As Hermione predicted, Snape gave them another essay assignment. Harry and Ron spent the whole Saturday doing their homework. Hermione was out of their midst, might be helping out Malfoy.
"Ron," called Harry as he dipped his quill. Ron shrugged to let Harry know his listening. "Please do me a favor and do your essay on the seventh year prefects' room."
Ron looked up with a confused face and asked, "Why?"
"I want Hermione to be watched as she teaches Malfoy. I don't actually trust him." Harry said.
"Very well," Ron said rolling his parchment. "I'll hex Malfoy if he tries something funny."
"Yeah, you do that. Thanks mate." Harry said seizing his quill once more. Ron grinned and went out of the portrait hole with his things. The seventh year prefects' room is just below the Gryffindor tower. Ron walked along the corridor and ended up facing a wall with a big H for Hogwarts and the four houses sign and color, coated around the H. Ron took as step much closer and said "8 rolls of parchment". The big sign of Hogwarts became semi-transparent revealing a black door. Ron stepped inside the semi-transparent sign and opened the door. Inside the door is a room with all the Hogwarts colors. It looked exactly like the Gryffindor common room except for the color. He saw Hermione and Malfoy standing by the fire, wands out. Ron placed himself on the table on the corner near them so he could eavesdrop on what they are saying.
He fixed his things and continued his writing. But half his mind traveled on Hermione and Malfoy. "So I say it as if singing?" Malfoy asked. His smirking voice is mysteriously gone. He was talking and acting rather unusual. It was obviously different but it seemed nice. "But Hermione, I don't sing!" he added. "Hermione?' Ron thought. Malfoy never addresses anyone by his or her first name. This thing seems kind of weird for anybody.
"You don't really have to sing. You just have to say it with a tone rather than straight. Do it like this 'MeL.....oH...doU...Ci...Ya' get it?" Hermione said "Worth to try-'MeL.....oH...doU...Ci...Ya'" Malfoy properly pronounced. Like Hermione, Malfoy's wand emitted the sweet symphony.
Ron could not stop being irritated with this matter. He could not concentrate. His hand was shaking and he could just invade Hermione and drag her to stay with them in their common room. He resisted it but could no longer resist the temptation to look at them. Hermione was concentrated on her wand emitting music but Malfoy is just staring at Hermione. This gave Ron a tingling sensation to hex him right now.
"Thanks Hermione," Malfoy said putting his wand down. Hermione too placed down his wand and face Malfoy who was looking at her differently. He was smiling, different from his usual smile.
"Yeah Malfoy. No problem."
"Um, Hermione, could I ask you something?" Malfoy said getting hold of Hermione's arm and pulled her to a side near Ron. At this, Ron forgot all his writing and just got hold of the quill, pretending to write. All his attention was focused on Hermione and Malfoy who were very near him. Malfoy lowered his voice and said, "Would you like to....................."
"Hey Ron, what are you up to?" suddenly called Ernie McMillan who approached him and leaned on his table. Ron's attentiveness on trying to here on Hermione and Malfoy was cut short when the Hufflepuff prefect came running to him.
"Oh, I was just writing Snape's essay. Listen please give a time first, I really need to finish it." Ron said urgently shoving Ernie to get a clear view of Hermione and Malfoy and see if they are still talking.
"Alright then, seeing you are a bit grumpy right now." Ernie said stepping away.
"Goodluck on that essay, Ron." he added and went on to meet with Anthony Goldstein. Just then, when he was expecting to listen more attentively someone approach him once again.
"So Ron, what made you come here?" It was Hermione. Ron was a bit surprised.
"Just finished teaching Malfoy." she added.
"Oh, alright. I left the common room 'cause....um....er.....it was a bit noisy" Ron said a little shaken. Hermione sat at the chair beside Ron
"Do you need any help?" she asked politely.
"No, I think I'll finish this later. Let's call Harry and have some lunch now, don't you think?" Ron asked fixing his things.
"Sure, I'm a bit hungry." The two of them went to the Gryffindor tower to see Harry talking to Ginny. The four of them decided to eat together for lunch.
The Great Hall was full of people talking and eating. The enchanted ceiling is blizzard with snow and is visible only by the continuous flow of white cold. Hermione noticed Harry looking rather depressed on a space in the Ravenclaw table. "You miss her don't you?" Hermione asked him as they made their way to sit at the Gryffindor table.
"Who?" Harry asked blankly.
"Cho, Cho Chang, you know." Hermione answered.
"Oh, um, not really." Harry said. He seemed kinda sad when Hermione reminded him of her.
"It's okay Harry. A thing that is good about female is the fact that we sense love trouble immediately, you know. So if you have any more problem in love or anything, feel free to ask me." Hermione said as she sat beside Harry and Ron and Ginny are opposite them.
"Uh yeah. I don't really have a love life right now. Except...." he added. He was unsure why but is seemed kind of needed.
Hermione looked at Harry suspiciously and said "Except what?"
"Oh nothing," he immediately said.
Ron was looking pass Harry and Hermione to the Slytherin table. He seemed to be eyeing something. He was feeling his food not knowing what he is putting. He placed in some mash potatoes and fried chicken, kidney and liver pudding and accidentally poured his pumpkin juice on his plate. But still he did not take his eye off that thing.
"Ron!" Ginny said angrily. The pumpkin juice seemed to have spread until her plate.
"Ron be careful." "Hey Ron, watch your plate. You're making a mess." Harry called unto him, putting his plate up to avoid the spill.
"What?" he said finally looking at them.
"Forget it, Evanesco!" Ginny pronounced and all the spill and food on Ron's plate vanished. Harry looked at Ron whose conscience was now on his food.
"What are you staring at anyway?" he asked biting some muffin.
"It's a 'who'. I am staring at Malfoy. He keeps on staring at Hermione. Luckily, he doesn't notice me." Ron said also taking bit off a muffin.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you something." Hermione suddenly said. "Malfoy earlier asked me something." she stopped waiting for them to reply. When none came back she continued, "He asked me if I would like to go out with him on the next Hogsmeade weekend."
"What?" Harry suddenly said in surprise. Ron and Ginny stared at her as if they saw her for the first time. "What did you say to him?" Harry immediately added.
"I said I'll think about it." Hermione said trying to avoid their eyes. But even as she did, she could feel them all staring at her.
"Why did you say that? We are all pretty sure that you'll say no." Ron asked no longer looking at Hermione but back to Malfoy who seemed to have not taken his eyes, even once, from Hermione.
Hermione, still avoiding their eyes said, "Well, I'm not really sure if I would say no 'cause half of me is saying that I should give it a go."
"After all the things he did to you?" Ron said outraged.
"People change, Ron. And as I've noticed, he hasn't thrown a single insult to my friends and me for more than a year now. Just think, what if he had changed?" she said now looking at Ron. "He have been quiet all through are sixth year but obviously you haven't noticed that since you can never miss it. But I've noticed it so because it felt kind of weird. Every time we pass him, he doesn't react or do anything he used to do. This year, since our ride to Hogwarts, he has been talking to me quite friendly. While you were at the prefect's compartment assigning them to their tasks and Harry was on his compartment with Luna and Neville, I was alone doing some work in the Head Boys and Girls compartment with Malfoy. He decided to have a conversation with me and we kinda got along."
"You, get along with him? His a git isn't he? He often called you a you- know-what and tries to ruin everybody else's lives." Ron said.
"I know that. Well, when we had our conversation he apologized, like I said, for everything. He said he regretted doing all those things to you, to Harry, to Hagrid, to Ginny, and he kinda stressed me in it."
"We'll spy on you on your date, okay?" Ron said returning once more on his food.
"Fine by me, if you don't trust him yet. But as I said, I am not yet sure so I have not yet answered him." Hermione said pushing her plate. "What do you think Harry? You have been awfully quiet." she added smiling at him.
Harry who finished eating looked at her, surprised at being addressed. "Anything that makes you happy, Hermione. I'm happy or cool with it as long as you are." He said kindly.
Hermione grinned at him and asked "How about you Ginny?"
"I'm not really sure. Ron's getting a bit jealous right now." she said laughing. Harry and Hermione laughed with her. Ron went slightly pink.
"Why would I be jealous? Besides, Hermione's not my type." Ron said.
"Well anyway, I'll go to Hagrid and ask him what he thinks about it after you've all finished." Hermione said watching Ron and Ginny eat.
"I'll come with you," Ginny said
"Me too, boy, I miss Hagrid." Harry said
"You can't expect me to be alone so I might as well go." Ron said. He just finished his food seconds after Ginny. They all stood up and walked for the big open door of the Great Hall. "Don't look now but Malfoy is coming." Ron whispered to them.
A tall, white blonde haired boy with pale skin met them on their way out. "Hey Potter, Weasleys, Hermione, good day, isn't it? He said. The smirkness of his voice must be permanently gone.
"So, what's up Malfoy?" Ron said turning to him.
"I'm wondering if I could have a word with Hermione." He said with a gleeful tone.
"It's okay. You three go ahead. I'll catch up in about five minutes." Hermione said. Harry, Ron and Ginny went out of the Great Hall and out of the entrance hall. They walked rather slowly to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. They determinedly avoided glancing at Hermione and Malfoy through the open doors of the castle.
"I think Malfoy is in loved with our Hermione." Ron said to Harry and Ginny when the three of them are out of earshot to anybody. "You know, the way he addresses her with her first name and us by our surname. Why does he do that?"
"As you can see, he is in loved with her." Ginny said to them. Harry and Ron frowned at her. "But he was not only in loves with her now. He has been in loved with her since the end of the other year. Of course he doesn't want to be in loved with a muggle-born but he could no longer help it."
"I still don't get you Ginny. What are you saying?" Ron asked quickly.
"Malfoy is not really the Malfoy you know, for a fact, everybody knows. He has been known to be this cruel pureblood boy, but he is not really like that, at least for the past 2 years. He acts like this in order to put up with his father's pride. He hates being known to be a muggle-born hater. He hates his family being all so pure about everything. And get this, he hates being in Slytherin." Ginny said truly.
Harry and Ron's mouth are open in disbelieve. Their eyes are staring at Ginny as though she became the new Minister of Magic. "I still don't get you Ginny." Ron slowly said.
"What's hard to understand, Ron?" Ginny asked patiently. "Malfoy is a kind of a guy like a boy-next-door type. A boy who has always been good inside but sickening person you all know outside. Last year he remained silent, he no longer wants to lie. But now he is revealing his true self. You will notice that he doesn't have any friends. All the Slytherins have disregarded him. No other people from others houses talks to him because of how they knew him."
"How do you know all that?" Harry asked curiously.
"Well because...I've been...I mean...me and Hermione have been, you know, if you call it 'friends' with him." Ginny said
"Since when?" Harry asked.
"Uh, since the end of terms of the year when we all went to the Ministry to save Sirius. Hermione was actually the one who introduced me formally to him. It was all a secret of course." Ginny said. They finally reached the door of Hagrid's cabin.
Even before anyone of them knocked, the door opened. It was Hermione. "Hi Harry, Ron, Ginny! Where have you been? I've been waiting for you for at least three minutes already." She said happily.
"We've been around. Got carried away by the time that we forgot to go here, sorry Hermione." Harry said speaking for them. "It's okay. Come on inside." she said widening the door. She still have the smile she wore earlier. Hagrid is boiling tea in his small but cozy fireplace.
"HI Hagrid," the three of them said in unison.
"Hey there yeh three, I thought yeh f'gotten wh're I live. Don't want yeh gotten lost now do we." Hagrid said cheerfully. He took the kettle and poured tea on the 5 cups waiting at the table.
"Thanks Hagrid," Ginny said drinking from his cup.
"No problem," Hagrid said taking his own. "So Hermione 'ere is tellin' me somethin'. What's it again Hermione?" he added addressing Hermione.
"It's about Malfoy. I was wondering what you think about me going out with him, you know? He asked me yesterday." she said confidently.
"Oh.....I've no problem wit that. As long as he treats yeh fairly, It'll be okay." Hagrid said. "I've always believed in forg'vness though."
"Yeah, but we'll still be spying on them though." Ron immediately said.
"Isn't it like a sign that you don't trust him though." Hermione said.
"That's precisely right. I don't trust him. It'll be our entire fault now if you ended up with pretty angelic wings. How are we going to explain that to your parents?" Ron said, determination visible in his eyes.
"Right, so Hagrid, we really miss you. Sorry we can't take up Care of Magical Creatures on our N.E.W.T.s." Hermione said. Hagrid wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
He then said "It's alright yeh know. I know yeh people'll like to be Aurors on yeh'r time there."
"Yeah," Hermione looked at her watch and suddenly said,"Oh, I gotta go and tell those 5th year prefect what to do this Christmas. You know, only a week left before the term ends. And I have to tell Draco that I'll go with him." She stood up and to the door she added "Bye Hagrid, see you later, Harry, Ron, and Ginny." addressing each name with the person. She went out to the cold winter's day.
"I guess we'll be going too Hagrid, lots of stuffs to do you know." Harry said to Hagrid.
"Take care yeh all." he said with a chuckle and closed the door for them after they went out. The three of them were making their way through the 2 feet deep of snow.
They finally reached the warm grounds of the inside of the castle "Did she just call him Draco?" Ron asked.
"Yeah she did." Ginny said calmly.
"What do you call all those taunts he did to you and Hermione when you people are already what you call 'friends'" Ron asked Ginny as they walked on the corridor of the seventh floor.
"It was all acting you know. Didn't want anyone to think that we were in special treatment." Ginny said.
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that;s it..R&R please..