The Tale Of Two Malfoys

Chapter Two

A Puzzle In Potions

The ears of Draco Malfoy were surely on fire because the degree of the obscenities that Hermoine mumbled under her breath..... were hot enough to singe that hairs on an Eskimos' butt.

Hermoine stood between her two best mates, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, at their table in the back of the Potions classroom. Draco stood confident and full of Slytherin pride at his table directly in front of Snape's dingy desk.

Hermoine leaned slightly to her right and whispered to Harry, "I despise that slimy git!"

Ron leaned into her left with a look of bewilderment and asked, "Who me?"

Hermoine rolled her eyes, "For heaven's sake Ron, not every slimy git is you!"

Ron breathed a sigh of relief as Hermoine continued. "I'm talking about Malfoy." Her upper lip curled at the very mention of his name. She watched as Ron's face fell sour.

"What's that spoilt brat done now?" he asked keeping his voice low for fear of Snape. Hermoine raised hers a little so both Ron and Harry could hear.

"On my way to class earlier, I was walking along and thinking about how much I despise having Potions to look forward to at the end of every day.." Harry nodded in agreement. "When someone knocked my bag from my shoulder. I turned around and not to my surprise it was Malfoy and his brain dead cohorts. I swear I could of pinched his little head off! And you know what he said to me? He had the nerve to tell me to watch where I was going!! Can you believe the nerve!!? I swear I'm going to.." But before Hermoine could finish her threat it was interrupted.

"Miss Granger!"

Hermoine winced as she recognized the voice and turned her attention to the front of the classroom. Snape was staring intensely at her as was everyone else in the class.

"Would you be so kind as to not torture us with your ranting and raging today! Keep the trap shut!" He paused then added. "Ten points from Gryffindor!"

Through gritted teeth Hermoine apologized and class resumed. Her gaze fell upon a certain smirking Slytherin at the front of the room. She clenched her teeth so hard that she was sure that they would shatter into a thousand pieces. She held his stare for a minute, sending telepathic obscenities that he was wordlessly receiving. He threw her one last smirk before turning back to his potion. With her peripheral vision Hermoine saw Ron open his mouth ready to fill her ear with his distaste for Malfoy. She immediately shushed him for fear of a reoccurring confrontation with Snape. Hermoine allowed her glare to bore into the back of Draco's blonde head. She watched as he carefully chopped his rosemary and then scoop all the tiny pieces into his hand..... that's when she noticed it.

His hand that held the rosemary was trembling with such force, that tiny bits of the herb were snowing down onto the table. At this she cocked her eyebrow. This was very un-Slytherin like. Hell, this was very un-Draco like. Hermoine glanced around the room to see if anyone else had taken notice. Everyone seemed engrossed in their potion making, even Malfoy's half-wit partner Goyle was taking no notice. She glanced at Ron, who was busy cutting his own rosemary and then over to Harry who diligently taking notes.

A smile crept onto Hermoine's face as she watched Malfoy's hand tremble.

"Maybe he's nervous..." she pondered, " about messing up his potion."

The notion and the smile quickly faded when she saw him drop the remaining rosemary and grasp the table for support. Odd. Goyle had now taken notice and seemed to be asking Malfoy if he was alright. Malfoy ignored him as usual. With half his face visible, Hermoine saw him wince and grab his side in pain.

"Proffeser!" Goyle yelped, only to recieve a smack to the arm by a selfrighteous Malfoy. Snape looked up from his place beside Neville's table and looked quizingly at the two boys.

"Proffesor Snape Sir," Draco began before Snape could question them, "may I use the restroom Sir?"

Snaped stared at Malfoy for a minute as if trying to read some hidden meaning to his favorite pupils question. "Quick with it Mr. Malfoy." Snape snapped before returning his attention back to pestering Neville Longbottom.

Hermoine watched as Malfoy straightened himself and walked cooly to the door at the back of the room. As he passed her she shot him a questioning glance but he seemed oblivios to his surroundings. She noticed a glazed look to his eyes and shuddered.

"This is a strange day." She mummbled to herself.

The strange had yet to come.