Chapter Four

Draco's hand was warm and solid. It almost made up for Hermione's feet screaming at her to stop.

They finally came to a stop in front of a slick stone wall.

"Alma Mater." He yelled over the alarms still sounding all around them. Hermione had looked on their was down the twisting hallways and did not see a single alarm, she just heard the sound. The walls must have been enchanted.

The wall broke apart to reveal a green and black draped common room just as stomping sounds started to flood the floor above them. At the sound of them, Draco practically lifted Hermione over the threshold and into the quietness that was the Slytherin common place.

"Agh!" Hermione cried out in agony. Her feet, bare, swollen and red no longer sustained her weight and she toppled over. Draco too lost his footing and landed on top of her. Her face contorted as the pressure of another fell over her already aching body.

"I'm so sorry!" Draco's face was inches from hers. His breath on her again made her shiver. He slowly got up off of her and went to extend his hand for the third time that day. This time though, he stopped. His eyes moved to her feet and saw how angry and dirty they were.

"Oh, Granger, let me help you to the couch. I'll mix something cool for your feet." Hermione sat up, pain worsening as she moved her legs. Realizing she was stuck here for a while, she agreed.

Malfoy lifted her from the ground and carried her to the most comfortable couch she'd ever sat on. It was black with a silk like material. It was stuffed to the edges and it sank to fit her form as she lay on it. After he set her down, he went to the cabinet behind the couch. There was a desk below it and he used that to set down different small bottles. There was three in various colors of green and one bright blue one. Behind a large book in the cabinet he pulled out a bowl and set it down next to the bottles.

Retrieving his wand from his pocket, he opened the first and poured a third of it's contents into it. He did this for all of the bottles except the blue vile. That one he only allowed a droplet into the bowl. As soon as it touched the other liquids it emitted a plume of purple smoke that smelled like lilacs. Draco waved his wand three times over the potion and mumbled some words Hermione couldn't quite make out. He then opened a drawer on the desk and took out a large wooden spoon. He put the stoppers back on all of the bottles and picked up the bowl and spoon and brought them over to Hermione.

"This should do. Do you uh..do you want help, or-?"

"I can do it. Thank you, Draco." His face flushed as he set down the bowl on the small table in front of the couch. He then went back to the cabinet and silently put back all of the bottles. Hermione did understand why he blushed at first. Then it hit her: she said his name.

Not his surname like usual, but his first name. She had never done that before. She didn't think anyone besides his family and Crabbe and Goyle had ever used his first name. It was her turn to blush now. Not because she made him uncomfortable, but because she enjoyed his name on her lips. It was pleasant to feel and pleasant to hear. Thinking this made her uncomfortable.

To hide her crimson cheeks, Hermione turned to the bowl on the table. The liquid had turned into a bright purple paste. She lifted the spoon and rubbed the mixture onto her left foot first. The pain ceased almost immediately. It was cooling to the touch and it was as if it slid into her muscles and relieved all aches and undid all knots that rested there. She had started on her second foot when Draco made his way back over.

Hermione spoke while she spread the paste over her right foot, "Thank you for this Dra-Malfoy." she caught herself and looked up to see if he had noticed. He was staring intently at the tear in her skirt, which she realized started at her knee and, angled on the couch in such a way, traveled almost all the way to her hip.

She began to try and cover herself as she stumbled over her words. "I-I really appreciate it. I, uh, I didn't know you knew this much about potions." Her cheeks became hot again and her words were enough to pull Draco out of his trance. He quickly averted his eyes to the light fixture on the other side of the room and she tried not to notice his stuttering when he spoke.

"Well, urm, I was really big on potions in school. It was my favorite class, besides Defense Against the Dark Arts." He swallowed audibly. "I'm going to get you a pair of pants and a blanket for the night." He hurried off up the stairs to the left. It was then Hermione noticed there was no one else in the common room. With all of the commotion she hadn't realized she was laying on a couch in an empty room.

Where was everyone? Were she and Draco alone in this place? How long would they have to stay here, just the two of them?

As though he had read her thoughts from his room, Draco reappeared with a pair of black silk pajama bottoms and a fluffy cream colored comforter. Upon seeing the blanket, Hermione raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? Not everything here is black and green!" He chortled then took a seat at the desk while she slipped on his pants. They were engraved with a large green 'M.'

"There's not many people up in the dorms. Apparently not a lot of Slytherin's were invited back, either that or they weren't willing to come back. Can't say I blame them. The last time there was a conflict here, we were all ushered to the dungeons as though all of us were on His side." Hermione finished tying the trousers.

"Well, in McGonagall's defense, most of you were." A laugh escaped Draco's lips. It was lovely; warm and happy, like the taste of cinnamon. It made Hermione smile. "Also, what makes you say it's a conflict this time?"

Draco opened a smaller cabinet hidden on the under belly of the desk and took out a large bottle with dark brown liquid in it. He uncorked the bottle and a puff of smoke came out. It was the alcohol Harry was drinking back at the Gryffindor common room. He retrieved two glasses from the same cabinet and poured a fair amount of the liquid into both.

"Well, the loud crash and the alarm's makes me think that something is wrong. Maybe not a conflict just yet, but it's getting there." He rounded the couch and set her glass down on the table next to the bowl of purple paste. "Don't let that get into your bourbon smoke. It smells pretty but it tastes like cardboard." He and Hermione giggled and spent the rest of the night drinking, chatting and relaxing on the comfortable black couches in front of the fireplace.

Hm..The new Draco isn't half bad.

Hey Guys!

Thanks for reading!

As always, please review, follow, favorite or what have you!

Enjoy the next installment, coming soon!