Through Closed Eyes
Chapter 2"Granger, would you just bloody well wait!" Draco exclaimed as he watched the young witch swish her wand and nearly transfigure his hand instead of the wooden chair she was supposed to be aiming at.
"Well, did I do it right?" She asked, ignoring his outburst. They where doing something more or less simple today, changing a wooden chair into a cushy armchair with ruffles and pillows that was big enough to fit two students comfortably. Professor McGonagall had gone slightly more in depth when she described the hand motions required in the spell, and had then come over and watched as Draco took Hermione's hands and showed her how it was done. For the shortest of moments, Hermione was reminded of one of those romance movies where the man would show the girl to swing a bat, or shoot pool, or some such nonsense in which he had to touch her, but she shook the thought away as soon as at entered her head.
"Yah, you did it right." Malfoy mumbled, and had she been able to see, Hermione would have known that he did not meet her eyes when he said it. "Now, if you don't mind I would like to take a chance to get my own work done before I have to come in after class to do it." He said, and she heard him walk away.
The bushy haired witch sat down on the chair she had made. It really was quite comfortable, it had turned out nearly perfect, although there was a lump here or there that she was sure wouldn't have been had she been able to see exactly what kind of a swish her wand was supposed to make. Still, this accomplishment gave her a slight sense of hope for her future year at Hogwarts, as well as her NEWTs. That was one of her biggest worries; she had the biggest wizarding tests any Hogwarts student would face at the end of the year, and she would not be able to see half of what she learned.
"Hey 'Mione!" Ron said, and she felt the slight shift of weight as he sat on the arm of her chair, shortly followed by Harry on the other side. "How is the torture session so far?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow, although she was sure the fact that she must be looking several inches to the side of Ron would lower the effect, but the point would get across. "Have you done the assignment yet?" She asked, and didn't have to be able to see to know that Ron was looking at the floor.
"I just wanted to come see how you where doing is all." Said the redhead hotly.
"No, you just wanted to see that I was having a miserable time and try and get me to come to your side of things." She said, and she felt the weight of the chair shift as Ron once again moved to his feet.
"You know what, I'm sorry I ever came over here. To think, I was going to apologize for blaming you for Dumbledore's mistake. Hermione if I didn't know any better I would think you wanted Draco Malfoy for your keeper." The boy's last words were said at a shout that could be heard by the entire class, and while Hermione could see nothing but blackness, she was sure that every eye in the room was on her.
"Harry." She whispered. She had not felt him get up from his place at her side. "Can you take me back to the common room now?" The boy gave a mumbled approval and took his friends arm. Hermione did not see the nasty glare he shot at Ron, nor did she see that Draco had dropped his wand mid spell and was gaping at the two friends as they left the room. All she knew was that Ron had stepped over a line, and she was not willing to face her classmates now.
A quick glance at the Gryffindor table at lunch told Draco that Hermione had gotten over embarrassment, as she was currently sitting with the little Weasley girl, one hand planted firmly on her plate.
He had been shocked by what the Weasley boy had said. He knew it wasn't true, but he hadn't thought the boy had it in him to say something so hurtful to one of his best friends. And, if Draco had been seeing things right, a best friend that the redhead quite fancied. Malfoy shook his head, there was no point dwelling over it. So the perfect Trio had it in them to hurt each other and that was no big revelation. He did note, however, that Harry had abandoned the muggle born, and was now sitting back with the weasel.
"Draco, you still have charms with us right?" Crabbe said as he took his seat on the boy's right, Goyle was just sitting down on the left.
"Yah, why?"
It was Goyle who replied. "We got a plan, to screw up the Mudblood." He said with a grin on his face. Draco looked from one boy to the other. Their plans rarely did turn out as they where supposed to, the two boys were more about muscle than mind, but anything to get at Granger would be worth hearing out.
"Okay than boys, what have you got?"
Things were not so bright at the Gryffindor table; Ron and Harry had both gone off to sit on their own, and where mumbling things together, Ron continually sending glares at the bushy brown haired witch at the very end of the table, even though he knew she couldn't see them.
Hermione and Ginny sat together, and Hermione had not stopped ranting from the point when Ginny had found her crying on the bed in their private dorm room. "What right did he have? In front of everybody too, Ginny. They won't forget he said that!" She exclaimed. Ginny smiled sympathetically, remembered that her friend could not see and then patted the girl on the shoulder.
"It could be worse." The little redhead said, and received an off centre glare from her friend.
"How?"
"I don't know it could have been true." She said, and couldn't help but grin as Hermione gave a shudder.
"Yah alright then, it could be worse. How long is there till the next lessons?"
Ginny gave a loud sigh, ensuring that Hermione got the full effect of the motion. "It is about five minuets closer than the last time you asked and in five minuets when you ask again I am going to slap you silly!"
Hermione scrunched her nose slightly, and uttered a quiet "sorry" before taking a rather large bite of her sandwich.
"Anyway, here comes his royal highness of bleach, and he brought along his bodyguards." Ginny said, as she saw Malfoy, Crab, and Goyle coming towards them.
"Okay, you get on then, no need for both of us to face the wrath of Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber." Hermione said. Her friend uttered a quick goodbye and was off.
"You ready for class Granger?" She heard the drawling voice of Draco directly behind her a moment later, and with a resigned sigh got to her feet, waited a moment before she felt his hand on her elbow, and the two of them walked out of the great hall, followed by Crabbe and Goyle.
The four of them walked in silence through the halls, and Hermione was able to follow the sound of their footsteps as they walked, though she stayed close enough to Draco that he could touch her arm slightly when they had to turn. It was amazing really; in the time it had taken them to get from the Great Hall to the Transfiguration class that morning, the Head Boy and Girl of Hogwarts had come up with a system of elbow taps that were imperceptible to anybody else, and showed Hermione exactly where to go.
It wasn't long before they came onto the Charms class, and Hermione was led to a seat that she was quite sure was between Crabbe and Draco, with Goyle on the pureblood's other side. Professor Flitwick gave the class a quick explanation as to why Hermione was in the class, and then progressed with the lesson.
The lone Gryffindor scrunched her brows together as Flitwick began his lesson. Her class had gone through this lesson early last week, what on earth was she going to do with her time if Slytherin house was so behind her own? She waited until the teacher had finished speaking before raising her hand in the air.
"Ah yes Ms. Granger, if you will come along with me for a moment, we will sort you out." He said, and she felt a hand too small to be Draco's at her elbow, and Professor Flitwick's voice directly beside her. He spoke more quietly now, as if he was half hoping the others would not hear their conversation.
"I am aware, Ms. Granger, that you are slightly ahead of this class, but I believe that was why you where put in it. I am to take this time to teach you a few charms that may help you get your bearings until your vision returns to you."
Hermione cocked her head to one side, paying even closer attention to his words than she ever had. Anything that could help her get around for the time being was something she would be more than happy to learn.
"Now this," He said taking hold of her hand and allowing her to feel the complicated swish of the wand, which was made harder due to the fact that she had to point it at herself. "Accompanied by the words 'Caecus Visum' will greatly increase your other four senses. The words mean 'Blind Sight'. In plainer terms; it allows you to see the world around you, without using your eyes."
Hermione nodded, taking in every word he said, and practicing the movements of the wand as he spoke.
"The next spell, and one I am sure you will love, is the charm I used to make your books speak to you. Simply incant the word 'Affor' while using this" He showed her another, much simpler, wand movement "while pointing the wand at the book, and it will be able to speak its words. The charm I am showing you will allow only the caster to hear the words."
Again Hermione nodded, smiling as she listened to him show her several more tricks she knew would help her through this hellish ordeal.
Draco could not stop glancing in Hermione's direction every few moments. He wanted to know what it was Flitwick was teaching her, and why she was missing the current lesson, surely she would not want to miss any important charms with her NEWTs coming so close.
"Draco you aren't paying attention!" Pansy muttered from someplace to his left, and Draco looked quickly around. The dark haired girl had pounced on the seat mere seconds after Hermione had left it, and had not let his attention leave her for more than a few moments since.
"I know the charm Pansy; I have been doing it right for ages. I don't need any more practice."
"Not that, I was talking to you and you where not paying any attention to me." The female Slytherin said, and Draco shook his head. The girl was insufferable, she constantly needed his attention and praise and he was getting awfully sick of it. He was used to getting attention, not giving it, and Pansy had long since stopped giving him any extra attention. "I was saying," she continued. "That I think we should go to Hogsmeade together this weekend. You could treat me to some tea from Madam Puddifoots."
Draco's head snapped up at this, a horrified look on his face. "Where?" He asked, he was sure he must have heard her wrong, he was sure she had asked him to Madam Puddifoots, and that place was only used by students who where going steady, or trying to be going steady.
If Pansy was at all put off by the look on Malfoy's face she did not show it. "Madam Puddifoots, I thought we would go and have some tea. This is the first Hogsmeade weekend, and I think it would be good if we started it out together."
The look on Malfoy's face had changed naught. Was she asking him to be her boyfriend? He wasn't ready for a girlfriend, and certainly not one who was so self-absorbed. He was had enough of that going on for two. "What?" He asked.
Crabbe and Goyle where both looking at the two Slytherins, trying to hide their chuckles from Malfoy, knowing he wouldn't like the fact that they where laughing at his expense.
"Draco, honestly. Even when you look at me you don't pay attention. Well anyway, I already decided that was what we where doing, and don't bring that Granger girl, it wouldn't do to have a silly little charity case come along on our first date."
Malfoy still sat in his seat, mouth hanging slightly open and a look on his face that was somewhere between disgust and shock, but before he could tell the girl to back off, the bell had tolled and she had picked up her books and flitted off on her way.
"What the hell just happened?" He asked the two boys, who had managed to get their chuckles more or less under control.
"I think you have a date, mate." Crabbe said, patting the boy on his back. "Not to mention a little Mudblood to baby-sit. See you back in the common room." And with that both his friends went on their way, leaving Malfoy to collect his charge and move on to his next class, still trying to puzzle out what on earth had just happened.
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