Chapter 4: Avoiding getting burned
Hermione was confused as ever. She hated herself for blushing at the ferret but still... "Oh why did he have to be that cute and so irresistible?" She thought to herself feeling the hear rising in her cheeks for the second time that day. After some time of thinking, she told herself she wasn't going to fall for Draco Malfoy, no matter how charming he was. But she knew in her heart that she couldn't hold herself back for long.
Draco was confused, although unlike Hermione who didn't have a plan, he did. But it wasn't working. Or so he though. How was it possible that every girl he didn't want especially girls like Pansy fell for him when the one that he wanted wouldn't? Wait, he thought. Do I want Granger I mean Hermione to fall for me? For the bet yeah but... that's impossible right? I can't be hoping for a mudblood to fall for me... As quickly as the thought came, he erased it, or at least pushed it way back in his head.
Dinner was normal for the both of them. At the Slytherine table, Draco was trying to act normal like nothing had happened but Blaise saw right through him. He didn't show it though. Blaise had debated the idea of bringing Granger into the conversation to see how Pansy would react if she knew, but decided against it knowing he didn't want to deal with Draco in a foul mood later, especially knowing that he and Granger had midnight patrol tonight. "So..." He asked casually looking up at Draco, meeting his eye. "How's your *ahem* bet going so far?" Draco immediately blushed lightly and said "Good." making Blaise smirk and Pansy rolling her eyes. "You guys are having another bet? Come on what's it this time, Drakey Drakey?" Pansy said grabbing onto Draco and pulling him. "Pansy! Will you stop grabbing me? I told you that you can't bloody call me that! And You won't! Because I don't like you, why can't you get it through your head?" With that, he left his half eaten dinner and walked into his private tower to clear his head leaving a very disappointed and pouting Pansy behind.
On the other hand, the Gryffindor was way less dramatic then the Slytherine, and much quieter. "Hey for the next Hogsmade trip, you want to go to Fred and George's shop? Haven't been there lately and I know they have at least a dozen more pranks." Harry said earning a thumbs up from Ron because his face was stuffed as usual at the table and Hermione rolling her eyes but smiling. "Well, that is if I survive midnight patrol with Dra- I mean Malfoy tonight." said Hermione poking glumly at her dinner. Ron and Harry were about to say something when she got up saying "Boys I think I'm going to finish my dinner up at my room. I have a potion's essay to finish as well. Okay?" "'Kay" the boys replied at the same time. It wasn't the first time Hermione had blown off dinner to do homework so the boys didn't think big of it anyway.
At the front of the entrance however, they weren't so lucky. Draco and Hermione both weren't looking when they were trying to enter their rooms, and bumped into each other. "Ow!" Cried both of them at the same time. They each looked up, saw each other, rolled their eyes, and got into the tower one by one. Hermione got into her favorite spot in the library without a word, so Draco took the hint and went to the kitchen, got some food since he was half full, and went up to his room to finish his homework.
Once Hermione was positive that Draco went upstairs and won't be bothering her, she put down the book she had been "reading" and started thinking again. She knew she couldn't hold herself back no matter how much she tried not to like him. He was irresistible, and everything else she just knew she couldn't handle. Hermione knew that playing with fire would have the immediate effect of getting burned, and she had no idea how she was going to survive if she got burned. She just had no idea how to avoid it though. Even for a bookworm like her, this would be a challenge and she realized this with a gulp and a sigh.