Year Seven:Blindsided

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or places they belong to the wonderful
J. K. Rowling: It is her world I just play in it.


Chapter 6-The Feast and the Green Eyed Beast


Hermione stepped from the train and began herding the first-years to the end of the platform where Hagrid was waiting to take them across the lake to the castle. It seemed to take forever to separate them from the older students. They were an especially rammy bunch; she did not envy Hagrid his yearly task.


The young witch she’d helped to find the train in London waved at her cheerfully from among a throng of first-year girls. “How did you like the ride?” Hermione asked.


“It was brilliant! Those candies, I’ve never seen anything like them. Are there many more kinds Hermione?” The girl said this very fast and all in one breath.


“Yes, there are many more types of candy you’ve not seen before. Now run along, you don’t want to miss your boat.” Hermione chuckled at the girl as Ginny came up behind her.


“Got a soft spot for that ‘un have you? I don’t think you or I were ever that young.” Ginny said.


“Well, not for very long anyway.”


The two witches got into the queue for the seemingly horseless carriages. Ginny was as ecstatic as Hermione to be back at school. Her reasons, however, were more nefarious. Ginny was an excellent student, but her enthusiasm was purely social. Hermione’s more serious academic ambitions baffled Ginny.


They climbed into the carriage just as it stopped in front of them, the door snapped shut as the each of them found her seat. Ginny pounced on Hermione as soon as she was sure the noise of the carriage’s motion would cover her question. “Who is it?” Ginny demanded.


“I have no idea what you are talking about.”


“I can’t believe this, you are actually holding out on me. Hermione I am as close to a sister as you’ve got. Who is it? And don’t you tell me it is ‘no one’ or ‘that you don’t know what I mean’ again. That might work on Harry, but not on me. Well…come on it can’t be that bad.”


“I don’t suppose you’d like to take a wager on that?” Hermione’s caustic tone could have melted through steel. “Ginny, I’m not ready to talk yet. I promise you will be the first person I tell.”


“Alright. I am going to tell you something, but you have to promise not to laugh.”


“I can’t promise that, but I can promise that I will try not to laugh.”


“I think Draco Malfoy is cute,” Ginny said turning the same shade of red as her hair.


Hermione could not help herself, and she laughed. ‘This,’ she thought, ‘is ironic.’
“Maybe, if you could spell him to make him mute. Cute, yes. Relationship material, definitely not.” Even Ginny laughed at that.


Hermione stepped from the carriage and made her way up the stairs and through the doors at the front of the castle. After some minimal preening she made her way, as instructed, to the teachers lounge.


After the loud and bumpy ride up the road to the castle Draco’s head pounded with even more fury than it had during the day. As he stepped from the carriage a small figure ran into him at full force. Draco glared and shook his head at the young wizard who was now staring up at him from the ground. The boy made a pathetic attempt at an apology and backed several feet from the blond wizard before being helped to his feet by Ginny Weasley. Draco was not prepared for the look of fury in her eyes, as she looked him up and down disgustedly. Imagine a Weasley being disgusted, appalled by him!


“On your way Weasley. Would you have the young man miss the Sorting?” He was not at all concerned with the future of the little creature.


“Certainly not,” she smiled at the boy. “Malfoy is Head-boy this year, its best to stay clear of him.” Ginny lead the boy to the front steps and a gaggle of other second-years.


Draco wondered exactly what he had done in order to deserve two Weasleys as Prefects for a year. Then again, he mused, should Ron fail to complete his duties it would be easy enough to remove him from his position; at least he would get no sympathy from Hermione. This pleased Draco immensely; as she was the only other person who could challenge his recommendation to the Headmaster, should the need to get rid of Ron arise.


The blond wizard pushed his way through the crowd in front of the great oak doors and made his way to the teacher’s lounge where he and the Head-girl would be briefed as to what would be expected of the two of them for this evening. When he passed through the double-doors to the lounge he found the room to be nearly deserted. Professor Binns, the ghostly history teacher, was deeply engaged in conversation with Hermione. Other than those two, the room was empty.


He chose an ancient armchair by the roaring fire with a good view of Hermione. She was extraordinary! The firelight complimented her soft features and made her skin look as though it was made of porcelain. He wished for a moment that she was a doll, and then he thought better of it. Were she just a doll she would be as empty as all the other girls he had ever met. That would not do.


Draco sighed, if it was a challenge he was looking for Hermione was definitely the right girl for him. He began to contemplate ways to woo her, but was interrupted by Professor Snape. “Draco, I am so glad to see that you were named Head-boy. I was afraid that it might go to a lesser student, based on expectations rather than academic merit.”


“Thank you, sir. May I be so bold as to say that I had no such doubts?”


“I am pleased to see that your summer Holiday has not negatively affected your confidence young Master Malfoy.” Could Snape possibly know the hell his father had put him through in the past six weeks? Anything was possible; Lucius and Snape had once been something like friends.


“Sir?” Asked Draco putting on a confused face.


“Come now, I know your father. If he won’t tell you when you’ve done well, I guess that task falls to me.” Snape wore a strange expression, on any other face it might have been regarded as a smile. Years of pain and disappointment had clearly taken a toll on the tall dark wizard that stood in front of Draco.


“Sir, thank you. Sometimes I…”


At that moment Dumbledore entered the room. Draco only realized then that the room was full. How long had he been thinking about Her? Dumbledore made his speech to all of those assembled short, as he disliked having to repeat pertinent information unnecessarily.


When Draco, Hermione and the teachers arrived in the Great Hall it was nearly bedlam. As the school year had not yet officially begun, no students were required to obey the Prefects. As Dumbledore passed the tables began to quiet, from the back of the hall to the front. The teachers took their seats and Draco left the room to get the first-years so that they might be sorted. Hermione went to collect the Sorting Hat and the stool from a room along side the hall. The instant she had finished placing them Draco opened the doors and lead the wide-eyed youngsters into the Great Hall for the first time.


Once the Sorting ceremony was completed and the stool and Sorting Hat cleared away Draco and Hermione each went to sit with their housemates. Draco could have sworn for an instant that she’d smiled at him as she brushed past him to find her seat at the head of the Gryffindor table. No, she was just happy to see Potter.


Harry stood as Hermione approached and kissed her quickly on the lips. It felt to Draco, at that moment, that his quest for Hermione’s heart was futile. He tried not to look at the two of them, but curiosity got the better of him. Draco’s eyes involuntarily narrowed to slits as he watched the two Gryffindors embrace. He felt his face flush at this too public display of affection.


“Honestly, why doesn’t that slutty little mudblood do that in the privacy of her own room. No one of any breeding wants to see that sort of thing.” Sneered Poinsettia Parkinson, echoing Draco’s thought. He hated that he could possibly think along the same lines as one of the Parkinson girls.


“You know ‘Settia,” Draco began in a saccharin sweet tone of voice, “you haven’t any room to talk. So many guys here have had you that it only makes you seem jealous if you call another girl a slut.” Poinsettia looked taken aback by Draco’s harsh words. Draco then wondered if it might seem that he was defending Hermione, he then added. “So, which is it: Potter or the Mudblood? I bet you’ve given up on men and you want Granger.”


All of the Slytherins within earshot, save for Poinsettia, were trying to conceal the tremors brought on by hysterical laughter at Draco’s suggestion. The young witch looked up at Draco with tears in her eyes, and glanced at Hermione nervously before running from the Great Hall with amazing speed. Draco felt sorry for her, almost. Still, that had been too close for his liking. He’d nearly given away the way he felt about Hermione, an error to dangerous to make amongst his housemates.


“Well, my darling, you certainly hit that one on the head!” said Pansy as her sister disappeared into the depths of the castle. Draco smirked as he sat closer to Pansy, making sure that Hermione had an excellent view of what he was about to do.


Hermione found that she had been saved a seat at the head of the Gryffindor table. ‘Good old Harry,’ she thought as he gave her a friendly peck on the lips. Hermione glanced across the table and saw Ron trying to conceal his jealousy from Harry.


“I thought you were over her by now, mate.”


“Yeah…you caught me. I’m just a little jealous is all,” the redhead stammered.


Ron was, once again, thankful that Harry was oblivious to his true feelings. Ginny and Hermione exchanged a knowing look. Harry slid closer and closer to Hermione as the meal continued. Harry was blatantly flirting with Hermione, tickling and teasing her in front of everyone.


Just as Harry was about to put his arm around Hermione, a fracas broke out at the Slytherin table, “…you’ve given up on men and you want Granger.” A sixth year girl stood and tore from the hall crying. Hermione looked up. Only Malfoy could be so cruel. She met his eyes for a moment before he pulled Pansy to him and kissed her in a manner that was clearly inappropriate in a public place. She smirked at Draco when he looked up again then she nuzzled Harry’s cheek and ran her fingers through the young wizard’s untidy black hair. Ron looked as though he wanted to kill Hermione on the spot, but no one noticed.


Draco kissed Pansy again, in order that he might shield his anger and disgust at Hermione’s behavior.


Hermione did not allow herself to look up at Him again. She attempted to finish her meal in silence, pondering how she could possibly have been worried about that arrogant little prig earlier that very day.


When the meal had nearly finished Hermione and Draco walked out the doors at the back of the Great Hall glaring daggers at one-and-other. Here they would hand the sealed password scrolls to the senior Prefect from each house (Draco: Slytherin & Ravenclaw. Hermione: Gryffindor & Hufflepuff.).


Harry took this opportunity to ask Ron if it would be all right with him if he were to ask Hermione to be his girlfriend. Ron agreed before he realized what Harry had asked. Ron got up from the table with all the composure that he could muster, and went to collect the password scroll from Hermione.


Because of his delay, Ron was the last to reach the Head-boy and Head-girl. Ron then rent the scroll from her hand with such force that the wax seal cut her hand. Draco decided to hide in the shadows, to give them the illusion of privacy.


“I hope you have beautiful children!” Ron hissed sarcastically. “Are you trying to hurt me? Flirting with Him like that, in front of the whole world! I hate you Hermione Granger!”


“Ron! Would you calm down; you aren’t making sense.” Ron stood silently waiting for an explanation, not that there was one that could placate him.


“How was I supposed to know that it would bother you? I thought you were into someone else, honestly I did,” she said in a hushed voice.


“Really? ‘Cause he just asked me if I’d be all right if he dated you.” Ron’s shoulders shook.


“No you didn’t, you weren’t any where near…” Hermione broke off at the realization that it must be Harry that Ron was talking about. Thinking quickly she said, “Well, that doesn’t mean that I have to say ‘yes’, now does it? Honestly, Ronald what kind of friend do you think I am?”


“Then why were you just…” Ron began angrily.


“I’m sorry, but I don’t have the time for this right now. We can talk later.” Ron stalked off in a huff as Hermione looked down at her bloody hand. She took out her wand and tried a spell to heal it, “Integro Dermis”.


Hermione wished that there was more she could do to console her friend as she watched his retreating back. “How is your hand? That prat has no regard for anyone, but himself,” said a voice from behind her. She turned to see Draco looking at her strangely. “Dumbledore said that when we’d finished we could retire to our suite.”


“Thank you,” Hermione replied, more from the shock that Draco had been concerned about her than anything else. Maybe this year wouldn’t be that terrible after all.


Draco walked away from her whistling to himself. He was quite satisfied with how that had gone. He couldn’t have scripted a better way for the dirty redhead wizard to react! He’d gotten Hermione to notice him and he’d insulted Weasley. He decided that it was too much to hope for more positive attention from Her tonight, so he sought his bed.


The Great Hall had begun to empty by the time Hermione had processed the meaning of what had just played out before her. The instant she came back to herself she saw Harry coming toward her smiling from ear to ear. She looked around trying to find a way to avoid him. Nothing! How could that be? She groaned, no first-years lost or being victimized by the older students. Harry was drawing closer to her; there was no escape.


“Hello Hermione.”


“Hi Harry.” Hermione gave him a quick smile and then continued to survey the crowd, as though she expected trouble at any moment.


“I wanted to ask you something, but this doesn’t seem a good time. I’d like your undivided attention,” said Harry flashing her a sleazy grin beneath those fabulous green eyes.


“Yeah, maybe tomorrow or something?” Hermione said as though she wasn’t really listening. She hoped that if she could put him off for a few days that he would get bored with chasing her and move on to another girl.


Harry turned and walked toward the Gryffindor common room. Hermione sighed, relieved that she hadn’t had to deal with ‘the Harry situation’, as she thought of it, tonight. She joined the throng of students seeking beds and a good night of rest.