Blood Lost
Chapter 2
Hermione came out of her room the next morning, feeling refreshed and determined not to interfere in the affairs of silly boys such as Draco Malfoy. Her determination was short-lived, as she spotted him still in their common room. He was seated at his desk (engraved with silver snakes, of course), in their common room, probably doing last-minute homework, as she hadn't seen him do any the day before.
"There's going to be a pop quiz in Potions," Malfoy said, not looking up from his textbook.
"Excuse me?" asked Hermione, out of surprise rather than lack of hearing. She stopped in the middle of placing her Potions textbook into her bag.
"Just thought you might want to brush up a bit during breakfast. After all, you seemed to prefer spying to studying yesterday."
"You seemed to be doing even less studying than I was," was all Hermione could think of to say. She felt a familiar fire rush through her veins as she continued, "And how do you know about this pop-quiz, anyway? You'd think, now that the war was over, Professor Snape wouldn't still hold Slytherin preferences-"
"Nevermind!" Draco stopped her. He swept up his books and left swiftly after muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, "Just trying to help."
Hermione shook her head, that was just impossible, and turned to go to breakfast.
****
Hermione had spent her breakfast going over in her notes and textbook the recent potions and theories they had been studying in Potions. After Hermione told them of the pop quiz, Ron and Harry hardly ate anything as they tried to cram a week's worth of knowledge into their brains. They had both been allowed into the N.E.W.T. level Potion class on contracts, much to Snape's displeasure.
"Hey, how did you know about this quiz anyway, Hermione?" Ron asked as they filed into the classroom.
Hermione shrugged, and was thankfully saved by the arrival of Professor Snape. She turned her attention towards the class, but Snape simply silently handed out parchments with brief instructions to have it complete by the end of the period without any talking whatsoever.
Hermione heard Ron squirm next to her as he received his test, but a second later a long piece of parchment had been placed in front of her, and she was in encyclopedia-mode, opening the file cabinet-drawer in her mind for Potions, opening the correct folder where the information was stored, and analyzing that information on the parchment.
At the end of the period Draco was called upon to collect all the papers, and as he swept by Hermione she could have sworn that his icy eyes flashed some message as he discreetly dropped a folded piece o parchment into her bag.
The bell had hardly rung, when Hermione had rushed out of the room, in order to read the note. What could Draco have written that he couldn't say out loud?
Opting to spend her free period in her room, Hermione quickly walked up to the portrait that concealed the doorway to her common room.
"Narcissus," Hermione said, with a small grimace. She walked up the stairs that were revealed, and for some reason suddenly felt odd, as if there was a chill in the room..
But rather than finding a window left open to the cooling weather, Hermione stopped dead in her tracks as she noticed the figure looming in front of the fireplace. Clean-cut dark robes flashing with silver fastenings in the shape of a snake, long white-blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail without a hair out of place, and an imposing presence that filled the room with an icy edge.
It was Lucius Malfoy.
"Ah, you are the Head Girl this year, then, Miss..Granger, is it?"
"Yes, I am." He knew perfectly well that she was Hermione Granger, thought Hermione with a mental snort of disgust.
"Indeed. I suspect you simply dropped by for a textbook or two."
"It's my free period, during which I usually study."
"Ah. How is your seventh year so far? " Lucius asked. Hermione couldn't believe it: Lucius Malfoy was making small talk with her!
Before she could speak (or worse yet, lose her tempter), Draco walked into the room, looking as immaculate as his father, a great change from the day before. And through the calm, icy exterior, Hermione could see his eyes flashing at her presence there.
Of course Malfoy wanted her out of there, and Hermione took the chance to flee into her room.
She shut the door firmly behind her, and leaning against it, Hermione unfolded the parchment that Draco had given her. It was short and to the point, and although written hastily, Hermione noticed the beautifully curved letters:
"Hermione,
If you see my father around the school, do NOT talk to him nor give him any indication that you are more intelligent than a fruit fly."
Hermione first noticed that it was unsigned. She secondly noticed that at least he didn't seem to think her dumber than a fruit fly. And then the reason Lucius had been so polite hit her.
Oh dear, thought Hermione. But why would.? Oh dear.
Lucius Malfoy was considering her as a possible match for his son.
Suddenly the whole thing seemed absurdly funny. She, the bossy, know-it-all muggleborn, marrying Draco Malfoy, the most spoiled, most selfish, cream-of- the-top pureblood. She had to stifle her giggles, however, because it simply would not do for Malfoy and Son to hear random giggles from her room for no apparent reason. Oh second thought, maybe that would convince that ice-sculpture of a man that she was crazy and not a very good candidate after all..
The letter made sense now. But Draco Malfoy need not worry that he was going to be hitched to Hermione..Hermione had already begun to formulate a plan.
Chapter 2
Hermione came out of her room the next morning, feeling refreshed and determined not to interfere in the affairs of silly boys such as Draco Malfoy. Her determination was short-lived, as she spotted him still in their common room. He was seated at his desk (engraved with silver snakes, of course), in their common room, probably doing last-minute homework, as she hadn't seen him do any the day before.
"There's going to be a pop quiz in Potions," Malfoy said, not looking up from his textbook.
"Excuse me?" asked Hermione, out of surprise rather than lack of hearing. She stopped in the middle of placing her Potions textbook into her bag.
"Just thought you might want to brush up a bit during breakfast. After all, you seemed to prefer spying to studying yesterday."
"You seemed to be doing even less studying than I was," was all Hermione could think of to say. She felt a familiar fire rush through her veins as she continued, "And how do you know about this pop-quiz, anyway? You'd think, now that the war was over, Professor Snape wouldn't still hold Slytherin preferences-"
"Nevermind!" Draco stopped her. He swept up his books and left swiftly after muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, "Just trying to help."
Hermione shook her head, that was just impossible, and turned to go to breakfast.
****
Hermione had spent her breakfast going over in her notes and textbook the recent potions and theories they had been studying in Potions. After Hermione told them of the pop quiz, Ron and Harry hardly ate anything as they tried to cram a week's worth of knowledge into their brains. They had both been allowed into the N.E.W.T. level Potion class on contracts, much to Snape's displeasure.
"Hey, how did you know about this quiz anyway, Hermione?" Ron asked as they filed into the classroom.
Hermione shrugged, and was thankfully saved by the arrival of Professor Snape. She turned her attention towards the class, but Snape simply silently handed out parchments with brief instructions to have it complete by the end of the period without any talking whatsoever.
Hermione heard Ron squirm next to her as he received his test, but a second later a long piece of parchment had been placed in front of her, and she was in encyclopedia-mode, opening the file cabinet-drawer in her mind for Potions, opening the correct folder where the information was stored, and analyzing that information on the parchment.
At the end of the period Draco was called upon to collect all the papers, and as he swept by Hermione she could have sworn that his icy eyes flashed some message as he discreetly dropped a folded piece o parchment into her bag.
The bell had hardly rung, when Hermione had rushed out of the room, in order to read the note. What could Draco have written that he couldn't say out loud?
Opting to spend her free period in her room, Hermione quickly walked up to the portrait that concealed the doorway to her common room.
"Narcissus," Hermione said, with a small grimace. She walked up the stairs that were revealed, and for some reason suddenly felt odd, as if there was a chill in the room..
But rather than finding a window left open to the cooling weather, Hermione stopped dead in her tracks as she noticed the figure looming in front of the fireplace. Clean-cut dark robes flashing with silver fastenings in the shape of a snake, long white-blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail without a hair out of place, and an imposing presence that filled the room with an icy edge.
It was Lucius Malfoy.
"Ah, you are the Head Girl this year, then, Miss..Granger, is it?"
"Yes, I am." He knew perfectly well that she was Hermione Granger, thought Hermione with a mental snort of disgust.
"Indeed. I suspect you simply dropped by for a textbook or two."
"It's my free period, during which I usually study."
"Ah. How is your seventh year so far? " Lucius asked. Hermione couldn't believe it: Lucius Malfoy was making small talk with her!
Before she could speak (or worse yet, lose her tempter), Draco walked into the room, looking as immaculate as his father, a great change from the day before. And through the calm, icy exterior, Hermione could see his eyes flashing at her presence there.
Of course Malfoy wanted her out of there, and Hermione took the chance to flee into her room.
She shut the door firmly behind her, and leaning against it, Hermione unfolded the parchment that Draco had given her. It was short and to the point, and although written hastily, Hermione noticed the beautifully curved letters:
"Hermione,
If you see my father around the school, do NOT talk to him nor give him any indication that you are more intelligent than a fruit fly."
Hermione first noticed that it was unsigned. She secondly noticed that at least he didn't seem to think her dumber than a fruit fly. And then the reason Lucius had been so polite hit her.
Oh dear, thought Hermione. But why would.? Oh dear.
Lucius Malfoy was considering her as a possible match for his son.
Suddenly the whole thing seemed absurdly funny. She, the bossy, know-it-all muggleborn, marrying Draco Malfoy, the most spoiled, most selfish, cream-of- the-top pureblood. She had to stifle her giggles, however, because it simply would not do for Malfoy and Son to hear random giggles from her room for no apparent reason. Oh second thought, maybe that would convince that ice-sculpture of a man that she was crazy and not a very good candidate after all..
The letter made sense now. But Draco Malfoy need not worry that he was going to be hitched to Hermione..Hermione had already begun to formulate a plan.