Disclaimer: Well, does it look like we own anything? It's J.K.Rowling's masterpiece. The difference is just in the way we see it.
Authors' note: Sorry for the long update, we've been as busy as bees recently…And a special THANK YOU for all your reviews (To: MastaNinja, love2read27, XY, jieqi , Nocturnal007, and mishieruchan) authoresses hands out cookies from the cookie jar They made our day, really! So, read, and don't forget to leave a review! (:
Hermione sighed. It was so in Malfoy's brainless nature to do something stupid with a knife. Blood seemed to well out of the wound. Crimson blood. It seemed to be getting worse and Malfoy was not paying it any attention at all. Instead, he stared dazedly straight ahead. Hermione was flabbergasted to witness the almost…melancholic expression on Malfoy's face. After years of coming face-to-face with his cocky smirks and sneers, she was surprised that he had actually remembered the exact way to portray misery. It was probably him who brought misery, not the other way round.
As satisfying as it was to watch Malfoy's face even wear a semblance of unhappiness, Hermione realized that she would not be able to complete the task on time if he continued to space out. She let out an irritated groan and stomped her foot loudly. "Malfoy!" Jerking his blindingly bright head to check out the sudden disturbance, Malfoy realized his folly at once.
He had let down his guard.
Just seeing those deep chocolatey brown eyes gazing sharply at him, he could almost imagine the wheels turning in her head, wondering about the sudden discernable emotion in Draco Malfoy's face which was normally unreadable. Promptly, Malfoy's practiced leer slid into place.
"Wipe that sneer off your face, Malfoy. Tergeo." It was ironically, a spell that means wipe away, or cleanse. Thus his blood was washed away, along with all his false acts in front of her. He was like a deer caught in headlights.
Naturally, the brillant and deductive Hermione immediately assumed that the fleeting moment of anguish on Malfoy's face was due to embarrassment and rage at being outsmarted by a mudblood he despised.
They kept a stubborn silence throughout the whole of potions class. Hermione outdid herself whilst he lounged around with a sour face. Although his sudden lack of insults was unnerving, she preferred it to be so.
Without having to churn out one insult after another in a span of mere seconds to throw at Malfoy, she managed to achieve quite a good potion. As always, Snape praised Malfoy and bestowed generous cynicism on Hermione. Seeing the delighted smirk appear on Malfoy's face as a result of Snape's unfairness, Hermione chose to turn away rather than argue with him again.
After spending an excruciatingly long time suffering in Potions class, Hermione stalked out of the dank classroom with simmering anger. Breathing deeply, she continued to rant about Malfoy's foul comments.
"I totally cannot believe it. Having me to partner that supreme egoistical idiot and giving him an Outstanding when he obviously did nothing? Snape's too much! Plus giving detention right on the first day of school, that's…totally inhumane!" Hermione sighed. "And now Dumbledore says that I need to share the Head Dorm with…with…!"
Pause.
"Talking about me, Granger?" Malfoy appeared in front of them, his two goons Crabbe and Goyle blocking the narrow passageway.
"You wish." Ron glared at him. "Who in their right state of mind would talk about you?"
"Why," Malfoy flashed his agonizing smirk once again, his iridescent teeth glowing mockingly. "I would think there would be more people gabbing about me than about you. After all, aren't you just a pauper living in a toppling house?"
Hermione and Harry tried to restrain Ron. Ron had his wand drawn out threateningly and was pointing it at Malfoy's chest. He looked like he was about to implode, and his whole face was twisted into a menancing glare.
They assiduously hustled him back lest he started hexing Malfoy.
"What were you thinking, Ron! We were outside Snape's classroom and there you were, trying to slaughter his favorite student? You were lucky we hadn't been caught! I've already gotten into detention, now you're trying to make things worse, seriously, what is up with you nowadays? "
"Forget it 'Mione, Ron's temper rules him most of the time," Harry reckoned.
Ron looked abashed and kept quiet. I wasn't trying to cause trouble, but did you see the way Malfoy was leering at Hermione, I just couldn't help it. And the thought of accompanying Hermione on her detention was...pleasureable.
They walked hurriedly along the corridor, with Harry leading the way.
Ron's hands were twitching convulsively; his innermost desire at that particular moment was to snap Malfoy's pale neck. Hermione patted him on the shoulder and with forced calmness in her voice suggested that all three of them returned to the Gryffindor common room where the snot-nosed prick Malfoy could not exact his influence.
They climbed through the portrait door, and then stood in the common room, surveying it.
"Well, it's our last year here, " Harry sighed miserably.
"And trust me, it's not going to get any better," Ron went over to one of the couch and slumped there dejectedly, "For one thing, there's this problem with…"
"Why pull such long faces, it's okay. It's an undeniable fact that I was forced to work with Malfoy against my own free will, but what can we do? Sitting around here moping and lamenting won't do anything to alter his obstinate decision, will it?" Her attempt to perk them up failed miserably.
"OH NO. I forgot that I'm not residing in the Gryffindor Tower now, " She looked despondent suddenly and a faint frown flitted across her attractive features. "And I think I'd better go now, so bye."
Ron scowled at her receding back as she exited from the portrait door. Why is she that optimistic? If I were me… He mentally punched himself for being so useless. He gnashed his teeth together in fury, hoping that Malfoy the dumb ferret would drop dead right there and then. Harry tried to soothe him, albeit unsuccessfully.
Hermione looked back at the Fat Lady wistfully. She might not be going in there for a very long time, and it seemingly felt like she had left everything she owned, her history, her present, and her future, behind her in the dust.
She muttered the password and strode into the head's common room in a pensive mood. Plopping down on the couch and absent-mindedly twirling a strand of hair about her finger, Hermione experienced an unexplainable wave of nostalgia.
Author's note: We spent a long time trying to perfect this. So, how was it? Review to get cookies! We're asking for a few? The more the merrier! Thank you for reviews, we'll appreciate them!
--the grimdementors--