Chapter 7

Do not own.

'How could he have been so stupid? There was obviously a reason why Granger didn't want to talk about it, so why did he just have to go through her memories like that?'

"Stupid." muttered Draco. He was still sitting in the corner and as he muttered, Hermione started to wake again.

"What are you doing here still? Didn't I tell you to leave?"

Draco looked up at Hermione. Her face betrayed none of the pain she was probably feeling. The pain he had felt emanating from her. He looked down again, ashamed for intruding upon her life.

"Yeah, but I can't get out remember? Look, I'm sorry for being here when you obviously want me to leave but I can't get the door open. Is there some kind of weird spell on it or something?"

Hermione looked at him strangely. "Go open the door Malfoy. I want to see you try."

Draco flushed. He'd just admitted that he couldn't do it so why would she ask him to try again! How humiliating! Draco opened his mouth to argue but stopped when he looked at her face. Guilt overwhelmed him and he decided to just do what she said and try again. He turned towards the door and pulled out his wand.

"No Malfoy. Not with your wand. Try it the muggle way."

What the hell? How could opening it the muggle way help anything? The door was obviously spelled shut.

"But..."

Hermione looked at him with patience. "Yes?" She said in an infuriating way.

"Nothing." Draco clenched his jaw and reached out to turn the handle. He pulled the door with all his might, trying as Granger had put it, to open it the 'muggle way.'

He stopped after a few seconds and looked back to the bed where Hermione was sitting. One look at her face and he blushed in embarrassment. She was gagging herself so that she wouldn't laugh and stifled giggles were escaping her mouth. Draco put his hands on his hips angrily.

"What's so funny? I tried! You told me to!"

After a supreme effort, Hermione got her giggles under control.

"Malfoy, try pushing the door."

Draco immediately turned the handle and pushed. The door slid open easily and his face turned, if possible redder. Hermione started giggling again.

"Oh shut up." Draco muttered, shifting from foot to the other. He still held the door handle and his grip tightened as Hermione's laughter grew louder.

"Shut up! It's not that funny!" Draco's voice cracked in humiliation and he stamped his foot angrily. For a moment there was silence as Hermione looked at him in disbelief before she started howling with laughter, trying to formulate words through her tears.

"You! Hahaha! You stamped your foot! That was so funny! You are just so-" Hermione's laughter broke off abruptly as she stopped the next sentence spilling from her mouth. 'Adorable! ----- What the? What did I almost say? Did I almost say out loud that he was adorable? No. I couldn't have.'

Hermione sat up in the bed, rearranging her clothes which had become precariously close to falling off. Draco stared open mouthed at her. The previously hilarious situation completely forgotten. Her wild hair lay in careful disarray. Her cheeks were flushed and the imagination thought up many compromising situations which could have caused that glowing complexion. Draco's body started responding as he watched her chest rise and fall while she regained her breath. The awkward silence spread until Draco felt compelled to break it.

"Didn't you have a headache before? I though you were hung-over or something."

Hermione rolled her eyes, the smile fading from her lips. "Yes Malfoy, I did but I unlike you am still in control of my brain, if nothing else. I cast a spell on myself ages ago to repel hangovers so I don't have to deal with headaches for much longer than a few minutes."

He stared at her for a minute before shaking his head, raising his arms as if to God and asking, "Now why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you spend all your time talking to leaky ceilings?" Hermione suggested innocently. Draco threw her a dirty look before opening the door again.

"I'll be leaving now Granger, See you around. Or perhaps I won't. Whatever."

With that sentiment, he walked out the door without a backwards glance. Hermione stared at the open door with mixed feelings. Why was she feeling so empty now? It was different to the feelings that had been plaguing her since her break-up with Ron. That just made her feel sorry for herself but this, this was something different. She felt herself reaching with her mind, trying to summon Draco back to her side. She wanted his company. He'd made her laugh and smile, really smile. She hadn't smiled like that since Ron and her had started to go out. After that it had always been smile for Ron, smile for her friends, smile to keep concerns at bay, and smile to entertain clients. But now, she wanted to smile. Not for anyone else. Not for anyone but herself. She buried her head in her hands as the familiar feeling of hopelessness washed over her.


Hey readers, hope you like this chapter. I tried adding a bit of humour into it. hopefully I'll be updating again soon... if I get some inspiration. *hint hint* :D Thanks for reading!