Chapter 4

Malfoy Stumbled

As usual, floating candles were above them, owls coming in and out from different directions, and witches and wizards enjoying their meals. They entered the Great Hall as Draco pulled his wand out and yelled, "Accio mask!" A black plastic mask appeared right on his face, concealing it from the crowds. Good idea. He heard himself say.

Hermione spotted an empty Gryffindor table and sat down. Draco followed along and sat next to her, his mask still hiding his identity. While Hermione placed her self on the bench, she darted around the room and realizing that other's were whispering about around her of how a Slytherin is sitting at their table.

"What's up with that dorky mask Malfoy?" Ron said as he sat down across from Hermione.

Draco's fists doubled up in anger. He was easily furious; never would he take that from a Weasley. "It's a disguise." he spat.

"A disguise!" Ron laughed "For what! Are you scared that someone might notice that you're ugly? Cause if they haven't noticed it already..." He laughed harder.

Hermione ignored the two. When out of nowhere a box fell in front of her. She didn't know whom it was from but she went on opening it. Inside the box was a beautiful dress. It was white and brand new. Therefore, Hermione searched for the name of which it came from. However, a name was not written. She was confused.

"What is this for? Who's this from?' she questioned herself minding her own business as Draco and Ron went about arguing.

Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it at Ron. He muttered a jinx that began to make Ron turn red and his hair white. "Congratulations!" Draco said. "You now look uglier than you did."

As Hermione putted her new dress away, she immediately shot her eyes at Ron. "Ron!" Hermione laughed.

"You little!" Ron looked at his hands as if he'd seen a ghost, this time he actually pulled his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at Malfoy. However, before he could say a spell, Harry yanked him down again.

"Let's go Ron! To the Hospital wing before something else happens." Harry pulled a scowling and cursing Ron out the doors up to the Hospital wing as Draco smiled triumphantly watching the two nitwits leave the Hall.

Hermione couldn't help but to laugh. She just hopes Ron and Draco will get along soon. "Can you please remove that mask of your face?" she asked.

"No," he said quickly. "It's the only way to keep me hidden from everyone."

"Well ok then...anyways, so you tell me that you haven't told Parkinson about this whole thing?"

"Nope, no way. She would then shriek her little 'evil' laugh of hers and," he stopped there; he now realized that he didn't like pansy any more. "Well, how many of your little friends have you told about us?" he asked.

"The only people who know about this are Ginny, Luna, Harry, and Ron. That's pretty much it. I didn't want to make you feel bad or anything." she replied.

"Well thanks, but I guess I'll tell people tonight, that's if these handcuffs don't come off till then."

Hermione wasn't sure if Draco really putted his true emotions into what he just said but all she could do was smile. Nevertheless, she seemed to like Draco. It was just unexplained.

"But to let you know," he said quickly. "Once these things are off, I am back to normal."

"Well I'm full and I can see you must really want to get out of here. Mind if we go to the court yard for some fresh air?" she asked.

"Nope. Don't mind." he said noticing pansy looking over at them...

Hermione got up but discovered Pansy looking towards Draco. Quickly, she stood up and headed for the Courtyard.

"Draco!" Pansy yelled as she tried to catch up with them.

"Oh no!" he whispered nervously. "Let's keep walking and if she catches us, we'll say that we didn't hear her."

Hermione kept on walking and looked back to see where Pansy was. She saw her still trying to catch up so she walked faster. Draco shook his head and felt a bead of sweat drop down from his hair. "How fast can you run?" he asked. "'Cause if we can, we can run up to the seventh floor, she wont go past the sixth..."

"Well not that fast, I mean look at these books I'm carrying!" Hermione breathed harder. "But I'll try!" she said pushing her self to go up the moving staircases.

Pansy had now broken into a brisk jog, coming closer to Draco and Hermione.

"Draco, wait up!" she shrieked in her normal high-pitched tone as she approached, coming closer by the second. Is he avoiding me...no impossible? Is that Granger, why is my Draco around the mud blood she thought to herself.

Draco looked back at the exactly wrong time. He saw Pansy getting closer, and he tripped on the staircase, sending Hermione down with him. Oh no! He thought. Were going to be caught!

Hermione saw Draco trip on the staircase and she quickly was pulled down with him. "OUCH! There's no way we can lose her now."

"Draco!" Pansy shrieked, in her typical over dramatic way as she ran to Draco's side. "Oh my poor Draco...did that filthy mud blood hurt you?" She asked and shot Hermione an evil glare as she tried to help him up.

"Draco, just talk to her. Please, we can't just keep running away from her like this. She'll get more suspicious...and hurt." Hermione whispered to Draco as she gave Pansy back a mean glare.

"Uh, uh…" he stammered. "Pansy?" he asked. "Can I meet you in the fireplace tonight; I have a few things to say."

"Yeah, of course. I doubt we should be discussing things in front of that mud blood anyway." Pansy replied, dusting off Draco's robes with her hands and sneered at Hermione. "By the way, Goyle got in a fight with some Ravenclaw girl, messed her face pretty bad, but he's in some big trouble this time."

"That fat brute," he said shaking his head. "I cant believe he would do such a thing. You got any idea who it was he messed?" he asked. He was being unusually nice.

"Can't remember her name, she has a sister in Gryffindor I believe." Pansy replied quietly as she straightened Draco's robes and pushed some stray hairs out of his eyes.

"Well I've got to go now, see you all later." Draco sighed. He walked away and took Hermione with him. Looking back, Draco just couldn't stop glancing back at his worry some friends.