Complicating Differences

Chapter Two: The Circle

Hermione yawned, stretching her fingers into the air and wiggling them. She had been up since four, since she had woken up with a nosebleed and a bad dream. She then walked down to the common room and read some books, hoping that either Ron or Ginny would wake up somewhat early to keep her company. It was now six thirty, and no sign of either of them. With that she headed for the bathtub only she was entitled to, the Head Girl´s bathtub.

After a nice, long bath with extra bubbles, Hermione lazily threw on her school uniform, tugging up her knee-high socks. She absolutely dreaded them. They did keep her warm in the middle of winter, though. All her classes were indoors today, for that matter.

Despite her preposterously big hair, she had developed quite a lot in the past few years. Her form was curvaceous, and her face flawless. But she never let the attention she received from the boys at Hogwarts go to her head. When she looked in the mirror, she still saw book-worm, skinny, buck-toothed, flat, bushy-haired Hermione. Although, Harry made her feel better than that. Harry made her feel like a new and improved Hermione. What with him gone, she felt plain, dull. It was almost as if he brought out a different person in her.

Thinking about Harry made her wonder if she should add something in the letter she had written but not yet sent him. Should she tell him about her dream? Or is she making too big of a deal of it all. Not wanting to think about it, she shrugged it off and headed back to the common room.

Ginny was already ready for her first class, standing with some of her friends who were also sixth years. "Hey, Ginny. How are you this morning?" Hermione asked, not wanting to bring the subject on last night up in front of her friends.

"Tired," she spoke, quietly. She made a face, and Hermione understood. She must not have gotten much sleep either. It was noticeable. She had an unusual lack of energy, and dark circles under her eyes. Not yet checking her reflection, Hermione decided to see how horrible she was looking this morning.

Grabbing her books and leaving the portrait hall to the girls´ bathroom, she carelessly ran her fingers through her still damp hair. Glancing at her watch, she realized she had only fifteen minutes to get to her first class, Potions. She dreaded going, but decided to skip the mirror check as to not annoy Professor Snape.

Rushing to class, even though she would be quite early, she got ahead of herself and accidentally tripped forward, books tumbling arms-length away. Oh great, just what I need.

"Whoa...wipeout, Granger," said a voice from behind her. Malfoy. Hermione closed her eyes and shook her head. Bloody hell, he´ll never stop taunting me about this one.

Embarrassed, she stood up and brushed off her skirt. "You look half-dazed, and pretty sleepy. Didn´t get a good night´s sleep, I presume? Dream about me?" he inquired, with a mocking look in his eyes and that stupid grin on his face. She turned around quickly. Yes, actually, I did.

"The only dream I might ever have with you in it would involve hexes, curses, and me kicking your wealthy fat ass," she snapped, irritated and bothered. She then turned around and picked up her books, intending to leave.

"Fat? Bloody hell, Granger, what are you on about? I was only concerned with your possible lack of sleep. Didn´t mean to strike a nerve," he explained, not meaning a word of it.

"Strike a nerve? Well alright, I might be good at that. What did you´re blood-thirsty Death Eater of a father have to say about you´re bouncing ferret incident a few years back? I bet he was thrilled-" she stopped talking as he approached her with a mad glare in his eyes.

Pointing a finger, he said, "Don´t bring that up. Ever. You don´t know the half of it."

Hermione bit her lip. Was that pain, fear in his eyes? What does he do to that poor boy? She narrowed her eyebrows. What was she thinking, poor boy? He´s had everything handed to him his whole life!

"And I did strike a nerve, I believe," she chimed, a slight smile spreading on her face.

Malfoy kept his glare, then walked away. Hermione stood with a dumb look on her face. Did I just get the last word? He sure was acting funny. Realizing then that she would have to follow him all the way to Potions, she sighed. Staying a safe five feet behind him, knowing he was aware of her presence, she wondered what it was that she felt for him. Was she apologetic? Sympathetic?

Knowing what she should do, right or wrong, she quickened her pace. "Draco, hold on," she spoke, not recognizing her own voice at the name Draco. Weird.

He stopped, but didn´t turn to meet her. "You´re the last person I want to say this to, and I don´t even know why I am, but I´m sorry. I didn´t mean to offend you, and you´re right. I don´t know about your father."

He still stood there, and knowing she was gaining nothing she walked past him to Potions. She glanced at her watch again. Class had already started. Panicking, she started to walk faster. She had never been late for a class before. She cursed to herself, feeling apprehensive. Of all classes, it had to be Potions.

There was no obvious way to sneak into class, and realizing that the dungeon door would be incredibly loud, she counted to three and got on with it. As the door creaked open, every eye in the class was on her. She looked down, and walked swiftly to her seat.

"Miss Granger! Why are you-" but he was cut off as Draco entered the room several moments after Hermione.

He stared from Hermione to Draco, over and over. She saw pure disappointment on his face, his pointed, greasy features alarmed and disbelieving.

After a long moment`s silence, he spoke. "Granger, detention. Come here after class and I´ll tell you how you´ll be spending it. Ten points from Gryffindor for your lack of punctuality." He then turned to Draco, who was walking slowly to his seat. "Draco, I´m sure you have a perfect reason for your tardiness. You will see me after class, also."

A smirk spread across his smug face at Hermione´s shocked look, and all sympathy she ever felt for him was lost.

She then noticed Ron next to her, his expression timeless. "Were you with Malfoy?"

She whispered, "Goodness Ron, of course not. I was just late, I lost track of time."

His eyes narrowed as he processed this. Hermione lost track of time? Not a likely excuse. But he seemed to except it as he turned back to pay attention to class.

"Tell me, what would happen if you mixed a mandrake root with..." Professor Snape´s words started out clear, but Hermione found that her vision was slowly becoming blurred, her hearing muffled. She was drifting into the much needed sleep that she has been so deprived of lately.

The atmosphere seemed the same as it had before. It was all too familiar. The forest, the darkness, the fear... Hermione walked unconsciously, not knowing where she was going and why but knowing that she had to get there.

Once again, in the distance, she saw a light. But it wasn´t like the light she´d seen before, it was a candle. Actually, it was dozens of candles, all floating in a circle. Her curiosity got the best of her as she wandered quietly behind a tree surrounding the clearing to see what was happening.

There were at least twenty cloaked figured, all holding candles and chanting in a circle. The circle was closed, completely concealed, so she was not able to see what their focus was.

One of the cloaked figures removed his hood. Not able to pick up specifics, she only noticed his blazing blond hair. Too curious to worry about consequences, she snuck stealthily closer and closer until she was approaching the clearing, the faint light of candles contrasting with the shadows at her feet.

"My Lord, please bless my son, please let him fulfill your very wishes. He will bring you our sacrifice, and you will be free. You will be living, breathing, and stronger than ever. We have raised him well, all our lives, for this very task," the un-cloaked voice spoke in a spooky manner.

The puzzle was piecing together. The un-cloaked man who has spoke was a familiar face. It was Luscious Malfoy. And he was speaking of his son, Draco. What task was he to fulfill?

Not wanting to hear more, but not able to leave, Hermione knelt there, crouched in the shadows. Then, all the hooded figures, and Luscious, quit they´re constant chanting and broke apart, revealing the center of the circle.

And there was Draco, standing in the middle. He was naked from the waist up, and bleeding from two horizontal cuts on his breasts. What kind of cult is this? Blood offerings? His head was down, and instead of a sly, cruel Malfoy smirk, he wore a grim expression. An expression of dread and apprehension.

"NO! DON´T... DRACO!" Hermione woke up to herself screaming quite loudly. Looking around, it took her several moments to snap back to reality and realize she was still in Potions class.

Then it hit her. She had been screaming Draco. In fact, she had been screaming No, Draco stop! at the top of her lungs. Most would definitely get the wrong idea.

Bursts of laughter rang out around the room. Murmurs of `Did you hear her? She was fantasizing about Draco!´ and `´What about Harry?´ were being scattered around her from all sides.

Hermione put her head in her hands, completely and utterly ashamed. She stole a quick glance at Draco, just to make sure he wasn´t staring, a scowl spread on his pale face. To her surprise, he looked shocked. Not even half pleased with himself for having any effect on her.

She felt Ron´s hand grip her arm in a concerned, inarticulate question. She looking into his eyes, and knew what he was thinking. `What´s going on?´

But she didn´t want to explain, not right now. She knew she had detention and what she was about to do would make Snape only more furious, but she ran out of there as fast as she could carry herself. She ran all the way through the portrait hole and up to her room. She then flung herself on the bed and cried.

While Hermione hurried out of Potions class, Draco sat with his mouth open, and his thoughts racing. Was he the only one who didn´t think Hermione´s outburst had sounded the least bit sexual? She sounded frightened, actually. But why would she dream about him? Things were definitely warped. Not to mention Hermione - homework comes first Hermione - had first of all fallen asleep in class, and then ran out before the period was over!

The last half an hour of Potions class was spent spreading rumors, and discussing Hermione´s pandemonium. Draco mindlessly added the wrong amount of ingredients, his mind obviously somewhere else, which caused his cauldron to blow up in a shower of sparks emitting in all directions. Draco might hate Potions, but he has never pulled a Longbottom before.

When class was dismissed he hardly remembered that he had to think of a reasonable excuse and deliver it to Snape. Slowly approaching the front of the dungeon, his mind raced with `Myrtle flooded the bathroom again, I slipped´ and `I had to visit Pomfrey for personal reasons´ but never once did he consider telling the truth, that he was speaking with Hermione Granger.

He decided that the best excuse would most definitely be him taking a visit to the hospital wing, for earlier that morning he had in fact received special care for his left hand which had been deliberately bitten ferociously by a sixth year girl. He had only confronted her about a morning snog, had her cornered and everything, and she BIT him! Spitfire, that one.

After reasoning with Snape, no detention or deduction of points, he exited the dungeon, only one thing on his mind. No, it wasn´t Hermione´s sex talk. They might be nasty thoughts, but it wasn´t about her. He definitely needed some down time in a closet with - his eyes grazed the corridor in search of a mate. Pansy? No... Blaise? Definitely not... Lavender? There she was, looking fine as always. Could he really pin a Gryffindor in a broom closet and get away with it? He had tried it last night with Ginny, with no success. But he was willing to give it a go, just one more time.

He approached her, saying nothing, only grabbing her by the back of her neck and leading her into an empty classroom. This would have to do, of course, with no broom closets in sight. Too bad, he enjoyed the lack of space and the forced closeness. But the classroom was empty. For now, at least. He figured he had another half an hour.

Lavender was weak, too weak to escape the steel grip of manly Malfoy. Bloody hell, how he loved being in control.

She was now beginning to realize his intentions. As riled up as she might be about spending quality snogging time with sensual Draco Malfoy, she wasn´t about to show it. She knew if any word about it got out, it was not going to be easy to explain. She began to whimper under his preposterous grip.

He liked her whimpering, he liked the power it made him feel he had over her. But not wanting to hurt the poor girl, he relaxed a bit. "Now Lavender, what do you say we-" but never had a chance to finish his proposal, for Lavender took advantage of his relaxation on his grip on her neck and flung herself at him. Her guard had gone down, and she had decided to hell with the rumors. Of course, he was so irresistible, she couldn´t help herself. She grabbed his face with her hands and laid one on him, massaging his tongue with her own. Taken aback by her forwardness, Draco´s eyes stayed open for a few moments. Then they flickered shut as he reached both hands around to rest on her round bum.

This is the life. He then realized that she was leading, and this was not allowed. He grabbed her shoulders and pried himself away from her lips. She looked eager, like a little puppy who just got her favorite toy taken away. Not wanting to keep her waiting, he pushed her hard against a stone wall, aroused by the fear in her eyes. She obviously didn´t know what she had gotten into. Did she think this was going to be a innocent snog? Nothing was innocent when it came to Draco.

"You´re hurting me," Lavender´s voice came out in a hushed whisper. A single tear ran down her beautiful cheek. Draco brushed a clump of hair hiding her pretty face. He lowered his mouth to her neck. Sucking away, he heard the satisfied moans escaping her mouth. He smiled inside. I still got it.
He reached a hand under her skirt. "Oooh!" she cried, and he didn´t know if it was a warning, or a signal to keep going. Not really caring, he let his hand wander. This groping session lasted all but five minutes before he had taken it a bit too far, which resolved with a painful kick in the goods.

Grabbing his precious bits, he threw her towards the door. "Come back anytime you want more," he told her, a malicious look in his eyes. She smiled. Yea, she´ll be back. He´d have to remember her for next time, she was a lot of fun.

Heading to his next class, he had forgotten all about Potions.