Title: In the Mind of the Walking Encyclopedia
Chapter Four
Rated: PG
Author: tainted black (penny@twistedcandy.org)
Disclaimer: Not mine.
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It's almost 7 o' clock. I am alone in the Great Hall, eating my breakfast. The back-to-school jitters had decided to come visit me--at 5 o' clock in the morning, and as a result, I couldn't fall back asleep. I eat my toast and jam and stare at the doors of the hall, silently willing someone, anyone, to come in. But of course, no one does.
I sigh and tilt my head up to look at the enchanted ceiling. It looks like a clear and sunny day today, folks. No clouds or rain visible; a great day for Quidditch. Oh, wait. What's that? ... A cloud! Well, folks, there is a chance of darkening skies and--what? More clouds. And then...rain? I stare blankly up. Weird weather.
"Is that fun, looking up like that?"
I quickly turn my head to the side and--oww. I gently massage my neck and grimace. I had turned too fast. I hear a snicker and I groan.
"Malfoy."
"Granger," he mocks. "Don't you have anything better to do than come down here at 7 in the morning?"
"What about you?" I ask him, still rubbing my neck. "You're here, aren't you?"
"I'm not the first one in here," he says, walking to the Slytherin table. A small plate of pancakes appear in front of him.
I sigh. Whatever. It was too early in the morning to be dealing with him right now. I close my eyes and lean back against the chair. It's too early to be dealing with -anyone- right now. Then I open my eyes widely, suddenly remembering that he tricked me on the train.
"You tricked me!" I suddenly yell. I stand up and saunter over to the Slytherin table.
Malfoy is pouring maple syrup on his pancakes. "Pardon?"
"You tricked me!"
He doesn't even look at me. "What are you talking about, Granger?"
"The. Train," I explain, enunciating each word. "You. Told. Me. There. Was. Some. Instruction."
He stabs at a piece of the pancake with his fork. "No, I didn't. I didn't tell you anything." He makes a face at the pancake and shakes his fork, making the pancake wobble. "This looks a bit funny." He gives it another shake and the pancake wobbles again.
I start fuming. "You should've told me," I stutter, desperately wishing I could wring his neck right now.
"It's your own fault. Hey, does this pancake look a bit funny to you?" He sticks the fork with the pancake in front of my face. Shake. Wobble.
"It is not my fault."
Wobble, wobble goes the pancake.
I twitch. Wobble. "Stop shaking the bloody pancake!"
Of course, he smirks. Wobble. I bite the pancake off the fork and glare at him, syrup running down my chin. I place a hand on my hip and glare.
"Oh, so intiminating," he says, laughing. "You should try that look more often. I'm sure it would frighten Potty and Weasel away!"
"Nu--" I swallow the pancake. "You jerk."
"Whatever makes you happy. Jerk, git, bastard, ferret, Malfoy, the names are endless!" He pokes at another piece of the pancake. "Food?"
Stupid git! I continue to glare at him. He smirks again and all of a sudden, I see a pancake flying at me. I open my mouth to scream, but he sticks the pancake in my mouth again. I chew and swallow.
"You -do- realize you're spoo--err, fork-feeding me, right?" I ask, hoping he would be disgusted and stop feeding me the pancakes.
It works. He immediately drops the fork and stares at me and the pancakes in horror before quickly regaining his composure. "Of course I do. They're rather nasty pancakes, and who else but a Mudblood that doesn't know any better like them?"
What? No, he's supposed to back off, not egg me on! I give up on him, really, I do. He's impossible. And he's supposed to be a prefect, huh? What was Dumbledore thinking?! I make my way back to the Gryffindor tables and pack up my books. This would be a good time to visit the library.
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Madam Pince stares at me from behind her counter. She's not a very trusting woman, that Madam Pince. It's been six years and counting, and she still can't remember my name. Instead, she calls me "The-Girl-Who-Comes-Here-Every-Day."
I sit at the last table from the entrance with my books, parchment, quills, and ink crowded around me. I carefully reread my summer assignments, making sure that each and everyone one of them is in pristine condition. They were.
The clock ticks. 7:05.
I wonder if anyone is up yet. Lavendar and Parvati certainly wouldn't be. Well, so wouldn't Harry or Ron either. Is anyone in this school even a morning person? I know I am, and maybe Malfoy.. Madam Pince, certainly... Who else?
I look up and Madam Pince is still staring at me. What's wrong with this woman? Shouldn't she be putting books away? Lock the Restricted section? Eat breakfast? Does she even eat? I turn away from her.
Tick. 7:06.
Time sure goes by slow when you aren't doing anything. Maybe I should've stayed in the Great Hall with Malfoy. Wait, no. Anything would've been better than Malfoy.
Even this? my mind asks.
Yes, even this. With Madam Pince pretending to read a book with holes in it, trying to spy at me inconspicuously. With me turning back to look at the clock every few seconds. With--oh, blast it. No, it's not better.
I stand up and gather my things. Even Malfoy would be better than this. His teasings would be a welcome compared to this awkward silence and Madam Pince's constant staring. As I walk pass Madam Pince, I can see that she is happy about me leaving.
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"So, you've decided to come back?" asks Malfoy, still at his table. A couple of students are in here now and I sigh in relief. It won't be just me and him after all!
I decide not to grace him with an answer. He's not worth it.
"Hermione! You're up early." I see Ron rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and I grin.
"I'm always up early."
"Yea, but it's still too early." He stretches a bit and sits down next to me. "I can't believe we have Care of Magical Creatures first, especially in -this- weather! We're going to be soaked... I hope Hagrid actually has some decent creatures for us to deal with...and ugh, with the Slytherins again. Those slimey gits... Poor Hagrid."
"Where's Harry?" I ask, not wanting to hear anymore about Slytherins.
"He's on his way... He was right behind me when we got out of the common room. Well, unless he snuck back and went to sleep. Lucky bastard. I want to sleep too. Why am I out this early anyways?"
I shrug. "Because you're so happy to be back at school?"
He turns his head to look at me. "That's completely off. Wayyy off. The day I am happy to come back is...well, never."
I smile. Ron, Ron, Ron. I then see Harry entering the Great Hall and I wave at him. He waves back and comes this way.
"Good morning!" he greets us.
"Why are you so happy all of a sudden?" Ron groans, buring his head in his arms. "It's so early..."
"That's because it's a beautiful day, I'm up, the sun's shining, and--"
I interrupt. "Uh... It's raining. There's no sun. What made you so happy?"
"I..." He blinks. "I don't know."
"Maybe he's happy to be back at school," Ron mutters sarcastically, head still hidden. "He certainly sounds happy."
"There's nothing wrong with being happy, is there?" Harry asks.
"Mr. Sunshine. Pah!" Ron turns his head to the other side so that he doesn't have to hear us.
"I guess he's not a morning person," I comment.
"'Fraid not," Harry agrees.
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First class.
We're all standing near Hagrid's hut, waiting for him to come out. The Slytherins are on one side and the Gryffindors on the other.
"Is he even in there?" Pansy Parkinson speaks up. "Because if he's not... I'm going to go back in the castle. I'm going to get sick in this weather."
"Yea. I mean, it won't do us any good just waiting for him," agrees Parvati. We all turn to her, mouths open. This was the first time any of us agreed with each other about anything. She blushes and looks down. "What? Pansy's right."
Pansy semi-smiles at Parvati, and then looks back at the hut. "Draco...go in there and see if he's in."
Malfoy stares at her. "Excuse me? Why don't you do it?"
"Because... " she looks at her gang of Slytherin girls and one of them continues her sentence. "Because she shouldn't have to go slooshing in the -mud- just to get to that giant oaf." Pansy nods at the girl.
"No. That doesn't mean I have to get -my- robes dirty," Malfoy says. "On the other hand, Granger there can't get anymore dirtier than she is. She can go. Or Potter. Or Weasley."
Harry rolls his eyes and knocks at Hagrid's door, promptly getting the bottom of his robes dirty. "Hello? Hagrid, are you there? We have class today..."
No answer.
"Hagrid?" Harry tries again.
"Just open the bloody door, Potter," Malfoy calls out. "Unless you can't even do -that-." Crabbe and Goyle chuckle.
Ignoring Malfoy, Harry shouts, "Hagrid!"
The door suddenly opens. We all leaned take a step forward to see what the deal is with Hagrid. Harry steps in.
"Hagr--ahhh!"
At the sound of his yell, many of us start scattering around or clutching onto each other unconsciously. Ron and I run to the house, getting our robes filthy, and peer inside. It's dark.
"Lumos," I whisper, pulling my wand out. I can hear Ron doing the same. My eyes moves left and right, trying to spot Harry and Hagrid. I take a step forward.
"Hermione... will you kindly get off my back?" Harry groans. I jump back.
"Harry?" Ron looks down on the ground.
"I tripped," Harry says sheepishly. He looks up at us. "And I found Hagrid." He points at Hagrid, who was busy cooing to... I point my glowing wand at him. It looks like a rabbit, but it... I tilt my head, trying to recall what it was called.
"Cabbit?"
Hagrid looks up. "Yeh're right, Hermione." He pats its head. "I was thinkin' that it'll make a good first class lesson... Hey, what are yeh guys doin' here anyways? It's not time fo' class."
"Uh, Hagrid, class started about ten minutes ago," Ron informs. He juts his thumb outside.
Hagrid blinks. "Oh. Thanks fo' tellin' me. I should'a come out before, buh this little guy is jus' so cute."
"And for the first time ever, not dangerous," Ron mutters.
"Do any o' yeh wanna get that crate?"
"Uh, sure." Harry stands back up and picks up the crates full of cabbits. We walk outside and see the class waiting for us.
"About time," Malfoy says. "I was about to go back to the castle with Crabbe and Goyle."
"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry says, setting the crate down.
Hagrid opens the crate and points down. "These are--"
"Cabbits!" Lavender squeals happily. She immediately forgets about the rain and the cold weather. "I love them! They're so cute."
Hagrid beams. "I knew yeh would like 'em. They are cats n' rabbits together... So thus, yeh've gots cabbits. An' I don' know, but... do yeh want these to be yeh first project? I have other stuff in mind, but if yeh really want to study 'em fo' a while, tha' be fine with me."
I swear Lavender has hearts in her eyes. She picks one up and holds it against her chest, stroking it tenderly. "Really? I want this to be a project." Looking around the class, she narrows her eyes, daring anyone to oppose her. The cabbit in her arms meows.
"Okay, then. They are yeh first project. Yeh'll have these little creatures fo' 'bout... a month, eh? Try 'em out. Buh yeh've gots to get another partner... I don't have enough fo' all of yeh guys."
I sigh. I dread that word. "Partners". Harry and Ron always partner up, and I'm always stuck with Neville. Not that he's a bad partner, but I do wish he wasn't so forgetful. I can see Harry and Ron partnering up right now and I look around for Neville. But to my surprise, Neville is with Lavender. Well, there goes -my- partner. What am I going to do now? Everyone else is sure to be partnered up already... I raise my hand.
"Hermione?" Hagrid asks.
"I... I don't have a partner," I say.
"Oh. Hold up," he says, looking over the crowd of students. "Who's not partnered?" Malfoy raises his hands, frowning. "Okay, Hermione, yeh can go wit' Malfoy ove' there..."
Malfoy? What? Why isn't he with Pansy?
I reluctantly walk over to Malfoy. "Where's Pansy?" I immediately question him.
"She, somehow, partnered up with Parvati. She says she and Parvati just might get along this year. It might have also been because I told her to bugger off," he says.
"You told her to bugger off? Isn't that a bit... rude?"
"Not at all. Hey, grab a cabbit and let's get going. I don't want to be standing out here in the rain all day."
"What color cabbit?" I look over at the crate. These cabbits sure were lively and colorful. They came in every single shade imaginable.
"I don't care."
I grab a deep blue one and hand it over to Malfoy. He stares down at it and puts his finger on its nose. "Cabbit."
It stares back at him with its silver eyes.
He continues to stare.
"Meow."
He smirks. "Cute. Good cabbit." He pats its head. "Very good cabbit. I shall call you... Cabbit. How's that, cabbit?"
"You can't call it Cabbit," I snap. "That's a stupid name."
"Well, I bet it's better than whatever -you- had in mind," he says rather cheerfully.
"Fluffy is much better than Cabbit," I argue.
He raises his eyebrow. "Fluffy the cabbit?"
"Better than Cabbit the cabbit!"
"Oh, yea?" He looks at the cabbit. "Hey, cabbit, you like that name Cabbit?"
"Meow," goes the cabbit.
I frown. "Traitor."
Malfoy smirks again. "Draco: two. Granger: zip. Notta. None, zippo, nothing. You will never win."
I sigh defeatedly. I'm afraid I'm beginning to think he's right about that.
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3.15.o3 / Yea, I'm afraid nothing very original. Cliche... Eh. But this will not be about raising an animal for a project. *frowns* I'm writing this blindly... Maybe a couple more chapters and I might be able to present some sort of plot for you guys. ^^;
Thanks to: Sai, Talyn, and Alexis McLean. Hope you guys had some fun reading this chapter. *smirks* Draco/Hermione interaction in every chapter, wee.