Trials Of Love!

Title: Trials of Love (2 /?)

By: granger2malfoy

Pairing: DM/HG, BZ/GW

Rating: PG-13 (R in later chapters)

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine and there is no money being made.

A/N: This is the sequel to The Given Choices. My good friend, Christina, has helped me with this continuing plot bunny. Thanks to my new beta, Jade.

**~*~*~* Chapter Two – A New School Year Begins *~*~*~*

The large double doors of the Great Hall stand open as the students begin to file in to their appropriate tables. Hermione helped the minor incidents that occurred with too many students in the halls as Draco lead the transfer student, Daniel Tempest, to Professor Snape. Hermione kept her eyes on the scene as the three conversed and caught the split-second glimpse of surprise in the Head of Slytherin’s eyes when reading the scroll from Lucius.

Once all of the students headed in the right direction to their proper spots, Hermione took her seat in between Ginny and Ron, trying to ignore Harry, who sat across from her and kept starring at her. His piercing emerald eyes felt as if they were calling to her brown ones but she refused to give into the temptation. It was over between them as a couple and she was married, for Merlin’s sake. Of course, he didn’t know that but still they had that conversation over the summer and he still kept this act up.

Like always, McGonagall lead the first years into the Great Hall and the hat sorted them into their houses with enthusiastic cheers from their new housemates. After the sorting ceremony, the Head Girl glanced over her water goblet to the Slytherin table and watched her husband chat with Tempest, who sat to his right, but Draco must’ve felt her eyes on him because he smirked as he raised his own goblet with a flicker of silver eyes catching hers. Not wanting to get caught, she returned her attention to the Headmaster as he began the feast.

After eating desert, the seventh year students began to gossip about whom is going to be Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, since no one new sat up at the staff table or whether Snape finally got the job but a seat remained empty at the headmaster’s side. Suddenly, a knock bellowed at the great hall doors and all the students’ hushes and whispers died to complete silence. Dumbledore rose and, with flick of his hands, the doors slowly creaked open to reveal the secret on the other side.

A person stood in a long black cloak not revealing either face or gender. Once the large doors halted in their tracks, the new arrival’s cloak remained almost motionless, as they walk up between the middle of the tables of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Hermione’s eyes glance over to Snape, whose mischievous smile sent a chill down her spine, and then back to the new arrival.

The stranger stopped directly in front of the Dumbledore, who has a straight look on his face. The guest’s whole body lowered, as if to a bow or curtsey, which it was, could not be determined by the voluminous, black robes. Dumbledore smiled with that twinkling in his eye, lowered his head and gestured for the guest to take a seat next to him. The person walked in a continuous motion with grace, everyone cannot seem take their eyes off the new arrival.

The guest’s gender is now evident as she steps onto the platform where all the Professors are sitting. Hermione spotted a glimpse of silk black robes trimmed in navy lace under the heavy cloak with specs of silver all through the cloak. Her body appears to be thin as she walked past the other Professors till she reached Dumbledore. Professor Snape gentlemanly pulled out her chair for the mysterious guest and she stood in front of the chair for a moment. Hermione stared intensely but still not able to make out the face under the shadow of the hood.

As if to quickly end the uneasy silence, Dumbledore spoke, “My first start of term notice is that I would like for you all to meet your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Please welcome Professor Meadow.”

The moment he mention her name, she lowered her hood releasing her long golden blonde hair. A gentle smile slightly curved on her thin lips. Her eyes gleamed bright green, which caused a feeling like looking at them once a person could never forget them. Her once hidden face now showed a pretty woman no older than twenty-eight. A mixture of soft applause and many whispers spread through the great hall.

“She is defiantly better than Umbridge,” Ron leaned over and whispered to Harry. With a nod and a smile, Hermione quietly clapped to welcome the new professor.

Profess Meadows lowered into her seat. Snape quickly pushed in her chair and took his own seat next to her. Meadow’s face hinted qualities of kindness and gentleness, one usually would not find in a professor’s face. Yet, there was still something mysterious about her, that Hermione could not place.

Dumbledore started again, “The ground keeper Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that the forest is forbidden for all student body. There is also a full, long list of objects forbidden to be on the grounds Hogwarts, which he posted on his office door. Which my I add, includes everything sold at Weasely’s Wizard Wheezies.”

Laughter filled the great hall as he continued, “Now on to a very important matter, but I will keep it brief. As you all know, our world outside these walls is at war but Hogwarts will remain safe as possible for all who live within these walls. There may be a few additional rules added as time progresses, simply to ensure all of your safety. All prefects, professors, Head Boy and Girl are on watch for any suspicious activity. I do not think your normal day activity should be at all affected. I think you will find everything is to be normal. Our first Quitditch match is set for a month from today. Good luck and good night.”

Dumbledore sat back down and started talking to the new professor. Snape and McGonagall both lean in to join the conversation. But Hermione noticed that Meadows said something that caused the headmaster to rise from his chair and exit the hall trying not to be obvious. McGonagall followed Albus a few moments later as Professor Snape lead the new professor out of the hall but stopped to speak briefly with Draco and Tempest.

The students began talking and getting up to leave. Ron stood, “That was even better the Moody’s entrance. I mean Barty Crouch Jr. What?” Hermione had hit his arm and gave him a stern look.

She rolled her eyes but continued with her Head Girl duties to get the students off to bed and ensure the Prefects assisted in that task. Ginny and the other Gryffindor Prefects lead both new and old students up to their tower. Only a few danglers remained with the Head Boy and Head Girl. Hermione calmed a lost Hufflepuff first year that was in the lavatory when they were dismissed as Blaise, Draco, and Tempest chatted about some of the aspects of Hogwarts.

Just as Hermione started to head out the door, McGonagall approached and called out, “Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy. The headmaster would like a word, please.”

Blaise lead Tempest to the dungeons as the couple followed the deputy headmistress to Dumbledore’s office. Not a word was spoken except the sugary password spoken to the statue guarding the office until they were within the large room where the headmaster sat behind his desk. He waved the two of them in as McGonagall left and closed the door behind her. “Please come forward you two. I have something for the each of you and also someone I’d like you to meet.”

Hermione and Draco stepped pass the high-winged back chair positioned a few feet in front of the large desk. She turned to see a girl with short brown hair, who appeared to be around the age of thirteen, in a chair with a book on her lap as she sipped some tea. The girl smiled and nodded her head but froze in mid-movement as Draco appeared on the other side of the Head Girl. Dumbledore cleared his throat and stated, “Hermione Granger is our Head Girl and this is Draco Malfoy, our Head Boy. Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy, I’d like to introduce you to May Meadows. She is our new professor’s niece and will be attending Hogwarts for the year.”

An amused smile crept on her lips at the sound of the younger girl’s name but she offered her hand and commented, “Please call me Hermione.”

“Alright, Hermione,” May chuckled and blushed as she wordlessly levitated the tea cup to enable her to shake the offered hand. “Call me May.”

Hermione appeared to be shocked by the display of wordless magic by such a young witch. Draco stepped closer and formally offered her his hand. “Please to meet you, Miss Meadows.”

The girl withdrew her hand from Hermione’s and slowly took his hand. But May appeared close to gasping out when their hands meet. Hermione thought about how curious her reaction was and then saw her smile as she replied, “Nice to meet you as well, Mr…Malfoy.”

Draco cocked an eyebrow as he released her hand and stepped back to his wife’s other aside, which was as far away from the odd girl as possible without seeming rude.

“She already been privately sorted in Ravenclaw but I was hoping that she could come to the Head Boy and Head Girl, if she had any questions or concerns,” the headmaster spoke and then handed the secret couple a rolled scroll. “These are your passwords for your rooms as well as some special directions, which you should be aware of.”

Hermione and Draco took their scrolls as they thanked him. Dumbledore silently summoned May’s floating tea cup and stated, “I would like the two of you to show Miss Meadows to her new home. She has already been given the password from her entrance.”

“Yes, headmaster,” the two replied and lead the way out of the circular office with the young girl closely behind them.

Once again in the hallways of the castle, Hermione stepped to the side to allow May to walk between her and Draco, which earned her a stern stare from her husband. She decided to start some conversation to make it seem less uncomfortable to the new girl. “So May, how old are you?”

The young girl tucked her short hair behind her ear as she stated, “I am thirteen.”

“So, are you nervous to start at a new school?”

May clutched her book tightly and responded, “No, not really. I have already read all the required texts for my year.”

Draco smirked and quietly stated, “Remind you of any one, Granger?”

“Hush, Draco. Play nice,” Hermione tutted as she gave him a look that told him ‘behave or else’ and then she spoke directly to May, “Ignore him. He can be nice. It’s just sometimes he has a hard time showing it. It took me over six years to see past it all.”

They continued to walk again in silence up to Ravenclaw’s tower and but once at the entrance. May asked Malfoy, “What did you mean by the comment ‘Remind you of any one?’”

Draco ran his hand through his hair nervously as Hermione stood on the other side of the girl and tapped her foot. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders, “Look, don’t worry about. I didn’t mean it.”

He glanced over to Hermione as she pointedly tilted her head in the direction of the girl. Then he added, “I apologize, Miss Meadows.”

She raised her eyes to his and he noticed how her eyes seemed familiar but he couldn’t place it. May nodded her head and turned to the portrait as she spoke, “Wisest of the Four Houses.”

Once the girl walked through the portrait hole, Draco and Hermione turned to head back down the staircase. Hermione remained silent as they made their way down to the first floor to head in opposite directions. Draco’s hands were shoved in his pockets and then remembered the piece of parchment given to them from the headmaster. As they reach the ground floor, he had read over it and had an amused smile on his face.

She turned to him with plans to give him a good talking to about the way he should treat younger students but halted the moment she saw that playful look in his eye. Cautiously she asked, “What?”

Draco face mocked innocent as he winked at her and turned towards the dungeons as he spoke over his shoulder, “Nothing. See later, Granger. Oh, don’t forget to read the note from the headmaster.”

Her eyebrow rose at that statement but headed towards her Head Girl room, which was still in Gryffindor tower but on the ground floor with a private password. She climbed the separate stairs to the tower as she pulled out and unrolled the parchment, which read:

Miss Granger,

Your password for your rooms is “The Power of Love”.

Also notice on your fireplace a small clock lays and in its side allows you a way to a private place to rest your head beside another.

Good evening,

Professor Dumbledore

Hermione folded the paper up and placed it safely in her skirt under her robes. Quickly she gave the Lady in the Pink Dress the general password, walked through the hole and turned sharply to the left. A large painting of woman in Ancient Greek garb bowed at Hermione’s appearance as she spoke, “You must be Miss Granger. Please may I have the password to grant you access to your rooms?”

Hermione cleared her throat and replied, “The Power of Love.”

“That is correct, young miss. You may enter. Good night and sweet dreams.”

The portrait swung open and she walked into her private sitting room. There was a large desk on one side of the rooms with a wall-full of books behind it. An open door revealed her bedroom with scarlet and gold duvet. She wrinkled her nose and thought that she would change those colors later. Not that she wasn’t proud of her house, just six years of similar décor was getting on her nerves. Maybe some blues and purples would be a nice change.

Then the lit fireplace caught her attention but there was no clock on it. That’s odd the note spoke of a clock. Maybe it meant the one in the bedroom.

Hermione shrugged out of her robes and entered her bedroom. Her things had already arrived and her fresh robes for the next day were already laid out. Crookshanks glanced up from his spot on her bed before going back to sleep. She looked to the fireplace and saw a painting over it. The painting was of an open window over looking the sea and a golden clock on the window’s ledge, which the hands moved with the current time.

Slowly she stepped up to the marble hearth to examine the picture closer and her fingers reached out to touch the canvas but instead entered inside the painting and touched on the clock. Her eyes went wide as she discovered a hidden drawer on the side of the magical clock and felt powder inside. The light blue powder held the same consistency of that of floo powder but floo powder was usually grey. She once read about a floo powder being created to just connect two fireplaces within the same building but without the need of calling out a location.

Hermione held the powder in her right hand and her left touch the mantle of the fireplace. It suddenly raised a little passed her height then stopped and the fire went out. She glanced down at the powder and stepped into the empty fireplace. With one glace back at her sleeping cat, Hermione threw down the powder, closed her eyes and crossed her fingers.

Her body was pushed and pulled as she traveled the floo but came to abrupt stop. “Hermione, you can open your eyes now.”

The voice of her husband instantly caused her to open her eyes and noticed that Draco was leaning against a large four post bed covered in black and decorated in silver and gold. He pushed off the bed with a smirk and offered his hand to her to get her out of the fireplace. She took his hand but did not let go as she glanced around the room. It was twice the size of hers with only one door that appeared to lead to the lavatory. “I take it these aren’t your rooms either?”

He wrapped an arm around her waist to come to a rest of her flat stomach as he nuzzled her neck and replied, “No, the headmaster thought it best for all concerned to have our own bedroom but with ways to keep track of our own rooms.”

Draco pointed to the set of matching mirrors that were on either side of the mantel. One showed a view of her sitting room and she could hear the crackling of its fire. Then the other mirror revealed a similar setup to hers but a darker décor of the dungeons. His sitting room.

“Now, enough talk. Its time for bed,” Draco stated as he turned her in his arms and kissed his wife with all the love and passion he felt for her.

~*~*~*~ To Be Continued ~~*~**~*~*~*~

A/N2: Well, two new character and few surprises from the headmaster. Thank you for your patience with me. I have been very busy with my senior year of master (and just added a minor.) More updates will follow in a more regular basis. Thanks again.