"Welcome Back!" The ghost's were cheery towards everyone. "The Weasley siblings look happy, don't you think?" Hermione commented. "Well their Sister is in same house as them; it should be understandable." Harry was a little tired. "Oh, is Rupert okay?" Hermione giggles. "Yes, he's also grown a little. He's nine inches taller and still as cute." Harry laughed at the last part. Yet again Draco and Blaise stared at them. Draco still didn't understand what was going on with his feeling and instincts but he hated Harry for touching the mudblood. However Blaise wanted to drain Hermione, mainly from pure instincts, for talking to Harry. The Double H's were always together and it sucked.
When the feast was over they left to their dorms. Draco happened to notice where Hermione and Harry were going and using the excuse he was using the rest room he followed. No one noticed the sneaky blonde. The Double H stopped in front of a reward and portrait and then heard a whimsical voice say "Harry, Hermione, it is wonderful to see you again! Three moon cycles can be long, can't it?" Blue eyes stared them down. The name "Lyra Dumbledore" was labeled on the plaque. A relative of the headmaster, perhaps? "Not much, frankly, due to us avoiding the press and staying at Mione's place the last two weeks. We did befriend the youngest Weasley when we went to get supplies for school." Harry was calm with every word. It was like an unspeakable charm on his voice had been cast. "How wonderful! Remember my number one advice from last year?" She seemed quite serious about then remembering something. "Beware the old lion's roar," the two repeated. "Yes. I have another rule. Although he may seem noble and true, don't be fooled by the eagle. His charm and greatness is fraud." She stared them down. "Yes, thank you Lyra." Hermione said. Hermione then knew right then that Harry was right, it was obvious who she was talking about.
Draco looked at them oddly. They were friends with a painting? They walked away, saying goodbye to a different painting and this painting winked and said "Remember to have a password by morning dears!"
Before Draco turned to head back, Blaise waiting for him by the entrance, he saw Lyra wink in his direction. He nearly tripped. "I wonder if all you serpents like to sneak around like this." She stated. Draco suddenly was struck with pure confusion. What was this woman going on about? Actually she was a student in the portrait, but she'd obviously be old by now!
"Confused, are you little serpent? What's to be confused about?" She was getting on his nerves. 'Little serpent'?! What was that about?! Even though he didn't have to, he could easily turn away, he asked "How did you..?" She chuckled. "I had a Slytherin who loved to sneak around the castle, discover things, and learned all he could during his time here. He later became very well known to the rest of the wizarding world." Draco was a little off put by that. Who was she referring to? She 'had' a Slytherin? "What do you mean had?" She laughed. "He's not here in the physical plain no longer, he was defeated. By had not only did I mean he's gone, I had technically died before him. My self passed this age well..." she held up her necklace with a ring. A promise ring.
"Who was he?" Draco was only interested cause it was a Slytherin honestly, and she had spoken to Hermione and Harry Potter. No, don't refer to the mudblood by her name you idiot!
"Oh I'm afraid you shiver if I say his name. Even your father, Lucius Malfoy, had." She was very weird but Draco insisted. "Alright. You and the rest of those outside his years here know him by the name Voldemort." Draco realized she knew what she was talking about. He did shiver, he even flinched. "How did you?!" She laughed. "Haha, quite simple really. We were each other's first friend. He was an orphan, you know. He had no idea he was from the Slytherin line and he was instantly enthralled by the idea of being something more than the vile muggles he was raised with. No matter what path he took, I was there. And no matter how he changed, I would only see him as Tom. Now, little serpent, off to bed with you!" She finished and shooed him away.
As he walked through the halls to the dungeon he thought about the girl. Lyra Dumbledore. She wore red so she had to be a Gryffindor. Why had the Dark Lord wang to be associated with her? She was weird as well, as if she needed all her advice to be hidden in riddles. What was she doing being associated with the Dark Lord herself? Her relative led the light against him, shouldn't she hate the Dark Lord?
"Draco come on, I want to sleep." Blaise said at the entrance. He sighed and decided to think it in more depth later.
A week passes in and Quidditch practice was going to start again. To be honest, Hermione and Harry would love to play the game. They can't, yet again, but it was nice to watch them practice. No one stopped them because they never said anything to anyone. Hufflepuff wild often play around after practice, inviting the two. Even they said it was a shame Hermione and Harry couldn't play or have a chance to try out. They were really nice like that. Then again, isn't all of Hufflepuff sweeter than Ravenclaw and Slytherin? There were only a handful of other students they could think of, one being Neville Longbottom. Ginny would sneak around here and there. Harry noticed how very alone Ginny was and since technically the table they sat at included all houses, they would invite Ginny to sit with them. She liked the attention very much, that and she had extra help on her Transfiguration homework thanks to them. All three of them went by the field and saw Wood about to go off.
"We have the field reserved." He said. "We have a note from Snape." Said Flinch.
(I probably spelled it wrong. Lol)
He looked it over. "You have a new seeker?" Coming through the team was the one and only Draco Malfoy. He gave a smug look and the Gryffindors scoffed. "Well we'll wait for next practice then..." Wood said defeated. They left and the captain said to Draco "Oh and if Harry Potter comes around with his mudblood friend and the blood traitor, ignore them. Those two like watching everyone practice and they don't say anything."
Oh of course he will say that.
Well there is the fact that Draco doesn't know that.
Fair.
And as for those terms they used, it's Slytherin. Slytherin.
Yeah yeah...
Hermione looked at Ginny. "Just don't mention what they're doing to your brothers." Ginny nodded. Occasionally she wrote in her journal and then spoke to Harry. Many times she she would blush and giggle around the boy, making it obvious she had some type of fancy to him. When Slytherin's practice was over the three had to go to classes so they said their goodbyes to Ginny and went to their first class of that day.
As the day went on Harry spent his day taking care of his work. He thoroughly enjoyed his classes until he went to Snape's class. More questions! Ugh... doesn't he have a whole class to teach? Harry thought of doing something humiliating to Snape, possibly himself, but seeing as he just started his second year he decided against it. As the day went on he heard a voice not of his own.
"Hungry...mussst kill...hissss."
Harry shook his head. What was that?
Hermione on the other hand had Draco as a partner in Potions. Draco was less than pleased yet he liked it. He really didn't understand what his body was telling him. They were going over a simple second year level potion and Draco felt heart beat fast. She was doing the cutting and prepping of the ingredients and every cut or crush was perfect. Draco could only wish that of himself! How did she learn such perfection? It was a great shame she was a mudblood, she got the bad draw in the magic pot Draco always envisioned when he thought about how and who a wizard and witch is born as. Draco sighed and continued his end of work with the potion while on Hermione's end she was excited. She could tell Draco actually knew what he was doing. His focus on the time and eventual wand movement was fantastic! She would kiss him if it weren't for the fact he hated mudbloods. Also, it was highly inappropriate.
When they finished the potion and Snape inspected it he said "You two should work together more often."
Hermione was very off put. Yes, she liked Draco even though she shouldn't, she was a mudblood, but she could only handle his presence so much. What was wrong with her? It kept her head spinning! Draco seemed to gleam but in her eyes she thought he was thinking "Hah! I can make great potion even with a disgusting mudblood's help!"
When class was dismissed that's when Harry heard it. Hermione went into the bond and heard it too. She grasped his hand and in the bond said: What was that?
No clue, mione.
Let's get going then.
As time continues on into October, Mr. Filch claimed Hermione did something and Harry said if she did then he was involved. So in the end they both had detention. However, because of Mr. Filch catching an illness that a good days rest could only cure, they took Detention with the celebrity teacher, Mr. Lockhart. They had to help with answering letters and Lockhart would consistently tell Harry he would one day have to go through fan mail and bla bla bla. Hermione was ready to swat the man.
Then something loud happened. The three, interested, looked to see what had happened. Of course...Peeves had caused trouble.
The Vanishing Cabinet...
After three hours they were allowed to leave to their dorm or go to the library or even go to the classes they missed for makeup work. True, Harry could have not spoken up and went to class to which Hermione would then already know however she was not going to die alone in detention.
The next day however was a doozy for Hermione and Harry. Peeves kept getting excited so he, in every class period, shoved students in closets. Draco and Hermione kept getting in the same closet and Ginny, Harry, and Blaise kept getting the same closet.
(Yeah, Ginny! Supervise my boys for me!)
As a few more days moved on...Hermione got weird letter. She responded to it, just to see what would happen. In the process she gained a Pen-pal. They never said their names and always referred to the other by nicknames. "Serpent" was her pen-Pal's alias.
Draco seemed extra pleased the following days but Blaise knew why. I'll just let him think I don't know, he seems happy. Hmm...I should try sending Harry owls...
A/n~ There's some development between Hermione and Draco! Blaise is also getting his share, of course. No flashback this chapter. I don't plan to write many except around mostly the year Tom released the Basilisk. I do want Ginny and Lyra to play bigger roles in Harry and Hermione's lives in this book, and since we see Ginny with a big boom, we'll get that. Ginny WILL have her silly crush for most of this year but will get over it. Harry will, throughout the book unless I need some plot twist, see Ginny as the little sister he wished he had. Mainly because he always wanted siblings.
Also...in this book do you want Ginny to be single, in a heterosexual, a homosexual, or an asexual relationship? This one I'll let you decide and tell me who and why. I'm partial to Luna for an Asexual relationship but also Pansy in a Homosexual relationship. If it's heterosexual then I will make an Original Character in either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw.
I mean it. This is A VOTE. Not 'oh you decide'.