Undesirable Feelings

Chapter 10

Hermione and Draco made their way through the disturbingly busy streets of dark Hogsmeade. Hermione didn't recognize anyone she saw. However, many men stopped them and claimed they "knew" Hermione. Draco got angrier and angrier with each man that tried stopping them. At one point Hermione had to pull Draco away from hitting one of the drunk perverts. Draco claimed he wasn't trying to protect Hermione at all, but that he just was angry because they all got to be drunk while he was stuck being her escort. Hermione didn't know what to think. She decided just to focus on getting to whichever inn Draco was staying at.

'The Hogs' Head?' Hermione questioned when Draco stopped in front of the building.

'Good job, you can read.'

'Your room is here?'

'Yes.'

'But this place isn't the greatest…'

'It doesn't matter; it is where they had reserved a room for me.'

'Who?'

'This place, since I was young, has always reserved a room for my family because my father did lots of business in Hogsmeade and always stayed here.'

'That doesn't surprise me.'

'It wasn't meant to.'

'It isn't very safe, is it?' Hermione asked worriedly.

'Granger, do you think I'm sleeping in some cot next to a murderer?' He asked, 'Just come inside the damn building and you'll see.'

Hermione nodded and followed him in.

The barkeep noticed Draco enter. He also noticed he wasn't alone.

'Ahh, keeping some company tonight young Mister Malfoy?'

Hermione turned to see an older, dirty looking, hunched-over man behind the bar speaking.

'Not pleasurable.' Draco replied moodily.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his statement.

'Well, enjoy your sleep then.'

Draco either did not hear the barkeep, or chose to ignore his comment because he just kept walking, Hermione straggling behind trying not to touch anything.

'It's not cursed, you know.' Draco said to her once he noticed what she was doing.

'It's disgusting though,' she responded, 'I can't understand why, with your family's money, you choose to stay here.'

'It's private.' Draco said, 'You will not be bothered here.'

'That is because no one comes here.'

'Not true, didn't you see all the people in the bar?'

'I tried not to look.'

Draco ignored her comment and continued up a staircase. He walked down a long hall to the very end. He stopped and unlocked a door on their right.

'This isn't so bad now is it?' Draco asked once he pushed open the door.

Hermione was definitely proven wrong. The room looked like a suite at the Ritz.

'Wow… it's really nice.' She said softly.

'I told you you'd be fine.' He said as he brushed past her, throwing his overcoat on the couch.

'Do all the rooms look like this one?'

'No.' He replied, loosening his tie.

'Just this one?'

'No, there is a room reserved for another family that is similar.'

'Who?'

'Does it matter?'

'I suppose not.'

Draco sighed and said, 'The Parkinsons.'

'See? Now that wasn't so awful was it?'

'You're annoying as hell, did you know that?'

Hermione waved her hand dismissively and continued to look around.

'I'm going to shower.' Draco told her, 'Are you hungry?'

'Are you actually offering to feed me?' She asked in astonishment.

'Fine, forget I said anything.' He snapped.

He then left her and walked into a room, presumably the bathroom.

Hermione opened a different door and saw it to be the bedroom. It was fairly large, but not a large as the rooms at Hogwarts.

She stepped inside and absently opened drawers and closet doors as she looked around.

She opened the main closet and saw stylish pants and shirts hung up.

'What does he need so many outfits for? We're only here three days.'

She pulled out a pair of pants to look at them.

'Merlin he has nice things.' She sighed.

She was about to put them back, but something fell out of the pocket and made a noise as it hit the wooden floor.

'Bugger...' she murmured as she bent to find the object.

Suddenly she saw something in the corner of the closet reflecting brightly.

'What is that? Is that what fell?'

She crawled into the closet and picked up the object. It was a silver ring with a large diamond.

'What the bloody h---'

'Planning on sleeping in the closet, Granger?'

Hermione gasped loudly in surprise. She turned to face him, holding the ring in her hand.

'What are you doing?' Draco, in boxers and a t-shirt, asked.

He then noticed what she was holding.

'Is that my ring?' He questioned in amazement.

'It fell out of your pants and I went to get it and… w-why do you have a ring, Malfoy?'

'That isn't any of your business.' He said sharply, snatching the ring from her small fingers.

'I'm sorry,' she said, 'I was looking around and---'

'What the hell were you snooping around for?' He demanded.

Draco then moved away from her and put the ring in his school bag.

'I wasn't snooping really; I was just curious about the room and looked in closets and things.'

Hermione didn't want to admit to looking at his clothes in admiration.

'This ring was in my pants pocket, I believe, why were you looking at those, eh?'

'I just wanted to see them,' she explained quietly, 'they looked really expensive and—'

'And what? Wanted to feel something you yourself would never own?'

'More I less, I suppose.' She said regretfully.

'You're such a twat.' He snapped as he threw a towel he was holding onto the floor.

Hermione stood and moved away from the closet.

'Did you steal the ring?' Hermione asked hesitantly.

'Did I what?' Draco asked angrily. 'Oh yeah, the fiercely wealthy Malfoy son stole a ring. Fuck no, I did not steal it.'

He then began to fold the clothes he wore that day into a drawer.

'Where did it come from?'

'Why don't you stop asking questions?'

'Malfoy! It was an engagement ring, wasn't it?'

'What did it look like?'

'An engagement ring.'

'Then why are you asking me?'

'Well, are you proposing to someone?'

'No.' He answered quickly.

'Why won't you tell me why you have it?'

'Why do I need to?' He asked as he threw his last article of clothing into the drawer, slamming it shut. 'It's not like we're friends and I confide in you!'

'I won't tell anyone.'

'It's not yours and that's all you need to know.'

'I didn't think it was mine!'

'Will you be happy if I tell you I won't be giving it to anyone anytime soon?' He questioned, turning to her.

Hermione sighed and sat in a desk chair.

Draco stared at her as Hermione looked to the floor, beaten.

He left the room for a minute or two and came back with a plate of noodles.

'Here.' He said dropping it onto the desk Hermione sat at.

'Is it for me?'

'Fuck Granger, why do you ask just stupid questions?'

'Sorry.' She muttered as she began to devour the plate of hot food.

'I'm going to go write a letter in the living room.' He told her as he walked out of the bedroom once more.

Fucking bint. Draco thought to himself. Why can't she just not talk? Ever?

Draco conjured a quill and scroll and wrote a quick letter to his father. Lucius had written him earlier congratulating him on his Transfigurations exam score and asking him how he managed to pull good grades off so quickly.

Draco figured he better lie instead of telling his father a mudblood tutored him. Draco growled angry with desire as he thought about his and Hermione's tryst.

After finishing the letter, Draco summoned his owl, Demon, and sent the letter off.

Draco turned from the window and saw Hermione emerging from his room holding the empty plate.

'Thank you.' She said as she moved to the door and placed it outside into the hall.

'What are you doing?' He asked.

'Doesn't housekeeping pick it up?'

'I don't think so,' he chuckled. 'We're basically on our own.'

'What should I do with it?'

'Just leave it on the table there,' he told her pointing to a small kitchen table.

'But won't you be eating here later this weekend?'

'It's one plate.'

Hermione obeyed and put the plate on his table.

She sat down quietly on a loveseat next to the couch Malfoy was sitting on.

'Who did you write to?'

'GODS, Granger! The ring was going to be for Pansy if I couldn't get my act up in school and I just wrote to my father!' He yelled quickly, finally snapping altogether.

'Why were you going to propose to Pansy if you didn't do well in school?'

'My father was going to force us to become betrothed if I didn't shape up.' He explained, 'He gave me the ring to remind myself of his threat, and I just kept it in my pocket.'

'That was foolish; it could have fallen out easily.'

'Good riddance, I say.' He replied softly.

'Wow, your father doesn't mess around when it comes to your marks, does he?'

'My father doesn't mess around with anything that has to do with the Malfoy heir.'

'Doesn't sound pleasant.' She commented.

'He's just doing his job.'

'A little too well I think.'

'You don't know my father like I do, stop criticizing him.'

'I know your father, Malfoy.'

'Barely.'

'If you say so… he is just like you.'

'No, I'm not like him.' Draco said.

Hermione thought he sounded disappointed.

'Is that a good thing?'

'He is my mentor, Granger, so no.'

Hermione didn't reply. She didn't want to get in trouble.

'Was it your mother's?

'Was what?'

'The ring.'

'No, my grandmother's.'

'On your mum's side or your father's?'

'My father's.'

'It's pretty.'

'Yeah, I guess.'

'I think it is too pretty to be spoiled on Pansy Parkinson's finger.'

Draco laughed softly at her statement.

'I agree.'

'Then why were you going to give it to her?'

'My father wants us to marry eventually.'

'Do you want to?'

'I don't know, but I do know that I don't want to talk to you about this.'

'Might as well, Malfoy; there isn't anything else to do.'

'I know something…'

Hermione ignored his response.

'Does he want you to marry Pansy because of bloodlines?'

'Yeah, and because her family is wealthy too.'

'What happens if you find someone else you want to marry?'

'As long as she is pureblooded and rich, he won't care.'

'That narrows it down considerably.'

'I suppose.'

'Why did he threaten marriage? Why not threaten taking away your broom, or something? You know, something that will take time away from something other than school work?'

'Marriage would allow more study time,' he said, 'my father thought that I fooled around instead of studied. Marriage would prevent that.'

'You could have still fooled around after being betrothed.'

'Marriage means something to some families, Granger.'

'I know,' she replied quickly, 'but I didn't think it meant anything to you.'

'You assume too much.'

'So, you're telling me that after you're married you will stay faithful?'

'Marriage means settling down with one person, Granger.' He said in annoyance.

'That surprises me.'

'My staying faithful?'

'Yes,' she replied, 'because you are the complete opposite.'

'I'm not married yet.'

'So you will change your way of life completely once you are engaged?' She asked skeptically.

'Not completely, I just won't fuck every beautiful woman I see.'

Hermione didn't mean to, but she blushed. She determined he must have thought her beautiful as well, if he had sex with her.

Draco realized what he said, then looked and examined Hermione. He noticed her blush.

'You aren't the miss innocent you pretend to be, Granger.'

'What is that supposed to mean?'

'Well, here you are completely shocked that I am willing to stay faithful in marriage because I like to fuck, while you yourself are no virgin.'

'It is different, Malfoy,' she argued, 'I don't have casual sex constantly.'

'What did you call what we did?'

'I said constantly.' She replied with a creeping smirk.

'Whatever makes you feel better.' He said jokingly.

Hermione smiled to herself and relaxed into the chair.

A few moments of silence went by and Hermione nearly fell asleep; Draco, meanwhile, was just looking at Hermione thoughtfully.

Damn, why do we have to have such a touchy history together? Why couldn't we have just met at Hogsmeade and I decided to take her back here to fuck her? It would have been so much easier. And why can't she just give in for Christ's sake? She's such a stubborn Gryffindor and I wish she would just stop being so holy all the time.

'You should go to bed, if you're going to fall asleep right here.' Draco said, breaking the serene quiet.

Hermione opened her eyes and nodded in agreement.

Then they both rose at the exact same moment next to each other; Draco looking down at Hermione from his six foot level.

She slowly moved her gaze upward to his eyes. She saw want and desire.

'Malfoy, I—'

Draco quickly leaned down and kissed her, stopping anymore words from forming.

He noticed she didn't protest, but didn't exactly give in either. He didn't want any forced kiss so he pulled away and looked into her eyes.

'I'm sorry,' she told him, 'I can't do this.'

'Why?'

'I just can't, you know me, Malfoy.' She said earnestly, 'You know I am not like this.'

'Why can't you be?'

'It's just not who I am.'

'Not even for one night?' He asked breathlessly.

'It wouldn't be one night, Malfoy… it would be whenever you couldn't get someone better.'

Draco knew her words to be true. He just didn't want to admit it.

'Why can't you just give in to something you want?'

'This is what you want.'

'You really don't desire a shag at all?'

Hermione then realized something at that moment.

'I don't desire the type of shag you do, I need more than that, Malfoy.'

She realized that she wanted Malfoy more than a few shags here and there. She truly believed that if he was more prone to a relationship, she would go through with it.

He wasn't the nicest person to her, but she wasn't nice to him either. Anyone will tell you that he always starts it, and is crueler, but isn't that what Hermione decided was better for her? She didn't want an overly-nice guy. Her relationship with Malfoy was neither friendly nor sweet, but it was complementary and had chemistry within it.

'Good night, Malfoy.' She said simply before going to the bedroom, and closing the door.

Draco stood alone and confused. He didn't know what to make of her response.

Did she mean she needs more in general, or she wants more from me? Why didn't she protest and push me away during the kiss? She must have wanted it a little bit. The fucking woman is a nightmare. A beautiful, addicting nightmare.

A/N: I figured I can make this one a bit shorter since I just updated like three hours ago! Review! Please and Thanks!