A/N – I hope you like it and…again…love back story and Scarlett and Amber-Rose!
The next several days passed in somewhat of a blur. Ron seemed to have distanced himself a little from Hermione so Harry relayed the news that Ron had made the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Scarlett and Amber-Rose tried to excuse Malfoy's behaviour but they had to admit that he had acted with immaturity and Hermione was grateful to them. She was beginning to get used to being in Slytherin. She stayed out of Pansy and Draco's way and everything just seemed normal.
Most of her evenings used to be spent in the library or in the Common Room with Harry and Ron. These days she found herself in the Slytherin Common Room, talking to Scarlett and Amber-Rose—once or twice even Arthur Diggory and Cordelia Gold. It felt like she was making friends, even being accepted into a group.
A day came when the Slytherins were sitting in Defense Against the Dark Arts, completely silent. Hermione knew that many of the Slytherins didn't like Umbridge, aside from Malfoy and some of her other personal favourites. Scarlett was sending notes flying around the room under the desks and up to this point Umbridge hadn't noticed.
Did anybody buy one of the Weasley's Skiving Snack Boxes? If not, pass it on.
The note reached Hermione and she frowned, looking up at Scarlett and shaking her head. Scarlett rolled her eyes and signalled for Hermione to simply pass it along. She had obviously figured out that Hermione wasn't the type to buy Fred and George's products.
Sighing, Hermione passed the note forward to Carlie Rosien and began to scribble her own note.
Scarlett, it might be a good idea to write in code in future.
Fishing her wand out of her bag she sent the note flying towards Scarlett, who rolled her eyes when she opened it under the desk. Then Hermione went back to staring out the window, as she had already finished the book—something that had greatly displeased Umbridge.
"Professor Umbridge!"
The entire class turned to the voice to see Draco Malfoy sitting up in his chair, raising his hand in the air. There was something clasped in his fist and he was smirking. Hermione's eyes flew to Scarlett who was looking at the desk top, flushing intensely.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy" Umbridge stood up from her desk and clasped her hands in front of her, watching Malfoy. "Would you like some help?"
For a moment Malfoy looked indignant. However, he got over it pretty quickly and grinned again. "No, Professor. It's just that there is something I believe you need to know. Hermione Granger has been sending this note around the room" he stood up, walked towards Umbridge and handed Scarlett's note to her.
Hermione's face contorted and she felt a sudden urge to punch Malfoy much like she had in her third year. He was setting her up! He was still trying to annoy her! Why did he not just let it go and ignore her like she was with him?
Umbridge's face twisted into a smile as she read through the note. "Skiving Snack Boxes?" she asked, laughing a tiny laugh. "So, you are not enjoying my class Miss Granger?" her voice went up, turning her statement into a question. She sounded extraordinarily elated, as if she had been waiting for this chance for her whole life.
"That note wasn't mine!" Hermione exclaimed, anger bubbling over. She stood up and glared at Malfoy who simply cocked his head and smirked at her. "I don't know wrote it but I just passed it on!" She had to lie, she didn't really want to get Scarlett into trouble either. "Malfoy is lying" she finished, folding her arms.
"Regardless of the situation, whether you passed it on or wrote it yourself, you are still guilty" Umbridge said simply, tossing the note onto her desk and placing her hands on her hips. "Detention, my office, tomorrow night"
"Dolores?" came Professor Singlia's voice from the door. She stood there, leaning casually against the doorframe. Her hair was pinned out of her face today, tied in a messy bun on top of her head. "I think I may be able to help this situation"
"You?" Umbridge asked, coughing quietly. "How do you expect to help Shaylene?" It didn't seem as if Umbridge approved of Singlia very much.
"I would like Hermione and Draco to follow me; I wish to speak with them. Oh, don't worry…" she added, seeing Umbridge's eyes narrow. "You can still have Hermione for her detention tomorrow, I can't object to that"
"Fine" Professor Umbridge snapped, not best pleased. "Take them; Miss Granger hasn't got anything to do anyhow"
Her jaw set, Hermione followed Singlia out the door, Malfoy walking behind. Why was it that every single time something happened to her Singlia got involved? Had Dumbledore put her on a permanent Hermione watch? Why could he not have put a more likeable teacher on duty to keep an eye on her? And these days it always seemed she was stuck with Malfoy.
Singlia led them, not to her classroom, but to her office instead. She ushered them inside, closing the door behind them.
"I trust you are wondering why you are here" she said, seating herself behind her desk and looking at them. Malfoy and Hermione looked at each other, then around the room without speaking.
Much like her classroom, it was completely surprising. The windows had no drapes whatsoever. Instead there were twinkling charms hanging down where drapes should be, clinking against each other with each gust of wind. The walls were rainbow coloured, making Hermione feel sick. The floor was carpeted, really soft carpet that your feet sunk into and there were pictures covering the walls. Looking closer, Hermione noted that they seemed to be pictures of Singlia. Not Singlia now but Singlia when she was in Hogwarts, in her childhood.
"You knew my father" Malfoy said, looking at the pictures also.
Professor Singlia smiled, nodding her head. "Only through your mother really, as she was in school when I was. We don't keep in contact much now, however…I think your family was a little disgusted at some of my other…relationships" she smiled, shrugging her shoulders.
"You knew Sirius Black!" Hermione exclaimed, staring at a picture close to Singlia's desk. It depicted Singlia and Sirius. Sirius had his arm around her and they were smiling stupidly. They looked about seventeen years old.
"That is true" Singlia's smile faded a little. "Before his name was tainted and he showed his true colours that is. We dated for awhile when we were in school. He got a lot of grief for having a relationship with a Slytherin and it didn't end too well. He ditched me for Marlene McKinnon…he was quite the heartbreaker, Sirius was"
"Why are we here?" Malfoy snapped, turning away from the pictures and staring at Singlia. "Are we in trouble? I didn't do anything, it was Granger"
"Well, actually the topic of Sirius is quite relevant to why you are here" she smiled, staring at the picture again. "I have been watching you two and I believe I have figured it out. You two, Hermione and Draco, are Sirius and I"
"What?" both of them jumped back at spoke at once.
"Yes" Singlia shrugged, brushing a stray hair from her eye and watching something fly in through the window. "Sirius and I hated each other for years…just like you two. It's actually a common thing to see. People who hate each other often harbour deeper feelings. It seems to me that the same applies to you" she pointed at them each in turn. "Hermione, I trust you have heard that boys tease and taunt when they like you-"
"But that's not even true! And if it was, it's stupid. You can't win a girls heart by being mean" Hermione insisted, looking towards the door. Had Singlia honestly trapped them in here to talk about their non-existent relationship? She was really peculiar and irritating.
"Hermione…" Singlia began, understandingly. "I am merely giving you an outsider's opinion and trying to get you two to make peace"
"What is with you and peace anyway?" Malfoy snapped, looking just as miffed as Hermione. "You're always trying to get us all to make peace with each other. It's never going to happen, especially not with The Dark Lord…and it's just the way it is"
"If you must know, my mission has been set by the Headmaster himself. However, I can't say much more"
"Of course you can't" Hermione muttered, looking down at her hands to hide her moving lips.
"Well, Hermione…really it's either Draco or Ron Weasley" Singlia told her, raising her thin eyebrows and reclining in her seat. Hermione's eyes grew wide. Did Singlia think that would change her mind? Why was she trying to change her mind?
"Okay, I'm not interested in Granger. I could never…I wouldn't…" Malfoy was beginning to splutter, his sentences becoming disjointed. Then, shaking his head as if to clear it, he turned and began to stalk out of the room. His robes flew behind him and he was just placing his hand on the doorknob when Hermione spoke.
"Well, that's fine!" she snapped, causing him to pause in his tracks. "I'd rather have Ron than you any day!"
Her words hung in the air and Malfoy turned his head, staring at her. It seemed like Singlia was holding her breath. Then within seconds Malfoy had turned back around and was moving towards her, looking irritated.
Then a surprising thing happened. Hermione found her vision blocked by Malfoy and suddenly his lips were on hers and everything stopped, changing in a moment. It took her several seconds to come back from the shock and attempt to shake him off.
Before she had a chance to speak he turned and headed towards the door again. When he reached it he turned one last time, looking pleased with himself.
"Say that now" he said, before sweeping out the door.
Hermione had left Singlia's office without another look in her direction. This was just another thing to add to the list of reasons she hated her. It was all her fault; she had made Hermione say what she'd said. It was obvious that was why Malfoy had kissed her, there was no other reason.
Down to her Common Room she went, uttering the password and walking up to her dormitory trying to act normal. It was hard not to give away her anger, but this time she didn't want to have to explain it.
"Hermione, hey!" Scarlett greeted when she walked in. Amber-Rose and Scarlett were sitting on Amber's bed and had been deep in conversation before Hermione had entered. "What did Singlia want?"
"She just…waned to talk to me about what happened with Ron and Malfoy last week" Hermione said, shrugging and lying as smoothly as possible. Then she flopped down on her bed and began to read Hogwarts: A History to try and clear her mind.