THE EIGHTH YEAR
CHAPTER 2
First Day Back
By: hermioneeeeeee
It was breakfast in the Great Hall and everyone was getting their schedules. It was nice that there were no longer four tables designated to each house but four tables where anyone could sit where they wanted to. Ginny had given Hermione a hard time about dating a Slytherin but had finally stopped teasing her friend after seeing that Hermione wasn't kidding and really did like him. She and Draco were sitting next to each other across from a surprised Harry and a happy Ginny. Ron, meanwhile, was staring at both of them with wide eyes.
"Anything funny and you're dead, Malfoy." Ron said.
"Relax! He's not going to do anything to hurt me." Hermione said.
"Better not." Ron said under his breath with a hint of jealousy. He and Hermione had been through so much together but Snakeboy had to come and take her away. It wasn't as if Ron had made it clear that he wanted to be in a relationship with Hermione but, he was still jealous. Since the new rule about Heads and Prefects living together, he wouldn't have much time to confess his mixed-up feelings for her.
"Isn't it great, Harry?" Ginny asked, "Hermione's got a boyfriend!"
"Yeah, it is great! You were right about her finding someone special." Harry said smiling.
"Just wait until he leaves you and breaks your heart." Ron added, snarling.
"Ron, are you okay?" Ginny asked worriedly.
"No. I'm not! I'm not okay!" Ron answered.
"Hey, if this is about us then-" Draco started.
"YEAH! IT IS ABOUT YOU!" Ron shouted, causing a few heads to turn.
"You have to come in and ruin everything, don't you!" he continued.
"Ron-" Hermione began.
"Don't. Why him, Hermione? Why the guy who bullied you for years? The guy who made your life miserable. I don't get it!" he ranted.
"I'm trying to change. Honestly I am. Hermione's going to help me and I promise that I won't do anything bad to her." Draco said.
"I've liked you for years but haven't been brave enough to say it. Well, I'm saying it now. Hermione, I love you and I always will. Will you be my girlfriend?" Ron asked.
"No! I can't be! I'm with Draco. If you really liked me that much then you would have asked me before." Hermione said.
"I see. You're with him then. I'll be here whenever he decides to leave you crying on the floor." Ron said and got up to leave. Hermione was on the verge of tears when Ginny came to the rescue.
"Don't mind him. He's just jealous. Honestly, Hermione, you're one of the nicest people I know and you haven't done anything wrong." Ginny said leaning over to Hermione's side of the table.
"Attention! Your Heads of Houses will be handing out schedules." Professor McGonagall announced. With a flick of their wands, the House Heads gave the students their schedules.
"What about Ron's?" Hermione asked.
"Don't worry, I'll give it to him." Ginny said. Hermione looked down at her schedule realizing that there were really only 14 eighth years. All of their schedules would be the same then. Charms, potions, defense against the dark arts, herbology, history of magic, and transfiguration.
"Everyone is dismissed! Eighth years, stay behind." Professor McGonagall called. She waited until everybody was done filtering out and then proceeded to talk to the eighth years.
"There is a ball coming up for only your year. The Autumn Ball is on the 13th of September and there will be Hogsmeade trips before that date. It will be a Masquerade Ball and we will make sure that no one will be able to tell exactly who anyone is. You may get ready together but you won't know who your partner is, everyone will enter at the same time and we teachers will take care of the rest. There is one way how you can figure out who is who, however. You must figure this out for yourselves, though! Enjoy yourselves and you are also dismissed!" Professor McGonagall finished.
"No! We can't choose partners!" Draco wailed.
"Don't worry. I'm sure there will be other balls. Ginny, let's take the others dress shopping." Hermione said.
"Great! I want to know how you can figure out who is who." Ginny said.
"I think I know." Hermione said, blushing.
"What?" Ginny asked suspiciously.
"You have to kiss them." Hermione answered.
"I just hope I don't get someone bad." Draco said.
"That's rude." Hermione said.
"What lesson have you guys got first?" Harry asked suddenly.
"We've got Charms." Hermione replied, pointing to her and Draco.
"Oh. So does Ron." Ginny added with a slight frown.
"Well we've got Defense Against the Dark Arts." Harry said, gesturing to him and Ginny.
"See you later!" Ginny said, linking her arm with Harry's. Hermione waved and walked to Charms with Draco.
The Charms classroom had changed a bit. Professor Flitwick was shuffling through some papers as the class came in.
"What could we possibly learn? You probably know all of the spells in the history of the wizarding world, Hermione." Draco said.
"I agree with the first part but disagree with the last." Hermione told him. Professor Flitwick seemed to be listening and said,
"We will actually be dueling today."
"That will be fun, won't it?" Hermione said.
"Yeah, it will be. I just hope that I don't go against you." Draco said, smiling. The rest of the class came in and waited for instructions. Professor Flitwick told the rest of the class about what they were doing in the class. With a swish of his wand, two columns of names appeared.
"These are your partners." he said. The class looked at the list.
Hermione Blaise
Ron Draco
Neville Terry
Ernie Luna
Justin Ginny
Hannah Anthony
Harry Astoria
"Blaise, you've gotta be feeling nervous." Draco said to his best friend.
"Of course I am! I'll do my best but she's obviously gonna beat me." Blaise said.
"You are allowed to use any spells that will not severely injure your opponent. Begin!" Professor Flitwick said. Hermione and Blaise stepped up and went into the center of the room.
"Flipendo! Rictusempra!" Hermione shouted rapidly.
"Le-" Blaise started.
"Expelliarmus! Incarcerous!" Hermione yelled before Blaise could start.
"Stupefy!" Blaise shouted quickly, even though he was wrapped in tight ropes. Hermione began to block it but it was too late. The spell slammed her into the bookshelf, hitting it hard. The shelf shook and books began to fall down. She wasn't able to stop the first few but managed to recover with a simple Protego. She got up again and aimed at Blaise.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Hermione said. Blaise immediately went stiff and dropped to the floor. Everybody cheered at the win and Hermione counteracted her spell so that Blaise could move again. They shook hands and sat down.
"You okay?" Draco asked nervously.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I cast an Episkey charm so the pain isn't bad." Hermione said.
"My turn. I'm gonna beat Weasel." Draco said confidently.
"Good luck!" Hermione called as he walked out. Ron and Draco, she thought, this would be an interesting duel.
"STUPEFY!" Ron shouted. It hit Draco right in the chest and he flew across the room and was slammed against the wall. Draco groped around for his wand but couldn't find it because Ron had cast a non-verbal Expelliarmus.
"Sectusempra!" Ron yelled and Draco screamed out in pain. Ron had obviously won but nobody cheered for him.
"Mr. Weasley! No spells that will severely injure your opponent!" Professor Flitwick shouted.
"Miss Granger, take Mr. Malfoy to Madam Pomfrey's." he added. Hermione vigorously nodded her head and cast a levitating spell. When she had exited the classroom, she carefully kissed Draco's forehead. She walked into the nurse's room and waited for Madam Pomfrey.
"Oh, heavens! A sectusempra curse? Am I right?" Madam Pomfrey asked. Hermione just nodded her head.
"Would you like to stay with him?" Madam Pomfrey asked.
"Yes. Please." Hermione answered. Madam Pomfrey sent a patronus to Professor Flitwick to tell him that Hermione would not be there for the rest of the class. She put Draco into a hospital bed and went off to fetch some medicine. Hermione sat on the stool next to him and held his hand while she waited.
"Episkey." Madam Pomfrey said. The wounds healed a little bit but not enough. She took the blankets off and sopped up the blood with some cloth. She muttered a spell to make them dry and rubbed some potion on the cuts.
"They'll take about five minutes to work and then he'll be awake soon." Madam Pomfrey said. Hermione thanked her and stayed by Draco's side.
It was lunch now and everybody was talking about what happened in Charms.
"That was horrible! He could've died!" Ginny insisted.
"Well, the good thing is that I'm fine now." Draco said. Hermione rested her head on his shoulder and smiled up at him.