Disclaimer: lalalalalala sing a joyful song! I own nothing I am a sad little girl living in the middle of nowhere and hoping one day to become a author!
Chapter 9: after effects
Draco stared at Professor Snape as he slowly ambled his way up the aisles and sunk slowly into his teacher's chair. His gaze swung back to Cherie who was rapidly offering her delicious looking cookies to everyone near her. Turning back to his cauldron he quickly turned off the heat and let it cool. Glancing down at his partner, who had fallen asleep near the beginning of the class leaving Draco in charge of the potion, he moved back to talk to Blaise and to quietly congratulate Cherie on her victory against Snape.
Reaching the side of his best friend Draco silently pulled some of the hairs at the base of Blaise's neck. "Ouch! Hey man that hurt!"
"Cry me a river." At this point Cherie had just finished handing a cookie to each and every person in the class. Hermione, Draco could see, was clutching several more than the rest of the class.
"Draco! Do you want a cookie?"
Draco was eager to try the piece of cooking responsible for turning his head of house into a blubbering glob of mush. "Sure." He mumbled reaching out and taking the largest chocolate chip cookie on the tray. Biting into it he was presently surprised to find that opposed to the usual chocolate taste that should have been there, there was a sweet minty taste that melted into his mouth. "Mint!" he exclaimed hungrily grabbing another.
Cherie just laughed. "Ya surprised were you? I figured you would have guessed from the scent. I suppose I shouldn't have teased Professor Snape so much since I knew what he was talking about."
Draco smiled back at his cousin and then turned to catch the deep look of concentration on his friends face. "Hey Blaise you okay? You look like you are having a fight with yourself." Draco laughed at his friends' startled reaction and Cherie joined in.
Blaise had his teeth gritted together and mumbled something incomprehensible. "Hmmm… what was that mate?" Draco asked tilting his head closer to his friends'.
"Later." Came the stilted reply.
"Are you feeling alright Blaise?" Cherie said her laughter fully gone now. Reaching out she gently placed her hand on top of his giving him a questioning look.
"Ya I'm fine Cherie. Hey could I try a cookie?"
"Oh my you haven't had one? Oh how silly of me to forget you when you have been so kind to me!" She quickly grabbed a handful of warm gooey cookies and placed them directly in front of Blaise.
"Thank you. I'm sorry about Snape it is just well he can be a git some times." Blaise popped the smallest of the cookies in to his mouth.
"Oh it is alright at least he isn't really perverted! Unlike some of the male teachers at my old school!"
"Ya THAT is one thing he is not!" laughing jovially he reached out and grabbed another one of the cookies in front of him.
Cherie bit into a cookie herself before wrinkling her nose before flicking her wrist and congering up a glass full of snow white milk. Dipping her cookie in it for a moment she took another bite and looked up at the shocked faces of Draco and Blaise. "wha…? How did you do that?" Draco began.
"What this? You have never seen some one do magic before?"
"Ya, but not without a wand!"
"Oh are you Brits still dependent on those things?"
"Could you teach me how to do that?" Blaise said his eyes flitting between the glass and Cherie.
"Sure any time you want. It is probably a good thing I took a class on magical theory back home."
At this point the bell rang and all the students began to file out rushing to the great hall eager to fill their rumbling bellies. Cherie deposited the rest of the cookies in a small metal container that she produced from her backpack. Gathering together their things Draco patiently waited for Blaise and Cherie to come and exit before Professor Snape decided to have another row with Cherie. Quietly on the way out Cherie dropped a small clear, labeled vial on Snapes desk. Written in neat block lettering were the words 'Liquidus Letum; potions 7; Cherie Black'.
Upon exiting the dungeon they were met by not only Hermione and her two little boy friends but a whole legion of Gryphondorks waiting to congratulate Cherie on thoroughly humiliating Snape.
Cherie met their congratulations with a mixture of gratitude and naivety. She was convinced she had done nothing spectacular and was actually rather sad at what she had done. Shaking his head Draco merely laughed at his friends antics. His laughter intertwined with another's, their tinkling laughter flitting melodically with his own. Opening his mirth filled eyes to find the one whose laughter countered his own so gracefully he was faced with a still laughing Granger.
Draco's eyes widened as he took in her tinkling laughter, it was by far the most beautiful sound he had ever heard and coming from mudblood Granger no less. He could not deny that she was by far the most attractive witch in their grade; 'omitting Cherie of coarse but she is my cousin no matter how far removed and I have a strange suspicion Blaise had already subconsciously placed his claim on her; but she is a mudblood! A M-U-D-B-L-O-O-D Draco a mudblood!' Draco shook his head violently to rid it of its disturbing thoughts.
***
Hermione stared at her friend who was rapidly denying all praises sent her direction. Hermione was so glad she had gotten over her major inferiority complex and was actually almost feeling good about herself. 'of coarse it could all be a ruse she had planned to make me not worry about her that she had been planning for a while.' Hermione thought hard trying to remember the words from one of their first letters. 'What was it she had said something along the lines of "It is always easier to tell some one you are never going to see again your troubles than it is to tell your friends…" I guess what she meant was that a stranger would sympathies with you for a moment then when they leave you feel better and the topic is never brought up again, while a friend would remember that and always worry about you and bring up the topic over and over again to see if you are alright.'
Hermione gazed intently on her friend again churning those disturbing thoughts over and over in her head. Slowly she allowed her gaze to take in all activity around them, she noted the way people talked to Cherie and looked at her, and she listened to the tone of her replies. But most of all she noted how people looked at her, most had mixtures of pride and respect, some of envy, but one set of eyes really drew Hermione's attention. Blaise was staring at Cherie with such intensity and feeling that Hermione found it hard to view. 'Does Blaise like Cherie?' Hermione looked again but now his eyes held none of his earlier emotion and Hermione had to laugh at herself for the mere thought of Blaise have any major regard for her this soon after meeting her.
Hermione heard her laughter blend with another persons, their deeper chuckle counter balancing her own in a beautiful and almost symphonic way. Hermione did not wish for this duet to stop but soon her partner left her and Hermione finished laughing at her silly thoughts alone.
Upon opening her eyes Hermione felt as though someone was staring intently upon her. Searchingly Hermione saw only Draco Malfoy looking at her. But why? Why was he looking at her so deeply, so searchingly? Moments latter he shook his head violently as though ridding himself of inner demons. This action brought Hermione back to the present and she hurriedly shooed everyone away from her now glowing friend. She pushed everyone away dragging Cherie behind her all the way to the great hall hoping to still have time to eat and talk before next class.
***
Entering the noisy great hall Cherie found herself yet again surrounded by people her age and younger, tall and short, congratulating her on making Snape break down. Cherie felt so bad, 'obviously from the way people are reacting this man had worked very hard to strike fear into the hearts of his students. It probably made his job easier, making class quieter and even bringing a little satisfaction his way. But he could not be truly happy.' Cherie countered politely ignoring everyone and following Hermione to a seat at her table.
Looking behind her Cherie beckoned Blaise and Draco to follow her. After exchanging glances they awkwardly followed her to a seat at the Gryphondor table. Cherie began to animatedly converse with several of the Gryphondors who gave her rather stilted replies and glared venomously at Draco and Blaise.