THE MANOR
Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue. It's all JKR's.
Chapter 10 – A Lost Photo
The sun had long since melted the snow that had covered the grounds of Hogwarts castle and the weather was warming up nicely. The fifth year students began feeling the excessive pressures of the oncoming O.W.L.s examinations, that were to be held in only a month.
'I'll never learn this,' Ron said, moaning as he studied 1001 Magical Herbs and Fungi. They were expected to memorise a great deal of that book, for both Potions and Herbology, a fact that had most students crying out in dismay. He flipped the pages of the book, tried to continue reading, but failing that, took to doodling on a scrap of parchment, drawing designs of a Quidditch field and little strategic moves for players over it.
Hermione, looking over at him, frowned. 'You'll never learn it if you don't read it,' she said firmly. She and Ron had been going out ever since the Costume Ball, starting first with the New Year's Eve party, when Ron had kissed her briefly: her first kiss ever. Their relationship was fairly steady thus far, they almost never argued, and it was all very placid. There was nothing really exciting about it – it was almost like their old friendship except that they kissed occasionally, and Ron would give her funny looks, but, as Hermione hastily told herself, she was very happy with it all. It just didn't feel terribly romantic …
Ron scowled moodily at the offending textbook.
Harry looked up from his Transfiguration work. 'We really should go to the field now,' he said, glancing at his watch. They had a practice scheduled for seven o'clock that evening.
'Honestly, don't you think studying's more important?' Hermione threw up her hands in disgust. 'You only take the O.W.L.s once in your lifetime. There are many, many Quidditch games!'
'Hermione, this game's against Slytherin,' Harry said, green eyes serious as he explained to her. 'We have to beat them. We're on fairly equal points, and this is our final game. It's a case of who wins this game wins the Quidditch cup, so we really have to win.'
'And you wouldn't want Gryffindor to lose the House cup would you?' Ron asked, grinning.
Hermione sighed. 'No,' she admitted, 'but …'
Harry and Ron though had already stood up, and had stuffed their books away hurriedly. 'See you later!' they called back as they left the Common Room quickly, faces lit with eagerness. It wasn't long before Fred and George, and Angelina, Alicia and Katie put down their study for the N.E.W.T.s and leave the Common Room after them.
Now that her two friends were gone, Hermione decided to go to the library to study, and as she had half expected, she saw Draco sitting there, poring over his books.
'How's it going?' she asked him, as she sat down next to him.
He looked up. 'It's fine,' he said, a faint smile on his face. 'Where's Weasley?'
Hermione made a face. 'Quidditch.'
When people had found out that she and Ron were going out, there had been a variety of reactions. Harry had, of course, been very happy for them and supportive, as was Ginny, who had been delighted with the news. Lavender and Parvati had squealed a great deal, and Dean, Seamus and Neville had looked pretty pleased about the whole business.
Hermione had expected Draco to start teasing her and Ron the moment he found out, but to her surprise, when he had seen her and Ron together at the New Year's Eve party, he had said nothing, although his face momentarily became shadowed. He never really talked about it to Hermione, and Hermione got the distinct impression that he disapproved of the relationship, but there was no antagonism involved. He stopped baiting Ron so much.
Draco grimaced. 'They're practising too damn much.'
'Not like you haven't,' Hermione pointed out. Draco did look rather tired and tense lately – more so than Ron and Harry. He was a prefect with those associated duties, and studied a lot harder than those two, on top of being Slytherin Quidditch captain.
'We'll thrash you,' Draco said, arrogantly confident.
Hermione shook her head. 'We'll win.'
'We'll see,' Draco merely said, a smile playing on his lips. 'Are you going to cheer for me when I chase after the Snitch?'
'I'll try and cheer for both you and Harry,' Hermione said firmly.
'You can't do that!' Draco said, aghast at the idea.
'You're both my friends,' Hermione said reasonably. 'Why can't I?'
Draco shook his head, muttering to himself as he continued with his work while Hermione chuckled. Before long, though, he tilted back in his chair. 'Want to help me with this?' he waved a piece of Arithmancy work in front of her, and laughing, Hermione agreed.
Hermione liked studying with Draco. He was intelligent, and she could actually ask him for assistance at times, as opposed to being Miss-Quick-and-Easy-Answers for all the others. Draco's worst subject was Transfiguration, which incidentally was Hermione's best. Ancient Runes though, was very easy for Draco, while Hermione found it one of her more difficult subjects. In the other subjects, one was slightly better, or worse than the other. Draco had the edge on her in Care of Magical Creatures, but Hermione was just a bit better at Charms. He was better at Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Hermione got better marks in Potions even though he was Snape's favourite pupil. Their ability at History of Magic and Herbology was roughly the same, and Astronomy, always the easy subject, was always passed with flying colours by the two of them. Their most competitive subject though, was Arithmancy.
Their results in this most difficult of elective subjects was varied – Hermione might do better in one test, Draco in another assignment. Hermione understood one concept more easily, Draco the other. It was stimulating, and rather fun and exciting in a way, and Professor Vector was certainly very pleased. Healthy competition made their marks soar.
'I'm glad you two are finally in the same class,' she said, pleased, after handing back an assignment in which they had both managed to score the exact same mark of 110%.
Hermione and Draco gave each other small smiles. They too, were glad.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Arithmancy class was taking bets as to which of the two would come top in the exams for that subject. It was roughly half and half.
The Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin arrived soon enough, though, with the day eagerly anticipated by many of the students at the school. It was the last match of the Quidditch season, and the match of the year. It was between two intensely rival Houses, and sparks flew between the two captains, who were, after all, both in the same year and were worst enemies.
'Harry's going to catch the snitch,' Neville said confidently to his girlfriend, Susan Bones from where they sat in the stands watching the empty pitch eagerly.
Susan nodded. 'I think so too, but will they win? Draco Malfoy's put together such a strong side.'
That was quite true. Draco had chosen his players with great care, and although they may have had slightly less experience than the Gryffindor side, they were equally skilled and talented. Although Hermione would never say this to Ron, the Slytherin keeper was just slightly better – he was a seventh year who had played as a reserve in all his years, while Ron was positively green. Fred and George functioned very closely, as did the three Gryffindor chasers, so maybe their years of playing together would carry them off, because sometimes they would fly as if of one mind.
Ginny was sitting down at the sides as a Reserve chaser with the other Reserves, so Hermione sat with Dean and Seamus in the stands as they watched the players. Lee Jordan, commentating his last ever game of Quidditch at Hogwarts, was going at it full blown.
'And here are the Gryffindors! Weasley, Weasley, Weasley,' this caused a slight laugh from the crowd, 'Bell, Spinnet, Johnson, and Potter!' Lee Jordan shouted into the crowd.
The cheers were amazing, as were the boos.
'And the Slytherin team! The captain's put together a virtually new team! Rawlings, Ingrid, Edwards, Pleyel, Zabini, Kamno, and Malfoy!' If Lee had shouted Draco's name with less enthusiasm than Harry's it didn't show in the crowd. There were once again tremendous cheers, and tremendous boos. Typical. Hermione could see, on the other side of the field, Pansy Parkinson screaming loudly like an air-headed idiot as Draco flew onto the field, and shook her head. She would never lower herself to such a level.
The game began, and the fast Quidditch players zoomed about the field. Hermione's eyes were drawn to the two Seekers, who were both hovering across the field, searching for that bit of gold. They were quite close to her stand, and for a moment, Hermione could see both Harry and Draco glance over to her at the same time. Harry smiled briefly, while Draco winked, smirking.
'The score's ten-ten! Looks like the Slytherin team's been doing some work!' Lee shouted, as Kamno scored. Hermione could see Ron curse blackly, as Kamno punched his arm into the air. She could see the chaser look over to his captain, and smiled to see Draco give him the thumbs up. She had never seen Draco so encouraging before to others.
The game was very close, and the cleanest Hermione had ever seen in a Gryffindor vs. Slytherin game. After about three hours, though, the score was on 290-280, Gryffindor leading, just. There was still no sign of that elusive snitch.
The game continued, and Hermione yawned, not even bothering to hide her boredom as she had at first. Not being the Quidditch fan she was, she had begun to find it boring after the first half hour. Three hours?
'And Johnson passes the Quaffle to Bell, who passed it to Spinnet. And it's back to Johnson and noooo!' Lee moaned into the megaphone. 'She's been hit, by Edwards!' He started swearing, and Professor McGonagall tried to tell him to stop it, but she too was upset. It was a fair hit as well, which meant there was nothing to be done about it – Edwards had been lucky, and Angelina not so lucky. Her arm hung at an awkward angle, and she bit her lip in pain.
There was a collective groan from the Gryffindor supporters, and a furious Fred thwacked the bludger back at Edwards, who just managed to avoid it as the game paused momentarily to investigate the situation.
'No,' Seamus moaned. 'Why did that stupid bludger have to hit Angelina?'
'This is so not good,' Dean agreed, voice muffled, face gloomily held by his hands.
'Well, the Gryffindor team ain't givin' up, and here they come again. Reserve's playing, hey, it's Ginny Weasley!' Lee said, cheering the plucky little Gryffindor. 'That makes it four Weasleys on the team! Weasley's good, but, it'll be difficult for the Chasers flying together now since they probably haven't been practising as much as a unit. But here they go – Zabini's got the quaffle, it's gone to Pleyel, Kamno, but the bludger! Hit expertly by Weasley, Kamno dropped the Quaffle, and it's over to Weasley…'
Hermione cheered her friend's appearance on the Quidditch pitch. Ginny flew well, but it became clearly apparent that Lee's worries about the lack of unity in the three Chasers were well-founded. Ginny was very good in her own right, but she hadn't worked much with Alicia, Katie or Angelina, but with the other two reserve Chasers. As such, they weren't thinking together, this let the Slytherin score to rise above their own, until the score was a dismal 320-380. Ginny did manage to score once though, which delighted the Gryffindors. That boded well for next year's team.
'Pleyel's got the Quaffle and in it goes,' Lee shouted, voice flat with displeasure. There were more groans from the Gryffindors, and Hermione could see Ron scowling. This was his worst game by far, the other matches had gone off brilliantly for him. '390-320, Slytherins.'
'If Harry scored now, we'd still win,' Seamus muttered hopefully to Hermione and Dean. Hermione nodded, and crossed her fingers, but glanced up at Draco. Draco had heard Lee's announcement, but his face was so focused, it was like he hadn't even noticed it. Hermione watched him and Harry fascinated. Neither of them became distracted ever, but concentrated on searching, even though they had already been doing it for hours.
Suddenly, Draco dove into action, as he had a couple of times already.
'Watch at Malfoy go! Is it the Snitch he's seen?' Lee yelled. The crowd silenced, a great hush coming across, watching with keen eyes as one.
Hermione watched, scarcely able to breathe, as Draco flew as fast as he could, following a tiny glint of gold that was barely visible to the spectators. She never realised that Draco could fly that fast. But Harry had seen Draco and straight away, dove after him. He was only behind by a few feet, and Hermione could see that little distance separating the two seekers reduce, and reduce. Hermione gripped her seat tightly as Harry closed that distance, bit by bit … and at the last moment, he snatched the snitch just before Draco could reach it.
'Gryffindor wins!' Lee hollered. '400-390!'
The cheering from the Gryffindors were louder than anyone could have imagined. They had won the cup, for the second time! Fred, George, Ginny, Alicia and Katie landed quickly, and gave each other a massive embrace, with Angelina running to join them, being careful of her arm. This was Fred, George, Angelina, Alicia and Katie's last ever Quidditch game at Hogwarts, and they had won it!
'We won!' Alicia and Angelina screamed into the crowd exuberantly, while Katie wiped a tear from her face, emotions overcoming her, one arm around Ginny, who glowed happily at the sight of the Quidditch cup. Ron, Harry, Fred and George slapped each other's backs, and raised their arms to the crowd, Harry's hand still holding the snitch. It was a happy moment for Gryffindor house.
It was less happy for the Slytherins. Their house had been so close, and they hadn't won for many years. They had been winning, until the Snitch was taken by Harry just from Draco's grasp. And Draco had found it too!
Hermione watched as Draco glided down on his broom. He clapped his teammates on their backs, a firm smile on his face that never wavered, as he spoke to them. Hermione could not hear what they were saying, but she could tell he was trying to be encouraging. Whatever he was saying worked, because the downcast faces of his team brightened just a bit at his words. They went off to change, but Draco remained on the edge of the pitch, watching the Gryffindor celebrations. The heartening smile on his face faded swiftly, and he watched Harry and Ron sounded by a throng of celebrating Gryffindors bitterly.
Hermione was drawn into a hug and a kiss from both Ron and Harry. 'You were brilliant, both of you,' Hermione insisted, watching Harry and Ron's beaming faces.
'We were, weren't we,' Ron said off-handedly, making the Gryffindors howl with laughter.
Hermione, glancing to the side, could see Malfoy's tightly drawn face, staring at them. Harry saw turn aside, and followed the direction of her gaze to see Malfoy.
'It was close,' Harry said softly to Hermione, so that only she could hear. She nodded. 'If it weren't for this,' he gestured at his Firebolt, 'I wouldn't have won.'
'I'm going to talk to him,' Hermione said shortly. Harry gave her a questioning look, but Hermione shrugged, not feeling up to explaining her odd little friendship with Draco, and left the still congratulatory Gryffindor crowd to follow Draco. He had begun heading towards the change rooms.
'Draco!' Hermione called. There was no one else nearby to hear them.
He turned, and a sneer automatically drew itself onto his pale features. 'Come to laugh, Granger?'
Hermione's heart dropped momentarily at his coldness, but raised her head determinedly. 'You know me better than that,' Hermione chided, hoping it was just a reaction against losing, and not a sign that he was reverting to his former self.
Her hopes were right. Draco sighed, and turned wistful grey eyes on her. 'Sorry. I'm just a bit disappointed.'
'That's completely natural,' Hermione said firmly. 'And I came to congratulate you and your team. I guess I'm the Gryffindor rep for this, since the others are still floating in the clouds. Your team's really improved, and I can't believe you Slytherins are playing cleanly!' She said this enthusiastically.
A faint smile appeared on his face. 'They weren't too bad, were they,' he agreed, a little proudly.
'No, they weren't,' Hermione said comfortingly. She hesitated. 'You were pretty good yourself.'
He sighed again. 'Not good enough,' he said. His eyes drifted over to Hagrid's hut, and Hermione knew, if Pegasus were still there, he would want to take a ride to escape from the reality of the situation. But Pegasus was gone, delivered back into the wild once the snow had melted, and instead, he would have to go back to the cold, dank Slytherin dungeons. Hermione bit her lip.
'Are you going to do some study now?' she asked him.
He nodded. 'I slacked off a bit the last few nights, with last minute Quidditch training, so I need to catch up on a bit of study,' he admitted. He looked at his watch. 'Maybe after dinner,' he smiled wryly.
Hermione nodded, and set off back to the school while Draco went off to change. Dinner was a bit of a rowdy affair at the Gryffindor table, and ensued in a bit of a food fight. At the other tables, people were busy collecting money from winnings, or losing money from failed bets.
After dinner, Hermione slipped into the Gryffindor tower to collect her books, and then went to leave. Harry saw her before she went.
'Where are you going?' he asked her, green eyes bright.
Hermione sighed. 'I need to study. There's no way I can study in here,' she said truthfully.
'But the party's starting any moment,' Harry said, one hand on her arm pulling her back inside.
'That's precisely why I have to go to the library,' she said patiently. 'How could I study if you people were busy cavorting around?'
Harry shook his head disapprovingly. 'Ron won't be happy,' he warned. Ron wasn't back yet from dinner.
'He'll live,' Hermione said shortly. 'And I'll be back before the end of the party,' she added knowingly. These celebrations rarely finished before one o'clock, and, Hermione believed, very detrimental to the academic results of those who remained until the end.
Harry hesitated, before letting her go. 'How did Malfoy take it?' he asked her, voice low.
'Better than I thought he would,' Hermione told him.
'You're friends with him, aren't you,' Harry half-accused quietly.
Hermione shrugged. She hadn't exactly made a secret of it after all. She just hadn't told the whole world about it. 'He's not that bad, Harry,' she told him. 'He's changed, I think,' she added.
Harry observed the small smile on his friend's face as she spoke, and stared at her. 'I find that hard to believe,' he said finally. 'You know what his father is,' he added.
'He's not very fond of his father,' Hermione said dryly. 'Not any more, anyway.' She smiled. 'You're taking this a lot better than I would have thought you would.'
'Ron would blow his top if he realised you and Malfoy were on speaking terms,' Harry said wryly. 'I just happen to trust your judgement, to some extent.'
She reached a hand over to touch his arm. 'You worry too much about me,' she said, smiling, before turning to go to the library.
'Watch out, Hermione,' Harry warned.
'Don't worry!' Hermione said, laughing as she left. Harry could be such a dear!
She arrived at the library shortly, and pulled out her books. Draco wasn't there yet, and she began working on her Ancient Runes translation. Hermione sort of liked the subject, but she didn't have the same ease and facility with languages as Draco had. She could still recall the day when she had realised Draco's precocious talent at languages.
'Look at that,' Hermione remarked, pointing at a little motif in Latin scrawled at the bottom of a random library book.
'Faithful was Rovus,' Draco said chuckling as he translated it. 'I gather somebody liked their pet dog.'
'You understand Latin?' Hermione asked, surprised.
'I can read and speak fluent Latin,' Draco said indifferently. 'Father insisted I learn it, and it is useful with some of the incantations,' he added thoughtfully. 'Although there isn't really anybody to converse with in Latin.'
'Can you speak anything else?' Hermione asked, interested.
'French, Italian, a bit of German, even less Spanish, and fluent Russian and Chinese,' he rattled off the list to Hermione's wide eyes.
'Russian?' Hermione asked, incredulously. 'Chinese?'
'I like Chinese food,' Draco said defensively.
'And so you learnt the language?'
'It didn't take long. I have picked up a few Greek curses though,' Draco grinned as he shrugged off her admiration. He did have a natural aptitude for languages though, which annoyed Hermione no end in Ancient Runes.
At that moment, the object of her thoughts arrived at that moment, plonking his books unceremoniously on the table. He had showered, and his white blond hair half clung to his head.
'Hi,' he greeted. He looked more cheerful, seeing her. 'Why are you here?'
'I'm studying,' Hermione pointed out.
'Isn't there a celebration party going on in Gryffindor tower?' Draco enquired as he pulled out parchment and quill.
'Yes, but I need to study,' Hermione said reasonably. She also wanted to keep Draco company. Harry and Ron would be surrounded by milling celebrators, but Draco, she knew, would pretty much be alone.
'Weasley won't be happy,' Draco said perceptively, saying exactly the same as what Harry had said.
'I'm going out with him to Hogsmeade tomorrow afternoon,' she said. 'He'll be fine.'
'Suit yourself,' Draco said, and sat down.
'Now would you mind helping me with this?' Hermione suggested, shoving the translation in front of him.
'That was easy,' he said, grinning.
'No, it isn't,' Hermione retorted tartly. 'Stop gloating and help me.'
He complied, explaining the translation until she understood, and then Hermione helped him with a bit of Transfiguration, before they both worked for a while on Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Then, Hermione returned to her revision notes for Ancient Runes.
Draco had gone to research something on History of Magic when she became stuck on something. Bother, she thought, wanting to ask him. She glanced about, head bobbing back and forth as she searched for him, but with him nowhere in sight to help her, she pulled his bag over to find his Ancient Runes workbook, given no other alternative. As she pulled it out, something fluttered out of his bag, and she picked it up almost subconsciously, to put it back into the bag, when she looked down absently and gasped.
It was the photograph of her, the edges ripped, looking like it had been torn from a larger photo. Memories flooded back, and she remembered the night her home had been intruded and sacked in an effort to find something. She remembered putting a spell on the torn pieces of photograph and shards of glass from the frame, and that they had fitted together, leaving behind a hole where she had been.
And now Draco had it …
She stared at the photograph in front of her. That meant he must have been among those who broke in, who Ron had suspected were Death-eaters, and her heart whispered fearfully. Draco was a Death-eater? She swallowed. Had his friendship with her been a farce? Everything he had said false?
Harry's warning returned to her ears, and suddenly she couldn't take it. It had been false. It was all a trap. Hermione closed her eyes, and shuffled her things back into her bag quickly, dropping the photograph into her pocket. It was already half past ten, and she left the library quickly before Draco returned.
Her night was sleepless – not just because of the noisy raucous party downstairs, but because of her thoughts regarding a certain pale boy. Her theories whirled, her confusions swirled, but when she awoke the next morning, she had reached a simple conclusion. Draco Malfoy was his father's son.
She didn't find rest until five o'clock in the morning, and woke on Sunday very late for, Hermione. It was already past eleven when her eyes opened, and she changed sluggishly. Going to the common room, she saw Ron.
'Hermione, are you alright?' Ron frowned, seeing the dark circles under her eyes.
'A bit tired from studying,' Hermione excused herself. It was true, she told herself. She was tired from all her study.
'I'll say,' Ron agreed. 'Do you want to go now to Hogsmeade?'
Hermione nodded. 'That'd be lovely.'
They left Hogwarts together, and arrived at Hogsmeade fairly quickly. The lunch they had was quiet, with Hermione say little.
'You're awfully quiet, Hermione,' Ron noted after they had both eaten, and sat in silence.
Hermione shrugged, and looked back down at her close to empty plate. Crumbs were interesting, she decided. Counting them took her mind off more unpleasant matters that made her stomach sink in disgusted dismay.
'Look, I understand,' Ron said awkwardly.
Hermione looked up. 'Understand what?' she asked, puzzled.
'It's not working, is it,' he said, twisting a piece of bread in his fingers.
Hermione said nothing, a slightly perplexed frown on her face.
'I mean, I always thought I was in love with you. Not always, but I used to think about our arguments, and what you could call my jealousy of everything to do with you, and I thought about it lately, and then I decided that I was madly in love with you. But, I guess I analysed it all wrong,' Ron said, looking nervously at her. 'I think it all comes from a bit of protectiveness … like you're my sister or something, I dunno. Sort of like Ginny.'
Hermione nodded solemnly, an inappropriate smile creeping out that she fought to hide when she remembered Ron's protectiveness of Ginny. When Ron had found out that Ginny was going to the Costume Ball with Colin Creevey, he had taken poor Colin aside and interrogated him for a full half an hour, complete with threats on how he would disembowel the small, mild boy if he so much as laid a finger on Ginny. It had sort of been the same last year, with Viktor Krum.
'I do love you, but I don't think in that sort of way,' Ron said finally.
Hermione nodded.
'Dammit, say something!' Ron said, frustrated.
Hermione gave him a small smile. 'I-I, I agree with what you say,' Hermione said. Her relationship with Ron hadn't been what had been giving her trouble. She knew there hadn't been much to their "romantic" relationship, but she hadn't worried about it. Inside, she felt Ron was being very sweet and thoughtful, to fuss so about her, but she had to agree with what he said. 'It's kind of true. I've never had a brother, but you seem to fill that role fine for me,' she added, grinning.
Ron broke into a relieved grin too. 'So are we still friends?'
Hermione pretended to frown. 'We've been friends for almost five bloody years! Just because we decided to try something else for a few months doesn't mean we can't be friends again,' she scolded.
'Friends, then,' Ron agreed.
Hermione nodded. 'I love you too, Ron, in a brotherly sort of way,' she added, reaching across the table to give him a hug.
'Great, now I have two sisters to pester me,' Ron grumbled, a smile in his voice.
'You've had two sisters to pester you since you met me,' Hermione reminded.
Ron made a wry face, but Hermione felt her heart lifting. Everything was back to normal with Ron.
The two of them paid for their lunch, and stood to leave. Hermione couldn't help but notice that a figure in a dark cloak sat up as they did so, and felt a chill creep down her spine. She couldn't see the person's face under the hood of his cloak, but she could feel him watching her.
They walked about the stores, Hermione doing her best to ignore the nervous sensation she had of being watched, and mindlessly chatted about not much with Ron, when Hermione glanced at her watch. 'We should get back,' she said. 'I need to work.'
'If you want,' Ron said amiably. He was far more relaxed than he had ever been with her, and Hermione found herself enjoying his company more than before.
They left the small village, and began walking back towards Hogwarts. As they walked, Hermione imagined that she could hear the sound of footsteps trailing them, and she shivered. But what if the footsteps were real?
'Ron,' she whispered.
'What is it?' Ron's voice sounded harshly loud to her fearful self.
'There's somebody following us,' Hermione said, voice shaking.
'Nonsense,' Ron said curtly.
'It's true,' Hermione insisted.
Ron gave her a dubious look, but he stopped, and listened. There was the distinct sound of somebody stopping behind them that both Hermione and Ron heard, and Ron's face turned white. 'Let's go,' he muttered.
They quickened their pace, and heard those footsteps move faster, and faster behind them. They grew louder in volume.
'Run!' Ron shouted, giving up all pretence of ignorance. Hermione thought that was a very good idea, and broke into a run. The two sped along as they had never done before when they both froze.
'Oh, no you don't!' a cold, amusedly cruel voice said, and Hermione felt the force of a curse hit her back as she collapsed forwards into the ground, the world blackening about her.
Author's Note: Another chapter done, and probably another six or seven to go (I think). I'm sorry if you find this chapter boring, because I certainly did. I'm not very good at writing about Quidditch. I'm not even sure I got the scoring thing right, so if it's wrong, tell me and I'll fix it. But thanks for the reviews!
Cinnamon - Emma is JKR's fav book, and since JKR has said Hermione's most like her, I thought it'd be appropriate. Personally, I prefer Pride and Prejudice. Les Misérables is fantastic. I loved the musical, and so I read the book, which is so long! In French? Wow, talented!
Lady Prongs - Yeah, To Kill a Mockingbird is wonderful. It's probably one of my favourite books, maybe after the Lord of the Rings. You won't get Draco's reaction for a while, but you will get it.
Morgan - thanks!
