Time for a Change: Suspicions and Paranoia

Time for a Change
Chapter Fifteen
By: Lori Finnegan
2007

Hermione walked quickly down the cool hallways, her only light at the tip of her wand. She felt horrible for sneaking out so late that night, but just before she had been about to fall asleep, she had woken up and remembered that she had forgotten to look over her notes for tomorrow's Arithmancy test. She couldn't go into her test tomorrow without studying for it one last time!

And she just happened to know a spot that would be very quiet and very deserted... the secret room in the Slytherin dungeons.

She had made it inside without being caught by anyone, thankfully, and once she lit the two lanterns and pulled out her homework, a comfortable feeling came over her as she sat down on the couch and opened her Arithmancy text book on her lap.

________________________________________________________________________

Draco Malfoy was still suspicious of Pansy's actions as of late. Not only was she avoiding him, but he still didn't have an answer about any of her odd behavior. And since she had never mentioned the outcome of her strange potion, he decided that while everyone was asleep, he would go and check it out and see if he could actually dig up this so called extra credit potion.

But when he opened the door to his and Pansy's secret room, he realized that he was not alone. He was shocked to see a pair of socked feet hanging over the side of the couch that faced the door.

Thinking that Pansy had had her own ideas about spending some time alone in the room, he decided to freak her out a little. He crept up to the back of the couch and jumped up, leaning over her.

“BOO!” he shouted.

But when he saw that the girl on the couch was not Pansy, he froze in place, so stunned that he went toppling over the back of the couch, his head hitting the edge of the couch as he fell over it and did a not so graceful somersault onto the floor.

Granger, who seemed just as surprised to see him as he was to see her there, screamed at the top of her lungs, throwing her heavy book down at his head.

“Ouch!” he yelled as it connected with his skull and then toppled to the floor beside him.

“What do you think you're doing!” she said, leaning over the edge of the couch to look at him. “Can't you see that I'm studying!?”

Draco stared at her with his mouth wide open. “How dare you talk to me in that tone of voice!” he told her. “And I should be asking you that question! Just who do you think you are barging into Slytherin territory uninvited?”

“I don't see your name on the door,” she shot back at him. “All I was doing was studying. I hardly think that's a crime.”

“We'll just see about that,” Draco said as he pushed himself up from the floor and brushed the dust away from his trousers. “I'd like to hear what Snape says about you being out of your dormitory after hours... and in a Slytherin area, even.”

Granger didn't flinch. “I see,” she said. “Then I'm sure he'd also be interested in why you're out of your dormitory after hours as well.”

Draco glared at her. He should have spotted that one coming. He wasn't sure what to say to her, so he just stared at her with his mouth slightly open.

“Cat got your tongue?” she said, deadpan.

“Just get out of here!” he said in a louder voice. “You don't belong here!”

Granger stared at him for a moment, as if thinking about whether or not to challenge his demand, and then gathered up her books in a hurried fashion. “Just so you know,” she said, not bothering to look up at him. “I'm not leaving because you told me to, but because it's way too late for me to be studying.”

“There's a time limit to your studying?” Draco questioned. “I thought you studied twenty-four hours a day.”

Granger shot him yet another glare as she pulled her backpack over her shoulder and stalked towards the door. “As if what I do in my free time is any of your business,” she said right before exiting.

“It sure the hell is my business when you're on Slytherin grounds!” he called back to her, but he couldn't be sure that she heard him. By the time he peeked down the dark hallway that led to the next room, it seemed to be empty.


________________________________________________________________________

When Hermione returned to the Gryffindor Common Room, thankfully not spotted by any professors roaming the hallways, she breathed a sigh of relief. But just as she was about to relax, she noticed a note sitting on the chair closest to the door, and her name was scrawled on the outside.

Carefully, she picked up and unfolded the parchment. Inside, were big curly letters that said, 'I need to talk to you tomorrow morning. -Ginny.'

Hermione folded the parchment back up into a little square and put it into her pocket. Why would Ginny leave a note for her in the Common Room like that? Had she seen her leave earlier and knew she'd see it when she got back?

Hermione certainly couldn't tell her that she had been hiding out in a secret Slytherin room. But the good news was that she had all night to think up another plausible excuse.


________________________________________________________________________

Draco returned to his own Common Room fuming. By the time he reached the back of the room and towards the dormitories, he stopped and tried to force himself to take some deep breaths.

Something very weird was going on, he was sure of it, he thought as he stood there staring at the staircase that led to the boys' dormitories. Not only had Granger infiltrated his common room, but he she had also shown up in the secret room that he thought only he and Pansy knew about.

Pansy.

If he hadn't told anyone, perhaps Pansy had let the word out... but why Granger? Out of all people, Draco would have never guessed that Pansy would share their secret with goody-goody Granger.

Finally calmed down a bit, he ascended the stairs and decided to ask Pansy about it in the morning. This wasn't something she could keep from him. At least not if he had anything to do with it.


______________________________________________________________________________

The next morning, Ron was so hungry for breakfast, he even beat Harry out of their dormitory and went down to breakfast by himself. And when he walked into the Great Hall, he noticed that there weren't many people there yet.

“You look confused,” he heard a voice say, and he turned to look in its direction. “Did you forget your brain back in your dormitory or something?”

“Ha, ha,” Ron said, rolling his eyes at Pansy. “I'm just usually not up this early,” he explained. I've never seen it so empty in the morning.”

“You should wake up early more often,” she told him. “This way you don't have to listen to all of the obnoxious chatter that the students at this school seem to always be doing.”

Ron looked at her suspiciously, as if she were maybe referring to Gryffindor behavior. “I guess,” he muttered.

She slapped him on the back, her hand falling a little harder than he expected, and he moved forward just a bit to catch his balance. “Don't sound so depressed, Ron,” she said, smiling at him. “Enjoy the silence for once.”

Ron watched as she walked away from him and towards the Slytherin table where Crabbe and Goyle were already stuffing their faces with plenty of bacon and sausages.

________________________________________________________________________

Hermione walked down the steps from the girls' dormitories and quietly stepped into the Common Room. She really didn't want to meet Ginny as the note had suggested she do, but when she saw Ginny sitting in a chair by the bottom of the steps, she realized that luck was not on her side this time.

Ginny put down her book. “Good morning, Hermione,” she said. “Did you get my note last night?”

“Morning,” Hermione replied, still standing at the bottom of the steps. She didn't really want to acknowledge that she had received the note, because that would mean that she was indeed out of the dormitories after hours, but she wasn't sure what else she could say. “I got your note,” she admitted after a pause. “What is it that you want to talk to me about?”

“I'm just concerned,” Ginny replied. “I was up late in the Common Room last night, and I saw you sneak out. And correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you tell Harry and Ron that you were going to take it easy last night?”

Hermione sighed. Ginny was too sharp for her own good, and it didn't help that she was also nosy. “I know I told them that I'd relax,” she said as she looked down at her feet. “But I just needed to get out and move around a little. I know it wasn't the smartest thing to do, going out after hours, but I was starting to feel claustrophobic in my dormitory.” Wow. Hermione couldn't believe how easily the lie came out.

“Well, I'm glad you didn't get caught,” Ginny told her as she picked up her book and stuffed it into the backpack next to the chair. “Maybe we should get to breakfast.”

Hermione sighed again, happy that Ginny had believed her little lie. “Sure,” she agreed.

As she and Ginny made their way towards the portrait hole, Ginny stopped in her tracks.

“Something wrong?” Hermione asked.

“I'm okay,” Ginny told her. “I'm just worried about you, still. Things have seemed so weird lately... and no matter how many times I ask you guys about it, you all push me away and tell me that nothing's wrong. Well, I'm not so small anymore, and I think I would consider myself your friend... but no one seems to want to confide in me anymore.”

Hermione stared at her in shock as a small tear escaped from the corner of her eye. “Ginny...” she started.

“I just don't understand why no one wants to tell me anything,” Ginny went on. “Did I do something to make you guys mad?”

Hermione pulled her back to the front couch and pushed her to a seating position. “Ginny, that's not it at all. And I'm sorry that things have been kind of weird lately, but none of it has been to hurt your feelings.”

Ginny blinked at her. “Will you tell me what this is all about?”

Hermione continued to stare at Ginny's sad face as she tried to figure out what the best thing to do was. “If I tell you,” she started, “You have to promise not to tell anyone. Not ever.”

Ginny suddenly perked up. “I promise!” she said in a hushed voice.

Hermione looked around the Common Room to make sure they were alone before she started telling Ginny the story.


________________________________________________________________________

Draco waited not so patiently outside of the Great Hall just after breakfast. He had left the others inside and was waiting for Pansy to emerge so he could pull her aside privately and ask her if she knew anything about Granger's infiltration into their secret room, but it was already five to eight, and if he didn't leave for breakfast in a few minutes, he'd never make it to Transfiguration on time.

Impatiently, he paced a small section of the corridor, glancing at his watch from time to time. And finally, just as he was about to give up and make his way to class, the door creaked open and there she stood.

She rolled her eyes when she saw him. “Are you waiting for me?” she asked, sounding annoyed.

“Why, yes. Yes, I am,” he replied after he had stopped his pacing and turned to face her. “It just so happens that I have something of great importance to discuss with you.”

“Great importance?” Pansy echoed. “Like what?”

Draco took a few steps towards her and blocked the hall that led to the the classrooms so she couldn't get by him. “Let me ask you a question,” he hissed at her. “Just how many people have you told about our secret room? And how many of those people were Gryffindors?!”

Pansy's eyes lost their shine for a moment, but before Draco could blink, the sparkle was back. “Why would I tell anyone about our secret room? And especially a Gryffindor. My Merlin, Draco, who do you think I am?”

Draco's eyes narrowed at her. “You're lying to me.”

“Why would I lie to you?” she said as she folded her arms over her chest. “Do you think I enjoy your death glares?”

“No,” Draco admitted. “But would you like to know how I know that you're lying?”

Pansy rolled her eyes at him. “Whatever.”

“It was Granger,” he said. “I found Granger doing her homework in our secret room. Now, why would she be in there if neither one of us showed it to her?”

Pansy shrugged. “Who knows?”

“Well, it wasn't me, so it had to be you!”

She stepped away from him and tried to get around his stance, but he stepped in front of her once more. “Seriously, Draco,” she sighed. “Who knows how little-miss-goody-goody got into that room? How can you be for certain that we're the only ones who know about its existence?”

Draco glared at her. He couldn't argue with that. He really couldn't be sure that no one else know of its location. “You swear you didn't tell her about it?” he tried one last time.

“I swear!” Pansy told him. “Now would you let me pass? I want to get to class before McGonagall locks the doors.”

Draco let her by, stared at her until she reached the stairs, and then quickly followed her path. He didn't want to face McGonagall's wrath, either.
 
________________________________________________________________________

“Are you serious?” Ginny demanded of Hermione after Hermione had just finished telling her about everything that had gone on in the last two weeks. “Why didn't you tell anyone?!”

Hermione looked away from Ginny. “It was already complicated enough without letting everyone in on what happened. Besides, you know how secrets are kept in this school. By dinner time the whole school would have known. We were trying to keep out of trouble with Snape.”

“I guess,” Ginny replied. “I just can't believe that Pansy was pretending to be you for over a week and no one noticed. You'd think that Harry and Ron would have picked up on it.”

Hermione shrugged. “Apparently Pansy did a pretty good job at pretending to be me,” she said. “At least from what I can tell.”

“And you?” Ginny said. “How was it pretending to be Pansy? Was Malfoy absolutely vile, or what?”

Hermione thought about it for a second. She wouldn't necessarily call Draco vile, but he definitely hadn't been the most pleasant person to spend her time with. “Maybe not vile,” she admitted. “But not far from it. I actually saw a different side to Slytherin than the one that we usually see. It was quite interesting, actually.”

Ginny wrinkled her nose at Hermione. “Seriously? A softer side to Slytherin? You've got to be kidding me.”

Hermione sighed. “As much as I'd like to say that I'm kidding, I'm not.” She paused. “But none of that really matters anymore, because I'm back with my friends and back where I belong... and I'm really happy to be here.” She gave Ginny a sincere smile and smiled even bigger when Ginny smiled back at her. “But you have to promise,” she added on after Ginny began to reach for her back pack once again. “You can't tell anyone about this. You're the only person besides me and Pansy who knows.”

Ginny nodded. “I swear I won't tell a soul,” she said sincerely, and Hermione believed her.


________________________________________________________________________

The day flew by for Pansy. All she had done was doodle in the margins on her text books and doze off during class, and before she knew it, they were at their last class of the day, Care of Magical Creatures. Unfortunately, though, it was not another opportunity for a nap.

Hagrid had placed about twenty cages in a small field by his hut and told everyone to pair up so they could get a good view at the creatures. After a complete examination, the pairs were to write a small report on their findings and then turn it in at the end of the class.

“What're ya waitin' for?” Hagrid called out as everyone stared at him. “Pair up!”

Pansy was so busy drawing a scribble of Hagrid in her book that by the time she looked up, everyone else had already found a partner.

Feeling slightly left out, she looked around, hoping she had misjudged the group and there was someone else who didn't have a partner.

“Who here don't have a partner?” Hagrid asked loudly.

Pansy looked up at him and noticed that Ron was standing partnerless at his side. She waited a moment before raising her hand slowly.

“There we go!” Hagrid exclaimed as he gave Ron a hard push towards Pansy. “It's good ta work wit different types a people every now'n then.”

Ron stumbled forward and recovered quickly before he made his way back to Pansy. “So,” he said as he took a spot next to her in front of their cage. “Neville's sick today.”

“So is Millicent,” Pansy replied.

They both stood there side by side staring at the cage while the Slytherins around them chattered away.

“Okay now,” Hagrid said, taking his spot in front of the group. “Now open yer cage an' observe the creatures.”

Unfortunately, though, not one person made a move for the hinges.

“What're ya waitin' for?” Hagrid called. “They're harmless creatures. I swear!”

Pansy looked over at Ron to see what he would do, but Ron was already reaching for the latch. “Are you crazy?” she hissed, grabbing his wrist before he could set the beast loose.

“What does it look like I'm doing?” he demanded. “Hagrid said to open the cages, so I'm opening the cage.”

“Do you want to die or something? Look at that thing!”

They both peered in through the metal bars at a weird looking creature with long ears that stuck up thin and pointy beak. It was covered in a reddish brown fur and had sharp looking claws on each of its four feet.

“It can't be that bad,” Ron commented. “It looks awful small to me.”

Pansy rolled her eyes at him. “Just because it's small doesn't mean it won't claw your eyes out.”

Ron gulped, and when Pansy looked over at him, she could see Draco poking fingers inside of his cage and laughing as the creature made a funny sound that sounded like a painful squeal.

“What're ya kids waitin' for?” Hagrid asked again. “They won't hurt ya!”

Ron took a deep breath and unlatched the hinge that held the creature inside its cage. At first, the thing backed inside the cage and refused to come out. It almost looked afraid.

“Is something wrong with ours?” Pansy asked Ron softly as she knelt in front of the cage. She wouldn't startle the creature any more than they apparently already had.

“I don't think so,” Ron said, kneeling down beside her. “Come on out, little guy,” he encouraged, holding out his hand so the creature could see that he meant no harm.

Slowly, the creature emerged from the cage and sat in front of the two of them, looking up into their eyes.

For the next thirty minutes, they both took observations and Pansy wrote them down into her notebook. “I think we have enough to do our essay,” she commented as she watched as the creature curled up in Ron's lap, apparently ready for a nap. “Why don't we put him back inside.”

“But look how cute he is,” Ron cooed to the creature, who had affectionately named Fuzzy. “I wish I could take Fuzzy home as a pet.”

“He's a wild creature, Ron. They're not meant for pets. No matter what Hagrid claims”

“I know,” Ron groaned as he lifted Fuzzy and placed him back in the cage. Reluctantly, he shut the door. “It's okay,” he said to him. “Hagrid will take good care of you.”

Pansy rolled her eyes again. Gryffindors were so impossible.

“Class is dismissed!” Hagrid called out. “I'm sorry we din't have time fer yer essays, but please work on 'em outside a class n turn them in on Friday b'fore the Christmas Holiday.”

All around Pansy, students were packing up their things and talking excitedly about what they were going to do after dinner. She looked over at Ron. “Meet you in the library at nine tonight?” she offered. “Hermione and I have detention at eight, and I'll go there afterwards.”

Ron nodded. “Sure,” he said. “This shouldn't take too long anyway.”


________________________________________________________________________

After dinner, Hermione made her usual excuse about meeting her study group for Arithmancy, and raced off to the dungeons so she'd be on time for her detention with Snape. The clock just struck eight as she knocked on his door.

It swung open, seemingly on its own accord and Snape was still at his desk, looking at her with narrowed eyes.

“I'm sorry I'm late, Professor,” she apologized as she sat down in the chair next to Pansy.

“One minute more, and I was going to extend your detention into January,” he threatened. “But no matter. For tonight's detention the two of you will be mixing up five full batches of one of my most common potions. It regrows hair. You wouldn't believe the amount of first years who mix bad potions and their hair falls out.” He slapped a small sheet of parchment on the desk in front of them and then stood up. “I'm going to be in my study,” he said. “If you have any questions, send me an owl. When you've finished the five batches, you can go.”

And without another word, Snape rose up from his chair and walked out of the door. It slammed tightly behind him. Both Pansy and Hermione shrugged at each other and then made their way over to Snape's ingredients and began plucking bottles off of the shelves.

“How's life as a Slytherin?” Hermione asked. “Has Draco mauled you yet?”

“As if,” Pansy told her as she set three bottles carefully onto Snape's desk. “I have complete control over that boy.”

Hermione glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and wondered why that didn't seem the case when she had been acting as Pansy.

“Speaking of Draco,” Pansy went on, he told me about a little incident the two of you had in the secret room?”

Hermione felt her face heat up, and she turned away from Pansy so that the other girl wouldn't see her blush. “I was just in there studying. I've never found such a quiet place.”

“Well, it certainly wasn't quiet when Draco found you there,” Pansy told her. “You better stay away from the dungeons when you don't have to be there. After I made that appearance as you in the Common Room, he's become completely paranoid over Gryffindors infiltrating Slytherin territory, no matter how stupid it actually is.”

“I won't go in there again, trust me,” Hermione promised. “I should have taken the hint when he showed up that one night before we switched back. You better watch him more closely or he's going to go insane trying to figure out what's going on.”

“Don't worry about him,” Pansy assured her. “I'll take care of Draco. You just stay away from him. You're freaking him out.”

Hermione smiled softly as she placed her bottles next to the ones Pansy had brought over before. It amused her that she had gotten to him... and not as Pansy, but as herself. “I'll stay away,” she told Pansy. “I've had enough of his mood swings to last me the entire year.”


________________________________________________________________________

At five after eight, Pansy raced to the library with her backpack slung over one shoulder. When she reached the third floor she searched for Ron's red hair and spotted it at a small table in the corner.

“Hey,” she said as she reached him.

He frowned at her. “What took so long?”

“We had to mix five batches of something. It took forever. You're lucky I'm here now.” Pansy sat down opposite of him and pulled out her Care for Magical Creatures text book and notes.

“Okay,” he said. “Whatever. Let's just get this over with.”

“I'll write, you talk,” Pansy decided, shoving her notes in his direction.

Together, they worked on the essay and in no time, it was nearly done. In fact, Pansy was quite pleased at their partnership and was sure they had done an excellent job. She quickly scrawled the last sentence and then put their names on the top of the parchment. “There,” she said. “We're done.”

“Good!” Ron agreed. “I'm beat. It's already ten, and I've got other homework that's due tomorrow, as well.”

Pansy rolled up the parchment and stuffed it into her backpack. “Me, too,” she said. “Well, I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow.”

Ron nodded and watched as she stood up. “Wait a second,” he said before she could walk away.

Pansy looked at him curiously. “What is it?”

“Last week... when we were talking about the Christmas Holiday... why did you look so sad about it?”

Pansy didn't know how to reply. She didn't expect that Ron would remember such details. “My family just isn't very... warm or in the Christmas spirit,” she explained, which was the truth. Hearing about how Ron's family all gathered together had made her feel jealous.

“Oh,” he said. “I'm sorry about that.”

Pansy didn't know what to say back to him. It wasn't like he was going to invite her over for Christmas. “Don't worry about it,” she said. “I'll be fine. It's only for a few weeks, anyway. After that, it's back to school.”

Ron nodded. “Yeah,” he said as he stood up and put his backpack over his shoulder. “Well, I'll see you tomorrow in class.”

Pansy smiled at him weakly and then watched as he walked down the library stairs. “See you,” she said.

________________________________________________________________________

On Thursday morning, Hermione awoke to a tapping noise. She opened her eyes and sat up, trying to orientate herself. Her eyes went to the window where a small owl tapped its beak against the glass.

“Oh!” she said, quickly climbing out of bed and rushing over to the window to let the owl inside. She unwrapped the letter from its leg and then reached in a small jar under the window for a treat. After the owl took the treat and flew back out the window, she shut the window securely and then took the letter back to her bed.

'Dear Hermione,

'Your father and I are going to a dental conference in London for the first week of your Christmas Holiday. I hope you don't mind staying at school during this time. Once we are back from the conference we can celebrate our Christmas then. Please reply back so I know that you've received this message. We love you very much, and hope you have a happy Christmas there at school.

'See you soon,
Mom and Dad'

Hermione folded the letter back up and put it on her nightstand. While she would definitely miss spending Christmas day with her family, she was in a way, glad. Now she would have the time to work on her Arithmancy project without having to take books out of the library to bring with home with her. She'd get a ton done and wouldn't have to worry about it during the second half of her break when she spent time with her family.

Smiling slightly, she put her head back down on her pillow and promptly fell back asleep.


________________________________________________________________________

“I don't get it,” Ron said during breakfast that day. “Your parents are going to some conference for the first week of our holiday, and you want to stay here? Why won't you just come and spend Christmas at the Burrow?”

“I told you, Ron,” Hermione said as she stuck her fork into some hash browns. “No offense, but it's not going to be easy to do my Arithmancy at your house. There's just too many people and I need some space. It's a really difficult project.”

“You really are a spoiled sport,” Ron grumbled, and Harry nodded his head in agreement. “We'll think of you sitting in the library while we're eating Mum's Christmas dinner.”

“Don't worry about me,” she told them. “After the first week, I'll be with my family. I won't be missing out on anything. All I'll be doing is getting my homework done early so I can relax for the rest of the break. I hope you two have fun doing your homework at the last minute like you always do.”

“We will,” Harry spoke up. “Just don't complain when you miss out. We'll have to owl you your presents this year.”

Hermione sighed. “You guys act like I'm abandoning you or something. “It's just two weeks. Geez.”

Across the room, Hermione's eyes met a pair of bright silver ones, and she quickly looked away. She couldn't help but wonder how Draco would be spending his holiday break in the castle.