Chapter 9 for AoW Challenge...
enjoy!
Draco slammed the door to his room, causing an echo to bounce off the cold dungeon walls. He stood in place, breathing heavily and trying not to do anything rash.
Tried, and failed.
Draco wiped everything off his desk in one swoop, sending piles of books, parchment, quills, and inkwells crashing to the floor. He tore down his bed hangings, kicked over his side table, then threw water on all of the torches lit in his room.
How dare he, Draco thought. How dare he tell me not only am I not ready to go with him on assignments, but I can't come home for break.
Draco felt in his pocket for his wand, then decided not to clean up the mess. He flung himself on his bed and stared at the dark stone ceiling. He certainly wasn't going to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. Especially not while knowing his friends were at his house, possibly sitting in on meetings with the Dark Lord.
Draco snorted. And Granger thought her life was difficult.
-
Hermione walked quickly back towards the Quidditch pitch, clutching the note in her hand.
She didn't know what exactly to make of it. It was obviously referring to work for Voldemort. But his dad said he wasn't ready…whatever that meant. And what was happening on Christmas?
Students were pouring out of the stands, heading back to the warmth of the dormitories. It was a clear Gryffindor victory; she saw the team holding up Ron on their shoulders. Not too far behind were girls hoping to follow them back for celebration. Harry caught sight of her, and came over. He smiled and pulled her into a sweaty hug, which Hermione welcomed happily.
"Where'd you come from?" he asked, looking over her shoulder. Hermione tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear, avoiding his eyes.
"Oh, I had to get something ready for McGonagall- we're supposed to have a meeting here…soon…so I only caught the first half. How did it go?" trying to direct the conversation away from where'd she been.
"Great, won only by 40, but Ron as you can see did pretty well." They looked at Ron waving his hands in the air shouting something along the lines of "Another good hit from Ron Weasley!"
Hermione laughed. "Yes, well, he has let it get to his head a little."
Harry nodded, entering the castle and heading towards to Common Room. There was an uproar of cheer as she and Harry climbed through the portrait hole. Someone had put up a banner that read "Gryffindor (soon to be) Champions!" in large red and gold letters. Seamus brought them both Butterbeers and guided them into the party.
She spotted Ron in the corner with his girlfriend, so close together that it was hard to see where one began and the other ended.
Hermione felt something pull in her chest. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Something about seeing Ron, something about seeing them together made her feel lost in the sea of people around her, completely disconnected. Harry, Ginny, and Neville were laughing on a nearby couch. Dean and Seamus were toasting glasses of Firewhiskey. Parvati was whispering something into Lavender's ear, grinning at some of the team members.
Hermione finished her Butterbeer and slipped out of the room. The scene was suffocating. How could a place that used to make her feel so calm make her feel like she was suffocating? She hurried down the hall, deciding that she would try and get some work done in the Head's Room.
Either that, or curl up on the couch and stare blankly into the flames.
She pushed open the door to see Malfoy sitting in front of the flames, finishing his glass of wine and holding it out to be refilled. He looked up as she closed the door and stood there.
"Take a chair, Granger." He knocked back his glass and awaited the charmed bottle to refill his glass.
"Are you drunk, Malfoy?" she asked rhetorically, walking over to the couch opposite him. "You know, I could get you in serious trouble for that. Finally get you out of my hair." Her one Butterbeer had made her feel a little warm, and wasn't in the mood to put up fronts around Malfoy.
He leaned his head back and let out a sigh. "McGonagall would never believe you. How do you think I've stayed here all these years without getting expelled, Granger? I am a fantastic liar." He stood up and went over to the kitchenette, getting a glass.
"And I can smell the remnants of a party on you, so don't make me rat you out." He tossed her the glass and waved the bottle over to her.
"So you've been drinking alone, Malfoy. I think you've hit a new low." Hermione said, allowing her judgment to take a backseat and taking a sip of wine.
"Well, just fulfilling the role I've been given." he said seriously, running his finger along the rim of the glass. Hermione tensed a little, unsure of what to say. She caught his stare, raising her glass to her mouth to cover her face.
"So, why aren't you off celebrating your pathetic house's victory over the only team worse than theirs?"
Hermione raised her glass, beckoning the bottle to come over her way. "Those who put down others only do so cause they think poorly of themselves."
Malfoy snorted and laid down on the couch. "Funny, Granger. I hear you calling me all sorts of names. Have a little confidence problem, do we?"
Hermione held her stomach and laughed sarcastically. "Ha ha, Malfoy. You're so funny. So charming!"
Her head was growing increasingly cloudy.
Malfoy smirked. "I always knew you couldn't resist me, Granger."
Hermione smiled, stumbling as she stood up. "So true, so true. Because it was I who kissed you, Malfoy. You are so right."
Draco looked at her as serious as he could considering his current state. "Malfoy's never admit they're wrong."
Hermione took off cloak, throwing it on the meeting table and hoisting herself on top. "So you're saying it was wrong. I mean, kissing a Mudblood like me could ruin you. Now you're tainted" her voice began to shake. As quickly as she was warm, she turned cold.
Malfoy got off of the couch, walking over towards her.
"You know I meant that I was wrong about being able to resist you"
Hermione's chest heaved as she dangled her legs over the side. "Whatever, it…what?" she looked up, to see him standing a foot away. He tugged at his tie, loosening it from his neck. Hermione sat up straighter, leaning forward in disbelief.
"You think I'm filth- lower than filth." she exclaimed. This was all too confusing; did he actually mean to kiss her? It wasn't a mistake?
Malfoy ran his hands through his blonde hair and shook his head. "I don't know." He murmured.
Hermione snorted, amused to see Malfoy confused. "Oh, so now you change your mind? Now you don't think I'm just a dirty muggle born who is ruining the name of wizardry because you pureblooded fools think that you rule the world?"
Draco paced the room, refusing to look at Hermione, who was still sitting on the table.
"You know, I don't get you. You're right- I don't know anything about you. One minute you're threatening to curse me, the next…" she trailed off, kicking the air out of frustration. "the next you're someone I completely wouldn't expect."
"Yeah" he said simply, walking back over to her at the table. "I don't know, Granger. I'm not apologizing. I'm not saying I didn't mean it all. But" -he pushed her hair out of her face- "there's something here."
Hermione put her hand on his chest. "It shouldn't be you."
Draco leaned in, kissed her briefly, then pulled away long enough to whisper "But it is."
