6 days until the Half-Blood Prince!
Disclaimer: In the wonderful and magical world of which is Harry Potter I can say that I own nothing.
Author's Note: Ok, so I've been playing around with the plot in my head and then I get it a certain way that I like. Then I start writing and I don't know how to get to them and then I change how I intended to occur, but still wanting it to be the same, so needless to say I'm thoroughly frustrating myself…so please bare with me, I think we're finally getting into the Hermione/Draco stuff, and finally uncovering some secrets and mysteries!
525,600 Minutes: In Truths That She Learned, or in Times That He Cried-
-Chapter Eleven
"Oi, class. Sit down, I'm back. ARG!" Tonks said, as she walked into her desk as she stepped into her classroom. The seventh year class let out a laugh as Tonks muttered something incoherent under her breath.
"She's always going to be clumsy, isn't she?" asked Ron, through his fits of laughter. Hermione and Harry only laughed harder.
After regaining her composure, she spoke, "And before I forget, that will be ten points from Slytherin Mr. Schickelback for convincing Mr. Longbottom to eat that, that er….well, what ever it was you gave him." Laughter engulfed the classroom again as everyone pictured Neville sprouting wings on his ears from the small candy that Nicholas Schickelback gave him. Even Tonks had to stop herself from laughing. The ears had even started to pick Neville off the ground.
"Well, now." said Tonks once the laughter subsided. "Where was I-" the bell rang. Indicating it was time for class to end. "Thirteen inches of parchment on the Lethifold, where it can be found, why it is dangerous, and how the Patronus charm relates to it on my desk next class. Good bye."
As Hermione, Harry, and Ron reached the door they heard Tonks say, "Ms. Littledon, a word please." Immediately Hermione slowed her pace. Harry and Ron where oblivious to this minor detail, as they were chatting happily about that nights Halloween Feast.
"I'm sure you read the paper?" Tonks quietly asked.
"Hey, Granger." Malfoy called her before she could hear anymore of the conversation.
"What do you want." Hermione sighed, walking a little bit towards him.
Malfoy was about to reply, but his gaze caught a group of fourth years passing. All seven of them were glaring at him. Not that getting glared at was new to Draco Malfoy ,but no one glared at him without having a reason. Plus these glares of unadulterated hate, and besides, no one glared at him without a reason.
"I was reminding you-" he was cut off by another group of passing students glares, just as hateful as the last. "What are you glaring at?"
"As if you don't know." came a sharp reply from one of the students.
"Yes?" Hermione tapped her foot impatiently, ignoring the other students. Though she found it odd that Malfoy didn't know.
"We have a Prefects/Heads meeting before dinner."
"I know, I remembered." Hermione said, someone offended that he would think she forgot something as important as a Heads meeting.
"Ok." Malfoy's mind was somewhere else by now. He didn't even realize that he began walking to his next class, for everywhere he looked people gave him death glares. So, he glared back.
"Since tonight is Halloween everyone will be patrolling. As always patrols start at nine. You may leave now." Malfoy said, trying to avoid the prefects glares. It had been like this all day, and he didn't like it at all. It was as if they, the whole school, knew something and he didn't. The only people that didn't seem to be put off where the Slytherins. Apart from the glares he had been getting comments like 'Bet your happy now, uh Malfoy?' and 'So, how'd he do it, Malfoy?'
He stood and walked to the door, holding a stack of parchments, ready to pass them to the prefects as they left.
"Meet in the Entrance Hall at nine please." Hermione said as the prefects filed out of the room.
Each prefect briskly and sharply pulled their parchments from Malfoy's hands. Malfoy walked back to the table and gathered his things, a look on his face saying "What was that about?"
Hermione snorted, "As if you don't know." she stated as if reading his thoughts
"Know what, Granger!" the idea of people knowing something he didn't, and the anger building from it all day erupted at Hermione's remark. "The whole bloody school has been giving me death glares and looking at me oddly all day. And I don't know why."
Hermione, stood in the door way, bag placed over her shoulder looking at him, amazed. "Y-you mean, you really don't know?"
"NO!" without another word Hermione took the Daily Prophet out of her bag and threw it on the table.
Malfoy stared at the front article. Not believing what he was seeing. He quickly pulled the paper closer. There, staring back at him was a very smug looking picture of his father. Draco glared at the picture and then turned his head towards the article below the picture, his anger grew. It read:
Death Eater Escapes From Azkaban
Late last night Death Eater Lucius Malfoy escaped from Azkaban. It is not known whether he had help from an outside source or, if he escaped on his own.
Mr. Malfoy, a long time employee of the Ministry of Magic, is a known Death Eater, and a very dangerous one. It is believed that he is in the inner circles of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. If you have any information about the where abouts of Mr. Malfoy contact Ministry officials immediately.
Malfoy stared at the article, not really focusing on anything he just stared. He couldn't believe it. His father escaped. The man had actually escaped. It wasn't possible, it couldn't be possible, and yet it was.
Draco hadn't realized that the death grip he had on the article was taking it's toll on the paper. He looked down at the picture of his father again, and with all his might threw the paper across the room.
Hermione looked on as the scene unfolded before her. With each word that Malfoy read his expression became darker and darker. She could see his anger building inside of him. She was amazed that the thought of his father being set free would cause such a reaction with in him. She thought he would be happy about it, but he was quite the opposite. When he threw the article she gave a small jump before looking at her feet.
When she looked up again, Malfoy had his head in his hands, as if he were crying. She cleared her throat. He looked up, "What?" he said through clenched teeth. She could tell he was using all of his power to stop himself from crying.
"I'm sorry." Hermione whispered, once again looking at her feet. She didn't know what made her say it, and she didn't under why she said it. She was showing sympathy for Malfoy, of all people. But she said it anyway.
"What?" this time he asked, a bit more gentle, completely thrown off by what she had said. Wondering if he had heard correctly.
"I said, I'm sorry. I don't know why the event of your Father escaping infuriates you, but it obviously does. So, I'm sorry." She looked up again to meet a very puzzled look of Malfoy's.
"Why?"
Hermione merely shrugged before she left the room for dinner.
"Let's just get this over with." Draco said to Hermione as all the prefects left to their section of the castle. Hermione nodded as the two began their patrol.
The silence that night was different. It was uncomfortable, but it wasn't eerie, it was almost a comfortable, uncomfortable silence.
Hermione's curiosity was beginning to get the best of her. It kept telling her to ask Malfoy why he all of the sudden resented his father so much, even if it was Malfoy that she was going to be talking to.
It just made no sense. Malfoy had always been "his father's son". He was proud to be the son of Lucius Malfoy. Obeying his father's every order. But as Hermione had witnessed over the summer, it was now quite the opposite.
The minutes passed as Hermione was having an inward battle with curiosity, deciding whether or not to ask him when Malfoy broke their silence towards the end of the patrol.
"Granger?" she didn't answer. "Granger!"
"What? Er, yes?"
He looked around uncomfortably, not liking where what he was about to talk about. "You haven't…er.." he paused. "you haven't told anyone about-?" he didn't want to finish it. Hermione could tell that him talking to her in a civil manner was somehow difficult, and she had to make herself not laugh.
"No." they simultaneously stepped over a noisy step as the made their was down stairs that led to the first floor.
"Good, cause if you do-"
CCRREEAAKK
The two heads turned in the middle of the stairs to see a student, who they couldn't identify, standing on the top step, cringing at the noise it had made. Hermione and Draco both took a step towards the student as Hermione spoke, "What are you doing out of bed?"
"Curfew was nearly two hours ago." Draco added.
Without warning, the student ran in the opposite direction. Hermione and Malfoy not hesitating to follow.
"STOP!"
"COME BACK HERE!"
"WE SAID STOP!"
"Fine, you leave me no choice! PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Hermione yelled, pointing her wand at the student. Immediately the student went stiff as a board and fell to the ground.
Hermione and Draco approached the student, and turned them onto their backs so they could see who it was.
"Annabeth." Malfoy said. With an angry sigh, Hermione gave a flick of her wand and the spell was lifted.
"What-"
"Blimey Hermione." Annabeth said while rubbing her head, before Hermione could ask her questions.
Hermione stared like a codfish at Annabeth. That was not the usual voice Annabeth spoke with. No, and this voice was very familiar. Very familiar, but it was impossible, it couldn't be.
"That one hurt?" There was absolutely no way that it was possible.
"R-R-Ryn?" Hermione stuttered out.
Annabeth smirked, before scrunched up her noise, and her light brown, layered hair became evenly cut and a little bit darker. Her skin became rosier and even though she was sitting she grew a little. Finally, her light brown eyes turned to blue one, and she took off her glasses.
"Hiya Hermione."
Author's Note: He he he….Whoda thunk it? I know a little weird, Hermione using a spell to stop Annabeth/Ryn, but hey that's how I wanted it to go. I hope nothing was confusing, I was having a hard time writing this chapter, so I hope everything came across clearly.
Draco's-Ice-Princess666: I would be happy to read your stories. I've read two as of this moment and they are great! I'm on my way to reading the third! Thanks for the review!
Exploded toilet bowl: Thank you so much for that wonderful compliment! I am so happy that you think my story to be readable and likeable, your compliments mean so much! I will definitely read your story, the title sounds familiar, so I might have come across it already, I'll just have to refresh my memory then! Oh, and the book topic will come up again, in a couple chapter or so…Thanks for the review!
Dark Angel31: Great combo, isn't it? The name your friends gave Rent is definitely interesting, I like it…Thanks for the review.
emma: Glad to hear that you like the title, and my sn….oh, and the story! I guess Malfoy does seem like he's going to kill at times, but we'll soon find out why he acts this way! Thanks for reviewing!
Queen of Duct Tape: An evil army of bubbles…I must say I've never heard that one before…. :D! I'm sorry you have to get your wisdom teeth pulled at some point, I hope it's not that painful and all goes well with it! Nope, Annabeth and Draco aren't related….nor his it Harry or Ron, as we have just learned. Great guesses though! I'm glad to see that one of my characters has had you so intrigued…(I guess that's the right word.) Thanks for reviewing!
stephanie: The Rent book is absolutely amazing. It has a lot about Johnathan Larson (may he rest is peace) and his life and his journey in creating Rent. It's told through quotes by his family, friends, and people involved with the production (actors, directors, producers, the list goes on.) It cost like $35 dollars, but it's a pretty big book and well worth every cent. I definitely recommend it to you and all other Rent fans. Well, thanks for reviewing!
Tigerlily727: Thanks for the review!
curlygntx: Thanks for reviewing!
Silent-Serpent: The plot will get back to the prophecy idea mahopper in a couple of chapters, I've got a few more ideas up my sleeve but it'll get there soon….Thanks for reviewing!
jesska-14: 'Tis ok that you couldn't review every chapter. Hope you had fun on vaca! Thanks for the review!
meghan: Thanks for the review!
I'm so glad that you all like this story so much!
If you have any question about anything please ask!
More to come soon!
The Lonely Goatherd