Turning Points

Turning Points: Chapter 06

Professor McGonagall was waiting for her when she got back to her common room. "Miss Granger, please come with me. Headmaster Dumbledore wishes to have a word with you."

"Am I in any trouble, Professor?" Hermione inquired.

"No, my dear. This is something completely different."

They walked the rest of the way to the entrance to the Headmaster's office in silence. Professor McGonagall was brimming with carefully contained excitement and Hermione was filled with fear that she and Draco had been found out. If Dumbledore knew the nature of their relationship, or that they were civil to each other at all, he would surely be suspicious and make it his goal to discover the reason. And, since Dumbledore was good at finding this sort of stuff out, she knew their wands would be snapped and they'd be expelled within the week. She couldn't go back to the Muggles. Now that she knew she was a true witch, Hermione wanted it to stay that way. She needed it to stay that way. For him.

"Jelly Belly," Professor McGonagall said.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Jelly Belly?"

"Yes, you well know the Headmaster has an affinity for sweets," McGonagall tartly responded.

Draco and Professor Snape were already there when they stepped through the office door. Hermione and Draco were sure to throw each other looks of disgust, but inwardly were both a little frightened. What cause did Dumbledore have to bring them both up to his office? 'He couldn't possibly know what they were planning, could he?' both worried.

"Malfoy," Hermione spat.

"Granger," he replied, tipping an imaginary hat. She snorted. "How... ladylike," he drawled.

"You'd know, wouldn't you ferret?" she asked.

"Now, children, behave yourselves!" Professor McGonagall sternly interrupted.

Professor Dumbledore chose that exact moment to step into the outer office from a room in the back.

"Good afternoon, children," Professor Dumbledore started, "I'm sure you're both wondering why I've called you here this evening."

'Afternoon? Is the man completely daft? It's ten o'clock at night! And it's a given that we're wondering why we're here... and he's the omniscient one,' Draco thought.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, I assume you are doubly curious. In that case, let me begin. But before I do, would anybody care for a lemon drop?" he asked, holding out the tray to everyone in the room before taking one for himself. "No? Well, all right. First, let me just say that you are both extremely intelligent individuals. In fact, I find it quite hard to believe that neither of you seem to care too much for one another. You're actually very similar," he said, giving Draco and Hermione knowing looks. They looked at each other with fake disgust before looking at the ground, knowing where this was going.

'Oh Merlin, he knows. He knows and he's going to expel us and then it'll be over and I'll have to live like a Muggle in a suburb and I'll end up like Harry's Aunt Petunia and be one of those nosy people who smell like cabbage with a hundred cats and thick glasses and neon pink blazers...' Hermione thought, jumbling her thoughts together and making almost no sense. Her thoughts trailed off as Professor Dumbledore began to speak again.

"That is why I believe you would make an excellent pair for Head Boy and Head Girl," he ended.

Both of their heads snapped up, completely shocked, and they said, "What?!"

"Yes, yes, you would be fine examples for the students. I do, however, expect you to control your fighting in the halls, Mr. Malfoy. And you, Miss Granger, will have to cut down on your study time to make time to plan all of the activities we will have going on next year. I suspect it will be the busiest either of you have seen."

"C-cut down on my st-study time?" she gasped, incredulous.

"Oh, come off it, Granger. I'm sure you know all the books in the school by heart by now anyway," Draco said.

Both Hermione and Professor Snape turned and gaped at him, shock clearly evident on their faces at the obvious complement. If Snape hadn't known any better, he would have sworn he saw something flash between the two. 'No,' he thought. 'There's no way a Malfoy would associate with a mudblood. Especially not when that mudblood is best friends with Harry Potter.' Snape also knew that Lucius had put a charm on Draco's family crest ring to make sure he spent his time in the company of purebloods. There is no way to detect the charm's existence or remove it.

"Now, let me tell you that this is still only a possibility. We still must speak with the Board of Governors for the school and have them approve the appointments. Do know that I fully expect them all to agree with me and that you two will end up in these positions. This will mean that you will both be spending a lot of time with one another. You will share a common room which will connect to each of your respective rooms and common rooms, however only a Gryffindor will be allowed into the Gryffindor portrait and only a Slytherin into the Slytherin portrait. The same rules will apply to you both.

"You will, however, have the ability to deduct points, assign detentions and miss class when necessary to take care of anything that falls within your responsibilities."

Hermione looked ready to interrupt when he continued with, "Class can be made up with the respective teacher, with me or with another teacher adept at the subject at your leisure, should you need it. You, Miss Granger, will undoubtedly do fine without even needing the make up time. Just be sure that, should you miss class, you find out the homework assignment from another student or the teacher before the next day to ensure you remain caught up. I can try to see to it that you two get most, if not all, of your classes together in case one needs to miss a class, if you'd like?" All three teachers turned to gauge Draco and Hermione's response to this obvious request of the Headmasters. Draco looked slightly green and was eyeing some of the gadgets the Headmaster had lined around his office; while Hermione looked torn between being pleased at the prospect of having easy access to someone's notes should she need to miss class, and disgusted that this someone was Draco Malfoy. Secretly, Headmaster Dumbledore thought they were playing their parts very well and almost commended them on an excellent show. It was, however, obvious from the looks on Professors Snape and McGonagall's faces that they knew nothing of the friendship of the two and he didn't want to do anything to ruin the children's secret. Everything would come out in the open soon enough.

"So we're agreed," he asked? The question was met with two identical shrugs. "Excellent!" Professor Dumbledore continued explaining the responsibilities of the Head Boy and Girl and it was well after eleven o'clock when they were finally released and escorted back to their common rooms by their professors.