Chapter Nine
AN: The long wait was due to me actually having a life outside of fanfiction. Hopefully it won't happen again for a while, but with holidays coming up, this will most likely happen again. Now go read.
Sept. 6, 1991-Hogwarts
Harry had been forced to wait until Friday when Gryffindor had Double Potions with Slytherins to be able to talk with Draco and Hermione. At all times during the week he had been watched by the older Gryffindors when not in class and during class he was always paired with Weasley. Not to mention that the rest of the Slytherins viewed him as the enemy, that would soon change weather they liked it or not.
He had made sure to send a note to Draco before class to make sure he would be able to get a seat on the Slytherin side with him and Hermione.
He entered the classroom a bit behind the bell, just enough that he wouldn't be counted absent and enough to make sure that there would be no other available seats on the 'Gryffindor' side of the classroom. There were two seats left, between Draco and Hermione or beside Theodore Nott. The other Gryffindors gave him mournful looks, but Harry just smiled happily as he sat between his friends. The rest of the Slytherins glared at him, but said nothing as Severus entered. He saw where Harry sat and resisted a sneer. He knew that problems could arise from Potters blatant disregard of the house rivalry.
Severus just turned to the board and wrote out the page numbers for the class to read as he began the lesson.
Three months passed without excitement. Harry made sure to keep in touch with Draco and Hermione through letters. The Gryffindors were very hard to get away from, he always had someone following him, it seemed. Though the rest of the first years had backed off after he and Weasley had gotten into a fight in the common room. Harry had won, though Weasley had put up a good fight. Now the older Gryffindors watched him even more closely.
He did find a few friends in Gryffindor. The twin brothers of Weasley, weren't half bad, their common interest of invoking havoc on the population of Hogwarts had brought them together. Soon the three became close, though the twins were a bit sore about him beating Ron for a while.
Draco and Hermione had found a way to get him to the Slytherin common room where they plotted to find a way to get him resorted into his 'proper' house. Harry had stopped the plotting though as he told them that he could begin finding supporters in his house, without the trouble of being distrusted. The two had agreed to that, but only if he wouldn't turn into a 'muggle loving fool like the rest of this school.'
December arrived and the trio made plan for what they would be doing at the Manor over the holidays. Harry felt the days pass by slowly as he counted down to the day when he wouldn't have to be constantly watched by the teachers and students.
Hermione, being the knowledge hungry witch she was, couldn't wait to be back at the Manor where her library awaited her, Lucius had sent her a letter telling about a new order of books that had come in. She missed the Malfoy library, the one at Hogwarts was only half the size of the one at the Manor. She also missed the quite days she could spend outside in the Malfoy garden. Draco, had oddly enough, missed his parents and couldn't wait to see his doting mother. Draco had not missed Tom, though both Hermione and Harry had.
The morning of the first day of the holiday arrived with a flurry of powered snow. The castle looked beautiful as the students rode their carriages to Hogsmeade to catch the Hogwarts Express.
"I can't believe you survived being around all those Gryffindors without throwing yourself off the Astronomy tower." Hermione commented as soon as they were locked safely in a train compartment. Harry grinned at her, Draco stayed silent.
"They got a bit irritating after the first night, most of them just wouldn't get the hint." Harry looked between his two friends and asked, "So how is Slytherin?"
"Fine." "Good."
Draco continued to look out of the window pensively. He wanted Hermione to go away. It wasn't that he didn't like her, it was just that he had spent so much time alone with Hermione and not enough time with Harry. He wanted to be able to talk to Harry with no interruptions. Just when it seemed that he would never get his wish, the door to their compartment opened to reveal Blaise Zabini. He gave Draco and Harry respectful nods, but then looked directly at Hermione.
He spoke, "Hermione, would you like to join me and some other Slytherins in my compartment?" Hermione raised an eyebrow and then turned to look at Harry and Draco. They shrugged. She stood and slipped past Blaise into the corridor.
"I'd love to." She motioned for Blaise to lead the way. She shut the compartment door and with that Draco was alone with Harry. Harry smiled and waited for Draco to speak.
"Want to play chess?"
"Sure."
Hermione was curious. Blaise Zabini, who had never spoken to her before now, had just invited her to sit with him. The boy opened the door to his compartment and then stood aside to let Hermione to enter first. The reactions of the Slytherins already occupying the compartment were immediate. It was silent as Blaise entered and slid the door shut. Hermione wondered if the boy had committed some ghastly taboo by inviting her. She fingered her wand, ready to blast the other Slytherins should they breathe wrong. Then something extraordinary happened. Pansy Parkinson, who had made her disdain for Hermione known, stood and offered Hermione her seat. The Dark Lord's heir was now confused. And then Hermione's disturbingly steep learning curve made itself known and she understood. They knew. These Slytherins knew that she was The Heir. One of their parents had told and now they all knew. A disturbing thought wriggled its way into Hermione's mind, how many others knew. Had they told, did Dumbledore know? She gave herself a mental shake and narrowed her eyes as she took her seat. She cast her glance over all of the Slytherins, she sneered as they started to fidget.
"So you know who I am." It wasn't a question at all. The other Slytherins nodded nervously. Hermione's Cheshire grin transformed into an sinister smile, her eyes glinting malevolently as she purred, "Then we have a problem."
Review. And btw, due to certain things,it's not every 20 reviews update anymore. I'll update when I have a chapter or two done.
