CHAPTER #4: Some New Friends and Some Old Ones

" You know, if you sit there any longer somebody might actually think you really like reading." A voice said from above her.

Hermione turned around to see a smiling red head looking down at her, from where she was reading her book.

"I do like reading," she replied quietly. Standing there smiling at her was Ginny Weasley. She had never been intimidated by the youngest Weasley before, so she wondered why she felt the need to avoid the younger witch's eyes now.

" No need to get all shy on me, I was just joking." Ginny said smiling, with laughter in her voice. "Ginny Weasley," she said holding out her hand for the shy girl to shake.

Hermione looked at her for a second of hesitation. She wasn't so sure if becoming friends with Ginny was such a good idea. It would mean having to be around Ron and Harry more than needed, and wouldn't that draw attention to herself. Not to mention how hard it was going to be not telling them the truth. But Dumbledore never said she couldn't be their friend, did he. So she smiled and took the younger witches hand. " Kacy Malfoy,"

"I know I was at the feast when you got sorted." She said as she sat across from her. " Your in seventh year aren't you?"

Hermione nodded

"I wish I was in seventh year, I have to wait a whole other year before I get out of here. When my brother and Harry leave I'll still be stuck here."

Hermione couldn't help herself. She hadn't seen her friends since they went to rescue Ron. Afterwards she and him had been sent to St. Murgo's and she hadn't wanted visitors. So talking about them seemed to be the next best thing.

"Who?"

" Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter."

Hermione shuck her head full of blonde hair, with a small frown on her face. " I'm sorry I don't know who your talking about." Ginny looked like she just got slapped. So Hermione continued." Are they actors out here, I've watched the BBC a couple times before, but I've never heard of a Harry Potter or Ron Weasley."

"Really!" Ginny said surprised. Hermione could see the wheels turning in her head, and did every thing to suppress the laughter that was fighting to come out. "Well I'm not that surprised that you don't know Ron, he's really no one special, but I thought ever one knew about Harry. Did you know-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt to lecture of Harry Potter; A History. I'm sure its quite interesting weaselette, since you're his biggest fan and all, but we have class." Draco said coming out of nowhere with Blaise and Pansy following in his steps.

Hermione shot him a look over her shoulder before turning back to Ginny and whispering; so the others wouldn't hear." Ignore him, I'll hex him later for that and well finish talking, but I really do need to get to class." She gave Ginny an encouraging smile, before getting up. She turned back to Ginny.

"Save me a sit in the Great Hall for diner."

Ginny nodded in agreement after getting over the embarrassment from Draco's comment.

"Come one Kay your wasting daylight." Draco said from further a head. Hermione waved to Ginny, before running after the trio.

She caught up fairly quickly, and stood on Draco's left." Playing mind games with the little weasel, are we?" He said whispering in her ear.

"Maybe."

He laughed out loud " How Slytherin of you. I think I'm rubbing off on you to soon." He said returning to his normal volume.

" What are you talking about Draco?" Pansy asked

"Just the little weasel, " he replied shrugging with indifference.

"Don't call her that." Hermione shouted

"Draco I think you sister has a soft spot for the weasel." Blaise smirked

Hermione looked at him, he hadn't said two words to her since Draco had introduced them. It wasn't much of a surprise, since she never really saw him talk before. So for him all the sudden to be teasing her caught her off guard. She recovered quickly when Pansy gasped looking horrified.

"You don't think she'll invite the weasel to Christmas Dinner do you?"

"I would hope not, I don't think weasels have much table manners." Draco said looking mocked thoughtful.

With a quick flick of the wand she cased a spell on the three of them." Say weasel again." She dared

Each of the Slytherin's smirked not seeing the moment of the Gryffindor' s wand. So when the three of them opened their mouths to say it simultaneously, they were surprised when nothing came out. They looked around at each other, then at the Gryffindor in front of them, who had a smirk to rival their own.

"Don't you just love wand less magic?" Hermione asked laughing.

The three started making a move to grab her. " I wouldn't do that if I were you." She told them stepping back. But they ignored her and keep coming at her, with another flick of her wand, all three of their backpacks ripped, spilling all their contents on the floor. They all turn around to look at the mess.

Hermione took this as her clue and made a run for it. She ran down he corridors laughing uncontrollably. She had been in class with them and knew none had mastered wordless magic, so they had to get somebody to take the spell off; which meant they had to pick up all their stuff without magic and they would be under the silence spell when they came to class unless somebody took it off. She didn't stop until she got safely to Charms. Talking a sit as far away for the Slytherin's table as possible, which landed her at a table near Harry and Ron. She sat down next to Neville, and gave the shy boy a smile before she started watching the door.

Professor Flitwick walked in class minutes later and told them they were to be Charming pillows across the room using wordless magic.

Hermione normally would have been ecstatic to show off her use of wordless magic, but was to interested in watching the door. Which is the reason she hit Neville with her flying pillow. "Sorry" she said blushing when the door opened and in walked Draco, Pansy, and Blaise.

She watched in humor as the three walked in holding a handful of loose paper and books. It took all it had in her not to start laughing out loud as Draco tried using sign language to explain why they were late, so instead she settled for a big toothy gin. She watched as Pansy started trying sensing Draco' s growing frustration. Then she looked at Blaise who was by the looks of it searching the room for her. When he found her he gave her a rude hand gesture. Not being able to any more she started laughing out loud, earning her the attention of the whole class.

"Miss Malfoy, you obvious seem to know what's wrong with my student, care to enlighten me." Professor Flitwick squeaked in his little voice.

Trying to stop laughing she replied." Yes, I hexed my brother and his friends in the hall right before class, for making fun of my new friend Ginny." This gained her curious looks from both Harry and Ron.

"And what exactly did you do to your brother and his friends?" he asked

"Just a silencing charm because none of them can do wordless magic so I new they'd be stuck unless someone took it off, and then I made their backpacks rip, which is why their they are late because they had to pick it up the muggle way."

"And can you do wordless spell?"

"Yes"

"Brilliant!" he said before turning and taking the spell off the trio. "One point from Gryffindor for using magic in the halls.

Hermione smile down at Draco and his friends "Watch your ass Kacy." Draco said walking to his seat

"Who me big bro?" she said with a grin.

Hermione sensing the fun was over turned back to her pillows, when she noticed Neville staring at her in awe. "What?" she said wiping her face self-consciously.

"You really shouldn't mess with the Slyterins." Neville warned.

Hermione just smiled" thanks but Draco will keep them from doing anything to terrible to me, and if does anything to bad I'll just tell hi- our mom" she replied catching her self slip. With that she went back to banishing her pillows.

Messing with the Slytherins turned about to be a mistake because for the rest of the class they're pillows where banished upside her head. But she didn't try to stop them but let them enjoy their payback, better this than something else, she guessed.

"Are you guys still mad at me?" She asked as the walked down to dinner. " Come on I got hit with about thirty pillows." She whined and they started laughing.

She smile, even though they were the same people who made her life miserable she rather have them as friends than have no one. Not the say she forgave and forgot, because she wasn't naïve, but they were all being kind her, even Draco who knew who she was. He knew her secret and he never tried to use it against her after being with them for a month. Never once had he mentioned it to try to get his way and for that she appreciated him.

"You guys know just like I do you cant stay mad a me for long, I'm the youngest, I'm supposed to be annoying."

"That you are." Draco said laughing

"Yeah, but you guys still love me." With that all three of them made rude sounds. "What ever you all know its true." She said as they walked inside the Great Hall for dinner. She made her way to Ginny, who waved from the Gryffindor table, but not before hearing Blaise cough something that sounded strangely like 'weasel'.