Tutoring A Malfoy - Dramione

Chapter Seventeen - 'Detention with Malfoy.'

‘What happened in that cupboard?’ Ron asked, frowning as Hermione sat between him and Harry.

Harry was sat on her right side, eyes looking straight at her and hands folded in his lap. Ron was at her left side and was bearing a grin at the thought of Hermione even having detention. His grin turned into a frown again when Hermione let out a sound that was muffled by her hands but the sound didn’t sound very human to either of them. They exchanged a glance.

‘I... I don’t know. It all happened so fast and I should have explained to professor Slughorn that I was just getting ingredients when Malfoy decided to... to break a jar, for some odd reason. I just couldn’t form any coherent sentences!’ Hermione shook her head at the book in her lap that had been open since their last class had ended.

‘Hermione not being able to speak? Wow, that’s a first,’ Ginny joked, trying to squeeze herself in between Hermione and Harry. Harry’s face blazed since the sofa was only meant for three people and being squeezed next to Ginny meant for a bit of tight space. ‘I heard you got detention because of Malfoy.’

‘You heard... how did you hear that? From whom did you hear that?’ Hermione asked, her words jumbling together and tripping over one another.

‘Well, the news spread like wild fire since it’s not every day that the smartest person in Hogwarts gets detention. Also, you should just explain to Slughorn that it wasn’t your fault and I’m sure he’ll believe you.’

 Hermione sighed, thanking Ron as he handed her a tissue when a few tears escaped without her knowing. She got up and wiped her face as best as she could, staring into the fire to avoid the looks that were being not so casually thrown towards her. Everything really had happened so fast as though she had leaned too far into the forward button of life. Draco dropping the jar, Hermione screaming, Slughorn looking for an explanation, and the expression when Hermione didn’t defend herself.

Draco Malfoy made her speechless just gained a new meaning.

‘I have to go now. Don’t wait up on me,’ Hermione said, thinking she would drop by the toilets to clean herself up just to get away from the stares of everyone.

‘Don’t be scared. Slughorn loves you!’ Ginny said, giving her a reassuring smile.

‘Just tell him what a prick Malfoy is and everything will be sorted,’ Ron added in casually as a throw away comment, leaning back into the sofa when she got up.  Hermione rolled her eyes a little at the comment but said nothing.

Harry just nodded, watching her carefully. She couldn’t tell what was behind that look so she just thanked them and turned, ready to leave the common room behind and go to the first detention she’d ever had. Hermione got to the bathrooms first and fixed her hair and cleaned her face so it didn’t look as though she had been crying. A few Slytherin girls were in the bathroom, squealing about something that made them stop as soon as the bathroom door had opened and Hermione had appeared, then they started to whisper and giggle. When Hermione was satisfied with her appearance, she left the bathroom, the girls’ eyes followed her out. Now, it really was time to go to detention.

She wondered how it would be, if she could persuade Slughorn that it really wasn’t her fault... but she was curious as to why Draco felt the need to get her into trouble. Didn’t he want her to stay away from him? Yet, he got her into trouble too when he knew perfectly well that they would be in the same detention class, breathing the same air, and being able to look at each other. The question, nagging her, was: why? Did Draco want to tell her something? Did he just want her to get in trouble? She didn’t have a clue for once.

‘Hermione Granger: the girl who refuses to cheat in an exam; the girl who refuses to give out the answers to homework questions; the girl with her hand up in the air before the question is even asked; the girl who just can’t contain herself if she knows the answer; the girl who has to be right and let’s face it... the girl that is and always will be a know-it-all. That same girl, Hermione Granger, has detention. Oh, the biting wit can make even the coldest of people laugh.’