Chapter 9

"Oi, Malfoy! I haven't seen this much of you in a while." Theodore Nott jested as he entered the boys' communal showers. He was in the same year as Draco, but because he was more of a loner, Nott was more of a friendly acquaintance.

"Hmm…Didn't think you cared to notice my body that much, Nott." Draco said coolly. Theodore Nott was more reclusive in years Draco was not. It was moments like this that the thought crossed Draco's mind to wonder if Nott was homosexual.

Just like marrying a muggle-born or a muggle, same gender sexuality was not welcomed in the pure-blood ideologies. It was impossible to marry into one of the sacred 28 and reproduce a pure-blood heir if your child was homosexual. Some families, like the Black's, had more than one child. But often most couples had just one child so nothing was divided and all inherited wealth stayed (e.i. investments, stocks, estate, etc) in the family lineage.

Draco wasn't bothered if Nott noticed him. Though Draco definitely would rather have a woman's gaze on him, the phase you can look but don't touch came to mind. It was a sad fact that if Nott was homosexual, he probably would never admit it.

"I am tired of hiding. The whole damn school knows anyways, so why bother. See you in class." Draco remarked getting out of the shower.

Nott laughed, "Heeeey, there's the Draco Malfoy we all know and despise!" He shouted as he wound his towel and smacked Draco in the ass with a rat-tail on his way out with a laugh.

"Piss off, Nott." Draco snapped as he felt the sting of a towel on his arse. He still had his seeker skills as he reached around and pulled the towel from Nott's grasp. He had no intention of retaliation. He had expected this kind of torment upon returning to Hogwarts and rightfully deserved so. He tossed the towel away and strode out of the bathroom back to the dorms to dress. Oh how much he missed the Slytherin Prefect bathrooms from fifth year.

He had the dull Charms and Herbology classes to trudge through before his rapidly becoming favorite class of Alchemy.

Draco chose to ignore the petty taunts of his classmates. Responding to them, especially if Granger was present, would only make it worse. Granger didn't deserve to be mocked just because they both wanted to excel in knowledge. She didn't deserve to be ridiculed because of him. But there wasn't much he could do about it.

Hermione watched as Draco suffered through classes, as harassments bombard both him and her. "If only that poor girl had the thought that coming back was useless for her." Mocked Parkinson. "Heh, I bet he enjoys bossing the mudblood around." Harassed Nott.

By the time Draco's next class came, a straggling first year blocked his way from entering the classroom. "Want a muffin?" A kind, younger Hufflepuff offered, unaware of the history of the bloke who's way she blocked.

"No. Just move along already." He snapped rather harshly, resisting the urge to shove her out of the way. See, he was more grown up then before. His previous self wouldn't have cared and simply shoved. Part of him knew he should have been nicer to the first year. She was so young, little, and innocent. He attempted to say in a kinder tone, but it came out at best as a phrase in monotone, "I just want to get by." And the big eyes of hers that had a moment ago threatened to tear up seemed not as teary as she stepped out of the way.

Hermione received a more sympathetic reception as she bathed herself in the Gryffindor girls' showers. Oh, how she missed the privacy of the prefect's washing chambers. "He wasn't rude, was he?" Ginny asked. "No, he was…pleasant. I'm not sure what his thoughts are about anything. Though he seems quite content with potions and alchemy." Hermione responded. During her free time, Hermione had recovered the page Harry and Ron found crumpled in her hand in their second year, about the basilisk. She was intent on asking about its origins. For it wasn't she who originally tore it from whatever book it came from.

"Pleasant? That is not a word I would have ever thought to use when referring to Malfoy. Especially from you, Hermione. I love Ron's description of when you punched Malfoy in third year. A foul, loathsome, evil, little cockroach. At least his company is tolerable." Ginny said while her and Hermione conversed.

Break hours before dinner arrived. Draco couldn't bring himself to retreat to the Slytherin Common Room or the dorms. Flying wasn't an option in the poor weather. This left Draco finding a secluded location in the library to study. At some point he folded his arms over his chest and closed his eyes and just listened to the noise all around.

Hermione, of course was already in the library working. Just having finished an invigorating alchemy essay on the "all is one, one is all" concept. She found such an idea fascinating, to be a simple cog in the machine, but to have grand significance. She had to describe what it felt like to be so small, compared to the rest of the world. She described it as 'daunting'. To be able to describe the feeling of sitting inside of a vehicle, inside a garage, inside a house, on a city block, in a district of a city in a county, one of many that make up a country on a continent, one of seven on this earth, one of nine in our solar system, which still is but a tiny speck in the milky way galaxy hurtling through space along with other galaxies in one word, she felt 'daunting' fit perfectly. Of course she then described it in detail. It was really very scary for her, and nearly caused a panic attack, but then realizing that she's incredibly significant in her immediate world gave her comfort, that her energy is just as important to the rest of the 'all'. It was a beautiful sentiment.

She sat back in her seat and stretched her arms over her head, letting out a deep sigh of relief. Her legs then started cramping, as she'd been sitting quite a bit without stretching them. She took this as a sign that she needed to walk around. Browsing the shelves, she came across a discarded flyer for new products at the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes store. It must have been ages since she was in there. Not since before the war, actually. Before the Weasley twin duo became solo. In her earlier years, Hermione swore up and down that she didn't have a crush on the two of them, but in reality she did. They were charming, hilarious, and their ingenuity couldn't be matched. But she decided they were too old for her, that she wanted someone her own age to be with, once the time came.

A student requiring a book that Hermione was in front of brought her back to the present. She apologized and stepped aside, deciding that she would visit the Weasley Joke shop on the next chance she had. She continued walking around the library until she saw a familiar blond fluff in a seat across the way. Curious, he didn't look like he had any intention of doing homework, he bag laid untouched by his feet. She walked around to the shelves opposite the table where he sat. She didn't approach him, only observed him from a distance. Nodding his head in, Hermione was still curious as to what he was doing. She watched for several minutes before turning to leave when she bumped into Luna Lovegood wearing her gaudy spectro-specs. Hermione let out a small shriek, quiet enough to not incur the librarian's wrath. "Goodness, Luna. You gave me a fright! What are you wearing those for?" She motioned to Luna's googly goggles. "Oh, I've been following a Youe," Luna replied.

"You've been following me?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at the strange girl. "No, a Youe, they're tiny creatures that make people fall asleep and control their mouths, making them gibber nonsense." Luna explained. "Do you see it too? Sitting on Draco Malfoy's head? You were looking at it rather intently."

Hermione never could tell if the girl before her was crazy or not, she seemed too smart for it, but shrugged it off due to her participation and excellence in the D.A. "I'm sorry Luna, I don't know what you are talking about. Excuse me, I've homework to do." Luna stepped out of the way and Hermione hurried back to her bag, sat down and began another essay, which wasn't due for another week.

Draco listened intently as a nearby conversation interrupted him from his thoughts. It was Granger and Looney Lovegood. He couldn't hear the full conversation but enough that he caught something about a little creature making him fall asleep in his hair and Granger looking directly at it. He hadn't been asleep just . . . meditating in a way. Clearing his mind. Pushing aside recent memories and emotions. His eyes peeked open and followed the two girls as they headed away from his general area to elsewhere. The loony Ravenclaw girl went one way and Granger went another.

Taking the opportunity he grabbed his bag and quietly approached Granger's study table from behind. When he was within earshot of her he leaned against a bookshelf, with his arms folded over his chest and asked, "I overheard about a creature in my hair you were intensely staring at. Should I be concerned Granger?"

Of course he'd overheard her and Luna talking, despite her hopes that he hadn't. "If you really want to know, you should ask the expert." Hermione said as she turned toward the source of the voice, "as much as I like her as a friend, I still don't understand that girl. You're probably fine, though perhaps you should comb your hair just in case."

She hadn't been busy with homework, but had been distracted by thoughts of the previous subject. Hermione had a thing for hair, gods know why. She always was fascinated with hair that was different from her own. Most everyone she knew was a brunet and didn't know many blonds or gingers. That's probably why she had such an affiliation with the Weasley gingerness. However, she'd never known anyone with blond hair as bright-shining as the Malfoy's. At one point in time she had found it attractive, but the person underneath the hair had the attitude of his namesake which was very unattractive.

If I wanted to ask Looney Lovegood, I would have approached her instead of you." Draco said having no desire to be seen talking to the odd Ravenclaw girl. From accounts retold of her abilities at the Department of Mysteries battle she was a competent witch, just unusual. Her whole family was. Not to mention that ridiculous joke of a paper they printed.

"Well if I have nothing to worry about I'll be on my way then." He stated as he readjusted the strep of his bag and began to leave. He decided not to ask about the Protean Charmed coin he had in his pocket. If a date should appear he would go to the Room of Requirement to see what the old fan club was up to.

"Alright, but if your friends start accusing you of saying strange thing…" She warned, but then suddenly remembered the page she wanted to ask him about, "Wait, Malfoy! I actually have something to discuss with you," She said rummaging through her book bag for the item.