Close To You
By Cerulean Sapphire

Changes


The school was filing in again with students days after. I was quite surprised, you know, since I thought it would be another week before students came back from their homes. Mother sent me some sweets over at breakfast, and attached was a letter.

Draco dear,

Here are some of your favorite sweets; I know sometimes the food there is horrible.

How was your Christmas? Did you spend your Christmas alone? I knew some of your friends came home. Why didn't you want to come home, anyway? You know how much I worry when I don't see you.

If you need anything at all, let your father and I know.

We miss you terribly.

Love from

Your Mother

Mother had been like that ever since I came to Hogwarts. It was as if she was losing me. Sheesh.

So anyway, like I told you, students were coming back. And after a day or two, most of the Slytherins were back. My thugs, which meant Crabbe and Goyle, were back before long. Others like Blaise, Millicent, and Pansy were also back. I knew it would be really mean of me to say this, but I didn't want to see them. Of course they were my friends, but…they were one of the hindrances to my getting close with Hermione Granger. After all, they never really liked her, and never would.

But that was the least of my problems. I knew I still had to do something to get close to Hermione, seeing as my past attempts had been far from successful.

But that was okay. I knew, somehow, I might be able to do something this week. After all, there was something Hermione and I had in common: Prefect duties.

See, Prefects have certain jobs to do, like patrolling the corridors for students. Not like Hermione was my partner or anything, but…there were several meetings called by the Head Boy and Girl, so I'd start there. Imagine the possibilities…


Classes officially started again, yet there was still no sign of the Head Boy or Girl setting up a Prefect Meeting. Argh. It was starting to get slightly frustrating.

And then, just when I was about to lose my hope, the current Head Boy, which was a Slytherin, talked to me one breakfast morning. I knew he'd be telling me about the Prefect Meeting.

"Hey, Draco. There's an upcoming meeting this Friday. Same room, same time. Be there."

I smirked. "As if I was ever late."

At long last. The Prefect Meeting came. I knew exactly what to do.


The day came for the meeting. I'd been waiting for this particular day, because I had special plans. I just hoped it would turn out right.

"Prefects, please sit down." The Head Girl said, as the prefects came strolling inside the room. I sat down on the nearest chair and caught just a small glimpse of Hermione at the far right corner.

"Alright, now that classes have resumed again, there will be another set of Prefect patrols. New set, which means, new partners."

A Slytherin fifth year's voice boomed throughout the room. "Which means we'll be…partnered with other Houses?"

"Yes," the Head Girl, who was a Ravenclaw, replied. "We thought it best to promote—"

"House Unity, yeah," another Slytherin said. "But can't Slytherins be exempted from that?"

"No," Head Girl Sullivan said. "Any of you mustn't be exempt from this. This is, after all, your duty as Prefects. Someday, two of your number will become Heads, and you must stop acting childish and wishing to be exempted just because you don't want to associate with people from other Houses."

"We could associate, you know, but we'd rather do with our own kind," I heard a Slytherin behind me mutter.

"I heard that one!" remarked the Head Girl. I noticed she was fuming, and then I remembered that she also was a Muggleborn.

"Five points from Slytherin for that. No more buts, excuses, or any of the sort."

"Alright, but is there any chance that we'll be partnered with someone from our own House?" Pansy asked. I noticed that after she did so, she eyed me with a seemingly hungry look that I couldn't quite understand. I felt…disgusted, to tell you the truth.

"Yes." Head Boy Welburn said. "If you had the…erm, nice luck to be partnered up with someone from your own House, but I don't think that's likely. After all, we are promoting Inter-House Unity."

"Announcements on the next Prefect meeting will be scheduled, and will be posted in every House common room."

"Alright, then. All of you may go now," declared Welburn.

I was quite happy with that. I mean, I had a plan up my sleeve. Right when all the other Prefects were exiting the room, I went up to Welburn. I noticed that Amy Sullivan, the Head Girl, was eyeing me suspiciously. She still didn't feel like leaving.

"Welburn. I need to talk to you."

He looked at me for a while and said, "Really? What's it, then?"

"In private, if you may."

Welburn looked at Sullivan for awhile. She must've gotten the message, since a second or two later she went out of the classroom.

"What's the matter?"

"I need to talk about the…Prefect Patrols." As I said this, Welburn couldn't help but snicker.

"I should've known…So you want me to…shall we say, fiddle with the system and have your partner handpicked by yourself?"

I blushed a bit. Did he possibly know of my hidden feelings toward Hermione?

"Judging by the color on your face, I'd say yes. Hmm…so who will it be? Pansy Parkinson?" I shook my head in disgust.

"Well, then…Jamie Peters?" I shook my head. Of course. Welburn thought I wanted to partner up with a fellow Slytherin.

"Who then?"

I smiled. "I need you to partner me with Hermione Granger."


I was a bit scared that Welburn wouldn't do it. Yet I did…blackmail him a bit. I told him I'd tell the whole school of his secret relationship with the Head Girl. This seemed to scare him a bit. Although I did this, there was still no certainty in the fact that Hermione will be partnered with me. I'd certainly die if her partner would be Weasley.

So days came. I was anticipating the meeting day, cause that'd be the time when I'd surely know if I would be spending patrols with my Hermione.

Tuesday came and I was so glad to see a small parchment pinned up in the Slytherin common room that declared Wednesday night for the next Prefect Meeting.


"Sit down, everyone."

There were murmurs…so many I couldn't exactly make any one of them clearly. My palms were starting to get real sweaty. Everyone was excited to know who their partners would be.

"I know every one of you wants to know who your partner will be. We've sorted it all out." Welburn said in his usual booming voice.

"Yes. Now, please listen carefully. I'll be saying the partners, time of shift in patrols, and the place you'll be patrolling."

Some people held their breaths as the Head Girl said the partners. I could hear some sighs, a few groans, yet nobody seemed to feel the need for talking. I was very nervous.

A minute or two passed before I heard Head Girl Sullivan speak my name.

"Draco Malfoy and —"

Please let it be Hermione. Please let it be Hermione.

"— Hermione Granger, patrolling the West Wing, including Astronomy Tower, ten o'clock until twelve midnight every Tuesday and Thursday."

Yes!

I was, once again, victorious. I looked around and saw Hermione, her face quite unreadable. Then, to my utter delight, I saw Weasley – fuming with mad anger! Reckon he thought he'd be partnered with her. Heh. I won in this round, Weasel-King. I won.

"Patrols will start next week. I do hope you're all up to it."

"Well, any questions? None? Then, good luck with the patrols. You're dismissed."

I stood up, a gleeful expression on my face. If what I heard is true, then I'd be spending four hours alone with Hermione every week. Hah!

"Draco!"

I turned around and saw Pansy. Her face was a bit angry and irritated.

"I never thought Welburn could do that to us. Imagine! I'm partnered with MacMillan and you're partnered with Mudblood Granger! Ugh! Imagine how much bad luck we got."

"To be honest with you, Pansy," I said, smiling a bit, "you're the only one who's got that."

I walked away. For the first time ever, I was happy that I had my wonderful schemes.


Author's Note: Yay! I finished it, at long last! Whew! Please do review—it's the only thing that makes us authors very happy. C

Up Next: Date—Draco plans for their first "date". Will it ever work out?

Visit Scarred
scarred.cjb.cc