Chapter Four
Hermione paced around his gloomy bedroom that autumn afternoon as Malfoy lay with his eyes shut and his hands behind his golden hair. He wore a dark shirt and skinny jeans and he was definitely in shape. Hermione stopped at his window and stared out at the fence. She groans.
He opened one eye to look at her and then closed it again. He looked so sweet lying there but she'd rather leave if he was going to sleep.
She clapped in his face, "Malfoy! You're the sinister one, think of a plan!"
He mumbles, "You think of one."
"I don't know anything about Goyle!" She hits him over the head.
"Hey! I don't either really," he chuckles. She started poking around his messy room.
"Do you have any real friends Draco Malfoy? Or just a bunch of Slytherin's who follow you around."
"The latter."
She sighs, "I'm going outside."
She leaves his room as he sits up, beginning to object. She walks through the manor, down the bare halls to the enormous backyard. It was beautifully done up with roses and tulips. She stepped off the veranda and lay on the grass. The clouds were getting dark but she kind of hoped that it would rain on her.
Malfoy followed her outside, "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Lying on my grass…"
"Well it doesn't seem like I need to explain anything to you. You're quick as a whip."
Draco joined her and suggested, "Obviously he wants power right? So, we just take it away from him."
"So you win your job and your gal back?"
"My girl?"
"Ammmanda"
He shuddered, "That girl is impossible to deal with. Amazingly attractive but seriously…"
Hermione laughed and rolled over so she was next to him. She stared into his eyes, "You want to go get some coffee?"
He nods and doesn't say a word. He just follows her out of the garden, watching her hair bounce and he gazes down at the ass hidden by tight jeans. He looks away, thinking he'd violated her. He'd never thought that before…
The coffee shop was crowded so they ducked into a corner. Unfortunately, they were noticed. Blaise approached Malfoy menacingly but then he lightened up once he'd past the crowd.
"Haven't seen you around for a while Malfoy. Hello Granger," He sneered.
"Same to you Zabini."
"The boys and Pansy are going down town tomorrow for a bit of fun, are you in?"
"Who's going?"
"Myself, Marcus Flint, Lucian Boyle, Adrian Pucey and Pansy; same as always. Oh, except Goyle will be there."
"Why?" Draco snapped.
"Draco, where have you been? He's a real Slytherin now; he's not such a weakling anymore. Last week he threatened a girl for accidently bumping into him. A bit psycho I know but the other boys admire him. So you coming?"
"No thanks Blaise."
"Suit yourself, have fun with Granger," he mocked.
Draco replied boldly, "I will"
After Blaise had left they both sat down at a table and Hermione joked, "Naw, Draco's lost his posse."
"Shut up. I don't need one."
They returned to Hermione's without apparating. Hermione said that she wanted walk.
"Hey Hermione," Draco whispered, "What happened to Weasley being in love with you?"
"You know what, I haven't seen him since."
"I think you should talk to him."
Her head shot up, "Why?"
"Don't you owe it to him?"
"What the hell Draco? I kind've liked being friends with a Slytherin boy. Now you've gone all Griffindor on my ass."
"I just don't want Ron to come looking for me to hex."
"Coward."
"Remember the last time you called me a coward, Granger," He shot her an evil look.
"Yeah, you got pounced on by a Chatevol."
"A chatevol?"
"Don't worry."
He stopped her in the street and just smiled at her.
"What?" She asked.
"Did it feel weird calling me a friend a moment ago?"
"Did it feel weird hearing me call you a friend a moment ago?"
"I asked first," he smirked at her and she felt weak at the knees.
She shook her head.
He pulled her in by the hip and kissed her on the lips.
"Did that feel weird?"
She smiled at him and shook her head again.
"I've yet to admit my infatuation with the enemy to my friends though."
She couldn't believe she'd just called what she felt an infatuation. It was either nothing like that and more of just a curiosity with him or it was so much more. She blushed and quickened her pace as she reached her front door. She put the key in and stood around the corner, swearing to herself for the moments before Draco entered the room.
Ron sat in the pub next to harry. They drank butter beers and ate peanuts in silence. Ron stared at a poster behind the counter of a famous Qudditch player swerving through the sky. It was hypnotic. Harry occasionally glanced over at Ron to see what he was doing, but nothing had changed in the last half an hour.
"So have you made a decision?"
"Yeah, I'm going to tell her I love her again, properly."
"Oh great, you could have told me. Get on with it then."
"Not now you idiot! Wow, that would be romantic; I'd probably apparate in on her and Malfoy – most embarrassing moment of my life. I'll do it at that work party that we're having, what's it for again? Goyle finishing that case? I don't understand what the big deal is but Sal does jump on any chance to throw a party right? Remember that time he threw a party because it was your birthday? 22nd birthday? Come on Sal… everyone is over parties for Harry Potter. What about my birthday?"
"What did you say about Malfoy?"
"Remember the last time you saw her."
Harry's eyes opened, "She'd sat down next to Malfoy." He screwed his face up in disgust, "I don't even want to call her."
"So Hermione, have we got anywhere with this sabotage project?" Malfoy called from the door.
"Way to change the subject Draco," Hermione said, accidently out loud. She cursed, not really wanting to go back to the other subject.
"You ran off Hermione, I didn't think you wanted to continue that subject."
"I don't."
"Okay then."
Hermione's mind was then preoccupied at what Malfoy was thinking about. She tried to read his eyes by gazing into them intently but trying not to let him notice.
"Well…" She began, "You mentioned a work party correct? All you would have to do is rock up with a really hot date that is willing to respond to your every wish and I don't know, get him really drunk so he embarrasses himself when he's up on the stage."
"That seems way too simple… but yeah alright and then we'll go from there. Alright, really hot date. I guess I can ring up someone. How about instead of getting him drunk you use some of that perfume you used on Ron? Magic makes things so much easier."
"You'll ring up…. Oh, yeah, of course. I can do that." She tried to disguise her shock, "You never were very original with your insults and plans in high school anyway."
Was she really that unattractive that Malfoy wouldn't want to take her to the party? She could dress up… she could dress up really good. He'd never seen her when she went all out. Maybe she should tell him, she thought, that she would be the perfect choice. No, she wouldn't be the perfect choice, how could Malfoy trust her to do everything he says, she'd probably screw it up. Her heart beat furiously and as if she thought that he could see it, she turned away and walked to the stove to start preparing dinner.
"We'll have to spray right before he goes up to make a speech because then he'll have no idea what's going on and he'll have no way of avoiding the truth coming out. Which is of course that he's a douche. Right?"
Hermione hesitated, "Right."
"Well… I better get going. Remember you're going out with me tomorrow night because I ditched those other losers."
She smiled slightly. 'He still cares about me', she thought
"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow night."