Hogwarts and Mayhem

Hogwarts looked exactly the same as I recalled. Except for a few minor changes, else everything had been rectified identical to it's past glory.

The tall majestic castle with its huge double doors looked about as inviting as it did every year. This time though there was a different air about it, I noted walking through the corridors with Blaise to the great hall.

" Draco...! Wait for me."

I groaned as I turned around to greet Pansy. Annoying as ever she had come back with the insane notion of us being 'perfect for each other.' As far as I know she is not my mate and thank Dumbledore for that!

" Why didn't you wait for me?!" She accused in her cacophonous voice, slapping my arm lightly.

" You were taking too long, we presumed you would be with Astoria." Blaise answered courtly before I could snap back at her. She always seemed to be testing my patience with her aggravating personality and snotty attitude. Blaise and I shared the same thoughts about her. She still looked down upon muggle-borns and was loyal to the dark lord. The reason why Blaise and I decided to steer clear of her. We had been forced into the dark lord's slavery, and now, that we were free, wanted to live a normal, carefree life for once. But Pansy, she was mourning for the dark lord's defeat. I don't expect change in her ways anytime soon.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by Blaise as he pulled me towards our destination after saying a quick goodbye to Pansy. We quickly left her and reached the great hall for the sorting and welcome dinner.

The invisible ceiling, the starry night sky and the floating candles still made me awestruck as they did every year.

Blaise and I took a seat in the corner of the Slytherin table to avoid any unwanted attention.

Suddenly a feeling of euphoria stunned my senses, the same fragrance from the station filled my nostrils. I turned my head towards the smell and found myself looking at an angelic figure laughing, a melodic sound entering my ears. As if sensing my gaze the brunette turned around meeting her hazel eyes with my silver ones.

There was no denying it, Hermione Granger is my mate, and I was not liking the male attention she was receiving, given that she had matured into a beautiful young woman who alongside being intelligent had an air of dignity and confidence around her.

I tensed as I felt my fangs elongate, every fiber in my body screaming at me to kill the men ogling her, to take her in my arms and mark her then and there.

She is mine...!

Hermione's pov

I walked in with Harry and Ron and took in the glamor of the dining hall. Everything had been reconstructed to such details that it was hard to say a war had been fought here. Just then I felt someone staring at the back of my head. I froze and turned around only to lock gazes with a pair of mesmerizing silver orbs which held such warmth that I had never seen in them before.

My breath was taken away as I stared, captivated by Draco Malfoy, regarding him in a new light. I admired his perfect features ranging from his sharp jaws to his pale but full lips and his too white to be blond hair,but, most of all those tantalizing silver eyes which seemed to suck me into their depths calling out to me to solve the mysteries hidden behind them. He seemed paler than before. I would have thought him to be a vampire if I didn't know any better. I felt queer as foreign feelings aroused inside me.

With great persuasion I turned my head towards my two best friends who were moving towards Ginny sitting at the gryffindor table. I walked quickly to catch up and take a seat beside them, allowing my gaze to wander towards the teachers table to take my mind off of a certain someone.

Professor Minerva McGonagall looked as fierce and dignified as ever if not more so, sitting at the head's place. Beside her Professor Slughorn seemed to be in his usual gay mood,sipping his goblet and looking here and there with amusement clear in his eyes, searching for new members for the slug club no doubt. Beside him a female professor dressed smartly in emerald green robes which went awfully well with her flaming red hair and sea green eyes, was engaged in a conversation with little professor Flitwick who was sitting on a high chair, dangling his legs in the air.

On the other side of Professor McGonagall was Hagrid looking too gigantic and out of place clearly lost in his own thoughts.

Skipping my gaze towards the sorting hat and the new first years who had now entered the great hall, I had to double take ensuring my eyes weren't playing any tricks on me for what I saw was not a sight of nervous and shaking, small, little first years but an assortment of students belonging to all age groups, some of them my own age,whom, I am sure, I have never seen before. I was about to turn around and state this observation to my friends who were already in a heated discussion about Quidditch, when I heard screeching of a chair being pushed backwards, a loud clearing of throat which was enough to silence the excited chatter buzzing through the room before she stood up and opened her mouth to speak.