Hey everyone! I want to apologize real quick about the delay. I went camping and - go figure- there was no wifi or electricity for when my laptop died. So it's late but here it is! It took me a while to decide how I wanted this chapter to go, but I'm pretty please with how it turned out. Enjoy!
-2 weeks later-
"Hermione, are you coming to Hogsmeade with us or not?" Harry was bundled up in his coat and trying to get his hat to cover his ears, it was clearly too small though. I glanced out the window, the trees were practically bent to the ground with the wind pounding them. He caught where my gaze was and rolled his eyes, but gently added,"We are taking the carriages, if that make its any better."
I honestly had so much to do, I thought about the written paper of Malfoy's that I had yet to go over. He had seemed pretty sure of himself when he gave it to me, so I was itching to find something wrong with it, so far no luck.
"Well," I started slowly, "I am out of sugar quills." Harry's face broke out into a slightly strained smile.
"Brilliant, I'll let Ron know that we are waiting for you."
I shook my head at the mention of Ron. He was as completely blinded by Harry's new book as Harry was. So much so that he thought it was hilarious that Harry lifted him by his ankle this morning. Listening to him at breakfast go on about how great the spell was had really put a damper on my morning, not to mention I still felt slightly guilty about the fight that we had because of it.
The village of Hogsmeade was frigid, far worse than it had looked from the windows of the Gryffindor tower. People didn't bother to stop and greet each other before barreling into the shops they were trying to get to. If anyone had something they wanted to say, it could wait until they were safely inside one of the warm buildings.
Harry, Ron, and myself were bundled with hats and scarves, and even with the help of a warming charm, were hounded by the wind. We spent much more time in Honeydukes that we had anticipated. Even though the shop was packed full of people getting their sweets, the lines weren't very long to purchase them. Everyone was mainly mulling around to avoid being outside. The only snag was the run in with Professor Slughorn, once again trying to get Harry to come to one of his dinner parties. I tried to assure Harry that sometimes they were actually fun, seeing as I had been to three of them now, but Ron's mood had soured so I distracted him with Deluxe sugar quills and bought him a few. So naturally that meant I spent more money on candy that I thought I would.
Soon, Mr. Flumes wife came hustling about and kicking people out who had already bought their sweets or those who weren't buying.
"Bad for business having so many people hanging about the shop!" She chattered "People glance in the window and think 'next time'! Now go on, you already got your sweets!" She was a sweet lady so no one took her shooing them out too heavily. Harry, after getting an extra licorice wand from the shopkeeper, Ron and I braced ourselves as the door opened. The winter cold took our breath away instantly and we wordlessly agree to hurry off to The Three Broomsticks.
I was rather shocked to see Harry start flying off the handle, right in front of the door at one of the Orders members, that is until I realized what was happening, I grabbed at my wand but Mundungus had already disapparated and Harry started screaming even more.
"Harry, HARRY!" I grabbed his arm and pulled him inside the pub to a semi-well hidden corner and put my hands on either side of his face, trying to get him to focus on me. "Ron go get us a table. Harry, listen to me-"
"That's Sirius's stuff Hermione." He was livid, but beyond that he was hurt. He was moments away from breaking down. I could see it, even if he thought he was only angry. His eyes held rage and a pain that broke my own heart to see. I pulled him into a tight hug and he immediately sank into it.
Harry was like a brother to me. I confided in him with just about everything and when it came to the one person that I knew I could trust beyond a doubt, it was Harry. Sure he was a dunderhead sometimes and we fought about really trivial things, I know that he is going to be in my life forever. So when I get the chance to be there for him, I take it. As protective of me as he thinks he is, I am even more protective of him. And I knew right now that he truly didn't care about what the stuff was, but it was the fact that it was Sirius's. Harry still hadn't fully grieved his godfather, and I was unsure at this point if he would any time soon. It must be a terrible feeling and I wanted to save him from that.
"I know, Harry." I spoke softly and gently rubbed the back of his head, "We can talk to Remus and Dumbledore about it. I promise that we will get back as much of Sirius's items that we can." He nodded but took another minute to collect his thoughts and steady his breathing.
"Thanks for calming me down." He said with a smile as he pulled away. "And sorry about this morning." I waved my hand, completely dismissing his apology. Besides, I know we will have more arguments about that blasted book later.
"Let's not worry about that right now, but you know I am always here for you so no thanks needed. Come, lets go find out where Ron has us seated." with a scowl I continued, trying to cheer him up, "I bet we have a perfect view of Madam Rosmerta." Harry barked a laugh and nodded his agreement. I had been correct of course. Our table was perfectly seated to see the bar and its keeper bustling around. I rolled my eyes and went and fetched us all butterbeers. When I came back I had to pass by Blaise Zabini, who was lounging causally near our table. I stopped in front of him, he regarded my coolly.
"Can I help you, Granger?"
"Is Malfoy here?" His eye brown shot up in surprise, so I hurried to add, "I had a question about his paragraph on the effects Malaclaw in potions." Truth was his essay was fine. I had gone over it with him yesterday and his essay had some excellent points that made me go back to the common room and immediately start editing it. I wasn't sure why, but something about him had seemed off when we last spoke and I was curious to see how he was.
"Sorry to disappoint, but he has got detention today." he responded distractedly, not even looking at me. Instead I noticed his concentration was firmly on the barkeep now. I rolled my eyes, what is it with teenage boys and Madam Rosmerta? "But I will be sure to mention to Draco that you were looking for him. Now, if you'll excuse me." Without giving me a chance to respond, or more likely to ask him not to mention my question to the blonde Slytherin, he left straight for the bar. I sighed, knowing I would probably get an earful from Malfoy about asking for him, and took the drinks to Ron and Harry.
Harry downed his quickly and immediately went for another, the effects of knowing the fate of some of Sirius's belongings still bursting. Ron however drank leisurely and tried to steal glances of the lady of the inn without me noticing. Men.
After I finished my drink, Harry having polished off his third, we decided to call it a day at Hogsmeade. It had not been the most pleasant of trips and the winter storm had rolled in hard as we had drank. I held on to Harry and Rons' arms tightly, the wind threatening to knock us over, when we heard the blood curdling scream of a girl in front of us on the path. Harry seemingly sobered and rushed forward immediately, hand on his wand, with Ron and I hot on his heels. My hand flew to my mouth as I saw Katie suspended in midair, hair whipping around her still shrieking. Harry and Ron were able to catch her limp form once she fell. I screamed and ran forward feeling helpless watching her twitch and writhe.
Harry ran off to find help and very soon came back with Hagrid. It felt like a lifetime by the time the groundskeeper scooped her into his arms and took off towards the castle, calling for us to follow him. I was shaking as we hurried our way back to the school. Katie's friend Leanne was sobbing hard and leaning on my for support, adding pain in my shoulder to the pain from the wind and hike. I joke bitterly to myself about how she was able to cry, as the wind and snow had felt cold enough to freeze her tears solid.
As we entered the school Harry began to prattle about how Malfoy knew about the necklace and how it could have been he that caused this to happen. I held my tongue, hoping that he would it get out of his system with me and Ron, before we had to speak to Dumbledore or McGonagall about what occurred. But even with Ron- Ron of all people- trying to tell Harry that that didn't make much sense, the butterbeer in Harry won out and he spilt all his thoughts to McGonagall.
To say that the room had gotten tense fast was an understatement. Ron and I felt horribly out of place, I admit I shuffled away from Harry when he explained his theory. The problem wasn't so much that Harry was thinking all this, but that he firmly believed it enough to tell a teacher that a fellow student was capable of cursing someone. It was ridiculous and McGonagall said just as much.
"Harry," I said softly cutting in on his rambling and protesting, "I don't think that Draco was even there today. Blaise said that he had detention."
"That is correct, Miss Granger." Professor McGonagall said, with a slightly surprised expression on her face, "Mr. Malfoy has failed to complete several homework assignments and as such was in detention with me today. Now, Mr. Potter, I am going to chalk all this nonsense up to you indulging a bit too much at the Thee Broomsticks and nothing more. I know you and Mr. Malfoy have a tense history to say the least, but it would be wise of you to drop this notion and not spread this to anyone else." She stood up to her fullest height and then excused herself to check on Katie and Leanne, sending us to the common room.
Harry was indignant the whole way up the stairs and I finally had to make my excuses and go to the library instead. Harry Potter was far to stubborn for his own good and when he got on a tangent like this, the best thing to do was let him wear himself down. Hopefully he would just go to sleep and wake up embarrassed about his whole outburst in the morning.
I was nearly to my favorite chair in the very back of the library, when I saw a flash of silver blonde hair and halted. I could tell instantly that it was Draco, though his demeanor seemed slightly off. I took a deep breath and walked over to him.
"Hey, Malfoy," my voice was quiet, even though I knew we were the only two currently in the large room.
"Is there something you need, Granger, or are you just here to heckle me?" His voice didn't have its usual bite, but it wasn't welcoming either, just slightly nervous sounding. I bit my lip and decided to push my luck, I took a seat across from his. His expression soured, but he didn't object.
"Quite the opposite actually. I wanted to commend you on the essay you wrote yesterday, it was surprisingly well researched." His eyebrow raised at that, and his lips twitched into a cocky smirk. His knee kept bouncing rather hurriedly, even as he leaned back in his chair to stretch.
"You are here to compliment me? Seems like you are finally learning your place, eh Granger?" I flared with anger momentarily, but took a steady breath.
"If you mean at the top of our class and the smartest witch of our age? Then yeah, I learned my place." I shook my head. "I just wanted to commend you is all. I guess that I just feel like I need to get everything off my chest and decompress. After what I saw Katie go through, I just wanted-"
"What do you mean, what Katie went through? Katie Bell?" His tone was serious and clipped. His knee stopped shaking and he immediately leaned forward. I nodded, shocked by his response to her name, I had no idea that he knew her or that they were friends. But by his concern, I almost wondered if they were something more. I leaned in towards him as well, my voice growing even quieter.
"She was cursed." Did I imagine the color draining from his face, the slight quiver that started in his lip? They seemed to vanish almost as soon as I noticed them. "A necklace of some sort-"
He bolted from the room. I sat there totally shocked and completely floored. That conversation had taken a completely weird and unexpected turn. I quickly gathered my belongings into my bag and, with a slight hesitation, gathered Draco's as well, figuring I could leave them at Madam Pinces' desk on the way out. As I dropped my bag onto the desk that I sat at, I looked down at Draco's.
Who would have though? Draco Malfoy having a thing for Katie Bell? I smiled, shaking my head, and pulled out my transfiguration book.
Well what do you think? Leave a review letting me know how this chapter ended up to you! Also, for those who are following, I have completely rewritten the preface and changed chapters 1&2, chapter 3 will be edited and revised soon. It did change Draco's tone and attitude a bit, as well as making the time line more clear. But as long as you are willing to roll with it you don't necessarily have to reread them. But if you want to and let me know if you love them more now, I would love to hear from you.
Thanks and always
Ali
