Chapter 14 – The Date
Draco could barely focus on his homework. He knew that a major Potions assignment was due tomorrow, and that even he would get in trouble with Slughorn if he didn't pass it in. He could have worked in his room, where there would be no distractions, but he chose to stay in the common room, just so he could keep an eye on his girlfriend.
Hermione sat across Draco, completely engrossed in her book. Well, not really. She knew that Draco had been staring at her ever since he came in from Quidditch practice to do his homework. Hermione would meet his glance once in a while, and then sight of him would place her in such a trance that she would forget everything that she had been reading about. Hence, this was the third time that she read the chapter on Felix Felicis.
Hermione spoke, without looking up from her book.
"Malfoy. We both have work to do, so stop staring at me," she ordered. "And besides, that Potions assignment was given two days ago. I do not know why you haven't accomplished it yet."
"Unlike you, I have Quidditch training and a social life outside the library, so forgive me for not finding time to focus on my schoolwork," Draco snorted. "And it's Slughorn, Granger, my Head of House. He wouldn't give a damn if I didn't complete this. Look at Crabbe and Goyle! They never do anything, and yet, they've never even received a single detention slip for failure to submit homework from any professor!"
"That's because all the professors know that Crabbe and Goyle are both severely intellectually inadequate," Hermione reasoned. "You, my sweetheart, are not like them, because you actually have a brain…most times."
Draco sneered. "I will ignore your little quip on my intellect."
"Whatever."
Draco pressed his lips firmly together. "Fine, then. If you want me to finish this, come sit beside me, so that there'd be nothing in front me that would take my mind away from this bloody essay," Draco smirked.
Hermione rolled her eyes at his attempt to draw her physically closer to him, but she obliged anyway. She grabbed her book, parchment and quill and dropped them on the table beside his things. The Heads sat in silence beside one another, until…
Draco placed his hand on top of Hermione's thigh. He started drawing invisible circles on it with his finger. Hermione blushed and bit her lip to hide her smile. Draco's hand traveled up to her arm, taking the hand that was resting on her neck. He turned it over and placed little kisses on her palm. She was tickled by his kisses that her fingers curled and closed over Draco's hand, pushing it away.
Draco Malfoy could not be defied that easily. He leaned toward her, burying his face into her hair, which was now wavy and not bushy like before, taking in her wonderful scent. He cupped her chin, turning her head gently to face him and kissed her lips. She, thankfully, kissed him back.
Hermione pulled back. "Merlin, Draco. I hate it when you do that. Why do you always have to be so damned cocky when we're studying? Couldn't you pick some other time to be sweet? Or whatever it is you're doing to try to seduce me?"
"All right…I am free on Sunday. Would that be a good time to be cocky?"
"What, are you asking me out on a date?"
"I'm not really asking you out, since we're not going out anyway," Draco pointed out. "But if you would want to…" Hermione waited for Draco to continue.
"We could go to Hogsmeade," he said.
"Hogsmeade?"
"Well, I am Head Boy, you are Head Girl," the Slytherin said. "We can go out to Hosmeade anytime we like. Or have you forgotten?"
"True," Hermione agreed. "But what would we tell the Headmistress?"
"We don't necessarily have to tell the old hag, do we?"
"Don't call her that, wanker." Draco just simply smirked at her.
She sighed. "I suppose. Okay, then. Sunday. It's a date," Hermione stood up and gathered her things. "I'll get out of your way now – and you better stay out of mine, if you know what's good for you, Draco Malfoy – so that you and I can finish our work. Goodnight, love."
She pecked him on the cheek, smirking as she heard him moan in complaint.
Hermione was smirking a lot these days.
Draco was really starting to rub off on her.
She liked that.
She really liked that.
"You want to hang out with us tomorrow, Hermione?" Ginny asked. She and Hermione were in the Head Girl's room.
"Tomorrow? No, sorry, Gin. I'm going out," Hermione pouted.
"Going out? Where?"
"Hogsmeade."
"What? How?"
"The Heads can go out to Hosmeade anytime, you know."
"So by Heads, you mean…you're going out with Malfoy?" It wasn't really a question. It was more of an exclamation.
"Hush, Ginny, be quiet," Hermione ordered.
"Does Professor McGonagall know?"
"No, she does not, and we would appreciate it a lot if she stayed uninformed. She'd have our heads – and our badges – if we went out to Hogsmeade for what she would think is an unjustifiable reason."
"Of course I wouldn't tell her," Ginny assured her. "Do you have something to wear already?"
Hermione shook her head.
"We're going out in or uniforms. We're supposed to be going out to Hogsmeade for Head business, remember?"
"That sucks." Ginny stuck her tongue out. "What are you going to do there?"
"Just dinner," Hermione shrugged. "Then we're heading back to school."
Ginny snorted.
"Yeah, right, that's possible. I know Malfoy, he wouldn't just let you go after dinner," the younger Gryffindor smiled suggestively.
Hermione laughed and tried to hide the fact that she was blushing. Her cheeks were getting hot.
"Maybe he'll get lucky tomorrow. Maybe…I will let him have his way."
Ginny squealed. "You love him that much, Hermione?" The elder girl nodded meekly. Ginny smirked.
"You know something I don't, Gin?"
"No. There's nothing, Hermione. Have you told him yet?" Ginny asked.
"Told him what?"
"That you…love him."
Hermione frowned. Ginny frowned as well.
"I'll take that as a no. But, Hermione, you have to tell him already. I mean, hello! You're killing his ego here. He's going to get tired being the only one baring his true feelings to you. I think tomorrow would be the perfect time to."
As the clock chimed, announcing that it was already six o'clock, Hermione rushed to the bathroom to take a shower. She fled back to her room, throwing her uniform on, putting her hair up in a high ponytail, and just applying just a little bit of makeup – as Ginny had suggested to her the day before.
The Head Girl sneaked into the Great Hall, making her way out of the castle grounds. Draco would meet her at the end of the bridge that connected the school and the town. He had made his way there fifteen minutes before she was scheduled to leave their common room.
Hermione screamed as someone pulled her arm as she stepped down from the bridge. Draco growled and his lips crashed into hers. He was never rough with her. He always touched her as if she were the most fragile object on Earth that would break if mishandled. Hermione's hands stroke Draco's hair, which she didn't' have much fun with, because it was gelled back. She liked it better when he didn't slick it back, because she just loved the feel of Draco's silky hair under her fingers.
Draco pecked Hermione's lips one last time and led the way into the town.
"I'm starting to rub off on you," Hermione stated.
"Oh? How so?" Draco asked, amused. He found it cute when she folded her arms against her chest and pouted, like a four year old.
"You're becoming a killjoy as well. I was just starting to have fun!" Hermione huffed, referring to the kiss that Draco broke.
Draco laughed out loud. "You know as well as I do that we cannot be seen in Hogsmeade kissing."
"Why?" Hermione asked innocently, as if she did not know the reason.
"Silly," Draco chuckled. "I'm Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy's only son who looks almost exactly identical to him. You're Hermione Granger, the Boy-who-just-won't-die's best friend-" Hermione smacked him hard on his arm for calling Harry by the name that the Death Eaters used.
"I'm sorry, but if one spends too much time around Aunt Bellatrix, you start referring to Saint Potter the same way she does," Draco explained. "As I was saying, we are two very easily recognizable people. We're supposed to be at each other's throats like cat and dog, so it wouldn't be safe for us to act like we're going out around other people."
"I'm the cat, right?" Hermione butted in.
"Yes, Granger, you get to be the cat. I've always liked dogs better, anyway," Draco laughed. "And plus, if anyone told McGonagall that we were using our special privileges for our own personal needs…well. I don't even want to think about what she would do. She scares me more than the Dark Lord sometimes," Draco joked. Hermione smiled slightly, although she could not avoid the small shudder that ran down her spine as Draco mentioned Lord Voldemort.
Both of them were relieved as they stepped into Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shoppe. It was comfortably warm, unlike outside, which was almost unbearably cold, since Christmas was fast approaching.
They were seated soon, at a table near the fire. Luckily, there were only three other couples who were in Puddifoot's with them, and none of those people seemed to notice that they had even entered at all. Hermione saw the sour look on Draco's face as he looked around.
"Harry and Cho – you know, Cho Chang from Ravenclaw? She used to be their Seeker. She graduated last year," Hermione said when she saw the questioning look Draco gave her. "They came here for Valentines' Day during fifth year. You've been here before?"
"Yes," Draco said bitterly, "On Pansy's whim. This place brings back bad memories of her," Draco paused, studying the innocent look on Hermione's face. "But it's so much better with you here."
Hermione blushed and smiled, "No sweet stuff, remember?"
Draco raised an eyebrow at her. "This obviously isn't going the way I hoped it would. I seem to recall that we scheduled this because you wouldn't let me be…what's that word you used again? Cocky while we were studying," he smirked as Hermione giggled, remembering how she snapped at Draco the other night.
He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "You aren't exactly living up to what we agreed on."
"Don't worry, Draco," Hermione whispered. "I promise, I'll let you have your way. Later."
"I'll count on that, Granger."
"Has anyone seen Hermione?" Ron half groaned, half yelled to the students lounging around the Gryffindor common room. He and Harry had waited until the last minute to complete their homework. Well, at least Ron did. Harry was up late every night because of his training sessions with Lupin. The man had been tiring him out ever since they got word from Severus Snape that the Dark Lord was planning something. Harry opted to miss dinner so that he'd have more time to work, but Ron shied away from the idea.
"She went out," Ginny simply said as she sat beside Harry.
"Went out? Where?" Ron demanded.
"Hogsmeade," his sister replied.
"Hogsmeade? Why?"
"Head Girl, Head Boy stuff," Ginny smiled conspiratorially, knowing that the boys wouldn't catch her drift.
Harry dropped his quill. "She isn't with Malfoy, is she?"
"It's Head Boy and Head Girl stuff, Harry. Of course she's with Malfoy," Ginny sighed. Could the boys just please get a clue? She was getting tired of explaining almost everything to them.
"Holy shit, she's dead," Ron said.
"She'll be fine," Ginny snapped at him. "He won't hurt her, you idiot."
"But he's Malfoy!" Ron reasoned, quite poorly indeed.
"So? What does that have to do with anything?" Ginny asked violently.
"How can you be sure he won't hurt her?" Ron quipped, his ears getting red.
"I just know, okay?" Ginny sighed. Ron, seeing that her sister was already starting to get red in the face as well, gave up on his interrogation.
He sighed. "She shouldn't have gone out today. Wouldn't she feel bad if me and Harry got low marks?"
"It's not really her fault that you spent all your free time flirting with Lavender, Ronald, that you already neglected to do your schoolwork," Ginny stated. She stood up and stormed to the girls' dormitories, muttering.
"Idiot."
14
"Mr. Zabini, may I please have a word with you?" Professor McGonagall asked of Blaise as she caught up with him. He had been patrolling the halls with the other Slytherin Prefect.
"Sure, professor," Blaise replied, wondering if he was in any sort of trouble.
"Zabini, have you seen your friend?"
"I have many friends, professor, I can assure you. I do not know which of them you are talking about," Blaise drawled. McGonagall glared at the little smart-mouth.
"I was talking about Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Zabini," McGonagall gritted her teeth.
"Oh, him! Well, in that case, I haven't seen him at all, professor."
"You didn't see him at dinner?"
"He wasn't at dinner, ma'am."
"He wasn't?" McGonagall repeated.
"Yeah, you heard that right."
"Well, have you seen the Head Girl?"
"Granger? No, professor, but Potter or any of the Weasleys must be with her. Why don't you try them?" Blaise suggested.
"All right. Thank you, Zabini."
"My pleasure, professor," Blaise smirked and called as McGonagall went away, "And anytime you need someone to talk to, professor, you can always call on me, all right!"
McGonagall made a mental note to find a reason to put Blaise Zabini in detention someday as she hastened to Gryffindor Tower, proclaiming the password as she met the Fat Lady, who gladly let her into the common room. The students within dropped whatever they were doing and fell silent as they saw their Headmistress with a look of urgency on her face.
"Where's Potter?" she demanded. The Gryffindors pointed to the center of the room, where Harry was sitting wide-eyed, and where Ron was dozing.
"Have you seen Miss Granger, Potter?"
"No, professor, I haven't seen her all day. Ginny said she was in Hogsmeade."
At that moment, Ginny had come down from the girls' dormitories, meeting the Headmistress' gaze almost instantly.
"Miss Weasley, is Miss Granger with the Head Boy?"
"Y-yes, professor."
"And what are they doing in Hogsmeade?"
Ginny's eyes widened. She bit her lip and dropped her head. The people scattered around the common room started whispering amongst themselves.
"Miss Weasley?"
"They – um…I…I don't really know, professor."
"Didn't Miss Granger tell you anything?"
"Er…yes. Hermione told me that they'd be they're doing some business for the school, she said. I thought that they must be planning something for the school…I don't really know," Ginny stammered.
"Very well, then. Thank you, Ginevra." The Headmistress turned to the Gryffindors. "It's late. You should all be in bed. You have classes tomorrow. Off you go, then." The students scurried up to their rooms. Harry dragged the half awake Ron and passed by Ginny, giving her a questioning look. Ginny merely shrugged.
"They're in Hogsmeade!" Professor McGonagall gasped, losing the mask of composure that she had kept as she faced the Gryffindors. Professor Lupin took her arm and sat her down on one of the chairs inside the Staff Room.
Professor Sprout sat down in front of the Headmistress with a cup of tea. "Who are in Hogsmeade, Minerva?"
"Draco and Hermione," Lupin replied.
"I knew it!" Trelawney gasped. "I had a vision of it! It seemed ridiculous at first, but now it's happened!"
"Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger?" Sprout asked. "Goodness, what could they be doing there?"
"It's obvious, Pomona!" Slughorn said delightedly. "Our dear Heads are out on a date!"
"It's impossible!" McGonagall exclaimed, out of breath.
"It's not entirely impossible, Minerva. Most of us have always thought that Mr. Malfoy has had a crush on Miss Granger," Filius Flitwick stated. "They have been living together in that tower, anyway, so it wouldn't have been song before long that they'd finally grow closer to each other."
"Yes, I have been shocked by the both of them during my class," Lupin remarked. "They're dueling partners, and they haven't hexed each other dead yet. Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger, great duelers that they are, only throw minor hexes at one another," Lupin gave a laugh. "Well, except for those times when Miss Granger would feel rather touchy. If I didn't know better, I'd swear I saw a green flash of light coming from her wand." Lupin shrugged, amused at the idea of Hermione breaking Ministry rules by casting the Killing Curse at Draco.
"They're not back yet? It's quite late already," Professor Sprout said.
"I know Mr. Malfoy," Slughorn chuckled. "He's quite a ladies' man. So is his friend, Blaise."
"No, no," Professor Sprout argued. "Miss Granger is a perfectly virtuous young woman. She simply would now allow it…or maybe not. I have to say, Horace, your Slytherin over there has talent."
"Why, thank you, Pomona. I've always told you that Slytherins aren't half that bad," Slughorn smiled.
"Surely you're going to punish them for sneaking out of school aren't you, Minerva?" Flitwick inquired.
"No, I don't think so, Filius," McGonagall replied. "The Heads are allowed to go out to Hogsmeade anytime they want. And this is a great opportunity for the school to learn more about unity. I knew it was good that we chose those two as this year's Heads."
Lupin smirked. "I have seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins first in the morning tomorrow. I'll see what happens."
"Draco! Filch!" Hermione warned sharply, shoving Draco back against the wall. The two of them had broken into Honeydukes to get back into the castle through the passageway underneath the statue of the humpbacked witch, since the school doors would be sealed by now.
Hermione rummaged into the bag she brought along and took out Harry's Invisibility Cloak.
"That's Potter's, isn't it?" Draco sneered.
"Yes. I borrowed it from him yesterday, told him that I needed to sneak into the library to study," Hermione explained. "Now wipe that sneer off your face, for this cloak is going to get us safely back in the tower."
Fifteen minutes later, Hermione and Draco found themselves pushing one another across their common room. Draco broke their passionate kiss and took a deep breath.
"Your room…or mine?" he simply asked.
"Yours. I know your sheets are silk."
Draco smiled at Hermione's amusing answer. He pulled her into his room, closing the door behind them with his foot. He grabbed her by the waist, and threw her ever so gently on his bed, lying on top of her.
"You're sure you're ready to do this? Because I really don't want another speech from you telling me that you are not like those girls who throw themselves at me, like you did a few weeks ago."
Hermione held the back of his head and pulled him down to her, their lips meeting. "Don't worry. As long as you promise to behave, you won't get another one. I'm definitely ready. I want to do this."
Draco smiled against her lips, his hands making their way to her sweater. After he had taken that off, he started unbuttoning her white school blouse. Her hands moved faster than his, and he was topless in a short while. Hermione impatiently undid his belt, and Draco kicked his black trousers off. She chuckled.
"Are these your lucky green boxers?"
"The one and only," he smirked. "They're the reason why I'm getting so lucky tonight."
Hermione laughed. She lay back, her hands playing with his hair, while his lips ravished every inch of her body. Draco's hand went down from her neck, going between her breasts, down to her navel. It finally rested in between her legs, feeling the soft skin there.
His mouth covered hers, and his fingers entered her to prepare her. She didn't seem to be bothered by that, so Draco decided that he could go on. He put his head down on the pillow beside hers.
"You're really, really sure you want to go through with this, Granger?" he said against her cheek.
"Stop asking, Draco. You have my permission to continue," Hermione smiled dreamily.
"You do know that this is going to hurt, right?"
"Bring it on, Malfoy." The smirk on her face was his signal, and Draco lifted himself again. Hermione's hands clasped together on the back of his neck, and he held her to him. She started wrapping her legs around his, going up to his hips, as they kissed passionately, waiting.
Draco breathed, never parting his lips from Hermione's, and he entered her.
Hermione was very much distracted with what Draco's tongue was doing inside her mouth, until the pain finally hit her. Her eyes flew wide open, and she screamed into his mouth, causing his grip on her waist to tighten.
"I told you it was going to hurt," Draco whispered.
"I'm…umph…I'm...fine…umph," Hermione moaned. Her hands gripped Draco's hair hard.
An hour later, they lay panting beside one another. Draco's arm was under Hermione's head, her arm and leg on top of him, both completely naked.
"That was your first time," Draco stated, recalling how painfully tight she had been.
"Yes, it was," Hermione replied. She looked over at him, her eyebrows raised. "Why? Wasn't it yours?"
"No. Of course not," he whispered. "You wouldn't have gotten it that good if it was my first time, you know."
"What, was that your twenty-seventh shag? Or should I say fifty-second?" she demanded.
"Hell, no," Draco laughed. "I've only ever been with one other girl before you."
"So the rumors…?"
"The rumors about me sleeping with every attractive girl in Hogwarts aren't true, because if they were true, you would have been first on my hit list, Granger, since you are the most attractive girl in Hogwarts. But I occasionally lie about it…sometimes," he laughed again. "I know I'm more desirable than Blaise, but I also have more dignity that he does. He's really the one who's slept with the entire female population of Hogwarts, plus some other women outside the castle."
Hermione laughed at the vision she cooked up in her head of all the girls in school lining up beside Blaise's bed.
Then her expression became serious once more.
"So…who was it?"
"Who was what?"
"Who was the one girl you've ever slept with before me? The one you gave your virginity to?"
Draco didn't answer immediately. His face went blank.
"Please," he said, sounding quite pained. "Please don't say virginity again, or else I think you might make me hurl. And you already know who she is. Everyone else does. It's pretty obvious."
"Pansy!" Hermione gasped.
"No," Draco shook his head. "Not her. Everyone would think it was her, since she is the biggest whore in the world, but it really isn't. She has never gotten to me yet. I think she's the only one in Slytherin who doesn't know. We've been trying to keep it a secret from her. There'd be blood if she knew. Think, Hermione. She's the most beautiful girl in Slytherin. She'd be the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts, but like I said, you beat her there." Hermione blushed as Draco pinched the tip of her nose lightly.
"I'm sorry, no," Hermione said. "All that ever comes to my head every time I think of the prettiest girl in Slytherin is Millicent Bulstrode." She said the name with such mixed malice and disgust.
Draco stuck his tongue out. "Eww! Merlin, Granger, that's disgusting! And will you please give my House some credit? I know that Bulstrode is the ugliest, biggest, fattest, stupidest turd around, and she's not so far behind Pansy on the list of people who disgrace the noble House of Slytherin –" Hermione laughed at the snooty tone in Draco's voice "- but there are numerous beautiful girls in there!"
"Well, if you don't want me to insult your beloved House, then by all means! Just tell me who the bloody girl is!" Hermione exclaimed.
Draco's face tensed up.
"I bloody well can't, Granger. I rather think I'm ashamed of it," Draco sighed.
Hermione burst out laughing.
"Who was it? Blaise?"
"Granger, your mind is dirtier than I've ever expected it to be. You're not as holy as everyone says you are." Draco shook his head mockingly. "Of course it wasn't Blaise! I'd rather kiss Trelawney's arse!" Hermione's laughter increased.
"If you're going to do that, you're going to have to disinfect your lips before we kiss again," Hermione guffawed. Draco shot her a glare.
"Who was it, you arse?"
Draco decided to give her a clue. "She was wearing green during the Halloween Ball."
"That would be me. But I'm definitely not in Slytherin," Hermione snorted. "Come off it, Malfoy! Almost all of the girls in Slytherin were wearing green – except for Pansy, and may I just please note that her dress was the most horrible shade of pink Ive ever seen. Anyway, I also saw a couple of girls from Hufflepuff wearing green."
"She was wearing the exact shade of green you were wearing, does that help, Granger?"
Hermione thought hard. She remembered seeing someone with dark hair, whose dress was very identical to hers. She just didn't know who that girl was, for she was wearing a mask, like everyone else in the masquerade.
Draco could sense that Hermione still didn't know who the girl was.
"Granger, you remember those rumors about the two girls Lucius was choosing between to be my…er…wife?"
"Yes, I think so. Yeah," Hermione replied. "Pansy and…someone else who's also in Slytherin. Pureblood, of course."
"I slept with the other girl…during fifth year," Draco said hurriedly.
Hermione gasped so loudly.
"But you were with Pansy since fourth year! Until you broke things off with her last summer!"
"How did you know that?" Draco demanded.
"I know that I spend my summers with Muggles, Malfoy, but my friends kept me up to date with the gossip around here – especially Ginny. I heard that Pansy was crying for days, poor girl," Hermione explained. "You cheated on Pansy!"
"Hermione, who wouldn't cheat on Pansy?" Draco drawled. "Yes, I did betray her. I slept with her best friend behind her back. You can't blame me. She was exceptionally beautiful, and evilly seductive. As I said, she is the most beautiful girl in my House. For the longest time, I thought I was in love with her. So I slept with her, but I swear to you that it was only a one-night stand. But after I broke up with Pansy, I forgot all about her as well. She just satisfied me while I was stuck with the little whore."
He didn't notice the look on Hermione's face. Harry and Ron and Ginny knew that look very well. It meant that the gears and wheels within and Hermione's head were working. Something was forming in her head.
Dark hair.
Green dress, same shade as mine.
Most beautiful girl in Slytherin.
Wait.
The girl I saw wearing the green dress that was the same shade as mine was…Zabini's date!
The rumors…Pansy…and there was another girl.
Someone else…another pureblood Lucius would deem worthy to wed his son.
Pansy's best friend…
"You sick, horrible person! You slept with Daphne Greengrass behind her best friend's back!" Hermione shrieked, sitting up all so suddenly, holding a sheet up to cover herself and hitting Draco with a pillow.
"Finally, Hermione!" Draco yelled through the pillow. "It took you forever to figure that one out! Now stop hitting me!"
Hermione put the pillow down, staring sourly at Draco.
"How could you do that? How could she do that? I knew I've never liked her." Hermione had said the last sentence for herself.
"Granger. You try putting up a charade with Pansy! I would have broken up with her sooner after I realized that I liked Daphne, but you haven't seen Pansy mad before. She could have killed both of us!"
Hermione lay back down beside him, her arms still folded over her chest.
"I'd really appreciate it if you don't tell Pansy. Or anyone else, for that matter."
"Of course I wouldn't tell Pansy," Hermione huffed. "If I told her, she'd have to ask me how I knew."
"Thanks. Rest assured, Hermione. I would never cheat on you. I love you more than I've loved anyone my entire life. You mean more than anything to me."
Hermione smirked. "You're just saying that because I let you have your way tonight."
"No, I really do love you. If you drug me with Veritaserum, and asked me if I love you, I'd say yes," Draco proclaimed.
"Well, guess what, Malfoy," Hermione said, wrapping her arms around him once more. "I love you, too."