The Magic of a Book

Chapter 3

Even Hermione Granger knew when she had been defeated, but in her case it didn't mean she was giving up. She just had to devise a different plan, and that was what brought her to the Room of Requirement on Wednesday evening. She was sitting at a desk, quill in hand and a long roll of parchment in front of her. But oddly enough for Hermione, she wasn't writing, she was staring at the paper, quill poised, brow furrowed. It seemed that she couldn't figure out what to write.

Several balls of screwed up parchment were scattered around the room and ink was staining her fingers. Quite suddenly Hermione began scribbling away, looking deep in thought. This continued for about fifteen more minutes, with intermittent pauses, in which she would chew her quill, or tuck some invisible hair behind her ear.

Quite abruptly Hermione stood up, rolled her parchment up, collected her quill and ink and walked out of the room. Her stride was purposeful, her look calculating; she was a woman on a mission.

***

Draco Malfoy was walking down the corridor towards the library after dinner on Thursday evening. He was feeling quite smug, but he always did; that wasn't the point. His thoughts were full of people's lives which he could make miserable, Gryffindors heavily present in this. And then, I decapitate it and send it to the Gryffindor common room by Floo! Geniu-

"CRAP, what the bloody hell are you doi-"

Draco Malfoy had just been forcefully dragged behind a tapestry just short of the library, by none other than Hermione Granger. With a hand placed over his mouth, Hermione spoke.

"I need a favour, Malfoy."

He gasped for breath pulling away from her looking thoroughly violated.

"No, you need a therapist, mudblood. How dare you touch me?" Draco Malfoy was adjusting his clothes, nose in air, looking highly pissed off.

Hermione sighed. "I repeat, Malfoy. I need a favour."

He narrowed his eyes at Hermione, looking highly suspicious. "What makes you think I'd do anything for you, and why me?

"I, er-"Hermione took a deep breath. "I need to know Zabini's timetable, alright?"

Draco looked round, seemingly very surprised "Jeez, Granger, you don't need to stalk him; he fancies you already, really-"

"HE WHAT?" Hermione exploded, sure she had not heard right. Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you haven't noticed. He won't stay in the dormitories any more, he's too embarrassed." Malfoy looked like he was enjoying himself entirely too much.

Hermione felt herself getting steadily redder; but she really couldn't see a reason for Malfoy lying to her, he knew full well she'd never throw herself at Zabini. I mean, honestly!

"Actually, the reason why I need his timetable is because he stole my book." She was trying to steer the conversation away from embarrassment. I'm probably as red as a tomato right now.

Malfoy seemed highly intrigued by this information. "Your book? Well he obviously did it so you'd come after him; cracking plan. Very Slytherin...I like it." He had a very cunning look on his face. Basically, he looked the same as he always did.

"Can we please keep away from Zabini's hormonal impulses, if only for a few minutes?"

Malfoy looked irritated. "Fine, so, you want me to steal or copy his timetable for you?"

"Yes."

"And you seriously think you have a rat's chance in hell of me doing something for you?"

"No."

"So why are you even bothering?" He looked, despite it all, quite curious.

"Consider yourself in this matter, Malfoy. I broke your nose, we really wouldn't want people thinking that you'd been beaten by a dirty little mudblood now, would we? I mean, no one knows how it ended up broken, and I think I stand as a lone voice of reason within this castle." Hermione tried her best to speak innocently, while cackling on the inside.

Malfoy looked highly pissed off, but quite impressed at the same time. "That's very Slytherin, Granger. I'm impressed; you've come a long way."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "So will you do it, or not?"

"I'll think about it."

***

Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in the Gryffindor common room during Friday lunchtime, books spread out everywhere and a plate of sandwiches in front of them. It turned out sixth year was just as hard as fifth; the teachers saw fit to "prepare you for your NEWT's." It was clear Harry and Ron were feeling the strain, the fact they were giving up their lunchtimes was some sort of a miracle. Hermione, of course, was keeping up, and was really there at the present time as moral support for Harry and Ron. She was reading her Charms textbook, as the boys took Potions notes.

She was interrupted from her reading by a knock on the common room window. They all looked up, to see an eagle owl tapping on the glass. Hermione got up and the owl jumped in, a roll of parchment bearing her name on the front. Avoiding the boys' watching eyes she unrolled the parchment. It was a school timetable with "Zabini, Blaise, sixth year" written on the top. She smiled widely and turned it over. On the back was a signature; D. Malfoy. She slipped the timetable into her bag. Now all she needed was a plan.

The portrait hole suddenly opened and Ginny Weasley walked through, grinning.

"Afternoon, happy campers, how goes your day?"

Hermione had found her plan.