Chapter 9
Hermione followed Draco into the common room but stopped almost instantly as she took in their new common room.
The left wall was a massive window that stretched from the ceiling to the floor. The flooring was all cherry wood with a large white faux fur area rug. The dark burgundy, L-shaped couch was placed against the window wall and facing a large stone fireplace and the left side of the room had two large burgundy chairs facing the couch. Against the corner of the wall was a study with a large window above it. The walls were a creamy cappuccino color with golden accents and the staircase straight ahead of her on the back wall was made of the same wood as the floor. There was a small kitchenette in the corner of the right and back wall and a small round glass table that had four chairs around it.
To say Hermione loved it would be an understatement. It felt warm and cozy, yet rich and charming. She almost forgot about her room and the bathroom.
She jogged up the stairs and turned to her left and saw a dark ebony wooden door with Draco's name carved into it. She turned to her right and her door was almost identical except for the names. She opened her door and walked into a completely different room than the common room.
Instead of rich warm colors, her walls were a light airy purple color with light cream trim. Her bed had a black wrought iron frame that held a sheer white canopy, draped around the top of it and was pushed to the right wall. The left wall was made of grey stone and was accompanied by a dark birch desk. The carpet was a cream color and the closet door was the same dark ebony as all of the other doors. The bathroom door, directly across the room, was slightly open. She walked over and peaked inside.
It was lavishly decorated with dark brown and cream colors. The surfaces were all white marble while the faucets were dark brown. There was a large tub and a walk in shower. She pressed her toes into the dark brown, fuzzy rug that was sitting in front of the shower and bathtub.
She walked back into her room and threw herself onto her bed, disturbing the once sleeping Tigger. Hermione was very satisfied with her new living quarters and she made a mental note to remember these color schemes for her own house one day.
A few minutes after Hermione started unpacking things from her trunk, she heard the water running in the bathroom. She stood up and walked to the bathroom door, pressing her ear to it. She knew it was Draco but wondered if he was just running the sink or going to be busy for a while in there.
Suddenly there was a knock just to the right of where her ear laid. She pulled her head back in surprise before hesitantly opening the door. Draco stood with his black slacks and white button down shirt, halfway unbuttoned and hand about to knock at her door again.
"Oh…um, I'm going to take a shower…and I just wanted to let you know so you don't walk in, or-or something." He stuttered.
"Oh, alright. Well, enjoy." She peeled her eyes away from his bare chest and met his eyes. She gave him an awkward smile and he turned back into the bathroom.
Hermione shook her head and went back to unpacking, shutting the door behind her. She had no idea what made him think he had to tell her what his plans were.
'Although it was considerate of him so no accidental "run ins" occurred; And he just had to leave his shirt unbuttoned didn't he!' She thought to herself. She shook her head and hopped into her bed with her book. She couldn't express how happy she was that she could sleep in the next morning. She loved classes and all, but she also deeply valued her sleep.
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'Excellent job! That wasn't awkward in the least.' Draco thought to himself sarcastically. 'She probably would have heard the shower running…and the door does have a lock.' He was confused as to why he even knocked on her door in the first place. He just felt that it was something he needed to do.
He finished rinsing himself off and went to his room wearing only a cream colored towel around his waist.
He had already unpacked and decided he needed something to eat before he headed to bed so he sauntered down the steps, after getting dressed, and into the kitchen to search for something edible. He found a green apple and started to munch on that when he felt something wrap around his ankle. He jumped back in surprise and heard a low hiss as he landed on something cord-like. He looked down and found his toe on top of a fluffy striped tail. Draco lifted his foot and leaned down to stroke Tigger's head. The cat rubbed against Draco, apparently not holding any hard feelings towards being stepped on.
"And so we meet again." He grinned down at the little fuzz ball that was purring with delight. He swiveled in and out of Draco's legs while he stood and finished his apple.
"Tigger?" Hermione called from the stairs. "Oh, have you seen Tigger? I left my door open and- Oh! There you are." She walked over to where the two boys were standing and leaned down to pick up her cat, who was still intertwining himself between Draco's legs. "Sorry to take you away from your new friend, little man, but someone would like to go to sleep now."
"Likes to sleep with his mum, yeah?" Draco mused.
"I wouldn't say sleep exactly, he gets a little rambunctious at night." She rubbed his head as he swatted at her hand.
"Right well, good night, Tigger…?" He looked at Hermione questioningly.
"Yes, it's from Winnie the Pooh…you know, Disney World?" She said somewhat defensively.
"Disney World? And what is Pooh? Like what you find in the toilet?" Draco said bewildered.
"No, no! Pooh is a bear who loves honey and is friends with a kangaroo, and an owl, and- Oh, why am I explaining this to you?" She exasperated.
"Granger, do you talk to this bear often in your…Disney World?" He looked at her cautiously.
"I'm not crazy Malfoy! Winnie the Pooh is a movie. Disney is a place in the States where you go on rides and it is for families. Disney has created dozens of movies and shows; hence where I saw Winnie the Pooh." She explained rather quickly.
"Movie? Are those the things Muggles go to, in town? Like Operas and plays?"
"Well, sort of…you can watch them on something called a television at home too. But, yes, people do go into town to a theater, where they show new movies."
Draco shook his head at himself for wondering about these things. "Right, well…goodnight Granger, Tigger." He nodded and turned to toss his apple core in the trash before heading back up the stairs, Hermione following shortly after, Tigger in her wake.
(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)
Draco woke up, shutting his eyes rapidly at the light that came through the window opposite of his bed.
"Massive windows but no bloody drapes?" he mumbled to himself.
He stood up and grabbed his robe, wrapping it around himself before walking out of his bedroom.
As soon as he opened his door the smell of sweet cinnamon wafted to his nostrils. He heard quiet mumbling in the kitchen with some clanking.
"Talking to yourself, Granger?" Draco asked before the kitchen was even in view.
"No Malfoy, she's got company." He rounded the corner and saw who was speaking to him.
"Oh, morning girl Weasley." He nodded to Ginny, who was sitting in a stool at the counter, before grabbing an apple out of the fruit bowl.
"Put it down Malfoy, I've made breakfast." Hermione said sounding uncannily like Mrs. Weasley.
"Breakfast? For me?" he raised his eyebrows at her.
"No, for us." She waved a fork in a big circle, indicating that she meant the three of them. "Hope you like cinnamon rolls."
"And if I don't?" He mused.
"Too bad, I've poisoned one just for you, so you're eating it." She said matter-of-factly.
Draco just stared at her and watched as she took the fork and scooped up the rolls out of the round pan, placing them on a large plate. She placed a plate in front of him with one on it. He just stared at it.
"Oh really, Malfoy! I was only joking. Now eat." She pushed a fork his way. He ignored it and picked up the cinnamon roll with his fingers, taking a huge bite from it.
Ginny just stared at him with a troubled look on her face.
"Problem?" He said spitting out a bit of pastry.
"Ew, you're just as bad as Ron." She looked disgusted, "And you're eating it wrong."
"Eating it wrong?" He raised an eyebrow, "How, pry tell, does one properly eat a cinnamon roll?"
Ginny picked up her fork and stabbed the ending of the twist, slowly unraveling it, taking a bite here and there. She got to the center, a couple of minutes later, and looked at him.
"And the best part for last." She put the whole warm, gooey, center in her mouth.
He stared directly at her and took another bite as he previously did, never taking his eyes away from hers.
"Live a little, Weasley." He stood, scratched Tigger with his free hand, and walked back upstairs, still "improperly" eating his cinnamon roll.
" 'Thanks Hermione! That was great!' 'Oh, you're quite welcome' " Hermione yelled mockingly up the stairs.
"There are places for people like you, Granger: Fourth floor, St. Mungo's!" He yelled down before shutting his door.
"I wasn't talking to myself, you git! I was talking to you!" She huffed out before turning to Ginny who was trying to keep in a laugh.
"Sorry." She mumbled after seeing Hermione's glare.
(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)
Draco chuckled to himself as he pulled off his robe, exposing a pair of long, plaid, flannel pajama pants and a bare torso. He sat on his bed and reached out his hand to pet his owl's head. It was a black and white speckled, Eagle Owl, with dark golden eyes and a black beak. Draco had to admit, it was a rather large bird, but it was only half it's size when his mother had given it to him as a gift when he got his acceptance letter to Hogwarts. He named it Eros.
Eros nipped at Draco's finger, indicating he wanted a treat. Draco gave him a couple pellets and went to the bathroom to finish his morning routine.
Half past eleven Draco could be found at the desk in their common room with his almost finished book propped open.
A knock at the portrait door sounded and Hermione emerged from her room, walking down the steps and towards the door.
"Please, don't get up, Malfoy. I'll get it." She said sarcastically.
"How kind of you." He smirked at her.
She swung open the portrait and was surprised at who walked past her. She was expecting Harry and Ron, assuming that Ginny had told them were the heads common room was.
"Blaise," Draco nodded, "I see you've received my letter." He closed his book and discreetly slipped it in one of the small cubbies. Blaise noticed though and snatched it up.
"The Great Gatsby? What is this?" Blaise asked eyeing the blue cover of the book.
"It's a book. Perhaps if you actually focused on your studies, you would know what one looks like." Draco sneered back at him.
"I was sixth in our year, thank you." Blaise tossed the book back down on the desk.
"Gatsby?" Hermione raised her eyebrows when she overheard Blaise form the kitchen. "You're reading Gatsby?" She said with a slight frown.
"What's wrong with this Gatsby fellow?" Blaise asked.
"The Great Gatsby is a very popular American novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a very well known muggle author. I'm just surprised you're reading it is all." She turned back to the open cabinet and grabbed a box of club crackers.
"Am I not aloud to submerge myself in great American novels, Granger?"
"It's not the American novel part that mystifies me, it's the muggle part." She placed a cracker into her mouth, shaking the crumbs and salt from her fingers.
"Our little Draco has succumbed to the light side I think." Blaise teased, pinching Draco's cheek.
"I didn't know you were sixth in our year, Blaise." Hermione said after she let out a small laugh at Draco's attempt to swat Blaise's hand away.
"There's a lot you don't know about me." Blaise raised his eyebrows suggestively at her.
"Right…" She grabbed her box and walked up to her room, leaving the door cracked open.
"Was it something I said?" Blaise asked Draco, who just stared at him with an annoyed expression.
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AN:
Hope you enjoyed it! Please review to tell me your thoughts, opinions, questions, comments, and/or concerns =) Thank you!
Ps. a picture of Draco's owl can be found on my profile. Just click on the link and it should appear.
Happy Reading!
