First let me just say that i was typing this and then the computer
unplugged. I lost all my work, so this is the second time ive written
this chapter. I hope you appreciate all the screaming at my computer that
took place! Here's Chapter 6!!!!!
Chapter 6: Of Trolls and Trust
Hermione and Draco did not speak to each other after that day. It had been over a month since even the tiniest of quibbles had taken place between the two enemies, even when Pansy called Draco over to their table during potions. Hermione simply went on with their work as if everything was normal.
Only things couldn't be farther from normal. It was nearly Christmas break and, although Hermione had resisted any temptation to talk to Draco, she also hadn't spoken much to Harry, Ron, Ginny, or anyone else for that matter. She simply woke up, went to class, and then to the library to study, not bothering to say a word to anyone. Hermione occasionally spoke to them when it was absolutely necessary, and they were all beginning to get worried.
"Has any one talked to Hermione lately?" Ron asked, a few of the Gryffindors were sitting around a table in the common room, pretending to be doing their homework.
"I tried this morning, but all she did was hand me her Herbology paper and then she walked off." Harry said, talking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"D'you suppose we did something wrong?"
"No, I mean, she doesn't sound angry when she does talk to me, just distracted."
"I suppose she'll come around some then. It cant be anything too horrible if she hasn't talked to us about it."
"I hope you're right Ron."
And that's how things were between the friends for the remainder of the fall term. Hermione felt so afraid of what would happen when Harry found out everything that she subconsciously avoided being near him. She also knew Ron would never understand no matter how close they were.
Hermione grabbed her things off her bed and closed the curtains on her four- poster. She look a long, slow deep breath before heading off to the common room. 'There all in there, waiting for me to come down.' Not a moment went by when she didn't think about her friends and how everything would be if she lost them. Hermione was often blinking back tears because of it. 'And if they knew I told Malfoy before them, they'd positively kill me!' Hermione wiped her eyes, careful to get rid of any tears that might be showing through her composed mask.
"Ready for Care of Magical Creatures Hermione?" She heard Ron say as she took the final steps down the staircase.
"Y-yep." She stammered.
Harry smiled brightly at her. He grabbed his books and stood up, placing an arm around her shoulders. "The question is--is Hagrid?"
The boys laughed at Harry's joke. Hagrid was never truly prepared for class.
"Yea, aren't we supposed to be handling some sort of Troll today?" Said Ron, taking a place on the other side of Hermione.
"Yep, I hope Hagrid knows what he's getting himself into!" They laughed again. Hermione continued to walk along the grass towards the rest of their class, desperately trying to push the sound of their laughter out of her ears.
"Right now class. This is a baby mountain troll. I know this is almost as big as some of you, but please, don't be afraid. It cant hurt cha, I don' think. Ok, I'm going to split cha up into groups for ya to watch your creatures. Lets see. we've got Lavender Brown, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley, you'll be group one. Next we've got." Hagrid continued to name off the rest of the groups and then set them loose on their animals.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" The screams of the Slytherin and Gryffindor students could be heard throughout Hogwarts grounds. Once let out of their cages, the trolls immediately began chasing the students searching for things to eat and destroy.
"I really think Hagrid's gone off his rocker with this one." Ron replied, staring down at their troll who was thrashing about against the walls of his cage.
"This looks really dangerous!" Lavender squeaked while backing away from the creature as it lunged in her direction.
"Maybe we better keep it inside its cage, no one said we HAD to let it out, did they?" Harry asked.
"Yea, that sounds like a good idea." Ron and Lavender took a seat on the ground next to Harry and Hermione.
"Does anyone know anything about trolls, other than the fact that they smell absolutely rancid, and they have exceptionally short attention spans?" Lavender asked. The troll was now desperately trying to eat the grass beneath him by diving face first into the ground.
"They're incredibly stupid, but that's about all I know." Ron replied, poking the troll with a long pointed stick. "Hermione?"
"Well, trolls are a creature native to the countries of Scandinavia. They are said to have inhabited the woods and mountainous areas of Europe for millions of years, since the end of the Ice Age to be exact, and appear in even the earliest of myths from countries such as Norway and Sweden. There, trolls are said to be evil creatures with a taste for human flesh and an eye for stolen treasure. They are also known for being gigantic, tremendously strong, and notoriously dumb. Most trolls live in communities residing deep inside caves, underground, under rocks, or even inside uprooted trees. They hate noise, and exposure to daylight can cause them to turn to stone or even burst."
"So, that's why Hagrid started class so late today." Ron exclaimed. He had refrained from poking the troll with his stick, for it was now curled into a little ball, fast asleep.
"Yep. It's also said that the bizarre shaped rocks on the Scandinavian countryside are actually those trolls which chose to ignore their crucial curfew."
"Very fascinating Granger." Hermione could feel the temperate heat of his breath on the back of her neck. "Tell us some more, wont you?"
She hastily spun around, ready to give him a good slap in the face, but all her intentions vanished, for he was standing so close to her that she practically banged her head into his chest. "Ugh! How many times to I have to tell you to stuff it Malfoy?"
Draco bent his head down as close to hers as possible. He stared into her eyes for a second, making sure he had her full attention, then he winked. Standing back up to his normal towering height he said, "And how many times to I have to tell you to get a life--MUDBLOOD?"
'What the-Did he just? Did Draco Malfoy just wink at me? Yes, Draco Malfoy winked at me, he.. I he trying to tell me something. Oh, MUDBLOOD, I get it. Alright Granger, time to use those marvelous acting skills you know you have buried somewhere inside you.' A million thoughts ran through Hermione's mind. "Stuff it you insufferable git!" She yelled at the Slytherin before lightly pushing him away from her. Draco stumbled back a few paces, much to far for the force Hermione had pushed him with.
"Back off Malfoy!" Ron said, stepping between the two enemies.
"Don't push yourself into matters which you know nothing of, Weasel." Draco pushed Ron in the chest. He fell backwards onto Harry.
"We said leave her alone Malfoy!" Harry threatened, taking a place next to Ron. They had now formed a barrier between Draco and Hermione.
"Alright." Draco said progressively. He looked past the wall of Gryffindor to Hermione. She was standing there, biting her nails in apprehension. "Later, Mudblood." Draco turned and walked away from the Gryffindors, his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle training not far behind him.
Ron and Harry turned to face Hermione. What was that all about Hermione?" Ron asked, still scowling.
Hermione examined the handiwork she had done on her thumbnail. She hasteningly rubbed it with her index finger. "I don't know. You know the Slytherins, always trying to get a rise out of us and everything." She shyed away from her friends, not wanting to look them in the eye. "Anyways, as I was saying, The trolls of Scandinavia." Hermione continued with her lecture. Harry and Ron took back their seats next to the tiny troll and listened to Hermione finish her story. She couldn't help but look over at Draco and his group as she spoke. Hermione desperately wanted to know what Draco had to tell her. She couldn't help but laugh as she spotted Neville, who unfortunately had been placed with Draco and his goons. The poor boy was running frantically away from their troll holding onto his toad for dear life, it looked as if the troll had decided Trevor was going to be his dinner.
Draco looked over at her as he pulled something out of his pocket. He held it up for her to see. 'A letter?' Hermione questioned to herself. Draco took the letter and walked over to the nearest tree, maintaining eye contact with Hermione the whole time. He placed the letter on the lowest tree branch and rested it against its trunk. He patted the limb once before breaking eye contact and heading back to his group.
"Hermione? Hey Hermione? You in there?"
"What?" She shook her head slightly and looked back at the group.
"Oh, yea, sorry. I got a bit distracted. Well, there's a lot more about trolls, but I don't think we'll need to know it for this class." She looked down at the troll as it lay sleeping in its cage.
"You know, it really doesn't look too bad while its asleep." Ron whispered, placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Are you sure you're alright?" He squeezed her shoulder tightly.
"Yea, just a little stressed out about finals I guess. Listen, I've gotta ask Hagrid a few things before dinner, I'll meet you in the common room alright?"
"I can come with you if you want." Ron offered desperately trying to get some sort of response out of this mere shadow of his best friend.
"No, that's alright. I don't want to bore you or anything. I'll just catch up with you later."
"Alright Hermione." He pulled her over to him and gave her a long hug. "Just remember I'm here for you, ok?"
"I know Ron, I know." She buried her face in his chest, blinking back her tears again. 'Pull yourself together Granger!' She said to herself, forcing her body to stand up strait and carry on.
Ron turned away from Hermione and headed back to the castle. She waited until she could no longer see him on the horizon before heading over to the tall oak tree.
Hermione stood up on her tip toes and reached up to the branch. She grabbed the letter and rested her back against the trunk of the tree. Hermione let her body slide to the ground, her back still resting against the tree trunk. Once she was sitting comfortably on the ground, she lifted the flap out of its place and pulled out the letter. She slowly unfolded the paper and took in the perfect handwriting scrawled in dark silver ink.
Granger-
There is much I need to talk to you about, much more then I'd like put in written word. Let's just say, there's a lot being planned for the sole child of Voldemort. Let's just say that if you don't' watch out you will soon be in way over your head, I can help you there. I've seen you receive those letters and I know who they're coming from. That's all I can say for now. Meet me at the far corner of the lake tonight, 9:00 pm, I'll explain everything.
-Draco Malfoy
Hermione's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure she wanted everything explained to her, but then again if she didn't go tonight she'd be wondering "What If" for the rest of her life. Hermione stood up while folding the letter back up and placing it in her pocket. She smiled as a shock of adrenaline shot through her body. Hermione practically ran back to the castle, wishing the night would come even faster. Hermione couldn't wait to find out the answers to all her questions, even if it did mean trusting Draco Malfoy.
A/N: All information on trolls come from The Sorcerer's Compantion by Alan Kronzack & Elizabeth Kronzack.
DemonWitch666: I understand that that DOES seem kind of weird, but i will explain itself in due time...There's a lot of stuff draco knows that Hermione doesnt, especially when it comes to the dark arts. Sorry i cant give you a strait explanation now, but like i said before, it will all be expalined.
Lilie Blaize: Draco is a big pain in the butt throughout the whole chapter, He hurts her in the end because he's angry, both at himself and Hermione. Just because he doesnt want to make her cry doenst make him a softie, he's still the same old mean guy he's always been, just has more experience with the ladies.
Li-Chan: I can honestly say that no, she wont be breaking the news to the others soon, she will though, just not yet. For now she's going to do what draco tells her, she's afraid and in a kind of situation she's never been in before. Dark Magic is scary, and Draco seems to be the resident expert on the subject. The part about tom riddle not wanting hermione will be explained later in the story.
Dracoluva99: I did i did! See, its friday and im updating! Yeah ME! And Yeah you for making me!
Chloe: Give it time, i've got to get things going, but i promise, once things start happening between the two you'll be happy! but for right now, theyre not even friends, we've gotta pass that barrier first.
Thanks to Fairymagic689, Draco Lover, heavengurl899, tearful spider, Jen drake, and Xtremegirl for your great reviews, you guys are so awesome!
I'll have more up by the end of next week! Please review!!!! Ta Ta For Now!
Chapter 6: Of Trolls and Trust
Hermione and Draco did not speak to each other after that day. It had been over a month since even the tiniest of quibbles had taken place between the two enemies, even when Pansy called Draco over to their table during potions. Hermione simply went on with their work as if everything was normal.
Only things couldn't be farther from normal. It was nearly Christmas break and, although Hermione had resisted any temptation to talk to Draco, she also hadn't spoken much to Harry, Ron, Ginny, or anyone else for that matter. She simply woke up, went to class, and then to the library to study, not bothering to say a word to anyone. Hermione occasionally spoke to them when it was absolutely necessary, and they were all beginning to get worried.
"Has any one talked to Hermione lately?" Ron asked, a few of the Gryffindors were sitting around a table in the common room, pretending to be doing their homework.
"I tried this morning, but all she did was hand me her Herbology paper and then she walked off." Harry said, talking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"D'you suppose we did something wrong?"
"No, I mean, she doesn't sound angry when she does talk to me, just distracted."
"I suppose she'll come around some then. It cant be anything too horrible if she hasn't talked to us about it."
"I hope you're right Ron."
And that's how things were between the friends for the remainder of the fall term. Hermione felt so afraid of what would happen when Harry found out everything that she subconsciously avoided being near him. She also knew Ron would never understand no matter how close they were.
Hermione grabbed her things off her bed and closed the curtains on her four- poster. She look a long, slow deep breath before heading off to the common room. 'There all in there, waiting for me to come down.' Not a moment went by when she didn't think about her friends and how everything would be if she lost them. Hermione was often blinking back tears because of it. 'And if they knew I told Malfoy before them, they'd positively kill me!' Hermione wiped her eyes, careful to get rid of any tears that might be showing through her composed mask.
"Ready for Care of Magical Creatures Hermione?" She heard Ron say as she took the final steps down the staircase.
"Y-yep." She stammered.
Harry smiled brightly at her. He grabbed his books and stood up, placing an arm around her shoulders. "The question is--is Hagrid?"
The boys laughed at Harry's joke. Hagrid was never truly prepared for class.
"Yea, aren't we supposed to be handling some sort of Troll today?" Said Ron, taking a place on the other side of Hermione.
"Yep, I hope Hagrid knows what he's getting himself into!" They laughed again. Hermione continued to walk along the grass towards the rest of their class, desperately trying to push the sound of their laughter out of her ears.
"Right now class. This is a baby mountain troll. I know this is almost as big as some of you, but please, don't be afraid. It cant hurt cha, I don' think. Ok, I'm going to split cha up into groups for ya to watch your creatures. Lets see. we've got Lavender Brown, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley, you'll be group one. Next we've got." Hagrid continued to name off the rest of the groups and then set them loose on their animals.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" The screams of the Slytherin and Gryffindor students could be heard throughout Hogwarts grounds. Once let out of their cages, the trolls immediately began chasing the students searching for things to eat and destroy.
"I really think Hagrid's gone off his rocker with this one." Ron replied, staring down at their troll who was thrashing about against the walls of his cage.
"This looks really dangerous!" Lavender squeaked while backing away from the creature as it lunged in her direction.
"Maybe we better keep it inside its cage, no one said we HAD to let it out, did they?" Harry asked.
"Yea, that sounds like a good idea." Ron and Lavender took a seat on the ground next to Harry and Hermione.
"Does anyone know anything about trolls, other than the fact that they smell absolutely rancid, and they have exceptionally short attention spans?" Lavender asked. The troll was now desperately trying to eat the grass beneath him by diving face first into the ground.
"They're incredibly stupid, but that's about all I know." Ron replied, poking the troll with a long pointed stick. "Hermione?"
"Well, trolls are a creature native to the countries of Scandinavia. They are said to have inhabited the woods and mountainous areas of Europe for millions of years, since the end of the Ice Age to be exact, and appear in even the earliest of myths from countries such as Norway and Sweden. There, trolls are said to be evil creatures with a taste for human flesh and an eye for stolen treasure. They are also known for being gigantic, tremendously strong, and notoriously dumb. Most trolls live in communities residing deep inside caves, underground, under rocks, or even inside uprooted trees. They hate noise, and exposure to daylight can cause them to turn to stone or even burst."
"So, that's why Hagrid started class so late today." Ron exclaimed. He had refrained from poking the troll with his stick, for it was now curled into a little ball, fast asleep.
"Yep. It's also said that the bizarre shaped rocks on the Scandinavian countryside are actually those trolls which chose to ignore their crucial curfew."
"Very fascinating Granger." Hermione could feel the temperate heat of his breath on the back of her neck. "Tell us some more, wont you?"
She hastily spun around, ready to give him a good slap in the face, but all her intentions vanished, for he was standing so close to her that she practically banged her head into his chest. "Ugh! How many times to I have to tell you to stuff it Malfoy?"
Draco bent his head down as close to hers as possible. He stared into her eyes for a second, making sure he had her full attention, then he winked. Standing back up to his normal towering height he said, "And how many times to I have to tell you to get a life--MUDBLOOD?"
'What the-Did he just? Did Draco Malfoy just wink at me? Yes, Draco Malfoy winked at me, he.. I he trying to tell me something. Oh, MUDBLOOD, I get it. Alright Granger, time to use those marvelous acting skills you know you have buried somewhere inside you.' A million thoughts ran through Hermione's mind. "Stuff it you insufferable git!" She yelled at the Slytherin before lightly pushing him away from her. Draco stumbled back a few paces, much to far for the force Hermione had pushed him with.
"Back off Malfoy!" Ron said, stepping between the two enemies.
"Don't push yourself into matters which you know nothing of, Weasel." Draco pushed Ron in the chest. He fell backwards onto Harry.
"We said leave her alone Malfoy!" Harry threatened, taking a place next to Ron. They had now formed a barrier between Draco and Hermione.
"Alright." Draco said progressively. He looked past the wall of Gryffindor to Hermione. She was standing there, biting her nails in apprehension. "Later, Mudblood." Draco turned and walked away from the Gryffindors, his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle training not far behind him.
Ron and Harry turned to face Hermione. What was that all about Hermione?" Ron asked, still scowling.
Hermione examined the handiwork she had done on her thumbnail. She hasteningly rubbed it with her index finger. "I don't know. You know the Slytherins, always trying to get a rise out of us and everything." She shyed away from her friends, not wanting to look them in the eye. "Anyways, as I was saying, The trolls of Scandinavia." Hermione continued with her lecture. Harry and Ron took back their seats next to the tiny troll and listened to Hermione finish her story. She couldn't help but look over at Draco and his group as she spoke. Hermione desperately wanted to know what Draco had to tell her. She couldn't help but laugh as she spotted Neville, who unfortunately had been placed with Draco and his goons. The poor boy was running frantically away from their troll holding onto his toad for dear life, it looked as if the troll had decided Trevor was going to be his dinner.
Draco looked over at her as he pulled something out of his pocket. He held it up for her to see. 'A letter?' Hermione questioned to herself. Draco took the letter and walked over to the nearest tree, maintaining eye contact with Hermione the whole time. He placed the letter on the lowest tree branch and rested it against its trunk. He patted the limb once before breaking eye contact and heading back to his group.
"Hermione? Hey Hermione? You in there?"
"What?" She shook her head slightly and looked back at the group.
"Oh, yea, sorry. I got a bit distracted. Well, there's a lot more about trolls, but I don't think we'll need to know it for this class." She looked down at the troll as it lay sleeping in its cage.
"You know, it really doesn't look too bad while its asleep." Ron whispered, placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Are you sure you're alright?" He squeezed her shoulder tightly.
"Yea, just a little stressed out about finals I guess. Listen, I've gotta ask Hagrid a few things before dinner, I'll meet you in the common room alright?"
"I can come with you if you want." Ron offered desperately trying to get some sort of response out of this mere shadow of his best friend.
"No, that's alright. I don't want to bore you or anything. I'll just catch up with you later."
"Alright Hermione." He pulled her over to him and gave her a long hug. "Just remember I'm here for you, ok?"
"I know Ron, I know." She buried her face in his chest, blinking back her tears again. 'Pull yourself together Granger!' She said to herself, forcing her body to stand up strait and carry on.
Ron turned away from Hermione and headed back to the castle. She waited until she could no longer see him on the horizon before heading over to the tall oak tree.
Hermione stood up on her tip toes and reached up to the branch. She grabbed the letter and rested her back against the trunk of the tree. Hermione let her body slide to the ground, her back still resting against the tree trunk. Once she was sitting comfortably on the ground, she lifted the flap out of its place and pulled out the letter. She slowly unfolded the paper and took in the perfect handwriting scrawled in dark silver ink.
Granger-
There is much I need to talk to you about, much more then I'd like put in written word. Let's just say, there's a lot being planned for the sole child of Voldemort. Let's just say that if you don't' watch out you will soon be in way over your head, I can help you there. I've seen you receive those letters and I know who they're coming from. That's all I can say for now. Meet me at the far corner of the lake tonight, 9:00 pm, I'll explain everything.
-Draco Malfoy
Hermione's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure she wanted everything explained to her, but then again if she didn't go tonight she'd be wondering "What If" for the rest of her life. Hermione stood up while folding the letter back up and placing it in her pocket. She smiled as a shock of adrenaline shot through her body. Hermione practically ran back to the castle, wishing the night would come even faster. Hermione couldn't wait to find out the answers to all her questions, even if it did mean trusting Draco Malfoy.
A/N: All information on trolls come from The Sorcerer's Compantion by Alan Kronzack & Elizabeth Kronzack.
DemonWitch666: I understand that that DOES seem kind of weird, but i will explain itself in due time...There's a lot of stuff draco knows that Hermione doesnt, especially when it comes to the dark arts. Sorry i cant give you a strait explanation now, but like i said before, it will all be expalined.
Lilie Blaize: Draco is a big pain in the butt throughout the whole chapter, He hurts her in the end because he's angry, both at himself and Hermione. Just because he doesnt want to make her cry doenst make him a softie, he's still the same old mean guy he's always been, just has more experience with the ladies.
Li-Chan: I can honestly say that no, she wont be breaking the news to the others soon, she will though, just not yet. For now she's going to do what draco tells her, she's afraid and in a kind of situation she's never been in before. Dark Magic is scary, and Draco seems to be the resident expert on the subject. The part about tom riddle not wanting hermione will be explained later in the story.
Dracoluva99: I did i did! See, its friday and im updating! Yeah ME! And Yeah you for making me!
Chloe: Give it time, i've got to get things going, but i promise, once things start happening between the two you'll be happy! but for right now, theyre not even friends, we've gotta pass that barrier first.
Thanks to Fairymagic689, Draco Lover, heavengurl899, tearful spider, Jen drake, and Xtremegirl for your great reviews, you guys are so awesome!
I'll have more up by the end of next week! Please review!!!! Ta Ta For Now!