Chapter Three -
A/N This one is pretty short. Sorry about that.
Draco and Hermione sat in silence for a while. Suddenly, Hermione stopped writing and spoke of the thing that had been nagging at her mind.
"Why did you insult me at art class, Draco?"
"Well, you don't want people to think we're friends, do you?" asked Draco. "Granger friends with Draco Malfoy? It wouldn't be accepted."
"You only care about what other people think, don't you?" Hermione asked. Her eyes were downcast, fringed with long black lashes. Draco wondered if those hazel eyes could really pierce his soul.
"Well, don't you?" Draco replied. Hermione crossed her arms over her chest in her habitual defensive nature.
"That isn't all that matters, Malfoy," she said, looking up from the floor. She gathered her things and took off out of the library without a look back. Draco thought that she might be crying. "Boys," he heard her mutter.
"Now that made no sense at all," Draco said to himself. Perhaps I should go after her, he thought. But he just shrugged if off, knowing that he would catch up with her at dinner. "Girls."
Dinner came sooner than expected. Draco heard the grandfather clock behind Madam Pince's desk chime six o'clock. He crammed his papers and quill and ink bottle into his bag. He slung it over his shoulder and walked to the Great Hall.
Draco sat down alone at the Slytherin table. He set his bag on the bench beside him and picked at his food a bit. He looked over at the Gryffindor table. Hermione wasn't there.
"Strange," Draco said. He speared a potato with his fork and stuffed it in his mouth. He picked up his bag with intentions to go to the Slytherin common room. As he entered the dungeon, he was startled by a voice.
"School's starting soon."
Draco whirled around, his cloak billowing out behind him.
"Professor Lupin?"
Draco straightened up a bit. He couldn't lose his reputation as an arrogant snob over a girl.
Professor Lupin looked at him with a very strange expression. His reddish- brown hair was still dappled with gray, but the lines on his forehead had deepened, and his eyes seemed to burn bright. Draco saw worry written in his face, despair in his eyes.
"You and Hermione are friends now?" he asked. Draco shoved his hands into his pockets.
"I suppose you could say that."
Professor Lupin smiled. Not a regular smile. He smiled with his eyes.
"Boy, I must have missed a lot," he said. "Last time I was here, you two were at each others' throats. Didn't you grow Hermione's teeth past her chin last year?" Draco went white. Potter must tell him everything, he thought.
"It was an accident," Draco replied curtly. He put on his signature sneer. "I see you've grown out of your rags. Did you finally get some money, or were you forced to buy new ones 'cause the others rotted away?" Professor Lupin was obviously taken aback.
"You are your old self, I see."
"Yes."
"Hermione likes you - I don't know why - but I will pair you together for the final task of the program if you want." Draco's face lit up a bit.
"Okay," he said quickly. Lupin smiled.
"If you are looking for Hermione, she's in the Owlrey."
"Okay," said Draco. "But I'm not."
A/N This one is pretty short. Sorry about that.
Draco and Hermione sat in silence for a while. Suddenly, Hermione stopped writing and spoke of the thing that had been nagging at her mind.
"Why did you insult me at art class, Draco?"
"Well, you don't want people to think we're friends, do you?" asked Draco. "Granger friends with Draco Malfoy? It wouldn't be accepted."
"You only care about what other people think, don't you?" Hermione asked. Her eyes were downcast, fringed with long black lashes. Draco wondered if those hazel eyes could really pierce his soul.
"Well, don't you?" Draco replied. Hermione crossed her arms over her chest in her habitual defensive nature.
"That isn't all that matters, Malfoy," she said, looking up from the floor. She gathered her things and took off out of the library without a look back. Draco thought that she might be crying. "Boys," he heard her mutter.
"Now that made no sense at all," Draco said to himself. Perhaps I should go after her, he thought. But he just shrugged if off, knowing that he would catch up with her at dinner. "Girls."
Dinner came sooner than expected. Draco heard the grandfather clock behind Madam Pince's desk chime six o'clock. He crammed his papers and quill and ink bottle into his bag. He slung it over his shoulder and walked to the Great Hall.
Draco sat down alone at the Slytherin table. He set his bag on the bench beside him and picked at his food a bit. He looked over at the Gryffindor table. Hermione wasn't there.
"Strange," Draco said. He speared a potato with his fork and stuffed it in his mouth. He picked up his bag with intentions to go to the Slytherin common room. As he entered the dungeon, he was startled by a voice.
"School's starting soon."
Draco whirled around, his cloak billowing out behind him.
"Professor Lupin?"
Draco straightened up a bit. He couldn't lose his reputation as an arrogant snob over a girl.
Professor Lupin looked at him with a very strange expression. His reddish- brown hair was still dappled with gray, but the lines on his forehead had deepened, and his eyes seemed to burn bright. Draco saw worry written in his face, despair in his eyes.
"You and Hermione are friends now?" he asked. Draco shoved his hands into his pockets.
"I suppose you could say that."
Professor Lupin smiled. Not a regular smile. He smiled with his eyes.
"Boy, I must have missed a lot," he said. "Last time I was here, you two were at each others' throats. Didn't you grow Hermione's teeth past her chin last year?" Draco went white. Potter must tell him everything, he thought.
"It was an accident," Draco replied curtly. He put on his signature sneer. "I see you've grown out of your rags. Did you finally get some money, or were you forced to buy new ones 'cause the others rotted away?" Professor Lupin was obviously taken aback.
"You are your old self, I see."
"Yes."
"Hermione likes you - I don't know why - but I will pair you together for the final task of the program if you want." Draco's face lit up a bit.
"Okay," he said quickly. Lupin smiled.
"If you are looking for Hermione, she's in the Owlrey."
"Okay," said Draco. "But I'm not."