A/N: All your reviews made me so, so, so, so happy!
Now go ahead and read!
Chapter 11: Sleeping and Waking No. 9 Valentines!
"Harry, I'm sorry about Cho." Said Hermione as the trio walked back to the castle from Hogsmeade "You should have just said 'Cho, I really don't want to break our date, but I have to meet with Hermione because of some weird thing she has concocted up and I really don't want to leave you but I have to, feel free to meet up with me later, ok.' or something."
"I doubt that I would've been able to remember all of that," said Harry
Hermione nodded and bent down to pick up something she had seen on the snow. It was a small heart made of stone. The Hogwarts crest was carved into it. Hermione stowed it in her pocket.
"What did you find, Hermione?" said Ron
"Looks like a Valentine heart," she replied
"Oh," said Ron
"Hey, Ron, remember that we have prefects rounds when we get back." She reminded him
"I know, but remember that we have to do it with someone in our dorm, but not someone in our house. That means Parkinson and Malfoy." He grumbled
"Ugh! Not Malfoy again,"
"Please take him for me, Hermione, pretty please!"
"Fine, fine, you take Parkinson and I'll take Malfoy."
"Thanks!" said Ron happily
"Whatever…"
Hermione started chatting with Harry about the interview with Rita Skeeter. The trio entered the castle and walked to the Slytherin dorms. A certain pug-faced snotty Slytherin girlie was waiting for them. Ron sighed and walked up to her.
Pansy looked at him and groaned, "Don't tell me I'm stuck with the Weasel on Valentines Day!"
"Look, Parkinson, I'm stuck with a ferret today so just live with it, okay?" said Hermione. She brushed past Pansy and went up to Draco, who was lounging on one of the couches reading.
"Looks as if we're working together today…Valentine's Day." Smirked Draco, standing up
"Unfortunately, that's correct." Hermione sighed
"Well we should go then." Said Draco, leading her out of the common room into the hallway
"What happened last night with chess?" Hermione said
"I have no idea," he lied "You just sort of fell asleep."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Sure I did."
Draco and Hermione walked around the corridors of Hogwarts, breaking up really 'friendly' public canoodling that were making some first years gag and chasing students to bed. They hardly spoke to each other besides a few casual break-the-silence insults.
When they were almost done with rounds something odd happened. Hermione and Draco had started awkwardly talking…about school, homework and such. The brunette had said something quietly and Draco stepped closer to her to try and hear her.
"Ouch!" Hermione cried, holding her side. They both stopped in the middle of an empty hallway.
"What happened?" said Draco
"I don't know….my skin feels like it's burning." She said
"That's odd," said the blond, stepping closer to her
"Aah! It stings more!" Hermione squealed
"Let me see this," he said. Draco gently took Hermione's hand away from where she was holding it to her side. He pulled her robes away from her side and then smoothly lifted her shirt up a little (she gasped a little). On her skin was a little patch of singed skin in the shape of a heart.
Hermione almost screamed when he touched her where her skin was burned. Draco's fingers also started to burn when he touched the mark.
"What the hell is this?" said Draco, blowing on his fingers
"I have no idea. One sec….." Hermione reached into her pocket and took out the heart that she had found in the snow. It was growing red and it burned her fingers a little. Draco took his hands away from Hermione's skin and tried to take the heart from her. When he touched it they both drew back, dropping the stone heart.
"It scorched me!" Draco said
"Me too!" Hermione answered. She noticed a small piece of paper making itself appear because of the burning. Hermione picked it up and read out loud, "Looks like you picked up the wrong heart. Looks like you're near someone of the opposite gender. Better run, kiddies. Lots of Valentines, Peevsie. Oh, great, not Peeves!"
The heart started to glow more and more. A laugh came from one side of the hallway. Hermione and Draco both looked up and saw the poltergeist bobbing towards them. There was something following him…something…greyish.
"Look! Prefects!" cried Peeves happily
"Peeves…..what are you going to-" Draco started
"Well, seeing as it is Valentine's Day, I was thinking a little bit like CUPID!" shouted Peeves
The greyish things behind them suddenly started…flying towards them. They were cupid statues, all brought to life by some poltergeist magic.
"Run, RUN!" shouted Hermione. The two sprinted down the hallway, avoiding the pinky sized stone arrows that were being shot their way.
They dashed down a few more of the passages trying to lose the poltergeist and his little mob.
"I will send the Bloody Baron on you!" shouted Draco behind his shoulder. Peeves soared away, but his cupids (not really affected by the Baron) carried on chasing them. Hermione scooted down a corridor to the left and into a broom closet. A few seconds later Draco threw open the door and rolled onto Hermione. He jumped off and they sat there, quietly next to each other. The sounds of the stone wings started to get quieter as the cupids dispersed.
Hermione tried to open the door. It wouldn't budge.
"Hey, I can't find my wand." She said, searching her pockets
"Me neither, I wonder where they are…" said Draco, stowing Hermione's away with his. They sat there in silence for a few more minutes.
Finally Hermione kicked the door, "Screw this merde!"
"Wow, Little Miss Perfect Prefect Granger knows swear words, in French no less." said Draco, almost mockingly
"Whatever," she said, slumping back and sighing
A few more minutes of silence.
"Hey, Granger, can I ask you something?" said Draco finally
"What, Malfoy?"
Draco leaned into her, "Just a small question."
"You are making me curious now," Hermione returned
"Curious?"
"Yes, now what is the question?"
"Erm…well….."
"Tell me."
"You have to tell me the truth…"
"Alright, what is the question?"
"Promise me you will tell the truth?" said Draco
"I promise." Hermione replied
"Ok….um…"
"Just get on with it!"
"Are you ticklish?" Draco asked
"What!" Hermione cried
"Are. You. Ticklish?" Draco said again
"Maybe….." she answered
"I'm taking that as a yes." He said, poking her in the ribs. Hermione squirmed and choked a little, trying to hold in her laugh. Another poke and then Draco added a few more fingers. Hermione let out a few small shrieks of delight and let out her laugh.
"S-s-st-stop!" Hermione gasped. She stuck her hands out and tried to find where Draco's ribs were in the dark. She found them and tried to attack back.
"Nice try, Her-Granger." He smirked in the dark "I am not ticklish at all."
"Not fair," she pouted.
Draco continued tickling Hermione and she let her laugh flow out of her.
"This is actually kind of fun, Drrrrrrr-Malfoy," Hermione said. Hermione drew a sharp breath in, surprised she had just said that. The two just leaned against each other in stillness, noticing the others presence even more than usual.
"It was pretty late before we got chased so don't you think we should be getting to bed and tomorrow we figure out how to get out of here." Said Draco tactfully
"I guess so….I am not extremely comfortable, so let's get into a better position." Hermione answered
They moved around a little, shoving brooms and other cleaning supplies to the side, and got relaxed. Hermione found that the only comfortable position was next to Draco and leaning into his chest. She tried to move and find a different place to sleep, but Draco said "No…no….it's ok." And she hesitantly lay down.
Draco waited until Hermione was asleep (or at least sounded asleep). He started to stroke Hermione's hair. Draco whispered in her ear, telling her random things about himself.
After a while Draco got tired and was ready to drift off too. He kissed Hermione's cheek and dosed off.
OooOOOoooOOOOoooo
Draco woke up before Hermione. She was wrapped around him like a snake wraps around a tree. Nice metaphor, especially for me, Thought Draco.
He smiled down at her and then smirked at down at her when she woke up and rubbed her head against him. When she realized what she was doing she stopped abruptly.
"Hey, Granger," he said
"Oh, hey," she said groggily, sitting up and bumping her head on the shelf. She rubbed her head and lay down again.
"So how are we going to get out of here?" said Draco
"I don't know….hey, I found my wand!" said Hermione, pulling it put of her robes pocket (Draco had slipped it into her pocket during the night.).
"And I found mine." Said Draco
"Alright, Alohamora!" said Hermione, falling out of the closet and rolling onto the floor.
"Thanks." Said Draco, following her lead. Afraid that they had been seen coming out of the closet together. Just a small, unsuspecting Hufflepuff. The Hufflepuff bolted off when Draco gave him a death glare.
"Well, see you later, Granger." Said Draco
"Bye," she whispered and dashed down the hallway and out of sight.
Draco watched Hermione leave and sighed. He had made a mistake by giving Hermione's wand back to her.
A/N: Whaddaya think?
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P.S. The drill is review.
