Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and the room went silent. They may be adults but the old school rules were ingrained in them. Neville, who was standing next to her at the front of the room, handed her some parchment.
"Good morning," Professor McGonagall looked around the room. "I hope you all slept well. I would like to run through our plans and allocate some timetables to you."
"Ooooh." Everyone turned to stare at Ron who grinned sheepishly. "Sorry," he said. "It was the word timetable - I was right back to an eleven year old for a moment!"
Everyone in the room laughed but Professor McGonagall's face showed only the slightest amusement. "Thank you, Mr Weasley. You've managed to take me back to when you were an eleven year old as well!" she said, dryly.
"Sorry," Ron repeated and Hermione had to bite her lip to stop from bursting out laughing at his expression. She could hear Ginny giggling quietly next to her.
"As I was saying," Professor McGonagall continued. "We have invited you here to provide some invaluable advice and pass on your vast experience to our students. In this room are a group of young wizards who are Hogwarts shining example of what hard work and natural talent can do. We purposely picked you from the same school year so that you would all know each other. As this is to be an annual event we hope to do the same next year with a different year group. So, on behalf of all the staff and pupils here I would very much like to thank you for giving up your precious time to be here." Her normally straight, serious face broke into a smile. "Even you Mr Weasley!" Everyone laughed again and Ron grinned at them all. "We have built a new studio that we intend to use for the purpose of advising the older students about their career choices and we are going to ask you to officially open it for us. Today, we have scheduled an assembly with the whole school followed by a special feast in the Great Hall at lunch time. Tomorrow and the next day there will be lectures and more informal meetings in the new studio. The official opening ceremony will take place at the end of the week. Professor Longbottom will hand out the timetables."
Neville did as Professor McGonagall asked and as he approached Hermione she followed him with her eyes until he looked up and caught her gazing at him. His face broke into a grin and Hermione grinned back. As he handed her the parchment he leant close.
"Hey Hermione! You were surrounded earlier so I didn't get a chance to speak to you."
"I know - sorry," Hermione answered.
"No problem, I'll catch up with you later."
Hermione glanced at the timetable and had another wave of nostalgia hit her. She used to love receiving her new timetable at the start of the school year. She would never admit to that, of course but it was true. Professor McGonagall was talking and guiltily, Hermione realised she hadn't been listening. She tuned back in.
"So, you have a couple of hours free now before we meet in the Entrance Hall at 12 noon. The students have taken their break so you are free to wonder the school and grounds as you wish. I'll see you all at lunchtime."
There was a clatter of chairs as everyone stood up and with a quick nod Professor McGonagall left the room.
"You were like a school boy!" Ginny said to Ron who smiled.
"It's McGonagall! She brings it out in me!"
"Ron, you help run a whole department at the Ministry!" Ginny insisted. "How can you be so bothered by an ex professor?"
"Oh I have to say I'm with Ron on this one," Harry joined in the conversation. "McGonagall will scare me till the day I die!"
"Pathetic!" Ginny said in her usual blunt way but she smiled at them. Her and Harry's relationship had suffered the same fate as Hermione and Ron's but again they had remained friends. Ginny's eyes moved to the large windows. "I think we should get some fresh air before the madness starts!"
A few of them agreed but Hermione shook her head. "I have to go and unpack properly first - I'll join you in a while."
"You're a witch Hermione - unpacking should have taken 30 seconds."
"I like to do it properly."
Ginny shook her head, bewildered. "I'm the only normal one here!" she teased putting her arm around Hermione. "Go on then my mad friend. We'll see you in a while down by the lake."
Hermione wandered back to their wing of the castle, not bothering to hurry because it was peaceful in the corridors. It wasn't until she was standing by the portrait of Iris Pivis that she realised she didn't know the password. She sighed loudly, annoyed at herself and glanced hopefully down the corridor for someone else who had come back to their room. After five impatient minutes, she decided she would have to go and find Ginny or Harry out by the lake. She took two steps when she heard someone approaching and her face broke into a smile. At last!
Two seconds later the smile was wiped off in an instant as she recognized Draco Malfoy, sauntering towards her. He stopped when he saw her and put his head to one side. Hermione took a deep, calming breath, determined not to lose her temper with him. She would just get the password and that would be it.
"Waiting for me, Granger?" Draco asked with a smirk that she wanted to slap off his face.
"No but you'll do," Hermione answered. "I need the password."
"Didn't Potter tell you it?" Draco asked the obvious question.
"Well, obviously not or I wouldn't be standing here, would I?"
Draco approached her slowly and she could tell by the look on his face that this wasn't going to be a quick or easy exercise. "So - you want me to tell you?"
"Obviously."
"Well, I suppose I could do that," Draco moved even closer and for a minute Hermione thought she had judged him wrongly and that he was going to just let her in. That was until he spoke again. "Or I could go in myself and just leave you standing here."
"Just tell me the password, Malfoy."
"I don't like your tone, Granger."
"I don't care if you like my tone, Malfoy."
"Well as I'm the only one here with the password maybe you should care?"
"Only you could turn this into an opportunity to annoy me!" Hermione sighed. "Forget it - I'll just go and find Ginny outside." She took two steps towards him but he blocked her path.
"Move out the way!"
"Sexy Slytherins," Draco said quietly.
"What?"
"Sexy Slytherins."
"Have we changed subjects?" Hermione asked.
"It's the password, Granger."
Hermione looked at him sceptically. "No it isn't!"
"Yes it is. There are fourteen visiting former pupils and we're here for two weeks, fourteen days so each one of us can chose the password for a day," Draco explained.
"So you chose Sexy Slytherins?" Hermione asked incredulously. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Actually I didn't chose it," Draco corrected her. "Zabini did." He waved his hand at the portrait. "So go ahead, Granger - say the password and in you go!"
Hermione sighed loudly. "I'm not saying that!"
"Please yourself," Draco shrugged. "If you'd rather stand in the corridor for the next two hours..."
Hermione poked her finger in the air. "I won't have to because you're going in - so you can say the password and I'll just follow you." She gave a smirk but she should have known better because Draco took a step backwards. He rubbed his chin and wrinkled his nose.
"Actually - I think I've changed my mind. I might go a walk by the lake," Draco said and Hermione glared at him. He raised his eyebrows at her awaiting her reaction and she sighed again. He wasn't going to help her and it was just two words. She was going to have to say them. She turned her back on him and faced the portrait.
"Sexy Slytherins," Hermione said it as quietly as she could but nothing happened. She took a deep breath and said it again, louder. "Sexy Slytherins." She heard chuckling behind her and felt her stomach drop. She turned to see Draco leaning against the wall laughing. "That's not the password is it?" she asked and Draco shook his head, still laughing.
"Nope!"
"I'm going to kill you!" Hermione spluttered at Draco.
"I can't believe you fell for it! Just how gullible are you, Granger?"
"Move out of my way, I can't be bothered to go in there now!" Hermione stepped closer and tried to move around Draco but he just stared at her.
"The password is Snitch Seeker," Draco said.
"Yeh right!"
"It is! Weaslette chose it."
"I don't care - now let me past." Hermione tried to push past him but he was immovable. He folded his arms across his chest and stood firm. She was feeling like an idiot because she really should not have fallen for his trick and all she wanted now was to get away from him.
That was when a delicious, fresh smell reached her nostrils and it took her a few seconds to realise it was Draco. She tried not to breathe in but she couldn't help it. Her eyes were level with his shoulder and she was suddenly conscious of how close they were standing.
Suddenly, Draco grabbed her shoulders and before she could manage to protest he took two steps forward leaving Hermione no choice but to step backwards with him.
"What are you doing? Let go of me!" she protested but he just ignored her and leaned closer still until her face was just millimetres from his chest. Hermione was torn between disgust at being this close to him and the very strange sensation of not being able to tear her eyes from the muscles moving under his shirt.
"Snitch Seeker," Draco said, his voice close to her ear. She realised he had stepped forward so he was close enough for the portrait to hear him. She felt the door to their wing open behind her and Draco grabbed her again, walking her backwards through it.
"Will you take your hands off me!" Hermione said and she felt him let her go.
"Stop whining! You're in our rooms as you wanted," Draco was already walking towards his own room. "And you needn't worry I'm not in any hurry to put my hands anywhere on you again. I'll leave that to Weasley and Longbottom to fight over."
He exited down the corridor to his room without a second glance leaving Hermione staring after him.
Hee hee - I love this sort of interaction between them and I love sarcastic, teasing Draco! Okay- maybe I should stop gushing over my own story and let you tell me what you think? x