"Hermione, there you are!"
"Why didn't you answer our letters?"
"How was your holiday?"
"Why are you sitting all alone?"
"You look different"
Hermione sighed, it hadn't been five minutes into the journey and she had been found. As usual Ron and Harry bombarded her with tons of questions
"Guys, stop, STOP!" Hermione yelled the last part, interrupting their interrogation of her.
"Sorry for not answering all of you letters but I have been busy. My holidays were fine. I'm sitting alone because I WANT to, and I look different because I am different. Okay?"
"Uh, okay" Harry said hesitantly, wondering about Hermione's sudden change in attitude, usually they would have been hugged to death by now, and Mia hadn't made any move to get up at all.
Ron just stood there, to taken aback to do anything, it wasn't like her to snap.
"You can sit down," Hermione said, as the boys were clearly uncomfortable standing in the doorway.
"Thanks" Ron said, running in and jumping on the seat opposite Mia. He grabbed one of her muggle chocolate bars. "Can I have this?"
"Yeah okay" Hermione said, rolling her eyes when he shoved almost the whole thing in his mouth at once.
"Mia, can I talk to you for a second" Harry said, walking out into the corridor.
"Are you okay? I'm sure Ron- being his usual self- was to preoccupied with chocolate to notice, but you seem off, has something happened"
"No, nothing happened" Mia said firmly, not ready to tell them yet.
"Well, you can always talk to me okay?" Harry said, giving Mia a hug
"I know"
They returned to the compartment- Ron hadn't even realized they had left- and had barely sat down when Malfoy came in.
"What do you want?" Harry said coolly, not trusting the blonde.
Malfoy ignored the fact that Harry had even spoken "Mudblood, your wanted in the prefects meeting"
"Don't call her that" Said Ron, jumping to her defense
"Oh, aint it sweet, the Weasel's in love with the Mudblood, you two suit each other" Malfoy sneered
"You know Ferret, your going to have to cut a hole in your stomach soon" Mia said
Malfoy looked confused "And why would I want to do that Mudblood?"
"Well you've got you head shoved so far up you fucking arse you need a peephole to see what the rest of the worlds doing" Mia said, leaving all three boys speechless.
"Harry, Ron- I'll see you later" She said, and walked to the front of the train, where the prefect's carriage is.
When Hermione walked in she finally saw who the other two prefects were, Colin Creevey, and Padma Patil.
"Hey Hermione" They both said.
"Please, don't call me that, I hate it, call me Mia"
"Or Mudblood" Malfoy sneered from behind her.
"Go fuck yourself Malfoy, 'cause none of us are interested"
Colin and Padma looked at Mia in surprise, and then burst out laughing. Malfoy sulked in a corner.
"So, why are there only the four of us?" Mia asked
"Dumbledore decided that the school didn't need eight, and wanted to make the positions more competitive." Malfoy said lazily.
"How did you know that?" Hermione asked, surprised.
"My father" Malfoy said simply.
"Well, I don't think we have to stay here, so I'm going to go" Padma said
"Me too" Colin nodded, and they both left.
"Aren't you going back to Potty and the Weasel?" Malfoy asked when Mia made no attempt to get up
"No, are you not going back to you little death eater club"
"No" Malfoy said simply
They sat in silence until Malfoy pulled out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket
"Malfoy, you can't smoke on the train!" Hermione cried
"Why not" Malfoy said in his usual arrogant manner.
"'Cause if you get caught…"
"Live a little"
"Its your choice" Mia said huffily, turning away from him
"Look natural for a second"
"What are you on about?"
"I'm going to do a charm, but you we both need to be doing something 'normal'"
Hermione, true to form, pulled out Hogwarts- A History, where as Malfoy just sat there glaring out the window.
Malfoy muttered a few words, and a bright light enveloped the two of them, before shimmering away.
"What was that?" Hermione asked, racking her brain but for once, coming up with no answers.
"To anyone outside we will look as though we are doing what ever we were doing when I cast the spell, to when I take it off. Even if they use unlocking spells like Alohamora they wont be able to get in."
"Let me guess where you learnt that one"
"You are right, its part of the Dark Arts, but its only a Dark charm if that's what the castor intended it to be"
"You'll have to teach me that one" Hermione said thoughtfully
Malfoy lit his cigarette and threw the pack to Hermione
"What are you doing Malfoy. You hate me remember"
"That was the other reason I put up this spell Hermione. No one can know what goes on in here unless we tell them, no amount of spying spells can break it."
"You called me Hermione"
"I don't hate you"
"What. You called me Mudblood and insulted my heritage for the last four years and you expect me to believe that shit"
"Yeah"
"Explain"
"My father always threatened me with death or worse if I didn't hate all muggle-borns, so I convinced myself I did hate them, and you copped all the shit from that"
Hermione was shell-shocked. "What made you tell me this now"
"Voldemort killed my father"
Hermione's mouth dropped open and she sat there gaping at him, recovering, she said, "So what dies this mean…Draco"
"It means I can be the true Draco Malfoy, not Lucius Junior"
"Hold up, if Voldemort killed your father then why were you nasty to me today, and at Diagon Alley"
"I knew you wouldn't meet me alone if I suddenly changed into the real me, so I acted like I have for the last four years, got you into the prefect compartment, waited for the others to leave and yeah, you know the rest."
"How do you know I wouldn't have met you?"
"Think about it Hermione, your arch nemesis aka the biggest muggle-born hate in the school, and a rumored follower of Voldemort, asks you to come meet him for a nice little chat. I know what you would think, 'he's going to take me to Voldemort to bait Harry' don't worry, that's what most people would think"
"So why the charm"
"Can you imagine if Weasley and Potter came in right now, me smoking, and you sitting there calmly listening to me spill my guts, holding my smokes- you can have one."
Hermione studies the cigarettes in her hand, "Why?"
"Trust me, you'll feel better"
Hermione stiffened, "And how do you know there's something wrong?"
"You look like you haven't slept in a week, I can tell you've cried sometime in the last day form the redness around your eyes"
"Is it that obvious"
"I'm very perceptive" Hermione took a cigarette, and, ignoring all the reasons against it, lit it with a wave of her wand. It's not actually that bad. I could get used to it. And yeah, I do feel better, more relaxed, its like when I let go of a drag I let out the stress with my breath, not bad, not bad at all.
"Well, you like?" Draco asked
"Yeah, thanks, its not as bad as I guessed it would be…so, where does this leave us?"
"Well, we have to share a common room for the next year, so I'm saying we call a truce, and consider becoming friends" Draco said reasonably.
"I guess I could handle that," Hermione said, smiling a little.
They shook on it, and sat in comfortable silence till Draco spoke again, "So, I spilt my guts to you, do I get to know why you were stressed.
Hermione looked at the floor "I'd rather not go into it" She said quietly
"I understand" Draco replied
Hermione was shocked, Harry, Ron, Ginny or any one else would have pressed her for information, but Mal- Draco just let it go. "Thanks, I really appreciate it" Hermione said, throwing her cigarette butt out of the window.
"Want another?" Draco asked, holding out the pack.
"You don't mind?" Hermione asked
"Magical pack, refills all by itself" Draco said, throwing her one
"Must have been expensive" Hermione said
"Just a little, I don't want to lose it that's for sure"
"I bet you don't"
As the train ride continued on, Mia and Draco just sat and talked to each other, finding out they had a little more in common than either would have guessed. Draco took off the charm, and cast an air freshener spell, just in case they got visitors.
About an hour away form the school Draco fell asleep, leaving Mia to her thoughts. Is he for real, how do I know if I can trust him, he seems genuine, but he may just be acting? I guess I should give him a chance, but I'll have to keep my guard up, just like Dad always taught me. Goddamn you'd think after a month and a half it would start to get easier, but it still hurts as bad as it did on the day. I wish you guys were here, you'd know what to do, Mom your instincts were always spot on, what do I do? Oh what's the use, you guys cant here me, nor answer me, you're gone, and there's nothing I can do about it. I'll just have to make my own mind up about him.
-DRACO'S POV-
She doesn't realize I'm watching her, she thinks I'm still asleep. I wonder why she's crying, she looks so sad. I hope she believed me, I wouldn't if I were her, but I'm not, so I don't know what she's thinking. I hope she tells me what's wrong soon, she looks heart broken, not that I can really expect her too after the way I've treated her in the past. I hope she can forgive me for that. I shouldn't have acted like that. But if I hadn't I would be dead, Father wouldn't have hesitated to kill me, just like he did when Dimitri refused to go to the Dark side. Dimitri would have been twenty by now. I can't believe Father could do that. But he did, I saw it with my own eyes, he murdered Dimitri and erased all details about him, so if someone looked up our family name my brother wouldn't be on them, then threatened to do the same to me. I hope Hermione will understand why I acted the way I did, but with Father gone hopefully I can convince her, and the rest of the school, that I'm not the up himself prick I pretended to be.
"Are you awake?" Hermione's voice jolted me out of my thoughts, which was probably a good thing, as they weren't all that pleasant.
"Yeah, you okay?"
"Yes I'm fine why wouldn't I be?" Hermione really was a bright witch, but she was useless at acting
"You were crying"
"Oh, you saw"
"Yeah, I saw, so are you?"
"Aha, its nothing really" I knew she was lying but I let it be for now.
3RD PERSON-
The train ride was over all too soon, and the four prefects found themselves reunited in a carriage. Hermione was a little disappointed that Harry and Ron hadn't come see her at all, but then again she was kind of snappish at them before.
All the students piled into the great hall, and eagerly awaited the feast. The sorting hat did its bit, and Gryffindor received twenty-two new students.
Albus Dumbledore stood up to speak, "Before your minds become to befuddled by our excellent food, I would like to make a few announcements. Firstly, Mr. Filch would like me to once again remind you that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden for many good reasons, and to please stay out, or you will be issued with detention. Secondly, Madame Pompfrey has unfortunately retired, but Miss Destiny Malfoy has filled the role of medi-witch, so you have no need to worry, there's still someone here to set broken bones, not merely remove them" Laughter broke out among the older students of the school, all clearly remembering when Lockhart made all of Harry's bones disappear. "Now, there's only one thing left to say- enjoy the feast!"
Hermione sat in shock, Destiny was here! She had no idea that Destiny was a witch! Hold on, didn't Dumbledore just say Destiny Malfoy! Oh my gosh how did I not see the resemblance, they must be siblings!
Across the other side of the hall Draco sat in shock as well, it was Destiny! He hadn't seen hide or hair of her since what happened to Dimitri. I wonder if she knows I'm here? Does she blame me for not saving Dimitri, I know Mom does, even if she won't admit it, I'll have to go and talk to her as soon as possible.
As soon as the feast ended and everyone was shown to their dorms, Hermione and Draco both ran for the Hospital Wing, neither of them knowing the other was going.
"Destiny!" Hermione yelled, racing up to older girl and pulling her into a hug "You never told me you were a witch!"
"Hermione? Oh my god!" Destiny exclaimed, returning the hug full force "You're a witch!"
Don't worry, Destiny and Draco's reunion is coming next chappie, and I can't wait!
Okay, Review replies!
Reader- I actually answered that in the next paragraph after that. But incase I didn't explain it well enough, her Aunt wasn't busy at work at all, and told Mia so in the first place, but then when Mia asked if they could talk her Aunt assumed it would be about her parents, and didn't want to talk about them, so made the excuse that she was tired from a hectic day at work to get out of it, forgetting though that she had already told Mia it was a quiet day. Make sense now? Thanks for reading!
Dracodolenz- Thank you!
XX-Dracos-Dark-Queen-XX- Thank you muchly! I'm reading your story 'I Love You' (the one with the funny title that I have no idea how to do) now. Thanks for adding me to your faves!
Thanks for reading guys!
Karma