Shifted: Book Two

Chapter Nine - Home Sweet Home

Hazel stepped off the Hogwarts express, allowing the cold yet comforting soft air smother her face, the familiar and loving scent of Hogwarts returned to her nose; she was home again.

"The journey from King's Cross Station to Hogwarts seems to feel shorter every time, doesn't it?", Hermione suggested with a bittersweet tone in her voice as she softly nudged Hazel, whose eyes were locked onto the back of Harry's head.

Hazel swiftly broke contact and smiled at Hermione's comment, softly nudging her back. Before Hazel could let out a single word, trouble quickly approached the four Gryffindors.

"I'm surprised the Ministry's still letting you walk around free, Potter", the sharp, snide and sly voice called out from the pale lips of the ivory-toned boy, just metres away.

Once again, to stir up trouble, Draco Malfoy, and his friends (though they seemed to be more like his followers) became the centre of attention for the quartet.

"Better enjoy it while you can!", Draco continued, brushing the loose side of his platinum blonde hair behind his ear as his friends snickered at his comments blatantly.

Harry kept his head low and continued to walk with Ron on one side. Hazel and Hermione swiftly caught up with the two boys ahead as their ears perked up to the patronising comments Draco was planting in Harry's mind.

"I expect there's a cell in Azkaban with your name on it", Draco chuckled, budging his friends impressively, getting each one of them to laugh.

"Just stay away from me!", Harry called out, intensely shifting his body to Draco, inches away from pushing him over.

Fortunately, Ron held Harry back, gripping his hand around Harry's tense muscles, his blood boiled with anger - so hot, even Ron could feel the heat Harry was letting out through his shirt. Draco swiftly, yet somewhat subtly, jumped back, a slight hint of fear ever so quickly twinkled in his lukewarm eyes. He pulled on the collars of his noir jacket and briskly replaced his fearful expression with a confident and condescending one.

"What'd I tell you? He's gone mad", Draco laughed before being interrupted by Hazel's raging voice.

"Shut up! Shut up, Malfoy! Who do you think you are?", Hazel shouted as the duelling groups of friends all stopped in their tracks.

Draco, with a slight intrigued look in his eyes, stepped forward, inches away from her fuming face. He looked Hazel up and down; from the top of her head, where shiny strands of dark brunette sat, then to her hazel eyes, full of anger and disgust. His eyes trailed down to her bottom lip, stamped with a faint tooth-like mark, where Hazel had bitten it to contain her rage. His eyes met with Hazel's for a brief second before his voice was heard, once again. The look in his eyes evaporated, they teased Hazel.

"How dare you speak to me like that", Draco spoke firmly, looking down on Hazel, though he didn't seem unimpressed with her determination to speak up, he somewhat looked amazed.

Hazel scoffed and bit the inside of her bottom lip again, her arms crossed as she took a step forward to Draco, resulting in him to slightly walk back.

"You may be a daddy's boy at home, but here? Your daddy can't look after you here, so back off", Hazel sneered before Hermione took her arm and walked her along, trailing behind Harry and Ron, still rattled with annoyance.

Draco scoffed, his face vanished into disgust as his friends quietly giggled behind him. Draco turned around to nudge them with irritation. He then turned back round again before glancing over at Hazel, who was now ahead of him.

"You'll wish you'd have never spoken to me like that, you filthy Mudblood", he called out, though the four Gryffindors had already walked so far ahead, Draco's snide voice didn't bother them anymore.