Classes continued as usual, though students were clustered tighter together in the hallways. The attack on Colin had many people alarmed, and a black market of talismans, amulets, and other protective devices had sprung up. The Muggleborn students were buying anything they could get, all of them wary of the threat lurking unknown in the halls. Slytherins by and large scoffed at such ridiculousness – most of the 'protections' were fake and would do nothing to help anyone. More than that, though, was the confidence that Slytherin's monster would never come after a Slytherin.
Hermione outwardly remained unflustered and unbothered, though she was worried on the inside. She'd taken to wearing the Secrecy Sensor Draco had given her under her shirt, just in case, to help her tell when people were lying to her. For the first time ever, she was glad she was starting to develop curves – the little pendant hung low enough to lay between her breasts, not making a weird bump underneath her shirt.
One thing that did bother her was the snide and threatening comments some of the Slytherins would make towards non-purebloods they didn't like in the halls – particularly, when Draco did it. It was one thing to be treated with respect (and even reverence) by Draco in classes and in the commons, but it was quite another to see him make cold, cruel remarks to the Muggleborn Gryffindors in the hallways. He didn't do it often, and he seemed to do it most when he didn't realize she was around, but the remarks he made seemed borderline threatening and malicious at times. The students he taunted were just like her, really, and the happiness he displayed at the thought of someone else being hurt was disturbing.
She also wasn't entirely sure why she was so bothered in particular that Draco doing it. The older Slytherins were cruel, but it didn't sting nearly as much as seeing Draco jeer that someone would be attacked next. Hermione had thought Draco regarded her kindly at the least, now, and that maybe he was hinting at someday wanting something more. She didn't catch him doing mocking the Muggleborns often, but every time she did, it felt like a small betrayal. She understood that Draco would be beaten for being overly familiar with those not of proper status, but she hardly thought his father would beat him for not mocking Muggleborns, or for not being cruel to the other houses.
Tracey was of the opinion she shouldn't let it get to her.
"Draco is an ass," she told her. "He'll always follow what his Daddy says, even if it's mean and untrue."
"Pureblood supremacists are all cruel," Millie commented. "Their value system relies on oppressing or eliminating an entire group of people. Did you really think they weren't?"
"No," Hermione admitted, "but it was easier to ignore before, before there were threats of monster attacks being hissed in the halls."
Hermione didn't like dwelling on the fact that she lived near people who wanted her dead.
"Why does it bother you?" Blaise asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Malfoy's not saying anything about you."
Hermione considered.
"It's still cruel," she said. "I can feel for other people's pain, not just my own. And it's the duplicity of it, really – he doesn't judge me for my blood, but he does everyone else?"
"Your power marks you as a New Blood, not a Muggleborn," Blaise countered. "To him, you're different."
"But I have muggle parents all the same," Hermione argued.
Blaise hesitated.
"Malfoy is a berk," he told her. "He might look up to you, but don't let yourself take it personally," he advised. "Malfoys are attracted to power, and even a moron like him can tell you're going to be powerful when you've grown up." He shrugged. "Doesn't mean he's any less of a twit."
Hermione bit her lip, hurt. She'd known Draco treated her with reverence or admiration, but she'd honestly thought he just liked her. It stung to hear that it wasn't because of her, but because of her potential and what she could potentially do for him in the future.
She took a deep breath, settling her emotions and pushing it to the back of her mind. She didn't care what Draco thought of her — she had much more important things to be concerning herself with.
"Even if he is using me somehow, I still don't like him going after the Muggleborns" she confessed. "It's cruel. But with most of Slytherin still not believing I belong in Slytherin, I'm not exactly in a position to confront him over it…"
"You could curse him?" Blaise suggested. "Hit him with something to make it so he gets asses' ears every time he says something rude and mean?"
Hermione snickered. "If only. I don't know any curses like that, and I don't know how to make curses yet either."
"Yet?" Tracey said.
"You can't even take Arithmancy and Runes until 3rd year!" Hermione objected. "And I think you need to get to at least a N.E.W.T. level before you can use what you know to parse the runes and run the configurations to even begin curse creation—"
"Most people don't know how to make curses, Hermione," Tracey informed her. "It's very hard. Very few people can do it. And here you are, sad that you don't know how to do it yet, already presuming you'll learn it in a few years."
Hermione paused. "I mean…"
Blaise laughed.
"Of course Hermione will be good at making her own spells," he said. "She's good at everything else magic, isn't she?" He winked at her, then turned to Tracey. "Just like you're good at winning bets against the poor innocent classmates you deceive?"
"That was your fault!" Tracey laughed. "Not my fault you didn't know the Hufflepuff Keeper was injured. Don't make bets against me you can't win!"
"But what if I can't stop?" Blaise teased. "What if I'm just desperate to win a forfeit off of you like Adrian Pucey did?"
Tracey flushed a brilliant red, and Hermione and Millie dissolved into giggles.
"He said he wouldn't tell anyone," she objected weakly.
"He didn't," Blaise informed her, eyes dancing. "Travers saw you kissing behind the greenhouses."
Hermione laughed as Tracey loudly objected as Blaise and Millie continued to tease her, though part of her was surprised that Tracey was secretly snogging older boys already. She knew that Tracey was a bit boy-crazy, but still, she was only twelve.
Then again, Hermione wasn't exactly sure when was the right time to begin kissing people. She figured it must be something different for everyone, and that somehow she'd know it when it was the right time for her.