Why We Fight

As soon as Hermione got over the fact that Draco's parents wanted to do him, she actively joined in conversation with the Marauders. Sirius was their rebellious clown, Remus was their sensible side, James was the obvious leader, and Peter hung onto their every word, adding bits to the conversation. Hermione was finding it difficult to understand why Peter, who obviously adored his friends, would turn on them like he did. Unless Peter was a better actor than he seemed.

Or something in the next four years would cause a rift between them. Maybe it had something to do with what Dumbledore had told Harry after the raid. Harry had been different since then and wouldn't tell her or Ron anything. She dwelled on her thoughts, only joining in when she was addressed directly. Eventually, Hermione's monosyllabic responses were called to the front. "Hermione," Sirius drawled.

Hermione's eyes widened as she looked at Sirius, not unlike a deer in headlights. "Um...what?" she asked.

"Tell us about yourself," Sirius stated. Hermione paled considerably.

"Well...um...there's not much to tell actually," Hermione stammered. "I was born September 19, 19...60. I was born in London. Er...I've got a younger sister named Annabel. I started Agnitio in...1972 and that's where I met Draco. We didn't like each other very much in the beginning, he thought I was beneath him..." she trailed off and blushed as Sirius sent her a winning grin at her possible double entendre. "You're horrible, Sirius."

"You don't know how many times a day he hears that from lovely ladies," Remus said with a wink at Hermione.

Sirius sniffed. "Stuff it, Remy," he stated in a mocking tone.

"Very mature, Siri," Remus cajoled, his tone as mocking as his friend's. James grinned; he was thoroughly enjoying his friends' idiotic banter. Remus's blue eyes settled on Hermione and nodded his head in a "go on" motion.

Hermione took a bite of her toast, chewing it thoughtfully as she tried to figure out what she could tell them without telling too much. "Tell 'em about the troll," James said. Good idea, rough sketches, she mused.

"The troll?" Sirius asked.

"Well, in my first year at Agnitio..." she started then relayed the tale of the troll. Sirius, Peter, and Remus stared at her.

"Wow...a troll," Peter murmured. "Was it big?"

"No, Peter, it was little," Sirius stated with a roll of his dark eyes.

"So...second year?" Sirius asked.

"Er...well, really normal, actually," Hermione stated. She wasn't sure how she could explain to them about the Chamber of Secrets and the basilisk without mentioning Voldemort or the Boy Who Lived. Especially since the Boy Who Lived had only lived because of his parents' sacrifice.

Sirius didn't seem to believe her response but didn't press the matter. "And third year?" Remus asked.

"I'll tell you...later," she said, paling slightly. Much, much, much later, she mused.

"Fourth year?" Peter asked, he had been enthralled about her tale of the troll and was eager to learn more about the mysterious Slytherin.

Hermione chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Nothing much," Hermione said. "Rather boring, really. Except for the Yule Ball." Hermione decided that now would be a time to supply the tale of her "courtship" with Draco. He had looked at her quite oddly that night and had ignored Pansy. Hermione had almost believed that he was actually jealous. "Well, before fourth year, Draco and I hated each other. Then the Yule Ball came and things changed..." She allowed herself a dreamy grin.

Sirius looked petulant and Remus chuckled softly. Interestingly enough for a girl so smart, Hermione seemed oblivious to Sirius's infatuation with her. "My parents had bought me these beautiful blue dress robes and I had taken Parvati's advice on fixing my hair. Harry and Ron didn't even recognize me. They became slobbering idiots when they saw me."

Hermione could picture the events in her mind. She had hoped that her friends would realize that she was actually a girl. And maybe, just maybe, Harry would look at her; really look at her and fall in love.

She'd had the biggest crush on Harry since they'd first become friends...and had wanted to get back at him for his affections on Cho Chang. That was the main reason that she'd gone with Viktor to the Yule Ball. Viktor had been a really nice guy and Hermione had gotten over Harry because of him. He had proven to her that friends didn't have to end up "together" in the end like the telly and movies preached. And no matter what Ron thought, she and Viktor were just friends. "And...?" Peter interrupted her thoughts. The brunette blushed.

She swallowed hard. "I danced with them for a while and then in came Draco. He wore black velvet dress robes with an ice-blue silk shirt and gray trousers. The ice-blue color turned his eyes the color of the sea under a storm, a sort of blue-gray color that I'd never seen before. He looked amazing." Draco had looked amazing at the Yule Ball, she realized. The black velvet dress robes he had worn had reminded her of a song she'd heard her mother singing once. "Black velvet and that little boy smile, black velvet with that slow southern style, a new religion that'll bring ya to your knees, black velvet if you please."

Hermione was lost in her tale, Peter's brown eyes were glued to her as he listened intently. "He saw me, thinking I was some exotic new girl that he'd never seen before. He asked me to dance and I accepted; I figured I could always taunt him about dancing with a Muggle-born later." Hermione was so involved in her storytelling that she didn't realize that she had admitted that she was Muggle-born to the Marauders. "He was the greatest dancer...we talked between dances and he turned out to be incredibly witty and charming--" If only that would happen in real life, Hermione mused. "He kissed me and I saw my future in his eyes. I had fallen in love with Draco Aquilus."

Sirius made a retching sound and Hermione realized that her audience was completely comprised of males, seventeen-year-old males. Although Parvati and Lavender would have loved it, gushing about how romantic it was. Hermione blushed. It was definitely a fanciful yarn. Draco Malfoy would never fall in love with a Muggle-born. Not that Hermione cared, of course...