Chapter 3 -Little Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs-
Draco flinched back at the sudden, unexpected pain as Granger slapped him. He had been so distracted by the sight of the struggling, crying Weasley-girl who finally crumbled into Potter's arms, that he had not noticed Granger's hand coming up first. The next moment there had been a sharp pain on his left cheek and he had realised that she had – once again – slapped him, just as she had back in their third year.
"There should be enough opportunity for that," he added to his previous threat, fighting the urge to reach for his straining cheek.
At that, Potter and Weasley focused on them again. "You stay away from her," Weasley snapped furiously and pulled out his wand. "You nasty evil –"
"Ron!" Granger cut him short, "Stop that! Malfoy isn't worth the trouble."
With a look of utter disgust, as if he were a piece of filth, she let her eyes wander across him and for a moment Draco almost regretted having started the argument.
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Since she had already found out about Malfoy being Head Boy during their conflict on the train, Dumbledore's announcement did not come as a shock to Hermione.
The Sorting Ceremony and Welcome Feast passed in the usual cheerful mood and thus far she did not worry too much about the fact that she would be forced to deal with Malfoy during the term.
But when after a while the excitement and happy chatting around started to die down – due to the fact that everybody was sated and quite tired after the long day – and the Prefects began to assemble first year students around themselves to lead them to their new Houses, Hermione began to feel a nervous leap in her stomach.
After two years as a Prefect, it felt strange to watch others do her work. It once again brought to her mind the changes she was going to face this year. For the first time, she fully realised that she would not spend any more nights in her familiar four-poster at Gryffindor Tower and a mixture of excitement and sadness captured her at the prospect.
Being Head Girl, she was no longer responsible for the members of her House only. Therefore she would be given her own rooms on a neutral corridor where the students of all four Houses could easily consult her.
If it only had not been Malfoy of all people who would be moving into the rooms next to hers, it might have been easier to adjust to the new situation. Unintentionally, her eyes wandered over towards the Slytherin Table, only to find his seat empty. He must have already left without her notice.
With a sudden feeling of fear she wondered if he might already be plotting something to get revenge on her as he had announced on the train. Given that thought, the prospect of living next door to Malfoy, on an otherwise uninhabited corridor, far from her friends' shelter, made her feel a nervous lump in her stomach once again.
Suddenly Harry's hand touched her forearm. "Hermione," he asked, "aren't you listening?"
With a slight flinch she snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh yes, yes what is it?" she asked, turning her attention back to her friends.
At the opposite side of the table, Ron and Lavender were talking softly to each other and all around students left the Great Hall in smaller or larger groups now so that the vast room began to appear noticeably empty.
"Here is some ghost who wants to lead you to your new quarters, Hermione," Harry told her and it was only then she noticed the erstwhile librarian standing beside their table.
"Oh, good evening, Mr. Atlas," she smiled at the kind tempered ghost who inhabited 'Magical Maps of the Wizarding World'.
The erstwhile Hogwarts librarian had met his end after unexpectedly and unwillingly breaking the fall of the huge Map-book from its marble stand, and had subsequently taken up residence in the mouldy tome. He had been very pleased to make the acquaintance of the studious Gryffindor, as he seldom got any visitors to his new place of residence. It was not exactly a frequently-consulted one.
"I didn't notice you were waiting for me, I'm sorry."
The ghost smiled across his whole bluish-white face. "Ahh – No need to hurry Miss Granger, I have time enough, ages, I might point out. But Mr. Malfoy is waiting for us in the Entrance Hall."
With mixed feelings about that information, Hermione rose from her seat, but Harry held her back. "Hey, wait a sec. Did you decide which password you're choosing, yet?"
"No, not really," she explained, chewing her lip. "I was planning to pick something like –"
"How about Snitch?" he suggested with a grin.
Hermione pulled a face. "Isn't there anything else on your mind ever?"
"Well –" Harry enunciated with a cryptic smile, "maybe there's some similar word, with a very different meaning …"
"Miss Granger," the ghostly librarian called softly and she noticed that he had already floated ahead in the direction of the Entrance Hall. Hermione turned to leave as well, but Harry held her back once more. "What about the password now? I want to be able to 'join' you later on, you know?" he whispered, winking an eye at her.
"Yes, yes, OK," Hermione assured him with an exasperated sigh.
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When she followed Mr. Atlas into the Entrance Hall, she noticed that Malfoy was already waiting for them at the foot of the stairs, an expression of bored arrogance on his face. "It's about time, Granger," he smirked. "Couldn't separate from the Wonder Boy, could we?"
"I didn't know – you – couldn't part from him, either," Hermione remarked tartly.
The expression that crossed Malfoy's face at that statement made up for a lot of the trouble that day had brought. And it was also very useful to improve her mood that – for once – Malfoy decided it better to not respond and merely glared at her.
But while they followed their ghostly companion up to their new quarters, Hermione could not help throwing secret side glances at Malfoy several times. He was ignoring her completely and was, as he seemed, deeply lost in his thoughts.
At first sight his tall, lean appearance, noble features and the smooth, white-blonde hair were quite appealing; but once one caught the cast of his cold, pale-grey eyes, the angelic impression was immediately contradicted.
In fact there was something really sinister about him. Once again, Hermione worried how they might get along with each other this year.
They had already been forced to work together as Prefects in the past two years and it had not been a pleasant co-operation, but so far they had not that much to do with each other. This was now about to change.
Musing over these matters, Hermione did not pay much attention to Malfoy and therefore flinched when he suddenly spoke. "Axis?" he accosted the ghost, who was floating up the stairs in front of them, "What about the password to my rooms?"
When the addressed didn't react to this, Malfoy tried to catch his attention again. "Axis?" he repeated more insistently.
At this, all her earlier anger broke free once again and this time Hermione couldn't keep her annoyance to herself. "Honestly Malfoy, do you really pay so little attention to the people around you that you do not even remember the name of a person who introduced himself to you just a couple of minutes ago?" she sniffed, "But what am I wondering about? I should have known, it's just so typical of you!"
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Draco stopped in his tracks at the censure. He could not believe that Granger truly dared to chide him. After all she had already slapped him on the train earlier, and would have done much better to just stay out of his way.
But no, she had to show off – again. And about such a stupid matter – In fact he had just reflected on how he had come to know the ghost.
As a child, Draco had liked to look at the map-plates in his father's copy of the atlas at home and when he started at Hogwarts, he had searched for a copy of the book at the school's library. That was how he had come across its ghostly inhabitant in his first year and as he had contemplated it frequently in the intervening years, he had come to know the ghost well enough to be on a first name basis with him.
But Granger-stupid-cow had to chew him out about a thing she knew nothing about.
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"I'd rather say, it's just so typical for – you, Granger, to persistently annoy your surroundings with that insufferable Know-it-all attitude of yours," Malfoy sneered. "Never even considering you might be wrong for a change, do you?"
At this the ghost finally turned around. "Now, now, Draco, is that a way to speak to a lady?" he soothed him in a friendly manner. "You should mind your manners."
Before Malfoy got a chance to answer, the ghost faced Hermione with a smile. "You see, Miss Granger, knowing each other for quite a while now, Mr. Malfoy and I are accustomed to calling one another by our first names. That is why he has been calling me Axis."
"As for your question, Draco," he called back over his shoulder, "you will each choose your password completely to your liking. But I advise you to choose with care, as you will not be able to change your selection for the rest of the year."
Carefully Hermione cast another side-glance at Malfoy, who looked straight ahead and simply continued in his tracks, without complaining at all. She had not at all expected him to accept the ghost's critique that well.
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At the fourth floor, Axis turned to the right and floated around a bend that led them into a short corridor. The entire right wall held high lancet windows of bluish, rhombic shaped glass that added a dim, dreamlike atmosphere to the place. At the other end of the corridor, a white staircase led down to the part of the castle where the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff quarters must be. The only doors up here were two dark wood ones to their left.
"Here we are," Axis declared as he came to a halt. "Excuse me, but these are Mr. Malfoy's rooms," he told Granger, who had already approached the left of the two doors. Nodding into the direction of the other door, a few meters to the right, Axis added: "Your quarters are over there, Miss Granger."
Draco almost laughed aloud at the shocked expression with which the Gryffindor backed away from his door at that explanation.
"I will give you the passwords of the previous year's occupants to open the doors and when you step into your new quarters you tell the door the countersign you have chosen. It will be immediately activated once the lock snaps shut behind you. I once again remind you: choose with care. You will have to give the password whenever you wish to open or close the door."
"Come on, Axis, open up my rooms then." Draco requested and nodded in Granger's direction. "I've had enough of her presence for one day."
"Little Snow-White," Axis quoted and for a moment Draco had the irrational idea that his friend was referring to Granger, who leaned with her back against one of the windowsills a few steps away. But when the ebony-wood door to their left door opened, he realised this had been their erstwhile Head Boy's password. Well, he had always thought there was something weird about him.
Behind him, Draco could hear Granger coughing slightly.
"Hah – bet yours is 'The Seven Dwarfs, then, Granger," he drawled as casually as possible, although he was inwardly boiling with rage at her. "Better not laugh before you've heard yours."
She threw him another one of her arrogant, stuck up glances and turned her back on him without a further word.
Too curious to just disappear into his rooms, Draco leaned against his doorframe and waited for Axis to tell them, which password Cho Chang had picked for her Head Girl quarters. "Harry Potter", Axis called softly and Draco's head snapped into the direction of the stairs, before he realised it was the former password to Granger's rooms. Given the blunt look on her face, she had been likewise misled.
This time it was on him to mock her.
"Well, Granger," he sneered, "looks as if 'The Seven Dwarfs' would have been the better option. But then, you probably shouldn't change it. Even Potter will be able to remember his name."
With a last dark scowl at her, he stepped through the door to his rooms. "Mudblood!" he muttered with venom, just as the lock snapped shut.
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A cryptic smile playing around her lips, Hermione slipped into her new rooms and gave the door her new password. She had been indeed tempted to just keep Cho's 'Harry Potter', but now that Malfoy had heard it, this was not an option really.
She could hardly imagine that Malfoy kept 'Little Snow White', either. What fun to see his discomfort at the revelation of his rooms' former password.
Her new quarters were a very pleasant surprise to her. Three floor- to-ceiling lancet windows at the opposite side of the room allowed the last glow of sunlight to float into the large living-working area. The walls were pale sandstone, like everywhere else in the castle, but a long row of bookshelves stretched over the entire wall around the entrance door.
A tremendous blue-beige carpet covered the light hardwood floor and likewise blue curtains were fluttering in a light breeze as two of the windows were leaning ajar at the moment.
Hermione supposed that Cho had transfigured the interior to show Ravenclaw colours and she briefly considered changing the curtains' colours to scarlet red, but decided against it. In fact blue was a nice choice that went well with the dark wood furnishings. A monstrous, heavy ebony desk was placed in front of the windows, far enough apart from them to round it and have a look outside, though.
Right of the entrance door two king-size light-beige couches, with many loose pillows in various sizes were placed to face each other, a narrow likewise ebony wood table between them. Further to the right was a sideboard on which Hermione decided to place a couple of photographs.
The walls of a small but pretty bathroom, with an ivory-coloured design and a kitchenette reached into the room and gave it the shape of an 'L' that had the ebony desk at its ending.
At the wall to her left was a huge fireplace, with a creamy-white mantelpiece and an impressive hearth.
A door beside it led into the bedroom, which was dominated by a huge ebony wood four-poster with likewise blue curtains. A chest of drawers, a bedside table and a mirror, all of the same beautiful wood, completed the furnishings. Left of the door another fireplace of light-cream-white stone was built. Its back must edge on that of the living area's fireside and Hermione supposed that they shared one chimney.
A glance at the foot of the bed told her that her trunk had already been unpacked, but there were still a lot more items left to be decided about and which the House Elves had left for her to arrange after her own liking. Several personal objects such as photos, books, and the like had been merely unpacked, but left on top of the trunk.
Nonetheless Hermione stepped towards the two floor-to-ceiling windows in her bedroom first to have a look at the grounds below. It was almost completely dark outside by now, but she could still recognize Hagrid's hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
If it had not been for Malfoy, who was living so awfully close now, she could have been truly happy about her new home.
Half an hour later, while Hermione was still busy sorting everything into its new place, the door creaked open and with a meaningful grin, Harry slipped into the room.
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Just when Draco arranged the last changes to his new quarters, he suddenly noticed the sound of voices.
It took him a few moments to realise that it must be Granger talking to someone behind the wall. Surprised, he stepped a little closer to the ebony wood sideboard on which he had placed a couple of photographs, and tilted his head aside.
If their quarters were laid out in a similar design, the wall must border on her bedroom. He would not have suspected to hear anything through the thick sandstone walls, but maybe there had been a doorway between their quarters once that allowed the sound to pass more easily. He could not understand what was said, but it was pretty clear that Granger was not just talking to herself.
A smug grin crossed his face as he noted the unmistakable sound of a male voice. No question to whom it belonged. Most obviously Potter had sneaked up to her rooms to spend the night there.
He was mildly surprised that Granger, who stuck so closely to the rules usually, dared to meet her boyfriend in her rooms. It was not at all encouraged by the school to spend the nights anywhere else than in one's own dormitory and if it got round that Potter was visiting her nonetheless – and at an hour like that, her position as Head Girl might be in jeopardy.
While other students got only House points taken, it was not at all suitable for the Head Girl to have her boyfriend at her rooms at night time.
But if he wasn't much mistaken, Granger seemed to be taking that risk.
His theories were proven right, when shortly after he had noted the voices, Potter's unmistakeably ecstatic gasps and moans reached his ear.
Repulsed by the realisation that he just overheard Potter screwing his Mudblood, Draco backed away from the wall. It didn't really help that the moaning was accompanied by the rhythmic banging of the bedposts against the wall.
The startling shortness of the encounter made him crack into a grin, though. For all it seemed, Potter had not lasted very long and given the fact that he had not heard a single gasp or moan of passion from Granger, he seemed to be no Wonder Boy in that department, anyway.
Much to his terror, Draco heard that the very same scene repeated itself two more times during the night and it were always just the horny, ecstatic screams and pants of Potter, but not a single sound from Granger that reached his ears.
'Poor Mudblood,' he thought with a cruel laugh after he had overcome the first shock about these new revelations. He even wondered if there was not any advantage he could take out of this knowledge.
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Life at Hogwarts started out quite busy for Hermione. Working along with Malfoy turned out as just as horrible as she had expected it and by the end of the first week of term she was in a very foul mood already.
So far there had not been much need for them to team up, but the one staff meeting which they'd both had to attend had been enough to tell her that it would not be at all easy. She was sure that once they had to truly co-operate, they fight about – everything.
She was just glad that – so far – he had not made any rude comments towards her in front of the younger students. She did not fool herself about the matter, though. It was only an act in order to keep up their reputation and she wondered seriously, how long this false calm might last. It somehow had the appearance of dancing around a smoking volcano and she did not like the idea at all.
When Harry came to see her in the evenings, she could not really relax. The stress took too much out of her. Like she had expected, Harry had little empathy for her worries. And he did not take the fact well that she was either too tired, or simply preoccupied with other matters on her mind to be in the mood for sex.
This on the contrary only added to her stress and a few times she had just given in to his approaches, only not to risk another quarrel. But she really wished he had a little more empathy and would not constantly try to sneak into her pants at the most unlucky moments and places.
Tonight he was once again not at all understanding about the fact that she felt too worn out to think of sex at all.
"You know what, Hermione?" he snapped angrily, "You always find a good excuse to keep me off! I really don't know if you are doing it on purpose, or if you really don't realise, how annoying your prudish attitude on sex is!"
"Maybe it is because you haven't yet noticed that it's not always a good thing if you catch the Snitch first! Did you ever think of that!?" she gave back, rather snappy herself. "Sometimes it might be better to be the second for a change!"
"What's that supposed to mean!?" he snapped.
"That you could care a little more about how I feel when you jump me!" she yelled in rage.
"Ha –Don't tell me you don't like it!" he gave back rather nastily.
That did it. Infuriated Hermione jumped to her feet. "No! To tell you frankly, I don't like it at all, Harry!"
At her furious outburst he leaped to his feet as well. "Is that so?!"
"Not like this at least," she added more calmly and with a rather sad note in her voice. "Please, Harry, I don't want to argue with you. I'm beat, honestly and I don't feel too well. Can't we just lay down and hold each other close for a while? Maybe I'll be in the mood later on tonight, but now – "
Her explanation seemed to only infuriate him further, though. "Oh come on, Hermione," he yelled, "I'm really sick of all this - lovey-dovey cosiness! Don't tell me you want me to be pleased with all that cuddling-stuff!"
"Well, I'm certainly not pleased by getting my skirt dragged up in some nook in the halls to be screwed against a pillar!" she snapped angrily. "The only good thing with that is that it usually lasts no longer than a few thrusts!"
"Fine then," he yelled. "I'll return to my dormitory to jerk off then. As usual. It probably doesn't make much sense if I stay here tonight!!"
"No, Hermione pointed out sharply. "I don't think that's a good idea!"
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After that argument, Hermione felt the intense urge to cry, but withstood it stubbornly. She wandered across the room to look out of one of the high windows behind her desk instead, her arms defensively folded around herself.
She was glad when the door to her rooms suddenly opened again. Her heart fluttered happily as she supposed Harry to have come back to apologise for his rudeness. But when she whirled around to face him, she froze on the spot.
Instead of Harry, the tall, lean form of Draco Malfoy leaned in the door frame. "Trouble in paradise?" he drawled, a smug expression on his face.
Startled Hermione rushed across the room towards him. "How dare you – " she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. "How do you know the password?"
"Aww – it wasn't really hard to miss, with Potter's mood at his exit, you know? I wouldn't be surprised if the whole school had heard him screaming 'Snitch', when he left. And not just that I might point out. Or have I been mistaken, was it 'Snatch'?" he sniggered.
Given the password, the door closed behind him and Malfoy stepped further into the room. Hermione flashed him an angry glare. "Sod off, Malfoy!"
"Now, now, Granger – language – what would the poor, innocent first years think, if they were to hear their precious Head Girl cursing like this?"
Hermione narrowed her eyes to small slits. "What's that supposed to mean? Spit it out, or shove off! I tell you, I'm not in the mood for playing games!"
"Mmm, you seem to never be – in the mood, as you put it. Are you?" he asked with a fake softness.
"Oh, you have been eavesdropping!" Hermione flew out "That's pathetic! Even for you Malfoy, honestly."
"Hit a nerve there, didn't I, Granger?" he taunted with a smirk. "Well, your dear – Star Seeker – " he drawled, with a mocking stress on the words, "isn't especially tongue-tied and therefore – " another meaningful glance, "I came to overhear some er – conversations – I'd rather not have witnessed."
Hermione felt her cheeks turning bright red. Much to her dismay, Malfoy noticed it, too and quitted his observation with a sharp, cruel laugh. "I see, you get the point, Granger," he smirked. "That's very fortunate."
Stiffly Hermione stretched her posture. "No, I don't get it, I'm afraid, Malfoy," she sniffed.
Ignoring her obvious rejection, he settled himself comfortably on the couch, folded his arms provocatively and casually crossed his outstretched legs. "You see, Mudblood," he drawled, "You and I are going to come to an arrangement."
A/N: That was a quick update, wasn't it? Thanks for reviewing!
The first two vertebrae of the neck spine are anatomically called Atlas and Axis. Since there is a geographical meaning to both terms as well, I supposed them to be a suitable name for a man, who got his neck broken by an atlas.
Just to spare confusion: 'Snitch' is used as a metaphor for climax in general, not just for the female orgasm. And as Harry is an extraordinary quick Seeker, he usually ends the game by catching his 'Snitch' after a few moments...
*bobby* It can, believe me, it can. And it will …
*potionsmaster* Tee hee, you're right!
*Sex and Diamonds* Not very soon, but they will. And there'll be also some entertainment in between.
Thanks to SilentG for beta-reading!
Serpentina