Authors Note: No dialogue as of yet, but the plot is finally beginning to appear. This chapter might be a little confusing by itself, but when I post the next one (hopefully tomorrow) everything should be made clear. I also really wanted to post this chapter today so I sort of rushed through it, which should account for some mistakes. I own nothing, weep. Thank you to all of the wonderful people who reviewed before. To the rest of you, please review. Please?
Chapter Three
A few minutes later, Hermione heard a very loud hooting noise, and sat up with a start. Draco stiffened slightly next to her. She was about to ask what in the world was at his window, but before she could utter a sound he was looming over her with his hand pressed against her mouth. He gave her a warning look that contained poorly concealed fear, which was particularly odd when compared to the serene expression on his face moments before. Then Draco pulled back his curtains and got up. She could hear his footsteps crossing around to the window, on her side of the bed. Hermione could hear the hooting louder this time, and figured it was some owl giving Draco his mail. But why would it come here instead of to the Great Hall, and why would an owl have made Draco all panicked looking? There was silence for a moment as he read the letter and scratched out some sort of response. After that, there was nothing. Or rather, there might have been, but Hermione wasn't paying much attention as she was trying very hard not to sneeze. She failed miserably.
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All Draco could think of as he got out of the bed was that nothing mattered but making sure the owl wasn't aware of Hermione's presence. He knew it wasn't his own eagle owl because that owl was currently up in the owlery. The next logical conclusion was that it was from his father, and that was most definitely not a good thing.
He untied the scroll from its leg and began to read. Unfortunately, the letter said exactly what he had been hoping I wouldn't say. It wasn't anything he couldn't fix, though. He wrote a response and tied the scroll back on the owl's leg. Instead of just taking off like a normal owl would, this one just looked around the room for a few seconds.
There was another of his fears confirmed. Lucius put scrying spells on some of the owls he sent out and whatever the owl saw would be sent back to the Manor. Draco wasn't quite sure why his father had sent one with this particular letter, but he sometimes did it to "check up" on his son. Normally Draco would have been glad for this bit of normal fatherly concern. Today, however, was one day he definitely did not want to be checked up on. Luckily, Hermione seemed to be doing an unusually good job of being quiet.
Just as this thought formed in his mind, he heard her sneeze. The owl looked at the bed, then at Draco, and then back at the bed. It took off. He hoped that it was taking off out the window, but he was sadly mistaken. The owl flew further into the room.
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Hermione sat very still. She was sure that sneezing had been a very bad thing, but she wasn't quite sure why. Draco hadn't precisely been clear on exactly what she was in danger from.
She heard a swishing noise, and the next thing she knew, Hermione was confronted with a very large, very black owl peering at her from the nightstand on Draco's side of the bed. She gave shriek of surprise, and then the owl took off again, across the room and out the window. Hermione was shaking slightly, although she did not know exactly what about the ordeal was so very disturbing. Then she realized that there had been something distinctly human about the owl's eyes.