The Secret War | Dramione

Chapter 1

What are you looking at Granger? Draco thought to himself, as he shifted in his seat at the Slytherin table. Hermione's glare was piercing and full of contempt. Draco looked away from her, nonplussed. He knew very well what she was thinking, and he didn't care. She and the rest of the wizarding world would have to get used to the changes that were to come, now that Voldemort had returned.

Hermione's hands were shaking. She tried to keep her glass steady but it was no use.

Dumbledore had asked the students in the Great Hall to stand and honor Cedric's memory with a toast, but many of the Slytherins had remained seated...defiant...flat out refusing to honor the boy that had died at the hands of Lord Voldemort.

She wasn't the only Gryffindor to notice, but no one wanted to make a scene. They were all exhausted, tired from their sleepless nights of mourning Cedric, and wondering what was going to happen now that Voldemort had returned.

Pansy Parkinson whispered something into Malfoy's ear, and he stifled a laugh.

A vein in Hermione's temple throbbed.

Malfoy and the other Slytherins would go home this summer, and listen to their parent's plots...former Death Eaters now ready to rejoin Lord Voldemort. They would become accomplices to their parent's crimes, then return to Hogwarts at summer's end as if they'd taken no part in anything at all...

Hermione's blood chilled as Draco's gaze fell on her. He gave her a weary look, letting her know that her anger made no difference to him, Cedric's death meant nothing to him. She wasn't surprised, but still...there was something that unsettled her. Their meeting at the Yule Ball had shifted something between them.

Hermione looked into her glass, and the sounds of the Great Hall faded away as she let her thoughts wander back to that night...

MONTHS EARLIER, THE YULE BALL

Ron was shouting at her, but she was no longer listening. He had come up with the ridiculous notion that she'd betrayed Harry by accepting Krum's invitation to the ball.

"You're going to help him win the tournament!" Ron shouted.

Hermione gaped at him.

As if she wanted Viktor to win over Harry!

And speaking of Harry, he was no help. He was sitting next to the pair of them, staring up at the ceiling, hoping that the argument would end as quickly as possible.

Hermione stood. She'd had enough. Ron was completely irrational and he was spiraling out of control.

She ran away from him, tears burning her eyes.

Why did he have to ruin everything? 

It had been a perfect night with Krum until now.

Hermione left the Great Hall and stormed down a corridor.

She knew Ron wished he'd asked her to the ball himself, but he just didn't have the guts. He was too afraid to tell her how he really felt, and she was tired of waiting.

"I see you got your teeth sorted out, Granger," said a familiar, drawling voice.

Hermione froze. She'd stormed blindly down the halls, not seeing where she was going. She spun around. Malfoy stood behind her, a smirk on his face. He was the last person she wanted to see, especially now that she was in tears and caught unawares.

She looked at him coldly, remembering the fight he'd had with Harry in the dungeons. They'd tried to jinx each other and Malfoy's spell ricocheted and hit her full in the face, causing her to sprout fangs. Luckily, Madam Pomfrey had sorted her out quite nicely.