"Are you kidding me?! How could you possibly get your own hair mistaken for Umbridge's?!" I... He... Draco yelled at me.
I just stared wide-eyed at the angry and frustrated expression on my face. I couldn't hold back the giggles that turned to hysterical laughter.
"This isn't funny, not only do we no longer have a plan but now I'm stuck as you for the next eight hours!"
When I sobered up I touched his hair, the scraggly brown locks didn't look so bad when displayed around my shoulders like that. Then it hit me.
"We've been doing this all wrong! We don't need Umbridge at all!" I rushed into our bedroom and scoured his stuff, going over to his pillow and snagging a single strand of short platinum hair. I rushed back over to the cauldron and dropped it in. Drinking it while he watched me confused.
"How does turning into me help anyone? Why didn't you just change me back?!"
"I need to be the one to question him, I wanna see if I can get him to tell you exactly what he agreed to with Umbridge. You'd probably just kill him." I stared at my new vantage point, I looked so tiny compared to this new height, I always thought Draco was only a head taller than me but geez. At least I still have some growing to do, I soothed myself as I looked at the top of my head and smiled gleefully.
"Okay if you're going to pass as me then you can smile like that, and stand up straight! Why couldn't I have convinced Crabbe to spill his guts? I can be... gentle."
I shot a look at the clock and my eyes grew wide, "Not enough time I gotta go!" I rushed out of the door, leaving his huffing face behind me as I raced downstairs and thankfully avoided teachers enough to get to the main hall.
Should I make my way to dinner? No, it's almost over, it'll look weird. Wait in the common room? I don't know the password!
Before I knew it, student flowed from the double doors some ways down from me. I strode in the direction of the Slytherin common rooms and leaned on a pillar, trying my best to look like I wasn't searching the crowd intently for one short, fat bloke.
I spotted Crabbe in the midst of a group of Slytherins, talking with Goyle and Parkinson and seemingly enjoying the spot of popularity he gained from doing something so horrid. Remember to act like Draco...
"Crabbe, got a minute?" The trio stopped while the rest of their group scurried off, either Draco was scarier than I thought or they really wanted to get to bed.
Crabbe looked like the color drained out of his face slightly, Goyle just seemed a bit scared and Pansy was looking at me like I was some sort of dessert placed upon a try in front of her. It was honestly a bit frightening, I tried to keep my air of nonchalance and swallowed.
"I don't remember asking for the two of you. Leave." That's something he would say, right?
"You've got some nerve, Drakey. Disappearing this week after coming on to me so much, no one likes a tease." Pansy pouted, putting her hands on her slim hips.
Coming on to her? "Not now, Parkinson. We can talk about your diluted fantasies some other time."
"How about tonight, you remember how to get into my room..." She slid a pointy finger down my chest and I couldn't suppress the shiver, it ran through my entire body and she took that as a good thing. Walking off with a sway in her hips as she dragged Goyle with her.
I was left alone with Crabbe who seemed like the last place he wanted to be was here but a glance around the open hallway told me this wasn't a good idea. "Come." Draco would expect him to follow so I tried not to look back as I walked further down an adjacent hall and stopped in front of the first door, opening it and peering into a broom closet. I ushered him in and stood with my back to the door, casting a silencing charm before meeting his eyes with what I hoped was a cold stare.
"L-listen Draco, I'm bloody sorry about what happened-" Crabbe started to spout, clearly buying this act I was putting on. I'm better at this than I thought.
"Then why'd you do it?"
"N-no one in our house cared that I did it, y-you know she was a mud-"
"I didn't ask you that." I stopped leaning against the door and stood up straight, looking down on his tiny, sad frame. "Why. Did. You. Do it?"
He opened his mouth before closing it slightly and scowling. "You shouldn't even care about her! You're a bloody Malfoy! I-it's only a matter of time before your father finds out and you know he will-"
I glared and gripped his shoulder tightly, watching him wince and almost enjoying it. "My family is, and never will be your concern. However, you're right, Crabbe." He looked up incredulously. "I am a Malfoy. That means I can and will crush anyone in my way and right now that includes your worthless hide. If you don't tell me what I want to know, I can make life here so difficult you'll wish I had used the Cruciatus Curse on you. All that popularity you seem to like so much will be a dream and you'll wake up in hell every day until graduation."
He eyes grew to the size of saucers. "U-Umbridge! She told me to! Sh-she said that if I cursed the mudblood I wouldn't get in trouble! I'd get an A in the class and..."
"And?"
"She said that my family would be safe when... When the Dark Lord came back."
I was awestruck, this woman couldn't promise that, could she? How would he come back? Harry made sure that if he did survive he wouldn't have the power to harm anyone... How would he come back?
I opened the closet and pushed Crabbe out wordlessly, he scampered off and disappeared behind the big painting of a well-dressed man. My mind whirled, sure I heard Lucius say something about the Dark Lord but even to be working for him didn't seem like much of a threat at the time. So, he did some meddling for him, but how would Hogwarts gain him his power back?"
I made my way back to the ROR and when I walked in I could hear the shower running. Draco must be... What?!
I rushed into the bathroom and watched through the glass door as a silhouette of my small frame stood underneath the hot spray. It looked like my hands were fondling my breasts and not in a way that spoke of simply cleaning my body. I pushed the glass door out of the way and watched as he/me jumped nearly a foot in the air.
"How long?"
"W-what? Hermione, I can-"
"How long did it take you to think of this stupid idea after I left?"
He looked everywhere but at me, not noting how his hands were still somewhere I very much wanted to punch him for. I sighed and closed the bathroom door, disrobing before opening it again and stepping into it behind him.
It felt strange to be the one behind him, especially when he looked back up at me and cringed when his eyes traveled down his own body. The awkwardness of the situation was laughable and I just couldn't help myself as I laughed so hard I had to sit on the shower floor to keep from toppling over.
Eventually, he joined me, sitting next to me on the shower floor, laughing at me holding my cramping stomach and stiff, pained cheeks. The loud and deep resounding laughter that filled the room only made me laugh worse and I was convinced I was about to die of joy in a body that wasn't even my own. This situation was so absurd!
Firm, soft lips pressed against mine and the laughter died, giving way to a soft moan as his kisses turned deep and searching. It had been so long since any intimacy existed between us. Everything that happened around us was too raw for me, even the internal chest I'd locked away with all thoughts of being cursed and the resulting loss rattled as we kissed and embraced in that tiny, wet space.
When we broke apart he only gave me an inch of space to breath, cupping my cheek and looking into my eyes.
"It's strange. I can see myself but the moment I look into your eyes I can see all those expressions and emotions as clearly as if they were on your face."
I reached up and tugged on his bottom lip softly. "Funny you say that, all I can see is me." I giggled a bit, more of a chuckle in his baritone voice but a soft girly sound nonetheless.
He yelped just before he could make a comment and soon after I was rushing to escape the cold rain showering over us. Picking up my robe and tying it around myself as I walked to our bedroom. The stupid cloth barely made it past the tops of my thighs and I felt woefully exposed as the air ran over my skin.
"If you even think about reaching for one of those nightgowns of yours I will kill you."
Draco sauntered past me and grabbed a pair of his silk pants, tossing them at me along with his boxers as he rummaged through my drawers. Finally holding up an emerald green bra set that I only remember wearing the Christmas before my first year at Hogwarts, where the color became a whole new symbol of its own.
"You've been holding out on me."
I rolled my eyes as I got under the sheets and closed my eyes, trying to pretend I wasn't watching and shooting daggers at him when he had a little too much fun putting clothes on. When he got in bed I had to object.
"I would never sleep like that!"
"Well, you should. Maybe then you wouldn't feel the need to kick all the cover off in your sleep."
He hugged me around my waist and I tried not to laugh, focusing on my annoyance rather than the absurdity of the situation.
Before I could fall asleep he just had to ask. "So, does that mean you have no curiosities about my body? I'm hurt, Granger."
"Shut your trap, Malfoy. I don't even know what to... You know what just go to bed."
Come morning I opened my eyes sleepily and turned over, burrowing my face into his neck and shifting closer to him. His arms clasped around me and I opened my eyes, smiling up at his satisfied smirk. He really was a beautiful beast, for a Slytherin of course.
"Um, love the new look." He started to chuckle as he stretched his lithe frame.
The pants he'd given me to where dangling off my hips and I was topless, quickly covering my chest with a sheet and shooting him a glare until I looked at him and begun giggling to myself. "You don't look so bad yourself."
His eyebrows shot up and he ran to the bathroom, letting out a string of expletives as my bra and underwear went flying across the expanse of the living room.
When I was tying my bushy hair up into a ponytail he hugged my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. "Did you get what we needed last night?"
"Yup!" I turned and punched him in the arm. "What did Parkinson mean by you know how to get into her room?!"
"Ow! Bloody hell woman! What?!"
"Crabbe told me everything, more than enough to get someone at the Ministry to believe us and bring our headmaster back."
I walked out of the room with my bag slung over my shoulder, patting Bailey and Olive on the way out and playfully ignoring Draco as he raced after me.
"Good morning, Harry. Good morning, Ron." I sat beside Ron and tried in vain to teach Ron some sort of table etiquette.
"Morning, Hermione." Harry seemed to be in good spirits himself and I noticed Ginny sat not far from us today, she was just a few people down along with some other third-year friends. "I set up the, uh, meeting for tomorrow. That alright?"
"More than that, Harry." I plopped my bag on my left side and began to pick and choose things for breakfast.
"You're in an awfully good mood." Ron threw out between swallows of bacon.
"I guess I'm just ready for a change, you know? I'd rather not spend all of my time stressed, aren't you both the same?"
Harry nodded while Ron just shrugged and continued to eat, Weasley's...
"Can anyone tell me what the Blasting Curse does? Anyone?" Umbridge was using the classroom for once instead of having us perform for her sick amusement. Everything about her for her deeds to that shrill voice irritated me, today especially as she gave yet another lecture on offensive spells.
I reluctantly raised my hand when no one else would and she showed no interest in just resuming the pitiful lesson. "It causes whatever the caster points at to explode."
"Yes, Miss Granger but I do wish that you would learn to wait to be called on instead of simply blurting out the answer. Terribly uncivilized."
Without raising my hand, I felt something in me stretch and snap. "When will we learn defensive spells? You know, since this is Defense Against the Dark Arts shouldn't we know some defensive spells?"
Her hand twitched but she stood unmoving, her face a hard mask as she slowly talked to me, as if I was a child. "Why don't you go spend some time with your beloved headmaster, Granger. I won't have you disrupting other students' learning."
I gathered my books and rushed out of the class, my blood boiling with no intention of seeing Snape for anything. He would never be my headmaster, even if we were on the same side for once.
I sat in the ROR, talking with Olive and Bailey as I spread various books around me and delved into the stories of the great wizarding war.
"Is this a normal occurrence for you? Ever since we've been here it's been nothing but strife for you and young Draco, except for the month you left us here." Olive sat by the fire, complaining about the temperature, not for the first time.
"I told you, I would've loved to take you but I was a bit preoccupied with other news. Besides, I left you both plenty of food and water." I skimmed another paragraph, stopping at the mention of Voldemort but eventually sighing and looking back up. "It wasn't like this at all, whenever something terrible happened Dumbledore or Harry were the ones to fix it, I was only counted on to help. Sure, things aren't always peaceful but that's why I read, to be in someone else's exciting life. Now I'm the exciting one and I feel... lost. What if this Order member chooses not to believe me?"
"That's why you spoke to the meanie that hurt you, wasn't it? And why you spent so long in front of the mirror without clothes on?" Bailey crawled onto the book I was reading and made her home in the valley between pages.
"I didn-" Draco, of course, he would stare at me before getting into the shower to violate me. "I intend to show them the recording I have but what if they don't bring Dumbledore back? It's been too long for us all to go without some semblance of normalcy and I'm afraid. If Voldemort is truly coming back then we've got a much bigger problem on our hands than some terrible old woman."
"My old owner used to say something along the lines of 'everything happens for a reason'. After all that has happened, wouldn't you believe the same?"
I looked between the both of them, so naïve and yet the epitome of what I want to protect. "After living in this room, having the both of you around, and being with Draco... I have no choice but to believe that I'm supposed to be here."
More skimming and a half a glass of water later, I was curling myself into a ball on the plush carpet, surrounded by books on the one person I'd hoped was just a nightmare for the past three years.