Chapter Two
"Good evening, students," he began, the torches along the walls causing his eyes to gleam in the firelight. "I expect that you are all wondering what your surprise is. I will cut my speech short. Here it is." He indicated the farthest door in the hall. It opened and a dark, robed figure walked through it. Draco realised that it was a man, a vaguely familiar man. The hood cast a shadow over his face, so nobody recognized him.
"You may drop the hood, Professor," said Dumbledore, "it is not raining in here." The man dropped his hood to expose chestnut hair speckled with gray. His face was lined, though he seemed young. Draco looked to his right at Hermione, who instantly leapt from her seat to greet the man.
"Professor Lupin!" she said, and he bent down with a smile to hug her.
"Hello Hermione," Lupin said, smiling with great astonishment. "I should have known that you would be here. Is Harry here by any chance." Hermione shook her head.
"Please welcome Professor Lupin," Professor Dumbledore announced. There was a short round of applause. "He happens to have extensive knowledge in magical animals and plants, and self-defense. He will be your counselor when you go to test your knowledge and skill in the last two days of the program." Hermione glowed. Draco folded his arms. He felt a pang of jealousy - but was he jealous of what?
"Good morning, Draco," Hermione said after breakfast.
"Morning, Granger," Draco said. "I didn't know we were on first name terms." Hermione had slung a heavy bag of books over her shoulder.
"Fine then, Malfoy," Hermione said, grinning. "Off to our first class, then."
"Malfoy, look!" The dungeon walls closed behind Hermione as she ran into the Slytherin common room. Draco was lounging in his chair, with his legs over an arm. He beckoned for her to sit beside him in the chair.
"What?"
"I got a letter from my mother! My birth mother." She sat down and opened the envelope. Draco became suddenly aware of how close he was to her; he found that she smelled vaguely of cinnamon or gingerbread. He wasn't sure which. She read the letter aloud excitedly:
Dearest Hermione, I am glad to hear that you've been doing well. You deserve an explanation as to I left you to adoption, but I feel it is not something to write in a letter. I live in Hogesmeade, and I run the Zonko's Joke Shop. I've seen you around often. Visit me sometime.
I will give you a clue as to your father's name. His initials are R and L, but I cannot bring myself to write his name - I feel so guilty. I hear from the Three Broomsticks that you are very smart, so I trust you to figure this puzzle soon. See you soon -Noella Connor
"I may go to meet her right now," Hermione squeaked happily. "You'll never get past Filch," said Draco. "He's on the rampage. Peeves had a field-day today. Went smashing everything in Snape's office. Dropped a Dungbomb over Filch's office, too. Don't try to leave the dungeons. It smells." Hermione shook her head.
"I know a passageway," she said. "I'll see you later."
"Today, I will start with the basics. I need a volunteer, preferably somebody with experience in Wizard Dueling." Hermione nearly jumped out of her seat again as she raised her hand.
"Hermione," Lupin said uncertainly. Hermione stood and walked to the front of the classroom.
"What do you want me to do?" Hermione asked.
"Wait a minute," Lupin said. "I need one more person." A Ravenclaw boy slowly raised his hand. "Bryant." Lupin called him to the front of the room.
"Now, I need you two to duel," Lupin said. "But do not use any curses that will send your opponent to the hospital wing. Are you ready?" Hermione and Bryant nodded.
"Yep," Bryant chirped, eyeing Hermione's wand nervously.
"Bow," Lupin commanded. The students obeyed, each grasping their wand readily as they straightened up. "Go."
"Expelliarmus!" Bryant yelled. Hermione was too quick for him. She shielded the spell easily. Draco saw Hermione smirk.
"Stupefy!" Hermione yelled. In a blast of red light, Bryant fell to the ground. Lupin gasped.
"Hermione - "
Before Lupin could say anything more, Hermione walked over to Bryant's body and tapped him on the chest with her wand. "Enervate," she muttered. Bryant sat up uneasily.
"Good job, Hermione," Lupin said with a smile. Hermione bowed to Bryant when he got to his feet, and took her seat next to Draco.
"Show off," Bryant muttered as he passed Hermione's desk on the way to his chair.
"Hermione, you don't even need to be trained," Lupin said. Hermione glowed. "But I have a feeling that the rest of you do. We will begin with a shielding motion. Mr. Malfoy, will you come up here, please?"
Draco stood and walked to the front of the class.
"What do I do?" Draco asked, taking his wand from his pocket.
"Hold your wand out like this," Lupin replied, holding his wand like a pencil, his arm reaching across his body. Draco imitated the movement. "This is the blocking movement for low-power curses. Can you all do that?" Everybody mimicked Lupin's motion. Hermione watched amusedly, as she already knew how to do it. "No, Burns. Hermione, help him." Hermione leaned backward and showed the Ravenclaw boy how to hold the wand correctly.
"Like this," Hermione said. The boy nodded his head.
"Okay, Draco, I'm going to try to hex you," Lupin said, holding up his wand. "Block my spell. Ready?" Draco nodded. "Fununcluarium!" Without hesitation, Draco blocked the hex. Lupin applauded.
"Good job," he said. "Now, everyone get in a line. Draco, Hermione, you only have to go if you want to." Draco walked and sat next to Hermione.
"So, where did you learn to duel like that?" Draco asked. "You can't have learned that from Lockhart." Hermione smiled.
"I have permission to use magic over the summer," she answered. "I've known how to duel for a long time, though. Harry and Ron would practice with me." Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out a book titled, Wizard Families of the Twentieth Century. "Research for my parents," Hermione said, seeing Draco's questioning glance.
After everyone had blocked Lupin's hexes at least twice, class ended.
"Look," Hermione said to Draco, pointing at a paragraph in her book. "It's my mother. She was born in the same year as Harry's parents." Everybody was beginning to leave for their next workshop, but Hermione was just beginning to put her book back into her bag. Draco followed her she rose from her chair and walked to the front of the classroom.
"Professor Lupin," Hermione said. Draco slouched behind her. He didn't like talking with teachers and avoided at every chance he could get. Lupin looked up at Hermione. "Did you know a Noella Connor when you went to school here? She was in your year." Lupin thought a moment and then nodded.
"Yes, I knew her," Lupin answered. "She was my girlfriend in my sixth and seventh year. Why?" Draco smirked when he saw Hermione's face light up.
"You knew her!" she exclaimed. Lupin nodded once again. "She is my mother!" Lupin blinked, confused.
"But you are Muggle-born," he said softly. Hermione shook her head.
"I'm adopted," she said, beaming. "Do you know who she was with when Harry was born? You might know my father." Lupin thought harder.
"She had broken up with me sometime before Harry was born," Lupin said. Hermione's eyes became very round, and her jaw dropped. "We were about to be married, but then she said she couldn't. But that would mean - " Lupin looked faint, and he went pale. Hermione seemed to radiate. Draco bit his lip. This didn't seem like this was the kind of conversation he should be listening to.
"I'll talk to you later, Hermione," Lupin said, sitting down in his chair. "Meet me here during lunch. Do you want something, Mr. Malfoy?" Draco jumped and shook his head.
"I'm waiting for her," he said timidly. Lupin was too bewildered to be curious. Hermione grabbed Draco's arm and pulled him out into the hall. The door shut behind her.
"Don't you see!" she said in a strangled whisper. "My father's initials were R and L. Remus Lupin! Professor Lupin is my father!" She squealed in delight. "I never thought of him. Wow."
I can't believe it, he thought. I've fallen for Hermione. He debated with himself over it, but the fact remained. She was so kind to him, and for no reason whatsoever. After all those times I treated her like dirt, she is nice toward me. Why? Draco pondered. Draco stared at the floor as morning light streamed through the deep green curtains.
There was a knock on his door. Draco looked at his clock. He overslept.
"Come in," he said. Hermione was standing there, holding her book bag and a fully loaded food tray. She stared. Draco pulled his covers tightly around him, realising that he was wearing only his undergarments.
"You missed breakfast," she said, sitting beside him on his bed. She waited as he quickly ate his bacon to talk. "We had better get going." She waited outside his dormitory door as he changed. When he came out, Draco grabbed another napkin-full of bacon. He and Hermione both ran down the stairs.
They walked down the hallways until they reached the door labeled Magical Self-Defense. Hermione held the door open as they hurried inside.
"You're late, Malfoy," Lupin observed. Hermione smiled. Draco couldn't tear his eyes away from her; she positively glowed.
"What about Hermione?" he asked.
"She told me that she went to get you," Lupin said. "Take your seat, please. No penalty today."
"Sorry," Draco said, grimacing. He couldn't see why Hermione ever liked Lupin, even if he was her father. He didn't like his father. He plastered a fake smile on his face. "I overslept." Lupin nodded.
"Today we will cover the Restoring Charm."
"Today's lesson was easy," Hermione said, sitting across form Draco. He stared.
"What are you doing?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow.
"Sitting," she snapped. "Isn't it obvious?"
"But you can't sit here," Draco muttered through the corner of his mouth. "This is the Slytherin table." Draco lowered his eyes.
"I go into the Slytherin common room," Hermione argued. She sighed. "If anyone asks, it's because I'm tutoring you. Alright?" Draco was about to argue that it should be the other way around, but shut his trap and nodded.
"So," he said, jabbing a lambchop with his fork, "what's up?"
"Nothing much," she said, piling pasta, rolls, and potatoes onto her plate. Draco watched her. She ate a lot for being so thin.
"I've been wondering," Draco began, "how did you and Harry and Ron become friends. In our first year, one day Ron was teasing you, and the next you three were best friends. What happened?"
"Do you remember the troll?" Hermione said through a mouthful of bread, glancing at him. "They saved me from it. It was Ron's fault I was crying in the bathroom, anyway, but you can't go through something like that without becoming friends - you just can't." She smiled. "What about you? Why did you like torturing Harry so much? Ever since the first day here you hated him."
"My father," Draco replied. "He told me that if Harry didn't become a Slytherin, to torment him as much as possible. He and Professor Snape always despised Harry's father." Hermione paused in thought for a moment, but then set down her fork.
"Do you know what happened last year?" she whispered. Draco looked at her.
"A bit. My father wouldn't tell me much - why?"
"Harry told Ron and me in detail," she said. "Do you want to know?"
"Of course."
"Okay, this is what happened.
"Harry and Cedric had reached the Cup at the same time, but Harry saved Cedric's life from a huge Acromantula - a giant spider," she added, seeing Draco's look of confusion. "So they decided to take the Cup at the same time, so it would be a Hogwarts victory. Harry Petrified Viktor Krum earlier, because he attacked poor Cedric. Viktor was under the Imperious Curse. Fleur had been knocked out by Krum earlier, also.
"So anyway, they grabbed the Cup and it was a Portkey. It took them to a graveyard, where Voldemort was."
"Yes, my father helped plan that," Draco said. Hermione's eyes became round. "I hate him for it. As a matter of fact, I've always hated him. Go on." Hermione nodded.
"So they appeared in a graveyard. Someone killed Cedric - "
"Wormtail, probably."
"Yes, probably," Hermione said, amazed. She obviously doesn't know how long I've been around Death Eaters, Draco thought. "So he was dead. Wormtail tied Harry to Voldemort's father's tombstone. He did a ritual and brought Voldemort to life - with a body and everything. The Dark Lord wanted to duel with Harry, so he gave him his wand. They both did a spell at the same time, and Priori Incantatem happened - you know what that is, right?" Draco nodded. He was smarter than most people thought. "Harry and You-Know-Who's wand both share the same core - a tail feather from Fawkes, Professor Dumbledore's phoenix. Cedric's shadow came out of Voldemort's wand. It told Harry to bring his body back. And then Harry's parent's shadows came out of the wand and told him to get away. Harry couldn't tell me the rest, as it was time to get off of the train." She looked disappointedly at the table.
"I probably didn't help much," Draco muttered to her. She bit her lower lip and smiled feebly.
"Are you done eating?" she said. Draco nodded. "Then let's go back to your common room. I don't like Nadine staring at me." Draco glanced over at the Gryffindor table. Sure enough, the sixth year prefect was staring at Hermione and Draco, muttering to the girl next to her.
"Your task is to write a short poem - it doesn't have to rhyme - on whatever topic you like," Professor McGonagall said. "This is my version of an assessment; I want to see how advanced you are in this type of art. You may discuss with your neighbors, and you may begin." She began to turn away when Hermione raised her hand.
"Yes, Miss Granger?"
"Exactly how long can it be?" she asked.
"You decide."
Hermione smiled and immediately began to write. Draco put his quill to his lips. I'll write about Hermione, he decided. After all, nobody will suspect anything. He started to write:
In a realm filled with ruin,
She is a bright star,
Whose glow you can't miss from even afar,
She is a rose without thorns,
My perfect flower.
A world without her
Would be so dour.
He paused, putting the end of his quill to his chin. It was as if Hermione was a muse sitting beside him; the words seemed to flow from his heart onto the paper. He continued:
Her beauty so radiant,
My heart within her reach
Oh, I wish she would notice.
Need me, I beseech.
Graceful, resplendent,
And charmingly brilliant,
Genuine, elegant,
Resolute and radiant.
"Pass up the papers," said Professor McGonagall. Draco stuffed his parchment into the bottom of the stack that was being passed about the room. Professor McGonagall shuffled through the papers.
"There is one here without a name," she said, pausing to read it. "It is quite good. It goes: In a realm filled with ruin." She continued reading until the end. Draco blushed to the roots of his white-blonde hair. He raised his hand slowly, becoming redder and redder every second.
"Mr. Malfoy?" A fit of giggles swept the classroom. Hermione, however, looked very impressed.
"Quite admirable," Professor McGonagall said, rather baffled. "Perhaps you should be the representative of this class at the end-of-program presentation."
"But I'm sure that I could do better," Draco said quickly. "Or maybe Mudblood here could do one. She's so perfect at everything else that this is bound to be nothing. I take that back - you have to be interesting to write good poetry." Hermione glared, but looked up at Professor McGonagall hopefully.
"Read mine, Professor," she pleaded. Professor McGonagall shrugged and took the parchment from Hermione's outstretched hand.
"Yes, Miss Granger," said Professor McGonagall. She cleared her throat. "The days go by and time goes on, yet time cannot touch his soul. With a heart of gold and eyes like jewels, that stare into the depths of my mind, he is the greatest friend one this Earth or in this world. Nothing could ever replace his presence, which make my heart sing."
"For our extra-credit project, we have to write a poem or make a picture of the person we admire most," Draco read off of his notes. "Who are you going to write about?"
"Perhaps Harry," she said. Draco felt a surge of jealousy. "He's so brave, and he is the first real friend I ever had." She smiled.
"You fancy him?" Draco scowled. She shook her head.
"Oh, no," she said. Draco felt slightly relieved. "He's like a brother to me."
"Good," Draco muttered under his breath.
"Who do you look up to, Draco?" she asked. "Your father, maybe? You always spoke of him as if you honored him." She plastered a very fake smile on her face. Draco frowned, and her eyebrows rose.
"My father?" Draco muttered. "I always looked up to him and admired him. But now I see that I admire you even more." Hermione stared. Draco realised what he had said. "Not that way - I meant that I admire your intelligence and your attitude toward everything, especially me. You're nice. You're a good friend." Hermione blushed, but looked slightly disappointed..
"So are you," she said. She patted him on the head awkwardly. Draco watched, stunned, as she laughed at the look on his face. "We should get started on this. To the library?"
Draco shrugged and followed her down the hallways and up the staircases out of the dungeons.
A/N: I'll update ASAP! There will be a real plot soon. By the way, I love reviews. Plz review! Pleeeeeease!!! ^.^
"Good evening, students," he began, the torches along the walls causing his eyes to gleam in the firelight. "I expect that you are all wondering what your surprise is. I will cut my speech short. Here it is." He indicated the farthest door in the hall. It opened and a dark, robed figure walked through it. Draco realised that it was a man, a vaguely familiar man. The hood cast a shadow over his face, so nobody recognized him.
"You may drop the hood, Professor," said Dumbledore, "it is not raining in here." The man dropped his hood to expose chestnut hair speckled with gray. His face was lined, though he seemed young. Draco looked to his right at Hermione, who instantly leapt from her seat to greet the man.
"Professor Lupin!" she said, and he bent down with a smile to hug her.
"Hello Hermione," Lupin said, smiling with great astonishment. "I should have known that you would be here. Is Harry here by any chance." Hermione shook her head.
"Please welcome Professor Lupin," Professor Dumbledore announced. There was a short round of applause. "He happens to have extensive knowledge in magical animals and plants, and self-defense. He will be your counselor when you go to test your knowledge and skill in the last two days of the program." Hermione glowed. Draco folded his arms. He felt a pang of jealousy - but was he jealous of what?
"Good morning, Draco," Hermione said after breakfast.
"Morning, Granger," Draco said. "I didn't know we were on first name terms." Hermione had slung a heavy bag of books over her shoulder.
"Fine then, Malfoy," Hermione said, grinning. "Off to our first class, then."
"Malfoy, look!" The dungeon walls closed behind Hermione as she ran into the Slytherin common room. Draco was lounging in his chair, with his legs over an arm. He beckoned for her to sit beside him in the chair.
"What?"
"I got a letter from my mother! My birth mother." She sat down and opened the envelope. Draco became suddenly aware of how close he was to her; he found that she smelled vaguely of cinnamon or gingerbread. He wasn't sure which. She read the letter aloud excitedly:
Dearest Hermione, I am glad to hear that you've been doing well. You deserve an explanation as to I left you to adoption, but I feel it is not something to write in a letter. I live in Hogesmeade, and I run the Zonko's Joke Shop. I've seen you around often. Visit me sometime.
I will give you a clue as to your father's name. His initials are R and L, but I cannot bring myself to write his name - I feel so guilty. I hear from the Three Broomsticks that you are very smart, so I trust you to figure this puzzle soon. See you soon -Noella Connor
"I may go to meet her right now," Hermione squeaked happily. "You'll never get past Filch," said Draco. "He's on the rampage. Peeves had a field-day today. Went smashing everything in Snape's office. Dropped a Dungbomb over Filch's office, too. Don't try to leave the dungeons. It smells." Hermione shook her head.
"I know a passageway," she said. "I'll see you later."
"Today, I will start with the basics. I need a volunteer, preferably somebody with experience in Wizard Dueling." Hermione nearly jumped out of her seat again as she raised her hand.
"Hermione," Lupin said uncertainly. Hermione stood and walked to the front of the classroom.
"What do you want me to do?" Hermione asked.
"Wait a minute," Lupin said. "I need one more person." A Ravenclaw boy slowly raised his hand. "Bryant." Lupin called him to the front of the room.
"Now, I need you two to duel," Lupin said. "But do not use any curses that will send your opponent to the hospital wing. Are you ready?" Hermione and Bryant nodded.
"Yep," Bryant chirped, eyeing Hermione's wand nervously.
"Bow," Lupin commanded. The students obeyed, each grasping their wand readily as they straightened up. "Go."
"Expelliarmus!" Bryant yelled. Hermione was too quick for him. She shielded the spell easily. Draco saw Hermione smirk.
"Stupefy!" Hermione yelled. In a blast of red light, Bryant fell to the ground. Lupin gasped.
"Hermione - "
Before Lupin could say anything more, Hermione walked over to Bryant's body and tapped him on the chest with her wand. "Enervate," she muttered. Bryant sat up uneasily.
"Good job, Hermione," Lupin said with a smile. Hermione bowed to Bryant when he got to his feet, and took her seat next to Draco.
"Show off," Bryant muttered as he passed Hermione's desk on the way to his chair.
"Hermione, you don't even need to be trained," Lupin said. Hermione glowed. "But I have a feeling that the rest of you do. We will begin with a shielding motion. Mr. Malfoy, will you come up here, please?"
Draco stood and walked to the front of the class.
"What do I do?" Draco asked, taking his wand from his pocket.
"Hold your wand out like this," Lupin replied, holding his wand like a pencil, his arm reaching across his body. Draco imitated the movement. "This is the blocking movement for low-power curses. Can you all do that?" Everybody mimicked Lupin's motion. Hermione watched amusedly, as she already knew how to do it. "No, Burns. Hermione, help him." Hermione leaned backward and showed the Ravenclaw boy how to hold the wand correctly.
"Like this," Hermione said. The boy nodded his head.
"Okay, Draco, I'm going to try to hex you," Lupin said, holding up his wand. "Block my spell. Ready?" Draco nodded. "Fununcluarium!" Without hesitation, Draco blocked the hex. Lupin applauded.
"Good job," he said. "Now, everyone get in a line. Draco, Hermione, you only have to go if you want to." Draco walked and sat next to Hermione.
"So, where did you learn to duel like that?" Draco asked. "You can't have learned that from Lockhart." Hermione smiled.
"I have permission to use magic over the summer," she answered. "I've known how to duel for a long time, though. Harry and Ron would practice with me." Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out a book titled, Wizard Families of the Twentieth Century. "Research for my parents," Hermione said, seeing Draco's questioning glance.
After everyone had blocked Lupin's hexes at least twice, class ended.
"Look," Hermione said to Draco, pointing at a paragraph in her book. "It's my mother. She was born in the same year as Harry's parents." Everybody was beginning to leave for their next workshop, but Hermione was just beginning to put her book back into her bag. Draco followed her she rose from her chair and walked to the front of the classroom.
"Professor Lupin," Hermione said. Draco slouched behind her. He didn't like talking with teachers and avoided at every chance he could get. Lupin looked up at Hermione. "Did you know a Noella Connor when you went to school here? She was in your year." Lupin thought a moment and then nodded.
"Yes, I knew her," Lupin answered. "She was my girlfriend in my sixth and seventh year. Why?" Draco smirked when he saw Hermione's face light up.
"You knew her!" she exclaimed. Lupin nodded once again. "She is my mother!" Lupin blinked, confused.
"But you are Muggle-born," he said softly. Hermione shook her head.
"I'm adopted," she said, beaming. "Do you know who she was with when Harry was born? You might know my father." Lupin thought harder.
"She had broken up with me sometime before Harry was born," Lupin said. Hermione's eyes became very round, and her jaw dropped. "We were about to be married, but then she said she couldn't. But that would mean - " Lupin looked faint, and he went pale. Hermione seemed to radiate. Draco bit his lip. This didn't seem like this was the kind of conversation he should be listening to.
"I'll talk to you later, Hermione," Lupin said, sitting down in his chair. "Meet me here during lunch. Do you want something, Mr. Malfoy?" Draco jumped and shook his head.
"I'm waiting for her," he said timidly. Lupin was too bewildered to be curious. Hermione grabbed Draco's arm and pulled him out into the hall. The door shut behind her.
"Don't you see!" she said in a strangled whisper. "My father's initials were R and L. Remus Lupin! Professor Lupin is my father!" She squealed in delight. "I never thought of him. Wow."
I can't believe it, he thought. I've fallen for Hermione. He debated with himself over it, but the fact remained. She was so kind to him, and for no reason whatsoever. After all those times I treated her like dirt, she is nice toward me. Why? Draco pondered. Draco stared at the floor as morning light streamed through the deep green curtains.
There was a knock on his door. Draco looked at his clock. He overslept.
"Come in," he said. Hermione was standing there, holding her book bag and a fully loaded food tray. She stared. Draco pulled his covers tightly around him, realising that he was wearing only his undergarments.
"You missed breakfast," she said, sitting beside him on his bed. She waited as he quickly ate his bacon to talk. "We had better get going." She waited outside his dormitory door as he changed. When he came out, Draco grabbed another napkin-full of bacon. He and Hermione both ran down the stairs.
They walked down the hallways until they reached the door labeled Magical Self-Defense. Hermione held the door open as they hurried inside.
"You're late, Malfoy," Lupin observed. Hermione smiled. Draco couldn't tear his eyes away from her; she positively glowed.
"What about Hermione?" he asked.
"She told me that she went to get you," Lupin said. "Take your seat, please. No penalty today."
"Sorry," Draco said, grimacing. He couldn't see why Hermione ever liked Lupin, even if he was her father. He didn't like his father. He plastered a fake smile on his face. "I overslept." Lupin nodded.
"Today we will cover the Restoring Charm."
"Today's lesson was easy," Hermione said, sitting across form Draco. He stared.
"What are you doing?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow.
"Sitting," she snapped. "Isn't it obvious?"
"But you can't sit here," Draco muttered through the corner of his mouth. "This is the Slytherin table." Draco lowered his eyes.
"I go into the Slytherin common room," Hermione argued. She sighed. "If anyone asks, it's because I'm tutoring you. Alright?" Draco was about to argue that it should be the other way around, but shut his trap and nodded.
"So," he said, jabbing a lambchop with his fork, "what's up?"
"Nothing much," she said, piling pasta, rolls, and potatoes onto her plate. Draco watched her. She ate a lot for being so thin.
"I've been wondering," Draco began, "how did you and Harry and Ron become friends. In our first year, one day Ron was teasing you, and the next you three were best friends. What happened?"
"Do you remember the troll?" Hermione said through a mouthful of bread, glancing at him. "They saved me from it. It was Ron's fault I was crying in the bathroom, anyway, but you can't go through something like that without becoming friends - you just can't." She smiled. "What about you? Why did you like torturing Harry so much? Ever since the first day here you hated him."
"My father," Draco replied. "He told me that if Harry didn't become a Slytherin, to torment him as much as possible. He and Professor Snape always despised Harry's father." Hermione paused in thought for a moment, but then set down her fork.
"Do you know what happened last year?" she whispered. Draco looked at her.
"A bit. My father wouldn't tell me much - why?"
"Harry told Ron and me in detail," she said. "Do you want to know?"
"Of course."
"Okay, this is what happened.
"Harry and Cedric had reached the Cup at the same time, but Harry saved Cedric's life from a huge Acromantula - a giant spider," she added, seeing Draco's look of confusion. "So they decided to take the Cup at the same time, so it would be a Hogwarts victory. Harry Petrified Viktor Krum earlier, because he attacked poor Cedric. Viktor was under the Imperious Curse. Fleur had been knocked out by Krum earlier, also.
"So anyway, they grabbed the Cup and it was a Portkey. It took them to a graveyard, where Voldemort was."
"Yes, my father helped plan that," Draco said. Hermione's eyes became round. "I hate him for it. As a matter of fact, I've always hated him. Go on." Hermione nodded.
"So they appeared in a graveyard. Someone killed Cedric - "
"Wormtail, probably."
"Yes, probably," Hermione said, amazed. She obviously doesn't know how long I've been around Death Eaters, Draco thought. "So he was dead. Wormtail tied Harry to Voldemort's father's tombstone. He did a ritual and brought Voldemort to life - with a body and everything. The Dark Lord wanted to duel with Harry, so he gave him his wand. They both did a spell at the same time, and Priori Incantatem happened - you know what that is, right?" Draco nodded. He was smarter than most people thought. "Harry and You-Know-Who's wand both share the same core - a tail feather from Fawkes, Professor Dumbledore's phoenix. Cedric's shadow came out of Voldemort's wand. It told Harry to bring his body back. And then Harry's parent's shadows came out of the wand and told him to get away. Harry couldn't tell me the rest, as it was time to get off of the train." She looked disappointedly at the table.
"I probably didn't help much," Draco muttered to her. She bit her lower lip and smiled feebly.
"Are you done eating?" she said. Draco nodded. "Then let's go back to your common room. I don't like Nadine staring at me." Draco glanced over at the Gryffindor table. Sure enough, the sixth year prefect was staring at Hermione and Draco, muttering to the girl next to her.
"Your task is to write a short poem - it doesn't have to rhyme - on whatever topic you like," Professor McGonagall said. "This is my version of an assessment; I want to see how advanced you are in this type of art. You may discuss with your neighbors, and you may begin." She began to turn away when Hermione raised her hand.
"Yes, Miss Granger?"
"Exactly how long can it be?" she asked.
"You decide."
Hermione smiled and immediately began to write. Draco put his quill to his lips. I'll write about Hermione, he decided. After all, nobody will suspect anything. He started to write:
In a realm filled with ruin,
She is a bright star,
Whose glow you can't miss from even afar,
She is a rose without thorns,
My perfect flower.
A world without her
Would be so dour.
He paused, putting the end of his quill to his chin. It was as if Hermione was a muse sitting beside him; the words seemed to flow from his heart onto the paper. He continued:
Her beauty so radiant,
My heart within her reach
Oh, I wish she would notice.
Need me, I beseech.
Graceful, resplendent,
And charmingly brilliant,
Genuine, elegant,
Resolute and radiant.
"Pass up the papers," said Professor McGonagall. Draco stuffed his parchment into the bottom of the stack that was being passed about the room. Professor McGonagall shuffled through the papers.
"There is one here without a name," she said, pausing to read it. "It is quite good. It goes: In a realm filled with ruin." She continued reading until the end. Draco blushed to the roots of his white-blonde hair. He raised his hand slowly, becoming redder and redder every second.
"Mr. Malfoy?" A fit of giggles swept the classroom. Hermione, however, looked very impressed.
"Quite admirable," Professor McGonagall said, rather baffled. "Perhaps you should be the representative of this class at the end-of-program presentation."
"But I'm sure that I could do better," Draco said quickly. "Or maybe Mudblood here could do one. She's so perfect at everything else that this is bound to be nothing. I take that back - you have to be interesting to write good poetry." Hermione glared, but looked up at Professor McGonagall hopefully.
"Read mine, Professor," she pleaded. Professor McGonagall shrugged and took the parchment from Hermione's outstretched hand.
"Yes, Miss Granger," said Professor McGonagall. She cleared her throat. "The days go by and time goes on, yet time cannot touch his soul. With a heart of gold and eyes like jewels, that stare into the depths of my mind, he is the greatest friend one this Earth or in this world. Nothing could ever replace his presence, which make my heart sing."
"For our extra-credit project, we have to write a poem or make a picture of the person we admire most," Draco read off of his notes. "Who are you going to write about?"
"Perhaps Harry," she said. Draco felt a surge of jealousy. "He's so brave, and he is the first real friend I ever had." She smiled.
"You fancy him?" Draco scowled. She shook her head.
"Oh, no," she said. Draco felt slightly relieved. "He's like a brother to me."
"Good," Draco muttered under his breath.
"Who do you look up to, Draco?" she asked. "Your father, maybe? You always spoke of him as if you honored him." She plastered a very fake smile on her face. Draco frowned, and her eyebrows rose.
"My father?" Draco muttered. "I always looked up to him and admired him. But now I see that I admire you even more." Hermione stared. Draco realised what he had said. "Not that way - I meant that I admire your intelligence and your attitude toward everything, especially me. You're nice. You're a good friend." Hermione blushed, but looked slightly disappointed..
"So are you," she said. She patted him on the head awkwardly. Draco watched, stunned, as she laughed at the look on his face. "We should get started on this. To the library?"
Draco shrugged and followed her down the hallways and up the staircases out of the dungeons.
A/N: I'll update ASAP! There will be a real plot soon. By the way, I love reviews. Plz review! Pleeeeeease!!! ^.^