Chapter 7: AoW Challenge- i used surprise, run, friend, eyes, and pink

hope you like it :)


Hermione held onto the large table in the Head's Room, panting heavily and trying to catch her breath. She shook her head and stumbled to get a glass of water. The clock on the wall read 8:50- 10 minutes until she was supposed to give a well-thought out speech to set the tone for the rest of the year. Instead, she was gasping for breath, her head spinning.

What had just happened? And more importantly, why did it feel…thrilling?

There was a knock at the door, and Hermione jumped. She straightened her robes and went to open the door.

Ginny Weasley flew in, wrapping her arms around Hermione. Her eyes widened when she saw the Head's Room.

"Hermione, I'm jealous! We don't get anything this nice, though of course you know that. Suppose that's why they make us meet here- see what it's like to live the Head's life and aspire to be better students or whatever" she said, plopping down on one of the leather chairs and propping her feet on the ottoman. "So, where's his highness?" she asked, and turned towards Hermione. "That evil git."

Hermione didn't have time to answer before there was another knock on the door. She hadn't had a second to form her thoughts for the meeting as she opened the door to the remaining prefects, looking less than excited to be attending a meeting on a Friday night. Some gave Hermione a forced "hello", and took a seat at the large oak table. Staring at her expectantly, she didn't know what to do. In a slight panic, Hermione cleared her throat and took a seat at one end of the table. Before she could get a word out, she was interrupted.

"Where's Draco?" complained a slimy looking Slytherin Hermione knew to be named Michael Baddock.

A switch seemed to go off in Hermione's head, and she snapped back into her old self.

"He had something important to do, and told me to go on without him." she smiled sweetly, to Baddock's chagrin. "He'll be here shortly." Ginny gave her a questioning look.

Hermione had to think on her feet.

"Moving on, I'll make a schedule up by Sunday for hall duty. Yes, yes, I realize some of you aren't sure of your Quidditch schedules and everything else. But the schedule will make do for a couple weeks, and you can tell your prized Captains that you are Prefects and that job comes first." Hermione saw Ginny, among other known Quidditch players, roll their eyes. She never knew why Quidditch was so important to them, especially with the honor of being chosen a prefect.

"Also, please don't abuse your privilege to dock points. If we find out you're doing this you could be stripped of your title." Hermione was running out of things to say. She bit her lip and glanced hopefully at the door, wondering when Draco would walk through.



"Any questions, concerns? We've been thinking about ideas for interhouse activities to promote unity. Any input would be greatly appreciated, and you can always find me in the hallway if you have ideas." Hermione smiled nervously at the group.

The girls turned to each other, chatting about-of course- holiday balls and what they would wear.

Hermione tapped her fingers on the tabletop, and exhaled a breath of relief when the door opened. Draco didn't look at Hermione when he entered; his hair no longer stuck to his skin, the ankles of his pants were dried. Only he and Hermione knew what had happened not even an hour ago. Draco sat down at the opposite end of the table and didn't speak a word, staring at the rich brown table. The Slytherins seemed to visibly brighten, as if they needed him there.

"So let's keep this short, it's a Friday. I'll send out those schedules as soon as they're made up. That's all." Hermione got out of her seat and went to open the door. When no one was looking, Hermione let out a sigh of relief that the meeting ended without disaster. Ginny mouthed something along the lines of "we need to talk later". Hermione leaned against the closed door, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. She wasn't ready to face being alone with Draco after the night's events. The room was silent, save the crackle of the fire and the wind beating against the window.

She opened her eyes to see Draco staring at the fire. Deciding it was now or never, Hermione walked over towards to collect her things that were thrown haphazardly on the ground.

"You didn't miss much, just talked about schedules and-"

"You didn't see anything" Draco murmured, continuing to stare at the fire.

Hermione paused in mid bend, turning her head towards Draco on the couch. He was still refusing to look at her; she couldn't tell if he was embarrassed and wanted to pretend it never happened, or if he was angry and going to make her pay.

"Then I told them not to abuse their power because of course they - "

"Don't you ever follow me again, Granger. You'll regret it." He stood up from the couch, stalking over towards the fire and leaning against the hearth.

"And then, when that prat Baddock asked where you were I said you had something more important to do and you'd be here eventually instead of telling him you were outside taking out your anger on TREE BRANCHES." Hermione spat in a raised tone. He locked her stare with his dark eyes; she wasn't sure if he was going to attack her again. This time she'd be ready- her anger was spilling over.

"Same mess, different year. To think I even made excuses for you. I REFUSE to run these meetings all year by myself while you disappear to wherever you go, I refuse to babysit for you and worry if you're keeping up with your end of the responsibility, you foul excuse for a person! Or, my mistake, a pureblood prince."

Draco whipped his head around.

"Just what are you trying to achieve here, Malfoy? Are you scheming something to make yet another year with you unbearable because you have nothing better to do with your time than obsess over my friends and me? Are you planning on making my life hell while you strut around doing whatever it is you please?" Hermione screamed, taking out 6 years of frustration with him in one argument. Draco cracked his knuckles as he stormed towards her. Hermione didn't notice any of this, possessed by her anger. She was pulling everything out of her arsenal.

"Been to Pansy's yet? Saw her all over you in the hallway after class. If you use this room for midday rendezvous I swear I will curse you all the way to China, you pig!"

She was too worked up to stop, too angry to control the things coming out our her mouth. She was visibly shaking and looked as if she might curse him at any moment. Draco was now only a foot away from her and, unlike Hermione, was stone still. He took her silence as his turn to speak, and he spoke in a menacing whisper-

"What do you care, Granger? Your 'Golden' friends getting boring and feel the need to stick your nose where it doesn't belong?"

Hermione waved her arms wildly as if imitating a Hippogryf. "And just WHAT is that supposed to mean, Malfoy? What…what does…what do you mean by that?" her voice broke as she finished the question, unable to answer his.

They stared at each other, each at their boiling point. Draco closed in on her, and she had to back up in order to not be run into.

"Exactly. Don't go passing judgment- you're not little Ms. Perfect anymore, Granger. You're not fooling anyone."

- 3 months later -

"Hermione, are you alright? Hermione?" Harry nudged Hermione, causing her to jump and knock over her glass of pumpkin juice.

"Damn" she muttered, putting her hand on her forehead as Harry took out his wand to clean up the mess. He put his arm around her shoulder and gave an affectionate squeeze.

"Something up? You've been barely there all week. Have you been sleeping?"

Hermione looked at him and gave a feeble smile. Truth was, she hadn't been getting much of any sleep since she school had started. Three months in, and she was struggling just to get dressed in the morning. Between weekly meetings with McGonagall, keeping up with the Prefects, along with hall duty, homework, studying for N.E.W.T.s, trying to help Harry with Horcruxes, and planning for life after Hogwarts, she was barely surviving.

If she did find the time to sleep, her mind refused to lay still. Though Harry's spare time was often consumed with being Quidditch Captain, she did catch him wandering the halls aimlessly, or sitting in the Common Room in the early hours of the morning, staring at the fire. She worried about him constantly- being who he was, the constant threat of being killed, and of course his ongoing, albeit secret, crush on Ginny.

Ron was completely unaware of it, as he was many things. He'd been too busy soaking up his new found fame as a Beater. Hermione had given up going to watch them practice, since- without fail- every time she went, there was a group of giggling girls gushing about how good-looking and talented Ron was. She'd grown quite tired of hearing his name in the hallways Lavender didn't dare go down that path again, but that didn't stop other girls from trying to get into his robes. They had to move on to someone new to obsess over anyway, since Draco seemed to have disappeared.

That kept Hermione up the most. Except for his desk in class, he couldn't be found anywhere. He managed to show up for their meetings with McGonagall and con her into thinking that everything was going well, then hurrying out before Hermione could open her mouth. Though if she could get a word in, she wasn't sure what she would say. The last time they had formally spoke on something besides Head's business was the blow up in the Head's Room.

What he'd said had bothered Hermione everyday since that evening. What did he mean she wasn't the same person? Of course she was the same! She was still the hardworking, top student she always was. Just what did he think she was now? Sure, her friends had taken to their own personal lives, sharing less with her and taking matters more into their own hands, but they were growing up and would still be the trio they'd always been.

Right?

"Yeah, yeah I'm alright. Just tired is all. I was up late last night finishing that work for Snape, and charming all of my quills to make interest sheets for the Ball and inter-house activities. It was trickier than I thought it would be- occasionally a quill would write everything backwards and I'd have to start all over again. And I have to meet with Malfoy later and plan the Holiday Ball." She paused and let out a tired sight. "It's actually been quite nice, him hardly being around. Makes my life a lot less difficult." she lied.

Harry finished up his steak and kidney pie, and collected his things.

"I'm glad to hear it. The less we see that git, the better. Have you seen Ron? We're supposed to get together and talk about tomorrow's game with the team but I haven't seen him except for in class."

Hermione rolled her eyes and twirled her spoon in her potatoes. "Can't say that I have. Probably with Susan-Melinda- or is it Lauren?" Harry let out a laugh and tucked in his shirt.

"It's Laura, that Hufflepuff. And you're probably right. Just hope he remembers to drag his big head down to the Quidditch fields of I'll have to put him on probation and he'll lose his fan club. Come by the Common Room later though, maybe we can all hang out and have a chance to finally relax."

As Harry walked away, Hermione sighed and gave up on eating. She doubted hanging out would actually happen. Something would come up- a late night walk with Ginny, or drinking Firewhiskey with the boys- whatever it would be, she was sure she her presence would not be appreciated.

The Great Hall was clearing out, except for the few stragglers hoping to catch a bite before the house elves cleared away the food. Hermione saw Ginny and Luna come through the doors, Ginny giving Harry a coy smile as he passed by. Hermione had suddenly lost her appetite.

"Hey Hermione, I haven't seen you in ages." Ginny sat down on the bench across from her, and pulled over a platter of turkey, taking a healthy helping. "It's bloody freezing outside. Luna and I nearly froze walking from the greenhouses."

Hermione gave a noncommittal shrug and sipped her tea. Ginny leaned across the table, grinning.

"Talk of the halls is the Holiday Ball. Those flyers did the trick, though the one I read appeared to be written over upside down?"

Hermione huffed at her own stupidity. She thought she'd checked them all…

"Anyway, I heard that Michael Corner is going to ask Parvati. I mean, really? Her?" Ginny said with an air of disgust.

Hermione wasn't in the mood to listen to Ginny complain about boys. Ginny didn't take her lack of response as a hint to stop.

"But he was the past, and so in with the new!" Ginny exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air to make her point. "The month before Balls is always so much fun…figuring out how people really feel about each other. Hopefully someone will ask me-" Ginny surveyed the room as if looking for a potential date. Hermione took this chance to roll her eyes and stand up.

"Well, I have to go find Malfoy and go over some details for the dance. See you later, then."

As predicted, Malfoy was no where to be found at dinner. Hermione turned down the hall and ran straight into Ron…or what she thought was Ron. It was more like a sea of red and blonde hair. Hermione coughed, praying she wasn't choking on someone's hair.

"Oh! Hermione." Ron said, obviously flustered and confused as to what had just happened. Hermione stood there confused as well, picking up her dropped bag. The girl she'd just learned was Laura looked at her mildly disgusted, and though infrequent for her at Hogwarts, she'd found herself in an awkward social situation.

"How..how are..what's up?" Ron asked pathetically. Hermione coughed again to fill the empty space.

"Just leaving, don't want to interrupt." she said shortly, and as she turned down the hall, she broke into a slight run.

'The nerve of Ron!' She thought to herself. Since when did he have this new found confidence, purely because he thought he was good at Quidditch? So much for real confidence based on the fact that he was a good friend, and would stick up for what he believed in. Hermione was practically fuming by the time she reached the Head's Room. Of course she wasn't jealous of the poor girl, she was just…angry.

"5 points from Hufflepuff for snogging in the hallways" she said aloud to no one, smirking a little as she imagined the gems being removed from their hourglass. So she told the prefects not to abuse their power- Head Girl had to come with some perks. She shouted 'puppies', not caring if someone heard the password, and slammed the door behind her.

"Stupid prat, probably placed himself there so people would see him practically undressing her in the hallway! Thinks he's so great." Hermione scoffed and threw her bag against the wall.

"I'm right here, Granger. " Draco was laying on one of the couches by the fire.

Hermione jumped a little and held her chest. "Jesus, Malfoy, you scared me half to death."

Draco looked up from his Potions book . "Then that leaves me only half to go."

Hermione scowled, and was surprised to see the corner of Draco's mouth lift as if he had just made a joke and not a serious death threat. She shook her head and grabbed a piece of spare parchment and a quill off of the table.

"Okay, Malfoy, now that we're in the same room we need to discuss this Holiday Ball. I've already given Dobby a list of hors devours to have ready before the dance. We still need to arrange music and it's only-" she counted the days in her head, pointing at an imaginary calendar in the air "- 3 weeks away…oh shit." Hermione put one hand over her mouth, the other tapping her quill against the parchment. She couldn't believe it was only 3 weeks.

Draco laid his book down on his chest and rubbed his eyes. "I've taken care of it."

Excuse me?

"You've taken care of it? What does that mean?" she asked. How had he even known they needed one? She thought he barely listened to her.

He let out an obvious sigh of annoyance.

"That means, Granger, that I knew some people who could do it, ran it by McGonagall, and it's all set. What else is left to plan?"

Hermione was awe-struck. She stared at him lounging on the couch, one arm behind his head, and for a minute wanted to run over and hug him.

"Did you hear me, or are you deaf and dumb?" he asked, tossing the book on the coffee table and sitting up.

"Oh shut up." Hermione said before she could catch herself. She nervously looked at him, only to see him raising his eyebrows but saying nothing. She decided her best tactic was to keep talking- what she was good at.

"We'll need to meet with the prefects and brief them on their responsibility while at the dance- that it is still a school event and that they should keep an eye out for any suspicious activity."

"Like what" he interrupted "having fun? Letting loose for a second?"

"What's that supposed to mean? That I don't have fun?" she asked, her temper threatening to rise.

"If the shoe fits, Granger."

She stood up and marched over to his side of the room.

"Not that I have to prove anything to you, but I do have fun, Malfoy. Just because that doesn't involve sleeping with everyone possible doesn't mean I don't have fun."

Draco looked as if he'd had the wind knocked out of him.

"Oh and what is that supposed to mean, Granger? Think all I do is shag every girl who looks at me?" he walked over to the kitchenette and grabbed a finger sandwich the house elves left as a snack.

"Well, if the pants fit, Malfoy."

He shrugged his shoulders and walked back over to the couch. "I told you twice you don't know me at all. Of course why would you, with your head shoved so far up-"

"Waaait a minute Malfoy- I don't want to see where that's going." Hermione interrupted, waving her hand at the image that was about to come out of his mouth.

There was a knock on the door, and Draco went to answer it. Sticking his head out of the small crack, Hermione couldn't see who it was but knew once he spoke that it was Blaise.

"I haven't seen you in forever, mate. Been busy with Pans?"

"No we're done and you know that. Humor doesn't work on you." Draco said coolly

"Fine fine. Well we were all meeting, you know. To discuss certain things- it's been awhile. Thought I'd try here to see if I could find you."

Draco paused before answering. "No, I'm busy."

With that, Draco closed the door and turned back to Hermione.

"Food, music, prefects…what else?"

Hermione stood behind the couch silently, leaning on it for support. Draco snapped his fingers hastily.

"What else, Granger?" He resumed his place on the couch and closed his eyes for a brief moment.

Hermione was too busy thinking about what had just happened to answer his question. Why had he refused to go with Blaise- his supposed closest friend? The Malfoy she knew would have seized the first opportunity to get out of talking to her and doing Head's Duties. The wheels started to turn in her head, and she began to wonder if Draco had been a ghost to everyone at Hogwarts these past couple of months. He probably had been escaping the confinements of the castle through the fireplace. Hermione chuckled to herself- using the fireplace sounded like a good idea to get away from her tiring friends.

"Granger will you please stop talking to the voices in your head and join us back in reality?" Draco was standing in front of her, waving his hand in her face.

"Why didn't you go with Blaise?" she asked before thinking twice.

He stared at her unflinchingly, then squinted.

"Why does it matter to you?" he asked.

Hermione tried to act as casual as possible, but for whatever reason really was curious to know.

"Don't flatter yourself, Malfoy. No one is that interested in your life."

"Oh really?" he asked rhetorically, refusing to blink. "If you're so uninterested, then why do you follow me around?"

Hermione's eyes opened as wide as they could. She could feel another confrontation coming on.

"I most certainly do NOT follow you around, Malfoy- you think so highly of yourself it's nauseating! Like anyone thinks you're more important than the scum on their shoe!"

Draco closed in on her, looking like he would curse her- yet, he was intrigued.

"Then pray tell, Granger, why did you come looking for me after I left dinner that night?" he whispered.

Hermione seemed out of her body- as if in an intimate conversation with one of her closest friends.

"How do you know I was looking for you, not that I was out patrolling the grounds for shady figures lurking around with no apparent purpose?"

Hermione was keeping the best poker face she could while trying not to run into anything. Draco kept walking towards her, and she wanted to maintain a safe distance away from him. Draco was grinning maliciously, and she knew he was going to insult her.

"Because, Granger, I saw your bushy head racing back and forth down the hallways through the window. It's so large it's hard not to see it."

Hermione changed the direction of their slow waltz around the room, making Draco have to backstep.

"Been watching me, have you?" she asked boldly, putting the conversation in her favor.

He shrugged ever so casually, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Have to keep an eye on you and your delinquent friends. Always getting your noses in things you know nothing about."

Hermione laughed out loud.

"Forgive me, oh noble one, but last time I checked I've been the top student since" -she pointed at her fake calendar and looked satisfied- "first year!"

"You should know that getting top grades doesn't make you smart, Granger. Just makes you a boring old prude who sits alone all day and night slaving away to get grades that don't have to pretend to be your friend." Draco said coolly, though he meant it to sting.

Hermione pointed at his chest, placing her index finger on his crisp green and black tie.

"Sits alone all day and night? Are we referring to me, or you?"

Draco looked down at her finger touching him. She was surprised he hadn't backed away in disgust, but didn't want to push her luck. She let it slide down the smooth silk, and waited for his next volley.

"And again I ask" he approached her "why did you follow me that night?"

Hermione felt relaxed and tense all at once. Her cloudy head couldn't find a reason to lie to him.

"I was…interested."

His eyebrows raised, and the corner of his mouth curled into a wild grin. Hermione cut him off before he could make some snide comment.

"Not in you, but where you were going."

Draco chuckled and walked at Hermione, altering their route.

"No one else followed me. What'd you tell your Precious Potter and Weasley- had homework to do?"

She cringed slightly- was she that predictable?

"Well I didn't think saying I was going to look for you for no good reason would go very well."

They fell silent. Hermione was leaning against the tall leather chair, and Draco was mere inches in front of her. Hermione finally spoke in a light, yet confident whisper.

"Well, I have a whole night of sitting alone and throwing myself into my homework ahead of me. I'll need to get on that if I plan on getting top grades and having no friends."

She thought she saw him smile faintly, and somehow his recently gaunt and sullen face seemed to brighten a little- a pale pink returning to his skin as if his blood had begun to circulate again. He ran his hand through his white blonde hair, and spoke in his usual dark tone-

"Well, I have a night full of sitting alone by the Black Lake, then heading back to the comfort of an empty room to sit and think about how great I am."

Hermione let out a little laugh, much preferring this conversation to the usual bickering. Draco's small smile faded away, and was replaced with a more serious stare. Though the fire had died down, Hermione felt flushed.

The room was silent. Draco looked at Hermione's delicate mouth, and closed the space between them. Hermione looked into his eyes, her heart pounding out of her chest.

And after what felt like eternity, Draco leant down and delicately kissed her mouth.