Well, no reviews for chapter two ... are you guys hinting me? o.O; Here's chapter three ... rated PG-13 for mild violence, innuendo, and a couple choice words on Draco's side. :P Enjoy, and as always, PLEASE r/r!
Adonise Atwater
June 3, 2001
At lunchtime, Hermione was the last to arrive in the cafeteria. She had been in the library, and was struggling under the weight of fifteen books, all under the subject of dreams. Peering around the towering stack that threatened to sway over any minute, she searched for her friends and quickly made her way to a table in the back when she heard Ron's familiar voice call out to her,
"OI, HERMIONE! WE'RE OVER HERE!"
Upon arriving, she grunted and sighed, releasing the books onto the table. Ron and Harry stared.
"You sure you've got enough books there?" Harry asked.
Hermione casted a weary look at him. Her nightmares had kept her from getting decent sleep that past night.
"Actually, no ... I definitely should have picked up more, but I was starting to nod off in the library."
Ron picked up a random book entitled Dreams and our Universe. Giving a small crooked smile, he said, "Sounds like something Professor Trelawney would have been interested in, eh?"
They were all happy that Divination was not a required course that year as Ron began reading from the book, much amused.
"Visionary dreams can be disrupted when Neptune rotates past Uranus, sphery and divine in its control ... "
The redhead cocked an eyebrow and giggled boyishly as Harry quietly snickered, wincing when Hermione swiftly leaned over the table, rescuing her book from the clutches of Ron and scoffing.
"Funny, funny, funny ... " she muttered, yanking it away and slamming it shut. As soon as she did so, she paused with a weird feeling.
It much reminded her of the same air she had in Potions earlier that day. Ignacio's bone chilling stare. The feverish tingling. Slowly, she turned around, trembling violently to look at the Slytherin, who sat far across the cafeteria.
(I really wish you wouldn't do that.)
(But it's only out of habit.)
Hermione jumped at the shock of his thoughts voicing through her mind like wine through water as she looked at him in terror, freezing. Something compelled her to keep the eye contact with him, and it frightened her horribly.
"Hermione? Something wrong?" Harry gave the girl an almost concerned look that went unnoticed. Without turning to directly look at him, Hermione nodded and rose from the table, much to Harry and Ron's immediate surprise. With eyes glazed over and a blank, expressionless mask on her face, Hermione made her way to the table Ignacio sat as if she were a limp marionette being dragged by the strings.
The two she left behind gaped with wide eyes, speechless as she pulled a seat next to the rumored delinquent who was previously sitting alone. It was practically a taboo for a girl of her reputation to sit with him, much less attempt to strike up a normal conversation. Upon joining Ignacio, Hermione seemed to snap out of her sleepwalk-like state.
Harry and Ron both shook their heads slowly in confusion and complete disbelief, jaws dropped, sitting in silence momentarilly. The darker haired felt the green-eyed-monster start to edge in on him gradually.
"Now what the hell just compelled her to go off and do something like that?" complained Ron, finally voicing the unsaid. Harry, however, sat quietly, observing the scene across the cafeteria through narrowed eyes and with a frown, though he couldn't hear exactly what was being said because of the distance and the raised voices of Hogwarts students.
"What's wrong, Potter? Juvie got your girlfriend?"
Harry glanced over his shoulder, predicting correctly Draco Malfoy's pale, sneering face, framed with silvery blonde hair.
"Shut up, Malfoy." he automatically snapped. This was in vain, however, for it only succeeded to amuse the fair haired boy. He'd obviously grown used to it. As Harry rolled his eyes (not before growling "asshole" at his rival), he thought he was sure Ron would somehow back him up, if he weren't watching the scene between Hermione and Ignacio so intently. Personally, he didn't see what was so interesting about them both. They were talking, so what? Yet, Harry still felt a pang of ever-so-slight jealousy every time he glanced in their direction.
Soon, the strange pair were eagerly chatting back and forth, exchanging comments, and was noticed by the whole lunchroom. A veil of silence fell as all eyes were glued upon Hermione and Ignacio. Was it even legal for the smartest girl in the school to talk with this new student who was thought to have commited so many terrible crimes?
"You ... you mean you've really ... actually read that book?" they heard Hermione's incredulous voice say.
"Of course, it's a classic." They were all surprised by Ignacio's simple reply.
Harry realized that it was the first time he'd heard him speak. His voice seemed abnormally soft, but still low, for a boy of his stature and appearance. Ron snickered.
"HEY, INCOMING, FREAK!" A voice from behind Harry and Ron broke the silence in the room. Almost simultaneously, a wet ball of paper went flying toward the spot Ignacio and Hermione sat, deeply immersed in conversation.
Draco smirked to himself in an immature, self-congratulating manner, pleased as he anticipated the spitwad thunking Ignacio right on the back of his head. However, his prediction was wrong.
As if he sensed the offending projectile hurtling toward him at blinding speed, the blue-black haired boy simply raised a hand. The soggy paper ball stoped in midair, much to the amazement of the students in the cafeteria who had silenced their own voices to gawk at Hermione and Ignacio. Now, as Draco stared, wide-eyed with disappointment, they had yet another addition to the lunchtime spectacle.
"Wow," uttered Harry under his breath. "He didn't even use his wand for that ... "
It wasn't only the fact he used magic without his wand, but also his reaction time to something he didn't even seem to see coming.
Ignacio lowered his hand, causing the spitwad to fall the ground. Listlessly, he drew his wand out of his leather jacket, an omnious look clouding his face. Ron, Harry, and the rest of the audience watched carefully as he growled something inaudible, pointing in Malfoy's direction over his shoulder. Ignacio didn't even do so much as turn around to face his offender.
A brilliant light shot out from the end of the Slytherin student's wand and bolted in Draco's way. Its victim jumped slightly, expecting something to hit him immediately, but remained unphased. He did not realize what it was that made the whole lunchroom point and laugh - a chicken sat contentedly atop his head.
Glaring at Ron's approving grin, Draco scowled.
"What, Weasley?" he spat. "You look like you finally got laid and now you want something from me."
Harry quickly seized the opportunity to embarass his long time rival furthermore.
"Uh, no ... but maybe that chicken wouldn't mind." Both he and Ron grinned.
"Wha -- ?"
Draco glanced up, and screamed in humiliation.
"WEASLEY, POTTER - YOU DIE!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. He quickly turned to Goyle, who sat to his left, indicating for him to remove the bird at once. The beefy giant of a boy did so obediently with one swift swipe of his arm. The chicken, disgruntled at having to leave his newfound nesting place, ran off and out of the cafeteria. Feathers still remained in Draco's hair, making him look even more like a complete idiot.
Ignacio overheard his "proclamation of death" directed to Ron and Harry, and dubiously stood up.
"Shouldn't you be referring to me?" he said calmly.
Draco rolled his eyes with annoyance.
"Not unless you're the one who ... who did that, moron."
Ignacio neared the spot where his competitor sat, both glaring as the latter rose from his chair as well.
"What if I did do it?" Ignacio said, a hint of mordancy in his voice.
"Either you did, or you didn't, pretty boy." This comment caused Harry and Ron to glance at each other with surpressed mirth. Draco was pretty feminine featured himself. "What's it gonna be?"
The two were face to face by now. Ignacio was slightly taller, but Draco earned an advantage with speed.
The darker haired retorted to the question with a malicious fist heading straight into the direction of Draco's nose. As the injured stumbled back with the force of the blow, he anticipated his next move -- a left-handed uppercut to Ignacio's jaw.
Draco rose ... prepared ... and --
"Fifty points from Slytherin. Each."
He whirled around, seeing Professor McGonagall as the source of the voice. The boy knew this would draw back their lead on Gryffindor, making the two houses even. He knew how mad his father would be, and felt a sick feeling in his stomach as he thought about the horrible things his father would probably do to him, despite Draco being his son.
As Draco commenced protests, much reminiscent of Ron and Harry's position in Potions earlier that day. Ignacio shrugged and composed himself, taking his seat next to Hermione once more. Apparantly, it didn't make any difference to him whether or not Slytherin won with the most points at the end of the school year.
"DAMN IT! If he wouldn't have STARTED the FUCKING fight, then maybe I wouldn't have followed! I don't have to stand for this shit! I don't have to take this goddamn crap! My father is the wealthiest, most powerful ... "
Professor McGonagall completely ignored Draco's fluent cursing and instead, crossed her arms.
"Twenty five more points from Slytherin. Inappropriate use of language."
The violent boy repeated another word and stomped back to his seat, resigned, and not forgetting to kick a nearby empty chair in a sudden paroxysm of anger. It was promptly sent flying across the lunchroom.
Harry looked at Ron; Ron looked at Harry. They were both slightly relieved that Slytherin's lead was taken back.
"Well, that was interesting," Harry said, amusement in his voice. Upon looking back at the dissheveled Malfoy, who was wiping his bloody nose with Crabbe's sleeve, he was promptly given a sharp glare.
"Shut up, Potter." Draco growled.
---
Mrs. Granger reached up, sighing and wiping her forehead with the back of her sleeve.
"Geeze," she muttered tiredly, as she dropped an extremely heavy box full of baubles and junk items down on the ground from the attic. After doing so, she climbed down the fold-out lader and sat on the very last step.
"Never thought I'd finally get that cleared out."
Hermione's mother momentarilly surveyed the cardboard box of old items, and wondered how long they'd been in the attic, wrapped in newspapers dating further back than her own birth.
After resting for awhile on the makeshift chair, she rose again, kneeling in front of the box she'd dropped from the attic carelessly and began removing items. Mrs. Granger smiled at the music box she remembered from her days of being younger, the rag doll that always used to comfort her, and --
The archery bow was strangely alien to her. She couldn't remember seeing it anytime before. Picking it up and running her fingers over its cool, aqua colored metal surface, she furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to recall it to her memory.
The bow was cold to the touch, and wherever she placed her hands, the surface would ripple as if something were being dropped in it ... it would turn into a liquid that was still able to be held and keep shape. She was reminded of stones dropping in a pond.
"Desirus's Bow ... " she murmured softly, because that, of course, was what it was. The silvery engraved letters on the grip made it clear and obvious. The piece of archery equiptment, however, was missing something, and Mrs. Granger couldn't quite put her finger on what it needed to be complete.
The woman chuckled, almost pleased with herself.
"Perhaps Hermione would appreciate archery ... "
---
The same Slytherin girl who had given Ignacio his class schedule now carried his Hogwarts school robes in a box, its new, clean folds giving off a crisp smell. She had been directed by Dumbledore to drop the robes off in Ignacio's dorm, and she was, of course, following the orders.
Since Dumbledore had given her a skeleton key which was able to open every lock on every dorm in Hogwarts, she was easily able to get into the boy's room. The lithe girl entered, and sat the box on a bed - she wasn't sure exactly which belonged to Ignacio.
Taking advantage of the fact no one else was in the dorm, she looked around for anything interesting. Who knows, she thought. Maybe I'll find someone's dead body. She laughed nervously, but her feigned mirth quickly died down.
Her eyes went from the beds, to the dressers, to the small bathroom, and finally came to rest on a mirror towards the center of the room. She couldn't explain it, but as she neared the looking glass, the blonde felt slightly uneasy.
She stared at her reflection long and hard. If was somehow not her own ... yet also, it was. Narrowing her eyes, she turned her head. Her mirror self did so too. The girl brushed a pale lock of hair out of her face. Sure enough, her reflection followed along.
Slowly, she raised her right hand and waved it. She startled, expecting the looking glass to mimic her last action, but gasped in terror when she saw quite the opposite. The mirror began to cloud up before her very eyes, an image starting to emerge through the foggy visage.
However, before she could get a clear look, she stumbled backwards, jaw dropped with shock, struggling to rise and bolt out of the room. The girl knew about Ignacio's reputation, and wasn't about to take a chance on the mirror being some kind of mass killing device.
---
Right after lunch, Harry hit the fields early for a little extra Quidditch practice by himself. Hermione was there to watch him, as usual, with her head in her hands, and her elbows on her knees. She smiled as he dove gracefully from high altitudes on his broom and performed loops in mid-air, almost sure that he'd get the position as team captain this year.
The sun was just right, and it was slightly breezy. Trees rustled restlessly behind the stadium's bleachers. Hermione tilted her head back, absorbing every possible moment of it. The end of the summer season would soon turn to fall, and from there to winter.
Harry thought about ceasing his practice to talk to Hermione about lunch, but wasn't exactly sure if it was a smart idea. She'd been acting extremely strange recently, and he didn't know whether or not she'd be touchy about the subject of the new Slytherin student.
At that exact moment, Ignacio entered the stadium, advancing up the steps of the bleachers and towards Hermione.
"Speak of the devil."
Harry glared, his jealousy flaring, partially because of his intense concentration of his practice which magnified his every feeling. Venting his slight anger, he threw his body flat against his broom for speed and growled a curse under his breath. He watched Hermione and Ignacio out of the corner of his eye for the remainder of his time.
"HARRY! HEY, LOOKING GOOD!" He froze at the sound of a familiar voice, and slowly looked down. There was Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker, whom he'd been in love with for three years. At least, he thought so.
Harry blushed furiously at the oriental girl's shout as he made his descent to to ground.
"Hey Cho," he finally stammered. The boy prayed she wouldn't notice his red face, or would pass it off just as working extremely hard at practice - mainly the latter.
"So, I'm sure you'll be placed as Gryffindor team captain this year." she said oversweetly. Harry only managed to swallow and nod, smiling weakly. "I personally don't think that I could even dream of an accomplishment such as that, but ... I could always hope, right?" Her voice was dripping with hints.
"Um, I er, think you're good." Harry mentally smacked himself on the forehead. What kind of a comment was that? Cho giggled with a very high-pitched quality, and tossed her long, black braid back over her shoulder.
"Well, thanks ... " she said self-confidently. "Ah, you mind giving me a ride, maybe? It'd be fun. Besides, I think the rest of your team will be out here shortly, since Gryffindor has the field today."
"I, er ... " Harry could feel his jaw working as he thought. He was hoping he could practice alone for a little while. Not that he didn't like the fact of letting Cho ride on his broom with him (which he blushed at - it was an oddly bold request, and sounded ... well, not right, anyway) ... but the more the thought about it, the more he began to think it was actually a good idea. Harry glanced cunningly at Hermione and Ignacio, both in a serious conversation. She was obviously trying to make him jealous, so why couldn't he retaliate? "Sure." His voice was filled with more confidence.
"Great!" Cho said brightly, and smiled. Harry dismounted his broom, leaving it floating in mid-air, and let his feet hit the ground. He held the Ravenclaw girl by her waist (who promptly cried, giggling, "That tickles!") and hoisted her off the grass and onto the back of the broom with a grunt. Harry then threw a leg over the Firebolt himself, pulling his body up until he was safely balanced. He smiled, more pleased at the thought of Hermione's reaction than having a beautiful girl wrap both arms around him as he pushed off the ground with his left foot.
Into the air they went, Cho shrieking with delight whenever Harry made a sharp turn. He was careful not to try any of his more risky stunts since there were two on the broom instead of just one. The boy jerked the Firebolt up quickly, and they shot high into the sky, climbing even higher every second.
Harry looked over his shoulder at the girl, who's eyes were clamped tightly closed and mouth was in a broad smile. "HARRY POTTER, YOU'RE THE DEVIL!" she cried, laughing. He simply turned back around, a smirk crawling onto his face when he noticed Hermione's shocked look and reaction, finally turning her head up towards them.
Hermione was frightened. It was dangerous for two people to be on a broom at once, and she was almost sure that there was probably a rule against it in the school rule book under the brooms/flying section. Cupping both hands around her mouth, she shouted at the top of her voice, "HARRY! COME DOWN, RIGHT NOW!"
The Gryffindor felt his plan was working. Looking down at Hermione, he furrowed his eyebrows and shrugged, smiling and mouthing the words "I can't hear you." Her face grew more and more concerned, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.
The next few moments were a bit of a blur. He heard Cho shouting frantically, saw Hermione waving her arms and jumping up and down in the air, and upon looking straight ahead, he realized he was flying straight into one of the goals on the Quidditch field. Harry's eyes grew big as he froze and smacked into the hard, metal pole, knocking both him and Cho off the broom, both screaming with the 35 foot fall.
---
When Harry finally came to his senses, he was lying outstretched in the grass of the Quidditch field. Hermione was peering into his face, hovering above him, along with Ignacio and Cho. They had an exasperated look on their face, except for Cho, who was extremely worried. She couldn't believe Harry could be so careless - and leave her with a bruised nose where her face hit the broom - yet nonetheless was distressed over his well-being.
"Harry," Hermione muttered. "Are you okay?" She was annoyed, but still showed concern for her friend. He merely scowled, got up, brushed himself off, and picked up his halfed broom. He cursed when he saw it was splintered in two, and started off in complete humiliation. Hermione immediately sighed and followed behind him, leaving Ignacio and Cho.
"I asked you a question." she said. "Are you okay?" Harry eventually grew tired of Hermione staying constantly at his heel, and whirled around.
"I'm fine." he said simply. She obviously wasn't pleased with this answer.
"You know, you're only lucky I reacted quickly enough to put a charm on you that slowed your momentum with that horrible fall. Couldn't on Cho, however ... it only works on one person at a time. She seems okay, though ... " Hermione smiled. Harry didn't return it.
"Yeah, thanks." His voice was dripping with embarassment and sarcasm, such that it made Hermione stop dead in her tracks and let Harry continue back to the school alone. She stared after him and furrowed her eyebrows.
(He's been acting so odd recently ... )
