chapter12
(all hail now the kiss that changed everything)
When Draco finally pulled back, Hermione felt so cold. She hadn"t realised how warm his body had been against her, she had the urge to pull him back towards her. Regaining control, Hermione pushed herself from the tree with as much strength as she could muster. Taking a step, her legs virtually went from under her, but strong hands held her weight.
"Are you okay?" His voice was filled with concern.
Looking up into those grey eyes, she knew that he was sincere, which made her stomach flutter. "Yeah I"m fine, just a little stiff, it"s probably just the cold."
Draco"s eyes examined her face. Then he wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her close to his body.
"Come on, we"d better get inside then."
Catching up to the others Hermione realised that they had just been talking about her, as they had fallen silent with her arrival.
"So where to now?" Natalia chirped unaware of the tension in the group.
"How about Fred and George"s?" Ginny suggested.
With nods from everyone, they headed towards the joke shop. When they reached the turn off to Hogwarts, Draco drew Hermione to a stop. "It"s too cold for her. I"m going to take her back, bye."
As Draco pulled her along the trail, Hermione glimpsed her friends exchange a look she couldn"t quite make out. Was it concern, worry, or sadness? She wasn"t sure.
"Draco I"m fine really."
"You"re shivering, that"s not fine."
Hermione pulled her hand out from around Draco"s waist and held it steadily in front of them; well at least she tried to hold it steadily. Just as Draco had pointed out she was shivering. Resigning to the fact that she was being dragged back to school, Hermione sighed in content. She had really enjoyed coming today, even though she had to witness Ron making out with Natalia, it would all be worth it in the end.
Draco didn"t understand why he had such a strong feeling to get Hermione in-doors. She was cold he knew that but not enough to be dragged back to school. What was happening to him? Draco had used all his will power before to break that kiss. The thing was it wouldn"t have been so hard if he hadn"t of broken the boundaries. Boundaries he had put in place. Hermione had kept her end of the deal, but at the time he had only felt hurt that she hadn"t had the impulse to kiss him back.
"Snap out of it, FOOL...it"s Granger," Draco reminded himself, but no matter how many times he said it in his head, she was now Hermione.
Once they were back in the Entrance hall, they untwined from each other.
"So...er...I"ll see you around then." Hermione turned towards the Great Hall.
"Did you want to have dinner I"m starving." Draco had no idea where that had come from, but after saying it realised it was true, he was starving.
Um, yeah sure," Hermione had felt completely relaxed leaning against Draco in the Threebroom Sticks, knowing that it was to make Ron jealous, but being alone with Draco while he was being nice was a completely different thing. She felt so nervous, and she didn"t know why.
"Room of Requirements?" Draco suggested.
Being in the Room of Requirements alone with Draco had been a new experience, one Hermione would never forget. He was so polite and courtesies. It was though he was showing her the real him. They had talked about quidditch, exams, books, boys, and girls. Hermione felt comfortable, yet still conscious of even word she said, not wanting to upset him.
But she slipped, "So when do you want to met again for some scheming,"" Hermione said half-hearted.
She hadn"t realised she had said anything wrong until he didn"t reply straight away, glancing up from her plate she saw that Draco had either not heard her or was ignoring the question.
"Draco, are you alright?"
"Fine." Draco dropped his fork on to the plate in front of him. "So have you figured out what the next clue is?"
"Clue for what?"
Draco dropped his napkin on top of his fork, folding his hands. "For the next task."
"Oh...no I tried but I have no idea what the screeching noise means," Hermione answered now understanding his question.
"Hmm really?"
"Yeah, I"m just going to fail the next task. I didn"t really want to be in the tournament anyway."
Draco chuckled darkly. "Hermione Granger admitting defeat I don"t believe my ears."
Hermione stared at him. Draco"s change in mood was odd, it had been so sudden. Noticing Hermione staring at him, he checked himself. He had gotten so mad, all she ever talked about was Weasley. He had tried not to say anything or make a big deal. But everything they talked about resulted in some way with Weasley. They talked about quidditch, all Potter and Weasley do is talk about quidditch, they talked about exams, she got so annoyed when Weasley didn"t study properly, they talked about books, she can never read in the common room because Weasley makes too much noise.
Draco had thought he would be about to stand it, but then she went and directly asked what they were planning to do so she could get Weasley to herself.
"Did you want help?" Draco"s voice was back to its smooth flow.
"Erm...are you sure?"
Hermione had been surprised when Draco had offered to help her with solving the egg, but more so when he had offered to walk her back to her dorm. No one was around so he didn"t hold her hand, but he stood closer than he normal did when they were alone. Hermione had the sense that when she got to know Draco properly that they could possibly be really good friends. He really was a sweet guy, underneath all the lying, bullying and snide remarks. Having reached the Fat Lady portrait, Hermione said goodbye.
"Can I come in?"
"What...why?" Hermione was confused, why would he want to come in?
"To hear the egg, I might know what it is," Draco smiled innocently.
"Oh yeah, I guess so." Saying the password they stepped through the portrait hole.
Draco had never been in the Gryffindor common room before and now it made sense why Hermione spent so much time study and reading in here, it was warm and cosy, filled with comfy looking arm chairs. Draco was proud to be a Slytherin but that didn"t mean he liked the cold.
"Did you want me to wait here?" Draco said still looking around.
"No it"s okay, come on," Hermione started up the stairs, but quickly turned back. "Stop!"
Confused Draco held his foot in mid air, and watched as Hermione pulled out her wand. Muttering something under her breath, she pointed her wand at the stairs. "Okay."
"What was that?" Draco lightly placed his foot on the step.
"The stairs are enchanted."
Draco put more pressure on the step, feeling confident that they were safe continued up the stairs. "Whatever for?"
"To keep away the boys," Hermione smiled over her shoulder.
"Ah, those pesky Gryffindor," Draco mocked.
Laughing Hermione opened her door and ushered him inside. Surveying the room, Draco immediately knew which bed belonged to Hermione, the desk next to it was so organized and orderly he wondered when she had the time to set it up.
"Which ones yours?" Draco pointed across the four-posted beds.
"That one."
Right
"So where"s this egg?" Draco sat on the edge of the bed which Hermione had pointed to, and waited for her to bring it over. Watching Draco look over her room was weird, seeing Draco in her room was weirder. Walking over to where he sat she crouched down in front of him.
"Woo, what are you doing," Draco shrieked as Hermione pushed his legs apart, but relaxed when she pulled a box from under her bed.
Smiling she opened the box, and handed Draco the golden egg. Brushing his hands over the egg once, he pulled the latch free. The noise was unbearable, Hermione who was still crouching in front of Draco fell off balance into his legs.
Slamming the egg shut, Draco rubbed his ears. "You could have warned me."
"I was just about to when you opened it," Hermione grumbled grabbing hold of the first thing she could, she pulling herself up.
The feel of her hands of his thighs was quick, for the moment that she had realise what she had done, she quickly snatch it back. "Sorry."
"It"s okay." Draco got to his feet. "I"d better go."
"Yeah...yeah, okay, bye." Once he was gone, Hermione slumped onto her bed. She could feel ever nerve in her body relax.
Ever since being alone with Hermione in her room, things between them had become awkward. Though they never let it show when they were around people, on the outside anyone would think they were a happy couple. Hermione had been so happy lately and most thought it was due to Draco, but it was because Ron was now avoiding them at any cost. He hardly spoke to Hermione anymore and when he did it was question her in what she saw in him, and that he thought she hated him and does she have to flaunt their relationship in public. Draco"s friends on the other hand, had chosen to ignore the fact that he was going out with Hermione, it was simply a phase he was going through.
It had been a week since Draco had heard that dreadful noise, but for some reason he just couldn"t get it out of his head, something about it was so familiar. Draco was sitting in the library with Blaise and Pansy, the noise spinning round in his head. It was giving him a headache. It had been in his head all through dinner, but it was louder now they were some place quieter.
"What mythical creature are we going to chose?" Blaise asked flipping through a book Moody had suggested.
"I dunno, but let's do something that's not ugly to look at," Pansy commented. "How about a unicorn or one of those fluffy things, a Wheezer's or a mermaid?"
Draco had leant at a very young age to shut out Pansy voice and today was no different, by something she said had caught his attention, "What did you say?"
"A unicorn, seriously Draco you would..."
Draco cut her off, "No after that?"
"What...Fluffy thing?" Pansy frowned. "...mermaid?"
Before they could ask what was going on, Draco was gone. Walking as swiftly as his pants would allow he made his way to the Great Hall, scanning the room he didn't find who he was looking for, but it was good enough.
"Where's Hermione?"
Looking confused, Ron just stared at him. "She's in her room studying, why?" Harry answered.
Turning on his heel, Draco headed for the Gryffindor tower. Shouting the password, he had heard Hermione use he stepped into the common room. Nobody looked at him, until he had reached the stairs that lead to the girls rooms. Pulling out his wand he muttered the incantations, while leaping up the stairs three at a time. Bursting into her room, he saw her sitting at her desk.
"Do you have bathers?" Draco looked around the room as though they would be hanging in plain sight.
"Yes, why?" Hermione hadn't yet grasped that Draco was in her room, until he bent down and grabbed the box that contained the egg.
"I figured it out," Draco beamed, chucking the box on the bed. "Are you grabbing bather's or not?"
"What for?" Hermione said still confused.
"Ahhh what you've got on is good enough." Draco pulled her out of her room and down the stairs.
"Draco what's going on? It's nearly ten, curfew starts in half-an-hour," Hermione gritted through her smile that she was flashing at her friends.
Once in the hall, Draco let go of her arm and grabbed her hand and started swiftly down the corridor.
"I figured it out, I can't believe..."
Hermione cut him off, "you figured what out...the egg?"
Draco smiled. "Yes."
"Then where are we going?"
"You'll see." Draco pulled her down another hall and then stopped in front of a portrait.
"The prefect's bathroom, I don't..." Placing a finger on her mouth, Draco silenced her.
Whispering the password, they climbed into the bathroom. Letting go of her hand Draco walked over to the giant bath, placing the egg on the side and he started turning all the different taps.
"I still don't understand."
"You will," Draco said as he started taking off his robes, revealing a black jumper and slacks, a white shirt and a green tie.
"What are you doing?" Wide-eyed Hermione continued to watch as Draco removed his shoes and socks.
"I'm not going in there with my clothes on." Draco smirked pulling his jumper over his head, ruffling his hair.
Hermione couldn't believe what she was seeing. He, Draco Malfoy, was undressing right in front of her.
"Are you coming in?" Draco asked undoing his belt and flicking it over onto his robes.
"What! Do I have to?" Hermione gaped
"Well you might have to if you want to understand the noise." Draco was pulling his tie loose.
"Right...yeah...okay," Hermione said as she took off her own robes, and chucked them on the floor.
Draco couldn't believe what she was hiding underneath those heavy robes, she was wearing a black jumper, school skirt, and knee high socks, which left a good portion of her thighs exposed. Like Draco she had a white shirt, but red tie. He stood and watched as she pulled off her jumper, loosened her tie and then she started to undo the top buttons of her shirt, when she bent down and slipped her shoes off, pulling her socks off as well. Swallowing Draco turned back to what he was doing.
Feeling the damp tiles under her feet cooled Hermione down she didn't want to think about what was about to happen next. But when she looked up, she saw Draco finish unbuttoning his shirt and pulled it off, she watched as his muscles flexed with the movement, as he started undoing his pants she looked away. Turning around she placed her shirt on the top of her pile of clothes.
"Modest are we," Draco teased.
Turning back around, she saw him standing there in only black briefs, blushing she went back to undressing herself. Now standing in only her bra and undies, Hermione looked up aware she was being watched, but the place Draco had been standing was empty. Looking around she found him in the bath near the taps, turning them off. Though still visibly staring at her. As Hermione slid into the bath the warm water enveloped her body, it was just what she needed. She had been stressing about the egg, she had only a week and a half left to figure it out.
The tips of her hair bathed in the water sticking to her neck, pulling them to the side she went under the water soothing her face. When she surfaced Draco was in front of her with the egg. Hermione tried, but was unsuccessful, in looking away from his wet chest. All she could hear was "OH MY GOD" screaming in her head. It was like one of those really bad soap operas her mum watched during the day were the man is standing with droplets shivering down his built form "...of pale stone". Hermione shook her head, she was being ridiculous.
"Ready?" Unaware of what was going through Hermione's head Draco placed the egg in her hands, he pushed it under the water and freed the latch.
Hermione prepared her ears for the noise that never came. "Now what?"
Draco smiled and dropped under the water, following his lead Hermione did the same. The sound that met her ears was music, she couldn't believe it was the same awful screeching she had sat listening to for hours. Listening more carefully she realised that it wasn't notes that she heard, but words.
"Come seek us where our voice sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And recover what we took,
But past an hour – the prospect's black
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."
Hermione resurfaced with a broad grin across her face, Draco smiled back.
"I wonder what they'll take," Draco pondered
"Who?" Hermione asked placing the egg on the side of the bath again.
"The mermaids...or mere-people." Draco smoothed his hair out of his face, Hermione could tell his was thinking again.
"You figured it out." Hermione looked at Draco in awe
"Well, I probably wouldn't have if that noise would of left my bloody head, it just kept spinning around in there for weeks," Draco mumbled.
The next thing he knew Hermione had wrapped her arms around his neck and was hugging the life out of him. "Oh thank you, I never would of...thank you."
Holding on to her so they wouldn't tip over, he looked into her eyes, they were so happy. "I...just."
Hearing Draco stumble over his words nearly made Hermione laugh, the thing that stopped her was Draco pressing his lips on hers. Hermione was again lost in his intoxicating smell of pine and fresh air, that she didn't pay attention to what was happening around her. Draco had slid his hands down her back and under her thighs, lifting her off her feet. She could feel the water move against her skin but she didn't register that she was moving. The cold wall of the bath met her back, the pressure bring her back to her sense. Draco was kissing her, there was no purpose behind it they were alone.
Pulling away he started kissing her neck working his way across her jaw. "Draco, what are you doing?"
Looking up into her brown eyes, he saw that she was confused, he thought he had made it pretty obvious.
Hermione notice for the first time his eyes spoke to her, "I'll stop if you want." She didn't know what to think. What did this mean?
She liked Ron. Didn't she? If she did then why hadn't she pushed away already? Why was there something about Draco that made her want to kiss him back? This was all too confusing, she needed time to think. Draco saw this, kissing her lightly on her lips he put her on her feet, taking a step back he let her leave.
