A/N – Don't you just love how Scarlett is in this chapter? I'm sorry it's kind of short and nothing really happens that much but there is some good stuff coming.
As she trailed behind Amber-Rose and Scarlett, Hermione realized she had never been so excited for Care of Magical Creatures in her life. She had just suffered through an hour of Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Umbridge who seemed greatly pleased that Hermione was without her best friends. But now she was going to get to see them, at last.
"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, seeming genuinely pleased to see her as she walked towards them, grinning broadly. "I forgot you would be in this class." Harry and Ron were standing underneath a tree not too far from where Malfoy was standing. Hermione sighed, mind flashing to his constant mutterings of 'Mudblood' whenever he saw her in the Common Room or at the Slytherin table.
"It's a shame Hagrid isn't back" Ron continued, leaning back against the tree once more and watching Professor Grubbly-Plank critically. "This would be the best class ever"
"I'm glad you missed me" Hermione told him, sincerely. "The Slytherins are…well, I have to share a Dormitory with Pansy so I suppose that gives you enough of an insight" she shivered involuntarily. As it turned out, Amber-Rose's comment about Pansy snoring was true and Hermione had not gotten a decent night sleep.
Ron and Harry screwed up their noses and laughed.
"Poor Hermione" Harry said, sympathetically.
"Maybe you could strange her in her sleep for us?" Ron suggested, hopefully.
The class passed in a pretty normal fashion. Once the trio forgot the fact that Hermione had moved houses it all just fell into place. They talked once more about where Hagrid might be and Hermione made a quick note that Professor Dumbledore had indeed been distant, not just from Harry but from all his students—however, she didn't feel she should elaborate.
Disappointment flooded Hermione's heart the minute the class ended and Scarlett stood over by a tree quite far from Hagrid's cabin, waving to get Hermione's attention. Harry and Ron exchanged a look.
"That's Scarlett Maddox, isn't it?" Harry inquired, raising an eyebrow at Hermione. She nodded.
"She lives not too far from me" Ron pitched in, shrugging. "I've known her since we were kids. She's alright…bit quiet sometimes though"
"Not since I've known her" Hermione smiled, laughing a little. Scarlett was still waving frantically, thinking Hermione hadn't noticed her yet.
"HERMIONE!" she called, voice carrying the distance between them. "ARE YOU COMING?" Hermione couldn't help but smile at Scarlett's enthusiasm…and the noise she was making, 'causing several people walking away from Hagrid's hut to stare at her.
Pausing in her tracks Hermione nodded at Scarlett, who immediately took a breath and stopped flinging her arms around. Then Hermione turned to Harry and Ron, looking apologetic.
"It's fine" Harry said, while Ron fell unusually silent. "We know you can't eat lunch with us…better you hang out with Scarlett Maddox than Crabbe." Ron nodded stiffly and forced a smile onto his face. Hermione could see it was forced, and although it should make her feel sad it actually lightened Hermione's sprit a little.
"HERMIONE!" Scarlett yelled again, waving only one hand now. "I'M HUNGRY AND AMBER-ROSE ALREADY LEFT!"
Scarlett's comment, although screamed towards them, lifted the tension a little and they all laughed.
"I suppose you're right, at least she can carry on a conversation" Hermione smiled, nodding at Scarlett a second time. "Okay, I'll see you later" and she quickly hugged them both before running off to join her new friend.
"Finally!" Scarlett exclaimed, exasperated. "I was suffering from starvation and all you wanted to do was talk to your friends for hours on end. I'm planning to throw a rock at Amber-Rose for ditching me, no consideration for others whatsoever"
"I'm sorry for keeping you" said Hermione, rolling her eyes. "But they are my best friends and I was snatched away from them against my will"
"I know, I know" Scarlett waved her hand, a smaller movement than before. "I'm sorry. Maybe I'm still sore on the time Ron hit me in the head with his broom when we were five" she grinned, her eyes crinkling a little. "You know…its so weird talking to a Gryffindor. I don't know why, it just feels different. Like, we're getting to see the inner-workings of something. And I'm talking to a Gryffindor whose friends with Harry Potter—the Chosen One or whatever they're calling him now. You were with him when he got through all those challenges to get the Philosophers Stone, that's pretty amazing. And…"
That was the way it was all the way to the Great Hall. Scarlett would latch onto a new topic every few minutes and held a very successful one-sided conversation—only one sided because she didn't give Hermione a chance to speak. Scarlett shared some childhood stories of Ron, went over some of Harry's adventures and even went into a tangent on Sirius Black and whether he was actually guilty or not.
"I mean, I read the Quibbler and I know he's not that Stubby guy they say he is but what if it wasn't him!" her eyes grew wide as they entered the Hall and they shrunk back to normal size the minute she spotted Amber-Rose. She began running towards the table and grabbed a ham sandwich before she had even taken her seat.
"We were just talking about Sirius Black, Rose" Scarlett filled her in, while Hermione simply smiled and shrugged. "You know that Quibbler story and whether he's actually guilty or whatever!"
Amber-Rose nodded, rolling her eyes toward Hermione. "Lately Scarlett's been fascinated with who's guilty and who's not. I don't know, sometimes I wonder if it has something to do with her distracting herself after Cedric's death"
"Oh, right…" Hermione said, realization dawning on her. "You guys were friends with Cedric….Cordelia Gold as well"
Scarlett nodded, looking down at her plate and filling it quietly. "Cordy more than us, but I was pretty close to him. I think it's Cordelia who's doing the distracting though, she hasn't talked to us as much since we got back to school…she hasn't talked to anyone as much"
"Happier topics, happier topics" Amber-Rose ordered.
So they began discussing Professor Umbridge and Professor Singlia, great dislike evident in both conversations. Then they proceeded to talk about all the houses and the people in them in turn and by the end of that conversation lunch was over.
"'Mione" came Ron's familiar voice from behind her in the corridor. She turned, a welcoming smile on her face. Previously she had been heading back to the Slytherin Common Room but the prospect of spending time with Ron was much more inviting.
"Where's Harry?" she asked, though she didn't mind him not being there. It would be nice to have a conversation with Ron alone for a change. Not that spending time with Harry wasn't nice but on the odd occasion when Hermione would admit her true feelings to herself, she thought it might be nice to spend some alone time with the one she was actually interested in.
"Detention with Umbridge" Ron answered, sighing. "Another one from that first class. He's going to miss Quidditch trials and everything!" That thought seemed to bother Ron quite a bit though Hermione couldn't figure out why.
"So…how is Slytherin, really?" he asked, voice turning serious as they began to walk side by side. "I'm…happy that you're making friends." He didn't sound too happy but Hermione didn't want to damage the moment by pointing that out.
"I wouldn't call it making friends, but they're okay" she told him, hoping that would make it better. He did perk up a little. "It's okay though, I mostly keep to myself. I suppose I'll just have to get used to Mudblood being my permanent nickname"
In the instant it took for Ron's ears to turn red and his jaw to set, Hermione knew she had said the wrong thing. She could see him beginning to scan the halls, looking for who he knew would be the main culprit. As though Ron had obtained all the luck in the world, there he was.
Draco Malfoy, sauntering down the halls with Pansy Parkinson at his side and Crabbe and Goyle bringing up the rear. Their robes were billowing out behind them and they looked as though they were trying to become the next Madam Malkins robe models.
As if there was radar set inside his mind, Malfoy honed in on Ron's intense glare and his face broke out into a smirk. Pausing for only a fraction of a second, he began to make his way towards them with his friends at his heels. Hermione wasn't stupid, she could tell this was going to end badly and she immediately began talking frantically to Ron.
"Whatever it is you're thinking of doing…don't!" she insisted, her face flushed. "He's not worth it, in fact he's been almost better since I joined the house. You don't have to…defend me or anything, I'm fine. I told you…the rest was just a throwaway, a joke. I didn't mean for you to take it so seriously"
"Hermione…" Ron said, narrowing his eyes at her. "Stay out of it"
Worry and irritation bubbled up inside her and she stamped her foot, feeling a little silly, to relieve the tension.
"Well, if it isn't Weasley and Granger" Malfoy drawled, coming to halt in front of them and eyeing them—a small glint in his eye. "What are you so wound up about Weasley? Nervous about the Quidditch trials?" Ron flushed a deeper shade of scarlet and Malfoy seized onto his attack. "Yes, Weasley—I did see you flying last night. Not very good, are you? No wonder you thought you needed all the extra practice"
Feeling confused as to what Malfoy was talking about, Hermione jumped to Ron's defense.
"You leave him alone!" she hissed. "Even if Ron was terrible...which I'm sure he's not, the Gryffindor team would beat you any day. You can't deny that, seeing as you haven't won a match since Harry joined the team"
Malfoy glared at her. "Stay out of this, Mudblood" he snapped and Pansy laughed her ear-splitting laugh.
Everything happened so fast. Within seconds Ron's wand was in his hands and Malfoy was on the floor, knocked backwards by Ron's spell. Hermione immediately began pleading with Ron not to do anything and somewhere in the midst of the Slytherins jeering, Malfoy shouting and Hermione's pleas, Malfoy's face became rather disfigured. Growths, oozing puss had erupted all over it and Ron was looking on, seemingly satisfied.
"'easly udo dis 'ow!" was all that Malfoy could manage through the puss filling his mouth. It was a grotesque sight and Hermione looked down, biting her lip. To be honest, she was somewhat impressed with Ron's magic but she knew that nothing good was going to come of it.
"MR. WEASLEY!" gruff and distinguished—Professor Singlia's voice broke the shouts.