Chapter Text
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Penelope loved the library: the smells, the hushed whispers, the calm mixed with the energy of everyone's thoughts. Most of all, she loved people watching. There was so much to be said in a simple silence between friends and lovers, the secret affairs, and arguments through glances. She so often was caught daydreaming in her classes. It wasn't her fault that people were so much more interesting than random facts in books. She tried her best to study, she really did, yet once again, she caught herself looking off into the distance.
Penelope groaned, frustrated with her mind and its incessant wandering. She wasn't very academically talented and was shocked when she was placed into Ravenclaw; one of the four houses at Hogwarts. She didn't consider herself highly intelligent, witty, or academically motivated.
Everyone was placed into a house when they arrived at the school. She thought eleven was way too young to decide what traits one had. She had changed so much in the last seven years. She felt she was probably more Hufflepuff, now. Penelope felt their traits better suited her: friendly, kind, loyal, accepting, and appreciative of nature. She most certainly didn't fit in with the Gryffindors: brave, confident, courageous, chivalry. She hid in the shadows and watched life play out around her, definitely not a Gryffindor.
Then there was Slytherin, mostly made up of pureblood witches and wizards, from long family lines. The oldest family lines were basically royalty in the wizarding world. Slytherins were ambitious, cunning, resourceful, and had a strong sense of self preservation. Their house usually kept to themselves, only making friends and lovers amongst themselves.
With a huff, she returned her attention to her book on potions. Her favorite potion to learn about was Amortentia. Forced love wasn't really love at all. She thought of the children born from a love potion. Born from obsession and sadly cursed to never know love, themselves. She sighed, catching herself once again watching the people around her.
"Honestly, Draco...don't you have anything better to do..."
Penelope looked over to the history section. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy stood in the aisle. The girl was obviously annoyed by his presence, her hair was extra frizzy today. It shot up in blown out curls, looking animated and seemed to match her mood. Hermione was a witch from muggle parents, meaning they were non magical. Though she came from a family without magic, her talents were known throughout the school. She was as intelligent as she was powerful and her mind was sharp. Penelope wasn't friends with either of them but knew enough about the two. They had always been foes. Fighting for top of the class and equally matched.
She rolled her eyes and chuckled to herself as she overheard their bantering. These two were always fighting. She wished she could dose them with a love potion, just for a day, to have them do anything but fight.
"Granger, I don't give a rat’s arse if you're still reading this book. You have had it for three bloody weeks. I need it, so hand it over!" Draco spoke through his teeth, fed up with Granger as she clutched the book desperately to her chest. She shook her head sending curls bouncing around her face.
"I have renewed my loan on this book, Draco. It is my right to have use until that loan is over! You will just have to wait!" She said snidely, tossing her chin into the air.
Draco groaned and leaned back against the bookcase, rubbing his eyes. He dropped his hand as he tilted his head, looking at Hermione through the hair falling over his forehead.
"You're gonna be the death of me, Granger..." He was smirking as he whispered. His eyes searched her face.
Penelope blushed as she watched the interaction. There might be more than fighting, after all. She thought back to over the years and all the times she's watched their interactions. No, this definitely wasn't just in her head. There was chemistry, slow sparks that could lead to a raging fire. This intrigued her.
Draco Malfoy was a wizard of high social standing and came from one of the oldest families. They had traditions that went back centuries. Traditions that would never allow him to be with anyone less of pureblood. Blood supremacy had been a battle within the wizarding world since the beginning.
Penelope thought back to when the famous dark wizard, Voldemort, had fought to enslave the non magic population. The discrimination directed at those who were considered anything but pure was…limitless. She shivered thinking of the horrors that occurred during his reign. Thankfully, he was defeated and they had entered a time of peace, unless you came from a family like the Malfoys.
She watched Draco exit the shelves and head to another aisle. Probably in an attempt to find a substitute for the book he fought for. She took her journal out of her backpack and began to write on the first page. Her mother gave her this journal for her thoughts, hoping it would leave her head empty for classes so she'd actually learn something. She took notes on what she overheard and at the top of the page, she put the date…
16th of September
Hermione and Draco fighting over a book in the library. History section. Draco looked at Hermione with a peculiar expression and pause … will write more tomorrow…
Her visits to the library just got loads more interesting. She searched for Hermione and noticed her reading her precious history book in a secluded corner of the library. Why has she never noticed that there before? Her eyes scanned the tables for Draco, wondering if he had left. She found him sitting at a table with his closest friend, Theo Nott. Theo looked over and their eyes met, her stomach flipped as she averted her gaze.
Penelope looked at the watch on her wrist and her eyes widened. She was going to be late for the potions class that she was supposed to be studying for. She rushed to pack her things and leave the library. As she left, she glanced back to the spots that held Hermione and Draco. Penelope had turned just in time to catch a stolen glance between the two. She smirked to herself as she pushed open the door.
Tomorrow's trip to the library would be entertaining, indeed.
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