CONFLICT OF INTREST
The next day, Hermione was up and about before the crack of dawn, unable to contain her excitement she bounced around her and Draco's common room until she woke him up and he came down the stairs grumbling.
"Merlin! What time is it? Is the sun even bloody well up?" he demanded, slumping down in one of the chairs by the fire, and glaring accusingly up at her.
"Yes, It is up, and good morning to you too, you know for someone that's turning 18, you act like a 5 year old" she greeted him.
Draco merely muttered under his breath and looked away.
"So.. what's this I hear about a friend of yours coming here today?" Draco chose his words carefully not wanting to betray the fact that he had known of Joseph's arrival for a week now.
"Oh a pen friend of mine from Beauxbatons is transferring here!" she exclaimed, and Draco laughed.
"So now you'll have three friends! You must feel so proud" he answered, giving her his trademark smirk.
"You're a jerk you know that" Hermione answered, angry that Draco was trying to ruin it for her.
"Only to those who are really special" he replied with a wink, grinning as she growled under her breath.
"Sod off Malfoy" she muttered, and Draco laughed.
"Best you can do Granger? You must be losing your touch in your old age" he taunted, looking rather pleased with himself.
"Ooohh! You- You" she growled in frustration and Malfoy merely smirked, she really did make it easy for him sometimes.
Hermione rolled her eyes and headed out of their room, she was hoping that Joseph would arrive in time for breakfast and she would be able to introduce him to the Gryffindors.
She frowned a moment, thinking that perhaps it wouldn't be such a great idea to introduce him to a certain Miss Patil and Miss Brown. Hermione brushed the thought from her mind and raced to breakfast, colliding with Harry and Ron at the entrance to the Great Hall. "Whoa Mione! Slow down!" Harry greeted her, catching her by the wrist before she fell.
"Sorry" she muttered, linking arms with both boys and allowing them to escort her to breakfast.
"What's going on with this Joey fellow? Ginny hasn't talked about anything else this morning" Harry whined, and Hermione grinned.
"He's my penfriend from Beuxbatons and he's transferring to Hogwarts!" Hermione exclaimed, barely able to contain her excitement.
"Penfriend?"
"Beauxbatons?"
The two boys looked at her slightly shocked, neither had had any idea that Hermione had a penfriend, much less from a school that had more than once proved to be less than savory.
"Well I'm sure it'll be great to have her here Hermione" Harry offered, giving Ron a nudge.
"You mean Him, Joey's a guy" Hermione interjected, and both Harry and Ron turned and fixed her with a stare of disbelief.
"What?"
"What?"
Both were at a loss, confronted by the fact that they were not the only men in their friends' life.
"Don't look so surprised, I mean.. It's not like it's anything big" Hermione rationalized, but her mind disagreed with her, and told her so; loudly.
Ron shifted uncomfortably and sat down at the table, he wouldn't look at her and Hermione sighed, things were just starting to look up in her life, and now her friends were acting weird.
Hermione turned and looked at them, there had never been a problem that they hadn't been able to handle, and it sure wasn't going to start happening now.
"Ok you two.. Out with it!" she challenged, staring them down.
Harry swallowed and looked at her, Ron stuttered something incomprehensible.
"It's nothing Hermione.. I think we're just a little shocked.. I mean your not the type to.." Harry broke off as if suddenly realizing exactly what it was he was saying.
"Not the type to what Harry? To flirt, to have fun, to want to be with someone? Is it only you and Ron who get that priviledge? Merlin, I can't believe we're even having this conversation!" Hermione exclaimed, she turned to Seamus, who readily agreed to change places with her and went and sat beside Ginny. At least she didn't think that she had no right to be with someone and be happy.
"They didn't mean it like that Mione.. You know how they see you, they see you as one of them, their friend, not as a girl.." Ginny tried to explain, and Hermione nodded, she supposed she could understand that. Still she sat silently beside Ginny for the rest of the meal and didn't once look in the direction of the two boys.
Hermione was just about to get up to go to class, when Dumbledore called for the schools' attention.
"Students! If I could have your attention for but a moment I would be most obliged. I would like to introduce a new seventh year student, Mr Joseph Parker he has transferred here from Beuxbatons, and I trust you will make him welcome" Dumbledore finished, and there was a murmuring throughout the hall, as a tall, dark haired boy smiled briefly at the expanse of the hall, and sat down at the Slytherin table.
Ginny's mouth had formed a perfect 'o' and Hermione blushed.
"You didn't tell me he was in Slytherin!" she muttered scandalously, unable to stop the grin from sliding across her face.
"I didn't? I guess it never came up" Hermione replied in an affected voice, knowing that she wasn't fooling anyone.
When she had first found out, It had been somewhat of a shock for her, she was unable to connect the charming boy that she wrote to, with the atypical Slytherin.
Ginny smirked as she risked another glance at Joey. She laughed to herself, and followed Hermione out of the Great Hall.
***********************************
Draco watched Hermione and Ginny depart and sniggered. His plan was coming along nicely and he turned to Joey with a grin.
"Good to see you again"
****************************** Hermione floated to Charms, It was with the Slytherins and she wondered what Joey would say to her, she chewed her little finger thoughtfully as she ran through countless scenarios in her head, all ending with them riding off into the sunset.
Hermione fell into her desk, and moments later rest of the Gryffindors and Slytherins trooped in.
Harry and Ron promptly sat down on either side of Hermione, sharing a look that clearly said that there was no way in hell they were leaving her side.
Hermione took no notice, and her gaze sat fixedly upon the dark haired boy a couple of rows across from her.
As soon as class was over, Hermione slipped from the boys sight, and began walking back to her dormitory slowly, hoping vainly that Joey would catch up with her.
"Hermione" a deep voice behind her made her turn, and she took in Joey's face, feeling herself flush from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes.
"Joseph" she greeted him warmly, as he stepped closer.
"You're even more beautiful in real life" he told her, and Hermione felt her heart batter at her chest like a bird that wanted out of a cage.
"And you are just as charming as in your letters, however mistaken you may be" she replied quietly, a small smile flirting at the corner of her mouth.
******************
Ron and Harry stood quietly, watching the exchange. Both were quiet, neither liking what was happening before their eyes.
Ron looked at Harry imploringly, all that was in him was telling him to get in there and tell that Joey bloke to shove off, to ride in and save the day.
Harry shook his head, holding up a hand to silence Ron, wanting to know more about what was happening to Hermione in the presence of this stranger.
"Did Hermione just giggle? Hermione never giggles!" Ron hissed from behind him and Harry shot him a glare, straining to make out what was being said between the pair.
"Ron! Stop pushing me!!" Harry hissed back at him, But it was too late, Ron had tripped over his shoe lace, and the two boys, and the suit of armour they had been hiding behind fell to the ground with a stunning clatter.
Hermione and Joey jumped apart, and Hermione looked at the pair on the ground furiously.
"Spying on me? By merlin I never thought I would see the day.." Hermione yelled, exasperated.
Harry and Ron brushed themselves off, and looked at their friend.
"We're worried about you 'Mione" Harry pointed out.
"So you stalk around the castle following me like skulking bats?" Hermione retorted, her anger not abating.
"Joey, I'd like you to meet my two supposed best friends Ron, and Harry" Hermione introduced them, and Joey nodded politely.
"Pleasure" he drawled, and Ron and Harry shared a look before returning Joey's pleasantries. They had both come to the same conclusion, something wasn't right with this guy.
After Joey had left, Ron and Harry were left looking helplessly at Hermione. Her expression softened, and she linked arms with them.
"I understand that you worry about me, but believe me, for once things are beginning to go right" she explained..
The boys wouldn't meet her gaze.
"Hermione, I don't know.. there's something fishy about him" Ron spoke suddenly, and Hermione turned to look at him sharply.
"Ronald Weasley, We may be friends, but I don't belong to you!" she scolded him, about to remove her arm from his, but he held tight.
"I-I never said that you did Hermione.. we-we just want what's best for you" he continued, and Hermione smiled in spite of herself, she was lucky to have the two boys who stood steadfastly beside her, even if they didn't have a clue.
"Carn, we'll be late for transfiguration" Hermione replied with a grin as the three of them turned and headed for the classroom.
*********************
That night after dinner, Hermione was up in her room. She had finished the three and a half foot essay given to them by Snape on Bredrel Root, it's healing properties, and potential uses, and it lay folded up on her desk ready for submission in the morning.
Ten minutes ago she had transfigured a chair into a punching bag, and rolled back the rugs from the floor. In a pair of tracksuit pants and a tank top, Hermione laid into the punching bag as hard as she could, taking out her frustrations on the red vinyl, as she slammed it with punch after punch, occaisionally adding a kick for good measure.
Hermione ran a hand over her sweaty brow and cursed loudly. The day had been fruitless, Ron and Harry having formed a human shield around her for the rest of the day, not allowing Joey anywhere near her.
Hermione was just about to start another round with the bag when there was a knock at the door.
"What?!" she yelled, not at all impressed at having her workout disrupted.
Draco stuck his head in the door, eyes widening as he took in the scene before him.
"Uh.. There's someone that wants to see you downstairs Granger" he told her, and she nodded, wiping her brow once more before following him out the door.
"If it's Ron or Harry, I swear I'll hex their overprotective butts into oblivion" she muttered, and Draco smirked.
"Don't think you have to worry about that" he advised, gesturing to their common room, where in the middle of the floor stood Joey.
******
Sorry I took so long to get this one out! Will try and get them up quicker in future.. lol..
Reviews would be great.. cya next time.
The next day, Hermione was up and about before the crack of dawn, unable to contain her excitement she bounced around her and Draco's common room until she woke him up and he came down the stairs grumbling.
"Merlin! What time is it? Is the sun even bloody well up?" he demanded, slumping down in one of the chairs by the fire, and glaring accusingly up at her.
"Yes, It is up, and good morning to you too, you know for someone that's turning 18, you act like a 5 year old" she greeted him.
Draco merely muttered under his breath and looked away.
"So.. what's this I hear about a friend of yours coming here today?" Draco chose his words carefully not wanting to betray the fact that he had known of Joseph's arrival for a week now.
"Oh a pen friend of mine from Beauxbatons is transferring here!" she exclaimed, and Draco laughed.
"So now you'll have three friends! You must feel so proud" he answered, giving her his trademark smirk.
"You're a jerk you know that" Hermione answered, angry that Draco was trying to ruin it for her.
"Only to those who are really special" he replied with a wink, grinning as she growled under her breath.
"Sod off Malfoy" she muttered, and Draco laughed.
"Best you can do Granger? You must be losing your touch in your old age" he taunted, looking rather pleased with himself.
"Ooohh! You- You" she growled in frustration and Malfoy merely smirked, she really did make it easy for him sometimes.
Hermione rolled her eyes and headed out of their room, she was hoping that Joseph would arrive in time for breakfast and she would be able to introduce him to the Gryffindors.
She frowned a moment, thinking that perhaps it wouldn't be such a great idea to introduce him to a certain Miss Patil and Miss Brown. Hermione brushed the thought from her mind and raced to breakfast, colliding with Harry and Ron at the entrance to the Great Hall. "Whoa Mione! Slow down!" Harry greeted her, catching her by the wrist before she fell.
"Sorry" she muttered, linking arms with both boys and allowing them to escort her to breakfast.
"What's going on with this Joey fellow? Ginny hasn't talked about anything else this morning" Harry whined, and Hermione grinned.
"He's my penfriend from Beuxbatons and he's transferring to Hogwarts!" Hermione exclaimed, barely able to contain her excitement.
"Penfriend?"
"Beauxbatons?"
The two boys looked at her slightly shocked, neither had had any idea that Hermione had a penfriend, much less from a school that had more than once proved to be less than savory.
"Well I'm sure it'll be great to have her here Hermione" Harry offered, giving Ron a nudge.
"You mean Him, Joey's a guy" Hermione interjected, and both Harry and Ron turned and fixed her with a stare of disbelief.
"What?"
"What?"
Both were at a loss, confronted by the fact that they were not the only men in their friends' life.
"Don't look so surprised, I mean.. It's not like it's anything big" Hermione rationalized, but her mind disagreed with her, and told her so; loudly.
Ron shifted uncomfortably and sat down at the table, he wouldn't look at her and Hermione sighed, things were just starting to look up in her life, and now her friends were acting weird.
Hermione turned and looked at them, there had never been a problem that they hadn't been able to handle, and it sure wasn't going to start happening now.
"Ok you two.. Out with it!" she challenged, staring them down.
Harry swallowed and looked at her, Ron stuttered something incomprehensible.
"It's nothing Hermione.. I think we're just a little shocked.. I mean your not the type to.." Harry broke off as if suddenly realizing exactly what it was he was saying.
"Not the type to what Harry? To flirt, to have fun, to want to be with someone? Is it only you and Ron who get that priviledge? Merlin, I can't believe we're even having this conversation!" Hermione exclaimed, she turned to Seamus, who readily agreed to change places with her and went and sat beside Ginny. At least she didn't think that she had no right to be with someone and be happy.
"They didn't mean it like that Mione.. You know how they see you, they see you as one of them, their friend, not as a girl.." Ginny tried to explain, and Hermione nodded, she supposed she could understand that. Still she sat silently beside Ginny for the rest of the meal and didn't once look in the direction of the two boys.
Hermione was just about to get up to go to class, when Dumbledore called for the schools' attention.
"Students! If I could have your attention for but a moment I would be most obliged. I would like to introduce a new seventh year student, Mr Joseph Parker he has transferred here from Beuxbatons, and I trust you will make him welcome" Dumbledore finished, and there was a murmuring throughout the hall, as a tall, dark haired boy smiled briefly at the expanse of the hall, and sat down at the Slytherin table.
Ginny's mouth had formed a perfect 'o' and Hermione blushed.
"You didn't tell me he was in Slytherin!" she muttered scandalously, unable to stop the grin from sliding across her face.
"I didn't? I guess it never came up" Hermione replied in an affected voice, knowing that she wasn't fooling anyone.
When she had first found out, It had been somewhat of a shock for her, she was unable to connect the charming boy that she wrote to, with the atypical Slytherin.
Ginny smirked as she risked another glance at Joey. She laughed to herself, and followed Hermione out of the Great Hall.
***********************************
Draco watched Hermione and Ginny depart and sniggered. His plan was coming along nicely and he turned to Joey with a grin.
"Good to see you again"
****************************** Hermione floated to Charms, It was with the Slytherins and she wondered what Joey would say to her, she chewed her little finger thoughtfully as she ran through countless scenarios in her head, all ending with them riding off into the sunset.
Hermione fell into her desk, and moments later rest of the Gryffindors and Slytherins trooped in.
Harry and Ron promptly sat down on either side of Hermione, sharing a look that clearly said that there was no way in hell they were leaving her side.
Hermione took no notice, and her gaze sat fixedly upon the dark haired boy a couple of rows across from her.
As soon as class was over, Hermione slipped from the boys sight, and began walking back to her dormitory slowly, hoping vainly that Joey would catch up with her.
"Hermione" a deep voice behind her made her turn, and she took in Joey's face, feeling herself flush from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes.
"Joseph" she greeted him warmly, as he stepped closer.
"You're even more beautiful in real life" he told her, and Hermione felt her heart batter at her chest like a bird that wanted out of a cage.
"And you are just as charming as in your letters, however mistaken you may be" she replied quietly, a small smile flirting at the corner of her mouth.
******************
Ron and Harry stood quietly, watching the exchange. Both were quiet, neither liking what was happening before their eyes.
Ron looked at Harry imploringly, all that was in him was telling him to get in there and tell that Joey bloke to shove off, to ride in and save the day.
Harry shook his head, holding up a hand to silence Ron, wanting to know more about what was happening to Hermione in the presence of this stranger.
"Did Hermione just giggle? Hermione never giggles!" Ron hissed from behind him and Harry shot him a glare, straining to make out what was being said between the pair.
"Ron! Stop pushing me!!" Harry hissed back at him, But it was too late, Ron had tripped over his shoe lace, and the two boys, and the suit of armour they had been hiding behind fell to the ground with a stunning clatter.
Hermione and Joey jumped apart, and Hermione looked at the pair on the ground furiously.
"Spying on me? By merlin I never thought I would see the day.." Hermione yelled, exasperated.
Harry and Ron brushed themselves off, and looked at their friend.
"We're worried about you 'Mione" Harry pointed out.
"So you stalk around the castle following me like skulking bats?" Hermione retorted, her anger not abating.
"Joey, I'd like you to meet my two supposed best friends Ron, and Harry" Hermione introduced them, and Joey nodded politely.
"Pleasure" he drawled, and Ron and Harry shared a look before returning Joey's pleasantries. They had both come to the same conclusion, something wasn't right with this guy.
After Joey had left, Ron and Harry were left looking helplessly at Hermione. Her expression softened, and she linked arms with them.
"I understand that you worry about me, but believe me, for once things are beginning to go right" she explained..
The boys wouldn't meet her gaze.
"Hermione, I don't know.. there's something fishy about him" Ron spoke suddenly, and Hermione turned to look at him sharply.
"Ronald Weasley, We may be friends, but I don't belong to you!" she scolded him, about to remove her arm from his, but he held tight.
"I-I never said that you did Hermione.. we-we just want what's best for you" he continued, and Hermione smiled in spite of herself, she was lucky to have the two boys who stood steadfastly beside her, even if they didn't have a clue.
"Carn, we'll be late for transfiguration" Hermione replied with a grin as the three of them turned and headed for the classroom.
*********************
That night after dinner, Hermione was up in her room. She had finished the three and a half foot essay given to them by Snape on Bredrel Root, it's healing properties, and potential uses, and it lay folded up on her desk ready for submission in the morning.
Ten minutes ago she had transfigured a chair into a punching bag, and rolled back the rugs from the floor. In a pair of tracksuit pants and a tank top, Hermione laid into the punching bag as hard as she could, taking out her frustrations on the red vinyl, as she slammed it with punch after punch, occaisionally adding a kick for good measure.
Hermione ran a hand over her sweaty brow and cursed loudly. The day had been fruitless, Ron and Harry having formed a human shield around her for the rest of the day, not allowing Joey anywhere near her.
Hermione was just about to start another round with the bag when there was a knock at the door.
"What?!" she yelled, not at all impressed at having her workout disrupted.
Draco stuck his head in the door, eyes widening as he took in the scene before him.
"Uh.. There's someone that wants to see you downstairs Granger" he told her, and she nodded, wiping her brow once more before following him out the door.
"If it's Ron or Harry, I swear I'll hex their overprotective butts into oblivion" she muttered, and Draco smirked.
"Don't think you have to worry about that" he advised, gesturing to their common room, where in the middle of the floor stood Joey.
******
Sorry I took so long to get this one out! Will try and get them up quicker in future.. lol..
Reviews would be great.. cya next time.