Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own any of the familiar HP characters in this story except for Francesca, Jimmy and Mr. Merryman. Also the toupee incident was taken from Sarah Mason's Party Season – a great book!
Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry for the late update! I've been so so busy these few days! I really have been. Anyway I want to take this opportunity, to thank you all for the wonderful reviews! I've reached my hundred – at last! All thanks to you guys! Here is the next chapter as a reward :P. And I'm sorry if this chapter sucked and didn't meet you guys' expectations as my brain hasn't been functioning properly for a while!
I also want to take the opportunity of thanking my beta – sweetygal, for re-doing the first five chapters for me. She's on holiday at the moment so this chapter along with 6, 7, 8 and 9 are not beta-ed yet. She is going away for three weeks and I can't have you guys waiting for that long can I:P So forgive me (and don't blame her) for the unintentional typos and grammar mistakes I may have made.
Also. I have bad news. I might not be able to post for about a month – minimum. I've got a lot studying to do and school is starting soon. Unfortunately. So I'm sorry guys! But I'll do the best I can. Keep reading (and reviewing :P) and I promise, I'll update sometime. I'm finishing this story so please remember that.
Anyway I think I better stop huh, before I put you guys to sleep. Well, here you are: Chapter 10! Enjoy!
x
DRACO MALFOY'S PERSONAL ORGANIZER
--
Its one thing when your great aunt thinks that you and someone you absolutely hate and can't stand are a couple. It's quite another when the head of an observational ministry team thinks the exact same thing – its gets you thinking you know…
Because that's exactly what happened. Mr. Merryman – the head of the observational team who had come to 'observe' Lansonsmere – thought that Granger and I were an item. Honestly. What makes people think such disgusting things? Both Granger and me…we are too different to even stand in the same room without clashing! I mean, I'm amazing. She's not. I'm good looking. She's not…so much. I'm…okay, well the list goes on. But it's quite unnerving, you know. Bloody annoying too!
But I, politely, informed Mr. Merryman that Hermione and me were by no means a couple (when I really felt like informing the man that he needed to check his eyes) while Granger started ahead blankly and looked like she had swallowed a hedgehog, whole or something. Well, the guy at least had the decency to apologize – unlike my beloved Aunt Maude
After seating the whole lot of them and offering them all some drinks (courtesy of Francesca – I was having second thoughts about appointing her as the…drink lady person – whatever you call them! The ministry gits were actually checking her out and they are like what, fifty?), I excused myself and pulled a frozen Granger aside (I had to excuse her too as the girl had suddenly lost her tongue to the cat or something which is so weird because I, usually, have such a hard time trying to get her to shut up! And this is a time when she's not supposed to shut up!).
But I needed to talk to her – she hadn't uttered a word since their arrival! It seemed like the girl was more freaked out at everyone's sudden assumption that were both a couple than I was. But what she found so heart wrenching about it, I have no idea. I mean, she's not the who's coupled with a Mudblood. Or…
…maybe she found Mr. Merryman's golden pot which, he so proudly claimed, carried his dead mother's ashes (don't ask me the details), quite disturbing – who wouldn't? The whole idea of carrying a dead parent around is way beyond the concept of weird. The Mudblood had been shooting the thing these small little glances, more than often. Actually now, that I think about it…she's been looking at the ground a good deal too – like she's looking for something. Her earrings? God, are they THAT important?
Nevertheless, I needed get a few things straight with her. "What the hell is bloody wrong with you?" I asked, as I closed the door behind us.
"With me?" she squeaked
"Look" I said, irritably "Stop with the whole 'repeat everything Malfoy says' façade and buck up"
"I, honestly, do not know what you are talking about, Malfoy. There is absolutely nothing wrong with me" she said, haughtily, chin up "Whatever do you mean?"
I glared at her. I can crush that bold spirit, I thought. "Mean? I'll tell you what I mean. You haven't said a single thing since they came!"
"I did! I asked them…" she stopped for a moment before hurrying on "I asked them how they like Lanconsmere"
I gave her one of my 'Are you stupid or what?' looks as I started to tap my foot unconsciously. "And…?"
"And how they were!" she rallied up at once
"And?"
"And…" she let her sentence trail before stopping, abruptly
"My point exactly! And it's not only that…you keep looking at the ground every few seconds. It's like…like…you are looking for something!" Her face turned pale at those last few words. "Are you…?" I asked, looking at her carefully.
"Am I what?" she mumbled
"Looking for something?" Her silence led me to the conclusion that she was. "What have you lost?"
"Err…ummm…"
"You can tell me you know" I was trying to be understanding and all, except I think the whole effect didn't exactly work for me – Draco Malfoy being understanding? Yeah, right. "What have you lost?"
"My earrings!" she said, quickly
I snorted "Your earrings?"
"Mmmmhmmm…"
I studied the girl carefully and under my gaze, she sort of crumbled. It was then that I got it. She had been lying the whole time! I should have known that Granger wasn't the sort of person who would be looking for her earrings at a time like this. Except I had been too busy mulling over Smith to have noticed anything amiss. Stupid, stupid me! Whatever Granger had lost, it was, obviously, something quite important. And it involved me. Damn. "Are they hairy?"
"What!"
"Your earrings?" I said, patiently, enjoying the effect I was having on her "I heard you asking Creevey that today when I found you two. Are your earrings hairy?"
She stared at me, shell-shocked, for a moment before quickly, stammering "Well…they…" she let her sentence trail
"Do they move?"
Her face was now, literally, bloodless "Um…well, they do…sort of"
I raised my eye brows "Granger, throughout my life, I've bought a good number of earrings for my past girl friends and never have I seen - "
"Well these are very special. I got them - "
It was my turn to interrupt her "Shut up, Granger" Surprisingly she did "Cough up with truth"
There were a few minutes of silence before she suddenly said "You don't believe me? I can't believe you don't believe me! How can you not believe me…?" And she went on like that for a while. The nerve of the girl. It was so fake and soap opera like I couldn't help laughing silently. Not only couldn't the girl lie. She couldn't act either!
"Now really, Granger. On with the truth"
"Truth? This is the truth! I'm telling you - "
"Yes, you will tell me now Granger. The truth. Do I have to spell it out for you or something? T – R – U – "
"I can spell, thank you very much!" she snapped
"Well then, tell me what you've lost"
"I haven't lost anything except for my earrings! How many times must I -"
I was losing my temper and fast. But I've always learned to keep my cool. Its one of the greatest lessons, mother has ever thought me. Other than letting me on that fact that orange and yellow never go well together – a horrible experience and I really do not want to go into it in detail. "Tell me now or I swear I will…" I stopped there trying to think up some torture but my efforts went in vain "I'll think of something!"
She started to turn away from me but I held her by her arm and spun her around to face me. "Tell me" I said, quietly. My voice can sound quite deadly when it's soft which is probably why she cringed slightly and said, quietly:
"Promise me, you won't get mad"
I raised my eye brows. "If it's something very - "
"I need your word or I won't tell you anything!"
She looked so stubborn at that moment (so much like my girl friends when I decide to inform them that we need to break up after being together for only two hours – hey, sometimes, things just have to be done okay?) that I unwillingly, agreed "Okay, okay! Fine! Sheesh! Women these days!"
But Granger didn't even call on me like she usually does when I go on about woman being the most annoying creatures on the planet (…though if you think about it, you really don't want to get on their bad sides you know…). She was all hell bent on clearing up a few things with me. "I also want to say, in my defense, that everything I'm about to reveal at the moment, really isn't my fault. I tried…I really - "
"Granger…" I said, warningly
"Okay fine! I'll tell you…"
"Yes, we already decided that you would like ten minutes ago!"
She shot me a glare before taking in a deep breath. She looked like she was about to face a firing squad or something. "I…well…you see…"
I was waiting, patiently. I really was but this was becoming too much. "Yes…I'm seeing…" I prompted, trying hard not to suddenly reach out, grab and strangle her. Its not that I was scared of killing her I just…well, if I did do that….yeah, sure I'd go ahead with the reaching out and grabbing her part. I'm just not so sure about the strangling part. I might, instead of strangling her, actually end up doing something…erm…quite different like, uhmm, planting my lips on hers or something. Her grapefruit scent was killing me! And I was focusing on that tattoo of hers just a little too much…
Not that I'm attracted to her or anything! I'm just deprived…that's all!
"Poppetgotlost" she said, so quickly, that there wasn't a single breath between any of those words. Hence, my lack of understanding of any of them.
"Huh?"
She took in another deep breath "Poppet escaped" she whispered
"WHAT?" My voice had reached a range of decibels I would have once thought impossible. I was shocked that I could even shout that loud. I'm not one to raise my voice which is why, it was such a surprise. And it seemed like I wasn't the only one, who was shocked and all – Granger looked like she had just stepped out of a wide scale tornado or something. But honestly. Could anyone blame me? Hardly. My greatest nightmare had come true!
"You promised not to get mad!" said Granger, sorrowfully.
But I was, hardly, listening to her. Bloody hell! I didn't even have time for her. Suddenly, it was like my brain had shut out her grape fruit scent. Not forgetting the sight of that tattoo of hers on those long, sexy legs. Maybe I should get angry at her more often.
"How could you?" I raged, pacing the room agitatedly. After a few minutes, I stopped, abruptly and turned to her. "How bloody could you?" I repeated "All I asked was that you keep an eye on the damn thing for one day. One day, I'm telling you! But no…you have to - " Needless to say, I had resumed my agitated pacing.
"I can't control everything you know!" she lashed out, in her defense. "You should say all this Aunt Maude. She was the one who - "
"Why didn't you tell me" I asked, barely, registering her presence. I was too busy looking at the ground for Poppet!
"Well…I thought…I thought that I could…you know…handle the situation on my own"
"Your own?" I snapped, looking up at her once again. "Well you've a done pretty good job, I must say!"
Her face turned red at my comment but she didn't back down like most people would have under my murderous eyes and I wasn't used to that. People not backing down, I mean. It really was quite…well…different. But then, everything about Granger is different. "You're being git! I've been doing everything around here. Much more than you have - " Which was true. In a way.
But I wasn't in the mood of hearing myself being put down. Then yet again, when am I in such a mood? "Yeah, I haven't done as much as losing a huge giant spider!"
"I did not lose it!"
"Did too" I replied, calmly. I'm not one to lose my head in a situation like this (though I'm very close to doing so)
Granger, though, was way way way beyond calm. Which was weird because, I'm, supposed to be the one freaking out. I mean, it's not like this is her house. And she's not the one who invited the officials. If any of them, god forbid, found the spider, I'm the one who'd be blamed. Not her. So really, she had no excuse for being so…well…not calm. "Did not!"
"Did too"
"Did not!"
"Did too"
"I did not!"
I was about to continue when I realized this could take days. Maybe even weeks. And I didn't have weeks! Or days, for that matter. So instead, I turned away from her angrily and tried to tell myself that everything was going to be all right. But it was to no avail. I mean, honestly speaking, I was in deep shit but I couldn't tell myself that! I needed to keep on lying to myself. God! I hate lying to myself. But then…I do that everyday. Like when I tell myself that I hate Grang - Wait! I do hate her! I do! And why on god's green earth am I thinking of this right now? My house is being invaded by a giant, stupid spider and all I can think of is…is her! Go me! Argh!
From the corners of my eyes, I could see the Mudblood glaring at me defiantly – I had every right to be angry at her and she should know that! "Is anyone looking for the blasted thing now?" I asked, at last, breaking the crystallized silence that had followed that little exchange of Did not…Did too…
"Not at the present moment" Her gaze skittered away from mine as she started wringing her hands, nervously.
I swore. Okay I needed to think. Think of how I was going to locate a spider in…God! I was just about to grab a cigarette when Mr. Merryman walked in, all smilingly…and well, merry (with his dead mother's ashes in his hands). "What's all this shouting, I hear?" he asked, curiously. Shit! "I think it's coming from the outside" It's a good thing that the old man is hard of hearing. And that he can't distinguish between sounds that come from the room right next door and sounds that come from the outside.
"It's the neighbors" I said quickly, barely having time to breathe out a sigh of relief.
"Neighbors?"
Silence
"Oh yes!" Granger, hurried on "They've been at each other for ages! It looks like their twenty year old marriage is on the rocks"
"That's terrible!" said Mr. Merryman, emphatically
"I know!" replied Granger so solemnly that I started to believe the story myself! "It'll be a big loss on both their parts"
During their little conversation (Mr. Merryman was going on about divorces and the Mudblood was saying something about her aunt being a divorcee and living such a miserable life. "Such an existence is horrible, Mr. Merryman! You have no one!" she was saying), I couldn't help staring at the little Mudblood in awe. Okay I take back what I said about her ability to act earlier. Well partly anyway. She can act when she's not excessively nervous.
I just hope that Mr. Merryman doesn't take it upon himself to meet the 'troubled' couple next door. I mean all he'll find, if he does, will be an empty house that has been abandoned for more than a hundred years. There might be some ghosts. But other than that, our 'on the verge of divorcing' neighbors are dead, buried, decomposed and probably even in heaven. Or hell, now that I think about it.
After a few minutes, Mr. Merryman, who was still carrying his golden pot, turned to me. "Draco, I just wanted to ask you whether someone could leave this in my room for me" he asked, waving his beloved, dead mother in front of my eyes. I couldn't help shrinking back slightly. "It's proving to be quite heavy. I'm sure mother wouldn't mind not being in company for a few minutes"
I started at him for more than a few minutes, in surprise. The guy was losing it. From the corner of my eyes, I could see that Granger was thinking the same thing. I quickly rearranged my features and said, "Oh yes, Mr. Merryman. I'm quite sure Hermione, here, wouldn't mind" Her name sounded weird on my lips – it was the first time I had ever called her Hermione.
"I wouldn't?" she asked
"Yes, you wouldn't" I stressed, shooting her a meaningful glance.
She glared at me before turning to Mr. Merryman, all smilingly "I'd love to". Taking the pot carefully (I loved the expression on her face!), Granger left us (not before glaring at me again). Once she had disappeared up the stairs, I turned to the old man "Let's have a seat, shall we?"
"Yes…yes…" he said thoughtfully "Are you sure you two aren't a couple?"
Oh god! Not again… "Yes" I smiled with great effort, trying hard not to grit my teeth. "I'm sure"
"That's a pity really. Both of you would look wonderful together"
Someone please kill me. I beg you.
x
THE DIARY OF HERMIONE GRANGER
--
I can't believe I held a dead person in my hands! Oh – my – god! I'm going to kill Malfoy. I really am. Not only is he a real git…ARGH! I mean how could he blame me after everything I'd done! Sure I didn't exactly do the greatest job with Poppet but…
I tried hard to calm myself down as I walked into Mr. Merryman's room with the golden pot. Opening the door slowly, I stepped in. I hate walking into unknown peoples' rooms, for some reason – it makes me feel like a busy body for, after all, you are invading the said person's privacy. Except I had permission to come in here. So everything was going to be all right. I hoped.
I had a plan anyway – well, I had made one on the way to Mr. Merryman's room. I was going to keep the pot (the whole carrying a dead person thing was freaking me out!) and walk out. Easy. No dilly dallying. I was fully intent on following it.
That was until I caught sight of an attaché case on top the wardrobe which, I was quite sure, held some important information about the ministry's decision on Lanconsmere. Defying all my principles of not invading someone else's privacy (Yes, I defied something! Can you believe it?), I climbed on a chair and removed the case while looking at the door every few minutes. If I found something, Malfoy would be – Argh! Why am I even thinking about him? I wasn't risking anything for him! I was doing this for…for…Lansonsmere! That's it!
I tried to open it as I held my breath. But, to my dismay, it was locked. Damn. So much for my Nancy Drew antics. Replacing the case, in mild disappointment, I stepped off the chair as slowly as I could and returned it to its usual position. After looking around a bit more for anything that could give me some headway on the ministry's decision, I gave up.
I was just about to walk out when I noticed something quite peculiar by the foot of the bed – a furball. I knelt down next to it and instinctively reached out to touch it. To my surprise, it flinched. It was then that I got it: Bloody hell! It's Poppet!
Okay so I screamed. Loudly. I mean, what would you have done if you just found out that you had touched a tarantula! Anyway. My scream must have been pretty loud because within seconds, Colin was by my side. He must have been upstairs all the while instead of by the door like he was supposed to. "God, Hermione! What the hell has happened?"
I didn't ask him any questions about why he was slacking on his duties or anything. I didn't even answer his question as I was too busy clutching my arms to myself and hopping around well away from the vicinity of the bed. God! It was Poppet! I pointed maniacally at the bed as my mouth had become paralyzed with fear. I'm not common of teeny weeny garden spiders, let alone ones that are the size of your fist and answer to the name of Poppet.
"What" asked Colin, curiously "Is this some sort of happy-clappy hostess dance? I can't see anything. What?"
I kept stabbing my finger in the direction of Poppet until Colin finally got it – God! He's pretty slow. When he got the message, he bent down and peered, cautiously at the floor.
When he saw it - "JE-SUS!' he shouted as he sprinted to join me on the other side of the room. "Shit! It's Poppet" he stated the obvious "What shall we do?"
"Malfoy" I managed to mumbled and together, we scrambled for the door in a mess of limbs. It was like we were joined together in a three-legged race or something.
Believe me. I can run when I feel like it and right then, I really felt like it. We ran all the way down stairs with me tripping on my heels every few seconds. (A mental note to myself: Kill Francesca). When we reached the living room, Malfoy was talking to Mr. Merryman. We waited, patiently…or at least, we tried to. But no such luck. They just went on and on and on again. Oh god! I couldn't help worrying. I mean, what if the dratted spider escaped – again! We couldn't have that. Finally…finally, Malfoy excused himself only to start talking on that stupid phone of his. Both Colin and I had to suppress our yelps of irritation as we followed the git to the opposite room.
I walked in, leaving Colin by the door way and moved towards Malfoy. He didn't even notice me! I tugged urgently on his shirt, only to have him frown at me. God! I was only doing him a favor. Even in the midst all this chaos, I couldn't help noticing how good he looked in those muggle/wizarding robes of his. And his aftershave…it was –
I shook my head. Poppet. I was here for Poppet. How can I even think of him like that, at a time like this? Honestly. On second thought, I don't think I want to know why.
I twitched madly for a few seconds while Mr. Know It All ranted about Auror curfews and suchlike. God! To think I almost touched the thing! I couldn't help thinking that maybe it had bitten me and in the heat of the moment, I hadn't noticed. I looked at my hand, several times, for fang marks. Just so you know, there weren't any.
Malfoy looked at me worriedly but continued his conversation like I wasn't even there! I started picking irritatingly at his shirt again. "Malfoymalfoymalfoy" I hissed, looking very much like I was about to wet myself. "Draco!" I think he picked up on the urgency in my voice because right after my usage of his first name (…which was just weird. He's never anything but Malfoy or git to me) he told the person on the other end of the line that he'd call them back and rang off.
"What is it?" he snapped, as he pocketed his phone
"It's Poppet. She's in Mr. Merryman's room"
His eyes widened slightly but other than that, his face expressed nothing else. He looked as cool as he usually did. How on earth does he do that? "Are you sure?" he asked at last. He was pretty calm for someone who had been shouting at me a minute ago for losing the dratted creature!
"Positive. She practically devoured my arm!"
"Well, why didn't you catch it?"
I looked at him as though he was speaking Russian which I'm pretty sure he was, if I had heard him correctly. Was he on the same planet as me? "Catch it?"
"Yeah" he snapped "With a glass or something?"
"A glass? Malfoy, it's the size of my hand! What sort of glass did you have in mind?"
"Well, couldn't you have just scooped her up?"
"I'm just plain Hermione. You must be thinking of Incredible Hermione the Spider Tamer. I'm going nowhere near the thing"
"God! If you want a job done…" He swooped out of the room, muttering to himself. Ungrateful or what?
Colin and I beetled after him as he took the stairs at an ambitious three at a time. We caught up with him in the corridor. He tapped lightly on Mr. Merryman's door and then peered into the room. He, then, looked back at us.
"I'll stay here" said Colin, at once "I'll whistle if someone comes"
"But I can whistle" I protested
"Not as well as me" continued Colin as he gave me a hefty shove Poppet-wards.
"Perhaps we could both whistle?" I suggested. Call me dumb but I was desperate.
"Don't be stupid Granger. I'll need some help" said Malfoy as he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the room. Some help? I thought Can I be useful from about five meters away? Because that was the only sort of assistance I felt qualified to give at that moment.
We walked into the room, softly. "Where is she?" whispered Malfoy
"By the bed" I answered. We crept towards the bed – I'm using the plural term of 'we' loosely here because I didn't actually make very much headway across the room at all.
"Where?" he whispered, turning his head towards me "God, Granger! Get over here! She's not going to bite you!" Yeah, right, of course.
Nevertheless, I walked another inch towards him and pointed. "She's there! By the foot of the bed" I hissed but suddenly, there was the unmistakable sound of someone whistling. Rather hysterically too!
Our eyes met for a second. "Quick, someone's coming. Under the bed"
"Under the bed?" I asked "Are you mad? Where the spider is, I certainly am not!"
The whistling seemed to get louder with each second and soon, it lapsed into humming "Okay, the wardrobe then!" concluded Malfoy, irritated. And so we run over to the wardrobe. I threw myself inside with dangerous abandon, closely followed by Malfoy. He landed in a heap on top of me and swung the door shut.
Okay, honestly speaking, it was one of the stupidest things I've ever done in my life! When we were inside, it took me a few seconds to orientate my limbs and another second to realize that we had done this rather badly. I was lying with my head at a difficult angle with my cheek pressed up against the wood – and the smell of mothballs was up my nose. It was horrible, to say the least!
We're not talking about an exceptionally large wardrobe here either; it was certainly not designed for two fully grown adults. My legs were curled under me and my skirt was rucked up around my ears. I tried to breathe quietly and keep perfectly still but instead, I seemed to be taking in large chugs of air and my limbs had already suffered from a cramp!
I prayed to God, Buddha, Allah (…and anyone else who could have been up there listening) that Mr. Merryman didn't take it upon himself to open his wardrobe. I mean, what on earth were we to say if he found the two of us inside here: Hello Mr. Merryman, we were just looking for this huge, giant tarantula! It's in your room but there's really no need to worry! It's only going to crawl on you at night.
I bit my lip as I felt a wave of hysteria rise up my throat. Don't ask me why I, suddenly, needed to laugh but I did (I know! You don't need to tell me. I'm becoming 'un-hermione-ish' by the second, aren't I!) God, I thought to myself I can't start laughing now. I just can't! But the more I tried to stop it, the harder it became. Come on, 'Mione! I kept saying Don't let the side down. This is not the time to be overwhelmed with giggles. I managed to find my leg with my hand. I dug my nails into it hard, trying my utmost not to burst into fresh peals of laughter.
Must think of unhappy thoughts…Must think of dead things…But of course, it didn't work. The thing is, it's not exactly very easy to keep your perspective with your face pressed up against the back of a wardrobe. I can tell you that much. I mean, it's hardly a mediating position is it? You don't find yoga gurus advocating the inside of a wardrobe as the ideal place to contemplate your inner peace.
As I started to breathe heavily through my nose, I decided to take different approach to stopping myself from laughing. I started to think of Malfoy. While I was in the closet, I kept dreading the thought of seeing his angry face. I kept thinking, Knowing him, he's, probably be taking this very seriously because, lets face it, if we are found in this wardrobe, Lanconsmere will be handed over Dorlington Corp and Zach with a cherry on top. Which was true. If we were found, Lanconsmere would have been gone.
But I was wrong. About Malfoy being serious, I mean. And I'll tell you how I knew. While we were in that closet, I, suddenly, felt a shiver pass through the git's legs. And another. A sort of shaking. Instinctively, I recognized what it was and the wave of hysteria threatened to engulf me altogether! I couldn't believe it! Malfoy was desperately trying not to laugh too! Absolutely desperately! I had a hard time, trying to grasp the concept myself. Maybe he wasn't as bad as I thought he was….
We both breathed together deeply and I felt his hand searching for mine. When he did, he grabbed and squeezed it hard in an effort to gain some control. Yes, I know. Malfoy holding my hand? Hard to believe, eh? But I won't deny that I squeezed back because I did. Taking another deep breath, I buried my face in some sort of material and prayed for deliverance.
And that came in the form of Colin who opened the wardrobe door tentatively and whispered "'Mione? Malfoy? Are you in there?" We let go of our breath and indulged in those peculiar little snorts and noises which always seem to come from your stomach.
Malfoy crawled out first, inadvertently kneeing me in the solar plexus, and fell into a heap on the floor. I giggled hysterically to myself (I told you I was changing. I would have never started laughing at a time like this a few years ago –sigh-) and had to be practically lifted out as I had, temporarily, lost the use of my limbs and could barely breathe. Colin and Malfoy had to, both, put a hand under each armpit and haul me out. Both of them were laughing openly. Looked like I wasn't the only one who was changing (-hint- Malfoy –hint-)!
"Was it Mr. Merryman?" asked Malfoy
Colin nodded "Thank God, he left after a few minutes. I don't know what you would have done if he'd decided to take a nap or something"
We all remained on the floor, taking a few minutes to calm down. Eventually, we found the strength to get up, brush ourselves down and go back to the serious business of spider-catching.
Malfoy peered, fearlessly at Poppet while Colin and I looked on from a couple of meters away. He moved closer and closer until eventually he simply reached out and picked the spider up. My eyes almost boggled out of their sockets. Oh – my – god! If he really wasn't scared of the thing, why had he been so worried earlier? However shocked I was, I couldn't help admiring the man's bravery.
"Granger, how close to her were you?" He waved Poppet around wildly. I'm not that keen on the old thing but I really didn't think that he should have been shaking her like that. I thought that it could, you know…make her angry or something.
I managed to pull my eyes away from her jingling form. "Malfoy, I really don't think you should be tossing her around like that. Aunt Maude would be – "
"Did you look at this at all?" His voice was, dangerously, low "Did you take a really good look?"
"Of course I took a good look at her!" I snapped "She almost bit me!"
He held Poppet out in front of him – I shrank back, unconsciously. "Granger, this is a toupee. A wig. Mr. Merryman's toupee. How on earth did it bite you?"
I took a tentative step forward and looked at Malfoy's hand. It was, indeed, some sort of hair piece. "Oh". Right after the 'accusing Malfoy of carjacking his own car' incident, this has got be the most embarrassing moment of my life!
He replaced the toupee and shot me one of his 'Granger strikes again' looks. "Didn't you notice he wears one" he smirked. I could see that he was having a time of his life.
I turned to Colin for comfort but instead I found him laughing at my expense too – he was giggling into his hand "Err…no" I mumbled, looking away from both of them.
Malfoy walked out of the room, laughing widely. He said things that sounded very much like 'stupid', 'fucking' and 'Mudblood' but I'm not so sure….
Just before Colin walked out he turned to be cheerfully and said "Time to take up the medication, Hermione" Haha. He was so funny. Not.
Oh god. Now that I think about the whole thing, my stay here is going to be worse than I first thought. One thing is for sure. Malfoy (and Colin for that matter) is never going to let this go – he'll keep on pushing it in my face like he did the carjacking incident! Why in the world did I have to call him of all people? But I swear I saw it move…I really did…God! I just hope the others don't remember that I accused a toupee of biting me. Though I don't think Malfoy will not not remember. It's his job to make my life a living hell. And he's just found the best tool to do so.
Aren't I lucky? –sigh-
…Though when I held his hand in that closet, it really wasn't that bad. Actually it was pretty ni – Merlin! Why do I torture myself like this? Honestly.
x
And on Draco's answering machine (the one he has on his wizarding handphone)…
xxx
Draco here. Leave a message if you absolutely have to – I really don't have time to waste.
(Beep)
Draco? This is Pansy here! I tried calling you so many times but I always get the machine. Anyway. I needed to contact you because we've decided to come earlier than we first thought. Tomorrow, actually so please do expect us, okay? Sometime in the morning. Well…other than that, there is really isn't much. I guess, I'll see you soon anyway. Bye!
x
THE DIARY OF HERMIONE GRANGER
--
Right after dinner (The conversations seemed to revolve around Lanconsmere mostly. During the meal, it looked like the officials were having second doubts about turning these lush green grasslands into a concrete haven), I went to the bathroom. I needed recollect myself – I needed to be the real…the efficient Hermione, once and for all. But as I walked out, I heard a knock. Who could be visiting at this time of the day? Another ministry official? No. There were only supposed to be twelve and there were twelve here already!
But it came again. Right at that moment, I couldn't help thinking that maybe Malfoy had miscalculated the number of people who were supposed to attend this meal (I wouldn't have been surprised) – maybe there were actually a few more coming. On the third knock, I was wondering why Colin wasn't opening the door and greeting the visitors already. On the fourth, I ran to the door, myself, only to be greeted with an empty parlor – no, Colin.
That meant I had to open door instead. I fluffed my hair, nervously, adjusted my business suit and opened the door to see….
…Zach, in an immaculate suit, smiling down at me. Yes. As in Zach, my boyfriend. Zach, the big bad Dorlington Crop guy. Zach, the biggest git on earth, who, I'm starting to think, is even worse than Malfoy. Yes, that man was standing right in front of me. Oh god.
I was more than just surprised. "You! Wh – why – what are you doing here?" But before he could answer (I wasn't waiting for an answer anyway), I hurried on "Okay, it doesn't matter. Look Zach, I'm really sorry that I didn't answer all your messages and calls but this is really a bad time for me. Can we - "
"Oh you need not worry" interrupted Zach, smilingly – I felt like punching that smile right off his face "I'm not here to meet you anyway, sweetheart"
"Sorry?"
"I came here to meet your friend"
"My friend?" I repeated, dumbly.
"Oh yes. You know…Draco Malfoy?"
It took me a moment to register his words. "Draco Malfoy is not my friend!" I said, outraged. Except my face was indicating the exact opposite – it was turning red for some inexplicable reason. I mean, of course, Malfoy isn't my friend. We just…argh! I give up.
He raised his eye brows, skeptically. "You think? Have you been unfaithful to me, Hermione?" He started wagging his index finger at me – somewhat like a parent would do to a child. I couldn't believe this. Was this the man, I had wasted 6 months of my life with?
"Unfaithful! How can be unfaithful to someone who means nothing to me?" I burst out. Honestly, I really hadn't meant for it to come out like that (…not really). I mean, as much as I find Zach annoying and boring, I have never actually told the guy how I really feel about him. Until now, that is.
Except he seemed unperturbed by my small revelation. "Oh, Hermione!" he gushed, mockingly. "You've broken my heart, darling! Except…wait…so you can only be unfaithful to some that meant something to you?" Why hadn't I noticed that Zach was such a smart ass idiot before?
"That's not what I said!" I raged. How dare he twist my words!
"Well, while you make up your mind about what you may or may not have meant, let me in, will you, love? I need to meet the observational team. They are here, aren't they?" Suddenly the reason for his arrival was all too clear – he had come to sabotage the whole thing!
I needed to think fast. "No!" I insisted, just a little too loudly. Once again, Zach raised his eye brows at me "I mean, no, I'm sorry they aren't" I continued, softly. The last thing I wanted was Malfoy barging in. The less he knew of Zach's visit, the better. "You will have to…errr…come back later. They are delayed. Sorry! Well, ta ta, sweetheart! See you tomorrow!"
I was actually going to close the door in his face but he was too quick for me. He held out his hand, blocking the door. Instead of waving good bye like a good boy friend should, he laughed in my face. Okay I've made up my mind: I – hate – him! "Honestly, Hermione. What do you take me for?"
"A back stabbing liar!" I retorted
He laughed again "I'm not the one in love with Draco Malfoy when I'm supposed to be with someone else. That's called two timing, 'Mione"
My face turned red, yet again. "I am not in love with Draco Malfoy!"
"Right" scoffed Zach "Of course"
"What you do mean by: Right, of course?" I snapped and suddenly the words tumbled out. "Just so you know. I hate Malfoy. He is a self absorbed jerk who thinks of no one but himself" Like Zach didn't already know that. Maybe the both of them could go off somewhere and bond once the fate of Lanconsmere is decided. That might keep Malfoy away from making my life a misery with the toupee incident.
"Really?" asked Zach, interestedly
"Yes and - " I started. But before I could finish my sentence, the man himself – Malfoy was by my side. Damn!
"Granger? What the hell are y - " He stopped short when he caught sight of Zach, his arch nemesis, by his door way. He was, definitely more surprised than he let on but that's the thing with Malfoy. He has the rare gift of rearranging his facial features into that stony expression he always wears within seconds – unlike me. He doesn't, openly, portray his emotions. At all. Except…sometimes, he does lose control, now that I think of it.
Regardless of his face, his voice does portray a lot of emotions. "Smith" he spat out, by way of greeting Zach.
"Good evening, Malfoy!" greeted Zach, pleasantly and not to mention – very mockingly. His arm shot out towards me and suddenly I felt myself being pressed against him. I could bet my whole life that Zach did it only to make Malfoy angry. Well, I thought, the guy was in for a surprise – he no idea of how intense Malfoy's animosity towards me is. But I was wrong again. For some reason, Malfoy's fists clenched. Zach's little gesture was working which confused me a great deal. Why on earth would Malfoy care if Zach touched me? He doesn't care about me at all, anyway. At least, I don't think he does. "My girl friend was telling me all about you" I saw Malfoy wince at the world 'girlfriend'.
"Was she?" He shot me, a dark look "Well, then, if you don't mind, maybe you two can fuck off and carry on with this little conversation of yours away from here?" My heart dropped. I tried to convey a message with my eyes but Malfoy was barely looking at me. Oh god.
"Ahhh…Malfoy, such language! But really, it was Hermione, herself who invited me"
"I did not!" I raged, blood rushing to my cheeks. Malfoy turned his stony-eyed gaze on to me, somewhat surprised. I tried hard to squirm out of Zach's grip but his hand wasn't budging. At all. "Zach, stop lying! I did not!"
Zach sighed heavily "Yes…yes, you didn't. I just liked how that sounded. But I do wish you had. Quite a party you've put up Malfoy"
"I don't think you heard me the first time, Smith. Please do fuck off?"
Zach smirked. "Is that the way you greet your visitors, Malfoy?"
"No" replied Malfoy, calmly "It's the way I greet the cockroaches that scurry around in my garden - before I step on the blasted pests, that is. You just reminded me of one of them, Smith. I see some resemblance" I couldn't stop myself from laughing quietly at that.
For the first time, since his arrival, I saw Zach's calm, smart ass composure slip – Malfoy has that effect on people. But just as Zach was about to retort, Mr. Merryman, himself, walked in. Immediately, everyone shushed up. "Hello Zach! Long time no see!"
Silence. Zach was the first one to break it though. "Mr. Merryman, so pleased to meet you!"
Mr. Merryman smiled and said "Zach, why are you standing outside in the cold? Come on, in! I'm sure it'll be quite alright with Draco if you join us inside, here, won't it?"
I was quite sure that it wasn't. Alright for Malfoy, I mean. I could see that the ferret was very much inclined to say no but he merely nodded yes and shot Zach a strained smile "Please, do come in". His eyes were shooting sparks though and that is never a good sign. His fists were clenched too.
And so Zach came in, shooting both Malfoy and myself, triumphant glances. I could see that Malfoy was ready to grab a bat of any sort and start hitting my boyfriend (I can't believe he's boyfriend!) into oblivion.
As we followed both Mr. Merryman and Zach into the living room, who were both, speaking to each other animatedly, Malfoy turned his attention towards me. His pale face was scaring me as were his clenched hands. "Who told him about today?"
"I have no idea"
"So its not you?"
"Of course not! Why would I tell him about today?"
"I dunno…Knowing that you were the one who let the spider out, I wouldn't know what else to expect from you, Granger" he smirked
The git! Can you believe it? Honestly "Haha. You are funny Malfoy"
"So I'm told" And with those words, he walked ahead of me. I hate him. I really do.
When we were in the living room I saw that Zach was still up and about. After a few minutes of greeting each of the officials, he made his way to the only vacant seat in the room – a single couch. As he sat down…well, just as his bottom touched the cushion, I caught sight of a big furry black thing scurrying around the cream couch and that's when it hit me – Poppet! We had found her! At last! I let out a big sigh of relief. We had found the creature. Malfoy would be happy, I was thinking.
But the relief was short lived when I noticed that Zach was going to sit on her! OH – MY – GOD! I was just about scream out a warning…but it was too late. Zach had already sat down.
I couldn't help but wincing slightly – poor Poppet. First I thought that Zach wouldn't notice but considering Poppet's size that really was a stupid thing to assume. Before I knew it Zach was up and screaming his arse off. I couldn't blame the guy. "Ahhh! There's a spider! There's a fucking spider!"
Immediately there was chaos. All the ministry officials had gotten up and were inspecting Poppet and a screaming Zach ("Help me! Take it off! God damn take it off me!") with mild fascination – especially Mr. Merryman ("Amazing…I thought these spiders were extinct! Amazing, really"). They did nothing to calm poor Zach.
As much as Zach deserved what had happened, I made a move towards the guy in an attempt to get Poppet off him (Or to get someone else to do it for me!). But someone caught me midriff. As I turned to face the perpetrator, I was pretty surprised to find Malfoy. I had been wondering about what he thougth of the whole situation. I was fully expecting a glare and maybe, even a few harsh words – in the least. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw the ferret smiling at me, "Thank you so much letting Poppet go"
Oh so now he thanks me! "No problem" I muttered, stifling a giggle. Zach can be pretty funny when he's scared out of his wits! This night really did have its surprises!
x
DRACO MAFLOY'S PERSONAL ORGANIZER
--
Good work Poppet! I'm so proud of you! I have to congratulate Granger too. Just not to her face. Ahh…Poppet deserves a treat. Some flies, maybe?
x
Author's Note: I finished! YAY! I finished! LoL! Sorry if it was crap and/or boring. I'm sorry about the bad news too! I really am. There is nothing I can do. I'm just going to be a really busy person from now on. Sorry about the late update too though you guys might have to get used to it – sorry! But I will finish this fic so keep a look out for new chapters! I love you guys! Thanks again
And oh yeah, spelling and/or grammatical mistakes were unintended! They were typos – I haven't had this beta-ed so yeah! I'll make sure to post this again once it is done! Anyway I got to go. See you guys soon…I hope!