Chapter One: nothing extraordinary
Notes: So the way this is working - the prologue is present day, and most of the story is a flashback working up to that point. Enjoy the chapter!
9 months earlier
"Hey-"
"Yeah, we know, you got Head Girl. Right?" Ron grinned across at Harry over the board of wizard's chess they were using.
Hermione's face fell- just a little bit- but they noticed.
"You didn't?" Harry asked, mildly incredulous, and it was nearly enough to make her cry.
"Deputy," she whispered, dropping into a seat, face crumpling. Ron would have sniggered at her expression if Harry hadn't been giving him a death glare warning him not to do precisely that. Nodding, Ron fumbled for a handkerchief and passed it to her, sensing that she was about to burst into very violent tears. She batted it away.
Smiling slightly through her tears, she said, "I could see you guys, you know."
"Well, then-" Ron began.
"See what?" Harry asked innocently, cutting across Ron.
She smiled again. "Shut up, Harry, do you think I'm an idiot? Though- though the school seems to…" she moaned, slumping against the seat.
"Hermione, it's okay-"
"Six years. Six years I got top of the class. And then I come back to this wretched school and I don't even get what- what I wanted…" Her shoulders started shaking again and Ron did snort this time. Harry's eyes bored into him and he disguised it with a fit of slightly comical, very violent coughing.
"Who's the, well, Head Girl, then?" Harry asked.
"Ginny," she mumbled, shooting a slightly apologetic look at Ron and sniffling again. "They decided to choose out of sixth and seventh years this time - "
Harry hugged her awkwardly - Ginny being his girlfriend and Ron's sister, there wasn't exactly much they could say.
"Who's Head Boy?"
"Nott," she answered, mopping at her eyes.
"And deputy?" Harry asked. She burst into a fresh wave of tears; Ron gave him a reproaching look.
"M-Ma-Malfoy-" she sobbed.
"Who in their right mind would make that git a deputy Head Boy? Is Dumbledore out of his mind? They're both Slytherins!"
"Don't say that, Ronald!" she reproached, drying her eyes slightly. "It's not the house - it's the people! And...sorry - I was being stupid -"
"Of course you weren't, Hermione. It's okay - at least you got deputy."
"Yeah. There's that."
Their compartment door slid open. "...See? I told you she'd be crying her eyes out." Malfoy sneered.
"Shove off, Malfoy."
His pale eyes glinted. "Oh, I don't think so, Weasel. See, Granger and I will have to work together this year - so you'll have to find another pathetic female who's stupid enough to fancy you."
"And I'm warning you, ferret face, if you make her cry even once, I'll make you regret the day you were born." Ron retorted, ears going pink.
"Weasel, I regretted the day I was born the moment I laid eyes on your face."
Behind him, Astoria Greengrass sniggered.
"Well, isn't it a shame you didn't just kill yourself and end your suffering. It definitely would have done us a favour!" Hermione snapped, jumping up and slamming the door in his face. He smirked at her through the glass and it infuriated her like nothing else could - and then his hand was in Astoria's, and he was gone, and she deflated like a balloon. She sat down and forced a smile.
"So - Exploding Snap, anyone?"
. . .
Walking away, Astoria's hand felt unpleasantly clammy. He tried to shake her away, but her grip was too tight.
"Draco - " she started.
"Astoria, seriously. I'm sick of you drooling all over me. I'm only with you because of my father. That's it, okay? So when we're not in public - "
She tore her fingers away from his, glaring. "Draco Malfoy, you think the universe revolves around you? I don't give a damn about you, either, if it helps. I don't drool all over you. If I had my way, I'd never speak to you again, you arrogant, self-centered jerk!"
She took off down the corridor, leaving him to face the stares of everyone around him. He glared at them - it scared the majority who'd poked their heads out of their compartments to listen away.
. . .
"You should really treat her better, you know." Theo told him, once they were all back in their compartment. "Where is she, by the way?"
"You want her? Be my guest." Draco drawled. "She's probably bitching about me to Deirdre and Pansy."
"Her name is Daphne, you idiot."
"Oh, I care. Completely. But I'm starting to think you have a bit of a thing for Astoria…" He smirked lazily.
"Your mark is showing, watch it." Theo's voice dropped as he pointed out how high Draco's left sleeve had ridden - and momentarily, panic flashed through him as he tried to remember if it had been like that when he'd gone outside the compartment.
"Thanks," he muttered.
"So when will you get your initiation task?" the other boy asked casually, as though they were just discussing the weather.
"I've already got it."
"What?"
"You know what my father is like."
"Pushed you into it?"
"Of course. It's remarkable how much influence he has from Azkaban," Draco spat.
"Did he bribe them into letting him visit home? Pay them off with a couple of thousand galleons?"
"It sounds worse when you put it like that, but that's the general idea, yes."
"Of course. Because we all know your family is rolling in it," Theo muttered, voice taking on a bitter tinge.
"I told you I'll lend you -"
"And I told you I don't want your charity," he replied flatly. "I'm doing fine."
"I know you don't want it. I'm allowed to offer, though, aren't I? Maybe one day you'll get over your pride and accept."
"Maybe one day you'll realize it's never going to happen."
"I'm far too stubborn for that."
"What task has He given you?"
Irritation flashed across Draco's face, just momentarily, for the subject change - and the subject itself.
"Why do you care?" he asked shortly.
"I can help."
"Only if you take the money."
"What do you have to do, Draco, dammit?"
Draco's face darkened. "Kill Dumbledore."
"And if you don't?"
Fear replaced the anger. "If I don't...he'll kill me."