Chapter Two

She Just Wants Me To Share Her…

Hermione folded the letter again and set it in the box she had set aside for the letters. She sighed. Cedric had only been gone for three days and already she had written him two letters.

"Hermione?"

Hermione turned to Parvati Patil as the girl poked her head into their dorm room. "Yeah, 'Vati?"

"The leaving feast is starting soon. Are you coming down?"

Hermione closed the lid on her box. "Yeah. I'll be right there. Thanks, 'Vati."

Parvati paused. "Hey, you know, for what it's worth, you and Cedric make a great couple."

Hermione beamed at Parvati. "Thanks."

She touched the box one more time then left. The House elves would see that it got packed.

Letters to no where, she thought sadly. Dumbledore had implied that sending owls would not be a good idea. Hermione agreed. She knew she shouldn't contact Cedric this summer but she couldn't help writing these letters.

The staff table was full by the time Hermione got there. She took a seat beside Harry and Ron. After a few moments, Dumbledore rose to his feet.

"The end of another school year," he began. He paused then continued. "Some of you may be wondering why three of our school mates are missing tonight."

A quiet buzz filled the hall as students looked around. Hufflepuff looked to Gryffindor who looked to Ravenclaw who looked to Slytherin who looked at the empty seat where Draco Malfoy used to sit.

"Some of you may have heard the rumors circulating about what exactly happened the night of the final task. Let me clear a few things up."

He paused and Hermione wondered if he would continue. "A very brave young man risked almost certain doom to save a fellow classmate."

All eyes turned to Harry but Harry just shook his head as Dumbledore did the same.

"I'm afraid that Mr. Potter is not the only hero this time. The man I'm speaking of is Draco Malfoy."

The buzz erupted into blatant disbelief. Dumbledore just held up his hand. After a few moments, the buzz died back down and everyone returned to staring at Dumbledore.

"Mr. Malfoy bravely stepped in to allow Mr. Potter and Mr. Diggory a chance to not only survive the night but to escape from Lord Voldemort's clutches."

The entire hall was silent. "The Ministry of magic does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done this. However, now more than ever we need to know what we're facing. Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy have both confirmed the return of Lord Voldemort. The ministry still does not wish for me to tell you."

Dumbledore looked over at the Durmstrangs and the Beauxbaton students. "It is important that you all know what is coming and that every student here know that they are welcome here regardless of what may come in the future."

Hermione noticed Viktor Krum looking over at the Hufflepuff table. Luna Lovegood met his gaze before blushing and looking away. Hermione had to wonder if Krum would be back next year.

Dumbledore raised a goblet. "So I would like to make a toast to the young man who bravely stepped into the line of fire. Though he can't be here right now, to Mr. Draco Malfoy."

For a moment no one moved. Then Harry rose to his feet, goblet in hand. Ron followed him, slightly stiffly. Hermione felt a fierce pride in her boys at that moment and rose as well. The Gryffindor table slowly rose to its feet. Krum followed, goblet high and soon the Durmstrangs and the Beauxbatons were standing as well. Krum's jaw was tight and Fleur's eyes were bright. The Hufflepuffs, led by Cho and Luna rose next followed by the Ravenclaws. Hermione looked through the gap in the crowd to see Pansy Parkinson dragging Crabbe and Goyle to their feet. After a moment of silence they sat again.

Dumbledore left and the feast dissolved into talk amongst the students. Hermione couldn't help looking over at Slytherin table. As soon as Dumbledore was gone, one of the girls sat up straight.

"Well, looks like we'll have some cleaning to do, girls."

Goyle looked at her in confusion. "What do we have to do, As?"

She smirked broadly. "Get rid of Malfoy. Clearly the little bastard has turned blood traitor. Helping a Gryffindor. Now dating one of those Weasleys."

She shook her head in disgust. Beside her, Hermione felt Ron grow tense and put a hand on his arm. The Slytherin girl wasn't done.

"Bad enough he dates outside of the house but to stoop to that level…" she shook her head. "The only thing worse would be going around playing hide the sausage with Potter."

Harry clearly was offended as well and Hermione had to pull out her sternest glare. As much as she wanted to, going to town on the bitch was not the way to deal with her. Then again…

Before Hermione could convince herself that going over there and pulling out the girl's hair would be a bad idea, the Slytherin dug her hole just that much deeper.

"At least he hasn't stooped to associating with that Longbottom squib," she sneered over at the Gryffindor table. Tension radiated through the table.

Then the unthinkable happened.

Pansy Parkinson rose to her feet. All eyes were on her in an instant. She was the mascot, the queen bitch of the Slytherin house. The other girl didn't seem to notice. Pansy walked over to the girl and tapped her on the shoulder.

The girl turned. Her eyes barely had a chance to grow wide before—

CRACK!

The hall rung with Pansy's slap as the girl fell off the bench and onto her ass. From where Hermione sat, she could see the growing crimson of the girl's cheek. It would bruise. A small trickle of blood dribbled down from the opposite cheek.

Pansy slowly lowered her arm. Though her face was impassive, her voice trembled with barely concealed rage.

"Astoria Greengrass, you will keep your cunting little mouth shut on things you do not understand. Draco will be welcomed back into this house with open arms if I have to staple your goddamn arms to the fucking wall. That goes for all of you. This house will stop being the Slytherins and we will become students of Hogwarts if I have to carve it into you. If I hear another word of dissention or a slander against Potter, Longbottom, the Weasleys, Granger, Draco or Diggory, that is exactly what I will fucking do. It's time we stopped being the bitches and fucks that we are and started being even half as brave as one of them."

She stood for a second, glaring her ultimatum at her house. Not a single student met her eyes and she finally nodded before turning and sweeping away. She walked over to the Gryffindor table. She hesitated a moment. As she did, Neville got to his feet and crossed to her.

He held out his hand and she took it. Together, they walked out of the Great hall.

The girl, Astoria, got to her feet. "Well that does it! I cannot believe you all will just let her turn us into…into Gryffindors!" she snarled then yelped as a gold goblet hit her in the head.

Hermione looked to see who had thrown it. She was shocked to see it was Vincent Crabbe. He glowered at the whimpering girl. "Shut up, Ast. I'm listening to Pansy."

Then he too turned and left the Great Hall.

It was as if someone had flicked a switch. Every student in the Slytherin Table got to their feet and marched out. As they passed the Gryffindor table and Hermione and her friends, several nodded to them, including a pretty young blonde girl who seemed quite distracted by Ron's freckles. Hermione watched them leave and had to wonder. Would this truce last once Draco returned?

(A/N: Well, Who loves Pansy right now? I've got to say, it was insanely fun to write this chap. And yes, Krum will be back in the next story.