The Meaning of War

Dedicated to Radio Song, who wanted to see me try my hand at Hermione/Draco.

(A/N: This fic is part of a collboration with my one of my best friends, Avery McAire. There are two parts to this story. I'm telling Hermione and Draco's part while she's doing Ginny and Blaise's part. We're trying to make them correspond so bear with us if they don't)

This chapter takes place some time in the middle of Chapter one of You May Be Right

Chapter One

Close Encounters of the Irritating Kind

Hermione slipped out of the Room of Requirement, leaving the sounds of the party behind her. She smiled and headed towards the kitchen. Her mission was clear, gather more food for the hoard of girls. She easily navigated the halls, glad she had taken the opportunity to steal Harry's Maurader's Map. She had considered finding and um... "borrowing" his Invisibility cloak, but he would have surely noticed. He wouldn't have cared really, but Ron would. Harry knew about Ginny's Birthday party, but Ron didn't.

Hermione deftly avoided a stray ghost as she crossed the hall. She had to admire Ginny's tact. She had managed not to get on the bad side of a single boy during the whole planning process. Ginny had refrained from inviting any boys, yet also made it quite clear that, should her party be unexpectedly interrupted, the individual in question would have her to answer to. Ginny managed to to get this message out to every boy in a five mile raidus, while keeping the party a secret from all her brothers. Albeit only one lived at Hogwarts right now, but seeing as he was the most nosy of the six, well, it was a task Hermione was glad she herself had not been handed.

In fact, Ginny had masterminded the whole opperation and carried it to completion with little help from any one else.

Hermione rounded a corner and sighed. Damn. Dead end. She must have made a wrong turn back there. She turned herself around to find the way back, when she heard footsteps. She doused her light and stepped behind a statue of Godric Gryfindor. A faint light, made steadier with every passing moment, appeared at the end of the corridor. Hermione wished again she had had the balls to steal Harry's cloak.

"Pst!" Came a hushed voice. Hermione spun around to see a darkened figure holding out his cloak to her. Harry must have been wandering the halls after all. She thanked her stars and hurried under. The familiar yet always disorienting sensation filled her as the fluid cloak covered her.

Snape appeared, carrying his glowing wand. One look at his face showed he was in no mood for games and even though Hermione was a prefect, and therefore entitled to roam the halls looking for students out of bed, but in his current mood and Hermione's current garb, she figured it was best to leave him alone.

After several agonizing minutes (despite it's asurity, Hermione still felt skittish under Invisibility cloaks), Snape finally disappeared. Hermione threw back the cloak.

"Thanks for that!" She replied, not looking behind her. "You really saved my ass."

"Believe me, had I known it was you I would have spared myself the effort, Granger." Drawled the insolently sophisticated voice that could only belong to a one Draco Malfoy.

Hermione spun to face the blond in question. "You!"

Draco leaned against the statue she had formerly been hiding behind. "Yes, Granger, Me. Glad to see you've managed to perfect the use of pronouns."

Hermione quickly quelched the anger and embarrassment she felt at having been saved by him of all people and managed to reply cooly. "Interesting that you did choose to extend the effort."

Draco smirked. "Well a young woman in danger usually rewards her savior."

Hermione batted her eyelashes at him. "Is that what our dear Slytherin Prince wants?" She cooed coyly.

Draco seemed momentarily thrown off. Hermione decided no matter what else happened tonight that moment was worth it.

"Don't be absurd Granger. I wouldn't allow myself to be tainted in such a way."

"Pity." Hermione gave a mock pout. "But what is a twitchy little ferret like you doing out here on a night like this? Surely not searching for some poor simpering maiden?"

Draco sneered. "Hardly. And it's hardly any of your business."

Hermione filed that under "For later consideration" and forged on. "Alright then, why the cloak? You're a prefect, same as I."

"One could ask you the same question. Your current apparell hardly denotes a prefect worthy task."

Hermione looked down. She was wearing a tank top with a hedgehog on it and matching shorts.

"Interesting choice." Malfoy noted. "Does the young Miss Granger have a fetish for woodland creatures? I daresay they might be the only ones to touch you. Unless you count Weasley and Potter."

Hermione had quite had enough. With decided ease, she cast a quick silencing spell around the hall, then hauled back and deleivered a smart right cross to Draco's nose.

With out wasting a moment, she bodybinded him, leaving only his head working, from which spewed a series of colorful names and insults. Hermione knelt over him.

"They're hedgehogs. And furthermore, this one," She pointed to her chest and Draco quieted a moment to observe the rather nice sight. "Is named Spiny Norman, though I doubt you get the reference. If you do, let me know."

With that, Hermione walked off. She found the kitchens easily this time and gave the eager house elves directions as to where to take the food they prepared. She accepted a scone from Dobby then left before old habits kicked in and she started preaching on elfin rights.

On her way back, she stopped in the bathroom and grabbed a bar of soap.

She walked down the hall, to where Draco lay, still screaming. His voice was going a bit raw.

"Hey Malfoy. I hope you've noticed that this hall is sound proofed. No one outside here can hear a damned word you say."

"Really? Just come back to taunt, or were you planning something else?" He snarled.

"No just to taunt really. Oh, and that's right. Every hero needs a reward, so..."

She leaned down and lightly brushed a kiss across his lips. Then she dropped the soap on his chest.

"Since I've probably contaminated you, here's a little something to help you remove my viscious Gryffindor taint."

She blew another kiss at him and shashayed off.

Chapter Two

A Declaration of War