Oh my what a short chapter the last one was! My formalist apologizes! But I can't write much when our main man is sitting on his booty being sick now can I? Well if I did try it would just have been a bunch of mumbling to himself. We don't want Madam Pomfrey to think Draco's a mental case!! I'll try to make this one a bit longer.
I don't own any rights to Harry Potter! Lucky JK gets those delicious boys to herself! ~_^
By the way I think I'm failing miserably at making these poor characters come off/sound like British people. So do me a favor? Just read this aloud in an English accent. It'll save me some trouble. Maybe.
Bwahaha pardon my jokes on countries! I'm American myself y'know but, heh, I had to put that. And I have no less love for Australia either! After all Australia breeds hot guys with hot accents. Keep 'em coming, I say. ^_^-
A couple of weeks passed and Draco Malfoy had been even harder to live with. Hermione chided herself time and again for even helping the poor prat. She had been a fool just because Malfoy had, momentarily, showed some human weakness. Hermione had thought that Malfoy had always been some human reject since he never acted like a nice, normal person. Now her beliefs were confirmed: Draco Malfoy must be some sort of alien from…America probably. American people are strange too. Australians were worse than Americans were though. Take that crazy Crocodile Hunter, who in their right mind would want to go and do thick things like that? Maybe that's normal behavior in Australia?
"We'll do a short homework assignment tonight," Professor McGonagall announced at the end of class, "I'd like you to research on different aspects of magic and do a brief presentation for the class. I'll select the groups naturally."
The professor went to her desk, put on her spectacles and read from a parchment lying on her desk.
"Group 1 will consist of Neville Longbottom, George Flenfoot, Sana Hyden, Wilson Quipe, Ron Weasley and Isis Venoile. Group 1 will do a project on the effects of magic on non magic and magical creatures."
A few groans were murmured and she began again, "Group 2 will consist of Nina Perimann, Connor Witherspoon, Sophia Melpomene, Ryan Flint, Leena Plante and Harry Potter. Group 2 will do a project on different ways to channel magic." When the rest of the groaning was done she continued for the last group, "Group 3 will consist of Ann Terpsichore, Xain Lu Kanzaki, Draco Malfoy, Robbie Nicolson, Mary Muddle and Hermione Granger. Group 3 will do a project on the origins of magic. Please keep yourselves in order over the weekend. Class dismissed."
Hermione was in complete shock. She sat for a sort space of time before she realized that her group had surrounded her.
Ann Terpsichore was a petite Ravenclaw student with long blonde banana curls. She was very fair and usually changed boyfriends every week. Almost every girl envied her. Xain Lu Kanzaki was a Chinese transfer student. She was placed in Gryffindor and had been at Hogwarts for at least 2 years. She had short, straight black hair and dark brown eyes. Robbie Nicolson was a popular Hufflepuff student with spiky short brown hair and blue eyes. He wasn't a very accomplished student though. And Mary Muddle was also a student hailing from Hufflepuff. She was tall and slender with fiery wavy red hair that she almost always wore up. She seemed to be very shy despite being very pretty.
"Hermione, I'm so sorry to do this to you!" Ann gasped in a sad way, "But I'm totally booked for this weekend! I'm afraid I just won't be able to help you with our project this weekend. Say you forgive me?"
"…Um…sure, sure I don't mind," she said weakly trying to compose herself.
"I'm busy too, Granger," Robbie said casually, "Count me out."
"Ok… Um why are you all reporting to me?" she asked in a bewildered way.
"Because you're the smartest," Mary smiled.
"Ano…Hermione?" Xain said softly.
"…Ah yes?" she said trying to listen closely to the Chinese girl closely. Xain Lu couldn't speak English all that well.
"Xain Lu…" she started waving her hands desperately trying to get her message across, "Busy."
"You can't help out either right?" Hermione almost laughed.
Xain Lu nodded her head vigorously.
Hermione smiled and said, "I understand."
"So it's just the mudblood, Mary Muggle and I," Draco smirked, "Oh, what fun."
"Are you actually going to help?" Hermione asked wryly. She'd rather he didn't.
"I think it's the least I can do after you saved my life!" Draco sighed wistfully and faked a faint.
He really was a poxy git.
"I think we should meet up tomorrow around 2-ish at the library," Mary said through gritted teeth. She must have noticed Malfoy's attempt to insult her too.
"Are you alright with that, Slytherin smudge?" Hermione asked, also through gritted teeth.
"Sounds fantastic," Malfoy smiled wickedly, ignoring her insult casually, "Fun study dates with muggles. I'm thrilled."
Hermione glared hotly at him and left the classroom. How could Slytherin even put up with him? Mary even seemed to be a bit shirty with him and she was from Hufflepuff, the peace-makers.
Harry squirmed in his chair. Ron looked about as relaxed as he was. They were both worried more about Hermione now. Malfoy seemed to show no mercy anymore, supposing that he held a little mercy for us in the beginning. And Hermione had the luck to have to work with him.
"Should we ask McGonagall to regroup her?" Ron suggested.
"She wouldn't do that," Harry sighed, "Hermione has to work with Malfoy, like it or not."
"Not," Hermione said vehemently as she slammed her books on the table. This caused both Harry and Ron to jump a little. She seemed on the edge.
"What a hello," Ron said.
"Sorry if I'm not in a mood to greet," Hermione mumbled, "I just can't believe Professor McGonagall would do this to me! Malfoy has been even more horrid than ever. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the next couple days…"
"Cheer up," Harry said, trying to brighten her up a bit, "You'll do fine. You don't always loose your temper so easy like Ron and I around Malfoy. I think, no I know, that you'll get this project done, get a good grade on it, and not kill anyone."
Hermione smiled a little, "Thank you, Harry. I guess you could be right."
"Of course he is!" Ron chimed in, "If anyone can do it, you can Hermione."
"Thanks… Thanks guys," she smiled, in a little better mood, "I'll try my best. I won't let Malfoy get to me!"
"Mudblood!" Draco called in a singsong voice, walking arrogantly over to them, "I've fallen and I can't get up! Can you take me to the Hospital Wing?"
A few Slytherins beside him snickered. Hermione's face got hot and she glared death at Malfoy. Harry stood up and turned around to face him.
"Why don't you leave her alone for once, Malfoy?" Harry asked through gritted teeth, "Don't you have to go kiss up to your dad sometime today?"
Malfoy's face seemed to go a little pale at the thought of his father but he composed himself rather quickly so that neither of the three Gryffindors noticed, "Oh, don't mind me, Potter. You're doing enough kissing for the both of us. Right Granger?"
Hermione looked a bit puzzled but blushed none the less. Harry blushed madly and looked down at his feet. Draco smiled slyly and left him. The rest of the Slytherins broke into a loud cackle and they walked away following behind the ever smug Malfoy.
"Dammit!" Ron said slamming the table with a fist, "That bloody son of a--"
"Ron, calm down," Hermione said coolly, "You too, Harry."
Harry sat down quietly still looking anywhere but his friends, "Sorry."
Hermione sighed and idly organized her books and notes, "It's alright, Harry. I appreciate you trying to stand up for me. It's better than I could do. But Malfoy always seems to have the upper hand. I hate it. He always has a reply that stuns you so you can't talk while he sniggers away…"
"Yeah," Ron said, feeling a little down, "Why can't we have the last word once?"
"But that's ok too," Hermione smiled, "I think I'd rather it be this way."
"Why?" Harry and Ron asked in unison.
"Well, because if we had the last word and got to hurt him like he does us, would we be any better than him?" she replied.
Harry and Ron paused for a moment to let what she said sink in.
"You're right…" Harry replied softly, feeling a little ashamed, "Like always."
"We can take it," Hermione said stuffing her neatly organized books and notes into her rucksack, "All he has is words."
"That's right!" Ron smiled, "If we don't listen to him…"
"He can't get to us!" Harry smiled.
"Right," Hermione nodded, "So let's just keep our cool."
"See?" Harry said, "I knew you could figure out a way to deal with him."
Ron nodded happily.
"Do your best," Harry smiled encouragingly.
"Right," Hermione nodded, "Catch you later then."
Hermione shouldered her bag and turned toward the door. Harry knew that Hermione was going to library to research by herself so that she would have to spend less time with Malfoy. Harry's heart went with her as she turned the corner, out the door, and left his sight.
Draco mentally chided himself. If there was some sort of higher being out there he prayed to that being that he'd be forgiven.
Damn, damn, damn!
Draco felt utterly exhausted. He couldn't live like this much longer. How, on Merlin's green earth, was he supposed to do such hypocritical things? He would insult Granger and then beg her with his eyes to forgive him. Did she see his begging? Probably not. How could he say something like that to Potter? The moment his reply left his lips Draco felt a number of things. He felt embarrassed to say something like that; he felt relief that Granger didn't seem to have the slightest clue on what he was talking about; and he felt raw anger that anyone, besides him, would he even lay one finger on Hermione.
How could he keep feelings like that inside him? But the better question was what were these feelings? Was he being protective of the muggle?
Draco slumped in his seat in the library. Crabbe and Goyle had taken leave of him for awhile to eat lunch. So, naturally, he had taken this time to get away from them and have some moments by himself so he could think properly.
But as soon as Hermione walked in the library he couldn't think very proper thoughts.
Draco closed his eyes. He didn't want to have to insult her again. Maybe if he closed his eyes and pretended to sleep Hermione would just leave him alone. She couldn't possibly want to engage him in conversation. This way he'd save them both the trouble.