Chapter 2
'Bathies'
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. The fire crackled out, leaving the slightly charred remains of the fairytale book Draco had thrown in. Hermione bent, collecting the book. She brushed the ash off the cover. It looked a little tatty. Hermione flicked through the book. Some of the pages had been blackened, but apart from that it looked reasonably well. The mechanicals of the fireplace released a further grind of the cogs, and the fireplace slid aside revealing a gaping hole. Hermione tucked the book under her arm. She elicited a lone candle from the set decorating the mantle. It's merry flame lit her way down the couple of steps leading into the hidden room. Once Hermione was certain that she had reached a level landing she blew her candle out.
Please let this work, she thought wistfully.
"I wish there was light."
Hermiones assumption had been sound. Light flooded the small room at her command. Its interior was exposed; it was a small, yet incredibly luxurious, bathroom.
Gold embroidered towels, with hints of red, hung upon gold rods. A small sink and mirror, in gold and marble, christened the left. Whilst a small bath-pool, reminiscent of the one Hermione had used in the Prefects Bathroom, sat central to the room.
A little door on the far wall lead (or so Hermione guessed) to the toilets.
With a little cry, Hermione flung herself into the room. She first checked on her suspicions regarding the little door. Next, she was to turn on every tap the mini bath-pool had. A wide variety of colorful fragrances soon filled the air. When she was confident that the bath had been filled to her supreme satisfaction, Hermione slipped her raggedy nightdress over her head, set her book down by the sink, and slipped into the comforting waters.
She sighed, "ahhhh, so nice."
The warm waters eased her stinging bruises. Hermione waded towards the hot water tap. She turned once, twice, three times and the water flow halted. Hermione ducked her in the tub. When she resurfaced a not so comforting sight greeted her.
"GET OUT!" She shrieked.
Draco lent against the sink, pretending to inspect his fingernails.
"Now, now, I haven't seen anything even remotely interesting," he smirked.
Hermione lowered herself so that she could be certain the bubbles hid all but her head.
"MALFOY!"
Draco rolled his eyes.
"If you didn't want me to visit, then why did you leave the door open you silly Mudblood?"
Hermione groaned. She had, in a way, left the door open. She had thought the fireplace would automatically close behind her, sealing the entry to the passageway. Instead, it had remained very much open. In her haste to explore the bathroom, she had forgotten to check.
"You should have the manners to know not to walk in, whether the doors open or not," she huffed.
Not only was she feeling furious with Malfoy, but also with herself for behaving so stupidly.
Draco laughed, "oh come now. It's not as if I'd want to look at you anyway Granger. You're so…ugly?"
Hermione felt as though Malfoy had slapped her.
Tears welled up. Too proud to let Malfoy see her cry, she gulped air and sunk to the bottom of the pool.
Obnoxious pig, she thought.
When she broke surface, gasping for air, he was gone. Hermione was left floating. Somehow, the bath didn't seem as entirely as comforting as it had been before.