Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, all belongs to J.K. Rowling.
A/N -Well I have my art exam tomorrow and the day after, so to relieve my own stress here is chapter eight - I hope you are enjoying it so far, currently working hard on these chapters and I promise to update at least once a week from now on, if not sooner! Please review, it really motivates me to keep writing. Also GoldQueen1904 thanks for the review, I know I'm not very good with spelling and when I check through it I must have missed it haha, thanks for reading and reviewing though :)
The week passed quickly for Hermione and before she knew it, she was sitting back on the same rock that looked out to Hagrids hut. They're late, she thought as she stared at her watch, letting out a sigh, Hermione was about to give up, until a flood of running foot steps came from behind her. Turning she saw the raven haired boy and the red head impatiently making their way over.
"Hey, sorry Hermione, Ron overslept.." Harry called, from a few metres away.
"Actually my alarm didn't go off, it is a weekend after all...sorry er Hermione." Ron said awkwardly.
"It's alright, you're both here now. So..any information?" Hermione asked simply before returning to her place on the rock.
"Well, Hagrid let out that the three headed dog's name is fluffy - like you said, he then told us off for snooping around the school and said that we shouldn't go back." Harry told her.
"He's right. We need to know everything before we go back anyway. Firstly what the stone is and what it does, then we can work from there. I will have a look in my family library when I go back at Christmas." Hermione said lightly.
"Well that's great for you, but most of us don't have a family library, in fact some of us will be staying here over christmas." Ron said, throwing small stones down the hill. Hermione gave a sympathetic smile.
"It isn't as great as you might think. Besides that means your job is to find a way to sneak into the restricted section in the library." Hermione said. Ron's eyes went wide and he dropped his gaze. "Or are you too scared?" Quickly Ron retorted.
"We aren't scared, are we Harry? We'll do it." Ron said, Harry looked over to his friend, shaking his head.
"Great, well I will see you two later, I'm off." And with that Hermione walked back in the direction of the castle, quickly before they had any time to change their mind.
Time passed unnaturally quickly for Hermione and soon enough it was the Quiditch game everyone had been waiting for. She stood infront of the mirror, wearing a simple red dress and a pair of white boots. I might not be able to directly support Gryffindor but I can at least sneakily wear the colours. She smiled to herself in the mirror and Ruby called over to her.
"Come on girly, time to go!" The bright red haired girl called from behind her. Hermione smiled happily as she spun around and nodded to her new friend.
"Alright, let me just grab my coat." The two of them made their way out of their room and down towards the Quiditch pitch.
"Look there he is!" Ruby squealed excitedly, grabbing Hermione's arm and squeezing.
"Who is?"
"Draco Malfoy of course! Only like the most attractive guy ever!" She said in a daze. Hermione looked at her as if she had just grown a second head. "Oh come on Hermione, you can't say he isn't attractive, I mean he is so charming and popular. It is said that he is also one of the most intelligent people at this school and he is only a first year!" Ruby babbled on while Hermione shook her head in disbelief; turning to walk towards the stands.
"Yeah Granger, don't you think I'm attractive?" Those words and that voice made Hermione freeze. she looked towards her friend, who's face had turned a deep shade of red, matching her hair.
"Shouldn't you be with your team, Malfoy?" she asked, trying to change the subject.
"Actually I was coming to give you my Slytherin scarf, firstly because it is cold, secondly because you don't seem to look very supportive, and we can't have that, can we Ruby?" The red haired girl froze in shock, embarrassment and excitement.
"Er, Of course not, come on Hermione lets go get a good seat." Ruby said awkwardly. Draco wrapped the green and silver scarf around Hermione's neck without breaking eye contact. When he finished he smirked and turned on his heel, leaving Hermione dumbstruck.
"It looks good, especially with your hair." He said before walking away from the two of them. Hermione's face felt hot but she wasn't sure if that was due to anger or utter embarrassment.
"Oh Merlin! He knew my name! This is like the best day of my life, let alone he gave you his scarf! That's supposed to be such good luck!" Ruby continued to babble on as they made their way to the seats. Hermione smiled at her friend, she found her naivety almost hilarious.
Draco made his way back to his team mates with a smug grin. Huddling round they spoke of tactics, before departing and flying up into the arena, to his starting position. Harry appeared in front of him, looking terrified.
"Alright Potter? It's funny now that you aren't the only one as a first year seeker, hey? I suppose I just can't have some Gryffindork beat me in something, it would completely ruin my reputation!" Draco said smirking Got to love a good bit of banter, besides I can't let him win this time round.
"Malfoy, you have no reputation, just because you are in Slytherin doesn't make you all high and mighty."
"You sure about that Potter? I'm pretty sure people refer to me as the Slytherin Prince, that's pretty high up to me. Anyway, if you don't mind, I have a snitch to catch." Draco said, before smirking and pulling back on his broom to do a loop and dive down to where a gold ball was hovering.
"I can see why Hermione hates Slytherin so much, especially when it is filled with people like you!" Harry shouted through the wind, once he finally caught up. Draco laughed.
"Funny that, I thought Granger and myself were pretty close." Draco retorted, laughing and then swerved and hit Harry in the left arm. Harry pulled back for a few moments but, gritting his teeth, carried on after the snitch.
It was a while until Hermione caught sight of Harry, evidently following the snitch rather close to the ground. Draco was just behind him but Hermione couldn't help but support Harry even if it was in her own head.
Wrapping her coat closer around her and smiling as Ruby and Blaise screamed out with everyone else, Hermione watched the two boys fight it out, when suddenly a bludger came out of nowhere. Her eyes widened as she saw the ball getting closer and closer to her but she was frozen to the spot. Closing her eyes ready for the impact, she listened to the shouting of her fellow students, trying to move out of the way.
However, instead of the painful contact to her face, she heard the round of applause and the sound of "Malfoy" and "Hero". Opening her eyes slowly, Draco was at ease on his broomstick, smirking at the former Gryffindor, bludger tucked neatly under his arm. He looked at her for a moment and then made his way back to the pitch, throwing the bludger to his teammates.
"Oh Hermione, he totally just saved your life!" Ruby cried next to her. Hermione was still in shock but couldn't help but give a gentle smile and turn to Ruby who was beaming back at her. Little did she know that Blaise was now sitting with his arms crossed, hot with anger.
Suddenly, a yell from the crowd and the announcement "Gryffindor wins the match!" caused Hermione to snap back in reality. There - Harry had just coughed up the snitch after almost swallowing it and Draco had thrown his broom on the ground and was already making his way to the changing rooms. He is such a sore looser. she thought as Ruby called to her because everyone was leaving the stands.
On their way back to the common room, Blaise strutted in front of the two girls and Hermione couldn't work out what was wrong. Quickly a cold hand pulled Hermione to the side, causing the other two to stop as well.
"I suppose I have to thank you Hermione, if Draco hadn't flown over to you, I don't think I would have been able to get the snitch!" Harry said, but even though Hermione knew it was supposed to be a compliment, she couldn't help but feel the dropping feeling in her stomach. "Anyway. Well played, Slytherin are a tough bunch!"
"Damn right we are! Because we have pride in our house, and we support our housemates, also if you don't mind - I disagree - I don't think it was Hermione's fault at all, I also don't appreciate you blaming anyone in my house, especially my friend. We don't need crap from worthless scum like you lot." Blaise spat towards the now shocked raven haired boy. Harry looked around, as if for an escape route while his face turned a pinkish colour.
"Blaise don't." Hermione Warned, "Harry, is my friend, he meant no harm by it."
"Well maybe he should be more careful next time, also I think you should reconsider your friendships Granger." Hermione stared at Blaise for a moment. That was the first time she heard him use her last name and she didn't like it. Why can't I just make my own friends? She could feel the tears form in her eyes and bit her lip to stop them from becoming visible.
Turning, Hermione grabbed Ruby and barged past Blaise and entered the common room, leaving a now regretful Blaise and a shocked Harry alone in the corridor.
Hermione spent the rest of the afternoon in her room, deciding she didn't want to see anyone - she had already had enough of being in the Slytherin house. Ruby sat by her and continued to attempt to make Hermione either smile or laugh, succeeding only a few times. When it came to dinner, Blaise had knocked for her but Ruby happily told Blaise that Hermione wasn't hungry, nor did she want to see him and that he doesn't have a right to decide other people's friends.
"I think he was just trying to watch out for you 'Mione, after all, we all know how difficult it is when you're a pureblood with parents that have such high expectations." Ruby suggested but Hermione simply nodded, ignoring her. Moments passed when Ruby sighed and told her she was going for dinner, but would bring something back up for her later. Nodding and hugging her friend as a silent "thank you" Hermione sat back down until she was alone.
Stretching, she made her way out of the room to go and sit in the common room, figuring everyone would be in the Great hall. She was wrong.
Making her way to her usual armchair at the back, a tall figure appeared from the sofa that sat in front of the fire; white blonde hair florescent against the warm light behind him.
"Well, well Granger. I thought you were busy having an argument with Blaise. Thank you by the way. I suppose you don't realise how humiliating it is for me, a 7th year getting beating by a first year." Malfoy murmured sleepily from the other side of the room.
"Look Malfoy I am sorry - but you didn't have to help me."
"You are always sorry these days and I wouldn't let it just smack you in the face. Anyway I am off for a shower. See you whenever." He announced, but before he left her sight Hermione called after him.
"Do you want your scarf?"
"Keep it. It looks better on you anyway." And then he disappeared around the corner.