The train ride to Hogwarts was less fun than it normally was. The events of
last week still hung fresh in everyone's mind. Hermione and Ginny were
separated from Ron and Harry by a mere chair, but the gap seemed
unfathomable. Every so often, Hermione would throw dirty looks at the two
others and whisper urgently to Ginny. Ron was glaring at the girls; Harry
was zoned out, looking at the countryside flashing by the window. Ginny
wasn't speaking, but would nod vigorously whenever Hermione spoke into her
ear. Ron cleared his throat importantly. Hermione and Ginny carefully
avoided his gaze and started to whisper once more. Harry's head snapped to
attention, but Ron was staring daggers at the girls and did not speak.
Harry went back to the exhilarating world of sheep.
Five minutes later, the four occupants were briefly united as the compartment door slid open and Draco Malfoy, Slytherin extraordinaire, walked in. He was up in the rankings of Hogwarts because he had rebelled against his father and fled the Malfoy estate when Lucius became the head death-eater. When Dumbledore used the very thing that Voldemort had attained from Harry against the dark lord, Voldemort perished. His death triggered the death of all his death-eaters. Draco was now the legal heir of the Malfoy fortune.
His flock of cronies had grown. Crabbe and Goyle still flanked his right and left sides, but behind him was an adoring flock of girls, none of which (and they were proud to admit it), were Gryffindors. Draco had shown no interest in any of them. Though Harry and Draco's animosity was far from healed, he and Ron had reached the grudging conclusion that Draco wasn't as bad as he seemed. Hermione, though she verbally agreed with her friends, was no less aggressive to the wealthy sixteen-year-old. Malfoy motioned the girls out.
"Surprise!" he said, in terribly good spirits.
Good Spirits? Malfoy?
He placed himself conveniently in the chair between Ron and Hermione, much to both of their dismay. But what he did next was unthinkable, let along most unMalfoy-like. He snaked an arm around both Ron and Hermione's shoulders and pulled them in close.
"When are you two love-birds going to get together?" Malfoy laughed. It seemed as if time froze in the events that followed.
Ron did nothing but gape and stare at Hermione's head. Hermione jerked violently back from Malfoy's grasp and landed him a huge slap on his pale face. Malfoy's face turned a deep pink. Crabbe and Goyle lurched stupidly toward Hermione, but Harry launched himself in front of her. Crabbe and Goyle, finding the closest Gryffindor now Ginny, (they would no longer tangle with Harry after last year's "incident"), stumbled toward her, arms outstretched. Harry let out a yell and jumped on both the Slytherin goonies, who were at a loss at what to do. It was Malfoy who ended it.
"That's enough, boys," he delicately touched his cheek as Harry let go and sidestepped Crabbe and Goyle and comforted the quivering Ginny. Malfoy laughed, yanking a lock of Hermione's hair and letting go of Ron. "A joke, Hermione." He signaled at Crabbe and Goyle, who sulked out of the compartment and slid the door shut. There was a moment of awkward silence. "Somebody say something," said a blushing Ginny. Harry was still patting her back soothingly. Ron was working his jaw furiously, resembling a drunk fish. Hermione was steaming, and was going to say something when she abruptly snapped her mouth shut.
"He called me Hermione," she said feebly. Ron suddenly found his voice.
"In case you haven't noticed, that's your name." Hermione blushed.
"I know, but I mean-"
"That jerk! That creep! That-"
"Ron!" Hermione said warningly.
"Whatever he is, he's lower than dirt. Imagine, you and I getting together!" Instead of agreeing, Hermione flushed a deeper pink. Oblivious, Ron went on.
"I don't know who he thinks he is! Money or no, he can't just waltz into other people's compartments and tell them what to do!" Hermione put a silencing hand on his mouth.
"What I meant, before you interrupted, Ron, is that he called me Hermione. He's never called me that before. It was always Granger, or mud blood." Ron nodded meekly and Hermione withdrew her hand. Harry nodded slowly.
"My guess is drugs," he said. Ginny giggled. Ron's face broke out into a smile.
"Definitely drugs," he said. Hermione slowly shook her head.
"No. I don't think it is. And that's what bothers me."
Five minutes later, the four occupants were briefly united as the compartment door slid open and Draco Malfoy, Slytherin extraordinaire, walked in. He was up in the rankings of Hogwarts because he had rebelled against his father and fled the Malfoy estate when Lucius became the head death-eater. When Dumbledore used the very thing that Voldemort had attained from Harry against the dark lord, Voldemort perished. His death triggered the death of all his death-eaters. Draco was now the legal heir of the Malfoy fortune.
His flock of cronies had grown. Crabbe and Goyle still flanked his right and left sides, but behind him was an adoring flock of girls, none of which (and they were proud to admit it), were Gryffindors. Draco had shown no interest in any of them. Though Harry and Draco's animosity was far from healed, he and Ron had reached the grudging conclusion that Draco wasn't as bad as he seemed. Hermione, though she verbally agreed with her friends, was no less aggressive to the wealthy sixteen-year-old. Malfoy motioned the girls out.
"Surprise!" he said, in terribly good spirits.
Good Spirits? Malfoy?
He placed himself conveniently in the chair between Ron and Hermione, much to both of their dismay. But what he did next was unthinkable, let along most unMalfoy-like. He snaked an arm around both Ron and Hermione's shoulders and pulled them in close.
"When are you two love-birds going to get together?" Malfoy laughed. It seemed as if time froze in the events that followed.
Ron did nothing but gape and stare at Hermione's head. Hermione jerked violently back from Malfoy's grasp and landed him a huge slap on his pale face. Malfoy's face turned a deep pink. Crabbe and Goyle lurched stupidly toward Hermione, but Harry launched himself in front of her. Crabbe and Goyle, finding the closest Gryffindor now Ginny, (they would no longer tangle with Harry after last year's "incident"), stumbled toward her, arms outstretched. Harry let out a yell and jumped on both the Slytherin goonies, who were at a loss at what to do. It was Malfoy who ended it.
"That's enough, boys," he delicately touched his cheek as Harry let go and sidestepped Crabbe and Goyle and comforted the quivering Ginny. Malfoy laughed, yanking a lock of Hermione's hair and letting go of Ron. "A joke, Hermione." He signaled at Crabbe and Goyle, who sulked out of the compartment and slid the door shut. There was a moment of awkward silence. "Somebody say something," said a blushing Ginny. Harry was still patting her back soothingly. Ron was working his jaw furiously, resembling a drunk fish. Hermione was steaming, and was going to say something when she abruptly snapped her mouth shut.
"He called me Hermione," she said feebly. Ron suddenly found his voice.
"In case you haven't noticed, that's your name." Hermione blushed.
"I know, but I mean-"
"That jerk! That creep! That-"
"Ron!" Hermione said warningly.
"Whatever he is, he's lower than dirt. Imagine, you and I getting together!" Instead of agreeing, Hermione flushed a deeper pink. Oblivious, Ron went on.
"I don't know who he thinks he is! Money or no, he can't just waltz into other people's compartments and tell them what to do!" Hermione put a silencing hand on his mouth.
"What I meant, before you interrupted, Ron, is that he called me Hermione. He's never called me that before. It was always Granger, or mud blood." Ron nodded meekly and Hermione withdrew her hand. Harry nodded slowly.
"My guess is drugs," he said. Ginny giggled. Ron's face broke out into a smile.
"Definitely drugs," he said. Hermione slowly shook her head.
"No. I don't think it is. And that's what bothers me."
