Hermione closed her eyes so tightly that her cheeks hurt from the tension. Her entire life had lead up to this point and she simply could not look. Her jaw was clenched painfully and her short nails were sharply digging into her palms as she waited in bittersweet agony. Her breath came out in slow deep mouthfuls of anxciousness until Harry gasped.
"Hermione! You got top marks! Incredible!" Hermione opened her eyes to see both Harry and Ron looking at her in awe.
"Err...we never doubted you..." Ron trailed off stumbling.
"Hermione, with these types of marks you could do anything you wanted!" Sudden realization hit Ron and he looked curious.
"What do you want to do anyway?" She opened her mouth reluctantly, but her reply was interrupted by Draco, who roughly pushed past her to quickly glance at his standings. Harry and Ron each gave their respective outcries of curses at the blond who was huddled over the list of names casually running a tapered digit up the long list. Harry and Ron were yelling angrily at him while his blank face revealed nothing as his eyes flicked back and forth over the names.
Hermione was the only one to see the small self indulgent smile that a lit his face at finding his standings before it was quickly dropped when Ron jabbed his finger angrily in his arm.
"Listen to me when I am talking to you, Malfoy! You have no right to treat Hermione like that you bastard, but I would not expect a snake like you to be decent, you know like to act human and apologize for being a rude bugger."
Harry glared and his wand hand twitched unconsciously at his side.
The blond boy turned slowly as if he had heard a slight noise. Draco brushed the spot on his arm where Ron had prodded almost like he were now dirty from the brief contact and addressed Ron with complete control and a nearly bored tone.
"I can't believe that you expect me to listen to you, Weasley, when I have never done so before. Why would I start now?" Ron's opened his mouth to send Draco a scathing reply but Draco held up a finger to silence him. "As impressive as your retort would undoubtedly be, please refrain, as I don't think my ears could take much more of your whiney voice." Ron had gone completely red and was looking very close to leaping on the boy, if only to silence him. Harry, standing with his hand grasping the back of Ron's robe, also looked mutinous. Draco chose to continue. "I would also imagine that Granger hardly needs you to be her knight in shinning armour, after all, mudblood or not she did just receive the highest marks in the entire school. Let's say it's safe to assume that she is capable of fighting her own battles, unless, of course, she lets her cronies do it for her because she secretly enjoys a good laugh at your incompetence. One would think that she should be sticking up for you, Weasel, because your entire existence is a disgrace—including you marks." Draco chanced a quick look at Hermione who was watching him with slight confusion and concern. His blank cold demeanour dropped for a second and he looked as confused as she was. He appeared to only now realize what he had said—it was evident she did, as was told by the disappointment flashing in her eyes.
She didn't know if Draco had meant what he said to Ron, but she was certain that he had appearances to maintain, as Dumbledore and Snape had decided that it was best if no one else knew of Draco's deflection to their side. Draco had been acting in the manner in which he always had, with a few notable exceptions…one being the moment he looked slightly regretful and panicky after insulting the youngest Weasley son. He had compensated for this minute slip by sneering at both boys before him, though he did stoop so that he could whisper a quiet "congratulations" to the curly haired witch. Harry and Ron had assumed it was an insult, and Draco had stridden off imperiously.
"Wow," was all Harry could say. "Do you think that fall from the broom addled his brain or perhaps all that inbreeding caught up with him? He really didn't just scamper away like the scared ferret that we all know he is?" Hermione felt someone shaking her gently and she turned to see Ron looking amused.
"He took one look at you and ran! Do you think now that you are officially the cleverest witch in a Hogwarts history, that he finally realized how much danger he was in and thought it best not to stick around after all the cruel stuff he has done over the years?" Ron laughed and Hermione and Harry just stared at him.
"What?" Ron was bewildered.
"That's not funny, Ron! And besides, I would not use my brain for revenge..." Hermione trailed off and laughed inside at the shocked looks on her friends' faces. "Well I wouldn't waste it on him at least." Ron's stomach gave a very audible growl and he looked at them sheepishly.
"I couldn't eat breakfast…nerves, you know. But now I could eat a hippogriff—talons and all." Harry snorted and began to lead his friend down to the Great Hall.
"I think that this hypothetical Hippogriff would eat you first Ron." Hermione said happily.
"You're coming?" Harry asked while dodging a couple of fast talking third years.
"Yeah, I will be right down. I just want to check for myself." Harry grinned and with his glasses askew called to Ron to wait up.
Hermione turned back to the list and trailed her finger up the names to see her own at the top. Neville, amazingly, was also in the top ten, along with Harry. Hermione felt an odd flip in her stomach upon seeing that Draco's were a very close second to her in all classes. She smiled goofily, and chalked the odd sense of pride off to the intense situations and trust they now shared. She shook her head, and then walked quickly down to the Great Hall for lunch. Who would have ever thought that she could be proud of a ferret boy?
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
"But I don't want to help out!" Ginny whined while eating her sandwich in the noisy Great Hall at lunch. "I hate the idea of seeing all those decorations and not being able to actually attend. It's depressing enough that you're all leaving, and now you want me to help decorate? Sorry, but I'm no glutton for punishment."
'Time to lay it on thickly,' Hermione thought devilishly. "Please Ginny? I am already having a hard time getting volunteers and I really am counting on you. Please?"
Hermione suppressed a smile at Ginny's obviously guilt stricken face.
"Oh, alright!" the red-head snapped, "just don't expect me to enjoy it at all..." Her voice trailed off sadly.
She smiled slyly, "But I also know that Harry is helping out also and I think that he is on candle duty...and I sent Ron to work on the enchanted tablecloths...so..."
Ginny interrupted with a small squeak, "Sign me up! I am sure that Harry will need loads of help with th..."
"Yeah I will," Harry said shyly from behind Hermione and Ginny looked up, eyes wide.
"Great now that it's all settled, I've got to go see Professor Flitwick about something."
She left amongst raised eyebrows while Ron muttered between mouthfuls of orange, "We got our marks back, why does she need to still go to class?" He frowned, appearing as if he had a stomach ache and then set his food down. He had been so distracted with studying that he had forgotten to ask someone to the dance. A slight blush crept over his freckled cheeks when he thought of who he should ask. He just hoped that she did not already have a date.
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
Hermione stepped into the bright classroom that was full of clean spring light. She was surprised to feel a slight quiver of sadness. This may very well be her last time in this classroom and Hermione fondly began to think of her very first time there. Her charm musings were interrupted by the very professor that taught her the swish and flick, that had saved her life and those of her friends from a mountain troll.
He smiled warmly and went to gather some books from his desk while standing on a small ladder to reach the top.
"Are you going to tell me why I am here?" Hermione asked politely.
He laughed deeply then shook his head, "Of course, but not yet. I am an old man, and you must forgive my sense of the dramatic. No, that will have to wait."
Hermione had just settled into a chair in front of his desk, feeling slight deja vu, when the door to the classroom opened. Draco strode into the room and stood respectfully at the corner of the table without even looking around. Flitwick smiled softly, while Hermione sunk lower in the chair feeling uneasy.
"There you are Mister Malfoy; I was beginning to wonder about you." Flitwick climbed down from his perch to shake Draco's hand with large movements. "Congratulations on your marks! I am telling you in strict confidence but you achieved higher standings then both your mother and father! Even with you're previously failing mark in my class you would have far exceeded them both." Draco indulged him in a cocky smile that was more humble pride and pleasure then anything.
"Now, Hermione here and I have something to tell you." Draco whipped around to see her sitting scrunched down in her chair. Waving weakly she sat up slowly as he glared and then looked a tad annoyed before turning back to the teacher.
Flitwick swelled up with pride at the sight of both of them. "I am happy to announce that you both achieved the highest marks in Charms in nearly a decade, and are by far the brightest students that I have ever had the pleasure to teach."
He winked at their slightly surprised faces and said conspiratorially, "I am sure that you could both teach me a thing or two also."
He turned sharply towards Hermione, his chin shaking as he said sternly, "Now Hermione I want to congratulate you on your impressive work during your time here and also to make you an offer. I am in need of an apprentice because in a few years I plan on retiring. Now I know that you have most likely gotten many offers already but I would at least like to add my bid to the lot; Hermione would you consider becoming my apprentice? Even if you decide to do something different the experience would be well worth the time, I can assure you! Well, now that a certain Longbottom has passed I know that there will be at least half the accidents there were previously. So will you consider my offer?"
His next words were cut off by Hermione answer. "Yes!" Both men looked at her in surprise.
She smiled happily and blurted out, "Well it is the only offer I have gotten." Then Hermione turned an interesting shade of rose.
The tall blond and the short wizened old man looked at her in shock.
"I mean...ahh," Hermione was a lost for words and the Professor cleared his throat.
"Well that is surprising, but if there is something else you would rather do."
Hermione blushed and shook her head, "No, I would love to be your apprentice, sir. It would be an honour." She indulged Flitwick with a warm smile that had the old man thrilled. She added with a secretive smile at Draco who eyes looked away quickly. "If I can teach Draco here, then assisting you will be a breeze."
Flitwick smiled, immense pleasure apparent on his face and as he walked towards the door, he could be heard mumbling, "...can't believe she choose to do Charms, why she could do anything that she wanted. Just think! I am going to have the brightest witch of our age as my apprentice..."
Hermione blushed deeply then turned back to Draco who was staring at her. When he noticed her eyes on him, he turned quickly to leave.
"Wait!" Hermione said in vain as he bumped lightly into the barrier that she had created before he had entered the room. He grunted and turned back to her with a defeated anger on his face.
"Well I told you that you would have to do it someday, and here you are." Her cheerful tone trailed off as she saw how uncomfortable he was. "It's alright if you don't have it down yet..." She raised her arms to do the counter charm when he pulled his wand out and beat her to it.
She smiled proudly but it was fading as she saw his cold demeanour. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing..." He scuffed his toe on the ground and began to walk quickly out of the room.
Hermione became angry. "Oh right! I remember this! I thought that we were through with this, Draco. The asshole act, the alienation, but I guess not." She sighed disgustedly, "Well let's get on with this quickly shall we, because I am not in the mood today?"
She stood and walked to stand directly in front of him and said very quickly, "You have to tell me what's wrong." He narrowed his eyes and immediately shot back "No I don't you filthy mud..." another pregnant pause, "Yes you do! I have helped you out, and believe it or not I care. So either tell me what you're on about or get over it! You're nearly unbearable when you're like this!" He stared at her incredulously, "Don't you dare talk to me like that, you scum!" Hermione inhaled sharply, "I'll talk to you any way I please, you prat! This is how I talk to my friends when they are acting like total idiots...not that that is very often...but if the shoe fits."
Her eyes were blazing and she was panting lightly as she waited for his answer.
He crossed his arms over his chest, stuck out his chin and looked her in the eye and said, "After all that has happened I feel..."
"What? Afraid? Lonely? Elated? Worried?" She was being overly aggressive but she was tired of tip toeing.
"Weak..." He avoided her eyes and she could see that he was angry, but did not know if it was directed at her or himself.
"Oh Draco, " She smiled warmly and he watched the corners of her mouth raise upwards.
"What you have decided to do is incredibly brave! You show and prove your strength by making your own choices. Welcome to reality!" She joked and became annoyed.
"Come on Draco! You did the right thing and I know that you are far from weak or cowardly." Her shoulders slumped as she added, "You were willing to die to protect others. Even if trying to kill yourself was a stupid thing to do, it was brave of you to ask for help. Sometimes that is the bravest act there is, to ask for help when you need it."
He smiled harsher, "But you foiled my brave act, didn't you Hermione?"
She coughed and said, "Not funny!" She swatted at him and he moved aside easily.
"Was that all? Because I need to get down to doing decorations...Who knows what type of trouble Ron will get himself into." Grinning she waited as he replied.
"I was wondering..." Her heart beat increased as she saw the look in his eyes, so familiar yet alien to her at the same time. "Yes?" Her voice came out small.
"Would you...teach me how to do wandless magic?" His words were rushed and he looked embarrassed.
"I don't see why not," she quipped with a grin that belied a sense of disappointment she wasn't sure why she felt. "Now let's go finish the Great Hall and I hope to the gods that Ron has not filled the place with bubbles or gotten stuck to the ceiling again..." Draco looked at her with an eyebrow raised and she laughed before saying, "Don't ask."
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
Snape was trying to wait patiently for his young apprentice to arrive for their first session but he was checking the time more frequently. He held a mirthless grin briefly as he thought on how there was only two people in the world he would wait for without complaint: the Headmaster of Hogwarts and the Dark Lord. It was the circumstances of Draco's deflection that would partially curb the burn of his tongue about the boy's lateness, but that would be all that it would curb.
Emotional stress was no excuse for sloppy work in Snape's mind. Just as he began to sit for the third time in the last ten minutes the door was thrown open by a breathless Draco.
"I am VERY sorry professor!" He looked nervous and his uniform was in disarray.
Snape glared lightly and waited for the boy's excuse. "Well, Sir, I went out on my broom after lunch and lost track of time."
"Mr. Malfoy, you do realize that that was exactly," He checked his pocket watch pointedly, "eight hours and twenty three minutes ago." Standing so quickly that the shadows around his desk fluttered as if frightened, he said grimly, "Now, I don't care what you do in your free time, but this will be the only instance that losing track of time will be permitted unless it is while working on a potion. Do I make myself clear, Mr. Malfoy?"
Draco hung his head decidedly to show that he felt chastised. "Yes, Professor Snape. Crystal."
"Good. Now I think that we should begin by discussing what you will be doing in the next season and how this relates to work in the order."
Draco had gone for a ride on his broom so that he he did not have to think. This was meant to be a distraction but the fact that flying was second nature to him left him horridly alone with his tormented thoughts. When he had gone to Dumbledore, he had felt relief but now, he felt more alone then ever. Its one thing to have your life planed out for you no matter how wrong it was but at least then you had other people to suffer it through with you. Now he felt he had no direction. His future was clouded in the fog of uncertainty that most people live with, but he felt like a babe in the woods now.
He had betrayed his father, his mother, and a large portion of his own house, which he knew were merely waiting for him to take his mark before they went for their own. In this way he knew that many would not get the mark before graduating. Draco had only vague ideas of what would happen to him if he were found out and this scared him more then any had before.
Quickly he walked over to the side of Snape's desk and sat down on the chair bedside it. The Professor silently began opening books and writing down notes before he cleared his throat and said, "Now under a normal apprenticeship, I would be merely teaching you the more advanced potions but given your vast knowledge of the previously taught sections; I am going to allow you to do independent studies on your own time over the summer." Draco nodded, trying not to swell with the pride of accomplishment.
"Now with regards to the Order, I want you to know that I think what you did was…advantageous to you. The circumstances, to which you were—how shall I say this, convinced to go before the Headmaster were not true Malfoy instinct, but it is how you differ from your heritage that makes you wiser then those before you."
He was surprised. Wise? Snape couldn't possibly think that he was wise, could he? It was simply unfathomable; absurd even. Draco decided that Snape was likely humouring him, and though saddened, he let the dark haired wizard continue.
"It doesn't seem like all that long ago when I found myself in your shoes," Snape trailed off for a moment as if he were reliving the past. After a moment, he regained his bearings and continued. "Though you have seen the light before allying yourself with the dark—I was not able to accomplish this, and for that, I applaud you." Draco stared at him in astonished disbelief. "However, my time for decision making has long ended. Do not think that I am pleased with everything I have done—and still do—for the 'greater good,' as Dumbledore calls it. I simply see it as my fate. I've made my bed, and I must lie in it. I do, however, believe with complete conviction that I made at least one right decision in my life, and nothing could lead me to alter my allegiances."
Draco stared at him closely for a moment before speaking. "You seem so certain."
A smile crept at Snape's piercing eyes. "I am; without a doubt…but there was a time when I was not so sure."
Draco adjusted his dishevelled robes and thought about tying his untied shoe lace but decided against it.
"Dumbledore came to me one night after a very trying week involving your Father, and he asked me simply, what do you want?" Snape's face looked paler then ever against the flickering candle light as he said in a thick voice, "It was then that my conviction was cemented. So Draco, What do you want?"
"I don't know what you mean professor." Draco's voice cracked and he felt a little sick to his stomach; 'Eight hours on a broom can do that to you,' he thought mirthlessly.
"Come on Draco!" Snape was suddenly very animated, the flame dancing about his face. "What type of life do you want to live and are you willing to die for that freedom? Or lack of it. What is it that you want, what is going to make you fight?"
Draco sat numb while Snape watched him with hawk eyes. After ten minutes of perfect stunned silence on the young man's part, Snape stood and walked towards the door. With his back towards the paler one he said slowly. "This is your first assignment for the Order. Pick your battle and do what you like, but at least know what you are turning from and what you are turning towards, only then will you be ready to fight."
His thoughts were slow and sluggish as he went through memories of days when he was younger. Christmas's at the Manor, his first broom, his mother in front of her vanity putting on perfume, his father reading in his study and the time when he had let Draco come in when he had been peeking around the door to sit on his lap while he read; big things like receiving his first letter from Hogwarts and when he heard the name of Voldemort for the first time. Little things that meant everything to him, like how his mother never let him talk while they were at a meal, or how he now had a hard time talking in the Great Hall at all, for the unease it brought…or how Lucius had been happy, so deliciously happy when Draco had given him his marks first year, but only to have been shunned in icy silence after he received notice of Hermione's far surpassing marks.
What did he want? A clenching in his stomach brought him from his thoughts. Well for now, some supper would do.
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Draco, could you hand that basket of rolls over here?" Blaise asked as he sat down to their table.
"Sure," Draco replied already reaching for the bread.
"So, Draco, how does it feel to be second?" Blaise asked casually as their section of the table went silent.
He raised a cool eye to his long time friend and replied sarcastically, "It feels wonderful, but I wanted to ask you, how it feels to have failed herbology?" The chatter returned and Blaise laughed.
"I will survive, but really I thought that you would be top of the class for sure! You study more then humanly possible."
"Always make the enemy feel superior; it is inevitable that they will underestimate you."
Blaise almost choked on his last bite of roll as he tried to laugh and talk at the same time.
"Smooth, Blaise, very smooth." Draco drawled sarcastically while he returned to his chicken.
Blaise looked shocked and then through his head back and laughed loud enough to make most of the Gryffindors gawk at them. Dumbledore looked delighted and said to a sour looking Severus, "Now that's what we need more of! I wish that I could bottle laughter, but then there would be an epidemic of hiccups and those can be very annoying. No it is best just to muse about it. Although I can think of one person that would benefit from a healthy does of it." Dumbledore looked pointedly over his half moon spectacles at the glaring Potions Professor.
"You know that that potion has been previously impossible to create, Headmaster…unless you would be brave enough to use that accidental concoction the muggles created called Laughing Gas." Snape shifted uncomfortably under the head master's gaze while he smiled like a crazy man.
Draco was called up to the head table after the food was cleared with a message to meet the Headmaster in his office.
Crabbe and Goyle had jumped a Hufflepuff third year and Draco came across them on his way. It was not until the shaggy haired boy had seen Malfoy that he looked afraid. His face drained of colour and Draco had to refrain from smiling in glee.
"Greg! Vin! What are you two doing?" Goyle looked surprised to see Draco and he said fumblingly, "This kid here needs to be taught a lesson. He thinks that he can call us stupid and get away with it!"
Crabbe nodded and his fleshy chin jiggled with the motion. Draco put his hand to his forehead in frustration. "Right…let's examine this, shall we? You've failed all of your NEWT's, the chances that you'll graduate with our class are virtually nil, and you're attacking a student in the very corridor that the Headmaster resides—and in front of the Head Boy, no less. I hate to break to you, but you are stupid."
Crabbe blinked dimly as if he had just realised where he was. "Give me a sec and we will take this kid somewhere else..." Goyle's watery eyes looked cheerful and he raised his fist to knock the trembling student out.
Draco caught his fist with ease. "Now Gregory, I'm quite certain that I had ordered the house elves to bring some pie to the dormitory in celebration of the end of NEWT's, and I am sure that if you two hurry that you both can get one to yourselves. Now, would you rather risk having that old codger walk in on you manhandling a younger student, or would you rather be safely ensconced in the dungeons…with pie?"
The two boys looked like they were having a hard time keeping up with Draco's logic until they heard the words manhandling and pie. After then he knew he was just talking to himself as the two were nodding profusely.
"Just go!" Draco said with a tired voice as they scrambled away. Draco suddenly thought of something as he listened to the eager sound of their thundering footsteps. A loud shout of surprise was heard followed by another and the sound of bodies tumbling down the stairs and then groans of pain. Draco chuckled fondly and said to himself, "That trick step, they never miss it. Some things never change."
He turned around to see the Hufflepuff still there staring at him in a look that was terror fused with curiosity.
Gathering his coldest expression he said scathingly, "What are you looking at?"
"No-Nothing!" The boy squeaked out.
"So I am nothing is that it?" Draco purred in a lethal tone reminiscent of Snape.
"No..No Dra...I mean No No Sir!"
"Good...Well?"
"Well what, sir?" The boy had confusion in his brown eyes.
"Leave?"
"Oh! Right sir, I mean thank you, sir! Good-bye, sir!" The young boy almost tripped over his feet as he ran in the opposite direction that the two cronies had taken.
Draco ran a weary hand through his hair. 'I am getting too old for this crap,' he thought as he said the password to Dumbledore's office.
Dumbledore was humming lightly to himself while Draco stood awkwardly at the door.
"Oh! Draco, my boy! Come in, come in. Have a seat!"
Draco watched as a violently orange armchair materialised from thin air and he took a seat. Sinking low in the oversized chair he watched the Headmaster twiddle his thumbs.
"Well, Mr. Malfoy! I bet you are wondering why you are here?"
"Of course I am, sir," Draco said in a polite, even tone. Then he thought stiffly, "No, but I am sure you will tell me anyways so..."
"Right then, Draco…best get into it. Now I want you to recount what you have done in the past for the benefit of the Death Eaters."
Draco began slowly with Albus as an intent listener, with the letters that he sent his father. How in the beginning he had given him as much information about the trio and himself that he could muster. Then to how he eventually started making things up and becoming increasingly vague with details. Dumbledore smiled at this. He also told Dumbledore with similar vagueness about the spell on his shoes that had forced him and Miss Granger to spend more time together.
"Well that plan certainly backfired on Lucius, did it not?"
Draco quirked his head and asked, "What do you mean?"
"He meant to get more information from the slight bond that was, ah, forced between you and Miss Granger but it was this bond that caused you to deflect was it not?"
He thought about what would have happened had he decided not to do the tutoring. He may have actually gone through with some of the curses in the book. This thought caused his face to turn white and Dumbledore asked with concern, "Are you alright Draco? What is it?"
"Sir, I have something else to tell you..." Draco's was having difficulty talking and he hoped that even having these books in his possession would not get him in very big trouble.
The headmaster waited patiently for what was coming next.
"My father sent me these books..."
"Well books, that was awfully nice of him was it not? Books are great things..." His tone petered off as he watched Draco gravely shake his head. "Oh, those types of books, what are they called?"
"The books of Purification..." Draco looked up to see that Dumbledore looked quiet saddened.
"You know of these books?" The headmaster nodded slowly and said, "I thought that the ministry had destroyed all of them but they must have missed a few."
Eagerly Draco said, "But they did! These are new ones, ones remade by the Dark Lord."
Dumbledore stood up abruptly, "New? This is bad; tell me, Draco, do you know how many copies were made? Where are the books right now?"
Draco was confused but replied quickly, "I believe that these are the only copies, the lord did not want to have to make more by hand so these would be the ones that he would copy by magic after my initiation. I had them because they wanted me to test the spells out under your nose...so to speak. The books are in the bottom of my chest...I could not stand the sight of them."
"Out of sight out of mind so?" His white moustache crinkled into a smile.
"No, they're always in the back of my mind." Draco leaned over to tie his shoe again. The suede shoes were too good to waste but these new shoe laces were absolute tripe.
"Could you get these books for me? Studying the curses in their base form would help immensely with counter curse production."
Draco stood, glad to be doing something and asked, "Do you want me to summon them or should I just get them myself."
"Oh that won't be necessary. You can just call on Miss Granger through my floo and she can bring them up."
He stood grandly and motioned to his large chiselled fireplace which held rippling flames. He walked over, glancing casually at the merpeoples forms that curled around the marble stone, and grabbed a small handful of the greenish powder before stepping in front of the fire and saying, "Hermione Granger's room, Head quarters." He reeled at the disorienting feeling of having your head stuck in one room and your body in another.
He looked around at the lack of disarray in her room and his lip twitched in disgust. Even his was a little messy. He was just about to call out her name when she rounded the corner wearing a big fuzzy bath robe and carrying a pile of clean clothes.
He watched in amusement as she began to walk towards her closet, his presence unbeknownst to her. He cleared his throat and she whipped around with a small shriek, dropping her neatly folded pile on the floor at her feet.
Draco smiled scathingly. "Nice robe Granger, pink suits you." Her shock was quickly over ridden by anger and she growled. "What do you want Malfoy? Or do you usually poke your head where it is not wanted to spy on people."
He snorted, "Oh, please! If I wanted to spy on you I would do it without getting caught. I am a Slytherin after all. Now I need to ask you a favour."
"Why should I do anything for you? I think that you own me for scaring me like that and for being rude."
"For one, I did not mean to scare you nor did I know that you would be wearing that disaster of a housecoat, and secondly, I am getting a leg cramp from standing all hunched like this at Dumbledore's fire. Now please, will you help me before your room starts to smell like singed hair?"
"It was a birthday gift from Ron!" Here he laughed outright and she went on, "And if it has something to do with Dumbledore I will be sure to help. Now, what is it?"
Draco was watching the fire below his head. "I need you to go into my room, go into the bottom of my trunk and get the bag that is there. The black one and bring it to the head masters office."
He waited while she looked at him.
"Well what are you waiting for?" He asked slightly perturbed.
"I need to get dressed if I am going to be wandering around the school!"
"And?" He looked at her blankly.
"I am not getting dressed with you here, now get out!" She yelped at his surprised face.
"Ha!" He said in a mocking tone, "As if I want to see your bare ass..." He let himself pull out of the fire place with a slight feeling of disappointment. Shaking this odd feeling from his mind, he walked over to the orange chair and sat down again. Dumbledore looked at him inquisitively while Draco brushed soot from his robes.
"Oh, she will be right down."
They waited in a silence, for ten minutes, that was unbroken except for an offer and refusal of lemon sherbets.
The large mahogany door was pushed open by a breathless Head girl. "Sorry I took so long." She walked up to the Headmaster's desk and set the bag on top of it before taking the seat that had sprung up next to Draco's. While Dumbledore was picking up the bag Draco leaned over the arm of his chair and hissed, "Headmaster's pet."
Hermione brought herself to his maturity level and promptly stuck out her tongue and whispered back, "You're welcome, ferret boy."
He grinned slightly before he felt a slight blush creep onto his face and he turned abruptly back to Albus who was studying the books with great interest. 'Honestly, Draco,' he thought, 'what was that!' He began to fidget and cleared his throat which got Albus' attention.
"Sorry, you may go, but meet me here tomorrow to go over your letter for your father. He expects you to be there but I need to perform the spells to check the student body for Death Eaters tomorrow night. So off you go…remember to cause some mischief or mayhem in the corridors near Gryffindor… it is Professor McGonagall's evening to patrol."
He waved them out and then turned back to the books on his desk. Calling Snape at once, the two wizards began to devise a plan to develop counter curses for some of the Dark Lord's more inventive curses. Though it had only felt like a few moments, when the clock chimed twice, it was very clear that it would indeed be a long night.
The walk back to their dorm was awkward until Draco spoke up when they reached their portrait and said the word, "Toadstool."
"Umm...Hermione?" Draco stumbling out as he reached a hand tentatively out to her but did not touch her.
"Yes, Draco?" Hermione eyed him suspiciously.
"Would you...I mean...Do you want to...err...I...damnit!" Draco was turning increasingly red and Hermione got tired of his fumbling.
"Spit it out!" She snapped irritably.
"Would you teach me how to do the wandless magic now?" He looked a little ashamed and Hermione was increasingly amused at his change in character over something like this.
She laughed, the sound echoing in their cheerily lit common room. "Alright! I was not planning on doing anything tonight besides finishing up the w's from the library."
He smiled brightly, showing off perfectly white teeth before looking surprised. "You are almost done the library? You really are insatiable!"
"You better believe it!" Hermione said with a wink and watched as Draco began to look uncomfortable "Well let's sit down and I will explain it to you." As she flopped down on the couch she continued, "Some of the members of the Order picked up on the technique after a few tries…so I will explain it to you like I did for them."
Draco moved so that he could watch her while she talked. The fire was making him drowsy but he forced himself to stay awake.
"Now I had everyone start out with a spell that they found easy to do, one that they find they use often or are fond of casting. Now this was something I myself had done. The Scourgify spell I had to use for about a month while staying with the Weasley's." She held up a warning finger and he held up his arms in surrender.
"I wasn't going to say anything. Honest." He grinned innocently and she laughed, "No but you were thinking it."
She coughed back a laugh then continued; "Now it is the mind over matter concept that allowed me to do it the first time. I believed with total conviction that I had my wand in my hand, so the spell worked even though I did not. Then after the first hundred times of trying to do this while dropping my wand and then attempting the spell or moving it away from my fingers while convincing myself that it was still in my hand I finally realized something."
"It was not convincing myself that I had the wand in my hand when I did not that should be allowing me to do the spells but that I had done it once already and that wandless magic was possible. That it was possible. This is when I began to make real headway."He nodded and tried to ignore the light that was giving her animated face a handsome glow.
"Now, I will show you that it is possible. Here..." she reaching into her robes and produced her wand and handed it to him. "Hide this, just so you know that I am not up to anything."
"You are always up to something," He mumbled while she covered her eyes and he stood up and placed the wand behind a curtain.
He flopped back down on the couch and she removed her hands. "Now pick a spell...anything but the Vox Vocis Commuto."
His brow furrowed in thought and Hermione bit back a giggle. Oh how wrong was that? Hermione thought bitterly. That she could find such amusement out of one of his unguarded facial expressions.
"How about, that Siral wind? But no lifting large things like furniture or..." He trailed off.
"You? Don't worry, I honestly don't think that I am up to that level yet."
He face was contorted in anger and then he laughed. "You really had me fooled."
"Thank you...Now watch closely."
Draco looked on as she closed her darkened eyes and shifted slightly. All the tension in her body melted away as she concentrated on the spell and her belief.
With her hair trailing messily around her shoulders, and the fire light turning it into gold and her pale skin, Draco had to resist the urge to just...NO! He forced that train of thought to a crashing halt as he listened to her explain.
"I am drawing the magical energy from within myself and pushing it into my finger tips. The sensation is like a cold tingle and the more energy you direct the more it takes from you. So its best to do this all quickly. Siral Locutus!"
Draco watched as a wind centred in the room and Hermione opened her eyes happily as she began to shift logs in the fire with the direction of her hands.
"So, now you see that it is possible? Do you understand?"
Draco nodded his head excitedly and handed her his wand. She looked confused and then said, "No, you need to try having it away from your finger tips and trying to make it happen first."
"Oh." Glaring slightly he laid his wand at the very tip of his finger and tried to concentrate but thoughts of how close she was sitting to him on the couch were heavily distracting him. Then the thought of his father ruined any control he had and he was shivering with effort.
Hermione noticed the subtle changes in him and reached out to touch his arm. "Let that go. Try that weird deep breathing thing you do." He opened an eye and laughed but glanced nervously at the hand resting on his arm. Hermione closed her eyes and said, "Pick your spell, how about a smaller Siral wind? The incantation is 'Siral Locutus.' Now breath, focus, empty."
He shut his eyes tight, trying to bloke out the feeling of her arm on his and concentrate on the idea that his wand was in his hand. Breathing slow and deep, he allowed his thoughts to rush away like water. It was then that he felt a slight push of energy.
Hermione was using her own magic to push his in the direction of his finger tips. Smiling unconsciously, he followed her flow with his own nudges and the cool tremble was felt in his fingers, one by one. Then he opened his mouth and eyes and said, "Siral Locutus" and directed Hermione's wand from behind the curtain. It ended up flung in front of the fire instead of on the couch where he had been aiming, but the drain had began to wear on him and he had lost control of the object.
Hermione's eyes brightened to the point of tearing and Draco allowed himself a slight chuckled before she hugged him tightly, knocking the wind and the thoughts of accomplishment out of him. "OH Draco!" She squeaked and then said lower, "...oh..."
She pulled quickly back leaving him dazed and bewildered. "Sorry, academic achievement just gets me more excited then normal."
He began to smile goofily and then dropped it and cleared his throat.
"It worked just like you said it would!" She beamed and tried to fend off his compliments.
"Well, I knew that you could do it Draco, now, from now on you need to practice as much as you can. Now that you know how to move the energy and that it works you can do it on your own. I am so proud!"
"On my own?" He said lowly.
"Yes! You need to be your own teacher for this sort of thing. I am just happy that you picked it up so quickly. Snape and Dumbledore are the only others who have had any success with it in the Order. Congratulations." She held out her hand and Draco plucked her wand from the carpet and handed it to her. She laughed and shook his other hand and stood up with a large yawn.
"I'm sorry Draco, but if I am going to get through the final arrangements for Sunday's ball, then I need as much sleep as I can get. Good night Draco."
She shuffled over to her door and turned back when she heard him say, "ahh..."
"Yes?" He looked faintly sick and she began to worry.
"Could...ummm...Hermione would you..."
He looked at her harshly and then said, "Sweet Dreams..."
"Oh, you too Draco..." Her tone was light and her eyes held sadness.
He flushed at the thought of his nightmares and watched her close her door.
He was filled with defeat and some self-loathing as he whispered, "Hermione would you go with me to the ball?" But his question went unheard into the silence of the common room.
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
Dear Father
It grieves me most profoundly to say this but I must. I will not be at the ceremony this weekend. I have it on great authority that the old kook is arranging another Death Eater scan for Saturday night.
It would be good of you to pass this message along to others, particularly the Dark Lord. I have planned to make good use of my time here, and have already received a detention with the head of Gryffindor for defacing their portrait. I also found out that Potter has a detention as well, and I am going to make good use of this time with the bane of our Lord.
I am also going to be helping Professor Snape with that new poison that the Lord requested and I am sure that study in this field will help the war greatly. Just think father, a substance that is untraceable, air born and will target any humans who have no magic in them. Yes this will not help us with the mudbloods but it will get rid of half of the unclean population.
I heard through a contact that Dumbledore has been wandering the hallways of the school late at night and that he is showing signs of age; appearing disorientated with his surroundings at times. Blaise said that his father would be coming back into the country for a short while and that this is because he heard that there were muggles renting his properties.
I am sure that you will help him with this and I wish you to tell him of the work that I will be doing for the Professor. The Granger girl has been secluded away much of the time so I have had no chances to practice on her, but that Impedimentia Crucio works rather effectively as a stunning curse.
Now, I have packing to do. Please send my utmost apologies to Our Lord for my absence from the ceremony. I believe that I am right to stay and go undetected by the old fool then to risk it. If I am wrong, I understand the consequences.
Sincerely,
Draco Malfoy
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
The next afternoon Hermione stared blankly at the reddening boy in front of her. She had been excited about the upcoming graduation and the ball the night before but the idea that he, above all people would ask her to go left her abruptly speechless and dreading putting together sentences.
"Ahh...I mean...I...errr..." She fumbled and her breathing was laboured. Twiddling her shirt tail she tried to think how to answer him.
"Hermione!" He almost barked, trying to regain some dignity or strength over the situation, and then said in a lower tone as a few heads in the library turned their way.
"Please if you are going to tell me no, then get it over with...I hate waiting...Please! Tell me if you have another date...You don't do you?" he finished almost desperately.
Hermione almost laughed at the absurdity of that idea but kept her cool and shook her head, her frizzy hair catching her lips. As she untangled herself from her hair she started, "Its not that I don't want to go with you Ron, its just that this entire time I thought that it would be the three of us going together. You know you, me and Harry."
"Oh..." Ron sighed looking very downcast. It had taken him seven years to realize that he liked Hermione more then just a friend, and now that the time had come for a confession, he didn't know how to go about it. Yes, she was the smartest witch he knew, but when they were together, she was just Hermione. She never usually made him feel their intellectual differences and he wanted so much to ask her again but after the distraction of watching her pull crinkly strands of hair from her mouth he felt his mind wander and he lost his nerve.
"Well at least save a dance for me!" She laughed quietly and then said, "Ron, I was wondering if after we graduate you would want to come with me and my family to our cottage in the mountains? Harry won't be able to come right away and I would like some good company..." She blushed a little at the smile that broke upon his face.
"That sounds like a lot of fun! It will be great to get away from the Twisted twins. Did you know that they will be testing out a new line of joke products soon? Yeah" He nodded at her grimace. "I would be happy to get away from that craziness at the Burrow and to be with you..." His last words held a tone that Hermione was very unused to hearing him use and his eyes looked into hers imploringly. Before she could decipher any meaning to his expression, Neville tripped over his untied shoe laces and sent a towering stack of books crashing into their desk, causing Hermione to squeal and jump back while Ron, caught in thoughts was struck in the head by a Hogwarts: A History, Special Edition.
After the short trip to hospital where Ron's black eye was quickly put to rights, they went their separate ways.
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
The silk of her skirt shimmered lightly in the fire light. She watched as her reflection smiled a secret smile at her and the glass said, "Not bad, Dearie."
She laughed in relief as she ran her gloved hands over her hair for the tenth time. Hermione had refused all help. She found it a tad disconcerting that almost all the witches she knew had in some way offered help towards her getting ready for the ball. Ginny had even looked a little angry at her refusal for assistance until Hermione had explained it to her.
Being neat and clean was all Hermione really cared about in regards to her appearance but for tonight she wanted to prove that she could dress up without assistance. That she could be stylish without help, but above all else she wanted to relax and have fun. She could not wait to see the looks on Harry and Ron's faces. Her smile leapt to her face again and this time she let it spread slowly over her teeth. Her hair had taken a week's worth of trial and error, and of course, research. Most of the witches magazines were highly distasteful to her but they had some very useful information in them.
She ended up doing a rather long loose fishtail braid and had a few escapees of wispy curls that framed her face rather nicely, she thought. Her dress had been a gift from her mother for her marks. Normally she was decidedly impassionate about the clothes that her mother bought for her, but whenever she looked at the dress in her closet she was overcome with the silly emotion of wanting to cry.
It was wonderful; an a-line skirt of white with a tight embroidered bodice that fit her perfectly. She blushed a little thinking about how it made a certain area of her body very pronounced, but regardless she loved it. The back was stunning with thick ribbon corseting which took her ten minutes to do up with her wand on her own. She felt like a princess and finally understood why little girls had that desire. For one night at least she could be a princess instead of a book worm, and it felt wonderful.
All the worries of the past year seemed pale compared to this feeling as she carefully slipped into her bejewelled mask that was trimmed with feathers.
Taking a big breath and letting it out with a huff she took one final look into her mirror and then rushed out of her room to make her way to the Great Hall. Some things in life stick with you, and these final moments before the Ball would come to her later. The memory would sparkle sadly, but for now, it seemed lovely.
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
Draco hurried put on his best dress robes. Black truly was his colour, he thought smugly as he studied his impeccable hair in the mirror. A thought struck him and he rummaged through his bags, scattering quills on the floor uncaringly. After finding the book he was looking for he opened it up with a small smile as he sat down on his bed to open it.
Finding the spot, he pulled the paper he had been looking for out, letting his eyes trail over it longingly before setting it with reverence on his nightstand, walking over to his mirror again to adjust his black mask. He thought that he looked quiet dashing in it and groaned internally at the thought of having to attempt to avoid Pansy the entire night. Maybe he would just go and hang out with Scar-Head and the Weasel, he thought with a grin. She would never look for him there. His eyes shone with an eerie light against the harsh black velvet of his mask. He allowed himself an evil grin before getting up, resuming his superior posture and walking confidently towards the door.
The light swung sharply over his nightstand illuminating a small sketch of the head girl blushing before Draco shut the door, tearing away the light.
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
Authors notes
It has been a while since my last update and for those of you who have me on fav or alert or what have you I apologise! I have been busy moving and this does not lend itself to three hour sessions of writing ten pages. smiles sheepishly
To Carla, You were fantastic on this! The very start I wanted it to seem well like Hermione was doing something other then waiting for her marks...gasps, sharp intakes of breathe and waiting your entire life for this moment...leads me to think of something naughty...lol, so that is why I changed it back...I love what you did! You did not even change my letter to his father! Well much...ps, Draco really does get in trouble with MacGonagall...to get out of going to become a death eater...I could add in what he did in the next chapter to make it more relevant... You are fantastic!
To Justin, yeah I am finally going to the ball! I so need to rewrite this entire thing when I am done...shudders and it will be done! Six more chapters is it? wonders
To Tara, my favorite lady got the internet again! Now she can read this ! explodes with happiness
To Jaru...You rock! This is especially dedicated to you four who without, this story would not only be much crap, but it would not make me nearly as happy as it does at present. I adore you all to little tiny bits!