A/N: Segundo Paso. And I'm really terrible at this suspense thing, so Draco
is murderously OOC. Sorry!
Chapter Two: What the Hell.o Operator?
Hermione climbed into her compartment on the Hogwarts Express. She had already met up with Harry and Ron, who were horrified by the fact that Hermione had to ride in the same compartment as Malfoy for the entire ride. Hermione, however, wasn't that worried. She knew she would survive the trip, even if Malfoy didn't.
If Hermione was feeling anything right now, it was annoyance. Why did Ron and Harry think they had to protect her all the time, like she couldn't take care of herself? Sometimes she almost preferred Malfoy's company to theirs anymore. She shuddered at the thought. 'What is ~wrong~ with me?'
She was attempting to stuff her trunk into the rack in the heads compartment when Malfoy came in. She was making some much noise, however that she didn't notice his presence. She only realized he was there when she noticed another pair of hands helping her lift her trunk.
She looked up at him sharply, and he smiled. He ~smiled~. And it wasn't one of his "I'm-so-much-better-than-you-and-you-should-all-bow-down-and-worship- me" smirks, either. It was a genuine, "I'm-happy-and-want-to-share-it" smile. Hermione dropped the trunk on her foot. Malfoy started laughing. ~Nicely~. Like he actually found it amusing, but not because she got hurt.
"Malfoy, are you feeling alright?"
He laughed harder. "Sit down, Granger."
She sat, but cautiously, as if she expected something to jump out of the seat and bite her.
He laughed again, but he seemed more subdued this time. "Granger, I'm sure you heard that my father was killed when he tried to stop ministry officials from entering our manor over the summer. Well, after that I spent a lot of time thinking about everything I believed, and I came to the conclusion that the things my parents had spent my entire life literally beating into me were all complete crap. My blood doesn't make me better than you, or anyone else."
Hermione was speechless. A big accomplishment for he who caused her silence, as there had, prior to this, been only one time in her entire life when Hermione had been shocked into silence.
Draco continued, quietly, almost as if he were nervous about telling her this. "So, anyway, I just, um, wanted to, uh, tell you that I, erm, uh, well, I'm, I'm sorry, Hermione," he finally forced out. Her jaw dropped.
Hermione, after a moment's pause to recover her composure, replied, "You're forgiven. And, if you're really serious about this, then, well, I'm sorry, too."
Draco smiled. "You don't really have anything to be sorry for, I know that you only did it because I started the fight."
"Yes, but I lowered myself in retaliation."
"Well, look at it this way: At least we're on the same level now."
Hermione was surprised into laughter. "You're funny. I didn't know you were funny."
"Thank you. I think."
"It was intended as a compliment. Take it as such."
Just then, the train lurched to a stop, and all the lights flickered out.
"Dementors?" said Hermione.
"What the hell?" said Draco. " .O Operator." He added, at a look from Hermione.
"I don't know. I really don't know." Hermione sounded surprised at this fact.
"What? Something ~Granger~ doesn't know?" Draco pretended to be shocked.
"Shut up, you wanker." Hermione said irritably.
Draco's jaw dropped. "Bloody Hell, Hermione! Where did that come from?"
"I hate two of the things you did in that sentence. One: I hate it when people say, or infer, that I am a know-it-all. And, two: I hate, hate, hate being called by my last name."
"Sorry. I promise never to do it again."
"Good," said Hermione, as if she expected nothing less. "Well, now that we have that settled, shall we?"
"Shall we what?"
"Go find out why we've stopped."
"Right. Good idea that. Let's go then, what are you waiting for?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "~Boys~," said she, and off they went.
A/N: I know this one wasn't that long, and the next one won't be either, but I'm posting them together, and the next one has some. ~action~. Heehee. ;-)
Chapter Two: What the Hell.o Operator?
Hermione climbed into her compartment on the Hogwarts Express. She had already met up with Harry and Ron, who were horrified by the fact that Hermione had to ride in the same compartment as Malfoy for the entire ride. Hermione, however, wasn't that worried. She knew she would survive the trip, even if Malfoy didn't.
If Hermione was feeling anything right now, it was annoyance. Why did Ron and Harry think they had to protect her all the time, like she couldn't take care of herself? Sometimes she almost preferred Malfoy's company to theirs anymore. She shuddered at the thought. 'What is ~wrong~ with me?'
She was attempting to stuff her trunk into the rack in the heads compartment when Malfoy came in. She was making some much noise, however that she didn't notice his presence. She only realized he was there when she noticed another pair of hands helping her lift her trunk.
She looked up at him sharply, and he smiled. He ~smiled~. And it wasn't one of his "I'm-so-much-better-than-you-and-you-should-all-bow-down-and-worship- me" smirks, either. It was a genuine, "I'm-happy-and-want-to-share-it" smile. Hermione dropped the trunk on her foot. Malfoy started laughing. ~Nicely~. Like he actually found it amusing, but not because she got hurt.
"Malfoy, are you feeling alright?"
He laughed harder. "Sit down, Granger."
She sat, but cautiously, as if she expected something to jump out of the seat and bite her.
He laughed again, but he seemed more subdued this time. "Granger, I'm sure you heard that my father was killed when he tried to stop ministry officials from entering our manor over the summer. Well, after that I spent a lot of time thinking about everything I believed, and I came to the conclusion that the things my parents had spent my entire life literally beating into me were all complete crap. My blood doesn't make me better than you, or anyone else."
Hermione was speechless. A big accomplishment for he who caused her silence, as there had, prior to this, been only one time in her entire life when Hermione had been shocked into silence.
Draco continued, quietly, almost as if he were nervous about telling her this. "So, anyway, I just, um, wanted to, uh, tell you that I, erm, uh, well, I'm, I'm sorry, Hermione," he finally forced out. Her jaw dropped.
Hermione, after a moment's pause to recover her composure, replied, "You're forgiven. And, if you're really serious about this, then, well, I'm sorry, too."
Draco smiled. "You don't really have anything to be sorry for, I know that you only did it because I started the fight."
"Yes, but I lowered myself in retaliation."
"Well, look at it this way: At least we're on the same level now."
Hermione was surprised into laughter. "You're funny. I didn't know you were funny."
"Thank you. I think."
"It was intended as a compliment. Take it as such."
Just then, the train lurched to a stop, and all the lights flickered out.
"Dementors?" said Hermione.
"What the hell?" said Draco. " .O Operator." He added, at a look from Hermione.
"I don't know. I really don't know." Hermione sounded surprised at this fact.
"What? Something ~Granger~ doesn't know?" Draco pretended to be shocked.
"Shut up, you wanker." Hermione said irritably.
Draco's jaw dropped. "Bloody Hell, Hermione! Where did that come from?"
"I hate two of the things you did in that sentence. One: I hate it when people say, or infer, that I am a know-it-all. And, two: I hate, hate, hate being called by my last name."
"Sorry. I promise never to do it again."
"Good," said Hermione, as if she expected nothing less. "Well, now that we have that settled, shall we?"
"Shall we what?"
"Go find out why we've stopped."
"Right. Good idea that. Let's go then, what are you waiting for?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "~Boys~," said she, and off they went.
A/N: I know this one wasn't that long, and the next one won't be either, but I'm posting them together, and the next one has some. ~action~. Heehee. ;-)