What the? Where did those roses come from? As each girl slowly left the room there was a wink or a question: "Who is it from?"
I, for one, was completely clueless. Viktor was in America and we had broken it off years ago. Ron was too bashful, Harry was now head-over-heels for Alexandra, and every other guy thought I was just some brain. As I slowly approached my now-rumpled up bed, the last girl had drifted out of the spacious, now light-filled room. Slumping down onto my bed, I carefully looked through the roses, for any note or indication of who it was from. As I suspected, the girls had thoroughly combed through them looking for such a thing as well. Sighing, I got up, removed the roses from my bed into a vase I transfigured, and in doing so, caught a glimpse of a fluttering paper stuck under my pillow. Excitement now filling me, I picked it up and identified it as the note I had been looking for. "For an inexcusable absence...." Was all it read. Huh? A suspicion picked at the back of my brain, but only for an instant. Just then, Ginny burst into the room, closely followed by Angelina.
"Hermione, what is this about roses for you and no note?" I gestured and it was followed by Ginny's squeal and gasp from Professor McGonagall.
"Ms. Granger what is this? Where did those come from? Though, if I do say so myself, they are lovely." Smiling a bit self consciously, I answered,
"I haven't a clue where they're from, or who gave them to me." And I'm not going to show you the note...."They just were on my bed when I got up here after checking up on the Hufflepuffs." As McGonagall nodded, accepting that explanation, I straightened up my bed, and fluffed out my drapes. Then a call from outside in the common room got my attention: "Hermione, hurry! Dinner's soon....and I'm starved!"
Grinning, I shook my head and left the room so that Ron could eat.
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For the next few days in the halls, the girls would be whispering, and I, who was flanked by Ron and Harry, would just ignore them. I did wonder whether I had been imagining things, or if i was going to get another gift, but as the days passed, and soon a week, I gave up. There was too much work filling the ever-lengthening days at Hogwarts, and this year, we would be tested for NEWTS. As my schedule slowly turned into routine, the planning for the school trip sessions commenced. We were starting to plan the transportation, and all agreed portkeys would work the best. However, there was arguments about not being able to sightsee if there was portkeys. That's when I turned to Malfoy and asked what would be a good way of transportation. Of all the nerve: He shrugged and said,
"Apparation." And when I said it wasn't possible for the majority of the group he said, "Then why'd you ask me?" Ugh. What a great guy to lean on when the situation gets tough. So, diplomatically, I offered the train, or portkeys----one would take more planning than others.
"Hermione, wouldn't it be more logical if there was the train because of the amount of magic involved with the portkeys?" Luna asked.
"You are correct. I never thought about it. Is everyone in agreement?" As the consensus was yes, the train would be better, there was some muttering in the Slytherin groups. I chose to ignore this. However, Draco never contributed during the evenings, at each planning session. After this particular episode, I drew him aside afterwards to soundly berate him.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing? You're supposed to contribute and provide an example for them to follow!" As his lips curved into a smug smile, I continued, "Why aren't you doing anything? For God's sake, you're head boy!" He retorted,
"And since I am, I don't need to be bossed about by you! I choose what I want to do, and when I do it!" His face got closer to mine as he continued, "I think this trip is a stupid, lame idea! What's the point? Where will we go? How many people would really want to do this? If it doesn't have anything school related, what will really happen?" Flushing, I yelled,
"If you HAD been paying attention, you would have seen it makes us go to places mentioned in history, where half the people don't even pay attention to in class! If we go, maybe some of us who DON'T take notes in history (Cough Ron, Harry....) would understand what happened!" Malfoy bent over, and for a dizzying second I thought that he was going to be kissing me. Instead, he spoke close to my ear, stirring my hair with his breath,
"I don't give a hell. So get off my back Granger." With that, he glided out of the room. For an odd reason, my breath was coming out shallowly, most likely due to my anger boiling inside of me, and I gestured rudely after him. Sighing, I straightened out the room just as Harry walked in.
"Hermione, what's up with Malfoy? He was banging around the hallway....it was so bad I thought that Peeves was there!" Grimly I looked into Harry's green eyes and said,
"Malfoy is just being a git. He isn't helping me lead the sessions of planning for the all school trip we're going on."
"Really? That's bloody brilliant! Maybe we could study for our NEWTS on the trip." At Harry's enthusiastic expression, my mood lightened.
"Exactly my point! But that lead headed bloke just doesn't get it!!!!" With that, I sighed and straightened up. "Let's get out of here." I headed to the door, navigating through the plush chairs, long tables, and in the dim lighting, almost missed a flash of a paper. Picking it up, I noticed it was in Malfoy's handwriting.
"What have you got there Hermione?" Harry drew to my side.
"I think that it's something a person dropped. Let's go." I was surprised by my reluctance to show Harry the note. When we finally reached the common room, and Harry headed up to the boy's dormitory, and I sank down into the sofa and closely examined the bit of paper that had Malfoy's handwriting. Ha! It was a section of the notes I had passed out, and he had little suggestions written on it to improve it! Wow. Turning it over, there was a crossed out, smudged heart, with his name and another girl's name. Peering closer, I was able to make out an E, M, I, O, and E. Wait. Was that an H? Sighing in frustration, I stuck the paper into my pocket and headed up to my dorm.
"Wormtail."
A small sniveling man, with a glowing white hand stepped out of the shadows into the only illuminated spot in the room. Executing a sharp bow, he replied, "Yes Milord?"
"Have we received word from our spy?"
Swallowing nervously, Wormtail replied, "No Milord. The servant is still not familiar with the functions of the castle."
Voldemort's cold voice got colder. He snapped, "No one informed the spy of the layout of the castle?"
Even more nervously, Wormtail replied, "Malfoy was to do it sir. I see he neglected to perform that task."
"Then I will summon him." There was a pause, and, "It is done." After a few moments, when Wormtail melted into the shadows, boot scuffs became audible. A flash of blonde hair, and a brief deprivation of the moonlight announced Malfoy's arrival.
"Malfoy." There was warning in Voldemort's tone. Lucius tensed.
"Yes Milord?" A long, tense silence followed his question. Just as sweat became visible on Lucius's brow, Voldemort stated,
"You did not train your spy adequately enough. I have received word that the spy isn't able to report for they get lost. You will pay." As Lucius blanched, a word came, "Crucio."
His scream filled the night and miles away, Harry's hand flew up to his scar.
And the plot thickens....somewhat. R&R please! whereintheworldaremyshoes or if you prefer, Amy