Their Room

by aleximoon
 
 

Chapter 5
Hagrid Wants a Word
 

Hermione carefully shifted her bag and winced slightly as it fell against her sore back. Madame Pomfrey might be
able to mend bones in a few minutes, but the whole process had left Hermione in a fair amount of pain. She had
spent two days in the hospital wing with Malfoy. After that first morning it had been in stiff silence. Professor
Dumbledore had come to talk to them later that afternoon. With a dubious look to Hermione, Malfoy had stuck
with the fabricated story. Before the Headmaster had left, he had asked Hermione if there was anything else that
she would like to add. The doubt was obvious in his twinkling eyes, but he hadn't seemed angry, only amused.
Hermione had felt a deep urge to tell him the truth, tell him everything, but then she thought of Malfoy, lying broken
and bleeding on the ground. She thought of how she had turned to run, to leave him, and Hermione shuddered.
Professor Dumbledore had left the hospital wing without an answer from Hermione.

Hermione tried switching her book bag to the other shoulder only to find that this hurt even more. She moved over
to a small alcove off to the side in the hallway, trying to avoid the jostling students around her. Harry and Ron had
been helping her with her bag, but now she was on her way to Arithmancy while they were off to the other side of
the school for Divination. Hermione glanced at her watch; class would be starting in only a few minutes. Taking a
deep breath, she prepared to swing her bag back onto her back when a voice called out.

"Hullo Hermione, what're you doing? Hiding from monsters or Malfoy?" Fred and George Weasley were standing
there grinning at her.

The fact that a manticore was being kept on school grounds had been hushed up by the faculty, so of course,
everyone knew about it. Few details were known though; both Hermione and Malfoy had refused to speak much
about it to anyone. Many students were wondering just what had a Gryffindor and a Slytherin been doing outside
after hours together?

"Where are you headed?" Fred asked her.

"To Arithmancy," she answered, returning their smiles.

"We're gong to Transfiguration, that's not too far from your class, we'll help you get there." George said.

"Here, let me get that for you." Fred moved forward and took a hold of Hermione's bag. With a loud Oomph, he
crashed into the wall. "Crikey Hermione, what do you carry in this thing?"

"Here Fred, let me help." George came forward and grasped the other strap and nearly knelt to the floor.
"Can't...hold...on."

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and glared at them, a bemused glint in her eyes. "It's not that heavy."
She told them.

"Is she kidding George? She must have the whole library in this bag." Fred tried to appear strained as he struggled
to hold the bag.

George leaned against the wall to try and get a better grip on the strap. "You must be the strongest girl in the world
Hermione."

Fred sank to his knees, faking an expression of pain. "I think I've pulled something." He gave a loud, exaggerated
moan that drew glances from passing students.

"Oh, you too are being ridiculous," Hermione, snapped at them. "Just give it here, I'll manage."

"No, No fair damsel!" Fred jumped easily to his feet.

"As your knights in shining armor, we must make sure that you make it safely to your destination." George bowed
to her.

With a deep sigh, Hermione followed Fred and George towards class. They held her book bag between them like
a precious icon. As they passed through the hall they called out to the other students to hear.

"Make way for the Lady Hermione and her noble library."

Hermione rubbed her forehead. The scene that the twins were creating did have its benefits. The students parted
to watch the procession and Hermione no longer had to worry about bumping into other people. She reached for
her bag when they reached the door of her class, but Fred and George wouldn't hear of it. They escorted her into
the room and up to her seat. Malfoy was already there, watching her with his slate eyes. Fred and George each
gave him a dark look before they turned back to Hermione and bowed to her again.

"Any time that you have need of our knightly services, just let us know." They said in unison.

"Thanks you guys, I'll keep that in mind." Hermione smiled at them as they left.

"Well that was certainly a touching scene. Are the Weasleys that desperate for money that would enter the service
of a Mudblood?" Malfoy's snide drawl made Hermione's skin crawl.

"Just shut up Malfoy, I'm not in the mood. We spent two wonderfully silent days in the hospital wing, can't we just
keep it that way?" She said softly, trying very hard not to rise to his bait.

"If that's how you want it Granger." Malfoy turned his attention to Professor Vector.

The rest of the class passed uneventfully, Hermione and Malfoy sat silently, copying down notes. The windows were
opened, but no breeze drifted through today. It was stifling hot inside. Hermione figured that it would probably be
one of the last hot days before the colder weather set in. She pushed up the sleazes of her robe, trying to cool herself,
and continued to take notes. Out of the corner of his eye, Malfoy noticed that angry dark splotches marked the pale
white of her arm; his handiwork he realized. Malfoy felt a strange emotion pass swiftly through him. For a moment, he
thought that it was regret, but it was gone so quickly that he couldn't be quite sure.

The end of the class came fairly quickly. Professor Vector passed out the charts for them to work on. Hermione was
almost ready to go when she realized that the Professor hadn't given one to them.

"Um Professor Vector?" Hermione came down the steps to stand by her teacher's desk. "You forgot to give us the
chart."

"Actually Ms. Granger, I had something else in mind for you and Mr. Malfoy." The teacher smiled at her warmly.

Malfoy came down the steps to stand next to Hermione. She found him to be standing uncomfortably close to her.
His arm was almost brushing hers. She gave him an angry glare and stepped back from him, but Malfoy seemed to
take no notice.

"I was looking over your charts, you do realize that you turned them in a week early?" Professor Vector looked at
them. Hermione glanced at Malfoy, their eyes met and he shrugged at her.

"No Professor," Hermione started, "I thought it was do today. The accident must have confused us."

"That's not the point Ms. Granger." Professor Vector shuffled through a stack of parchment and retrieved a few
pages that Hermione knew belonged to her and Malfoy.

"Is there something wrong with them Professor?" Malfoy asked simply, voicing the question that Hermione couldn't
bring herself to ask.

"On the contrary Mr. Malfoy, the charts are perfect. I don't think that either of you are being challenged in my class.
So the problem is what am I going to do with the two of you?" Professor Vector asked them.

It was Malfoy this time that caught Hermione's eye. Hermione shrugged at him and then brought her attention back
to Professor Vector.

"I've been talking to Professor Dumbledore, and he informed me of a recent addition to the restricted section of the
library. We've received an ancient collection of charts and manuscripts that were written by an old wizard several
centuries ago. I'm sure that most of it is terribly boring, but some of it could be useful." She looked directly at
Hermione and then Malfoy, slightly amused by their confused expressions. "The Headmaster wants me to go through
the old charts and see if there is anything interesting in them. I don't really want to spend that much time in the library.
But I think that this might be what the two of you need. It will be far more challenging than anything that we will do in
class. I must warn you, it will be very hard, but you are both excellent students. I've already talked about this with the
Headmaster and he too thinks it would be a good idea for the two of you to go through the charts." She smiled at
them and waited for a response.

Hermione was stunned; this was a big responsibility that they were being offered. A chance to work fairly
unsupervised in the restricted section of the library. Hermione could feel anticipation building as she thought about
piles of dusty old charts waiting in large boxes to be opened and explored.

"What exactly do we have to do with them Professor?" Malfoy asked quickly, Hermione noticed that there seemed
to be a spark in those silver eyes of his and she knew that he too was interested.

"Well, the charts need to sorted and then plotted. Arithmancy was a different magic several hundred years ago when
compared to now. For the two of you to be able to explore, first hand, these differences, is very exciting." She
grinned at them and was pleased to have Hermione return her smile. Malfoy simply nodded at her.

"So let's meet today after dinner, 8 o'clock in the library, and I will go into detail about what is expected of you both."
Professor Vector shuffled her parchments back together and turned to go.

Hermione walked quickly back up the steps, she felt extremely elated this was an excellent chance. She loved
Arithmancy and to be given such an opportunity to devote herself to it was exciting. A face appeared in the back
of her mind, Malfoy, she'd have to do all of this with Malfoy. Hermione stopped suddenly when she realized this.
Malfoy who had been following her back up the steps to get his own bag wasn't prepared for her to pause. He
knocked into her, and Hermione fell forward. The ground was swiftly rising up to meet her when she felt his arms
go around her waist. The breath was knocked out of her as her quick decent was suddenly halted. Malfoy righted
her but didn't let go right away; he seemed to be examining her. Hermione met his eyes.

"Thanks," she muttered and quickly looked away.

Malfoy released her and brushed angrily past. He grabbed his bag of the desk and then swept back down out of the
room. Hermione stood where she was, an odd fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach. She stared down at the stone
floor, lost in thought. Malfoy was acting almost civil, well, as civil as Malfoy could act.

"Hermione?"

Hermione looked up startled and saw Harry and Ron walking up the steps to her.

"We ran into Fred and George on our way to lunch, they said that you were having a time of it with your bag earlier."
Harry grinned at her and took her bag off the desk and easily tossed it onto his shoulder. Ron stood behind him
muttering something about the Divinations teacher, Professor Trewlawney that made Hermione gasp.

"Ron!"

Ron gave Hermione a sheepish grin. "Sorry Hermione, you just will not believe the amount of homework that she
gave us. And for no reason!"

"Well actually Ron, she might have doubled it because you told Seamus that Professor Trewlawney belonged in St.
Mungo's and she overheard you." Harry responded with a grin.

"Oh... well there is that too I suppose." Ron said smiling. "Oi, I'm hungry, let's go have lunch."

"Hermione, we were going to go talk to Hagrid during our break." Harry told her.

"Good, I wanted to ask about that manticore." Hermione firmly replied as they walked through the hall.

All during lunch Hermione told them about her new Arithmancy project. Both Harry and Ron were doing their best
to look vaguely interested. Half way through her lunch she felt someone watching her. Turning her head casually to
look around, she caught a flash of silver blonde hair and her cinnamon eyes met slate ones. Malfoy was glaring at her.

"I save his life, and he hates me even more." She muttered softly as she turned back to her lunch.
 
 

The walk to Hagrid's hut was very different than the previous one for Hermione. The afternoon sun shone down on
them as they strolled leisurely across the grounds. There were many students scattered across the grass attempting to
enjoy the last bit of warm weather before the fall set in.

Hagrid stood outside his hut digging in his vegetable patch. He looked up as they approached and called out to them.

"Been expectin' you three."

He ushered them into his hut. Fang immediately sprung up to Harry, knocking him back against the wall. Harry
grinned and started to scratch behind the giant boarhound's ears. As soon as the door was closed, Hagrid turned
to Hermione, a searching expression in his eyes.

"Just what were you thinking Hermione? Comin' down 'ere with that git Malfoy? An l don' want to 'ear any rubbish
bout wantin' to ask me a question." Hagrid's beetle eyes flashed at her.

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the floor of the hut. Hagrid looked over her head at Ron and
Harry who both shrugged.

"Hermione won't tell us what happened either." Harry supplied. Ron simply gave Hermione a glare.

"An yeh come down 'ere and let it escape, thought you were smarter than that Hermione." At Hagrid's words,
Hermione flushed angrily and snapped back at him.

"l didn't let it out! I know what that thing is!" Hermione glowered at her friends.

"So Malfoy did let it out!" Ron cried out triumphantly. "So we'll just go up to Professor McGonagall and you'll tell her
the truth and Malfoy will finally be out"

Ron had jumped to his feet, an elated expression on his freckled face. He was almost to the door when Hermione's
voice called out to him.

"Ron I can't, I'm sorry, but I can't." Ron swung around to look at Hermione who had become extremely interested in
her shoe.

"Why can't you?" Harry asked her simply.

"I...I just can't. I'm sorry. It's not that I don't want too, I'd love to never have to look at Malfoy again, but I just can't."
Hermione could feel her resolve to not turn Malfoy in quaver, but again she saw his pale face, and heard that horrible
little voice in her head as it told her to leave him. "I just can't Ron."

"Hagrid, where did it come from?" Harry hoped that by side stepping the Malfoy issue, they could dodge another fight.

"Er... I'm not supposed ter tell yeh that," Hagrid started to busy himself with cleaning some teacups.

"Hagrid, that thing almost killed Hermione and Malfoy. It's not like those things are native. They aren't, are they
Hermione?" Harry paused to look at Hermione who quickly shook her head. "I mean, how did one end up in your
yard? Who brought it?"

"Look, 's none of your concern. Yeh 'ave no need to worry yourselves with what those dark wizards are up to."
Hagrid suddenly stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Professor Dumbledore
thinks that they're releasing dangerous creatures."

"But what would that accomplish?" Hermione asked him as he handed her a cup of tea.

"I dunno, make trouble for the ministry?" Hagrid offered them a plate of hard cookies that they all politely refused.

"Well they aren't doing a very good job of picking monsters are they? Darn thing couldn't even properly bite Malfoy's
arm off, let alone kill him." Ron grinned at Harry but Hermione looked a little grave.

"Ron, don't say that!" She snapped at him.

"Why are you sticking up for Malfoy now?" Ron snapped back at her.

"Look, you weren't there, you didn't see it. There was so much blood, and that...that thing, and..." Hermione's voice
trailed off and she looked down at her teacup. Hagrid leaned over and patted her gently on the back.

"Are yeh all righ' Hermione?" He asked her quietly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks Hagrid." Hermione looked down at her watch and called out in a fairly relieved voice, "Oh
look at the time, classes will be starting in a few minutes. Good-bye Hagrid!" And before Ron, Harry, or Hagrid
could say another thing to her, Hermione had darted out the door.
 
 
 

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Chapter 6