AN: Thanks emeraldheart for my first review for this story.
Chapter Two – Professor Jaide Black
Hermione had not slept again after Draco's screams woke her up, she had too much to think about.
'I didn't realise that Malfoy did not want to become a death eater… But he hadn't said that, only that he didn't want to receive the Dark Mark. Maybe he was worried about marring his perfectly creamy skin.' She thought
'WAIT! His perfect skin… You've got the hots for Malfoy.' A voice in her head laughed.
'I do not. I can't help it is he is good looking.'
'Just admit that you have a crush on him. You can't deny it forever.'
'Shut up.'
This time the voice did not reply. Hermione was very worried. She couldn't have a crush on Malfoy could she? After everything he had done to her, Harry and Ron. Besides, she liked Ron and definitely not Draco. She realised the sun was rising so she got up to have a shower before Draco awoke.
Unknown to Hermione, Draco had not slept at all after his nightmare. He was too afraid. Yes, the great Draco Malfoy was afraid because of a dream. It was just so vivid, like he was actually being cursed all over again.
'The stupid mudblood better not tell Potty and the Weasel.' He thought bitterly.
He heard Hermione get up and turn the shower on so he figured it would be safe leave his room. He decided against a shower that morning, preferring to sneak out without seeing Hermione. After she had called him Draco she had left the room all flustered, leaving him to lay awake alone. He quickly threw on his clothes and robes before rushing out the door.
He was one of the only people in the Great Hall as it was very early. In fact, the only other people were a group of Hufflepuff second-years and the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. When he walked in she looked up and beckoned for him to come to her seat at the teachers table.
"Your name is Draco Malfoy isn't it?" she queried in a strange accent.
"Yes Professor." He replied warily.
"Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy's son?"
Draco looked confused. Why was this lady questioning him, "Yes Professor."
"No way!" she exclaimed.
Draco's look of confusion deepened. "Well, last time I checked Professor."
"I'm sure you are who you say you are Mr. Malfoy. I would like to see you in my office after class this morning. I believe you have DADA first thing today?"
"Yes Professor."
"Okay, you can go eat now."
Draco headed to the Slytherin table and sat down in his usual place. Some more people had come in while he was talking to the strange Professor, including Harry and Ron. To his relief, Hermione was nowhere to be seen. He grabbed his timetable to check whom he had DADA with and to his horror he found it was with the Gryffindors.
'Oh great.' He thought, 'I hope the mudblood doesn't bring last night up in class.'
Hermione had heard Draco leave the room while she was in the shower. She assumed he did not want to see her after what had happened last night. It was odd, now that she new Draco didn't want to be a deatheater he didn't seem as horrible. In fact, he just seemed like an angry boy who was lashing out at the world. She understood because she had been the same before coming to Hogwarts. Due to her unusual enthusiasm for school she hadn't had any friends as a child. She took this out on the people around her, mainly her parents. So she knew how Draco felt to a certain degree. It must be terrible to have your parents curse you like that.
'It's no wonder he's so bitter.' She thought.
Hermione decided that she would try and be nicer to Draco now, or at least not nasty. Also, she would try and get Harry and Ron to cut him some slack. And she would keep Draco's secret, until he was ready to tell people.
She grabbed her books and headed to the Great Hall.
"So 'Mione. How was your first night sharing a dorm with the Ferret Boy?" Harry asked as soon as she sat down.
"It was okay." She replied, "We didn't see much of each other. I do have my own room you know."
"Yeah, well if he bothers you at all just tell us okay." Ron told her in between bites.
"Of course I will Ron." She assured him, "Hey. Have you guys seen our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher?"
"Yeah. I wonder why she didn't arrive last night." Ron said.
"She did come all the way from Australia Ron. And they say she prefers to do things the muggle way so she probably flew here." Harry said.
"Muggles don't fly Harry!" Ron exclaimed.
"In a plane Ron." Harry retorted.
"What the hell is a plane?"
Hermione ignored their bickering and looked at the teacher's table. Sure enough, the new teacher was there. She looked fairly young, maybe twenty-five, with long black hair streaked with green and a brilliant smile. Hermione checked her timetable and saw that she had DADA first… with the Slytherins.
'I hope Malfoy doesn't get weird about what happened.' She thought, 'Maybe I should just stay out of his way for a while.'
"Hey guys." She turned to her friends.
"Yeah 'Mione?" they asked.
"Could you do me a favour and just leave Malfoy alone for a few days."
"Why on earth would you want us to do that?" Ron inquired.
"Because I'm the one who has to live with him and I don't want him taking out his anger at you two on me so just cool it okay."
"Of course we will Hermione." Harry assured her, "Won't we Ron."
"Fine." Ron mumbled, "But don't expect it to last forever."
"Okay class." The new Professor addressed the students, "As you may already know, My name is Professor Jaide Black and I've recently moved back from Australia. Now I am not like your other Professors here, having lived where the system is different. I firmly believe that a fun class is a productive class okay. Also, please don't call me Professor. It sounds so old. Jaide will be fine okay. Any questions?"
Hermione raised her hand.
"Yes uh…"
"Hermione Granger."
"You got a nickname Hermione?" Jaide asked.
"Um, yeah." Hermione replied in a confused voice.
"Well, lets hear it."
"'Mione."
"Okay 'Mione, what's your question?"
"Well, I was just wondering what you meant by a different system and whether the same system would apply to our curriculum."
"Well, of course we do things differently back in Australia, but I will be attempting to stick with the Hogwarts system. In fact, Albus has given me permission to appoint a teachers aide in my classes, to help me get used to things. He recommended you 'Mione, if you're interested?"
"Well, yeah. That's great." Hermione was glowing with pride that Dumbledore thought she could be a teachers aide.
"Trippy. Come see me after class."
Hermione beamed at Harry and Ron, who gave her whispers of congratulations.
"Now, this lesson we'll just be getting to know each other. So lets go round in a circle and introduce ourselves okay." Jaide told the rest of the class.
"Well that was interesting." Hermione said as they left the classroom. Jaide had asked her to wait outside a minute so Harry and Ron were waiting too.
"She a very relaxed teacher. Most of the other Professors would take ten points off if we called them by their first name for disrespect." Harry said.
"Not to mention the fact that was one of the most easy classes we've ever had." Ron added.
"Well, I've heard that over in Australia they have a much more relaxed attitude towards the schooling environment." Hermione informed them.
"Yeah, but what a difference. Don't you go changing these classes too much 'Mione." Ron told her.
"Of course I won't Ron. I'm only the teachers aide."
Draco was standing in front of Jaide's desk rather nervously. He still had no idea what this was all about.
"So Draco. I suppose you know your mother had a sister who ran away to become a muggle?" Jaide asked.
"Sort of. She just enjoyed the muggle world and when her mother told her that she was banned from associating with such things she left the country. We haven't heard from her since."
"And do you know her name Draco?"
"Well, she has mothers old last name Black but I don't…" he trailed off, "Are you saying that you…?"
"As a matter of fact I am."
"You my mothers long lost sister?" he asked incredulously.
"Yup. The one and only."
"But… You weren't ever going to come back. She said you swore you would never come back."
"Well, as you may know, your mothers cousin, and my cousin, Sirius Black, died a while back. It seems that he left a request that I look after his godson if anything happened to him. You see, we were close when we were kids. Anyways, while Harry is living with his rellies I am free to roam the muggle world but, honouring Sirius's request, I am obliged to watch over him while he is at school. So Dumbledore gave me this job."
"I think I need some time to process all this."
"Take all the time you need. Come see me if you want to talk okay." She told him.
Draco nodded and left the room, so shocked he didn't even notice Hermione as he pushed past her to get back to their dorm.
Jaide stuck her head out the door. "Oh trippy. You're still here. Come on in 'Mione." She said.
Hermione said goodbye to Harry and Ron and followed Jaide back into the classroom, hearing Ron whisper "What the hell does trippy mean?" as she closed the door behind her.
Jaide turned to face her. "So, are you sure you want to take the job 'Mione?"
"Oh yes Profes… I mean, Jaide."
"Well in that case we need to plan a time when we can meet and you can help me plan your classes lessons."
"Well, I have lots of Head Girl responsibilities. But I'm free on Wednesday evenings." She said.
"Great, I am too. So, I'll see you on Wednesday."
Hermione took this to be a dismissal and slowly left the room. She was glad that they were putting this much faith in her, but it struck her that their reasons weren't entirely what they said. She had the sneaking suspicion that Jaide wasn't a real teacher and that her presence at Hogwarts was for some other reason. She just couldn't guess what it was.
Draco was very confused. He discovered that he liked Jaide a lot, but she was a traitor, not to be trusted. Still, he knew that was his father's opinion, not his. He personally did not see anything wrong with Jaide. Okay, she was a little on the weird side, but she seemed nice enough. He decided that he would talk to her after their next lesson. Maybe she could help him stand up to his father.
…TBC…