Disclaimer: Nothing here is mine…except the plot I guess.
A/N: so…um…here's the next chapter! it's not very long…I have trouble writing long chapters…I dunno I sorta get bored and dunno what to write anymore…
Thanks to the people who reviewed: Anna Black - thanks for your criticism. I know Hermione has brown eyes, but in this story she has blue eyes. Hehe. Danny - im still thinking about the chapters thing…Merusa - wow…I didn't think that chapter was terribly sad…hehe. Connie - well, you'll find out about Cho soon! fOxyness39 - thanks! here's more! Rebecca - well, don't worry about there being cliffhangers. I totally cannot think up or write any cliffhangers! lol! Slytherin Girl - well, here's the next chapter! katy - thanks! I will! Escritora - well, yeah, it's kinda confusing…even to me…lol…my sister is a five year old and she is a very scary and annoying brat…ok that was totally off the subject…Jockaroo - thanks for thinking this is good! Rosa - well, it has importance to the plot…which you will find out sometime…soon…Kate - I'm so sorry I had to kill off a Ravenclaw! But it's part of the plot…sorta…Diana - I'm thinking about it, not sure what I should do yet. ice-cold - wow, an adjective…sorry, im weird…lol. luvmealways89 - well, here's more! solitary - thanks for thinking that this has a good plot…well I think that the real plot hasn't come out yet…well, I'm even confused with this story and I wrote it…hahaha. Melissa Potter - yeah, I feel sorry for Harry too. Gwen - yeah, I thought the chapter title was stupid too…I couldn't think of anything else! she who shall remain nameless - longer chapters? Well, im still thinking about it. Chocolate Peacock - well, you'll find about Cho sometime…Lulu - I think I like longer chapters too, but it's so hard to make chapters long! No name I dunno what to call you - here's the next chapter! zkiro - ok, alright! I'm glad you like this story!
And thanks to my beta reader - Moi (it's not me…that's her penname!)
Ok, well, read, read, read!
~
Forever Never Ends
Chapter 14
Flashback
"Ok, you two, help me find Legendary Plants of The Desert, alright?" Hermione Granger said in her all too familiar bossy tone, as she began to search the shelves.
Ron Weasley groaned. "You're still writing that essay?"
Hermione turned to face him, wearing a very exasperated look on her face. "Well, Ron, for your information, the essay is due in two weeks and I know for a fact that you haven't started yours!"
"Well, I'll just copy it from you!" replied Ron, with a grin on his face.
"You absolutely will not!"
"Aww…Hermione, can't you take a joke? He's just kidding with you," said Harry, who had been listening intently on their conversation.
"Actually, I was serious."
Hermione sighed and went back to looking for the book. "Oh, here it is!"
She pulled the large green book off the shelf and carried it over to her desk. Well, it wasn't actually her desk. It belonged to the library, but since she always sat at that desk when she was in the library, and since she was in the library almost 24/7, it practically belonged to her. She sat down, reached into her book bag, and drew out a quill and a piece of parchment that already had some writing on it.
Ron and Harry sat in the seats opposite her and fell fast asleep as she began to write. An hour later, Harry woke up with a start and glanced at his watch.
"Ron, get up! It's one fifty!" He kicked his friend to try to wake him up.
Ron opened his eyes slowly and yawned. "What?"
"Ron, wake up! Hermione, hurry! It's almost time for Potions!"
Ron sat up with a start. "Oh, bloody hell!"
The two boys stood up from their seats and looked anxiously at Hermione, who looked like she hadn't heard a thing they said.
"Hermione! Hurry up! We're going to be late!" Ron exclaimed frantically, snatching the parchment away.
Hermione glared at him and then wrestled it back. One edge had become a bit crumpled and she worked to smooth it out. "Look what you've done, Ron! Just hold, on, I'm almost done with this essay!"
Although Hermione seemed to not care, Harry and Ron were worried out of their minds. It was seven minutes till class would start, and it would definitely take at least that long to get there from the library. "Can't you finish it later? It's not due until the week after next!"
"Yes, but, Harry, I'm almost done and if I don't finish, I'll forget what I wanted to write!"
"Hermione, this isn't Hagrid's class we're going to be late to," Harry argued. "This is Potions! With Snape! He'll slaughter us!"
"Ok, you two go ahead. You might get there in time."
"And you?" asked Ron.
"I am going to finish this up. Don't worry, I'll find my excuses."
The two boys looked at her skeptically, not knowing if they should follow her orders. She nodded furiously at them. "You've only got six minutes. Start running!"
And they ran.
Hermione looked down at her essay. It was twice as long as Professor Sprout had asked for. She was working on her last sentence. It was almost done. Finally, she finished, and breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly gathered up all her books and supplies and put it in her book bag. She glanced at her watch. Four minutes.
With her book bag in one hand, she hurried out of the library and started running towards the dungeons, where the Potions classroom was.
"Oh, I'm going to be late!" Hermione said, as she glanced at her watch yet again. While she was still preoccupied with her essay, she didn't care much about being late. But now, after her essay was finished, Hermione in a fit of worries.
She ran down a set of stairs and came to a landing, which led to a hallway. Hermione dashed through but then she felt something snatch her book bag away from her hands. She spun around to face the person.
It was Peeves.
Oh, no.
"Give it back to me." She reached her hand out to grab her bag.
Peeves held the book up above her reach and shook his head, grinning evilly and giving his usual cackle. "What's the magic word?"
"Please?" Hermione begged.
"What's the magic word?"
"Please!"
"What's the magic word?"
"Peeves, will you please give me back my book bag?" Hermione asked through clenched teeth. She was in big trouble and she knew it. She looked at her watch again, nervously. She was already late.
Peeves shook his head and grinned evilly. "What's the magic word?"
"I said, please!"
"What's the magic word?"
"Please!"
"What's the magic word?"
"Please!"
"What's the magic word?"
"Please! Please! Please! Please! Please!"
"What's the magic word?"
Hermione's face was red with anger. "Peeves, give me back my book bag…or else…you will be sorry."
"What's the magic word?"
"I'm warning you!"
"What's the magic word?"
"Fine!" Hermione reached into her robes to find her wand, and realized that it wasn't there. Shit, I must have left it in my book bag…
Her only option was to beg now, and hope that Peeves was in a good mood. "Please, Peeves?"
"What's the magic word?"
~
Draco usually wasn't this late to class, but he was having a nice conversation with a Slytherin sixth year, quite an attractive girl, and he didn't want to have to hurry off to class. He had arranged to meet with her that night. He smirked slyly to himself and ran a hand through his hair. It was going to be a fun night.
The girl's name was Alison. Or maybe it was Alice. He couldn't remember, and he didn't really care either. As he began to walk towards the dungeons, he looked at his watch: 2:02. He was already two minutes late. But it was alright. Snape probably wouldn't mind; he never did. He came down the usual stairs that led to the dungeons and arriving on the landing, he heard voices in the hallway before him. He looked. It was Granger. And she seemed to be in a little bit of an argument with Peeves.
Peeves was in the air, holding her book bag where she couldn't reach it. Granger, herself, was a mess. She was as red as a tomato and fuming with anger.
Draco smirked as he watched their argument.
"Peeves, give me back my book bag…or else…you will be sorry."
"What's the magic word?"
"I'm warning you!"
Draco rolled his eyes at her stupidity. You have a wand, use it.
"What's the magic word?"
"Fine!"
Draco watched as she reached into her pocket for her wand, except that it wasn't there. Draco smiled as a plan formed in his mind. It was too perfect.
"Please, Peeves?"
"What's the magic word?"
Draco snuck up behind them. The two of them were too busy to notice him. He took his wand from his pocket, pointed it at Peeves, and muttered a spell. Instantly Peeves let go of the book bag and fell to the floor. Draco rushed forward and caught the book bag, while Peeves, now attached to the ground, screamed insults at him.
Draco turned around to face Granger. She looked stunned. He held the bag out to her, dangling it from his hand, a smile playing at his lips. Hermione slowly reached out for it, a very suspicious look on her face. She grabbed the book bag quickly by the handle and removed it from his grasp.
She turned swiftly, and began to walk away with fast steps.
"You're welcome!" Draco said loudly after her.
She stopped in her step and turned her head back halfway to look at him.
None of them said anything for a moment. Then she started to walk away again, leaving him behind. He tried to find something nice to say. After all, he had to be nice to make her fall in love with him. His opportunity to make a good impression on her was slipping away and he watched her walking down the hall. He had never been this tongue tied in his whole life, and he knew that he needed to find something to say, and fast.
"Wait, Granger!" Draco ran to catch up with her.
This time she turned her whole body around, flipping her hair back and looking at him with displeasure. "Are you always this annoying or is it just to me?"
"You're late."
"Your point being?"
"Snape will skin you. Alive."
"I'm not scared."
"You should be," Draco said, starting to walk in circles slowly around her, eyeing her carefully. She shrunk back, not appreciating the way he was looking at her. "After all, you're the Head Girl, you should be setting a good example for the other students. What if they demote you? Take away 50 house points? Then you'll be left in shame forever."
"And you?"
"You forgot, I'm a Slytherin."
"Oh, yes, Snape's madly in love with you."
He ignored her comment. "So, my proposition is -"
"Your proposition?"
"Look, I'm trying to help you."
"Help me? Who says I need your help?"
"I'm the only one who can get you out of this mess without tarnishing your perfect record."
"I'm listening."
"I'll guarantee that you won't get into any trouble for being late…if you let me walk you to class."
Hermione considered this for a moment. Draco Malfoy walking her to class? Ugh. But under the circumstances, she had no other choice. After all, she was very late to class and Snape would definitely take at least 50 points from Gryffindor. And then there was the possibility that they would take away her Head Girl position. She shuddered at the thought. "Agreed."
Draco smirked. Score!
"One condition," Hermione said. "Don't talk to me."
"Why?"
"I can't stand the sound of your voice."
And with that, Hermione turned and started walking towards the dungeons, leaving Draco to ponder her words.
~
"Now who can tell me the effects of the Botbine Potion?" Professor Snape asked as he ran his hand through his greasy hair.
But no one answered him. They were all too busy focusing their attention on something else. Professor Snape looked to where they were looking at. Two students had entered the classroom. One was Draco Malfoy. He smiled wickedly to himself as he realized that the other one was Hermione Granger. He could surely get her into a lot of trouble for this.
"Explain yourselves."
"Professor Snape, we were detained by Peeves," Draco said.
The left side of Snape's mouth twisted up to form a wicked half smile. "Hm…find your seat Mr. Malfoy. Miss Granger, fifty points from Gryffindor for being ten minutes late to class."
Hermione glared at Professor Snape with venom in her eyes. "Why?"
How dare she question his authority! "Sixty points!"
"What? How can y-"
"Seventy!"
"Malfoy's just as late as I am -"
"Eighty, and if you say another word it will be a hundred!"
Hermione shut up, but she looked as if she was ready to hex him. Much to the surprise of everyone in the class, Draco spoke up to defend Hermione. "Yes, I agree with Granger."
Snape gave Draco a questioning look.
"I was just as late as Granger so therefore if you're not taking any points off Slytherin you certainly shouldn't take any off of Gryffindor." He mentally slapped himself for saying it. But, it had to be done. After all, Granger's heart would not be easily won.
The whole class gasped at what Draco had just said. Professor Snape thought about this for a moment. He had wanted to use this chance to take as many points off Gryffindor as possible. But, he couldn't deny that he was being just a tad bit unfair. He didn't understand Draco. Why in the world would he want to help out the Gryffindor? He supposed that Draco had his own reasons. Finally, he made up his mind. "Both of you sit down. No points will be taken."
Draco sat down in the empty desk in the Slytherin side of the room. Pansy leaned over and gave him a curious look.
"Are you sure you're ok, Draco? Do you need to go to the hospital wing?" she asked with concern. She reached over and put her hand over his in a comforting gesture.
He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. "Your concern is absolutely unnecessary. I assure you I'm perfectly sane."
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"Yes," he replied with a smirk. I know exactly what I'm doing…
Then he sighed. Getting to Granger was practically an impossible mission. He was risking his whole reputation. First he had been nice to Granger. Really nice. At least for his standards. And second, he had practically begged Snape to be more lenient towards her. The whole school probably thought he'd gone mad. He sighed again. He wanted to reach his goal - to destroy Granger and get even with the Weasel, but he didn't want to ruin his reputation on the way. He told himself that he definitely needed to rethink his plan more carefully.
On the other side of the room, Hermione Granger thought that Draco Malfoy had definitely gone insane. First he had almost been nice to her. And then he had convinced Snape to not take any points off of Gryffindor. She thought about this until they had to go to their lab stations and brew a potion. Then she shrugged it off as she concentrated on making her potion perfect, so that Snape wouldn't get another chance to take points away.
TBC
~
A/N: Ok, the end of yet another chapter, hehehe. This was a stupid ending for a chapter…yeah, I kno, but I couldn't think of anything.
Well, about the whole chapter issue…well, if I write longer chapters, it'll probably take longer to update. I'm still debating. Anyhow, who really cares.
If you would like for me to send you an email everytime I update, please tell me so!
And of course, review!!!
