Chapter 2:
New surroundings
"Oh my god!" Hermione exclaimed, "It's tiny!!!"
Disappointed, she looked around her new residence.
Having expected a large, richly decorated hall as a common room, similar to the one in the Gryffindor tower, the sight meeting her eyes now was more than odd.
"This... this looks like a muggle flat!! Is THIS really it?" Hermione looked extremely shocked.
Professor McGonagall smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Ms. Granger, but we've got a rather low budget this year, and were trying to save in every possible case... Also, your Headmaster decided it would only be a good experience for the Head Girl and Boy to live in a muggle apartment for the remaining school year. So, if you don't have any further questions, I'll give you a quick tour round the...place." She looked a bit nervous, Hermione thought. "I would be nervous too, if I still had the perspective of having to break these news to Draco Malfoy! I bet he'll simply adore living in a muggle apartment... with me!" Hermione grimaced inwardly.
Her teacher waved her over to the end of the living room, in which they had just entered. It was not at all a large room, but with just enough space to fit in a fire place, two small couches which stood in front of it and three tall bookshelves, taking up the remaining three free walls. Hermione was only able to manage a quick glance at the contents of them, but she was rather satisfied by what she saw. "Not too bad" she decided for herself.
Together with the professor, she went into the medium sized bedroom, the door to which lay directly opposite the entrance of the "flat".
For the second time today, Hermione let out a shocked gasp.
"Professor! This must be a joke!! Please tell me this was a mistake! I will NOT share a bedroom with Draco Malfoy!!!"
Pointing to the two four-poster beds, standing on either side of the big balcony doors, Hermione tried very hard to stay calm.
Again, Minerva McGonagall was only able to shrug, obviously embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Ms. Granger! There only is one bedroom, and Professor Dumbledore decided that the two of you would be able to manage... He said you were old enough to cope with such conditions..."
Hermione sighed and told her distressed teacher that they would of course manage. "At least we don't have to share a double bed..." she tried to joke.
Professor McGonagall laughed half-heartedly, and lead her student to the next room, the comfortable kitchenette-study-dining-room mixture. It had a self-filling magical fridge, a stove and other kitchen-items, a small dining table for about 4 people, and two spacious desks, perfect for doing homework or studying.
All in all, Hermione liked the plainly-decorated apartment, but the fact that she had to share it with the person she would most likely describe as her worst enemy spoilt the fun quite a bit.
Suddenly she thought of something. "Oh, Professor? Won't Malfoy be coming to see the room now sometime?"
When the older witch nodded, looking rather worried, Hermione quickly excused herself.
"I think I'll go to talk to Harry and Ron... I'd rather not be around when the news get broke to Malfoy..."
Professor McGonagall nodded again, and Hermione exited as fast as she could, making her way to Gryffindor tower.
As expected, both Harry & Ron and Draco Malfoy were not amused by the news.
Ron was about to run to Professor Dumbledore to complain when he heard with whom Hermione had to share her new quarters. She told him it would be alright, and that their headmaster probably had his reasons. But she preferred not to tell them any more details, because she could easily predict their reaction to the fact that she also had to share a bedroom with him.
As professor McGonagall had informed her, she and her new co-inhabitant were not allowed to take anyone else into their "home", so Hermione didn't worry about them finding out on their own.
Hermione, Harry and Ron stayed in Gryffindor common room, chatting happily about the events of the past holidays, the new subjects, and especially the latest gossip.
When Hermione finished telling them about Dean Thomas and Padma Patil, who had "announced their relationship" whilst dinner, Ron, who had blushed the moment it came to the subject of dating, cleared his throat and took a deep breath.
"Hermione. I have to tell you something. Harry knows it already...he was staying in the Burrow in the holidays, as you know..." Growing redder and redder, he went on: "Well, in the holidays, I met Lavendar...erm, and now, well, erm...."
Harry smiled and helped his poor, stuttering friend out of his misery. "He and Lavendar are together!"
Hermione laughed and congratulated her friend to his new girlfriend, the pretty and friendly girl with whom Hermione had shared a dorm for the past 6 years of school.
She liked Lavendar, and she had known about both her crush on Ron and Ron's crush on her for more than half a year.
They continued talking for another hour, but then it was time for Hermione to return to her new "flat". She said good-bye to the other Gryffindors and stepped out of the common room.
Quickening her pace, Hermione thought about her situation. How would Malfoy react to their quarters, and, even worse, to having to share them with her?
When she reached the magical painting of the Mona Lisa, the usually smiling lady in it looked at her with quivering lips, obviously frightened.
"Oh m goodness, what's the matter? Are you alright?" Hermione asked the Mona Lisa.
"That....that boy...he...he was very angry...he was shouting very loudly....and he threatened to cut me! Only when the Professor, the Headmaster came, he stopped...what a terrible boy! I hope he'll calm down! Or else I'll look for another painting to live..." her famous smile now resembled a rather sour grimace, but Hermione managed to coax the lady in the painting to stay in her picture for some more time.
"He'll have calmed down by now! It'll be okay! Now, please open up! Chicken soup!"
Hermione entered her new residence cautiously. Where was Malfoy? Had he really calmed down by now?
He wasn't in the living room. She checked the bedroom next. Deserted! He hadn't even claimed a bed yet. Looking from one bed to the other, Hermione chose the one on the left hand side of the balcony doors, which would have the morning-sun shining on it. She placed her bag and trunk in front of it, wondering why the house-elves hadn't unpacked them yet, as they usually did in the beginning of the term.
Shrugging, Hermione started to unpack them into the cupboard on her side of the room. After a few minutes, she got thirsty and remembered the fridge in their little kitchenette.
Tying back her hair into a quick ponytail, the slender 17-year-old went over to the kitchenette-study-dining-room.
When she opened the door, a strange sight met her eyes.
Draco Malfoy, the new Head Boy, was standing in front of the small muggle microwave, furiously waving his wand and mumbling odd spells at the machine.
As it seemed, he was trying to heat up a cup of milk in it.
Trying very hard not to burst out laughing, Hermione cleared her throat loudly.
Malfoy spun round.
"Granger", he snarled.
"Good evening to you too." Hermione snapped.
She gestured over to the microwave. "Got a problem with the microwave?"
"Microwave?? Oh, that thing...so that's what the muggles call it. I thought it would heat up my...drink." the blond boy answered slightly embarrassed. "But it's broken. It doesn't work..."
Hermione went over to the kitchen part of the room.
With a small, triumphant smile Hermione pressed the "on" button and set the little timer on 2 minutes. The machine instantly started humming and warming up the milk.
"Muggle trick" she stated to the now properly embarrassed Slytherin.
Expecting a mean remark from her opponent, Hermione was more than surprised when Draco actually said "Thank you" politely and retrieved his hot milk.
Open mouthed, Hermione stared at him as if he had turned into a juggling hippogriff with a pink ballet frock.
Luckily, the boy had already turned around to leave the kitchen (A/N: I won't repeat the description of the room every time...from now on, it's the kitchen!!).
Hermione quickly shut her mouth and took a blank can out of the fridge.
"Vanilla Coke!" she said to the can and it turned into a vanilla coke-can.
"I love magical cans..." Hermione said to herself.
Having finished her drink, she wandered over to her bedroom.
Stepping through the half open door, Hermione all of a sudden bumped into Draco.
Wearing nothing but a large green towel round his waist, the Slytherin was just on his way to take a shower.
They both blushed furiously, and Draco quickly went on towards the bathroom. Hermione couldn't help but think to herself: "Whoa! He sure is good-looking!"
Blushing even more, she protested inwardly: "Hey, this is Draco Malfoy! He's evil! He hates you and your friends!"
She sighed and got ready to go to bed.
When Draco came back from taking his shower, she was already fast asleep.
[ To be continued.... hope you liked it...=0) ]