Thank you to Dizi 85, Plukoala, rowenarave565, Jackie Pappillion, MaskOfComedy, An Anti-Sheep Cheese Muffin, Missblondie, Darkness-Lightness, ProperT, OdangoAtama17, notwritten and HRInuyashaFan16.
Disclaimer: My friend says Taco Man peeks behind clouds and small Pandas run to take kidneys and obtain their kidney powers. My chances of owning Harry Potter are about as likely as that being true. Plain terms I DON"T OWN IT!!!
Chapter 6: Classes, Costumes and an Explanation
"What the hell?" James exclaimed loudly behind Hermione.
"Still can't hold your tongue Potter? Pity."
Lucius Malfoy walked between the rows of desks until he reached the front of the class. He didn't look too different from his future self; same long blond hair which was gathered in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. He wore expensive looking robes though they were plainer then what he wore in the future and he still had that cane that concealed his wand. The only thing that shocked Hermione was hid presence at Hogwarts; she thought that he went straight into politics after he left school.
"I have returned to Hogwarts for one year as I must first work full time for that amount of time to work were I wish in the ministry. That does not, however, mean that I will not teach you all correctly. As much as I dislike some of you," here his eyes lingered on James and Sirius, "it is required that I teach you all equally."
Lucius then had them copy out notes of what they would properly study next class and while they did so, called the role. At most of the Gryffindor names he sneered or smirked at when they answered and to the Slytherin's he called out to them almost sounding nice. When Lucius came to Hermione's name he paused and looked up.
"Miss Storm? Ah a new student then. Would you please stay after class, I would like to know all my students."
Hermione seriously doubted this and figured he just wanted to know whether she was a new Gryffindor to torture and treat unfairly. The class continued on quietly enough with only 10 points taken from Gryffindor due to James' occasional rudeness to their new professor. The end of class came all too soon for Hermione though she heard Lucius ask Severus to stay back as well. Lily gave Hermione a sympathetic look as she left to catch up to Remus, probably to discus what they were going to go as to the ball.
When the last student left and the door closed Lucius turned to Severus.
"This is the girl I believe you were referring to, am I correct Severus?" Lucius asked with interest. He had never known Severus to have a proper friend besides that Evans girl and it intrigued him to know who had managed to gain his former classmates friendship.
"Yes Lucius. Could you not have told me that you were coming to teach?"
"Now why would I do that? It was far more interesting to see your faces. Dumbledore thought so too, when I informed him not to inform you of who I am. Now."
Lucius turned to face Hermione giving her a searching look, as if to see if she were worthy of befriending a Slytherin. She seemed to have passed what ever test he had thought up for her as he held out his hand for her to take.
"You must be an intelligent witch to have secured a friendship with Severus, so I would like it if we were to get to know each other as well, out of class of course," while his face was blank, Lucius' eyes gave a way that he was worried about her answer.
'People must already fear him slightly for his background. I'm supposed to be half blood so I should know about his family, so he must be worried that I'm going to refuse based on what I've heard. Well I've befriended Severus so maybe this wont be so bad.'
Hermione took his hand with a smile. Lucius seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as he told her to call him by his first name out of class and behind closed doors. After they talked for a while longer he bid them both good bye and ascended up the stairs to where his office was. Just as Severus was about to leave Hermione caught his arm to hold him back. He looked at her quizzically until he realized she wished to continue their conversation in the library here.
"So Sev," Hermione asked lightly. "What did you want to go as?"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"WHAT!"
"Calm down Lily."
"Calm down? Do you realize that you've done the impossible?"
Hermione and Lily sat in their empty dormitory so they could finish off the finishing touches on their costumes before the Halloween Ball that was to take place later that evening. Hermione had just finished telling Lily who she was going with and besides being upset that she wasn't informed the moment she said yes she wasn't overly fussed. In fact she thought it was the best thing and had worked twice as hard on Hermione's costume.
After much arguing both Hermione and Severus agreed that they would go muggle style and go as a witch for Hermione and…
"You won't say it's the impossible when you find out what his going as. A vampire, of all the muggle things and he has to choose that!"
"Well," Lily began looking thoughtful. "You can't say it doesn't suit him and you know he would never wear anything with a lot of colours."
"I know but still…"
As Lily and Remus, who after much persuasion by Sirius, decided to go as a werewolf, where in the same house they got to see each other immediately and it was very odd to see a werewolf walk along with a fire red fairy walking next to him. Lily had decided that she was going to go red all over… literally all over. She had discovered a spell to make her skin go a light shade of red which looked darker as her new wings came over, shadowing her back.
Hermione had created a dark purple satin dress with long black net sleeves. On her head she wore a purple witch's hat with a ribbon made of the same material as the dresses sleeves, which trailed down to her back. The dress itself was plain with a thick black leather belt with three much thinner ones came off, getting longer each time.
She met Severus in the Entrance Hall and had almost mistaken him for a real vampire until he came over and explained that Lucius had decided to take it upon himself to 'help' his young Slytherin friend prepare. In other words he tied Severus to a chair and did spell after spell to make his character perfect. Hermione didn't envy the treatment he got though Lily was almost as bad where her hair was concerned; Lily spent the better half of an hour 'fixing' Hermione's hair until it was just lightly curled, more wavy then anything.
The ball itself was fantastic. As usual live bats flew around as they liked and huge carved jack-o-lanterns hung in the air, large spider webs were hanging in corners and the Weird Sisters, who had come to play, had dressed for the occasion some dressed as skeletons and others as witches like Hermione. Even the main singer had gone all out and had dressed up as a proper zombie.
As the night moved on Hermione had danced twice with Remus, twice with Lucius, once with most of the Gryffindor's in her year and had been tricked into dancing with Sirius. This is who she was now dancing with looking around for either Severus or Lucius to get her away from dancing with the boy who had cut in with her second dance with Remus. Luckily for her, Severus had seen what had happened and while it annoyed him to see her dance with Lupin it drove him mad to see her with Black of all people.
"If you don't mind Black I'd like to dance with my date," Hermione said, quickly waving needlessly to get Severus' attention.
Sirius stopped dancing out of pure shock.
"You actually agreed to go to the ball with him?!" Sirius asked sounding disgusted.
"Yes she did Black, do you have a problem with that?" Severus sneered, looking at Sirius with loathing in his eyes.
"No? Good now if you'll excuse us," Severus said coldly, turning away with Hermione before Sirius could reply.
They were a little awkward at first but they soon began to relax as they danced together ending the night on a better note then they had started.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Present time)
"Sirius! What are you doing here?" Harry asked in surprise when he saw the speaker.
Sirius Black and Remus Lupin walked through the office door both looking sad and tired. Sirius had a look of disbelief on his face and couldn't look Harry or Ron in the eye, keeping his face down and partially covered by his hair. Remus, however, faced the two boys not looking at all surprised at who else was in the room.
"Hello boys, Mr Malfoy, Lucius, Severus," Remus said, trying to keep the tension as low as he could with Severus and Sirius in the same room.
"So Albus informed you two as well?" Severus said, his voice sounding resigned and lacked its normal venom.
Lucius was staring in disgust at the other man that had now joined the room.
"What's wrong Black? Feeling bad now that you've realized who you spent your time insulting?" Lucius asked, the words practically dripping with sarcasm.
"I think," Remus cut in, looking at the three confused teens sitting in front of them. "We should first explain to the boys who Hermione Storm was. In general and to us personally." He finished sending a significant look in Severus' and Lucius' direction.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OMG that was four pages long and nearing five! That's the longest chapter so far so please enjoy it and make happy by pressing the little button at the bottom of the screen and tell me what you think so far.
Lady of Elysion