Chapter Twelve: Hogsmeade
Previously:
"Nothing." I snapped, "I don't celebrate my birthday."
"Well," she said smiling slightly "looks like there are two things you will be celebrating this year."
Her smiled grew wider and I felt a warm sensation fill my body. Her smile gave me the strangest of feelings…I couldn't explain it. I couldn't explain the effect on me. I just knew that this was the first time I had ever felt anything like it before.
"You're what?!"
I winced as Draco shouted in my ear loud enough for people in space to hear. He really had quite a gob on him sometimes!
I sighed heavily and placed my hands firmly on my hips. I had somewhat expected this reaction, minus the screaming of course…but Draco was gifted in the "overdramatic" department. I narrowed my eyes, watching Draco pace from the antique fire place to the burnt hole in the wall where he had expressed his fury, with a murderous expression on his face.
If looks could kill, I thought.
"Draco," I began through clenches teeth, "you can work up a tantrum and throw your toys out the pram all you please, but you won't change anything. It's already decided."
Draco's face went an unnatural shade of purple and I knew I'd crossed the line. Looks like the "Malfoy Pride" had the better of him. I didn't even notice him cross the room before his face was pressed up against mine, the anger burning in his silver eyes.
"You have no idea how serious this is, Granger." He fumed, not making any effort to collect himself before he sent another ball of flames at the same wall. My wand flicked out before it could reach the wall and it immediately froze, and then melted into a puddle of water on the stone floor.
I watched Draco clench his wand so tight that his knuckled blanched white. He took a sharp step away from me and collapsed heavily on the green sofa, his cheeks were tinged red but his neck was pure scarlet! I had never seen him so angry before, and just over a silly thing like a dance? Honestly, I knew he was quite a spoilt child and always got what he wanted, but I never knew he had such a temper!
I don't know why you don't just hex him, a deep voice sighed in my head, insolent boy.
I closed my eyes and breathed calmly, He's my brother, Tom. I can't just hex him.
You could, he urged, or I could do it for you…
I mentally chuckled at his suggestion, but otherwise ignored his little rants in my head and focused on the blond haired boy seated before me with his hands clasped in front and eyes focused on the floor. I relaxed my shoulders and walked over to him, placing a trembling hand on his shoulder cautiously.
"Draco, please," I pleaded quietly, crouching beside his and brushing his hair away from his eyes with my fingertips, "you…you don't control me. I want to go with him." I closed my eyes and leant my forehead against his, "Hey," I smirked, "I never complained when I caught you and Pansy Pug-face humping like horny rabbits after hours, did I?"
He cringed at the memory but smiled none the less and relaxed his rigid form a little, "Yeah," he muttered, "bet it gave you quite a shock."
I laughed along with him and leant against the arm of the sofa, "Bit more of a shock," I smirked and continued in a girly voice, "Drakie Wakie…"
The smile slipped from his face and a scowl replaced it, but I could see amusement flickering in his eyes. I smiled innocently back at him and stood up slowly. "Anyway, 'Ella and Eileen are waiting for me, so I'll see you later." I gave him a quick peck on the cheek then returned to the girls' dormitory where my friends were waiting for me.
My first impression of Mona Parsons hadn't been particularly inspiring. With her long blond hair and slightly tanned skin, lashings of mascara and a skirt a little too short for this time, prancing around after which ever boy caught her eye; she was the 1940's version of Pansy Pug-face. Just our luck to bump into her during our stroll around Hogsmeade, eh?
The morning so far had been rather peaceful really; Hogsmeade was quite packed by lunch because most girls were out dress shopping or Christmas shopping for the week ahead. This was my first Christmas away from my parents; to say I wasn't upset about it would be a lie, because I felt like breaking down completely. I never showed anyone how much I missed my parents, but I did. I missed Harry and Ron. I missed everyone, because they had been there for me since our first year in Hogwarts. As much as I had despised Ronald back then for being an ignorant pig, we had still gone through a lot together, from wrestling great three headed dogs, to duelling with Death Eaters. Our lives had been set in stone the moment we walked through those great doors and there was no turning back. What would life have been like if Harry's parents hadn't died that cold night in Godric's Hollow? Would I still be friends with Harry? No doubt his life would have been completely different; no one would be as familiar with his name as they are now, his name wouldn't be splashed across all the local papers, he wouldn't have people lurking in the shadows awaiting his death…life would have been so different, so much easier…
"Hermione?"
I was dragged from my thoughts by Druella calling my name from the window of Honeydukes sweet shop. She seemed to be practically jumping up and down, beaming as she studied the different treats ranging from chocolate frogs to Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. My first glance at the shop reminded me of our third year of Hogwarts; Harry hadn't been able to go to Hogsmeade so he used the Marauder's map that Fred and George had given him. At the time, everyone was talking about Sirius Black escaping from Azkaban to murder Harry, but that wasn't the case at all. He was Harry's Godfather, and he wanted to get revenge on the real traitor, Peter Pettigrew. Harry had used the map to find a secret passage into Hogsmeade through Honeydukes, accidentally overhearing a conversation between McGonagall, Fudge, and Madame Rosmerta. That's when he discovered the connection he had with Sirius.
"Hermione, help me pick some sweets!" 'Ella shouted and grabbed my hand to drag me into the shop with her.
Tom Riddle P.O.V.
"Heard you 'nd 'Mione are going to the ball together," Cygnus grunted, downing a shot of Fire Whisky and lying back against the wooden chair which creaked loudly.
I took a long gulp of the bottle after snatching it out of Avery's clutches and watched carefully as the bartender eyed us huddled in the corner of the pub suspiciously. Stupid old fool, I thought, you'd think we were plotting to take over the ministry!
"Yeah," Lestrange said, "I heard that too actually."
"You've heard correctly," I replied smoothly, my eyes focused on the hairy man behind the bar charming the jugs and glasses to clean themselves. I mentally snorted and thought, not even magic could clean the crap off of those.
I didn't have a very good opinion of this pub, but I'd be damned if we went to The Three Broomsticks where most of Hogwarts gathered to drink a nice Butter Beer and chat over a logged fire. No, as much as I detested this filthy hovel, it was about the only place people didn't wander in Hogsmeade. The grime on the windows must have been years old, because since I first ventured here, the muck on the glass just seemed to multiply like the Weasleys, who were known for breeding like rabbits. The mud on the ground must have been a good three inches from the ground at least and there was a very prominent stench of goat floating around the room. There seemed to be only two good things about this place; one, no one ever came here, and two, the hairy man didn't seem to care who he served as long as he served someone, which meant we could get away with buying stronger alcohol that wouldn't be accessible for us in other pubs.
Honestly, does this pair never stop talking about women?!
"I'm taking 'Ella this year," Cygnus boasted, "so, keep your hands off." He growled, staring daggers at Nott.
I sighed inwardly; such trivial matters as this usually swept straight over my head, there was no point in chasing after girls with less than half a brain and even less pride. Why waste time over someone like that when there are girls like Hermi-
What's so special about her? I thought sharply, earning myself a wince. Why did I think of her? I bet she never thought of me! What was it about her that drew me in so much…maybe she was a part vela, or maybe she'd slipped a potion in my cup whilst I wasn't looking…the only thing I was certain of, was I was practically besotted by her.
"Don't worry, mate," Nott chuckled, "I've got new meat this time." She replied with a wink.
That's disgusting, I thought, do they have no shame?
"What's the reason you're taking this new girl then, Tom?" Avery inquired, ordering another bottle of whisky and burping rudely.
I liked a good drink, but gone were the days of being a Gentleman when you're associated with a bunch of idiots such as these. I asked myself often why I bothered with people such as Avery, Cygnus, or Lestrange…especially Nott; he wasn't the most intelligent of people, Merlin knows how he earned a spot in the Slugclub!
Here we go, I groaned, well I might as well get bladdered too.
"Lestrange," I shouted over to the light haired wizard standing by the bar, waiting for his next pint, "get me a bottle of Fire Whisky." I ordered and leaned back to admire the cracked, cobweb inhabited ceiling.
"Will do, Tom." He replied and threw me a bottle seconds after I asked.
I wasn't all that fond of drinking, but I had to get that girl out of my head. Maybe if I hooked up with some other girl I could focus on something a little more entertaining…hmm, maybe.
Hermione Granger P.O.V.
My thoughts had been captured by Tom's birthday present as soon as we reached Hogsmeade. I had no idea what I could get him; if we had gone to Diagon Alley then a trip to Borgin and Burkes would have been worth while, but there wasn't anywhere I could go to buy him something that would tickle his fancy. I had been meaning to pay full attention to dress shopping, but nothing could tear me from my train of thoughts.
'Ella, Eileen and Mona were frantically weaving through the dresses levitating an inch off the ground showering us with different colours; reds, blues, greens, gold, silver, yellow, orange, waterfalls of sparkles and sequins, long flowing gowns with beautiful flower headpieces and accessories. I really hadn't seen anything like it, I didn't know where to look, and suddenly I felt like a small girl again peering through the window of the most magnificent book shop I'd ever seen! I slight grin lit up my face as I watched my friends picking out dress after dress, each completely unique and posed in front of the mirrors.
"Hermione, Hermione! Look!" Eileen shouted from behind me.
She twirled graciously beaming like a maniac; she wore a mid-length black dress with silver patterns twisting and twirling over the velvet material. She wore tiny black heels, which revealed a small tattoo of a snake on her ankle. The dress looked beautiful with her long black hair and dark eyes; she had to get that dress!
"You look amazing," I gawked.
I hope I look that good, I thought.
Eileen trotted over to me, her face lit up like a Christmas tree. She leaned forward to kiss my cheek enthusiastically and leapt up and down, "I'm buying this dress!" she squealed and I smiled with her.
Once everyone else had bought their dresses, I began to browse the store for one of my own, which was more difficult than I had expected. 'Ella called the help of the shop owner who ushered us to the back of the shop and practically threw me into a changing room.
She seemed to be rather fond of pinks and purples, but every dress I tried on didn't seem to look right. I began to feel like this was a complete waste of time, and maybe it was…it was only a measly dance, but I was going with Tom; and part of me really wanted to impress him.
"My dear," the curly haired woman began, "I will be only a moment; I feel browsing the shop for a specific dress isn't working to our favour. I had an idea," she said slowly and gave me a quick wink before disappearing back into the shop.
"That woman is barmy." Mona giggled, hugging her bag to her chest like a new born baby.
I smiled warmly at her, slightly amused. I agreed with her to be honest, she didn't seem to be your average middle aged woman.
"She seems ok," 'Ella piped up, studying herself in her new green gown and smiling, "She has some lovely dresses." She sighed.
"Oh, the boys will be drooling at our feet!" Eileen giggled and winked playfully.
Our "conversation" was interrupted by the shop lady running back into the room holding a plain looking gown. My smile faltered; she wasn't going to put me in that was she? I grimaced at the sight of it, but she merely grinned at me and shoved it in my arms.
"Try it on!" she beamed.
I walked reluctantly into the changing rooms and replaced my clothes with the gown she had offered me. I stepped back into the shop and studied the four girls before me. Their eyes were wide, and their hands were covering their mouths in shock. Did I really look that bad?
"Hermione…" 'Ella whispered.
"What?" I snapped. Stop bloody staring, I thought, this is so embarrassing!
"You look fantastic, my dear!" the lady squealed, jumping up and down and grinning triumphantly.
"Excuse me?" I squeaked. That hadn't been the reaction I was looking for at all…
"Yes!" everyone sang, beaming from ear to ear.
I smiled back and whispered, "Tom won't know what's hit him."
Tom Riddle P.O.V.
"Womore shot 'nd 'ull be para…pare…letic!" Avery boomed from across the table, lifting the bottle to his lips again in the process and downing a good quarter.
A grin broke across my face uncontrollably and my fist made contact with the table, echoing a loud bang around the pub, "Don't talk to me about being paralytic; you're wasted!" I shouted back.
"Why are you shouting?" Mulciber groaned, cradling his head against the table and squeezing his eyes shut, "you're sitting opposite eachother, for Salazar's sake!"
Cygnus clapped him on the back roughly and deliberately yelled, "Think he's drank a little too much, eh?"
Truth be told, the comment was amusing, but not that amusing. Never the less, we fell about it guffaws of laughter as Mulciber ran outside to throw up. Alcohol was indeed a cruel substance to those who can't handle more than two bottles of Fire Whisky, but for the rest of us it's a marvellous chance to let go for a bit, and dare I say it, have a good time.
"Do you know what we're missing?" Nott grunted, crushing his foot down on a chair and slapping his hand on his thigh enthusiastically.
"A good ride?" Lestrange asked, winking.
Cygnus chuckled and smacked the table, "I couldn't agree more!" he boomed and cocked his eyebrow at Rosier suggestively, who batted his eyelashes and giggled.
"No." Nott answered sourly, and then reached into his back pocket to reveal a packet of what appeared to be cigarettes. I was wrong.
"Cigar boys?" he smirked and offered one to everyone.
Just as I brought it to my lips, Nott leapt from the chair to place his hands firmly on my shoulders and said, "Between you and me now, Tom; Dumbledore would have my wand for this!" sounding unbelievably similar to Slughorn.
The room was filled with laughter once more, until my voice caught in my throat when I saw who had just walked through the door.
At the sight of her ringlets of caramel hair, slightly flustered creamy skin and large brown eyes, I could feel the walls closing in around me. She looks delicious, I drawled when my eyes appraised her slightly tight fitting polar neck top, shaping around her hour glass figure and nice flat stomach. Her jeans fit her close and if I'm honest, made her ass look great.
"Tom!" Hermione chimed, and before I could process what I was doing, I swaggered over to her, smirking confidently, a bottle of whisky in one hand and my cigar in the other. You must be giving a great impression, I thought sarcastically. But I didn't care at the time; I was hypnotized by her plump lips, glowing from the cold. Her chocolate eyes were round and sparkling, watching me carefully as I drew closer to her. Maybe she could tell that my eyes were focused intently on her lips and not her eyes, because a small frown creased her forehead for a moment, but a small twitch of a smile graced her lips which she licked unconsciously.
Just kiss her you fool, a voice sighed in my head, don't keep the lady waiting or she'll think you're insane.
It was tempting just to grip her close and kiss her senseless…but maybe it wasn't time for that; I had only just announced that we would be going to the ball together, and she didn't even have any feelings towards me at all. Not that I had feelings towards her, of course…I just liked her lips; A lot.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that, a smarmy voice sighed in my head.
Shut up, I growled, what do you know anyway?
The voice chuckled and replied, more than you think. More than you know yourself.
I mentally cursed that annoying voice. My eyes focused back to Hermione and the aggression in my eyes softened a little. The voice had doubted me just now, and I was beginning to doubt myself slightly. Apart from the fact that Hermione was intelligent, pretty and had a nice body…she was beginning to fit into my requirements for a relationship. Never before had I had a proper relationship, just one night stands and foolish happenings just to satisfy myself…but I wanted to have a relationship with her. I wanted to be closer to her, to know more about her, to get to know her like her stupid brother did.
Stupid perverted brother, I added.
When I had seen him kissing her I felt such fury and jealousy that I couldn't contain it. I watched her submit to him like she enjoyed his kisses! Mark my words, Hermione, I thought, if you think he's talented you haven't let me try yet.
"Tom…?" Hermione smiled in a gentle voice; I could see some unknown emotion gleaming in her eyes and for some reason, I wanted to give her that magnificent shine in her eyes.
I smirked back at her and leaned forward slightly, raising my hand to stroke my fingers along her cheek, "Yes?" I replied.
She batted her eyelashes sweetly and tilted her head to the side to flash me a gorgeous smile which made my insides melt and my feet feel like jelly. "Put that cigar out now before I shove it somewhere you won't like." She chimed innocently, like she had just told me how handsome I looked and not threatened me with something so…utterly repulsive.
A shudder ran through me at the thought of that, but I returned her smirk and offered her a drag which she refused quickly, sounding a little insulted. Bless, I chuckled, still the Goody-Two-Shoes, I see.
I glanced at the three girls accompanying Hermione and flashed them my signature smile, "Evening ladies," I said smoothly, offering them a seat each at our table.
"Evening cousin," Rosier greeted Druella, "what brings you here at such a late hour?" he inquired, hanging an arm over her shoulder and smiling.
Druella shifted uncomfortably in her seat, obviously unsettled by the contact between her and her cousin. "Mona um…" she began then laughed lightly, "Mona insisted we visit Tom here actually," she continued, an evil glint in her eyes as she watched Mona's mouth open in astonishment then quickly snap shut and she narrowed her eyes at the dark haired girl.
I could feel Hermione stiffen beside me as soon as the words emptied from Druella's mouth and her eyes dulled, focusing on her hands lying limply in her lap. Silence drowned us for a good two minutes before it was broken by Avery, sitting on Hermione's other side, wrapping a comforting hand round her shoulder. Her eyes snapped wider and focused on the smirking Slytherin beside her, "Cheer up, love," he laughed, leaning closer to her with a hungry glint in his eyes.
Why did he have to touch her like that? I could feel my frustration brewing in the pit of my stomach and I had trouble not sending a curse in his direction; I clenched my fist tight around my wand and gritted my teeth painfully. Are you blind? I thought, she doesn't want you to touch her you pilock, intense jealousy scorching my insides.
"I'm perfectly alright, Avery," she said quietly, smiling a little, "I'm just a little tired."
She was a terrible liar and a terrible actress actually. She didn't have to fake around me; she didn't like him being so confident around her, and who can blame her? Avery was a nasty piece of work when it came to women.
"So," Cygnus boomed, cracking the tension building up, "I hear you have been dress shopping, ladies." He beamed, gazing intently at Druella who blushed profusely.
"Yeah!" Mona beamed enthusiastically, "There was so much to pick from! Hermione had trouble picking though," she said, her eyes flickering innocently in my direction. I got the impression she didn't like Hermione much, the look she was giving her made that quite obvious.
"What have you boys been up to then?" Eileen asked.
Mulciber grunted and mumbled something no one caught; I'm guessing he was complaining about the alcohol. Avery and Lestrange laughed heartily and dived into a tale of our day with great detail.
Whilst those two talked, I took my time to watch Hermione closely. Avery's arm was still slung loosely around her shoulder and I watched her shrink back as he tightened his hold on her. I hated seeing her like this; in a way I looked at her as my property…I was taking her to the dance after all…
"Hermione," I whispered, leaning close to breathe in her ear. She turned around quickly and blushed when she saw me so close, deliberately breathing on her skin. "Bit stuffy in here, eh?" I asked, smirking.
She nodded quietly.
"Do you want to go back to the castle?" I asked. When she agreed, we bid farewell to everyone and hurried out of the pub.
I didn't really understand how our relationship had transformed from hatred to…well, friendship I suppose. Was it the incident that had occurred that made her attitude towards me change? I was prepared to change if she did; luckily she had changed a little and actually smiled at me instead of sneering. And she had such a…thrilling smile.
"I got your present," she beamed, clutching onto my arm as we walked back up the hill from Hogsmeade.
"Oh, really?" I smirked, "can I guess what it is?" I teased.
She shook her head fiercely, causing her caramel curls to bounce around her face and shake the snow from her hair. Pull yourself together you idiot, the voice sneered. But I ignored it and savoured the moment I could share with her.
She may be insufferable at times, and sometimes she was so annoying I wanted to curse her! But, she was also a very nice and intelligent girl. She was beautiful.
Crap, I thought sadly, I think I like her…
Well, there's chapter twelve for you people
hope you liked it; I enjoyed writing it this time, and I think it wasn't nearly as good as the last chapter, but it was ok =] special thanks to my faithful reviewers: innocent as far as you know, Dobby, CeliaEquus, Sophie :D, Chloo. [:, liane, Wisawaffle, sweet-tang-honey, Riku-sia, ClaireReno, and FlowerChild67. I depend on your opinions people so, keep reading and reviewing xxHermione Granger P.O.V.