Something to Write Home About
Chapter 17
Matches 9524
A/N: Hey y'all! Well, since you guys have been begging me for this next chapter, I suppose I could post it for ya. But whatever, you know the deal, the more reviews, the faster the updates come. Even though I have never actually said this rule, it should be understood. Except when I have a writing block; then it is not my fault that the chapters come a little slow. However, it does not matter, because I do not have one. But enough of this useless dribble, right? Let's get this party started right…
(Revised on March 3, 2006.)
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Draco and Hermione arrived back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from Malfoy Manor around the middle of breakfast. They entered the Great Hall to find Professor Dumbledore, to acquaint him with the fact that they had returned. When they had first entered the Hall, the chatter was characteristically almost deafening; but as they headed down the main aisle to the Teacher's Table, it got quieter and quieter until it was complete silence. Every pair of eyes was fixed on the couple who had just returned.
"Draco," Hermione whispered, "What's going on?" Due to the silence, many people were within hearing range of her, and a few sniggered. Draco shrugged. When they got to the Teacher's Table, they stopped at the dais and waited until Professor Dumbledore gave his permission to step up to the table itself and approach his chair.
"So… How did it go?" His blue eyes twinkled behind his half-moon glasses. They were about to drive Hermione mad already, but she looked away, instead staring at his long white beard, rather than into his eyes. It was then that she noticed that there were blobs of red jelly that were looking a little crusty right in the middle of his beard. Her stomach churned, and she silently said a prayer thanking God that she had not eaten breakfast that morning.
"Well Headmaster," Draco began, "It started out a bit rocky with the Grangers, as they saw an unfortunate event that I would like to not speak about-" The Headmaster's eyes twinkled even more, if that was possible. "But in the end, about a minute before we were going to leave, Mr. Granger gave us his blessing. So everything was smoothed out with them. Then at my mother's home, things went much better. She took us out to a lovely dinner at Wind Riders, and gave us some very helpful advice. And I wanted to thank you, Headmaster, for giving us leave to go home and take care of this peculiar business."
"Oh, it was nothing, Master Malfoy. Though I must say, you two have caused quite a stir."
"What do you mean, sir?" Hermione asked, slightly alarmed.
"Oh, never mind, Miss Granger. I am sure you will find out soon enough. If you have not found out by now, you will more than likely be aware of it by lunchtime today. Now, go to your house tables and eat breakfast. Then see your teachers and catch up with the work you missed while you were absent. If you'll excuse me, I need to call a teacher's conference."
The couple left the Table and descended from the dais, just as the teachers were, still with everyone's eyes upon them.
"I'll see you later, love, alright?" Draco asked.
"Yes of course," Hermione replied distractedly. Why was everyone staring at her as if she had killed somebody's child? She had not done anything that should be getting her these death glares.
Draco strolled over to the Slytherin table, acting cocky and like he owned the place, like always. Blaise drew him into an intense conversation immediately. By now, the chatter had begun to return the eerily silent Hall. Hermione made her way over to the Gryffindor table, and sat next to Ginny, across from Harry and Ron.
"Look you guys…" They glared at her, but did not say anything. They were waiting for her to make the first move, a debating tactic that she had taught them to keep them out of trouble with the Professors. Funny how everything she taught them eventually came back to bite her in the butt. "I'm sorry about the other night. I truly am. I was having a very stressful day, more than you could possibly imagine. I was really stressed out, and you two just pushed me over the edge. I am so sorry."
They said nothing, but Ginny tossed that morning's edition of the Daily Prophet onto Hermione's empty plate. As the accused girl read the headline, her caramel-coloured eyes grew large. THE SERPENT & THE LION. IN LOVE? It turned out to be a three page special report, complete with color photos; most of them showed the couple out in front of Wind Riders, while a few others were just candids of them alone, then the photos placed side by side. The article, as it turned out, detailed both of their social lives, education record, speculations on why they were together, and a detailed account of the proposal inside the restaurant.
Ron stared coldly at the diamond ring that was on Hermione's left hand. "I think you have a lot of explaining to do, Hermione Jane." Ron had a bad habit of using people's middle names when he was angry with them; something he must have picked up from his mother.
She thought for a second, then, instead of choosing her words carefully and telling them a half-assed story that they would see right through, she simply asked, "What exactly is it that you want to know?"
"What's so great about him? What does he have that we could never give you? Come on, Hermione, you betrayed us! I mean, what-" His voice was rising and wobbling dangerously when his sister interrupted.
"Umm, I hate to break up the reunion, but might I suggest we continue this conversation in a more private place? Like, the common room for instance? Nobody else needs to hear all this."
"No Ginny. I don't care who hears. We're having it out, right here, right now!" Hermione yelled, attracting the attention of anyone who wasn't already staring at her. "Ron, you want to know why he's better than you? Because he respects my privacy, and he's not afraid to take chances when someone's life isn't depending on it!"
Harry sat quietly, his mouth was drawn and tight, while Ron's mouth was agape and his ears were red and trembling with rage. He said, in carefully measured words, trying very hard to contain his anger, "You are saying I don't take chances? I must beg to differ! I play quidditch, I sneak around school after curfew, I fell in love with you, I ran away from home when I was three, I joined the Order!"
Hermione glared at this revelation, but it was not really a surprise. "Quidditch? You think quidditch is a risk? The worst that could happen is you could get a couple of broken bones; things that can be fixed with a quick charm. Sneaking around after school? Do not even get me started on that. It is just too childish and I am not even going to go there. The fact that you fell in love with me; not my fault. Running away from home when you were three? What did you do, take your teddy bear with you and think you were being hard? Oh yeah, really risky. And do not even talk about the Order! You know better than that! If it were up to me, you and your mouth would never have been inducted into it! But those are all CHILDISH risks; no where near what I'm referring to."
Draco Malfoy watched the commotion at the Gryffindor table from his customary breakfast seat. She was handling it remarkably well; why had he doubted her even for a second? Hermione had a point, and the whole school knew it. But when Ron revealed his love for her in the way that he did; well, that took balls. A tinge of jealousy oozed out of the Slytherin God, but felt relieved as he watched the rest of the conversation unfold itself.
A few Gryffindors stood up to see the argument better and soon incited many other curious students to do the same. They eventually formed a ring of human bodies around the tarnished Golden Trio.
"Hermione! What is wrong with you? Are you under a curse or something? Why can't you see that he is completely wrong for you?" asked Harry with exasperation, finally speaking, in calm, measured words.
She stood up coldly and stated with a flat voice, "The only thing I can see right now is that I am one of very few people who can look past a first-year grudge." She turned around, and a wall of flesh and black robes greeted her. "Get out of my way." No one moved. No one could because they were all packed so close together to get a better view of the action. They were like those little fish that Muggles liked to pack really tight into a tin. "Now."
When no response came, Hermione went forward a few paces, and placed her open palm on a girl's shoulder (she later found out it was Susan Bones). "Staedtler." Slowly, the girl melted into a black puddle of ink. Later she would congeal back together, but her skin would forever be as black as ink, and parts of her could be missing if someone got the wet ink on their shoes. It was also a rather painful process.
The Hall grew completely silent. No teachers were present, due to the Teacher's Conference that Dumbledore had called.
Hermione stepped up to a boy that was standing next to the ink. Dennis Creevy, Colin Creevy's little brother. She pointed a finger at him and whispered "Femurfractura." His thigh bent at an odd angle, and broke with a wet snap. Everyone within earshot, namely the entirety of the Great Hall, heard it and flinched. The deadly silence was broken by the boy's painful screams. "Get out of my way. Don't make me say it again," she repeated coldly.
Slowly, the students pushed aside, forming a narrow aisle just wide enough for Hermione to pass through without brushing against anybody. No one wanted to touch the witch who could do wandless magic. It was just too creepy. She stepped over Dennis, and headed out to the Lake.
She lay back on the dew-dampened grass, staring at the sky. It was overcast, and when she took a deep breath, she could smell a tempest coming. Closing her eyes, she waited. She could feel him coming and looking for her.
"What do you want?" She did not open her eyes.
"Impressive, love. Are we a bit touchy today?"
"I am just tired of putting up with their immature crock. They are my best friends and they cannot even handle me not falling hopelessly in love with them. It's just really annoying." She frowned and looked at Draco, who was wearing an amused smile.
He sat down next to her on the dewy grass. "Where'd you learn those spells?" When there was no answer, Draco cocked a blonde eyebrow. "Come on, tell me!"
"Well, last year, Harry found this book, and whoever had it before him had written spells in the margins. Remember when you got chopped up somehow?" He nodded, grimacing. That was a painful experience. He had a glamour over the scars that it had left. "That spell was in it. So anyways, one night I snuck up to his dorm, copied out a few of them, and practiced. They are pretty nifty."
"What other ones did you learn?"
"You know I can't say them love. Wandless magic, remember? I'll have to show you later." He looked a bit put out, but got over it quickly.
They sat there in a comfortable silence until the rain began. "Hermione, love. It's raining."
"That's a very astute observation, Draco."
"Let's go in. I need to talk to the Headmaster about something."
Heading up to the castle, Hermione noticed anyone who looked her directly in the eye looked away quickly. She smirked and stood a little straighter.
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Alright. Sorry if the end was a little rushed… I am tired. I will come back and fix it later. I just want to get it posted. Also, sorry it is so short. But press the pretty button, and review. Remember: Reviews Faster updates.