Chapter Six � A Day With The Slytherins

Hermione did not pay attention during class all day. Instead, she was thinking about Leah. How could she make out with some guy she had just met in front of the class even when she was told to stop several times? Sure, she was spunky, and seemed to have a defiant edge� But we�re all seventeen! Who doesn�t rebel at one point or another? But� she seemed so� okay. Even for a Slytherin. She didn�t seem prejudice or anything� Why would she? Maybe she was a slut� But� Oh, I don�t know! Thoughts raced through Hermione�s head. She was unsure about Leah� and she had to meet her in a couple of minutes!

She was starting to have second thoughts about their meeting� Maybe we should just postpone it� she thought. However, Hermione found that her feet were leading her outside the Great Hall to where Leah stood.

�Hey Hermione!� Leah called, hugging the girl as she came closer. �Where�s Aria?�

�Oh� umm� she couldn�t make it� she was � er� busy studying,� Hermione lied.

�Oh� yeah, she seems really smart. She was in my Muggle History class��

�Oh� really?�

�Yeah��

�Er� why don�t we get outside? It�s such a nice day!�

�Umm� sure,� Leah answered, fidgeting with her ring.

The two girls made their way into the sunlight. �So� Why�d you move to England? I mean, all the way from America!� Hermione asked.

�Oh� well, umm� well, my dad was the only one raising us �cause my mom had died a while back � �

�Omigod! That�s terrible!� Hermione interrupted.

�Yeah� well, we got used to it. So anyways, my father got involved in some things he shouldn�t have� and long story short, he wound up dead on the streets of NYC.� Leah�s elegant composure did not waver in the slightest as she spoke of this.

�That�s horrible! How can you speak so calmly about it?�

�Well, you learn,� Leah said briskly before continuing. �So my brother decided it would probably be best if we moved to Europe, �cause we have ancient relatives scattered around the continent. So for most of the school year, we were studying at Beauxbatons. But then, Dylan had a row with my uncle, and we winded up walking the streets of London with quite a bit of gold. Dylan found a job at Hogwarts and got me and Thomas enrolled there� and well, here we are today.�

�Wow. I find it amazing how you can talk of something like that, which happened so recently, like it was nothing at all��

�Well, like I said, you learn.�

There was a bit of an awkward pause in which the girls tried to think of something to say to each other.

�So� I heard you had a little make up session in Muggle History,� Hermione started. �Or should I say make out?� She looked up at the taller girl, silently kicking herself for bringing up this conversation.

Leah grinned. �Wow, word travels fast.�

�Yeah� and at Hogwarts, the truth often stretches. So what exactly happened?�

�Well, this Petunia girl or something dares me to french this guy, so I did. And well, he was quite a good kisser and I didn�t exactly want to let go � if you know what I mean.�

�Mhmm� umm� Petunia?�

�Well, it was some flower that the girl had for a name.�

�Pansy? Pansy Parkinson?�

�Yeah, that�s her. She�s a really annoying bitch if you ask me. People are probably calling me a slut if they heard I had made out with a guy during the whole period because of her now!�

��Yeah� But you did.�

�No! It was before class had even started! It was only like for a few minutes� seemed a lot longer though�� Leah trailed off reminiscently.

�Oh� I heard different then��

�And so did the rest of the school then!� Leah wailed. �What a great way to start off at a new school eh? Having people call you a whore behind your back...�

Hermione�s stomach tightened, thinking of what Aria � and herself � had been calling Leah. But before she could say anything, Leah continued.

�Ahh well. Let em think what they wanna think! If it�s not true, I�ll know that it�s not true and that�s good enough for me! After all, if you loose confidence in your self, because of someone else, then I find that you�re lost for good.�

Hermione nodded thoughtfully and then groaned. �Oh great� It�s the Slytherin Kings � coming to make our lives a living hell,� Hermione whispered to her side.

�Aww c�mon! They�re harmless � compared to the guys I had to deal with back home, they�re nothing! Just play with them,� Leah whispered back, stopping, for by then, the Kings were standing in front of the sitting girls. All except for John, and Malfoy, who had long since ditched the dimwitted Crabbe and Goyle.

Chris squished himself in-between Leah and Hermione, placing an arm around both girls� shoulders. �Hey ladies, Whaddya say we all get outa here?� he offered.

�Hmm� and go where?�

�Hogsmead?� Nathan suggested.

The crouched people looked up at the tall, standing boy who was silhouetted by the sun behind him.

�Meh,� said Leah, �s�all good.�

Everyone except Hermione got up to leave. �Hey Hermy,� Hermione ignored the God-awful nickname and looked up. �Aren�t you comin� with?� Nikk asked?

Hermione was confused. Did these Slytherins actually want to go somewhere with her, a brainy, nerdy, bookworm?

�Well�?� Matt asked impatiently.

�Alright� but don�t call me �Hermy� again!� Hermione smiled as she picked herself up off the grass.

�Sure thing� Hermy,� Nathan laughed. Hermione knew it was coming and gave him a don�t-mess-with-me look that completely contrasted with a smile that she couldn�t help but let out.

�So� how are we gonna get there?� she asked.

�Well, we Slytherins have a secret passageway that leads directly into Honeydukes,� Chris boasted.

�Oh, would this happen to be the one that runs under the Whomping Willow?� Hermione asked.

The Slytherin boys looked at her, surprised. �Yeah� How�d you know?� Nikk asked.

�Well, we Gryffindors have known about that one for ages!� Hermione explained, glowing with house pride.

�Oh,� the four boys said together.

�Well,� said Leah, �Let�s get on our way.�

�Shall we?� Chris held out his arms and both girls took either side.

The six Hogwarts students emerged from the trap door in the basement of the store. The lot of them made their way upstairs and out into the not-so-crowded streets of Hogsmead.

�So, what shall we do?� Hermione asked.

�Oi! Let�s go to the Hog�s Head! We�ll get some Fire Whiskey!� Nathan suggested.

�Eh? Do you have an ID?� Nikk asked skeptically.

�O� course! Who doesn�t?� Nathan assured him.

�Have you been to the Hog�s Head before? Their glasses are filthy!� Hermione protested.

�Yeah� what�s wrong with the Three Broomsticks?� Leah asked.

�Except that Madame Rosemerita knows that we�re all in Hogwarts, you mean.� Nathan answered.

�Oh� right��

�I suppose our robes don�t help any,� Chris said, looking down at the black fabric with the Slytherin Crest on it.

�Aww shit! What are we spose to do now?� Nathan cursed.

�Well, we�re all wearing muggle clothing under� right?� Nikk asked. The others nodded. �Well then, how bout we crash Muggle London, mates?�

�All right!� the boys cheered. Stripping themselves of their Hogwarts� robes and revealing their Muggle clothing underneath, the six students walked to Diagon Alley, and into and out of the Leaky Cauldron.

�Okay, so� Does anyone know anything about Muggle London?� Chris asked.

�I do,� Hermione said. �There�s this rave at Dervish and Klines. But� it�s daytime. Do we really wanna go to a rave in the afternoon?�

�Well, what else have we got to do?� Leah posed, looking around at the unfirmiliar scene.

�Argh! I�m fuckin hungry. Do these muggles got anyplace to eat?� Matt asked Hermione.

�Of course! Where d�you wana go?�

�Well, how should I know? I�m not a damn muggle for cryin out loud!�

�Well, how much money do you have with you?�

Matt emptied his pocket and showed Hermione several gold and silver coins.

�Oh boy� am I the only person here with muggle money?�

The boys looked at each other guiltily.

�Oh for cryin out loud � �

�I�ve got some muggle currency� but it�s American dollars,� Leah spoke up.

�Well, that�ll do, I suppose. How much?�

�Not much� only ten bucks.�

�Bucks? Deer? What?� Nathan asked confused.

Hermione sighed. �Don�t try and understand what you obviously can�t comprehend,� she snapped.

Nathan tried to make a comeback, but couldn�t think of a really good one so he ended up moving his mouth wordlessly until finally muttering, �Bitch,� under his breath.

Hermione ignored him and continued. �So that�d be about�� she counted on her fingers, her eyes looking at the sky and her mouth moving silently. �6.25 pound sterling.�

The others nodded.

�And I�ve got about 5 pounds with me, so that should be roughly 11 pounds sterling��

�And�?� asked Chris, trying to comprehend the strange talk.

�Well, I say we hit a McDonalds,� Leah concluded.

�A what?� the four boys asked.

�It�s a fast food joint,� Hermione sighed at their ignorance towards the muggle world.

�Oh��

�Well, let�s walk around. We�re bound to find one somewhere around here.�

The group wandered around the streets. The boys were looking at the mannequins displayed in the windows of various shops. Their mouths were hanging slightly as they observed the payphones, cell phones, the muggle fashion, cars, everything!

Turning a corner, Hermione saw huge golden arches. �This way,� she said, leading the group of Slytherins.

They entered the McDonalds and Hermione, since she would be the one paying, asked them what they would like.

�Well whaddo they got?� Nikk asked.

�Cheeseburgers, hamburgers, chips, icecream�� Hermione trailed off.

�ICECREAM!� the boys shouted.

Hermione placed her finger to her lips. �Shh! Icecream it is. Now, d�you want a cone, sundae or a McFlurry?�

�What the fuck�s a McFlurry?� Nathan questioned.

�Oy! Watch the language! There�s a little kid here!� Hermione scolded.

The boys looked in the direction her finger pointed to see a small girl, clinging to her mother�s arm, looking a tad frightened at the group of teenagers.

�What do we care if a lil girl is watching us? S�not like she�ll understand a damn word,� Nathan said.

The girl�s mother gave the boys a vehement glare. The boys decided to hush their cussing for the time being.

�A McFlurry�s icecream mixed with chunks of candy,� Leah explained.

�Oh� I�ll have one of em.�

�Same�

�Yeah, me too.�

�Sure, why not?�

All four boys agreed.

�What flavour?� Hermione questioned.

The boys looked dumbfounded. �What flavours are there?� asked Matt.

�Oh, let�s see, there�s Oreo, that�s a cookie, and Coffeecrisp, that�s a chocolate bar�� Hermione listed the different candies off, explaining what each one was as she went on.

�Umm�� The boys couldn�t decide which one they wanted.

�Oh how bout we just screw this and get a sundae?� Leah suggested, exasperated.

The others nodded. �Hot fudge or strawberry?� Hermione asked, relieved that this would be a question the Slytherins could understand.

All of them answered fudge. �Hot fudge it is,� Hermione affirmed, moving to the till to make an order.

�Six hot fudge sundaes please,� she asked the girl at the register.

After paying for the sundaes, the group made their way to one of the tables and sat down.

�So, why�d you want me to come along?� Hermione asked the question nagging at her mind.

��Cause we recently discovered that you�re not so bad.� Nikk answered.

�Oh�� Hermione said. What is that suppose to mean? She added silently.

�Sho whaddo we do af�er shish?� Matt said, mouth full of soft serve.

�I have no clue� We usually just hang around Hogsmead� we never came into Muggle London.� Nathan admitted.

�Well, Hermione, looks like you�re the only one here who actually knows sum�in about this place.� Chris stated, �So whaddya spose we should do?�

�Well we could go to an arcade � that�s where you can play a bunch of games,� Hermione added to ease the confusion printed across the guys� faces.

�Nah,� Leah said, �These guys would never get it, and I personally suck at video games!�

�Okay� so how does a rave sound then?� Hermione asked, not sure if the group would want to go to a rave in the afternoon. However, the Slytherins had no problem with it. They all got up and left.

They were walking along Dervish street for quite some time.

�Hermione, are you sure you know where we�re going?� Nikk asked, doubtful.

�Of course I�m sure! We�re almost there!�

Sure enough, the next crosswalk they passed held a sign that informed them they were at the corner of Dervish and Klines. Hermione pushed the tinted doors open and revealed the colorful, energetic world of the dance house.

It was dark and crowded, even though it was a Monday afternoon. There were strobe lights flashing in all directions, setting streaks, stars and spheres of different hues along the walls of the rave. Hermione could see a disk jockey working at the front of the building with two large speakers on either side of him.

The boys had paused to observe each of the oddities carefully, fascinated by the elaborate display of color and light that filled the dark room. �C�mon!� Leah said, grabbing Chris by the arm and leading him out on the dance floor. The rest of the group followed and were soon wriggling and dancing to the techno beat.

�This place is awesome!� Nathan yelled over the music.

�They should have more places like this in Hogsmead!� Matt agreed, attempting to do the worm which an older man had displayed in front of him.

The six teens danced and attempted new moves for what seemed like an eternity of fun in a few seconds. All of them were pretty beat.

�Does this place have any food?� Nikk asked Hermione.

�Even if it did, I wouldn�t trust it� You never know what some people pour in drinks�� Hermione warned.

�What? Like Appotis?� Nathan asked eagerly.

�No, like ecstacy, speed, date rape drugs.� Leah informed them. In reply, they stared blankly at her.

�Basically they�re all drugs that can get you high � or killed� Hermione added quickly to remove the boys interest from the drugs.

�Well than can we go back to McDougles or something? I�m starved!� Nikk asked.

�Again?�

�Well I worked off a lot of the icecream��

�Okay� well we could go to a� Data Caf�.� Hermione remarked, eyeing the caf� across the street.

�Whassat?� Nikk asked.

�There�s computers in the caf酔 The boys looked perplexed again.

�Oh let�s just go there! I can tell you what it is better if I have some sort of visual aid.�

After about an hour of �Why are the keys in this order? Why ain�t it from A-Z?� and �What�s this li�le mouse thingy do?�, Hermione finally got the boys accustomed to the electronic. They were playing online games while Leah checked her email.

Hermione decided to log on to MSN Messenger.

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
Hey Mione!

��`�.��K��z���.���� Ron, for the last time, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
Hi Ari!

��`�.��K��z���.���� Ron, for the last time, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
Where are u?

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
Well, if ne one asks, I�m in the hospital wing.

��`�.��K��z���.���� Ron, for the last time, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
but ur�?

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
But I�m in the Prefects� Lounge with Ernie�
��`�.��K��z���.���� Ron, for the last time, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
Ernie? McMillan?

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
yeah�

��`�.��K��z���.���� For the last time Ron, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
ooh! What are you 2 doin? ;)

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
Nothin�.

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
Where are u? u weren�t in CoMC either!

��`�.��K��z���.���� Ron, for the last time, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
=O omg! Lunch is over????

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
it�s been over for a while� In fact, we�re spose to be in Charms now�

��`�.��K��z���.���� Ron, for the last time, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
OMG!!!

��`�.��K��z���.���� Ron, for the last time, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
I�ve missed class!!!

��`�.��K��z���.���� Ron, for the last time, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
TWO classes!!!

��`�.��K��z���.���� Ron, for the last time, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
WTF AM I GONNA DO????????

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
first, relax~!

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
second, think up a story!

��`�.��K��z���.���� Ron, for the last time, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
Like WHAT!??!?!?!

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
ummm� u were sick? U had sumin to do?

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
but where ARE u??

��`�.��K��z���.���� Ron, for the last time, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
I�m at a data caf�.

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
with hu? Harry n ron are still here

��`�.��K��z���.���� Ron, for the last time, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
promise u wont be mad?

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
�.

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
 I wont�.

��`�.��K��z���.���� Ron, for the last time, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
� sum of the Slytherins�.. leah and the kings�.

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:

WTF?!?!?!? K

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
did they kidnap u or sumin?

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
surely u didn�t go willingly~!!!!

��`�.��K��z���.���� Ron, for the last time, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
ummmm�.

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
OMG!!!

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
why??!?!?!

��`�.��K��z���.���� Ron, for the last time, it�s Levi-O-sa! says:
sry, we g2g now� I�ll ttul k?

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
WE???

[x] WE WON!!! Take that Slytherin! J [x] says:
So now ur WE????

Hermione closed the conversation and signed out. She looked up from the computer. Nathan Nikk and Matt were playing some racing game. She did not see Leah and Chris at the computers they were at a few moments before. Hermione scanned the rest of the computers in the room and the bar. She couldn�t see them.

Just then, the pair came out of a small corridor with a restroom sign above. Both of them had a pleasured glow about them. Oh boy, Hermione thought, I don�t want to know what they�ve been up to�

�Guys, I think we should go now.�

�Why?� they whined.

�We�re missing class.�

�You go if you wanna. We�re stayin.�

�Alright. Goodbye. Good luck finding your way to the Leaky Cauldron without me.�

Five faces turned towards her.

�Tah-Tah dahlings.�