But... She's a Malfoy (A Hermione Granger GxG Fanfic)

Chapter 11

Hermione followed Sam as they exited the library. She wasn't sure if Sam was toying with her emotions now that she's the one who's guilty.

Sam walked without looking back at Hermione. They turned around empty lit corridors. Most of the students were in bed at the moment. An hour from now, they would be in trouble if they would get caught.

Hermione wondered if Slytherins were always like this. Wandering around the castle at night. Minding their own business.

Hermione realized she hadn't been this part of the castle before.

As they reached the grounds and the sky shone above them, Hermione finally felt at ease. It was a full moon.

"Sam, exactly where are we headed?" Hermione asked loudly as she kept with Sam's pace. Sam didn't reply.

Hermione was on the verge of doubting again whether she should trust Samantha or not. Hermione licked her lips nervously as she heard no response from Sam and kept her wand ready inside her pocket.

After a minute, Sam came into a halt. And Hermione bumped into her back, almost kissing her hair. Hermione caught a whiff of Sam's hair.

Scents of apple or lavender, Hermione thought dreamily. And how she wanted to touch those.

"There," Sam spoke, bringing Hermione back to reality. Hermione walked beside her and looked around warily.

"What are we looking at?"

"Look closely," Sam said as she pointed towards the trees' branches. And there Hermione saw what seemed to be glowing worms.

"What are they?" Hermione asked in awe, stepping forward to look closer.

"Glow Bugs," Sam answered as she handed the torn page to Hermione. "We used to have these back home, put them inside transparent bulbs. And then there was light."

After Hermione read the torn page, she looked back at the magical worms and couldn't help but be fascinated. "How did you know about this?"

"I saw a trail just inside our common room over there, the tiny window in the dungeons," Sam said.

And as Sam stepped beside her to take a closer look as well, Hermione turned to stare at Sam, her doubts replaced by amazement and something that made butterflies flutter their wings crazily inside her stomach. Sam's face shone against the moonlight, her platinum hair and ice grey eyes as well.

Then Sam kneeled and pointed at some bushes before them. "I think there's a colony under there."

Hermione shook her head and kneeled beside Sam. And there it was, hundreds of worms huddled together like a shining ball of light.

Sam then took a seat on the ground. Hermione followed suit. She didn't want for the night to end. She wanted to talk to Sam, to be with her even just for a little while.

"What's it like in America?" Hermione asked, looking at the glow bugs cuddling before them.

"It's basically the same, to be honest," Sam replied. "We take the same classes. We also have four houses."

"Really? What are they?"

"Ilvermony houses represent the whole witch or wizard: the body, Wampus; the heart, Pukwudgie; the soul, Thunderbird and the mind, Horned Serpent. I was in Horned Serpent."

Hermione listened to Sam, staring at how her lips moved before her and loving how her voice sounds.

"How is the sorting done in Ilvermony?" Hermione asked.

A smile crept on Sam's face as she answered, "It's very very different in Hogwarts. First years are called to stand on the symbol of the Gordian Knot. We then wait for the enchanted carvings to react. If the Horned Serpent wants the student, the crystal found on its forehead will light up. If the Wampus wants the student, it roars. The Thunderbird signifies its approval by beating its wings, and the Pukwudgie will raise its arrow into the air. Should more than one carving signify its wish to include the student in its house, the choice rests with the student."

"That's a bit intimidating," Hermione replied, frowning.

"After finding out their houses, Ilvermorny's first years are shown into the hall where they acquire their first wands," Sam went on.

"You don't have wands before you get sorted?"

"We're not allowed to have wands before starting our first year."

Then another silence crept in as Hermione digested all the new information in.

"So... where do you think a muggle born like me get sorted to if I was in America?"

Sam stared at her then looked back at the glowing worms, "Muggle-borns are called No-Maj in America. One of the co-founders of our school is a No-Maj."

"That's... wonderful," Hermione said.

"I think you're going to be in Wampus, because you're a warrior.... but you could also be in Horned Serpent. As clever as you, it would be no wonder."

"I'm not really sure about that." Hermione chuckled softly then she bit her lips to prevent herself from smiling giddily.

There was a moment of silence afterwards. But it was a good kind of silence, Hermione thought.

"Sam?"

"Mm?"

"You know I'm really sorry, right?" Hermione said nervously as she looked at Sam. Then Sam turned to look at her too, her eyes piercing before her and a smile drew on her face.

"It's okay, Hermione, besides.... I can't really hold a grudge on someone. Especially you."

And Hermione quickly looked away, pretended that she was still amazed by the magical worms. But in truth, she was scared if the moonlight from the skies above could reveal how red she was right now in the face.