Chapter Three
Blaise frowned and waved the mask in front of Draco's face. "Helloooo? Draco? Anybody in there?" Draco started and focused on his friend who smirked and continued. "Someone's got it bad. So what's your plan?"
Draco grinned and grabbed Hermione's mask off his friend. "That would be telling. But it will work. It will definitely work. But first there are some things I need to do. Goodnight Blaise." He tossed the mask onto his bed and left the bedroom, heading straight for a glum-looking Pansy. Draco took a deep breath and approached the scorned girl. "Pansy, I'm sorry about earlier. I'm just tired, I shouldn't have snapped at you though. To correct my error in behaviour I shall take your patrolling duties one night next week."
Pansy looked at him, delight flashing through her face. "Oh Draco I'm so glad you're not mad at me! I hate making you angry. You don't need to make anything up to me though; you don't have to do anything."
Draco had expected this, Pansy was so easy to read and, in times of need, manipulate. "I insist. Go fetch me your patrolling schedule and I shall see what night I can do." Pansy hesitated a moment before reaching behind her into her bag and withdrawing her patrolling timetable. Draco took it from her and quickly scanned the list of partners. Pansy had one patrol with Hermione on a Tuesday. Quidditch practise. Draco weighed it up in his mind; he didn't particularly want to miss Quidditch but then he wanted to get Hermione out of his head. He looked up at Pansy who was watching him carefully and forced a smile, "I'll do your Tuesday patrol."
"But that's with Hermione!" She all but shrieked. "You said you'd rather boil alive than go anywhere near that mudblood!"
He cursed inwardly. Time to think fast Draco. "The fact that I've voiced such aversion to her makes it all the more fitting that I patrol with her to correct my offence against you. And now I shall retire for the evening. Goodnight." He handed Pansy back her list and all but ran to the bedroom staircase. Once he was in bed he sighed and congratulated himself on a job well done. He'd been in trouble when Pansy had called him out on wanting to do a patrol with Hermione but, just like his father, Draco had been blessed with the ability to think on his feet - something which came in handy. He grinned to himself in the dark and rolled over, drifting into a dreamless sleep.
Hermione
Elsewhere in the castle Hermione lay wide awake cursing the boy who had vowed, unbeknownst to her, to get her alone. For the very reason that he hadn't pursued her. She buried around underneath her pillow until her fingertips hit a cold object. She seized it and pulled it out from its hiding place. It had been several years since she'd discovered mp3 players were technically allowed in the castle, provided they were used during free time. She scrolled through her songs until she found the perfect song for being frustrated with a boy. As Blondie's Call Me filled her ears Hermione settled down slightly.
Most people at Hogwarts assumed that she'd read in times of stress or boredom however the truth was that music had helped Hermione through all manner of occasions. Most notably when she used to cast a muffling spell around her bed and blast angry, break-up songs late at night after Ron had left her for Lavender. Yes music helped her work through her emotions. It also helped her sleep and without even realising it, Hermione fell asleep with her music still playing quietly.
The next few days were uneventful for Hermione, although they passed quickly, and soon it was Tuesday night. Hermione changed into the muggle clothes they were allowed to wear outside of lessons and pinned her Prefects badge onto her necklace chain. She'd chosen a new silk blouse to wear that evening and didn't want the pin to damage the delicate material. She'd received it in that morning's post from her mother and it was simply too lovely to pass up wearing that evening. The shocking pink colour of the material was a wise choice by her mother and looked even more perfect teamed with the black jeans Hermione was wearing.
She was early at the pre-arranged meeting spot. At the beginning of the year all of the prefects met up and agreed a meeting spot for the nightly patrols, ensuring that the patrols started on time. Hermione was absentmindedly singing The Beatles to herself when a voice startled her.
"So the bookworm knows The Beatles. And one of their best too. I'm impressed Granger, not many people know Blackbird."
Hermione's eyes widened and she looked about. The corridor suddenly seemed even more deserted than it had five minutes ago and there was no sign of Pansy anywhere. "Where's Pansy? She's meant to be doing the patrol. These patrols are for Prefects, not just anyone who fancies it." She noticed Draco's eyes flicker, although she couldn't quite place the emotion in them before they were blank again, and he smirked, taking a step closer to her. He smirked even more when she took a step back in response and backed into a wall.
"I'm making something up to Pansy as you seem so interested. I also want to speak to you."
Hermione shivered in anticipation and transferred her gaze to the floor. "What about?" She heard Draco chuckle and felt him take her arm.
"All in good time. I believe we're supposed to walk around the castle on these patrols, correct?" Hermione nodded, confused at the change of subject and obviousness of the question. "Then we should be walking, should we not?" Hermione realised they'd been in the corridor for several minutes now and blushed. She allowed Draco to propel her forward and then broke free from his surprisingly light grip.
They walked in silence for some time, each of them taking cursory glances at each other whenever possible. As they rounded one particularly dark corner Hermione was certain Draco's hand grazed her own, but when they were in the light again he was acting as if nothing had happened and she decided she had to be imagining things. Wistfully imagining things you shouldn't be imagining Hermione she scolded herself.
Draco
She looked annoyed. Was it because of what he did? He'd thought that she hadn't noticed. Perhaps she had and it was a step too far. No, she seemed indifferent to him. She was angry at herself. He frowned and watched her discretely. Stupid girl Hermione, you're a complete idiot. Stop being ridiculous. The words she was muttering to herself surprised him and he spoke without thinking. "You're not an idiot."
She stopped and started at him incredulously. "How did you hear me?" He said nothing for he was too busy cursing himself. "Wait, you're being nice to me. Why?" He sighed and reached in his pocket for something. Hermione's hand flew to her wand, tucked in her jean waistband. Draco laughed and pulled out a miniature version of Hermione's masquerade mask. "I don't want your sympathy and if you mock me I will hex you so hard you'll wish Moody had left you as a ferret."
His eyes darkened at the reference to their fourth year Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher but his anger towards Moody was quickly pushed aside. "I'm not here to mock you. And you of all people should know I don't do sympathy. I do, however, have some questions for you. Why did you run?"
It was her turn to act guarded now. "Please, you would have found some way to alert everyone else that mudblood Hermione had thrown herself at you."
He paused, shocked at the bitterness in her voice. "That's what you think of me?" She nodded and it felt like a dagger through his heart. "Hermione," she looked up stunned at the use of her first name, "is there not something muggle mothers tell their daughters when a boy is picking on them? He only does it because he likes you" he parroted, taking a discrete step forward. "The more vicious I was towards you the more I wanted to do this..." Draco grabbed Hermione by the shoulders and pushed her backwards. She gasped, shocked by the sudden movement, and found his lips on hers with an urgency that would have definitely scared her had she not been matching it.
Draco felt Hermione responding enthusiastically and ran his tongue along her lips, seeking her permission. She opened her mouth, sighing blissfully, inviting him. He ran his hand up her back, enjoying her shivering and pressing up against him in response, to her hair and knotted his hands in it. She groaned slightly as he pulled her hair accidentally and leant away from him. "Sorry." He grimaced and she shook her head, laughing. "What's so funny?" He asked gruffly. He felt disorientated. Coming to do the patrol tonight he had not thought he'd make this much progress with Hermione and now, just as he was releasing over a week's worth of tension she was laughing.
"I'm sorry it's just, this is crazy! If I went back to Gryffindor now and told Harry and Ron that we'd kissed they'd assume you'd got a sneaky hex in on me during my patrol."
Draco pulled away. "That's not funny. Why is the idea of us so absurd? Besides everyone knows people who read lots have good imagination." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Hermione snorted, but in a cute way.
"I'm serious. Think about it, if you revealed your feelings for me to anyone in Slytherin they'd probably take you to Snape and make him give you a potion for insanity."
"Don't be ridiculous. My feelings for you are not insanity. If you think so then that's the definition of insanity in this scenario." He dipped his head and gently kissed her.
Hermione
She ran her hands up his arms, gleefully feeling his strong arm muscles. No wonder Ginny goes on about Harry's arms so much. Quidditch does wonders for them! She must have giggled again because Draco pulled away and frowned. "Sorry, I was just thinking about how wonderful Quidditch is on your muscles." Draco smirked and slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her tight against him. She shivered in delight, causing him to smirk more.
In the distance footsteps echoed down the corridor towards them and they sprung apart. Hermione straightened her blouse and smoothed down her hair. Draco simply turned to face the noise, as if he hadn't just had her pressed up against a wall kissing her desperately. The footsteps reached the corner just ahead of them as the pair resumed their patrol, attempting an air of nonchalance although Draco was significantly better at it than Hermione was.
Pansy turned the corner and feigned surprise. "There you are! Draco baby I told you that you didn't have to do the patrol for me. I know how uncomfortable this mudblood makes you." She snarled at Hermione, who was glaring at the girl. Draco shifted uncomfortably.
"Pansy I said it was fine. Go back to the common room." Pansy opened her mouth to object but Draco silenced her with a look. "I said go." He commanded. Pansy simply nodded and retreated like a scolded puppy. Draco waited until Pansy's footsteps had fallen silent before turning to a tearful Hermione. "I'm sorry; those were her words not mine."
She kept her gaze on the floor. Her voice was quiet when she spoke. "You've called me that word before, so many times before. I'm such an idiot."
Draco's eyes widened in fear. No, she couldn't discount all he'd just said. He cursed Pansy, she ruined everything. He'd have to deal with her later. "Don't talk like that. You're not an idiot. If anything I was the idiot for even thinking that word, let alone calling you it."
"No." She finally looked up at him, her eyes filled with pain and tears, and began to back away from him. He reached out to grab her hand and she quickened her pace. She stopped just before the corner which would lead her back to the Gryffindor common room. "This never happened." She whispered, disappearing round the corner and running back to the common room. It was almost empty, only Harry and Ron were downstairs playing wizard's chess. As usual Harry was losing badly. They both looked up when she burst in. Harry caught sight of the tears running down Hermione's face and started to stand up, but she ran past him and up the stairs to the girls' bedrooms, slamming the door behind her.
