The Crucible of a Magi
Hermione discovers the diary of Rowena Ravenclaw, which leads her to find the oldest game ever played at Hogwarts, and the most dangerous. Loosely based off Jumanji. H/Hr pairing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.. Though I wish I did. I'd even settle for a life-size cardboard cutout.. How cool would that be? Kind of like that Megaman cutout in the mall.. mmm.. Megaman..
Rating: R, but that might change later, though I doubt it. I'm not quite sure how bad or dark or whatever this fic is going to be, but we'll just say R to be safe.
Spoilers: All 4 books.
Chapter 3: Hallway Harassment and Hushed Hypocrisy
There's an old legend in the Slytherin house about a set of keys that were stolen from Salzar, back when Hogwarts was first constructed. These keys were said to open a vault that housed an ancient power that would have helped Salzar win the war and gain control of the wizarding world. People speculated that the vault could even have been in Gringotts, but no one knew for sure.
Every good..or bad.. Slytherin had heard the tale in one form or other and knew that Rowena Ravenclaw was the one who had committed the treacherous deed. Living in the world of the posh purebloods, each and every Slytherin knew better than to give their trust freely. They had never trusted Gryffindors and it was probably due to the fact that they had entirely opposite values and ideals, but Ravenclaws were people they held in extreme suspicion.
They generally viewed Gryffindors with contempt and saw them as nothing more than sea slug slime. In the case of Ravenclaws, however, their house residents were thought of as sneaky and not to be underestimated. The irony was overwhelming; seeing as the two houses were more alike then either would ever admit.
So when Draco Malfoy overheard a group of livid Ravenclaws grumbling about a know-it-all Gryffindor, needless to say, his curiosity was aroused. The situation had all the good makings for mayhem and that was one thing Malfoy particularly excelled in. He paused at the corner of the darkened hall, his ears straining to pick up the hushed whisper of gossip from the quintet of Ravenclaws. They were circled together in the middle of the hallway, each with a disapproving and irritated look.
"Those Gryffindors just don't know their place! Especially that muggle- born. Good marks aren't everything in a school like Hogwarts." One Ravenclaw sneered.
"The audacity! All that Granger girl has is a rather good memory, nothing more. She would never be able to come up with her own theories or do something actually constructive." Another commented.
Malfoy smirked, slinking back into a shadowed corner, practically rubbing his hands together in glee. It sounded as if Gryffindor's golden girl was making some waves.. a tsunami even.
****
Harry ran his fingers through his tousled hair, trying to settle it a bit, but the second it looked tamed, the smoothed locks burst forth into a wild tangle of boyishness. It looked the same always; he wondered why he had even bothered. He slipped his shoes on quickly and grabbed his gray sweater, pulling it over his head.
As he struggled with his tie a business-like knock came from the door. By this time his finger was trapped in the folds of the tie and he was practically choking himself.
"Er.. Come in" He croaked and the door swung open. Hermione stood in the doorway with her book bag slung over her shoulder and a look of amused concern on her face.
"Harry.. do you need some help?" she asked, already reaching up to untangle his hand. Harry nodded and a few seconds later his tie was in order and he was ready to go.
"You know..," He said, after she had finished, "Girls aren't supposed to be in the boys dormitories."
Herminie rolled her eyes with a scowl, tugging on the tie to straighten it.
"Oh come off it Harry. Even I know that's a wasted rule. It was more or less made for people like Pansy, Lavender and that Hannah girl from Hufflepuff."
They both grinned. Harry grabbed his robe from off the scarlet and gold draped bed and pulled it on over his shoulders, fumbling with the clasp for a moment before he finally managed to get it right. He took one last glimpse in the mirror and then turned to Herminie, striking a pose.
"How do I look?" He asked, wagging his eyebrows suggestively. Hermione chuckled, leaning back against the doorframe.
"Gorgeous Harry, absolutely gorgeous." She joked, after stifling a giggle. Harry grinned, his eyes lighting up and made a low bow.
"Thank you, thank you. Now.. I'm just curious. Why was it you came to visit me?" The question caused a sudden silence as Harry stopped his morning routine to eye Hermione expectantly.
She bit her lip, watching her shoes with interest. Using people was something she viewed with distaste and to her frustration; a nagging guilt was creeping up on her. However, she reasoned to herself, there was no reason whatsoever to feel guilty. Merlin knows she'd helped Harry with his homework more times than she could count.
"Well, you see. It's really a small thing. I was wondering if I could borrow your invisibility cloak for a while. It wouldn't be for more than three or four days." She mumbled out quickly, looking into Harry's jade eyes hopefully. He blinked, watching her curiously.
"My cloak? Well, I don't know... I mean I trust you and all, but why do you need it? Maybe me and Ron can help you out with whatever mischief you're planning. ."
"Ron and I." She stated plainly.
"What?"
"Ron and I. You said me and Ron when it should be Ron and I."
Harry's eyes narrowed. "Hermione.." he began in a warning tone. Hermione winced, biting her lip once more.
"I know, I know. I'm awfully sorry Harry, but I just can't tell you. This is something I have to do on my own. If it comforts your adventuring spirit any, I doubt you and Ron would have any fun with me. It involves quite a bit of studying."
Harry watched her for a moment, just studying her. It was almost unbearable for Hermione to be under his scrutinizing gaze. A moment passed and then Harry shrugged with a sigh.
"I suppose I'll let you. I certainly have no reason not to.. but I expect something in return."
"Something in return?" Hermione questioned warily. "What did you have in mind?"
At this Harry grinned, slipping past Hermione at the door and began down the steps, forcing her to follow him if she wanted to hear his conditions.
"Well.. you see, there's this quidditch match coming up..."
"Harry, don't patronize me. I know that there's a match between Slytherin and Hufflepuff on Wednesday. Everyone knows that." She grumbled, following him down the steps, into the common room and out the portrait doorway.
"Let me finish, would you? As I was saying, there's a quidditch game coming up and I just know that Ron and I would love it if you came along to watch it with us."
Hermione's eyes widened in surprise and a pink blush raced across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. She began her protest, but Harry knew what was coming and quickly cut her off.
"Listen to me for a moment. I know you don't like quidditch all that much, but it would mean a lot to me if you'd come. We're going to be studying the strategies and strengths of the teams and I know you could help us a lot if you'd be there. You tend to notice things we don't always catch. Besides.. If you really want that cloak.. well.. you'd just be thrilled to join us."
Hermione skidded to a halt in the small entranceway before the Great Hall. She was utterly stunned.
"Harry James Potter.. are you blackmailing me?"
A devious smirk graced Harry's face, his eyes sparkling impishly.
"If that's what you want to call it, then that's fine with me. But you know, Hermione, it wouldn't kill you to hang out with us every once in a while. I meant what I said. I really do want you to come" Harry turned his gaze away for a moment, fighting down his embarrassment, and then gathered up his courage to turn back to Hermione with a grin,
"We don't bite, after all."
With that said, he turned on his heel, leaving Hermione's jaw hanging, and entered the Great Hall. He took a seat next to Ron, who looked as if he was suffering from a terrible hangover, brought on by the sleeping tea draft, and began his breakfast.
Hermione was so surprised by Harry's behavior that she stood there for a good five minutes before making her way to the table in a daze. She didn't speak to Harry, but when he looked to her expectantly, she gave him a curt nod and quickly went back to staring at her oatmeal.
When had Harry Potter become so mischievous? It must have been that last summer he spent at the Weasleys.. yes, that must be it. Fred and George could turn anyone into a troublemaker. And what had he meant by wanting her to be at the quidditch match? Everything had become very confusing. A set of arithmancy problems were preferred over the daily dealings of the Gryffindor heart any day.
****
He'd been watching her all day. She was being typically Gryffindorish, arrogant, prissy, and... she also seemed a bit distracted. He'd done a bit of investigating and heard about her mishaps from the day before with the alligator and the niffler. It was so unlike her that Malfoy absolutely positively knew something was going on.
If he sniffed around a little more he would probably see that it was some wild scheme concocted by Potter and Weasley. No doubt they had Granger doing some slightly un-prefect-like research for them and her goody-two- shoes attitude was causing a problem.
Presently, they were in charms, in which the Slytherins tended to congregate in the back. It wasn't because they didn't like the professors, which they didn't, but it was more or less because if you sat in the back, you could get away with more mischief.
Also, it was great for discreet spying. So far, Granger had managed to fill up three pages of notes on some silly ink blotting charm. Potter looked pretty happy about something or other and Weasley looked like he had been smacked in the face by a mad bludger. He was practically falling asleep, leaning onto Hermione's shoulder.
Professor Flitwick finished his lecture and soon after the class was dismissed. The students streamed out the doorway, quick to distance themselves from another lecture on the importance of ink blotting charms.
Herminie, Harry, and Ron packed their things away and left as well. Malfoy, following discreetly behind Hermione, strained to catch bits of the trio's conversation and hoped that it wouldn't be the usual dry Gryffindor drabble.
"You can stop by later and pick it up." Harry said, struggling to juggle his books and Ron's.
"Alright. I'm going to go ahead to potions early. I have some questions I want to ask Professor Snape about the exam." Hermione informed them, turning to head down the other hallway.
"Hermione, schools just started! You can't possibly be thinking about exams now!" Ron groaned with a hand to his head.
She frowned, turning on her heel and began down the hall.
"Well never the less, I intend to be prepared. Even if you two aren't."
The boys just rolled their eyes, quite used to dealing with Hermione's compulsive studying fits, and turned down their own hallway. Malfoy smirked as Potter and Weasley vanished around the corner. Maybe this was the opportunity he'd been waiting for.
A simple stumble charm would do the trick.. He gave his wand a flick, mumbling under his breath. Hermione, who had been carrying half her body weight in books, cried out as she stumbled forward, parchment and books tipping from side to side precariously. She had almost righted herself when the stack began to wobble once more before lurching forward, papers spilling from her arms like a fountain.
She huffed and fell to her knees, gathering up as many papers and books as possible. The way she acted, it appeared to Malfoy as if this happened on a regular basis. "My my my, Look at this mess. Where are your boy toys mudblood?", he sneered, "Shouldn't they be cleaning up after you?"
Her eyes narrowed as she hissed irritably.
"Sod off Malfoy. I don't have the patience to deal with your superiority complex today. Go bother Pansy. She'd actually enjoy your company, although I can't imagine why."
The sneer didn't budge from Malfoy's face. A disgusted huff escaped Hermione and she turned away to continue gathering her papers. Malfoy took the opportunity to stoop down, capturing a fist full of parchment to shove quickly into the roomy pocket on his robe. The noise caused Hermione to twist back around and glare at him.
"What do you want? Why haven't you left yet?" She growled, glowering at him coolly.
"Granger, one of these days you, Potty and weasel are going to be caught. You'll finally do something too big for the headmaster to ignore and then, you'll be expelled. And I'll be able to sleep easier at night, knowing that there's one less mudblood in the wizarding world."
A wave of fury bombarded Hermione and suddenly all she could see was red. She was angry, enraged even, but strangely enough she was looking forward to a good fight with Malfoy. There was nothing quite like spewing out a few hexes and insults to relieve stress. She reached into her pocket, gripping her wand tightly and braced herself.
"Hermione! There you are!" The tension that was crackling warily in the air dissipated from the high-pitched, nosey greeting that echoed through the small corridor. Their impending verbal battle skidded to a halt and Hermione grimaced. She would have known that voice anywhere..
Lavender strolled down that hallway lazily, maneuvering her way around Malfoy a little slower than necessary, swaying her hips in a way that could only be preformed in platform maryjanes. She gave him a sideways-glance and continued past him to where Hermione was crouched on the floor in a pile of parchment and literature.
"Hermione.." She began with a sigh, "They make charms for everything now-a- days. I'm surprised you haven't discovered the paper gathering charm. I tend to need it quite often as I'm always tripping. These shoes are so tall and they catch on everything. They're a bloody nightmare.."
She waved her wand around in a cheery little circle while chirping out the spell in a singsong voice. Suddenly all the papers and books began to rustle and slowly gravitate towards Hermione, |including the ones in Malfoy's pocket. His gray eyes widened in panic and he quickly spun around, struggling to hold his pocket closed and waiting desperately for the spell to end.
It was over soon enough, but Malfoy didn't wait to see what happened next. He had a start and that was all he needed for now. Without a backward glance or even a goodbye, Malfoy disappeared from their sight.
Lavender stared at his departing form with her curious lilac eyes. An alarm went off in her head and a catty smile decorated her face. All wasn't as it should be in the halls of Hogwarts. If there were something to find, her and Parvati would get to the bottom of it.
****
"Ten points from Gryffindor for your tardiness, Miss Granger! Let me assure you that your elevated prefect status does not give you the right to arrive late to my class. Now take a seat next to Mr. Malfoy. He will be your partner for today's lab."
Snape's rude greeting tempted Hermione to turn back around and walk out of the dark dank dungeon. Excluding Harry's invitation to the quidditch game, the entire day had been a severe trial of patience. The whole room was silent with the exception of the shuffling of Hermione's feet as she crossed the floor and found her seat next to Malfoy. Harry and Ron gave secretive thumbs-up and their best sympathy smiles from a table in the back, but she was too busy starring dejectedly at the floor to notice.
Snape snapped his hands together, motivating the students with a fierce warning glare. Everyone sprang to life and began the painstaking process of measuring out ingredients as if their very lives depended on it.
The cauldron before Hermione was already at a low rolling bubble. The mixture was a syrupy, pale green and a mist of steam rose, smelling faintly of lemons. A large bubble swelled at the surface and popped, speckling the substance onto the table, where it sizzled and ate away a small crater into the already pocked wood.
Hermione flinched and moved back cautiously.
"W-what are we making today?" She asked Malfoy, struggling to keep the tremor in her voice down.
"Trophy polish for Filch. His stores are running a bit low from all the Gryffindor detentions he's had over the past month." The corners of his mouth drew up into a sly sneer.
"I need that lankleroot diced up. Do make yourself useful, Granger." He drawled scornfully. However, Hermione was too preoccupied by the hole in the table to hear him.
The lack of response to his snappy barb frustrated Malfoy. He'd read her stupid notes, and they were amazing. She might be able to get him out of the horrible fix he was in with his father and the dark lord. Not that he needed help from a mudblood, but it would make things a whole lot easier.
The papers that he had snatched were all on the dream she'd had with the strange kneazle and various bits of history on Rowena Ravenclaw. But it was the dream that had interested him the most.
The blade slipped through the roots cleanly and quickly. She scooped the pile into her hands and stood before the cauldron, looking to Malfoy questioningly.
"Do these go in now or should I wait?"
He didn't answer. An awkward silence followed and Hermione soon became impatient.
"Did you hear me or is your ego so big that it's plugging up your ears?" Her snappy inquiry pulled his attention to her.
"I know all about your little secret Granger." Malfoy informed as his cold gray eyes pierced her own. She paused, blinking back at him in confusion.
"...What? What do you know?"
"I know your little secret. I know all about your dream, I know you have the keys and I want them."
A feeling of dread and shock hit Hermione with the force of the Hogwarts Express. How did Malfoy know about her dream? How did he know?
She felt her hands go numb and the forgotten pile of lankleroot slipped from her hands and into the cauldron. A wave of dizziness hit her and in the back of her head she could hear Professor Snape roaring.
"No, you foolish girl!! Thatâ?s far too much lankleroot!!"
Suddenly the Cauldron exploded, and the green syrupy concoction sprayed everywhere.
****
Author's Notes: WAH HA HA HA!!!!! I have successfully completed another chapter! With writer's block to boot! Er..Sheesh, this chapter took me FOREVER to write. I couldn't believe it! I'm so excited because the next chapter is the one I've been waiting to write since I started this blasted fic. Oh, sorry about all the Draco-ness in this chapter, but it was necessary. I absolutely promise that there will be more H/Hr fluff in the next chapter. And don't forget about the quidditch match ^.^ that should be fun to write.. x_X Adios until the next chapter.
Lady PC
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----
Hermione discovers the diary of Rowena Ravenclaw, which leads her to find the oldest game ever played at Hogwarts, and the most dangerous. Loosely based off Jumanji. H/Hr pairing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.. Though I wish I did. I'd even settle for a life-size cardboard cutout.. How cool would that be? Kind of like that Megaman cutout in the mall.. mmm.. Megaman..
Rating: R, but that might change later, though I doubt it. I'm not quite sure how bad or dark or whatever this fic is going to be, but we'll just say R to be safe.
Spoilers: All 4 books.
Chapter 3: Hallway Harassment and Hushed Hypocrisy
There's an old legend in the Slytherin house about a set of keys that were stolen from Salzar, back when Hogwarts was first constructed. These keys were said to open a vault that housed an ancient power that would have helped Salzar win the war and gain control of the wizarding world. People speculated that the vault could even have been in Gringotts, but no one knew for sure.
Every good..or bad.. Slytherin had heard the tale in one form or other and knew that Rowena Ravenclaw was the one who had committed the treacherous deed. Living in the world of the posh purebloods, each and every Slytherin knew better than to give their trust freely. They had never trusted Gryffindors and it was probably due to the fact that they had entirely opposite values and ideals, but Ravenclaws were people they held in extreme suspicion.
They generally viewed Gryffindors with contempt and saw them as nothing more than sea slug slime. In the case of Ravenclaws, however, their house residents were thought of as sneaky and not to be underestimated. The irony was overwhelming; seeing as the two houses were more alike then either would ever admit.
So when Draco Malfoy overheard a group of livid Ravenclaws grumbling about a know-it-all Gryffindor, needless to say, his curiosity was aroused. The situation had all the good makings for mayhem and that was one thing Malfoy particularly excelled in. He paused at the corner of the darkened hall, his ears straining to pick up the hushed whisper of gossip from the quintet of Ravenclaws. They were circled together in the middle of the hallway, each with a disapproving and irritated look.
"Those Gryffindors just don't know their place! Especially that muggle- born. Good marks aren't everything in a school like Hogwarts." One Ravenclaw sneered.
"The audacity! All that Granger girl has is a rather good memory, nothing more. She would never be able to come up with her own theories or do something actually constructive." Another commented.
Malfoy smirked, slinking back into a shadowed corner, practically rubbing his hands together in glee. It sounded as if Gryffindor's golden girl was making some waves.. a tsunami even.
****
Harry ran his fingers through his tousled hair, trying to settle it a bit, but the second it looked tamed, the smoothed locks burst forth into a wild tangle of boyishness. It looked the same always; he wondered why he had even bothered. He slipped his shoes on quickly and grabbed his gray sweater, pulling it over his head.
As he struggled with his tie a business-like knock came from the door. By this time his finger was trapped in the folds of the tie and he was practically choking himself.
"Er.. Come in" He croaked and the door swung open. Hermione stood in the doorway with her book bag slung over her shoulder and a look of amused concern on her face.
"Harry.. do you need some help?" she asked, already reaching up to untangle his hand. Harry nodded and a few seconds later his tie was in order and he was ready to go.
"You know..," He said, after she had finished, "Girls aren't supposed to be in the boys dormitories."
Herminie rolled her eyes with a scowl, tugging on the tie to straighten it.
"Oh come off it Harry. Even I know that's a wasted rule. It was more or less made for people like Pansy, Lavender and that Hannah girl from Hufflepuff."
They both grinned. Harry grabbed his robe from off the scarlet and gold draped bed and pulled it on over his shoulders, fumbling with the clasp for a moment before he finally managed to get it right. He took one last glimpse in the mirror and then turned to Herminie, striking a pose.
"How do I look?" He asked, wagging his eyebrows suggestively. Hermione chuckled, leaning back against the doorframe.
"Gorgeous Harry, absolutely gorgeous." She joked, after stifling a giggle. Harry grinned, his eyes lighting up and made a low bow.
"Thank you, thank you. Now.. I'm just curious. Why was it you came to visit me?" The question caused a sudden silence as Harry stopped his morning routine to eye Hermione expectantly.
She bit her lip, watching her shoes with interest. Using people was something she viewed with distaste and to her frustration; a nagging guilt was creeping up on her. However, she reasoned to herself, there was no reason whatsoever to feel guilty. Merlin knows she'd helped Harry with his homework more times than she could count.
"Well, you see. It's really a small thing. I was wondering if I could borrow your invisibility cloak for a while. It wouldn't be for more than three or four days." She mumbled out quickly, looking into Harry's jade eyes hopefully. He blinked, watching her curiously.
"My cloak? Well, I don't know... I mean I trust you and all, but why do you need it? Maybe me and Ron can help you out with whatever mischief you're planning. ."
"Ron and I." She stated plainly.
"What?"
"Ron and I. You said me and Ron when it should be Ron and I."
Harry's eyes narrowed. "Hermione.." he began in a warning tone. Hermione winced, biting her lip once more.
"I know, I know. I'm awfully sorry Harry, but I just can't tell you. This is something I have to do on my own. If it comforts your adventuring spirit any, I doubt you and Ron would have any fun with me. It involves quite a bit of studying."
Harry watched her for a moment, just studying her. It was almost unbearable for Hermione to be under his scrutinizing gaze. A moment passed and then Harry shrugged with a sigh.
"I suppose I'll let you. I certainly have no reason not to.. but I expect something in return."
"Something in return?" Hermione questioned warily. "What did you have in mind?"
At this Harry grinned, slipping past Hermione at the door and began down the steps, forcing her to follow him if she wanted to hear his conditions.
"Well.. you see, there's this quidditch match coming up..."
"Harry, don't patronize me. I know that there's a match between Slytherin and Hufflepuff on Wednesday. Everyone knows that." She grumbled, following him down the steps, into the common room and out the portrait doorway.
"Let me finish, would you? As I was saying, there's a quidditch game coming up and I just know that Ron and I would love it if you came along to watch it with us."
Hermione's eyes widened in surprise and a pink blush raced across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. She began her protest, but Harry knew what was coming and quickly cut her off.
"Listen to me for a moment. I know you don't like quidditch all that much, but it would mean a lot to me if you'd come. We're going to be studying the strategies and strengths of the teams and I know you could help us a lot if you'd be there. You tend to notice things we don't always catch. Besides.. If you really want that cloak.. well.. you'd just be thrilled to join us."
Hermione skidded to a halt in the small entranceway before the Great Hall. She was utterly stunned.
"Harry James Potter.. are you blackmailing me?"
A devious smirk graced Harry's face, his eyes sparkling impishly.
"If that's what you want to call it, then that's fine with me. But you know, Hermione, it wouldn't kill you to hang out with us every once in a while. I meant what I said. I really do want you to come" Harry turned his gaze away for a moment, fighting down his embarrassment, and then gathered up his courage to turn back to Hermione with a grin,
"We don't bite, after all."
With that said, he turned on his heel, leaving Hermione's jaw hanging, and entered the Great Hall. He took a seat next to Ron, who looked as if he was suffering from a terrible hangover, brought on by the sleeping tea draft, and began his breakfast.
Hermione was so surprised by Harry's behavior that she stood there for a good five minutes before making her way to the table in a daze. She didn't speak to Harry, but when he looked to her expectantly, she gave him a curt nod and quickly went back to staring at her oatmeal.
When had Harry Potter become so mischievous? It must have been that last summer he spent at the Weasleys.. yes, that must be it. Fred and George could turn anyone into a troublemaker. And what had he meant by wanting her to be at the quidditch match? Everything had become very confusing. A set of arithmancy problems were preferred over the daily dealings of the Gryffindor heart any day.
****
He'd been watching her all day. She was being typically Gryffindorish, arrogant, prissy, and... she also seemed a bit distracted. He'd done a bit of investigating and heard about her mishaps from the day before with the alligator and the niffler. It was so unlike her that Malfoy absolutely positively knew something was going on.
If he sniffed around a little more he would probably see that it was some wild scheme concocted by Potter and Weasley. No doubt they had Granger doing some slightly un-prefect-like research for them and her goody-two- shoes attitude was causing a problem.
Presently, they were in charms, in which the Slytherins tended to congregate in the back. It wasn't because they didn't like the professors, which they didn't, but it was more or less because if you sat in the back, you could get away with more mischief.
Also, it was great for discreet spying. So far, Granger had managed to fill up three pages of notes on some silly ink blotting charm. Potter looked pretty happy about something or other and Weasley looked like he had been smacked in the face by a mad bludger. He was practically falling asleep, leaning onto Hermione's shoulder.
Professor Flitwick finished his lecture and soon after the class was dismissed. The students streamed out the doorway, quick to distance themselves from another lecture on the importance of ink blotting charms.
Herminie, Harry, and Ron packed their things away and left as well. Malfoy, following discreetly behind Hermione, strained to catch bits of the trio's conversation and hoped that it wouldn't be the usual dry Gryffindor drabble.
"You can stop by later and pick it up." Harry said, struggling to juggle his books and Ron's.
"Alright. I'm going to go ahead to potions early. I have some questions I want to ask Professor Snape about the exam." Hermione informed them, turning to head down the other hallway.
"Hermione, schools just started! You can't possibly be thinking about exams now!" Ron groaned with a hand to his head.
She frowned, turning on her heel and began down the hall.
"Well never the less, I intend to be prepared. Even if you two aren't."
The boys just rolled their eyes, quite used to dealing with Hermione's compulsive studying fits, and turned down their own hallway. Malfoy smirked as Potter and Weasley vanished around the corner. Maybe this was the opportunity he'd been waiting for.
A simple stumble charm would do the trick.. He gave his wand a flick, mumbling under his breath. Hermione, who had been carrying half her body weight in books, cried out as she stumbled forward, parchment and books tipping from side to side precariously. She had almost righted herself when the stack began to wobble once more before lurching forward, papers spilling from her arms like a fountain.
She huffed and fell to her knees, gathering up as many papers and books as possible. The way she acted, it appeared to Malfoy as if this happened on a regular basis. "My my my, Look at this mess. Where are your boy toys mudblood?", he sneered, "Shouldn't they be cleaning up after you?"
Her eyes narrowed as she hissed irritably.
"Sod off Malfoy. I don't have the patience to deal with your superiority complex today. Go bother Pansy. She'd actually enjoy your company, although I can't imagine why."
The sneer didn't budge from Malfoy's face. A disgusted huff escaped Hermione and she turned away to continue gathering her papers. Malfoy took the opportunity to stoop down, capturing a fist full of parchment to shove quickly into the roomy pocket on his robe. The noise caused Hermione to twist back around and glare at him.
"What do you want? Why haven't you left yet?" She growled, glowering at him coolly.
"Granger, one of these days you, Potty and weasel are going to be caught. You'll finally do something too big for the headmaster to ignore and then, you'll be expelled. And I'll be able to sleep easier at night, knowing that there's one less mudblood in the wizarding world."
A wave of fury bombarded Hermione and suddenly all she could see was red. She was angry, enraged even, but strangely enough she was looking forward to a good fight with Malfoy. There was nothing quite like spewing out a few hexes and insults to relieve stress. She reached into her pocket, gripping her wand tightly and braced herself.
"Hermione! There you are!" The tension that was crackling warily in the air dissipated from the high-pitched, nosey greeting that echoed through the small corridor. Their impending verbal battle skidded to a halt and Hermione grimaced. She would have known that voice anywhere..
Lavender strolled down that hallway lazily, maneuvering her way around Malfoy a little slower than necessary, swaying her hips in a way that could only be preformed in platform maryjanes. She gave him a sideways-glance and continued past him to where Hermione was crouched on the floor in a pile of parchment and literature.
"Hermione.." She began with a sigh, "They make charms for everything now-a- days. I'm surprised you haven't discovered the paper gathering charm. I tend to need it quite often as I'm always tripping. These shoes are so tall and they catch on everything. They're a bloody nightmare.."
She waved her wand around in a cheery little circle while chirping out the spell in a singsong voice. Suddenly all the papers and books began to rustle and slowly gravitate towards Hermione, |including the ones in Malfoy's pocket. His gray eyes widened in panic and he quickly spun around, struggling to hold his pocket closed and waiting desperately for the spell to end.
It was over soon enough, but Malfoy didn't wait to see what happened next. He had a start and that was all he needed for now. Without a backward glance or even a goodbye, Malfoy disappeared from their sight.
Lavender stared at his departing form with her curious lilac eyes. An alarm went off in her head and a catty smile decorated her face. All wasn't as it should be in the halls of Hogwarts. If there were something to find, her and Parvati would get to the bottom of it.
****
"Ten points from Gryffindor for your tardiness, Miss Granger! Let me assure you that your elevated prefect status does not give you the right to arrive late to my class. Now take a seat next to Mr. Malfoy. He will be your partner for today's lab."
Snape's rude greeting tempted Hermione to turn back around and walk out of the dark dank dungeon. Excluding Harry's invitation to the quidditch game, the entire day had been a severe trial of patience. The whole room was silent with the exception of the shuffling of Hermione's feet as she crossed the floor and found her seat next to Malfoy. Harry and Ron gave secretive thumbs-up and their best sympathy smiles from a table in the back, but she was too busy starring dejectedly at the floor to notice.
Snape snapped his hands together, motivating the students with a fierce warning glare. Everyone sprang to life and began the painstaking process of measuring out ingredients as if their very lives depended on it.
The cauldron before Hermione was already at a low rolling bubble. The mixture was a syrupy, pale green and a mist of steam rose, smelling faintly of lemons. A large bubble swelled at the surface and popped, speckling the substance onto the table, where it sizzled and ate away a small crater into the already pocked wood.
Hermione flinched and moved back cautiously.
"W-what are we making today?" She asked Malfoy, struggling to keep the tremor in her voice down.
"Trophy polish for Filch. His stores are running a bit low from all the Gryffindor detentions he's had over the past month." The corners of his mouth drew up into a sly sneer.
"I need that lankleroot diced up. Do make yourself useful, Granger." He drawled scornfully. However, Hermione was too preoccupied by the hole in the table to hear him.
The lack of response to his snappy barb frustrated Malfoy. He'd read her stupid notes, and they were amazing. She might be able to get him out of the horrible fix he was in with his father and the dark lord. Not that he needed help from a mudblood, but it would make things a whole lot easier.
The papers that he had snatched were all on the dream she'd had with the strange kneazle and various bits of history on Rowena Ravenclaw. But it was the dream that had interested him the most.
The blade slipped through the roots cleanly and quickly. She scooped the pile into her hands and stood before the cauldron, looking to Malfoy questioningly.
"Do these go in now or should I wait?"
He didn't answer. An awkward silence followed and Hermione soon became impatient.
"Did you hear me or is your ego so big that it's plugging up your ears?" Her snappy inquiry pulled his attention to her.
"I know all about your little secret Granger." Malfoy informed as his cold gray eyes pierced her own. She paused, blinking back at him in confusion.
"...What? What do you know?"
"I know your little secret. I know all about your dream, I know you have the keys and I want them."
A feeling of dread and shock hit Hermione with the force of the Hogwarts Express. How did Malfoy know about her dream? How did he know?
She felt her hands go numb and the forgotten pile of lankleroot slipped from her hands and into the cauldron. A wave of dizziness hit her and in the back of her head she could hear Professor Snape roaring.
"No, you foolish girl!! Thatâ?s far too much lankleroot!!"
Suddenly the Cauldron exploded, and the green syrupy concoction sprayed everywhere.
****
Author's Notes: WAH HA HA HA!!!!! I have successfully completed another chapter! With writer's block to boot! Er..Sheesh, this chapter took me FOREVER to write. I couldn't believe it! I'm so excited because the next chapter is the one I've been waiting to write since I started this blasted fic. Oh, sorry about all the Draco-ness in this chapter, but it was necessary. I absolutely promise that there will be more H/Hr fluff in the next chapter. And don't forget about the quidditch match ^.^ that should be fun to write.. x_X Adios until the next chapter.
Lady PC
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