A/N: bonjour! so i know you're gonna see this and think it's not a new chapter, the first part obviously isn't but i added onto it! because it was so short before, i felt it should be lengthened.
i really hope you're all enjoying the story so far! your reviews make me so happy :') i love you all! also sorry for the late update! school started again (yaaaaay -.-) so i haven't had much time for writing, but i will ALWAYS find time.
anyway enough of my rambling, enjoy the chapter! also feel free to add me on Pottermore!- icesky3 and follow on tumblr because i always follow back!- brooklynkay okie dokes, byebye xoxo -Brooklyn
"Hermione!" Harry nearly screamed as Hermione took her seat between him and Ron
"We haven't seen you in two days, where've you been?" asked Ron with a slight annoyance to his voice.
"Two days?" asked Hermione bewildered, arching her eyebrows. She surely didn't remember being gone for two days, or where she had even been the last two days for that matter… "I suppose I've been in my dorm," she said in a little more then a whisper. Both Ron and harry looked at her skeptically and confused, when professor McGonagall entered the room.
"Settle down now everyone!" she called entering the room, stopping in front of her desk with a large grin on her face "I've got a surprise for you all, now don't get too excited it's nothing huge, but we should all be very happy and I hope you will all join me in welcoming him home" the headmistress gestured her hand toward the door as a tall man wearing elegant light blue robes, a long tangle of silver hair trailed down his broad shoulder blades, and matching silver hair poured from his chin and above his mouth.
"Harry!" gasped Hermione grabbing his arm, Harry snapped his head around "its Dumbledore!" the trio smiled largely and joined in the cheers and claps of their classmates.
"Thank you! Thank you." He boomed with a tight grin "I was" he said strolling slowly towards the front of the class once the cheers subsided "talking a nice walk along the corridor upon arriving back, on my way to my office, when I spotted this fine class, and decided I would hop in for a nice 'hello' before I reached my office. Of course you all would be seeing me at tonight's special banquet for my return" he paused turning when he reached the front of the class.
"Professor" called Dean Thomas who sat near the back of the room
"Yes Dean!" boomed Dumbledore excitedly
"Why have you been gone for most of the year?" several students nodded in approval of the question, everyone wanted to know why he had only been at the school for a short period of the time at the beginning of the year.
"Ah" he sighed as if happy he was asked the question "well you see Dean, students. I have been on a very important mission" he turned and flashed a quick wink at Harry that you would have easily missed had you blinked at that moment. Harry's expression quickly changed to confusion, as did Hermione's and Ron's as they turned to look at him. "But, you need not be troubled by it!" the elder man smiled brightly at the students "now, I must be going. Enjoy the rest of your classes, I know return your attention to professor McGonagall. Minerva" he turned to face the old witch whose expression was very kind and almost relieved, he bowed his head in resignation, and the headmistress returned the gesture. Swiftly Dumbledore left the class, and the students were quick to burst with frantic whispers of what this "important mission" was.
"Harry" asked Hermione as the trio took their seats at the Gryffindor table for lunch "why did Dumbledore wink at you?" there was a moment of silence where Ron and Hermione stared at Harry in anticipation. He only stared at his beef stew with arched eyebrows.
"I wish I knew," he said suddenly looking to his friends. The three were silent for a while, as they each seemed to be deep in thought.
"Hey!" chirped Ginny as she slid into her usual seat next to Hermione
"Hey" Harry said, his expression brightening as he smiled at his red head girlfriend.
"Glad to see you're back 'Mione, where've you been?" she asked tearing her eyes from Harry's. Hermione opened her mouth to speak but found herself at a lose of words; it really bothered her how she couldn't remember where she had been the last few days.
"She's not sure" said Ron with a snort "you'd think someone as bright as her would know she's been off to for the last few days" Hermione only sulked; Ron was making it sound as if she were daft, or brain damaged. Ginny leaned over the table and slapped her brother over the side of his head.
"Shut it you!" she shouted as he growled in pain.
Draco skipped lunch; he still wasn't ready to face his fellow Slytherins. At least, the ones who knew what had happened. Instead he sulked in his dorm, waiting for the clock to chime, alerting him it was time for classes.
He heard the portrait swing open, from his chambers. Quickly he scrambled to his feet and flung himself into the common room where Hermione stood wide eyed at the quick moving Draco.
"I just came to grab my bag…" she said a twisted look to her face. She walked cautiously to her room, grabbing her bag then leaving her chambers within ten seconds. "are you coming?" she asked startling him, with a cautious look on her face. he had hardly noticed he was staring at her and barely heard her words, but they were enough to jolt him back to reality
"What?" he asked daftly
"We have care of magical creatures, I thought you might like to walk together-"
"Why are you being so kind to me?" he asked suddenly
"What do you-"
"I mean, I am a huge arse hole to you, yet you stay the kind, perky, Gryffindor princess as always" Hermione stared for a few seconds
"Well if you want I can be rude right back. I just never saw any reason for it" she crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air
"Good. That is what I want" he sneered
"Fine" she spat after a few seconds, storming through the portrait hole.
Once the portrait closed behind her, Draco's shoulders slumped forward and he plopped hard down onto the couch, releasing a loud sigh "fuck my life" he groaned before he grabbed his bag and headed for class.
Draco sulked the whole way to Hagrid's hut, he wished the walk had been longer, he needed the extra time to think about everything, but at the same time he was glad he didn't have enough time to get caught up in his thoughts.
He arrived to see the rest of the class was there, waiting at the foot of Hagrid's hut.
"Ah mister Malfoy!" boomed the large fury man from the door frame of his home "been watin' fer ya" Hagrid thumped down the stairs and began his decent towards the pumpkin patches, motioning for the class to follow.
Draco's eyes wondered amongst the group of teens, most seemed to be glaring at him judgingly; obviously annoyed that he caused the class to delay. This class is a joke anyway, they should be bloody grateful. Ignorant bunch of bug- Draco's nasty thoughts were cut short when his eyes caught the sight of Hermione. His Hermione. He had the urge to smile or give a small wave, and then he remembered. So he frowned and attempted a scowl, but he failed. Keeping her eye contact and staring deep into the pools of her eyes. He saw her body stiffen and winced slightly. Quickly, she looked away when her elbow was being grabbed and pulled towards the pumpkin patches, by none other then Potter. Draco snarled as his and Harry's eyes met but harry quickly looked away guiding Hermione on and forcing her gaze to rip from Draco.
"What was that about?" asked Harry as he pulled Hermione's stiffened body forward.
"What?" she said daftly, her mind a bit of a jumble. Her skull had been throbbing the past few days, she felt as though there was something she was supposed to remember, and it was driving her mad.
"Malfoy" whispered Harry as if it were obvious, they had reached the rest of the class and didn't want to disturb Hagrid's teaching. "Why was he staring at you like that?"
"Oh" answered Hermione, not entirely sure of the reason herself "I… erm… am not sure really" her head still hurt and she was annoyed to hear herself giving such daft answers
"Well you were staring back" Ron snapped quickly from Hermione's other side. She jumped at his voice, forgetting he had even been there.
"Oh, Ron" she gasped with relief
"What's the matter with you?" asked the red head, scanning his friend with narrowed eyes.
"N- nothing. Nothing, I swear. I'm just not myself today"
"Hermione you haven't been yourself in weeks" reasoned Harry, concern dwelling in his voice.
"I'm sorry, truly I am, I'm just a bit stressed is all, a lot on the mind"
"Like what?" asked Ron without hesitation
"It doesn't matter…" Hermione began with a bit of a stammer
"Hermione, we are your best friends, we care about you. Whatever it is you know you can tell us" Ron turned her so she looked at him. She felt a tug at her chest with his words. Ron could be rude and insensitive, but it was these moments of sensitivity that made Hermione want to jump into his arms and hug him into oblivion. Of course she didn't, she merely smiled and gave a small squeeze of her hands, which he had claimed with his own.
"Thank you" she said in a bit more then a whisper "both of you" she turned so she also looked at Harry, she attempted to release Ron's hand but he didn't seem to want to let go "Ronald.." she began looking to their entwined fingers.
"Oh, right, sorry," rambled Ron ripping his hand away as if Hermione's hand were a venomous snake.
"Alright now, eryone understand?" Hagrid bellowed to the crowd, there were mumbles of 'yes' and 'mhm' as the students headed towards a stack of crates.
"Oh shoot we missed the whole lesson!" whined Hermione
"It's alright, I picked up the last bit, we're feeding the Spike-nosed Turtle-Vipers"
"The what?" asked Ron scrunching his nose. Hermione giggled and Harry even chuckled a bit, then the three began towards the crates to grab their own twisted creature.