Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other characters or
settings in this fanfiction. Unfortunately that also includes Draco
Malfoy...but I own the plot.
"Well?"
"I didn't find her in any of the dormitories."
"What about her cloak?"
"It was lying on the chair next to her bed."
"Maybe she left without it."
Ginny shook her head. She walked over to the window and placed her fingertips on the foggy surface. When she removed them, the clear fingerprints immediately faded away. "Hermione isn't thick enough to walk out there in this weather without a cloak," she replied.
Harry dropped himself on the chair behind him. "You're right. She's obviously somewhere in the castle," he said, exhaling in frustration.
"We just have to wait here until she gets back," she suggested.
Harry checked his watch, "No Ginny, it's late, you should-,"
"Go to bed, right? Just like a good little girl, is that right Harry?" she asked coldly, then turned on her heels and took quick snappy steps towards the dormitories.
"Fine! Go ahead and hate me too!" he yelled after her. He slammed his fist against the desk beside and ripped a piece of parchment in his hand, scrunched it into a ball and whipped it in the fire. "Women," he grunted.
No more then a few seconds later he heard the common room door squeak and whine as someone opened it. Harry turned to see a headful of messy red hair appear through the crack of the door. Ron walked in looking tired and disheartened. He took a seat next to Harry and they sat in silence, the only sound filling the room was the prickling fire.
Ron shuffled slightly in the chair, and then broke the silence, "I guess you didn't have much luck either?"
Harry bucked his head up, he was concentrating on answering the questions buzzing inside his head, he had almost forgotten Ron was there. He shook his head in response.
Ron let out a distressed laugh and rubbed his forehead, "Where could she be? I looked everywhere in the castle, I even revisited the library several times incase she had decided to go back. You don't think she's outside do you?"
"I doubt it," said Harry.
"Yes, I suppose you're right," he agreed but Ron's tired eyes creased into a frown as he inched closer to Harry, "You don't think she really is sneaking out around the castle and snogging Malfoy?" he whispered.
"No," Harry shook his head and stood up as he started pacing the room in front of the fire, "But I'm positive Malfoy has something to do with this."
"Yeah, probably luring Hermione into his bed," Ron spat in disgust.
Harry stopped in his tracks and faced Ron, "Oh come off it, Ron! Hermione wouldn't in a million years do something like that. You're just paranoid because you've liked her since first year."
Ron blinked back at him several times opening and closing his mouth but nothing never came out. "Alright, well what do you suppose Malfoy is doing? And why would he be doing it in the first place?" he finally answered, slightly steering off topic.
"Last year, just before the term had ended, Malfoy had threatened to kill me, you see," Harry started, "Obviously I didn't believe it for a second, but I know he wants revenge. I'm betting he's been plotting any possible method of getting to me, and I'm convinced he's using Hermione."
Ron swallowed hard, "So you think he's hurting her? I mean it's logical, isn't it? He's harming the ones you love because you put his father in jail," he said as a mixture of fear and concern crinkled his forehead.
"That's what I'm afraid of," Harry replied.
Ron stood up and started heading for the door, "Wait until I get my hands on that slimy little f-," but Harry pulled on his collar and pushed him back in his chair.
"We would've noticed if he was physically harming Hermione and besides the fact she's been acting strangely around she seems perfectly unscathed," Harry said calmly, "We'll just wait here until she gets back," he then said as he dropped back in his own seat.
"If she gets back," mumbled Ron.
"Yes, me," replied Malfoy with a smug smile appearing on his lips. "Well, here we are again Granger. What are you doing here this time?" he asked leaning his shoulder against the wall.
Hermione stood up from her spot on the step and faced him properly, "I was waiting for you," she answered coyly.
Draco raised his eyebrow, smirking more than ever. He pushed himself off the wall and walked over slowly to Hermione. He pressed his body against hers, their noses barely touching. He tugged on one of her curls then whispered softly, "Well Granger, I'd like to see where this leads to, but I'm afraid I don't have the time," with that he placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing her forcefully aside and started climbing the stairs ahead of him.
It took a couple of seconds for Hermione to register what was going on. She was caught in the moment and cursed herself for liking it. After realizing Malfoy was getting away she ran up the stairs and cut in front of him, "I have a few questions I want answered."
"I believe I said I don't have time for petty little Mudbloods, so would you please step out of the way?" he said in a bored tone, but his eyes were sharp as if provoking her to even try and get in his way.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" she asked looking behind as if expecting to see an answer, "What's up there that is so important?"
Draco rolled his eyes which landed on her face, "What are these questions?" he growled.
"I would like for you to explain thoroughly your sudden change of character in our relationship," she asked almost business-like.
"Relationship, Granger?" he laughed, then paused, but she never answered, just continued staring at him. "Meet me near the lake in an hour."
"What?" she lashed out, Malfoy asking her to meet her somewhere was something she thought she would never hear coming out of his mouth.
"You heard me, meet me near the lake in an hour," he repeated, his eyes growing sharper, almost to the point of snake-like slits.
"But-,"
"Do you want me to answer your questions or not?" he snarled.
She nodded; she couldn't help the secret smile creeping from the corner of her lips.
"Very well, now move out of the way Mudblood, or else I'll be forced to jinx you," he said in his usual drawling voice, as if this was something he did everyday. Though, knowing Draco Malfoy, jinxing people was probably part of his daily routine.
"It would be my pleasure, Malfoy," she said sweetly then floated past him down the stairs. Once she was down, she turned to look back at him but he was already turning a corner, his cloak gliding behind him.
Feeling rather satisfied with herself, she began walking towards the Gryffindor Tower. All that confusion building up for almost two months now was going to be over in an hour. Relief tingled her insides but she couldn't help but feel reluctant to leave the stairs. She was resisting the urge to run back up the Astronomy Tower to feed her curiosity of what could possibly have been so necessary for Malfoy to attend to. 'After tonight his business will be of no importance to me,' she reassured herself. She had to admit though; it made her intensely giddy being bossed around by Draco Malfoy.
"Well?"
"I didn't find her in any of the dormitories."
"What about her cloak?"
"It was lying on the chair next to her bed."
"Maybe she left without it."
Ginny shook her head. She walked over to the window and placed her fingertips on the foggy surface. When she removed them, the clear fingerprints immediately faded away. "Hermione isn't thick enough to walk out there in this weather without a cloak," she replied.
Harry dropped himself on the chair behind him. "You're right. She's obviously somewhere in the castle," he said, exhaling in frustration.
"We just have to wait here until she gets back," she suggested.
Harry checked his watch, "No Ginny, it's late, you should-,"
"Go to bed, right? Just like a good little girl, is that right Harry?" she asked coldly, then turned on her heels and took quick snappy steps towards the dormitories.
"Fine! Go ahead and hate me too!" he yelled after her. He slammed his fist against the desk beside and ripped a piece of parchment in his hand, scrunched it into a ball and whipped it in the fire. "Women," he grunted.
No more then a few seconds later he heard the common room door squeak and whine as someone opened it. Harry turned to see a headful of messy red hair appear through the crack of the door. Ron walked in looking tired and disheartened. He took a seat next to Harry and they sat in silence, the only sound filling the room was the prickling fire.
Ron shuffled slightly in the chair, and then broke the silence, "I guess you didn't have much luck either?"
Harry bucked his head up, he was concentrating on answering the questions buzzing inside his head, he had almost forgotten Ron was there. He shook his head in response.
Ron let out a distressed laugh and rubbed his forehead, "Where could she be? I looked everywhere in the castle, I even revisited the library several times incase she had decided to go back. You don't think she's outside do you?"
"I doubt it," said Harry.
"Yes, I suppose you're right," he agreed but Ron's tired eyes creased into a frown as he inched closer to Harry, "You don't think she really is sneaking out around the castle and snogging Malfoy?" he whispered.
"No," Harry shook his head and stood up as he started pacing the room in front of the fire, "But I'm positive Malfoy has something to do with this."
"Yeah, probably luring Hermione into his bed," Ron spat in disgust.
Harry stopped in his tracks and faced Ron, "Oh come off it, Ron! Hermione wouldn't in a million years do something like that. You're just paranoid because you've liked her since first year."
Ron blinked back at him several times opening and closing his mouth but nothing never came out. "Alright, well what do you suppose Malfoy is doing? And why would he be doing it in the first place?" he finally answered, slightly steering off topic.
"Last year, just before the term had ended, Malfoy had threatened to kill me, you see," Harry started, "Obviously I didn't believe it for a second, but I know he wants revenge. I'm betting he's been plotting any possible method of getting to me, and I'm convinced he's using Hermione."
Ron swallowed hard, "So you think he's hurting her? I mean it's logical, isn't it? He's harming the ones you love because you put his father in jail," he said as a mixture of fear and concern crinkled his forehead.
"That's what I'm afraid of," Harry replied.
Ron stood up and started heading for the door, "Wait until I get my hands on that slimy little f-," but Harry pulled on his collar and pushed him back in his chair.
"We would've noticed if he was physically harming Hermione and besides the fact she's been acting strangely around she seems perfectly unscathed," Harry said calmly, "We'll just wait here until she gets back," he then said as he dropped back in his own seat.
"If she gets back," mumbled Ron.
"Yes, me," replied Malfoy with a smug smile appearing on his lips. "Well, here we are again Granger. What are you doing here this time?" he asked leaning his shoulder against the wall.
Hermione stood up from her spot on the step and faced him properly, "I was waiting for you," she answered coyly.
Draco raised his eyebrow, smirking more than ever. He pushed himself off the wall and walked over slowly to Hermione. He pressed his body against hers, their noses barely touching. He tugged on one of her curls then whispered softly, "Well Granger, I'd like to see where this leads to, but I'm afraid I don't have the time," with that he placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing her forcefully aside and started climbing the stairs ahead of him.
It took a couple of seconds for Hermione to register what was going on. She was caught in the moment and cursed herself for liking it. After realizing Malfoy was getting away she ran up the stairs and cut in front of him, "I have a few questions I want answered."
"I believe I said I don't have time for petty little Mudbloods, so would you please step out of the way?" he said in a bored tone, but his eyes were sharp as if provoking her to even try and get in his way.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" she asked looking behind as if expecting to see an answer, "What's up there that is so important?"
Draco rolled his eyes which landed on her face, "What are these questions?" he growled.
"I would like for you to explain thoroughly your sudden change of character in our relationship," she asked almost business-like.
"Relationship, Granger?" he laughed, then paused, but she never answered, just continued staring at him. "Meet me near the lake in an hour."
"What?" she lashed out, Malfoy asking her to meet her somewhere was something she thought she would never hear coming out of his mouth.
"You heard me, meet me near the lake in an hour," he repeated, his eyes growing sharper, almost to the point of snake-like slits.
"But-,"
"Do you want me to answer your questions or not?" he snarled.
She nodded; she couldn't help the secret smile creeping from the corner of her lips.
"Very well, now move out of the way Mudblood, or else I'll be forced to jinx you," he said in his usual drawling voice, as if this was something he did everyday. Though, knowing Draco Malfoy, jinxing people was probably part of his daily routine.
"It would be my pleasure, Malfoy," she said sweetly then floated past him down the stairs. Once she was down, she turned to look back at him but he was already turning a corner, his cloak gliding behind him.
Feeling rather satisfied with herself, she began walking towards the Gryffindor Tower. All that confusion building up for almost two months now was going to be over in an hour. Relief tingled her insides but she couldn't help but feel reluctant to leave the stairs. She was resisting the urge to run back up the Astronomy Tower to feed her curiosity of what could possibly have been so necessary for Malfoy to attend to. 'After tonight his business will be of no importance to me,' she reassured herself. She had to admit though; it made her intensely giddy being bossed around by Draco Malfoy.