Chapter Four: Second Encounter
Hermione jumped out of her parents' car almost as soon as it parked. Almost unconsciously she started scanning for the unmistakably Weasley hair. Common sense always prevented her from looking for Harry who blended in.
"Hermione!" Mrs. Granger called, "I want to give you something."
She ran over to her parents, chestnut hair bouncing. "What is it, Mum?" asked their daughter slightly out of breath.
Then, her mother pulled out a long leather box that had loopy writing in gold across the top. Inside was a beautiful black diamond teardrop on a thin silver chain. Katilynn wrapped her arms around her daughter's neck to put the necklace on. The long chain caused the sparkling pendant to rest between Hermione's breasts.
"It is a family heirloom," her mother explained as she adjusted it, "Legend says that it has a partner, and that one day when they are reunited something powerful would happen. But none ever told who holds its match."
"Thanks, Mum," Hermione said appreciatively hugging her around the neck. She then turned to her brightly smiling father and hugged him in turn.
"Off you go, dear," Mrs. Granger said pointedly, "Have a great year…"
"I will, Mum," Hermione reassured with a peck on her cheek.
"Love you, guys," she said, and then their daughter disappeared into the crowded train station, pushing her loaded trolley.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Draco, Professor McGonagall said the Heads were to meet her in the front compartment," Blaise Zabini announced from the train compartment door that Draco shared with his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle. Blaise was tall, dark, and mysterious, like most of the Slytherin boys tended to be. His dark blue eyes seemed to look into your soul. You could easily lose sight of him in a crowded room; he just tended to blend in.
Immediately, Draco stood to leave. Noticing his two comrades were about to follow, he waved them away with a simple explanation of he could handle himself. The two returned to their barbaric scuffle over Draco's uneaten pumpkin pastry.
Blaise rolled his eyes at the two and gave Draco a small smile before disappearing down the train corridor. They had never been close, but none of the Slytherins were really close as it was. It probably had to do with the bad reputation of their house and the slight untrusting habit they had adapted at young ages. Yes, there were a few who didn't grow up in dark families, but they soon found that not trusting anyone in their own house was better than being stabbed in the back with lies and rumors. No, they weren't the friendliest bunch in Hogwarts.
As soon as Draco had stepped into the corridor, he was collided with. Unconsciously he grabbed hold of the small form, which had started to topple over.
"Pardon, me," he said through gritted teeth. 'Who is this moron?'
"Thank, you," the girl said as she regained her footing, "But now if you don't mind releasing me, I have somewhere I need to be."
Draco quickly let his hands drop, as he recognized the domineering tone of the know-it-all Gryffindor. "My bad, Granger," he muttered moodily.
With all said and done, he turned around and headed down the train. He knew he would be seeing her soon enough as it was. On the way, though, he couldn't help but marvel about how light she had felt.
Hermione stood on the same spot. The recent events started to sink in slowly. Minute horror flew through her head, but was quickly replaced by a new wave of dread.
"It doesn't have anything to do with the Prophecy, Hermione," she chided herself quietly as she rushed on down the corridor to the front.
"Now that we have both of our Heads," Professor McGonagall said with a smile at Hermione, "I can begin telling you the rules and responsibilities of the positions you hold."
Hermione slid into the seat opposite of her partner for the year without a glance.
Mrs. McGonagall started her long list of duties that the two would share. They would have to patrol hallways together Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Also, they were to set an example for the other students in things, such as behavior towards students of different houses.
She had tuned out the speech the Deputy Headmistress was giving them. Instead she looked around to the boy she now had to spend a year with. The sight that met her amber eyes made her happy smile go cold. Draco Malfoy was laid back in the booth seat of the table they shared. His frigid silver eyes were on McGonagall.
'Malfoy? How the heck is he Head Boy?' her brain questioned reality in disbelief. Hermione could already tell it was going to be an interesting year. She found out she wasn't what she thought, her mother foretells a bond between her and one of her worst enemies, and now she was stuck with him for an entire year, how could anything get worse?
Finishing up her time consuming lecture, McGonagall headed towards the door. "I'll leave you two to discuss this year," she said with and all to familiar twinkle in her eye.
Both sat in an intense silence. Draco watched as Hermione twitched with impatience, while Hermione fought a battle within herself about actually trying to get along with him.
Finally she broke it. "Malfoy, I propose a truce to survive this year. The least we could do was tolerate each other," she proclaimed with an aura of finality. She leaned forward over the table to listen to his response.
"Well, Granger, I must point out that I am currently tolerating your annoying presence, so what good would a truce do us?" he said coolly. Draco watched for her familiar temper. 'Yep, and there it goes.'
"It figures! Your stupid, pureblood arse can't take the stress of a challenge. Do you actually think for one second that I want to spend my time with you?" said Hermione starting a heated tirade. Oh, how she wished she could smack the arrogant smirk off of his face. Then, his amusement hit her full in the face. The bastard was testing her.
"Quite a temper the Gryffindors have," Draco commented jovially.
The remark missed that time. Hermione had caught on to the game he thought he could win and was now ignoring his smart remarks.
"Like I said, Malfoy, you can't handle a challenge. And since, you can't you can have the privilege of finding a new route around our inability to cope with one another."
Her comeback hit home at his stubborn male ego.
"I can take anything you can, Granger, and a lot more!" he protested without much emotion.
This too she ignored. "I would have thought a Deatheater would have at least some guts, but maybe Voldemort has low standards." Hermione immediately knew she had gone too far.
Suddenly she was jerked off of her seat. "Shut the fuck up, Granger. You know nothing about me. Understand?" he yelled with a slight shake of Hermione, "Now leave me the hell alone."
Hermione was the most frightened she had ever been, but at the same time she was confused. 'Malfoy isn't a Deatheater?' she thought bewildered. Then her conscience started screaming at her full force, 'He's scaring the living fuck out of you, you idiot! Don't say anything else stupid!'
Calmly Hermione apologized, "I'm sorry, Malfoy. I shouldn't have assumed."
Draco nodded tightly through his anger.
"Can you please put me down, now?" Hermione appealed quietly.
He hadn't realized he had picked her up in the first place. Draco instantly released his white-knuckled grip on her shoulders. 'Why do you let her get to you, fool? Because she just pushed my buttons,' he answered subconsciously.
Hermione stood stock-still and speechless. She was afraid to say anything.
Draco's face was once again completely passive, as he walked stiffly around her and out of the compartment.
"Well, that was interesting," Hermione muttered to no one in particular.
A.N.: Sorry I don't get to upload everyday. See the thing is I already have Chapters 1 though 15 written; all I have to do is type them out. But there is a problem with my brain that causes me to want to for some gosh-awful reason I have to revise everything I write. It's a freaking horrible time consuming task, which takes me forever. But I hope ya'll do enjoy what I do put out!
Special thanks to my lovely reviewers (sorry I haven't said anything before):
hg(): Thanks for your constructive criticism
mystified by nature: Thanks for your awesome encouragement.
Crystal M. Star: You helped me get moving again.
DeMiGoD714: Thanks for being there for me, beau.