Conquest of the Heart
Chapter Four
New Arrangement
DA
I hate Pansy Parkinson! I really do loathe her! Can't she go jump in the lake or something? Rid us all of her existence. I know Draco feels the same just by the look on his face…ooh. He's still got a red mark on his cheek. Did I hit him that hard? He looks this way and I tear my eyes away though I already know he saw me looking. I turn away from the group and head toward the Gryffindor table to sit with Hermione, Harry and Ron who all got here before I did. I sat down and smiled at Hermione while we waited for the first years to come in.
I glance back at the Slytherin table and scowl when I see Pansy hanging all over Draco. I quickly turn around and take a deep breath. Why should I care? Let him suffer. He deserves it. Soon no one else is coming into the Great hall through the main doors and that means that all of the carriages are empty…or maybe some got stuck somewhere or something. Well, never mind. Soon some doors, not to far away from the main doors, also open and Hagrid walks into the Great Hall and over to the staff table. Then, the doors open again and Professor McGonagall leads the first years up to the Sorting Hat, which is sitting on that three-legged stool like last year when I was sorted into Gryffindor. McGonagall picks up the scroll of parchment from the staff table, unrolls it, and begins to read names off.
"Able, Pamela!" A small girl with short, curly brown hair steps up to the three-legged stool and sits down before McGonagall places the Sorting Hat on her head. The hat thinks for a few moments, muttering to itself about numerous things before making a decision.
The rip near the brim opened wide and the hat screamed out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Lots of cheers and applause from the Hufflepuff table as Pamela skips over to their table and sits down. The transfiguration teacher continues down the list for about a half an hour, calling out names and putting the hat on their heads. Gryffindor got a very little amount of new students this year. I guess brave people are becoming less and less. Once the last one, James Zetherman, was sorted into Slytherin, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore stood up.
"Welcome, my fine students, to another year at Hogwarts," he said in his usual cheerful voice. "Now, first things first, I would like to congratulate our new Head Boy, Draco Malfoy…" The whole Slytherin table applaud and cheer when Draco stood up. "…and the new head Girl, Hermione Granger." The entire Gryffindor table also cheer when Hermione stood. "Would the two of you, along with Ms. Dorothy Agel, please see me after the feast? Now, I know that most of you are light-hearted and happy now that Voldemort is gone…" Some people still flinch at the name. "…but please do try to keep up with your studies. In addition, I promised you last year that we would allow you to play Quidditch again this year and I never go back on my word if I can help it. Try-outs begin October 5th in the Quidditch pitch and the first game is Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw. Now that my announcements are all finished, tuck in."
DM
Food appears on the table before me and I see Crabbe and Goyle begin to fill their plates and their faces. Pansy's going on about something that I don't really care about and Blaise is just sitting there looking around the Great Hall. I glance over at the Gryffindor table and see that Dorothy is talking to Granger, Potter, and Weasley while eating a little bit. She doesn't eat much, does she? No wonder she's so skinny.
"So, Drakie," starts Pansy. I prefer Draco. "Notice anything different?" About you? I look her over carefully. Nothing really, so I'll guess.
"New haircut?" I ask.
"No, silly," she says, patting my arm playfully. I look around and see Dorothy looking back at me…or is it at Pansy. She's glaring nevertheless. "I've lost weight." No, that's not it. Oh, she's telling me she's lost weight. I really don't see it, though.
"Well, good for you," I reply, making eye contact with Dorothy. She sees me looking at her and turns around quickly to continue talking with Granger.
Soon, dinner was over and the students were filing out of the Great Hall, the prefects leading them to their common rooms. I see Granger and Dorothy let a few people pass and then proceed to the front of the Great Hall where the old idiot of a headmaster is waiting. I follow close behind them, giving them almost no space and stepping lightly on Dorothy's heels. We stop once we're at the front and Dorothy, once again, slams her foot down on mine. I muffle a shout of pain and glare at the back of her head.
"Aw, Ms. Agel," says Dumbledore, looking at Dorothy through his half-moon spectacles. "I received a letter this morning from two people named Mac McCloud and Marty Douglas whom seem very concerned about your safety. I was wondering if you knew these people." Dorothy sighs in irritation.
"Yes, headmaster," she replied, looking back at Dumbledore. "Don't listen to what they say, though. They're overly protective. They were my father's bodyguards but when he passed away, they took on the job of watching me. There's no need to pay any heed to what they say or comply with their requests."
"Oh, but I do since they are also considered your guardians," headmaster replies. "They told me to place you with the most responsible person I, as well as you, know. Well, since the most responsible person that you are acquainted with is Ms. Granger here, I've had another bed placed in her dormitory in the Head's common room. I hope that isn't a problem."
Dorothy's head snaps back to look at me and I know what she's thinking. Quickly she tries to get out of her new arrangements.
"Oh, but headmaster, isn't there anything else? Anyone else!?" she begs.
"Alas, Ms. Agel, there isn't. Oh, but don't fret. No member of the opposite sex is allowed to enter into the other's dormitory. What I mean is, no male is allowed to enter yours and Ms. Granger's dormitory just as now female is allowed to enter Mr. Malfoy's." What?! You mean, I don't get to sneak into Dorothy's room at night? This blows!
DA
I'm shocked. Even if Draco's not allowed to come in and try anything…there's still something wrong with this picture. I mean, normally I would be happy if I was going to get to stay in the Head's common room, but under these circumstances, I don't think I want to.
"Now," the headmaster adds, "the password to your common room is Hinkypunk. Please don't forget. You may go now and please do try to get along. Oh, and don't let anyone into your common room just yet, please. There will be time for that later. Good night."
Hermione, Draco, and I all exit the Great Hall. Draco walks on, pulling out a piece of parchment that I recognize as being the list of things that they got while we were on the train. It must have directions to the Head's common room. Hermione and I meet up with Harry and Ron outside the Great Hall and explain about my current situation.
"Woah. Your so lucky!" exclaims Ron.
"I feel like I'm intruding, though," I state, looking at Hermione. "I mean, this is Hermione's honor. She shouldn't have to share her room with me."
"Actually, I'm glad you're going to be there," Hermione replies. "I don't think I could handle sharing a common room with Malfoy for very long. If your there, you can hold me back when I want to kill him and I'll hold you back when you want to kill him." I laugh a little.
"This is Draco Malfoy we're talking about," I say. "We're going to have to chain ourselves to the ground in order to keep calm around him."
Hermione and I bid farewell to Ron and Harry when we reach the third floor, where the Head's common room is. When they disappear around the corner, both Hermione and me give the password in unison and walk into the large common room.
It is dimly lit by a fire on one wall that is surrounded by very comfortable looking green and red armchairs. There is also a long couch up against the stone wall between the dormitory stairs. A few small cherry oak tables are in between each armchair and a glass coffee table, surrounded by cushions, that were supposed to be chairs, is on the opposite side of the common room from the fireplace. Each of the staircases leading up to a dorm is lit by torches. The carpet on the staircase that leads to Hermione's and my dormitory is gold with a scarlet border. At the foot of the stairs, however, is a lion like the one on Hogwarts' coat of arms. The stairs leading up to Draco's dorm is silver with a green border and a serpent at the foot of them.
"Wow," I say, staring in amazement at the common room. "This-this is very…wow."
Quickly, both Hermione and I race up our staircase and once again stop dead in our tracks when we see our bedroom. Our beds are on opposite sides of the room but are equal in size and beauty. Both are canopy beds. My blanket is scarlet and Hermione's is gold. We have four pillows on our beds, two gold and two red. My canopy is gold and Hermione's is scarlet. It looks so beautiful in here. There's a large bookcase between our beds that's filled with lots of old looking books and weird gadgets. There are two dressers, one at the foot of each bed, with out trunks beside them, and a mirror on the wall beside the book case. The carpet feels like velvet and is a very deep scarlet color. I jump on my bed and smell the pillows out of habit. Mmm. Smells like jasmine and lilacs.
"Hey, there's another door!" announces Hermione, grabbing the gold knob and twisting it to open, exposing a large bathroom. The bathtub reminds me of the prefects' bathroom's bathtub. I look at the other end of the bathroom and see Malfoy's head sticking out through a door that's no doubt coming from his room.
DM
Oh, hey Dorothy. I'm guessing you've seen the common room. I got here before you so I've had time to enjoy my room a little bit already.
The bathroom is really huge though. A large bathtub like the one in the prefects' bathroom with, if possible, even more knobs. I'll have to test them all eventually. There's a row of toilets on one side, all covered in stalls. There's also a urinal near my door. (A/N: Sorry people, I gotta tell the naked truth.) When I look over in one corner, I expect to be bare, I see two glass walls, almost transparent, but not quite, that make a box with the corner. I'm guessing that's the shower. The tiles on the floor are white with green serpents and scarlet lions in the middle of each one. I smirk once at Dorothy, look up at the dim chandelier hanging down from the ceiling, and then retreat back into my room.
My room is huge, in my opinion. Very spacious compared to the boys' dormitories in the Slytherin common rooms. I have deep emerald green carpet that is soft to the touch. My bed is just how I like it. Open sided without a canopy and completely rectangular. The blanket, satin I'd guess by the feel of if, is emerald green and my pillows are silver. The mattress is soft and comfortable and fits easily to my body, like it was made for me. There's a dresser beside the door. It's large and looks like it might be made out of oak. My trunk's right next to it. There's a bookcase on the other end of the room next to a stained-glass window of a serpent. For such a big room, it doesn't seem to have a lot in it.
I sit back down on my bed and sigh. I'm tired…really tired. Just as I'm about to go to sleep I heard those two girls still chattering in the bathroom. I get up and walk to the bathroom door. I fling it open and look in. Dorothy and Granger stop talking immediately and look at me.
"Someone is trying to sleep here," I say, looking at the enchanted clock on the wall of my room. "It's 9:36. I want to sleep. Can you please just shut up?"
The two of them retreat back into their room and all is quiet again. I close the door and step back over to my bed, plopping down on it and closing my eyes. I don't bother to change my clothes or anything. I'm too tired…and I get to sleep in tomorrow. It's a Saturday.
A/N: Well, Chapter Four has ended and my eyes hurt. I did all four of these chapters in one day. I would, however, like to add that I'm leaving on the 23rd of December, the day that I'll probably post this and won't update until the 27th. See you then.
The Author