She was nervous, tense, her brown eyes, normally filled with hatred and impatience, were wide with fear. She was trembling. He lifted his pale fingers to her chin, rubbing his thumb along her cheek bone. She needed to calm down, she was over thinking things, he could see her mind moving a mile a minute. "Relax Granger." he whispered, his face millimeters from hers. To his greatest surprise, he felt her muscles relax under his, watched her shoulders slump and her eyes lock on with his. He moved his face down a little more, hesitant, before his lips caught hers in a gentle kiss. She stared up into his eyes, slightly trembling. She didn't know why she was so nervous. She had kissed guys before, yes, but never under these circumstances, never before like this. Krum had been different, a fling, and she could hardly call Cormac a 'relationship'. But this wasn't a relationship, was it? Her mind was working so hard she like she was going to explode. His fingers touched her chin, her cheek, his breath was hot against her nose. "Relax Granger." he whispered. Her heart hammered against her rib cage, and she let herself relax. She unclenched her muscles, her shoulders slumped, and his lips met hers in the gentlest kiss. She didn't know he could be so gentle.
Hermione smiled gently as the cake was passed along down the large wooden table. Her eyes landed on the large 18 scrawled a crossed the white frosting. Hermione was bittersweet about this. Yes, she loved the fact that she was with her friends and her second family, the Weasley's and Harry, but she wished that her parents could be here for this. Of course, they were in Australia, totally oblivious to the fact that they had a daughter. "Hermione, are you ok?" Hermione jumped and looked towards Ginny, who smiled gently. Hermione tried to smile back. "Fine." She answered, nodding, before she turned back to the cake. She took a breath and sighed before she blew out the candles.
A few hours later, Hermione was standing outside of the Burrow, staring up at the moon hanging over head. The door opened and Hermione turned to glance over her shoulder. She watched Ron walk out, wave slightly, and then close the door behind him. "Hey." he whispered, as though they were doing something they shouldn't be. He walked over to her and stopped beside her, shoving his hands into his pockets. Hermione sighed and nodded towards him. "Miss your parents?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded her head slightly. "Who told you? Ginny or Harry?" Ron looked offended. "I can tell when you're upset." Hermione didn't answer, because Ron never could, Ginny probably told him.
Ron looked towards her and reached a hand out for hers. "Don't worry about it 'Mione-" "That's easy for you to say..." Hermione snapped. "Your parents are all here, safe and sound." Ron scowled. "Fred isn't." Hermione didn't say anything. Fred's death was tragic... but it nothing compared to losing her parents. Ron sighed and tugged on Hermione's arm, turning her to look at him. "You'll be fine. We're going to Hogwarts next week, remember, to finish our education... You're Head Girl!" Ron tried to make her feel better, but it never worked, so why would it work this time? Hermione only sighed and looked down at her feet. She felt Ron's fingers under her chin, pushing her eyes up to look at him. Her breath caught when she realized how close he had gotten. "Just relax 'Mione." he whispered to her. Hermione stared up at him, confused.
Suddenly his lips were on hers, hungry and hard. Hermione gasped and jumped backwards, heart pounding. Ron looked at her, a small look of impatience and anger behind his eyes. "It only makes sense Hermione! Harry with Ginny, you with me, it's how it's supposed to be!" Does it really make sense though? Hermione didn't know that it did. What Harry and Ginny had, it was special. What her and Ron had.. It was called bickering. Fighting. Over and over, over every little stupid thing. Hermione didn't even realize she had tears forming in her eyes when she shook her head. "No, Ron, I don't think it is." Ron glared, sighed, and then rubbed a hand over his face. "You better open up to someone Hermione, or you'll be alone for the rest of your life. Oh, yea, you and your books." He turned and stalked back into the house, slamming the door. Hermione bit her lip to hold back the tears, she didn't know why she was so upset. It was just Ron being Ron.
But what he had said, it hit something inside of her. Sure, she was studious, and that would get her far in life, in her work life, but what about the other part of her life? She had always wanted a family, had always been a romantic, but where was such a man? Maybe Ron was right, maybe she needed to open up more? She was eighteen now, she couldn't rely on people to do things for her.
A week went by in a blur. Harry tried to bridge the awkward gap between Hermione and Ron. Near the end, Ron tried also, but Hermione refused to talk to him. They headed off for Hogwarts in a miserable awkwardness. When they arrived at the station, Hermione quickly parted from the two boys, putting on her Head Girl badge and approaching the train. She would sit in the Prefects Compartment for the remainder of the train ride. It was the only place she could be alone. When she reached the compartment, she put her stuff away and turned to see the many rows of chairs that were sitting there, that would soon be filled with new and old prefects. She walked over to the podium and looked out around the area. Next to her in a few moments would be the Head Boy.
It only took ten minutes before the compartment started to fill up. A few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws wished Hermione good luck. The Gryffindor Prefect offered her a suggestion about having an After-War Ball. Hermione made a note of it and the Gryffindor walked away, looking quite proud of himself. Just as the train started to move, Hermione began to fear she might have to do this on her own. She looked out over the other prefects and took a breath before she said, "Uh... Hi." The Prefects all turned their attention on her. She bit her lip. "Right, so, we're here to discuss the patrolling schedule and other things related to your responsibilities as Prefects."
"English, Granger." Hermione jumped and turned, glowering over at the clad-in-black figure of Draco Malfoy, who stood leaning against the wall in the shadows behind her. Hermione glared and said, "If you think you could say it better, Malfoy, why don't you get up here. You shouldn't even be here, now go back to your compartment." Hermione turned quickly back to the crowd. She could feel her hatred for the man with the blond hair growing, especially after everything that happened during the war, though she did feel a bit of pity for him. What with Crabbe dying and everything that had happened at the Malfoy Manor. He had looked most uncomfortable standing their while Bellatrix ordered people around.
Before Hermione could begin her speech again, however, Malfoy suddenly appeared beside her, pushing her aside and clearing his throat. "OK, here's how it's going to go. Gryffindor's will patrol the dungeons, Slytherin's will patrol the seventh floor, that way there's no way the prefects could favor their own house should they be caught out of bed. Ravenclaw's will patrol the third floor and Great Hall, and the Hufflepuff's will patrol the fifth and first floor. Take turns in wandering to make sure there are no students out of bed. Patrolling hours will be posted in your common rooms. You can leave." Everyone sat there, staring up at Malfoy, who quickly said, "Ok... Go!" Students, relieved how quickly the meeting went by, jumped up and hurried out of the room to find their friends. Hermione had been hoping the meeting would last longer, so she could avoid Ron and Harry a bit more, then again...
"You have no right to address the Prefects, Malfoy!" A smug look crossed Malfoy's pale lips as he said, "Actually, Granger, I very much have as much right as you. Like the badge?" Hermione's eyes zipped down to Malfoy's chest, who had puffed out his chest in emphasis. Hermione's mouth fell open. "Who would be draft enough to give YOU the position of Head Boy?" Malfoy pretended to look thoughtful before he said, "Well... My guess would be the Headmistress, Professor McGonagall, but I guess if you really look at it, you'll have to blame all of the teachers in general." Hermione could only stare, mouth open, towards the blond haired boy.
Malfoy smirked and winked slightly before he said "See yea later roomie." He turned, shoved his hands in his pockets and started for the door. "Roomie?" Hermione spat. Malfoy suddenly looked overjoyed as he turned back around and said, "Oh, didn't you know? Head Boy and Girl share a dormitory, on the sixth floor, big portrait really, can't miss it. Well, this should be fun, huh?" and he waltzed out of the room. Hermione could kill someone.
The train slowed down and Hermione was one of the first to step out, hoping to avoid Ron and Harry just a little bit longer. Her glare settled on Malfoy, who was sauntering by, his arm slung comfortably around some blond haired Ravenclaw's shoulder. Hermione wrinkled her nose in disgust. No doubt he'd be planning on abusing the fact that he has a dormitory to himself *cough, cough- that he shared!- cough*, by bringing pointless bimbos there. Hermione felt her hands curl into fists as she suddenly thought of Ron. All men were the same, they all wanted one thing. Hermione quickly made her way to the carriages and sat down in an empty one, closing the door before anyone could bother coming in. The carriage started off towards the castle.
Three hours later, Hermione was walking along the corridor towards the sixth floor, where the Head's dormitory would be. To her great surprise, the large snake and lion in the portrait both turned to look at her as she approached. She couldn't help notice Malfoy's gray eyes were the same as the snake's, and her own brown eyes resembled immensely in the lion. "Password?" The lion roared, looking down at her. "Unity." she said. The lion nodded and the snake rolled its eyes before the portrait opened. Hermione walked in and smiled around at the large common room. It was twice as large as the Gryffindor common room, with green and red furniture, and silver and gold portraits and frames and other things. The fire in the fireplace was already crackling, flashing colors of silver and gold. Hermione watched it for a moment before she heard a female giggling coming from over head.
Scowling, Hermione shuddered gently. Of course, why wait for the first official day to start, right Malfoy? Hermione hurried up the steps to her door, where a gold plate stated her name in red letters. Suddenly the plate whispered. "Please set a password." Hermione stared up at it before she said very clearly, "Bimbo Slytherin's." The plate made a chuckling noise and the door opened. Hermione smirked gently, feeling quite satisfied with herself, before she walked into her room and fell down onto her bed, the one sprawled with red silk sheets. She could still hear the stupid Ravenclaw (there's an oxymoron!) giggling on the other side of a wooden door, one with a name plate. The name plate was silver, and had the dark green writing of Draco Malfoy.
Hermione stared up at the ceiling, sighing. All boys wanted the same thing. She thought to herself again, combing a hand through her hair and quickly changing into a pair of pajama bottoms and a tank top. Even Malfoy could get any girl he wanted, just with a few words. "You better open up to someone Hermione, or you'll be alone for the rest of your life. Oh, yea, you and your books." Hermione frowned gently, feeling Ron's words punch her in the stomach again. Without another thought, Hermione shoved the sheets back and quickly stood, walking over to the door where Malfoy's name plate sat on it. "Password?" Hermione didn't say anything. The noises inside the room froze. Hermione raised a hand and knocked on the door. More silence, then a quiet cuss and then movement. A loud thud could be heard from somewhere beyond the wood and then, with a big enough force to make her hair move in the slightest, the door to Malfoy's room opened.
Malfoy's pale face stuck out from the crack in the door, his blond hair hanging in his eyes. It was obviously to tell he had no shirt on, though thankful his pants were still very much in place. He glared. "What do you want Granger?" Hermione bit her lip, crossing her arms over her chest. This was so stupid, it wasn't going to work. "To ask you something-" "Who is it Draco?" Draco glared harder. At first Hermione thought it was at her, until he looked over his shoulder and said, "Be quiet." He stepped into Granger's room and closed the door behind him, rounding on her. "What do you want?" he asked again. It seemed harder to say it a second time. "To ask you something-" "Yea, I got that, ask me what?" Hermione would have glared if she wasn't so nervous.
"Uhm... You've had... You've done stuff before... Right?" Draco raised a platinum eyebrow, staring down at her. He said nothing, but he nodded his head a little bit. Hermione felt her cheeks grow even more red than they probably already were and she felt even more stupid. "Uhm... Well... I... I've never actually... I was wondering if you could... teach me." Draco stared at her, his pale lips parted a little bit. He looked like he had just been asked the most complicated question in the world and he had two seconds to answer it correctly. He shifted his feet and threw his shoulder over one pale shoulder, crossing his arms over his chest. "You want me to... teach you..." Hermione nodded "Teach you how to...?" His eyebrows pulled together and Hermione bit her lip. "Not everything! Just... how to... impress someone, I suppose."
Draco continued to stare at her, he looked confused and amused at the same time, but more confused. "Now?" Draco asked, his eyes shifting towards the door and then back to Hermione. Hermione's eyes widened. "No! By all means... Continue your... er... business." Draco stared towards her before he slowly nodded. "...Yea... OK..." Hermione felt oddly relieved. "I can help you... But you have to let me." Now Hermione looked confused. "I mean, you have to do exactly as I say. You may be good with History and Potions Granger, but I know best here." Hermione was nervous to agree, until Ron's words echoed in her head again. She nodded. Draco didn't even say anything before he turned to the do. "Wait." Draco froze, but he didn't turn around. "Can we start... tomorrow?" Draco didn't move, but Hermione knew he was thinking. Finally, he nodded before he opened the door and disappeared inside. Hermione sighed and walked over to her bed, falling down onto it. This was a bad idea.
Five minutes later, Malfoy's door opened to the hallway and soft footsteps were walking down the stairs, much too soft to be Malfoy's. The portrait downstairs opened and then shut again, and then silence rung out in the Heads dormitory.
