Acceptance

"You stupid mudblood!" Draco Malfoy yelled at his lab partner, a short brown-haired girl, who was running around frantically after a small white rat. The girl, Hermione Granger, squeaked just like the rat that had disappeared under a bookshelf.

"Professor!" She cried. "Professor McGonagall!" Flopping to the ground Hermione peered under the shelf, trying to catch sight of the rat.

A tall, thin woman leered over her. "Miss Granger, what is going on?" she asked, annoyed.

"She's gone and transfigured my wand into a bloody rodent," Draco screamed, ignoring the fact that the question was directed at Hermione, not him. A shriek pierced the air, and the three of them turned around.

"Miss Brown, please get off the table," Professor McGonagall said calmly. Lavender Brown shook her head in fear. The students around her had a look of confusion on their faces, as they had no idea what had startled Lavender.

"Don't just sit on your bloody arses. Catch that rat!" Draco ordered the class.

Chaos immediately followed. All the students ran around, bumping into each other, following the wand/rat ("Gross! Look at its tail!" Pansy Parkinson squealed.) Professor McGonagall tried desperately to calm the class, but was knocked over by Draco who was being chased by Hermione. He had spilled ink all over her blouse and homework.

Out of the corner of her eye Hermione spotted a furry white creature streaking across the floor. She pounced on the rat, clutching it with two hands. Her momentum carried her into a roll until she crashed into a bookshelf. The books flew out, pummeling the students. Two hit each other and exploded, scorching the hair on Vincent Crabbe's head.

Hermione muttered the counter spell quickly, oblivious to the damage she had caused. She held up the wand in triumph, only to notice the state of the classroom.

"Twenty points from Slytherin and Gryffindor each," said a homicidal-looking Professor McGonagall. Her tight bun had partly come out and was hanging at the side of her head. The point of her hat had flopped over.

"Professor..." Hermione started, shocked that her own head of house had taken points away from her.

"And detention for the both of you," their Professor finished. She turned to the rest of the class, in a very impatient voice, "You all are free to go. Stop by the Hospital wing if you are so inclined, to take care of any cuts or bruises that you might have."

The class silently filtered out of the room, being careful to not upset their teacher's wrath. Draco and Hermione moved to follow, but were motioned by Professor McGonagall to stay behind.

"The two of you will meet in my office at seven o'clock sharp this evening to discuss your detentions." They nodded in unison. "You may leave now."

The two students hastily grabbed their bags and left the class.

Hermione headed down the corridor towards the Great Hall. She hoped to catch up with her two best friends: Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. Turning a corner she noticed that she was being followed.

"Go away Malfoy," Hermione scowled, yet kept on walking.

"Granger, give me my wand," muttered Draco.

She turned to face him, "I think not. You called me a m..." she stuttered.

"Mudblood?" he said, trying to seem nonchalant.

Hermione turned red. "There you go again!"

"What's wrong?" he mocked. "Don't like me calling you that? Mudblood?" Draco spat, then gathering up more confidence he said it again, "Mudblood?"

Bursting into tears Hermione fled down the hall, not paying any attention to where she was going.

"Wait!" Draco said, shocked by her reaction, "just give me the damn wand first!" He watched her round a corner. "I didn't really mean it," he muttered as an after thought.

"Where's Mione?" Ron asked Harry.

Harry swallowed and replied, "I think McGonagall held her late."

"This is quite late enough, don't you think?" Harry mumbled something incomprehensible. "You think we should swing by the Transfiguration room, perhaps? You know, say 'Hi' or something? She really could use some moral support, being stuck with Malfoy and all. I mean, I'd appreciate someone checking on me, making sure I'm still alive and all. Malfoy's a bastard. He really is, you know that. Right, Harry? Harry?"

Harry was staring off at the Ravenclaw table, his mouth hanging open. Ron slapped him on the head.

"Yow! What was that for?" Harry stuttered.

"You were staring at Cho again. She's very attractive and all, nice ass, but don't we have more important issues to cover?"

"Um...perhaps?" Harry tried to pay attention.

Ron frowned. "The well-being of our best friend for one. Really Harry, don't you think Hermione is more important than a very attractive Fifth Year?" He was answered with silence. "Fine then, I'm going without you," Ron declared and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked, confused.

Sighing in frustration Ron answered, "You'll figure it out," then left the Great Hall with Harry scrambling to catch up.

They quickly arrived at Professor McGonagall's office, and knocked on the door. No answer, only a hollow echo.

"What the hell!" Ron fumed.

"Well, everyone knows that McGonagall's a little deaf. Perhaps we should go in?" Harry suggested.

The color drained from Ron's face. "But what if Malfoy is holding Hermione captive or something?"

"Then we have to help her!"

The two boys stood before the door, staring at the doorknob.

"Well," Ron started, "would you like to open it?"

"Not really."

"Fine, I'll do it," Ron said and yanked the door open, his hand shaking slightly. He stuck his head inside and looked around. The room was empty. "No one's home, lets go."

"What? Where could she have gone?" Harry said, utterly confused.

"Beats me. Perhaps she's in the common room."

Hermione found herself in an unfamiliar corridor. A thin layer of dust covered the scattered portraits and menacing suits of armour seemed to be guarding something. She turned around, going back the way she came, yet she seemed to be going farther and farther away from everything familiar. The chill and musty air made her shiver; she wished that she had brought her sweater with her.

"Stupid Hermione," she muttered to herself, "gone and got yourself lost."

She sighed and leaned against a wall. She gasped at the feel of the cold stone then slumped down onto the ground. A single tear fell down her cheek and landed on the ground. She was afraid, felt lonely and helpless. Helpless. Her one true fear. Not being able to do anything for herself, everyone taking care of her like a sacred gem, shut up in a steel case away from the sunlight. Even worse, lying defenseless in her own blood. Harry and Ron dead, and she couldn't do anything about it. Hermione curled up into a ball on the ground, resting her head on her bag, and fell into a distraught sleep.

The after-dinner rush of students to their dorms always annoyed Draco. He hated being pestered by little first years trying to suck up to him and the power of his family. Not feeling very well, he decided to leave the Hall early and avoid the commotion.

He was humming to himself, (an old folksong about a massacre that took place near Malfoy Manor hundreds of years ago) not really looking where he was going, when he tripped over something. His arms flailed, trying to stop his fall, but to no avail. Draco landed on something soft. It was cursing.

"What the bloody fuck!" shrieked a female voice from below him.

Still adjusting to the shock of being woken up, Hermione flailed her arms, grabbing onto Draco, trying to figure out what was going on. She latched onto his forearms and froze in panic. Draco struggled to get out of her death grip.

"Granger, stop groping me," he demanded.

Hermione opened her eyes as she recognized Draco's voice. She gasped and shrunk away from him.

"What?" she stuttered.

"Let go of me."

"I..." Hermione started, then realized that Draco was sitting on top of her. She screamed and rolled out from underneath him. Quickly, she stood up, leaving her bag on the ground by her feet. Before Hermione could react Draco snatched it off the floor and began rummaging through it.

"Give it back, you bastard!" Hermione lunged at him. He twisted around, causing her to a wall.

"Now where could my wand be?" Draco muttered to himself. He pulled out a silver bracelet. "What's this?" He placed it in his back pocket.

"Malfoy!"

"I'll keep it until I get my wand back."

She reached out to get her bracelet, and Draco laughed, "Can't keep your hands off of me, eh?" Hermione blushed. "Where the fuck did you put my wand?"

"Give me my bag back and I'll get it for you."

"Why should I do that?"

"Because," Hermione grinned, "it's in a secret pocket."

"What the...take it," he thrust the bag at her.

"First give me my bracelet."

"Wand."

Hermione frowned. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because you know you want to reach into my butt pocket," Draco smirked, triumphantly at the look of disgust on Hermione's face.

She took the wand out of her bag and lobbed it at Draco's face. He caught it. Pointing the wand at him, Hermione said coldly, "Now give me my bracelet."

He hesitated; she took a step forwards. "Fine, fine, what's so special about it anyways?" Draco handed it over.

"You wouldn't care," Hermione hastily stuffed in into her bag. She spun around to leave. "Shit," she muttered, "Malfoy, where am I?"