A/N: It's short - I know. My apologies. I'm updating the revised chapters as quickly as possible. Real life has just been taking a toll on me lately...
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and I am not taking credit for it. The plot is also based loosely on Warner Bro’s A Cinderella Story.
Update: November 17, 2008
Chapter Five (Unbearable)
Hermione had spent the rest of her weekend upstairs away from anyone who would want to talk to her. When Monday came she found herself extremely nervous about going to the Great Hall and to classes. Malfoy was in a good amount of her own classes, one of which happened to be today. She got ready slowly, procrastinating going down to breakfast. Her deliberate slowness, however, was interrupted by Ginny who walked into her dormitory.
“Harry, Ron, and I have been waiting downstairs for a good ten minutes. They insisted I come and bring you downstairs, ah, now,” Ginny said smiling. As it turns out, her friends had noticed her sudden change in mood on the Saturday after the dance. They had, of course, insisted she tell them exactly what was getting her down but she brushed it off nonchalantly every time. Still, the three of them would be all smiles when she was around, trying to impress upon her own mood.
“Oh, I’ll just head down with you now then. I got caught up in straightening the room.” She looked down at the bed that was unmade and books lying around the floor.
“Looks like you got far,” Ginny said sarcastically. Hermione didn’t acknowledge the obviousness of her lie and together they walked down the stairs and into the common room only to be met with Ron’s and Harry’s impatient faces.
“Finally! We’ve been wondering if you died up there,” Ron greeted her happily, trying to keep the mood light. She smiled at her two best friends.
“Nope, I’m still here,” she said and led the way to the Great Hall at a slow pace.
“How are you feeling?” Harry questioned, still sounding casual.
“I’m a bit tired. I was finishing up the conclusion to the Charms essay due tomorrow last night. I got caught up and didn’t realize how late it was when I was ready to get to bed.”
“Oh, right, I forgot about that. I guess we’ll be working on
that essay tonight Ron.”
“Do you ever do your homework early?” Hermione asked, shaking her head. She already knew the answer, but they answered anyways.
”Nope, and I’ll bet you’re the only one who does.” Ron sent her a grin. She smiled and shook her head in playful disagreement.
When they walked into the hall together it took all Hermione had to not look over to the Slytherin table. She took a seat with her back to the Slytherin table and dug into her food. She included herself into the conversations buzzing around her, trying to ignore any instinct to look at the Slytherin table. When breakfast had finally ended she was thoroughly relieved and left as quickly as she could to the Herbology greenhouses, a class which was Slytherin-free.
The day continued speedily with her nerves going haywire. When it came time for Transfiguration, a class that was shared with a certain Slytherin, she was just about ready to skip a class for the first time in her Hogwarts career.
“Were you looking for something?” Ron asked, giving her an odd look when he and Harry walked up to her in the hallway.
“Just you guys,” she answered with a smile. Ron gave her a strange look but shrugged. She had been looking around the halls nervously, watching out for anyone she wasn’t too keen on running into. The three of them found their seats near the center of the room and waited for Professor McGonagall to arrive. Hermione watched as Malfoy took his seat at the table to her left. If Ron wasn’t sitting on the seat to her left the only thing that would be separating the two of them would be the gap between their tables.
He didn’t look any different than usual. Just as casual, and just as arrogant. Wait… were those bags under his eyes?
“…now, if each of you will please grab a rabbit you may begin.” Hermione caught the last bit of what Professor McGonagall had said and followed the rest of the students to the front of the class to retrieve an animal. She walked towards the table, focusing on the batch of rabbits and no where else. She took a quick glance at the board, hoping to get some hints about what exactly they were doing with these rabbits. Unfortunately, it was blank.
She reached in the bin and quickly grabbed a rabbit and walked away before she would have to be anywhere nearer to Malfoy than her seat was. She sat in her chair, flustered;
what was her problem? She was definitely not acting like a Gryffindor. She was acting as if she was
afraid of Draco Malfoy.
She laid her head in her hands and let out a small sigh. When she sat up things didn’t get much better. She looked down at the animal,
what was she supposed to be doing again?
“Ron, what am I supposed to do?” she asked, looking distressed. He looked at her, surprised.
“You don’t know?” he asked stupidly.
“Would I have asked if I did?” she snapped at him.
“Sorry, I’m just not really used to you asking me what do to.”
“No, I’m sorry,” she sighed, “that was rude. But, honestly, do you know what we’re supposed to do?”
“Turn it into cat.” He looked at the rabbit, now unsure of what to do himself.
“And how do we do that,” she asked again, not enjoying
not know what to do.
“You’re supposed to say
Chantrio while pointing at the rabbit.” Harry spoke up before trying it on his own.
She gave him an appreciative nod and pointed her wand at the rabbit, “
Chantrio.” To her surprise, it transformed before her eyes. She hadn’t even seen a demonstration, let alone the arm movements. She reached down into her bag and removed her Transfiguration book – it would be good to review the spell and see the illustrations, just in case.
“Well done Miss Granger, ten points to Gryffindor.” Professor McGonagall nodded in approval. She smiled and looked at her new cat, which she began to stroke unconsciously. After reading the passage, she looked around the room. It seemed as though she was the only one done. Some had cat ears and others had only grown out their legs longer. All in all, it was a typically strange day of Transfiguration.
A much as she tried to avoid it, she couldn’t; she had to take at least one glance at him.
He was sitting next to Crabbe and Goyle, concentrating on his own rabbit which had grown a tail and ears. She heard him mutter “
Chantrio” and watched as the rabbit transformed into a full cat.
“Well done Mr. Malfoy, five points to Slytherin,” McGonagall said, also nodding in approval to him. He smirked in spite of himself and leaned back in his chair lazily, as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
Typical Malfoy, she rolled her eyes.
“Mind giving me a hand, Hermione?” Ron asked her, making her tear her eyes away.
“Sure, no problem Ron.” She smiled and watched as he performed the spell, correcting him where needed.
At least she had her friends to distract her, even if she couldn’t do it for herself.
---
Twenty minutes later Transfiguration ended and Draco left the room only to be bombarded by Cassandra, his fellow Slytherin.
“Draco! It feels like ages since I last saw you!” She linked her arm into his, making sure she was as close as possible.
“I just saw you before Transfiguration. Could you let go of my arm, thanks,” he said through gritted teeth and pulled away is arm.
“Oh, Draco!” Cassandra giggled playfully.
“Erm, right…” he said, annoyed.
“You know, there is a Hogsmeade visit coming up in a few weeks. It would be just perfect if we went together…” she suggested slyly, watching him through heavily make-up coated eyelids.
“I’ve already got plans for that weekend,” he mumbled dryly, only wanting her to get away from him.
“Well then, why don’t I just tag along with you?” she said happily and grabbed his hand.
His fellow Slytherin was someone he was meant to be respectful to. He knew her mother was quite wealthy and his father wouldn’t take to knowing he had been rude, although it wouldn’t matter much. It wasn’t as if his father’s opinions on how he behaved changed him in any way.
Still, Draco knew how to be a gentleman regardless of status, so he clenched his jaw but said nothing and walked down the corridor.
---
Hermione watched as her step-sister threw herself onto Malfoy.
Serves him right, the two-faced git, she thought to herself, smirking.
Still, she couldn’t help but wish Cassandra would suddenly fall flat on her face and knock all her teeth out.
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