Resentment | Dramione

Chapter 4

Hermione couldn't shake the idea off of who that Half-Blood Prince was, and thus two weeks after their original conversation, she finally had time to go to the library on a chilly Friday, the early of November bringing in some unwanted cold and snow.

But no matter how much she had searched that day, she had found absolutely nothing about a Half-Blood Prince. In not any book was the name mentioned, and it annoyed her greatly.

Complaining to Ron and Harry the next day as they were walking to the Thee Broomsticks, Harry didn't seem all too disappointed in not finding out who it was.

The reason they went to the Thee Broomsticks was quite obvious, for they had heard Slughorn say to professor Flitwick he'd drink a butterbeer there, and Harry was more than eager to retrieve a memory from him, as he had explained.

"What if she looked over here and saw you snogging me? Would you expect her to leave?" Hermione said with a nervous laugh as Ron was complaining about Ginny kissing Dean. Honestly, Granger, you make me want to throw up.

Malfoy? Why are you listening in on my thoughts? Since a few days ago they had reached the second stage, where only dominant thoughts were passed on and any other thoughts were voluntarily. The change had been quite obvious, for she no longer heard Malfoy's complains about Pansy following him around, or Crabbe and Goyle having no brain cells. And no longer would he complain about her studying anymore, either, for it was simply not heard by him.

I wasn't listening in. Your mind just seems to be flooded by all these disgusting thoughts of kissing that Weasel.

In the meantime that she was lost in thoughts, Slughorn had appeared by their side, and Hermione was brutally brought back to reality as he spilled his drink all over her lap. "All hands on deck, Granger." Hermione smiled politely at her teacher, yet silently cursed him for getting her trousers all wet.

"Listen, my boy, in the old days I used to throw together the occasional supper party for the select student or two." Slughorn went on, and Hermione started cleaning the mess with a napkin she had picked up from the table.

She vaguely heard Slughorn asking Harry if he wanted to come, and Hermione swore she never heard Harry reply this polite to any teacher as he gratefully accepted his invitation. "You would be welcome too, Granger." Slughorn said as he turned to her, and Hermione quickly swallowed her drink down.

"I'd be delighted, sir." She replied with a polite smile, and watched as Ron looked as sour as one could look when Slughorn hadn't invited him, and even said his name wrong.

Hermione was expecting for Malfoy to make some comment on why he wasn't invited, for he had seemed to try to get into Slughorn's good books over the last two months of school. But to her surprise, it remained absolutely silent. And she wasn't sure if she should be grateful for that, or concerned.

Ron nodded to her mouth, and made a motion as to wipe his own. Getting the hint, she turned around in her chair in embarrassment, and wiped her mouth clean with her sleeve. And right before she was about to turn back around, a certain white-blonde haired boy caught her eye.

Making direct eye contact with him, she watched with curiosity as his face remained blank and he went straight for the exist of the Three Broomsticks.

This was the second time he was acting strange. What was Malfoy doing here without any of his friends? Hermione tried to focus on her thoughts, or better yet, on the connection between their minds that she could surely feel, but it was more difficult than she had expected to voluntarily get inside someone else's mind.

She hadn't really considered the possibility that she might needed to practice to get inside someone's head when it wasn't flowing free anymore.

After another new ordered butter beer, they at last left the Three Broomsticks, Hermione allowing herself to be supported by the two boys. She might not have been drunk, but she was feeling just slightly tipsy.