6
10. 30. 94
Hermione had her History of Magic essay next to her porridge as she ate - revising at the dining table was one of the many indulgences she allowed herself to have at Hogwarts. Though, she had been forced to take several precautions and spell all her homework and texts to be spell-proof, since a certain someone had recently taken to ruining her hard work every chance they got.
Fortunately for Hermione, that morning was free of any suspicious activity because the entire school was abuzz. Talk of the foreign delegates' arrival had been pondered about for two months, building up into one big mess of excitement. Hermione was quite excited herself, her curiosity was not to be underestimated - she had already read what text was available about the two schools that would be participating alongside Hogwarts for the tournament.
Professor Flitwick had promptly informed them last week about the reason for requirement of dress robes for fourth years and above. He had also told them they would be having dance lessons every Saturday morning from that moment on - to be met by excited twittering from several girls and loud groans from the boys. Hermione had kept her sigh to herself. Ballroom dancing was not something she enjoyed. She much preferred to dance alone.
Her fourth year was turning out to be rather exciting, what with the Triwizard Tournament and also the addition of ex-Auror Alastor Moody as the new professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts. She had been a little disappointed at Dumbledore's announcement of an age limit for the tournament, but her parents wouldn't have permitted her to place herself in so much danger anyway. When Padma informed her of the number of deaths past tournaments had racked up, she found herself relieved.
What was not relieving however, was the interesting Professor Moody, or Mad-Eye, the infamous nickname her peers were calling him. His teaching method was - to put it nicely - abrasive. His first lessons with them, he had set the Ravenclaws against the Hufflepuffs, paired them off and had them duel one another. Hermione had been bested by Justin, who had lucked out by landing a Tickling Jinx on her. Since that lesson, they had had three more impromptu duels, which Hermione had all won - not for Justin's lack of trying. She, Su, and Padma had been practicing in their spare time.
At first, Moody's paranoia had been odd, but the stories about him had circulated well around Hogwarts, and it was soon public knowledge that he had been the Head Auror during the time Voldemort had waged war - he had locked up several Death Eaters in Azkaban and had overseen most of the Dementor's Kisses administered. That little fact had sent chills running down Hermione's spine when she'd heard it.
Hermione, Su, and Padma made their way to classes for the day - first was Potions with the Slytherins, where Professor Snape had them starting poison antidotes, and then History of Magic. Hermione found it both hilarious and excruciating that Professor Binn's class was the last class they had for the day. Even though his lecture was cut to one and a half hours instead of two, it felt like an eternity. Even she had trouble focusing on the ghostly professor as the clock behind him ticked on.
Most of the class were tapping their feet in anticipation, or already had their bags packed up. So when the bell finally rang half an hour early, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs filed out in quick succession, the students hurrying to deposit their bags in their respective dormitories. Hermione even found the time to brush her hair and pull it back with a headband.
Now in their cloaks, as instructed, they made their way to the entrance hall, where the Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines. Hermione stifled smirk as Professor Flitwick told Lisa Turpin to remove the bright orange rose she had stuck on top of her bun.
The students were quickly led down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. The evening was cold, and the sky was clear, dusk was falling and the first glimpse of the moon could be seen shining over the Forbidden Forest. A gust of wind blew and Hermione, standing between Anthony Goldstein and Padma in the fourth row, noticed Luna Lovegood shiver in the row in front of her. Hermione frowned, noticing that the girl wasn't wearing any socks, and quickly cast a warming charm on her. The younger girl turned in surprise, meeting Hermione's gaze with a soft, thankful smile.
Down the fourth row, she could hear the Gryffindors thinking aloud - the Weasley in their year and Harry Potter were trying to guess how the delegates would arrive. Hermione heard a scoff from her right, and her observant gaze met that of Malfoy.
He had been rather silent as of late. She had noticed that he scowled less, though he always seemed to stop himself whenever he caught himself doing so. It was an interesting development, but she didn't dare presume that he was growing up. It couldn't be that simple, could it?
Her thoughts were interrupted by Padma pulling her sleeve to get her attention. "Hermione, look."
Something large was hurtling across the deep blue sky towards the castle at an alarming speed, growing larger as it neared. A first year had screamed something about a dragon and had moved to duck for cover. Hermione tsked at him, wondering how the Sorting Hat had decided that the boy was a Ravenclaw.
As the object neared, and came into the light shining from the castle windows, it became clear that it was a carriage - a giant, powder blue monstrosity being pulled by just as monstrous horses. Hermione couldn't hold her gasp of awe as the dozen winged palominos the size of elephants came to a stop dangerously close to the Hogwarts students.
She forced herself to stay rooted to the ground, fighting the urge to run a hand through the horses' glossy gold mane which was only a few feet in front of her. So enamoured was she by the stallions that she didn't notice the carriage door open. Her attention was pulled back when a boy in pale blue robes jumped down, bent forward, and unfolded a set of golden steps.
The reason for the size of the carriage, and of the horses was immediately explained as the largest woman she had ever seen stepped out. A few people gasped, and Hermione huffed in annoyance for the woman. She was just about the same height as Hagrid, but that was where the similarities ended. This woman had large black eyes and a beaky nose, black hair drawn back in a painfully tight knob at the base of her neck, and was dressed head to toe in black.
Dumbledore started to clap and the students followed in his lead, breaking into polite applause. Hermione observed the two school heads exchange pleasantries for a moment before diverting her attention to the horses, who had calmed down from their journey. Their fiery red eyes were oddly alluring to her, the color contrasting with their shining coat strikingly.
Once again, she brought her gaze back to thee carriage, where a few dozen boys and girls had emerged from the carriage and were standing behind Madame Maxime. Hermione frowned slightly upon seeing that they were shivering. Their robes looked to be made of fine silk - oh, how her mother would complain of not sending her to Beauxbatons instead. The French delegation were quickly escorted inside into the warmth by Professor McGonagall, though the students seemed more apprehensive than relieved to be out of the cold.
The Hogwarts students and staff were left in silence once again, broken only by Hagrid leading the horses and the carriage away. Hermione wondered to herself briefly about how much their saddles would way - only to once again be interrupted by Weasley - what was his name, honestly there were just too many of them! - and his thinking aloud again.
A boy in the back row pointed towards the lake, and from their position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they could clearly see the smooth black surface of the lake begin to bubble and foam, slowly a whirlpool began to form. Hermione tilted her head to get a better look and made out the mast of the ship - which Potter pointed out immediately for everyone. She was quickly reminded of the storybooks she's read as a child. The ship looked exactly like how she'd imagined a pirate ship would look like, except instead of a skull and crossbones, a maroon flag was flying freely.
When people began to disembark, Hermione had almost laughed aloud, the figures were huge, hulking masses, and the thought briefly passed her mind that the Durmstrang may have been overfeeding their students, but as they drew nearer it became apparent that their bulk was mostly due to the fact that they were wearing large fur coats. If the Beauxbatons students had been freezing, these delegates seemed to be sweating profusely under their many layers. Once again, the heads exchanged pleasantries as Hermione worried about heat stroke.
A wave of murmurs spread through the Hogwarts students, with only a couple words in common amongst the chatter - Viktor Krum.
"Who's Viktor Krum?" Hermione asked absently as they all filed back up the steps behind the headmaster.
"What rock have you been hiding under, Hermione?" Terry Boot asked, flinging an arm around her shoulder, making her frown slightly. "He's only the best Seeker in the world!"
Anthony chuckled, "If he's so good, then why didn't Bulgaria win the World Cup, Boot?"
"World Cup?" Hermione repeated, "Like FIFA?"
"What's a feefa?" asked Anthony, looking at Hermione like she was an alien.
"It's a muggle sports federation." Su said matter of factly, "And yeah, like FIFA, Mione."
"Is it as big of an event in the magical event?" she asked, completely out of the loop.
"The Quidditch World Cup is the most popular sporting event in the wizarding world, Hermione!" Terry exclaimed in disbelief, "You've honestly never heard of it, witch?"
Hermione frowned, "Well, I don't really follow Quidditch, and I only ever watch the Ravenclaw matches -"
"You're going to have to break that habit this year, love." Su said, as they sat down a little farther down from their usual spots at the Ravenclaw table - several of the Beauxbatons congregation had chosen to sit with them.
"Why?" Hermione asked, as she served herself a bowl of bouillabaisse.
"Well, because I'm trying out for the team and I'll need you to come to every match with me, even the ones where I'm not playing, that goes for you too, Pads." Su said.
""You're trying for the new Chaser position?" Terry asked, brows raised.
"Didn't know you could fly, Li." Anthony said, impressed, then turned to Hermione. "She any good?"
"She's brilliant." Hermione said loyally, "I'm sure you'll get the position, Su."
"Does that mean you agree to come to the matches?" Su grinned.
"Er, only if there isn't anything important to do." she relented.
Padma broke the chatter with a cough, "I think you're all forgetting one important fact - there won't be any matches this year, remember? They've been canceled because of the tournament."
Su scowled, "Well, I spoke to Morgenstern, who's the captain, and he says that there'll be tryouts anyway - the teams will still practice to stay in shape for next year."
"Excusez-moi? You are to be playing Quidditch?" a French boy who looked to be a few years older than them interjected, looking vaguely interested. Two of his mates were listening in to the conversation as well.
Su paused, and for a moment it seemed that she had seized up - because this older boy was talking to her, this older boy with dark hair and a slanted jaw line and dark freckles dusting his skin. Padma pinched her friend on the arm lightly, rousing her from her stupor.
"Oh! Yes! Well, if I'm accepted into the team." the girl said nervously.
"Do you think zat we are welcome to play as well?" the young man asked eagerly.
Su sputtered, "Ugh, I'll talk to the captain and see if it's alright. Are you part of your school's Quidditch team?"
"Oui. I am Nasir, and zis is Leo and Claude. We play for Beauxbatons." he smiled, motioning to his two friends who waved to their group enthusiastically.
"My name's Su, these are my friends, Padma, Hermione, Tony, and Terry." Su said shyly, something Hermione was not at all accustomed to Su being, "I'll talk to our captain after the meal and tell you if it's all right for you to train with us."
The conversation then maintained its flow and Hermione found herself observing the Great Hall. Most of the Bulgarians had chosen seats at the Slytherin table. She could see Malfoy smirking victoriously at being seated next to the Krum fellow. Hermione honestly couldn't see anything astounding about him, besides the fact that his face seemed permanently molded into a dour expression.
She checked the time on her wrist watch after a few moments, and seeing that it was only about half past seven o'clock, she excused herself, claiming to be tired. Her friends barely blinked, Su and Padma nodded goodbye, though, knowing full well what she was up to. It had been quite some time since she had last danced and her feet were getting antsy.
Draco Malfoy was definitely not watching Hermione Granger as she stood from her seat at the Ravenclaw table, nor did his eyes follow her as she walked out, he also didn't notice that her hair bounced with every step, falling against her back prettily. He especially didn't take note of the fact that her footfalls were rather graceful, causing her skirt to sway enticingly from the sashaying of her hips.
No, it was mere coincidence that he stood from the Slytherin table a few moments later, announcing that he was rather tired. He saw Pansy move to stand and follow after him, but he waved her away. She had been getting quite annoying as of late. The dismissal seemed to put out Pansy, who had huffed indignantly and moved to slide closer to the Durmstrang boy sitting next to her. Draco paid her no mind, quickly stepping out of his seat and out the entrance.
Of course, it was also pure chance that he had spied a flash of blue rounding a corner in the hallway. It was rather intriguing, he thought to himself, that her footsteps made practically no sound on the stone floor.
It was purely for research purposes, he would tell himself years later, that he trailed behind her at a safe distance. He had caught on to the fact that Granger left her house table after meals rather quickly, most of the time alone. Of course, he had come to know of this fact because she just happened to sit directly in his line of site during meal times, and her standing up before anyone else distracted him.
He followed her a good ways behind, hands in his pockets, feigning ignorance. As she began taking the staircase down, he grew puzzled. He had no idea exactly where Ravenclaw Tower was, but he was certain that she should be going up instead of down.
As they neared the tapestry of the Drunken Duke, who was having a jolly time tossing back his goblet, wine spilling all over his red beard, Hermione came to a halt, making him quickly hide behind a suit of armor that creaked at being disturbed.
He watched curiously as she slipped behind the heavy tapestry. Pale eyebrows rose in intrigue when she did not reappear minutes after, instead, he heard the soft thud of a door closing. Unable to resist, he crept towards the tapestry, lifting it to peek inside. The alcove hidden from sight was filled with dim candle light, masked from the main hall by the heavy maroon fabric.
Going against his Slytherin instincts, he opened the door as slowly and silently as he could. Almost immediately, he was met by the familiar sound of piano music. It was nothing too distinct, just the same keys over and over again. He wondered whether she was beginning piano lessons, not able to mask the smirk off his face. He himself had taken music lessons since he was young, and prided himself in his skills with the violin. Finding something he was better at than her brought a triumphant look on his face.
Until he heard an odd sound joining every other beat. His curiosity piqued once again, Draco tried prying the door open a little more, to try and glimpse what she was doing, but he couldn't get a good look without opening the door wide enough.
Weighing the options in his head, he stepped back, letting the door close silently, and muttered a soft Disillusionment charm underneath his breath. Shaking off the still odd feeling of an egg being cracked on top of him, he pried the door wide, just enough to slip past. Just as he set foot into the secret room, the door closed with a thud, making the music stop.
He froze, feeling his heart rate hike in alarm. Granger was standing in the middle of the room, a puzzled look on her face. What took his attention, however, was how she was dressed. Draco should have known that she did ballet. His mother had done so as a young girl, and as a result, her posture was impeccable and her grace close to queenly. Granger carried herself in exactly the same way.
His eyes wandered despite himself, falling on the thin black straps of her leotards that clung to her like a second skin, hugging her in such a way that made his heart beat faster than it already was. Her waist was tiny, emphasized more by the pale pink skirt tied around it. Tights wrapped around her slim legs, and her feet were clad in shiny pink pointe shoes. It made her seem so dainty - not that she usually wasn't. Granger was a far cry from the rest of her peers, not one to be brash or clumsy, it was as if everything she did was premeditated beforehand.
Granger's arms fell to her sides, looking at the door in confusion. "Odd," she mumbled to herself, "I could've sworn I locked it."
She strode towards the door, dangerously close to where he stood, and bolted it shut, making him bite down a groan of annoyance. His stupid curiosity had gotten him locked into a room with Granger, of all people. As she walked back to where she was standing before he came in, he had to resist inhaling loudly at the sight before him. Her leotards dipped dangerously low behind her, forming a 'V' towards the small of her back. Draco, of all his fourteen years, had never seen a girl his age dressed so revealingly.
The piano music resumed, and he sighed in resignation, having condemned himself to spending however long watching Granger dance. She was quite good at it, all soft motions and steady feet, giving the impression that she had been dancing for a long time. After watching her for about five minutes, his interest was drawn to the other side of the room, which was, in plain terms, an absolute mess.
The wood floor was stained with color, what looked to be paint and charcoal. Making sure his footsteps were as quiet as could be, he made his way to several paint stained tables stacked with cans of paint and pallets, dirty brushes, jars of pencils, watercolor tubes, and canvases piled on canvases.
Facing a large window was a stool and easel, on the easel, an unfinished canvas was propped, angled towards him. It was a portrait of someone, a thin, smiling, middle-aged man with dark blonde hair and brown eyes. Her father, probably, since they shared a likeness. Knowing quite a bit about art, his eyes noticed the easy brush strokes, the almost expert detail to the man's eyes that seemed to make them as if he were looking directly at you.
He walked towards the wall, where canvases were propped against it haphazardly. There were quite a few portraits, one of a woman who looked strikingly like Granger, and a few of children, the youngest probably four years old. There were also a few landscapes here and there, of Hogwarts and another castle unfamiliar to him. Charcoal sketches of magical creatures were Spell-o-taped to the wall, looking eerily lifelike. Draco quickly found himself growing impressed with the girl. It wouldn't shock him at this point if she actually was skilled at the piano, which had been spelled to play magically while she danced.
Truly, Draco thought, watching the girl who had now begun Odile's solo from Swan Lake, Hermione Granger was more than she led everyone to believe.
a/n: Sorry for making you guys wait so long! I've been working on my Hermione/Newt fic. Also I got so frustrated about a fic that I stopped writing for two weeks. I've been writing a crossover - HP/LOTR - and I found a fic that had almost the same origin story (quite a popular fic too) and it broke my heart because I was really invested in this story but now I don't know if I should post it anymore. I'm already thirteen chapters in, too. :(