Forgot to do this for the past 3 chapters but a quick disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything in the world of Harry Potter.
Sorry, i'll try to remember to put that more often!
Sunlight in the eyes is probably the worst way to wake up. Which is why I thanked Merlin that the Room of Requirement didn't create any last night when Draco summoned it. However, I did wake up with an arm wrapped protectively around my waist, holding me tight to a slim, toned chest. In my mid-morning haze, it took me a few seconds to get my bearings. Beds don't shrink... do they? Why do I feel so heavy? Did I eat too much at dinner? Maybe I should take a long walk during my free period today. Who in the world is breathing that loudly into my ear?!
I can't recall a time my eyes had ever grown as wide as they did just then. I slowly unwound myself from Draco's heavy arm and stood staring at the scene before me. He was laying on his side, his clothes wrinkled and his robe cast over him like a blanket. His face didn't hold any of that malice or pessimism like it did in his waking hours, he looked like he had when he asked me all those cat questions; boyish and calm.
I surveyed the rest of the room, noting my robe was off as well. The fire was out in the fireplace and my robe was folded up and resting over the back of the couch. I contemplated just leaving, my internal body temperature telling me to do the same. What did he care if he was a few minutes late for breakfast? I grabbed my robe and tossed it on, smoothing it as best I could before I just gave up and pulled out my wand to say the simple charm that would take care of the rudimentary task. One fleeting look at Draco lying peacefully on the couch had me springing into action.
"Draco... Draco... Come on we'll be late!" I shook his side vigorously, even going so far as to reach up to poke his cheek.
He caught my wrist, his eyes opening and slowly resting on me with full awareness. "Ever heard of bedside manner, Gra-Hermione?"
I tried very hard not to roll my eyes and instead settled for a polite smile. "Whatever do you mean? I'm the picture of perfect manners."
His eyes squinted and he pulled me an inch closer to him, I was left hovering about a foot above his own face. "I badly want to show you how much I can break those precious manners right now." He whispered, just barely loud enough in this private room for me to hear. "Go, I'll be out in a bit, we can't be seen leaving at the same time anyway."
"R-right, I'll just, uh, be on my way then."
Physically I wanted to shake myself, I wanted to dunk my head in a bucket of ice water that was filled with Arctic glaciers for crying out loud. My body temperature must've shot up at least 10 degrees and now my robes felt far too revealing, which was absurd considering that they hung lamely over my figure.
I managed to briskly walk my way over to the great hall after stopping by my room, blending in with some stragglers and taking my seat next to Ron, even if I did have to nudge Lavender out of the way to get to it.
"Morning, are you guys ready for the test in potions?" I myself felt less prepared then I'd have liked to. I shamed myself as I thought of what I should've been doing instead of getting focused on Draco's sudden appearance in my life.
Instead they both groaned, Harry less so because Cho Chang was sitting right next to him talking to a friend of hers. Finally, it was Ron who answered. "You just had to walk in and ruin the mood, didn't you 'Mione? Here we were havin' a nice breakfast and you waltz in with your stupid potions exam talk."
"Hey, don't you shoot the messenger, Ronald. What were you two doing last night if not studying?"
They looked between each other and hurriedly spurted out mixed answers from Harry going to see Hagrid to both of them being in the owlery sending letters to their parents. All they won for their attempts at lies was a lengthy eyeroll and amused looks from half the table. I took out my potions textbook from the side bag I'd managed to remember to pick up before coming here.
"Where have you been, Hermione?" The question had my head snapping up and taking notice of Parvati Patil, who sat next to a dreamy-eyed Lavender.
"What do you mean? I was in the library until late last night." I said warily, not sure where this was going.
"Oh, I was just wondering why you never came to bed. Surely old Ms. Pince wouldn't let you sleep in there. Not with how nosey she is." She spoke nonchalantly but I could just see the wheels turning in that small head of hers.
"Of course I didn't fall asleep in there, when I came back to bed you and Lavender were already asleep. I had some trouble sleeping so when I woke early I went down to the library again to do more research for our upcoming History of the Wizarding World essay." I tried to pull off a shrug and pretended to keep going through my textbook, knowing if I looked up everyone would know that was an obvious lie.
Luckily, that did seem to take the wind out of her sails and she let out a disgruntled, "Oh, we have an essay for that class?" Before she turned and started rummaging through her own bag to start on the assignment that wasn't due for another week.
Across the great hall, Draco sat talking to his groupies. It went without saying that Parkinson was pressed way too close to him while he chatted with Zabini animatedly. I hadn't realized I was staring intently until his head turned, his eyebrows downcast as if he was trying to figure out something. When his eyes slid over mine and came back, I looked down, unable to meet whatever expression his face held.
Suddenly I felt light headed, the room swayed and all I could was put my head down on the table and groan, the concern that erupted around me took a back seat as I tried to convince myself to swallow. What's wrong with me? Oh, please not the flu.
Arms lifted me, throwing me gingerly over a broad-enough shoulder and started walking. I felt us come to a stop, a slow turn and the body holding me went rigid. The sounds started coming through like we were all underwater, the voices barely clear enough for me to hear.
"Bugger off Potter, I'm taking her to Madam Pomfrey's. If I have to sit through more of you and the weasel's yelling and bloody panic then I'm going to barf myself."
A bit more objections before I heard a sigh and we turned again. Once out in the hall and after a bit of walking he let me slip into a bridal hold, looking down at my sweaty face as I stared at him praying that I didn't throw up on his robes.
"What's up? Not feeling so hot after staying in that freezing cold room, huh?" He looked genuinely concerned and I was too tired to be sarcastic even if he wasn't.
"I... It wasn't cold last night..."
"Sure it w-" he paused and seemed to chuckle to himself more than to me, "Forget that, if that didn't make you sick then what happened?"
"One-minute I'm perfectly fine and the next... Hey, this isn't the way to the infirmary. Actually, I don't recognize this hall, where are you taking me?" What little strength I had left went to looking around and trying to get my feet positioned somewhat steadily instead of dangling uselessly off his arms.
"Quit that, will you? It's hard enough to carry you as it is. Last thing we need is to go falling and alerting all and sundry to our presence up here." He carried me past the threshold of a door, I recognized the familiar common room we were in but now there seemed to be extra doors.
"Why here instead of the infirmary? No offense, Malfoy, but you're no Madam Pomfrey. Besides we don't even know what's wrong with me yet. I could very well just be a bit dizzy from not eating in a while." Pointing out facts made me feel better that I didn't even know why I was like this, I'd never even been that ill over missing meals before. In fact, when around the Harry Potter I thought my body had begun to need less meals because we usually got into something that lead to us skipping them.
"Yeah well, I may not have studied medicine and charms for the last hundred years but I do know a basic nausea charm and besides, why not lay down and take it easy today? Not like your grades will suffer from it."
"Are you kidding? We have a potions test today! You know Snape won't give me an easy go of it just because I have some tummy ache. Not to mention we're wrapping up our section on Sirens and -"
"Yes, yes, I get it. You love school to bits and won't shut up about it. Maybe you can't lay here all day but you can for at least a couple of minutes to make sure you won't vomit all over the stones." He laid me down of the couch and propped my head onto his lap, his motions fluid.
"So... H-how's Bailey been? Is she eating alright?" I couldn't bear to look up so I just gazed at a dark spot of the hardwood floors.
"She's fine, little runt's been burrowing into all of my things, practically moves around my dorm like she owns the place now." I could tell that there was fondness there in his voice, and maybe something akin to relief.
"Never pegged you for a cat person."
"I'm not, I'm merely a person who owns a cat."
"One who dotes on the cat, even if in secret."
"It's not doting if I'm just trying to take the thing up to my standards. If I own it then it must be the best, so she must learn to act like it." That earned a groan.
"Please tell me you are not turning her into you. One is surely enough."
His warm hand cupped my cheek and before I could object, or even want to, he had my face level with his. His eyes bore down into mine and I could see where the bags were forming under his eyes, the hint of a tired grey tinge coming into his pale face. For a while he just stared, my eyes roamed to some of the things in close proximity, his cheeks with barely-there dimples, his shoulders that were looking more appealing and full every time I examined him, his lips which I commanded myself to stay away from. Ultimately, my focus was always drawn back to those stormy silver eyes that were coming closer and closer until he was hunched just an inch above me and I was starting to feel light headed with the lack of air I was pulling into my lungs.
The tension, the anticipation, built up to over whelming heights and before I knew it I was closing the distance. I knew that was the wonderful lie I was telling myself, I knew that there was something inside me, something that yearned to touch him. My body yearned for the right to touch him, to know that I could if I wanted to and I wouldn't have to feel bad about it. Something in me wanted him, wanted him like I wanted water or air or books. For just this once, I'll let myself have what I want... For just this once, I'll be selfish.
The bell rang, I pulled away, and we parted from our little secret haven separately. That's how I ended up in my usual seat next to Ron and Harry in Potions but I couldn't remember actually doing any of it. After the kiss, which had me shuddering just thinking about it, I felt like everything was an out-of-body experience. Now with Snape pacing in front of the class I couldn't even be bothered to focus on what he was saying. I just waited for some paper to be tossed uncaringly on my desk and prayed my mind would function enough to recall whatever was on the questions.
"Granger, you can't possibly be expected to carry your friends through this. Instead we will challenge you with someone much better. Let's see here... Malfoy. Partner with the girl."
What? I looked towards the back of the classroom where he usually sat and found him smirking at me, his arms crossed and his body leaned against the back of his chair. Slytherin girls, and even some Gryffindor ones were glaring right at me as I made my way to the back to occupy the seat left open by some other rearranging partners. I rested my head on top of the desk for a moment to collect myself.
"Well I know my presence is said to be intoxicating but I didn't think you would be this far gone already." He chuckled and I felt his hand snake under the table as he placed the back of his hand gently against my neck. "You're awfully hot, you sure the exam is worth being here rather than going to the infirmary?"
I lifted up gingerly and surveyed the still not quite room. "Why do we need partners for the test? What did he say?"
"He said we have until the end of the class period to make a potion of slumber. If you haven't noticed I've already gotten the ingredients on the table. Just rest, I got this." He waved me away and began muttering, Aguamenti.
"As if I'm going to let you do all the work, shove over and let me help." I grabbed the side of the worn old copper cauldron he had placed in front of him and brought it closer to me.
"Very pushy for someone who's as pale as death and sweating like you've gone and run a marathon." I couldn't take the worried glances and started putting the first ingredient into the cauldron, chopped mandrake.
"Look I just need a bit of rest. I'll get that during my free period, after I send Crookshanks off. Anyways, can you stir that for the next five minutes?"
"Sure, let's pretend you're making me stir because you just don't feel like it. Not because you can't. You need to go, now."
"Why must you argue with me? Can't you just accept that I'm not feeling well and go about your merry way?"
"Why can't you just listen to me? Are you really that obsessed with your grades that you'll pass out just to prove a point? You're daft if you think this is ending any way other than you puking and humiliating yourself or passing out on one of the stairwells for Filch to find."
I glared sharply. Trying my hardest to keep my voice down. "Since when do you care if I humiliate myself? If I recall correctly, and I'm very sure I do, you were the prime orchestrater of most of my embarrassment. I may not know what going on with you, or me, or any of this but I do know that people like you don't just change. Not without an agenda." My chest heaved with the effort it took to keep the malice in my voice and glared at him to get my point across.
Through it all his face hardened and he glared back, although while mine was of anger his was calculating. "You know what? You don't want me to care? Good, because I don't. Just don't come crying to me when your precious little feelings get hurt."
He took the cauldron back and started working on the potion himself, adding the shaved unicorn horn and dried blue leech powder. My every attempt to help was thwarted as he kept everything a safe distance from me and positioned his body so his back was facing me. Even a few deep breaths didn't calm me and soon I was brewing in my own anger so much that I didn't recognize the worried looks I was getting from my house or the light-headed feeling that was returning in my head. Bile rose up in my throat, I couldn't tell whether I should leave to go throw up or put my head down to stop the spinning.
I settled for the latter, resting my head against the wooden table, noting that I was in fact sweat profusely. My senses didn't snap back until i heard Snape's voice ring out among the chattering students.
"Alright, wands and ingredient down. Let's see what's become of four years of teaching, shall we?"
He roamed around, starting at the first table on the left and working his way to the right before moving up a level and going towards the left. Only snarky responses were given, seemed like most of the potions were missing something or had some other negative effect. "Didn't stir enough. I said potion of slumber not drought. It seems classes have been a waste of your time, Weasley? Of course, this was no hard task for young mister Potter."
Finally, he stepped in front of Draco and I, my head had barely risen a few inches off the table and he eyed me strangely, his gaze turning to Draco and I could tell he was searching for something there. The class begun turning to see what he would say about ours and he just muttered. "Just what I'd expect from my best student, a surprise indeed."
When the bell rang I stood and flew out the door, not stopping until I was in my own dorm. The sight of my books piled next to my neatly made bed seemed foreign to me now as I laid upon the covers, closing my eyes for a moment. What is going on? Since when does my life get to be more exciting than Harry's? No, not exciting. Just different. A big difference...