Thank you, to s_star, and nessie, my reviewers! And to the psychopeanut
too...! Thanks a million!
Chapter 6
"See," said Hermione, biting into the toast Draco had brought her from the Great Hall. "I had this dream, and I thought maybe you were in danger, or something."
"A dream?" Repeated Draco, looking up at her from his porridge. "You came crashing into my room because of a dream?"
Draco and Hermione were in the common room, seated across from each other at a long table.
"Hey, I was just worried!" Said Hermione, and blushed.
Draco laughed at the pink rising in her cheeks. "You're funny, Hermione. Some excuse to see me... Undressed? How could you?"
Hermione nearly spat her chewed-up toast into his face. "Shut up, Draco! If you had had that dream, you wouldn't have that smug nothing on your face!"
Draco was mildly curious. "Tell me about your 'dream'," he said.
For the next five minutes, Hermione told him about her dream, and how afraid she was in it.
"Do you think it means anything?" Asked Hermione, nibbling on her bottom lip.
"Yes," said Draco in mock seriousness. "That soon, you'll fall madly in love with me, you can't bear to see some sea monster swallow me up."
Hermione, annoyed that Draco did not take her seriously, stood up so fast that her chair fell over. "I am not going to waste my precious time talking to a know-it-all imbecile, Draco!" With that, Hermione snatched her Herbology books from the table and let herself out from the room leaving a very shocked Draco behind.
Hermione ran all the way to the Gryffindor tower as she was about to give the password to the Fat Lady, the portrait swung open, missing her face by inches.
"Hey, Hermione!" Said Ginny brightly. Behind her were Harry and Ron. "Join us? We're walking down together."
Relieved at the sight of her friends, Hermione nodded, and said hello and good morning to Harry and Ron.
"Have you been running?" Asked Ron, observing her sweaty face, red cheeks and tousled hair.
"Yeah," answered Hermione, still catching her breath.
"Why?" Said Harry, offering to hold her books for her while she tidied herself up.
"Thanks, Harry," she said, ignoring his question, and handed him her books.
"Why were you running?" Repeated Ron, keen to find out why she was flustered.
"Long story," said Hermione shortly. "Tell you at lunch."
Ron opened his mouth to argue, but Ginny silenced him with a look.
"So, Hermione, what did you do to you hair?" Said Ginny, starting up a conversation. "Why is it straighter than we remember? Magic?"
"No. It just began to straighten out from last year," she answered, taking her books from Harry. "So, how's the common room without me around?"
"Peaceful," muttered Ron.
Hermione ignored him.
"Well," said Harry honestly, "it would've been better if you were there, Hermione. But really, you usually have a nose in a book. So the noise level was barely any difference."
"Unless you're talking about Lavender and Parvati," giggled Ginny.
When they reached a corridor, they said goodbye to Ginny and started down a flight of stairs and made their way to the greenhouses, where Professor Sprout was there early, to bring in a new plant. Most of the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors were there, so Harry, Ron and Hermione quickly joined the class, settled down and began to listen to Professor Sprout telling them the use of her new plant, the Dragonora.
At lunch, Hermione told Harry and Ron, who were sitting across from her, about her dream.
Harry, who had similar disturbing dreams, asked, "Do you think it means anything?"
However, Ron simply retorted, "Honestly, I don't know why you bothered, Hermione. That scum deserves to drown in a black sea monsters throat, eh Harry?"
Hermione frowned at Ron. "He's still got a bit of human in him, Ronald Weasley. And if you must know, he was even nice enough to ask me to call him Draco!"
"He's just got other intentions, Herm!" Said Ron, through a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "How could you be so thick for a know-it-all? You never know what that slime is up to!"
"He's human too, Ron!" Said Hermione, her voice going up a little.
"Hey!" Interrupted Harry. "Want to read the letter Snuffles sent me this morning?"
"He sent you a letter?" Repeated Ron blankly. "You didn't tell me!"
"Yeah, well I was waiting both of you could read it together. Anyway, here it is," said Harry slipping a rolled piece of parchment onto the table. "He said he had some 'serious business' to deal with. And I don't know if it has anything to do with Voldemort. It's funny how we can't find Pettigrew either!"
"Do you think Pettigrew is Voldemort's secret keeper?" Asked Ron.
"Oh, Ron, use your head! Do you think that cowardly no-good can be trusted? Look what he did with..." Hermione trailed off. "Sorry, Harry," she whispered.
Harry shook his head. "It's okay. But what Ron said could be a possibility."
Ron gave Hermione an 'I-told-you-so' look.
Harry stood up and picked up his things. "I'm going back to our Common Room. I need to think this over," he said, gathering his things.
"No, wait! Why don't you come and see my Common Room?" Asked Hermione. "Go grab your stuff, and meet me outside the transfiguration classroom."
"But-."
"No buts, Harry. You and Ron know there's nothing to think about for now. We've still got 20 minutes..."
"She's right, Harry. We should just take it easy," said Ron, not wanting to waste time in their Common Room. Hermione was right, as usual. There was nothing they could do.
Harry gave in, and Hermione was satisfied. "Good. Meet me in five minutes time. Don't be late!" Then, she picked up her books and quills and left the Great Hall.
As she reached outside of the Great Hall, Draco stopped her. "Hermione, wait! There's something I-."
"There's nothing you need to tell me, Draco," she said, the annoyance and anger in her voice was clear. "Ron was right," she said, turning to leave.
"No!" Said Draco, reaching out and taking hold of Hermione's right arm. "I must... Apologize! Please!"
Hermione threw Draco's hand of her arm. "For what?" she said, turning around to face him. "For not taking my concern for you seriously? Bug OFF, Draco! I don't want to listen to your lame excuses! Now, if you'd excuse me, I'd like to meet my FRIENDS."
Hermione turned and began to run, but Draco caught up with her. "Hermione!" He grabbed her arm again.
"LET ME GO, DRACO MALFOY!" Yelled Hermione, running even faster.
"Miss Granger! Mr Malfoy!"
Hermione and Draco stopped running. They saw Professor McGonagall standing in the door way of an old classroom, with her arms crossed. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Professor, I-," started Hermione.
"Mr Malfoy, explain yourself! What were you doing, playing catch with Miss Granger along the corridor at lunch?" Said the professor sternly.
"I was not playing catch, professor!" Said Draco indignantly. "I just wanted to... Talk to her about... Something, but-."
Professor McGonagall waited for him to go on.
"I don't know," he said finally.
Professor McGonagall, who was busy preparing for her next class, decided to let them off with a warning. "But I do not wish to see you two prefects running like barbaric creatures down corridors OR anywhere, for that matter!"
Hermione opened her mouth, but shut it again. Then, with a death glare at Draco, she turned and strode back to the Common Room, wondering which was the best hex to put on him that evening, after dinner. Then, realizing she was running late, she jogged to the transfiguration classroom, wondering if Ron was preparing another round of third degree for her.
Chapter 6
"See," said Hermione, biting into the toast Draco had brought her from the Great Hall. "I had this dream, and I thought maybe you were in danger, or something."
"A dream?" Repeated Draco, looking up at her from his porridge. "You came crashing into my room because of a dream?"
Draco and Hermione were in the common room, seated across from each other at a long table.
"Hey, I was just worried!" Said Hermione, and blushed.
Draco laughed at the pink rising in her cheeks. "You're funny, Hermione. Some excuse to see me... Undressed? How could you?"
Hermione nearly spat her chewed-up toast into his face. "Shut up, Draco! If you had had that dream, you wouldn't have that smug nothing on your face!"
Draco was mildly curious. "Tell me about your 'dream'," he said.
For the next five minutes, Hermione told him about her dream, and how afraid she was in it.
"Do you think it means anything?" Asked Hermione, nibbling on her bottom lip.
"Yes," said Draco in mock seriousness. "That soon, you'll fall madly in love with me, you can't bear to see some sea monster swallow me up."
Hermione, annoyed that Draco did not take her seriously, stood up so fast that her chair fell over. "I am not going to waste my precious time talking to a know-it-all imbecile, Draco!" With that, Hermione snatched her Herbology books from the table and let herself out from the room leaving a very shocked Draco behind.
Hermione ran all the way to the Gryffindor tower as she was about to give the password to the Fat Lady, the portrait swung open, missing her face by inches.
"Hey, Hermione!" Said Ginny brightly. Behind her were Harry and Ron. "Join us? We're walking down together."
Relieved at the sight of her friends, Hermione nodded, and said hello and good morning to Harry and Ron.
"Have you been running?" Asked Ron, observing her sweaty face, red cheeks and tousled hair.
"Yeah," answered Hermione, still catching her breath.
"Why?" Said Harry, offering to hold her books for her while she tidied herself up.
"Thanks, Harry," she said, ignoring his question, and handed him her books.
"Why were you running?" Repeated Ron, keen to find out why she was flustered.
"Long story," said Hermione shortly. "Tell you at lunch."
Ron opened his mouth to argue, but Ginny silenced him with a look.
"So, Hermione, what did you do to you hair?" Said Ginny, starting up a conversation. "Why is it straighter than we remember? Magic?"
"No. It just began to straighten out from last year," she answered, taking her books from Harry. "So, how's the common room without me around?"
"Peaceful," muttered Ron.
Hermione ignored him.
"Well," said Harry honestly, "it would've been better if you were there, Hermione. But really, you usually have a nose in a book. So the noise level was barely any difference."
"Unless you're talking about Lavender and Parvati," giggled Ginny.
When they reached a corridor, they said goodbye to Ginny and started down a flight of stairs and made their way to the greenhouses, where Professor Sprout was there early, to bring in a new plant. Most of the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors were there, so Harry, Ron and Hermione quickly joined the class, settled down and began to listen to Professor Sprout telling them the use of her new plant, the Dragonora.
At lunch, Hermione told Harry and Ron, who were sitting across from her, about her dream.
Harry, who had similar disturbing dreams, asked, "Do you think it means anything?"
However, Ron simply retorted, "Honestly, I don't know why you bothered, Hermione. That scum deserves to drown in a black sea monsters throat, eh Harry?"
Hermione frowned at Ron. "He's still got a bit of human in him, Ronald Weasley. And if you must know, he was even nice enough to ask me to call him Draco!"
"He's just got other intentions, Herm!" Said Ron, through a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "How could you be so thick for a know-it-all? You never know what that slime is up to!"
"He's human too, Ron!" Said Hermione, her voice going up a little.
"Hey!" Interrupted Harry. "Want to read the letter Snuffles sent me this morning?"
"He sent you a letter?" Repeated Ron blankly. "You didn't tell me!"
"Yeah, well I was waiting both of you could read it together. Anyway, here it is," said Harry slipping a rolled piece of parchment onto the table. "He said he had some 'serious business' to deal with. And I don't know if it has anything to do with Voldemort. It's funny how we can't find Pettigrew either!"
"Do you think Pettigrew is Voldemort's secret keeper?" Asked Ron.
"Oh, Ron, use your head! Do you think that cowardly no-good can be trusted? Look what he did with..." Hermione trailed off. "Sorry, Harry," she whispered.
Harry shook his head. "It's okay. But what Ron said could be a possibility."
Ron gave Hermione an 'I-told-you-so' look.
Harry stood up and picked up his things. "I'm going back to our Common Room. I need to think this over," he said, gathering his things.
"No, wait! Why don't you come and see my Common Room?" Asked Hermione. "Go grab your stuff, and meet me outside the transfiguration classroom."
"But-."
"No buts, Harry. You and Ron know there's nothing to think about for now. We've still got 20 minutes..."
"She's right, Harry. We should just take it easy," said Ron, not wanting to waste time in their Common Room. Hermione was right, as usual. There was nothing they could do.
Harry gave in, and Hermione was satisfied. "Good. Meet me in five minutes time. Don't be late!" Then, she picked up her books and quills and left the Great Hall.
As she reached outside of the Great Hall, Draco stopped her. "Hermione, wait! There's something I-."
"There's nothing you need to tell me, Draco," she said, the annoyance and anger in her voice was clear. "Ron was right," she said, turning to leave.
"No!" Said Draco, reaching out and taking hold of Hermione's right arm. "I must... Apologize! Please!"
Hermione threw Draco's hand of her arm. "For what?" she said, turning around to face him. "For not taking my concern for you seriously? Bug OFF, Draco! I don't want to listen to your lame excuses! Now, if you'd excuse me, I'd like to meet my FRIENDS."
Hermione turned and began to run, but Draco caught up with her. "Hermione!" He grabbed her arm again.
"LET ME GO, DRACO MALFOY!" Yelled Hermione, running even faster.
"Miss Granger! Mr Malfoy!"
Hermione and Draco stopped running. They saw Professor McGonagall standing in the door way of an old classroom, with her arms crossed. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Professor, I-," started Hermione.
"Mr Malfoy, explain yourself! What were you doing, playing catch with Miss Granger along the corridor at lunch?" Said the professor sternly.
"I was not playing catch, professor!" Said Draco indignantly. "I just wanted to... Talk to her about... Something, but-."
Professor McGonagall waited for him to go on.
"I don't know," he said finally.
Professor McGonagall, who was busy preparing for her next class, decided to let them off with a warning. "But I do not wish to see you two prefects running like barbaric creatures down corridors OR anywhere, for that matter!"
Hermione opened her mouth, but shut it again. Then, with a death glare at Draco, she turned and strode back to the Common Room, wondering which was the best hex to put on him that evening, after dinner. Then, realizing she was running late, she jogged to the transfiguration classroom, wondering if Ron was preparing another round of third degree for her.