The Ten Labors of Draco and Hermione
Note: Yes, I know, I haven't updated in a while… I had a really, really busy week (it was the end of the quarter at school and I had LOTS of homework, projects, tests, etc.)…
A HUGE THANKS TO where-my-heart-resides, FOR NOMINATING THIS STORY AT THE "HE HAD IT COMING" DRAMIONE AWARDS!
And thanks to my 1500th reviewer, ANNiEEx3!
Ooh, and I think I forgot to mention this before, but no one except Krum heard Draco's little love-confession (where he randomly shouted that he like Hermione).
Yes, thanks to everyone for telling me the Slytherin Common Room was in the dungeons. I'm going to pretend they have a tower… I have a feeling that having the common room and dormitories in a tower will be useful later on…
(Pointless) Disclaimer: One day, honest FanFiction authors won't have to worry about angry real-life authors chasing them and hitting them on the head with books. Until then, Harry Potter and his gang of miscreants (that means you, Snape!) does not belong to me, but to the honorable J. K. Rowling, who I am certain would never ever run around hitting people with books while screaming "GO TO JAIL, CHARACTER-STEALERS!", like some of my friends/acquaintances would. Moral of this paragraph: Never let an angry author (or an angry friend, for that matter) get his/her hands on a very heavy book, say Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Other moral of this paragraph: When a friend hits you on the head with the fifth Harry Potter book, it hurts a lot.
Oh, and I must mention this: personally, I really don't like this chapter, and I understand that you might feel the same way once you finish reading it. I truly hate to let you guys down, but what happens in this chapter has to happen. Although I feel horrible writing this chapter, it is still important to this story, and there is a reason things turned out this way. I have spent ages deciding whether I made the right choice in doing what I did at the end of this chapter, but I sent this chapter to my friend, and she said I should leave it as it is. So, I did.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Chapter 37 – A Fight With Pillows… A Pillow Fight!
Krum was leaning against the back wall of the closet.
Hermione backed away slowly, unsure of what to do or say.
"Hermy-oh-nee…" Krum said in his accent.
Hermione's voice was caught in her throat.
"I vanted to talk to you," Krum continued.
Hermione nodded, taking careful notice of all possible escape routes.
"I am glad to see you again…" Krum said.
Hermione contemplated whether Krum was going to hurt her or not.
"I did not know ven I vood be able to say this…" Krum looked nervous.
Hermione wondered why.
"I missed you."
Hermione gave a soft "Oh,".
Then, there was an awkward silence.
Krum found the floor very interesting.
"I… I m-missed y-you too," Hermione couldn't help but reply.
They both knew it was a lie.
Suddenly, Krum looked up. "Hermy-oh-nee, I must ask you zis…"
Hermione feared for the worst. Had Krum somehow discovered that she like Draco?
Krum sensed Hermione's apprehension and decided to switch the question abruptly, for Hermione's sake.
"Do you know where zee Snitch is?"
Hermione blinked. "What?"
Krum repeated his question.
"No idea," Hermione lied.
Krum examined the floor once again. Hermione couldn't see it, but his eyes were sorrowful.
Hermione was almost certain that he had found out about her and Draco and was going to ask about it.
She was right, Krum was about to ask about her relationship with Draco.
"So… Is there anything else?" Hermione asked, breaking the silence.
Krum once again considered asking her about Draco, but he already had an answer.
"No, zere is nothing else."
Hermione cast a spell with her wand and unlocked the door. She grabbed her trunk and left.
Krum sat on a cardboard box.
Krum had to admit to himself: he still liked Hermione, perhaps more than he ever had before.
It had taken him forever to figure out how to escape the crowds of adoring fans that swarmed around him after the Quidditch game. But, after everyone entered Hogwarts, the crowds dispersed faster than Snape could give out a detention. Krum had avoided the nifflers by sneaking into the Slytherin Common Room, where he offered to sign Pansy Parkinson's hat if she would guarantee him time with Hermione.
And here he was. Now, Krum was almost positive Hermione liked Draco as much as he liked her; the look on her face was as revealing as Pansy's outfit.
Krum sighed. Three years ago, he was sure Hermione liked him. Once he left Hogwarts, they wrote long letters to each other practically every day. But, a year later, there were fewer and fewer letters. Eventually, correspondence between Viktor Krum and Hermione Granger ended completely.
Krum rested his head in his hands. It was hopeless. He had lost Hermione to Draco Malfoy.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hermione rushed out of the closet and up the stairs, searching for the girls' dormitory, and also for Pansy. After a few minutes, she came upon a door marked "Seventh Year Girls' Dormitory". She burst through the door and searched for Pansy amongst the small group of girls sitting on their beds. Finally, Hermione found her.
"PANSY!" Hermione yelled.
"Back so soon, Mudblood?" Pansy replied without looking up from the magazine in her hands.
"HOW COULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!" Hermione cried.
Pansy looked at Hermione, and Hermione glared at her.
"Better unpack your things, Mudblood, it's gonna be a long night."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
As much as Hermione would hate to admit it, a group of giggling girls poring over hot guys in magazines are absolutely impossible to ignore, especially if the ringleader of the group happens to be Pansy Parkinson.
"For the 19th time, Pansy, would you please shut up!" Hermione soon found herself repeating endlessly.
It was 9 PM, and the amount of homework Hermione had managed to accomplish was… zero.
"I'm sorry, Mudblood, why don't you relax? Go to a spa? Enjoy a mud bath!" Pansy collapsed into a fit of giggles, and the girls around her did the same.
Hermione slammed her Potions book shut and glared at Pansy, who smirked.
"Be nice, little Mudblood, or else we'll shove mud down your throat!" another fit of giggles followed Pansy's comment.
Hermione was actually impressed by the amount of lame insults Pansy could come up with in the past few hours.
"You know, Pansy, they say that giggling is good for the abs; I bet, underneath last season's v-neck purple-striped-I-don't-give-a-crap-who-designed-it-tank top, you might actually possess a six-pack," Hermione fired back.
"These aren't last season!" Pansy declared, and she and the other girls began a long discussion over who's clothing were last season's.
Hermione sighed. She opened her Potions book again and hoped that Pansy would be too distracted by "This shirt is magenta, not pink!" to insult her.
Well, Pansy's short attention span worked against Hermione, for after four minutes, Pansy returned to insulting Hermione.
"I bet even Weasley wouldn't go out with a dork like you!" Pansy said, and everyone around her giggled again.
"You know, I bet if you got some plastic surgery, you might almost look half-pretty!" Hermione said.
Pansy and the other girls soon went into a discussion of what plastic surgery was, since obviously, none of them were Muggle-born.
Hermione was rewarded approximately two insult-free minutes, not that it mattered, being within ten feet of Pansy was bad enough.
A while later, Hermione soon realized something was wrong: it was quiet.
Hermione looked up from her homework and looked at Pansy and her friends, who were staring at her.
"What!" Hermione snapped, glaring at Pansy.
"Nothing, just admiring your penmanship," Pansy replied innocently.
Hermione snorted. She didn't know penmanship was in Pansy's vocabulary.
"Of course, if everyone could write like you, writing wouldn't be hard anymore," Pansy continued.
Since when is writing hard? Hermione wondered.
"But seeing how you're… ahem… lacking in the beauty department, your intelligence seems to make up for it," Pansy drawled.
Hermione resumed glaring at Pansy.
"But I hope you don't take it personally, it's not your fault you're ugly!" Pansy faked concern for Hermione.
Hermione had had enough.
"Yeah, well here's something I hope you don't take personally!" Hermione yelled.
Before the smirk could fade from Pansy's face, Hermione whacked her in the head with a pillow.
There was a second of silence, as Pansy had a dumbfounded expression on her face… Wait, it was just a dumb expression, never mind.
Then…
"AARGHH!" Pansy roared, grabbing a pillow from her bed and throwing it at Hermione.
Hermione ducked, and the pillow hit the wall, knocking down a portrait of a hideous mermaid.
Hermione picked up another pillow and threw it at Pansy's head.
The pillow missed Pansy and hit one of her friends.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I-" Hermione started apologizing…
…Until Pansy promptly hit her in the head with a lamp.
"HA!" Pansy shrieked.
Hermione growled.
Pansy stopped laughing. Her tiny ounce of a brain cell told her to back away from the angry Hermione.
Suddenly, without warning, Hermione launched herself at Pansy and started hitting her with random items on the floor.
Pansy suffered beatings from books… magazines… rolls of parchment… quills… the occasional ink bottle…
Then, Pansy ran to her bed and flung a near-empty trunk at Hermione, knocking her over.
Hermione fell. She didn't move.
Pansy was mildly worried. A few quiet minutes later, she became really worried. So where the other girls.
"Mudblood?" Pansy said uncertainly. She walked over to where Hermione lie. "Granger? Are you dead?"
Pansy reached out a hand and poked Hermione's arm. "Mudblood? Wakey, wakey?"
All of a sudden, Hermione grabbed Pansy's outstretched arm. Pansy squealed in fright. She reminded Hermione of a mouse.
Hermione threw pillow after pillow at Pansy.
Hermione was screaming death threats.
Pansy was just plain screaming.
Everyone else watched.
Then, the door burst open.
It was Snape. But not the normal hideous and grumpy Snape, this time it was the raging mad, I'm-about-to-murder-you-if-I-hear-as-much-as-a-single-squeak-from-you Snape. Although still hideous.
"CEASE THIS NONSENSE AT ONCE!" Snape roared.
The "nonsense" ceased at once.
"WHO STARTED THIS!" Snape asked.
Seven fingers pointed at Hermione. Hermione's finger pointed at Pansy. Pansy's finger forgot how to point.
"WHAT IS GOING ON!" Snape continued to holler. You'd think he'd lose his voice by now.
"…Pillow…" Pansy mumbled weakly, rubbing her head.
"…Fight…" Hermione mumbled, massaging her arm.
Snape gave a "Hmph!", as in an I-don't-give-a-damn-what-you're-doing-just-let-me-go-back-to-work-in-peace-so-I-can-continue-my-miserable-life kind of "Hmph!"
"AS OF THIS MOMENT, I FORBID YOU TO HIT EACH OTHER WITH PILLOWS!" Snape bellowed.
A few seconds passed.
Then, something within Hermione and Pansy's minds clicked, if Pansy even possessed a mind.
If they can't hit each other with pillows…
…Then they can just plain hit each other.
Suddenly, Hermione punched Pansy in the stomach, and Pansy slapped Hermione's face.
The "nonsense" resumed.
Snape wasn't sure whether to end the fight, give out detentions, or go grab a bowl of popcorn.
"AAHHH!" Pansy screamed as Hermione kicked her in the shin.
"OOOWWW!" Hermione yelled as Pansy scratched her arm.
"HIIIYAAAHH!" soon became Hermione's war chant, as she repeatedly punched Pansy's back.
"GGAHH!" Pansy cried when she jumped on Hermione's back and started pulling her hair.
Snape decided to take action, before someone loses an eye. "STOP THIS NONSENSE!"
Once again, the "nonsense" stopped.
"VIOLENCE IS NOT THE ANSWER!" Snape shouted.
"…It's the question…" Hermione added.
"…And the answer is yes!" Pansy shrieked.
Pansy punched Hermione, who screamed.
"I FORBID THE TWO OF YOU TO USE VIOLENCE!" Snape ordered.
A few seconds passed. Hermione had some sort of odd déjà vu feeling…
Then, something in the minds of Pansy and Hermione clicked.
If they can't use violence…
…They can use…
"WANDS!" Hermione and Pansy cried simultaneously.
Snape groaned. "It never ends!"
Hermione whipped out her wand. Pansy did the same.
"Stupe-" Hermione began, but was cut short.
Pansy leapt on Hermione's back and started stabbing her with her wand.
"Well, that's an interesting twist," Snape commented.
Thus began a swordfight, or rather, wandfight.
…Until Pansy's wand broke.
"MY WAND!" Pansy cried as Hermione smacked it fiercely with her wand.
"It's not like you were going to use it anyway," Hermione said.
"True…" Pansy said slowly.
Hermione backed away from Pansy to catch her breath.
"Aww… It's over!" Snape cried.
"…"
"…I mean, thank goodness the two of you have ceased this nonsense!" Snape corrected hastily. "Now, to ensure that this does not happen again, although it was quite entertaining, I will separate this room into two halves."
"But what about the other girls?" Pansy wondered.
"Then they will stay one your side of the room," Snape snapped. He took out his wand and created a magical line dividing the room.
Pansy stared at the bright blue line. "Why does it have to be blue? Why can't it be a color more socially acceptable, like pink?"
"Because I said so," Snape replied.
"So… What happens if the line is crossed?" Hermione asked.
Hermione stepped toward the line, and ran into a wall of solid air.
"You can't cross the line," Snape said smugly.
"Then how do I go out the door?" Pansy asked.
Snape paused for a second. "Good point." He used his wand to rearrange the line so it divided the door in half. "Oh, and I shall collect your wands, so no one gets any ideas…" Snape took Hermione's wand, and the pieces of Pansy's wand.
"Wait, so is this like some sort of anger treatment?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, now if you don't mind, I would like to go to bed," Snape snapped. "Good night. Enjoy each other's company." And with that, he left the room.
Pansy and Hermione stared at each other.
If I make it out alive, Hermione thought, I'll kiss Draco. It took Hermione a moment to realize that it was something she wanted to do…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
That night was perhaps the longest night in Hermione's life. There was a distinct reason why Hermione couldn't fall asleep, and it was a very horribly annoying reason.
Pansy snores.
Hermione had planned to create a soundproof wall, except Snape took her wand. Smothering her face with pillows didn't work, either.
Pansy gave a particularly loud snore that drove Hermione insane.
Even Ron snores softer than that! Hermione thought, remembering the time she spent at the Burrow.
How Hermione wanted to be in Gryffindor again!
Hermione checked her watch. It was three in the morning.
She couldn't take it anymore.
Hermione sat up in bed and picked up her pillow. Then, a though occurred to her. Hermione chucked the pillow at Pansy. Pansy moaned.
"Draco… Stop it… Ohh... Mmm... Draco..." Pansy said between snores.
Hermione was disgusted by whatever dream Pansy was having… She was also annoyed by Pansy's obsession with Draco.However, Hermione wasfeeling somewhat relieved that Draco didn't like Pansy.
Hermione got out of bed and left the dormitory. She tiptoed down the stairs, searching for a bathroom. Maybe I can sleep in there, Hermione thought.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Viktor Krum had no idea how long he had been sitting in the closet. When he thought about Hermione, Krum could daydream for hours on end.
Hermione…
Krum ignored his drooping eyelids. He let his eyes close. An image filled his head.
Hermione…
If only he could see her again… One last time…
Krum knew he would have to leave soon… Everyone probably assumed he had already left Hogwarts. Dumbledore had not provided any sort of transportation, except for a broom. Krum was glad… There would be no one waiting for him… No one would be worried when he did not show up…
Hermione…
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get her out of his head. Krum was overwhelmed by sadness. His beloved Hermione had fallen in love with someone else. Draco Malfoy, of all people.
A life without Hermione is no life at all… Krum thought. I have no life left to live…
How he longed to see her! To hear her voice! To run his fingers through her hair!
Finally, he came to a conclusion. Hermione would be happy. It no longer matters that he would not.
Krum reflected on the events of the day. So much had happened. He had arrived at Hogwarts overjoyed at a chance to see Hermione again… And his heart had broken when he realized Draco Malfoy loved her, and she loved him too.
There was only one thing left to do, one more thing that would make this night complete.
In the lives of Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, there was just one detail that didn't belong. Viktor Krum.
But after tonight, there would be no loose ends; no tiny things would be out of place.
Viktor stood up. To end sitting down would be a disgrace to his name.
How he wanted her!
How he loved her!
He needed her so much more than she could have ever imagined!
Krum put his hand on the doorknob.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hermione had checked every single door on the way down to the Common Room. No bathrooms in sight.
Hermione sighed. She continued down the winding staircase.
Then, she reached a door she immediately recognized.
The closet. The same closet she had been locked inside earlier that day.
The closet Viktor Krum had been in.
Hermione was still puzzled. She worried if Viktor knew she liked Draco. She wondered what he had truly meant to ask her.
Hermione put her hand on the doorknob. For a second, she wished Krum was still there, on the other side of the door. She could talk to him, tell him that she was sorry. Sorry for liking Draco.
Hermione shook her head. There was nothing to apologize for. Krum didn't know she liked Draco. There was nothing wrong between her and Viktor.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Everything is wrong between me and Hermione, Krum thought to himself.
But it wasn't as if they had still been going out or anything…
However, Krum had always felt that Hermione still kept feelings for him. He had never imagined that Hermione would have moved on.
Now, it was time for him to move on.
Krum reached into the pocket of his robes. His hand found that familiar item. Krum fingered the smooth wood. Dragon heartstring. How appropriate it seemed at the moment.
Krum didn't have the heart so say out loud what he was about to say. Hehad often wondered if spells would work if they were whispered. Either way, tonight, he was about to find out…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hermione's hand released the doorknob. She moved on. Hermione descended the remainder of the steps and found herself in the Slytherin Common Room.
Somehow, it looked surprisingly less gloomy in the dark than it did in light. Hermione picked a random armchair and sat down. She fell asleep.
Although Hermione was unaware of it, another person was falling asleep at the exact same moment. However, his sleep was of a more permanent kind…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Note: I really hate to do this to the character, but it had to be done, although I'm not sure if I made the right decision…
Yes, I know, this chapter seems completely unrelated to the plot of the story… Well, when I wrote this, I had a feeling that this is how the chapter should turn out, regardless of whether it was the right choice. Somehow, Ithink this chapter will eventually tie in with the ending of the story...
In the story, tomorrow is Monday, therefore we will be making a return to the tasks… What a weekend…
I know, people want more romance… Yes, there will certainly be romance in the next chapter (hint, hint)…
Just in case I don't have time to update next week, I should mention: I'm going to New York from April 10 to 14… I'll do my best to update before then… I really hate to keep you all waiting…
Oh, please review… I understand how a lot of people probably don't like this chapter... But this is the path the story will take... Regardless of how many times people flame me. Please don't give up reading this story; I have a ton of great things planned for it... If you feel like you really hate this story right now, please at least continue a few more chapters... And don't think I'm a reckless author for doing this to Krum; believer me, I have spent ages thinking about whether I did the right thing. The next chapters will probably be a lot better than this one.
Oh, and the reason Krum had no accent when he was thinking to himself, is because I imagine that he was thinking in a different language...
And please vote in the "He Had It Coming" Dramione Awards!