The Price of Education Chapter 8: Blatching
"Who volunteered us for this?" Ron demanded loudly as he picked up another pop can off the floor and into the garbage bag in his hand. There was a lot more garbage then expected and it was taking longer then needed because everyone stopped to complain every few seconds.
"Guys come on, they were nice enough to let us stay here and feed us and keep us entertained, and the least we can do is help clean up. If you would all stop complaining then we would be finished by now." Hermione said tying off her garbage bag and replacing it with a new one. She hadn't mentioned it was her who volunteered the group but she was sure they would figure it out. And she was right.
"It was you wasn't it." Millicent Bulstrode roared, throwing down her bag and stomping over to Hermione, standing a good head and shoulders taller then Hermione. However Hermione was Headgirl and wasn't about to back down to this girl in front of her peers, no matter how intimidating. "You volunteered us didn't you?"
"Yes I did. And if you have a problem with that I'd rather you didn't yell in my face about it." By then everyone else had dropped what they were doing to watch the to girls, almost toe to toe, staring each other down. Draco made his way as quickly as he could from where he was standing, but that was on the other side of the barn and everyone was in his way.
"Well I do have a problem with that. Who gave you permission to speak for us? Who said you could volunteer us for house elf work." Draco was within earshot and stepped up his speed, Bulstrode was known for her temper and her mouth running faster then her brain.
"I'm Headgirl Millicent, and as far working like a house elf, I think it will do you some good, maybe you should learn that mommy and daddy wont always be able to send the house elf to help you. So continue to clean." Hermione stepped back ready to leave when Millicent grabbed her arm and held tight.
"You clean. I'd rather have Mommy and daddy send the house elf then take orders from a filthy mudblood." Hermione gasped along with the rest of the Gryffindor, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Tears sprang up in her eyes, she felt humiliated. The words hurt more now that they had been said in front of her entire year. Millicent smiled viciously at the sight of those tears and laughed before dropping her arm. Hermione turned; ready to run when she felt a hand on her arm again. She turned and saw Draco looking madder then she had ever seen him before. He looked to Millicent and the smile slipped from her face at the sight of his sharp eyes.
"Don't ever call her that again. Don't you dare use it. Because it means that she is less then you are, and god knows she isn't. All your doing is repeating a Death Eater chant, and you never stop to think. Look at them," he paused pointing to the group of Slytherin looking back at him with malice, " and then look at her, and just think-think very carefully- before you ever say that again." He looked once more at the group of Slytherins and then spun to face Hermione, who was crying silently behind him. He slipped his grip from her arm to her hand and pulled her away from the group of students. The students were all stunned, no one could believe their ears, no one except Pansy and Harry, who each took one look at each other then followed the crying Hermione and Draco, pushing past the silent group.
*
Draco led Hermione away from the group and into a wooded area. Sitting down at the base of a tall weeping willow, she could smell the strong scent of the camomile plants growing wildly in the brush around her. It made Hermione breath in deeply; she could never resist the sweet aroma of the plant, which grew around her family's property, in the deep wooded areas that met their neatly manicured lawn. Hermione's father would have torn the trees down if it hadn't been for her mother, who begged him to leave the beautiful acre because she enjoyed walking the beaten paths and often brought home armfuls of camomile and rosemary to place in the house for aroma and for the amazing anxiety relief. Hermione had her eyes closed, letting the camomile and the gentle breeze calm her. She could feel Draco sitting next to her and wrap his arms around her, he was warm and his hands were soft on her cheeks. He held her face in his hands and kissed her forehead gently. She opened her eyes to see anger still in his eyes, it startled her, the hate behind his eyes was so intense, but also there was something else. Shame. But immediately the anger softened and he brushed a stray tear from her face. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off.
"Oh Hermione!" Hermione felt herself being crushed as Pansy threw her arms around her back wrapping her and Draco into a tight, but brief, hug. When she let go Hermione turned around to face Pansy and felt tears begin again. She didn't know why but seeing Pansy made fresh tears come streaming down her face. Pansy hugged her again, this time more gently and patted her back at the same time. "Oh Hermione, ignore that beast! She couldn't tell a house elf from her brother. She runs her mouth. I'll take care of her. Don't worry." She pulled back and smiled at Hermione. And once again Hermione was surprised. Pansy had done a complete turn around. At the beginning of the trip Pansy would have been the one calling her a mudblood, but Pansy wasn't as cruel hearted as she put out. With one night of honest confessions, where Pansy reviled herself in a way Hermione would never have thought possible for the hurtful girl. And also where Hermione had spoken of her past as a muggle and how she was treated just as horribly by her peers as the Slytherins treat her. After that night the girls developed a mutual trust and friendship. But Hermione knew this shouldn't stand between Pansy and completing her last year at Hogwarts with her Slytherin friends, and with her Gryffindor friend.
"No Pansy," Hermione said wiping the last of her tears from her face, pulling her mused hair back into its neat ponytail. "No, I don't want you to start anything with Millicent, she was just angry and it is within her nature to insult a muggle born witch when in that situation. But." she began when she saw the shocked faces of both Pansy and Harry, who had stood silently behind Pansy watching the Slytherins comfort his best friend. "But I will be taking a great amount of points from Slytherin, I'm sorry about that Pansy, but it would be against my better judgment to allow you to 'take care' of her. You understand don't you?" Pansy smiled and hugged Hermione once more.
"Yes of course I understand, I understand we have our old Hermione back!" And they laughed, even though she could still feel the hurt, Hermione pushed it aside and sat back against the tree with Draco and Pansy and pulled Harry down onto the ground as well. He looked uncomfortable but Hermione wouldn't let him leave. She wanted her friends to get along, even if it was just for her sake, it meant a lot to her. Hermione and Pansy started to talk about the dance and the guys soon grew very bored, and just as Hermione had hopped, started to talk about Quidditch. This had to be the first time Hermione was actually happy the conversation was Quidditch. Also it looked like the guys weren't going to jump each other anytime soon either. The only time they came anywhere close was when they spoke of the last Quidditch cup match.
"That was not an accident Malfoy he meant to do that, it was Blatching, the ref even called it." Harry said drawing out a pitch in the dry dirt where he was lying on his side in front of Draco.
"No Potter, you have to pay attention, they were both seekers right?" Harry nodded. "And they were both diving for the snitch right?" Again Harry nodded. " And Diana Jones was coming in from the right, and old Eliot Morison from the left right?" Again Harry nodded, this time impatiently, but didn't say anything. "So when they went to position themselves for the dive the Falmouth Falcon's beater Nick Ross, shot the Bludger at Jones, causing her to swerve her broom, and since they were so close into the dive the slight swerve looked deliberate. No Blacthing, just a blind ref and 26 thousand Montrose Magpies fans. Might have called it the same if I was that ref, I'd fear for my life with that lot screaming about like a bunch of Banshees." Harry shook his head and sat up again.
"I'll believe it when I see it." He said throwing a rock past the dipping leave of the tree, a small 'plunk' followed as it landed in the shallow pond the weeping willow was nestled next to.
"Fine when we get back to Claire Ville I'll show you, I have the whole thing on my Omnioculars. We were sitting right behind them and I had the perfect view of the whole thing." Draco answered also throwing a stone clear through the leaves, but this time it wasn't followed by a 'plunk' but by a voice.
"Ow!" Ron stumbled through the tree's hanging branched and leaves, rubbing the side of his head in pain. "Who threw that bloody rock!" he demanded a look of malice so frightening on his face that Hermione couldn't help burst out into laughter. And Pansy and Harry soon followed her, and then Draco was laughing too, holding his side at the look of anger on Ron's face. Ron strode up to Draco and nudged him with his foot. "You threw it right? Thought it would be funny, did you?" Draco couldn't stop laughing, his face red, which made Harry burst out laughing again and then Pansy once more. They leaned against each other for support and Ron looked at Harry in disgust but before he could say anything Hermione controlled herself enough to speak between giggles.
"Ron it was an accident, look behind you, we can't see through that mess of branches. Lighten up it was an accident!" Ron still looked mad so Hermione grabbed his foot and pulled him down. When the small cloud of dust settled down Ron too was laughing, rubbing his sore back.
"Well I came here to get you all, Professor Snape said it was time to leave. We finished cleaning up, and Millicent got shit. Snape heard the whole thing and took 30 points from Slytherin; we were all dumb from shock that he threatened double that if we all didn't 'loose that dumb look'. Said to everyone that, that kind of behaviour was not suitable from the oldest students at Hogwarts, that he didn't want to hear one more person speak ill of anyone else's background, and said if anyone else challenged a prefect or Head boy or Head Girl, that it would be worse of a punishment then just lost points." Ron shook his head in wonder. "I thought I'd just about died and went to Quidditch heaven. Snape taking point from his own house!" They all laughed at the expression on Ron's face and picked themselves off the ground. Dusting themselves off Harry asked Ron a question.
"Ron, remember that Blatching call at the Cup?"
~*~ That's all for now, I know its short, so sue me! Not in a good mood!
"Who volunteered us for this?" Ron demanded loudly as he picked up another pop can off the floor and into the garbage bag in his hand. There was a lot more garbage then expected and it was taking longer then needed because everyone stopped to complain every few seconds.
"Guys come on, they were nice enough to let us stay here and feed us and keep us entertained, and the least we can do is help clean up. If you would all stop complaining then we would be finished by now." Hermione said tying off her garbage bag and replacing it with a new one. She hadn't mentioned it was her who volunteered the group but she was sure they would figure it out. And she was right.
"It was you wasn't it." Millicent Bulstrode roared, throwing down her bag and stomping over to Hermione, standing a good head and shoulders taller then Hermione. However Hermione was Headgirl and wasn't about to back down to this girl in front of her peers, no matter how intimidating. "You volunteered us didn't you?"
"Yes I did. And if you have a problem with that I'd rather you didn't yell in my face about it." By then everyone else had dropped what they were doing to watch the to girls, almost toe to toe, staring each other down. Draco made his way as quickly as he could from where he was standing, but that was on the other side of the barn and everyone was in his way.
"Well I do have a problem with that. Who gave you permission to speak for us? Who said you could volunteer us for house elf work." Draco was within earshot and stepped up his speed, Bulstrode was known for her temper and her mouth running faster then her brain.
"I'm Headgirl Millicent, and as far working like a house elf, I think it will do you some good, maybe you should learn that mommy and daddy wont always be able to send the house elf to help you. So continue to clean." Hermione stepped back ready to leave when Millicent grabbed her arm and held tight.
"You clean. I'd rather have Mommy and daddy send the house elf then take orders from a filthy mudblood." Hermione gasped along with the rest of the Gryffindor, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Tears sprang up in her eyes, she felt humiliated. The words hurt more now that they had been said in front of her entire year. Millicent smiled viciously at the sight of those tears and laughed before dropping her arm. Hermione turned; ready to run when she felt a hand on her arm again. She turned and saw Draco looking madder then she had ever seen him before. He looked to Millicent and the smile slipped from her face at the sight of his sharp eyes.
"Don't ever call her that again. Don't you dare use it. Because it means that she is less then you are, and god knows she isn't. All your doing is repeating a Death Eater chant, and you never stop to think. Look at them," he paused pointing to the group of Slytherin looking back at him with malice, " and then look at her, and just think-think very carefully- before you ever say that again." He looked once more at the group of Slytherins and then spun to face Hermione, who was crying silently behind him. He slipped his grip from her arm to her hand and pulled her away from the group of students. The students were all stunned, no one could believe their ears, no one except Pansy and Harry, who each took one look at each other then followed the crying Hermione and Draco, pushing past the silent group.
*
Draco led Hermione away from the group and into a wooded area. Sitting down at the base of a tall weeping willow, she could smell the strong scent of the camomile plants growing wildly in the brush around her. It made Hermione breath in deeply; she could never resist the sweet aroma of the plant, which grew around her family's property, in the deep wooded areas that met their neatly manicured lawn. Hermione's father would have torn the trees down if it hadn't been for her mother, who begged him to leave the beautiful acre because she enjoyed walking the beaten paths and often brought home armfuls of camomile and rosemary to place in the house for aroma and for the amazing anxiety relief. Hermione had her eyes closed, letting the camomile and the gentle breeze calm her. She could feel Draco sitting next to her and wrap his arms around her, he was warm and his hands were soft on her cheeks. He held her face in his hands and kissed her forehead gently. She opened her eyes to see anger still in his eyes, it startled her, the hate behind his eyes was so intense, but also there was something else. Shame. But immediately the anger softened and he brushed a stray tear from her face. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off.
"Oh Hermione!" Hermione felt herself being crushed as Pansy threw her arms around her back wrapping her and Draco into a tight, but brief, hug. When she let go Hermione turned around to face Pansy and felt tears begin again. She didn't know why but seeing Pansy made fresh tears come streaming down her face. Pansy hugged her again, this time more gently and patted her back at the same time. "Oh Hermione, ignore that beast! She couldn't tell a house elf from her brother. She runs her mouth. I'll take care of her. Don't worry." She pulled back and smiled at Hermione. And once again Hermione was surprised. Pansy had done a complete turn around. At the beginning of the trip Pansy would have been the one calling her a mudblood, but Pansy wasn't as cruel hearted as she put out. With one night of honest confessions, where Pansy reviled herself in a way Hermione would never have thought possible for the hurtful girl. And also where Hermione had spoken of her past as a muggle and how she was treated just as horribly by her peers as the Slytherins treat her. After that night the girls developed a mutual trust and friendship. But Hermione knew this shouldn't stand between Pansy and completing her last year at Hogwarts with her Slytherin friends, and with her Gryffindor friend.
"No Pansy," Hermione said wiping the last of her tears from her face, pulling her mused hair back into its neat ponytail. "No, I don't want you to start anything with Millicent, she was just angry and it is within her nature to insult a muggle born witch when in that situation. But." she began when she saw the shocked faces of both Pansy and Harry, who had stood silently behind Pansy watching the Slytherins comfort his best friend. "But I will be taking a great amount of points from Slytherin, I'm sorry about that Pansy, but it would be against my better judgment to allow you to 'take care' of her. You understand don't you?" Pansy smiled and hugged Hermione once more.
"Yes of course I understand, I understand we have our old Hermione back!" And they laughed, even though she could still feel the hurt, Hermione pushed it aside and sat back against the tree with Draco and Pansy and pulled Harry down onto the ground as well. He looked uncomfortable but Hermione wouldn't let him leave. She wanted her friends to get along, even if it was just for her sake, it meant a lot to her. Hermione and Pansy started to talk about the dance and the guys soon grew very bored, and just as Hermione had hopped, started to talk about Quidditch. This had to be the first time Hermione was actually happy the conversation was Quidditch. Also it looked like the guys weren't going to jump each other anytime soon either. The only time they came anywhere close was when they spoke of the last Quidditch cup match.
"That was not an accident Malfoy he meant to do that, it was Blatching, the ref even called it." Harry said drawing out a pitch in the dry dirt where he was lying on his side in front of Draco.
"No Potter, you have to pay attention, they were both seekers right?" Harry nodded. "And they were both diving for the snitch right?" Again Harry nodded. " And Diana Jones was coming in from the right, and old Eliot Morison from the left right?" Again Harry nodded, this time impatiently, but didn't say anything. "So when they went to position themselves for the dive the Falmouth Falcon's beater Nick Ross, shot the Bludger at Jones, causing her to swerve her broom, and since they were so close into the dive the slight swerve looked deliberate. No Blacthing, just a blind ref and 26 thousand Montrose Magpies fans. Might have called it the same if I was that ref, I'd fear for my life with that lot screaming about like a bunch of Banshees." Harry shook his head and sat up again.
"I'll believe it when I see it." He said throwing a rock past the dipping leave of the tree, a small 'plunk' followed as it landed in the shallow pond the weeping willow was nestled next to.
"Fine when we get back to Claire Ville I'll show you, I have the whole thing on my Omnioculars. We were sitting right behind them and I had the perfect view of the whole thing." Draco answered also throwing a stone clear through the leaves, but this time it wasn't followed by a 'plunk' but by a voice.
"Ow!" Ron stumbled through the tree's hanging branched and leaves, rubbing the side of his head in pain. "Who threw that bloody rock!" he demanded a look of malice so frightening on his face that Hermione couldn't help burst out into laughter. And Pansy and Harry soon followed her, and then Draco was laughing too, holding his side at the look of anger on Ron's face. Ron strode up to Draco and nudged him with his foot. "You threw it right? Thought it would be funny, did you?" Draco couldn't stop laughing, his face red, which made Harry burst out laughing again and then Pansy once more. They leaned against each other for support and Ron looked at Harry in disgust but before he could say anything Hermione controlled herself enough to speak between giggles.
"Ron it was an accident, look behind you, we can't see through that mess of branches. Lighten up it was an accident!" Ron still looked mad so Hermione grabbed his foot and pulled him down. When the small cloud of dust settled down Ron too was laughing, rubbing his sore back.
"Well I came here to get you all, Professor Snape said it was time to leave. We finished cleaning up, and Millicent got shit. Snape heard the whole thing and took 30 points from Slytherin; we were all dumb from shock that he threatened double that if we all didn't 'loose that dumb look'. Said to everyone that, that kind of behaviour was not suitable from the oldest students at Hogwarts, that he didn't want to hear one more person speak ill of anyone else's background, and said if anyone else challenged a prefect or Head boy or Head Girl, that it would be worse of a punishment then just lost points." Ron shook his head in wonder. "I thought I'd just about died and went to Quidditch heaven. Snape taking point from his own house!" They all laughed at the expression on Ron's face and picked themselves off the ground. Dusting themselves off Harry asked Ron a question.
"Ron, remember that Blatching call at the Cup?"
~*~ That's all for now, I know its short, so sue me! Not in a good mood!