1 Chapter 8
Once Draco had dropped Christian off at the Gryffindor entrance portrait, he started heading back towards the Slytherin rooms, his mind, as usual, on Harry. Thinking about how lucky Christian was to have him. Suddenly, something moving in the corner of his eye awoke him from his reverie. He snapped around in surprise, and almost crashed straight into Hermione Granger, heading back from the library with an armful of books.
Hermione Granger. Now what was it that Harry had said about her?
"We'd better just hope Hermione stays in the library all night, or I'm really done for."
Draco stepped in front of Hermione.
"Excuse me," she said, coldly. Draco cocked his head on one side and grinned at her. She looked a bit puzzled.
"Excuse me, I really need to get past," she repeated, trying to sidestep round him. He got there first, however, and stood in her way, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Best put her off her guard, he thought. She sighed and looked up at him.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked, tiredly.
"I thought we could have a bit of a chat, Hermione," he replied, in as friendly a tone as he could manage. He pretended not to notice Hermione's eyes widening in shock at the use of her first name. Putting an arm around her shoulders and taking a couple of her books, he steered her towards a step and sat them down on it. "I know I haven't been too nice to you in the past, but I don't really know you. I think we should get to know each other a bit better and then I can make an educated decision whether or not to call you a mudblood, alright?
Hermione tried to stifle a giggle. It was obvious she was trying to look suspicious but Draco's strange sense of humour was getting to her.
"Discovered any interesting charms?" he asked, indicating the very big, heavy, old-looking leather bound book he was holding.
"Oh yes!" she started enthusiastically. Draco almost pitied her, he doubted that Harry or Weasley were at all interested in her discoveries.
"I discovered about this charm that can make you flash neon pink and green alternately, and one that goes with it that makes you flash neon yellow and blue. I was going to try it on the Weasley twins," she added slyly. Draco laughed out loud, not realising how sneaky Hermione could be. When he stopped laughing, he noticed she was looking at him with an odd expression and realised that the laughter must have confused her. He didn't laugh often, he didn't allow himself to laugh, not a real laugh.
For a further half hour, Draco sat talking with Hermione, and it surprised him how much he actually enjoyed talking to her. He didn't once have to remind himself that he was doing this for Harry, and only remembered why he was sitting here, when Christian, looking slightly hot and as if his clothes had been thrown on in a hurry, rushed out of the portrait hole.
Draco and Hermione stood up together.
"You!" shouted Hermione, her eyes flashing anger at Christian. "What were you doing in there?"
"I, erm, I…" he stuttered, looking wildly from her to Draco, as if asking him for help.
"I see," replied Hermione in the tone that she had first used on Draco that evening. "But, since all of us are here, we have to go and see Professor Dumbledore. I got so caught up talking with Malfoy I forgot all about it." Her cold tone was back when she talked to Draco. Obviously, she thought Draco had something to do with Christian being with Harry. Which was, come to think of it, absolutely true.
"Wait here," Hermione ordered, going into the Gryffindor common room. Draco turned to Christian.
"What happened?" he asked. "You took ages!"
"Well," said Christian sheepishly, "we started off with a kiss, and then we just got a bit.. erm.. carried away.." He trailed off, looking at his shoes.
" I see," said Draco, arching an eyebrow. His insides were burning. That should have been him with Harry. After all, he had done all the work. His thoughts were interrupted by Harry and Hermione climbing out of the Gryffindor portrait hole, both looking surly and not looking at the other.
"Well, now that the whole happy party is here, what are we waiting for?" Draco remarked sarcastically. He was answered by sneers from all three of the others. "Fine then," he muttered, stalking off in the direction of Dumbledore's office, feigning sulkiness. Might as well fit in, he thought.
Once Draco had dropped Christian off at the Gryffindor entrance portrait, he started heading back towards the Slytherin rooms, his mind, as usual, on Harry. Thinking about how lucky Christian was to have him. Suddenly, something moving in the corner of his eye awoke him from his reverie. He snapped around in surprise, and almost crashed straight into Hermione Granger, heading back from the library with an armful of books.
Hermione Granger. Now what was it that Harry had said about her?
"We'd better just hope Hermione stays in the library all night, or I'm really done for."
Draco stepped in front of Hermione.
"Excuse me," she said, coldly. Draco cocked his head on one side and grinned at her. She looked a bit puzzled.
"Excuse me, I really need to get past," she repeated, trying to sidestep round him. He got there first, however, and stood in her way, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Best put her off her guard, he thought. She sighed and looked up at him.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked, tiredly.
"I thought we could have a bit of a chat, Hermione," he replied, in as friendly a tone as he could manage. He pretended not to notice Hermione's eyes widening in shock at the use of her first name. Putting an arm around her shoulders and taking a couple of her books, he steered her towards a step and sat them down on it. "I know I haven't been too nice to you in the past, but I don't really know you. I think we should get to know each other a bit better and then I can make an educated decision whether or not to call you a mudblood, alright?
Hermione tried to stifle a giggle. It was obvious she was trying to look suspicious but Draco's strange sense of humour was getting to her.
"Discovered any interesting charms?" he asked, indicating the very big, heavy, old-looking leather bound book he was holding.
"Oh yes!" she started enthusiastically. Draco almost pitied her, he doubted that Harry or Weasley were at all interested in her discoveries.
"I discovered about this charm that can make you flash neon pink and green alternately, and one that goes with it that makes you flash neon yellow and blue. I was going to try it on the Weasley twins," she added slyly. Draco laughed out loud, not realising how sneaky Hermione could be. When he stopped laughing, he noticed she was looking at him with an odd expression and realised that the laughter must have confused her. He didn't laugh often, he didn't allow himself to laugh, not a real laugh.
For a further half hour, Draco sat talking with Hermione, and it surprised him how much he actually enjoyed talking to her. He didn't once have to remind himself that he was doing this for Harry, and only remembered why he was sitting here, when Christian, looking slightly hot and as if his clothes had been thrown on in a hurry, rushed out of the portrait hole.
Draco and Hermione stood up together.
"You!" shouted Hermione, her eyes flashing anger at Christian. "What were you doing in there?"
"I, erm, I…" he stuttered, looking wildly from her to Draco, as if asking him for help.
"I see," replied Hermione in the tone that she had first used on Draco that evening. "But, since all of us are here, we have to go and see Professor Dumbledore. I got so caught up talking with Malfoy I forgot all about it." Her cold tone was back when she talked to Draco. Obviously, she thought Draco had something to do with Christian being with Harry. Which was, come to think of it, absolutely true.
"Wait here," Hermione ordered, going into the Gryffindor common room. Draco turned to Christian.
"What happened?" he asked. "You took ages!"
"Well," said Christian sheepishly, "we started off with a kiss, and then we just got a bit.. erm.. carried away.." He trailed off, looking at his shoes.
" I see," said Draco, arching an eyebrow. His insides were burning. That should have been him with Harry. After all, he had done all the work. His thoughts were interrupted by Harry and Hermione climbing out of the Gryffindor portrait hole, both looking surly and not looking at the other.
"Well, now that the whole happy party is here, what are we waiting for?" Draco remarked sarcastically. He was answered by sneers from all three of the others. "Fine then," he muttered, stalking off in the direction of Dumbledore's office, feigning sulkiness. Might as well fit in, he thought.
