"Where do you think you're going?" asked Malfoy, walking down the staircase in a lazy fashion.
"To Hagrid's," replied Hermione, pushing the portrait open.
"But you have to give the first years their tour,"
"That's your job, ferret,"
Ferret? Hermione! No! Bad girl! No calling people names.
"No it's not, I already told you I have Quidditch tryouts,"
"Well you'll have to skip tryouts then because I am going to Hagrid's,"
Great now you're being hard headed!"I can't skip it! If you haven't noticed, I'm the captain!"
"Do I really care?"
Wow, Hermione… you sure know how to make friends.
"Well I don't really want you to care,"
"Right. Well have fun with the first years,"
"I already told you, Granger. You have to give them the tour. Not me,"
"I was out of the door first so you have to,"
"No you're not,"
"Well now I am," she said smugly, placing her foot firmly on the ground outside the portrait, "the first years are waiting!" she shouted to him as she began to walk towards the Gryffindor common room to meet Harry and Ron.
"Have fun in the detention you're going to get!" he called after her as he picked up the broom, which had been residing on the floor since their arrival.
Storming off to the Quidditch field, he found himself looking at only two new applicants. Pansy sat in the stands, waving and blowing kisses as he entered. He ignored her and walked with heavy feet to where the team was sitting on the field.
Great pickings this year…
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"Hagrid!" came Harry's voice as he knocked loudly upon the large wooden door fiercely.
"Ouch!" said Ron as Harry swung back and accidentally punched him in the face.
"Ron!" Hermione yelled at him as she toppled over and fell onto the snow.
Ron tried regaining his balance, only to trip over Hermione's foot.
Harry looked down at the two sprawled on the ground and erupted into an uncontrollable laughter.
"Shut up, Harry," said Ron, grabbing a clump of dirt and throwing it at him.
"Thanks," muttered Harry with a mouthful of dirt a grass.
The large door creaked open and the trio found their large and hairy friend beaming down at them, a smile plastered on his face.
"Blimey, I knew yeh three would be commin' but what er way ter make an' entrance," he said chuckling slightly.
They trotted into the cozy cabin like obedient dogs and took their usual places at the table, which adorned a large pile of peeled potato skins and four steaming mugs.
"Hagrid, do you mind if I use your sink?" asked Harry as he walked over to the large faucet.
"Not at all." Hagrid said while taking a seat in front of the potato skin pile.
As Harry began to rid his face (and mouth) of dirt and grass, Hagrid began to babble on about how Gwap had found himself a little cave and even made himself a bed made out of twigs, as Hermione was sipping her tea and kicking Ron under the table so he wouldn't fall face first into his plate of rock cakes.
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"Okay, anyone who isn't trying out for Chaser leave now!" He bellowed at the group of about 10 before him.
He watched eight of the unlucky Slytherins trot back up to the Castle before continuing.
"Well one of you will have to go first and score as many goals as possible. You've got Harper and Vaisey to help you if you need it. Got it?"
"You go first. What's your name?" he asked the weedy blonde haired boy.
"Derek Smith,"
"Okay Smith, you're up,"
"I think you know my older sister," Derek said as if Draco hadn't said anything. "She's in your year,"
"There's no name of a girl Draco doesn't know!" said Blaise, placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder.
"Her names Sara,"
"Well Drakie Poo can't talk to Sara otherwise Pansy'll cut off his-"
"Bloody hell Blaise…"
Derek snorted before mounting his broom and pushing off into the air.
The boy hastily grabbed the Quaffle once it was thrown up to him and sped down the field.
"He's a pretty good flyer," said Blaise.
"Yeah, he's got a pretty good chance of making the team," Draco said, beaming. Maybe this year they'd have a decent team.
"Is that cause of his talent or his sister?"
"How many times to I-"
"Er… Draco?"
"What?"
"Does Smith know how to stop?"
BAM!
"Apparently not,"
Derek hadn't stopped. And he had flown right into the goal post and had plummeted to the ground unconscious.
"Well… at least he can fly,"
"Oh shut up, Blaise."
He watched Crabbe pick the boy up effortlessly and walk to the infirmary. Their last chance was the short, stubby one who was busy fiddling with his thumbs. But maybe, just maybe he'd blow us all away with his godly Chaser skills…
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"So how is Gwap, Hagrid? I mean on speaking real words?" Hermione asked, placing her empty mug on the table and folding her hands politely in her lap.
"Ah he's doin' wonderful! Been teachin' him the alphabet and we've gotten down to M already!" Hagrid said cheerfully.
"Can he still say Hermy?" she asked him.
"Why… er… yep. He still can!"
"Can he say Ronny?" mocked Ron.
"Well… no. I don't think so…" said Hagrid, feeling his beard.
"Oh don't mind him, Hagrid. He's just a bit upset," sighed Hermione.
"How come?"
"Because since I'm Head Girl, I have to share a common room and bathroom with the Head Boy,"
"Well whose the lucky lad then?" Hagrid asked, taking a big sip out of his mug.
"Malfoy," Harry, Hermione and Ron said in unison, only to be sprayed and covered seconds later in a mix of spit and tea.
"Sorry 'bout that… Malfoy you say?" Hagrid apologized, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Tell me that's illegal, Hagrid!" pleaded Ron.
"I don't think it is really…"
"If they have to share rooms for a whole year then they'll probably kill each other!"
"Ter tell yeh, Dumbledore knows what he's doing. He wudn't make 'em do anything together if he knew it'd end bad."
Ron gave a loud grunt and began to stare furiously into his mug.
Hagrid turned to Hermione, his brow furrowed at Ron's behavior.
She shook her head and picked at the rock cake sitting on her plate.
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"So you are…?"
"Russell Clemens,"
"Well it's your turn. You know how to stop on your broom, don't you?"
"Yes,"
"Okay, get up there then!"
Clemens mounted his broom and flew gracefully into the air, hovering above Blaise and Draco.
After being tossed the Quaffle, he zoomed off with as much talent as Smith had and threw it swiftly at the middle post. Missing it of course on his first try. But after another few tries, Clemens was able to score three more before his time was up.
"Well it looks like you're our new Chaser," said Draco as he pat Clemens on the back.
"Smith won't be too happy," admitted Blaise.
"It's his fault-"
"I want another try!"
Derek Smith was running across the field towards Draco, Blaise and Clemens with Crabbe trotting after him.
"You already had a go, Smith!" shouted Draco, "We've already chosen our new Chaser."
Derek frowned.
"Please!" he pleaded.
"No. Maybe next year,"
"I really don't know what my sister sees in you," spat Derek as he stormed off the field, kicking a spare quaffle lying on the ground.
I don't really care.
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"Well Hagrid. We'd better get going," said Harry, placing down his mug on the table.
"Okay well I'll see yeh lot later then."
The three left Hagrid's hut, trying their best not to wake Fang who was slobbering over the floor.
"Whose that?" asked Ron as he pointed towards the Quidditch pitch where tiny dots zoomed around in the air.
"It looks like… the Slytherin Quidditch team," said Harry, having to squint even with his glasses on.
"Does it look like a good team? We can't afford to lose this year,"
"All I can see are tiny green dots,"
"Let's go closer then."
Ron and Harry sped off towards the Quidditch pitch, leaving Hermione behind in the dark.
"Boys and Quidditch…" she muttered as she sprinted after them.
"Ron! Harry! Slow down! I – OUCH!"
Harry and Ron had stooped down under one of the stands and had their heads peaking out from underneath the fabric, causing Hermione to trip over them and draw the attention of the Draco Malfoy.
"Granger? What are you…" his expression turned to pure jealously once he spotted her friends, "Come here to spy on us Potter, Weasley?
"That would just be a waste of time, Malfoy," Harry spat back as he stood up and brushed the dirt off of himself for the second time that day.
"Well what are you doing here then?"
"Having a good laugh,"
"I think we're the ones having the laugh here, Potter,"
"Buzz of Malfoy,"
"You buzz off. I'm supposed to be here. You aren't,"
The old rivals glared at each other before Harry stalked back off to the castle, Ron following close behind.
"Your boyfriends are waiting for you, Granger."
For a second, she looked confused after he had spoken but turned and ran off after Harry and Ron who had already disappeared from view.
He didn't know why, but for some reason, he felt a pang of jealously as he watched her follow after them like an obedient dog.
"Come on Draco."
He was brought from his thoughts and found he had been staring after her for several minutes now.
"What were you doing?" Blaise asked, coming up behind him.
Draco turned to look at his best friend.
"…Just making sure Potthead and Weasley are gone,"
"Okay, mate. You'd better get some rest though it's getting late."
Draco smiled at his best friend before bringing the tryouts to a close.
"See you in the morning."
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"Miss Granger!"
"Professor McGonagall! Oh… I was just-"
"You and Mr. Malfoy were supposed to give the first years their tour of the castle and neither of you showed up!"
"Malfoy was supposed to! Harry, Ron and I went down to Hagrid's and I told him he had-"
"There are no excuses for this Miss Granger. I am afraid I will have to put Professor Snape's suggestion into use,"
"But…but… I've never had detention before!"
"I'm sorry. But these are the consequences I-"
Draco Malfoy walked up behind them, his eyebrows raised as he viewed the situation before him with interest.
"Good evening, Professor," he said politely.
"Mr. Malfoy. I was just telling Miss Granger about your new punishment,"
"Punishment? But I didn't do anything wrong!"
"Didn't do anything wrong? You left the first years alone in the Great Hall so they decided to have a look around the castle themselves! And they got themselves locked up in a classroom! They'd still be stuck in there if Professor Dumbledore hadn't noticed them missing!"
"Granger was supposed to do it, Professor. I had to choose a new Chaser,"
"Quidditch trials could have been rescheduled for another day. You both refused to attend to your Head duties and in doing so, have placed this punishment upon yourselves,"
He glanced over at Hermione who looked shocked at having her first detention only several days into term. There was no getting out of this one. So he hung his head in defeat and began to stare down at his shoes like there was something important on them.
"Both of you will report to the kitchens tomorrow after your last lesson."
Professor McGonagall turned and headed up the stairs to her room briskly, leaving the four alone in the flickering light of the torches hanging on the corridor walls.
"We'll see you in the morning, Hermione. Night."
Harry strode up the stairs after Professor McGonagall, eager to get some sleep.
"Bye, Herm."
With one last glare at Malfoy, Ron bounded up the stairs after Harry two steps at a time.
"It's all your fault, Malfoy," Hermione said softly as she began to walk up the stairs to the Head's common room.
She couldn't help but feel at least a little mad at him for getting her detention… friends had their ups and downs!
"Didn't quite catch that?" Draco said, catching up to her.
"I said," she raised her voice, "it's all your fault that I've gotten my first detention!"
"My fault? You had to go and visit that half giant bloke!"
"You have no right to call Hagrid that!"
Maybe she'd start this friend thing tomorrow…
"Shut up, mudblood,"
Now he'd done it.
"Ugh! Why don't you… why don't you just… UggghhhhAHHHHH!"
And with that, she slammed the door to her dorm, leaving him stunned and utterly confused.