That night I had another dream, but this one was very different from the others.
Although I was also observing through a crack in the door, as seemed to be my dream's trademark, this time I was seeing the present, rather than the past.
I was seeing Draco Malfoy, pacing the Slytherin boys dormitory.
His pacing was quickening, and I could tell that he was extremely agitated. His hands were balled into fists and his sides, and his usually gelled perfect hair was flying everywhere.
He stopped suddenly, seeming to make a decision. He knelt on the floor and produced a roll of parchment and a quill from under his bed. Carrying the items, he walked silently to the door and left the room, presumably to the Slytherin common room.
The scene shifted suddenly, making my stomach lurch. I wished I hadn't eaten so much for dinner.
Now I was peering into the owlery. Malfoy was attaching a letter to the leg of an owl, and sending it off. He watched the owl until it was just a speck in the distance.
---
My eyes snapped open suddenly, and faint daylight flooded into them.
It was Monday morning, and I felt like I hadn't slept in years.
---
At breakfast, I was mildly surprised to see an owl land in front of me with a note attached to its leg. I was in the process of wondering where the note had come from when I suddenly recognized the owl.
It was the note Malfoy had sent last night.
I slowly pulled it off, patted the owl, and placed the letter in the pocket of my robe.
"Who's the note from?"
My head snapped up suddenly, and I saw Ron looking at me with interest. I opened my mouth to reply when he interrupted;
"You seemed in a hurry to hide it, Hermione" he smiled mischievously. "Don't tell me you have a secret admirer?"
I felt my cheeks heat up, and hoped with a passion that Malfoy wasn't watching me.
"No, of course not. It's just a note from my parents."
As soon as I said that, I remembered the note that I had written to my parents the morning before. I had never posted it. A pang of guilt swept over me.
Ron smiled. "Parents finally learning the ways of the owl post, eh?"
I swallowed. "Yep."
Harry sat down heavily next to me, groaning.
"Can you believe it? Double potions, first up. The only potion I'm gonna need is one to keep me awake."
I smiled.
"Speaking of potions, I think I left my essay in my room. I'll just go up and get it now ... I'll meet you guys in class."
I picked up my bag, which had my essay in it, and left the hall. I knew I hadn't really forgotten the essay, but I was anxious to read the letter from Malfoy and knew I wouldn't get another time to read it.
Granger,
Start of lunch. The owlery.
Don't be late.
- D.M
I blinked at the note. He had seemed so frustrated when he wrote it the night before, I thought it would have a little more content than that. Still, it was probably better to talk things over in person.
---
"What did you get for your essay, Hermione?"
I was seething so much I could barely answer.
"I don't want to talk about it, Ron."
"Whoa. That bad?"
I rounded on him.
"Six out of ten is not BAD Ronald Weasley!"
He smiled at me and showed me his essay.
"Sure, six out of ten isn't bad. But two out of ten is."
My jaw dropped. I had helped him with that essay, I knew it was worth at least a five. I began to get angry all over again.
"That's ridiculous! That Professor is just..."
I was about to insert some form of expletive to the end of my statement when I heard a soft voice beside me.
"Right behind you. Really, Granger, I thought you were smarter than that."
I spun around and saw that Snape was, indeed, only a few paces behind me. He didn't say anything, but I was sure he had heard everything I'd said. I started to turn slightly red.
Malfoy smirked at my discomfort.
"Aren't you even going to thank me? I saved your skin, mudblood."
I felt my anger creeping up on me, it was all I could do not to turn around and slug him in the face.
Much to my surprise, however, it was Ron who exploded first.
"Would you stop it with the damned mudblood thing! You say it so much it's beginning to lose all meaning anyway! Why can't you just lay off?"
Malfoy looked behind him, to make sure Snape was gone. He held his wand out and, I was sure, just about to attempt a hex on Ron, when I pulled my wand out of my pocket and subtly poked him in the side with it.
He shifted his attention to me, and rolled his eyes and lowered his wand slightly.
"If it was beginning to lose all meaning, Weasle, I highly doubt that you would be turning so hilariously red over it."
I frowned at Malfoy, who whispered out of the corner of his mouth;
"You owe me big time, Granger."
Although I was also observing through a crack in the door, as seemed to be my dream's trademark, this time I was seeing the present, rather than the past.
I was seeing Draco Malfoy, pacing the Slytherin boys dormitory.
His pacing was quickening, and I could tell that he was extremely agitated. His hands were balled into fists and his sides, and his usually gelled perfect hair was flying everywhere.
He stopped suddenly, seeming to make a decision. He knelt on the floor and produced a roll of parchment and a quill from under his bed. Carrying the items, he walked silently to the door and left the room, presumably to the Slytherin common room.
The scene shifted suddenly, making my stomach lurch. I wished I hadn't eaten so much for dinner.
Now I was peering into the owlery. Malfoy was attaching a letter to the leg of an owl, and sending it off. He watched the owl until it was just a speck in the distance.
---
My eyes snapped open suddenly, and faint daylight flooded into them.
It was Monday morning, and I felt like I hadn't slept in years.
---
At breakfast, I was mildly surprised to see an owl land in front of me with a note attached to its leg. I was in the process of wondering where the note had come from when I suddenly recognized the owl.
It was the note Malfoy had sent last night.
I slowly pulled it off, patted the owl, and placed the letter in the pocket of my robe.
"Who's the note from?"
My head snapped up suddenly, and I saw Ron looking at me with interest. I opened my mouth to reply when he interrupted;
"You seemed in a hurry to hide it, Hermione" he smiled mischievously. "Don't tell me you have a secret admirer?"
I felt my cheeks heat up, and hoped with a passion that Malfoy wasn't watching me.
"No, of course not. It's just a note from my parents."
As soon as I said that, I remembered the note that I had written to my parents the morning before. I had never posted it. A pang of guilt swept over me.
Ron smiled. "Parents finally learning the ways of the owl post, eh?"
I swallowed. "Yep."
Harry sat down heavily next to me, groaning.
"Can you believe it? Double potions, first up. The only potion I'm gonna need is one to keep me awake."
I smiled.
"Speaking of potions, I think I left my essay in my room. I'll just go up and get it now ... I'll meet you guys in class."
I picked up my bag, which had my essay in it, and left the hall. I knew I hadn't really forgotten the essay, but I was anxious to read the letter from Malfoy and knew I wouldn't get another time to read it.
Granger,
Start of lunch. The owlery.
Don't be late.
- D.M
I blinked at the note. He had seemed so frustrated when he wrote it the night before, I thought it would have a little more content than that. Still, it was probably better to talk things over in person.
---
"What did you get for your essay, Hermione?"
I was seething so much I could barely answer.
"I don't want to talk about it, Ron."
"Whoa. That bad?"
I rounded on him.
"Six out of ten is not BAD Ronald Weasley!"
He smiled at me and showed me his essay.
"Sure, six out of ten isn't bad. But two out of ten is."
My jaw dropped. I had helped him with that essay, I knew it was worth at least a five. I began to get angry all over again.
"That's ridiculous! That Professor is just..."
I was about to insert some form of expletive to the end of my statement when I heard a soft voice beside me.
"Right behind you. Really, Granger, I thought you were smarter than that."
I spun around and saw that Snape was, indeed, only a few paces behind me. He didn't say anything, but I was sure he had heard everything I'd said. I started to turn slightly red.
Malfoy smirked at my discomfort.
"Aren't you even going to thank me? I saved your skin, mudblood."
I felt my anger creeping up on me, it was all I could do not to turn around and slug him in the face.
Much to my surprise, however, it was Ron who exploded first.
"Would you stop it with the damned mudblood thing! You say it so much it's beginning to lose all meaning anyway! Why can't you just lay off?"
Malfoy looked behind him, to make sure Snape was gone. He held his wand out and, I was sure, just about to attempt a hex on Ron, when I pulled my wand out of my pocket and subtly poked him in the side with it.
He shifted his attention to me, and rolled his eyes and lowered his wand slightly.
"If it was beginning to lose all meaning, Weasle, I highly doubt that you would be turning so hilariously red over it."
I frowned at Malfoy, who whispered out of the corner of his mouth;
"You owe me big time, Granger."