Draco
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On the 31st of August, Draco was packing his bags in his room at the Manor. He had piled up his books, his clothes, his potions kit, his telescope and his two uniforms, and was about to shut the trunk with all his might when he heard a knocking. He turned to his window and saw a large brown owl tapping its beak against the glass.
He abandoned his trunk and rushed to let the bird in. When he saw the owl's imposing silhouette, he realised with a pang in his heart that it wasn't Granger, but a letter from the school.
The owl placed the letter on Draco's bed, waited for payment and then flew away. Draco looked at the envelope, written in emerald green ink: "Draco Malfoy, in his chambers at Malfoy Manor, Hardwick Road, Wiltshire."
He frowned: he'd already received his school results earlier in the summer, which had all been very good, except for History of Magic, Astronomy and Arithmancy. He'd even told Granger about it, and she'd bragged that she'd got Outstanding in all of them.
He opened the letter to find two parchments, the usual ones they received to announce the start of the school year and the list of school supplies. He read them diagonally without understanding: usually they received these letters much earlier in the summer. Why announce the start of the school year the day before?
A third parchment slipped from the ones in his hands. Draco bent down to pick it up and recognised Snape's handwriting. His hair immediately stood on end.
"To Draco Malfoy,
To congratulate you on a successful year, and due to your popularity with the students of your House, we inform you that you are officially appointed prefect of Slytherin, along with Miss. Pansy Parkinson.
We hope that you will take this symbolic role to heart, and that you will follow in the footsteps of your predecessors by carrying out all the duties required of you with seriousness and respect.
Enclosed is your prefect's Badge, which you must wear on your uniform. When you board the Hogwarts Express on the first day of school, please go to the prefects' compartment at the front of the train for your first meeting with the House Prefects.
Congratulations,
Sincerely,
Professor Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House."
Draco stared at the parchment in astonishment. He had completely forgotten that prefects were appointed in the summer before fifth year. He unfastened the badge and looked at it: it was divided into four squares, two green and two black, with a large silver snake waving slightly above them. A large 'P' was incrusted on it.
Draco had never been particularly studious, at least not as much as Granger, but he couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. Besides, he was pretty sure that Granger was the prefect of Gryffindor, along with that bloody Potter. So meetings and rounds were a new excuse to see her, which was even more gratifying.
He kept the badge in his hand, put the letter in his pocket and ran down the stairs of the Manor to show it to his mother. He found her in the conservatory, inspecting the leaves of plants too brown to be cut. Seeing him enter so hastily, Narcissa's eyes widened:
"Merlin, Draco! You're going to knock everything over..."
He said nothing, just showed her the badge that glowed in the palm of his hand. His mother looked at it, then smiled when she recognised it.
"Oh, Draco, I'm so proud of you." she said.
Draco had never really been able to get a proper reaction out of his mother: she was always calm and collected, in keeping with Pureblood manners, which never allowed the slightest hint of too much emotion. She did, however, approach him and give him a hug, which was quite rare. Draco responded briefly to his mother's embrace.
"I was a prefect myself, you know." she said, pulling away from her son.
"You were?"
"Yes. I think there's even a trophy or two I was given to congratulate me on my behaviour." Narcissa said with a proud smile. "If you manage to stay as responsible as you have been since your first year, I'm sure you'll get one too."
Draco smiled and in a flash he saw himself: passed out drunk on the sofa in the Common Room, or having sex with Pansy in his dormitory bed, or holding Granger's hand on their bench. He nodded, thinking to himself that he was probably the least responsible boy among the Slytherins, while his mother stroked his cheek gently.
"Go and tell your father, he's probably in his study." she advised. "It will please him to hear such good news."
Draco reluctantly obeyed. He left the conservatory under Narcissa's tender gaze and walked back up the stairs to his father's flats. He tried to tell himself that he was doing this for his mother, to please her, to pretend that their family was normal. But deep down, he knew it wasn't true.
Draco hated that feeling. He hated himself for still wanting to impress his father, for hoping to catch a glimpse of pride in his grey eyes. He was as afraid of him as he was of trying to make him proud.
To put an end to this inner dilemma, Draco Occluded.
He knocked three times on the office door and his father's irritated voice answered with a short "come in!"
Draco opened the door to find Lucius sitting behind his desk, hunched over some parchments.
Draco had not seen much of Lucius this summer, except for suppers. His father had barely spoken to him, too busy in his study and too thoughtful at dinner. He hadn't even asked him about his end-of-year results, a custom he had yet followed every year before.
When he saw Draco enter, Lucius gave him a furtive look.
"Ah, Draco, it's you." he muttered. "I thought it was that bloody elf. Can't even heat the water properly..."
His voice was tinged with weariness and suppressed anger. Draco knew better than anyone else not to disturb his father when he was in this mood, as any person who approached him would immediately become a target for venting his resentment. So he hurried to explain his presence:
"Mother wanted me to show you what I received in the post."
He showed him the badge and it took Lucius several seconds to raise his head to look at it. When he did, his features remained just as narrow.
"Prefect?" he asked coldly.
Draco nodded timidly.
"Well, of course you are." Lucius replied, pursing his lips in disgust. "That rotten, senile, mad old Dumbledore at least has the decency to recognise that my son deserves to be a prefect! After all the money I've given to that bloody school!"
"Actually, I think it was Snape's initiative." Draco countered.
Lucius looked up to glare at his son.
"Ah, Snape. Of course it is. A friend of the family. It's obvious he has the good sense to make you prefect, he knows the Malfoy values. But I still think you would have been much better off at Durmstrang, where you would have learned the true foundations of any self-respecting wizard. At least before that bastard Karkaroff ran off like the coward he is! But he'll be found, don't doubt it..." Lucius continued in a much louder voice.
Draco wondered if his father was really talking to him or if he thought he was alone in the room again. He continued his tirade for a long time without looking at him, talking about things Draco didn't understand at all.
Draco glanced discreetly at his father's parchments: they were lists of names. Some were circled, like "Saul Croaker", "Broderick Bode" or "Sturgis Podmore". But before he could decipher what it all meant, Lucius suddenly looked up at Draco, who looked away, pretending to listen to his father all along.
Lucius rose from his chair and paced his vast office, clearly troubled by something.
"Dumbledore must have given the role of prefect to his precious Potter." he muttered absently. "I'm willing to bet he appointed him prefect... After he nearly got expelled, just to humiliate the Ministry... Bloody Dumbledore..."
"Potter nearly got expelled?" asked Draco, so surprised he couldn't help but ask the question.
"Yes, after he used magic in his Muggle village." Lucius explained, spitting out the word as if it was bad luck. He still didn't look at Draco and kept pacing in front of the large granite fireplace.
"But he managed to get out? He's going back to Hogwarts?" asked Draco.
It was obviously the wrong thing to say. Lucius stopped suddenly and looked at his son angrily:
"Of course he "managed", otherwise I wouldn't have said "nearly", Draco. And it's not really a success, it's more of a trap set by Dumbledore, another trick... A success... Do you think Potter's return to Hogwarts is a success, Draco?"
Draco shook his head and Lucius dismissed him with a wave of his hand. He had clearly not anticipated his reaction, perhaps expecting hundreds of questions, or admiration.
Draco found himself outside, his heart sinking at the lack of congratulations from his father.
He decided to go and see Blaise. He was sure he would receive more affection there than from his parents. So he went out, still holding his badge, and made his way to Blaise's Manor.
He'd taken this route so many times that he knew it by heart, down to every bush in the village square, every bend in the road. Draco thought of Granger. He imagined her reaction to seeing the prefect's letter and couldn't help but smile as he pictured her, arms in the air, tears in her eyes, screaming with joy. He hoped Weasley wouldn't spoil the moment for her.
Draco crossed the ground floor of his best friend's house to find Theo and Blaise reading in the garden. Pansy was lying on the ground beside them, filing her nails in the sun.
"Hey Dray!" called Blaise as he saw him coming. "Apple juice?"
He handed him a glass of fresh apple juice, which Draco gladly took. Theo and Pansy said "hello" without looking at him, both concentrating on their tasks. Draco sat down opposite them and sipped his juice, looking at the flowery garden and trying to think of a way to tell them the news.
"Pansy, how long has it been since you've been home?" asked Draco suddenly, trying to hide his smile.
She looked up at him, one eyebrow raised.
"I was there this morning. I finished packing, if that's what you mean."
"And you didn't get a letter, by any chance?" he continued.
Hearing this, Theo finally looked up from his book to listen to the exchange. Pansy shook her head no.
"Well... I think there's an owl at your window." Draco replied with a smile.
"What? How could you know that?" squeaked Pansy.
"You mean the supplies letter?" asked Blaise, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Yes, among other things..."
He held out his hand and showed them all his badge. Pansy exclaimed, Blaise burst out laughing and Theo's eyes widened.
"We're prefects?!" asked Pansy, clearly annoyed.
"I suppose we are." he said with a chuckle.
He handed her Snape's letter, which Pansy eagerly picked up to read the contents. When she came across her name, she grumbled:
"But I didn't want to be prefect!" she said plaintively.
"Why not?"
"My father will be delighted..." said Pansy with a disappointed pout. "And prefects are supposed to stop parties being held, not organise them."
"Yes, but think of all the things you'll be able to do as prefect." Blaise countered with a mischievous grin. "Instead of reprimanding students for hanging around the corridors, you'll be able to invite them in. You can pass on messages. And most importantly, you can punish those we don't like!"
Hearing this, Pansy's face suddenly lit up:
"It's true! You're right!"
"The question is, how did you two manage to become prefects?" continued Blaise, still laughing.
"I'll have you know that we're the most popular students in Slytherin." Pansy said with a snobbish air, a perfect copy of Narcissa's disdain. "In the whole school, actually!"
"Maybe, but you're dead drunk every week." Blaise objected.
"So what? So are you." said Pansy accusingly.
Blaise raised his hands in surrender, still smiling:
"But I'm not the one who has to wear his badge on his robes, am I?"
Draco chuckled too. It was true that Snape hadn't chosen the most exemplary students in the class. Pansy was about to retort when Theo closed his book with a sharp thud. Blaise, Pansy and Draco all turned to him. His face was marked with deep annoyance.
"I'm going to my room." he informed them curtly. "Congratulations, prefects."
And he was gone before either of them could say anything. Draco noticed Theo's shoulders sag a little just before he entered the Manor and disappeared from their sight.
"What?! What was that?" asked Draco, irritated. "That's his reaction? "Congratulations, prefects"? Even my father was more expressive!"
Contrary to what he might have thought, Pansy did not approve of his words. She looked at the entrance where Theo had disappeared and bit her lip. Blaise had lost his grin.
"Oh..." Pansy said quietly. "I hadn't thought of that..."
"Thought of what?" asked Draco, annoyed at the turn of events.
"Draco." Blaise said gravely. "Theo has wanted to be prefect since the beginning of time. You know that, don't you?"
And in a second, Draco finally understood why Theo had made that face when he saw his badge.
He hadn't thought about Theo once since he'd received it, even though he knew full well he wanted to be a prefect. He'd always wanted to be one, he'd been talking about it since third year. Draco felt a small twinge of shame at the thought that he might have hurt his best friend without even realising it.
"Oh." he said, unable to think of anything sensible to say after reacting so badly.
"He probably thinks he deserves it more than we do." Pansy said in a low voice.
Draco didn't know what to say. On one hand, his Slytherin ego was selfishly angry at Theo for not jumping for joy when he heard the news. He had expected much warmer congratulations. On the other hand, he understood Theo's disappointment. He had always wanted to be a prefect, while Draco had completely forgotten that this role existed.
Divided, he preferred not to say anything so as not to make the situation worse. Pansy looked down sadly, feeling sorry for Theo. No one spoke for a few seconds before Blaise stood up:
"I'm gonna check on him."
Neither Pansy nor Draco objected. Draco knew Blaise was the best person to comfort anyone, especially Theo. Blaise entered the house and disappeared as well. Only Pansy and Draco remained outside, but strangely, all the pride Draco had felt when he read the letter had vanished.
.
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Hermione
.
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"Oh my God! Oh my God! Prefect! Oh my God!" cried Hermione, alone in the room in Grimmauld Square.
McGonagall's handwritten letter announcing her role as prefect fell onto the bed as Hermione literally jumped for joy. She danced for several seconds, savouring the feeling of intense happiness she had not felt in a long time, her arms in the air and tears of joy in her eyes. Crookshanks, who happened to be passing by to see why his mistress was suddenly so cheerful, was caught up in Hermione's impromptu dance and she hugged him, shouting with joy.
As she put poor Crookshanks down, Hermione picked up the badge: it was red and gold, with a golden lion on it, roaring silently. The letter P shone in the centre of the crest.
She wanted to howl with joy through the corridors of Grimmauld Square, but suddenly she remembered where she was. So, she "calmly" left her room (stamping her feet) and entered the boys' room (out of breath). Harry, Ron and the twins were all looking at Harry's hand. When she saw that Harry was holding the same badge as her, she screamed uncontrollably:
"I knew it! Me too, Harry, me too!"
She showed her badge and letter to her best friend, ready to run into his arms, but Harry's horrified face stopped her.
"No, no!" he cried, handing his badge to Ron who was standing to his left. "It's Ron, not me."
"What?" asked Hermione blankly.
"Ron's prefect, not me." Harry explained in a panicked tone.
Hermione was so taken aback by this turn of events that it took her a while to work out what he meant.
"Ron? Are you sure?" she asked, realising her mistake a second too late. "I mean..."
She turned to Ron, whose face had suddenly fallen, as if she had just insulted him. Hermione felt a deep sense of embarrassment crush her chest.
"It's my name on the letter." he said coldly.
"I..." Hermione stammered, very embarrassed by her clumsiness. "I... well... Wow! Well done, Ron! That's really..."
"Unexpected." George concluded, nodding.
"Oh no!" Hermione said, her cheeks flushing. "No, it's not... Ron's done a lot of... he's very..."
She didn't get to finish her sentence as Mrs Weasley entered the room with a large pile of laundry.
"Ginny told me the book lists had finally arrived." she said, not paying attention to what they were saying. "If you give them to me, I'll take them to Diagon Alley this afternoon and get your books while you're packing. Ron, I'll have to get you some more pyjamas, these are at least six inches too short, I can't believe how fast you're growing... What colour do you want?"
Ron opened his mouth to answer, but George was quicker:
"Red and gold, to match his badge."
"Match his what?" asked Mrs Weasley absently, focusing on the pair of purple socks she was folding.
"His badge." Fred repeated more slowly. "His nice shiny new prefect badge."
"His... But... Ron, you're not..." muttered Mrs Weasley, still too focused on Ron's pyjamas to listen to what her son had just told her.
When she finally looked up and saw the badge in Ron's hand, she let out a gasp of surprise.
"Oh, I can't believe it! I just can't believe it! Oh, Ron, it's so wonderful! A prefect! Everyone in the family has been!"
"What are Fred and I, next-door neighbours?" said George indignantly.
Molly ignored him and rushed over to embrace her youngest son. Ron's irritated face relaxed slightly as he hugged his mother.
"Wait until your father hears this!" she went on ecstatically. "Oh, Ron, I'm so proud of you, what wonderful news, you could be Head Boy, like Bill and Percy, that's the first step! Oh, what joy in the midst of all these worries, I'm delighted, oh Ronnie..."
Hermione had rarely seen the Weasley mother show such passionate affection for one of her children, and it was true that in this dark and gloomy house, it was very good to see such a moving scene.
But when she covered him with kisses, Ron suddenly turned red.
"Mum, don't... Mum, get a grip..." he said quietly, trying to escape her grasp.
"Well, what will it be?" Mrs Weasley asked, her voice thick with emotion, once she'd let go of Ron. "We gave Percy an owl, but of course you've already got one."
"Wha... What do you mean?" asked Ron, stunned.
"You must have a reward for this!" his mother said gently. "Would you like some new evening wear?"
"We've already bought him some." grumbled Fred.
"Or a new cauldron?" she offered. "Charlie's old one is rusting through... Or maybe another rat? You always liked Scabbers..."
"Mum?" said Ron hopefully. "Could I have a new broom?"
Hermione had expected such a request, Ron had always loved brooms, as had Harry. She looked worriedly at the housemother, whose features had sagged a little.
"Not a really nice one!" Ron added hastily. "Just a new one, for a change..."
Mrs Weasley smiled faintly.
"Of course you can... Well, I'd better hurry if I'm going to buy a broom. I'll see you all later... Little Ronnie, a prefect! And don't forget to pack your bags... A prefect... Oh, I'm all of a dither!"
She gave her son one last kiss (he had to bend down to reach her), sniffed and left the room. Fred and George looked at each other.
"You don't mind if we don't kiss you, do you, Ron?" asked Fred in a falsely worried tone.
"We can replace that with a curtsy if you prefer..." George continued.
"Oh, shut up?" replied Ron, still a little pink.
"Or what?" asked Fred defiantly. "You're going to give us detention?"
"I'd love to see him try." sniggered George.
"He could if you don't watch out!" said Hermione, wanting to defend Ron.
Fred and George burst into loud laughter. Ron growled:
"Drop it, Hermione."
Clearly he was still angry.
"We're going to have to watch our step, George!" said Fred, pretending to tremble with fear. "With these two on our case..."
He pointed at Hermione and Ron with a chuckle.
"Yeah, it looks like our law-breaking days are finally over." continued George.
With a final burst of laughter, the twins Disapparated at the same time with a loud "crack!"
"Those two!" cried Hermione angrily. "Don't mind them, Ron, they're just jealous..."
"I don't think so..." replied Ron, "They've always said that only fools become prefects... Still," he added more cheerfully, "they've never had a new broom! I'd love to be able to choose one with Mum... She won't be able to afford a Nimbus, but there's the new Cleansweep that's just come out, that would be great... Yes, I'll go and tell her that I'd like a Cleansweep, that way she'll know what to get..." He left the room in a huff.
And he left the room at full speed, a smile on his lips.
Hermione turned to Harry and was surprised to see him as upset as Ron. He looked away immediately, but Hermione had no trouble understanding how he felt. He must be a bit jealous of Ron. After all, he held Dumbledore in high esteem and it must have hurt him to see that he was not one of the students who represented the school.
"Harry?" she called softly.
He suddenly started to pack his trunk with a care he had never paid to his belongings before.
"Well done." he said in a tone so falsely supportive that she didn't recognise the timbre of his voice. "Wonderful. Prefect, that's wonderful."
"Thanks..." she replied.
Hermione pursed her lips. She knew Harry by heart and she knew he needed some time alone right now. She looked around for an excuse to leave the room:
"Um... Harry, could I borrow Hedwig to tell Mum and Dad? They'll be really pleased, I mean, prefect is something they can understand..."
"Yeah, no problem." he said, still in his strangled voice, and still without looking at her. "Take her!"
Hermione walked over to the cupboard where Hedwig was sitting and offered her arm. Harry's owl flew gracefully to land and Hermione quickly left the room.
When she returned to hers, Ginny was sitting on her bed, also putting away her striped pyjamas.
"Hey Mione!" she greeted. "Why do you have Hedwig?"
Meeting her best friend's astonished gaze, Hermione realised that Ginny was the only person in this house who could really be happy for her.
"I've been made prefect!" exclaimed Hermione.
Ginny stood up immediately, a pair of pyjama bottoms in her hands. A wide, genuine smile lit up her face:
"Oh, I knew it! Oh Hermione, I'm so happy for you, you wanted to be prefect so badly!"
They hugged each other with all their strength. Hedwig was disturbed by the shock and went to rest on the edge of the desk instead, while the two girls jumped for joy, still hugging:
"Oh, I'm so excited!" cried Hermione. "And with Ron too!"
"Ron?!" repeated Ginny, moving far enough away from Hermione to look at her.
"Yes, but don't comment on it, he took it badly when I thought it was Harry's badge..."
"Okay, I'll try not to." Ginny said, shaking her head as if she understood her brother's reaction perfectly. "Did he tell Mum?"
"Yes, and she's actually on her way to Diagon Alley to buy him a congratulations present, a new broom..."
Hearing this, Ginny pout a little.
"Lucky bastard! I don't even have a broom... But if Mum goes to Diagon Alley, I'll just ask her to get me some gloves, mine have holes in them... Well done, Hermione, that's such good news!"
Ginny squeezed Hermione's hands one last time and left the room. Hermione took the opportunity to stand behind the small desk where Hedwig was patiently waiting for her letter to be sent.
Hermione rummaged through one of the drawers and found a roll of old parchment, a slightly broken quill and a pot of navy blue ink. She dipped the quill in, ready to write the good news to her parents, when she stopped, the quill hanging over the paper.
What if, instead of writing "Dear Mum and Dad", she wrote "Dear Draco"?
No one would notice. She could pretend to write a letter to her parents and send it to Draco. They all trusted her here. And she wouldn't reveal anything confidential, she would just tell him the news...
A plan took shape in her mind without her being able to control it. The problem with her brain was that sometimes, it worked too fast. She could send him a letter without anyone knowing, she could describe what she was going through. She imagined receiving a letter from him tonight, finding out what he had done with his August, seeing his handwriting again...
Hermione turned her head to meet Hedwig's inquisitive orange gaze.
Immediately, her mental plan disappeared.
How on earth could she have imagined that Harry's owl would carry a letter to Draco Malfoy, his sworn enemy? What if someone found out that Hermione Granger, Harry Potter's best friend, was secretly sending letters to Draco Malfoy, the son of a Death Eater, with Hedwig?
Guilt automatically rose to her throat and she coughed to get it out. How could she think such a thing?
In the few seconds she had allowed her mind to wander, the quill had dripped and stained the paper. Hermione turned it over and hurriedly wrote a long letter to her parents, trying as hard as she could to push Draco as far away as possible from her thoughts.
By the time she'd finished, she'd used up half the roll of parchment. She tied the letter to Hedwig's paw and gave her her parents' address. The owl hooted heartily and flew away through the open window.
Hermione finished methodically packing her trunk, putting the most precious items on top so they wouldn't be damaged (her prefect badge, for example) and trying to fit all her books in. Her trunk closed easily.
Around 6pm, Mrs Weasley returned from Diagon Alley with a new broom for Ron, a pair of purple gloves for Ginny and the rest of their school supplies. Fortunately, Ron's new gift seemed to eclipse all the events of the day, including Hermione's reaction when she found out he was a prefect.
As they all went down to dinner, Hermione was deeply touched by the sign Mrs Weasley had put up:
"CONGRATULATIONS TO RON AND HERMIONE, NEW PREFECTS."
"I thought we could replace the usual dinner with a little party." Ron's mother announced with a smile.
Hermione was only too happy with the idea: she certainly didn't want to spend her last evening in the same dreary August atmosphere.
Everyone joined in and each guest congratulated her warmly:
"Congratulations, Hermione!" said Sirius, before giving her an affectionate kiss on the cheek. "I told you you were the brightest witch of your generation as soon as I saw you, remember?"
Hermione nodded shyly, remembering Sirius's tender words when she had managed to free him, the night they had learned the truth about the infamous Sirius Black a year earlier.
"Congratulations again, Hermione." Mrs Weasley said tenderly as she hugged her. "I must say I was surprised by Ron, I thought he was in trouble, like his two older brothers..." (She glanced unkindly at the twins, who were talking to Mondingus Fletcher a little further on) "But I never doubted you!" she continued, turning back to Hermione. "Your parents can be proud to have you as their daughter."
Hermione thanked her, feeling emotion overcome as she heard these words.
At that moment Mr Weasley raised his glass of champagne:
"To Ron and Hermione, the new prefects of Gryffindor!"
Everyone drank and applauded. Hermione didn't know who was redder, her or Ron, but she couldn't stop smiling.
"I was never a prefect myself." Tonks said cheerfully, sporting a bright red haircut that evening. "My Head of House always said I lacked certain necessary qualities."
"Like what?" asked Ginny.
"Like the ability to behave myself." Tonks said with a mischievous grin.
Harry and Ginny burst out laughing. Hermione took a long sip of Butterbeer, but the taste reminded her of a particularly tipsy evening and she half choked on the caramelised drink.
"What about you, Sirius?" asked Ginny, patting Hermione on the back.
He burst out laughing loudly:
"No one would have made me prefect, I spent too much time in detention with James. Lupin was the good boy, he got the badge."
"Perhaps Dumbledore hoped I would manage to exert some control over my best friends." Lupin said with a sigh. "Needless to say, I failed miserably."
Everyone laughed at this. When Hermione went over to the buffet to help herself, Lupin took the opportunity to approach her, a glass of champagne in his hand, which he raised in honour:
"Congratulations, Hermione." he said with a small smile. "I wasn't your teacher for very long, but I was sure you were going to be brilliant, right from the start. Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were right to choose you as prefect."
"Thank you, Profess... Remus." she corrected herself with an apologetic smile.
"You probably know how useful the role of prefect is when looking for a career after Hogwarts." Lupin said very seriously. "Do you know what you would like to do?"
"I'd like to work in the Ministry." Hermione answered him very frankly.
Lupin raised his eyebrows, obviously not expecting such a precise and quick answer.
"Really? With everything that's going on there right now?" he asked curiously.
"That's the thing, I'd like to think I could make it better." Hermione said, now so caught up in the conversation that she was speaking faster and faster to explain her point of view: "I think the Ministry doesn't give enough importance to some of the most important issues in the wizarding world, especially the defence of creatures who are unfairly considered "inferior"."
"You do?" said Lupin, very interested. "And which creatures in particular would you like to help?"
"House-elves, sir." Hermione replied proudly.
"House-elves?" repeated Lupin, not hiding his astonishment.
"Absolutely." Hermione replied with determination. "I think they're mistreated and that they deserve rights. I mean, it's the same kind of nonsense as werewolf segregation, isn't it? It all stems from this horrible thing wizards have of thinking they're superior to other creatures..."
Lupin listened to her speech attentively, without the slightest judgement, which was rather pleasant after all the negative remarks about the S.P.E.W. She told him about her association and the ideas she had put in place to help them.
"I don't know if the Hogwarts elves are the first to suffer mistreatment at the hands of wizards." Lupin said when she had finished explaining her desire to free them.
He turned his head to look at Kreacher, who was huddled under the table, looking at each guest with a look of resentment.
It was then that Hermione had an idea.
The rest of the evening went remarkably well. Even Harry had calmed down and seemed more relaxed at the thought of Ron being made prefect. At the same time, it was hard to blame Ron when he seemed so happy to have received a brand new broom, which he praised to everyone he met. Hermione listened as he talked about every feature of his new Cleansweep, trying to understand the gibberish he was describing to her. Without knowing why, she smiled as she listened to him talk so passionately.
The evening ended in a much more pleasant atmosphere than the last few evenings. Everyone went to bed around 10pm, as they had to get up early the next day.
Hermione changed into her pyjamas and washed up. But as she made her way to the room she shared with Ginny, she suddenly heard sniffling from the floor below.
She tiptoed down the stairs and bent her head to see who was making that noise. When she saw Molly Weasley, alone at the large kitchen table, crying, her heart leapt and Hermione rushed downstairs to join her.
"Mrs Weasley? Is everything all right?" she asked in a low voice as she reached the kitchen.
"Oh, Hermione, I'm sorry, this is stupid, really stupid." Mrs Weasley said, wiping her eyes with a napkin. "I just ran into a Boggart, and oh, it was awful, awful..."
The housemother blew her nose and Hermione realised why she was so upset. She suspected that her Boggart must be connected to her children. Her heart clenched painfully.
"Would you like some tea?" Hermione offered.
"Oh... Yes, please. Thank you." Ron's mother agreed in a low voice.
Hermione busied herself preparing two cups of tea: as the house was entirely magical, it was difficult to heat water without magic, so it was Mrs Weasley who heated the water with her wand. Hermione brewed two cinnamon teabags and handed the second cup to Molly.
"You must think I'm a fool." she muttered as Hermione sat down beside her. "Crying over a Boggart..."
"I would never think you a fool, Mrs Weasley." she replied sincerely. "It's a difficult time... But my father always says a cup of tea can solve all problems."
"Your father is a man of good advice, then." Mrs Weasley said with a slight smile.
They both took a sip. As soon as she smelled the cinnamon, Hermione felt the familiar effects of comfort wash over her and she sighed with pleasure. They drank their tea in silence and Molly finally managed to calm down.
"Thank you, Hermione." she said with a sigh of relief. "I feel a bit better already. Oh, it's silly of me to get so worked up about it... It's just that with Percy gone, I..."
A sob prevented her from continuing and she took another sip of tea to keep from bursting into tears again.
"It's excellent news anyway, this prefect election." Mrs Weasley continued, pointing to the banner above them, presumably to change the subject. "We're all very proud of you. And it was a great way to take our minds off things, don't you think?"
"I thought this little party was indeed a very good last night before returning to Hogwarts." Hermione confirmed and Mrs Weasley nodded sadly. "By the way, Mrs Weasley... I wanted to ask you something, but I'm afraid I picked the wrong time..."
"On the contrary, Hermione, if you can take my mind off that awful Boggart, I'd be very grateful." Molly assured her.
"So here goes... I'd like to start a new activity, and I was wondering if you could teach me." Hermione said in an uncertain voice.
"An activity?" Mrs Weasley repeated with a frown. "Oh... I don't know... I can't do much, you know..."
Hermione disagreed: she thought Mrs Weasley excelled at many things.
"I'd like to learn to knit." Hermione declared.
Hearing this, Mrs Weasley's reddened eyes suddenly lit up. Her features, which had been set in sadness, immediately broadened into a wide, excited smile.
"Knitting? Oh, what an excellent idea, Hermione! I could definitely teach you!" she exclaimed.
She got up quickly and went to rummage through a box that was lying there. When she returned to the table, she was holding three rolls of pale pink wool and two pairs of needles.
"I've always wanted to teach my children to knit, but they've all refused." Mrs Weasley explained, placing each ball of wool on the table in a precise order. "Ginny tried, but she never got anywhere and soon got bored..."
She handed her two needles, which Hermione took between her fingers.
"Knitting is extremely simple if you know how to do it magically." Mrs Weasley explained as she sat down again, her tone suddenly more cheerful. "You can't use it now, but I can show you how." She picked up her wand and pointed it at the first ball of wool. "The spell you need to use is Lanam Nere Macula."
As she said the spell, she made an intricate circle with her wand, as if trying to wrap something in it. Immediately, the end of the wool thread broke off the ball of yarn and caught on the two needles, which moved of their own accord. After just a few seconds, a row of wool formed in the air.
Hermione watched in amazement. Even after five years at Hogwarts, she still couldn't get used to magic. Mrs Weasley turned her wand several times for long seconds, as if to correct the trajectory of the thread, before placing it back on the table. The wool continued to knit itself.
"Is that all?" exclaimed Hermione.
"That's all." Ron's mother confirmed. "You just use this formula and draw the shape you want with your wand. For example, here I'm making gloves."
Indeed, the more Hermione watched the meshes connect, the more she guessed the shape of the glove.
Mrs Weasley showed her how to do it with her wand, which Hermione reproduced without saying the spell. Then Molly showed her how to knit the Muggle way.
"To fully understand how magical knitting works, you have to understand how to do it without magic." Mrs Weasley explained, "Here, I'll show you..."
Mrs Weasley then showed Hermione every step of the Muggle knitting process. She explained the different techniques, how to make stitches, how to imagine patterns... She used very slow movements and explained each step with precise words. Then she invited Hermione to try. At first, all the wool got tangled and she made big knots, but with Mrs Weasley's many tips, Hermione finally managed a row of perfect stitches.
"Well done Hermione, you've done it!" Mrs Weasley congratulated an hour later when Hermione had managed to make a pale pink square, albeit with a few imperfections here and there.
"Thank you, Mrs Weasley. My mother will be delighted, she's always loved to knit, but I've never had the patience. I could send her a bonnet by owl when I get better at it!"
In fact, Hermione had been planning to knit little clothes for the house elves to set them free. But she preferred not to tell Mrs Weasley, who would not approve of such radical methods.
"Oh, Merlin, Hermione, have you seen the time?" exclaimed Molly suddenly, looking at the huge clock in the kitchen. "We've got to get to bed quickly, tomorrow's a big day, especially for you! Come on, off to bed!" she said as she got up.
Hermione put the two cups away, wished Mrs Weasley a good night and went to bed. But just as she came out of the kitchen, Ron's mother's voice echoed in the kitchen:
"Oh, and Hermione?"
She turned around. Molly was standing in the doorway of the darkened kitchen.
"Yes, Mrs Weasley?"
"Thank you again for taking my mind off things." Mrs Weasley said, her eyes no longer red. "And thank you for coming this summer. You managed to cheer us up when it seemed impossible."
"My pleasure. Thank you again for inviting me."
And Hermione went to bed. As she lay in bed next to Ginny, who was fast asleep, Hermione smiled as she looked up at the ceiling. Her heart was full: she had the sweet impression of having spent a few hours in the company of her own mother.
.
.
.
.
The next day, Grimmauld Square was the scene of the usual back-to-school chaos. Everyone was running, looking for something and shouting in every direction. It took Hermione a while to catch Crookshanks, who didn't want to go through another Apparition. He squirmed in her arms and groaned as soon as he saw the cage on the bed.
"Crookshanks, we'll walk!" Hermione said impatiently. But her cat refused to listen.
When Hedwig tapped her beak against the window pane, Hermione let go of Crookshanks, who fled under the bed. She opened the door to Harry's owl and quickly read the letter from her parents, congratulating her on her new role as prefect and wishing her a good start to the new term.
"What's going on?" asked Ginny as she entered the room.
"Crookshanks is refusing to go into his cage." Hermione explained hastily, stuffing the letter into her travelling bag. "I think he's afraid we'll Apparate..."
Ginny crouched down to look for Crookshanks under the bed. Hermione heard her murmur reassuring words and, as if by magic, two seconds later she straightened up with a much more relaxed Crookshanks in her arms. As she handed him to Hermione, the cat squirmed nervously again.
"Crookshanks!" cried Hermione as he scratched her arm. "Ginny, I think my cat likes you more than me."
Ginny gave a small laugh, stroked the annoyed cat's muzzle and then offered Hermione:
"Would you like me to take your trunk downstairs?"
"Oh, yes, that would be a great help." Hermione said, trying in vain to carry Crookshanks and Hedwig on two different arms.
They left the room, Ginny with her trunk and Hermione's, and Hermione with the animals. Ginny carried the trunks to the landing of the stairs, just as Fred and George's two brown suitcases appeared over their heads: they had obviously been charmed into coming down on their own.
One of them then struck Ginny hard on the skull and she fell forward, tumbling down the stairs with a loud crash.
"GINNY! Oh my God, are you all right?!" cried Hermione from the top of the stairs.
Crookshanks struggled even harder, frightened by the turn of events.
"It's all right, it's all right..." muttered Ginny, massaging her head.
Awakened by the sound of the fall, the portrait of Sirius's mother began to scream across the ground floor:
"BLOODY TRAITORS TO YOUR BLOOD, MUDBLOODS, FILTH!"
"Merlin, GINNY!" cried Mrs Weasley, alarmed by the noise. "Have you fallen? AND WHY ARE THOSE TRUNKS FLYING? DON'T TELL ME YOUR BROTHERS HAVE CHARMED THEM! FRED, GEORGE!"
Ginny struggled to her feet as Hermione hurried down the stairs, Crookshanks still in her arms and Hedwig on her shoulder. When Ginny raised her arm, revealing her blood-stained sleeve, Crookshanks immediately stopped struggling and looked at the redhead with his big yellow eyes.
"FRED! GEORGE! GET DOWN IMMEDIATELY!" Mrs Weasley shouted, as much in anger as to cover the insults coming from the painting behind her. "Using magic all the time like that! It's dangerous! My poor darling, are you all right?" she added more softly to her daughter. When Ginny nodded with a grimace of pain, Molly pointed her wand at her arm, "Conferrumino pellis."
Hermione tried not to remember where she had heard this incantation.
Twice.
"Nolite sanguine." Mrs Weasley continued. "Scourgify. Deflate."
Ginny stopped massaging her head and thanked her mother, but Mrs Weasley didn't hear her because she was shouting down the stairs for Fred and George, and Sirius's mother was still screaming at the top of her lungs.
Just then, Moody appeared in the doorway, approaching with a clumsy step.
"Molly. Sturgis Podmore still hasn't arrived, we're missing a guard." he said, ignoring the shouting around them.
Mrs Weasley barely turned to him, too overwhelmed to concentrate on the conversation:
"What? But Alastor, we have to go, it's already ten o'clock... FREDERICK AND GEORGE WEASLEY, COME DOWN AT ONCE!"
"We can't leave until the escort is complete." Mad-Eye continued firmly. "I'll contact Kingsley and ask if I can get someone else from the Order..."
"Yes, yes, do that..." Molly replied distractedly. "Merlin, GEORGE!"
Fred and George had just Apparated beside them, bumping into Moody who left the room grumbling.
"Ginny, are you all right?!" exclaimed Fred when he saw his sister's condition, "We're so sorry, we planned for them to go over you..."
"YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HER!" Mrs Weasley shouted at her sons, who were instantly silenced. "JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN USE MAGIC DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN USE IT WHENEVER YOU LIKE! DO YOU REALISE WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO HER?! YOU COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY INJURED HER, YOU IDIOTS!"
Hermione walked back up the stairs, a headache beginning to pound at her temples from the noise downstairs. She made her way to Harry's room, which was just getting ready. As soon as she entered, Hedwig left her shoulder and rushed to her cage.
"My parents just sent me back, Hedwig." she said to Harry. "Are you ready?"
"Nearly." he replied as he put his glasses back on his nose. "Is Ginny all right?"
"Mrs Weasley patched her up." Hermione said, trying to control her cat who was clawing at her to escape again. "But now Mad-Eye's complaining that we can't leave until Sturgis Podmore is here, otherwise the guard will be one short."
"The guard?" repeated Harry in surprise. "We have to go to King's Cross with a guard?"
"You have to go to King's Cross with a guard." Hermione corrected.
"Why?" asked Harry, a little annoyed. "I thought Voldemort was supposed to be to be lying low, or are you telling me he's going to jump out from behind a rubbish bin and try and kill me?"
Hermione couldn't help but shudder as she heard him say his name. She had never really gotten used to hearing it. She looked at her watch, which read 10:05.
"I don't know, I'm just telling you what Mad-Eye said." she replied. "But if we don't leave right away, we're going to miss the train..."
"WILL YOU ALL COME DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!" Mrs Weasley shouted, startling Hermione.
She hurried back to her room and locked Crookshanks in his cage, despite his protests.
"We're going on foot, Crookshanks, not by Apparition!" she told her cat for the tenth time.
He scrunched up his face. Hermione picked up her travel bag, suitcase and cage and headed downstairs, followed by Harry, who was just as loaded.
"Harry, you're coming with me." Mrs Weasley said as they reached the bottom of the stairs, trying to drown out the howling of Sirius's mother ("MUDBLOODS! SCUM! CREATURES OF DIRT!") "Leave your trunk and your owl, Alastor's going to deal with the luggage. . . . Oh, for heaven's sake, Sirius, Dumbledore said no!"
Hermione turned to see a large black dog, with tousled hair and as big as a wolf, slinking through the luggage to reach the entrance. Molly sighed tiredly:
"Oh honestly... Well, on your own head be it!"
She opened the door and walked out, accompanied by Harry and Sirius, who was wagging his tail happily. Hermione suspected he was disappointed that Harry was going to Hogwarts, he would probably regret his presence in that big dark house.
"Ron, Hermione, wait five minutes and meet Arthur outside." Moody barked, consulting his large pocket watch hanging from his brown coat.
Ron and Hermione nodded and waited in the hall. Mrs Black was still shouting insults, but no one paid any attention to her. Crookshanks was still meowing and Ron kept looking at him irritably.
"Go on." Mad-Eye said after five minutes, as if starting a race.
Hermione left her trunk, but took Crookshanks' cage, to which she had promised a journey on foot. Arthur was waiting for them on the pavement opposite. After checking that they had everything, the three of them walked to King's Cross station, which took about twenty minutes, during which Hermione was questioned by Ron's father about every Muggle object they passed on the way.
As they entered the station, Hermione's heartbeat suddenly quickened. It had been over a month since she had seen Draco. She had been so preoccupied with Harry's preparations that she hadn't realised she was going to see him again. She hadn't thought about him since Harry's hearing, if she forgot her crazy second the day before when she'd wanted to write him a letter.
Had he grown? Was he more tanned? Different?
As always when she allowed herself to think about him, a wave of guilt rose in her throat. She swallowed her questions and instead looked at Ron beside her, trying to clear her head.
They crossed Platform 9 ¾ one after the other. Hermione walked behind Ron and closed her eyes. As if, despite all the years, she still had this fear that the passage would close.
But she went through. When she opened her eyes again, Hermione saw the huge, fiery red locomotive with hundreds of students standing in front of it, saying goodbye to their parents in a happy bustle. They joined Harry, Mrs Weasley, Tonks and Padfoot. Moody was already there, unloading the luggage trolley, a brown beret on his head to hide his magical eye.
"Everything went well?" he asked as they arrived.
"Perfectly." Arthur replied with a polite smile.
Harry was playing with Sirius, Mrs and Mr Weasley were talking to Moody, Tonks was telling Ron a story...
Hermione took advantage of everyone being busy to look around.
It didn't take her long to find him. It was as if her eyes were drawn to him.
Draco was behind her, a few feet away, his face completely closed and his gaze fixed on the train. His jaw was set and Hermione could see the tense muscles in his neck. He was surrounded by both of his parents: His mother, to his left, was watching the crowd, her lips turned up in her usual expression of disgust. His father, to his right, had his hand on Draco's shoulder and was talking in his ear.
Seeing them like that, Hermione suddenly feared that in the space of a summer, Draco's parents had managed to turn him back into the mean, arrogant, prejudiced Malfoy she hated. Seeing him like this, so closed off, she didn't recognise her Draco, the one she had spent an afternoon with in Muggle London and dozens of evenings in the Library with.
Until he turned his head and met her gaze.
It lasted a tenth of a second and his eyes barely caught hers, as if he had swept through the crowd without seeing her. But the familiar electric current passed between them, hitting Hermione hard. She hadn't felt such a rush of adrenaline since she'd seen him arrive in Hampstead Park a month before.
Fred, George and Ginny arrived just then, accompanied by Lupin, who seemed preoccupied. Hermione turned her head to concentrate on the conversation.
"No trouble?" asked Moody.
"Nothing." Lupin replied.
"I'm still gonna tell Dumbledore about Sturgis though." Moody said as everyone said their goodbyes. "That's the second time in a week he's let us down. Soon we won't be able to rely on him any more than we can on Mondingus..."
"Well, take care of yourselves." Lupin said as he shook hands with each of them.
"Yes, keep your heads down and your eyes open." Mad-Eye said, taking Harry's hand a little sharply. "And remember, all of you, be very careful what you write in your letters. If in doubt, don't write anything at all."
Tonks gently pulled Hermione and Ginny away from the group to give them a hug:
"It was nice to meet you. We'll see you soon, I expect."
Hermione returned the hug fervently. Tonks had brightened Hermione's summer. Without her, she would probably have been depressed during the long month in Grimmauld Square.
"Thank you, Tonks." she murmured. "For everything."
"Yes, thank you, Tonks." Ginny agreed. "We'll miss you."
Tonks' grey hair turned a pale pink in response, and she gave them a wide, mischievous smile.
Then a whistle sounded, announcing the train's imminent departure. Mrs Weasley hurriedly hugged each of the children, not looking to see who she was kissing. Padfoot pulled himself up to put his front paws on Harry's shoulders and hug him.
"For goodness' sake!" whispered Molly as she pushed Harry into the train. "Behave like a dog, Sirius!"
Ron took Hermione's trunk and they all climbed into the carriage. Just before he left, they stuck their heads out of the window to make a big goodbye gesture:
"See you later! We'll miss you!"
Hermione then subtly turned to see Draco at the end of the platform, getting on the train too.
And his eyes were fixed on Sirius.
.
.
Draco
.
.
Lucius hadn't accompanied Draco to King's Cross station since first year. So it was a shock when he arrived at the Hall of the Manor, dressed in a black suit, his cane in his hand. Draco blinked as soon as he saw him.
"Where are you going?" asked Narcissa, as surprised as her son to see Lucius arrive.
"To King's Cross, of course, where else?" he replied coldly. "I have to see Potter. I'd like to check out the escort they've put together to accompany him, perhaps there will be some interesting names I can pass on to the..."
"And say goodbye to your son." Narcissa cut in dryly.
Lucius glanced at Draco as if he'd just realised he was there too.
"Yes, of course, yes..." he said distractedly, pulling on his gloves. "Let's get on with it. Chunky!"
"Who the hell is Chunky?" asked Narcissa impatiently.
"Our house-elf!"
"His name is Chubby." she corrected.
"Whatever!" growled Lucius impatiently.
The elf stepped in front of them with a loud "pop!"
"Accompany us to the station." Lucius said without looking at him. "And carry the luggage."
"I can do it." replied Draco, already holding his trunk.
Lucius looked at him like it was the stupidest idea ever.
"You should always show off your wealth, Draco. And bringing your elf with you is a sign of nobility, of aristocracy. What would people say if they saw you carrying your own bags?"
Draco said nothing for fear of provoking a tantrum from his father. He gave his trunk, Ebony's cage and his travelling bag to Chubby, who struggled to carry them all, and Narcissa cast a Disillusionment Charm on him to prevent the Muggles at the station from seeing him.
Draco then walked to the end of the Manor's lane and Apparated with his mother. The station was packed. Lucius made his way through, ignoring the curious looks of the travellers who were staring at his wand and cloak. Draco lowered his gaze to avoid the Muggles, although he had seen a few of them this summer. They then crossed Platform 9 3⁄4, each in turn. Chubby was last, completely out of breath from the weight of Draco's luggage.
Draco continued to Occlude as he reached the platform of the Hogwarts Express. He avoided looking at the crowd for fear of seeing her. He wouldn't be able to take his eyes off her otherwise. He had waited so impatiently for this day that he couldn't believe it had finally come. If he wasn't Occluding, he was sure his whole body would be on high alert and he would get goose bumps knowing they were so close to each other.
The three of them moved to the side of the train and Lucius watched each person around him like a snake hunting prey.
"Look for Potter." he hissed. "We need to find him."
Draco almost hissed a muffled complaint. This was exactly what he wanted to avoid. If he could find Potter, he would find her. So he preferred to look at the front of the train and count the number of bolts that had been driven into the metal to avoid looking at the crowd.
"There he is." Lucius said after a while, pointing to something in front of them. "...Bloody Potter, all smiles..."
Draco did not turn his head. He counted the bolts again, clenching his jaw so hard it hurt his teeth.
"Pansy's here, Draco." Narcissa said softly.
Draco turned his head towards the wall of Platform 9 ¾. Pansy had just passed through. She was dusting off her dress while Blaise came up behind her, holding a large trolley with three suitcases in it. Theo was the last to pass.
Draco caught Blaise's eye and he approached him, waving for Pansy and Theo to follow.
Draco smiled as he saw his three best friends arrive.
Then he suddenly looked at Theo and remembered with horror the order Lucius had given. "I want you to stop being friends with him."
He shot a frightened glance in his father's direction, but thankfully he was still looking at Potter. Draco turned and made big eyes at Blaise, then shifted his gaze to Theo with a panicked look. Blaise understood and stopped. He looked hurt. He glanced at Lucius, pursed his lips and turned back.
Pansy and Theo frowned, looked at Draco's father and understood in turn.
Pansy followed Blaise without protest.
But Theo just stood there, in the middle of all the students running around him.
He looked at Draco with a pained expression on his face that could have brought tears to his eyes if he wasn't Occluding. Then he turned and followed Pansy and Blaise who had moved to the front of the procession. He didn't know if it was his imagination, but Draco had the impression that Theo's shoulders were much more slumped than usual.
Theo still hadn't gotten over the fact that Draco was a prefect, he hadn't spoken to him since the day before. Blaise had assured them that he had tried to comfort him, but Theo was still hurt. And what just happened certainly didn't help.
Draco watched helplessly as his three friends boarded the train.
He turned his head towards the red carriage, trying to ignore the uncomfortable lump in his throat that prevented him from swallowing his saliva. When Lucius placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder, he stifled a shudder and closed his mind again.
"Draco." Lucius whispered in his ear. "It is imperative that you observe Potter this year. Report back to me in writing. Every bit of information is vital, do you understand? Act discreetly, without attracting Dumbledore's attention. And above all, side with Dolores Ombrage. She's from the Ministry..."
His father's stream of words and advice continued without Draco really listening. His gaze was immediately drawn to the group in front of them.
That's when he saw her.
For a tiny second, he could make her out in the crowd. He would recognise her anywhere. She was already looking at him, over her shoulder, her curly hair cascading behind her shoulders, her chocolate eyes focused on him, and immediately Draco's stomach clenched, delicious shivers ran up and down his arms, and he felt a surge of heat devouring his neck and cheeks.
Just by looking at him, she could break his Occlumency.
He looked away quickly, pretending to scan the crowd without seeing her. Lucius continued to speak in his ear:
"- necessarily discredit Potter... But you'll be protected, she was a Slytherin and she knows our family values..."
She was usually more tanned after the summer. Didn't they have a garden at the Burrow? Why was she so pale? And why did she look so worried? Why was she looking at him so intently? Was she trying to send him a message?
He looked in her direction again, just to be sure, but her back was to him now. She was saying goodbye to Potter's party, which included Lupin. It was strange to see him again. He looked as pathetic as ever, in his shabby, oversized brown suit. There was also a strange woman there: she had curly grey hair, and Draco was surprised to see her hugging Granger. Who was this woman? Another member of the Weasleys?
Draco then noticed a pile of black fur wagging in all directions at Potter's feet. It was enormous. At first, Draco thought it was the creature Pansy often spoke of, the Grim, that sort of bad omen that foretold imminent death if you saw it. But the beast didn't have yellow eyes, and didn't seem particularly sinister: on the contrary, it yapped happily as it played with Potter.
Since when did Potter have a dog? Why had Drago never seen it? Was he going to get on the train with it? Draco was pretty sure it was forbidden to have a dog at Hogwarts, only cats were allowed. Besides, it was even bigger than his suitcase.
And why did everyone around Potter not care that there was a dog around? It looked like a wolf.
"That dog is massive." Narcissa said at that moment, her lips curled more than ever into a clearly disapproving expression. "I can't imagine the amount of housework that poor woman has to do every day."
"I don't think she does any housework, dear." Lucius said with a snide laugh. "Did you know the Weasleys lived in a pigsty?"
"How horrible!"
The more Draco watched the dog, the more he found him... Strange. It behaved almost like a human. Aside from his impressive size, he had manners that a dog didn't have at all. He was far too... Distinguished.
The starting whistle rang out and Draco stopped looking at the strange dog to look at Granger. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a large bookshelf was shaking, but Draco managed not to run into it thanks to Lucius' firm grip on his shoulder reminding him who he was with.
Just as Draco turned to say goodbye to his parents, the dog did something that stopped all three of them in their tracks: it stood up on its hind legs and wrapped its front paws around Potter. At first Draco thought it was trying to knock him to the ground to attack him, but in fact it was like a goodbye hug. Draco raised his eyebrows.
"Very strange dog." Lucius commented, his eyebrows furrowing. "Very strange..."
"Hurry up Draco, you'll miss the train." urged Narcissa.
She grabbed poor Chubby's trunk, Ebony's cage, and slung the strap of his bag over her son's shoulder.
"Have a wonderful term, Draco." Narcissa said affectionately. "See you at Christmas, all right? And don't forget to send me letters. Have fun."
Draco nodded and grinned at his mother. His father's farewell was quite different:
"Work hard, son. Make us proud."
He tightened his grip on his shoulder and Draco avoided looking into his eyes, replying with a vague "thank you". Just before boarding the train, he took one last look at the dog, which intrigued him greatly. Was it his imagination, or was he waving goodbye with his paw?
Draco shook his head and boarded the train.
Since he was at the back, he had to walk the whole length of the train to get to the front, where the "First Official Meeting of Prefects" was being held. When he arrived, Pansy was waiting for him at the entrance.
"Ah, there you are at last!" she said, rolling her eyes. "I've been waiting for you for ten minutes! The meeting has started. Where's your badge?"
Draco sighed in annoyance when he remembered:
"Shit, I forgot to put on the bloody badge... Wait..."
He rummaged through his travel bag and found it at the bottom. He hung it up and Pansy checked his appearance, her lips pursed.
"Stop it Merlin, you look like my mother!" groaned Draco as he saw his best friend's inquisitive eyes.
"Sorry, sorry. Come on."
Draco opened the door to the prefects' room, already annoyed.
"Ah, Slytherins, there you are!" said a seventh year Ravenclaw, presumably the Head Boy. "You're late. Have a seat, here."
The seventh year showed them the two remaining empty chairs. As Pansy sat down, Draco looked around at the rest of the prefects.
And when he saw a brunette with curly hair, rosy cheeks and chocolate eyes taking notes, he couldn't help but smile.