The Gloriana Set

Prey

Notes:

Brace yourselves—things are going to get a little rough. WARNING: This chapter contains violence, a minor character death and an attempted sexual assault. It's a dark chapter, but not without its lighter moments.

"I told Blaise and Pansy about us yesterday," Draco said. "They were quite relieved to hear it."

Draco and Hermione were walking through the secret passage to Hogwarts, both feeling a bit sticky from the disembodied hand despite Hermione's spells. She couldn't wait to take a bath.

"Do you know where Blaise and Ginny are this weekend?" she asked.

He stopped and looked down at her. "Yes, but I'm not sure you'll like it." She waited, and he sighed and went on. "They're at the Zabini castle in Italy."

Hermione blinked. "All weekend?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't Ginny tell me?" she wondered.

"Blaise planned it as a surprise."

Hermione pondered this as they resumed walking. Would Ginny get the chance to unearth the real Blaise? Ginny's voice echoed in her mind: "Your Malfoy is a hot mess with a thin veneer of Slytherin." Blaise was an entirely different matter.

They emerged from the tapestry by the witch's hump and began walking toward the nearest staircase. Draco cast a quick look around, his face and hair shining in the sunlight from the corridor's wide windows. "There's a prefects' bathroom on this floor," he murmured, taking her hand. "What do you say we both go—"

"Mr. Malfoy!" boomed a familiar voice from the third-floor landing. "Just the one I want to see!" Slughorn strode toward them, moving surprisingly quickly for such a stout man, jowls wobbling. The professor wore bright yellow robes, round sunglasses and a broad-rimmed hat. "And Miss Granger! How are you this fine day?"

"Sir," Draco said politely. "If you will—"

"We have another small situation with those First Years." Slughorn chuckled. "Little scamps! Tried to break into the Potions Lab!"

"Are they all right?" Hermione asked.

"Why wouldn't they be ..." Draco began. His eyes narrowed. "What were those wards you set, Hermione?"

"Oh, no need to fret, lad! Your little friends are just fine! A nice rainbow hex, was it not, Miss Granger?"

"It should wear off in a day," Hermione said. "A week, tops."

"What did you do to the Squeaky Mice?" demanded Draco.

Hermione crossed her arms. "As the professor said, they're perfectly fine. They're just a bit ... colorful."

"Yes, quite a powerful hex!" Slughorn chortled. "Turns any trespassers one of seven colors! So clever of you, Miss Granger, to warn me!" He turned to Draco. "I'm afraid I need you, Mr. Malfoy, to oversee their additional detention. They're writing sentences in the potions dungeon with Mr. Macmillan right now, but I worry he won't be able to cope!"

"Surely such a serious infraction is best handled by yourself, Professor," Draco began smoothly in his best Lucius voice.

"Ah, yes, of course, certainly," Slughorn said. "But unfortunately, I have a prior engagement ... a garden party at a very influential minister's home. Simply cannot be missed!"