"Hello, Hermione," came a cold voice from beyond the staircase.
She gasped, scarcely sure she had heard it. Clutching her small towel to her showered and naked body, she turned slowly.
A tall, thin young man leaned casually against the banister. He looked calm and at the same time slick... silvery. Draco Malfoy.
She wanted to screech and wake everyone up. Instead, she whispered in a soft but violent voice, "What are you doing here Malfoy?"
He grinned smoothly and started walking toward her. Slowly at first, then almost running, Hermione backed away, like a cornered mouse, still holding fast to the skimpy bath towel.
"Oh, just wanted to go for a midnight stroll..." he mused.
"That's a lie!" she insisted shrilly, hitting against the counter. "Not in the Gryffindor Girls' Tower, Malfoy!"
"What makes you think that, Mione?"
"Just leave! Please!"
"Oh, I will. Tonight I will." Draco reached forward and caressed her bare shoulder; she winced. Then he was gone.
"Tonight?" Hermione asked, quivering, to the empty room.
* * * * *
"What's wrong, muffin?" was the question posed by Ron Weasly as he and his two best friends lounged in the Gryffindor common room. He turned to his girlfriend on the couch they shared, catching a glimpse of Harry sitting adjacent to the couch on a lounging chair.
"Oh, nothing, Ron..." Hermione sighed dramatically. "Just a silly dream... at least I think so..."
"About what?"
She faltered. "About you, Ronnie; it was magical!" Her false, sweet smile even fooled her. But not Ron.
"Aw, how sweet, Herm," Ron mussed her wavy brown hair affectionately, "but it unfortunately was a dream. I slept soundly last night."
Harry cocked his head at Hermione. He knew something was up. He had always been able to read her mind, vaguely at least. She knew it, and therefore avoided eye contact with him... He adored her, really. He knew deep down she felt the same, just spooked by his ability... and of course, there was Ron's love for her. Harry could never go against his best friend.
"Harry? Harry?" Ron's voice sounded far away until Harry snapped.
"I'm sorry, I was fantasizing... what were you saying?"
Ron got a cruel, playful smile. "Oh... and who is the object of your fantasys?"
Hermione stared at the floor. Harry squirmed. "Uh... erm... you know..."
Ron apparently found this amusing; he snickered, "Actually I don't quite yet. Care to share it with the class, Harry?"
Hermione punched him playfully, forcing a laugh. "Oh, don't be such an ass, Ron, if he doesn't want to tell us he mustn't."
"Yes, yes, and you're overdo for a kiss," he teased, gently pulling her towards him and brushing her lips. Harry turned away. "Shall we take a stroll outside, Mione?"
"Sure, Ronnie." With Ron's arm secured around her shoulders, they left the room, leaving Harry along with his thoughts.
A cool breeze set many a piece of Hermione's loose hair astray, but it felt all too good against her lightly freckled skin. As she gazed around the grounds, she felt as if she was in a movie, peering out at the picturesque landscapes and green milieu. With Ron holding her, she felt perfect, like she was in the right place at the right time.
And yet... and yet, something was off, astray, awry... and Hermione knew it, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Whatever it was...
The thought melted away as she shivered, remember last night's incident with Draco Malfoy. Had it happened? Was she just having an awful nightmare? But, she was sure she had gone to bed after that happened, and sure she had showered and stepped out just like that, and sure that she had heard that... heard the echoing of "tonight"... And she had to wonder if he'd be back.
"...go... Malfoy... Huffle..."
Hermione could hear Ron speaking to her in the background, but only with the icy sound of Malfoy's name did she tune in. "What'd you say?
"I said, 'Last night Malfoy was caught sneaking around the Hufflepuff tower'," Ron repeated, sounding slightly agitated.
"Oh?" she replied faintly, feeling her knees go weak. Then it did happen... "Is that it?"
"Well, McGonnagel said that he swears he hadn't gone in the tower, and with the lie detector spell and all, he was right. But, they did find him with an invisibility cloak," Ron suddenly yawned, boring himself. "I wonder how he came about that find."
"Yes..." Hermione swallowed heavily, further words caught in her throat mercilessly.
"You 'kay?"
"I..." she sputtered. "Just fine, Ron," she flashed him a quick, cheesy smile. "I'm going to go to the library, now, alright?"
"Aw, Herm..."
"I promise I won't be long, Ronnie." She leaned up to lightly kiss his nose and strode across the unbelievably green grass and into the castle that was Hogwarts.
The corridor seemed longer than usual but she dismissed that... until in about five minutes it seemed she was still the same distance from the Hogwarts Library. She stopped, confused. "Hello?" she shouted, suddenly noticing that not a single soul was in sight, and there were no doors on the sides of the walls. "What the--"
Hermione felt a hand clamp down hard on her mouth and no one heard her scream.
Harry's fingers tentatively held the small piece of worn parchment, his grip so light on the paper that it almost slipped from his clutches. The Marauder's Map... echoed in his mind, and he parted his lips and softly spoke. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
The map seemed to come alive, small colored dots appearing on its crinkled texture. He could see Professor Dumbledore in the 2^nd Corrdior and Snape in the Herbology room with Prof. Flitwick. Ginny was in the Gryffindor common room with Colin Creevey, Lavender Brown, and Lee Jordan. Hermione's red dot and Ron's blue seemed awfully close on the outside grounds... in fact, Harry could swear they seemed to make a purple.
Then, they sprung apart and the red dot started to make its way down the 1^st Corridor, toward the library. Funny, Harry wrinkled his nose, Hermione hasn't moved in 30 seconds, and yet she's not standing still. Suddenly, a sheer, silver dot swooped out of the Transfiguration room and collided with the red dot, Hermione. And then, she disappeared, and it was only the vapor-like dot, moving rapidly down the hall.
Harry blinked. He was not sure that he had seen correctly. Furthermore, the silver dot had not been labeled... and Hermione had disappeared with it. And that she hadn't moved in quite a while. His blood ran cold, feeling that something was terribly wrong. The Marauder Map never lied...
He shook off the feeling, assuming that it was a freak accident or something of the likes. He decided to set off and find Ron, whose blue dot was still wandering the grounds.
She gasped, scarcely sure she had heard it. Clutching her small towel to her showered and naked body, she turned slowly.
A tall, thin young man leaned casually against the banister. He looked calm and at the same time slick... silvery. Draco Malfoy.
She wanted to screech and wake everyone up. Instead, she whispered in a soft but violent voice, "What are you doing here Malfoy?"
He grinned smoothly and started walking toward her. Slowly at first, then almost running, Hermione backed away, like a cornered mouse, still holding fast to the skimpy bath towel.
"Oh, just wanted to go for a midnight stroll..." he mused.
"That's a lie!" she insisted shrilly, hitting against the counter. "Not in the Gryffindor Girls' Tower, Malfoy!"
"What makes you think that, Mione?"
"Just leave! Please!"
"Oh, I will. Tonight I will." Draco reached forward and caressed her bare shoulder; she winced. Then he was gone.
"Tonight?" Hermione asked, quivering, to the empty room.
* * * * *
"What's wrong, muffin?" was the question posed by Ron Weasly as he and his two best friends lounged in the Gryffindor common room. He turned to his girlfriend on the couch they shared, catching a glimpse of Harry sitting adjacent to the couch on a lounging chair.
"Oh, nothing, Ron..." Hermione sighed dramatically. "Just a silly dream... at least I think so..."
"About what?"
She faltered. "About you, Ronnie; it was magical!" Her false, sweet smile even fooled her. But not Ron.
"Aw, how sweet, Herm," Ron mussed her wavy brown hair affectionately, "but it unfortunately was a dream. I slept soundly last night."
Harry cocked his head at Hermione. He knew something was up. He had always been able to read her mind, vaguely at least. She knew it, and therefore avoided eye contact with him... He adored her, really. He knew deep down she felt the same, just spooked by his ability... and of course, there was Ron's love for her. Harry could never go against his best friend.
"Harry? Harry?" Ron's voice sounded far away until Harry snapped.
"I'm sorry, I was fantasizing... what were you saying?"
Ron got a cruel, playful smile. "Oh... and who is the object of your fantasys?"
Hermione stared at the floor. Harry squirmed. "Uh... erm... you know..."
Ron apparently found this amusing; he snickered, "Actually I don't quite yet. Care to share it with the class, Harry?"
Hermione punched him playfully, forcing a laugh. "Oh, don't be such an ass, Ron, if he doesn't want to tell us he mustn't."
"Yes, yes, and you're overdo for a kiss," he teased, gently pulling her towards him and brushing her lips. Harry turned away. "Shall we take a stroll outside, Mione?"
"Sure, Ronnie." With Ron's arm secured around her shoulders, they left the room, leaving Harry along with his thoughts.
A cool breeze set many a piece of Hermione's loose hair astray, but it felt all too good against her lightly freckled skin. As she gazed around the grounds, she felt as if she was in a movie, peering out at the picturesque landscapes and green milieu. With Ron holding her, she felt perfect, like she was in the right place at the right time.
And yet... and yet, something was off, astray, awry... and Hermione knew it, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Whatever it was...
The thought melted away as she shivered, remember last night's incident with Draco Malfoy. Had it happened? Was she just having an awful nightmare? But, she was sure she had gone to bed after that happened, and sure she had showered and stepped out just like that, and sure that she had heard that... heard the echoing of "tonight"... And she had to wonder if he'd be back.
"...go... Malfoy... Huffle..."
Hermione could hear Ron speaking to her in the background, but only with the icy sound of Malfoy's name did she tune in. "What'd you say?
"I said, 'Last night Malfoy was caught sneaking around the Hufflepuff tower'," Ron repeated, sounding slightly agitated.
"Oh?" she replied faintly, feeling her knees go weak. Then it did happen... "Is that it?"
"Well, McGonnagel said that he swears he hadn't gone in the tower, and with the lie detector spell and all, he was right. But, they did find him with an invisibility cloak," Ron suddenly yawned, boring himself. "I wonder how he came about that find."
"Yes..." Hermione swallowed heavily, further words caught in her throat mercilessly.
"You 'kay?"
"I..." she sputtered. "Just fine, Ron," she flashed him a quick, cheesy smile. "I'm going to go to the library, now, alright?"
"Aw, Herm..."
"I promise I won't be long, Ronnie." She leaned up to lightly kiss his nose and strode across the unbelievably green grass and into the castle that was Hogwarts.
The corridor seemed longer than usual but she dismissed that... until in about five minutes it seemed she was still the same distance from the Hogwarts Library. She stopped, confused. "Hello?" she shouted, suddenly noticing that not a single soul was in sight, and there were no doors on the sides of the walls. "What the--"
Hermione felt a hand clamp down hard on her mouth and no one heard her scream.
Harry's fingers tentatively held the small piece of worn parchment, his grip so light on the paper that it almost slipped from his clutches. The Marauder's Map... echoed in his mind, and he parted his lips and softly spoke. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
The map seemed to come alive, small colored dots appearing on its crinkled texture. He could see Professor Dumbledore in the 2^nd Corrdior and Snape in the Herbology room with Prof. Flitwick. Ginny was in the Gryffindor common room with Colin Creevey, Lavender Brown, and Lee Jordan. Hermione's red dot and Ron's blue seemed awfully close on the outside grounds... in fact, Harry could swear they seemed to make a purple.
Then, they sprung apart and the red dot started to make its way down the 1^st Corridor, toward the library. Funny, Harry wrinkled his nose, Hermione hasn't moved in 30 seconds, and yet she's not standing still. Suddenly, a sheer, silver dot swooped out of the Transfiguration room and collided with the red dot, Hermione. And then, she disappeared, and it was only the vapor-like dot, moving rapidly down the hall.
Harry blinked. He was not sure that he had seen correctly. Furthermore, the silver dot had not been labeled... and Hermione had disappeared with it. And that she hadn't moved in quite a while. His blood ran cold, feeling that something was terribly wrong. The Marauder Map never lied...
He shook off the feeling, assuming that it was a freak accident or something of the likes. He decided to set off and find Ron, whose blue dot was still wandering the grounds.