All characters belong to JK Rowling
Chapter 24 – Draco, Hermione and a Rat makes Three
Present Day:
"Okay, this is not good," Harry said, trying to hide his laughter.
"I think its bloody brilliant!" Draco said, also laughing.
Hermione looked to her right at a laughing Harry Potter, and then to her left at a laughing Draco Malfoy and she said, "You both make me sick!"
"Said the witch who turned someone into a rat," Draco snickered.
Hermione opened her purse and took out the rat. She held in gently in her hands. She said, "What do I do with it?"
"Give it some cheese?" Draco said.
"Put it in a maze and see how fast it goes?" Harry said.
"Wait, I have one," Draco started, but Hermione interrupted.
"NO! I meant, what do I do about this situation! If I change him back, he will report me to the authorities!"
"I am the authorities, you know, I'm head Auror," Harry said, "and I happen to know that extortion and blackmail are illegal too, and I overheard him trying to blackmail you, so I doubt he'll press charges." Harry looked at the rat closely and the rat began to struggle in Hermione's hands.
"Don't drop it," Harry said.
"Here, hold him for me," Hermione said. Harry put his hands in the air and shook his head no.
"I don't like rats," Harry offered.
"Draco?" She turned to him, holding the rat toward him.
"Fine, give him here, but don't blame me if I drop him and accidentally stomp on him," Draco said. Hermione handed him the rat. The rat promptly bit Draco on the finger. He did indeed drop it, but it landed on the couch. Hermione picked it back up and Draco began shouting a line of expletives.
"I will probably get rabies now!" Draco screeched.
"Blaise doesn't have rabies," Hermione said. She found herself petting the little rat's head.
She sat down, with the rat in her lap, and said, "We could turn him back and modify his memory."
"We really can't do that, that's taking things too far," Harry said, forever the good guy. He sat down next to her as Draco walked off to the bathroom.
Flashback:
Hermione apparated Draco directly to Harry's front door. "Isn't this a Muggle neighborhood?" Draco asked.
"Yes, but Harry has a shield charm up in front of his house, so people can safely apparate and disapparate without notice. I have the same. It's darn helpful when you live in a Muggle area of town."
"Why does he live near Muggles?" Draco asked, looking at the nice neighborhood with its big houses.
"I think it's because he grew up with Muggles and it's comfortable to him. For me, I do because my parents bought my house for me, and they bought it in a Muggle neighborhood," she explained. She rang the bell.
Harry Potter opened the door in only a pair of swimming trunks and a white t-shirt. He frowned slightly when he saw Draco, but he invited them both in the house. "Everyone is around back, come on inside," Harry said.
Draco pulled Hermione's sleeve and said, "Who's everybody?"
"Harry's having a pool party this afternoon. That's why I took the afternoon off from work. It's just a few people from work, and such. Would you rather we go somewhere else?" she asked.
He just realized she said 'we'. Were they a 'we'? When did that happen? He said, "I don't have swimming trunks with me." As soon as he said it, he realized that if everyone was swimming, and this was a 'pool party', then that meant Granger would probably be swimming as well…in a swimsuit.
As his mind wandered to places that it shouldn't, she said, "I'm sure Harry has some extras, and if not, we'll transfigure a pair for you." She walked down a long hallway, toward a back sitting room, out a set of double doors, to a nice back garden, with a stone lined patio, and a large swimming pool. There were many familiar faces, and Draco said hello to a few people.
Hermione said, "The bathhouse is back there, if you want to go change. I'll change upstairs." She walked back in the house. He felt out of place, and rather self-conscious, but Potter walked over, threw him a set of trunks, black, thank goodness, and pointed toward the bathhouse.
Draco came back outside before she did. He took a butterbeer from Ron Weasley when it was offered to him. It was hot, and the cold water of the pool looked inviting, but not nearly as inviting as the vision that appeared before his eyes. Hermione Granger came walking outside, a large, white, man's shirt, over her shoulders, completely unbuttoned. Her feet in the same sandals as earlier, her legs longer than he imagined, brown and toned, and underneath the shirt, she had on a turquoise one-piece bathing suit. 'Why does it have to be a one-piece?' Draco thought with remorse.
She smiled at him and said, "Isn't this a great idea for a hot summer day?"
He merely nodded. He stood so close to her, or she stood so close to him, but whichever it was, they were so close to each other that he could count each eyelash if he so pleased. One of Harry's fellow Aurors ran behind Hermione to jump into the pool, and pushed her toward him accidentally. He put out his hands, one hand on each of her arms, to steady her. Her chest brushed up against his. He looked down, and he felt himself ogling her, before he looked back in her eyes. He didn't know what to say.
"Good thing he didn't push us in the pool," she laughed.
"When did you become so affable?" he asked, quite serious.
Her smile faded and she said, "What do you mean?"
"Shouldn't you be walking around here telling me how much you hate me or something?" he asked.
"Why do you have to ruin a perfectly good day?" she asked, walking away from him.
He wondered that himself. Hermione went to sit on a chaise lounge, and pulled out, what else, a book. Draco waited a few minutes and then walked over to her with a glass of lemonade. "Do you want a drink?" he asked, holding out the glass.
She reached up for the peace offering, but the glass was wet from condensation, and it slipped right from her grasp, and lemonade splashed all over her, and the glass fell right in her lap.
"Is that you way of making sure I get in the pool?" Hermione asked, shaking off the lemonade.
"Sorry, Granger," he said. He picked the glass up off her lap, inadvertently brushing the tips of his fingers on her bare thigh. He saw the goose bumps form on her leg. He looked away embarrassed, and she was thankful, for her cheeks grew red as well.
He handed her a towel that was on the chair next to her. He sat down on the end of her chaise lounge. His knee touched the bare skin of her thigh, and he put his arm out to reach across her legs, to prop it on the other arm on the chair, essentially trapping her.
She threw the towel, wet with lemonade, on the ground. He appeared to be studying her. She felt nervous, and opened her book again. He took the book from her hand, and placed it on the ground. He moved so he was slightly closer. His left hand still in front of her, resting on the arm of the chair. His right arm came up and touched her hair.
"In the bright sun, your hair has gold highlights," he observed, touching her hair lightly. His hand came back down, touched her shoulder, and came to rest on the other arm of the chair. She wrapped her arms around her.
"You certainly have a thing for my hair," she observed, nervously.
"You have no idea," he said seriously. He could hardly tell her that he often imagined what it would feel like to have her on top of him, straddling him during either lovemaking or horseplay, and to have her hair come down and brush against his face or chest. Almost like it did this afternoon in the park.
He was still staring at her, when she said, "Do I have something on my nose?"
"Freckles." He smiled at her. He said, "Aren't you hot in that shirt? Whose shirt is that anyway, Potter's?"
"Yes," she said.
"Take it off, then," he said.
"Why?" she asked.
He answered, "Because you're hot."
"You said I was hot, I didn't," she pointed out to him.
His hand went to the collar of the shirt, and as he felt the material, smooth and crisp, between his thumb and forefinger. He had the urge to take if off her shoulders. He started to act on that urge, when he heard, 'Oi, Malfoy!" It was Harry. "Come on, we need another man to play water polo!"
"What is he saying to me?" Draco asked, looking at Hermione.
"It's a game, not to far removed from Quidditch. He wants you to play," Hermione said. He stood up and so did she.
"Do you mind if I play?" he asked.
"Why would I mind?" she asked back.
He didn't know how to respond to that question, so he turned around and jumped in the pool. Hermione went to the shallow end and removed the white shirt, which she stole from Harry's room, and put it on the cement. She turned to lower herself in the pool, climbing backwards down the ladder. Draco turned from where he was, just in time to see her lower herself in the water. Damn, he missed her getting into the pool.
She sank slowly in the water, gliding back up, her brown hair appearing longer and darker, as she emerged from the water, to stand in the shallow end of the pool. Draco was definitely staring at her. He wanted to get closer, but a ball whirled by his head. "Pay attention, Malfoy!" Ron shouted.
Draco was soon caught up in the game. Hermione went to sit on the steps leading out of the pool. She watched the game for a while, and then decided to get out of the water. She was about to get out when Padma Patil came out of the house.
"Okay, gents, the party's about to begin!" Padma shouted. Her sister followed right behind her, as did several others of their old friends from Hogwarts. Each girl was prettier than the next, with various shades of bikinis.
The men stopped their game, and some climbed out of the pool. Hermione stepped down the steps, to enter the pool again. Draco started to swim over toward her, as Padma Patil came to stand beside the edge.
"Draco Malfoy, what are you doing at a pool party at Harry Potter's house?" she asked. Hermione looked up. The beautiful dark girl had on a purple two-piece swimsuit, which left nothing to the imagination. Draco smiled at her, and climbed the ladder. They were soon in a deep conversation.
Hermione swam another couple of laps, stealing glances occasionally toward Draco and Padma.
Padma kept laughing and she had her hand on his bare arm. Hermione had to admit that Draco looked very nice in a bathing suit. As soon as she thought it, she was ashamed.
She swam back over to the ladder where she left the long sleeve shirt. She climbed out, put the white shirt back on, and turned to see Draco pick up Padma and threaten to throw her in the pool. For some reason, a tinge of jealousy coursed through her like electricity through a cattle prod. She picked up her towel, her book and her sandals, and she walked in the house.
Draco was threatening to throw Padma in the pool. He picked her up and she squealed. He did it merely to make Hermione jealous. He realized that either it didn't work at all, or it worked too well, when he saw her pick up her belongings and walk back in the house.
He placed Padma back on the ground, excused himself, and walked toward the house. He grabbed a towel that was on a chair, wrapped it around his waist, and walked up the stairs.
He didn't know where Granger was. He poked his head in one door, and it was an empty bedroom. The second door was as well. The third, door, was a bathroom. He opened that door, and there she was, completely naked, drying herself with a towel.
Her eyes grew wide, as she put the towel over her. He really didn't see anything, dammit, however, she yelled, he apologized, and he shut the door.
Why didn't she lock the door? He stood outside the bathroom and he didn't know what to do or say. She walked out of the bathroom, dressed back in her blue sundress, and she said, "Why didn't you knock?"
"Why didn't you lock?" he said back to her.
"Well, you have a point, but still," she said, her voice full of vinegar, her body rigid with anger.
"Really, there wasn't much to see," he said. That came out wrong.
She said, "Well, excuse me if I don't have Padma's figure!"
"I meant, I really only saw your face and the towel!" he said, holding his hands up in an 'I surrender' pose. "Really," he continued, "I didn't see you at all today. You came out in that damn shirt, and then you slipped in the pool and out of the pool before I could see anything, that's what I meant!" He didn't know if his ranting was helping or hurting. He would soon find out, he was sure.
"Did you want to see me?" she asked. Her voice was at an alarmingly low decibel.
He said, "Pardon?" He had heard her; he just wanted her to repeat it.
She looked at the floor and said, "Did you want to see me?" She looked up at his eyes.
"Well, of course, I had hoped I would," he admitted.
"WHY?"
"Granger, stop being so imperceptive! You're too smart for that and it's getting old," he said with anger. "You have to know how I feel! You have to know what I think of you!"
Just then, Padma walked up the stairs. She said, "Draco, if you were serious before, about wanting to try my cooking, I would like to cook for you tonight, say about 7:30?" Draco looked at Padma, then to Hermione.
Hermione pushed passed him and said, "Goodbye, Draco, you have fun."
Draco excused himself from Padma and ran down the stairs. He opened the front door and grabbed her arm before she could disapparate. "Why are you being so unpleasant all of the sudden. What have I done?" he asked.
"What have I done?" she asked.
In all seriousness, she really hadn't done anything. He said, "Just, please, you brought me here, it's rude for you to leave me here. At least take me back where you found me."
"You aren't a wayward library book. I don't have to return you. You can get home yourself. I brought you here to have a nice swim, so swim, it's not a big deal," she said.
"Granger, if you walk away from me this time, then I give up on you. I won't pursue you any longer," he said.
"You pursue me?" she asked quietly. He shut the front door. He walked up to her and touched her face. His fingers tingled just at touching her.
"Fuck this Granger. You know how I feel. I've shown you and told you a million times. Just tell me I have a chance. Tell me you feel the same. I think you do sometimes, and other times, I just don't know," he admitted.
"Draco, the truth is you confuse the hell out me," she admitted.
"That's okay, isn't it?" he asked.
Padma opened the front door. She said, "Hermione, Anthony just arrived around back. He's looking for you." She smiled and shut the door.
"I thought you said you weren't dating anyone right now," Draco said.
"We aren't dating, I mean, we are, and I don't know why I didn't tell you that earlier," Hermione said, looking at her shoes.
"Damn, Granger, why?" Draco said. "You know what, I give up. You and Goldstein deserve each other."
"What do you know!" she said.
He grabbed her arms and pulled her body to him. He smashed his mouth down on hers, pressing so hard that her teeth pressed on the inside of her lips, causing pain. He put one hand in her wet hair and the other hand on her back, and held her relentlessly. This wasn't how he always wanted to kiss her, but he might not get another chance.
He moved his mouth slightly, to force his tongue inside hers. She tried to push him away, her hands on his shoulders. He wasn't enjoying this kiss half as much as he always imagined, but of course, he always imagined she would kiss him back.
He finally removed his mouth from hers. She immediately put her hands up to her mouth, and he saw a tear in her eye. He knew he screwed up, and it was hopeless. She looked right in his eye and said, "I hate you Draco Malfoy! I really, really do!" She ran down the porch and disapparated away. She left her book and her bag with the swimsuit on the porch. He picked them up, placed them by the door, went to the bathroom, and changed, and apparated home.
He ruined everything. She would never love him now.
Present Day:
She walked up to Harry's bathroom and knocked on the door. She opened it before he answered. He was rummaging through the medicine cabinet. "I could have been using the toilet, Granger," he said.
"So, I don't mind seeing your ding dong," she chuckled.
"You did not just call my penis a 'ding dong'," he said back, trying hard not to smile. "I don't mind if you give him a pet name, but not that."
"What are you doing in here?" she asked.
"Looking for a plaster," he said.
"Here, I'll heal it," she answered, taking his hand in one of hers, and getting her wand out of her pocket.
"Are you sure you won't change me into some type of animal? What eats rats?" Draco wondered.
"A cat?" she said.
"Yes, that's it, change me to a cat, just for a moment, let him go, and I will take care of our problem," Draco said as she healed his finger. She held his hand after she healed it and placed a kiss on his finger. She smiled at him and he smiled back. "Do you really love me?" he asked.
"Very much. I've actually loved you for probably as long as you've loved me," she answered.
"I don't believe that," he said. He brought his hand up to her face, and leaned in and kissed her lips.
Harry walked in the bathroom with the rat in his hands. He placed one hand over the rat's eyes. "Excuse me, lovebirds, but the rat and I don't need to see that. Can we change him back now?'
Hermione said, "We might as well. Put him down and I'll do the honours." He put the rat down on the floor of the upstairs hall. Hermione could swear the rat was smirking at her. She took out her wand and said, "Do I have to, Harry? Things will be so much better if we keep him like this. I have a very nice cage at home we could put him in, and I will feed him and put down fresh paper everyday."
"No, you can't keep him as a pet, Hermione. Just do it, okay?" Harry chastised.
With one small flick and swish of her wand, the rat changed back into Blaise Zabini. He stood up and said, "I hope Malfoy's finger gets infected from where I bit him, and it rots and falls off his hand!"
"See, Harry, he was much nicer as a rat," Hermione whined.
Blaise turned to her and said, "And as for you, Hermione! I hope you are resigned not only to lose this election now, but to going to jail! Arrest her Potter!"
"I don't think so, Zabini," Harry said, as he leaned against the upstairs banister.
Blaise said, "I'll go report both of you to the Ministry right now!" Blaise said. He started down the stairs. Hermione looked at Draco, then at Harry. She looked worried. Harry winked at her.
Blaise had opened the front door when Harry said from upstairs, "I know what you and Goldstein have over the Minister." Blaise slammed the door shut. Harry peeked his head over the upstairs banister, joined a second later by Hermione Granger, and a second after that by Draco Malfoy.
"You're bluffing," Blaise said.
"Really? What would make Minister Weasley give up a post that he holds so dear?" Harry walked down the stairs, followed by the other two. Once downstairs, he walked to the living room, and sat down on the couch, as if he hadn't a care in the world. Hermione stayed in the foyer, as did Blaise and Draco. All three looked in the archway that led to the living room, and stared right at Harry.
Harry continued, "Yes, I know that the Minister doesn't particularly want anyone to know of his sexual persuasion, but he always knew there was a chance it would get out and if it did, he was resigned to that fact. He wouldn't give up the job for that. So, why would he give it up? The only thing more important to Percy is what, Hermione?"
"I don't know," she said, coming in the room to sit by Harry on the couch. "His reputation is pretty important."
"Draco, do you know?" Harry asked with a smile.
Draco walked in the room and said, "Just spill the beans, Potter, and stop with the twenty questions."
Harry crossed his legs on the coffee table, put his hands behind his head, and said, "Well, I bet Blaise knows. What's the answer, Blaise?"
Blaise walked in the room, and said, "His family, Potter, as if you didn't know that."