Money Bought- Chapter FOUR!

Author: Tigre

Rating: PG-13.


A/N: I can't keep on spitting out chapters like this. It's not healthy. Expect the next chapters to be posted about once a week. ^^ It's not because of the 71! reviews that I've got, of course not. I'm perfectly happy with the reviews. It's because I am a person that needs to iron her stick-straight priorities!

Disclaimer: HAH! You really think that JKR would let Draco and Hermione go out? No! That's called "Meddling with the HP plot!"

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Hermione slipped down to the common room, not making any noise. Here was the crucial part of her plan. McGonagall's quarters were right around the bend, and if Hermione made so much as a microscopic squeak, she would probably be given a detention.

Unnameable figures slouched on the overstuffed ruby chairs. The moonlight caught a bit of one's hair, turning it a bright russet. One of the people was none other than Ron. A chessboard was strewn over the table, ivory pieces snoring, suggesting that Harry and Ron had fallen asleep during a particularly boring game of chess.

At that point, Hermione felt bad. She hadn't told her best friends in the world about the bet. She knew that they would tell her off, call her a bloody idiot for making a deal with Parvati and Lavender. Maybe it was best that she didn't tell them- after all, she was sure that they had secrets that they didn't want to tell anyone else. Gryffindor virtues really could be a pain sometimes.

Tiptoeing down the large ivory staircase, she soon found the first level. Of course, she had no idea of where the Slytherin dorms were. Hermione suspected that perhaps they were somehow connected to Snape's dungeons, but didn't care to go on an assumption in case someone caught her.

She ran down the corridor, fluffy slippers making the lightest shuffling sound. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw signs flew by, the metallic paint glistening in an anxious blur. Hermione paused for a moment. Why was she out here? Would it really help her find Draco and give him a nice sliver of her mind about the letter? She was simply going out on instinct. Not Hermione-like at all.

After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the epitome of the Slytherin quarters. Something in a dark shadow blocked the entrance. What if it was Snape, and she would get caught? Oh well, Hermione should have thought of that before she left Gryffindor ground.

"Look who it is! Hermione Granger, a perfect soul, sneaking out after midnight! Imagine that!," The figure stated, turning around so Hermione could see the person's face. Blonde hair covered half of his face. Dark pewter eyes rimmed with periwinkle peered out through translucent lids. None other than Draco Malfoy.

Hermione ran a hand through her bushy brown hair. "Look, Malfoy, I wouldn't be standing here, talking to your pretty-boy face, if you hadn't written me that little piece of crap letter. Explain."

Draco whistled under his breath, and pushed back the tousled platinum hair crowding his forehead. "Well, Granger, maybe it's because you have an ickle schoolgirl crush on me. That letter served for Slytherin entertainment tonight, Granger. I should be thanking you, actually, for giving me dirt on you. Thanks for the blackmail. Oh dear, but what shall you want for a reward?"

His comments were teasing, but Hermione kept as straight a face as she could. A smirk was apparent on Draco's face, hanging slightly lopsided. She snickered under her breath. If he only knew just how CONSTIPATED he looked…

Hermione held her head up high. "Malfoy, you are a bloody, arrogant idiot!" She couldn't think of anything else to say, so she angrily tossed a few strands of cinnamon hair over her shoulder.

"'Bloody, arrogant idiot?' God, Granger, I never thought that you were a potty-mouth. That stung. That really stung. Anyway, what do you want for a reward, dear goddess Granger? A snogging session with Crabbe? Or maybe Goyle? Hah, who knows, maybe even sexy me!" He sniggered. Draco's laugh wasn't of the common variety. It was long and low, with a trail of darkness at the end.

"For one thing, Malfoy, I don't want a reward. I'm not the one with my mind in the gutter, thanks. For another, I don't care to snog any one of your piggish friends."

Something rather sudden happened. "You never said me," Draco noted, being sly. It was at that time that Hermione realized that he was wearing black pyjamas, with silver gilding around the edges. It suited his very look. No, Hermione didn't fancy Draco-he was still a bratty git- but she admired how good black looked on him.

"You know what the heck I mean, Malfoy."

"Actually, Granger, I don't. Love letter, remember? I'm being serious now. All of those services actually do exist. So, if you are desperate enough, for about 80 galleons, I will sit next to you by the lake. About 10 galleons more for each snog, because, quite frankly, you aren't the most gorgeous girl out there."

Hermione's blood boiled again. "Look, you dirty piece of used toilet paper, I need to go out with you. I made a bit of a bet, and you can get some of the Gryffindors off of your case. No more Parvati or Lavender staring at you during potions."

"Well, actually…" Draco sounded thoughtful. "I think I might do it. Who knows, Potter might die of shock from seeing his good friend go out with his good enemy!" He chuckled again.

Hermione smiled back at him, the grin fading in the tiny corners. Oh, how she didn't want to be around Malfoy when he was acting like a git. But she had to. 40 galleons was an awful lot of money, after all.

"Okay, Malfoy. I'll pay you 20 galleons if you go out with me. 5 galleons for each kiss."

"Make it…40 and you've got a deal. But first, you have to pass a little test of mine. It's one that you probably won't ace, Granger. I'm an expert. But we shall find out if the little goody-two-shoes is really such a goodie instead of a baddie."

Before Hermione could register it in her dim, half-awake brain, Draco came closer. She noticed that he was about half a foot taller than her. Draco placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, and kissed her. Hermione felt her cheeks turn a furious shade of pink, but she didn't care. Even the fact that she was locking lips with her archenemy really didn't matter. Hermione needed to win that bet, and she would do anything at all costs. And man, Draco was a good kisser.

He pulled away after what seemed like an eternity. Hermione, being an observant soul, noticed that his orderly blonde hair was tousled. It gave him a quite adorable surfer look. In her brain, Hermione hadn't yet quite connected the word "Malfoy" with the word "snog". Either way, life was a state of quasi-pure happiness.

"You passed, Granger," Draco said as he turned back into the Slytherin dorms, "Passed with flying colours."

Hermione, still in her mauve pyjamas, placed a hand on her forehead. Oh God…this whole bet was going to be quite an adventure. Surprisingly, she was happy to be part of it.

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A/N: Holy potato! I got 34 reviews on that last chapter.


THANKS TO: ljp *Not you too! ^^ Anyway, Sean Biggerstaff is sort of cute…* ~*~Angel~*~ *Ooh…I think Draco was still Draco in this chapter…thank you. Because of course, Hermione and Draco need time to fall in love with one another. ^^* Chrissy *I know I'm mean, that's why I'm me! Hope that this chapter made up for the really short one* The Strange One *Hope my descriptions were good, LOL* …*I know it was short, sorry* Waldomier *I see no end to this insanity…* Aphrodite *Being original is being…me…* allee kat *It's up. Sorry I couldn't email you, I can't email anyone I don't know* GypsyJ *I felt really stupid when I was writing that metaphor, happy you noticed!* Draco's girl *Like I said, haven't given up on this yet* Mesia *I hurried, I think…* Starwriter *^^ I think most people want the sunny afternoons package* Fyre *You think this is good? Aw, shucks…* Lavender Gold *LOL, I read your story. Snape is sooooo cool!* Luna Daisy *^^! Thanks!* Baz *The wonders of not having spoilers, LOL* Zell'z Girl *Welcome to the 'We Love Draco' club* The Soul Innocence *LOL! I'm happy that this isn't typical* M…*Hogwarts motto rules* Tanwen *Cool name* Archangel5160 *You fell down on the stairs? That can't be good! Heehee…Gobble Gobble day!* DLJEWEL *Okay…like I said…a lot more…* Leialoha J. *Hmm…those ideas sound good. Maybe one will sneak its way into a chapter or something.* summer thyme *I'm sorry…you can't borrow 50 galleons from me. I, um, already spent one hundred…(Never MIND WHERE I DID! *^COUGH^ Sunny Afternoons…)* ALEX- * You like the Malfoy service? LOL.* Ryn *Um, who's Billy Idol? Sorry, it's just that as I type this, I am having a major 'blonde' moment. No offence* The_Lighter_Side_of_Darkness * I've always thought of Draco as the comedic type…* pika *Thanks!* Claire *^^ I hereby promise I will write more quickly unless the teachers give me too much homework* JessiCA* No, I'm sorry that Draco doesn't go out with anyone else when Hermione's going out with him* Lyndsey *Blaise is a girl? Where does it say that in the books? Well, anyway, let's just pretend that Blaise has a clone, and it's a boy.* Lavender Gold *Yes, he has his own service. It's obviously going to be of use! ^^*

A/N 2: Okay people, I'm depressed. Write me a happy review, please. The only thing that cheered me up was watching "Buffy" yesterday…Spike…

Peace out, minna-chan!

~*Tigre*~