The Halloween Costume Ball Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Next morning, when Hermione came into the Great Hall, it was pretty loud and of course, there was only one topic. The ball!
Annoyed, she sighed and sat down opposite of Harry and Ron. Both of them were also talking about this event and Hermione's eyes narrowed to slits.
"Don't you know any other topic of discussion?" she snapped at them. Half the table turned around to stare at her.
"But Hermione..." George began, grinning.
"...the ball is the event of the year!" Fred ended and grinning from ear to ear.
"Yes, but there isn't any reason to make such a big fuss about it..." the brunette contradicted and turned to her breakfast. She wasn't in the mood for discussing this further and possibly even starting a fight.
It just wasn't worth it.
"What's wrong, Hermione?" Ron inquired and looked at her expectantly.
"Well, guess what's wrong? The ball's probably going to be just a fiasco like in fourth year," she snapped and stood up abruptly. The memories of that ball were still fresh. When she was in a bad mood and saw Ron, they came up inside her and Hermione either became furious of depressive.
Why didn't he allow her to be happy? She still couldn't understand it, but it didn't matter anyway.  She probably wouldn't recognize Harry or Ron on this ball, so the evening actually couldn't become such a fiasco. Except if her partner was a Slytherin, then the evening would be even worse than the Yule Ball.
Hurriedly she left the Great Hall. Lately, Ron often made her angry, though she didn't know why exactly.
With her eyes hefted onto the ground, she went on, until she ran against somebody.
"Sorry..." she mumbled. When she heard a familiar voice, she jumped.
"Granger... You should better be careful where you walk..." Malfoy hissed and the brunette's gaze snapped up immediately.
"Oh yeah? If you're not careful, you'll have a fist in your face soon, Malfoy!" she shouted, annoyed and stomped away.
The ferret of all people!
Of course she had to run against him. It was just too frustrating. Oh well, it didn't matter now. She had to go back to the dormitory to get her stuff for the lessons so that she could arrive at the classroom – as always – on time.
Her first lesson today was Potions with Professor Slughorn. He was a nice Professor, who valued it when somebody knew something. But this potion she hadn't been able to brew...
She couldn't get it out of her head. And Harry had only been able to brew it successfully because of this ominous Half-blood Prince's book...
Who was he?
And from where did he have all that knowledge of potions?
Her thoughts wandered to Professor Snape, who lived for his potions, as she sometimes thought.
But that was absolutely impossible. Professor Snape with such a ridiculous pseudonym? No, he'd never do that.
Meanwhile, she had arrived at the classroom and so she waited for the other students and Professor Slughorn.

Draco hadn't stood up too early this morning because he only wanted to go to the Great Hall for a bit to get something to eat.
He didn't eat much in the morning in general, but this morning, he was almost not hungry at all. Why that was, he didn't know. Thankfully, that wasn't a problem, since the students didn't have to eat.
He dressed himself quickly and went into the Common Room.
He noticed Pansy and Blaise, who were talking to each other. Except for them, Crabbe and Goyle were there and a few younger students to whom he didn't pay any attention. He didn't even know who they were, let alone which Year they were in.
Without paying any further attention to the others, he left the dungeons and started towards the Great Hall.
This afternoon, he would continue working on the Vanishing Cabinet and try to make some progress. He didn't have forever. And then he still had to think about how he wanted to that thing with Dumbledore.
That wouldn't be easy, but he'd manage somehow.
After all, he couldn't dissappoint the Dark Lord, or else he could just let himself get killed by Potter.
But it wouldn't come that far. Meanwhile, he was just a bit away from the Great Hall, when something stormed towards him and actually crashed against him.
This brunette, slightly curly hair...
"Sorry..." a familiar voice mumbled. Draco's eyebrow twitched dangerously.
"Granger... You should better be careful where you walk..." he hissed and saw how the smaller girl's head immediately shot up.
Her poise became more self-confident and her eyes glinted dangerously as she glared at him.
Draco dismissed it all with a smirk. He stood there with his hands in his pockets and looked down on her.
In his eyes, she was nothing more than a worthless Mudlood that didn't have any right to be here at this school.
"Oh yeah? If you're not careful, you'll have a fist in your face soon, Malfoy!" she shouted annoyed. Draco watched her stomp away.
Well, somebody seemed to be in a good mood. He could bet that Weaselbee had fucked it up again. Wouldn't be anything new.
The way that idiot managed to cheat his way through the years was an achievement for itself. But definitely not a big one. That idiot would never be able to use real magic. He'd been a real danger for the general public with that broken wand he had had. What if he had cast an Unforgivable with that wand? Who knew who would have keeled over then?
His lips pulled themselves into a smirk. Actually, it would be a rather interesting thing to find out...
But the wand didn't exist any more, but maybe there would be an opportunity to get the redhead to break the new one...
Well, he wouldn't count on him not doing it.
Regaining his impassive face, he strode into the Great Hall. Immediately, he noticed Potter and Weasley discussing something intensely.
He could bet they were talking about Granger, who seemed to wanted to get away from them. He couldn't say what she did was wrong. Since she was so intelligent, he couldn't understand why she hung out with those two idiots.
But it didn't matter to him, anyway, and it was none of his business. Granger would soon be alone in her grave anyway.
A grin crept onto his lips again as he sat down at the table. He drank a cup of coffee and decided to eat a small toast. It wouldn't do any harm.
He noticed someone else sit down next to him. After a quick glance, he knew it was Pansy.
She had been following recently. At least that was how it seemed to him and it was annoying. When she opened her mouth to say something, he shot her a death glare, making her stop.
It was better that way, since he wasn't in the mood to talk to her.
While he let his eyes wander, he noticed how that little Weasley was sitting there gloomily.
Granger seems to have made him suffer...
He grinned again. The way that idiot let himself be bossed around by that bookworm was really pathetic and not worthy of a pureblood wizarding family.
Oh well. It didn't matter anyway. He was thinking too much about that trio.
He quickly finished his toast and left. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Pansy's dissappointed look, but it didn't matter to him. He didn't want a girlfriend, let alone one as shallow as Pansy.
His temples started throbbing from all those thoughts and he stopped annoyed. Draco massaged his temples for a few moments and closed his eyes. Gradually, the throbbing got better and he went to get his stuff for the lessons.
Potions with Slughorn...
He had preferred it when his Head of House Snape had taught that subject, since that Granger had been kept in check. With Slughorn teaching, she could really liven up, which she unfortunately did.
There wasn't any lesson where she didn't start discussing something intently with that old geezer at least four times. Even Potter and his attachement were annoyed by it. That by itself was an achievement. But in this case, Granger had no problems in annoying the whole class.
When he arrived in front of the classroom, he saw the little brunette standing next to the door and reading a book.
She was standing there quite relaxed and nonchalantly, was smiling slightly, while she flipped through the book.
Silently, Draco leaned against stone wall opposite of her and looked around. There wasn't a soul in sight. As always, they only came shortly befor class began. Except Potter and Weasley, of course, they had never been talented in telling the time.
He heard how the book was snapped shut and looked over to Granger, who had just noticed him.
If her looks could kill, maybe he would've become unconscious, but it wouldn't have been enough for more. He just couldn't take this look seriously, he started to grin.
It was almost cute, how Granger tried to drive him away with just looks.
"Don't sneak around like that!" she commanded.
"Don't become so engrossed in your books that you don't know what's going on..." Draco retorted and turned his eyes away, which seemed to enrage the little one even more. She walked towards him and stopped only shortly in front of him.
"I think I should be the one who decides when and where I read what and how," she argued and poked Draco in the chest. She had really dared to touch him!
Suddenly, he grabbed her arm and twisted it, so that Hermione had to kneel before him. The blonde heard her surprised gasp and his smirk grew even wider.
"That's where you belong, Granger. On the ground. You have no right to be here at this school. You've got to become aware of your position. And about your reading, you can do that where, when and how you want to. But don't be surprised if you don't know what's going on..." he hissed threateningly. He heard voices and footsteps. If he wasn't wrong, those were some Hufflepuffs.
Since he didn't want any unnecessary discussions, he let go of Granger. She too, seemed not to want to cause any unnecessary stir, since she had stood up quickly and held her shoulder shortly before walking over to stand next to the door again.
She shot another death glare at him, then she discovered a girl from Ravenclaw that was just coming around the corner and talked a bit with her.
Draco leaned against the wall again and smirked a little. He had like the way how Granger had kneeled in front of him. In the end, it was the only place where a Mudblood like her belonged to.
He let his eyes wander and spotted Potter and attachement, making him groan, annoyed. The two of them were actually on time for a change. Had the bookworm taught them how to tell the time? Probably...
The door opened and Slughorn let them all enter. Draco strutted in last, together with Blaise who had just managed to come on time.
"Where were you?" Draco asked and sat down at his place.
"Sorry, I got caught up..." Zabini merely answered and sat down next to the blonde.
Malfoy didn't answer and paid attention rather half-heartedly.

Hermione could explode from rage! Literally. If it were possible to see an aura around her, it would have been pitch black, perhaps with red streaks, to express her fury even more.
What was that conceited, arrogant would-be Malfoy thinking!?
Her kneeling, and what more, in front of him. That was way too much. Her patience was at an end. If he taunted or teased her one more time, she wouldn't be responsible for the consequences.
So, she would try to go out of the blonde's way as far as possible, before she did something she regretted later.
Her two friends seemed to notice something wasn't right, since they didn't try to talk to her. Although, they probably weren't talking to her because of what happened at the breakfast table. Even though that was already past history for her.
Malfoy, on the other hand...
Even when she only thought of the name, she felt sick because rage.
She tried to keep it in as well as possible, to push it way, because she had lessons now, and she wanted to pay attention.
She succeeded and it was very helpful that Harry and especially Ron didn't talk to her. That made the whole thing more bearable.
Should she tell Harry about that thing outside in the corridor?
She considered it, but dismissed it after a while. Harry would do something before thinking over it, which she didn't want. She could deal with the matter on her own.
The lesson seemed to be over in a flash and Hermione had contributed only a little to it, what surprised the students and the teacher.
Professor Slughorn decided to talk to the brunette.
"Miss Granger. Are you having any problems?" he asked slightly worried. Hermione gave him a puzzled look.
"No, Professor. I just have a headache, but I've already taken something against it. It should be gone soon..." she replied pleasantly. The Professor nodded.
Hermione followed Harry and Ron, who were still talking about the lesson. She wasn't interested in what exactly they were talking about. She wanted to go to Ginny and talk with her.
She found Ginny near the Prefects' Bath.
"Hey Ginny, can I talk to you?" Hermione asked and her friend smiled at her warmly.
"Of course, Hermione, what's wrong?"
The redhead's voice was kind and polite as always.
Hermione liked the little Weasley and meanwhile, they had become best friends. Hermione could talk about everything with her.
"It's about Malfoy. You won't believe what he did just now," Hermione snorted and sat down on the ground next to Ginny, opposite to the bath.
"Why? What did that jerk do now?"
"Well, I was standing in front of the Potions room, because we were going to have lessons there with Professor Slughorn and was reading my book to prepare myself for the lesson. When I put it away, I spotted Malfoy standing on the opposite side staring at me. I said to him that he shouldn't sneak around like that. He just retorted, in arsehole-mode, that I shouldn't engross myself in my books. I went over to him and told him it was my business and poked him in the chest. Actually, I would've rather liked to punch him... Oh well, anyway, he grabbed my arm, twisted it, and suddenly I was kneeling on the ground, in front of him! You've got to imagine that! And then he even had the guts to say that was my place! If some other students hadn't come at that moment, I would've started a fight with that jerk," she growled threateningly. Ginny listened patiently.
"Well, it's obvious he'd never let a Muggleborn touch him..." she replied calmly. Hermione sighed.
"Yeah, I know. But that's what I do when I really want to make someone understand. Not a reason for me to almost snog the floor. And then there was that thing he said: That's where you belong, Granger. On the ground. You have no right to behere at this school. You've got to become aware of your position..." she imitated him and clenched her hands to fists.
Ginny sighed quietly and patted her friend's back lightly to calm her.
"Calm dow, Hermione. When the war's over, even he'll have to admit that he'd been blabbering rubbish. But if Harry's right and Malfoy really is a Dath Eater, he'll land in Azkaban, if he survives it. So don't get angry. He's not worth it... He's probably just a lonely small kid that never got any love..."
Hermione looked at Ginny and didn't know what to say.
The blonde, a small lonely kid that never got any love?
She didn't know what to say about that, so she didn't. She pondered those words. Yes, it might be possible that they were true. But shouldn't he get help then?
No! That jerk had lost his chance with all those insults and that thing he did before the lesson. She was actually a very helpful person, but not with him! Never!
Wthanks Ginny, I always feel better after talking..." Hermione said, smiling slightly.
"I know. Anyway, we're friends..." the redhead replied and hugged the brunette.
The cuddled for a moment, before they parted again.
"Well, I've got to go, I've got lessons..."
Ginny nodded and let Hermione go. In sixth year there were a lot of classes per week, the workload became more and more and there was less free time.
So the young witch marched on to her next lesson.