Keeper

Chapter Ten

Thank you to Charlotteflanagan, MadeNew, kk1999, and Hermioneism.
I am continuing this story for you guys!

The light in the Head's common room was dim, and the view from the large windows resembled nothing but a thin black curtain that had been hung outside. So it was dark and currently the night time again, after so little precious hours of the day and the ever hiding sunshine. Even though it was only the early afternoon, according to the grandfather clock that continued to tick in monotone strokes, it felt like an endless and shadowy night. Each second ticked, lagging behind and slower than a heartbeat… was there something else to do now that the satisfaction of punishing work was over?

The source of the only light was in the flickering ashes of the ancient fireplace, now saving it's oxygen after being alight for the entirety of the day. Hermione's footsteps, though only silent and muffled thuds against the thick patterned carpet, disturbed the peace of the unmoving room. She stood in the middle of the wide room and took a deep breath to calm herself – yet her sigh afterwards was shaky and hesitant. After all the work she had done, every bone in her body felt like the ache of an elderly woman. Who knew Filch was a lazy ass, who had a "To Do" list longer than the Grand Staircase itself? It was impossible how he could think of so much work that could be done around Hogwarts, and for the weeks that she had needed a holiday too!

The punishment was, giving credit to Snape, cleverly well put together though. Since that last morning, Hermione hadn't been able to see much of Draco, except for glances from across the near-empty breakfast hall every so often and then she had to run her errands almost immediately by strict instruction by any staff that she would have been assigned to. She was sure that it had all been a plot to keep the both of them away from each other, around the clock. Even at night, she was too tired to look, so she just slept – anyway it would be better not to see him, since he now caused the ever perfect record she had (well, mostly) now to be so easily corrupted.

Hermione dug a tired hand into her robe pocket and found a dirty piece of cloth she had used to clean all the brass in the Trophy room – which, in fact, was a mighty lot. With a frustrated grunt at the memory of spending an entire day cleaning all of the prizes the school had earned, until even her pores could be seen in the reflection. She angrily threw the worn fabric over at the fireplace - finally feeding it and causing it to light brighter, it crackled and roared in satisfaction. Her fingers, she noticed now, were stiff with numb and ache. So she shook them a few good times and then lifted them up into the air above to stretch her arms - hopefully to regain the sense of feeling.

Suddenly, where there was empty air, cold hands filled in and caught her own though they were held high above her head. Obviously, easy enough to reach for them. The owner of this single hand skilfully used his own to gracefully turn her around in a full circle, almost as if all this time she had been dancing with him. Before a second of the lagging heartbeat was up, she was facing a pale skinned boy, and holding onto his hands for stability like she was dizzy from a simple one twirl. Another second later, like the whole room had been put on a spell, her hair finally caught up to the halt of her movements and after swaying around a while, at last settled in rippling over her shoulders gracefully.

She looked up at Draco like it had been the first time she had seen him… if only this had been the first she had seen him, maybe things would have differed somewhat. His icy eyes were the colour of grey, and they gave away nothing this time. As she expected, it seems that Draco Malfoy was in one of his mysterious mood swings. From evil, to mysterious, to a full time friend… the list went on. Tonight, she had met with the inexplicable Draco, the mood in which, if her analysing was correct, then she was sure that he would talk hardly much at all. But speak through his puzzling actions that made her knees turn boneless, yet leave her brain hurt in an extension of questioning afterwards. It still seemed the question, was he a friend or foe – was still fully intact.

It's harder, it seems, to explain than to witness for one 's self.

"Are you going anywhere tonight?" He asked, his voice so noticeably edged with a tang of tiredness or the willingness to leave – I was sure of one thing, I didn't want him to leave me now. He elegantly let one of his hands go from her grasp and half spun her around again, like he was dancing to some sort of unheard music to only her ears. Hermione let her gaze wander from him spilt for a millisecond before turning around again, looking to his face for answers. But, once more, his face was a blocking wall and unfortunately nothing.

She sighed and let go of his hand, even though it was only lightly attached to hers. Now they were two metre's distance away from each other, almost on opposite sides of the room. Draco's still lifted arm, slowly dropped down to his side. His face still gave nothing to her. However, one way or another, he had found an answer on her own facial expression already, where did he learn that skill to read her so well? And had he ever used it before, when he was the only one to torture her into a state of misery?

"It's New Year's Eve." He stated bluntly, breaking the silence that engulfed the negative space in between the both of them, like he felt she knew nothing at all about the passing of time and days, "Aren't you going to go see the fireworks?"

Hermione, whose eyes never left his, saw a slight glimmer after the last word and wondered whether to put her trust into other one of his manipulative schemes. She scrunched her face after so gradually thinking about he looked so beautiful in the weak illumination. She exhaled noisily and twisted away from him, not being able to read or understand anything he was trying to put across to her - still. What was he trying to do to her? Hermione felt that stupid nudge inside of her, begging herself to trust him, but she just didn't know what to think or say. She was too tired, and she was beginning to see signs of it on Draco's face also.

"No, I'm not risking going out for a long time... I'll be alright watching from the window." She half laughed, pointing a weary finger over towards the large double windows on the far side of the room, where indeed it would hold a better view than most places would. The entire school ground could in fact, be completely seen from the height they were at from a breathtaking view – which was amazing since it could be so easily taken for granted that their quarters could be so magnificent for Hogwarts alone. And for themselves alone… It was like they were so close to the sky, and hadn't that been Draco's dream from the start?

"I'm taking you to see the fireworks!" Draco said, his voice a little raised and livelier. All previous traces of fatigue had suddenly vanished as if they had never been there in the first place. He took a small step forwards, attempting to slowly take his place back by her side. When she swiftly turned her head to face the opposite direction again, to avoid meeting with his eyes, he quickly took the chance and grabbed her eagerly but gently by the wrist and pulled her to him, then embraced her tenderly. Hermione's limp body was not a good sign of anything at all, but he failed to release her from the cage of his arms that he held so increasingly tight around her. Why was he doing this?

Did he suddenly realize that he in fact, missed her as much as he missed him? Or was he trying to yet again bid her to do his will? Nothing was going straight anymore, it was like they were in some sort of alternate disjointed dimension, where Draco was in love with her and she was the evil one for pushing him away so much. It felt alien to her – every single thing.

Without trying to move the enclosure she was cloaked in, Hermione lifted her head so that she was looking up at Draco's face and when she saw him finally looking back at her, she shook her head in disagreement to his request. Though she expected for him to change into a more suiting darker mood, more close to his usual self – he smiled instead and set her free from his grip. Unconsciously, Hermione held on tighter to him and he laughed once more, a silent chuckle, as he pried softly her hands from his waist and pulled her over to the double windows – where he at long last, let her go and climbed onto the ledge with such soundless ease.

Hermione wanted to tell him to get down, but instead couldn't even open her mouth and merely stopped to watch in interest as he begun to fumble with the lock of the window, which eventually creaked in ancient noise as it had not been opened in such a long time – possibly centuries or so. Their gasps were in unison as the windows flew open and the cold winter air suddenly flooded into the room with an unbelievable strong force that was enough to both shove Hermione backwards and Draco nearly out of the open frame.

The curtains billowed in graceful dancing figures as the windows flapped around in the violent breeze almost as deafeningly as the roar of the wind itself. Abruptly on impulse alone, Hermione ran forwards to Draco, and firmly clasped onto one of his legs, embracing it with strain, in the hopes of preventing any danger from reaching him. She wanted to scream at him for doing something so reckless out of the blue, but of course she knew it would go to waste. Her hair thrust sideward at the force of the air and as she looked up she saw Draco's hands holding onto the frame for dear life, but looking outwards with such an expression of excitement, she wasn't sure how she was going to drag him back into the room and off the damned ledge.

"Draco!" She screamed with all the air in her lungs, hoping to try anyway and stop him from any further thoughtlessness.

She looked up, narrowing her eyes to protect them from the icy wind that made them so watery, and through the strands of hair that battered in her face she felt the soft feeling of freedom. Draco half turned his face to peek at her, and she caught sight of a bright smirk appear on his face like he could hear her thoughts again. But that was impossible.

The feeling was quickly lost as another minute flew by, and her hands held tighter as Draco leaned backwards into the room. Another emotion bubbled up to the surface of her face and she flushed pink in anger, "Get down now Draco! Please!" She pleaded, in the carelessness of the circumstances she wasn't even convinced if she was having a nightmare or not. This was beyond fighting death eaters, this had a different thrill – it was stupid. Was this another point he was trying to get across? Or did she, even in the most dire of moments, read too much into things?

"Wait!" He screamed above the noise of the wind, "Just wait a minute!" The eagerness of his eyes made her believe that there was something that he knew which she didn't – she wasn't in on the secret and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

Hermione kept her mouth shut stubbornly, but was startled when he suddenly crouched down and outstretched his hand towards her. She almost jumped back and let him go, which would obviously prove to be dangerous. Once she was slightly aware of his plan to take her up onto the ledge with him – and for what?

"Come on! Trust me, Hermione!" He added, before gripping her hand and hauling her up so effortlessly onto the ledge, but when she insisted on sitting instead, he didn't force her to stand. He ducked down to her height, and wrapped a strengthened gripping hand around her waist as a few more seconds of breathless air entwined around them, causing everything to sway. The other hand he used to hold just as tightly onto the window frame to prevent them from falling, but as if on cue the wind died down to a murmuring ghost of a thing and it was just suddenly a quiet night again. Hermione let her feet swing out the window and finally appreciate the feeling of being able to see that it looked like she was flying. She felt the harsh breathing of the boy crouching beside her, close and secure, but she resisted.

"What now?" She asked and her voice was very soon as whispering as the air itself. Her eyes never left the large moon in front of them, glowing with a million stars by its side to keep it company - just as his eyes never left her face.

"Wait a little longer." He begged soothingly, his breath closer to her cheek than she realized. So she didn't bother and confirm where he was, just in case there was another stupid mishap that may occur, and there were too many of those already.

She screwed up her face another time intolerantly, and didn't care what she was waiting for, "I don't trust you. I don't trust this." She waited for a taken aback expression, but his eyes merely met hers with the reflection of glimmering excitement, and was it mistrust she saw? Or impatience?

He half smiled crookedly, and answered wordlessly, nevertheless as an alternative, took her free hand yet this time she felt it to be so coldly numb it was like she no longer held control over her own body. He curled her fingers until it looked like she was pointing. He chuckled underneath his breath like he was toying or playing a game. Her face hardened with the lack of any sensation.

"Three… two… one." He murmured, this time his lips brushing against her hair. Another second lagged and still nothing changed, the night was motionless and there was absolutely no movement. Her heart stopped, waiting for something to appear, and she tried to rack her mind to the beginning of this night and how she got here. Draco was still smiling, and held her hand outstretched out the window pointing at the sky.

His laugh, this time was loud and eerily crazy, "You fell for my trick."

Hermione's heart kick started again, but in such anxiety and confusion that it was far too fast paced. Could he feel it jumping out of her chest? What did he mean trick? Was this what it was all along? The words were enough to sting and prickle her eyes to tear up.

"What? I don't understand." She asked, unable to utter the real words that she wanted to speak, her eyebrows furrowed thinking of all the crazy possibilities that this was just a scheme, like she thought about him from the very start. Draco sensed her tense, stiff body shake and leaned away so that he was inclining on the opposite window frame, and watched her with curious eyes. When his hands left her, she swayed but regained stature by lying on the other frame. They sat on opposite sides, staring each other down, and both questioning the other silently.

Draco escaped her gaze for a second and looked up at the sky, smiling genuinely and he didn't look back at her, it was like his eyes were glued in a stare with the heavens.

"Happy New Year, Hermione."

She gasped, still startled and unable to speak. She followed his gaze and suddenly with a loud cracking sound the sky erupted with colour and mystifying shapes - followed by another and another. An endless line up of different fireworks taking over the sky so close to their window. The sky and the lake reflected the colours filling up the clouds, twirling and swishing around like small vibrantly coloured dancers entertaining her. The flashes were so quick blurred that it was near impossible to take in all the beauty so swiftly.

They were sitting so close to that part of the sky, that when another firework exploded, the ledge shook and sent them a wave of fresh air smelling of smoke and if you could possibly point it out – and magic. It s breathtaking, amazing and amongst all things you thought you could think you would never be able to feel. The fireworks looked like an invisible force was blowing dazzling stars into the sky, and throwing confetti too. The pieces would all soar up like a rocket and then burst out into a million radiant pieces, prior to looping and weaving patterns about; pending until they arrived to the close proximity of the floor, then sustaining in falling like beautiful senseless rain, and then unexpectedly scattering into the current of air that carried it away and down the valley, continuing its dancing journey.

Hermione was so caught up watching, she forgot the world. In fact she just didn't care and was glad she waited for it all night. He mind was blank but for pictures of the lights and the flashes… the reflection in his eyes. Wait!

Before she could react to the hasty propinquity, the next thing next to bliss she felt was the feel of soft lips upon hers. It wasn't like any other of the kisses she ever felt, this one was calm, temperate and immediate – only lasting a few heavenly seconds. And then it was over - all of it.

The tranquil airstream blew back in one preceding sigh upon the space and, her hair swayed inaudibly off her shoulders and trailed forwards and back. She opened her eyes and the room was completely dim again, absent from both the lights of the fireworks and the light of the moon, which was now hidden behind the thick clouds of smoke that the glitters left behind so carelessly.

She shivered when two frozen, grey eyes met with hers, like melted coffee, and finally showed emotion. He smiled so wide, even the sides of his eyes crinkled up and his expression was in ecstasy. He brushed his hands upon her cheeks; she noticed his movements were hurried, never lingering in any place for too long.

"Like I said, you fell for my trick." He smiled another heart warming smile and jumped off the ledge into the living room, then preceded in standing a metre away from her.

She caught the laugh and joined in, blushing rosy pink and staring down at the floor, aware that she was unable to move.

"It was hardly a trick." She answered, trying to maintain any ounce of dignity that she may have so freely given away.

"Oh, but it was. Very well planned too I thought."

"And what could possibly receive out of it?"

He didn't answer for a long minute, but instead stared at her face with peaceful kindness and calm. Until he shrugged, "A change of heart?"

Hermione didn't half understand but let it go. He was compromising for her, so she should do the same right? His face was covered by the shadow of the room, until he walked forwards slowly into the weak moonlight and stood in front of her, making her take his face in her hands.

"Do you think you trust me now?" He hesitated to ask. But his confident face contradicted the tremor in his voice, his eyes piercing for an answer, as if staring into the depths of her soul – metaphorically speaking.

"I think I still don't know." Hermione responded truthfully, and her heart sank inwardly with guilt and the disappointment of her own hurtful words. Were these her own emotions or the empathy of his?

Draco laughed one final, beautiful laugh that sounded more like a ringing song in her ears. He gave her another pointless shrug, and began to walk away, further into the darkness of the room, making his way towards the staircase.

Hermione watched carefully, and her eyes almost widened when he unexpectedly stopped midway and half- turned back to her. Changing his mind about whether he had something to say or not. She listened intently into the silence that proceeded growth, like ivy vines scattering across the room.

"I guess I can't tell you just yet then…" He trailed off, his sentence broken by a smirk that resurfaced on his lips.

"Tell me what?" Hermione asked, curiosity boiling out of every pore like a sweltering kettle. Swooning over what next riddle he had now given her to think about with racking, tired brains.

"Goodnight Hermione."

His voice was already coming from the upstairs landing, followed by a few brief footsteps and the sound of a shutting door. That boy was too cunning and much too contrived for her - that was for sure...

A/N : Well well, first thing I wanna say is sorry - and if you are still reading this. Highly doubtfully, I bow down to you for sticking throughout my awkward timing for so long! Ahhh... There we go. Another cheesy (extra cheesy) chapter just for you. And yes, haha - can you all guess what he wants to tell her yet? I don't know! ^^

It's not my best, but at least I managed to make the chapter long enough to proceed my next absence since I have TONNES of exams coming up... Eek. help me!

Thanks so much...I'll try not to drabble, babble etc. Whatever. Thank you thank you thank you. And see ya!
Please review - I beg you. Well, not really. But it would be nice to get some reviews. ^^

-Fallen11angel