Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters or Hogwarts or Everlasting Gobstoppers.
A/N: More reveiws. I love you guys so much!!! Thanks, No one remembered, savvyfairy- I love your name, the ever faithful Mia Hindo, miss.carla, Halfling- I know it will go to seventeen, at least, bmxridergurl- if you find out what's in the basket right away, it wouldn't be a mystery, would it? and Fairy. Thanks all. Keep reading.
A Different You by Lina Shay
Chapter Nine: Ever Guarded
Malfoy and Hermione, Dobby tagging along, decided to check out Pettigrew's office. Hermione was rather surprised that he had an office, considering that he really doesn't do anything as far as Hermione could tell. His office was the one that was McGonagal's in Hermione's world. It looked quite different. Compared to the way it was, the office was quite bare. The shelves had only cobwebs on them and the desk only dust.
"Doesn't look like anyone at all uses this office," Hermione voiced, looking around the office in disgust. "Doesn't he know how to use a feather duster?"
Malfoy just smiled at her, then said to Dobby, "Keep watch, will you?"
Dobby nodded and was gone with a pop. Malfoy took to examining a trunk which stood at the end of the desk. Hermione decided to search the desk drawers. The top drawer was empty. The next drawer down showed the first sign of normality. It was full to the brim of Chocolate Frogs and Everlasting Gobstoppers. Hermione shook her head. It sounded like something the old Ron would do. Hermione got suddenly very sad thinking of him. She looked at Malfoy to see him peering inside the trunk, then listening to the outside, then looking back in again.
"What are you doing?" Hermione demanded, raising an eyebrow.
"There's a panel here," Malfoy told her, shoving his whole arm against the bottom of the trunk. "And something is making noise underneath it. I've got to loosen this panel."
"You do that," Hermione smirked to herself.
She closed the sweets drawer and pulled open the bottom one. This one was a little harder to open, like the drawer was a bit too large for it's slot. When she did get it open, she gaped inside at the weirdest thing. It was a baby bottle, but it didn't have milk in it. Instead, the bottle was full of this acid yellow liquid.
"Dear me, who would feed their baby THAT?" Hermione gasped.
Malfoy looked up at her. "What are you talking about? Wormtail doesn't have a baby."
Hermione reached into the drawer and grabbed the bottle. It was warm to the touch. She held it up for Malfoy to see. He looked at it for a while, a puzzled look on his face.
"What do you suppose it is?" Hermione asked, staring into the green liquid.
"I don't know," Malfoy muttered. "Too bad we can't take it with us. I mean, we could see what it was then. But we can't risk Wormtail's suspicion."
Hermione nodded and gently placed the bottle back into the drawer.
"Got it!" Malfoy exclaimed.
Hermione went around to his side of the desk as he pulled the panel out of the trunk. Hermione almost shrieked when she saw what was inside. It was a cage full of rats.
"Is this guy demented or what?" Malfoy laughed.
Hermione glared at him, then ordered, "Close the bleeding thing!"
"Yes, ma'am," Malfoy chuckled, securing the panel back in place.
Suddenly, the door creaked open. It was too late for Malfoy and Hermione to hide. He was there, standing before them, Dobby.
"Why aren't you standing guard?" Malfoy hissed.
"Dobby can't," he muttered, his hands trembling.
"What's the matter?" Malfoy asked, more kindly.
"Something is out there," Dobby whispered, pointing to the corridor. "Something eeeeevil."
"Maybe we ought to leave now," Hermione suggested, feeling this chill come over her.
"I think you may be right," Malfoy agreed, staring at the dark corridor.
Dobby attached himself to Malfoy's leg as they headed toward the doorway. There was an eerie feeling in the darkness. Hermione was suddenly very frightened. Without thinking, she clung to Malfoy's arm. Malfoy stopped and looked at her, a smile playing at his lips. Hermione nodded toward to door so he would keep him mind on track.
The three, in a huddled bunch, stepped out into the corridor. Hermione had that feeling again, like someone was watching. She was afraid that it was the same thing that was after her the other day. This time, though, Malfoy was with her. She clung tighter to him.
"This is silly," Malfoy laughed nervously, the held up his wand. "Lumos!"
For an instant after his wand was lit, Hermione saw something. It slithered away quickly out of the light. Hermione gasped. Malfoy placed his free hand on her's.
"Come on, let's go to the Great Hall," Malfoy suggested.
Dobby and Hermione nodded in agreement. Malfoy led them quickly down to the Great Hall. It felt nice to be where people were and in the warm candle light. The three sat at Gryffindor table right next to where Neville was scarfing down mashed potatoes.
"There's something majorly wrong with that Pettigrew chap," Hermione breathed.
Malfoy began to poor her some butterbeer, saying, "I think Wormtail has always been a bit off."
"Anyone would have to be in order to work for You-Know-Who," Hermione voiced.
Dobby nodded in agreement, gulping down a large goblet of butterbeer.
"I just wish we knew what to do about it," Hermione muttered, glancing at the table.
"Really, we have to find out what's in that basket," Malfoy told her thoughtfully. "The problem is that he never let's it go."
"Except when Dumbledore had it," Hermione laughed, remembering the sight of Dumbledore waving the basket over the side of the rail.
"Poor mad fool," Malfoy chuckled, shaking his head. Then his face went blank for a second. "Wait...why do you suppose Dumbledore did that?"
"I donno," Hermione shrugged.
"Perhaps he knows something we don't," Malfoy said, raising his eyebrows at Hermione.
"Come to think of it," Hermione began thoughtfully, "he did seem like he was listening when Pettigrew was whispering to Snape."
"What are you two off about?" Neville asked, finally swallowing.
Hermione was about to explain what they found when someone called her name somewhere down the table. Hermione, Draco, Neville and Dobby all looked toward Parvati Patil. She stood tall with her hands on her hips, glaring at Hermione.
"What you think you're doing?" Parvati shot at her. "This isn't your table, Slytherin!"
"She's not bothering anyone," Malfoy voiced valiantly, standing in her defense.
"She's bothering me!" Parvati said acidly.
"There's no rule saying that she can't sit here," Malfoy declared.
"Wanna bet?" Parvati challenged. "Now make your girlfriend go back to her own table."
Hermione and Malfoy briefly looked at each other. The minute she looked into those lovely blue eyes, she had to look away. Malfoy's face went red in shame and anger both. He reminded her of the old Malfoy, and Hermione didn't like it.
"Listen you," Malfoy went on. "Hermione can sit wherever she da-"
"Malfoy!" Hermione interrupted, putting a hand on his arm. "Leave it alone. I'll go back to Slytherin table."
"B-but, I don't want you to," Malfoy told her, looking sadly at her.
"Actually, I think I'll just go to bed," Hermione announced, loud enough for Parvati to hear. "I'll see you tomorrow."
She turned from the table and started out of the Great Hall. She kept wondering if Malfoy was watching her. She found herself hoping that he was. Hermione cautiously glanced over her shoulder. Malfoy was watching her, and smiled when he saw that she was looking back. He waved. Hermione waved back and smiled, too, as she left the Great Hall.
A/N: More reveiws. I love you guys so much!!! Thanks, No one remembered, savvyfairy- I love your name, the ever faithful Mia Hindo, miss.carla, Halfling- I know it will go to seventeen, at least, bmxridergurl- if you find out what's in the basket right away, it wouldn't be a mystery, would it? and Fairy. Thanks all. Keep reading.
A Different You by Lina Shay
Chapter Nine: Ever Guarded
Malfoy and Hermione, Dobby tagging along, decided to check out Pettigrew's office. Hermione was rather surprised that he had an office, considering that he really doesn't do anything as far as Hermione could tell. His office was the one that was McGonagal's in Hermione's world. It looked quite different. Compared to the way it was, the office was quite bare. The shelves had only cobwebs on them and the desk only dust.
"Doesn't look like anyone at all uses this office," Hermione voiced, looking around the office in disgust. "Doesn't he know how to use a feather duster?"
Malfoy just smiled at her, then said to Dobby, "Keep watch, will you?"
Dobby nodded and was gone with a pop. Malfoy took to examining a trunk which stood at the end of the desk. Hermione decided to search the desk drawers. The top drawer was empty. The next drawer down showed the first sign of normality. It was full to the brim of Chocolate Frogs and Everlasting Gobstoppers. Hermione shook her head. It sounded like something the old Ron would do. Hermione got suddenly very sad thinking of him. She looked at Malfoy to see him peering inside the trunk, then listening to the outside, then looking back in again.
"What are you doing?" Hermione demanded, raising an eyebrow.
"There's a panel here," Malfoy told her, shoving his whole arm against the bottom of the trunk. "And something is making noise underneath it. I've got to loosen this panel."
"You do that," Hermione smirked to herself.
She closed the sweets drawer and pulled open the bottom one. This one was a little harder to open, like the drawer was a bit too large for it's slot. When she did get it open, she gaped inside at the weirdest thing. It was a baby bottle, but it didn't have milk in it. Instead, the bottle was full of this acid yellow liquid.
"Dear me, who would feed their baby THAT?" Hermione gasped.
Malfoy looked up at her. "What are you talking about? Wormtail doesn't have a baby."
Hermione reached into the drawer and grabbed the bottle. It was warm to the touch. She held it up for Malfoy to see. He looked at it for a while, a puzzled look on his face.
"What do you suppose it is?" Hermione asked, staring into the green liquid.
"I don't know," Malfoy muttered. "Too bad we can't take it with us. I mean, we could see what it was then. But we can't risk Wormtail's suspicion."
Hermione nodded and gently placed the bottle back into the drawer.
"Got it!" Malfoy exclaimed.
Hermione went around to his side of the desk as he pulled the panel out of the trunk. Hermione almost shrieked when she saw what was inside. It was a cage full of rats.
"Is this guy demented or what?" Malfoy laughed.
Hermione glared at him, then ordered, "Close the bleeding thing!"
"Yes, ma'am," Malfoy chuckled, securing the panel back in place.
Suddenly, the door creaked open. It was too late for Malfoy and Hermione to hide. He was there, standing before them, Dobby.
"Why aren't you standing guard?" Malfoy hissed.
"Dobby can't," he muttered, his hands trembling.
"What's the matter?" Malfoy asked, more kindly.
"Something is out there," Dobby whispered, pointing to the corridor. "Something eeeeevil."
"Maybe we ought to leave now," Hermione suggested, feeling this chill come over her.
"I think you may be right," Malfoy agreed, staring at the dark corridor.
Dobby attached himself to Malfoy's leg as they headed toward the doorway. There was an eerie feeling in the darkness. Hermione was suddenly very frightened. Without thinking, she clung to Malfoy's arm. Malfoy stopped and looked at her, a smile playing at his lips. Hermione nodded toward to door so he would keep him mind on track.
The three, in a huddled bunch, stepped out into the corridor. Hermione had that feeling again, like someone was watching. She was afraid that it was the same thing that was after her the other day. This time, though, Malfoy was with her. She clung tighter to him.
"This is silly," Malfoy laughed nervously, the held up his wand. "Lumos!"
For an instant after his wand was lit, Hermione saw something. It slithered away quickly out of the light. Hermione gasped. Malfoy placed his free hand on her's.
"Come on, let's go to the Great Hall," Malfoy suggested.
Dobby and Hermione nodded in agreement. Malfoy led them quickly down to the Great Hall. It felt nice to be where people were and in the warm candle light. The three sat at Gryffindor table right next to where Neville was scarfing down mashed potatoes.
"There's something majorly wrong with that Pettigrew chap," Hermione breathed.
Malfoy began to poor her some butterbeer, saying, "I think Wormtail has always been a bit off."
"Anyone would have to be in order to work for You-Know-Who," Hermione voiced.
Dobby nodded in agreement, gulping down a large goblet of butterbeer.
"I just wish we knew what to do about it," Hermione muttered, glancing at the table.
"Really, we have to find out what's in that basket," Malfoy told her thoughtfully. "The problem is that he never let's it go."
"Except when Dumbledore had it," Hermione laughed, remembering the sight of Dumbledore waving the basket over the side of the rail.
"Poor mad fool," Malfoy chuckled, shaking his head. Then his face went blank for a second. "Wait...why do you suppose Dumbledore did that?"
"I donno," Hermione shrugged.
"Perhaps he knows something we don't," Malfoy said, raising his eyebrows at Hermione.
"Come to think of it," Hermione began thoughtfully, "he did seem like he was listening when Pettigrew was whispering to Snape."
"What are you two off about?" Neville asked, finally swallowing.
Hermione was about to explain what they found when someone called her name somewhere down the table. Hermione, Draco, Neville and Dobby all looked toward Parvati Patil. She stood tall with her hands on her hips, glaring at Hermione.
"What you think you're doing?" Parvati shot at her. "This isn't your table, Slytherin!"
"She's not bothering anyone," Malfoy voiced valiantly, standing in her defense.
"She's bothering me!" Parvati said acidly.
"There's no rule saying that she can't sit here," Malfoy declared.
"Wanna bet?" Parvati challenged. "Now make your girlfriend go back to her own table."
Hermione and Malfoy briefly looked at each other. The minute she looked into those lovely blue eyes, she had to look away. Malfoy's face went red in shame and anger both. He reminded her of the old Malfoy, and Hermione didn't like it.
"Listen you," Malfoy went on. "Hermione can sit wherever she da-"
"Malfoy!" Hermione interrupted, putting a hand on his arm. "Leave it alone. I'll go back to Slytherin table."
"B-but, I don't want you to," Malfoy told her, looking sadly at her.
"Actually, I think I'll just go to bed," Hermione announced, loud enough for Parvati to hear. "I'll see you tomorrow."
She turned from the table and started out of the Great Hall. She kept wondering if Malfoy was watching her. She found herself hoping that he was. Hermione cautiously glanced over her shoulder. Malfoy was watching her, and smiled when he saw that she was looking back. He waved. Hermione waved back and smiled, too, as she left the Great Hall.