Chapter 5
An hour or two later Hermione felt like she needed to get out of her room, she thought about the prefect library but decided against that, didn't fancy another run- in with Draco. She decided on the main library where she could hide at the back.
When she arrived there it was quiet with only a handful of students, Hermione settled herself at the back and began researching for a potions essay due in a few weeks.
At this point Draco also found himself at a loose end. He decided to go for a walk around the castle to try and clear his head, or at least put things in perspective. Draco didn't want to go to the Slytherin common room as all that seemed to await him there were Pansy (he shuddered at the thought) or his supposed friends Crabbe and Goyle. After about fifteen minutes of aimless wandering Draco found himself staring out over the grounds from an outside passageway when a voice interrupted his thoughts
"Hey Draco, how's it going?"
The voice belonged to Blaise Zabini, also out in an attempt to clear his head. Draco looked at his friend
"Honestly, I have no idea at the moment" Draco replied
Blaise smiled sympathetically
"What about you?" Draco asked
"In truth, I don't know either. I mean lately I've been kind of questioning all we've been brought up to believe" Blaise replied
Draco raised an eyebrow at this, unsure of what to make of the revelation, was Blaise in the same boat as himself? Blaise noticed the look on Draco's face and a look of anxiousness spread across his own face.
Blaise mentally kicked himself for saying that, although Draco and him were best mates, Draco was still Lucius Malfoy's son. Draco noticed the look on his friend's face and put his mind to rest, sort of.
"I know what you mean" Draco finally sighed as Blaise's face relaxed.
"I know this sounds weird but I kind of feel like I don't know who I am anymore" Blaise said with a hint of confusion
"So you don't want to carry on the family tradition either?" Draco inquired
"Uh, no way" came the firm reply.
The two boys looked at each other, both were unsure of what to do next as they discussed their predicament. They couldn't just change overnight, they were two of the most prominent Slytherins, the reaction from their house would be unimaginable.
"This isn't going to be easy" Blaise said
"I know" Draco replied "it's going to be hard to erase all the hatred, I've never known how to be anything else to most of this school" Draco sighed
"Same here, it's going to take a lot of time and effort not to be like we are. Even though most of the time we probably don't want to act like this, its natural to us now. Its how we've been brought up. How can we go against that?" Blaise asked
"No idea" Draco replied "but at least we can talk to each other about this"
"Yeah, do think there's any remote chance of people believing we can change, or at least giving us the chance?" Blaise asked as he looked out over the grounds
"I hope so" Draco said with resign "anyway we've been here ages. I have a ton of work to do, I'll catch you later" he finished
"Okay, I'm heading back to the common room, no doubt Pansy is still regaling people with her story of her latest encounter with Granger" Blaise exasperated.
"What?" Draco's attention suddenly piqued
"Oh, you didn't hear? They ran into each other earlier, apparently, Pansy really laid into her. I heard some Ravenclaws talking about it, sounded quite brutal. Parkinson can be such a bitch. Anyway better go" Blaise finished
With that he lest, leaving Draco to think about what he'd just said. It dawned on Draco that Hermione had been upset earlier because of Pansy then he'd gone and made it ten times worse.
"Christ I'm an idiot!" he mentally chided.
As Draco walked back through the corridors he felt the temperature drop. It became unusually cold; it was always cold in October but not like this. Draco mused that they must be in for a big storm. He decided to catch up on some reading as he a couple of essays due in the next few weeks. He thought about the prefect library but decided against that as Hermione was probably there and he didn't want another confrontation, he had too much on his mind. With that he headed to the main library.
An hour or two later Hermione felt like she needed to get out of her room, she thought about the prefect library but decided against that, didn't fancy another run- in with Draco. She decided on the main library where she could hide at the back.
When she arrived there it was quiet with only a handful of students, Hermione settled herself at the back and began researching for a potions essay due in a few weeks.
At this point Draco also found himself at a loose end. He decided to go for a walk around the castle to try and clear his head, or at least put things in perspective. Draco didn't want to go to the Slytherin common room as all that seemed to await him there were Pansy (he shuddered at the thought) or his supposed friends Crabbe and Goyle. After about fifteen minutes of aimless wandering Draco found himself staring out over the grounds from an outside passageway when a voice interrupted his thoughts
"Hey Draco, how's it going?"
The voice belonged to Blaise Zabini, also out in an attempt to clear his head. Draco looked at his friend
"Honestly, I have no idea at the moment" Draco replied
Blaise smiled sympathetically
"What about you?" Draco asked
"In truth, I don't know either. I mean lately I've been kind of questioning all we've been brought up to believe" Blaise replied
Draco raised an eyebrow at this, unsure of what to make of the revelation, was Blaise in the same boat as himself? Blaise noticed the look on Draco's face and a look of anxiousness spread across his own face.
Blaise mentally kicked himself for saying that, although Draco and him were best mates, Draco was still Lucius Malfoy's son. Draco noticed the look on his friend's face and put his mind to rest, sort of.
"I know what you mean" Draco finally sighed as Blaise's face relaxed.
"I know this sounds weird but I kind of feel like I don't know who I am anymore" Blaise said with a hint of confusion
"So you don't want to carry on the family tradition either?" Draco inquired
"Uh, no way" came the firm reply.
The two boys looked at each other, both were unsure of what to do next as they discussed their predicament. They couldn't just change overnight, they were two of the most prominent Slytherins, the reaction from their house would be unimaginable.
"This isn't going to be easy" Blaise said
"I know" Draco replied "it's going to be hard to erase all the hatred, I've never known how to be anything else to most of this school" Draco sighed
"Same here, it's going to take a lot of time and effort not to be like we are. Even though most of the time we probably don't want to act like this, its natural to us now. Its how we've been brought up. How can we go against that?" Blaise asked
"No idea" Draco replied "but at least we can talk to each other about this"
"Yeah, do think there's any remote chance of people believing we can change, or at least giving us the chance?" Blaise asked as he looked out over the grounds
"I hope so" Draco said with resign "anyway we've been here ages. I have a ton of work to do, I'll catch you later" he finished
"Okay, I'm heading back to the common room, no doubt Pansy is still regaling people with her story of her latest encounter with Granger" Blaise exasperated.
"What?" Draco's attention suddenly piqued
"Oh, you didn't hear? They ran into each other earlier, apparently, Pansy really laid into her. I heard some Ravenclaws talking about it, sounded quite brutal. Parkinson can be such a bitch. Anyway better go" Blaise finished
With that he lest, leaving Draco to think about what he'd just said. It dawned on Draco that Hermione had been upset earlier because of Pansy then he'd gone and made it ten times worse.
"Christ I'm an idiot!" he mentally chided.
As Draco walked back through the corridors he felt the temperature drop. It became unusually cold; it was always cold in October but not like this. Draco mused that they must be in for a big storm. He decided to catch up on some reading as he a couple of essays due in the next few weeks. He thought about the prefect library but decided against that as Hermione was probably there and he didn't want another confrontation, he had too much on his mind. With that he headed to the main library.