MUX: Hello! This is the revised version for SPR chapter 3. I decided to put everything in detail and make the chapters longer.
DISCLAIMER: I would wish upon the brightest star to at least let me own Blaise and Draco but unfortunately the stars are far gone and the sun is rising. I would just like to tell you then I am not the owner of the said characters.
Note: I'm a bit rather unsure of Draco's middle name so I'm sticking to Black.
RECAP:
"Hermione you have to pack my dear."
"But September 1 is too far. Its only August 2." She reasoned.
"No. What I mean dear is you are going to the manor since you have agreed right? So you have to pack your belongings. And it'll be better if you stay with the Zabinis you know. It's also a way to get to know them better." Mrs. Granger answered.
Hermione nodded and followed her adoptive mother's request.
"Mom, can you please help me pack? The trunk is in the other side of the room. It's quite heavy and…" Hermione ranted.
"Sweetie, perhaps you can ask young Mr. Zabini or Mr. Malfoy to help you. Is that okay with you boys?" she said turning to the two young men.
They both nodded and looked at Hermione.
"Well…uhmm…follow me." She said.
PRESENT:
Hermione was about to open her door when she turned around and glared at Draco.
"Blaise can help me ALONE!" she said emphasizing the last word.
Draco and Blaise looked surprised at the sudden request. Blaise would most likely agree with her long lost twin's request but Draco being the insufferable person that he was retorted, "Hey Granger never thought you'd go for incest. I know that Weasel broke up with you last year but are you that desperate?"
Blaise and Hermione glared at him.
"Just shut up mate." Blaise said.
"Fine, just let me help you so we can get this thing bloody over with. It's not like I'm going to die of excitement if Hermione Granger invited me into her room." He said dramatically.
Hermione looked at him pointedly.
"Just don't mind him Hermione. He's being an ass." Blaise glared at Draco. "But when he's in a good mood, he is actually pretty okay bloke." Blaise said, patting his sister's shoulder.
"What do you mean pretty okay bloke? I am perfect and bloody gorgeous. If wasn't a pretty okay bloke then, who the hell saved you when you were attacked by Millicent and Pansy when you charmed their hair to flash Hufflepuff colors? Who saved you from your mother's babbling when you came home drunk? And who saved you…" Draco trailed.
"Alright, I get it. But you aren't bloody gorgeous." Blaise said rolling his eyes at his best friend.
Draco faked a gasp. "How dare you insult my devastatingly good looks?!"
Blaise exchanged a look with his sister. "Okay, I get what you're trying to say Hermione."
"That he should get his giant ego deflated?" Hermione smiled sweetly.
"I do not have a giant ego! I just tell the truth. I flaunt what I have. Like that damn muggle said, "If you have it, flaunt it.'" Draco said faking a pout.
"Egotistical jerk." Hermione murmured.
"So where's your room Granger? We still have to 'help' you pack remember?" Draco said putting an air quotation on the word help.
"Follow me Malfoy and ummm…Blaise?" Hermione said saying the last word more of a question rather than a statement.
Blaise chuckled, "I think that despite the differences we had our 6 years, its quite hilarious to see a brother and sister especially twins call each other by surname. So you can call me Blaise."
Hermione smiled. "Okay."
She then walked up the stairs with Blaise and Draco behind her. When they arrived at her room the two Slytherins were stunned with its design.
They had visited a couple of girls' rooms but it was enough to tell that Hermione's room wasn't the average girlish type of abode.
The walls were painted black with scattered silver stars. There was hardly any pink in sight. Mostly all the furniture is either black or white. Beside the queen sized bed in the middle is a nightstand. Opposite the bed is a long black leather couch. Beside it is a study table with rather many pens and quills. There was also a stack of parchment neatly organized in the corner of the table. There were two bookcases in the right side of the room filled with both muggle and wizarding books. There were no posters on the wall nor stuffed animals scattered across the room.
"Boys, this is Muggle London. I believe that flies are roaming everywhere and may enter due to my open window. And I am afraid that if you do not close those open mouths of yours, the flies will not be responsible for their actions." Hermione said sarcastically.
"It just surprises me. Most girls despise black. It's usually periwinkle blue or something girly like pink." Blaise remarked.
"I'm not like most girls." Hermione said.
"Are you sure you're even a girl?" Draco muttered. Unfortunately Hermione heard him
"Sod off Malfoy. Now why don't you be useful and pull my trunk under the bed instead of accusing me of being the opposite gender." Hermione said furiously.
"Whatever." Draco sulked while going to the table near the bed. He saw different pictures, both Muggle and Wizarding.
"Granger." Draco called.
"What?" Hermione barked back.
"How were these muggle pictures taken? Muggle devices don't work in Hogwarts." Draco exclaimed picking up the wooden frame.
"I asked Dumbledore if I could bewitch the camera. I had some of the pictures printed while the others were my memory card." Hermione said still folding her clothes.
"Interesting, but when were these pictures taken?" Blaise said looking at the frame Draco was holding.
"Oh. The first two were during the Yule Ball. The third one was in the Burrow. The last one was during our fifth year when Ron tried to swim in the lake." she replied.
They continued asking questions about everything that they found interesting in her room. Hermione patiently replied. But when she saw the pile of clothes she still had to pack she interrupted their conversation.
"We should probably get back to packing." She stated.
Draco approached the closet and opened one of the drawers.
"I have no problem packing this." Draco said suggestively wiggling his eyebrows.
Blaise who was busy folding the clothes looked up and saw what Draco was holding.
"That is pure invasion of privacy. You put that back now Draco Black Malfoy. You aren't supposed to look at that." He said, his brother instincts kicking in.
Hermione looked at what her brother was scolding Draco for and saw the red lacy boy cut underwear Draco was holding.
"You pesky little pervert!" She said enraged. She walked to Draco and hit him on the head with a rolled up newspaper.
"Touch my knickers again and you die!" Hermione's eyed him menacingly pointing the newspaper in his direction.
"You know Granger this is rather boring." He said sitting at the couch far away from the two. "I don't think I want to help anymore." He sighed dramatically.
Hermione groaned, she didn't feel like playing his stupid games.
"Don't worry about him. He might seem insufferable right now but trust me" Blaise smirked, "he's a pretty nice chap!"
"Draco… Malfoy... isn't… nice." Hermione argued. My definition of Draco Malfoy is as following; he is spoiled, arrogant, and selfish. Draco frequently taunts Ron about his family's poor financial standing and treats me with disdain for being Muggle-born, frequently calling me by the derogatory epithet "Mudblood". He and his family believe training in magic should be limited to students from pure-blooded Wizarding families, and that wizards should shun those they consider "unworthy" to study magic. So from what I've gathered the word nice and Draco Malfoy shouldn't be found in the same sentence… together… at all!" She concluded.
"No Hermione, I'm not here in the bloody same room at all." Draco drawled sarcastically.
"Its true Malfoy and you know it. You never passed up a chance to taunt the three of us!" Hermione said.
"But that's in the past. And he never called you the 'm-word' since fifth year." Blaise pointed out.
"That's not the point. It's just hard to go buddy-buddy with Malfoy you know." Hermione said.
"I am not asking you to be buddy-buddy with him. I'm just asking you to give him a chance. Just be civil." Blaise replied.
Hermione thought for a while.
'Malfoy taunted me for being a muggleborn ever since 2nd year but that is usually when he is with his crew of mindless minions. I can't help but notice that when we were alone out for night patrols after Christmas break in fifth year, he seemed to be pretty decent. He is kind of smart and is a decent conversationalist when he wants to. I think Blaise is right. Maybe, I should at least try to be civil with Malfoy. I think I'm too old to still hold a grudge.'
"Fine. I still think that Malfoy is a spoiled brat. But at the same time I also think…no…I also know that he is decent young man when he wants to be one and a pretty decent conversationalist too. Truce?" Hermione said the last part sheepishly.
Draco was about to speak when he caught the glare Blaise was sending his way.
Truth be told, Draco was a brave young man who is capable of standing up for himself. But Blaise is pretty scary when he wants to be. And seeing what happened to the last man Blaise got angry at, Draco knew that he wasn't ready to face Blaise's wrath just yet.
"I still think that you are a bossy and insufferable know-it-all. But I also think that you are a considerate person who is willing to give people second chances. So yeah, truce." Draco said.
Blaise smiled. "Now to start with that truce, you have to call each other by first name."
"But Blaise we just had the truce that's a pretty bit too much." Draco complained.
"No buts Draco!" Blaise said.
"Never knew you were that bossy Blaise." Hermione said placing her hands on her hips in a Molly like fashion.
"A certain quality that seems to run in your genes." Draco smirked.
"Yeah sure." Blaise said rolling his eyes.
"Anyway, Granger we've been here for what? An hour? And you aren't done yet?" Draco said.
"Well I should be. But because you can't keep your nose out of other people's business, here I am, still packing my books." Hermione replied quite annoyed for not finishing at a shorter time.
"May I remind you that you're a witch and you can shrink them?" Draco teased.
"May "I" remind you that there is a strict No-magic-allowed-outside-Hogwarts rule?" Hermione answered.
"There are magic wards in here Hermione. The Ministry can't detect any magic that is going to happen inside this house." Blaise said.
"And how do you know that?" Hermione questioned curiously.
"Well these wizarding pictures work by magic. And no ministry official has sent you a court trial letter." Blaise said.
"Right. So umm…do you know any shrinking spells?" Hermione asked looking down presumably from embarrassment.
There was silence. Blaise tried to suppress his laughter but Draco didn't. He laughed like there was no tomorrow.
"Blaise call St. Mungo's Hermione Granger doesn't know something." He said choking on his laughter.
Blaise glared at Draco. Though the effect wasn't that much since Draco could see how hard Blaise is trying to hide his grin.
"How about Vegrandis Libri?" Draco suggested after quite awhile.
Hermione followed Draco's advice and said the incantation. Indeed her bookcase shrunk in size and was able to fit her trunk properly. After locking her trunk, she heard a knock.
"Sweetheart, are you done packing?" the voice from the other side of the door said.
"Yes mum. We'll be down in a few seconds." Hermione answered.
"Okay dear." Mrs. Granger replied and then footsteps were heard going down the stairs.
"Blaise would you mind helping me carry this?" Hermione asked, pointing to the big Hogwarts trunk.
"Don't worry about that Draco and I will bring it down." Blaise said tugging Draco's arm.
"Yes, I would just love to." Draco said sarcastically.
"Sarcasm isn't going to carry that trunk downstairs." Blaise said in an annoyed manner.
Draco shrugged and grasped the handle of the trunk on its left side leaving Blaise with the other. They carefully carried it downstairs, Hermione on the rear.
"Thank you Blaise, Malfoy." Hermione said.
"No problem sis." Blaise said, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Don't get used to it." Draco said bringing out his own handkerchief.
The Grangers stood up and hugged Hermione tightly.
"Owl us okay?" Mrs. Granger said cupping Hermione's cheek.
"Of course. You know I will mum. Always." Hermione said gripping her mother's hand. Tears began to leak from Hermione's eyes.
They spent a couple of minutes just holding each other. But they knew that they would eventually have to let go.
The Zabini's stood up and said, "We will be sending you the invitation for Hermione's ball. I will expect you there." They said kindly.
"We wouldn't dare miss our little girl's ball." Mr. Granger said, flashing a smile.
"I'll visit you every chance I can. I promise that." Hermione said wiping her mother's tears with the pad of her thumb and whipping her own as well.
"We will also visit sweetheart. I'll floo you whenever my schedule permits." Mrs. Granger replied, hugging Hermione tightly again.
"They'll have to go sometime honey." Mr. Granger told his wife.
Mrs. Granger let go of Hermione and smiled at her.
"I love you sweetheart," Mrs. Granger said lovingly. "Don't you forget that."
"I won't." Hermione replied. She kissed Mrs. Granger's cheek and walked to her father and hugged him for the last time. "I love you daddy." She whispered.
"I love you too Hermione." He said with a loving kiss on her temple.
Mrs. Zabini waved goodbye and said her farewell.
She walked to the fireplace and stated her destination out loud.
Hermione followed and waved. She said, "Zabini manor"
Hermione coughed after landing on the hard pavement. How she hated traveling by floo! Aside from the fact that she gets dirty, it makes her cough and sneeze.
She opened her eyes and wiped the soot from her blouse. What she saw made her gasp.
Thank you to the readers who have continuously read this story,. You gave me more inspiration to continue writing it. BTW, hater-of-heartless-critics beta'd this chapter. Kisses to you.
Thank you and i hope you like it.