Why We Fight

Part 14:
Poor Ickle Ferret
(Saturday, September 3, 1977 - Continued...)

Fortunately or unfortunately -- depending on how you looked at it -- Draco wasn't seriously injured: he had a minor concussion, a broken arm and a couple of broken ribs. He had to stay in the infirmary until he healed but he'd be back to his not-so-charming self in a couple of days' time. Probably sooner considering the fact that he was a very demanding patient and was driving poor Madam Pomfrey crazy.

With horror, Madam Pomfrey had watched Sirius Black, James Potter, and Remus Lupin enter the infirmary, covered in mud and grass stains from the Quidditch tryouts. They spent as much time in detention and in the infirmary as they did in their classes. She stared from Draco to the three and winced. She was going to be mending a lot of things in the next year, she just knew it.

She started out of the infirmary to talk to Professor Flaherty about brewing some Draught of Living Death in the hopes that it would save her fraying nerves by putting Mr. Aquilus to sleep. Or possibly her. "Oh, hello, Peter," she said as Peter Pettigrew rounded the corner toward the infirmary from Professor Flaherty's room where he'd been serving detention.

"Are my friends in the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey?" Peter asked. He wasn't sure why he had asked, he already knew the answer and the woman affirmed his thought with a nod. Peter sighed and realized that he was actually quite relieved that he hadn't made the Quidditch team when he'd tried out in his second year. Especially since he was quite accident-prone without the added help of broomsticks, Bludgers, Quaffles, and Beaters.

The woman smiled at him and Peter continued on. He arrived just in time to hear his friends talking to Draco about the results of the tryouts. "You did good, mate," James stated. "Welcome to the Gryffindor Quidditch team." He shook Draco's hand enthusiastically.

"I didn't mean..." Remus started. Draco arched a brow at Remus. "Okay, I did mean to do it..."

Draco nodded slowly. "I know you did," he stated. "No hard feelings."

Remus smirked and Peter made his presence known. "You passed your second test," Peter said, grinning widely. Although, it was more of a question than a statement.

"When you're out of the infirmary, we were planning to sneak in some firewhisky and have a party on the pitch. And then you'll get your third task," James stated. He took out a piece of parchment from the satchel slung over his back. "Your second prize."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "I almost died and all I get is a piece of parchment?" he asked.

Sirius smirked. "There's a secret to it...you figure it out and I solemnly swear you'll get your third mission," he stated. Remus frowned, shoving a hand through his light brown hair.

James rolled his eyes and winked at the blonde. "You just have to promise that you're up to no good," he stated.

The four left the infirmary and Remus found himself running into a brunette as she entered the infirmary. She fell onto her butt and ended up in a similar position to the day before: in an ungraceful heap before her future best friend's godfather. "Hermione, nice running into you again," Sirius said, his obsidian eyes full of mirth as he helped her up.

"You too," she stated, dusting herself off. "Is he still awake?"

The mirth left Sirius's eyes but Hermione didn't notice. "He is. You'd better hurry, Madam Pomfrey's about ready to close the infirmary for the night."

Hermione nodded her thanks as she walked past the three Marauders and into the infirmary. Remus let out a low whistle as Sirius watched Hermione brush past. "You've got it bad, Padfoot," he stated.

"Shut up, Moony," he scowled as he, Remus and Peter walked toward the Gryffindor dorms. James taking the other direction to the Head Boy and Girl's dorm.

---

When Hermione noticed Draco, he was engrossed in a piece of parchment. Wonder if this is like the diary that Father gave the little Weaselette second year, he mused. He rescued a quill and a pot of ink from the satchel that lie haphazardly on the chair by his bed. I am Draco, he wrote. The letters dissolved into the parchment.

Mr. Moony says that Draco has to promise.

Mr. Padfoot thinks that Draco is a moron. He's not getting it write...

Getting it write? Draco mused. Someone needs to work on their grammar skills...

Mr. Prongs disagrees with Mr. Padfoot and thinks Draco is up to too much good.

Mr. Wormtail solemnly agrees with Mr. Prongs.

Mr. Wormtail doesn't seem to have a mind of his own, Draco scowled. Hermione frowned. "Is that what I think it is?" Hermione asked. Draco jumped slightly and let out a little yelp as he aggravated his bruised body.

"Doubt it...it's just a blank piece of parchment," Draco scowled, he tried to hide it but Hermione grabbed it.

Hermione turned away from Draco, placed her wand on the parchment and said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Before her eyes, the blank piece of parchment became a detailed map of Hogwarts. Her eyes widened as she noticed the two dots marked with Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. I definitely need to find a way to fix that, she mused, tapping the map again. "Mischief managed." She turned to face Draco, brandishing the map. "Where did you get this?"

"What is it?" Draco asked, bored.

"Where. Did. You. Get. This?" she repeated.

"James, Sirius, Remus and Peter gave it to me," Draco stated. "I can't believe they'd give this to--to a Slytherin," she cried, spitting the word Slytherin as if it was the worst thing she could ever say to anyone. Draco smirked as his eyes danced to the green and silver tie and the Slytherin seal emblazoned on Hermione's robe.

"You're one too," he replied. Hermione smacked his side where the bandages wrapped around his ribs. He cried out. "Bloody hell, you sadistic bitch!"

"Poor ickle ferret," Hermione patronized and Draco glared at her, holding his injured ribs.

"You are a cruel, callous woman, Granger," he stated.

Hermione's eyebrows rose. "I am? I'm not the one who tried to get our teachers sacked, almost had a poor hippogriff killed...and whose family abuses poor house-elves!" she stated. She said the last as if it was the worst offense that the Malfoy family could have ever committed.

Draco smirked and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'm a bad, bad man. Tell me something that I don't already know," he said, his voice deadpan.

Hermione scowled at him. "Why did I come to see you again?" she asked.

"Because I'm so devastatingly handsome," Draco suggested.

"Devastatingly annoying is more like it," Hermione sniffed. "Goodnight, Malfoy."

"G'night, Granger," Draco replied as the brunette walked out. Draco watched the soft sway of her hips as she left and wondered what she'd look like without those bloody robes to hide his view of that tantalizingly short skirt. His eyes widened. Bloody hell! She did mess with my mind... he thought. He frowned as he realized that she had taken the parchment. What the hell was so special about that?

---

Hermione yawned as she entered the Head common room, Lily was nowhere to be seen but a black-haired boy sat in the corner of the room. Hermione's eyes widened. "Harry?" she asked hopefully.

The boy looked up and Hermione realized that it was just James wearing glasses as he looked over his homework. He quickly pulled off his glasses and put them away. "Er...who's Harry?" he asked.

Hermione frowned. "He's a friend of mine...from Agnitio. You looked a lot like him for a moment," she said.

James smirked. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" he asked.

Hermione smiled. "It's a good thing, believe me. Harry's been my dearest friend since I was eleven. He and Ron...they're the closest thing I have to brothers," she said.

James smiled warmly at her. "Glad to remind you of home," he said.

Hermione took a seat on the scarlet sofa. "It's nice to be reminded of home," she said.

"What about Draco?" he asked.

Hermione bit her bottom lip. "Let's just say that Draco...is, well...he's Draco. That's all there is to describe him," she said. Well, the only way to describe him without using the words "arrogant rat-faced bastard" among others, she added mentally. She yawned. "I'd better get to bed."

James nodded, put his glasses back on and went back to his homework. Hermione grabbed her journal and began to write.

September 3, 1977

Another day has passed and I still have no idea how to get back to the future. Ron, never, ever call Professor Snape evil again. He's like Mother Teresa compared to the horrible monster that calls himself a Potions Master: Professor Flaherty.

I met Draco's mother, Narcissa, today. She is a sixth year Slytherin and is already engaged to marry the house-elf abusing, Dark Arts-practicing, general bastard/school governor/Death Eater Lucius Malfoy. I feel so sorry for her. In three years, she'll be married to that jerk and have Draco. Poor, poor woman.

I have some rather scary news on my front -- Harry, Ron, I'm a Slytherin. I know, it's horrible, isn't it? I -- Hermione Jane Granger -- am a Slytherin! I'm so glad that I get to share the Head Girl's room...I don't even want to think about what the Slytherins would do if they found out about my parents.

You'll never believe it...but Malfoy, he's a Gryffindor! Draco Malfoy, spawn of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, Juvenile Death Eater, ferret-boy and all-around rat bastard is now a Gryffindor. I think the Sorting Hat's lost its mind. (Does the Sorting Hat have a mind to lose?)

Harry, Malfoy's the Keeper on the Gryffindor Quidditch team with your dad -- Seeker, Snuffles -- Beater, Euan Abercrombie's dad or relative (I assume) Owen Abercrombie -- Beater, Professor Lupin -- Chaser (don't know how he does it with his condition), Regulus Black -- Chaser, and David Stebbins -- Chaser.

Harry, I wish you could be here. Then you could see Sirius again...and meet your parents. You'd adore them...your father reminds me a lot like Fred and George. He's really nice and he's mad for your mum. Your mum's oblivious but I think he's going to invite her to the Halloween dance.

You'll never believe who asked me to go to the Halloween Masque with him: Professor Snape (never, ever let him see this). Don't you dare laugh! He's really nice when you get to know him -- we talked over breakfast about Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. And after the cruel and evil Professor Flaherty took seventy points from Slytherin because of me (stupid Malfoy's fault), he was the only Slytherin that didn't want to use an Unforgivable on me.

Love,
Hermione

Hermione stared at the journal for the longest time before retreating back into the common room. Lily had entered the room from her patrol and had lain out her homework. "Um, Lily, do you have a blank notebook I could borrow?" Hermione asked.

Lily frowned at the Slytherin. "Sure," she said, retrieving a Muggle spiral notebook.

"Thanks, Lily," the brunette said, going back into the Head Girl's room. Lily watched the girl go and stared curiously after her. With a shake of her head, she went back to work on her homework.

Once in the safety of the Head Girl's room, Hermione cast a Protean charm on the two notebooks. In her original notebook, she wrote Hermione Granger on the inside of the cover. In the second book, the same words appeared. Hermione smiled at her handiwork and hid her original journal. She left the Head Girl's room and walked to Dumbledore's office, uttering the password.

The gargoyle moved to the side and Hermione went up the spiral staircase into the Headmaster's office. Inside, Dumbledore talked with a man that seemed very vaguely familiar to her. He was tall with dark hair held back in a ponytail. "Thank you for your concern, Damian," Professor Dumbledore said.

The man turned and Hermione stared at him as he brushed past her like she didn't even notice her. The man was handsome with black hair, a chiseled face, olive skin and dark brown eyes. There was a coldness in his eyes that she'd seen before...in Lucius Malfoy's eyes. She shivered and continued into the office. "Er...Professor, could you save this for my friends, Harry and Ron...they're Gryffindors, sixth years in 1996?" she asked. "They're probably worried about me." She handed the notebook to the man and he nodded.

"Very well, Miss Granger, you'd best be getting to your common room, it's almost curfew," the man said, his blue eyes twinkling. Hermione smiled and exited his office. Dumbledore smiled after the girl and carefully tucked the book in his desk drawer.