Chapter 2: Tension!
The last few weeks of school flew by and soon the Hogwarts students were on the Hogwarts train spending the last few hours with their friends before they went back home and summer vacation started. Everyone had smiles on their faces, well almost everyone. The last compartment which had seven people crammed in there was not the happiest compartment in the train. Lavender Brown looked around, she saw Hermione looking in her book bag, getting a pile of papers out, Ron and Harry talking, and Draco and Blaise looking out the window. She remembered that she had looked forward to this day for weeks so the girls could start their pact but now it didn't seem like a good idea. No one was talking, well they weren't talking together, and at this rate she would never get Draco in bed. So she looked around once more and asked, "So how do we get started?"
Everyone stopped and they all looked at Hermione. Hermione took a few more minutes got all her papers straitened out and then started, "Okay so I read over the papers Mrs. Viands passed out to us. Did anyone else?" she waited for a minute and when no one spoke she continued, "Okay then, anyways there's seven parts to the project, some are more difficult than the other, I have assigned every part to one of us, and that is the part we shall be responsible for, however we still need to talk everything out, so at least once every night we need to get together and discuss our projects, and where we're at and that sort of thing. Also the project is due September 1, but I need everyone's projects on August 1, I am going to read through them and make sure they are free from errors and such things. Will that be okay with you all?" Everyone nodded, and Draco rolled his eyes, however Hermione chose to ignore that.
"Okay now first and foremost we need to decide on a subject, which I think we can do the first week of our arrival, if not sooner. Then a month or a month and a half, or heck all the time up to the first of August shall be used to gather your information and put your part of the project together. Then from August 1 to September 1 shall give me plenty of time to check over our project and have any of you redo it if it is wrong." Everyone nodded again and Hermione continued, "Now like I said previously there is seven parts to this project. First, I did not consider this a part but we need a picture of our subject, that should be easy to get. The seven parts are, first there is general information, and I assigned Ron to that part, she said as she handed Ron a thick packet."
Ron looked at it and said, "Hermione what is this?
"Oh," Hermione said, "Silly me I didn't explain the packets. That is a rule of guidelines I made that you need to follow to complete your part of the assignment correctly, everyone has one, oh and the last few pages explain about your part of the project more in depth and also tells you the information you need," Hermione said. Ron looked at her as if she was crazy to have made these packets for everyone, but Hermione continued, "The second part is to find out about their academic life and career that part I gave to Parvati," she said as she handed her a packet, "The third part is to find out about their materialistic things and how they compare and contrast to our wizard things, like money, cars, brooms, that kind of thing. This I gave to Zabini," she said and gave Blaise the packet and then continued, " The fifth part is about what muggles do in their free time, the sports, and their activities. Malfoy that's the one you are doing," she said as she gave him a packet. Draco looked at it and looked at her, and shook his head, however it did not affect Hermione so she went on, "The fifth part is Lavender's part. She has to report on muggle relationships with their families and friends," she gave Lavender a packet and went on, "The sixth part is about love I gave that part to Harry," she quickly handed him a packet and looked away, then Parvati and Lavender snickered quietly. "The seventh part is the part I'm doing. It's about explaining the muggles thinking skills, how they accomplish and reason about their ordinary as well as their unexpected events without magic," she put a packet aside for herself and then asked, "Any questions?"
"Yeah," Draco said, "Are you insane?"
"Excuse me?" she answered.
"You expect me to have read this packet by when?" he asked.
"By tomorrow morning, as I expect you all."
"Listen Granger," Blaise said, "I know that the seven of us aren't exactly the best of friends, and I am sure that we won't be goofing off and hanging out together everyday but have you ever heard of time off you know to have some fun?"
"Fun?" Hermione said, "No, this summer is not going to be fun. First of all we are all going to work and work hard on this project, and second of all you and Malfoy are not going to run amuck my neighborhood not knowing the rules, or not knowing what to do, or exposing our secret, or messing around with those poor muggles. You two promised to behave remember?"
"Yeah, we remember," Draco said, "But this would be my and Blaise's first time in the muggle world. We want to explore, you know live a little. I mean we do have three months to work on this project, it'll be done."
"No, Draco Malfoy you listen to me. Three months can be plenty of time for a passing project or a failing one we are going to focus on this project, nothing else we are going to work hard and I expect nothing less than an A," she then looked at everyone's reaction and then said, "But if we work hard enough and we get it done then I'm sure we can find some time to explore the muggle world." As she said this she saw that everyone smiled and Lavender asked, "So I mean are we going to meet real muggles? Like hang with them and stuff?"
"Are you guys kidding?" Hermione asked, "Not one of you has been in the muggle world before?"
"Nope," they all said except for Harry.
"And not one of you has met real muggles?"
"No," they all said as they shook their heads, well all except for Harry. Hermione looked at all of them in amazement shook her head and said, "Harry you are going to help me, I mean five teenage wizards that have never been in the muggle world before, don't know what to do, or how to act like and that will probably be fascinated about everything that they see. Oh for the love of Merlin we are in big trouble, I can only hope that we can pull this off."
"Hermione we will," Harry said, "I mean there isn't that big of a problem. Lavender and Parvati will fit right in, I'm sure of it, Malfoy and Zabini are not stupid, they'll pick it up quick, and Ron I'm sure will have no problem."
"See Granger," Draco said, "If Potter can find it in his heart to accept us, I'm sure you can too."
As soon as he said this everyone got quiet for a minute they had all forgotten that they were enemies. For a moment they had forgotten but only for a moment because there was hatred rooted in the heart of everyone there. But Lavender Brown being the spunky girl she was said, "Okay so there is definitely tension in the room," everyone looked at her and said nothing but Blaise who rolled his eyes shook his head and said, "Nice detective work Sherlock."
"Okay I am trying to make peace," she said and continued, "Now we obviously have to work together and whether we like it or not we have to get to know each other. Now since Hermione and her parents were so nice as to offer us their home I suggest that for the summer we forget the hatred, we forget school, our parents everything, and we bury the hatchet and get to know each other, become friends and enjoy our summer. So how about it?"
No one spoke and then Lavender looked at Parvati. Parvati looked at her and said, "Okay I agree I mean we're all new to this neighborhood with the exception of Hermione and we need to help each other so I am willing to forgive and forget and just all be friends."
However no one else felt that way. Hermione had her head down and Harry and Ron were looking out the window while Blaise and Draco merely looked at the two girls. Lavender shook her head, "Guys I'm not asking you all to be best buddies I'm just asking you all to forgive each other." Still no one talked. Lavender then turned to Hermione, "Okay Hermione since you won't forgive Draco and Blaise then tell us why you hate them."
Hermione said, "I really don't want to start any trouble."
"Obviously you do," Lavender said.
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked.
"I'm talking about you, if you wont forgive them then you are starting trouble, so you might as well tell them why you hate them and don't hold back because I think that they deserve to know," Lavender said.
"All right Lavender the reason why I hate them is because they call me mudblood and because they hate Harry," Hermione said.
"All right," Lavender said, "Good."
"Ron why do you hate them?"
"Because they hate Harry and because they make fun of me and my family," Ron said still looking out the window.
"And Harry your hate?" Lavender asked.
"It's complicated Lavender but mostly because he hates my friends and he hates me," Harry said.
"Hey," Draco said, "Could it be Mr. Potter that you are mistaken? Wasn't it true that on the first day of school I wanted to be your friend, and you blew me off? If someone had done that to you would you still like them?"
"What?" Hermione, Ron, and Blaise asked.
Harry looked at Draco he then said, "So basically the only reason you have been picking on me and my friends is because I didn't want to be your friend the first day."
"Potter mostly yes, that and the way I was raised, but a leopard can change its spots, and perhaps I could have changed but you gave me no chance. However I do agree with the girls we have no one but each other for the next three months and we need to help each other so I'm willing to forget for three months," Draco said as he stood up and held out a hand. Harry looked at him and at everyone else and he stood up and shook Draco's hand, "I'm willing to forget too, and I am sorry."
"I'm sorry too Potter," Draco said.
Everyone then gave his or her apologies to everyone else whether it was necessary or not. But they were accepted and received sincerely. If it was any other situation this wouldn't happen but the teen witches and wizards were going to a new house and new environment for three months where they had no one but each other, and the only people they could talk to were each other. The rest of the train ride was spent making small talk with one another, and although it wasn't much of an improvement it was some, Hermione thought, because at least Draco and Harry decided to put their past behind them for three months, and if Draco and Harry could forgive each other than maybe the inevitable could happen. Maybe this summer she could have some fun, maybe this project could work out after all, because as she thought about it she came to a conclusion, the fact that forgiveness is the first step towards friendship.
Author's Note:
Okay I am done with chapter two, and I am sorry if this chapter was a little boring but it was necessary. The point that I tried to make in this chapter was that during the summer they all become friends. That's what I needed for in my story, but then I thought about it. I could understand that Parvati and Lavender could forgive and have crushes on Draco and Blaise, but could Harry, Ron, and Hermione ever forgive Draco? The conclusion that I came to and you may disagree with me is that no they couldn't forgive Draco. And possible they could but it would take time, time that this project nor this summer and the events in my story wouldn't allow for. Thus not really wanting to ruin the characters characteristics I made it that they do forgive each other sincerely for, at this time they think for only three months. The reason this is, is that they forgive each other because of fear. Because they are going into a world where they know nothing of. The only thing they know is each other and I think that fear can overcome hatred. So their friendship is not really a want but to each student it seems like a necessary evil. So although they may not like each other right now, they might later on, because if you spent enough time with somebody you'll find something you like about them, or you'll hate them more, but the point is that it is realistic, I just didn't want to get flames up the whazoo for making Draco and Harry friends in such a short time. One they're not friends yet, and two fear makes you do crazy things, so thank you and please review!
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