Always and Forever

by Scarlet Witch
 
 

Chapter 2
Doubts and Disagreements
 

Hermione had gotten settled quickly in her new room. Ginny was nowhere near done and it didn't look
like Harry and Ron were ever coming out, so Hermione decided to take a walk down to the Great Hall
and see the Prefects and professors setting it up for the banquet. Glancing around the room, she saw
McGonagall, Sprout, Snape, and Dumbledore. McGonagall was in some kind of argument with Snape,
Sprout was yelling at a Prefect for something and Dumbledore was just watching everything. Looking
around again, Hermione noticed Izabella counting seats at the Slytherin table. She almost walked up to
Izabella, but she decided against it. Izabella had just walked over to a green-collared person and started
yelling at them, immediately getting Snape's attention and starting a new argument. Hermione had just
entered the hallway to leave when a sharp-toned voice caught her by surprise.

"See anything interesting, Granger?" Malfoy asked mockingly.

Not even caring to turn around, she questioned back, "Why do you care?"

"Why are you watching the Prefects in the Great Hall?" Malfoy just asked what he wanted to know.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I wanted to talk to Izabella."

"What the hell is an Izabella?"

Before Hermione could answer, Izabella stepped out of the Great Hall and answered, "I'm Izabella.
What's the problem here?"

"Malfoy is as-" Hermione began.

"Granger was spying on you Prefects." Malfoy interrupted.

Izabella stared incredulously at Malfoy. Hermione stated, "I was just seeing if you were free to talk.
I was bored."

Malfoy mocked Hermione's statement silently. Hermione made a face. Izabella noticed and just laughed.
"Now I see what everyone is talking about. You two could fight about the color of the sky." Izabella said
between laughs.

"That's absurd. Everyone knows it's blue." Hermione stated.

"Not always," Malfoy argued, "It can be gray or white or-" Izabella laughed harder. Malfoy pursed his
lips together and looked very annoyed. Hermione did the same. Izabella stopped.

"Okay, I'm done. Malfoy, you need to mind your own business and move along. Hermione, lurking is a
bad habit and I don't suggest getting into it." Izabella said matter-of-factly. "Now, I have to go back and
help set up. If I hear any more arguing, I'm ready to take points off, understand?"

Malfoy looked funny. Hermione did too, but she managed to say, "Y-yeah, sure."

Izabella smiled and nodded before walking back into the Great Hall. Malfoy raised his eyebrows and
added, "Thank you, Mum."

Hermione had to admit that that had been rather awkward. "I'm only a year younger than you." She said
absentmindedly.

"Really. She must not get out much. Bet it's the fault of that stupid country she's from, whatever it is."
Malfoy crossed his arms over his chest.

Hermione shook her head and looked at Malfoy. "She's just stressed. Give her a break. She's smarter
than you by a long shot."

Malfoy met her gaze and shot back, "Oh, I see your gleaming Prefect badge, too, Granger. Where did
that come from, anyway? Are you a schizo?"

"I believe the correct term is schizophrenic and no, of course not, you... idiot. Izabella is my friend and I
will defend her."

"Sure. Yeah. But just moments ago you were... oh, never mind. You're attention span would short out
long before I finish. And since I see that you're running out of insults, I'll leave you to... reload. No honor
in fighting an unarmed enemy." And with that he stalked off the same way he had come.

Hermione watched him go. She cursed herself for not thinking up an adequate comeback for Malfoy.
Thoughts swam around in her head. 'Why did Izabella treat me like a child? Why am I so bent on disagreeing
with Malfoy? Why hadn't I been able to come up with a better response to his insult?' She started to ponder
these thoughts when she was once again interrupted.

"Hermione! Are you ready to go?" Harry marched up with Ginny and Ron trailing. They were fighting about
who was uglier and it didn't look like it was going to let up.

"Go where?" Hermione smiled at the trio, but for some reason she felt... disappointed by their presence.

"To the banquet, silly. Where do you think?" Ginny answered for Harry and then continued her argument
with Ron.

"Oh, yes, of course. How daft of me." Hermione pushed her thoughts aside. She was going to have to put
all her attention into the banquet and her friends.

"Draft? Hermione, I'm buying you a pocket dictionary for Christmas. You need to learn how to use these
things right." Ron said. "Come on, then."

They all headed into the Great Hall. Hermione found herself once again disappointed in the vocabulary
of her friends. She sat down next to Harry and found herself across from Neville and Lavender. She about
said something but Professor McGonagall stood up and was now calling names to be sorted. Hermione
found that she didn't really care who got sorted where and found her gaze wandering the room. It came to
rest at the Hufflepuff table and Izabella, who was staring intently at McGonagall. Hermione continued to
look around and stopped at the Ravenclaw table. She saw Cho fighting with a scarlet-haired girl who, to
Hermione's surprise, she found attractive. She shook this out of place thought from her head as her glance
rested upon the Slytherin table. She watched Malfoy whisper something to the girl across from him and saw
her almost double-over, trying hard not to laugh. Hermione watched Malfoy for a while before he noticed
he was being stared at. He made some sort of face at her and she quickly turned to Harry, who was talking
to Ginny. Ron was occupied with Lavender and Neville seemed very interested in the sorting. Hermione
looked to the front and saw that Professor Dumbledore was standing up. The sorting was through and she
hoped his speech would be short so she could eat.

"Before I start my speech, I would like to clarify who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor
will be," Professor Dumbledore began. Everyone in the Hall instantly quieted and waited intently for the
announcement. Professor Dumbledore smiled and continued, "It is my pleasure to introduce the wonderfully
talented Professor Lorana Cannery."

A young woman with long blonde hair and a scarlet-lined robe stood up from the head table and took a
bow. She gave a quick glance at each table and, to Hermione's utter dismay, came to rest upon Hermione.
Professor Cannery smiled at her, and a chill ran down Hermione's spine. Cannery then adjusted her gaze
to rest upon Malfoy, and she gave him a half-smile before sitting down and breaking all eye-contact.
Professor Dumbledore during this time had been giving his speech and now finished. The food suddenly
appeared at each table and the room became extremely noisy. Hermione ate silently, listening to each
conversation but finding it hard to come up with anything to say. She found Harry and Ron's conversation
topics boring, uninteresting. Ginny was too childish for her taste and was constantly flirting with Harry.
Hermione kept her eyes on Professor Cannery. There was something not quite right about her.

The banquet soon came to an end. Ravenclaw was first to go, followed by Gryffindor. Hermione decided
to stay at her table and wait for Izabella. She had a question or two to ask her. The Hufflepuffs soon got up
and left. Izabella walked up to Hermione and handed her a note, then walked out with the rest. Hermione
opened the note and read 'I have a Prefect meeting to attend. Meet me tomorrow in the library after all
classes.'

"You had no right! Just who do you think you are, anyway?!" Hermione looked up and saw Cho and the
scarlet-haired girl fighting again, louder this time. Cho had been the one to say this.

"I have plenty of right. I did nothing against the rules. Law of the jungle, sweetheart. Get used to it," the
scarlet-haired girl sneered back, her tone similar to Malfoy's.

"I'm taking this to Professor Flitwick!" Cho shouted and then dashed out of the room. The scarlet-haired
girl crossed her arms over her chest and mocked Cho in a way that made Hermione think of Malfoy again.

The scarlet-haired girl looked over at Hermione and asked, "What are you staring at, Gryffindor? Never
seen a fight before?"

Hermione came out of her trance and said, "Oh, was I staring? I'm quite sorry. I was just wondering what
you could've done to make her so angry."

The scarlet-haired girl laughed quietly to herself. "Are you the girl that tags along with Harry Potter?"

"Yes and no. Harry is my friend. And my name is Hermione."

"Ah yes, I remember now. Nah, from what I heard, you're a pretty okay person. I'm Vinterica Crystalline."
Vinterica sat down next to Hermione. "It's a mouthful, I know. Most people call me Teri. Oh, you can, too."

"Teri. So, what did you do to make Cho so angry?" Hermione asked.

"I stole her spot. On the Quidditch team. I'm now the Ravenclaw seeker," Hermione about said something,
but Vinterica held up her hand to stop her and continued, "There's this little competition thing in the rule
book for seekers. I beat her, so I get the position. It's completely legal."

Hermione nodded. She didn't know what to say. "Well, I hope you two settle things. I hate to see inter-house
quarrels."

"Yeah, they all got to be outer," Vinterica smiled at her own joke and resumed, "I should go, need some
time to get in good with the other Ravenclaws."

"Indeed. Tomorrow, after all classes, I'm meeting up with a friend in the library. Would you like to come?"
Hermione wondered why she was asking this, but she went along with it anyway.

"Sure, love to. I might be late, though. More my style. See ya." And with that strange combination of
sentences, Vinterica got up and left.

'I wonder... perhaps I should make some new friends. I don't enjoy Harry and Ron much anymore. Maybe
Izabella and Teri... but Izabella was so strange in the hallway. And what was up with that professor? I need
a break.' Hermione's thoughts raced through her mind. She ran her hands over her face and hair before
standing up and heading toward the common room. Halfway there, she bumped into someone. Literally.

"Hey! What the hell...?" The person Hermione bumped into turned around and she found herself face-to-face
with Draco Malfoy. Again.

Hermione rolled her eyes and asked out loud to herself, "Why is it always you? Why can't it be someone
nicer, like You-Know-Who."

"That's cold, Granger. Why are you out this time of night? Lurking again?"

"I do not lurk. I was having a conversation and I lost track of the hour."

"Conversation? Who could match your wits... Longbottom?"

"Vinterica Crystalline, she's-"

"I know bloody well who she is. She finally beat out that asinine seeker Cho Chang. Why would Teri be
seen with the likes of a mudblood?"

Hermione was now a bit miffed, but she didn't show it. "You're friends with Teri?"

"We're not strangers. Are you thinking...? No. She hasn't been one of my many girlfriends. Do not go there."

"Oh good. I'd have to burn her at the stake if she had been." Hermione thought of something suddenly.
She had stared at him too... maybe he knew something. "What do you know of Professor Cannery?"

"Cannery. The new Defense professor. I know a bit. She's widely renowned for her study of the Dark Arts
and what connection they have with Muggles. Most people say she's all hype, like Lockhart. I doubt that.
I've made a bet with Goyle that she'll be as intelligent as they say she is."

"Why did she stare at you?" Hermione found that asking things outright was working for her, and perhaps
it would work again.

"Oh that. Yes, that was strange. I have no idea."

"She did the same thing to me, you know."

"No, I didn't. People also say that she used to be a dark witch. Maybe she knows something about us. Have
you been lurking anywhere I don't know about?"

"For God's sake, no! Stop accusing me of that. I thank you for your information, Malfoy." Hermione's
expression was very somber as she spoke, "Now I will leave you with your own thoughts and without
another shot from me." Hermione began to walk toward the common room before Malfoy's last statement
was heard. It shocked Hermione through and through.

"Good night, Granger."
 
 
 

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Chapter 3