"Daphne, come on, you have to wake up!" Hermione says as she tries unsuccessfully to wake up her sleeping friend.
"Mmph, go away." Daphne mumbles as she hikes her bedsheets higher over her head. Hermione rolled her eyes before grinning.
"If you don't get up right now, missy, I'm going to pour cold water all over you."
Daphne peaks a single blue eye out, her brow furrowed. "You wouldn't dare."
Hermione grins evilly. "Try me."
Daphne groans as she flings her sheets over her head again. "You're the worst! I denounce you as my best friend."
Hermione giggles. "Professor Snape is calling a house meeting."
"What?! Hermione! Why didn't you start with that?!" Daphne says as she bolts up from her bed and starts to frantically get dressed.
Hermione shrugs, even though Daphne's back is to her. "This was way more fun."
Daphne shot a glare at her as she settles her sweater over her white button-down and smooths down her winter skirt. Hermione just smiles innocently. Daphne sighs and shakes her head with a smile. "Come on, you. I'm ready."
The two girls leave the dormitory and head to the common room. Quickly finding Zabini and Nott, the two girls scurry over to the pair.
"Good morning." Zabini says with a bright smile, while Nott just nods his head to the two girls. Clearly, someone isn't a morning person .
"Good morning Zabini and Nott. I hope you had a pleasant night." Hermione asks with a small smile to the pair.
"It is not a good morning! What are you two saying?" Daphne says in an overly dramatic way. "I should still be sleeping! It's Saturday for Merlin's sake!"
Hermione rolls her eyes and turns her chocolate orbs to her dramatic friend. "Daphne, you get up early to watch Quidditch matches, and you're excited about it."
Daphne pouts. "It's the uniforms, you know I can't forsake watching a guy in uniform, Hermione!"
Hermione stares at her friend, just blinking at her while Nott and Zabini both laugh at the two girls. Before Hermione can say anything to her strange friend, their Head of House appears, and the common room goes quiet. Hermione smirks to herself, We Slytherins respect our Head of House, unlike those rowdy Gryffindors .
" Professor Lockhart has deemed it important to begin a dueling club to make students feel safe in Hogwarts halls." Hermione could hear the sarcasm dripping from the Professor's mouth; she quickly hid a giggle. "The club will start on the 15th of December. I'm placing the signup sheet upon our house bulletin board. If you are interested, please sign up by the 1st of December." With a wave of his hand, the parchment that he was holding began to float towards the green bulletin board. With a flick, the signup sheet is posted then with that done; he swept out of the common room.
Hermione couldn't stop the grin working across her face if she tried. She turned towards Daphne. "We have got to sign up!"
Daphne's face scrunches up. " Why? " She whines.
Hermione rolls her eyes. "What better way to learn how to use our DADA spells than with physical practice!" She frowns. "Lor… Merlin knows we could use the practice since we aren't really doing much about it during class." She finishes with a pout.
Daphne grins and leans to where she's practically nose to nose with Hermione. "Are you finally-"
"He must just be worried about introducing the class to creatures like he did with the fairies." Hermione says, basically ignoring what Daphne was saying. Daphne meanwhile rights herself with a groan and looks over to Zabini and Nott.
"She's impossible."
"Come on, let's get in line." Hermione says and drags Daphne to the end of the line that has formed to sign up for the dueling club.
Finally, when it's their turn, Hermione grabs the self-inking quill that floats by the bulletin board. The quill is clearly old; she figures it's been there for at least ten years. Hermione remembers in first year when she first took notice of it, she tried moving it towards the chairs so she could see if the self-inking quill really would never run out of ink, but as soon as she took just three steps away from the bulletin board, the quill snapped out of her hands and reappeared in its usual spot. She tried to remove it a couple more times after because she wanted to see just how the charms worked. She still hasn't figured out exactly how it functions as it does. But she's determined to figure it out.
Signing her name and Daphne's name with a flourish, she passes it to Zabini. Hermione then goes back to Daphne.
"Shall we go get some breakfast?"
She receives an enthusiastic nod in return.
Hermione pats at her mouth with a cloth napkin; breakfast, as usual, was terrific. She had the best-scrambled eggs she's ever had the pleasure of eating as well as sausage links, some toast with jam and a small parfait, to wash everything down she had orange juice. It was way more than she usually ate in the mornings, but she was planning on going to the room to practice again.
"Am I still under restriction?" Hermione asks Daphne, who was sitting to her right. Daphne decided on simple oatmeal with fresh fruit for her breakfast, Daphne dabbed at her mouth with her napkin and turned towards Hermione. A sarcastic look on her face.
"What do you think?" Daphne asks as she pushes her bowl away and grabs a pitcher of orange juice. Filling her goblet with it and asking with only a head tilt if Hermione wanted more.
"No, thank you, and fine. But that means you're stuck with me for my morning plans."
Daphne tilts her head in question. "Which is?"
Hermione grins. "It's a secret."
"Does this have to do with the reason as to why you brought your pack with you?"
Hermione continues to grin. "I guess you'll just have to find out!" She pauses. "Finished with your breakfast?"
Daphne nods.
"Good, then let's go!" Hermione says as she gets up from the bench and puts her bag over her shoulder.
Daphne sighs but nods as she gets up. "Bye, Blaise. Bye, Theo."
The boys say their good-byes as Hermione waves and drags Daphne out of the Great Hall.
"Hermione, we've been walking for ages. Where in the world are we going!?" Daphne complains as she walks a few paces behind her crazy friend.
"It's a strange room that I found a few days ago. Whatever I ask…" She pauses, trying to think of a way to word it, so it didn't seem so… weird. "Well, whatever I wish to appear, it just, well, appears." Hermione shrugs, not able to come up with a better explanation.
"Hmm." Daphne humms. "My mother might have mentioned something like that before I started, but I can't think of what it was about anymore." Daphne bites her lip as she continues to think, the two lapsing into silence because of it. It's a few minutes before Daphne says anything. "Yeah, unfortunately, I can't think of what it was. But! This is the perfect opportunity to ask you what Mrs. Malfoy wrote to you!"
"Oh, right!" Hermione says, she pauses walking to reach into her pack and pull out the letter that she sent, she handed the letter to Daphne. "She basically told me that the last known heir of Slytherin was a man named Tom Riddle, but it's not possible to be him because he died in the First Wizarding War. She included a copy of the family tree that she found in the Malfoy library." Hermione explains while Daphne reads over the letter.
"Hermione, it doesn't say anything like that in here!"
"Well, it's coded. The first paragraph is the only paragraph that Lady Malfoy wrote with no code."
"Why did she feel the need to code it?"
Hermione shrugs. "It's possible that it's a sensitive subject, and that she didn't want anyone knowing what was actually in the letter. Just in case it got into different hands."
"But how did you know it was coded?"
"I never once asked about the swans or the white peacocks that make their home at the manor. Nor do I need to know how to take care of roses."
Daphne blinked. "Right. You can be rather scary, sometimes, you know?"
Hermione waves her off. "I don't know what you're talking about." Hermione pauses. "I have to write a reply letter; it's just a pain writing things in code."
"You know I'm surprised she was so forthcoming with the information; I expected it to be more drawn out."
Hermione shrugged. "She's probably busy with other things and doesn't have time to play games with a child. Besides, who would really listen to me if I go around announcing I know who the Heir of Slytherin is? Especially since he's dead."
Daphne hums. "I guess that's a good point."
Hermione nods. "So someone is just using that as a front, I guess. A scare tactic." Hermione shrugs. "It just ended up being a dead end. But it's not too important, doesn't really help with the monster that's currently roaming the halls. So now I'll just focus all my energy on figuring out what the monster is."
Daphne merely nods, overcome with the information overload. The two continue walking in silence until Hermione grins and grabs Daphne's wrist.
"Oh! We're here!" She says as she finally sees the tapestry of the dancing trolls. But even though she found the hallway, there was once again no door, and now she's suddenly realizing she actually has no idea how she even opened the door the first time. "Oh, drat." She mumbles.
"Hermione, there's no door anywhere."
Hermione groans as Daphne, voices her thoughts. "I don't know how I made the door appear before." A pout was working across Hermione's mouth.
" What? "
Hermione huffs. "You heard me." The pout is still going as she crosses her arms.
"I can't believe you dragged me up here for no reason." Daphne whines.
Hermione walks towards the wall that the door appeared at. "Well, it has to be here." Hermione runs her hands along the cold stone of the castle.
"Well, what did you do the last time?"
"By the time I found it, or well when I thought I did, I was so upset that I was thinking about the type of room I needed while I paced, and suddenly it just appeared."
"Do that again, then Hermione."
Hermione frowns. "You think? That just seems too simple, though."
Daphne rolls her eyes. "You overthink things too much, Hermione."
Hermione sighs but nods. "Ok." She walks to the middle of the hallway where she was before and starts to pace as she thinks of her room. A place for ballet, a place for ballet, a place for ballet, a plac-
"Oh! It worked!" Daphne shouts in glee.
Hermione meanwhile stops her pacing and stares at the door with a frown. "I have to do some research on this room." She furrows her brows as she continues to stare at the door.
Daphne rolls her eyes. "Do that later come on; I want to see what room you concocted."
Hermione purses her lips but nods, taking her pack from Daphne; she opens the room and can't stop the smile that spreads across her face. It looks exactly as it did the last time. The only new addition was the table and chairs. Hermione walks past Daphne and towards the small changing area.
"A dance studio." Daphne says as she takes in the room and walks towards the provided table and chairs. She then proceeds to get herself comfy, waiting for Hermione to show back up.
Hermione quickly changes out of her weekend outfit and into her dance outfit. Her practice outfit this time is a black leotard, with flesh-colored stockings and a thin black short wrapped skirt; she also, of course, had on her trusty leg warmers. Slipping on her ballet flats and grabbing her en pointe shoes, she exits the changing room.
"So, you really are going to dance?" Daphne asks from her spot by the music player.
Hermione gives Daphne a dead look as she walks over. "Nope, I'm going to paint."
Daphne sticks her tongue out. "You're such a brat."
Hermione grins as she puts a record on, then walks to the middle of the room. With the music playing, Hermione starts her warm-up, and before she realizes it, the world washes away, and she's completely lost in not only the music but her dance.
"Merlin, Hermione! You're amazing!" Daphne finally says as Hermione comes out from the changing room, back into her casual polo shirt and dress pants. Her mother would probably kill her if she ever found out she packed her dress pants to wear at school. Her mother was rather old fashioned when it came to fashion, Hermione was only allowed to wear pants behind closed doors at their house and only if they weren't expecting company. Otherwise, she was under strict instructions to wear either a skirt or a dress. But Hermione figured what her mother didn't know won't hurt her, or get her in trouble. "When you told me you practice, you never told me just how accomplished you were!"
Hermione felt a blush start to paint her face. "Daphne, I'm not really that skilled."
"You look like a swan Hermione! You're so graceful and effortless! I'm so completely jealous!" The twosome begins to walk out of the room.
Hermione giggled. "You're so dramatic, Daphne!"
"I'm not! You really are just amazing!" Daphne pauses and then gasps. "Ohhh, you know what would be really amazing? If you incorporated some magic into it!"
Hermione could easily picture the effects she could incorporate with some of her turns and leaps. "That would be really amazing, but I wouldn't have any idea how to go about doing that. And I can't exactly wave a wand as I'm doing it. It would have to be completely wandless and nonverbal."
Daphne waves the worry away. "Oh, posh, Hermione. If anyone could figure it out, it would be you! I'll even help with the research!"
"Well, I do like to research."
The two girls giggle.
Hermione sighs as she watches Daphne's owl take off towards the Malfoy Manor. Please arrive safely. She thinks and then makes her way out of the Owlery. I need to head to the Potions lab. The lacewings are finally done, meaning I can finally begin the actual brewing process. She continues her thoughts with a happy skip, very excited to finally be able to start brewing the Polyjuice Potion.
If I'm finally brewing the potion starting today, that means I'll be finished around… Hermione pauses as she goes through the tedious instructions of the potion. Oh, I'll be completed on the 15th of December. I'll have to stay over break. I'll need to write my parents. Hermione frowns. I should probably get my own owl. I feel bad using Daphne's all the time… Eh, I'll get one next year. Hermione looks down at her watch and grimaces. Time to get to the Potions lab, I can't afford to start this over again.
Hermione bites her lip as she carefully ladles the stewed lacewings into a strainer over a bowl. Shaking the strained lacewings to make sure all liquid has been removed, satisfied she carefully pours the lacewings into a glass beaker. Sealing the beaker with a cover, she carefully examines it again. Tilting it left and right to double-check for no moisture. Seeing none, she sets the beaker aside and grabs a piece of parchment. Writing on it quickly the date, what it's in the beaker and how long it was stewed for she adheres it to the beaker.
Satisfied that step is done, she consults the book. I need fluxweed that's been picked on a full moon. She slaps her forehead. I really hope Professor Snape has this in his wares. Otherwise, I have to wait an entire week to pick them from the Greenhouses. Placing the lacewings behind the turned off cauldron, she walks to the potion ingredient cabinet.
Fluxweed… fluxweed…. Fluxweed…. Hermione scans the alphabetized ingredients and groans when there is a blank space where the fluxweed should be. Of course, it's empty. Hermione purses her lips but then sighs, resigned. Guess I'm waiting for a week. I should have done this ages ago while I was waiting for the lacewings. Hermione rolls her eyes. Well, you live, and you learn. Guess it's time for me to head back to the dorms, I do have to write my parents before I forget.
Hermione pours green wax over the lip of an envelope, grabbing her stamp she presses it onto the still liquid wax. Lifting it up carefully, she smiles happily as her house crest appears intact. Waiting just a few more seconds to make sure the wax was thoroughly dried, she picks up the envelope. Her concentration now no longer on her letter, the commotion of the common room comes rushing back to her ears.
"Hermione, are you finally done?" Daphne whines from the couch in front of the fireplace. Hermione rolls her eyes good naturally.
"Yes, your highness."
"Well, then come hang out!"
Hermione lifts up her newly sealed envelope. "After I put away this letter."
Daphne pouts. " Fine. "
Hermione quickly turns around and makes her way to her dorm, with her letter stashed she makes her way back to the common room. Pausing when she hears Daphne some-what yelling.
What the-? Hermione thinks, but she pauses to listen to the commotion.
"Parkinson," Oh, Daphne must be mad if she's using last names. "..you need to leave this alone! This is honestly starting to get ridiculous, and I'm tired of repeating myself! We will not be reinstating anything that hasn't been active for years! There is no point in it! We don't have families here competing for a witch's hand in marriage nor for land or cattle or anything else! It would be a huge waste of time, not to mention the gowns that the girls would have to get. It's simply not worth it, now leave it alone. Besides, you only bring it up because you want to be the Princess and have all the attention that comes with it. The Council of the Crown simply won't be reinstated for such selfish reasons." Daphne pauses. "If you bring this up one more time, I will permanently ban this conversation. And you know I can do that."
"You're such a bitch, Greengrass! This is all the mudblood's fault, ever since you became friends with that thing you've changed!" Parkinson shouted.
"You mean actually thinking for myself instead of following what you have to say all the damn time? Then yes, I've damn well changed and for the better! Hermione has been the best friend I've always wanted to have and used to think you were. It's time to grow up Parkinson and start thinking for yourself. Now get out of my face before I make you."
Hermione can't help the smile that crosses her face when she hears Daphne. She's never had anyone have her back so faithfully as Daphne does. It was really… refreshing. Hermione walks into the common room and walks straight towards Daphne and stands right behind her. Folding her arms and glaring at the pug-faced girl in front of them.
Parkinson's grip tightens on her wand glaring at Hermione, her jaw tense. "I'll get what I want, Daphne. I always do!" She says and then leaves the room. Hermione stares after her.
"Well, someone is dramatic." Hermione says as Daphne turns around to face her.
Daphne rolls her eyes. "That's Pansy for you. She always has been."
"I'm assuming you don't want to talk about what just happened?"
Hermione can literally see Daphne sag with relief. "That would be amazing, Hermione. You really don't mind."
Hermione shrugs. "If you deem it necessary, you'll eventually tell me, Daphne."
Daphne grins at Hermione and hugs her tightly. "You're the best, Hermione."
"Oh, trust me, I know."
