draco." Hermione explained, now gazing at Draco for some support.
"That's probably why they didn't send you to Beauxbâtons, because they have so much influence there" Pansy ironised.
His platinum-blond hair shining in the morning light, Draco still seemed to be considering whether he would or wouldn't take part in the girl's constant bickering. Past year, he would have jumped right into this occasion to brag about his family's wealth, but nowadays he had gotten so silent that he resembled Blaise. Crabbe and Goyle also looked at him expectantly now, seeking any sign of his next reaction. They were completely at a loss since Draco had somewhat dumped them for Blaise, Pansy and Hermione – though he and Hermione had always been close. Finally, he raised his head to meet Hermione's eyes, scratching his pointy chin.
"Pansy, we discussed this a thousand times. Hermione has been a Slytherin for over five years now, she's one of us" he simply said.
Pansy frowned for a moment but ended up forgetting about their altercation as Draco later sent Crabbe and Goyle to properly greet some first years in his name and he could lay over their seats to let her play with his hair. As they started snogging, Hermione finally looked away, surprised to see that they were now dating. Pansy ended up having what she wanted, then. Deciding not to waste another second watching them, Hermione turned over to Blaise.
"Mind looking for the food trolley?" she asked.
He shrugged and followed her out of the compartment. They didn't go far though. A few feet further, they fell face to face with Ginny Weasley and Potter, both raising their wands towards Crabbe and Goyle. Blaise slightly scowled, much tenser than usual, and slid a hand to his wand-pocket, but Hermione was faster.
"What do you think you're doing, Potter? I don't remember you being Prefect." she apostrophized him. Of course, The Boy Who Lived must have thought that Dumbledore would name him Prefect rather than Weasley. Hermione saw at his whitening fingers as he tightened his grip on his wand that she was right.
"The same doesn't go for me, Granger." the Weasley girl stated.
Hermione gritted her teeth. Even though she couldn't explain why, she knew better than to provoke her. For a moment, she got lost in the redhead's deep brown eyes, but finally decided not to draw her own weapon.
"Oh, come on. How would it look for a Prefect to be involved in a fight on her first day on duty." Hermione argued.
"I don't know, you tell me" Weasley jeered, pointing at Hermione's Prefect badge.
"I don't remember being the one who provoked the duel. But I am sure that Professor Snape would love to hear about this if you don't clear off the way."
Both Potter and the Weasley girl lowered their wands a little, sharing a questioning look. Weasley nodded and put her wand back into her robes, inviting Potter to do the same. A victorious smile curled up Hermione's lips. Brains would always triumph, whatever some might think.
"It seems like you're smarter than the average Slytherin – though that can't be too hard" the Gryffindor girl commented through clenched teeth.
"It took you quite some time to notice" Hermione ironized. "Let's go, I am still starving" she added to Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise.
The boys didn't object and followed her back through the walkway, though Blaise seemed to hesitate for a second. When they were back, Draco and Pansy had finally gone off each other and were already wearing their black robes, Draco reading the Prophet on his bench and Pansy lost in Witch Weekly on hers.
Later that evening, they all regained their favourite couches next to the stained-glass windows behind which the Black Lake lay, its green light drawing soft shadows onto the common room floor. Blaise, Draco, Pansy and Hermione had earned themselves the honorific title of "Silver Four" for they all had their reasons to be the most envied Slytherins; Blaise was mostly admired for his uncanny beauty and wealth inherited from his mother, Draco for the influence and reputation of his family and his natural charisma, Hermione for her astonishing wit and ambition and Pansy … well, she was Draco's puffer whenever he needed affection or to release his anger or needs. Moreover, they were all from the purest blood. At least Hermione made sure that everybody kept believing that – not that she despised Muggleborns, but it made her life as a Slytherin easier if she pretended to.
How could she have explained that by the day she was sure to be able to produce a strong enough memory charm in Third Year, she had erased her existence from her Muggle parents' memory and sent them to live in Ireland? Since then, she had survived the summer holidays at a certain friend's place on Spinner's End. She would spend her days devouring the books that covered the walls of his sitting room when he let her out of the attic hidden beneath the tricked bookshelf. He wasn't there very often anyway; too busy working his wand off for Dumbledore. Hermione didn't think they could really have lived together for that long, otherwise. He might be the most pleasant teacher at Hogwarts if you were a Slytherin, but he still only took her in because he pitied her situation and she cooked and cleaned for him - though, luckily, he didn't let her touch an inch of his clothing.
Hermione turned back to Draco who was in a deep conversation with Blaise about how reduced the Slytherin Quidditch team would be without him as a Seeker this year, Pansy's head resting on his torso, the witch fast asleep.
"Why would you give away such a good occasion to wash off Potter's smile, though?" Hermione suddenly asked, her voice ringing through the nearly empty common room.
Draco's smirk faded right away, his calculating look quickly gauging her. It was extremely rare that she participated in Quidditch-based discussions. Then, his smile emerged from its ashes, accompanied by a hearty laugh.
"I have been given a better opportunity to turn Potter down; and that for a longer time than a Quidditch match" he said, contemplating his short fingernails.
Hermione was sure that Pansy would have been highly interested in this mysterious announcement, but right now she couldn't have been happier that the girl was fast asleep. Something about Draco was definitely odd lately. Blaise snorted loudly.
"And what is it now? Are you going to lurk him into another well-thought trap? If you'd ask me, I'd say that Potter and his friends are rather good at getting into mortal danger themselves. Do I need to remind you of the troll in First Year? Werewolf-Lupin in Third Year? Even that whole story with Umbridge last year could have ended up pretty badly. Not to mention the Triwizard Tournament and their little escapade to the Ministry" Blaise observed sceptically.
Draco suddenly lifted his feet from the low table to sit upright, facing Blaise. Pansy's head unexpectedly fell onto his lap, waking her from her drowsiness. As she looked up, rubbing her eyes with her knuckles, Draco's temper exploded.
"No, Blaise, I did not ask for your opinion!" he bellowed.
Then, still breathing heavily and rejecting the hand Pansy put on his forearm, he continued in a colder tone.
"The problem about Potter is that he is as good at getting into trouble as he is at getting out of it. People like him too much, they protect him. And that has to come to an end."
Hermione couldn't control the shiver that ran down her spine. It wasn't as if it were the first time Draco spoke like that about Potter. Yet still, she couldn't help feeling like this time was different.
Hi guys, thank you very much for reading this chapter! I hope that you appreciated the start of this new story. Please comment and tell me about your thoughts!
Mrs Ravensmut