From Venice with Love

At precisely 10:55 the next morning, Hermione and her trunk were in Piazza San Marco ready to leave. Draco arrived soon after and looked around. “Your parents didn’t come?” he asked.

“They’re getting packed themselves. I told my mum that you came with your shirt that way,” she said, “I’m not sure she believed me though. It’s probably better if you don’t see her for awhile. At least she didn’t tell my dad.”

Draco frowned. “I’ll send her an owl after we get back to school,” he said. “What kind of candy does she like?”

“Chocolates,” Hermione replied. “You don’t have to though.”

“I don’t want her angry with me,” he said. He grabbed her trunk. “We should get walking.”

“Is it far?” Hermione asked.”We don’t have that long.”

“Not that far,” Draco answered. “We have an hour before the train leaves, it’ll be fine.”

They walked for about 10 minutes until they reached an alleyway behind a few deserted buildings. Draco stopped and picked up an empty wine bottle, holding it out to her. “Here,” he said. “Hold on.”

She grabbed the end and after a moment she felt the uncomfortable sensation that accompanied portkey travel. It was over soon enough and Hermione found herself in a small park with Draco and her trunk.

“How far are we from King’s Cross?” she asked.

“It’s right there,” he pointed to a building to their right. “But- we should probably go in separately.”

“Oh. I suppose you’re right.” Hermione sighed. “Well, I guess I’ll see you Saturday.” She made no move to leave, however.

Draco touched her cheek. “It’ll be okay, Hermione, I promise. Hopefully, I’ll see you sooner.” He took a deep breath and kissed her slowly. Hermione didn’t want to leave at all after that, so they stood there another ten minutes before he pulled away and pushed her trunk to her. “Here,” he said hoarsely and quickly fled the park.

Hermione stood there another moment to regain her composure and followed him out. She dragged her trunk across the street and into the train station. Her head down, she was startled out of her reverie by a loud voice.

“Hermione, over here!”

She turned towards the sound and smiled as she saw Ron, Harry and Ginny smiling and waving at her.

“Hello!” she dragged her trunk over and embraced them all.”How was your summer?”

“Wonderful!” Ginny said. “And yours?”

“Wonderful as well,” Hermione smiled. She looked around and caught a quick glimpse of white-bond hair in the crowd and then it was gone.

Ginny gasped and touched Hermione’s pin. “You’ve been made Head Girl? Congratulations!”

“Thank you,” Hermione beamed.

“Who else would it be?” Ron said, grinning.“I’m just surprised that you didn’t write us right away with the news.”

“Well, I’ve been busy sightseeing,” Hermione explained quickly. “It’s not like I knew where to get an owl.”

“That reminds me,” Ginny gestured behind her to the trolley that held Crookshanks and her school supplies. “Here you go.”

“Hermione,” Ron said. “Why would Malfoy’s house elf be bringing your supplies to us, by the way?”

Hermione froze. “What? What makes you think it was Malfoy’s elf?”

“She asked me how Dobby was,” Harry said. “So?”

“Well, I told you Malfoy was in Venice as well,” she replied, looking down. “He just offered.”

“He offered to help you? Of his own free will?” Ron stifled a laugh. “Sure, Hermione. Now, really, why would he help you?”

She took a deep breath and plunged ahead. “I met someone there. In Venice. A wizard names Alessandro-he goes to Durmstrang. Anyway, he knew Malfoy and asked him to send my things along.” Hermione was afraid to look up during her lie. When she finally did, both Harry and Ron were looking at her dumbstruck, and Ginny was beaming.

“You met someone! Oh, Hermione, I’m so glad!” she smiled. “You’ll have to tell me all about him.”

“So, you have a boyfriend?” Ron said dumbly.

“Yes, I guess I have.” Hermione smiled at the thought.

“How can you? I mean, he goes to Durmstrang.” Ron argued.

“We’ll write, and he said he would visit when he could.” Hermione said. She turned to Ginny. “He’s just wonderful! Wait until I tell you!”

“How great can he be?” Ron mumbled. “He’s friends with Malfoy.”

“Stop it, Ron! Good for you Hermione,” Harry said, smiling at her.

“Thank you,” she said. “We should get on now.”

They walked onto the train and she left Harry and Ginny to find a compartment while she and Ron made their way to the prefect compartment.

“Hello, Hermione,” Ernie Macmillan was in front of her. “Congratulations,”

“You too,” she returned.”Do you know where we should be?”

“Professor McGonagall asked us to meet her up front and then we’ll meet with the prefects,” Ernie said.

Hermione bade Ron farewell and followed Ernie up to the staff compartment. Upon receiving their instructions, they made their way back to the prefect compartment and dread filled her. She would have to see Draco now. Taking a deep breath, she followed Ernie into the compartment. It was filled with prefects and Hermione took care not to look directly at Draco who was flanked by Pansy and Blaise Zabini.

“Hello, I’m Head Boy this year and Hermione Granger is Head Girl,” Ernie began. Hermione was glad for once of his pompous attitude. She stood quietly as he droned on and gave them their patrol schedules for the ride. He also scheduled the first prefect meeting for the next night and then looked at Hermione.

“Hermione?” she jumped at the sound of her name. “Anything to add?”

“Oh, no.” she stammered. She heard a few giggles and could make out Pansy’s voice but not what she said. Hermione refused to look in that direction.

“Okay then. You’re dismissed.”

Hermione quickly left the compartment in search of Harry and Ginny.

“Hermione!” Ron was struggling to catch up with her. “Don’t you have to patrol as well? What is wrong with you?”

“You’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking.” She shook her head.

“You’re not going to go all girly now that you have a boyfriend, are you?” he asked.

“A boyfriend?” came a cold voice behind her. “Please, who would date her?”

“Shut it, Parkinson,” Ron growled.

Hermione turned to see Pansy and Draco standing behind her. Pansy was smirking at her and Draco was looking at the ceiling. “Shouldn’t you be patrolling?” she said calmly.

“You may be Head Girl, Mudblood, but you will not be bossing me around!” Pansy hissed, moving forward.

Draco grabbed her arm. “Pansy, you don’t want detention the first day, do you?” he drawled, finally looking at Hermione with cold grey eyes. “Besides, she’s not worth it.”

Hermione was taken aback at the way he looked at her and held back her tears as she glared angrily back.

Draco’s eyes moved to Ron. “Weasley, I didn’t think it was possible for you to get any shabbier looking. Rough summer?” he grinned maliciously at them.

“Come on, Ron,” Hermione pulled Ron after her down the corridor away from the Slytherins.

She did her patrol with a horrible feeling in her stomach. While she understood keeping up appearances, she couldn’t believe he could look at her that way. It made her feel sick inside. By the time she finished, the train was pulling into Hogsmeade and she had never visited with Ginny and Harry. Feeling miserable, she began herding the students towards the carriages. “Come on, hurry up!” she snapped at them. After everyone was in the carriages, she got into the last carriage with Ernie to ride up to the castle.

“Was everything okay?” he asked as she sat down.

“Oh, yes. I’m just tired.”

He looked at her strangely. “I meant with the patrols.”

“Of course,” She looked out the window as the carriage started to move.

“After dinner, we’ll help lead the students back to their dorms. Then we’ll be able to see our rooms before patrols start. We need to meet before the prefect meeting to set up the patrol schedules. Also, we’ll have to watch Malfoy and Parkinson closely. They didn’t even do their patrols, you know. Probably off some place snogging.” Ernie snorted in disgust.

If possible, Hermione felt even sicker. “I’m sure,” she said listlessly.

Ernie blathered on, but Hermione barely noticed. She’d hoped Draco would have sent her a message by now, but her necklace thudded coldly against her neck. She supposed he hadn’t had a moment to himself, what with Pansy fawning all over him. Anger began to replace her hurt when she thought about it. What if he had been kissing Pansy?

The carriage jerking to a stop ripped through her thoughts. Immediately, she jumped up and hopped out of the carriage to get away from Ernie’s incessant ramblings. She walked with the rest of the students into the Great Hall and at long last saw Ginny, Ron and Harry. They had saved a space for her. She plopped down and smiled gratefully at them.

As everyone began to settle down the doors opened again. Hermione looked up and saw Draco come strutting in with Crabbe and Goyle by his side. She felt mildly better at seeing Pansy slink in after them, a foul look on her face. Draco went to the Slytherin table and knocked some third years out of the way so that he, Crabbe and Goyle could sit down. Pansy, looking hateful, took an empty seat across from them.

Seeing where she was looking, Harry sighed. “Prat,” he said. “He just gets nastier every year.”

“Just ignore him, Harry,” she said. “I plan to.”

The sorting began and Hermione tried to focus on that and not Draco sitting at the next table. He never once glanced her way and she could feel the anger bubbling up again.

Finally, Dumbledore got up and gave his beginning of term speech. He introduced Hermione and Ernie and gave instructions to them to meet him after the feast.

“Finally!” Ron said as the food appeared. Hermione tried to eat but she found she had no appetite. Ginny asking her questions about her ‘boyfriend’ made it worse too. She was truthful about a few of their dates, just changed the names and continued to feel guiltier about it.

“Was that a gift?” Ginny gasped suddenly, pointing at her neck.

Hermione touched the necklace lightly. “Yes, it was,”

“Wow, a rich wizard as well as romantic. I hope I get to meet him when he visits!”

“I hope we all do,” Harry said.

Hermione hadn’t expected that. “We’ll see,” she said.

“Hiding him from us?” Ron said. “Ugly, is he?”

“Ron!” Ginny snapped.

“Maybe I don’t want you to meet him, with that attitude you have, Ronald!” Hermione snapped, getting up. “I have to start leading the students to the dorms. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she walked away as Ginny hit Ron with her spoon.

She saw Ernie stand up as well and walk over to the Ravenclaw table to get the prefects moving, so she braced herself and walked over to the Slytherin table. She stood right behind Draco. “Malfoy,” she said loudly.

He turned around and as his eyes met hers for a moment she saw the Draco she knew looking back at her. There was surprise in his eyes and something else, guilt, perhaps? Then his eyes narrowed and became the hard eyes she was used to. “Granger?” he said flatly.

“I need you and Pansy to make sure the first years get to the dorms,” she said stiffly and then quickly walked off before he could object. She found Dumbledore, got her password, and helped the Gryffindors get to their dorm before she could finally go to hers.

She reached her portrait, a picture of a little girl playing hopscotch and said,”Fidelitas” The little girl giggled and the portrait opened.

She walked into a bedroom that actually looked a lot like the one she had shared with Lavender and Parvati but only held one bed. To the left was her wardrobe with the clothes already hanging in it. There were also two doors. One went to her private bathroom and one went to the Heads’ Common Room that she and Ernie would share for studying and to hold Prefect meetings. That door also had a password so that someone in the Common Room could not get into her room. She peeked in there and saw two tables, a fireplace and some sofas with bookshelves lining the walls. A quick look in the bathroom showed it looked like the Prefect bathroom, just as large but just for her.

Yawning, Hermione changed for bed. She drew the drapes that surrounded the bed and got in. Just as she was about to put the light out, her necklace began to warm. Hesitating a second, she flipped it over. “I’m sorry” it read. Feeling slightly better, Hermione put out the light.