Thank you everyone for the comments and favourites!
Here is the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it
Hermione and Draco this time!
Love Z
Red light flashed against the wall, shattering a wooden duelling dummy to splinters. Draco, having dived from its path, skidded to a stop before launching out of the way once again. The floor where he had been previously was black with scorch marks.
Sweat dripped into his eyes, and he shoved his hair back viciously. Protego could only do so much. It was getting increasingly difficult to retaliate to the onslaught of downright vicious spells currently bombarding him.
A crackling wave of lightning ricochet around him, scorching more of the floor, he swore as he stumbled backwards.
"Fucking hell."
He could hear laughter above the crackling of her spell; Hermione was enjoying this way too much.
"Come on Draco. I though you were supposed to be good at this?"
She had done something to the floor when they first started, blasted shield runes or something into the ground. Everything he shot her way simply arched round and missed.
"You cheated and you know it!" He yelled, ducking behind a conjured sofa.
"You asked for a challenge, who am I to deny you?" She was cackling, probably grinning, the nutter.
The fabric shuddered behind him and Draco had seconds to roll away from a suddenly animated sofa monstrosity. It had a large gaping mouth with splintered wood for teeth, it's legs bent the wrong way as it charged for him.
One very strong bombarda later, cushion fluff, wood, fabric and springs exploded across the room. Draco was panting heavily; he glanced to where Hermione was standing, simply looked a little tired.
Trying to think outside the box, he turned the floor around her to sand, hoping to distort her rune circle. From the frown on her face it seemed to be working. Not wanting to waste any time, Draco animated the floor and swept towards her on a creaking wave of floorboards.
Super heating the sand, Hermione sent shards of glass at him. He dropped down lower to dodge them and leapt onto Hermione, bodily knocking her to the floor. They both twisted into the sand. Hermione elbowed him sharply in the gut, head-butted him in the face, and with a quick twisting move pinned him face down in the sand.
"Give up or suffocate." She sung to him.
Draco smacked his hand down and she released him immediately, rolling to lie on her back next to him.
"That was fun!" She exclaimed, "Duelling practice was a wonderful idea." She turned to look at his sand covered face, and then laughed.
Draco was knackered, his whole body ached something terrible. And now he had gritty, ashy sand in his mouth. Spitting out as much as he could, Draco rolled onto his back too. He let out a groan, heavily flopping his limbs into the floor.
"You look terrible Draco, want some help?"
"I have never been so out of shape in my life." He panted, sighing for added drama.
Hermione laughed again, patting his arm, before syphoning the sand from both their bodies and returning the floor to its original state.
"Well I did suggest jogging…"
Draco groaned again and rolled back over, smushing his face into the floor. "Nooooooo" He whined.
Hermione laughed again. She then proceeded to drag him back up to his feet and over to the newly reformed sofa. They both flopped into it with a sigh.
"We do that four times a week and I'll have you fighting fit in no time." Hermione said smiling at him.
"No, absolutely not. I refuse to do this more than twice a week."
Hermione's smile grew wider at his protest, "twice is fine".
Draco narrowed his eyes at her; she seemed way too pleased with herself. He got the rather uncomfortable impression that she was humouring him.
"I get the feeling Minister, that you are enjoying yourself far too much."
"Me?" She placed on hand over her heart and swatted at him with her other. "Perish the thought!" She pursed her lips holding back sniggers.
"Liar" Draco huffed at her. The memory of her standing amongst her shield runes, cackling as sparks whizzed passed jumped to the front of his mind. "And what the fuck did you do to the floor?"
"I didn't cheat. You said", She put her nose into the air and sniffed haughtily "'Come on Granger, give me a challenge, if you think your up for it?' Well what else is a woman to do?"
"Yes alright, I concede. Totally not cheating, just using your secret magic to grind my face into the ground."
"Sand."
He let out a drawn-out groan, "Sand." He hissed at her.
She was shaking with laughter against him, so he simply huffed back at her.
"What I mean is, will you teach me?"
"I suppose it would make it more satisfying to thoroughly decimate you, if you had a fighting chance." She eyed him smugly.
"I am trying to be sincere, and ask for your help." Draco huffed back.
His pride had been well and truly crushed under Hermione's boots in the last hour. But he could acknowledge that he still had things to learn. And though it smarted a little, he could let Hermione hold this over him if it meant he had extra skills in his arsenal.
"Well how can I say no to that! I hope your runic knowledge is at least past basic?"
"Yes, Professor." He drawled. Drawing a surprised laugh from Hermione.
They sat together in silence for a bit, Draco was just trying to gather the energy to move. They had met up during their free period; and unfortunately his next class was History of Magic. Not that he couldn't have a nap in that class but… History of Magic was just tedious. And he really needed a shower, and a nap, and to just not be a child and have to attend school at all.
"We should make a move. The kids will definitely be up now and I don't want them to wonder where I've been."
"Just tell them you went to the library! Then, they'll be so grateful that you didn't try to wake them up and drag them along, they won't worry about it!"
"Git"
"You love it."
"It's growing on me." Hermione ruffled his hair playfully, before removing her hand with a grimace. "Your hair is all gross… and I touched it."
Draco couldn't help but laugh at her disgusted face. "Yes well that is your fault for making me work hard this early in the morning! I'm going to have to shower before I go to class."
"Oh I'll sort that."
Hermione twirled her wand above Draco's head, and a ticklish Heat travelled across his whole body in pulses. It felt good and certainly got rid of the sweat.
"Useful spell."
"I got very good at cleaning spells during… when we we're in hiding."
Draco tried to hold back a wince, but Hermione raised an eyebrow at him.
"Don't worry about it Draco, 'the past is in the past'. It was necessary, we did it, that's all." She pushed herself up from the sofa, turning to offer Draco a hand, which he gratefully took. "Come on, you've got Binns yeah? You can walk me to Charms."
"I'm not carrying your books for you if that's what you're after." Draco joked, bumping shoulders with her as they grabbed their bags.
She snorted a laugh, "Perish the thought! Can't make a Malfoy do physical labour! That's what servants are for!"
Draco followed her from the room, laughing. " I knew you got it Minister."
"Of course! Now keep up, lets not be late!"
"Yes Ma'am."
Hermione spent the next week, in between bouts of duelling with Draco, being followed by Blaise. Not that she wasn't interested in earning herself a few Sickles, Morgana knows she could use the extra money. But she had been thrust quite firmly into October and the problem of the Troll was beginning to loom.
However she had promised the boy that she would consider his idea. She had even owled her parents requesting a good quality fountain pen, the previous pens having been merged with a biro, Hermione figured a refillable version would be more useful.
Blaise thought both would be a good idea and so Hermione found herself sitting in the Slytherin common room surrounded by a pile of feathers and a large box of biros. Blaise had thoughtfully provided her with a large selection of bird feathers, in all manner of variety and colour.
"I quite like the swan feathers" He said thoughtfully, twirling it in his fingers. "It's sturdy, you know? I just wish they were different colours. White is a bit boring…" he let out a sigh dropping the feather back and picking up a small iridescent black feather. "This one would be good if it was bigger, magpie I think?" he twisted it in the light, small flashes of blue and green ripples across it's surface.
Hermione smiled at him fondly, she could easily transfigure the swan one to hold the colours of the magpie, and even the peacock colours could be transferred over. She bit her lip thoughtfully for a moment; it probably wouldn't hurt to show him? It wasn't particularly difficult in terms of technical ability, just requiring plenty of focus to get the colour to shift.
"Hand them over, I think I've got a spell that can do that."
Blaise eagerly passed them over, moving to perch on the arm of the chair she was sitting in.
Taking the magpie one, she placed it on top of the swan feather and slowly drew her wand from the base to the top of the feather. She spoke slow and clear, keeping her movements fluid. "Quod tangit absorbet vos."
They both leaned in, Hermione with quiet expectancy, Blaise with baited breath, as the surface of the feathers rippled fluidly. The magpie feather sank gently into the swan feather, before the iridescent black spread like spilled ink across its length.
"Holy shit…" Blaise whispered, as Hermione handed it to him. "What kind of a spell was that?"
"Transfiguration. Roughly translates to, 'absorb that which touches you'. Easier than trying to completely change the colours on an atomic level or charm them different colours. As it just," she motioned her hands coming together, "does the hard work for you."
Over the next hour she and Blaise sat in their own little bubble as Hermione meshed feathers to biros and Blaise got the hang of the merger spell. He had started with just two feathers, adding an array of colours to swan feathers, nice and simple.
Hermione was watching out of the corner of her eye as he began experimenting. Adding extra feathers to ones he had already changed, creating ones with brighter colours, fluffier looks and even a long eagle feather with shimmering silver blue and green patterns.
Hermione was a little bit impressed, considering he was just a first year. But he clearly had an eye for colour.
"I recon we could charge a sickle for the standard swan hybrids, and maybe a sickle 11 knuts for the more elaborate ones?" Blaise said absently.
Hermione hummed in agreement. "And when I get a fountain pen from my parents, we can look at making refillable ones." She paused at his curious look. "With little ink capsules that you can remove and refill? That sort of thing?"
"Brilliant! I've had a few people ask me about my folder too if you can get anymore?"
"Maybe, I'll have to do some figuring out on that. One or two is easy, but if loads of people want them?" She shrugged, "There might not be enough owls you know?"
"Fair enough."
"Now remember, when you give these to people, tell them it'll run out at some point and they'll need a new one."
"I know, I know! I wouldn't worry about that Hermione, chances are people will buy at least two. It's got to be easier than constantly dipping into inkwells and stuff! And my mum says the self-inking quills are a bit too fancy for school use. She's probably right, most people are always breaking them."
Hermione laughed, "wise words."
At that moment Draco came barrelling into the common room, Theo and Neville hot on his heels.
"Granger guess what!" He almost fell on her in his rush, quickly bracing against the chair as he skidded to a stop.
"Hello Draco, lovely to see you, do you like our quills?"
"What?" he glanced to the table, "Yeah lovely feathers, listen…"
She could see him practically jumping in place, but chose to wind him up a bit. "Blaise made the feathers and I've been attaching biros to them."
He let out a groan, eyes to the ceiling before turning to Blaise. "Fantastic job Blaise, I'm very jealous of your wondrous skill. I cannot wait to be the recipient of your new creation."
Blaise grinned up at Draco happily, "Thanks Draco, what's up with you lot then?" His gaze travelled to Theo and Neville, the latter giving him a small wave.
"Harry's got a Nimbus two thousand!" Neville blurted.
"And he said we can have a go! Everyone else is already on their way to the pitch!" Theo yelled, jumping up and down whilst holding onto Neville's shoulders. "Come on Blaise!" He ran over and yanked the boy up. "We don't want to miss having a go!"
Draco stood there, his face turning red, "I wanted to say it!" He pouted.
"There, there, Draco." Hermione patted his cheek, "It's all the same in the end. Off you all go then, best hurry if you want a turn."
Theo and Blaise sent panicked looks to each other before bolting towards the door, Neville followed behind a bit slower but looked cheerful all the same.
Draco went to dash after them, but Hermione grabbed his sleeve.
"Hermione…" He whined.
"Let me pack these away, I've got to leave them for Blaise and I don't think the rest of the common room would take kindly to me pottering around here unsupervised."
Draco dutifully helped her pack up the now completed collection of quills, before rushing to his dorm as though being chased.
"Come on Minister, places to be!" he yelled back at her.
He threw the quills onto Blaise's bed, and began jumping in place as Hermione casually put her armful down too. She began meandering back slowly across the common room, as Draco made increasingly frustrated noises.
He was hopping about in front of her, and when he turned back round to tell her to "Hurry up!"
She grinned at him cheekily, "In a rush?" she asked innocently.
"You. Are. Driving. Me. Mental!" He stomped his feet towards her on every world.
Suddenly Hermione's world was twisted upside down and she let out a surprised screech. Draco had bent down grabbed her legs and thrown her torso over his shoulder. Her face grew hot as laughter erupted around her.
"Draco put me down!"
"Should have walked faster Minister." He cheerily sang back, now moving at a rapid pace through the corridors to the main hall. He did slow down near the top of the stairs, and his breath came in huffs.
"You're actually pretty heavy, you know. And I'm not what I once was. Merlin being small sucks."
He jostled her slightly, moving his arms around before she felt a tap on her leg. The tingle of a featherlight charm passed through her body and Draco's pace increased again.
"This is so humiliating." Hermione groaned, "Just put me down."
Draco laughed, and then almost choked as he inhaled sharply, bringing them to a stop. From her upside down view of Draco's arse, Hermione twisted to look past him.
Black lack leather boots, smart black trousers and billowing black robes. Severus Snape stood frozen in the hall, his eyes wide and eyebrows in his hairline.
Hermione let out another groan, choosing to flop back behind Draco.
This. This was the most humiliating part.
The seconds drew on a bit too long and no one had said a word. Draco seemed to take this as an invitation to carry on with the program. And be as annoying as possible.
"Alright Uncle Sev? Lovely afternoon isn't it? Just talking Hermione out for a walk. She's been cooped up in the dungeons, needs the fresh air and all that, I'm sure you understand."
He made a strange motion with his arm, and Hermione prayed that it was not a jaunty salute, before marching purposefully towards the main doors.
"Right, best be off… uh places to be and um, enjoy your afternoon."
As soon as they were through the doors, Hermione smacked at Draco viciously until he put her down. "I cannot believe you!" She screeched, loosely wrapping her hands around his neck and shaking him back and forth.
His only response was laughter.
A strangled noise from the door way, had them both staring wide eyed at their Potions Professor, who had clearly come to his senses and followed them out.
Letting out a squeak, Hermione dropped her hands and proceed to cover her hot face with them. "Oh gods."
Peeking through her hands, she saw the exact moment Severus decided that it wasn't his problem. He abruptly spun in place and stalked back in the direction of the stairwell.
"I really am starting to feel sorry for him…" Draco said bemusedly, chuckling.
"I want a do over." Hermione whimpered. "I absolutely cannot have him retain memories of that."
Draco laughed, flinging an arm round her shoulders and pulling her along. "Only if Harry doesn't let me have a go on his broom. Come on, you've got to admit that was pretty funny?"
"You called him Uncle Sev."
"I did, didn't I?" He sighed happily.
"Next potions lesson, we're both dead. He's going to stew on it and we'll both die. Gods I can't believe you, you are such a git."
"Flatterer." He batted his eyelashes at her.
"Why are you so excited about flying a broomstick anyway? You've flown better ones than this I'm sure."
"This is the fastest broom currently in existence! Do you know how many years I am going to have to wait until I can get the broom of my dreams back? This is the nearest I can get! And I'm going to have a go!" He sniffed wiping at non-existent tears. "The Thunderbolt series hasn't even been dreamt of and I might just cry."
"Boys and Quidditch…"
"I'm going to ignore that Hermione, as I am the better person." He held his elbow out, nose in the air.
"So modest." Hermione chuckled, linking her arm to his.
Draco them proceeded to drag her across the grounds, a man on a mission, whilst she laughed.
Hermione cast a few notice me not charms on the area, best not to get it confiscated before Harry had a chance to play for real.
She declined having a go, however, citing a need to work on her notes for something. From her spot on the edge of the pitch she had a clear view of the school and the pitch, keeping an eye out just in case.
They spent the rest of the afternoon, sitting on the Quidditch pitch as the boys took turns on Harry's nimbus. It involved a lot of shouting and falling over, apparently. And Hermione found it difficult to hold back tears as she watched her boys laugh and whoop with joy.
She didn't ever want them to loose their childhood, not like before. Being raised as soldiers for war. She discretely wiped her eyes, and let out a cheer as Draco swooped above her, his face lit with joy.
Riddle was going down, if it was the last thing she did.
