Author's note: Thank you for the reviews! Finally I'm going to do this story in 3 chapters and not in 2 because I'm a bit afraid it'll be too long to read. The interaction between Snape and Hermione is coming in the next chapter, so be patient! :D
Hermione woke up, a ray of sunlight shining on her red and gold blanket. The lioness got up from her bed a few minutes later, her hair a mess. She walked over to the nearest mirror and rubbed her eyes to see her reflection better. Professor Snape was right, she was an incredible young woman, beautiful and intelligent. She couldn't thank him enough for giving her back some of her confidence after what had happened. The girl twisted in front of her mirror, she looked at every inch of herself with satisfaction, she felt beautiful and she knew who she owed this wonderful start to the day to. Hermione got ready for the day and left her dormitory with a smile on her face.
She walked down the corridor, heading for the Great Hall to have breakfast. When she reached the Great Hall, she walked towards her friends with a confident walk, her face soft, and the two boys, with open mouths, watched her approach with astonishment. What did they expect, that she would feel sorry for herself? She was better than that, thankfully Professor Snape had opened her eyes.
"Hello boys!" the girl crooned.
"Ah Hermione... I thought... you wouldn't be coming to eat with us considering what happened yesterday..." replied Harry, his gaze shifting as Weasley played awkwardly with his fork.
The girl frowned, "Yesterday?" she knew exactly what he was referring to, but she didn't want to give him the pleasure of showing that this situation was affecting her. She didn't care at all anyway. Harry was too stupid and immature for her.
The young man's voice trembled with embarrassment, "Yes, you know, the argument we had..."
"Oh that!" The girl laughed, "Don't worry Harry, I don't blame you." Hermione leaned over and ruffled her friend's dark hair in a childish way, "Besides, it was completely stupid, I shouldn't have insisted like I did. I don't know what came over me, but today I feel much better."
Weasley squirmed in his chair of discomfort, "You know Hermione, you don't have to hide your feelings, we completely understand your reaction. Then again, you know everyone get blown off...me first," he finished with a scowl.
Hermione smiled at him, "Ron, please, I don't need to hide my emotions, I'm telling you I'm fine!" she sighed
"Okay, I'm really glad you feel that way, I was so afraid you'd be mad at me..."
"Let's not talk about it anymore."
Hermione was finishing her lunch with her friends when she felt a warm hand rest so gently on her shoulder that she barely felt it. Surprised, the girl turned back to her owner.
"Miss Granger, don't forget your detention, I expect you in my classroom at eight o'clock," the man in black stomped away towards the teachers' table. Hermione watched him go. She found him so... pleasant since the last events. She knew all along that he was a good man, you just had to dig a little to see the light underneath all the darkness. She even found him charming...
Hermione
He was tall, he looked so strong, but she was sure he could be so gentle...
Hermione
Maybe that was her problem, she was only interested in immature kids...
Hermione!
In fact, she needed a man...
"HERMIONE!" the boy's face was only a few inches from the young witch's.
The shout brought her out of her thoughts and the girl gasped, "Are you out of your mind? You don't have to shout like that Harry, I'm right here with you!" She tapped him on the shoulder to show her displeasure.
"Hermione, I called you three times, you didn't answer me," the young man said, rubbing his shoulder. "Ron even tried to catch your eye, but you were completely absorbed in something, what's going on?"
"Uh... uh... N-nothing. Why?" the girl hesitated.
The two boys looked at each other "What does the dungeon bat want with you?" they said in unison.
Hermione's blood ran cold and the young witch smashed her fist against the table, "SHUT UP!" she spat, "You have no right to talk about him that way! He's a teacher and you idiots owe him respect!" With that, the girl walked away, grabbing her stack of books with her.
A few seconds later Hermione turned back, "Besides, if I'm in this situation it's YOUR fault Harry. After you cowardly humiliated me in front of all our friends yesterday, I didn't pay attention to the time and Snape found me in a corridor after curfew, so I'm in detention because of YOU." she spat angrily and then walked away quickly, leaving the two boys totally confused.
She felt her cheeks burn with anger, how dare they! The girl walked quickly and didn't even realise that she was late for her first class of the day. Hermione stopped for a few seconds when she saw that there were no students left in the corridors, she remembered that her morning class was at the other side of the castle. In panic, she rushed across the corridor when someone bumped into her.
Grey eyes looked her up and down, " You could be careful, you bloody mudblood," Draco spat disdainfully.
"Shut up Malfoy, or else-" but Hermione didn't have time to finish her sentence as the young man had already started to walk towards her.
"Or else what Granger? Mhm?" he came dangerously close to the girl, Hermione had no choice but to back away until her back slammed hard against the wall. The boy was only inches from her face. She could feel his hot breath on her skin. She didn't like having that twisted boy too close to her and he didn't seem to want to move away.
Hermione put her hands on his chest to push him away, but he didn't move, forcing it so that the girl couldn't pull away from him. She reached into her pocket to grab her wand, but Hermione realised with shock that it was gone.
"Looking for this?" smirked Draco, rolling the piece of wood between his fingers.
"Move away Malfoy or I'll scream," she whispered, fear taking over her entire body. They were alone and it was a corridor not often used at this time of day.
A mischievous grin appeared on the blonde's face, "My father always told me that making a girl scream was a quality-" he purred. Hermione tried to escape, but Draco smashed his hands on either side of the lioness' face, closing all her exits.
The Slytherin reached into the hollow of her ear "- whether it's pleasure or pain, you love it."
The young man stepped back a few inches to observe the effect of his words on Hermione's face. "By the way, I have heard about your ... little misadventure yesterday, what a shame," he said falsely saddened. "When you need a REAL man, come to me." he purred. The young man laughed loudly.
She was terrified, but she wasn't going to give him the pleasure of showing that his words intimidated her. Hermione lifted her chin with pride and looked the blonde straight in the eye, " Go to hell you and your father, Malfoy. You talk about making a girl scream, you'd have to be able to kiss one first. As for your father, I heard a lot about him when he was a Death Eater. A virgin son and a father who only gets women by force, lovely."
The blonde's face was contorted with anger, he smashed his fist against the stone, right next to Hermione's face which made her jump and scream in shock.
"You dirty little bitch! You'll pay for this!" Draco stepped away from her and pulled out his wand when-
"Mr. Malfoy! Miss Granger! What's going on here?"
Hermione sighed in relief when she saw her potions teacher standing in the middle of the corridor.
"Nothing Professor, Granger and I were just... talking." He said hesitantly.
The man in black arched an eyebrow "Talking?" He asked falsely surprised. "One with a raised wand and the other disarmed? You have a dubious definition of the word 'discuss' Mr. Malfoy.
His dark eyes rested on the young witch, "Anything to say Miss Granger?"
"N-no Professor, Draco just wanted to show me a harmless spell" she lied.
He wasn't stupid and she knew it, but she just wanted to forget about it and not talk about it anymore.
"Very well, go to your respective classes before I lose my temper." Snape walked away with those words and the two students exchanged a few hateful glances before they parted ways and left.
Hermione picked up her wand which lay on the ground a few feet away, Malfoy must have thrown it without her realising it...
The rest of the day went normally for the young witch. She couldn't help thinking that if Snape hadn't been there to help her, Draco might have done something terrible to her. She owed him so much. She wanted so much to thank him... and she was going to do it tonight.