The Slytherin princess

Chapter 23 // idiot friends

Hermione's POV

"potter?"

He had just walked out of the Gryffindor~Slytherin study group and as usual, my personality made me follow him out

"Potter what's wrong?" he was walking and putting his ear against the wall "Potter!" I touched his shoulder to get his attention but he kept walking as if in a trance, I kept following him, after a few turns we came to a corner but the scene we witnessed was not a good one- it was quite the opposite

A boy- the Hufflepuff boy the snake had been slithering towards before was now lying motionlessly on the cold stone floor, and the Gryffindor ghost was floating without his usual cheery look- his head discarded to the side

I gasped in shock but before I could say anything filch had come around a different corner

"Caught in the act" I don't think he noticed me so when he staggered away I turned to the shadows. Soon enough McGonagall and filch had come back to the lone hallway, she escorted him to Dumbledores office

***

It was Christmas eve, finally

Blaise, Draco, his bodyguards, and I all stayed over Christmas. Wren went back home and Draco was told to either go back to Malfoy manor without us for Christmas or stay here. to avoid a situation like in the summer I and Blaise convinced him to stay with us here

"Alright, let's go back to the common room"

We just had dinner in the great hall with the handful of Slytherins who stayed over this holiday

"ok"

We stood up to walk out when Draco noticed that Crabbe and Goyle weren't behind him

"Crabbe? Goyle? Oh for merlins- fine stay here then, we'll be in the common room" he turned to see them still engrossed in their food

"c'mon guys" I stood in between my brother and Draco, put my arms around their shoulders, and set off to the Slytherin dungeons

"honestly I don't know why you still keep them around Draco, they are incompetent fools, really" I nodded in agreement with Blaise, Draco just shrugged

"dunno, my dad and their dads were the same so I guess it's just a family thing and they're like- strong and stuff"

I shook my head "ah, Draco your such a cute little thing aren't you?" I teased

"I don't see how any of that was cute 'mione" he scoffed

"like a cute little kitten," I almost thought I heard him growl in anger

"I am not a kitten!"

I laughed "chill Draco. Salazar" I announced as we approached the familiar portrait of a man holding a snake

The dull portrait opened slowly and we walked inside

30 minutes had passed and Draco's cronies hadn't reappeared as usual

"Alright, I'm gonna find them" Draco announced, standing up

"ok" I went back to reading my book on the leather couch

"I'll go myself then" he muttered

*

"took you a while Draco"

he scoffed "I was 10 minutes 'mione, and these two were caught by weasels brother" he pointed toward a very nervous looking Crabbe and Goyle as he sat down with his legs on top of me, I rolled my eyes and kept reading

"well, sit down" I looked over the top of my book to see the dumbest Slytherins looking around as if they had never been here before, I raised an eyebrow at them

"you two ok there?" they nodded warily "wow" I mumbled as I turned the page

"you'd never know the Weasleys were purebloods, the way they act... all of them" I huffed and put down my book, knowing I would never get any more reading done with Draco ranting about the redheads. I saw Crabbe clench his knuckles as if he were mad

"what's wrong with you Crabbe?" Blaise asked, Goyle nudged him with his elbow

"stomach-ache"

I scoffed "What a surprise" then I noticed how mad he looked, and how nervous the other was before it hit me-

that's not Crabbe and Goyle, that's potter and weasel

they must be putting the Polyjuice plan into action now

"I suppose dumbledore is trying to hush it all up, father always said that dumbledore was the worst thing that ever happened to this place" ha, Like you care about what your dad says

"you're wrong!" yep definitely the wonder two

"what?" Draco stood up

"Draco don't-" I tried telling him to sit down, his anger issues were coming out

"you think there's someone here worse than dumbledore!?" 'Crabbe' shook his head "well, do you?" 'Goyle' seemed to get an idea

"harry potter?" I raised an eyebrow, wow, Insulting yourself that's new

"huh, good one Goyle you're absolutely right" you actually won him over with that "saint Potter... and people actually think that he's the Heir of Slytherin?"

Blaise snorted "I still can't believe that rumor" I shook my head in agreement

"but then you must have some idea on who's behind it all" dude your not sounding much like Goyle, he hardly speaks

"you know I don't Goyle, I told you yesterday how many times do I have to tell you?" he shook a small present I left on the table

"Draco leave that there it's for Theo" I rolled my eyes

"Theo? why are you getting Theo a present?" his face was either disgusted or offended

"because it's his birthday tomorrow? just put it down"

"fine" he put the present down "but my father did say this: it's been 50 years since the chamber was opened, he wouldn't tell me who opened it, only that they were expelled and that the last time the chamber of secrets was opened a mudblood died so it's only a matter of time before one is killed this time... as for me, I hope it's Parkinson"

'Crabbe' who I was guessing is actually Weasel jumped up and lunged towards Draco but 'Goyle' stopped him

"what's the matter with you two? Your acting very... odd"

"it's his stomach-ache"

I laughed mockingly "yeah because stomach-aches make you try to fight people"

Draco turned his attention to Blaise while I was studying the two fakes in front of me, weasel's hair was turning red and Potter's scar was showing. They started running for the door

"hey! Where are you going!"

I laughed at the two boys next to me "merlin's beard Draco, one. stop being so secretive and dark 2. we all know you only want it to be her because you don't want her to keep beating you in lessons 3. how dumb are you both?" they looked at me with confused expressions "just wait for- ah there they are" the real Crabbe and Goyle had just come tumbling in the room "put some robes on, don't go walking around in boxers"

"I- oh, oh yeah" they stumbled into the boy's dorms

"do you want to tell us what just happened?"

"I can't believe you two didn't catch on, are you that dumb? Salazar, that was potter and weasel they were trying to get information out of you stupid" I rolled my eyes and stood up "I'll leave you be with your stupidity while I go read in peace"