Reunion, Part 2
"Well nice to see you too Malfoy." Harry had a look of deep dislike on his
face.
"So, weasled your way into the Ministry of Magic, I heard, and married a
Weasley...." Malfoy began, grinning evilly before being cut short by Ron.
"Yeah and he's proud of it! Everything you've done has been handed you on a
silver platter, never had to work for anything. I don't call that much of
an accomplishment," Ron said, glaring at Malfoy with hatred.
"Ah well," Malfoy said matter of factly, suddenly taking interest in
Hermione's figure again, "You get things for who you know and I know some
powerful people."
Hermione was just getting more red, and was starting to move away from them
and toward the top table again.
"And stop leering at Hermione," Harry snapped, noticing her look of extreme
embarrassment.
"Oh I'll be looking at her a lot more from now on," Malfoy smirked. "I'm not
just here for the class reunion you see, I've just been appointed the new
Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." And with that, Malfoy winked at
Hermione and walked off.
Ron's mouth was hanging open, Harry looked disturbed, and Hermione had gone from
red to looking as pale as one of the Hogwarts ghosts.
"I...I never heard who the new teacher was going to be.." Hermione gulped,
barely able to get her words out.
"Yeah if Dumbledore was here he never would have allowed it," Ron commmented
darkly
"But Dumbledore isn't here unfortunately." Harry added sourly.
"Headmaster McGonagall wouldn't have allowed it either," Hermione added,
"something must have happened that was beyond her control."
"Don't worry Hermione, we'll make sure he keeps his filthy hands away from
you," Ron stated, looking in the direction where Malfoy had just disappeared.
"It's OK Ron...thanks for the thought but I'm going to have to just avoid him,
if he's going to be working here..." Hermione said, obviously shaken up from
her usual composure.
"Well whatever trouble he wants to cause, he's not going to get away with it
and we might as well stop him from even trying while we are here," Harry
added.
They noticed that more and more people were filing into the Great Hall and
taking their seats. The staff table too was filling up rapidly, and
unfortunately, Malfoy had come back into the hall and was headed that way.
"I guess I should go," Hermione said, trying to become dignified again. "I'll
look forward to giving you guys the tour after dinner"
"Of course," Harry and Ron said, almost shamefully leaving Hermione to go to
the staff table as they headed back to their families. Both of them still
held an extreme friendly affection for her and hated to see anything happen,
but they also knew that they had their own lives and she had hers.
Soon everyone had been seated, and Hermione had placed herself between
Headmaster McGonagall and Professor Lyndon, a short, plump woman who now
taught Transfiguration. Unfortunately, the seat directly across from her was
still vacant and to her displeasure, Malfoy came and sat there, just
grinning proudly at her and keeping his eyes on her constantly. Harry and Ron
had noticed this from across the room and were squirming uncomfortabley at
their table but luckily all of their attention was quickly turned to
McGonagall, who had stood up with a goblet in her hand.
"Welcome Class of 2006! I am very happy to have such a large attendance this
year, but I think it goes without saying that you have been one of the most
memorable classes at Hogwarts. Thank you all for coming and I assure you that
myself and the other staff here at the school have many activities planned
for this week, and we hope that you take the opportunity to spend lots of
time visiting with all of your old comrades. Immediately after dinner, Madam
Granger, our Hogwarts librarian and also one of your former classmates, will
be conducting tours for groups of 20. We have a schedule of events available
for the week at the entrance of the library, so please pick these up while on
your tour. I think you will find that there are a lot of new and exciting
changes that have occurred at Hogwarts since your graduation. And now,
without further ado, let's eat!" McGonagall waved her glass into the air in
honor of the graduates, and then sat down, all of the golden plates and
glasses now filling with all kinds of food and drink.
McGonagall began a conversation with Hermione as she spooned beef stew onto her
plate.
"So, Hermione," she began, now that Hermione was staff they were on a first
name basis, "it must feel good to see Mr Potter and Mr Weasley again?" she
smiled congenially.
"Yes, very...it's been four years although we do send owls quite often."
"Well that's good. I see they both have families?"
"That's right...Ron's little sister Ginny married Harry and Eloise Midgen
married Ron. They seem pretty happy."
"Ah.." McGonagall nodded.
Hermione felt a poof of air beneath her robes and across from her Malfoy was
speaking. "Of course you're bitter though...since neither even CONSIDERED
you."
Hermione glared at him. "They are my FRIENDS, they aren't my type. I am
looking for different qualities in a husband."
Malfoy grinned. "Hm.....," he smirked, looking back down at his plate.
"Be nice, Draco," McGonagall scolded. "You know full well your appointement
here was against my recommendations."
"Yeah well, nothing you can do about it is there? Besides, I know I'm good for
the job."
Hermione just rolled her eyes and started eating again, but about choked when
she felt her robes underneath the table start to creep up her legs.
"Agh!" she screeched, dropping her fork and reaching under the tablee to
push them back down.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Professor Lyndon exclaimed in concern next to her.
"Nothing, everything's fine." Hermione responded.
Malfoy was just laughing. He just innocently continued to eat, but Hermione
saw him mumble something under his breath and now she felt what seemed like
hands rubbing her calves and she made a face of revulsion, slapping below the
table at her legs angrily.
"WHAT is going on?" McGonagall demanded.
"Nothing, everything's fine," Malfoy smirked, mimicking Hermione's earlier
words.
The "phantom hands" had now stopped rubbing Hermione's legs and she relaxed,
but she continued to look nervous and uncomfortable the remainder of the meal.
Finally everyone had finished eating and some were lining up at the front of
the Great Hall for some tours. A witch was handing out numbers to each person
to divide them into smaller groups while a wizard was leading those who did
not want a tour at this time to their rooms.
Hermione was really shaken up, but knowing she had to appear composed, she got
up from the table and headed past Malfoy, not looking at him, and went to the
front of the Great Hall where sure enough her first group were waiting. Harry
and Ron's families had requested to be last so that they could speak with
Hermione in more depth at the end of the evening. Malfoy brushed past Ron and
Harry, deliberatly hitting their shoulders hard.
"Ooops...sorry. See you around, I have to go get myself settled into my own
chambers..my PERMANENT chambers, he added. Tell Granger she can come and visit
anytime, I'll be waiting," and he left swiftly, leaving Harry and Ron looking
after him sourly.
"I'm gonna..."Ron began, but then they were distracted as they saw Hermione
leading the first group out of the Great Hall.
"Well, we're going to be here for awhile, so we might as well sit down," Ginny
commented, breaking the feeling of tension. "I am anxious to see how the place
has changed."
"Yeah, I have a feeling it's changed a lot, " Harry commented disdainfully,
getting a seering feeling that this week was going to be less than ordinary.
It wasn't just Malfoy either, but he just had the gut instinct that this was not
going to be a relaxing visit.
It was nearly 9:00 when Hermione had finished the other three groups and had just Harry
and Ron's family left. She walked back into the Great Hall, looking exhausted. Harry
felt a little guilty for not going with one of the other groups.
"Hermione...it's late..we can do this tomorrow..." he began.
"Not to mention the children should be getting to bed," Eloise added, indicating the
twin girls' heads resting on her lap.
"I'm so sorry....they had so many questions..." Hermione said, brushing a stray piece
of hair from her face. "But of course I'll show you around."
"You go ahead Harry, I agree with Eloise, it's past Sirius' bedtime." Ginny said,
pointing to their sleeping son. "We will be seeing plenty of Hogwarts this week."
Ron seemed torn, he wanted to spend time with Hermione and Harry, but didn't want to
abandon his wife.
"It's OK, this is the time to catch up," Eloise said, getting up and awakinging her
groggy girls. "We'll just go upstairs, just don't be too late."
Ron and Harry nodded and left Hermione to rest for a bit while they walked their
wives out to the wizard who was there escorting people to their rooms. He too looked
like the night had worn on him even though it wasn't extremely late.
"We'll be up soon," Harry assured Ginny, giving her and Sirius a kiss and smiling
sweetly at her.
"I know, " and she kissed him back before following Eloise and the girls, who were
already following the wizard toward the Gryffindor dormatories. Soon Ron and Harry
were left standing there alone.
"Well..it's been quite a time so far," Harry commented.
"Yeah, I'll say. Never a dull moment." Ron agreed.
They headed back into the Great Hall where Hermione was still sitting, looking
absolutely beat.
"I don't think I've ever had to talk so loud and for so long at one time before."
"Oh I don't know about THAT" Ron smirked.
Hermione shot him a weak, insulted glance. "I don't talk too much!"
"Right, you don't really talk so much as..." Ron looked thoughtful, "lecture." Ron
shrugged, sitting next to her and nudging her a bit good humoredly, causing her
to smile despite herself. She hit him back playfully. "You..."
"Haven't you given these tours before?" Harry asked.
"No, this is my first year. In the past Minerva...Headmaster McGonagall...insisted
on doing it herself but she's in her sixties now and slowing down so she said
she wanted to leave it in my capable younger hands. But no matter how young you
are, showing a class of 60 and their families around is a bit wearing..."
"So you sure you don't want to wait till tomorrow to show us around? I mean we
don't mind," Ron said.
"No..it's OK. It's great just seeing you two again! Come on, let's go to the library
and you can just carry me if I pass out from exhaustion," she smiled at them, seeming
to burst with new energy and getting up swiftly from her seat.
Ron and Harry looked at each other and smirked. "That's our Hermione, trying to bite
off more than she can chew and managing to being successful at it!" Harry said as the two
of them followed her back into the hallway and toward the Hogwarts Library.
"Well nice to see you too Malfoy." Harry had a look of deep dislike on his
face.
"So, weasled your way into the Ministry of Magic, I heard, and married a
Weasley...." Malfoy began, grinning evilly before being cut short by Ron.
"Yeah and he's proud of it! Everything you've done has been handed you on a
silver platter, never had to work for anything. I don't call that much of
an accomplishment," Ron said, glaring at Malfoy with hatred.
"Ah well," Malfoy said matter of factly, suddenly taking interest in
Hermione's figure again, "You get things for who you know and I know some
powerful people."
Hermione was just getting more red, and was starting to move away from them
and toward the top table again.
"And stop leering at Hermione," Harry snapped, noticing her look of extreme
embarrassment.
"Oh I'll be looking at her a lot more from now on," Malfoy smirked. "I'm not
just here for the class reunion you see, I've just been appointed the new
Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." And with that, Malfoy winked at
Hermione and walked off.
Ron's mouth was hanging open, Harry looked disturbed, and Hermione had gone from
red to looking as pale as one of the Hogwarts ghosts.
"I...I never heard who the new teacher was going to be.." Hermione gulped,
barely able to get her words out.
"Yeah if Dumbledore was here he never would have allowed it," Ron commmented
darkly
"But Dumbledore isn't here unfortunately." Harry added sourly.
"Headmaster McGonagall wouldn't have allowed it either," Hermione added,
"something must have happened that was beyond her control."
"Don't worry Hermione, we'll make sure he keeps his filthy hands away from
you," Ron stated, looking in the direction where Malfoy had just disappeared.
"It's OK Ron...thanks for the thought but I'm going to have to just avoid him,
if he's going to be working here..." Hermione said, obviously shaken up from
her usual composure.
"Well whatever trouble he wants to cause, he's not going to get away with it
and we might as well stop him from even trying while we are here," Harry
added.
They noticed that more and more people were filing into the Great Hall and
taking their seats. The staff table too was filling up rapidly, and
unfortunately, Malfoy had come back into the hall and was headed that way.
"I guess I should go," Hermione said, trying to become dignified again. "I'll
look forward to giving you guys the tour after dinner"
"Of course," Harry and Ron said, almost shamefully leaving Hermione to go to
the staff table as they headed back to their families. Both of them still
held an extreme friendly affection for her and hated to see anything happen,
but they also knew that they had their own lives and she had hers.
Soon everyone had been seated, and Hermione had placed herself between
Headmaster McGonagall and Professor Lyndon, a short, plump woman who now
taught Transfiguration. Unfortunately, the seat directly across from her was
still vacant and to her displeasure, Malfoy came and sat there, just
grinning proudly at her and keeping his eyes on her constantly. Harry and Ron
had noticed this from across the room and were squirming uncomfortabley at
their table but luckily all of their attention was quickly turned to
McGonagall, who had stood up with a goblet in her hand.
"Welcome Class of 2006! I am very happy to have such a large attendance this
year, but I think it goes without saying that you have been one of the most
memorable classes at Hogwarts. Thank you all for coming and I assure you that
myself and the other staff here at the school have many activities planned
for this week, and we hope that you take the opportunity to spend lots of
time visiting with all of your old comrades. Immediately after dinner, Madam
Granger, our Hogwarts librarian and also one of your former classmates, will
be conducting tours for groups of 20. We have a schedule of events available
for the week at the entrance of the library, so please pick these up while on
your tour. I think you will find that there are a lot of new and exciting
changes that have occurred at Hogwarts since your graduation. And now,
without further ado, let's eat!" McGonagall waved her glass into the air in
honor of the graduates, and then sat down, all of the golden plates and
glasses now filling with all kinds of food and drink.
McGonagall began a conversation with Hermione as she spooned beef stew onto her
plate.
"So, Hermione," she began, now that Hermione was staff they were on a first
name basis, "it must feel good to see Mr Potter and Mr Weasley again?" she
smiled congenially.
"Yes, very...it's been four years although we do send owls quite often."
"Well that's good. I see they both have families?"
"That's right...Ron's little sister Ginny married Harry and Eloise Midgen
married Ron. They seem pretty happy."
"Ah.." McGonagall nodded.
Hermione felt a poof of air beneath her robes and across from her Malfoy was
speaking. "Of course you're bitter though...since neither even CONSIDERED
you."
Hermione glared at him. "They are my FRIENDS, they aren't my type. I am
looking for different qualities in a husband."
Malfoy grinned. "Hm.....," he smirked, looking back down at his plate.
"Be nice, Draco," McGonagall scolded. "You know full well your appointement
here was against my recommendations."
"Yeah well, nothing you can do about it is there? Besides, I know I'm good for
the job."
Hermione just rolled her eyes and started eating again, but about choked when
she felt her robes underneath the table start to creep up her legs.
"Agh!" she screeched, dropping her fork and reaching under the tablee to
push them back down.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Professor Lyndon exclaimed in concern next to her.
"Nothing, everything's fine." Hermione responded.
Malfoy was just laughing. He just innocently continued to eat, but Hermione
saw him mumble something under his breath and now she felt what seemed like
hands rubbing her calves and she made a face of revulsion, slapping below the
table at her legs angrily.
"WHAT is going on?" McGonagall demanded.
"Nothing, everything's fine," Malfoy smirked, mimicking Hermione's earlier
words.
The "phantom hands" had now stopped rubbing Hermione's legs and she relaxed,
but she continued to look nervous and uncomfortable the remainder of the meal.
Finally everyone had finished eating and some were lining up at the front of
the Great Hall for some tours. A witch was handing out numbers to each person
to divide them into smaller groups while a wizard was leading those who did
not want a tour at this time to their rooms.
Hermione was really shaken up, but knowing she had to appear composed, she got
up from the table and headed past Malfoy, not looking at him, and went to the
front of the Great Hall where sure enough her first group were waiting. Harry
and Ron's families had requested to be last so that they could speak with
Hermione in more depth at the end of the evening. Malfoy brushed past Ron and
Harry, deliberatly hitting their shoulders hard.
"Ooops...sorry. See you around, I have to go get myself settled into my own
chambers..my PERMANENT chambers, he added. Tell Granger she can come and visit
anytime, I'll be waiting," and he left swiftly, leaving Harry and Ron looking
after him sourly.
"I'm gonna..."Ron began, but then they were distracted as they saw Hermione
leading the first group out of the Great Hall.
"Well, we're going to be here for awhile, so we might as well sit down," Ginny
commented, breaking the feeling of tension. "I am anxious to see how the place
has changed."
"Yeah, I have a feeling it's changed a lot, " Harry commented disdainfully,
getting a seering feeling that this week was going to be less than ordinary.
It wasn't just Malfoy either, but he just had the gut instinct that this was not
going to be a relaxing visit.
It was nearly 9:00 when Hermione had finished the other three groups and had just Harry
and Ron's family left. She walked back into the Great Hall, looking exhausted. Harry
felt a little guilty for not going with one of the other groups.
"Hermione...it's late..we can do this tomorrow..." he began.
"Not to mention the children should be getting to bed," Eloise added, indicating the
twin girls' heads resting on her lap.
"I'm so sorry....they had so many questions..." Hermione said, brushing a stray piece
of hair from her face. "But of course I'll show you around."
"You go ahead Harry, I agree with Eloise, it's past Sirius' bedtime." Ginny said,
pointing to their sleeping son. "We will be seeing plenty of Hogwarts this week."
Ron seemed torn, he wanted to spend time with Hermione and Harry, but didn't want to
abandon his wife.
"It's OK, this is the time to catch up," Eloise said, getting up and awakinging her
groggy girls. "We'll just go upstairs, just don't be too late."
Ron and Harry nodded and left Hermione to rest for a bit while they walked their
wives out to the wizard who was there escorting people to their rooms. He too looked
like the night had worn on him even though it wasn't extremely late.
"We'll be up soon," Harry assured Ginny, giving her and Sirius a kiss and smiling
sweetly at her.
"I know, " and she kissed him back before following Eloise and the girls, who were
already following the wizard toward the Gryffindor dormatories. Soon Ron and Harry
were left standing there alone.
"Well..it's been quite a time so far," Harry commented.
"Yeah, I'll say. Never a dull moment." Ron agreed.
They headed back into the Great Hall where Hermione was still sitting, looking
absolutely beat.
"I don't think I've ever had to talk so loud and for so long at one time before."
"Oh I don't know about THAT" Ron smirked.
Hermione shot him a weak, insulted glance. "I don't talk too much!"
"Right, you don't really talk so much as..." Ron looked thoughtful, "lecture." Ron
shrugged, sitting next to her and nudging her a bit good humoredly, causing her
to smile despite herself. She hit him back playfully. "You..."
"Haven't you given these tours before?" Harry asked.
"No, this is my first year. In the past Minerva...Headmaster McGonagall...insisted
on doing it herself but she's in her sixties now and slowing down so she said
she wanted to leave it in my capable younger hands. But no matter how young you
are, showing a class of 60 and their families around is a bit wearing..."
"So you sure you don't want to wait till tomorrow to show us around? I mean we
don't mind," Ron said.
"No..it's OK. It's great just seeing you two again! Come on, let's go to the library
and you can just carry me if I pass out from exhaustion," she smiled at them, seeming
to burst with new energy and getting up swiftly from her seat.
Ron and Harry looked at each other and smirked. "That's our Hermione, trying to bite
off more than she can chew and managing to being successful at it!" Harry said as the two
of them followed her back into the hallway and toward the Hogwarts Library.
