It was two days after our meeting with the prefects and I still hadn't found the courage to ask Malfoy about that scrap of parchment I picked up. I had avoided him, not sure what to think about his lack of responsibility and I was also worried about Harry.
A few minutes after I had picked up the parchment and entered the common room to get to bed, Harry had squeaked (okay, squawked), with his hand on his scar. He had recovered quickly, but only now, were the "attacks" frequent. He had admitted that they had increased during the summer, in both frequency and strength. Shaking my head to clear it from these, "unpleasant thoughts" (so quipped from Ginny), I sighed and stared at the roses on the vase next to my bed.
Unlike normal roses, these roses showed no sign of wilting, the same shade of red it had been the day I picked them up off my bed and carefully placed them in a crystal vase, which had been the perfect size for them. The petals still gave off their fragrant scent. A voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Hermione, there's someone at the common entrance." Ginny edged in. "It's Malfoy. He said there's something important,"(a look of disbelief at this word flicked across her face), "to be discussed." All the while, she was turning redder until I interrupted,
"Ginny, what's wrong?" Her reply came faster than a hurricane.
"Ooooh those bloody prats! When the knock came, and they opened the portrait, they flew right at him! Arrogant as he is, he still didn't need that!" Darn. Harry and Ron still didn't forgive Malfoy for the little prank he supposedly pulled on Dobby just the week before. Dobby was still recovering from the biting sock that he had "mistakenly" taken from the Slytherin common room. (I had been just as upset, but I REALLY was distracted).
"Okay Ginny, I know you have a soft sport for most boys," dodges slap aimed at arm, "but I'm actually happy you look at people in another perspective." By that time, we had reached the portrait. "Now if you'll excuse me..." I began in a lofty tone (for the benefit of a certain redhead bandaging a certain green-eyed excuse for a boy's knuckles), "I have to attend to Head Girl duties." Glaring at the back of the heads of Ron and Harry, I turned and caught Ginny's look of amusement flick across her face just as Ron immaturely stuck his tongue out at me. Harry merely rolled his eyes exasperatedly.
Stepping outside the portrait, I ran into Malfoy. SarcasticallyAs graceful as I am...the biggest klutz in the universe, I tripped and fell towards the hall stones. Then a strong hand caught my arm and hauled me up, a lot less roughly than I would have expected.
"Recovered enough Granger?" drawled Malfoy. Flushing, I retorted without realizing (all the meanwhile dusting off my robes),
"Yes thankyouverymuch. I'm sorry, did I add to your collection of bruises?" Finally looking up, I saw guilt? flash across his face before it was replaced by his usual sneer. Then, totally surprising me, he muttered,
"By the end of this year, I'll be so black and blue from the Dream Team, I could be mistaken for a kidney pie." Now louder and enunciating clearly, he turned to, "I wanted to show you a diagram that I put together of the trip planning schedule, and what we should, and will," a hard look crossed his face at that, "talk about." Shoving the parchments at me, he stood while I wandered down the hall to a bench in an alcove (which had been previously occupied cough), all the while examining the documents. They were really quite extraordinarily organized, in his neat, precise handwriting (why did that bother me?), from relatively common sense topics (like bathroom organizing) to more complicated pros-and-cons of organizing the leaders for each group, and which groups would benefit from whom.
"These are really excellent Malfoy. When did you do them?" I looked up at him, having heard him walk to stand in front of me. Wow, was he handsome....oh bother this is Malfoy Hermione- Get a Grip!!!! He had the grace to look embarrassed before looking down and saying,
"After the meeting. I realized the meetings would go more smoothly----," abruptly he broke off, straightening up and saying, "You know Granger, I'll make a copy so we can discuss this later." I too had heard the voices approaching the portrait hole, and sighing I said,
"Okay. Meet me in the library 2 hours before our next meeting with the prefects," (which was two nights from now), "We'll discuss ideas I've jotted down, and how to incorporate them into your outline." Malfoy nodded stiffly. As he collected his papers I handed back to him, I stood up to go back into the common room. Again, I nearly collided into him, but instead, we ended up brushing against each other. With reluctant apologies, and a glare, he left. That brush had left me breathless as if I had raced up a moving staircase. I have got to get over animal attraction!!!
I stepped into the portrait hole, colliding with Ron and Harry. Before they could say something, I looked past into the room and on the couch, Ginny was in a state of tears. The guilty looks on their faces confirmed my guess as to who had reduced her to that state.
"Hermione----," began Ron apologetically.
"Ugh, not now Ron." I interrupted. "Bloody geezes you two, since when do you make girls cry?" At least Harry had the grace to look abashed (Ron looked confused). The cushions were warm as I sat down next to Ginny. "Now what's up with them Gin?" I soothed her, patting her back after I had pulled her into hug. Stifling her sobs, Ginny just shoved a package into my hand before whispering, "I think I know who this is from, but it was delivered by Dobby--that got Harry, Ron and me arguing. Everyone left the common room..." Sure enough, the large normally cheerful-loud-boisterous-common room was empty and silent except for the occasional popping and snapping in the fireplace as the fire consumed the wood. Ginny soon left, "tired from her arguing" (or so she claimed) and I sat back.
Just then, a house-elf appeared. She was carrying a brush and broom. Looking at me, I thought I saw a flash of annoyance cross her face as she squeaked (quite boldly I may add),
"Miss you should be in bed! Mite's supposed to clean!" Nodding I gathered my things and the package that Ginny had given to me. As I headed up the stairs, I glanced back and uneasily realized that Mite was still staring at me with her large unwavering eyes. I reached for the door of my dorm, opened, then quietly closed it. After I had settled down and was about to go to sleep, I remembered the package. As quietly as I could, I opened it. On a nest of snowy white plush, lay a glistening lion on a chain.
"Success milord!" Wormtail crowed. "We just received an owl form our spy: 'Gryffindor house infiltrated. Plan continuing.'"
"Excellent." breathed Voldemort leaning back in his stuffed chair, and lacing his fingers together. His sinister red eyes reflected the dancing flames in the fireplace. "Excellent....."
-speaks to the seemingly non-existent audience-
Okay, this story is moving hopefully....So Sorry it took so long! I've had to finish up the cross country season, work on science fair, manage physics, etc. Let me know what you think!!!! R&R please!
-whereintheworldaremyshoes