Indescribable Taste

Ch. 2 - Detention

After everyone in the Great Hall had calmed down and were speaking in a more relaxed tone, the gossip began to spread like wild fire through out the large castle. Harry was sitting at nearly the front end of the long dark wooden table and had his robes hood over his head, his messy black locks sticking out the side. He was doing a terrible, drunken looking impression of Lucius. Ron followed suit soon after. Hermione couldn't actually hear what they were saying in unison though. Some second years closer to her were pointing at their left forearms and still muttering about "another Death Eater in Hogwarts." Others wore a face of absolute fear.

Hermione was sitting alone, tapping her fingers against the table. She was highly annoyed that though the rest of the evening seemed a little brighter, fate seemed to always love putting up hurtles for the miserable girl. She shot a gaze towards the new Dark Arts professor with vengeful eyes. Lucius was looking around the Great Hall with a deep, sad look on his face but he glanced up at the ceiling and smiled. Hermione tilted her head in confusion. First arriving at Hogwarts, she had been entranced by the enchanted ceiling and how many of the times it had changed from a night sky, to a sunny morning, or a snowy evening; tonight, though it was a rainy night. She hadn't thought about it this particular night, until she had noticed her new professor looking enlightened by it. Lightening streaked silently across the magical sky and the rain pelted down, ending just above the torches that surrounded the hall like a protective shield.

The satisfied grin that had disappeared when Lucius arrived had now reappeared ten fold on her face. Looking around at all of these chattering children, none of them nearly as bright as her or knowing the kind of feelings she felt, Hermione realized the height for which she was above all of these people. It wasn't by blood or maturity that she was better...but it was something else. It was something she couldn't exactly point her finger on. Looking at Lucius at that moment made her realize he had that too. It didn't make her stomach fill with butterflies or make her get all giggly. She didn't feel compelled to develop a crush on him. She felt a desire to talk to someone who could understand her point of view instead of clobber it with a club.

Hermione would never ask him, though. She knew he would never even give her a kind word. She was Mudblood.

She was knocked out of her melancholy thoughts by Dumbledore. He announced, with his tall navy blue wizard's hat tipped to one side, that everyone was allowed to return to their dormitories. Hermione hadn't brought anything to the Great Hall and swept out the large entrance doors before most of the Gryffindors had even stood up.

She hurtled through the castle that was bright with candles and raced up the light gray stairs, nearly jumping three at a time with each launch. The searing pain in her legs shot into her left hip as she reached the top of the many flights and stood in front of the fat lady. She was breathing heavily with her eyes closed but they fluttered open when Hermione tried to breathe and say the password.

"Re-dikku-las," she gasped, leaning over and holding her knees to catch a good breath.

"Running up those stairs that fast certainly is," the fat lady mumbled as she the portrait swung open. Hermione wanted nothing more then to be alone and away from the arising voices that were coming up to Gryffindor Tower.

She stole back into the girls' dormitory and gathered up all the snotty tissues she had left lingering this afternoon. Most of them were scattered on Ginny's multicolored afghan and Hermione didn't want her having a fit which would have added to the lecture she was going to get on leaving Seamus. A few Muggle fictions she had brought were also in a stack near the end of Ginny's canopy bed.

With everything in arms and some tissues lofting from the side of Gulliver's Travels, Hermione fled from the girls' dorm and went back down the stairs. She could hear a few students shuffling through the portrait hole. She speed walked out of the entrance to the girls' dorm, past the boys' dorm and down a hall that was covered inch to inch in portraits. At the end of the hall was a large portrait of a white unicorn with its nostrils flared. Its horn was pointing directly to the starry sky as it reared its front legs. It was frothing and its breath came out in puffs of cloud against the cold night air.

"Chudley Cannons," Hermione said quickly, looking her shoulder every few seconds. Harry had chosen that password for Ron so he would know it as well. The magical horse like creature looked at her for a brief second and whinnied softly. The picture merged itself into a little cul-de-sac in the wall and Hermione crawled through the slightly smaller then normal entrance.

Being Head Girl definitely has its advantages when she wanted privacy. Harry had made Head Boy as she had expected and sharing a room with him didn't seem so bad. He was her best friend after all, though he wasn't being much of a friend now. It wasn't what she had expected at all. Harry was always sneaking Ginny in when he thought she was asleep. They would keep kissing for hours and their constant love smacks were too much for Hermione to handle. Yet, for some reason, she felt compelled not to say anything about it. It was Harry and Ginny after all. Why should she be upset at their happy relationship? That was the key word--happy. She didn't want anyone to be happy anymore.

The room was very comfortable, with rose colored wallpaper from the floor to the extremely high ceiling. The frames of their beds were sleigh and one was oak wood and the other was a cherry wood instead of matching canopy beds in the dorms. The mattresses were both queen size instead of singles and had down filled golden comforters to cover them. The carpet was a thick wooly mass of burgundy. It nearly devoured ones feet when they would step in. Of course, there was also the blazing fireplace that was shaped like a U with a lion carved in the back.

Hermione's bed was closest to the large bay window that had a good view of the lake. When she came into the room, she tossed her books in between the bed frame and the mattress and she began going through the small dresser beside her bed. She didn't even bother to light any of the candles. She got quickly into her red striped pajamas and snuggled into the warm bed. Hermione squeezed her eyes together with unnecessary strength when she heard the unicorn painting slid to the side.

"Ok, I will come and get you later," Harry whispered. He turned away from the closing portrait and saw Hermione was already in bed. He sucked in a nervous breath. He swished his wand and all the white candles lit themselves. "Hermione?"

No answer.

"I am really sorry. I wish you wouldn't have broken up with Seamus but if that's what you think is best then I understand," he paused and waited for her to say something. He frowned slightly. "Hermione, come on, I seen you in the Great Hall, I know you aren't asleep."

No answer.

"Fine," Harry snapped. "If you want to be a big baby about it, then that's--JUST--FINE!"

The candles dimmed again and hissed as they went out completely. The sound of the portrait sliding to the side once again called out Harry's departure from the room.

Hermione's big brown eyes were wide and stared out the window. A smile was painted happily on her face. She was pleased with herself entirely. She curled up in a ball and hid her head under the covers. Instead of always crying and hoping they would forgive her, she would be her own company. She felt like she was just a worm today but in the morning, she would've went though a metamorphosis and become what she'd always wanted to be.

With such happy thoughts, Hermione's much needed sleep took her away.

**

The next few days that were to pass, passed very smoothly for the bushy haired seventh year. She had severed her ties with the Gryffindors by always sitting as far away from them as possible and even sitting with Luna Lovegood at the Ravenclaw table at dinner. Harry had obviously told Ron and Ginny about her ignoring him the other night because none of them had even tried talking to her. Ginny hadn't even said anything to her about Seamus.

Hermione found herself less and less worried about what they might be up to. She would sit in her private dorm and constantly study or read fiction when the mood was right. In class she didn't try answering every question or helping her classmates like before. She had completely drawn into herself. Hagrid tried talking to her but she just smiled happily at him and kept walking down the hall, her eyes fixed on the air in front of her. The overgrown man could only stare at her in confusion.

Today was a little different though as she stood in front of the large Defense against the Dark Arts door. The sign seemed freshly painted with green and silver letters.

Hermione pulled her hair up in a messy bun and stuck a quill in the side of it. Dropping her bag, she dug through it and pulled out her books and parchment for the class with shaky hands. Hermione remembered all of the run-ins she'd had with Lucius and none of them were pleasant. She couldn't imagine this one being any better. Hermione doubted he would be in such a good mood having Gryffindors in his class anyway.

Hoisting her book back over her shoulder and taking the quill out of her puffy hair, she pushed the door open.

There were plenty of Slytherins already in their seats and writing something on their parchment. A few Gryffindors were as far away from the Slytherins as they could be, wiping dust from the top of their table and sneezing. The room was the same as it always was. Hermione didn't suspect Lucius would have the time to make the room his own yet. The floor was still covered in a thin blanket of dust and dirt. The cabinets that outlined the entire room were crawling with little furry dust bunnies that liked to dirty the classroom with soot when no one was looking. The glass display cases with so caked with grime, no one knew what it was displaying.

She didn't see the professor anywhere. Hermione hoped she wasn't too early--or worse--too late.

"Miss Granger," a deep voice purred behind her. Lucius was coming out of a closet in the back of the classroom. He was wearing beautiful onyx robes (they were covered with dust as well) with blood red stones that clasped all the way down his front. Half of his long white hair that fell to his knees was pulled back in a ruby snake pendant that wrapped itself tight around the silvery locks; the other half hung down to cloak his gray eyes. He was looking at Hermione with a disgusting look on his face.

"Lu...Professor Malfoy," she finished with extreme trouble. She really didn't want to show any courtesy to him but she didn't want to get into too much trouble with him either. Her knees were almost knocking under the Hogwarts robes.

"You will sit up front where I can keep an eye on you. I won't be sitting you with your friends this year," he stated, brushing the dust from one shoulder.

"I don't have friends," she whispered, looking down.

Lucius looked at her with suspicious eyes. "Pity...I wonder why?" he said with a wide grin. "Up front, Miss Granger," he ordered with his index finger pointing in the right direction.

The rest of the students piled in shortly after and he oddly assigned seats for everyone--even the Slytherins. They were all near enough to each though without the Gryffindors getting too much social time as well. Harry sat up front with Hermione but he was clear on the other side, in front of Lucius's desk.

Draco came in last, followed by his two bumbling bodyguards and a long legged Pansy clinging to his arm. He took a seat in the middle row, along with all of his friends. Lucius didn't pay any attention to them.

The new professor seemed alright as the class started. He assigned a chapter out of Vampire Hunting: The Modern Ways for the class to read and sat at his desk, scribbling things into a ledger. It was boring for Hermione since she had already read over it a few times already and found it was a nearly the same in modern vampire hunting as it is in the older ways.

"Now that you've read your chapters," he shot an evil glance at Lavender who was mouthing something to Ron from the top row and obviously had better things to worry about then reading her book, "I suppose you'll be ready for a little question and answer session. The house to answer the most right gets the least amount of homework." His eyes were twinkling with amusement. The professor began walking up and down the aisles. Hermione could almost hear the gasps from most of her house members and she could feel their eyes on her. She didn't look back at them.

"Where was the first vampire found at in 345 B.C.?"

No ones hand went up. Lucius passed Hermione, "Not going to answer that, Mudblood?" he whispered in her earshot only.

Hermione's face went from pale to red in seconds and she raised her hand defiantly at him but he had turned his back on her and was surveying Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. They were flipping through their books. Draco raised his hand, locking eyes with Hermione and smiled. Lucius turned around and looked at Hermione with her hand raised as well. He snorted with laughter.

The professor called on Draco.

"Romania," the younger version of Lucius said.

"Correct. Ten points for Slytherin. Now, what's the spell a hunter would use to stun a full powered vampire?"

Once again Hermione raised her hand, this time with more enthusiasm.

"Pansy Parkinson," Professor Malfoy called.

"Exindestro," she cooed, batting her eyes at Lucius. It sounded more like a pickup line then an answer.

"Correct. Another ten points for Slytherin," he said. His cool gray eyes flashed at Hermione. He was really enjoying this. "What is the only way to become a vampire yourself?"

Hermione hadn't even bothered putting her hand down from the last question and was staring at the chuckling Slytherins with glass shards shooting from her eyes.

"Millicent Bulstrode," he called.

"From the blood in a vampire's heart," the husky seventh year Slytherin said. She shook her fist at Hermione.

"Well, Well, Well, Slytherin has three in a row. I think I will award you with fifteen points, Miss Bulstrode," Lucius said snidely, "and I will assign three rolls of parchment to Gryffindor on the uprising of the vampires in the Bloody Ages and what spells in the modern ages would have helped stop it. Slytherin only has to have one roll turned in. Also, ten points from Gryffindor for no one reading their chapter as instructed."

Hermione stood up instantly. Her anger was bubbling over and her face was the color of a radish. She wasn't mad about losing points or even the ungodly amount of homework she would have to have (not that she was complaining, it WOULD keep her busy) but she wasn't going to let him include her into the mass of idiots. She knew all of those questions and though she didn't read the chapter in his presence she HAD read it. "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" she snapped.

Lucius was in her face in less then five seconds. "I can't do what exactly, Miss Granger?" he said with a cool, yet threatening voice.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the two that were nose to nose.

"You can't favor a house like that," she said, with a less brave sound in her attempt to defy him.

He stepped back. "I can do as I please. When you step into this room, you are stepping into my domain and you WILL DO AS I SAY," he growled, making Hermione plop back into her seat with a terrified look on her face. His eyes seemed to say everything he wanted to say to her. "You will have detention tonight in my office and without going to the Great Hall for dinner. Also, another fifty points from Gryffindor. Everyone thank your Head Girl, Hermione Granger for putting your house in dead last."

**

The rest of the day was no different from the past few days except for ignoring her, people were now hissing and saying rude things to her as well when she passed by. Hermione wasn't even allowed in the common room to study. She was furious by the time dinner was ready to be served and what was worse, her stomach was screaming for food that she wouldn't be having tonight. That added to her annoyed attitude.

So there she was, in the damp dungeons of Hogwarts for the second time today and back in front of the Defense against the Dark Arts door. She was terrified at being alone with a Death Eater. Would he want to perform the Unforgivable Curses on her? No, that was totally illegal. Surely he wouldn't risk his freedom to torture one student.

"Yeah, a Mudblood student," Hermione groaned to herself. She went to open the door but Lucius had already made it there and opened it for her.

"Well, well, I see you have made it at last. Good. Get these on," he tossed her old Slytherin robes and ushered her quickly in so he could shut the door. "Now, I have assignments to look over. I had Filch bring a ladder, so you can start on the cabinets on the left side of the room. Those dust bunnies are causing quite a stirrup in the classroom when I'm away."

Hermione surveyed the room in disbelief. There was no way one person could do all of that alone. "You can't be serious," she said before she could think.

"Tell me, Mudblood, why aren't I serious?" he said with a hint of amusement.

"You can't expect me to get anything done alone. Those dust bunnies will follow right behind me and dirty up what I already worked on! You are mad, Lucius!" she said quickly.

Hermione felt a foot smaller when he stood next to her and glowered at her like she was a bad little child. "Then perhaps a week worth of dinnerless detentions will change your mind about doing my bidding and disrespecting your professor? I will give it to you if you aren't careful, young la--wo--whatever you are. You will address me as Professor Malfoy, you filthy Mudblood, and nothing else. You do not deserve to say my name. Now," he snapped, "what do you say?"

"Sorry..." Hermione said through her teeth, "...Professor Malfoy."

"Correct. Too bad I don't give out points to Muggles. Your cleaning supplies are at the bottom of the ladder. Get out of my sight," he said, turning around and sitting at his desk. He ignored her from that minute on.

Hermione did as she was told. There was a rusty bucket and a scrubbing brush leaning against a large but old ladder that looked like it wouldn't hold a feather for more then five minutes. She filled up the bucket in the backroom and changed into the Slytherin robes that were far too big on her. Hermione thanked her lucky stars there weren't any holes in the bucket and the ladder was stronger then it looked.

The cabinets were worse then Hermione had thought. Every inch of the wood inside was covered in light gray soot. When she stuck the rag in there, little dust bunnies scattered everywhere and hid inside the cracks of the wall. After cleaning out a big spot, Hermione crawled up into the cabinet. She would be damned if they were going to come out and she began scrubbing the walls as well.

"I didn't think you were coming," she heard her professor bellow in an unpleased tone. She poked her head outside of the cabinet to see another light-haired, pale-faced Malfoy carrying two plates of mouth watering lamb and potatoes and a flask of pumpkin juice. Hermione's stomach howled in hunger.

"Mudblood," Draco called. "Stop drooling and get down here."

Despite her hunger pains, she continued scrubbing inside the cabinets. She wouldn't succumb to their taunts and having both of those men insulting her at once was more then she could handle.

"Hey, didn't you hear me, you stupid, nasty Mudblood?" Draco taunted, now underneath her, hitting the bottom of the cabinets with a broom stick. "Don't act like you can't hear me, filth. What are you doing? Reading a book on how not to be walked all over everyday? Nothing in reading can help you there. You're always naturally being walked on because you're a Muggle...a Mudblood. You should be ashamed to even be in Hogwarts."

Lucius chuckled. "Son, leave her be. If she wants to starve, then she shall. Let's eat this disgusting muck they call food before it chills."

Draco shrugged and began walk over. Hermione, filled with anger, poured the dirty bucket of soot water onto the top of his head, leaving his silvery locks a dark gray with black flecks in it.

"YOU BITCH!" Draco screamed. His eyes were wide with disgust. Black thick ooze slide down the front of his face and onto his robes.

His father roared with laughter. It scared Hermione to hear him laugh like that but she joined in quietly. "Get out of here, Draco. Clean up and get to bed. You're a mess."

Draco stared defiantly at Lucius then up at Hermione. "I'll get you, Granger. You better watch yourself," he warned before he stormed off. Hermione had to cover her mouth to stifle her giggles.

"Miss Granger, as I told you before, if you weren't careful you would get a weeks worth of detentions so you better be at my door every evening at the same time with your mind set on cleaning my entire room. I was so afraid I would have to do this myself. It looks like Mudbloods are good for something," Lucius quipped, looking up at Hermione's crestfallen face.