A/N This is a short chapter, the next will be longer and up ASAP. Please review :)
For what felt like an eternity, Hermione stared at Malfoy and he stared back. Finally a fifth year student spoke.
"Err, aren't you supposed to tell us what to do?"
"Um, yes, sorry" Hermione mumbled, turning her back on Malfoy. "Um, just patrol the corridors for now. Any trouble come and find me. I'll arrange a proper meeting once we've all settled back in at school."
The fifth years left looking rather confused.
"Smooth Granger." muttered Malfoy, loud enough for Hermione to hear.
"Well you didn't exactly help, did you?" She retorted. "Honestly Malfoy, what are you doing coming back to Hogwarts? Do you really think an ex Death Eater will be welcome? And as Head Boy too?"
"Why I'm back is none of your business," he spat "so I suggest you keep your nose out!" And with that he stormed out, leaving Hermione alone in the compartment.
She returned to her compartment to find Luna gone but quickly told Ginny and Neville about Malfoy's return.
"WHAT?!" They shouted in unison.
"Yep, and he's Head Boy" Hermione told them miserably.
"Oh Hermione, I'm so sorry you'll have to deal with him this year. So much for a quiet year eh?" Ginny patted her on the arm sympathetically. Hermione simply sat with her head in her hands.
The compartment door slid open and Luna entered, a dreamy look on her face.
"I've just seen Draco Malfoy...Hermione did you know he's Head Boy?"
Hermione nodded, head still in her hands. "Yes, I know. Isn't it just fantastic?" She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"You don't sound very happy about that..."
"Why would I be?" Hermione asked, sounding perplexed.
"You mean you haven't noticed?"
"Noticed what?!" Hermione was getting angry now. She really wasn't in the mood for Luna and her cryptic conversations.
"He's changed." Said Luna, as if if were the most obvious thing in the world. She sighed when her three friends continued to look confused. "His whole aura has changed. He's not so blue now, he looks so...grey. Daddy wrote an article in this months Quibbler about auras, here look..."
She flicked through the magazine looking for the page. Hermione spotted the words 'Crumple Horned Snorkack' too many times for her liking and knew that whatever was in this article would be utter nonsense.
"Got it!" Luna exclaimed, and laid the magazine on her lap for them all to read.
'Auras, what does yours say about you? By Xenophilius Lovegood.
For years we have heard about people being 'green with envy' or 'feeling blue' and thought they were simply expressions, it seems this is not the case. Studies carried out by the Quibblers very own researcher, Emeric Erkinstoff, have found that each person has a colourful aura surrounding them, only seen by those who are gifted in the art of aura observing, or at rare times when two people are connected by a deep magic and one is feeling a particularly strong emotion.
Different emotions can change the colour of the Aura. See our guide below to see what your aura is saying about you.
Pink-lust, a strong sense of passion.
Red-anger, negative feelings and unhappiness.
Grey-loneliness, guilt, sorrow.
Gold-strong feelings of true true love, very rare.
Dark blue-fear, anger, your life is severely lacking love.
Yellow-general happiness and content in life.
Think you might have the rare gift of seeing Aurors? Please owl Xenophillius Lovegood, The Quibbler would love an interview!'
"So, let me get this right," Hermione said, "you think you have this 'gift' of seeing 'auras'?"
"I don't think, I know." Luna said simply.
"And you think Malfoy's 'aura' used to be dark blue, showing, hang on" Hermione checked the article, "showing 'fear, anger and a life lacking in love'. Now you say it's grey," she glanced at the magazine again "which shows 'loneliness, guilt and sorrow'?" She scoffed, "that's the most ridiculous thing I've read since the Sirius-Black-is-Stubby-Boardman' article! Malfoy hasn't changed at all. He still is and always will be an arrogant little ferret!"
"Ahem. Thanks Granger." A voice appeared in the doorway.
"Malfoy..." Hermione groaned, her face reddening.
"If you're finished calling me an 'arrogant little ferret', there's a problem in compartment eight, apparently some of the new prefects are on a power trip and have made some first years cry."
Hermione sighed and walked out of the compartment, followed by Malfoy.
"That's odd..." Said Ginny. "Why didn't Malfoy call Hermione names back? He's called her mudblood for much less before..."
"Grey, grey, grey" muttered Luna in a singsong voice.
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