Title: In the Mind of the Walking Encyclopedia
Chapter Two - 2.24.o3
Rated: PG
Author: tainted black (penny@twistedcandy.org)
AN: :) Thanks to Kerbi and Alexis McLean (oh...sometimes you aren't sure of what you're touching right away. personal experience. erm.). Finally came up with a decent title and I will change the categories to Humor and Romance. BTW, I'm just starting a new fanfic which will be the total opposite of this. Check it out some time.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me.
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Chapter Two

You would think that since this train is full of wizards and witches, the lights would flicker back on in about a second, huh? But it has yet to happen. I've been sitting in this blasted compartment for about half an hour now, and frankly, I am getting rather bored.

If this were anyone else -but- Malfoy, I would hum. I would sing. Hell, I would even put a Sonorus spell on my wand and proceed to karoake as I have never karoaked before! But this is Malfoy here. I sigh. Of all the times for the lights to go out, it just has to been when I am in this room. Hah! Every single god ever created must be laughing at me right now.

I settle for twiddling my thumbs.

Twiddle. Twiddle. Twiddle.

"I hear that."

My eyes widen in surprise. What the...? He hears my -twiddling-? What is he, a bloody bat?! I immediately stop.

"Well, since I won't be going anywhere for a while, -now- can you please tell me what were Headmaster Dumbledore's instructions?"

"No."

I am getting frustrated and mad at him. Why can't he tell me what's going on? Is he really that mean, to let me go around on the first day without any idea as to what to do?

"Why not? You do not have any right keeping it to yourself. You should tell your fellow prefects what were the instructions. In fact, it is your -duty- to inform your fellow prefects. And I for one would really--"

"No."

How dare he!?

"Do you know what--fifty points from Slytherin for incompetence!"

"You can't do that. We aren't at school yet," he says matter-of-factly.

Ugh. He's right. Oh, well. Then I can't get points off for this! I raise my hand and swing it blindly against what I -think- his face is at.

VWHHH--

The lights flicker on. Crap. I blink rapidly, so that my eyes become accustom to the light. Then I look at Malfoy. My hand is about three millimeters away from his cheek. I feel like a deer caught in headlights. He is staring at me with this unreadable expression on his face. My hand drops.

"I guess I will be going now."

"You were intending to hit me," he says, now looking slightly amused.

"No, I wasn't. There was a bug. A great big bug," I lie. "It was glowing."

That sounded stupid even to me.

"You almost hit me," he repeats.

I don't say anything and leave the compartment. Then I knock on the compartment to the left. This time, I am catious. I do not wish to repeat the same mistake again.

"Hannah?"

"Oh, Hermione? Come on in," Hannah says.

"No, it's okay. I was just asking to see if there were any thing we needed to do when we reach Hogwarts..." I trail off.

"Hmm, I don't think so. I didn't receive anything from the school, except for the regular school supplies list and a welcome back letter," she responds, still inside the compartment. "I can ask Terry, though--"

I interrupt her. "It's perfectly all right! Thank you."

Malfoy lied to me. I am tinted red with anger. He lied to -me-! Aghhh, how on earth was he selected for prefect anyways? Did his father bribe Dumbledore? No...Dumbledore cannot be bribed. How? Who else will pick him for--Snape! Why didn't I think of him sooner?

I walk back into the compartment Harry, Ron, and I are sharing. Without knocking, I slide the door open and I am greeted by pie-covered Ron and a chocolate-covered Harry.

"Let me guess: lights went off."

Ron nods. "All this food, wasted! And that sudden stop...aurgh! Right after the trolley-lady came in too. Great timing, huh? Ugh, I need to wash all this food off..."

"At least you don't have chocolate on you," mutters Harry. "I look like I've been rolling around on the Quidditch field in the rain."

"At least you two smell nice?" I offer, laughing. "And you should put on your robes, honestly. Nobody would be able to notice if you cover yourself with your robes."

They obey without protesting and I look over the remains of the food. I pick up a pastry that has been remarkably left untouched. Taking a bite of it, I sit down and glance out of the window. The fields were becoming familiar to me...

"Hey you guys, is it just me, or are we arriving at Hogswarts earlier than expected?" 

"I guess so. I guess we all lost track of time when the lights went off," Harry answers.

The doors suddenly slide open.

"We're here already! Everybody out," Terry announces.

We usher out of the room, leaving our bags where they were. The house elves will come get it. I wish they had gotten rid of house elves though, or at least, paid the poor creatures! I mean, they do all this work and what do they get in return? Absolutely nothing! It is not fair, I tell you! I wonder if there's any of my old S.P.E.W. buttons lying around in my bag...

As soon as Ron, Harry, and I step off the train, I see people turning around to look at us.

"Someone smells like pie."

Ron starts to groan.

TBC