Harry Potter and the Return to Hogwarts

"Oh! No! We never mention her,

Her name is never heard;

My lips are now forbid to speak

That once familiar word."

- T.H. Bayly

Chapter 2.

August 2^nd, 2011.

When Aimée awoke that morning she had no idea of where she was. Her bed had suddenly grown a ceiling. The walls weren't the drab yellow colour she remembered begging her father permission to paint pink, which he had refused. These walls were a soft red colour and Aimée liked them.

She got out of bed and went in search of her father. Instead she found her brother in the first bedroom she tried. He was still sleeping. She abandoned him and tried the other door. There he was. Her father was sleeping in a bed similar to the one she had abandoned. Seeing him made her remember what had happened the previous night and where they were. He didn't wake up, not even when she hit him a little bit, so she decided to go back to her own room and unpack her stuff.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione stood outside the portrait of Maid Elspeth and waited. She had said that she would come and fetch them for breakfast, but they were being late. She sighed. "Hagrid" The portrait let her in thankfully without any problems at all.

What she saw when she entered the room shocked her. Harry Potter, the man-who-lived was chasing his son around the living room with a pair of socks in his hands. "David. You can't go out without your socks on. You'll catch a cold. David. The socks have to be on."

David was running away from him, on his bare feet and screaming "No-no-no-no-no-no-no"

Hermione did not know what she was expected to do. Should she try to stop them or just let them continue the quest about the socks? Aimée solved her problem by simply entering the room. She was clad in a pair of jeans and a red jumper, which Hermione thought suited her perfectly, the red set her brown hair quite nicely. Apparently Harry had other ideas.

"Aimée did we not have this discussion already? You are not going anywhere in that jumper. I still can't believe you got your aunt to buy it for you after I refused. It is not a jumper for a nine-year-old. Aimée, go and change at once. David, put those socks on at once. If you two haven't noticed we have company." He smiled at Hermione while Aimée and David went into two different doors. "I am sorry about all this. Every morning David seems to believe that monsters have slept in his socks during the night, and won't put them on and my darling little baby-daughter seems to want to grow up. Unfortunately her aunt knows what young girls dream of, which I don't, and encourages it."

"She has to grow up, Harry. Anyway, I came to pick you up for breakfast. The other teachers have all eaten by now and started the staff meeting. I told them to. It will be more comforting for Aimée and David not having to cope with too many grumpy strangers too early in the morning."

Harry nodded, grateful that Hermione had thought of it and turned towards the doors the children had entered. "Aimée, David. I am hungry. It shouldn't take you all day to change a jumper or put on a pair of socks."

The two soon emerged from their rooms and they could go and have their breakfast in the Great Hall.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After an incident at breakfast, where David, porridge and temper tantrums were involved, they moved on to the teacher's lounge. In the hallways they were practically assaulted by Peeves, who seemed happy to see "Potter the Rotter" again. Although Hermione secretly was pleased that Peeves was in one of his better moods she couldn't let him insult people without reprimanding him.

"Peeves. You know what Dumbledore told you about bothering the professors. Frankly I am getting slightly tired of you. Why don't you go haunt a house? Rattle some chains or something? I am sure the inhabitants would be ever so grateful."

"Peeves is not going anywhere. Potter the Rotter and fickle Professor better get used to it."

Hermione sighed. "Clearly a lost cause. Let's just move on so we won't miss too much of the meeting. David and Aimée, I don't think you should walk around here in the castle by yourselves; you'll just have to sit in the lounge and wait for your father. Unless something really major happens it shouldn't take too long. I expect Dumbledore will wait for the rest of the new ones to show up before something relating to the word important comes up. They did not come after breakfast like they were supposed to."

Hogwarts fascinated Aimée. This was where her parents had gone to school. Most likely this was where she would receive her education as well. It had tradition practically seething from the walls. She liked traditions, something that never changed. Her parents had created their own ones when they got married, but although Aimée had lived with them all her life it didn't seem too traditionish for her. Tradition was something that your grandparents and your great grandparents used to do, not something your parents created. Hogwarts was pure tradition, the kind where ties went back generations, and that fulfilled Aimée's need for it. The paintings in the corridors hadn't always been there, but they looked like they had. And that was enough.

All of a sudden Hermione stopped in front of the statue of a man, who someone had tied a cloth to cover the most essential onto. "Don't ask. It was Draco's idea of a joke. Spawn of the devil." The nearly nude statue moved to reveal a hole in the wall.

"Ladies first. Remember that Hermione. That's important." Hermione grinned as she grabbed Aimée's hand sending Harry a wink. "I think you've learned your daughter all the basic things, Harry." David and Harry followed them into the tunnel in the wall.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

" That is what I keep telling you, if you would listen to me more, you'd live longer. I have seen what will come to pass. I have seen the future."

"I am sorry, Eleanor, but somehow the years I took Divination in school has diminished my faith in it. Maybe it was something with the curriculum."

"The curriculum is perfect. It has always been and my Inner Eye tells me that it always will be."

"Your "Inner Eye" tells you that? Well..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Only that I'd rather listen to what the students say than any of my Inner Eyes and that's a rare occurrence as well."

"Draco." Hermione's voice reproached him even before she'd reached the end of the tunnel.

"It is not very nice of you trying to get these reactions out of Eleanor. You know she is serious about her work here, to the same extent as the rest of us. Giving her a hard time about it surely won't help any problem you might have."

As soon as Harry got out of the tunnel he could see clearly again. Apparently the tunnel had been fixed to be slightly longer than the average entrance to a room at Hogwarts so that any student trying to get in wouldn't succeed.

He recognized most of the people in the room. Draco Malfoy, Eleanor Branstone, Terry Boot, Charlie Weasley, Sinistra, Binns, Lavender Brown and Oliver Wood. Of course she was there as well. Fortunately neither one of his children had seemed to notice her, but Harry knew that it would only be a matter of time before it happened.

Hermione was patting Eleanor on her back, and when the rest of the teachers discovered that their afternoon show was taken off they went back to the conversations they without doubt had had before Eleanor and Draco got involved in a match of words. The only one being Draco, who had noticed them entering the lounge and was coming over to greet them.

"Hullo."

"Hullo."

"So here we are, together again."

"You know what? I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"How are you doing, Draco?"

Draco allowed himself a smirk before replying. "Same as always."

"Things are that bad, huh?" Harry smirked back.

Now an ironic smile appeared on Draco's face. "Well, you know. This school is the absolute embodiment of dull. Apart from the occasional sex scandal provided by yours truly, nothing really happens here."

They couldn't continue that conversation without sending the children out, so Harry introduced them instead. "Draco, I would like for you to meet my children. This is David, and that's Aimée. Say hullo to Mr. Malfoy kiddie winkies."

"Hullo, Mr. Malfoy."

"Hullo, Mr. Malfoy. Did you know that my brother has not eaten voluntarily in a year?"

Draco who had been shaking David's hand, looked abruptly up at Harry when Aimée made her statement. Harry shook his head.

"No, I did not know that. You know what, Miss Potter? I think you and I need to establish some basic rules for you being here at Hogwarts. You are not eleven yet."

"Neither is David."

"Well, I was talking about you. I'll talk about David later." He brought her over to one of the sofas where he proceeded to tell her the rules.

"These are the house rules: no running, no playing, no feet on the furniture, and no noise, which includes crying and whining. Be invisible and we'll get along just fine."

"I wasn't planning on sticking my feet on your furniture, Mr. Malfoy."

"Now I am certain that you won't."

"Why do I have to have more rules? It's not like I don't have tons with Dad already. Don't play Calvin and Hobbes with David, don't wear that sweater, don't swear, look after David and don't smoke. Why are you setting up rules for me? I don't think you have the right to do so at all, Mr. Malfoy." She snuffed at him and turned to walk over to her father and brother. Draco grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Listen to me, I'm smart; you are dumb. I'm big; you are little. And there's nothing you can do about it." He smirked the famous Draco Malfoy smirk at her. "Live with it."

Aimée smirked right back. She might be only nine years old, but she understood that Mr. Malfoy did not mean everything he said. It was kind of when her dad told her ridiculous stories that he wanted her to believe, but she didn't when she saw how he struggled not to laugh. Mr. Malfoy was struggling to be serious.

"I don't have to. I am not your student yet. Besides, I am not the one having an argument with a person more than 20 years younger than myself. So there." Harry, Hermione and Eleanor had to laugh at the stunned expression on Draco's face. He was so used to being superior in wits to nearly every child, woman and man that he met, so this was a completely new thing to him. A mere child had out-witted him.

Hermione, who had dated Draco for an extremely brief period last term, was smiling extra widely. It had long been one of her more informal duties to comfort the victims of Draco's comments, not very many people could stand up to him in that manner which young Aimée just had done. Had it not been considered impolite she might have applauded her for a point well made.

Draco turned to Harry, who was still laughing. He put his arm on Aimée' s shoulder. "Harry," he said. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Aimée grinned up at him. "Are you saying you want to be my friend, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I am saying that I am not sure that I could afford to be your enemy. Think of all the fun we could have Miss Potter, think of all the people we could insult. You wouldn't happen to like Potions, by the way. If you do, I hereby declare you to be my new best-friend."

"I don't know anything about Potions Mr. Malfoy" At that point Hermione decided to run interference, one did not know when Draco would get out of hand. "I am sure that Draco would love to teach you everything he knows about Potions, after all he claims to be the best professor present. But I really think you should consider the rest of his offer carefully. It is not very becoming of a nine-year-old girl to insult people, I exclude Draco from that, and you might insult him all you want. If your father gives you permission."

Padma Patil, who had been talking to Terry Boot, interrupted Hermione's tirade. "Munchkins, you are here. But I thought your evil old man intended for you to stay back home, at least that's what he told me at the funeral." She ran over and grabbed David hugging him as tight as possible while looking down at Aimée. "There was a change of plans, Dumbledore offered me the position as Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts after Sirius' health forced him to retire. I discussed it with Aimée and David, and they really wanted to come to Hogwarts. That means they will get to be with you here as well, although we did not know that you was teaching here when we decided."

Harry put his hands on Padma's shoulders. "I am sorry. I know I said it before, but I am."

Padma shook her head. "Harry, you are such a child. You think that by saying, "I'm sorry," all the past can be corrected. All the wrongs cannot be righted simply by saying you are sorry."

"Excuse me, but are you their mother?" Hermione was curious. That caused Harry, Padma, Aimée and David to laugh like crazy. When Harry was finished he wiped the tears out of his eyes. "I trust that you'll be around forever to jump to conclusions, Hermione."

"I didn't jump to conclusions. I took a small step, and conclusions there were. Padma is their mother. I didn't even get an invite to your wedding. Some best-friend you are Harry."

"Apart from the fact that I am not their mother at all, but their aunt I can't agree more with you. I did not get an invite to the wedding either. Just a short postcard from my sister was the announcement I was given. "Hi Padma. I hope you are well. I ran into Harry Potter from school yesterday when I was in Copenhagen. We got married today. Love you, Parvati."

Gasps were heard all over the room. The rest of the professors had laid their own conversation on ice to follow the new "show". "You married a girl the day after you met her? Gee-whiz! Mr. Potter, what is this world coming to?" Draco looked impressed at Harry.

"I did not marry her the day after I met her. You are all witnesses, well except my children, that I went to school with her for seven years."

"Still, you married her the day after you ran into her again. Why didn't anyone of us notice that it was anything between you at school? I am your best friend; I am supposed to notice these things. You never even went out together apart from the Yule ball in our fourth year, and that was not enough to base a marriage on. Believe me, I would know."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "It isn't like that for everyone Hermione Granger-Krum. What did your mum used to say, Aimée?"

Aimée, who clung to her aunt like she would never let go, said importantly: "Mum said that she'd fancied Dad rotten since the fifth year, but since he was going out with Cho Chang she didn't tell anyone. So when she ran into him again in Copenhagen and discovered that he was single she wasn't going to waste any time at all. Whenever she said that Dad used to reply..."

"It wasn't love at first sight for me, but she managed to bowl me over the second time. I proposed within five minutes after meeting her again."

The entire female contingent in the room could not contain their sighs at the tale spun by Harry and Aimée. But Padma wasn't so easily fascinated. She'd heard the tale before, from her sister. "Yeah, and now, ten years later she's dead."

"It was cancer, Padma. There was nothing anybody could do. We discovered it too late and no one of the doctors, specialists, medi-witches or wizards we saw could stop it. It was the one thing that would have happened regardless of whom she was married to. Well she was married to me, and I loved her more than the world. If I had run into her again after broken up with Cho and before Voldemort and she'd asked me not to fight him I would. Because nobody else mattered as much to me as she did. You see Padma, the reason you and I have been so down in the dumps since she died is because we loved her, and real loss is only possible when you love something more than you love yourself."

There were none dry eyes in the Staff lounge, male or female. Even Draco had damp eyes. David put his hand to his aunt's cheek. "No one loves you like I do, aunt Padma." She put her hand on his cheek. "No. No one ever will. And I love you too, David."

Sinistra was looking like she hadn't done anything but lounge around all day for the last ten years as she stopped the cry-fest brutally and effective. "Well, as much fun as it has been, knowing every detail about your love life Potter, no commenting that Malfoy, we have a meeting to finish here. We'll have another one tomorrow, when the new teachers have arrived. Dumbledore told me to tell you that he's sorry for not attending today. He has a nasty cough and Finnegan told him to stay in bed." A stern gaze looked at them all. Harry began to suspect that Sinistra had been taking lessons from McGonagall in how to control her subjects. "Now I believe we were discussing this year's curriculum, Branstone, do you have anything you want to add to Malfoy's argument? No? I am afraid there won't be any changes in the curriculum for Divination this year Malfoy. Why? Because you haven't been in one of Branstone's classes and therefore wasn't able to see for yourself, like the Headmaster did, that most of the students who chose divination get excellent tutoring. We already changed the curriculum when we got rid of the old hag. Was that all you wanted to discuss with me?" Harry raised his hand. "Yes, Potter?"

"Well, I know it is probably not approved of. But I am wondering about Aimée. Could she attend some classes where she wouldn't cause too much of a disturbance? The Headmaster told me that he would look into it, but seeing that he isn't here...?"

"I know for a fact that Miss Potter will be attending Charms this year, as well as Latin and History of Magic. As for the rest of her education, I believe Granger is fully trained as a Muggle teacher as well. You may discuss it with her afterwards. That's all? Then I suppose the official business is over. Good day every one."

Draco looked over at Aimée several times after Professor Sinistra had left the lounge. "Hey, kid. How old are you?"

"I'm twelve."

Charlie snorted something that sounded vaguely like "Yeah right.", but Draco only shrugged. "Okay. If you say so. Is she twelve, Harry?"

"No she is not. That girl will be ten before school starts. Why?"

"If you wanted to I could squeeze her in my first year potions class, Slytherin and Ravenclaw?" Aimée immediately began to worship Draco Malfoy. Her father looked doubtfully at him however. "Are you sure you want her in Potions yet?"

Aimée dragged his arm. "Hush, Daddy. I know I can do it. Besides, Mr. Malfoy is very entertaining." Somehow nobody present in the staff lounge said anything against that. There was some snickering, but not many words. "If she thinks she can do it, she can. I am sure that she'll work thrice as hard as any of the first years, because if she don't I am kicking her out. Do you understand?" As she nodded, David began to wail. "I don't want Aimée to go to school. I want Aimée to play with me. I want to play with Aimée. Aunt Padma, I want to play with Aimée." Although Padma had spent some time around her niece and nephew she wasn't used to one of them being in such mood. She looked helplessly around. "There there. I am sure Aimée will play with you." She patted his head, insecurely.

"Let me take him for a second. I still remember what it was like when Ron was that age. Feisty temper." Charlie stuck his hands out and Padma gave him David. "So, you must be the short depressed kid we ordered at the end of last term." David stopped wailing to look up at the strange man with the red hair. "I am not short. I am taller than Aimée was when she was my age." Charlie chuckled at that. "Just like Ron and the twins. You are David, right?" David nodded seriously. "Well, David. Sometimes our older brothers or sisters go off to school, but that doesn't mean that they forget all about us. I remember when my older brother, Bill started Hogwarts. He teased me about learning more than me in the beginning, but after a while he wanted to be home and play with me. But what had happened then? I had started to play with my younger brother, Percy. He wasn't quite as much fun to play with at first but he learned."

"Daddy, can I have a brother to play with, like him had?"

"Silly, you can't have a brother to play with. We don't have a mum anymore, so we can't have a new brother. You need a mummy and a daddy to get a brother. Sometimes you need a hospital as well. We picked you out at the hospital. Daddy thought you were the prettiest baby. I liked the baby in the crib next to you better."

"I can't have a brother, like him had?" David's bottom lip began to quiver. "Don't sweat Harry. You are not going to get a brother, kid. But how would the two of you like to see my animals? Harry, I am borrowing them from you for the rest of the day, they'll be back by bedtime. See you later, alligator."

As the three of them departed Harry and Padma stood speechless left. "Did your children just abandon us for a Weasley, Potter? Have they got no taste?"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione, being the person Harry remembered, lined up in front of the tunnel to lecture them on the importance of guiding the students into being proper witches and wizards after Draco and Oliver had made a crack about the teaching of Hufflepuff House. All of a sudden the tunnel opened and someone knocked Hermione straight into the sofa she was standing in front of. Unfortunately, Oliver Wood was sitting there already and now had himself a lap filled with Hermione Granger. When she was about to roll backwards onto the floor he grabbed hold of her.

"Let go of me."

" Shh."

"Let go, please."

"Don't get excited, Hermione"

"Wood, being held by you isn't quite enough to get me excited."

"Sorry sweetheart. It doesn't look like there will be time for anything else. If you are free later, and Charlie let's you off the hook, we can discuss it then." Oliver let her go and she fell down onto the floor.

After they all had had their eyes fixated to the little scene made by Oliver and Hermione they looked over at the newcomers. Sinistra had brought four persons Harry had never seen before in his life. The male was a darker shade of blonde than Draco and his eyes were blue. He was taller than professor Sinistra, perhaps by ten to fifteen centimetres or so. The three females did not look alike. The tallest one of them was five centimetres shorter than the male and had short brown, on the verge to black, hair. Her eyes were blue. The blonde was about the same height as Sinistra and had long flowing hair. Her eyes were brown and Harry noticed the annoyed look in them. The third one was a redhead. Although her hair was about as far from Weasley red as it could be without being something different than red. More like a brown red that matched her eyes. She was shorter than the other two, but taller than Eleanor. Her eyes were blue with sparks of green and brown in them. It was the tallest female that started to talk first.

"Greetings Professors of Hogwarts. Allow myself to introduce... myself."

Harry smiled to himself. She reminded him of Aimée when she was deliberately trying to be difficult. Draco smirked the smirk he was famous for. "We can see that it is you, but what is your name?"

The woman smirked right back at him. "Serena."

"Just Serena?"

"Serena is more than enough."

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Well, if you answer to it... then that's enough."

She shrugged back. "Whether I answer to it or not, that depends on who's asking." Harry, Oliver, Hermione, Eleanor, Lavender, Terry, Padma and Justin applauded her answer. Draco was speechless.

After they'd finished clapping Hermione turned to Serena. "Would I be mistaken if I assumed that you were S. Quentin, professor of Magic Law and Everyday Life?"

"No, you would not. Allow me to introduce the rest of my "gang". That man is Eric Parker, who will be teaching Ancient Runes. Why you bother having that class is beyond my understanding. It isn't like it's useful in a modern society. Eric is 28 years, single and educated at the Institute for Languages in Copenhagen." Oliver, Hermione and Draco all shot Harry teasing looks at the mentioning of Copenhagen. The blonde is Helen Ash, who is going to be the caretaker of the school. Helen is 26, single and looking. The redhead is Katharine Montanus. She is 29, single, former Ravenclaw and teach Latin. How about you tell us about this school and you?"

Eric looked at them. "Like, whom do you have to kill for fun around here?" Draco raised his hand. "Ah, I would know all about that. I have the monopoly on the fun at Hogwarts. The adult kind of fun anyway."

"Hush, Draco. My name is Hermione Granger, and trust me... you'll find out more than enough about the school later."

"Especially if you keep company with Hermione and her copy of 'Hogwarts; A History." Draco snickered. Hermione smacked him in the head with her hand. "Shut up. That's Draco Malfoy. I just want to apologize on beforehand for his behaviour. It tends to be a bit childish."

"Isn't he the tastiest thing you ever saw in your life?" Serena said to Helen and Katharine. They all smiled evilly at Draco, who quickly turned and hid behind Harry. "Hi, I am Harry Potter, that's Oliver Wood, Lavender Brown, Terry Boot and my sister-in-law, Padma Patil."

Helen smiled briefly. "Oh... well. Pleased to meet you all. I am sure we'll get better acquainted later on. But for now, maybe an introduction to our duties and chambers would be in order?"

~*~*~*~*~*~

A few days later after the newcomers had settled in, it was like they had been there forever. Helen had challenged them all to a broom race in the corridors, Oliver, Harry, Draco, Eric, Padma and Serena accepted. Unfortunately for Serena she was the only one who got caught by Sinistra, who was not pleased. "Quentin, we have just renovated the place, do you want us to do it over?" Serena pretended to think it over. "But it was just an innocent race. I didn't even win."

Sinistra pointed a stern gaze at her. "That does not matter. Professors at Hogwarts do not partake in such childish games inside the castle. What you do on the outside is your own business. In here it is strictly no flying. I am sure McGonagall, is spinning in the grave like a fan at the moment." Serena got a repeat performance of the stern gaze before Sinistra grabbed hold of the broomstick, turned around and left sweeping the floor behind her as she marched away.

It wasn't until they were certain that she was far enough away that the rest of them popped out of their hiding places. "Well well. Not you haven't even been here a week and you're in trouble with Sinistra. I, at least waited until I had unpacked my belongings. Of course you are in perfect company with Harry, here... he didn't wait too long either. Second day was it, Harry?" Draco smirked.

"I can't remember... ask Hermione later if you're really that keen to know. But not in front of my children, if you please. I'd like for them to at least believe that I never broke any rules at Hogwarts as long as possible, and I think you all would like that as well when they attend later on. But ask Hermione, she'll know."

Serena shrugged. "So she got mad at me. It isn't the first time a superior is mad at me, and I don't think it will be the last. Somehow I always manage to be the one to get caught. Of course, don't look at me in that manner, Helen; if I didn't participate in such activities in the first place I wouldn't get scolded so often. But then I wouldn't have so much fun either. But when the students arrive I shall have to become dreadfully proper. I think I ought to take lessons from Hermione, the blond over there will not be of any aid."

"Are you mocking me? Because I will not be the subject of your mockery... let me rephrase that. I will not be the subject of mockery." Draco could hear it in her voice that she really was mocking him. And he wanted an argument, ever since Hermione had interrupted the one he'd tried to start with Eleanor. He thrived on quarrels.

But the new girl wasn't quite as easy to bait as Branstone. Branstone lighted on fire as soon as someone mentioned Divination. But he hadn't managed to find the weaker spots of Quentin yet. She just looked him directly in the face. "Oh, I think you shall."

Draco turned to Harry. "She was mean to me, Harry. Beat her up." Harry actually patted his head. If he hadn't been so set on irritating the smug girl he would've hit Harry instead.

"There, there. I reckon every school has them. See, you start a new school, you get your desks, some blackboards, and some mean teachers. I can't go around changing laws of nature for you my boy. I may be the Boy-Who-Lived, but I am not the Creator. Besides... I thought you would already have got yourself some thugs that could beat people up for you? Who did it for you last year?" Strangely enough the discussion ended at that.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Charlie's tongue licked the envelope and passed it on to Oliver who dripped some wax on it and sealed it with the Hogwarts seal. At the other end of the table Hermione and Harry were folding letters of acceptance and putting them in piles, Draco and Eleanor were folding lists that were to be enclosed. Padma and Terry put the letters and lists into the envelopes.

"Remind me again, why do we do this? We're not Muggles, we have magic that may aid us. Why are we sitting here like we've got nothing better to do than fold papers?"

"Draco, we couldn't let Sinistra do it by herself. McGonagall used to do it, but remember these last few years when Sinistra has tried to do it with magic." Dead silence as the ones who had been present remembered just the mess she'd made. Every seventh year had received the lists belonging to the third years, the third years had received the lists belonging to the fifth years and the fifth years hadn't received any list at all.

"But I still don't see why we can't use magic. It would be faster."

"We do want to be reliable. There aren't means to check if we got it right by magic, so we're doing it by hand. And that's final. No... I mean it. One more word from you Draco and we will find ourselves facing the old bouncing Ferret face again. Do I make myself clear?"

Hermione didn't get a reaction out of Draco, but he kept folding, so she supposed she had made herself clear.

~*~*~*~*~*~