No Choice (Dramione/Veela)

Chapter 10: The New

"You can't tell anyone," I mumbled.

She turned to me instantly, a smile on her face. She nodded, encouraging me to explain, but when I was about to speak, she interrupted. "It's about a boy, isn't it!" She hissed, careful that no one else heard.

"No!" I exclaimed, "Well, yes."

Her smile widened. She was, quite literally, on the edge of her seat. This girl loved her gossip. And her guys, even though everyone knew she liked Harry.

"It's about," I sighed, "Malfoy."

She gasped. "He's hot!" She exclaimed, and didn't seem embarrassed when several people turned to look.

I rolled my eyes. "It's not like that!" I whisper shouted.

She raised her eyebrows.

"He's..." I dropped my volume so that she had to lean in close to hear, "A veela."

She leaned back, her mouth in the shape of an O. "I'm not surprised. He's hot."

"You mentioned that," I mumbled, "But that's not the problem."

She gasped a second time. She must know all about Veelas, she did a lot of research when she found out that Fleur Delacour was a quarter veela. She was obsessed, wondered why all the boys loved her. "Don't tell me you're..." she trailed off.

I nodded, burying my face in my hands.

She practically jumped to her feet. "Oh, Hermione! That's..." She sat back down and turned her smile to a fake frown when I glared at her, "Absolutely terrible and I'm so sorry."

I scoffed into my hands, staring down onto the wooden desk. "What do I do, Gin. I don't even like him."

Ginny thought for a split second. "Correct me if I'm wrong," she started, "But doesn't that mean he loves you already, or, is gonna?"

I nodded, face still in my arms on my desk.

"And he's gonna get really protective of you, too," I could practically hear the smirk on her face now, "Trust me, Mione, there's no better boyfriend than a super protective one. It's adorable."

I sat up and started at her, expressionless. "He's not my boyfriend," I drawled.

She smirked. "Well, why don't you get on that? Literally and figuratively," she raised her eyebrows.

I laughed, but turned it into a cough immediately. She caught it though, and smiled back to me as class began. McGonagall stood at the front of the class. Even though she was Headmistress, she didn't want to stop teaching her subject. Really loved her classes as well, I suppose.

This class was all mixed up. Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors, and Slytherins. I looked around at the Slytherins. The only one I recognized was Theodore Nott, other than him there was only one guy and three girls who were whispering to each other.

She had a big report for us this time, she explained, followed by a long groan in unison from the class. It was three feet of parchment as to why a mammal can be turned into an amphibian, but not back again. Everyone around me groaned again, until McGonagall mentioned that it would be a partner project. At that, everyone's ears perked and there were many whispers and cross-room glances between friends.

"Silence!" McGonagall exclaimed, "I'm picking your partners, so hush!"

Now the groaning continued once more. The Professor waved her wand towards the board and a list of names appeared. She flicked it again, and a second list appeared beside it, discerning the pairs.

Ginny scoffed. "Nott. Perfect! Just what I needed, a Slytherin."

I smirked at her. I glanced at the board. "Who's... Amabel Kohmer?" I asked, looking around.

The name sounded familiar, but it didn't register with any faces in the room. I turned to Ginny, she shrugged. I was about to ask McGonagall about it when someone tapped my shoulder. I turned to face a beautiful blonde girl. She was obviously my age but was several inches taller; I looked down at her robes where the green Slytherin patch was glistening. She had pale skin that matched her blue eyes. "Hermione Granger," she stated kindly, "Hey, I'm Amabel, but just call me Ama." (A/N: Ah-mah)

I nodded curtly as she sat beside me. "Do you have a lot of transfiguration experience?" She asked me politely.

"Not particularly," I replied, "But this project shouldn't prove too difficult. Would you be free to meet in the library tommorow to work on it? I'm going to Hogsmeade in the morning with friends, but what about after lunch?"

She frowned. "I can't, I'm afraid," she sighed, "I'm going to the Slytherin quidditch practice, several of the boys invited me to come watch."

Can't imagine why, I mused.

"But why don't you come with!" She exclaimed, just thinking of it.

I shrugged. "A lot of the Slytherin's hate me," I mumbled.

She touched my arm softly, it sent tingles through my skin. She didn't notice. "Oh Please?" She begged, "I don't have many friends, I'm new here, you see. I need someone to sit with. The air is so refreshing this time of year, and we can read and talk out by the pitch!"

She had a point, plus I had a hard time saying no to her. "Sounds like a plan," I admitted.

She smiled, showing off her perfect teeth. "Great!" She exclaimed, "Would you mind coming to get me at say... two o'clock? I'm afraid I am nescient to the location of your common room."

I nodded. For the rest of the hour we examined some of the books McGonagall had in the classroom, but there wasn't much we could do without the library's resources. I was surprised. For a Slytherin she was very kind, and more intelligent than cunning. I thought she was more of a Ravenclaw, or even a Hufflepuff.

It was a slight burden having the boys come over and talk to her every once in a while, but she didn't seem to mind or think it was odd. She never seemed to notice them watching her from across the room, either. Nott was staring, too, and Ginny frequently had to get his attention. I admit, she was pretty, but I really didn't know what all the fuss was about. Anyway, by the end of the class I would say I considered her a friend.

When the bell rang, we said our goodbyes and I met with Ginny outside so we could go to Dinner. "How was working with Nott?" I smirked.

"He's no blubbering oaf like Crabbe or Goyle," she admitted, "It wasn't all that bad. We got a lot of work done when he wasn't staring at your partner."

I smiled. "She was no doubt the center of attention," I said, "I had never seen her before this year, you?"

She shook her head. "Maybe a transfer," she thought out loud, "From beauxbatons or something."

I nodded. That was probably it. "Are you excited for our Hogsmeade trip tomorrow?" She asked me.

I nodded. "The weather's supposed to be beautiful," I explained, "We could go shopping, get some food and stuff, maybe take a walk, I do have a list of some books I've been eyeing..."

Ginny laughed as we entered the Great Hall. Ron and Harry waved to us from their seats at the Gryffindor table, and I was relieved to not feel a certain pair of gray eyes on me as I walked.