AN: Thank you for the nice reviews in chapter 8! I really appreciate them *hearts*. And thank you to bcain17 for her help :)
Chapter 9: A punishment, a duel and news.
Despite the festive atmosphere in the Slytherin common room since last night due to the victory of the last game against Gryffindor, Draco Malfoy seemed to have got rid of all his good humor while sleeping.
Pansy was waiting for him leaning against the back of the sofa, her arms crossed and drumming the fingers of one hand on her skin.
"I have a punishment to go to and I don't want to arrive with an empty stomach," she reproached him as soon as she saw him leave the door of his room.
"I don't care," he replied. "Where's Theo?"
"He's been up for breakfast a while ago."
The blond began to walk past her and out the door. Her friend reached him in less than five seconds.
"Am I wrong or I notice that today you are more irritable than usual?" the girl asked as she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. She waited a reasonable time, but in response to his lack of response, she added: "Is it about your duel with Granger?"
Draco stopped dead and glared at her. Pansy stopped walking, crossing her arms again in boredom.
"You sound like you wish it were," he growled.
"It's not something that takes my sleep away, but if it were I haven't the slightest doubt that it would be... interesting," she replied amused.
"Explain yourself." He didn't look like he was enjoying the conversation at all.
"Now that I've seen Granger with Theo... I don't think the idea of seeing you with her is so crazy." Her tone was almost mocking, provocative. He stepped closer and gave her a light push on the shoulder. "Come on, don't tell me you haven't thought about it."
"That's ridiculous," he snapped, visibly upset.
"Yes, but it's as ridiculous as morbid." Pansy paused to giggle at the sight of him starting to walk again. "Apparently she likes bad boys. Who would have thought, right?"
"Forget me, Pansy."
"Ok, but you know I'm right."
Yes. She knew he knew. Draco didn't say another word as it took them to get to the great hall, but Pansy sensed that seeing Granger with an equal to him had set off all the alarms in her friend's head. If Theo could, why couldn't he? He was Draco, Draco Malfoy, and suddenly there was someone playing with what he most secretly craved. The most forbidden girl. And the worst part was that it was a fellow man, someone who wasn't supposed to be seeing her either, seeing Granger.
It might be a difficult thing for someone born into the Malfoy family to assimilate, but Pansy hoped he would end up doing it soon. More than a deal, it had ended up becoming a personal challenge for her.
When they reached the large dining room they went to the Slytherin table and sat where they always did. Theo ate cereal in front of them while reading a letter carefully. Draco caught his attention pointing his wand at the bowl and moving it across the table without him noticing. As soon as the boy looked up, he met Draco's cold, hard gaze.
"Is it hers?" he asked. He seemed to have intended to sound sarcastic, but he clearly had failed.
Theo narrowed his eyes and put the letter on the table with a thud.
"From my mother," he hissed. "What do you want?"
"Tell her that the duel will be at seven o'clock, near the greenhouses."
He didn't say her name, but they all knew who he was referring to. Pansy watched them both without missing a single detail of each other's reactions. She wasn't involved in the conversation, but it was obvious she was having a great time.
"I still can't figure it out," he heard Harry say in the common room. She had been the one late in coming down that morning, but impregnating a cauldron of poison chocolate in front of her roommates without them realizing it wasn't exactly a simple task. "It was as if they knew exactly what our movements were going to be."
"Because, somehow, they knew! I can't believe we lost despite all the effort of the last few months to devise a perfect strategy," added Ronald, who seemed especially annoyed with the idea that a special banquet dedicated to the winners of that year's Quidditch trophy would be held that night.
Hermione appeared up the stairs and gave one of her best smiles as she headed to where her friends were.
"As I know you are disgusted by yesterday's defeat against Slytherin, I have brought down the last of my sweets," she said, opening the box and glancing at Ronald. "In addition, surely a little sugar on the palate helps you cope with your punishment with Snape a little better."
The redhead snorted in frustration.
"I was so upset with the outcome of the game that I hadn't even remembered that today we have to go back to that dirty and dark office," he complained. "I'd rather get sick again than having to go back there."
Hermione quickly took the poisoned cauldron and handed it to her friend. After listening to what he had just said, it became much easier for her to poison him on purpose so that Harry and Parkinson could be alone in that room. His words had caused her to feel less remorse of conscience when she saw him bite that sweet.
"I'll have one too, thanks Hermione," Harry said before starting to head down to the great dining room.
Ginny was nowhere to be found when they entered the door, but this didn't seem to surprise her brother. Hermione had a feeling that it was he who had recommended her to stay far from her and Harry. What she had done to a roommate in her own common room had been too dirty to expect that people wouldn't turn their backs on her if they found out. It was clear that her brother's friends weren't going to forgive her contempt for a long time, but the good news for her was that soon she would have to stop hiding from them. There was only one week left for graduation and next year she wouldn't have to see them, not even her own brother.
Hermione was trying to make up her mind among the various dishes in front of her when an owl entered the window and flew over her head, dropping a rolled-up newspaper that she caught without problems. It had been too many years perfecting that movement to avoid that her correspondence fell right on the crown of her head. Finally she served herself some cream cookies and opened the newspaper to which she had been subscribed since she was eleven years old. She doubted that many more students of the school read "The Confidential of the Muggle World" since, as its own name indicated, it was about news from the non-magical world. It was a serious newspaper, made by and for people who, like her, had been said in childhood that they also belonged to the wizarding world. It touched on subjects as diverse as the state of the London Stock Exchange or the small (and innocent) magical events that occurred throughout the United Kingdom. They were usually children unable to control their magic, but the cover was not that harmless that morning. Two large moving photographs took up the entire space, one showing people running terrified in all directions and the other several people lying on the ground. Hermione turned the page quickly and started reading the first news.
ATTACK IN MUGGLE DISTRICT LEAVES FIFTEEN DEAD AND TWENTY INJURED
The attack was carried out by a magician obsessed with the purity of blood.
YORK : Fifteen dead and at least twenty wounded has been the balance left by the attack that took place in the vicinity of the city of York yesterday, June 9 at 5:00 p.m. All of the victims were identified as Muggles living in the area. The author of this massacre, the magician Bradley Pucey, has already been captured by the Ministry of Magic.
Sources close to the Ministry announced that Pucey (26 years old) identified himself as a pureblood who "watched over the superiority of his race" and that his only objective was the "extermination of Muggles", so he did not regret his actions. When they raided his house, located on the outskirts of the city, investigators found pamphlets with hate messages and dark magic literature. These tests would link him to an unknown group of sorcerers that the Ministry has been pursuing in recent months.
"I was at the window watering my flowers when I heard some screaming. I didn't listen immediately because a muggle festival was held three blocks away, I thought it was the children in one of their silly games. Then I saw a flash of green light go by and a woman fell to the ground, others followed so I hid," said a witch witness who prefers to keep her name confidential.
Minutes after the attack was brought under control, approximately a dozen aurors came to the scene to secure the area and ensure that the Muggle press did not report the incident as it had happened. They were also responsible for erasing the memories of passers-by and leaking the information of a large gas leak to non-magical means.
Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, has yet to comment on the matter, but measures are known to have already been taken to prevent a wave of anti-Muggle attacks. Among the actions taken by Fudge is an extraordinary conference with Albus Dumbledore, director of Hogwarts, which occurred this morning, in which he would have asked him to promote among his students the importance of knowing how to coexist between both worlds.
At press time, the authorities of San Mungo have preferred not to make statements about the state of the wounded.
Hermione glanced quickly at the table where the director was supposed to be, but that morning there was no one presiding over breakfast. She glanced at the front page of the newspaper again before determining that she should stop looking at those explicit photographs of the event if she didn't want its brutality to affect her too much.
Suddenly someone touched her hand on the table, causing her to flinch from the touch and return to reality. Instinctively she turned her head and found an uneasy Harry looking at her with concern.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Hermione moved the newspaper across the table to him, who hastily picked it up and quickly read the news.
"There hasn't been a massacre like that since the last century," said the girl, her voice breaking a little at the end.
"I wonder what action Dumbledore will take on this," Harry commented, folding the newspaper and deciding they'd had enough of bad news that morning.
"Hmm... where's Ron?"
"His stomach started making very strange noises... again. He ran out of the dining room a little while ago," he replied. "I guess I have to go to the punishment alone."
"You will not be alone," she said, trying to put a smile on her face after reading about that terrible event. "Parkinson will also be there."
Pansy had barely made an effort to comb her hair that day, nor had she tried to make her cheeks look rosier or her robe to give off the scent of an expensive perfume. She had wanted to take Granger's advice and stop wanting to impress him with her physique. She had already verified that this didn't work with Potter and she wasn't someone to crawl for attention. If what the Gryffindor said turned out to be true, he would notice her in a different way, and if he finally didn't end up doing it, she wasn't going to lose her dignity by begging him for some attention. It wouldn't happen.
She was walking calmly towards the dungeons. She hadn't had time to talk to Granger, but she'd seen the hateful Weasley boy rush out of the great dining room, and that could only indicate that her partner had done the right thing... finally. Now she just had to keep her gaze away from Snape for as long as he was with them. He already knew too many details about her dirty thoughts with the boy, she had no intention of revealing to him also all the forbidden things that she and Granger had been doing lately to achieve their goal.
Potter was already there when she turned the corner. He was leaning against the wall with an absent-minded expression, but the echo of her footsteps down the hall caught his attention and made him straighten his back in reflex.
"Potter," she said.
"Parkkinson…" The boy followed her with his gaze until she also leaned against the wall to wait for the potions teacher. The silence was so uncomfortable that they were both relieved when it was suddenly interrupted by someone's throat clearing across the corridor. The teacher approached them with stealthy but firm steps.
"Wands," he ordered roughly.
Both Pansy and Harry placed their wands in Snape's open palm and then watched as Snape clenched it and shoved it into his robe. After, he opened the door of his office and entered before anyone else. Pansy felt him staring at her intently as she kept her gaze on her nails.
"I hope you don't break your precious nails with this punishment, Miss Parkinson," said the professor sarcastically. It seemed that knowing that one of his favourite students was playing catch a Gryffindor didn't quite seem right to him. Then he nodded toward one of the farthest corners of the door, giving Pansy a chance to turn her gaze there and continue to avoid eye contact. "I want you to have counted all those bezoars by the time I get back. My advice? Just count. If you waste your time and don't tell me the exact number upon my arrival, be sure that there will be consequences." The professor looked at them both before fixing his dark eyes on the door. "Where's Weasley, Mr. Potter? The punishment is about to begin," he asked in an almost bored voice.
"He's sick," said the boy.
Snape was silent for a few seconds. The characteristic disgust on his face intensified as he narrowed his eyes at him.
"Let him know I'll make sure of it... if he's just trying to sneak away from the punishment, I'll take action on the matter. Tell him that the least serious thing will be to fail him in my subject."
He took one last look at his student, who was still staring blankly at that large pile of bezoars, and finally decided to turn around and head for the door. The professor fluttered the hem of his robe and closed it with a loud slam.
"Your friend better be dying right now," the girl commented when they were alone.
"He has been sick this week… but yes, it had better be serious if he doesn't want to repeat the course."
"We'll go with him if we don't get down to business right away," Pansy said as she walked over to where the work was and sat on the floor next to one of the metal buckets. Potter followed her, and they both started counting bezoars.
"Have you progressed with the Charms work?" He asked five minutes after.
"Yes," she lied quite naturally. "My parents have always attached great importance to this subject and they wouldn't be satisfied with my grades unless I get the maximum one.
"This punishment will lower my grade for the course," he murmured as he put another bezoar in his bucket.
Pansy saw the perfect opportunity to bring up a specific topic.
"I'm sure your grade in Care of Magical Creatures makes up for it. After all, you are friends with the teacher, am I wrong?"
Potter didn't react immediately. He kept counting bezoars slowly until he decided to answer her.
"Yes, Hagrid is my friend... and I haven't had a chance to thank you for what you did for him the other day. He doesn't deserve the constant insults of your colleagues and that you came to his defense was..."
"A surprise?"
"Yes, it was a surprise." Pansy kept filling her bucket of bezoars even though she felt his gaze on her clearly. A few seconds passed before the boy spoke again. "Why did you do it?"
She sighed and pulled her hair back into a tail.
"I just saw it as an injustice. I know I participated in it for a long time but… I didn't want to do it anymore. It may seem strange to you, but I'm just trying to be the best version of myself. A friendlier at least. How many so far?"
"One hundred and twenty-two," he replied. Then she frowned as he absorbed her words. "Is that why you offered to teach me how to dance?"
"Sure," she replied with a shrug. "I just wanted to do my good deed of the year for a Gryffindor."
They were both silent as they continued their task of counting these things little by little, but it didn't take Potter more than a handful of seconds to speak again.
"And does the proposal still stand?"
Pansy looked at him in that instant, not quite sure she was controlling the emotions on her face. She forced herself to soften her expression when the boy began to realize how strange it was that she was looking at him with such wide eyes. Pansy looked away and continued counting bezoars, although in truth she wasn't quite sure if the excitement had caused her to skip one or the other.
"Why not?" She said at last, trying to convey indifference.
"Good." Potter seemed to be having a conflict of ideas at the moment. "Do you really not think it is something out of place?"
She couldn't contain the emotion at that point.
"It's a rare thing... that is to say, the fact that a Slytherin and a Gryffindor interact more than the strictly necessary doesn't come within normal limits," she said, barely taking a second to breathe. She had to control herself if she didn't want to chase him away again. "But if you think about it coldly it's just someone trying to help someone else."
"I guess," he replied, taking a deep breath and returning to his punishment. "What I don't know yet is where we could... meet."
"I do," she said immediately. "We could start tonight."
"Tonight?"
"Do you have time to waste?" Pansy squinted at him before continuing her business. "How many now?"
Taking advantage of the fact that Harry was in his punishment with Pansy and that Ron surely wouldn't leave the bathroom in a long time, Hermione hurried to get to the place agreed with Nott. He had proposed her to meet hidden in the castle dungeons that second time, since it was no secret that the streets of Hogsmeade were filled to capacity on Sundays.
There wouldn't be many people in the hallways, but she still decided to put on her daily robe so as not to attract too much attention. The best thing to do when hanging out with a boy you weren't supposed to be seeing was to go unnoticed, especially when Snape had already warned them that he would be watching them.
Hermione thought she was in the wrong place when, following all the directions the boy had given her the day before, she reached a narrow, poorly lit hallway with no end in sight. She took a couple of steps inside and heard the echo of her shoes rumble on the walls, from which hung some torches. She barely fit in that place and was beginning to feel claustrophobic when the door slammed shut behind her. Hermione turned immediately, but someone made the torches on the walls go out and go completely dark. Her heart began to pound harder and harder as she concluded that it could be a trap. Would she be in danger? She wanted to scream when she felt her wrists grab unexpectedly and push her against the wall, putting them on her head. She only managed to utter a faint moan from the start, a moan that was quickly quelled by almost aggressive lips that pinned her in place and gave her no chance to react.
Hermione didn't assimilate the situation until they released her wrists and those hands took her face between them. She barely managed to fill her lungs with air with the pressure that the boy exerted on her body, but still she ran her fingers through his robes until she found its shield. She wanted to feel that embroidered snake under her touch as he bit her lips so hard it made them bleed. She would have scolded herself for finding it extremely exciting to be in her full mental power right now. After noticing how her shirt was being pulled out of her skirt, she could hardly think clearly.
A shiver ran down her spine as she felt his burning hands touch her body with desire. She put her arms around his neck and rested her head on the wall. At what point had the atmosphere become so hot? She could barely breathe, and although they were enveloped in complete gloom, Hermione decided to close her eyes and allow herself to fantasize about Malfoy. Her hands now went to tangle in the boy's hair. No, it wasn't him, but she could at least imagine it in the darkness. She moved her lips to articulate his name on them silently. Draco, Draco.
Both continued to be carried away by the passion of the moment. They kissed, they touched, they played that forbidden game that excited them so much... but she knew deep inside that she shouldn't let it get too far. It wasn't until Theo carried her in his arms that she said something for the first time.
"Hey…"
"Yes?" he replied, burying his face in her neck.
Hearing his voice made her want to stop it even more. It felt kind of unpleasant considering that she was fantasizing with another Slytherin boy just a few seconds ago. He wasn't Malfoy. Nott wasn't him.
"I don't want to do this," she said in a whisper.
Theo stopped kissing her at that moment. All that was heard were their ragged breaths and the pounding of their hearts. The boy put her back on the floor after a few seconds, then the light came back on the hallway. Although it was dim, Hermione had to close her eyes a little to give her pupils time to adjust. When she opened them again she found Theo leaning against the opposite wall with his hands in his pockets. His appearance was horrible. His hair was tousled, beads of sweat trickled down his temples, and his clothes were completely wrinkled. Hermione imagined that she wouldn't be much better.
A few awkward seconds passed before he stepped closer to her again. Hermione raised her head to see him, but he only moved one hand to place his thumb on her lip. She winced and then stared at the boy's finger, which was surprisingly full of blood.
"I'm sorry I did that to you," he said.
Now it was her turn to put a hand to her own lips. She slid her fingers carefully until she reached the source of her pain. Apparently there was a deep cut on one side and it didn't stop bleeding. She frowned and looked at her clothes. Her impeccable white shirt now had a large bloodstain near her chest. Theo pointed his wand right there and wiped up the mess.
"I don't know how to fix your lip."
"Don't worry," she reassured him, suddenly feeling guilty. He bit her lips to bleed, but she was playing with his feelings just by acceding to meet again. "Really, don't."
"I'm sorry", he said again. "Sometimes I can be very..."
"Wild?" Hermione laughed as best she could, spreading the boy's laughter.
"Something like that, especially in the dark." His guts roared at the time. "How long have we been here?"
"I don't know, but I daresay very much."
"We better get back."
Hermione watched him open the door and wait for her to come out. She tucked the shirt back inside her skirt and walked outside while trying to comb her hair. Both went straight to the large dining room, although neither remembered that they had to keep a certain distance between them. When they arrived they could see that the lunch hour was almost over. Desserts remained on the half-empty tables, and some of the laggards read magazines or newspapers and yawned at the same time. Draco Malfoy was where he always was, arms crossed on the table and a grim expression on his face. No one was around him, allowing him to quickly notice the presence of both at the entrance. He didn't try to hide his annoyance at seeing them so close, nor did he suppress a grimace at understanding what they had been doing thanks to their disheveled appearance.
Theo seemed amused by the situation. He stepped closer to her and sneaked a strand of her tousled hair between his fingers, rubbed it a little before turning his back and sitting across from Malfoy. Hermione saw a teasing smile on his lips as he grabbed a slice of the brownie and took a big bite in front of him. The blond man got up in that instant in bad manners, leaving the sports newspaper on the table and heading to the exit. Hermione hurried away from there before he reached her side.
Ignoring the roars in her stomach, Hermione walked briskly up the stairs and headed to the Room of Requirement. She almost jumped in scare when Parkinson exclaimed:
"At last you appear! Where the hell have you been?"
"I…"
"Well, you know what? Never mind. What you have to tell me can wait." The Slytherin kicked off her shoes and stepped onto the sofa gracefully. "Your friend has finally yielded to my charms."
"What?" Hermione reached out and spread her legs so she could sit next to her. "How did it happen?"
Pansy sat up straight on the sofa before adopting her characteristic diva attitude.
"Isn't it obvious? He has been unable to resist any longer."
"Did you kiss?"
"No... not yet."
"What happened then?"
The Slytherin brought her legs back up onto the couch, this time putting them on Hermione, who was so excited that she didn't even notice that detail.
"The punishment has been so boring that we couldn't avoid talking to each other to fill those uncomfortable silences... and as you said, I used my cunning to take advantage of the first opportunity to bring up an interesting topic of conversation... And finally he agreed to take dance lessons with me before graduation."
Hermione applauded with excitement.
"That's great! You see? You had to let him be the one to set the times."
"Yes, yes, but now confess. Theo did that thing on your lip, right?"
"I told you we were meeting again."
"I hope the fun made up for skipping lunch." Pansy reached into the robe and pulled out something wrapped in a napkin. "I will overlook it this time because I understand that you must be hallucinating with the fact that a Slytherin is interested in you, but it's irresponsible to go to a duel on an empty stomach."
Hermione seemed to freeze with the gaze of the sandwich in her hand. Then she looked at Pansy with wide eyes. That hot encounter with Theo had definitely made a dent in her memory.
"The duel? When? Where?"
"Didn't Theo tell you the time and place of the meeting?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow, confused.
"Should he?"
"Well yes, supposedly he should have... because Draco sensed this morning that you were going to see each other and expressly asked him to."
"Really?"
"Seriously." The Slytherin girl stopped looking at her with tough eyes and started to laugh. "That good one! Theo must be feeling something really strong for you!"
"Why do you say that?"
"Don't you get it? He didn't tell you anything because he doesn't want you to go! He doesn't want you to face Draco because he thinks he would surely end up hurting you." Pansy kept smiling as she spoke. The situation seemed to amuse her greatly. "Poor, you're going to break his heart when you leave him, but we aren't here to look at anyone's feelings... Because you want to continue with the initial plan, right? Do you want to conquer Draco once and for all?" Hermione needed to take in everything she was saying about Theo, but she nodded firmly in response to her question. "So Theo is the collateral damage then, and while you surely feel a little guilty, you will learn to live with it. Now eat, we still have a few hours to prepare you for the duel."
Hermione walked decisively towards the agreed place. She was gripping her wand tightly even though one of the spells Pansy had cast at her in training had cut her wrist painfully. It was shallow, but it burned as if it had been pierced with a knife. Parkinson had had no mercy on her in those days claiming that Malfoy wouldn't have either.
Hermione could barely recognize herself. She had experienced too many changes in the last week, so many that it had made her wonder countless times what the hell she was supposed to be doing with her life. Conspire against a friend? Take revenge on someone, poison on purpose? Play with a person's feelings? But where had her morale gone? And her principles? Was it wrong that she didn't even care? A small part of her was still scandalized by her own actions, but a much larger part only thought about how much fun she was having. Because, yes, she really enjoyed being able to show herself as a sexual being at last, and the fact that the person with whom she was were a friend of Malfoy made the experience much more interesting. It was almost what it must feel like to give the award a try.
She decided to slow down to take a deep breath before turning the corner. She was going to need to gather all her self-control to deal with the situation. She looked both ways. That day there were many students in the gardens and although she didn't want anyone to be hurt, at that point the confrontation was inevitable. She mustered up the courage and turned the corner with her head high.
Draco Malfoy was waiting for her leaning against one of the greenhouses with an air of superiority. Nott was at his side, but neither noticed her presence until she was already ten meters away from them. Theo was genuinely surprised to see her there, Malfoy smiled slowly as he saw her approach. Without giving her time to react, the blonde took a couple steps forward and waved his wand vigorously. From its tip a torrent of air came out to hit the girl's shoulder hard. The impact spun her around, but neither pain nor surprise stopped her for a moment. Determined as never before, Hermione waved her wand in the air and cast a spell right in his face. Malfoy managed to dodge it at the last second, causing the Gryffindor to purse her lips into a fine line. That duel wasn't only decisive for him to begin to respect her as a witch, Parkinson had told her that if she kept up with him it would make him understand that he was really curious about her. Because the Slytherin was convinced that there was something about the girl that drove him crazy, even though he didn't want to recognize it and covered it up with haughty looks and words of contempt. Apparently he had already shown the first glimpses of anger at the fact that Nott was seeing her, maybe he just needed the last push to accept that he wanted to take his place… and maybe Hermione could make him see it by being as rude as he was. He liked girls like that, wasn't he?
She strained the muscles in her forearm and cast the same spell as before, though this time hitting him square in the chest. The force of the impact made him recoil and take a hand to the place where it had hit him. Looking up and finding her smiling was the trigger for him to start throwing a barrage of enchantments at the girl. Hermione defended herself against everyone by creating a quick protective barrier around her, although the power of his attacks was such that she feared that he could tear her down at any moment.
People had come closer little by little, surrounding them and muttering things with excitement. Clandestine duels weren't seen very often in the castle, not when everyone knew that the consequences could be dire. Hermione had been concerned with that specific aspect at some point in the week, but now she had a plan to avoid getting involved in trouble. Even though Parkinson's loved fights, this time she would stay behind, keep an eye on the place, and let her know when a teacher was approaching.
Malfoy quickly counterattacked with more force than before, but she managed to dodge the rush with a swift movement. Thus they continued long enough for the word to spread among the students and now they had a hundred spectators. The combat was very close, sometimes they managed to protect themselves from attacks, other times they couldn't help letting out a cry of pain at the impact of a spell on their body... but none stopped fighting at any time. The fact that Hermione knew that he wouldn't be picky about it gave her the perfect excuse to unleash all her frustration on him. She was tired of being undervalued and pretending she didn't exist most of the time... and being able to attack him openly was proving, against all odds, some of the most therapeutic.
It was starting to get dark when a comment in the distance caught his attention and set off all the alarms. "Here comes McGonagall."
Taking advantage of a moment of distraction, she flicked her wrist and blew Malfoy's wand. She hastened to tuck hers into her robe and sneak into the crowd. The Slytherin struggled to understand what his opponent was doing, but when he finally did, he rushed to pick up his wand from the ground and infiltrate the people just in time for the teacher to arrive.
"What's going on here? Make way!" Hermione tried to catch her breath as the head of her house reached the epicenter of the hubbub. Her expression became puzzled when she discovered that there was nothing out of the ordinary there. Glancing at everyone present over her square glasses, the woman waved her arms. "Spread out. Let's go."
The students who had witnessed what had happened began to leave, but not before searching with curious eyes for the protagonists of the duel, whose eyes met each other in a somewhat strange way. Hermione gave him a mischievous smile before walking away and leaving him with a puzzled expression.
Harry arrived in the great hall when the special banquet was about to end. A myriad of green banners with silver serpents hung from the ceiling, and although Hermione had thought that would cause him disgust, he didn't seem to mind when he sat across from his friend.
"How is Ronald?" She asked. She didn't regret too much for having poisoned him a second time this week, but she felt really bad for not even going to see him at the infirmary.
"Did you duel with Malfoy?" Exclaimed his friend.
Hermione gestured for him not to speak so loudly before moving a little closer so she could whisper to him.
"How did you find out?"
"So it's true..." the boy murmured. "The rumour came to the infirmary but I really hoped it was a mistake. How can you think of doing such a thing? You're hurt?" He noticed her lip split and glared at the Slytherin table.
"I'm fine," she reassured him. "It was something… something we had to do."
"Have you gone crazy? Do you really want to start having problems a week after finishing the course?" His friend looked at her with ill-concealed concern. "Not so long ago you preferred to die before being expelled."
"The priorities change," she replied, dismissing it. "Does Mrs. Pomfrey know what is wrong with Ron?"
"A pretty strong stomach virus. He has entered it as a preventive measure... although I don't know if that will be enough to convince Snape that he really is sick."
"Why?"
Harry was still staring at her disapprovingly, but took a slice of pumpkin pie before it disappeared from the table without warning. He took a bite of it and shrugged.
"Apparently Snape thinks Ron was only trying to get rid of the punishment."
"Oh... well, how about Parkinson's?"
His friend choked on that last name, so much so that he had to tap his chest before taking a big sip of Hermione's glass of water. She raised an eyebrow and smiled at his reaction.
"Well, I mean, normal. Nothing strange, just her and me counting bezoars for an entire hour long... maybe two. I don't remember," he said nonstop for air.
"Don't you remember? It was just this morning...
"I lose track of time when I focus on something, you know that."
"I know, I know..." Hermione was still smiling as the sound of a spoon tapping a glass flooded the entire place. The chattering of the people gradually faded until finally the large dining room was completely silent. The old director stood on the lectern he had just conjured as he scanned the four tables. The Slytherin one seemed really anxious.
"Good, goodnight. Although I know that I must deliver this year's Quidditch Cup, it is imperative that I call your attention tonight to tell you what happened yesterday, since both the Minister of Magic and I consider it appropriate to keep you informed," the man paused. It felt really dramatic among those present. "A magician named Bradley Pucey lashed out at several Muggles yesterday at a festival outside of York. His attack lasted only a few minutes, fortunately a couple of witches lived in the area and managed to reduce it quickly, but nobody could prevent him from leaving fifteen dead behind him... among them, children. Thanks to the intervention of a large number of aurors, the matter is already under control, and although I know that some of you were already aware of this terrible attack, it is necessary to make visible the evident problem of racism that still exists in our society. I can say that Pucey, whom I personally treated on his way through Hogwarts, was not a murderer when he graduated with good grades and left the castle with his companions. He was a reserved boy, yes, perhaps someone who placed too much importance on blood purity, but never imagined that he would commit such a violent act against the non-magical community. I have had access to the research being carried out by the Ministry and I am deeply saddened to learn that it became radicalized over the past year by joining a group of dark magic wizards." No one even dared to blink. The director seemed really affected by what had happened. "I have met with the Minister of Magic, who has strongly asked me to take action on the matter. We cannot change the terrible decision made by this boy, but we can educate the following generations so that they do not follow in his footsteps. Cornelius Fudge and I have decided to suspend the last week of school to dedicate it solely and exclusively to raising awareness among students. We want to foster a better understanding of Muggle values and customs in order to prevent this from happening again. It is not a secret that there are witches and magicians who use the apology of terrorism against non-magical people based on hatred and ignorance, so next year a compulsory subject will be taught to try to end violence. This last week a series of Muggle activities will be organized where the use of magic will not be allowed. The point of this is to show that, regardless of whether magic bleeding runs through our veins or not, deep down we are all human beings." The man snapped his fingers and made a scroll appear in front of each student. "There you have a list of the activities you can do with their corresponding descriptions. You must sign up for one of them tomorrow morning, for this you will have to go to the information booths that you will find outside the large dining room after breakfast. Places are limited, so I recommend that you don't lag behind if you don't want to keep the less popular ones. You will have until Friday to get to know and become familiar with your activity. On Saturday, students who have adapted best to life without magic will be awarded. The work or pending tasks can be delivered directly to the offices of the different teachers... And now, let's get the Slytherin Quidditch team up!"
People started clapping when Malfoy grabbed the goblet and delighted everyone with a perfect lopsided smile. He, Parkinson and Nott were in charge of the team, all three looking directly at the same point at the Gryffindor table.
Pansy was sitting on the sofa in the Room of Requirement while waiting for Granger. They both knew they should talk after the drastic turn that had just taken their last week at Hogwarts, but Granger was taking so long that the Slytherin was starting to get impatient. Not only did they have to plan what to do tomorrow, she also had a little date with Potter. She took the parchment with the activities that Dumbledore had given them and began to read them.
Football: It is a team sport played between two teams, of eleven players each, and some referees that ensure that the rules are properly followed. It is widely considered the most popular sport in the Muggle world, as it is practiced by some 270 million people. It is played by a ball that must be moved across the field with any part of the body other than the arms or hands, and mostly with the feet (hence its name). The objective is to introduce it into the opposite goal. The team that achieves the most goals at the end of the match, lasting 90 minutes, is the winner of the match. For this activity the students will be divided into groups according to their home and their year.
Basketball: It is a team sport, played between two sets of five players, each for four periods or quarters of ten or twelve minutes each. The team's objective is to score points by inserting a ball through the basket, a hoop 3.05 meters above the playing court surface from which a net hangs. The score for each basket or basket is two or three points, depending on the position from which the shot is taken, or one, if it is a free kick for a foul by an opposing player. The winning team is the one with the highest number of points. For this activity the students will be divided into groups according to their home and their year.
Tennis: It is a racquet sport practiced on a rectangular court delimited by lines and divided by a network, played between two players (singles) or between two pairs (doubles). The objective of the game is to throw a ball hitting it with the racket so that it bounces within the allowed limits of the rival's field, taking care that he cannot return it to get a second bounce on the ground and therefore a point. For this activity the students will be divided into groups according to their home and their year.
Painting: The practice of the art of painting consists in applying, on a specific surface —a sheet of paper, a canvas, a wall, a wood, etc.— a specific technique to obtain a composition of shapes, colours, textures, drawings... Students who sign up for this activity will learn to paint static pictures in the muggle way.
Theater: It is the branch of Muggles performing arts related to acting, which represents stories acted out in front of viewers using a combination of speech, gestures, set design, music, sound or performance. Students interested in this activity will take classes with subject matter experts and perform a Muggle play on Saturday night.
Although there were still some activities like ballet, athletics and photography, Pansy decided to stop reading at that time. She couldn't help but think about the dance class she was going to give Potter as soon as she and Granger talked things over.
"Hello," the Gryffindor greeted as she entered the door. "Sorry I'm late. I was making sure Harry was interested in the activity I thought he should choose."
"And which one is it?"
"Football, of course." Hermione dropped to her side as she took a big breath. It had been a long day. "Don't worry, you will do well. You are one of the best Quidditch players in your house, you just have to learn to score goals with your feet on the ground and kicking a ball."
"Draco and Theo also want to sign up for that activity. Are you good at…?" She had to read the parchment again to remember the name. "Are you good at football?"
"Of course I'm not. The only activity I like on that list is camping. My parents have always loved camping in the fields on weekends and holidays, I've been setting up tents since I was a child."
Pansy frowned and looked back at her parchment to find the information for that activity.
Camping: It is one of the most popular activities in contact with nature in the Muggle world. This activity is carried out outdoors, spending one or more nights in a tent in order to enjoy nature or as part of a tour or excursion. They usually take place in places such as parks, ecological zones, beaches, jungles or even inside caves. It is considered by Muggles as an adventure and learning activity. Everyday activities such as eating, sleeping or attending to physiological needs require auxiliary elements not available in virgin nature. Lacking many of these elements can be a stimulus for many to sharpen their ingenuity and skill in order to live a few days by oneself. Students who choose this activity should move to an area outside the vicinity of Hogwarts that will be previously enabled to avoid being discovered by Muggles hiking on site. They will not be able to return to school until Friday, having to experience this activity with a guide and without using magic.
When she finished reading that, Pansy looked at her with a grimace on her lips.
"You know Draco will never agree to join that activity, right? He wouldn't even know how to tie his shoelaces without magic."
"Of course he wouldn't sign up for other options..." Hermione let the Slytherin finish her sentence.
"… but what if he had no other choice? It is brilliant! We just have to make it so late to sign up that the other activities are complete."
"And I have the perfect spell for that."
Both took a few minutes to finalize the details to ensure that Draco had no choice but to sign up for that activity. The downside of that was that they would be apart until Friday, which meant having to improvise on the fly with both boys. The good thing was that they would be in contact with them most of the time. They had done everything they could in the past few days, both she and Granger had made sacrifices and had been forced to change their minds on some things... now they just had to finish off what they had started, which was so hard for them to achieve.
"Okay, now I'd better go," Hermione said with a hint of mockery in her voice. "You don't want to keep Harry waiting long, he hates late people."
REVIEWS PLS? :D
Cristy.
