Beta'd by Maddiechu
The sorting had gone on half an hour longer than it usually did due to the massive amount of new students for first year. The first year was looking bloated, so many children swelling the ranks of the tables, and Hermione only then registered just how much invisible damage had been done to last year's education. Pure-blooded children who had come to Hogwarts when it was made compulsory had to repeat their first year, joining all the muggle-borns whom McGonagall and Flitwick had managed to save, along with all of those who really were starting their first year. First year was massive in comparison to the tiny seventh year Hermione technically belonged to, despite it being her eighth year at the school. She looked about carefully, as a new Ravenclaw was sorted and noted that all the other years were bloated. She'd never seen the hall look so large before, the tables so long, and the ceiling so…bright. Hogwarts had adapted. The final student was sorted to the elation of Hufflepuff, and Hermione sighed with relief, knowing that food would come very soon.
"Oh thank goodness, I'm truly getting starving," Parvarti muttered to her left as Ginny grumbled to her right. McGonagall had stood up, and was preparing herself for the usual speech.
"Welcome to Hogwarts; all of you. You who have been here before and those of you who haven't. Let it be known that the previous year was an anomaly, and the damage done by the actions of those who championed it will take a long time to restore. It is with this note that I warn you; any kind of bullying will be dealt with much harsher than previous years. It will not be tolerated. House unity is now more important than ever. There shall be some events over the year in order to encourage this. Now, I would like to introduce our new staff members. Professor John Dawlish for Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Professor Austin Miller for Transfiguration; I am sure you will make them both welcome. I would also like to remind you that the 'forbidden forest' is as its name suggests, forbidden. Now please, eat!" She announced with a flourish of her wrists and the piles upon piles of food appeared in front of them to the collective elated sigh of the hall.
Ginny began to take a note out of her siblings book, and heaps of food found its way onto her plate; rather neater than Ron had ever managed it. Parvarti was picking at a bowl of mashed potato as Hermione picked out some spaghetti that Hogwarts managed to do so well as she looked up, and caught sight of Draco.
The Slytherin table seemed to be subdued, quieter, even though the chat was still happening; the table was also rather empty. Its swollen first year seemed to be the majority of its numbers; where as other years seemed to be patchy. Its seventh year was also the biggest of all the houses. Draco was sandwiched between Blaise Zabini, the Italian who had fled with his mother when the war broke out; preferring to stay neutral. To his other side was a girl Hermione recognised as Daphne Greengrass, a blonde whose hair was more like spun gold, with minute flawless features and pale green eyes that resembled grassy fields more than eyes. Draco was nodding along to the conversation, as Daphne's lips moved; obviously being the one he was listening to, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders in gentle waves. Strangely, Hermione began to feel threatened as Ginny nudged her.
"Hermione? Are you able to come to the Gryffindor common room at least once a week so I get to see you? I'm not sure if I'm allowed in the eighth year one." She asked her as Hermione smiled.
"Yes, you are, and I can. The eighth year one is on the sixth floor, it's the statue of a witch with a phoenix, and the password is 'cinema', so just come whenever you want." She told the redhead as Parvarti began to join in the conversation amicably.
"How do you think this year will go?"
"Strangely," Hermione admitted thinking of the fight she'd had with the Prefects on the train, and the events McGonagall had said were to happen throughout the year.
"Better than last year at least," Parvarti agreed looking to the teachers table where McGonagall seemed to look slightly uncomfortable in Dumbledore's old throne. The lack of the potions professor who owned a special hatred for anyone who wasn't a Slytherin was oddly unsettling. Slughorn returning for another year was however welcomed.
"How do you think the new teachers are going to be?"
"Dawlish was an auror wasn't he?" Ginny asked, looking up at the man.
"Yeah, he was; that should be good for us don't you think?"
"At least it's not Snape." Parvarti said, as both Hermione and Ginny fell silent.
"So who's back at least for our year?" Hermione asked changing the subject, "I know Malfoy is, with Parkinson. Looks like Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini are too if that is anything to go by," she began nodding her head to the Slytherin table where Draco had been staring at her. She caught his eye, and smiled slightly, feeling warmed at his returned one.
"Add Nott to that too," Parvarti sighed, "But I know Ravenclaw has Michael Corner back as well as my sister and that's it. Hufflepuff has both Ernie and Hannah, and well, we Gryffindors are the most numerous after Slytherin. We have both Dean and Seamus as well as ourselves." Parvarti finished as Hermione raised her brows with surprise.
"I can't believe we have so few!"
"I can, I mean, Neville is doing a year of intensive Herbology training before coming to study under Professor Sprout to take over her job, so that's why he isn't coming back. He's getting his N.E.W.T in Herbology only, and then I think another qualification to do with Herbology. You know about Harry and Ron, because well; you're you. So that's…all of us Gryffindors accounted for." Parvarti said, Lavender's unspoken name hanging between them as Parvarti swallowed. "Ravenclaw have so few returning because so many of them were offered jobs at Gringotts after the break in; did you know they had a dragon down there?" Parvarti said to Hermione pulling herself back together again as best she could, not noticing Hermione's guilty expression.
"I didn't," She lied smoothly, as she looked over to Draco again, seeing him speaking to Daphne and feeling jealous.
:: :: ::
The eighth years were perched on different bits of furniture, grouped together in their houses as Draco leant against the fireplace away from the other Slytherins with a disgruntled expression. Tentative, angry and wary looks were being thrown between the different house groups, with the Slytherins on the receiving end of most of the animosity. There was no talk in the beautifully decorated room; and Hermione marvelled at how the warmth of the room could suddenly host such a cold atmosphere. No one was making any move to go to each other, to talk to someone from another house, despite Hanna and Padma looking as if they'd very much like a catch up chat with Parvarti, and Michael and Ernie doing the same. A loud, over exaggerated sigh came from one of the Gryffindor boys as Hermione attempted to keep her eyes away from Draco, wanting more than anything to join him.
"Right, this is a bit too tense for my liking, everyone sit around the table, and I'll be right back." Seamus announced vanishing into the boys' side as anxious looks were shared and Hannah strode to the table confidently, Parvarti shrugging and dragging her nervous looking twin after her. Dean settled himself next to Parvarti, as Michael joined him; looking at the Slytherins with a curious gaze.
Pansy looked livid, her arms crossed over her chest, a scowl in place. Hermione pulled a chair out next to Hannah, and sat next to it, Draco joining her as Blaise and Theodore joined him, Daphne throwing a glance to Pansy as she sat next to Theodore.
Seamus returned, looking at them all awkwardly looking at one another around the table and laughed; two bottles of whiskey in his hands. Ernie looked astounded as he spotted it, taking a seat next to Daphne as if to bridge the gap between the Slytherins and the other houses, as Seamus took the last seat next to him.
"We're going to have to live here together for a year," Seamus was saying, slamming a bottle down in the middle of the table, and withdrawing shot glasses from his pocket, "Like fuck am I living in a war zone again, so we're going to get drunk, and we're going to make friends." He declared, pushing a shot glass across the table to each of them. Hermione caught hers with a raised eyebrow as Ernie began spluttering.
"But, we're at school! We can't…"
"Yes we can Ernie," Hermione found herself saying, even though she'd never been drunk in her life and didn't fancy the idea of starting it. Ernie gaped at her as Draco laughed. Given the tense atmosphere in the common room she'd rather anything else, and if getting drunk meant that they'd be civil to each other for the rest of the year, she'd get drunk.
"I thought you'd be against this!" He exclaimed as Parvarti loosed a snort.
"Why do people have such a goody two shoes image of you Hermione?" She asked her, "It's like they forget you were best friends with Harry and Ron!" Ernie continued to gape at Hermione as Seamus was now pouring shots, waiting for them all to be settled. Theodore sniffed his distrusting and Seamus rolled his eyes.
"I've not poisoned it you jackass, I wanted to keep this for a later date, but if we're going to sit and scowl at each other and not talk; I'm going to have to drink it now." He said disparagingly as Hannah began to chuckle quietly in her seat. Theodore put the shot back down with a scowl, and Seamus finished pouring Dean's shot. "Right, we're going to start this with a simple game so everyone gets at least three shots of this down them, then we're going to play something different." He continued.
"I'm not playing this." Pansy sniffed as Seamus got ready to explain the rules.
"Then I'll hex you," Draco said smoothly, barely looking at her, his gaze far more interested on the bottle of alcohol he'd be consuming.
"No you won't!" Pansy said shrilly as Draco sneered at her.
"I would, now shut up and join in." He snarled as the other Slytherins looked to Draco with surprise, Daphne's perfect lips parted thoughtfully as she gazed at him.
"Settled? Good, cos the game is called 'Never Have I Ever.' If you've never done something, you don't drink. If you've done it, you drink. So, first proposition: never have I ever attended Hogwarts." He said, slamming the shot back down his throat as he finished, pouring himself the next one as Hannah groaned, apparently familiar with the game as she and Dean both drank while everyone else looked at him questioningly. Seamus sighed, looking to them all disbelievingly.
"You idiots are all in Hogwarts, so you've attended it, meaning; you drink." He said to them as Hermione understood it all of a sudden. She raised her eyebrows and raised the glass to her lips, sniffing it tentatively before tipping it back down her throat. She coughed instantly, as the liquid was more fire than taste, and seemed to dry her mouth at once. Daphne and Parvarti were doing the same, as Ernie and Theodore both looked as if it were unpleasant, and Draco looked unruffled. The shot glasses were quickly re-filled and Seamus looked to Padma next to him for the next proposition. She seemed to catch on faster than Hermione, and raising her shot glass to her lips, she gave a devious smile.
"Let's make it interesting if we're going to do this; never have I ever fancied someone from my own house." She tipped the shot back, as Hermione drunk her next one slightly unwillingly thinking of her sixth year and Ron briefly, realising that everyone at the table had managed to drink once more; suspicious eyes being shared as the fire dried her mouth out once more. The drinks were filled up quickly; Seamus unscrewing the other bottles top and placing it in the middle of the table to make the refills faster, Hannah grabbing the bottle of Ogdons the moment it was placed down.
"Never have I ever…worried about a test." She said, seemingly wanting to make sure everyone drunk. Hermione rolled her eyes, watching everyone drink as she tipped her own drink back once more, filling her mouth with spit the moment she could, the fire warming her throat, and making her stomach burn. She noticed she wasn't feeling anything funny yet, and wondered briefly how many shots it would take for her to start acting like people did when drunk. Her shot glass was refilled as Dean gave a smile to match Padma's.
"I'm with Padma, I want to make this interesting," he began as Seamus shot him a grin, his eyes alight with laughter. "Never have I ever wanted to kiss someone at this table." He grinned shamelessly taking his shot as Draco took his, and Daphne followed, throwing looks at Blaise. Hermione tipped hers back, trying not to look at Draco, and fixed her eyes to the table as she swallowed. Hannah, Padma and Pansy also took their shots as Ernie retched a little at his. Dean loosed a laugh his eyes glittering joyfully as Seamus looked the same. "Now this year might not be uninteresting after all! Hermione! Who are you drinking for? Weasley isn't here!"
Hermione's jaw dropped as Pansy loosed a shriek.
"Weasley? Merlin Granger, you could have at least got your knickers wet for Potter. At least pretend you'd a little taste." She cackled as Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Not interested in Ron, maybe a long time ago, but nope." She said to Dean, forgetting to answer the rest of his question as Dean grinned wider. Draco seemed to be looking at Pansy with a look of distaste, and Blaise was looking at him with a curious sparkle to his dark eyes. Her head began to swim a little, and at four shots she blinked, realising that Padma and Parvarti's cheeks were flushed, Hannah was the proud owner of a rather giggly smile, Ernie was attempting to look as though his head wasn't fuzzy, and Daphne looked glassy and even more beautiful.
Seamus laughed, looking at everyone at the table, and screwed a cap on a bottle.
"I think the alcohol is hitting us, so new game time, spin the bottle. If the cap lands on you, you get to do the truth or dare to whoever is at the other side of it, then when we're nice and ready to make it interesting, we'll do plain old spin the bottle. You drink when it lands on you." Hannah giggled delightedly, and Dean clapped his hands together, looking to Padma with devious expressions. Ernie looked excited to Hermione's surprise, and Draco pressed his leg up against hers, causing her to gasp.
"Not too pleased with the game Hermione?" Seamus asked her as he was poised to spin the bottle, and she shook her head, giving Draco's leg a little gentle pressure in return; thankful that the rising blush could easily be blamed on the alcohol. Seamus smiled, and with a deft flick of his wrist, the bottle was unleashed on the now tipsy group. They all leant forward slightly, their breaths held as they watched it spin. It seemed to last forever, until eventually it slowed, and Hannah seemed to be its first victim as the cap settled on Daphne.
The Slytherin looked shocked, but a lazy, careful smile split over her golden features and she smiled at Hannah with a cheeky hint to it.
"I dare you Hannah, to lick Ernies cheek." She said, as Seamus and Dean roared with laughter. Pansy looked flat out disgusted as Draco raised an amused brow at his fellow housemate. Parvarti and Padma both looked as if it was the last thing they were suspecting as Ernie looked fit to protest. Before he could do anything, Hannah was out of her seat, his head in her hands, and with a deft motion; dragged her tongue from his jaw to just below his eye as Padma laughed loudly at the look of sheer disgust on Pansy's face, almost mirrored by Ernie's stunned one. Hannah slipped back into her seat, spinning the bottle before everyone had registered what had happened. The next spin landed on Michael, who looked to Blaise with a wary expression, met by the Slytherins challenging smirk. The expression bolstered the Ravenclaw, who suddenly grinned.
"Blaise, I dare you to do the next five spins of spin the bottle in your underwear only." Daphne suddenly looked extremely interested, as Blaise seemed bored.
"That's all you've got Corner?" He asked, tugging his robes off as the girls began to watch his movements surreptitiously, the men in the room suddenly watching the women carefully, Michael shrugged, spinning the bottle again, as Blaises's came off layer by layer and Daphne's cheeks became pinker and pinker.
"Might as well see what's ok and what isn't." Michael said as Seamus snorted.
"Forfeits for anyone who won't do their dare." He explained, as if it was non-negotiable and Dean nodded vigorously, as Parvarti was looking to him, with a thoughtful, as equally dreamy expression on her face. The bottle stopped spinning again, and Seamus laughed once more, looking at Theodore with an expression that matched Blaises one of challenge.
"Give us your best Nott," he said, rubbing his hands together with excitement. Nott seemed to look about the table, wondering who he could pick on when his eyes settled on Parvarti.
"I'm going one further. Strip completely naked, and then sit on Parvarti's lap for three rounds." He ordered as Parvarti spluttered with shock, and Theodore smiled at her, sinking back his shot as if it didn't bother him. Draco began to laugh as Hermione looked astonished, wondering where on earth the game would go, and why her year group was so obsessed with nudity. Seamus was already in his boxers, his hand between his legs and tugging his boxers down as Parvarti covered her face and squealed, laughter coming from behind her hands. Her twin patting her shoulder as she laughed. Hannah seemed to find the situation funny too, while Pansy continued to look revolted. Seamus made a show of walking over to Parvarti, his hips swinging from side to side as he cupped himself, his free hand swinging. He gently placed himself onto her lap, her giggles giving her the hiccoughs, crossing his legs openly as Padma shrieked with laughter.
"Close your legs at once!" She demanded, covering her eyes and laughing helplessly. Seamus huffed jokingly as Ernie looked at him gobsmacked once more, and pulled his legs together, his hand once more going between his legs.
The bottle was spun once more, and Ernie managed to get his revenge on Hannah, ordering daring Michael to lick her from elbow to cheek to her squeals of disgust and laughter. Pansy had scowled when the bottle had landed on her, Padma daring her to give Dean a lap dance had been met with a furious hiss and as such, Seamus had promptly transfigured her nose into a tap. She'd shrieked, reaching for her wand only to find Daphne slapping it out of her hand and Draco awarding five points to Seamus for excellent wand work, and she'd nursed her sorrows in whiskey as the table had roared with shocked laughter at Draco's awarding of house points. Seamus climbed off Parvarti's lap, as Blaise seemed to forget he could put his clothes on again, and Seamus only seemed to pull his boxers on. Sitting back in his seat as the bottle landed on Hermione, the cap on Dean. He grinned at her, clearly very tipsy; and Hermione felt an over powering sense of dread as she took her shot.
"Hermione," He said carefully, as Padma and Daphne began to giggle for no apparent reason. "Blaise," he followed up with, and the Slytherin jolted to attention, his curiosity peaked. "Kiss." Dean ordered. Daphne seemed to pale slightly, as Hermione gasped; Draco stiffening by her side as Blaise laughed. Seamus roared with laughter as Pansy looked sorry for her house mate.
"I was wondering when it would come to this!" Hannah said excitedly as Blaise got out of his chair, and Hermione almost stopped breathing.
He strode over to her, an inebriated grin on his face, and Hermione inwardly sighed, thinking she might as well play sportswoman. She got out of her chair shakily, Draco looking at her with an expression she couldn't quite place as she went to meet Blaise.
"Granger," he said in what he hoped to be a suave manner.
"Zabini," She replied, as he stepped closer; one of his hands going to the back of her neck to pull her closer. He tipped his head downwards, and she closed her eyes.
His kiss was wet and sloppy. Catcalls threw up around the table as a couple of them clapped amid their laughter. His tongue was somehow cold despite it living in his mouth, and his smell was all wrong; it wasn't earthy and fresh, but musky and maybe stale. His lips moved against hers hungrily, and she tried not to lean away with repulsion, returning his kiss the best she could. He released her, and she smiled at him in what she hoped was a friendly way, a stray giggle escaping her lips, inwardly hoping she'd never have to re-live the experience.
She turned back, planning to head into her seat, only to catch Draco's eyes.
His jealous, thunderous eyes.
She blinked. Trying to smother the elation she felt at reading his impassive features as jealous and smiled at him, biting her lip. Yes, she was most definitely feeling the alcohol.
:: :: ::
He was pacing in their room, fast and furious, his hands in the air and then thrust downwards.
"Draco?" She asked carefully, leaning against the door she'd come in from the one that lead to the rest of the common room, stilling her dizzy head.
His eyes snapped up to look at her, and he stood stock still, his wintery visage one of a blizzard. His silvery eyes were tormented, his pale pink lips parted slightly. The sharpness of his jaw line jutted out petulantly. His platinum locks falling over his brow. Then he was striding towards her, a sure expression on his face.
He grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the door and into him. His fresh earthy smell overwhelmed her immediately, and she looked up at him, parting her lips in surprise. His arm wound about her waist, pulling her close to him, pressing her body right up against his chest, and her arms rested upon his shoulders. Her breathing began to quicken as she felt the hard lines of his body against hers, and she wound her fingers into his clothing once more, holding onto him as he held her so close she began to tip slightly backwards. His other hand settled between her shoulder blades, steadying her and he looked down at her, a blazing look on his face.
"Hermione," He said gruffly, and Hermione's breath caught fully.
He tipped his head down, resting his forehead against hers, the tip of his nose pressing against hers. His eyes seemed brighter, more alive than she'd ever seen them before; and she parted her lips further, as Draco seemed to tilt carefully to the side, his eyes closing.
And Hermione discovered bliss.
Where Blaise had been ravenous and sloppy; Draco was controlled and practised. The bitter fire like tang of Ogdon's clung to the sweet softness of his lips, the movement of them gentle, like the lazy waves to the shore. The smell of him, earthy and fresh pulled her under the surface, a will to be lost to him forever. He was the good things in life; the first leaves to fall in autumn. The sun on a clear summer's day. The first flowers of spring. The untouched snow of a winter's morning. His kiss was slow, and searching, and the sheer definition of divinity. Then over.
He released her, his eyes ablaze, and fled to his room.