Wonderstruck

Chapter 2: Surprises, Betrayals & A Walk Down Memory Lane

            “Well, at least you look better than Hermione.”

            “By Hermione, you mean Granger.”

            “How many Hermione’s do you happen to be acquainted with,” asked Blaise with a smirk.

            “When did you start calling her...Hermione?” Draco asked, as far as he remembered, Blaise had always addressed her as Granger.

            “Ever since I started working with her and Luna Lovegood at the Ministry, two years ago.”

            “So, how did Granger look worse than me?”

            “Why are you so interested?”

            “I’m not.”

            “Yes, you are Draco. You have that scheming look on your face right now.”

            “Do Not,” Draco said, reverting to age six.

            “Do Too,” Blaise retorted, reverting to age five.

            “Not.”

            “Do.”

            “Fine, I do. Now tell me,” Demanded Draco.

            Blaise looked at his best mate warily but told him nevertheless.

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            As Draco sat there waiting for his owl, and speculating over what Blaise had told him, his thoughts began to wander.

            Throughout their years at Hogwarts, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy both hated each other with a burning passion. Yet still, they both harbored a deep respect for each other; He for her intellect and her ability to ignore his attempts to make her life miserable, and she for his intellect that almost equaled hers. Yet this mutual respect was not enough to dissipate the hatred that existed between the pair.

            After the War was over, very few students returned to Hogwarts to complete their unfinished year. Most, like Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, decided to take up the immediate job offers they received. But few, like Hermione, Neville and a small number of others decided to come back to complete their unfinished year. Draco was one of the six Slytherins who came back (the others were Blaise Zabini, Daphne Greengrass, Theodore Nott and two others who never socialized enough for anyone to learn their name).

            As a result of so few 8th years returning, they were always placed in the same classes. And since most of the teachers decided to pair the students up according to their level of intellect, Draco and Hermione, unfortunately enough, were paired in every class. And to top it off, they also attained the prestigious positions of Head Boy and Head Girl, causing them to spend even more time together.

            They both refused to interact with each other, which resulted in disaster after disaster in various classes. The most chaotic of which took place in Potions.

            On this disastrous day, Professor Slughorn had assigned them to concoct a complex Wolfsbane potion, which under regular circumstances would not be a problem for the two brightest students Hogwarts had seen in a decade. Unfortunately, they choose not to communicate with each other, resulting in twice the amount of ingredients necessary, which in turn resulted in the largest explosion in Hogwarts’s history. Which is saying something considering Seamus Finnigan and Neville Longbotton were partnered together.

            This incident led the two to end up in the infirmary for two days, together, and attained them a three month long detention with Professor Slughorn, together. After a week of basically biting each other’s heads off, they decided to call a truce. Soon their grades improved vastly (Outstanding’s in every subject), detentions became fun and, even though they both refused to admit it, a friendship was formed. They soon became inseparable, either arguing or laughing together all the time, reminding the Hogwarts staff much of Lily Evans and James Potter.

            But all good things must come to an end.

            Near the end of the year, Ron came to visit. During breakfast, he proposed, Hermione accepted, and Draco and Hermione’s friendship began to atrophy. Ron didn’t approve of her friendship with Draco, not that it stopped her from continuing it. But it caused many fights and much tears. And Draco did they only thing that he could think of that would make the situation better; He began to pull away. And soon they lost all contract.

            Draco jumped as a knock on his window startled him back into reality. He glanced the window to find his owl, Hestia, knocking. He let the bird in, gave it a treat and untied the piece of parchment tied to its leg. Earlier, he had written to an acquaintance at the ministry to acquire Granger’s address. And his acquaintance had owled back.

            “Granger will have a nice little surprise waiting for her,” Draco thought as he smirked and dissapparated.

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I really hope you guys liked it and that I didn’t disappoint anyone. I would really appreciate feedback on this. Constructive criticism is always welcome. So Vomment!

And I decided to post once a week, so chapter three should be up by next Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest =)