Hello again! I am loving your reviews guys, thank you so much! And again, I know how frustrating it is to wait for new chapters, so I'm trying really hard to update as quickly as possible! Trust me, I'm just as excited about writing the story as you are about reading it! So here's the next chapter, and between you and me, it's a good one! Enjoy!
Draco had left Hermione crying in the common room, not knowing exactly what else he could do. He had had relationships with countless women, but not quite like the one he had with Hermione. He had never dealt with an upset female, and he was simply at a loss. He was able to hear her from his bedroom nearly the whole day, though her cries and whimpers were muffled beyond his door. He distracted himself with other things, hoping that he'd be able to talk to her once she stopped with all the hysterics. Before he knew it, it was ten PM and Draco was ready for a party that was being hosted in the dungeons. He still heard Hermione's upset sounds coming from downstairs, and he felt he needed to do something for her. He left his room and came down the stairs, Hermione had moved to the couch, and was concentrating hard on a book, the pages soaked with tears. She was hiccupping and trying desperately to stifle her cries. She was surrounded by used tissues. Draco didn't think he had ever seen a sorrier sight, particularly since it was the tough, sassy Hermione Granger who was an emotional mess.
"For Merlin's sake, woman, would you get over it? Look, I can't stop you from sitting here flooding our common room, but if you ever do decide to stop moping around and get off of your depressed arse, there's an open invitation for you at Zabini's party in the dungeons. It's your choice, but it'll do you some good. Hope I'll see you there." He told her in a voice that he hoped was kind, and headed out the door.
"I am not a sorry arse, you're the arse! I'm allowed to mope if I want…" Hermione called to the closed door. She sighed. Maybe he was right, though. When had Ron ever been good to her? Had he ever been a truly great boyfriend? Had he ever done anything for her without doing something for himself as well? Hadn't he been cheating on her for months now? Hermione got up. It wasn't worth it to mope about over Ron. Sure, she was still upset, but she wasn't going to let it destroy her. She was going to go out and have some fun. Taking out her wand and wiping her eyes, Hermione cast a few charms over herself, fixing up her puffy red eyes, detangling her hair, unstuffing her nose. She then headed upstairs to get changed into something suitable for going to a party, more than the sweats and tshirt she wore now. She decided to go for a black tank top and dark blue jeans. Trying her best to hold the tears back and forget about the rest of the day, she headed out the door.
When Hermione arrived in the dungeons, the party was in full rage. There were people everywhere, bodies pressed up against each other, girls hanging off of their dance partner's necks, grinding their pelvises together. There were flashing lights, but the room was dark and loud, rock music playing at full blast. Hermione immediately regretted coming. This wasn't her kind of scene. Nevertheless, she looked around for Draco, not seeing him anywhere. Out of the crowd materialized the one person Hermione wasn't in the mood to deal with at the moment; Pansy Parkinson.
"So, showing your face, Granger? I'm surprised you aren't sitting in your room crying your mudblood eyes out, based on what Draco's told me. You're pathetic, and you don't belong here. Do us all a favor and go back to your filthy, cheating boyfriend, golden girl. No one wants you here, he's probably the only one who will take you." Pansy sneered, swaying a little due to her alcohol consumption. Hermione narrowed her eyes. She was done taking shit.
"Listen up you bitch, I can snap my fingers and make your life absolute hell in this school. So if you know what's good for you, and if you want your last year here to be the perfect, ridiculous fantasy you've dreamed up, you will get out of my fucking face NOW. Don't test me." She said in a deadly voice, coming face to face with the rat- faced girl. Pansy stumbled back a little and made a face, then disappeared into the crowd.
"I think everyone has wanted to say something like that to Pansy at some point." A voice came from behind Hermione's shoulder. She spun around and saw the smiling face of Blaise Zabini.
"Yeah, well-" Hermione said, crossing her arms. Blaise offered her a bottle.
"Here, have a butterbeer." He said loudly, and Hermione took it from him, downing half of it in one gulp. Zabini whistled in surprise and her quick consumption.
"So, now that the war is over, and clearly Weasley is out of the picture, tell me, how are you holding up Granger? I don't usually see you around these kind of parties." Zabini yelled over the music. Hermione tilted her head back to finish the butter beer she held, then switched it out for a full bottle passing on a tray.
"Woah, there, pace yourself beautiful." He said, stepping a little closer to her.
"No! I'm tired of rules and people telling me what to do. I am going to have some fun tonight and do whatever I damn well please!" Hermione said loudly and firmly. Zabini shrugged in acceptance as she finished her second butterbeer.
"And you know what I want? Another." Hermione told him, handing him her empty bottle.
"Your wish is my command, love." Zabini said, and left to get her a third butterbeer. When he came back, he handed her the drink and she immediately took a long swig.
"So, now that Weasley is out the door, what's the plan?" he asked her casually, sipping his own butterbeer as she leaned against the wall drinking her own.
"Blaise, all I know, is that I need someone who can take care of ME." She told him, her head feeling warm and a little heavy.
"Oh, what is it you mean by that?" he asked her.
"He didn't know anything about what a woman wants! He was awful at remembering birthdays and plans… and all he ever wanted was sex! But he wasn't even any good at it!" Hermione practically yelled, laughing loudly.
"Is that right? Well, you know Slytherins have quite a reputation in that area…" he said to her, stepping closer and brushing his fingers along her shoulder. Hermione looked up at him,
"Zabini, I may be single now, but I'm not ready to jump into being with another guy just yet. It did only happen today." She said, gently pushing him away. Blaise laughed drunkenly.
"Well, if you ever want your world rocked, you know who to call." He said, winking at her. Hermione rolled her eyes and nodded, finishing off her fifth butterbeer.
"I'll be sure to do that." She said, grabbing another drink.
"So, Hermione, what exactly is it that brings you down here to the slums of Hogwarts?" Blaise slurred, forgetting all about his coming on to her. Hermione told him that she was tired of being the good girl, the bookworm who stayed at home all weekend. She wanted to have fun, and she was going to do it tonight. And where better to do it than somewhere no one else would see her? In the time that they talked, Hermione had another three butterbeers, eight in total. And she was starting to really feel it.
"Well I'm glad you've joined the dark side!" Zabini joked, and Hermione was nodding enthusiastically when she spotted a head of bleach blond hair walking by.
"Hayyyyyy you!" Hermione yelled, stumbling forward, "You're the reason I'm here! He's the really- heheeee the reallll reason I'm down here in the slumssss of Hogswarts!" Hermione said happily, grabbing Draco's arm playfully. Draco turned to face her, surprised that she had actually come.
"Granger? Are you drunk?" he asked her, trying his best to be heard over the roar of the music and the crowd.
"Noooooo, mmmmm fine! I'm just having greeattt conversations over here with my bestieeee Blaise!" Hermione laughed, patting Blaise on the shoulder. Draco knew for a fact that Hermione had never been this drunk before. At dinner with his mother at Christmas, she had had a few sips of wine, telling them that she didn't drink much more than that.
"How many has she had?" Draco asked Blaise. Blaise shrugged.
"I don't know, man, she's been downing them pretty fast… seven or eight maybe?" Blaise estimated.
"Oh boy, okay, I think you've had enough, Hemrione." Draco said to her, trying to take away the ninth butterbeer she held in her hand. Hermione yanked it back from his grasp.
"No! This here this is my drink, it's mine and I am gonna drink it!" Hermione said, drinking more from the bottle.
"Granger, we need to get you home, you're completely wasted." Draco said, trying to come close to her to usher her out. She swung her arms out in front of her in effort to push him away from her.
"Booooo! No! Noone is gonna tell me what to do- no oneee is unna tell me what I can't do anymore because I, I am having a GREAT time- OHHHH my gosh! I LOVE this song!" Hermione suddenly burst, brushing past them with surprising grace and climbing up onto a table. Draco was astounded at what she was doing. Up on the table she started to dance in a way that he never expected a girl like Hermione Granger could dance- she swayed her hips along to the music, running her hands up and down her stomach, flipping her hair. She was downright sexy, and Draco had to catch his breath.
"Damn, this new Hermione is pretty hot!" Blaise laughed, nudging Draco a little harder than intended. Draco rolled his eyes at Blaise.
"Please, how much have you had, Zabini?" Draco asked him. Zabini shrugged.
"Oh come on, like you're not thinking the same thing! The golden girl has fallen from grace, my friend." Blaise said, wiggling his eyebrows at Draco, "I don't know, if I got her all alone in a common room, there's no telling what I'd do to her…"
"Alright, that's enough, you're being a drunken idiot." Draco snapped at him, surprising himself at how angry he got at Blaise's words. With that, he hastened to the edge of the table, where Hermione was teetering awfully close to, just in time to catch her when she lost her balance and fell. The crowd was cheering louder than ever, chanting her name.
"Alright, she's done, I'm taking her home now!" Draco announced to them, setting her on her feet and heading towards the door. As they made their way to the door, Hermione stumbled and nearly fell, only to be caught by Draco's strong arms. She looked up at him with large, round eyes, and for a second he was frozen in place, staring back.
"You have such- beautiful eyes…" she said amazedly. He helped her back to her feet.
"Yeah, you're drunk. Come on, Mione." And he draped her arm around his shoulder to support her weight as they walked back to the head's tower.
"Baaaaaaaybayyyy my sweet baaaybayyyy ohhh woahhhh boayyybayyyy you're the oneeee…" Hermione half sang half muttered as they walked. Draco had to keep himself from laughing at her voice as she sang every song out of tune.
"Draco- Draco I'm tired, I'm just going to sit… sit right here." Hermione said when they were half way there, sitting down in the middle of the hall and letting her head flop to the ground.
"No, no, Hermione, you have to get up, we're almost there now." He said, tugging on her arm. She wasn't moving.
"Hermione, come on now, you have to get up, we have to go get you to bed." He told her, now shaking her. When she continued not to budge, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way home. When the portrait door opened and they stepped inside, Hermione's eyes fluttered open again and she began to squirm. Draco almost dropped her trying to put her down, and she stepped away from him quickly, tugging at her shirt.
"I'm so hotttt Dracoooo, this is such an uncomfortable shirt!" she told him as he went to close the door behind them. When he turned around, the shirt was off, and she was waving it at him playfully, then dropped it to the floor by his feet. She was wearing a lacy black bra that did amazing things for her breasts, pushing them up and together like no other breasts he had ever seen. Draco blinked.
"Jesus, Granger, what the hell? What are you doing!" he said, flustered, grabbing a blanket from the couch and wrapping it around her petite frame.
"Ohhh you're no fun!" she booed him as he tried to help her up the stairs to her room. When he finally got her to the door, he realized that he needed her password to get in.
"Hemrione, what's the password to your room?" he asked her, hoping he could get at least this one straight answer out of her. No such luck.
"I'm not telling you!" she teased him, rubbing the blanket across her back. Draco cursed under his breath and she giggled at his frustration.
"Damn it Granger, you're making this awfully hard on me. You're worse drunk than sober…" he muttered, bringing her through the bathroom to his own room. He sat her down on his bed and went for a tshirt from his dresser, because she was not keen on keeping that blanket over her. She kept trying to take the blanket off and throw it at him, but he kept covering her again before she exposed any more of herself to him. Not to mention he did not need her noticing his slight arousal from seeing her perfect upper body close to naked…
He forced his tshirt over her head, and got her to lay down, covering her with the blankets of his own bed. Before he had even turned the lights out, she was asleep. Draco stood and watched her for a few moments. She looked so beautiful laying there in his own bed, wrapped up in one of his tshirts. He had to admit that the most attractive thing was seeing a girl in one of his shirts, and Hermione looked especially good in this one. Recalling some of his recent dreams, Draco chuckled to himself in disbelief. Never did he think that he would ever actually see the day where Hermione Granger found her way into his bed. With a final glance at her figure in his bed, Draco headed downstairs to sleep on the couch for the night.
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