Chapter 28 :
This reception was an unpleasant surprise. Draco didn't expect it. Sizing up the situation of the Common Room with a careful glance, he had the nasty feeling that he knew what this was about.
"We need to talk indeed." He sighed in defeat before asking. "Where is Nott ?"
The Scribe frowned, suspicious to see him agree so easily.
"We didn't want to involve The King just yet." She still answered, seemingly unperturbed.
He nodded to her, acknowledging her as the spokeswoman of this whole herd of deluded fools.
"What do you want then, that needs not The King but still needs the whole House ?" He queried.
"We have proof that you have been hampering the furthering of Our influence in Hogwart. We want to know why."
Draco raised a scornful brow, letting a dubious sneer deform his face.
"And in what way" he spoke like at a toddler, full of condescension. "is saving your collective asses hindering Us ?"
"You saved no one, Malfoy." Rebuked Anisa. "You only impeded the students of Our Noble House that were fulfilling their duty to the Community by putting Potter in his place !"
He looked at her -looked at them- and bursted into a bitter laughter. Couldn't they understand the danger they put themselves in ? He could already see some of them scratching their flesh raw, some others whose magic was unstable and even some who were losing their hair. For now Nott was limiting himself to such passive-aggressive mesures. He was lenient because they were his. But if they didn't learn from their mistakes it would only get worse. And who knew how far he would go ? It was the start of their ends and the utter morons didn't even notice. Worse ! They were glaring at him -at him!- like it was his fault. He tried his best to save them and this was how they thanked him !? What a bunch of ungrateful bastards !
Many a Slytherin started yelling, mad to see the young Malfoy laughing so much when they were seriously scolding him. But before they could hex him into oblivion, the Head Girl joined The Scribe in front of everyone and let a loud « Bang ! » out of her wand.
"SILENCE !" She shouted out. "You are all losing sight of what's truly important !"
At once -unwilling to taste her threatening fists-, everyone calmed down.
"Malfoy !" She strongly said to the younger boy. "Whatever your reasons are to help Potter, you should know better than to go against your House-mates ! I don't care if you have a crush on him or whatever ! The House comes first !"
Draco grinded his teeth in frustration : he was doing this for the House ! Why would he ever help Potter otherwise !? But the Head Girl didn't leave him the time to answer, already bringing up something else that she thought of greater significance :
"By the way, where is Pucey ?"
"Pucey ?" He asked in surprise, bewildered by the change of subject.
"He hasn't been seen for days."
The young Malfoy suddenly grew pale, understanding with horror what had probably happened.
"Shit ! There's already collateral damage !?"
Ignoring the whole gaggle of Slytherins that had waited for hours to reprimand him like a naughty child, he ran toward his dormitory.
The Head Girl tried to call him back :
"Hey ! Answer the damn question !"
But he paid her no mind as he stomped his way toward his desk's secret compartment.
"Merlin ! I need to review all my plans !" He ended up screaming out to the ceiling, appalled and mortified by his self-given mission's failure.
Two days later, Ron was accompanying Hermione on her research spree while Harry went on a walk to the greenhouses with Luna.
The young Weasley sat at his best friend's side, answered her when needed, gave her pens and papers when prompted to and was overly bored like every time he stepped into the Library. Hermione was getting crazier by the minute, her hair animatedly pulsing and rumbling as she tried and failed to work out this year's plot to kill Harry. And honestly, while understanding the urgency and gravity of the situation, Ron really felt like taking a nap. Would have done so too, if he didn't fear getting killed by a wild Granger Rant if he dared to.
To wake himself up, the red head boy decided that he needed to eat. He looked over his shoulder, checked to his left and his right, and sneakily took out a Chocolate Frog from his pocket. He kept it under the table of course, he knew what would happen if the Librarian caught him with it in her Book Sanctuary.
Alas, as he opened the wrapper, the chocolate delicacy slowly escaped him, jumping in all its staining glory toward Hermione's notes. Struck by a dawning terror, Ron tried all he could to discreetly catch it in flight but failed miserably as it bounced on his fingers. Panicking but quick to react, he whisper-shouted at his best friend :
"Careful Mione ! Your Potion essay is going to fall !"
Not willing to see her just inked essay on the ground, the girl abruptly turned her head to the other side, unknowingly showing her back to the delectable sweet that was still falling toward her hard work. Ron could only stare in absolute horror as it neared the parchment with its delicious already melting chocolate.
He was going to die. Hermione wouldn't even leave a body for Harry to mourn... He sadly resigned himself to his fate.
However, luckily for the Weasley boy, before the young Granger could turn toward him again to express her warranted anger, her eldritch hair caught the Chocolate Frog with a bushy tendril and gently put it in his gaping mouth. -wait, what?- He swallowed it whole, thanking the -thing...?Entity?Dark God!?- It by reflex. Then The Hair patted his cheek and Hermione finally turned around.
"What are you talking about, Ron ?" She asked in confusion, her head perfectly back to normal. "My essay is drying over there..."
Ronald was unable to reboot his brain. All was good in the world.
AN: So, Hermione's Hair is a thing now. Anyway, got bitten by the Writing Bug a few days ago so I should be able to publish a chapter a week for the next five weeks or so. Yay!