side jokes. And his mind definitely not thinking of Hermione Granger….
Chapter 7:
Hermione exited the train with her three best friends to flashes and shouts. She put her arm over her eyes to shield the bright light. It was also reflex. The Daily Prophet, Quibbler, Witch Weekly, Teen Wiz, and many other popular magazines and newspapers had been following the gang all summer. She was surprised they didn't encounter them when they went to Diagon Alley. But then again they knew she would be here.
Why didn't they listen to me when I said we should Floo here? Or at least apparate into Hogsmeade…. God damn it. What the hell is so interesting in us anyhow? The war is over people! Everything you need to know is already out in all the rest of the papers!
"Are you looking forward to the new term?" one reporter asked shoving a quill and parchment close to Harry's face. "Do you think you even need to take Defense Against the Dark Arts?" asked another, to Ron. "Will it be different attending school here now that the late Professor Dumbledore is no longer Headmaster?" "JUST STOP!" Harry barked. Ginny snatched his arm and led them away. The-Boy-Who-Lived on a violent streak? Oh goodness they'd twist that last comment…. Hermione took the floor, "There is no question we have not already addressed and if you all don't mind we are going up to the feast….. And don't even think about following us! The castle has charms and wards against your kind." Before she turned around and stomped off she caught a watchful eye looking directly at her. Of course Malfoy was watching her tell off those reporters. He gave her a slight smirk then went about his business with his fellow Slytherins. He hadn't seen her look at him which was good because the press sure couldnt know about their new dynamic. No way.
They got on the carriages pulled by thestrals and the suddenly sad thought occurred to her: They could all see them now… Just then Luna Lovegood hopped in and greeted them warmly, "Hello my fellow Hogwartians!" Luna never failed to put a smile on her face. Although a bit odd Luna was the comic relief in a world shrouded in darkness. They all said hello and started chatting about Cronzorks or something new and terrifying Luna had most certainly just come up with. Apparently Cronzorks are a form of centipede that burrows into your hair at night and snarls it around. "I reckon Hermione's got a few Cronzorks in her head right now," Ron snorted. "Ha. Ha. Very funny Ron. I'll have you all know that I have an anti-frizzing potion that I use regularly!" she defended herself. "Well you need a more potent dose!" Harry joined in on the laughter. "It's the strongest they had!" Hermione started smiling, "Really! There's no taming this beast!" The group howled in laughter. Hermione's sides began to split. It had been so long since she really really laughed…
The feast was spectacular as usual. Anything you could ever want was spread out in front of the students under an enchanted starry ceiling. Professor McGonagall made the typical speech that Dumbledore had done in previous years and had mentioned that an extra area had been added in each House for the returning 2nd 7th year students. "This is a time for acceptance and tolerance!" She added with passion, "I will not abide by anyone being treated any differently because of their House, heritage, blood status, or anything of the sort! Those found guilty of such acts will be eligible for expulsion." With that last sentence the Great Hall grew silent… If only for a moment. "Expulsion?!" Ron whispered. And he wasn't the only one who had suddenly become silently chit chatting. The whole Hall buzzed with gossip and disbelief. "Silence!" the Headmistress clapped twice. The large castle room quieted down gradually. McGonagall continued with her announcements but Hermione had tuned it out. It was the same speech as the year before. Forbidden Forrest off limits etc etc etc…
How she always managed to catch him looking was beyond her. They locked eyes for the third time that day and he smirked. Then he…. he winked at her?!
That prat just winked at me!
She scowled at him.
Well now I know that he intentionally touched my ass. What a fucking perv…. Or was he hitting on me? Torturing me? ARGH!
Why couldn't she figure him out? Why couldn't she figure this out? It was maddening! The strand of 20 hairs twisted around her left index finger snapped into 5. Okay. Time to stop this. She turned to Ginny and said, "Hey…. Um…. There's something I really need to talk to you and Luna about…. Could we…." she motioned to go out on the grounds. Perhaps by the fountain? Or right under the Whomping Willow… Ginny got a look of excitement on her face and made a strange whistling noise. She grabbed Hermione's arm and drug her out of the Hall. She noticed that Luna, upon the whistle call, had gotten up and walked down her aisle and out the Great Hall doors not two seconds after them. Once they reached the empty courtyard Ginny lit up a fag and between side closed lips holding the tobacco said, "Don't tell Harry…" and proceeded to take a drag. The tip glowed fire orange as she sucked the tar into her cheeks. She pulled the cancer stick away and took a sharp inhale, passing the fag to Luna. Luna copied everything as if it were so very casual. Luna offered it to Hermione after a drag or two as Ginny waved her hands, "So?!" Hermione figured that her life was going to shit anyways and accepted the cigarette. She sucked a small amount into her cheeks and then pushed it out…. It tasted awful. After being scolded to not waste it she sucked in again, this time taking a slow breath in. She coughed immediately but was very much surprised by the amount of calm that rat poison flavored stick had given her. Drunk was different. Drunk was forgetting and pushing it away. This…. This was- management. Everything was able to be handled. She took another drag…. My goodness. The lightheadedness took her by surprise. So much so that she mumbled, "I had sex with Malfoy..." before she could stop herself.
Ginny dropped the cigarette on the cobblestone pavilion. Luna turned to look at her slowly, wide eyed. "What?!" Ginny finally gasped. Hermione looked around, buzz gone, suddenly embarrassed and very much guilty. "I…." she stammered, "I slept with Mal-" "You're joking right!?" Ginny interrupted heatedly. The bushy haired Gryffindor hung her head in shame and let out a great sigh. Perhaps this wasn't the lift she had been awaiting to be lifted off her shoulders. Perhaps she had just dug herself into a much deeper hole… "I…" she stammered again and fidgeted. The air was thick. Thick enough to be unable to differentiate between the oxygen and the carcinogens drifting ever so slowly into her face from the forgotten cigarette. "Ron and Harry would kill you if they found out!" Luna stated, feverishly. She snapped back to reality, "And they bloody well better not!" She looked at the two girls before her. They questioned her. Questioned her intelligence.
How could they….?
"Look," she started, "I fucked up, badly. I know it. Your faces don't have to remind me…. But Ginny, who kept the secret from Ron when you kissed Harry our 6th year?" Silence. "And Luna! Who kept it a secret from everyone that you have fancied Ron ever since he became Chaser our 5th year?" She felt her inner blackmailing Slytherin come out. "Look," she made her point, "We've all kept secrets from our friends for different reasons. My reason is that something changed after the Battle. Something changed in all of us. I regret what I have done and swear to you both on Dumbledore himself that it won't happen again and I would hate for either of you to tell anyone the biggest mistake I have ever made…." Hermione trailed off. "Well, I, for one am very proud of you Hermione Granger!" Luna spoke in her ever aloof yet inspirational manner, "You are a muggle-born! And being intimate with a blood-purist is nothing more than the equality Headmistress McGonagall was talking about!" Luna Lovegood gave her a genuine smile with a sparkle in her eyes that gave her confidence that she said nothing she didn't mean. Ginny didn't look her in the eye at all and only muttered a "Whatever…" as a agreement on their pact to never evertell Harry or Ron about this…. incident. They had a group hug- which was often shared by the 3 close witches- and even though it was half hearted by the youngest Weasley, it was made up for by the squeeze of the eccentric Lovegood. She knew they wouldn't tell. Not unless it threatened her safety or others'. That's how the group hug worked: forgiveness until the crime repeated itself…. Which it wouldn't. Hermione had promised herself that it wouldn't….
A Continuation….
As he winked at her, thoughtlessly, he could only reason one thing: he had to get her vulnerable again. Just to see if she was, indeed, the fearless unfaltering witch not only the school, but apparently the papers as well, had come to know and love. He wanted to prove everyone wrong. He wanted to prove she wasn't the most stubborn witch in all of the Wizarding or Muggle world. He needed to prove she was only human- not a saint- and she had wanted to taste the forbidden fruit. And would do it again. It was his goal. He wanted her to pay greatly for all those years of one-upping him. To pay for all of those years he had to explain to his beloved parents that a witch of "inferior birth" could best him at everything including getting away with rule breaking!
How dare she do that to me?
He thought about it bitterly at first but then calmed down with a beginning-of-term swig of Muggle scotch one of the first years had smuggled into the castle, of which Daphnee Greengrass had confiscated and he liberated from her possession. She didn't need such poison. He, however, needed the sips of caramel-like warmth to dull the ever obvious cold of the Slytherin dungeons. Once this elixir of the gods was finished he would have to give it up… He savored it. Swished it around in his mouth slowly, feeling the burn of alcohol on every inch of his tongue and gums, and then gingerly swallowed. He allowed the feeling of the stinging sensation down his throat and let it sink into his stomach.
Now there was a fine word, sink. How could she do this to me? It was a fucking one night stand! How the hell do I get her out of my god damn mind!?
She was all he could think about. Not even in a positive way. When Pansy plopped down on his lap he thought about how much bonier Grangers ass would have been. But then he remembered: her ass wasn't boney, it was tiny yet firm, like she had actually worked on it but not so much so that it didn't have a little squeeze to it….. He stopped himself. He couldn't get aroused. He had no intention of sleeping with Pansy tonight. And then it clicked! Something to un-alienate Blaise Zabini again! "Blaise, a word," he said as he moved Pansy off him. Blaise led the way out of the dungeon passageway and Draco followed. Blaise had known it was top-secret. "Whats going on, mate?" Blaise asked casually. He took a large sip of liquid courage, "I slept with Granger over the summer." Blaise stared at him for a long time- trying to read if Draco Malfoy was joking or not. When he finally realized he was serious he damn near exclaimed, "No way! Good for you!" Draco was seriously taken aback, "What?" "You heard me. Good job! Prudes always make the best lays," Blaise explained, "Plus, she's a nice girl. Not to you of course but that's because you deserve it. Ha! Really…. I thought it woulda taken you years to bang your yin." Draco was flabbergasted. He stared at one of his oldest friends with his mouth agape. After a long pause like that he gathered composure, "She wasn't bad. I've had better… If you breathe a word of this to anyone you'll be taking your meals through a straw for years." "Yeah yeah I won't tell Pansy." Blaise muttered. Now that the nicest Slytherin had a secret he wanted to tell someone, "Just lemme know when it happens again, yeah?" "Its not going to happen again Zabini," Draco demanded. He wanted it to, but he wouldn't allow himself that lack of self control. He hated that know-it-all righteous bitch. "Yeah right, mate! She's your yin!" Blaise pushed. "You keep saying that but I have no fucking idea what that is," his frustration grew, he didn't like being told he was wrong. "Your yin! The yin to your yang! She's a lot like you in some ways but in other ways your polar opposite." "How the fuck do you know so much about Granger?" "I had a project with her 6th year in Herbology. She's actually quite interesting when she's not being a prude."
With a "Whatever, mate." the former Death Eater walked back into the dungeon common room. As soon as he sat down Pansy was on him like white one rice. He let out an exasperated sigh and poured another large glass of scotch. The warmth in his belly grew with the familiar haze of intoxication. His thoughts drifted as his eyelids drooped slightly. Nott was making a scene. It was pissing Draco off. "And furthermore," Theodore Nott continued, "if the Dark Lord wasn't correct he wouldn't have gotten so many powerful people to stand behind him! He's always been right and we should really think of starting a new group of Death Ea-" "Oh shut up you pathetic twat." Draco interrupted the passionate speech, perhaps slurring a little, "The Dark Lord didn't get powerful followers because he was right, he got them by blackmailing them or promising them exemption after he came to rule… You're an absolute idiot to think that if someone had the plan to dominate Mugglekind he would kill off half or more of the magical population first." He hadn't realized he had stood up and was almost in Notts face, but there he was, "And furthermore," he mocked, "You're an idiot for still thinking the losing side, the minority, is right. Perhaps you need to rethink your social views, Theo, because what you're preaching is just nonsensical." For a drunk, Draco sure was articulate and convincing. Nott had turned an embarrassed shade of red and a furious shade of violet, making his face appear fushia in the dark dungeon lighting, but said nothing. Draco chuckled at his obvious victory, tipped back the last of the scotch in his glass and headed down the hall to where the 8th year boys dormitories had been added on. He crawled into bed, expecting to pass out into a drunken yet peaceful slumber, but he was wide awake.
He thought about what Blaise had said in bed that night after forcing himself to stop drinking all of the scotch- he would need some tomorrow night too. The idea that she was interesting even a small amount of the time had crossed his mind but to hear one of his best mates say it made him think. As much as he didn't want to and for as much as he denied it even in his own mind, his subconscious decided that perhaps she was worth pursuing…
A/N: I'm so sorry I havent posted in a while! I was second guessing the way I wanted my story to go and this chapter was imperative to the direction. It was hard to have the characters tell friends and I'm sorry I made the girls smokers- even if its only casual. I thought it would be a reckless kinda thing for Hermione to do after just having her life secured maybe the threat of anything like that isnt so great afterall. In any case the reviews you guys have made have literally made me the happiest stranger youve ever known and I love reading them! Thank you! The next chappie might take a while to get up I have a very hectic next few weeks with work but I will do my best to not disappoint you all!
With all my love and thanks,
AlyssatheExcellent