Draco groaned as he saw Granger's name jumping off the paper. Hermione too saw her name beaming from his hands and her stomach dropped.
"Bloody hell, I have to compete with Granger? No way Professor," Draco complained as he crumpled the paper with her name and threw it into a magical garbage can nearby.. Dumbledore's eyes sparkled as he grabbed a familiar piece of parchment next to him.
"I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy but I do recall that you signed a contract, you must compete," Dumbledore explained to him, " but also realize you two are very talented and that Ms. Granger may benefit you more than you think."
"Can't we just partner with someone else, please Professor," Hermione spoke up. Her brown eyes searched into the elderly man's begging.
"You've heard the rules Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said and he reached onto his desk to grab a large stack of envelopes.
"Please sit with your partner; I will be handing out all of the information you need about the competition," he told them as he began distributing the envelopes to the partners he already saw were seated next to each other. He handed Draco an envelope and whispered to them
"Good luck," and gave them a wink. Draco raised his eyebrow at the remark. He tore open the envelope, throwing the garbage onto Hermione's lap. He skimmed through it, smirking as he saw Hermione craning her neck trying to read it as well.
"No, No Granger, pureblood first," he said as he shifted his position away from her so that it was impossible for her to see. She swatted at Malfoy's hand.
"Come on, Malfoy, let me look!" she demanded as she tried grabbing the paper from his hands. He, clearly being much stronger than her, took hold of one of her arms and stared icily into her brown eyes.
"Shove off, Mudblood," he growled. Hermione huffed as she crossed her arms and sank into the couch. A few minutes later Malfoy turned around to face her with his usual scowl plastered on his face.
"Well, you piece of filth, apparently according to this, we will have 10 things that we must locate and they can be found anywhere inside and Castle and outside," he droned.
"Outside? You mean in the Forbidden Forest as well?" she questioned with her eyes narrowed. He sighed.
"Yes, Granger. Why are you scared? You won't have your Potty or Weasley to protect you," he said.
"Shut up ferret, I'm not scared at all. I think you're the one who should be scared, you know being attacked by a measly hippogriff and all," Hermione retorted with a grin on her face thinking of that wonderful day where Malfoy was petrified out of his wits.
"You better tread carefully, Granger. I'm not to be reckoned with," Malfoy said under his breath. Hermione reached over and snatched the paper out of his hand as she read through it.
Hello Competitors
I am pleased you have decided to partake in this friendly competition. However, there are a few things you should know.
The competition will begin on Saturday, the 20th of September. Everyone will meet in the Great Hall at 10 AM sharp where I will release you all at the same time to begin the hunt! On this hunt, you will find ten things located inside the Hogwarts Castle and on the grounds outside. Because you all are skilled and capable wizards and witches, you will be going into the Forbidden Forest on your hunt to find some of the objects. At the beginning of the hunt, I will give you a clue to the whereabouts of the first item. Everytime you find an item, a clue will be with it to lead you to the next one. My predictions assume that the hunt will go on for two to three days. During this time, you will not be allowed to return to your dormitories for any reason. I have enforced this rule because I want you to become better acquainted with your partners, and this way you will spend the entire length of the competition with them. This competition involves thinking outside the box, being deft in the field of magic and being able to endure physical pain.
Good luck to you all and I will see you on Saturday.
Albus Dumbledore
Hermione glanced up after reading the letter. Malfoy was picking at some lint on his robes, fighting the want to go to sleep. Hermione placed the letter onto the couch and glared at him.
"Does he really expect me to spend 3 days with you?" she asked him. He waved his hands about in frenzy.
"You think this is going to be a picnic for me, Granger? I'd rather be with anyone in the world besides you, Mudblood," he scowled.
"Why don't be just be civilized, we both want to win and I don't see how we can while being terrible to each other," Hermione mentally smacked herself as she tried to compromise. Draco let out a menacing laugh.
"Me be civilized to you? My, I didn't know you were such a comedian Granger. That humor you have makes you simply hilarious, especially with that mangy hair. You could be what those muggles call a clown," he said to her, smiling to himself with how clever his comment was. Hermione abruptly stood up, almost making Malfoy fall over on the couch.
"I'm leaving you stupid git, I hope you're happy," she snapped at him as she walked to the exit of Dumbledore's office. The Prefects in the room stared at the scene in front of them. Malfoy sneered as he patted himself on the back for being able to get Granger to leave.
"Oh, happy is an understatement," he remarked and with that Hermione pushed open the door while fuming.
"Ms. Granger, watch the d—"Dumbledore began but it was to late. The door swung and slammed with a noise that could have awakened an entire corridor. He winced before he finished his thought.
"Door."
From the other side of the room, Harry rose from his chair next to his partner and he stomped over to Malfoy, who was yawning with his legs sprawled out on the couch.
"You're such a prat, Malfoy. Can't you just leave her alone?" Harry said angrily. Malfoy put his hand on his chin and looked toward the ceiling, pretending to be thinking about Harry's proposal. He moved his head to look at Harry in the eyes and smirked.
"I'd much rather torture Granger instead, if you please," he drawled and he rose to leave the office. It was much too late for Malfoy to be up, after all; he needed his beauty sleep. Harry battled with himself over whether to curse Malfoy or to tackle him but he restrained. He didn't' want to upset Dumbledore. Malfoy saw Harry retreat and he smiled to himself.
"Idiot Potter," he muttered and he stalked over to the door and exited from Dumbledore's office, much quieter than Hermione did.
"I can't believe I'm partnered with that slimy git!" Hermione huffed at breakfast the next morning. Harry, seated on her left grabbed another roll off the table and stuffed it into his mouth, avoiding having to have this conversation with her, again.
"Dumbledore is absolutely mad. Does he want me dead? I swear if Malfoy tries to curse me during the competition, I will personally see to it that he is permanently turned into a ferret and stuck on an island somewhere off the coast," she continued on. She looked at Harry hoping for sympathy but she could see he was tired of it. She did spend a good hour already talking about it between early this morning and now, not stopping for a breath. Harry ran out of things to say. He swallowed his roll and sighed.
"Look Hermione, I'm sorry this had to happen, but we can't do anything about it anymore. You're just going to have to put up with him for a couple days, that's it. Once this is over you never have to spend another second with him," Harry told her, patting her shoulder for some comfort.
"I know Harry, I apologize for whining for much, I guess I'm being a bit immature," she said lowly. Her attention moved from her food down to the other end of the Gryffindor table. Her eyes spotted Ron sitting with Seamus and Lavender Brown, talking animatedly. Hermione gazed down at her food when she saw Ron glance over at her. Harry noticed this action and lightly grabbed her hand.
"You and Ron have to make up sooner or later, please Hermione. We can't just throw away this friendship over some silly argument," Harry spoke to her. Her face turned to an expression of shock.
Silly argument?
"It's not a silly argument Harry; it was about how I felt neglected by you two. I don't think that's a laughing matter. After everything we've been through, I would think Ron might be the one wanting to apologize," she pointed out.
Over at the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy was watching the action going on at the Gryffindor table. He could clearly hear Granger yelling at Potter and he was cowering in his seat.
That Mudblood is so loud. Doesn't that woman know how to lower her voice? She sounds like a bloody Screecher.
Harry looked absolutely frightened by Hermione at this moment. Her hands were shaking in anger as her voice continued rising. She kept yelling about how he and Ron ignored her when CLEARLY she was the one who was constantly wrapped in her own world the entire summer. Harry could not stand Hermione belittling his best friend, Ron anymore.
"Put a sock in it Hermione! Really, sometimes you just go way too far. Maybe Ron and I were ignoring you because you changed. You never wanted to do fun things with us anymore, you just mopped all by your lonesome complaining about something or other, "he yelled and he got up intending to go sit by Ron at the end of the table. Hermione stood at the table, stunned at what Harry had said.
Harry Potter, if you only knew what made me turn into this empty person I've become…you would think before you opened you're trap.
Hermione saw Ron high five Harry as he plopped down in the seat next to him. This was too much for her. She turned to retreat from the Hall to arrive at Potions early. As she turned she ran straight into a hard, defined chest of the last person she wanted to conflict with.
"Aww, poor Mudblood's had a falling out with her Rusty Trio?" Draco drawled as he smirked. Hermione glared up at him mustering the strength to combat his insult but she gave up.
"Malfoy, sod off please," she whispered as a tear brimmed from her eye. She pushed him to the side as she headed to the door of the Great Hall, picking up speed after every step.
Jesus, they must have done a bloody number on Granger for her to be crying. Ha, maybe I should be thanking Potty and the Weasel now. They finally did the one thing that I couldn't do. They made Granger cry.
Draco laughed to himself and strolled back over taking a seat next to Blaise. He grabbed a piece of bacon and began to chew it.
"That has to have been the easiest gibe at Granger yet, I barely said ten words," Draco told Blaisé, washing his bacon down with a swig of pumpkin juice.
"I don't know Draco; maybe you should lay off her a bit. I mean, Mudblood or not, its not very satisfying seeing a girl cry," Blaise remarked. Draco spit his juice back into the cup.
"Damn Blaise, I didn't know you were such a girl! Maybe you should go make friends with that filth and gossip with each other into the wee hours of the morning!" Draco said excitedly pretending he was a hormonal teenage girl. He scoffed while he rose from his seat glaring at Blaise. Blaise simply shook his head in disgust at Malfoy's inconsideration. Draco walked away from the table and headed to Potions. Strangely while he walked the image of Granger's teary eyes flashed back into his mind.
What a pussy.
"Alright you bunch of dim-witted vermin, today you will be creating a very complex and advanced potion. The potion you will create allows the drinker to recall a bad or disturbing memory from the past. Their partner will be making body contact, usually by simply touching their arm, and will be able to see the other person's memory in their own head as well," Snape drolled. He glanced around the room at this year's group of students sitting in front of him. That damn Neville Longbottom was here again to his dismay, as well as the Golden Trio, and his favorite group of Slytherins.
"Excuse me, professor?" Hermione said as she raised her hand in the air. Snape rolled his eyes at the witty Gryffindor know-it all.
"What is it this time, Ms. Granger?" Snape asked. She looked uncomfortable as she formed the words to her question in her head before she spoke.
"Does the drinker of the potion have any control over what memory is accessed?" she questioned.
"No, the drinker's subconscious will draw upon the memory, so be warned, you're partner may be in store for learning a few disturbing things about your past," Snape hissed as he grabbed a cauldron next to him. Hermione's face look panicked at the answer to her question and began tapping her fingers on the desk.
"Now, I have placed everyone's name into the cauldron and you will be choosing the name of the person who you will be partnered with for the potion. Once you choose a name, grab a set of instructions from my desk and begin working, "he told them. He walked up and down the aisles letting the students choose names. He reached Hermione's desk and she hesitantly reached her hand into the cauldron. When she opened up the slip of paper she let out a small gasp when she saw in small print the tiny words:
Draco Malfoy
Snape saw the name scrawled on the paper and laughed to himself.
That pairing should be interesting.
There was only one name left and he handed it out to another student that did not yet receive a partner. Draco looked around the room with a confused expression on his face.
"Where's my partner?" he asked, his eyes searched the room to see who he'd be sharing his darkest memory with. He saw Granger slowly getting up from her seat.
Are you bloody kidding me? Again with damn name drawing!
She made her way over to his table and plopped her books down and took a seat next to him, a look of fear was on her face.
I wonder what has gotten the Mudblood so worked up.
"Time is wasting!" Snape snapped at the pair causing Granger and Malfoy to shoot out of their chairs. Hermione glanced at the instruction sheet Malfoy grabbed at the front of the room and went to the cabinets to begin gathering the necessary items, her hands shaked while holding the ingredients. She made her way back to the table to see Malfoy had prepared the heat for the cauldron and was pondering over the ingredients.
"Took you long enough," he muttered under his breath as they both began chopping and dicing away at what was required for the potion.
An hour or so passed by and the two had barely spoken a word to each other. Their focus and concentration poured into the potion.
"You aren't stirring it right! " Draco barked at Hermione. She was taken aback at his sudden outburst and dropped her wand. They had almost completed the potion, the only thing left being the stirring which was the most difficult part of the task.
"You need to tap the side like this every 3 stirs. Honestly I thought you were smart Mudblood," Draco said as he took over the stirring. Hermione watched him carefully and looked at his pale face. His eyes looked at the potion with almost a glint of satisfaction.
I didn't know Draco had such an interest in potions. He really enjoys this sort of thing.
"Finished," Draco stated as he placed his wand down. He looked at Hermione waiting for her to ladle the potion into a cup to drink. Hermione stared at him quizzically. Surely he was not intending she drink first.
"Well, go on Mudblood! Drink first," he told her.
"Why should I drink first, you're capable of pouring your own potion into a glass aren't you?" she snapped back.
"You really are a pain in the ass," he said to her as he poured himself a cup.
Bottoms up. Can't wait until she gets a load of whats on my mind.
Draco drank the potion and felt it burn down his throat. Almost instantly he closed his eyes and felt a warm hand on his own.
"What did I tell you about letting strangers into the house, Narcissa!" Lucius Malfoy growled, His wife cowered on her knees in front of him shaking uncontrollably. Sobs racked her body as Draco watched them fight from the top of the staircase.
"I'm so sorry, I forgot Lucius, please forgive me, I swear I won't do it again!" she pleased. He gritted his teeth and kicked hard at Narcicissa's stomach. She whimpered in pain at his feet,
"You will never do it again because there will never be an again, you bloody whore," he yelled. Draco reached into his pocket to grab his wand. Something about this particular fight seemed a bit off from their usual scuffles.
"CRUCIO!" Lucius screamed as his wife contorted in pain. He laughed as her screams and yells became louder. Draco bounded down the stairs to help his mother but Lucius heard him and pointed his wand directly at his chest.
"Take one more step son and you're life will be over," Lucius hissed, raising his wand.
"Kill me, father. I dare you. Just leave mother in peace you scum!" Draco yelled as he brandished his wand, attaining an intimidating stance. Lucius was too quick and disarmed Draco before he could utter a curse.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" he bellowed and Draco went flying into the wall next to him while vases shattered. The last thing Draco saw before his eyes closed was a flash of green light and his mothers last plead for mercy.
Draco felt his eyes open slowly, looking directly into the eyes of Granger. The warmth on his hand did not leave; even when he glanced down to see her hand still resting on his.
"Oh, Draco," Hermione whispered. Her brown eyes were filled with compassion and understanding.
Did I just hear Draco out of that Mudblood's mouth? Must still be a little delusional.
"Get you're filthy hand off me," Draco snapped as he yanked his hand out from under hers. She looked startled but put her hand back onto her own lap.
"I'm sorry, it was just an accide—" she started.
"Just drink you're potion already. Let's see what's going on in that cluttered bushy head of yours," Draco said as he poured the potion and shoved the cup into her hands. She hesitantly put it to her lips and drank. Her eyes closed and Draco looked around the room unaware of what to do. He slowly reached his hand out and lightly touched her arm. His eyes closed as well.
Hermione sat on a fluffy blue bed, immersed in a Muggle Magazine. The low noise of the TV on was soothing to her ears as she flipped through the pages, sighing every now and then. She was in her room enjoying her abundance of free time. A hair fell into her face and she pushed it away with annoyance. As she placed the magazine down she leaned back onto her pillows closing her eyes hoping to fall asleep. Almost out of nowhere a scream jolted her awake. Her eyes shot open and she stood up quickly running to the door.
"Mom, Dad?" she yelled. Her feet carried her down the hallway to the door of her parents' room. Her heart was pounding so loud it broke the silence. In her pocket she tightly gripped her wand.
"Are you in here?" she whispered through the crack of their door, resting her hand on the knob. No answer. She pushed gently on the knob only to be knocked down by an unfamiliar figure.
"Who are you?" Hermione yelled when she saw a masked man hovering over her. He dropped to his knees and tried to grab Hermione's arms to keep her pinned to the floor. Hermione yelled and forcefully thrust her leg up to kick the mysterious man. He grimaced in pain as her foot contacted his body.
"Reuticala!" she screamed with her wand before her. The man twisted in pain and after a few moments was unconscious. Hermione's eyes wandered over to what she saw laid next to him. A blood-stained dagger. A lump rose in her throat as she forced her eyes to look towards her parent's bed. Atop the sheets, with blood dripping from every possible place, her mother laid, glossy eyed and dead to the world.
"Hermione, what's going on-" Hermione's father came into the room unaware of what had taken place. His sentence broke off as he saw the bed drenched in his wife's blood. Hermione racked her body with sobs as she buried her face in her father's chest and held onto him with all the strength she had left.
Draco was the first to open his eyes after Hermione's memory slowly faded away. For some reason he could not bring himself to speak. His hand was still holding onto Hermione's arm, not willing to let go. He forced himself to regain composure as he yanked his hand back.
This is surely incorrect. Granger's mother cannot be…dead? Why is it I have not heard of this? What do I say when she awakes? Oh, you too? Bloody hell.
Draco's thoughts flew through his mind. Mudblood Granger had lost her mother, just as he had. He put his hands in his hair trying to shake off the eerie images he had seen. He heard a cough next to him and he looked up to meet Hermione's eyes that were clouded with tears. Draco looked at her face and saw something he'd never seen before. Vulnerability. He did not know what came over him at this fleeting moment. Maybe it was his human instinct overpowering his senses, or even his mother whispering into his ear. But whatever it was, it did not help him understand what brought him to say the three words that came out of his mouth.
"I'm sorry, Hermione."