WITH OR WITHOUT YOU
sasa-chic: thanks for the review! I'm really glad that you like it!
Here's another chapter! Hope you like it! Cheers!!
Chapter VII
"What's this ruckus? Where do you think you are? At the quidditch stadium?" McGonagall's face squirmed.
"Sorry , professor". Hermione said. Malfoy kept silence.
"My goodness! You're acting like children. I thought you were already adults!"
Suddenly their shoes became really interesting.
"Now, why you screamed? Is that such a disgusting surprise?"
"Professor..."
"Yes, it is!" Malfoy interrupted Hermione. He was looking at McGonagall. "I will not dance with a mud... muggle born". He finished slowly.
The last thing McGonagall's seemed to be was satisfied. "Mister Malfoy, this is NOT a good reason. In fact, this is the worst you could ever give me".
"You know my family", he almost whispered.
"Yes, I do. And I'm afraid I cannot say that I agree with your family's... thoughts, mister Malfoy". She looked him in the eyes.
"Professor?"
She turned to Hermione. "Yes, miss Granger?"
"I... I don't think it's a good idea putting us together at the ball".
"Why not? You're the heads, miss Granger". She sounded like it was enough reason.
Malfoy cursed under his breath.
Hermione sighed. "Professor, you heard him. He doesn't want to dance with me... and I cannot say I want him to". She glanced at Malfoy.
"I won't discuss it anymore. Listen, you're supposed to work together and you'll do that otherwise I'll be forced to choose another girl and boy to be in your positions". McGonagall's sentenced.
"You can't do that!"
"You know I can, mister Malfoy".
Draco was looking like someone ready to kill.
"Please, professor, reconsider..."
"Miss Granger, I have nothing to reconsider! Honestly! I have to say you're disappointing me. I thought you could put anything aside for the sake of your new position, but I think I have made a mistake".
Slapping Hermione at the face would be better to her than that. "I'm... I'm sorry".
"I don't dance".
"Now you do, mister Malfoy".
"I can't".
McGonagall's was losing her patience. "Why, mister Malfoy?"
"Because I don't know how to dance".
"So you don't have a problem at all".
Malfoy looked at her confused.
"Miss Granger is a good dancer. She can teach you".
Draco looked at Hermione. "You've got to be kidding me!"
Hermione blushed and for the first time she hated McGonagall, but, after what she had said, Hermione decided to accept everything, so she didn't say a word.
"No, I'm not. And I think it's a good idea. At the time of the ball, you'll be used to each other. Dancing partners have this kind of thing, don't they?"
"Granger, say something", he hissed.
She glanced at him then looked at Minerva. "Professor?"
"Yes?"
"What kind of music we shall practice?"
"WHAT?!" Malfoy couldn't believe his ears.
"I don't know. The music set is to be prepared by you and mister Malfoy here. You decide what is best."
Hermione nodded.
"Graaangeeeer". Hermione's name came out of his mouth like a snarl.
"Alright. How's the quidditch programming doing?" She tried a smile.
They looked at each other then at McGonagall, apprehensives.
"Err... we... didn't start looking it... yet" Hermione stuttered.
"Pity. You'd better hurry then. I want it at my desk, at the latest, on next Monday".
"Next Monday?"
"Yes, mister Malfoy!"
"Professor... err... we didn't get to a consensus about how we're going to work yet. Can't you give us more time?"
"And yesterday? I said to both of you to take the time to get along".
"Yes, professor, but..."
"No more buts! I'm done with you. Monday is the deadline for it. Now, off you go". She rose. McGonagall was even scarier when looking angrily from above.
They stood up and left her office.
"I hope Dumbledore is right once more". Minerva sighed.
Malfoy tried to talk to Hermione all the way to the heads' dorm, but all she was saying was "we'll talk there".
They finally got to mister Chateau. "Hello, my lady!" he said happily.
Hermione smiled. "Hello, monsieur Chateau!"
The man on the painting smiled wider. "It's been a long time since the last time someone called me monsieur, mademoiselle", he bowed.
"Quit this babbling already! Partnership!" Malfoy almost yelled.
Mister Chateau looked at him angrily and showed the entrance. They got in.
"Good night, mademoiselle!" he said and closed the door.
Hermione walked towards the sofas and seated on the right one. "We have to talk".
Malfoy sat on the other and kept staring at her, a dangerous fire in his eyes. "What was that crap at old hag's place?"
"What crap?" She asked calmly.
"'What kind of music we shall practice?'" He used a girlie tone. "Are you kidding me?"
"No, Malfoy, I'm not".
"So what was that?!" His face was red of anger.
"If I have to teach you how to dance I need to know what kind of dance I have to teach you, don't you think?" She looked at him. Her face was emotionless, but he could tell by her eyes that she was boiling inside.
"Stop fooling with me, mudblood! You don't want to dance with me as much as I don't want it too!" He pointed at her.
"I know, but it's heads' duties and we have to do it. You heard her".
"I don't give a damn about what that decrepit bat said! I'm not dancing with you and I'm not working with you as well!" He sentenced.
Hermione rose from the sofa and walked towards him. He didn't move but kept facing her. She stopped right in front of him. "So you'll lose your head boy position". She said almost whispering.
"If I fall you fall too. We're together", he smirked.
She gave him a sweet smile, a smile that made Malfoy shiver of frightening. "I won't fall, Malfoy".
"How... how can you tell?"
"Because you were the one that kept saying at McGonagall's office that you don't want to work with me and almost called me mudblood in front of her. Looking from my side, I was the resigned girl who would do everything to go on with my duties".
Malfoy's eyes were wide open.
"Now, tell me, if we fail, who do you think they will blame? Me? The girl who tried her best to settle things? Or you? The stubborn pureblood prince who didn't want to work with a mud... oops, sorry... a muggle born?" Her smile got wider.
Malfoy couldn't believe in her briskness. "That's why you nodded to everything McGonagall said! You knew I wouldn't agree! You... you set this trap for me!" He gave a step behind.
"Yeah, my dear... but you should be used to that, don't you think? How many times I deceived you? Let's see... at second year, I made Ron and Harry look like Crabbe and Goyle..."
"What?!"
She looked at him, pretending to be surprised. "Oh, yeah, I'm sorry, you don't know. Forget it!" She waved her hand lazily. "At third year... what I did at third year? No, I didn't deceive you at third year, I only slapped you."
Malfoy's face was getting paler.
"At forth year..."
"Stop it, mudblood!"
"What?" She looked at him, her face was the picture of innocence.
"Don't think you already won", he hissed.
"Who said it? Did I? Well, nevermind". She passed a hand on her hair and tied it with a ribbon then she turned and stepped to her room. "McGonagall wants the matches settled quickly. We'd better hurry with that, but..." she yawned "...I'm really tired. Today was not my day. Good night". She waved without turning to him.
"I won't work with you", he said firmly, looking at her back.
She stopped, in front of her door, then turned. She had a sad expression on her face. "It will be really lonely without you here. I'll miss you... Draco" and sighed.
His jaw dropped. "DON'T CALL ME DRACO!!!" He caught the first thing his hand could reach and threw at her.
Hermione quickly took off her wand from her robes and stopped the vase in the air then, slowly, she made it float to the top of the fireplace, exactly where it was. "Throwing things at me won't help. See you tomorrow". She opened the door and entered.
"Damned mudblood!" He entered his room and slammed the door.
She could hear the noise from her bedroom. "It won't be easy". She took off her shoes and laid on her bed. "But calling him Draco was more effective than calling him ferret", she smiled then laughed. "He's really a stupid git after all". She caught a book from the small table beside her bed and started reading. Half an hour later she heard footsteps coming from the common room, and they were getting louder. Suddenly the noise stopped and a paper was passed under Hermione's door, a few seconds after that the steps started again and she heard a door being closed. She got up and caught the paper. Her mouth opened in a grin. "Well, mister Malfoy, I think I won". In the paper were written the appointments for the quidditch matches. "Guess we started working after all". She put the paper inside of the arithmancy book thinking of showing it to Harry, Ron and Ginny. "They understand this game much better than I do". She threw the book in her rucksack, changed her clothes and went to bed.