Bookworm's Books
Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger
Post-Hogwarts/Hogwarts
Rated: T
Romance/Friendship
Estimated Chapters: Unknown. This could be long, or short.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
There may be very minor timeline changes but only dates, ages, and such also character addition. so prepare yourselves.
Chapter Unu (Chapter Numbering will be done in Romanian)-
Hermione Granger sat in the newly restored Hogwart's Library, snuggled up with her favorite book, Hogwarts a History.
After the war Hermione and many of her year returned to Hogwarts to retake their seventh year. After being sent letters from the new headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, receivers of the letters were those whose seventh year was taken from them by the war. Almost all of the Slytherins returned that hadn't died in battle. Many realizing that without a document claiming their education concluded from a magical school the likelihood of obtaining job offers had decreased significantly.
The table had turned apparently. Those who had been on Voldemort's side were now left with very little, no job offers, family missing or imprisoned, homes destroyed, foreclosed, or not livable from the terrible memories they held.
That was the one thing that angered Hermione.
She fought a war not only for her best friend's sake, but so every witch, wizard, and creature would be treated fairly, not just flipped so she had it easier.
Over this year she had become fast friends with Theodore Nott, Astoria Greengrass, Blaise Zabini, Adrian Pucey, Pansy Parkinson, and even Draco Malfoy. Admittingly things hadn't started out so smoothly in the beginning. Words were yelled, hexes and curses thrown, fist's swung, you name it, it happened.
During those grueling first four weeks Hermione had never yearned for Harry and Ron by her side, more than ever. After living with her two best friends for quite some time; being with them twenty-four-seven seemed only natural.
Six years solidly Hermione, Harry, and Ron had all gone to Hogwarts together. Going back without them almost broke Hermione.
"Harry, Ron, if you two aren't returning to Hogwarts, neither am I."
"Hermione" Harry smiled, shaking his head and a laugh sounding from his lips, "You love knowledge more than anything, you're going to return to Hogwarts with or without Ron and I. Besides Ginny will be there, Neville, Lavender, and Luna too."
"But Harry-"
"No buts Mione, Harry's right." Ron interjected, "we'll be starting Auror training soon, but I promise we'll both come and visit you during Hogsmeade weekends and such." Ron smiled down at Hermione, wrapping her in his arms. "It'll be okay Mione, we'll always be best friends"
"Oh, alright but you better come see me at Hogsmeade."
"Of course we will. It's not like we'll be up to our ears in training or anything." Harry joked joining the small group hug.
"Hey Doll," Hermione jumped, started out of her thoughts by words being whispered into her ear; whipping out her wand, the vine engraved wood came to point with Charlie Weasley's nose. Seeing who the intruder was Hermione lowered her wand.
"Sorry Charlie, reflexes...the war ya now" his only response was a slight nod of the head conveying there was no need for any explanation, before he immediately brightened the mood.
"Whatcha up to, love?"
"Nothing much, only reading" Charlie Weasley smiled his charming white-toothed grin. Hermione had to admit when Charlie first started out as the Care of Magical Creatures professor she had a small...okay big crush on him. Of course Charlie never treated her as a student; always giving her hugs, and kissing her temple; Hermione's knees had given out a few too many times. Now, though, he was one of her best friends, maybe even more than Harry, or tied. And we can't forget about Theo, Merlin forbid we forget Theo! Man that lad was packed with energy, always on a sugar high. He too was one of her favorite friends, they had struck up this unlikely friendship on the first day of potions..
"Mornin' Class, I'm Professor Winnora Mortem" The woman held herself in a self confident stance, she showed little to no expression and had a small smirk upon her face, perfect for the Slytherin's new Head of House. She was American, according to her accent, but she didn't posses a southern tilt, nor one from the east coast. She was small in height, Hermione figured she only had an inch on the professor if lucky, two. Her blonde hair was twisted back out of her face and withheld by her wand; a few strands of hair framed her face. On her nose sat dark double bridge Plano eyeglasses framing her blue eyes. Her eyes though was not the feature everyone looked at with fear and a mix of curiosity. Dark blue ink seemed to outline the deep-set looking scars that mangled down half of the professors face and all about her neck, her cloak hiding the rest from view.
"I know you are all curious as to who I am, so I will allow each of you to ask one question and one question only, think it through and make it good." Prof. Mortem sat up on top of her desk letting her legs dangle because they wouldn't reach the floor. "State name then question. You may begin whenever you like. I still have a lesson to teach, so get on with it."
"Seamus Finnigan. How old are you?" about every girl in the room face palmed, the one question a guy should never ask a lady is inquiry about her age, Seamus got a nice elbow to the ribs from Lavender as a hint. The professor's reaction was not what Hermione expected, not in the least. She laughed, not a loud booming laugh like Charlie's, but a chuckle.
"Well, I'm intrigued by your blunt curiosity, and I'm of the age of 38," "alright, who's next."
"Blaise Zabini. What house were you in here at Hogwarts?" Blaise's question confused Hermione at first, had the professor said she had attended Hogwarts?
"Excellent question Mr. Zabini. I was a Slytherin."
"Are those scars or a tattoo on your face professor?" Hermione realized that the question had come from the person sitting to her right, Neville.
"Both, and I can see you are the bravest out of your class young man, what is your name?"
"Neville. Neville Longbottom." There was a flash of something, sadness Hermione guessed, that crossed the professor's face but was quickly sealed. She had known Neville's parents. 38, if she was 38 she would have been in Alice, Frank, Sirius, James, Remus, Lily, and Snape's year back at school.
"I knew your parents." She didn't elaborate after that, just looked around waiting for the next question.
Goyle raised his hand, "Gregory Goyle Professor how did you get such scarring?"
"werewolf" Hermione could see everyone in the room stiffen, especially Lavender who sat right in front of Neville, next to Seamus.
"Trevor Walwood. Would you tell us the story?"
"Aye, I will. I warn; it ain't for the faint of heart" The look Prof. Mortem gave the class said she was waiting for someone to leave. "I was twelve, I had just returned home from my first year at Hogwarts. My family was American, we had recently moved to England right before I had got my Hogwart's letter. I'm muggle born. So my parents knew very little about the wizarding politics that had currently been going on, there was little to no way for them to know. Those days were different though; it wasn't like it had been right before the second war. There was no warning, no preparation, nothing. ...That night there was an attack on my house, I remember being awoken by being physically lifted out of my bed and thrown into my wall, I couldn't see who had attacked me, my leg and head hurt, I wasn't wearing my glasses. I crawled around to my night table and grabbed my glasses; there was no one in my room. That's when I heard a scream. A gut wrenching, toe curling, hair rising scream, I realized it was my mother's. I grabbed my wand and tried to make my way to my parent's room, I bounced against the walls; I wasn't able to keep my balance. When I made it to their room, like mine, there was no one there except my parents. I stared into the room, my mom had her eyes open, and her neck was twisted in a weird angle. Blood seemed to seep out of each and every one of her pores, and my dad hung from a levitating noose half his face was disintegrated like someone had poured acid all over it. I tried to walk forward but I was grabbed from behind, and taken outside into the eerily quiet street, the people were cloaked in black robes and silver masks"
"Death Eaters" someone whispered.
"Yes, death eaters but back then they were known as Knights of Walpurgis. I was taken to a location I still don't know of today. I met him, Tom Riddle Jr., he was human-like but his eyes they weren't eyes they were black solidly, I didn't know who he was, but later when I grew up I pieced it together, I figured out Tom Riddle Jr. had no soul. I don't know what they said but a very hairy man approached me, I later found out his name was Antonin Dolohov, I remember feeling searing pain then nothing, I think I fainted from the shock and pain my body was going through. When I awoke I was sprawled on the ground, my body was in excruciating pain, I was bleeding, I had little to no close covering my body. I was lying on stone ground, my ankles were shackled, there was an iron barred door and no windows. I was in a dungeon. I couldn't move I was too sore, I remember losing consciousness. When I got my senses about me I realized I wasn't only just laying on the ground, but they had dumped me on the ashes of what was left of my home, everything that I had left was destroyed." Prof. Mortem's face was blank, unreadable.
"What happened next?" Pansy Parkinson asked.
"Dumbledore found me and took me back here to Hogwarts, Madam Pomfrey later informed me that I had Lycanthropy, but an abridged version of it. Since my attacker wasn't fully transformed since it wasn't a full moon. I would not be a full werewolf, but I would experience wolf-like symptoms. I tell you all these things in detail for your own safety. I've had years to hone and work with my beast so Prof. McGonagall is in the mind set that it is okay I come to teach here, but I believe my students should have fair warning. I may not be as dangerous as professor Lupin is on the full moon but every 353 days that there isn't a full moon I'm more dangerous than you would dream of finding out. My beast is with me every day, every hour, and every second; do not try to unleash her. Her strength comes from my anger, my primal urges. If you sense her surfacing, my eyes will change to a copper color along with canine features will become dominant in my persona, the growl should also be a nice warning, draw your wand and fight. Don't show mercy, because I can't promise she'll show you the same courtesy." Shivers ran down Hermione's spine, this professor was blunt and cut to the point. She'd have to talk to Remus about it later, to see what he knew about her.
"Why don't you use a glamor charm?" Hermione flinched; the idiot girl had indirectly just asked why doesn't the professor cover up her hideousness.
"Name"
"Claire McKinnon"
"I don't have shame in what I am, Ms. McKinnon. Yes, it hasn't made my life any easier, but life isn't easy. It's a reminder of what I've been through and what I have survived." Hermione realized that the woman had tattooed the outline of her scars, scars she wore proudly. Her own hand drifted to her own left forearm thinking of the word etched into her skin.
"Theo Nott. What were your Hogwarts years like?"
"Normal, I suppose. Besides the obvious that is."
"Hermione Granger. Did you know Professor Snape?" everyone watched again as the professor seemed to get lost in her thoughts, a large smile spreading her face.
"Oh, I knew Severus Snape, alright. He was my best friend." The gasp that reverberated around the room was almost comical. Hermione could feel the excitement in the room increase ten fold.
"Ginny Weasley. Did you two date?"
"No."
"Draco Malfoy. What is the biggest reason why you miss him?" Malfoy like Blaise had used his Slytherin skills to manipulate the question.
"I loved him."
"Daphne Greengrass. Why weren't you guys together?"
"He loved another."
"Brian Ponway. What's your favorite color?"
"Brown, Mr. Ponway, Dark Brown."
"Quinn Ringo. What did the sorting hat tell you as to why you were sorted into Slytherin? Muggle-borns rarely make it into Slytherin"
"I'm merciless, and I see death as an old friend. I see through people's webs of lies while weaving my own with intertwined delicacy." There was a normal silence, Hermione waited for the next question to be asked. "Anymore questions?" Hermione looked around. The kids who hadn't asked questions looked whiter than Malfoy would scared. Hermione raised her hand.
"Yes, Ms. Granger?"
"Professor why are you telling us all of this?"
"Good question. it is because we will be brewing Veritaserum and anti-Veritaserum for the next month." The Class all seemed to give an almost audible "ahh" in their heads.
"Alright. I'll be partnering you up, you are to sit at the desk that has you and your partner's name floating up above it, as I call your names out, your names will appear." Grabbing a piece of parchment from behind her, Prof. Mortem started calling out names.
"Parkinson-Weasley"
"Malfoy-Walwood"
"Finnigan-Ringo"
"Longbottom-Zabini"
"Granger-Nott"
"Ponway-Brown"...The list continued.
Sitting down in her new spot, Hermione deposited her book bag on the floor next to her stool.
"I guess its you and I against the world, eh, Granger" Theodore Nott nudged Hermione playfully in the shoulder with his own as he too got situated at the new desk.
"What's the goal?" Hermione smirked back playfully.
"World domination" He winked.
"Well then, Nott, I think the odds are definitely in our favor" Winking back Hermione started penning down notes about the potion they were going to start brewing within the coming month.
"Granger, I think this is gonna be a great start to beautiful friendship."
"Whatever you say, Nott"
"Just you wait. I'll wear you down and you'll think me more of a friend than Potter and Weasel"
"Whatever you say, Nott" Theo poked at Hermione's ear until she turned, then he thumped her nose!
"No. No. You'll call me Theo" Hermione rolled her eyes at her new partner's antics.
"Then I guess its best if you call me Hermione" All the boy did was beam at her then turned to his notes to start jotting them down.
'Yeah' Hermione thought, this might just be a start to a beautiful friendship.
This is my first ever Dramione story; I'm kinda excited about this whole new branch.
Note to READERS:
~Remus, Sirius, and Tonks all live through the war, though Remus and Tonks have never been a thing. Don't worry though I have other plans for her.
~For my plans with Tonks I would like my readers inputs. Would you all be open for Tonks being with Charlie OR would you want her as the new Transfiguration professor?