Hermione hadn't known what to expect. Mostly she had been expecting Draco to mope around whining about how injured he was and telling Hermione that it was all her fault, he was in pain because of her. Similar to how he had acted when Buckbeak had slashed him. To Hermione's surprise though, none of that happened. He had mostly been quiet, sitting in the little living area, writing down notes every now and then in a small black journal. Hermione had tried to press him, get him to tell her how he had gotten to the point of a giant orb of time.
Malfoy had, of course, been less than forthcoming. He hadn't told her much, in fact he seemed to clamp down harder than ever. All she had been able to get from him was that he had used the very sand threads of time from multiple time turners. Hermione assumed he had attempted to create a giant time turner of sorts, it had of course backfired greatly.
That tidbit of information had sent Hermione off on an entirely different set of research. She had brought quite a few books with her, as was customary, though only had two that referenced or spoke of Time Turner. She sat pouring over one of them, Draco watched her carefully shaking his head.
"Granger, you aren't going to find the answer to what happened in that book." He didn't need to tell her that though, he was positive of it, she had been reading from the same two books for the last two days.
"You've really got to stop calling me that. The Founders will notice you know." Hermione said doing her best not to let him see that he'd got to her. She hated that he was right. The little information in the books weren't much help.
"Oh Miss Selwyn," The grating sweetness of his voice did nothing to help Hermione's nerves. ", you aren't going to find the answer to any of your questions in that book." Draco added the sweetness dropping from his voice. Hermione slammed the book she was reading, glaring at him from where she sat at the little table.
"Alright, Mister Malfoy, pray tell why do you think I won't learn anything from this book? Is it because you know Ministry Controlled Magic and their Origins by heart?" Hermione asked unable to keep the prissiness out of her voice. He made her bristle so entirely.
"No, that's not it at all." Draco sighed looking up at the top of the tent. "You won't find the information you're looking for because it's in a little book called 'Peruvian Magic' there are only three copies in our time, more than half of them were destroyed for the secrets they contained. Two of the copies are in the possession of my family, the third-."
"Nott." It didn't take a genius to figure out how both of them had gotten to the same information. Draco smiled at her wryly, though it was more of a smirk coming from him.
"Nott." Draco agreed. "He would actually be the reason that I knew to look in that book to begin with." He stood up, Hermione's brown eyes followed him, watching as he hand a hand through his blonde hair. They had done the best though could as far as washing up went, the plan to head out and meet the Founder's was for later that afternoon.
"I don't suppose that you would feel so inclined as to tell me what the book said would you?' Hermione asked eyeing him wearily. He only responded with a curt shake of his head. "I didn't think so." Rubbing her brow Hermione could feel herself growing more frustrated by the second. "How am I supposed to get us home if you won't tell me what you know?"
"Listen, I know that it's probably real frustrating for you, knowing that you can't save the day and all that but believe me when I say, knowing what was in that book will only give you more questions." Draco's face was dark as he spoke, Hermione had the feeling that he was speaking personally.
"Well that's just grand! Is your plan to never find a way home then?" Hermione looked absolutely peeved, pushing away from the table she talked into the attached room. It took ages for her to get dressed and they had a small walk ahead of them.
"Would it be so bad not to live in a time where people know how bad you are?" Draco muttered watching Hermione stalk away. Throwing himself back on the little sofa he was sitting on, running both of his hands over his face and up into his hair. When Hermione emerged from her room an hour later, Draco didn't even look up. She fluttered about the tent gathering things, placing them in her bag.
"You need to get dressed." Draco rolled his eyes. God could she nag him like his mother sometimes. "I want to leave soon. It's going to be cold by the time nightfall hits and we can't apparate onto Hogwarts grounds, we've got to walk there."
"Yes, Mother, of course. Right away." Draco stood up, looking at her thin, taken aback by her appearance. "Good God Granger you are a woman!" He exclaimed, Hermione clicked her tongue in anger, shooting a glare at him.
"Good on you for noticing. Of course I'm a girl you prat, now get dressed." Hermione snapped flaring to life. She had twisted her thick curls up into an elegant knot. Her beaded bag around her neck looking like a thick ruby locket. The dress she wore was thick, beautiful satin of a deep burgundy. The trimmings around the sleeves, hem, and design under her bust a brilliant white. Hermione would have worried about it getting soiled, had Yvonne not put a few magical implements in the dress. It would repel mud, water, and blood among other things. It accentuated her moderate bust, showing off the curve of her thin waist as the slight flare of her hips. Draco couldn't help but stare in awe.
"I'll just, I'll just go change." He muttered blinking, his grey confused looking as he headed toward the room he'd been calling his own. Hermione had laid out a dark grey tunic style shirt and black britches, he had only a few traveling cloaks made for him. A black one and a green one. Dressing quickly Draco grabbed the black cloak, throwing it around his shoulders.
"Are you ready Draco?" Hermione called to him slipping on the pair of satin slippers that Yvonne had made specifically for this outfit. They were deep burgundy as well. "I'd like to pack the tent up as well." Hermione added button the white traveling cloak around her throat. The weather wasn't quite bad yet, though the wind still bit at their skin with icy promises of snow soon.
"I'm ready geeze Granger, don't get your knickers in a twist." He muttered coming out of his room. Hermione eyed him for a moment before giving a little snort. He looked the part at least. "Don't stare Granger, I don't want you getting any ideas. We aren't buddies and just because I might look like the sexiest devil in this age doesn't mean you have a chance."
"Oh dear, oh no. Whatever will I do. I haven't got a chance with the slimeball that's done nothing but attempt to make my life miserable well shoot." Hermione stamped her foot. "There goes my Saturday plans."
"Sorry to have to ruin what would have been the best day of your life. Keep on dreaming. Rather. Don't dream of me. Wouldn't want to get soiled by that." His face pulled into a disgusted look as if he had just imagined her having a dream about him.
"Oh don't worry Malfoy I'm sure that if I dream about you, it'll only be of you and a dragon together not me and you." Hermione quipped feeling clever. "You should also work on calling me by my name. I doubt they'll believe we are any sort of friends if all you do is scowl and call me dirty names." She added pointedly as he was indeed scowling.
"Ah, but I thought the dirty names was the best part of our fun together?" He asked his tone light though the guarded look on his face suggested he felt otherwise.
"Oh goody. Malfoy is up to full par." Hermione muttered to herself glaring at his blonde head as he all but swaggered out of the tent. Her grumbles didn't stop even after she'd departed it. Her muttering only grew quieter as she concentrated on collapsing and folding up the tent.
"Now, do me a favor when we get to the castle alright Hermione?" She flinched as he used her name. It sounded so foreign, forced, Merlin's beard why had she asked him to begin calling her by her name?
"What can I possibly do for you Draco?" She couldn't help but get a little pleasure as he flinched as well. "I'm not going to talk you up and make you look better. If that's what you want forget it." She added rudely.
"I think I can manage getting the job all on my own." He glared at her coldly. His pale face slightly pink from the wind, he had a small amount of stubble growing in darkly, to Hermione's surprise given the color of his face, and the overall look was a bit menacing. Not that Hermione would ever tell him that, she wasn't afraid of him, but he didn't look like the snot nosed brat she'd gone to school with anymore.
"I just wanted to remind you not to be an insufferable know it all. Knowing more things than the Founders won't gain you brownie points."He stepped up to her, looking down his nose at her. He had a good six inches on her. "I for one am eager to see you fail without your books to help you." His words stung a bit but this was Malfoy. She knew to take his words with a grain of salt.
"Just as long as you aren't a slimy git. Oh well." She turned heading toward the castle, the tent stowed away in her bad. "Somethings are inevitable I suppose ferret face."That one got him, Hermione knew because he snagged her arm, turning her to face him a savage look on his face.
"Watch is Granger. Your friends aren't here to protect you. We might be working together, or whatever the hell you call this I'm not above hexing you, you little bitch." Almost immediately he regretted those words. They didn't infuriate her like he had hoped, instead she began laughing.
"Oh, yes, terrifying threat Malfoy. Remind me to be scare. When you get a wand!" He didn't like her laughing in his face. She didn't notice that his grip had tightened on her arm instead she pulled free, laughing for a good ten minutes as they walked. Slowly her laughter died down and the walk turned into silence, it wasn't uncomfortable, not for Hermione, Draco on the other hand was fuming beside her.
As they grew closer to the castle, Hermione began to feel the nerves in her stomach grow. A multitude of worries flashing through her mind. What if the information in the book was wrong? What if they already had teachers for all the subjects they intended on teaching? What if they didn't want to teach those subjects? What if they didn't want their help?
"What if they don't want our help?" Her words echoed her thoughts. "What if we get there and they turn us away?" She chewed her bottom lip, turning it a bright needed words of assurance. They were essentially going in for a test. A test she hadn't been properly prepared for. She needed kind words to tell her she was being silly, everything would be alright. Instead she got Malfoy. Who shrugged his shoulders not looking at her as they climbed the hill toward the Castle doors.
"They won't turn me away. I'm charming. Can't say I could do much if they didn't want a bitchy little mudblood to be a teacher. You aren't exactly teaching material. Probably give too much homework or scare the kids off with that wild thing you call hair."
"Oh and you're such a prize? Didn't you almost fail sixth year? Why was that?" Hermione was letting her anger get the better of her, he had gone too far though. She would be an excellent teacher! "Oh! Wait! You tried to murder the Headmaster!" Drace bared his teeth at her in a snarl, hand raised. Hermione had no doubt he would have cursed her then, if he had, had a wand.
"You're going to pay for that one. You wait." He threatened as they came upon the heavy doors. The two of them stood in silence for a moment .
"Should we knock maybe?" Hermione was chewing her lip again. She had never been a 'guest' at Hogwarts. She had always been a student, aside from the time that they had snuck in in order to host a battle. That was different though, different times different circumstances.
"I don't give a fuck what you do. This is your plan. You figure it out." Draco bit out coldly his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at her.
"Well then." Feeling miffed Hermione took one of the heavy knockers and letting it fall on the door twice. The booming of it resounding through the stone. Half expecting a caretaker, like Filch, to answer she was surprised to see a House Elf open the door.
"Yes sir, how can I help you sir?" The elf asked. Draco smirked as the Elf spoke to him first. Even in the wizarding world, in this era, many creatures still thought women inferior to men. Hermione bridled with rage. She would have thought, surely, that they would have seen different with two women being the Founders of the castle.
"Yes, we are here to request an audience with the Masters of this castle." His voice had turned velvety smooth causing Hermione to stare at him incredulously. Surely the Elf wasn't going to fall for that smarmy act? To her amazement the elf bowed.
"Of course sir, right away sir. May I ask sir, what shall I tell my Master's this audience is about sir?" The elf looked from Draco to Hermione, surveying this almost cautiously.
"Please," Hermione finally found her voice. ", please inform your masters that we are here to request teaching positions." The elf blinked, looking at her slowly.
"Teaching positions Miss" Hermione nodded. "I shall inform them. Thank you. Please, come in and wait." The little elf bustled them inside and toward a little office. Slightly smaller than the Gryffindor common room, it had a small fireplace and multiple sofas, chairs, and end tables. Hermione didn't recognize it. Draco knew at it was though, with less flutter, surely, but it was the future caretakers office.
"Well! Little Delia has just informed me that the two of you would like to be teachers." The feminine voice made both of them turn. Before them stood a slightly plump woman in her early thirties. Her light brown hair was pulled back elegantly almost like a crown on either side of her head, her green eyes rich and kind. "That's wonderful! We don't have many students so far but, that doesn't mean they aren't willing to learn. So, sit, sit and tell me what is it that you would like to teach?" The two of them stared at her in awe for a moment, she laughed kindly taking their silence for confusion and not sheer shock.
"My apologies, I am Helga, Helga Hufflepuff. Why don't you tell me about yourselves? Or would you rather wait until the others have a arrived? I daresay it should be shortly." And she was right. In strode a serene looking witch with long dark hair and almost sharp features that Hermione knew could only be Rowena Ravenclaw. Behind her a tall, thin, man . His dark hair in a ponytail though his hairline receding. He had a curved goatee. Hermione couldn't help but feel her heart pounding, she knew who was next.
"Helga! Surely you're not trying to scare them away already are you?" The deep voice sounded jovial as the red-haired man came through the door. Though most pictures depicted him with an impressive beard and long hair, that was when he was older. Godric's beard now was still short, tamed, as was his hair. His green eyes sparkled with mischief and he strode forward shaking both of their hands. Hermione was in awe. She hadn't expected them all to be so young! "Godric Gryffindor, nice to meet you. So, tell me, how did you come to here about our little castle?" He asked hands on his hips. He was easily 6'6" and quite impressive to look at. Hermione felt as if she might faint.