4

When she arrived at the First floor, out of Malfoy's sight, Hermione began to run madly. She had kissed him! Draco Malfoy! The ferret! The hottest guy of the school! She couldn't believe she had just done such an unreasonable and heroic thing! She had to be insane! Hermione rushed to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. She had to be alone. She raised her fingers to her burning lips. Did they feel different after brushing against the Slytherin's china skin? She started to giggle in her hand. After several minutes of uncontrollable laughers, Hermione looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't like what she saw. Bushy hairs, flushed cheeks and glittering eyes. The portrait of a fourteenth year old smiling foolishly after kissing her crush. Jesus, Hermione! Pull yourself together! For God's sake, she was eighteen and she hadn't even kissed him on the mouth! On the lips… What would his lips taste like? Wait, Stop! Just stop it already! She wouldn't let her mind wonder about the taste of the lips of the most awful, dreadful, atrocious, lurid guy she had ever met. Hermione grabbed both edges of a sink firmly and came closer to her own reflection.

"You-won't-think-of-this-git-that-way!" she enunciated each word clearly as if she wanted to etch it on her memory. Of course she won't. This scene was ridiculous. She was just so exhausted! That was it! She would take a short power nap, and everything would be back to normal. Fortunately she had no courses on Friday afternoon, McGonagall had left them these free hours to practise their NEWTs. Hermione sighted in relief and headed to the room of Requirement.

Three hours later Hermione woke up feeling fresh and rested. She laughed at her previous behaviour and decided that the situation was quite at her advantage. Nobody had seen her shameful outburst, and Malfoy had seemed rather unsettled by her apologies and grateful kiss. Better, she was sure that he hadn't doubted her sincerity. She was now free to think of a revenge for her sleepless night, the ferret wouldn't suspect her. Well, in the first place he wouldn't. She wasn't naïve enough to think that Malfoy would believe in her friendliness for ever. Now, how she going to make him pay his little prank?

Lying on the comfortable couch provided by the room of Requirement Hermione considered her different options. She would have like to ask for the boy's help, they were much better than she was in pranks, put she had to come up with a plan on her own. Well, let's see, Malfoy had attacked her weak spot: studies. She could shot back by drilling his cauldron or something else so that he would fail his beloved potion. No, he would immediately know that it was her. Plus she was not sure that it would really annoy him. He was so rich that he could buy another cauldron in the instant. What was HIS weakness? Hermione pictured Malfoy intensely. She concluded that there were only three things he fancied on this earth: himself, Quiddich and girls. She couldn't break his broom it would be just like drilling his cauldron. He would buy a new one without thinking about it. After all, his father had bought brooms for all of the members of the Slytherin team few years ago. That left two things: his person and girls. The two were closely linked in fact. If he collected so many girls, pretty much like a maniac Barbie collector would do, it was certainly because it pleased his ego. That was his real weakness: his overweening pride. Hermione grinned to herself. She knew how to upset him to no end. She got up in search of Lavender Brown and her friend Parvati.

…

A few days later, while flirting with a small, blond Hufflepuff in the Park, Draco had the unpleasant feeling that people were staring at him. He had been hearing the soft whispering of gossips around him for three days now. This situation was getting on his nerves. He couldn't understand what was going on. He had checked his face in the mirror like a hundred times. Nothing was stuck in between his teeth, his perfectly straight nose hadn't turn into a hideous potato, his hair was as soft and as shining as usual. So why would people glance at him all day long? He was used to be in the center of attention, of course, he was Draco Malfoy, the most handsome, the wealthiest, the cleverest pureblood of the country. And maybe of the world, he mentally added with a smirk. Okay, he overstated it; everybody wasn't looking up to him. Especially after the war. He could see that some –Okay, most of them- pitied him. But this time it was different, people weren't looking at him with desire or jealousy, nor with pity, like they usually did. People were looking at him with a confused mix of curiosity, surprise, disgust and empathy. He could see disappointment in girls'eyes. He could hear them babbling behind his back. Even the blond Hufflepuff sat beside him on the lawn acted oddly. She seemed not to understand his point in their little chat. It was not that she was oblivious to his flirtation, but her reluctant smile clearly meant that she didn't take him seriously. It was extremely weird that this after all rather plain girl didn't seize the chance of flirting with him openly. She should have considered this moment as the acme of her whole existence. Draco decided to display his purpose more clearly. Maybe the girl was a little daft and hadn't realized that she had managed to attract such a handsome young man.

Draco deliberately place one hand on the girl's knee. She cut off her chattering and looked at him with surprise. He smiled at her, his hand slowly making its way up her thigh. He thought he had won when the small blond quivered, leaned against him and covered his daring hand with her own fingers. But she softly grabbed his hand and put it back on his lap.

"Listen Draco, I don't think… I don't think this is right." He blinked. What?! Draco couldn't believe she resisted. Maybe she was upset because he had directly attack her leg without paying her any compliment. And he hadn't kissed her. Girls always wanted to be kissed before going any further. They believed that kissing would open one's heart to the deceptive myth they called love. Well if the girl needed these vain preliminaries, he would give them to her. He came closer and stroked her chin.

"Come on Sweetheart…" He whispered charmingly before allowing himself a light peck on her lips and facing her nose to nose . She inhaled deeply as she wanted to drink his breath. However she moved back and placed her hands on his shoulder to push him away.

"No Draco. This is not right. I know you don't want this. I know you don't want me. So please, stop, stop playing with my mind." The Hufflepuff muttered. Draco sighted silently. He was right. The girl wanted love. He grabbed her hands to pull her closer again, gently stroking her wrist with his thumb.

"What, are you saying Sweetheart? Of course it's you that I want."

"Draco please, don't make this more difficult than it is. I...I know. You don't have to pretend anymore." He let her hands free and frowned.

"What do you know?" he asked suspiciously

"I… It's not just me… everyone knows about it. I mean, it's, it's not a big deal Draco, you don't have to hide it anymore." She stammered.

"WHAT DOES EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT ME? » he growled, grabbing her wrist roughly.

"Draco, you're hurting me!" she cried. He glared at her silently, not releasing her wrists.

"Um, they know… They know… You know? About you… and … girls ? » Draco sighted. Couldn't the bitch be more specific?!

"Do-not-make-me-repeat-this-question" He articulated slowly in a dangerously low tone. "What do you people say about me and my relationships?"

"Well, they say… people say that youdon'tlikethem." She uttered so quickly that he barely understood.

"I don't like what?" he snapped, pressing on her wrist.

"…Girls. You don't like girls ! » she cried. "Now let me go!" Draco stared blankly at her as she ran away. He didn't like girls. What the fuck did that mean?