My Ferret 2
Author's Note: You guys wanted more and here it is…
Draco sat cuddled on Hermoine's lap within the moving Muggle vehicle, shocked. He couldn't believe that his parents hadn't recognized him. How could they not? He was their son! When he had spotted them waiting for him, he had scrambled off Hermoine's shoulder and had raced towards them. His father would take the spell off and he'd be back to himself! He had been so sure. But then the truth came crashing down on him and his hope died.
/They didn't recognize me at all…/
How could they? He was a ferret; a worthless furry animal. Their son was a respectable Pureblood and he didn't associate with lower-class people like Mudbloods. But now he was stuck with the Mudblood. At first he had been overjoyed when Hermoine had rescued him from Weasley. Even cuddling against Granger was better than getting tossed out a moving train window. At first his mind had been a bit blank as shock rolled through him, his body shivering uncontrollably. Hermoine's protective arms felt safe and warm, her chest a solid wall of safety. Her hand moved down his back smoothing his fur and he was surprised how nice it felt to be stroked, even if it was by Granger. Normally he wouldn't let Granger touch him. He liked to joke that she'd contaminate him with Mudblood germs, although he really didn't think she could contaminate him. Still, it pleased him to see her take it so seriously, as if he really believed such nonsense! He was born a Pureblood and he'd stay a Pureblood; nothing could change that. Still, sometimes it was a struggle keeping his face straight, eyes glowering at her so gravely with his trademark sneer in place. That didn't mean he wanted to associate with her though. She had nothing to offer him.
/Except my life…/
Yes, as much as he hated to admit it, Hermoine Granger had saved his life. That Gryffindor way of thinking had worked in his favor this time. Bloody Gryffindors were always trying to do the right thing. They apparently loved ridiculous things like helping old grannies across the street, stopping evil wizards from dominating the world and stopping Weasley from tossing ferrets out moving train windows. Of course, Weasley was in Gryffindor, too. But anyone could tell that his thinking process was screwed up; no surprise there.
/The bloody git probably should be in Slytherin…/
Stupid Gryffindor fools! Why were they always beating him up for? He wasn't Voldemort! Sure, he liked to bug Potter once in a while, but still! He didn't think a bit of teasing equaled the beatings he got. And what did they mean he was evil? He wasn't evil!
/OK, so maybe I say a few things I shouldn't…/
Maybe it wasn't exactly nice calling Granger a Mudblood. She did save his life, after all. Maybe he should try and be politically correct, like his father kept telling him. Lucius wanted him to use the term Muggle-born and not Mudblood, saying it wasn't good for the family's reputation to be caught using it. He had never listened before, mainly because his father wasn't there to strike him with his walking stick. Getting his fingers slapped by the heavy silver head of the walking stick really hurt. That thing was solid and far heavier than it looked. Over the years, Draco had learned to be quicker than his old man, often avoiding getting hit. But maybe it was time that he stopped using the term. He owed Granger at least that if not more.
Snapping out of his reverie, Draco glanced fearfully around. Odd smells surrounded him here in the strange Muggle vehicle. He had heard a bit about them at school, especially when Potter and Weasley had crashed one into the Whomping Willow Second Year. But he never dreamed that he'd be in one. He was trapped on Granger's lap, his long body stretched out on her legs. Her hand was heavy on his back, holding him in place securely. He couldn't see much from where he was. There was a solid leathery wall in front and from the sound of it, her parents were on the other side. There were talking but he paid it no heed. Next to Granger was a large light gray plastic crate, a metal grill on the front. Inside was that horrible ginger cat he'd seen a few times at school. The poor beast was going nuts inside the Muggle-made trap, running around in frantic circles and yowling as loudly as it could. Its yellow eyes, when Draco could see them, were wide and full of panic.
And then it hit him…
/This is really happing. Granger is taking me home with her…/
Depressed, Draco laid his fuzzy chin on Hermoine's leg and watched Crookshanks turn circles in the carrier.
000
Hermoine carried the heavy cat carrier into the house with one hand, the other hand clutching the ferret. She was a bit worried as to how Crookshanks would take the new pet she had acquired on the train. Although he was used to seeing other animals at the school, at home he had always been an only cat. Now if he was suddenly forced to share his home with a ferret, he may get jealous of the newcomer. Hermoine, being the bookworm she was, had read tons of books on cats. And every one had recommended caution when introducing a new pet into the household. Then there was the fact that she had a ferret, not another cat or a dog. Cats were carnivores and generally loved to hunt smaller animals, so she was unsure how Crookshanks would feel about the ferret. Would he see it as prey?
/I hope not…/
A shiver passed through her as she wearily set the heavy carrier onto the ground. Crookshanks was a big cat and he was heavy, weighing at least twelve pounds. Glancing towards the front to make sure the door was closed and both her parents in the house, she bent low and opened the door on the carrier. A ginger streak zoomed out and was gone within seconds. Closing the carrier door, Hermoine grinned. Knowing Crooks, he had dashed off to go hide in the pantry – his favorite hiding spot. Crookshanks hated the cat carrier. He hated being cooped up in the box that had no exit. But after that one trip to the train station when they all had gotten badly scratched by Crookshank's claws as he had gone crazy in the car, she had been forced to get one. It really was the best solution.
Yawning, Hermoine held the ferret against her chest as if he were a cat. She could feel his little claws gently gripping her T-shirt, his little pink nose sniffing the air around him. It was late and she was sleepy from the long train ride and then from the car trip home. Glancing towards the front bay window, she could see all her neighbor's houses were lit up, their windows glowing brightly. It was odd to see electric lights again after being so long at Hogwarts with the glowing candles and crackling fires. Electric lights, she discovered, were much harsher on the eyes and she often found herself squinting at their brightness upon first returning.
Her stomach rumbled loudly and she headed to the kitchen. Setting the ferret down gently on the table, she headed towards the refrigerator. Knowing her mother, she had a plate of cooked food for her and all she'd have to do was warm it in the microwave. Spotting it immediately sitting on the bottom self covered in foil, she pulled it out and removed the foil. Carrying it to the microwave, she placed it inside and closed the door. Pressing the appropriate buttons, it started to cook.
000
Draco gawked wide-eyed at the huge room around him. The light that hung high overhead was incredibly bright and it stung his eyes painfully, yet he didn't dare close them. The room was both frightening and fascinating at the same time; something he couldn't quite grasp. There were no smoking candles or brightly lit fireplace, yet there was light; a light that glowed brighter than the sun! He cautiously inched forward across the smooth wooden table as he watched Hermoine move about. First she opened some huge white box that vaguely reminded him of a wardrobe, as it had the same basic shape, but there was another bright light inside it. She removed something from it and stuck it inside another box, this one smaller and black.
/What is she doing/
Draco had to admit he had no idea. It was clearly all Muggle stuff…
/I'm in a Muggle home!./
He couldn't believe it. The great Draco Malfoy, the prince of Slytherin house and purest of the Purebloods, was in a Muggle house! If his fellow classmates ever heard of this…
/I'd be the laughing stock of Hogwarts!./
Yes, he'd never live it down. Not only had Weasley turned him into a ferret, but Granger had taken him home as a pet! How would he ever explain this to anyone? How would he explain it to his parents? Surely they'd come looking for him? Turning a slow circle on the tabletop, Draco spotted a window. It was fully dark outside now and he knew his parents must be frantic with worry. By now he was sure the train had been searched and they realized he wasn't on it, that he had vanished. What would they do? How would they ever find him? Could they find him at all or would he be forced to stay here for months until school started again? He could imagine his mother crying, his father worrying. No matter what some people at school thought of his parents, they weren't cold-blooded. They truly cared for him and he knew his father wouldn't stop searching until he was found. Lucius Malfoy was not one to give up, especially where his only son and heir was concerned.
/Father will find me…./
Turning, his tiny claws clicking on the wooden surface, Draco returned his attention to the bushy haired girl. He saw she was placing what looked like sliced cheese between slices of bread, put it on a plate. The black box made a noise and Draco's heart skipped a beat, surprised. It was obvious, however, that Granger was expecting it as she dashed over to it, a large thing over her hand. She opened the door and pulled out a plate of hot food and placed it on the table. Then she stuck the cheese sandwich into the box, closing it again.
/The black box cooks food somehow…/
A large noisy bag was placed on the table as well and he watched Granger open it. Reaching in, she pulled out a handful of some curled things and placed them in front of him. "I'm afraid I don't know what you eat, but maybe you'll like these corn chips. Crooks enjoys them once in a while…"
/I eat what you eat, Granger/
Draco wrinkled his pink little nose in disgust. Granger hadn't even given him a plate! What did she think he was, some common animal that ate off the table or the floor? Then he remembered the sad truth.
/I am an animal…/
Yes, he was still a ferret, curse that Weasley! He still didn't know how that idiot had managed to do such a complex spell yet. He was among those that received the worst grades in school or so he had heard. But maybe that wasn't true. Or else he must have been secretly practicing just … just …
/Just to turn me into a ferret!./
It was a planned conspiracy! The black box beeped again and he watched as Hermoine pulled the plate of grilled cheese out and placed it on the table. Sitting down, she carefully pulled a small hunk off her sandwich and placed that in front of him as well. The bread was nicely toasted and the yellow cheese was soft and gooey. The blonde Slytherin had to admit he liked grilled cheese, he just wasn't used to a sandwich being almost as big as he was! The delicious smell was traveling up his nose and he felt his mouth water. He eyed the piece of sandwich critically, knowing that Granger had her fingers all over it. Did he really want to eat something she had touched?
/Do I have any choice?./
Draco sighed, knowing he didn't. He didn't know how long it would take for his father to track him down to this Muggle neighborhood. It might actually take a few days and he needed to keep his strength up, to eat. Inching closer to the bit of sandwich, he nibbled on it. It was decidedly odd eating with one's mouth only. He was used to high-class dining with several spoons, forks and knifes. And here he was resulting to being a barbarian! It was down right disgusting to say the least. But his new body seemed to know how to feed itself and he quickly finished off the hunk of grilled cheese. Smacking his mouth, he sniffed curiously on one of the chips. Draco had never seen corn chips before and he had no real idea what they were. Still, it smelled tasty so he bit into one of them. Salt filled his mouth and he suspected it was some sort of Muggle junk food.
/I bet Crabbe and Goyle would love these things…/
Draco snickered mentally as he imagined each one of them resting on the black leather sofa of the Slytherin common room, a big bag of corn chips in their lap. The two goons would dumbly pack their faces, as they grew fatter and greasier. The thought was sickening. One had to care about their physical appearance. Of course, he had no idea that many Muggles did the same thing while watching TV. Not that Draco even knew TVs even existed yet…
Spitting the partly chewed corn chip out, he eyed her plate. Hermoine had climbed out of her seat and was digging in the white wardrobe thing that Muggles kept food in. Seeing that her back was turned, he darted forward and poked his long face into her plate of food.
/Stupid Granger! Giving me junk food while she keeps the vegetables to herself!./
Well, he knew how to fix that easily!
000
Hermoine popped open her can of orange soda and took a long swallow, sighing in pleasure. She couldn't believe how many months she'd gone without drinking any soda at all. Not that she tended to guzzle the stuff or anything; it's just that once in a while she enjoyed a can of the cold stuff. Unfortunately, the Wizarding World lacked many Muggle inventions, soda being one of them. Closing the refrigerator door, she turned and gasped.
The ferret was gulping down all of her peas!
Laughing, she ate the rest of her sandwich. If he wanted her plate of food, he could have it. She had eaten most of it already, anyway. "Well, at least we know what you eat now."
After they had both finished eating, the ferret burping even, Hermoine cleaned the table. She filled Crookshanks bowl with dry kibble and another with water, and then picked up her ferret. Cradling him against her chest, she carried him upstairs to her bedroom. She was still unsure how Crookshanks would react to the new animal, so she would keep him in her room for the time being. The ginger cat was still hiding from his encounter with the hated cat carrier, no doubt. By tomorrow he should be back to his usual self.
Opening her bedroom door, Hermoine entered it and closed it behind herself. The last thin she wanted was to wake up in the middle of the night to see Crooks with the ferret in his mouth! That would be horrible! A cold shiver passed through her at the thought and she was determined to make certain the door was firmly shut. She flipped the overhead light on and discovered her father had already placed her trunk of school stuff in her room at the foot of her bed. She smiled at the sight, thinking she was blessed to have such wonderful, caring parents. Walking towards the bed, she gently put the ferret down on it and sat down next to him. It was strange being home after being at Hogwarts for so long. Her room, although familiar, felt a bit like a stranger's due to her being away for so long.
The bedroom itself was done up in pink and white. A dark cherry dresser with an antique-style round mirror stood against one wall, the dresser top piled with books left there from last summer. The dresser had come from her great-grandmother and a few of her possessions were still inside it; Hermoine keeping them as treasures of a sort. Not that they were valuable money-wise. If they were, her parents wouldn't let her have them as a kid. But they were souvenirs from a bygone era much the same way that Hogwarts was stuck in the past. She enjoyed taking the items out and looking at them every so often, wondering what it had been like living in those days. The distinctions between items made back then and now were very clear-cut. Today everything in the Muggle world was plastic, ranging from credit cards to shopping bags to bottles. The Muggle world was loud and fast; speeding cars with booming stereos. Although she appreciated some of the modern inventions, other things seemed to be lacking.
Like romance.
Romance seemed to be dead in the Muggle world. Most boys seemed only interested in one thing and that was sad. Perhaps it was due to the fact that basic modesty seemed to have died decades ago. With nudity in movies and underwear ads in the paper, no wonder it was dead. A boy was more likely to take you to a greasy food place these days than someplace with candlelight. And what was romantic about that?
/Of course, I'm not very romantic either…/
Yet her roommates at Hogwarts seemed to have found boyfriends from one house or another. Almost every evening they gathered by one of their beds and blabber excitedly. They'd discuss cute boys, clothes, make-up, hairstyles and all sorts of things. Once they had even talked nonstop for an entire evening about shoes! At the time, Hermoine had rolled her eyes and stuck her nose in her Herbology book, convinced they were all brain dead. When she went shoe shopping, it was to get only what she needed; like a sensible pair of sneakers. Then she'd try on a few pairs and walk around a bit, seeing how they fit her feet. Whichever felt best on her feet is what she bought. So to actually hear someone going on and on for hours about shoes…
And then they had started on purses!
That had been too much and she fled with her stack of books to the common room. Later that night when she had returned, they had still been sitting in a clump with scattered fashion magazines around them. They had glanced at her sadly, shaking their heads. It hadn't bothered her at the time, as she hadn't fallen in love yet. But now…
/Now I need to make a decision./
Yes, summer vacation was the prefect time to make an important decision. There were no tests to study for, no assignments due and best of all, no annoying close-minded people around. But that didn't make it any easier. In fact, it might make it even harder. What did she really know about being a girl? She spent all her time in the library or running around after hours doing dangerous stuff with Harry. Lying down on her bed, she grabbed the ferret around his middle and placed him on her chest. His beady little gray eyes reminded her of Draco and she sighed. This infatuation of hers was really getting bad if a furry animal reminded her of the blonde Slytherin.
/I wonder what he's doing this exact moment? I hope he's not running around doing bad things…/
No, Draco wasn't cut out to be a Death Eater. She was positive of that. Still, that bloody snake would probably try to control him, force him to do things. And with Harry and Ron fighting with him all the time, he'd have no one to turn to for help. He'd be stuck with one heck of a mess, like a fly trapped in a spider's sticky web. But if she could become friends with him somehow…
Hermoine frowned.
/Oh, just admit it! You want to date him somehow!./
"But how?" Hermoine asked herself, one hand absently stoking the ferret's back. "I'm not very feminine, am I? How could I ever get him to notice me?"
000
Draco stared up at Granger's giant face, surprised.
/Granger's in love?./
That was the last thing he ever expected. She spent so much time in the library he was convinced she never even knew boys existed. But apparently she did and now the miracle had happened. Some guy, most likely a Gryffindor, had caught her attention. And it was painfully clear she hadn't the slightest idea how to handle it. Then a new thought occurred to him and he grinned in a toothy ferret way.
/Maybe she'll spill all her dark, dirty secrets to me!./
Draco snickered within his head as he imagined all sorts of things he could learn this way about the famous trio. For all he knew, Potter sent her secret letters. Ferret or no ferret, he could still read. That is, presuming Potter's handwriting was legible. The Slytherin had serious doubts about that. And then there was the tantalizing fact of who the lucky guy was. Could it be Potter himself, old Scarhead?
/But she seemed angry at him…./
All right, so it wasn't Potter. And defiantly not Weasley, thank Merlin for that! Draco raked his brain, going through a mental list of the boys in Gryffindor. Truthfully, he didn't think much of any of them. Longbottom was a hopeless mess, Semus wasn't much better and that Colin boy was a real creep the way he carried that camera around, like it was part of his body or something. There were other boys in that house, he knew that, but who were they? His brain was drawing a blank and the ferret frowned, not an easy task. They were all not worthy of his attention so he paid them no heed.
/Maybe Granger will tell me./
The ferret looked up at her, expectantly.
/Come on, tell me who it is!./
000
Hermoine's chocolate eyes focused on the ferret. It was gazing up at her so cutely and she smiled. The more she looked at it, the more it reminded her of Draco. Its smooth white fur reminded her of his silky whitish-blonde hair that was unique to the Malfoys. She didn't think she ever saw that exact hair color on anyone else, ever. And it even had his dreamy gray eyes…
/Now you're just being silly! This ferret is just a ferret!./
Still, maybe she could use it as motivation, to remember her goal. If she didn't have a reminder, she might just put it off and go back to her regular routine of books and studying. And if that happened… "I'll never get a date then!"
No, she wouldn't. And he'd go off on the arm of some other girl! An alarmed expression flickered across her face and then she set her lips firmly, a determined look in her eyes. "I need a plan, that's what! I need to get his attention somehow. But how could I do that? He practically hates me…"
000
/He hates her?./
Draco couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was just unbelievable! Not only was Granger in love with some boy, but he hated her as well! This was just too good to be true. He was sitting here on her chest listening to the juiciest news ever, yet he felt a bit sad, too. She had saved his life, after all.
/And she really is clueless…/
Bookworm Granger really was clueless about being a girl. She had done something right that night of the Yule Ball in Fourth Year, but only that once. He was practically flabbergasted when he had seen her enter the room on that other guy's arm. Crum, was it? The fact that she had been the prettiest girl at the ball hadn't escaped his notice, yet the next day whatever magic she had used was gone. She was back to her frizzy hair and figureless clothes.
/That is, providing she has a figure…/
Draco was sitting on her chest where she had put him, but he didn't dare move. He didn't exactly feel comfortable sitting there. It was an awkward situation, really. The thing is, she didn't know that he was the ferret and if she ever found out…
/She'd kill me for sure!./
Yes, that she would. Although Granger didn't join in when the other two were beating on him, he was pretty sure she hated him. Yeah, maybe she had stuck up for him a few times in the past, but that was just her streak of fairness showing trough. He was beginning to think she disliked it when certain people were picked on, so she spoke up in their behalf. That didn't mean she liked him though. Nope. He was a Slytherin and Gryffindors hated Slytherins. No, make that the other three houses hated Slytherins. It was the same thing with her SPEW or whatever it was called, that stupid thing about house elves. He had a good laugh at it but his father didn't think it funny at all and he had almost lost his knuckles again. He had forgotten that Potter had freed a house elf years ago but Lucius hadn't.
"What would you do?" Hermoine said as she lifted him up around his middle and dangled him in front of her face.
/What would I do about what? Finish the sentence, Granger!./
"What would you do if you were in Gryffindor and in love with a Slytherin?"
To be continued…