Goodness, it has been forever! Is anybody still out there? Hellooooooo! I've returned with a shiny new chapter! So sorry about the long wait, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please leave a review to make me one very happy author, and thank you so much to those of you who have read/reviewed/followed/favourited. It really means a lot!
Disclaimer: I own the plot alone!
"I'm telling you Harry, there's definitely something different about Draco."
Harry bit his lip and pushed his glasses up his nose after they had slid down because of the unsteadiness of the carriages taking them to the school. Ron snorted and crossed his arms, "What could possibly different about ferret-face?"
Hermione looked down at my hands, "Well for one, he's not exactly a ferret-face anymore."
Ron frowned, "What do you mean?"
She sighed and wondered what the best way would be to break it to Ron and decided on bluntness, any attempt at subtlety would just go right over his head. "I mean he's handsome, Ronald. He's suddenly got very handsome."
Both boys lurched forward at this, a gaping look on Harry's face and a murderous one on Ron's. "Where is the bastard? I'll kill him myself!"
"For what?" she asked indignantly.
Ron looked at her like she was stupid, "For putting some dark curse on you that makes you attracted to Malfoy, King of the prats!"
Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, "Do you really think he'd be able to curse me, Ron? I do know when I'm in my right mind. Besides, it's not only his appearance that's changed, I think his personality has too."
"In what way?" Harry asked over Ron's yelling.
Sighing again, she shrugged my shoulders, "Well, he didn't insult me at all. And when I looked into his eyes something just seemed to click, like I was filled with both absolute certainty and complete confusion at the same time. I don't know; it's hard to explain."
Ron chuckled in an exasperated way, and looked at Harry incredulously, "You seriously don't think he has her under some freaky mind control? Because it's sounding an awful lot like that to me! Forget that whole 'talking to him' bullshit, I think we should punch his lights out!"
Harry glared at him, "How does looking good make Malfoy evil?"
"Because," Ron said over-dramatically, "it causes smart girls like Hermione to fall prey to his masochistic depravity!"
Pinching the bridge of her nose Hermione mentally screamed at him. "Think about it Ron, Malfoy's been through hell, do you really think his looks are at the top of his priority list? Besides, I couldn't give a rat's arse about what he looks like; I'm more interested in his personality change. But to be honest, when it comes to Malfoy, any interest on my part is microscopic. So please, stop painting me as either a damsel in distress or an airhead who swoons whenever she sees an attractive male, because I assure you I am neither!"
"But he-"
"End of conversation, Ronald!"
Harry looked at her in awe, "You know Hermione, you're scary when you want to be!"
She huffed and slumped down in her seat, but gave him a small grin nonetheless knowing that he meant it as a compliment.
Just then, the castle came into view, looking equally daunting and magical against the inky-black sky and silver stars. It had been both a refuge and a danger magnet over the past years, its stone walls safe-guarding them against the danger outside whilst simultaneously leading them towards the danger within. The basilisk, the horcruxes, Fluffy the three-headed dog, but to name a few. However, as the golden light poured from the windows and gleamed like gems amongst coal, Hermione couldn't help but feel like she was finally home.
Harry gave a low whistle beside me, "Do you think that we'll manage a year of proper education with no interruptions?"
Ron scoffed, "Please, it wouldn't be Hogwarts without certain death lurking around every corner. There'll be a fair bit of mortal danger."
"No Ron," she said, almost to herself, "I think this year, the dangers we'll face will be that of the real world."
"Huh," said Harry, "the real world. It's been awhile since I really knew what that was. Do you think we'll fit in okay, now that we've finished our roles as saviours of the wizarding world?"
Neither Ron nor Hermione answered, and she suspected that they were both thinking similar things. Harry was right; they hadn't known anything different than madness for years. At that point, madness itself was normal for them.
Clapping absently at the end of Dumbledore's annual welcome speech, Draco continued to stare at his plate even after the applause had dwindled at the chattering had started up. All around him, he could hear his friends talking animatedly about the year to come. They had all walked into the great hall with their heads held high, even when the majority of the other houses stopped to stare at them. Draco had risked a quick peak at the headmaster then, and he had given him a respectful nod. He returned that with a small smile. Secretly, he was incredibly relieved to have the support of the headmaster after everything.
The same couldn't be said for the other students though. After they had sat down, all of the other three houses started whispering obviously about the Slytherins. The Gryffindors didn't even bother whispering, they were borderline yelling their distaste. Draco and his friends had taken it all with their heads held high and eventually everybody had moved on to other topics.
It was still daunting though, the fact that they had such a long journey to redemption. It was why Draco was sitting mutely staring at his plate as if it held all the answers. It didn't, though. The stupid piece of china just sat there in an extremely unhelpful way.
"Oi, Malfoy," said Theo, "the lads and I are all dying to know how exactly you became so fit over summer."
"You just keep getting gayer, don't you Nott?" he snarled back at him.
Theo put up his hands in mock-surrender, "Easy there, mate, I don't mean anything by it!"
"I think what Theodore is trying to say," Blaise said whilst glaring at the Slytherin in question, "is that something's changed about you, Draco. You don't have to tell us if you don't want to, but just know that we're here for you if you need to talk."
"Who's gay now?" sniggered Theo, causing Daphne to kick him under the table.
Nodding his appreciation to Blaise, Draco scanned the Great Hall wondering if his mate was anywhere here. His father had said that once he had seen her, he would feel inexplicably drawn to her. He would then only have to make skin contact and he would be certain. That is, assuming he found her in the given time period.
Sighing, he slumped further down into my seat and continued to stare glumly at the offending plate. From a few seats down Pansy Parkinson was letting out an unbelievably annoying whining; it was something about 'waiting list' and 'fur hat'. Probably another couture item she was currently being denied, Draco really couldn't care less. But her constant whinging was giving him a headache. It wasn't just her either; all the noise of the great hall seemed magnified in his head, making him feel dizzy.
Deciding that it had to just be one of his veela symptoms, Draco abruptly stood and made his way quickly to the doors. Before he reached them though, he was blocked by a smug-looking Gryffindor. Vaguely he remembered that it was some guy called Cormac McLaggen, but he was too preoccupied by the pounding in his head to recall anything further.
"You don't look so good Malfoy," crooned Cormac in an overly sarcastic way, "maybe you remembered that you have no place here. Filthy snake!"
Draco didn't comment back, however tempting it was. He had known that showdowns like this were going to be inevitable, and that he could not afford to lose his temper unless he wanted to make more work for himself.
Cormac sniggered, "What, no clever comeback? No preaching that you're above us all? No 'my father will hear about this'? My, how the mighty have fallen."
Gritting his teeth, Draco clenched his fist to stop it involuntarily reaching for his wand. Instead he carried on walking past Cormac with a neutral expression. Then he felt a wand poking into the back of his neck.
"Don't you dare ignore me, you piece of shit!" Cormac hissed, jabbing the wand painfully into Draco's neck. By now they had the attention of the entire hall, and several of the Slytherins had risen evidently to defend their housemate. He halted them with a wave of his hand, he could deal with this by himself.
He turned slowly, as to not elicit any sudden curses from Cormac's wand. Flicking it to the side when he was fully facing the Gryffindor, he raised his eyes to meet Cormac's.
"I don't think it's wise to start a wand fight in the middle of the great hall, do you McLaggen?"
Cormac's features twisted and he snarled audibly, raising his wand to hit Draco. Before he could though, his wand flew out of his hand and clattered to the floor. Both of the looked up to see Harry aiming at Cormac's wand, a scowl on his face. "Malfoy's right, this isn't the place. Think about what you're doing, Cormac."
Draco's eyebrows raised in shock at hearing Harry potter agree with him on something. Then again, wonder-boy did always back the side that opted for tranquillity.
"Don't get in my way, Potter, this bastard has it coming! He needs to pay!"
"Yes, he does," said Harry simply, "but you are not the one to dole out punishments."
Cormac laughed in an ugly way, "What, and you are? Do you have any idea how many deaths he's been the cause of?" Still glowering, he crouched to pick up his wand and pointed it again right at Draco, "Do you have any idea how much suffering you've caused? You don't deserve to be here at Hogwarts. You don't deserve to still be allowed to use magic. You don't deserve to be alive!"
"Cormac, that's enough!" interrupted a new voice, belonging to none other than Hermione. She strode between Cormac and Draco, firmly glaring at the former. "It is forbidden to raise your wand in anger at another student. And you've just threatened the head-boy, not one of your smarter moves, I'll warrant."
Draco looked in shock at the petite brunette standing strong before him. At first it was slightly funny, watching her bring school rules and prefect hierarchies into a situation like this, but he could see the power manifesting behind those beautiful caramel eyes and he knew then and there that she was no-one to be trifled with.
Cormac glowered at her and grabbed her arm, yanking her painfully to the side, "This isn't any of your-"
Suddenly a great snarl erupted throughout the hall, and before he had registered that he was the cause of the noise he had whipped out his wand and had it aimed at Cormac's throat, fully intending to kill him.
A few seconds passed and no-one moved, no-one even breathed, before Harry put his hand on Draco's shoulder gently, "Malfoy, desist. Now."
Draco blinked confusedly a couple of times before turning to face Harry. A mixture of fear, awe and bewilderment danced around in his green eyes before he finally spoke, "Your irises, Malfoy, they turned black."
Slowly lowering his wand, Draco looked around the great hall. All eyes were fixed on him with horror and confusion. Only Dumbledore looked like he knew what was going on, he was sitting there smiling in his cryptic way,
Draco shook his head rapidly and strode out from the great hall, slamming the doors behind him. He then took off at a full sprint towards the nearest empty classroom. When he got there, he slammed his fists down on the desk, cursing endlessly beneath his breath.
It seemed his veela side had decided to come out at that incredibly inopportune moment, in front of the whole school as well. He was certain by tomorrow there would be all sorts of rumours flying around about him.
He couldn't understand why it had so suddenly flared, though. He had been held at wand-point plenty of times and had remained calm and composed. Something had changed. The moment that his veela had come out was the moment when Cormac had grabbed Granger but that just had to be coincidence. It couldn't have been because of her. Draco shook his head and laughed, there was absolutely no way that Hermione Granger was involved in his veela's appearance.
At least, he didn't think so.
"I see what you mean about Malfoy," said Harry quietly, when they were back seated at the table, "I just don't know what's changed."
Hermione looked at him with incredulity, "Harry, his irises turned black and he went completely savage for a few seconds!"
Harry looked thoughtful for a moment, "It was triggered by you getting grabbed by Cormac though. At least, I think it was."
She slumped back in her chair and shook her head, "Harry, what is it exactly that you are trying to say?"
"I honestly don't know Hermione; I just know that there is definitely something going on with Draco."
She refused to believe it, to believe that the reason Draco held another student at wand-point was because of her. It was completely illogical, completely irrational and completely crazy. Maybe she was going mad, maybe she was dreaming, but in no universe would Draco Malfoy ever defend her.
At least, she didn't think so.
There you have it folks! Hope you enjoyed and I shall try my best to update faster next time!
GoldieXx