Hi again. I feel evil so I am not going to post again until I finally get a beta or four reviews in one day. Easter brings out the worst in me. I am happy with the reviews I have gotten, I noticed some new names since my email has turned against me and I need to the reviews page in order to read them. I also seem to have lost reviewers which is probably my fault since I don't update regularly or frequently.
Anyway, my legal situation has not changed since yesterday, I still don't own anything. Love you all, even if you don't review. Happy Easter if that is your thing.
Chapter six
Children are often described as angelic, it is part of their defense mechanisms. There are comparatively few people in the world who would purposely hurt a small child as most see the small, fragile and innocent persons as precious and perfect, needing the highest amount of protection. When children grow older and taller they seem less fragile and grow less innocent, they are no longer angels but merely humans.
Some manage to avoid this, they hold onto the air of fragility and innocence, some are compared to angels merely because they maintain the exact right kind of perfection. Draco is sometimes called a dark angel because he is believed to hold a dark nature within a perfect body.
When Adam first stepped into the compartment, the first thought Hermione had was that he did seem like an angel. He did not have Draco's physical light beauty, Hermione did not find Draco physically attractive anyway, no Adam had a dark beauty. Shoulder length black hair, sapphire blue eyes with specks of emeralds and a clear complexion that seemed masculine but without the sharp angles that were normally on an adult males face. And despite being their age, Adam definitely seemed adult.
He was dressed in black which made him seem as pale as Professor Snape and Malfoy but no where near as unhealthy. The cloth looked soft and loose without being baggy and there was a hint of metallic blue sparkling in the shirt. Best of all his was tall, he was smiling showing sparkling white teeth which Draco and Professor Snape were both lacking and he had impeccable timing. He was almost definitely angelic.
"Hi, I'm Adam and I'm new to Hogwarts. The other carriages are rather full or the people are rather rude so I was wondering if I could sit with you here?"
He even had a rather pleasant voice. A bit deep and very melodic, he was probably a singer.
"We are having a private conversation, go away."
It seemed that Draco had realised that he was going to have some competition with his sex god status and was trying to dominate Adam already. There might be some fun in this year after all. Adam's smile had slipped but he didn't back away.
"Don't be silly Malfoy. We agreed on an answer each, not multiples. It would be rude to make Adam sit by himself and he seems interesting already. Come on in."
This was going to be very fun.
"Thank you, you are very kind." Adam came in and sank gracefully on the bench next to Draco. The contrast was amazing and very unfavourable on Draco.
"So, you seem very tall for a first year, very mature too."
Adam laughed. "That was very subtle. Whilst this will be my first year at Hogwarts, I will be in the seventh form. I was privately tutored for the past six years, my parents are famous muggles and the press would have noticed if I disappeared before now. However this world is now part of my life and I wanted to experience it as most wizarding teenagers do. I helped my parents arrange a cover now I am of age and can go about the world by myself."
"Are you 21? You don't look it and surely you are too old to actually learn at Hogwarts. Not to mention not being a teenager."
"I'm 18. My parents are English as was my tutor so I get my accent from them. My tutor knows Professor Dumbledore so he arranged things so I can go to Hogwarts."
"Have you any wizarding blood at all?"
Draco had decided to actually enter the conversation. He sounded disgusted with Adam and had managed to hide all traces of his jealousy. It was a pretty decent acting job.
"Only a single great grand-uncle. His name was Deaglan Baker. After he was found to be a wizard he cut himself off most of the family and until I got my letter we had all thought he ws just a fairy tale created as a bedtime story. Actually, my parents thought the letter was a practical joke by my aunt Sheila… but I'm rambling and should change the subject. It's not nice to go on about yourself and your family." Adam smirked at Draco while he said that. "So, are you two dating? You seemed pretty anxious to be left alone with this beautiful young lady here."
Malfoy seemed shocked.
"Me, date a mudblood? Are you completely mental? Do you not know who I am? Who my family is?"
"Can't say that I do. Neither of you have introduced yourselves yet, it is the only thing stopping me from transfiguring you into an angleworm for insulting such a lady. Mother always said you had to care for the less fortunate."
"I am Draco Malfoy, my father is Lucius Malfoy, Order of Merlin first class, a close friend of Cornelius Fudge our Minister of Magic and on the Board of Directors. I would like to see you try to hex me, you'll be expelled."
"Well, if you really want to see me succeed." Instantly Adam's wand was out and he was casting 'Petrificus Totalis'. "I am Adam Jeffery and my father is His Excellency, Major General Michael Jeffery, Governor-General of Australia, personal representative of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth. I assure you that I will have you deported from England if you try to have me expelled from Hogwarts. 'Finite Incantatum'. Why don't you apologise to this young lady."
Draco still looked shocked though he now had a little fear mixed in.
"I am sorry Hermione. I am still getting used to my new view points and it may take a little longer reconcile the contradicting information. Please do not hold it against me, I am sure I will resolve this more quickly now that I am returning to school." Draco turned to Adam, his face blank. "I am sorry if I have given you any offense Adam. I am going through a hard time at the moment and I sometimes forget myself. It is no excuse and I am sorry."
Adam looked back to Hermione.
"Hermione, a wonderful name. 'A Winters Tale'?"
"In a manner of speaking. I was named for my maternal grandmother, she was named from the play. I am surprised you know it, most schools tend to teach 'Macbeth' or 'A Midsummers Night Dream'."
"My mother is a Shakespeare fan. Whenever a company would perform one of Shakespeare's play she would bully my father and I into watching it with her. I didn't require much persuasion, he was a masterful writer and my mother's happiness made it more then worthwhile."
"I can understand that well. My mother would like to watch classic movies with me at night. I was never a big fan of 'Gone with the Wind' at first but my mother would light up when I joined her and that would make the night most enjoyable."
Hermione agreed. She even had a wisp of wistfulness in her voice. 'The dreams when my mother would let me sit with her to watch anything were almost the best I ever had.'
"My father would bring me with him to watch light shows. Some wizards would conduct music with their wands whilst others would create patterns of colors similar to the effect of stained glass. The patterns would move to suit the story of music. My mother would brush my hair out of my eyes and point out the pictures she saw in the colors."
"It sounds like a wonderful experience. Do the shows play often Draco?"
"They are shown every couple of years for three months. Actually they are playing over Christmas this year. I could get you a ticket if you want, we could go together."
"That would be lovely. I had planned to stay at Hogwarts over the Christmas holidays, my parents are going to a retreat and I can't really go home."
Since she had left home Hermione had spent the summers and those holidays she could not bear staying at Hogwarts, sleeping at children shelters. Now that Hermione was 18 she could not stay at a children's shelter and she could not bear to stay at a women's shelter, they were overcrowded and depressing. She was depressed enough.
"It is unlikely that the Headmaster would allow you to leave Hogwarts for a night just to watch a show, it would be a liability to the school and dangerous with current events. Why don't you stay with me? I am renting a small house in Fairfield and would love to have you with me."
Adam offered. He was generous as well as funny and handsome, and he was obviously interested in her. This year really wouldn't be all that bad.
"I don't think that is a good idea Hermione, you have only known him for a few minutes, it would be dangerous."
Draco objected. He didn't like Adam at all and didn't want him to have anything that might make him happy.
"Well I have almost four months to prove my trustworthiness. We shouldn't talk of this anymore, it is almost time to put on our robes and I bet most of the younger ones are not paying any attention to the time at all."
Adam was very easy going. He hadn't expected the offer to be accepted immediately but fully expected to have Hermione's trust in ample time for Christmas. It was best to steer the conversation completely away and let her forget until a more convenient time.
"I wasn't paying attention myself. Come on Draco, we should change and go out to remind everyone."
Hermione was of course aware of the time but to Draco and Adam it wouldn't have been obvious or expected. She also didn't care about the other students but Draco would have expected her to care and it was always good to peek in on what the others were doing. She changed into her robes and pulled Draco with her so the Slytherins would be told. Adam stayed in the compartment and watched them, his customary smile slipping off his face instantly.