Disclaimer: I in no way shape or form own any characters, real people or
places you may recognize in this story. However if I did I would be a very
rich woman.
Chapter 6
The Favor
Draco stopped. "My help? The only thing I would be willing to help with is transportation back to where you belong."
"Please Malfoy," she said. "I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important."
"Now I'm curious. What could the great Hermione Granger, know it all of Hogwarts, want with Draco Malfoy?"
"I need you to ask you mother for some information."
"What kind of information? You better tell me the whole truth Granger. I will know if you are holding anything back. Remember I am the master of deception."
"Wizarding fairytales," she mumbled.
"Speak up."
A little louder this time she said, "Wizarding fairytales. I heard your mother used to be a primary school teacher and would know most of them."
"I don't know where you got your information from; however you are correct. My mother knows every fairytale ever written wizarding or muggle."
"I was asked to research the Sorting Hat's song. McGonagall said that it is an old story. Malfoy I really need your help."
Draco thought hard before a smile crossed his face. "Tell you what Granger; I will do you this favor. In return you do me one. I will let you know in the future what I want in return. Don't worry," he said when he saw her. "It's not like I'm going to ask you to join The Dark Lords inner circle. Just a small favor for a small favor. Deal?"
He stuck out his hand and Hermione hesitated. She knew she had no choice and slid her hand into his. "Deal." As he grasped it she felt a shiver go down her spine.
"Why do I feel as if I just made a deal with the devil," she thought? "And what a handsome devil he is too. Where did that come from?" She shook her head trying to get rid of those thoughts.
Draco removed his hand, leaned over and whispered in her ear. "A pleasure doing business with you Granger." He then walked into his bedroom and locked the door.
"Did he just bite my earlobe?" Hermione was sure that he did, but had no proof. Dismissing it as and overactive imagination, she walked into her room forgetting all about the bath she had wanted to take.
Dracos P.O.V.
Dearest Mother,
I would like to ask a favor of you. Would you be so kind as to send the book you gave me for my 10th birthday? The one entitled "The complete works of Fairytales. Muggle and Wizarding alike. School has been going well. The only thing that takes away form the honor of being head boy is the trash I have to share it with. I am of course speaking of the mudblood Hermione Granger.
Looking forward to you're reply, Draco Lucius Malfoy.
"Well that should do it" he thought. He tied the letter to the leg of his eagle and said "Narcissa Malfoy, Malfoy Manor."
Hermione woke early the next day. As she lay in bed she reflected on the events of the previous evening. Still uneasy about the deal she had made with Malfoy she remembered that she had not taken her bath. She grabbed her stuff and walked into the bathroom. As she filled up the tub she got undressed. When she was about to slip into the water the door opened and in walked Draco.
Hermione screamed. "How dare you walk in on me like this."
"Well," he drawled, "if you had locked the door I wouldn't be in here would I? Not that I mind the view that is. Damn Granger you are gorgeous. Too bad you're a mudblood." He let his eyes roam over her body one more time and walked out.
Hermione flew over to the door and locked it. She was ashamed. Not ashamed that Draco had saw her naked. Ashamed that it actually excited her when he looked at her body.
In the Great Hall Hermione was sitting with Harry and Ron. "Classes start tomorrow," she said.
They nodded their heads and then continued their discussion about quidditch tryouts. Hermione let her eyes roam the Gryffindor table. She waved when she saw Ginny, got up and walked over.
"Hi Ginny," she said. "I was wondering if I could talk to you in private."
"Sure thing Mione just give me a few minutes. I'll meet you in the library."
"Great see you soon." With that Hermione walked towards the door. She was careful not to glance at the Slytherin table. She didn't want to see Malfoy's face. She could feel her cheeks redden just thinking about it and glanced back to see if Ginny had made a move to leave yet. She hadn't moved however she had stopped eating and was staring at something across the hall. Her gaze followed Ginny's and saw the girl staring at someone sitting at the Slytherin table. At first she thought it was Malfoy; but upon closer inspection saw that it was instead Blaise Zambini. He was staring back at Ginny completely ignoring whatever Draco was saying. He look on his face was one of pure frustration.
Hermione was shocked that she felt a pang of jealousy when she thought it was Malfoy that Ginny was staring at. She pushed those thoughts away and left the Great Hall, still avoiding Draco's eyes. When Hermione got to the library she took her usual seat towards the back. A few minutes later Ginny came strolling in.
" What's up Mione?" she asked d as she sat down.
"Ginny have you ever been attracted to someone you know you shouldn't? That it would go against everything you had been taught to act on these feelings?"
"Oh God what do you know?" Ginny looked stricken. "Look Mione, it's not what you think Blaise and I are just friends. Honest.."
"So you know how I feel then." Hermione said. "Well I guess if you were going to mess around with a Slytherin, you chose Blaise. He's one of the good ones."
"Look you just don't understand," Ginny protested. "No one does. Wait what did you say? You weren't talking about me were you? No you mean you. Give Mione who is it? I know you have standards so it's not Crabbe or Goyle. You're also straighter than an arrow so it's not Pansy. Oh my god Mione don't tell me it's Malfoy. Anyone but Malfoy."
Hermione didn't answer she just lowered he head into her hands.
"Come on you can't be serious. Malfoy?" Ginny was stunned. "How long have you two been fooling around?"
"No Ginny it's not like that, we are no fooling around. In fact we hate each other. I am just so damn attracted to him." She went on to explain what had happened in the bathroom this morning.
Ginny thought for a few minutes and finally said, " Ok listen to me. What you need is a distraction. Someone to take your mind off of Malfoy. You are probably just feeling this way because he noticed you were a girl, not just one of the guys."
"But who Ginny?" she asked.
"Well I have an idea; but it will have to wait till the Hogsmeade trip. Do you think you can keep your hands off of Malfoy for that long?"
"I hope so Ginny." Hermione was desperate. "Anything just help me. Now some advice for you. Be careful with Blaise. If Ron and Harry found out, they would hex first and ask questions never."
"Speak of the devils," Ginny said under her breath.
Hermione looked up quickly, sure that Ginny was talking about Blaise and Draco. Instead she saw two thirds of the "Golden Trio" , as they had been dubbed, walking towards their table.
"Hey Ginny, Mione" Harry said in way of a greeting. "I was wondering if we could finish that conversation now?" he asked looking at Hermione.
"Sure thing Harry. I will talk to you later Ginny. Don't forget about the meeting this afternoon."
Ginny waved goodbye and Ron and Harry sat down. "Everything ok?" Harry asked her.
"Of course just anxious to hear the rest of the story." Harry looked at her suspiciously, not entirely convinced that she was telling the truth. He however began the story where he had left off the previous day.
Flashback
"Boys wake up. Harry Ron wake up now."
"Yes mum," Ron muttered and opened his eyes. "Sorry Shelli forgot where I was for a moment."
"That's ok dear, I'm sure I sound just like Molly."
Ron was half awake but was sure that he just heard his mother's name. "What was that," he asked?
"I said I probably sounded like Molly."
"How do you know my mothers name?"
" Once again Ron I'm at a loss. Dumbledore probably mentioned it."
"I guess said Ron."
"Anyway please wake up Harry . There are showers to be taken and breakfast to eat."
Ron shook Harry awake. "Get a move on Harry or you will miss breakfast."
They both took their turn in the bathroom and then headed into the kitchen.
"God Shelli that smells great," said Harry. "Where is everyone?"
"Here there and everywhere," she laughed. "Mikes sleeping; but everyone else is at one camp or another. Now sit down to eat."
Harry whispered to Ron, "She sounds just like your mum."
"I know Harry, I know."
After breakfast was over the boys asked for directions to the Library. Shelli took out a bus scheduled and explained to them how to get there. "I have some things to do today; but I will pick you up about three o clock. That should give you enough time. If you need to bring home anything, I will help you when I get there."
The boys said goodbye and headed out the door. As soon as they were on the sidewalk, Ron went to pull his wand out of his backpack. "What are you doing," Harry said. "Put that thing away."
Ron was puzzled. "How are we going to catch the bus then?"
"This isn't London," Harry said. "Its muggle America. There is no Knights bus here. Just follow me."
The boys got to the library and immediately got directions to the Native American section. Time passed quickly. Neither friend had glanced at the clock all day. They had felt a tap on their shoulders. Harry jumped.
"God Shelli you scared me."
"Hello boys find anything useful," she asked?
Both shook their heads.
"Well dears you are in luck; because I think I found exactly what you are looking for."
"You have got to be kidding. This is fantastic. Tell me how you did it." Harry wouldn't stop talking.
"I will tell you all about it after we pick the kids up and eat dinner.
Dinner was an exciting affair. Everyone was talking at once. Harry now knew what they all had done that day. He wished his childhood had been like this. Ron couldn't believe how much this reminded him of home. He missed his family very much at this point.
After dinner the kids went in to the living room to watch TV. Ron looked as if he wanted go with them, so Harry motioned for him to go. He would fill him in later.
Hermione swore she heard Ron singing something under his breath. It sounded like pineapple and under the sea. Hermione told herself to make sure she asked Harry who Sponge Bob Squarepants was.
Harry oblivious to this continued.
"Well Harry," Shelli said. "After you left, I made a phone call. A friend of mine had suggested I talk to an art history professor at the local college. I gave the man a call and set up meeting with him. I ran my errands and met with him around noon. As soon as I mentioned what it was I was looking for, he gave me a name of an art collector he was sure was in possession of it. I thanked him and came home. I called her and she is more than happy to meet with us. She has the artifact in her possession and may be willing to part with it. It seems she's not very fond of it."
"This is great news," Harry said excitedly. "We will need to see it and verify that it's what we are looking for though."
"I realized that and had her email me pictures, a history of the object and her asking price. I am planning on forwarding them to Professor Dumbledore. I am sure he will know if this is the real deal."
"I don't know how to tell you this," Harry said, a little embarrassed. "I am sure Dumbledore doesn't have a computer let alone e-mail."
"Of course he does silly. How do you think he contacted me in the first place."
Sure enough several days later there was an e-mail from Dumbledore. He verified the authenticity and had taken it upon himself to contact the seller personally. Everything was taken care of and all Harry had to do was drop of the check.
Hermione shook her head. Wow, e-mail? Dumbledore never ceases to amaze me.
There was no reason for them to stay so they had made reservations for two days later.
Shelli had asked if it would be possible to send Aaron to the burrow a few weeks before school started. He needed to get supplies and Shelli wanted him to experience the Wizarding world before he had to go to Hogwarts. Ron promised to ask his mother and send a reply by muggle post.
"Before we got on the plane, Shelli asked someone to take a picture of us. She took several and gave them to Ron and me.
"Oh Harry let me see," cried Hermione.
"Sorry I don't have any on me right now. I will show you later."
"One more thing Harry," Hermione asked. "What exactly did the artifact look like?"
"A pipe Hermione. Like a smoker's pipe."
How odd she thought. Hermione looked at her watch and saw it was almost time for her meeting. She said goodbye to the boys and made her way to the transfiguration classroom. When she arrived no one was there yet, so she composed herself and waited.
The meeting went smoothly. Both Pansy and Ginny were so excited and flattered that they were chosen, they immediately put aside their differences and got to work. Jeska was a little hesitant at first; but soon got caught up in the girl's excitement.
Hermione couldn't help but look on like a proud parent. She felt an arm slip around her shoulders and a voice whispered in her ear. "Look at that Granger. Our babies their all grown up." Hermione burst out laughing and Draco removed his arm. He looked at her questioningly; but didn't have time to dwell on it.
Katie wanted to know who they had picked to mentor. Hermione had chose Aaron and to her shock Draco chose a Ravenclaw, James Allen.
"Very well," said Katie, "I will inform the students. You will meet with them on Saturday. Also one day next week they will attend classes with you." Katie dismissed them saying she would see them both in advanced transfiguration the next day.
The rest of the day was uneventful. Hermione decided to go to bed early. Tomorrow classes started. The good thing about being a 7th year was that they could choose their own classes. The downfall was Hermione only had two classes with Ron and Harry, Potions and advanced DADA. The rest of Hermione's classes were Advanced. The boys didn't want the extra workload.
The next morning Hermione woke early. She decided to shower. This time she made sure to lock the bathroom door.
When she was finished dressing she made her way to the common room. She was going to knock on Malfoy's door to make sure he was awake; but noticed a book on the table with a note addressed to her.
Granger, I have fulfilled my part of the bargain. Soon it will be your turn. I will let you know in a few weeks what I want in return.
Sincerely, Draco Malfoy (Order of the Ferret First Class) Very funny. Very funny.
Wow she thought does that mean he actually has a sense of humor or am I in big trouble.
She had no time speculate however. She picked up the book, placed it in her bag and made her way to potions. She had spent so much time in the common room that she had missed breakfast. Hopefully Harry or Ron picked her p something.
Hermione walked into the room and saw that almost everyone was there. She found a seat near Harry and Ron. She surveyed the room and saw Malfoy in the back. She mouthed thank you and he answered with a curt nod.
She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see Harry handing her a picture. She smiled as she looked it over. There was Ron and Harry and what she assumed was the Keller kids and their mother Shelli. As she was handing it back she heard Snape say. "Five points from Gryffindor for passing notes Ms. Granger. Now hand it here." Hermione passed it to the Professor and mouthed sorry to Harry. He just smiled and pulled more pictures out of his pocket. Professor Snape placed the photo on his desk and started the day's lessons.
As the class was walking out the door they heard a loud gasp and someone yelling "Minerva I suggest you come here at once."
Professor McGonagall walked into the potions room and said, "What is it Severus? I am very busy."
He said nothing but handed her the picture that he took from Hermione Granger.
McGonagall gasped and said "Contact Molly and Arthur at once."
Chapter 6
The Favor
Draco stopped. "My help? The only thing I would be willing to help with is transportation back to where you belong."
"Please Malfoy," she said. "I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important."
"Now I'm curious. What could the great Hermione Granger, know it all of Hogwarts, want with Draco Malfoy?"
"I need you to ask you mother for some information."
"What kind of information? You better tell me the whole truth Granger. I will know if you are holding anything back. Remember I am the master of deception."
"Wizarding fairytales," she mumbled.
"Speak up."
A little louder this time she said, "Wizarding fairytales. I heard your mother used to be a primary school teacher and would know most of them."
"I don't know where you got your information from; however you are correct. My mother knows every fairytale ever written wizarding or muggle."
"I was asked to research the Sorting Hat's song. McGonagall said that it is an old story. Malfoy I really need your help."
Draco thought hard before a smile crossed his face. "Tell you what Granger; I will do you this favor. In return you do me one. I will let you know in the future what I want in return. Don't worry," he said when he saw her. "It's not like I'm going to ask you to join The Dark Lords inner circle. Just a small favor for a small favor. Deal?"
He stuck out his hand and Hermione hesitated. She knew she had no choice and slid her hand into his. "Deal." As he grasped it she felt a shiver go down her spine.
"Why do I feel as if I just made a deal with the devil," she thought? "And what a handsome devil he is too. Where did that come from?" She shook her head trying to get rid of those thoughts.
Draco removed his hand, leaned over and whispered in her ear. "A pleasure doing business with you Granger." He then walked into his bedroom and locked the door.
"Did he just bite my earlobe?" Hermione was sure that he did, but had no proof. Dismissing it as and overactive imagination, she walked into her room forgetting all about the bath she had wanted to take.
Dracos P.O.V.
Dearest Mother,
I would like to ask a favor of you. Would you be so kind as to send the book you gave me for my 10th birthday? The one entitled "The complete works of Fairytales. Muggle and Wizarding alike. School has been going well. The only thing that takes away form the honor of being head boy is the trash I have to share it with. I am of course speaking of the mudblood Hermione Granger.
Looking forward to you're reply, Draco Lucius Malfoy.
"Well that should do it" he thought. He tied the letter to the leg of his eagle and said "Narcissa Malfoy, Malfoy Manor."
Hermione woke early the next day. As she lay in bed she reflected on the events of the previous evening. Still uneasy about the deal she had made with Malfoy she remembered that she had not taken her bath. She grabbed her stuff and walked into the bathroom. As she filled up the tub she got undressed. When she was about to slip into the water the door opened and in walked Draco.
Hermione screamed. "How dare you walk in on me like this."
"Well," he drawled, "if you had locked the door I wouldn't be in here would I? Not that I mind the view that is. Damn Granger you are gorgeous. Too bad you're a mudblood." He let his eyes roam over her body one more time and walked out.
Hermione flew over to the door and locked it. She was ashamed. Not ashamed that Draco had saw her naked. Ashamed that it actually excited her when he looked at her body.
In the Great Hall Hermione was sitting with Harry and Ron. "Classes start tomorrow," she said.
They nodded their heads and then continued their discussion about quidditch tryouts. Hermione let her eyes roam the Gryffindor table. She waved when she saw Ginny, got up and walked over.
"Hi Ginny," she said. "I was wondering if I could talk to you in private."
"Sure thing Mione just give me a few minutes. I'll meet you in the library."
"Great see you soon." With that Hermione walked towards the door. She was careful not to glance at the Slytherin table. She didn't want to see Malfoy's face. She could feel her cheeks redden just thinking about it and glanced back to see if Ginny had made a move to leave yet. She hadn't moved however she had stopped eating and was staring at something across the hall. Her gaze followed Ginny's and saw the girl staring at someone sitting at the Slytherin table. At first she thought it was Malfoy; but upon closer inspection saw that it was instead Blaise Zambini. He was staring back at Ginny completely ignoring whatever Draco was saying. He look on his face was one of pure frustration.
Hermione was shocked that she felt a pang of jealousy when she thought it was Malfoy that Ginny was staring at. She pushed those thoughts away and left the Great Hall, still avoiding Draco's eyes. When Hermione got to the library she took her usual seat towards the back. A few minutes later Ginny came strolling in.
" What's up Mione?" she asked d as she sat down.
"Ginny have you ever been attracted to someone you know you shouldn't? That it would go against everything you had been taught to act on these feelings?"
"Oh God what do you know?" Ginny looked stricken. "Look Mione, it's not what you think Blaise and I are just friends. Honest.."
"So you know how I feel then." Hermione said. "Well I guess if you were going to mess around with a Slytherin, you chose Blaise. He's one of the good ones."
"Look you just don't understand," Ginny protested. "No one does. Wait what did you say? You weren't talking about me were you? No you mean you. Give Mione who is it? I know you have standards so it's not Crabbe or Goyle. You're also straighter than an arrow so it's not Pansy. Oh my god Mione don't tell me it's Malfoy. Anyone but Malfoy."
Hermione didn't answer she just lowered he head into her hands.
"Come on you can't be serious. Malfoy?" Ginny was stunned. "How long have you two been fooling around?"
"No Ginny it's not like that, we are no fooling around. In fact we hate each other. I am just so damn attracted to him." She went on to explain what had happened in the bathroom this morning.
Ginny thought for a few minutes and finally said, " Ok listen to me. What you need is a distraction. Someone to take your mind off of Malfoy. You are probably just feeling this way because he noticed you were a girl, not just one of the guys."
"But who Ginny?" she asked.
"Well I have an idea; but it will have to wait till the Hogsmeade trip. Do you think you can keep your hands off of Malfoy for that long?"
"I hope so Ginny." Hermione was desperate. "Anything just help me. Now some advice for you. Be careful with Blaise. If Ron and Harry found out, they would hex first and ask questions never."
"Speak of the devils," Ginny said under her breath.
Hermione looked up quickly, sure that Ginny was talking about Blaise and Draco. Instead she saw two thirds of the "Golden Trio" , as they had been dubbed, walking towards their table.
"Hey Ginny, Mione" Harry said in way of a greeting. "I was wondering if we could finish that conversation now?" he asked looking at Hermione.
"Sure thing Harry. I will talk to you later Ginny. Don't forget about the meeting this afternoon."
Ginny waved goodbye and Ron and Harry sat down. "Everything ok?" Harry asked her.
"Of course just anxious to hear the rest of the story." Harry looked at her suspiciously, not entirely convinced that she was telling the truth. He however began the story where he had left off the previous day.
Flashback
"Boys wake up. Harry Ron wake up now."
"Yes mum," Ron muttered and opened his eyes. "Sorry Shelli forgot where I was for a moment."
"That's ok dear, I'm sure I sound just like Molly."
Ron was half awake but was sure that he just heard his mother's name. "What was that," he asked?
"I said I probably sounded like Molly."
"How do you know my mothers name?"
" Once again Ron I'm at a loss. Dumbledore probably mentioned it."
"I guess said Ron."
"Anyway please wake up Harry . There are showers to be taken and breakfast to eat."
Ron shook Harry awake. "Get a move on Harry or you will miss breakfast."
They both took their turn in the bathroom and then headed into the kitchen.
"God Shelli that smells great," said Harry. "Where is everyone?"
"Here there and everywhere," she laughed. "Mikes sleeping; but everyone else is at one camp or another. Now sit down to eat."
Harry whispered to Ron, "She sounds just like your mum."
"I know Harry, I know."
After breakfast was over the boys asked for directions to the Library. Shelli took out a bus scheduled and explained to them how to get there. "I have some things to do today; but I will pick you up about three o clock. That should give you enough time. If you need to bring home anything, I will help you when I get there."
The boys said goodbye and headed out the door. As soon as they were on the sidewalk, Ron went to pull his wand out of his backpack. "What are you doing," Harry said. "Put that thing away."
Ron was puzzled. "How are we going to catch the bus then?"
"This isn't London," Harry said. "Its muggle America. There is no Knights bus here. Just follow me."
The boys got to the library and immediately got directions to the Native American section. Time passed quickly. Neither friend had glanced at the clock all day. They had felt a tap on their shoulders. Harry jumped.
"God Shelli you scared me."
"Hello boys find anything useful," she asked?
Both shook their heads.
"Well dears you are in luck; because I think I found exactly what you are looking for."
"You have got to be kidding. This is fantastic. Tell me how you did it." Harry wouldn't stop talking.
"I will tell you all about it after we pick the kids up and eat dinner.
Dinner was an exciting affair. Everyone was talking at once. Harry now knew what they all had done that day. He wished his childhood had been like this. Ron couldn't believe how much this reminded him of home. He missed his family very much at this point.
After dinner the kids went in to the living room to watch TV. Ron looked as if he wanted go with them, so Harry motioned for him to go. He would fill him in later.
Hermione swore she heard Ron singing something under his breath. It sounded like pineapple and under the sea. Hermione told herself to make sure she asked Harry who Sponge Bob Squarepants was.
Harry oblivious to this continued.
"Well Harry," Shelli said. "After you left, I made a phone call. A friend of mine had suggested I talk to an art history professor at the local college. I gave the man a call and set up meeting with him. I ran my errands and met with him around noon. As soon as I mentioned what it was I was looking for, he gave me a name of an art collector he was sure was in possession of it. I thanked him and came home. I called her and she is more than happy to meet with us. She has the artifact in her possession and may be willing to part with it. It seems she's not very fond of it."
"This is great news," Harry said excitedly. "We will need to see it and verify that it's what we are looking for though."
"I realized that and had her email me pictures, a history of the object and her asking price. I am planning on forwarding them to Professor Dumbledore. I am sure he will know if this is the real deal."
"I don't know how to tell you this," Harry said, a little embarrassed. "I am sure Dumbledore doesn't have a computer let alone e-mail."
"Of course he does silly. How do you think he contacted me in the first place."
Sure enough several days later there was an e-mail from Dumbledore. He verified the authenticity and had taken it upon himself to contact the seller personally. Everything was taken care of and all Harry had to do was drop of the check.
Hermione shook her head. Wow, e-mail? Dumbledore never ceases to amaze me.
There was no reason for them to stay so they had made reservations for two days later.
Shelli had asked if it would be possible to send Aaron to the burrow a few weeks before school started. He needed to get supplies and Shelli wanted him to experience the Wizarding world before he had to go to Hogwarts. Ron promised to ask his mother and send a reply by muggle post.
"Before we got on the plane, Shelli asked someone to take a picture of us. She took several and gave them to Ron and me.
"Oh Harry let me see," cried Hermione.
"Sorry I don't have any on me right now. I will show you later."
"One more thing Harry," Hermione asked. "What exactly did the artifact look like?"
"A pipe Hermione. Like a smoker's pipe."
How odd she thought. Hermione looked at her watch and saw it was almost time for her meeting. She said goodbye to the boys and made her way to the transfiguration classroom. When she arrived no one was there yet, so she composed herself and waited.
The meeting went smoothly. Both Pansy and Ginny were so excited and flattered that they were chosen, they immediately put aside their differences and got to work. Jeska was a little hesitant at first; but soon got caught up in the girl's excitement.
Hermione couldn't help but look on like a proud parent. She felt an arm slip around her shoulders and a voice whispered in her ear. "Look at that Granger. Our babies their all grown up." Hermione burst out laughing and Draco removed his arm. He looked at her questioningly; but didn't have time to dwell on it.
Katie wanted to know who they had picked to mentor. Hermione had chose Aaron and to her shock Draco chose a Ravenclaw, James Allen.
"Very well," said Katie, "I will inform the students. You will meet with them on Saturday. Also one day next week they will attend classes with you." Katie dismissed them saying she would see them both in advanced transfiguration the next day.
The rest of the day was uneventful. Hermione decided to go to bed early. Tomorrow classes started. The good thing about being a 7th year was that they could choose their own classes. The downfall was Hermione only had two classes with Ron and Harry, Potions and advanced DADA. The rest of Hermione's classes were Advanced. The boys didn't want the extra workload.
The next morning Hermione woke early. She decided to shower. This time she made sure to lock the bathroom door.
When she was finished dressing she made her way to the common room. She was going to knock on Malfoy's door to make sure he was awake; but noticed a book on the table with a note addressed to her.
Granger, I have fulfilled my part of the bargain. Soon it will be your turn. I will let you know in a few weeks what I want in return.
Sincerely, Draco Malfoy (Order of the Ferret First Class) Very funny. Very funny.
Wow she thought does that mean he actually has a sense of humor or am I in big trouble.
She had no time speculate however. She picked up the book, placed it in her bag and made her way to potions. She had spent so much time in the common room that she had missed breakfast. Hopefully Harry or Ron picked her p something.
Hermione walked into the room and saw that almost everyone was there. She found a seat near Harry and Ron. She surveyed the room and saw Malfoy in the back. She mouthed thank you and he answered with a curt nod.
She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see Harry handing her a picture. She smiled as she looked it over. There was Ron and Harry and what she assumed was the Keller kids and their mother Shelli. As she was handing it back she heard Snape say. "Five points from Gryffindor for passing notes Ms. Granger. Now hand it here." Hermione passed it to the Professor and mouthed sorry to Harry. He just smiled and pulled more pictures out of his pocket. Professor Snape placed the photo on his desk and started the day's lessons.
As the class was walking out the door they heard a loud gasp and someone yelling "Minerva I suggest you come here at once."
Professor McGonagall walked into the potions room and said, "What is it Severus? I am very busy."
He said nothing but handed her the picture that he took from Hermione Granger.
McGonagall gasped and said "Contact Molly and Arthur at once."
