4.
It was difficult for Hermione to talk to Draco, because people kept
following her and staring. Since the Hogsmeade weekend, the news had
travelled fast, and now most people in the school knew what had happened.
The Ravenclaws stared at her probingly, as if they were trying to work out
why anyone would want to kiss Malfoy, for he was hated by everyone, except
the other Slytherins. Most Slytherins didn't even bother to insult her any
more. It was Draco who they turned their attention towards now. Compared to
his crime, Hermione was perfectly OK. Although they hated muggle-borns they
felt it was worse for a Slytherin to be, if indeed they understood the
word, in [b]love[/b] with a 'mudblood' Gryffindor. It was at the hands of
her friends, the other Gryffindors, that Hermione suffered the most.
Ron avoided her, and Harry was on Ron's side, as usual, so neither of them were speaking to her. Most of the other Gryffindors looked to him as their leader. He was the quidditch captain, and although Hermione was the house prefect, she had never been as popular as Harry. Now nearly everyone in Gryffindor wanted nothing to do with her. Whenever Neville saw her he looked sympathetic, but at the same time, terrified of her. Of course, he had always been scared of Draco. Most of the girls just giggled and muttered to each other, when they saw her. They spoke very quietly, but Hermione could normally make out a few words.
'Never thought she'd..' 'Malfoy...He [i]is[/i] good-looking I suppose, but all the same...' 'Do you think they've, done [i]it[/i]?'
"No." said Hermione loudly on this occasion. "No we haven't. This is only the 5th year you know. Is that all you can think about? There are more important things." (AN: Aha! You thought she was about to lunch into the whole 'Friendship and bravery and, oh, be careful' speech. Didn't you? Didn't you?)
Then she stormed past them into corridor, and they just shrugged and stared, surprised at her outburst. Mostly she just attempted to ignore everyone and went around on her own.
Draco was normally alone as well. He had always been one of the more popular Slytherins, with his own house, and one of the least liked with other people. Hermione didn't talk to him all week, because although they were generally alone, she felt as if they were being watched, and sure enough, there were usually some other Slytherins or Gryffindors not far behind, making comments if they so much as smiled at one another. Therefore, they didn't get to talk to each other properly until the weekend. Most students, although it wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend, were outside. The weather still looked like summer, although it was the beginning of November. It was slightly chilly, but when the air was still, the sun was quite warm. Hermione, as usual, was on her own, in the library. This was exactly where Draco expected to find her.
He opened the door, and glanced around quickly. Thankfully there were no other Slytherins or Gryffindors in the library. He walked briskly across to where she was sitting, and sat down opposite her. She didn't look up from her book, and he started drumming his fingers on the table, grinning broadly as she looked up, smiling.
"Hi Draco." She said, quietly. "How are you?"
"Fine. Don't worry about me, I can cope with them. What about you? I know you got pretty stressed with everything last year. I don't suppose you can turn Potter into a beetle, and put him in a jar, can you?"
"I'm OK. And no, I can't."
Draco wanted to kiss her again. However, he wasn't sure that the library was the best place. Madam Pince was already staring at them curiously.
"Come on. Lets go." He whispered to her, and they got up, and walked past Madam Pince's desk, smiling 'innocently'. As soon as they left the library, Draco held her right hand, in his left hand, and they started to walk. They passed Neville, and somehow they got into a conversation of how horrible Draco was back in their first year.
"I thought you were evil. You actually enjoyed bullying Neville."
"Yeah, well, I thought you were bossy, domineering, and too clever for your own good." At this point, Draco felt the Dark Mark burning again, on his wrist. His wrist brushed against Hermione's, burning her a little too, and she twisted his hand round, revealing the black skull and serpent on the underside of his wrist.
"Strange." She murmured, staring at it.
"What's up?" said Draco, wondering what was going on.
"This mark..." she said softly. "It's so strange. I mean, it brought us together, but it could pull us apart. And last year you seemed so horrible, but since you joined the evil side, you've become kinder, nicer. It's very strange."
"No." Draco shook his head. "I haven't changed at all, you just know me better." He knew this wasn't true. She was right, he had changed. He was please with this, or rather, the nice side of him was. The other part of him, which had gradually shrunk since he accepted the mark, was quite ashamed of himself for liking Hermione, a muggle-born. That was another thing. Even in his head now, he thought 'muggle born' not 'mudblood'.
"Have you got to go now." Said Hermione nervously, looking around to see if anyone was around.
"No." A lot of Death Eaters are punished or tortured if they don't turn up to meetings, but they make allowances for me. They know it's impossible for me to get away from here without being noticed, so I only have to attend during holidays. Roll on Christmas-NOT."
"Why do people join him, if he hurts them?"
"I don't know really. Mostly because they're afraid of him. If he wants supporters, and people refuse to join him, they generally get killed. And at least after you've been tortured, you are still alive, but if you get killed, that's it." He sighed.
"I wouldn't join him, if he threatened to kill me." Said Hermione.
"Of course not. You're a Gryffindor, you have to be all noble and die trying to sort everything out." Draco rolled his eyes "I doubt you'll get that choice. Voldemort doesn't give muggle borns a chance. He doesn't think your kind are fit to do magic at all, let alone as one of his followers. You'd just get killed." For a moment he looked sad. "I hope I'm not making things more dangerous for you."
"I don't think so." She said. "I mean, being with you can't be much more dangerous than being one of Harry's best friends."
The noise of footsteps came down the corridor, loud and heavy. Draco kissed Hermione on the cheek, and walked off quickly. She walked in the opposite direction, and almost collided with Vincent Crabbe.
Ron avoided her, and Harry was on Ron's side, as usual, so neither of them were speaking to her. Most of the other Gryffindors looked to him as their leader. He was the quidditch captain, and although Hermione was the house prefect, she had never been as popular as Harry. Now nearly everyone in Gryffindor wanted nothing to do with her. Whenever Neville saw her he looked sympathetic, but at the same time, terrified of her. Of course, he had always been scared of Draco. Most of the girls just giggled and muttered to each other, when they saw her. They spoke very quietly, but Hermione could normally make out a few words.
'Never thought she'd..' 'Malfoy...He [i]is[/i] good-looking I suppose, but all the same...' 'Do you think they've, done [i]it[/i]?'
"No." said Hermione loudly on this occasion. "No we haven't. This is only the 5th year you know. Is that all you can think about? There are more important things." (AN: Aha! You thought she was about to lunch into the whole 'Friendship and bravery and, oh, be careful' speech. Didn't you? Didn't you?)
Then she stormed past them into corridor, and they just shrugged and stared, surprised at her outburst. Mostly she just attempted to ignore everyone and went around on her own.
Draco was normally alone as well. He had always been one of the more popular Slytherins, with his own house, and one of the least liked with other people. Hermione didn't talk to him all week, because although they were generally alone, she felt as if they were being watched, and sure enough, there were usually some other Slytherins or Gryffindors not far behind, making comments if they so much as smiled at one another. Therefore, they didn't get to talk to each other properly until the weekend. Most students, although it wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend, were outside. The weather still looked like summer, although it was the beginning of November. It was slightly chilly, but when the air was still, the sun was quite warm. Hermione, as usual, was on her own, in the library. This was exactly where Draco expected to find her.
He opened the door, and glanced around quickly. Thankfully there were no other Slytherins or Gryffindors in the library. He walked briskly across to where she was sitting, and sat down opposite her. She didn't look up from her book, and he started drumming his fingers on the table, grinning broadly as she looked up, smiling.
"Hi Draco." She said, quietly. "How are you?"
"Fine. Don't worry about me, I can cope with them. What about you? I know you got pretty stressed with everything last year. I don't suppose you can turn Potter into a beetle, and put him in a jar, can you?"
"I'm OK. And no, I can't."
Draco wanted to kiss her again. However, he wasn't sure that the library was the best place. Madam Pince was already staring at them curiously.
"Come on. Lets go." He whispered to her, and they got up, and walked past Madam Pince's desk, smiling 'innocently'. As soon as they left the library, Draco held her right hand, in his left hand, and they started to walk. They passed Neville, and somehow they got into a conversation of how horrible Draco was back in their first year.
"I thought you were evil. You actually enjoyed bullying Neville."
"Yeah, well, I thought you were bossy, domineering, and too clever for your own good." At this point, Draco felt the Dark Mark burning again, on his wrist. His wrist brushed against Hermione's, burning her a little too, and she twisted his hand round, revealing the black skull and serpent on the underside of his wrist.
"Strange." She murmured, staring at it.
"What's up?" said Draco, wondering what was going on.
"This mark..." she said softly. "It's so strange. I mean, it brought us together, but it could pull us apart. And last year you seemed so horrible, but since you joined the evil side, you've become kinder, nicer. It's very strange."
"No." Draco shook his head. "I haven't changed at all, you just know me better." He knew this wasn't true. She was right, he had changed. He was please with this, or rather, the nice side of him was. The other part of him, which had gradually shrunk since he accepted the mark, was quite ashamed of himself for liking Hermione, a muggle-born. That was another thing. Even in his head now, he thought 'muggle born' not 'mudblood'.
"Have you got to go now." Said Hermione nervously, looking around to see if anyone was around.
"No." A lot of Death Eaters are punished or tortured if they don't turn up to meetings, but they make allowances for me. They know it's impossible for me to get away from here without being noticed, so I only have to attend during holidays. Roll on Christmas-NOT."
"Why do people join him, if he hurts them?"
"I don't know really. Mostly because they're afraid of him. If he wants supporters, and people refuse to join him, they generally get killed. And at least after you've been tortured, you are still alive, but if you get killed, that's it." He sighed.
"I wouldn't join him, if he threatened to kill me." Said Hermione.
"Of course not. You're a Gryffindor, you have to be all noble and die trying to sort everything out." Draco rolled his eyes "I doubt you'll get that choice. Voldemort doesn't give muggle borns a chance. He doesn't think your kind are fit to do magic at all, let alone as one of his followers. You'd just get killed." For a moment he looked sad. "I hope I'm not making things more dangerous for you."
"I don't think so." She said. "I mean, being with you can't be much more dangerous than being one of Harry's best friends."
The noise of footsteps came down the corridor, loud and heavy. Draco kissed Hermione on the cheek, and walked off quickly. She walked in the opposite direction, and almost collided with Vincent Crabbe.