Dreams
Hermione is feeling rather wobbly and... woozy. There is a dull ache in her head and her stomach is squirming like it's trying to get rid of something unpleasant.
"Nnnnng", she moans, shifting to find a more comfortable position.
"Finally awake, I see. Thank Merlin, I thought I'd have to carry you all the way to your bedroom - you don't look like it, but you're no light weight, I'm telling you."
Hermione frowns, trying to process what's going on. She feels... weird, like she's been run over by a bus and hastily patched up afterwards.
She hopes her face was out of the way when it happened.
"Granger?"
She makes a sound and she knows it doesn't mean anything, but she's too sleepy and ill to make an effort to be even remotely intelligible.
Hugh, she feels like she's going to throw up.
"Granger? Granger? Hey, stop being stubborn and help me a little."
She knows this voice it's... ah... it's on the tip of her tongue, but she can't seem to put her finger on it. It's deep and pleasant enough, but...
"Granger? Hermione, shit! Stop it, it's freaking me out: talk or stop moving, you're looking like a fucking inferius."
Malfoy?
All of a sudden, it's very clear and awareness jolts in Hermione's body. She tries really hard to open her eyes, and they hurt like hell - she thinks maybe somebody rubbed sand on them, but not even Malfoy hates her that much. There's light in her face, and she suddenly needs to empty her stomach. Right now. She stops trying to see (who cares about seeing anyway?) and lurches forward.
"Herm... Oh, shit - not again!"
Somebody holds her hair back as she heaves and an arm snakes around her middle to keep her from collapsing. She wants to tell the idiot that he's pressing on her stomach, which is not a good thing, but she doesn't think she can safely open her mouth just yet.
She hears a sigh, very near her ear, as she dry heaves, and the hand in her hair rubs soothing circles on her skull.
"I liked those shoes, you know. They were expensive and it took me months to find waterproof muggle shoes." A snort. "Muggles are useless shoes makers. I mean, what good are pretty shoes if your feet are cold and wet inside? And nobody looks at your feet anymore when your nose is red and runny. Well, not as if you'd ever notice my shoes in the first place."
Silence. Hermione tries to get her breath back and makes a blind attempt to wipe the tears off of her face. A hand beats her to it.
"Ugh, and, no offense, but it stinks something awful. Scourgify. Sorry, but I think you'll have to replace that. I have quite a few carpets myself - nice carpets, mind you - but I don't think it would go with your flat. Well, if you can call that a flat, I mean..."
Hermione stops trying to understand as another spasm shakes her to the core.
"Ew. How could you even put so much alcohol in that midget's body? There has to be some kind of law against that. Are you done?"
Hermione lets out a moan and grips the arm holding her, wanting nothing more than to lay down and black out. Somewhere in a dark corner of her mind, a little voice tells her that there will be hell to pay in the morning for her wine/beer/Firewhisky cocktail.
"I'll take that as a "yes". Scourgify. There, let's put you to bed. Hermione. I can call you Hermione, can't I? I mean, you're not even really conscious: you won't remember anything ." A chuckle Hermione definitely doesn't like: for some reason, it sounds like somebody laughing at her. "You're going to be quite a sight tomorrow - I can't wait to see you at work."
Step. Another step. A stumble, followed by a mewl and curses. A bright, bright light which burns and makes her head pounds. She whimpers and squirms in protest.
"OK, OK, I'm turning it off. Where's your bedroom, now?"
Doors opening and closing. Too loud. Hermione jerks a little.
"Ow, stop moving you stupid girl! You are lucky you're so funny or I would have dumped you in the stairs. Scratch that : in front of the stairs. Honestly, who puts anti-apparition wards on their flat nowadays. You know, I'm going to make fun of you for weeks after tonight. Oh yeah, you'll never hear the end of it."
A door creaks open. Hermione thinks this is the strangest dream she ever had - Malfoy, putting her drunken self to bed, talking nonsense about, well... nothing sensible, really.
A comfortable mattress. Her shoes vanishing and a soft quilt.
"There. Hope you're happy : my back is killing me. Stupid silly girl."
Hermione wants to protest: Malfoy has no right to insult her, even in her sleep. Ugh, why is she dreaming of him anyway? Not that he's doing anything more than brushing her hair out of her face but...
Wait, what?
Godric, this is so embarrassing! She'll think about it tomorrow when she'll see him, for sure. Oh yeah, and she'll probably say something stupid, like usual. She can totally see it right now : "Hey, Malfoy! Guess what? You were in my dream, last night and you were talking about carpets. And shoes. While strocking my hair."
Ew. Her stomach feels queasy again and she scrunches her face.
"Goway, she moans weakly. Cantreamboutyou."
The hand in her hair stands still.
"Her... Granger? Are you awake?"
She opens her mouth to say something, but she's too sleepy. So she just yawns and snuggles deeper in her bed. After all, it's not real: why would she care about dream-Malfoy, when the real one is already there all the time ?
A snort.
"Even in your sleep, you make no sense at all. Here. Your keys are on the bedside table. Good night"
A silence. So very long she thinks she's fallen asleep. Can someone dream about falling asleep? Then, would that person dream in her dream, or...
"Your dress was very, very nice, Granger. And..."
Another pause, and she wants to slap him when he talks again: honestly, what does a girl have to do to have some peace?
"Nobody will kill you ever. I promise."
Then, Malfoy is gone and it's just warm and cosy with the slightest hint of a headache.
A very strange dream indeed.
A/N : I know it's quite short, but it didn't fit with what was before, and putting the following scene in it would have made it too long so... Well... exams finally ended so I'll try and update soon. Please review *puppy dog eyes*...
