Chapter 9 – The new game
It came as no surprise to Hermione when Ernie and the others didn't want to play another round of Trivial Pursuits. Being beaten twice by Hermione and the Professor seemed to have put a dampener on the jovial mood that had sprung up during the last game. Ginny was sitting quietly talking to Draco again, and Hannah and Padma had stood up and were leaning, looking out of the window into the dusk that was quietly falling over the castle.
Professor Snape had been cornered by Ernie as they had both risen to stretch their legs, and was now quizzing him about the properties of a Mandrake Root potion, leaving Hermione sat at the table with Terry. Terry moved over and sat casually next to Hermione
"Well," he started "Never thought I'd see the day our feared potions master would join us for a friendly game of Trivial Pursuits. I'm really quite surprised. He hasn't taken any house points off us or issued detention, and he looked to be actually enjoying himself these past few hours."
Hermione nodded thoughtfully, looking over at where Snape and Ernie were stood talking by the fire. "If only he could be a bit more like this all the time." She said wistfully to Terry "He really is quite nice, and he's so intelligent and thoughtful." She gave a little sigh, and didn't notice Terry looking at her sideways with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Well it does make a change, I'll say that." He added quickly "Er..I'm just going to go and talk to Draco about something." He got up and crossed over to where Draco was sitting and took Ginny's place. Ginny came and sat next to Hermione.
"Wow Hermione," she started excitedly, as Hermione gave herself a little shake and dragged her eyes away from where she had been studying the lean form of Professor Snape to look at the younger girl, "This had been such a great day. Draco and I have talked about so much, he's got an amazing sense of humor and he's absolutely gorgeous don't you think."
Hermione looked over at Draco, who was sat huddled secretively with Terry. The two of them suddenly looked up and over at the girls, grinning, and she saw Draco give a small wink to Ginny. The sixth former giggled and tugged at Hermione's sleeve,
"He's asked me to go with him on the next Hogsmede weekend, isn't that exciting!" Hermione looked down at the grinning redhead and wondered fleetingly what Ron would have to say about that, but decided not to mention it and spoil the girl's obvious good mood.
"Now if only we could find someone for you to go out with things would be perfect."
"Oh No you don't Ginny Weasley!" said Hermione looking at Ginny with a horrified expression on her face "I'll not have you setting me up with any of your friends, I'm perfectly happy on my own thank you." She felt a bit bad lying to Ginny about being happy on her own, but had absolutely no intention of telling the girl that the person she wanted to be with was actually their snarky and usually-ill-tempered potions master. Although she loved the girl like a sister, she knew that if Ginny had the slightest clue about her feelings she would probably have a fit, and arrange to have Hermione sent to a closed ward at St. Mungo's. Ginny looked a bit upset at Hermione's statement, but linked her arm through Hermione's and started telling her again how wonderful Draco was.
Their slightly-dull-in-Hermione's-opinion conversation was interrupted by Terry a few minutes later when he stood and asked everyone if they wanted to play another game.
"No, not Trivial Pursuits," he said quickly noticing the expressions on Hannah and Ernie's faces, "It's a new one Draco's got, called Wizardopoly Everyone can play as there are 8 pieces," he looked over at Professor Snape "You will join us won't you sir?"
Professor Snape gave a curt nod of his head and moved over to sit next to Hannah, opposite Ginny and Hermione.
"Well," said Draco as he unpacked the game from a small red box. "We all have to take a playing piece from this bag. It's a wizard game so the pieces will change to match an aspect of your personality." He passed round a small black velvet bag and everyone dipped into it to draw out a token. Hermione looked down at her hand and saw a small pewter model of a book resting there. Ginny showed her piece to Hermione proudly. Her piece was shaped like a dragon.
"Hey, I've got a unicorn" Padma exclaimed happily from the end of the table. Draco snorted softly
"Well Patil, they say a Unicorn stands for virginity." Padma gave him a scowl
"Well in that case Hermione should have this piece." She snapped back, before giving Hermione an apologetic glance. Hermione felt herself going red again and studiously examined the small book in her hand.
"It also stands for loyalty, courage and purity of heart." Terry said soothingly to Padma, putting an arm round her shoulders "On second thoughts, maybe Hermione should have this piece." He was rewarded with a playful thump from Padma.
Hannah was looking puzzled at her figure. "What is it?" she asked showing the piece to Professor Snape
"A house elf." He sneered. When she looked a bit taken aback he added quickly "Well it was you doing the spring cleaning earlier on." He placed his own model, a small pewter cauldron, on the starting square next to Draco's intricately carved broomstick .
"Well, I have a Centaur." Ernie said proudly showing his piece to everyone, "the deepest thinking and bravest of magical creatures."
"Either that or it means you're a bit of a horse" said Draco dryly and everyone sniggered.
"Ignore him Ernie." Hannah muttered, shooting daggers at Malfoy from beneath half closed eyelids.
They all placed their tokens on the starting square and Draco handed everyone some tiny gold, silver and bronze pieces, shaped like galleons, sickles and knuts only much smaller. The game seemed to be a bit like muggle Monopoly TM, Hermione thought to herself. They clearly had to move round the board, buying things and building things, there was a picture of a dementor in one corner- that must be Azkaban- and a pile of broomsticks in another- free parking. There seemed to be a lot less properties that could be bought though, and there were lots of brightly coloured squares evenly distributed round the board with shining silver question marks on them .
"Ok," said Draco again, reading some words off the lid of the box "Aim of the game is to move round the board buying properties, building houses and generally making as much money as possible. The squares with the question marks on are called mystery squares, land on one and you take a card from this pile here." He put a large stack of green cards in the middle of the board. Hermione picked one up and was surprised to see that it was blank.
"Apparently," said Draco still reading the lid, "the cards stay blank until you actually land on a square then a message will appear."
He handed the dice to Hannah to start the game
It came as no surprise to Hermione when Ernie and the others didn't want to play another round of Trivial Pursuits. Being beaten twice by Hermione and the Professor seemed to have put a dampener on the jovial mood that had sprung up during the last game. Ginny was sitting quietly talking to Draco again, and Hannah and Padma had stood up and were leaning, looking out of the window into the dusk that was quietly falling over the castle.
Professor Snape had been cornered by Ernie as they had both risen to stretch their legs, and was now quizzing him about the properties of a Mandrake Root potion, leaving Hermione sat at the table with Terry. Terry moved over and sat casually next to Hermione
"Well," he started "Never thought I'd see the day our feared potions master would join us for a friendly game of Trivial Pursuits. I'm really quite surprised. He hasn't taken any house points off us or issued detention, and he looked to be actually enjoying himself these past few hours."
Hermione nodded thoughtfully, looking over at where Snape and Ernie were stood talking by the fire. "If only he could be a bit more like this all the time." She said wistfully to Terry "He really is quite nice, and he's so intelligent and thoughtful." She gave a little sigh, and didn't notice Terry looking at her sideways with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Well it does make a change, I'll say that." He added quickly "Er..I'm just going to go and talk to Draco about something." He got up and crossed over to where Draco was sitting and took Ginny's place. Ginny came and sat next to Hermione.
"Wow Hermione," she started excitedly, as Hermione gave herself a little shake and dragged her eyes away from where she had been studying the lean form of Professor Snape to look at the younger girl, "This had been such a great day. Draco and I have talked about so much, he's got an amazing sense of humor and he's absolutely gorgeous don't you think."
Hermione looked over at Draco, who was sat huddled secretively with Terry. The two of them suddenly looked up and over at the girls, grinning, and she saw Draco give a small wink to Ginny. The sixth former giggled and tugged at Hermione's sleeve,
"He's asked me to go with him on the next Hogsmede weekend, isn't that exciting!" Hermione looked down at the grinning redhead and wondered fleetingly what Ron would have to say about that, but decided not to mention it and spoil the girl's obvious good mood.
"Now if only we could find someone for you to go out with things would be perfect."
"Oh No you don't Ginny Weasley!" said Hermione looking at Ginny with a horrified expression on her face "I'll not have you setting me up with any of your friends, I'm perfectly happy on my own thank you." She felt a bit bad lying to Ginny about being happy on her own, but had absolutely no intention of telling the girl that the person she wanted to be with was actually their snarky and usually-ill-tempered potions master. Although she loved the girl like a sister, she knew that if Ginny had the slightest clue about her feelings she would probably have a fit, and arrange to have Hermione sent to a closed ward at St. Mungo's. Ginny looked a bit upset at Hermione's statement, but linked her arm through Hermione's and started telling her again how wonderful Draco was.
Their slightly-dull-in-Hermione's-opinion conversation was interrupted by Terry a few minutes later when he stood and asked everyone if they wanted to play another game.
"No, not Trivial Pursuits," he said quickly noticing the expressions on Hannah and Ernie's faces, "It's a new one Draco's got, called Wizardopoly Everyone can play as there are 8 pieces," he looked over at Professor Snape "You will join us won't you sir?"
Professor Snape gave a curt nod of his head and moved over to sit next to Hannah, opposite Ginny and Hermione.
"Well," said Draco as he unpacked the game from a small red box. "We all have to take a playing piece from this bag. It's a wizard game so the pieces will change to match an aspect of your personality." He passed round a small black velvet bag and everyone dipped into it to draw out a token. Hermione looked down at her hand and saw a small pewter model of a book resting there. Ginny showed her piece to Hermione proudly. Her piece was shaped like a dragon.
"Hey, I've got a unicorn" Padma exclaimed happily from the end of the table. Draco snorted softly
"Well Patil, they say a Unicorn stands for virginity." Padma gave him a scowl
"Well in that case Hermione should have this piece." She snapped back, before giving Hermione an apologetic glance. Hermione felt herself going red again and studiously examined the small book in her hand.
"It also stands for loyalty, courage and purity of heart." Terry said soothingly to Padma, putting an arm round her shoulders "On second thoughts, maybe Hermione should have this piece." He was rewarded with a playful thump from Padma.
Hannah was looking puzzled at her figure. "What is it?" she asked showing the piece to Professor Snape
"A house elf." He sneered. When she looked a bit taken aback he added quickly "Well it was you doing the spring cleaning earlier on." He placed his own model, a small pewter cauldron, on the starting square next to Draco's intricately carved broomstick .
"Well, I have a Centaur." Ernie said proudly showing his piece to everyone, "the deepest thinking and bravest of magical creatures."
"Either that or it means you're a bit of a horse" said Draco dryly and everyone sniggered.
"Ignore him Ernie." Hannah muttered, shooting daggers at Malfoy from beneath half closed eyelids.
They all placed their tokens on the starting square and Draco handed everyone some tiny gold, silver and bronze pieces, shaped like galleons, sickles and knuts only much smaller. The game seemed to be a bit like muggle Monopoly TM, Hermione thought to herself. They clearly had to move round the board, buying things and building things, there was a picture of a dementor in one corner- that must be Azkaban- and a pile of broomsticks in another- free parking. There seemed to be a lot less properties that could be bought though, and there were lots of brightly coloured squares evenly distributed round the board with shining silver question marks on them .
"Ok," said Draco again, reading some words off the lid of the box "Aim of the game is to move round the board buying properties, building houses and generally making as much money as possible. The squares with the question marks on are called mystery squares, land on one and you take a card from this pile here." He put a large stack of green cards in the middle of the board. Hermione picked one up and was surprised to see that it was blank.
"Apparently," said Draco still reading the lid, "the cards stay blank until you actually land on a square then a message will appear."
He handed the dice to Hannah to start the game