WITH OR WITHOUT YOU

Thanks jess and lelimo for the reviews. Yeah, I also don't see them falling in love so easily. Things will develop slow, as you see, so please keep reading.

Jess: sorry about the errors. I should have post it earlier, but... I'm brazilian and my english is not that good, as you can see. Any suggestions and/or corrections, please feel free to do it. And this request is to all of you, people! Thanks a lot!

Chapter IV

Hermione's clock rang. She yawned and opened her eyes. "I hope Malfoy is still in bed". She rose up of the bed, put on her robe and left the bedroom. "Well, he's no where to be seen". She walked towards a white door at the right wall, exactly in the middle of it. "Guess it's the bathroom". She entered and had another surprise. There was a bathtub, a huge one (do you remember that place where Harry took the golden egg in the GOF? Well, here it is!). At her left side two towels were held by a golden rack: a silver/grey one and a gold/red one. "I wonder which is mine". She took the towel and put it at the bathtub side then she took off her clothes and entered in it. The water was really warm and relaxing. "Ginny would love it", she smiled.

"Granger?!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" she thought. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"I want you out!"

"You'll have to wait. I'm taking a bath and I will leave ONLY when I finish!"

"I don't care! You should know your place! Mudblood!"

"My place now is right inside this delicious bathtub! FERRET!"

"Open it!" He beat the door, stronger.

"I said you'll have to wait! Go find something to do while I'm in here!"

"Damned mudblood!" He kicked the door and left.

Silence. "Thank God, he left", she sighed and sank her head in the water.

Ten minutes later, she got off the bath. "Damn! I should have brought my robes. Malfoy's outside and I only got that silk robe". She involved her hair with the towel, put on her nightgown and her robe and opened the door. She didn't see him. "Guess he's at his room". She gave two steps in the common room and...

"Finally!" Malfoy stormed out of his room.

Hermione felt her cheeks getting hot.

He looked at her, his cheeks getting hot either. "What are you wearing? This is how you wandered inside the Gryffindor tower?"

Hermione's face was red like a tomato. "It's none of your business, but no! I just forgot my clothes! And I thought you were not here!"

"Listen, Granger, this kind of strategy won't work with me. Maybe it could be helpful with Weasley and Potter, but not with me".

"What are you talking about, you stupid git?"

"Nice legs... what?" He shook his head trying to erase that thought. He blushed harder.

Hermione noticed that he also was getting red. "Malfoy, what are you thinking?"

"Me? Nothing!"

"Whatever! You... pervert!" she walked towards her bedroom.

"I'm the pervert? You're almost naked in front of me and I'm the pervert? You make me laugh!"

"I'M NOT NAKED!"

"But I didn't said you were naked, I said 'almost'", he smirked.

"Ugh! You're unbearable!!!". She entered, slamming the door.

"What the fuck was I thinking? Was I interested in her legs? I might be getting mad!" He entered at the toilet.

"That git! That git! THAT STUPID GIT!" Hermione screamed while dressing. She put her books inside her rucksack, threw it on her back and opened the door. Nobody. "Wish he has drowned himself". She crossed the common room and left.

Malfoy just heard the painting closing the entrance when he left his room. "So she already left. Good!"

She saw Harry and Ron at the Great Hall door. "Harry!"

They turned. "Hi, Hermione".

"Hi, Ron. Good morning!"

"Good morning!"

"So, how was your first night with Malfoy?"

She made a disgusted face. "Ron, did you notice how it sounded?"

He laughed. "Sorry. So?"

"Ugh! He's a freak. Let me tell you what he did this morning". She told them while heading to the Gryffindor table. They found seats near the professor's table. "... and then he smirked and said 'almost'. Can you believe that?"

Harry and Ron, although they didn't like Malfoy at all, found it very difficult to not laugh, but they managed it. "Nasty Malfoy", Ron said, trying to suppress a smile.

"But... you now, I was really embarrassed. And it's natural, don't you think?"

They quickly agreed.

"And then... Malfoy also had a red face".

"So what?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. I think... he looked at me" She blushed.

"Of course he looked at you, otherwise he wouldn't say you were almost naked".

"You're so dumb, Ron".

"Why?" He asked harshly.

"If he just wanted to mock me, he won't blush. He would want to make me blush and not the contrary".

Ron made a confused face. "So you're saying that..."

"He looked at her like a man normally looks at a woman". Ginny sat beside Hermione. "But that's news. Who's the guy?"

"I'm just wondering, Ginny".

Ron looked at Ginny angrily. "What do you mean?"

Ginny sighed. "That whoever that guy is he might have liked what he saw".

"WHAT?!" Ron turned to the Slytherin table. "I'll kill him!"

Harry closed his fists.

Ginny looked at them, worried. "Hermione, what's happening? Who's that guy?"

She blushed. "Malfoy".

"What? You're not serious!"

"Ron, seat down". Hermione pulled him by his arm. "You're also, Harry, calm down! Like I said, I'm just wondering, Ginny. But I think I'm getting crazy. If there's one thing I'm sure is that I'm the last girl in the world to Malfoy... thank God". She sighed.

Food appeared at the table. Everybody filled their plates but Ron.

"Ron, why are you not eating?"

"I'm not hungry".

"Are you feeling alright?" Ginny asked, putting a hand over his front.

"Not anymore".

"C'mon, Ron, just because of what I told you? Don't be so silly. I guess I was just too mad to think properly. Here!" Hermione put pumpkin breads on his plate. "Or do you want me to feed you?"

He looked at her. She was holding a piece of bread right in front of his mouth. "That's a good idea". He opened his mouth.

She landed the bread on his plate. "Stop dreaming, Ron".

They laughed.

Malfoy was looking at them from his table.

"What is it, Draco?" Pansy asked.

"That stupid mudblood. Let me tell you what she did this morning". He told everything to his adulators, except the part when he looked at Hermione's legs. Soon after, everybody was laughing.

"So, she tried to seduce you?"

Malfoy smirked. "It seems so".

"Like she could. You should give her a lesson".

"Don't worry, Pansy, I will. But, for now, do you think that telling it to all school will be enough?"

They smirked.