Chapter Three
Professor Callon
"Well it's good to be going back." Hermione said, dreamily staring out the window as the train pulled out. "I must say I miss it more than I have before. It's sad to know we only have two more years left. Did you know I'm seriously thinking about dropping S.P.E.W.?"
"Finally," Ron snorted. "She comes to her senses and realizes that House Elves don't want to be free."
"I said," Hermione growled, "I was thinking about dropping it."
"Hermione," Harry spoke up, "I really think you should. Most of the House Elves enjoy working at Hogwarts."
"Yes well," She sighed, continuing her casual gaze out of the compartment window, "Maybe there are others in other places that would like to be free. It kills me to see those poor creatures slave and."
Hermione was interrupted by the usual, "Anything off the trolley, dears?" Ron and Harry bought a couple of Chocolate Frogs (for the cards of course) and Hermione got herself a new candy: Raspberry Roller. (A/N: Similar to a fruit-rollup or a fruit-by-the-foot)
"Anyway, as I was saying." Hermione said, chewing on her Roller. "I hate to see them slave and work all the time, when they could be doing something better with their life and." She was interrupted once more. Irritated at the interruptions, she wanted to tell the old lady to bug off. "We don't want anything else off your stupid."
Hermione's voice trailed off as she realized it wasn't a sale from the trolley, but Malfoy. "I.you." He stuttered.
"Spit it out already!" Ron said, trying to open a frog.
"The others are full." Malfoy said, looking down. It was the first time the three of them had seen Malfoy look ashamed of himself.
"So?" Ron said.
"Ron! You can sit in here, Malfoy." Hermione said, much too kindly for Ron, who snorted loudly.
Harry looked a little uncomfortable as Malfoy and Hermione switched spots so Malfoy could have the window seat and could sit as far away from Hermione as possible, but he said nothing. The rest of the ride was so quiet that Hermione could hear Malfoy's steady breathing as he slept. She found her self, from time to time, glancing sideways at him. He had changed a lot. Not just in his attitude, but his looks as well. He looked much less like his father than he had the last time Hermione had seen him. His face seemed softer.almost more kind. His jaw was more square that Lucius's, and Hermione noticed it had turned a slight purple from the quarrel with Lucius earlier. Though she hated to admit it, she did feel a slight twinge of pain for him. Maybe this is why he's the way he is. Hermione thought quietly as the studied his face. He looked peaceful, asleep with his head resting on the window, his hair bouncing lightly with the train. Maybe he has to be tough. Because of his father.
Suddenly realizing what she was thinking, Hermione shook her head and looked around the compartment. Thankfully, Harry and Ron hadn't seen her staring at Malfoy. She'd just have to keep her thoughts to herself, she decided. She couldn't admit to anyone what she'd just thought about Malfoy. She couldn't admit to anyone that she wished she could help him. She couldn't even admit it to herself.
The train came to a halt, and Malfoy was still sleeping. "Who's gonna wake him up?" Ron asked, about to poke him in the neck with his wand.
"Ron!" Hermione slapped his hand. "I'll.I'll do it." Harry and Ron watched her as though she were about to win a gold medal. She extended a shaky hand and gently touched Malfoy's shoulder, jerking it back immediately, as though the touch had burned her. She took a deep breath and rested her hand back on his arm. "Malfoy?" She shook his arm lightly. "Malfoy, wake up." Malfoy's head popped up, and he jerked his arm back, an evil look on his face. Hermione jumped, causing Ron to jump as well. "We're.um, we're here." Malfoy's expression softened. He gazed at Hermione a bit, then grabbed his trunk, and pushed his way out of the compartment. "See? That wasn't so bad." Hermione said to Ron, then disappeared from the compartment.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked Harry, who just shrugged.
In the Great Hall, students were waiting for the sorting ceremony to begin. Ron was chatting with Fred and George, who had undoubtedly returned as soon as they heard Umbridge was gone and Dumbledore was back. Suddenly, Hermione gasped. "Oh, no!" Her hands flew to her face.
"What? What?!" Ron asked, looking panicked.
"My prefect badge!"
No sooner had she said this than her badge was dropped into her lap. She looked up. Malfoy was standing over her, strangely unaccompanied by Crabbe and Goyle. "You dropped it." He said simply, and turned to walk to the Slyerthin table.
"Th-thank you!" Hermione attempted to yell over the roar of the first years flooding into the hall. She pinned her badge directly under her Gryffindor lion on her robes, then glanced up. Ron was staring at her. "What?"
"I want to know what's going on? Why do you act like.you suddenly care if he's nice to you or not?"
"I don't! I just said thank you because he brought my badge back! Geez, come off it, Ron." She said, and turned to watch the ceremony. Was that true? Did she not care? Why, then, had she felt lost in his silvery gray eyes just now as he looked down at her? Why, then, back in the compartment had she enjoyed touching his arm? Why had she enjoyed watching him sleep on the trip? Why had she fancied the thought that he had indeed smiled back at her on the other side of the platform?
Hermione was lost in these thoughts until long after the ceremony. She was interrupted when she heard, "You're new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Gene Callon!" A roar of claps emerged in the Great Hall. Hermione looked at Ron, Harry, and the other Weasleys. They, however, were not clapping. Hermione turned to look at the standing Professor, and felt her hands fly up to her face. Professor Callon had an uncanny, identical resemblance to Professor Umbridge!
Professor Callon
"Well it's good to be going back." Hermione said, dreamily staring out the window as the train pulled out. "I must say I miss it more than I have before. It's sad to know we only have two more years left. Did you know I'm seriously thinking about dropping S.P.E.W.?"
"Finally," Ron snorted. "She comes to her senses and realizes that House Elves don't want to be free."
"I said," Hermione growled, "I was thinking about dropping it."
"Hermione," Harry spoke up, "I really think you should. Most of the House Elves enjoy working at Hogwarts."
"Yes well," She sighed, continuing her casual gaze out of the compartment window, "Maybe there are others in other places that would like to be free. It kills me to see those poor creatures slave and."
Hermione was interrupted by the usual, "Anything off the trolley, dears?" Ron and Harry bought a couple of Chocolate Frogs (for the cards of course) and Hermione got herself a new candy: Raspberry Roller. (A/N: Similar to a fruit-rollup or a fruit-by-the-foot)
"Anyway, as I was saying." Hermione said, chewing on her Roller. "I hate to see them slave and work all the time, when they could be doing something better with their life and." She was interrupted once more. Irritated at the interruptions, she wanted to tell the old lady to bug off. "We don't want anything else off your stupid."
Hermione's voice trailed off as she realized it wasn't a sale from the trolley, but Malfoy. "I.you." He stuttered.
"Spit it out already!" Ron said, trying to open a frog.
"The others are full." Malfoy said, looking down. It was the first time the three of them had seen Malfoy look ashamed of himself.
"So?" Ron said.
"Ron! You can sit in here, Malfoy." Hermione said, much too kindly for Ron, who snorted loudly.
Harry looked a little uncomfortable as Malfoy and Hermione switched spots so Malfoy could have the window seat and could sit as far away from Hermione as possible, but he said nothing. The rest of the ride was so quiet that Hermione could hear Malfoy's steady breathing as he slept. She found her self, from time to time, glancing sideways at him. He had changed a lot. Not just in his attitude, but his looks as well. He looked much less like his father than he had the last time Hermione had seen him. His face seemed softer.almost more kind. His jaw was more square that Lucius's, and Hermione noticed it had turned a slight purple from the quarrel with Lucius earlier. Though she hated to admit it, she did feel a slight twinge of pain for him. Maybe this is why he's the way he is. Hermione thought quietly as the studied his face. He looked peaceful, asleep with his head resting on the window, his hair bouncing lightly with the train. Maybe he has to be tough. Because of his father.
Suddenly realizing what she was thinking, Hermione shook her head and looked around the compartment. Thankfully, Harry and Ron hadn't seen her staring at Malfoy. She'd just have to keep her thoughts to herself, she decided. She couldn't admit to anyone what she'd just thought about Malfoy. She couldn't admit to anyone that she wished she could help him. She couldn't even admit it to herself.
The train came to a halt, and Malfoy was still sleeping. "Who's gonna wake him up?" Ron asked, about to poke him in the neck with his wand.
"Ron!" Hermione slapped his hand. "I'll.I'll do it." Harry and Ron watched her as though she were about to win a gold medal. She extended a shaky hand and gently touched Malfoy's shoulder, jerking it back immediately, as though the touch had burned her. She took a deep breath and rested her hand back on his arm. "Malfoy?" She shook his arm lightly. "Malfoy, wake up." Malfoy's head popped up, and he jerked his arm back, an evil look on his face. Hermione jumped, causing Ron to jump as well. "We're.um, we're here." Malfoy's expression softened. He gazed at Hermione a bit, then grabbed his trunk, and pushed his way out of the compartment. "See? That wasn't so bad." Hermione said to Ron, then disappeared from the compartment.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked Harry, who just shrugged.
In the Great Hall, students were waiting for the sorting ceremony to begin. Ron was chatting with Fred and George, who had undoubtedly returned as soon as they heard Umbridge was gone and Dumbledore was back. Suddenly, Hermione gasped. "Oh, no!" Her hands flew to her face.
"What? What?!" Ron asked, looking panicked.
"My prefect badge!"
No sooner had she said this than her badge was dropped into her lap. She looked up. Malfoy was standing over her, strangely unaccompanied by Crabbe and Goyle. "You dropped it." He said simply, and turned to walk to the Slyerthin table.
"Th-thank you!" Hermione attempted to yell over the roar of the first years flooding into the hall. She pinned her badge directly under her Gryffindor lion on her robes, then glanced up. Ron was staring at her. "What?"
"I want to know what's going on? Why do you act like.you suddenly care if he's nice to you or not?"
"I don't! I just said thank you because he brought my badge back! Geez, come off it, Ron." She said, and turned to watch the ceremony. Was that true? Did she not care? Why, then, had she felt lost in his silvery gray eyes just now as he looked down at her? Why, then, back in the compartment had she enjoyed touching his arm? Why had she enjoyed watching him sleep on the trip? Why had she fancied the thought that he had indeed smiled back at her on the other side of the platform?
Hermione was lost in these thoughts until long after the ceremony. She was interrupted when she heard, "You're new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Gene Callon!" A roar of claps emerged in the Great Hall. Hermione looked at Ron, Harry, and the other Weasleys. They, however, were not clapping. Hermione turned to look at the standing Professor, and felt her hands fly up to her face. Professor Callon had an uncanny, identical resemblance to Professor Umbridge!
