A/N: longer chapter this time, but again it covers a short amount of time. I'm dropping song names, but I'm not associated with them in any way except to really like them. Propaganda, if you will. About the story, I'm flying by the seat of my pants with it, and welcome any feedback that anyone has.
I felt a rumbling in my throat, and far away heard a deep groan. Everything hurt, and I felt myself being lifted by someone.
"Come on, you little sack of potatoes," said a faraway voice. My body protested as it was moved by this voice. It must have been death eaters. We had been captured again and were being carried (why carried? Apparate, it's less painful) away to Voldemort. He was going to get Harry. Had Harry gotten away? I didn't know. I didn't know where I was, or what was happening. A few ages later, I felt a gentle prodding of a wand over various parts of my body. I cringed, awaiting even more pain. But the pain lessened instead of getting worse as the prodding continued, and I gradually felt numb. But what about Harry? Was he OK? I tried to open my eyes, to move my body, but I felt paralyzed. I just wanted to rest.
"I just cleaned her up. She had a lot of bruises, and they did a real number to her face, but it's alright now. I don't think she needs the hospital wing." Draco Malfoy? What?
"Well, I'll see about that. Is this ankle broken, or sprained? A break will need skele-gro, but I don't think… it's just a sprain." McGonagall too. But I hurt too much to be dreaming.
My ankle stopped throbbing, and I felt numb. So they fixed it. But what a strange combination of people. And a hospital wing? Then I remembered. Hogwarts. Head girl. I went outside, and the people… who were they?
I sat up and looked around a bit too quickly, but I shook it off.. Malfoy and McGonagall looked surprised.
"Who did that? How did I get here? Did anyone see-"
"It was a few blokes from Slytherin, they ran off as I came out. They flew away on broomsticks, I didn't see their faces. I don't think everyone there has given up the war entirely. I'm going to go down to my house to have a talk with everyone. I think there may be a bit of a rebellion this year, but I'll warn them… what is the punishment for attacking the head girl? And as a hate crime left over from the war?" Malfoy looked fairly sinister as he talked.
"Expulsion," spat McGonagall. "Malfoy, You and Professor Sintak go address your house. I'll tend to Ms. Granger in my office. Meet us there when you are finished." Malfoy nodded once and left. I didn't know Sintak well. He looked like Snape, but not so greasy or menacing, and 20 years younger, and with a german accent. So, he was nothing like him, but I swear they looked exactly alike. He was the new Slytherin head of house. I didn't get a very good vibe from him.
McGonagall and I spoke quietly as we went to her office. "Are you alright?" she asked. "Does anything still hurt?" she looked over me with her severe eagle eyes.
"Only my pride," I muttered. "My best mates and I kick the Dark Lords Ass, but I still got it from a few Slytherin kids." I glanced up at her. She had a wry little smile, and I couldn't tell if she was amused or of the smile was for my benefit.
"Well, when they put a bag over your head with no warning, it can't be considered a fair fight. The fact that you even got one hit in was impressive, they got to your wand almost before you. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore." The last three words were directed at the familiar gargoyle that turned and revealed a staircase up to her office. We hiked up it and sat down in her office.
I decided to ask her a question I had had since I got her letter. I hesitated, and sat in thought. I didn't want to phrase it wrong, but I had to ask. I dreaded it though. McGonagall had always scared me a little.
Professor, um, headmistress, uh, Mcgona-" well this was starting off well. Out with it, jackass, "why did you choose Malfoy, of all people, to work beside me as head boy?"
She smiled. "I figured you would ask that. Malfoy's upbringing was very difficult, and much different than yours. He had to obey his father." She looked wistful, "in families like his, you have no choice. His parents were his biggest, well, in all honesty, his only influence. With them gone, he's free to become a functional member of a peaceful society. I want to help him with that. Even he deserves a second chance."
I nodded thoughtfully. "But what made you decide to help him? Was it your decision or did he come to you?"
McGonagall was quiet for a moment before answering me. "I think that's up to him to tell you. It's his story, and it's somewhat personal."
"Alright, I understand. How did you know that we could work together?"
She smiled again. "I didn't."
Oh, great. Thanks, headmistress. I didn't have time to say much else, because just then, Malfoy walked in with Sintak. They both looked very angry. Malfoy spoke first. I found it amazing just then that Malfoy was so good at taking charge of things. I suddenly understood why McGonagall praised his leadership skills.
"So, I talked to Sintak and we decided that I should walk in to the common room first, as a student, and get a feeling for what was going on." They exchanged frustrated glances. "They are feeling very rebellious. Almost the whole house was down there, the password is 'Azkaban' in honor of the heroes there." He glowered. Sintak spoke.
"You'll have to be quite careful guarding your head girl. If the punishment for harming her is expulsion, then there just may not be a Slytherin house by the end of the year. Malfoy and I managed to settle them down, but they seem to think that we have done something very wrong. We told them that the war was over, and they could finish it in a mass detention in the great hall for 3 hours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. The quidditch team is not happy. They're missing their first two practices." He smiled at me and winked. "I did that on purpose."
I laughed despite the gravity of the situation. Maybe he was alright after all. I yawned. This was a terrible start to the year, but I was tired. I wanted to go to sleep. McGonagall seemed to understand that it was almost midnight and classes were tomorrow, because she fairly jumped out of her seat and ran us to our dorm, dismissing Sintak abruptly.
When Malfoy and I got there, I couldn't help but be in a good mood. The common room was huge, as big as my house, with a kitchen and a huge bookshelf containing all our books for the year and then some. Rich gold and dark green was the color scheme, going together surprisingly well. Two set of staircases framed the back wall. Lions guarded the one on the left, and snakes climbed the wall of the right. Three guesses who went where. Malfoy and I grinned at each other. He booked it to his room as I skipped steps to my-
Palace! Red walls, gold trim, huge black desk with plenty of shelving (all my belonging organized perfectly, including stuff I'd left at home) king sized bed with a canopy and at least 30 feet of floor space with a thick rug on it. A walk in closet to the left of the bed and to the right was a bathroom with an enormous tub/ shower and two sinks. Two sinks. That meant sharing. I'd have to tell Malfoy that I got the shower in the morning. Just then he busted in.
"I get the shower in the morning! Dibs!" he shouted, and burst out laughing. He did that a lot these days.
"Goddammit, you dick! No! I need the shower, if I don't get it, I'll die, I swear!" What the hell?!? That was my shower!!! I'd get him back. I'd just wake up earlier. No one woke up earlier than me. He looked at me soberly.
"Well if that's how you feel about, then, umm, nope, showers still mine. Hey, I wanna see your room!" he said jokingly and brushed past me. I went in after him. He walked immediately up the stereo, which I hadn't packed, but wound up here anyway, thank Merlin.
"What's this? Muggle thing? What's it do?" he seemed to be in a playful mood, and was examining it with chidish interest. Who was this guy? It couldn't be the same Malfoy that I knew and loved, this guy was silly, talkative. He was, in a word, good.
"It's my stereo. It plays music." I hit the power button and turned onto my favorite CD- Bleed Like Me, a Garbage album. Bad Boyfriend started playing loudly. He looked at me sideways. I realized how provocative the song was and switched it to Run Baby Run. He looked at me with a happy face that showed recognition, or a realization of some kind.
"What?" I asked slowly. At this point, I had no idea what he would do. I had to change his name, he was so different. I had to… call him Draco, I suppose. I just then realized he'd been calling me Hermione, not Granger, and though I didn't remember exact times he'd done it, I knew it had slipped out of his mouth recently.
"Muggle stuff, at least, the musical kind… is pretty cool. I like it. Can it get louder?" I couldn't believe my ears. He liked my normal person toys. I knew I shouldn't feel giddy, like I'd won some battle or showed someone the light, but I felt very proud of myself.
"OK," I told him. "But you asked." I grinned as I pushed the bass button and turned the volume to max level. His eyes went wide as the music blared. He ran out of the room. I had no idea why, so I followed him. He ran down the stairs and cocked his head.
"You can hear it down here, too? They do this without magic? Impressive." Purebloods. Don't know shit.
"It's science, dude." Muggles are very clever at inventing things that make their world easier, since they have it so hard." He flopped down on the couch and looked at me, puzzled.
"Science? What's that do?" OK, I knew he knew what science was. I didn't get what he meant, but I guess he meant how did muggles manipulate it to get loud music like the din coming from upstairs.
"I guess they learn enough about the laws of physics and nature to make their own magic without breaking those laws."
"We don't break the laws of nature."
I laughed. "Yea, broomsticks are very aerodynamic. I know that my parents can't get theirs off the ceiling." He nodded and laughed. "I'm hungry," he decided suddenly, and darted into the kitchen. "Want anything?" he called out.
"Umm, what is there?" I asked loudly, over the dull roar of the music. I needed to turn that off, I didn't know if it reached out into the hallway or not. Probably, not, I'd assume there was some spell to silence between rooms, and if not, then the walls were made of thick stone.
"Everything from dinner, I guess the house elves just give us leftovers. Oh, butterbeer, also."
"butterbeer, please, and some chicken!" I called back. I ran upstairs to switch the music off, change into pajamas, and run back down. When I got downstairs, I laid back on the couch next to the fireplace. The flames were crackling and the room was warm. I wore a purple tank top and shorts, it was only early autumn and the weather was still appropriate for it. When Draco walked in, he blanched. Or double-taked, or whatever it is that you call it when a guy almost drops two plates and bottles and his chin hits the ground. He recovered in a half a second and I pretended not to notice. I sat up and sniffed the food.
"Mmm, yay," I said, and 2 seconds later looked wistfully at the empty plate. I sipped my butterbeer and took my plate to the kitchen.
"Thank you for the late supper, my good sir, and sleep well," I said in an overdramatized royal voice.
"you too, madam," sniffed a suddenly uppity Draco, "don't steal my shower!"
That asshole. Way to ruin my good time. Of course I would, though. Tomorrow morning classes started. at 9 AM. So, I needed to be up at 6 to get a shower and breakfast, and of course I needed to check in with my group and tell them all the news… I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.