Okay, here we go again! Another chapter for all you fic hungry peeps to sink you're teeth into! Make sure you review, or i wont update! laughs evilly You guys are my inpiration, i love you all so much! Well again i wont keep you waiting, enjoy!
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Chapter 3- Taking the odd interest
"FOR GOD'S SAKE RON, HURRY UP!" Hermione's voice yelled over Tiran and Hedwig's screeches.
"Oh, um…ok I think that's everything, oh hang on I forgot Pig!" Ron said, looking flustered, his head popping back into the taxi before carrying out a frantic looking Pigwigeon who was banging the sides of his cage because Ron was running.
Harry sighed loudly in frustration and hurried Ron along Kings Cross station, Ginny and Hermione pushed their carts holding their trunks just in front of Harry and Ron, and they mumbled angrily as they went.
"Shouldn't have ever gone to the station with him…should have left back at Diagon Alley…"
"Can't believe I'm related to him…unbelievable….he's so thick …"
The girls looked back at Harry who was dragging a lost looking Ron as fast as he could. Hermione rolled her eyes, and ran forwards towards the solid brick wall, without flinching as she past smoothly through it. Ginny was hot on her heels as she too appeared on the other side. A minute later Harry had came into view, gritting his teeth in frustration.
Hermione sighed. "Where is he…" She said in a calm but exasperated voice to Harry.
He pointed behind him and they looked just in time to see a trolley fly through the barrier, followed by Ron, who tripped over it and fell head first into his trunk.
Ginny and Hermione turned without seeing another amazing stunt by Ron the idiot, to walk towards the gigantic steam train, situated along a long, thick railway that was packed with people. They walked their trolley past families, friends and siblings saying goodbye to the Hogwarts Express and Hermione smiled as they stepped up onto the train.
"You go save us a carriage Gin" She said, lifting her trunk up the steps. "I'll put our stuff in the rack. Here, take Tiran with you" Ginny took the cage from her and left her own bags at Hermione's feet.
Hermione looked around and saw the back of what looked like a really cute guy. He had a tight black shirt and jeans on and his blonde hair fell in exactly the right places. She didn't know who it was yet because she couldn't see his face. He was really hot though…
She pretended to busy herself in her luggage so she could look 'natural'
He looked around after heaving his bag onto a rack, and noticed a girl, around his age, with her back to him, attempting to lift her own heavy bag, without success. He cocked his head to one side and observed her. She had a really nice body, and those tight jeans looked really good on her. She was wearing a baby pink tank top with her wavy hair in a high ponytail. Silver bangles glimmered at her wrists and sliver hoop earrings were placed attractively in her ears. Who was she? He didn't think he had ever seen her before, although he couldn't see her face.
Deciding to play it smooth, he walked casually over to her and spoke in a polite, yet cool voice. "Need some help with that?"
The girl stopped and began to look up. "Oh yeah if you could, than-
Hermione looked up into the face of the cute guy who had offered his help, and gaped in horror.
"Malfoy?" She said, incredulously.
Malfoy seemed to notice who it was at once and took a step backwards. "Granger?"
"Get out of my way Malfoy" she snarled, taking her wand from her left pocket and charming the trunks into the air so they fitted neatly into the rack.
"With pleasure" Malfoy spat back, leaning back against the edge of the train.
Hermione turned on her heel, without another look at him, and marched defiantly down the train, to find Ginny.
Malfoy stared after her, and couldn't help but let his eyes and mind wander.
God, does she look good this year…
But it doesn't change anything; she's still a mudblood…
Yeah but look at that body…
No, stop that! Bad mind…
What has she done to her hair? Looks really good…
And she's filled out heaps too…
Oh no! Don't even think that, no! Arrggh! Stop it!...
Hermione stormed away and up the train, looking through compartment's glass doors to see if she could spot any red heads. Although she looked and looked, she couldn't see Ginny, but she noticed a lot of people were giving her curious looks, and she couldn't figure out why. Brushing this factor off quite quickly, she looked in one of the last compartments and gladly spotted her, who was sitting down with Harry and Ron, chatting merrily as Hermione opened the compartment door.
"Hey you're back! What took you so long?" Ginny asked, looking interested.
Hermione sat down next to her and mumbled "I'll tell you later" in her ear before turning towards Harry and Ron, who were giving her searching looks.
"What were you girls whispering about over there?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowed.
"Nothing!" said Ginny, trying to sound airy as she spoke. "So, Harry, how did the Dursleys treat you over the summer?"
Hermione gave Ginny a thankful look for saving her from answering the question and went on pretending everything was okay. She nodded and laughed when the others did, but inside, her thoughts were racing.
She couldn't believe that she had mistaken Draco Malfoy for a hot guy! Had the world gone mad?
Well sure, heaps of girls at Hogwarts love him, and I suppose they have good reason…
But I swear he has got cuter since I last saw him…
But he's Malfoy…people like that don't change overnight…
No…just stop being stupid…he is, and always will be the same dirty, slimy slitherin you have known for 6 years…just get over yourself…
Suddenly, Hermione heard a faint voice which brought her back to reality.
"Hey Hermione, we better go, you and I have got to go to the Prefect and Head carriage, come on" Ginny's voice said.
Hermione came out of her daze and nodded. "Oh, yeah, see ya Harry, Ron, you guys save us something if the lunch lady goes by"
The boys rolled their eyes and began to talk about quidditch, so they ignored them, and walked out of the compartment and into the train hallway.
"Won't it be great to be Head Girl Hermione!" Ginny said cheerfully, as they walked past other compartments, some of which Hermione was sure contained people who were definitely staring fixedly at her as she went past. "I'm so proud of being a prefect again, but I wonder who the other one from Gryffindor is this time?"
Hermione smiled. "It's so much fun, you feel really important, you know? I loved being a prefect"
"Yeah" Ginny replied. "You know, I heard that the Head boy and Girl get a separate dormitory from everyone else! Wouldn't that be cool?"
Hermione looked interested at this new piece of information. "Really? Well it better be someone I like then doesn't it!"
The two girls laughed at this and both entered the Carriage right near the front of the train. As they entered, they saw a few 5th and 6th years, sitting next to the window, looking excited but slightly nervous. They smiled when they saw Ginny and motioned for her to sit down, but Hermione had stopped in horror.
"What are you doing here?" She said incredulously, to none other than Draco Malfoy, who was sitting away from the 5th and 6th years, looking bored.
He looked up and grimaced evilly at her. "Head boy Granger, would have thought you were smarter than that"
Hermione wondered how in the world Dumbledore could make Malfoy Head boy, but tried to look casual as she sat down next to Ginny, her arms and legs crossed, away from Malfoy. Ginny had her mouth open too, and she exchanged an amazed look with Hermione before they were disturbed by a loud 'CRACK' behind them. They turned to see Professor McGonagall apparate between them, straightening her hat.
The 5th and 6th years, including Ginny jumped at the noise but Hermione and Malfoy looked around calmly as the teacher walked forward.
"Thankyou all for coming" She said shortly, conjuring a chair from mid air and sitting in the middle of everyone. "We have a few matters to discuss before we arrive at Hogwarts. Firstly…"
Professor McGonagall went on and on, describing duties the Prefects needed to perform, and what responsibilities they were expected to uphold.
"Remember that you are role models for every witch or wizard that passes through this school and let me assure you, that any Prefect who breaks this responsibility will have this privilege taken off them immediately, you have been warned"
The Prefects looked slightly scared at her serious speech, but she soon turned to Hermione and Malfoy, to give them their briefing.
"As you two have already previously been Prefects, you already know the rules that you need to follow, and make sure you are well behaved!" (She looked particularly hard at Malfoy during this point) "-because I will not tolerate rule-breakers. Secondly, I have to tell you that as Head boy and girl you will have a separate dormitory from everyone else to share between the two of you, as congratulations from the scho-
McGonagall had to stop mid-sentence because the uproar in the carriage was too great. Both Hermione and Malfoy had got to their feet, looking furious.
"I AM NOT SPENDING AN ENTIRE YEAR WITH…WITH HIM!"
"NO WAY CAN I STAND THAT MUDBLOOD IN THE SAME DORM WITH ME!"
Professor McGonagall spoke over the top of them. "PLEASE SIT DOWN! You will have different rooms from each other, just the same tower" She said, trying to calm them down.
The 5th years and 6th years were asked to leave, and the Professor leaned very close to them.
"Yes, I am aware that you two are not exactly friendly towards each other…" she looked at them, both of whom had their arms crossed, not looking convinced.
"…But I also think you need to put aside your differences and start afresh. There will be plenty of time for you to get to know one another, and I think you will be able to stand each other in time"
Hermione opened her mouth in protest. "No, not another word Miss Granger…OR you Mr Malfoy" As Malfoy had just opened his mouth to speak too.
"Now, if you will excuse me I have some important matters to tend to. Thankyou for your time, and try not to hex each other on the way out…"
With that, she disapperated with a loud CRACK, and was gone before they could say anything else. There was silence in the compartment for a while, until the stood up, not looking at each other, and headed out the door in different directions.
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Hermione was speechless when she entered her compartment a few minutes later. She sat down next to Ginny once more and buried her head in her hands, groaning. Ginny patted her back sympathetically as Harry and Ron mumbled angrily. Ginny had obviously told them what had happened and Hermione could hear them replacing the word Malfoy with extremely rude words that even Hermione had never heard them use before.
"I can't believe you have to stay in the same common room as Malfoy!" Ron groaned in sympathy.
"Look, don't worry Hermione" said Harry, trying to make fun of the situation. "If he lays a hand on you, Ron'll be there to save the day"
They all laughed in spite of themselves, and Ginny checked her watch. "We better change into our robes; we'll be arriving soon"
So they all changed into their Hogwarts robes and Hermione and Ginny placed their Prefect and Head Girl Badges onto their robes proudly before walking out the door and making their way past other students getting out of the train. They grabbed their luggage and pets and headed down the sloping drive of Hogsmeade station with all the others students hustling and bustling around them.
"Look! There it is!" Harry shouted, and as they turned a corner, Hermione got her first glimpse of the Hogwarts castle, standing tall and magnificent against the night sky. Its many windows sparkled with light and she smiled fondly at it before finding a carriage for them to travel in.
"Over here" She called to Ginny, Ron and Harry, motioning them towards an empty carriage. As they followed here, she noticed a group of girls and boys from her year she knew to be in Ravenclaw, put their heads together and whisper behind their hands at each other, staring at her. She tired to ignore them as she stepped up into the carriage and settled herself comfortably in her seat while Harry sat down next to her and Ron and Ginny sat opposite her.
They sat mostly in silence while they rolled up the drive and came to a halt right outside the stone steps leading up to the great oak doors. Ron got out first, followed by Harry, then Ginny, and finally Hermione. The walked up the steps together and through the doors, into the Entrance Hall.
Hermione took in the familiar sights and smells that Hogwarts had to offer, an excited feeling rising from her toes to her face as she flicked back her hair and walked confidently into the Great Hall, Ginny by her side.
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The rush of noise that reached Hermione's ears was one of welcome, and happiness. They walked down the Gryffindor table and Hermione said goodbye to Ginny as she went to meet her own 6th year friends, and turned to see two grinning girls, motioning her over to them, where they had saved a seat. Hermione sat down and hugged them both. They whispered to each other happily, as the sorting had just begun.
"Hi Lavender, hi Parvati!" she said enthusiastically. "How was you're holidays?"
Lavender spoke first. "Oh they were ok; I can see you've had a good summer!"
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
Parvati rolled her eyes. "Hel-lo? Look at you, you're a regular hottie! Nice job!"
Hermione looked at their grinning faces. "Well, I guess…"
Parvati and Lavender laughed, but they didn't have much time to talk, as Professor Dumbledore had stood up in front of everybody, ready to start the feast. The Great Hall fell silent.
'Welcome my friends and students, to another year, at Hogwarts. To our newcomers, I hope you find yourself comfortable amongst our many walls, and I am sure you will soon feel a lot less nervous here, once tonight is over. Now, to other matters, First years ought to know that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students, unless specifically supervised by a teacher. Also, we have several new Prefects and Head boy and girl this year, so I trust you will pay them the respect they deserve. Actually, can the Head boy and Girl please stand so our students can know who you are?"
Hermione blushed, but Parvati and Lavender heaved her upwards and she smiled awkwardly as she saw many eyes upon her, as the rest of the school clapped them politely. She spotted Draco on the other side of the hall, standing smugly and calmly, with Pansy looking dreamily up at him, from the opposite side of the table. As she sat down, Harry grinned at her and she rolled her eyes. She didn't like being looked at by so many people.
"Thankyou" Dumbledore said, smiling widely. Now, I do not want to keep you waiting any longer, so let the feast begin!"
Hermione's eyes gazed happily, as all the dishes in front of them had been filled with food. Chicken, lamb chops, chips, pie, everything you could possibly imagine. She looked down the row at the nervous 1st years sitting at the very edge of the table. Looking very shocked that food had suddenly just appeared in front of their eyes, they cautiously picked out a food, and began chomping slowly, as if somebody might creep up on them and scare them under the table. As she began to eat her salad, she looked at Ron, who pouring ridiculous amounts of ketchup on his mountain of chips, and Harry, who had just bitten into half of the whole piece of steak.
"I know, they're disgusting aren't they" Parvati said in distaste. She was watching Seamus cut an extremely large piece of pie from the dish in front of him and stuff it hungrily in his mouth.
"They're boys" Lavender sighed, helping herself to some rice. "Who can blame them?"
Hermione laughed. "Yeah"
"More salad Hermione?" said Parvati, who was also laughing.
"Yeah thanks Parvati" Hermione said, taking the bowl from her and adding some lettuce and tomato to her plate.
The girls sat and ate their healthy food, wondering aloud that if Ron and Seamus had a food eating competition, which one's head would explode first, and about their first day tomorrow. Just as Hermione finished her strawberries, Dumbledore stood up once more.
"I hope your stomachs are now well satisfied" He said, his eyes twinkling. "Now, off to bed you go!"
Hermione, Parvati and Lavender got up from their seats and watched Ginny lead the new Gryffindor 1st years out of the door and up the stairs. They then made their own way out of the hall and began to climb the marble staircase. But before Hermione could get very far, a loud voice sounded over the crowd.
"Miss Granger? Just where do you think you're going?"
It was Professor McGonagall. The very person Hermione had been trying to avoid. Gloomily, she gave her friends a swift 'see you later' before heading back down the stairs and towards where McGonagall was standing. To her dislike, Malfoy was already there, purposely looking away from her as she approached them. McGonagall glared at them and then led them up 4 floors of the marble staircase until they were on the Arithmancy floor, and led them down a corridor that Hermione had never really noticed before. They stopped in front of a painting of a little girl sitting behind a table. She had flowers in her hair and was wearing a white poofy dress.
She spoke in a high pitched, girly voice. "Password?"
"Heartstring" McGonagall said clearly to the painting so swung open. She then turned to Hermione and Malfoy. "That is the password for your common room. Well, that's about it, good night to you both and I hope to see you up and ready to go for your first day back!"
She turned on her heel, and left them standing awkwardly at the portrait hole, purposely not looking at each other. Hermione ignored Malfoy as he pushed past her and hurried into the room, without so much as a 'sorry', but it was Malfoy so it came as no surprise. She gritted her teeth and followed him into the room without comment.
She looked around and saw to her surprise that it was quite roomy. About as big as her own Gryffindor common room, except there wasn't as many tables or chairs. There was a large fireplace though; two squashy arm chairs were placed near it with a comfortable looking plush couch in between. A large homework table was in the corner next to the window, and a large staircase led to somewhere upstairs. Most of the room was red and purple, Hermione thought it looked really cosy. She smiled at it, but just as she was about to feel comfortable, she heard a faint snort of disgust from near the fireplace. She turned around and saw Malfoy leaning against the wall, looking around at the common room too.
"Call this luxury? Surly this isn't the best they've got is it? It's tiny!"
Hermione ignored him, she went upstairs to unload her trunk, and found the staircase ended in two doors with shiny gold plaques imprinted on them. One said 'Draco' the other, 'Hermione'. She entered her door and focused her attention away from the idiot downstairs. Her eyes lit up as she saw it. Her room was decorated entirely in plum/pinky colours and gleaming white marble. Her four poster bed, not unlike her previous one, had beautiful covers of intricate pink stitching and marble, glass bedside tables stood with beautiful lit candles sitting gracefully on them. A beautiful bookcase stood to one side and her trunk was at the foot of the bed. She rummaged through it and quickly found the book she wanted. With that she crossed the room once more and walked down the stairs into the common room.
Malfoy was lying lazily on the couch, his Nimbus 2001 suspended in front of him as he polished it carefully. Hermione took off her robe and straightened the school top and skirt as she sat down on the floor right next to the fire, kicking off her shoes in comfort. She opened her book and began to read.
Malfoy took a sneak peek at her as she buried herself in her book. No matter what his head told him, his body was getting the better of him. He stared at her fixedly, and noticed little details he had never noticed before. Like the way she tucked a curl behind her ear every minute or so, or the fact that her eyes whizzed across the page so fast, they were blurs. But beautiful, brown, glassy blurs…
Oh god does she look good under the firelight…
Why have I only just noticed how gorgeous she is?…
Cause she's Granger that's why…you hate her…remember?…
But why do I hate her?…she's a better witch than most pure-bloods…
The hell?…what am I saying?…my father would be ashamed of me…
But he's in Azkaban now…he won't know…and he wasn't exactly a good father…
And look at her…she's changed so much…
Someone's bound to have noticed other than me…
But think about you're reputation…you're a Slytherin…she's a Gryffindor…
You're a mud-blood hater…she's a mud-blood…
You're Potter's worst enemy…she's Potter's best friend…
Can people this different ever get along?…I doubt it…it would never work…
Just forget about it…ignore it…
Hermione looked up at the face of Malfoy. His usually sharp expression had changed; it was now soft, almost calm. He was cleaning his broomstick with ease, and his blonde hair was catching the firelight perfectly…
How does he get his hair perfect…like, all the time?…
And his body…well I can see what the other girls could now…
I wonder if there is a soft side to Draco Malfoy…I'd like to see that…
You know…if I didn't know better…I'd say you think he's cute…
No I don't!…I totally…absolutely do NOT like Malfoy…never…
But he IS kinda hot when you really look at him…in a rebel sort of way…
Hey, who doesn't like the odd bad boy?…
Uh oh…guilty side taking over…think about Harry…and Ron…what would they say…
But it's your life…they don't decide who you can and can't like…do they?…
He's really starting to get to me…what am I doing?…
I can't…he's not what he seems…hell I know what he's like…
And just cause he's a little sexy doesn't matter…think bout something else…
They sat in silence until Hermione packed up her stuff and went to bed about an hour later. Malfoy couldn't help but stare at her swinging hips before shaking his head briefly and walking up to his own room, ready to get some rest before the next day.
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There's another chappie! He he getting sweeter and sweeter eh?