To Ducki, Lightningfire, Shanna Banana and Potter fan, my newest reviewers!
Sorry for being such a brat, and leaving it till so late!! I've got a three-
day break (until Monday), so Chapter 28 shouldn't be too far behind.
Really, really sorry, cos the plot was MUCH easier to work on earlier, but
it's getting harder! Don't worry, though. I intend to finish this story and
write a sequel to this, so hold on tight!
Chapter 27
"Hermione, are you sure Malfoy is coming?" Said Ron impatiently, looking across the wooden table at Hermione, who was gazing into space with a dazed look on her face.
It was the one she had on all throughout lessons earlier on. Harry, who was seated next to Ron, studied her, but said nothing.
"Er, what? Oh, er, yeah. He is. I mean... He will be." Hermione said vaguely.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Asked Harry, looking at Hermione with concern.
"I'm fine!" Said Hermione loftily, waving a hand at him. "What makes you think I'm not?"
Ron snorted. "You've got your book upside down, and you're looking at the contents page!"
Hermione glanced down, and saw that Ron was right. Shrugging lightly, she closed the book with a snap. As she was about to tell them about the book Draco had showed her, the portrait was opened, and Draco strode in purposefully.
"About time!" Ron muttered, rolling his eyes at Harry.
Hermione glared at him, but did not pass a comment, as she stood up. "Is the book with you?" She said, trying to look more serious.
"It's upstairs," he said, daring to give her a glance and a small smile, which made her heart race, before he hurried upstairs.
When he came down, he had his cloak over his shoulder, and had the leather bound book clutched tightly in his hands.
He took the seat next to Hermione, and pretended not to see Ron's furious expression. "Here it is," he said smoothly, opening the book as he smirked across at Harry. As Ron reached out to touch it, he snarled, "Hands OFF, Weasel!"
"Draco," said Hermione softly, not looking at Ron, as she put a hand on his arm under the table. She was afraid her face would betray her.
Draco took a deep breath before pushing the book towards Harry and Ron. Harry flipped through the pages to the book-marked page, and began to read under his breath. While they were reading, Draco inched his left leg towards Hermione's right leg, and nudged it gently. Hermione tried not to look at him, but could not resist the temptation. She glanced sideways at him, and saw the smirk on his face. Hermione went red, and looked down at the table, as she crossed her right leg over her left.
When Harry and Ron finished reading, Harry looked up at Draco and said, as politely as he could, "I thought there was the ingredients for the potion and how to brew it?"
Draco gave Harry an icy stare as he said, "It's at the back, Potty. At the back." Without waiting for Harry to hand it to him, he reached over, and flipped to the last few pages.
When Hermione saw the print, she gasped. She could tell it was an ancient font. The pages were faded with age, and looked brittle. Hermione leaned over and read through the page with Harry and Ron.
"Wow," said Hermione, her eyes going wide. "Most of these ingredients are forbidden, or very rare! Listen, 'Essence of Firecrab', 'Manticore blood'... Wherever did the person find these?" Hermione looked up at her friends. "Unless - unless the person who made this potion - isn't a student! Or - or he... Or she could've been sent the ingredients!"
Harry nodded. "I've written to Snuffles, and I should be expecting his reply today. I wrote to him about the potion, and who he thinks has done it."
"Who's Snuffles?" Demanded Draco, looking at Harry with a glint of suspicion in his eyes.
"An old friend," said Hermione promptly, glancing at Harry, then back at Draco.
Before Draco could inquire more, Ron said, "What's the point of showing us the ingredients?"
Draco stared coldly at Ron for a whole minute before he replied. "Well, Weasel, if you'd paid a little more attention, instead of staring at Hermione, perhaps you would've heard her say that the ingredients were mostly rare, or forbidden!"
Hermione blushed when Draco mentioned her name. She didn't dare look at Draco or Ron, but she could feel Harry's intense stare on her.
The awkward silence was broken when Harry looked at Ron's watch and exclaimed that they had only five minutes to potions. Frantically, the four students summoned their books, and raced down to the dungeons, with the Gryffindors praying fervently that Snape was in a good mood.
"Lucky," sighed Ron. "Really, really lucky!"
He was, of course, referring to the detention that they were spared from.
Hermione shook her head. "No, Ron! He knew we were doing the research for the potion. Besides, he still looked like he was going to blow any minute!"
Harry, Hermione, and Ron were headed towards the Great Hall for dinner, their arms free of books.
Harry shrugged, as the two friends waited for his opinion. "Who cares? I'm hungry. I barely touched lunch."
As the three of them sat down, Draco caught Hermione's eye, and mouthed, "Prefects tower, after dinner." Hermione nodded, as Ginny came over and sat next to Hermione, her eyes shining with excitement.
"Uh-oh," muttered Ron, as his sister opened her mouth to speak.
"Guess what I just overheard?" Said Ginny, as Hermione passed her the chicken stew.
"Overheard?" Said Harry, smiling one-sidedly at her. "Not snooping?"
Ginny gave him a sharp nudge with her right knee. "I overheard! Professor Trelawny told Professor Sinistra that Dumbledore was thinking of having three upcoming balls!"
Hermione stared at her. "Trelawny?" She repeated with a deadpan expression.
"Why'd you believe that?" Asked Ron, looking at his sister, as though she was crazy.
"Please, shut up, Ron," said Harry, defending Ginny.
Ginny smiled gratefully at Harry before she continued. "I heard there's going to be a Halloween, Yule and Valentine's Ball!"
"Really?" Said Hermione, lacking enthusiasm, as her eyes flicked subconsciously in Draco's direction. Somehow, she doubted that he would even dream of inviting her.
"I don't know, but there really is, however, won't we be needing a lot of dresses?" Said Ginny, bubbling on.
Hermione looked down at the peas on her plate. "I guess," she said, softly, wishing she could leave the table, but she forced herself to stay for Ginny's sake.
"I wonder if Colin will ask me to go with him," said Ginny slyly, glancing at Harry, her heart racing.
Harry picked a small strawberry off a bowl nearby, and pushed it into Ginny's mouth. "Yeah," he said, grinning. "I wonder too."
Ron rolled his eyes at his sister, who was smiling at Harry, and then looked at Hermione, who was quietly helping herself to some gravy. He wondered if she was all right. However, he said nothing.
Finally, when Harry had finished the last of his chocolate angel cake, the three excused themselves, and went off to the prefects' tower. Before they left, Hermione saw Draco get up, and catch up with them, though he walked a few paces behind them.
Hermione wished that she could make Draco feel comfortable around Harry and Ron, though he seemed not to care that he was being ignored. Though he was probably used to being ignored or insulted by her friends, Hermione felt that she had to do something, though no ideas came to mind.
She tried to pay attention to what Harry was telling Ron about the quidditch training season, as they turned into a deserted corridor, getting further from the Great Hall.
"Yes, tryouts are next Wednesday. We need two chasers, beaters, and a keeper. Then we'll take a vote on the new quidditch captain," said Harry.
"I'll vote for you," said Hermione and Ron loyally.
Hermione glanced back in time to catch the smirk on Draco's face.
"Hey, Herm," said Ron, looking at Hermione with amusement in his eyes. "Why don't you try out for chaser?"
"Me?" Hermione managed to squeak, as Harry suppressed his laughter. "I can barely even hang on to a broom, and you're asking me to try out for chaser? No thanks," she shuddered. "Maybe you can try out for keeper," she smiled sweetly, wiping the smile of Ron's face.
Draco couldn't stop him himself. "Weasel would make a better spectator than keeper, Hermione. Why bother asking him to try out?"
Everyone stopped as Ron turned to face Draco, his face matching the colour of his hair. Hermione hoped he wouldn't punch Draco right in the face. However, Hermione needn't have worried, as Harry was already holding on to his school cloak.
"Oh yeah?" Said Ron, in a low growl. "I bet you five galleons I'll make it as keeper, Malfoy."
"Five?" Repeated Draco, looking bored. "Thanks, but I can get that money anywhere. What about twenty galleons?"
"RON!" Cried Hermione, reaching out for his clenched left hand with both her hands. "Don't! Please don't do such a stupid thing!"
"Hermione, I-," Ron tried to argue.
"Go on, Weasel," interrupted Draco, smirking broadly. "Listen to your girlfriend."
"Malfoy, you -!"
"Shut UP, Draco," yelled Hermione, releasing Ron's hand.
"Forget working with Malfoy, Hermione," said Ron, glaring at Draco. "I'm never coming near this slime again!"
With that, Ron shook himself free from Harry's grip, and strode off briskly in the direction of the Gryffindor common room.
Harry threw a last glance at Hermione, then Draco, before running after Ron.
When they'd turned a corner and disappeared, Hermione turned to Draco, and said furiously, "Why did you do that?! Ron was SO mad!"
Draco's smirked turned into a soft smile. "I never asked them along," he said smoothly, making Hermione want to melt into a puddle, and evaporate.
"I - I thought you wanted to work on the research," stammered Hermione.
"I didn't" said Draco, glancing at his watch. "Better move it quick. Dinner ends in five minutes."
Hermione walked behind Draco, as he led the way to the prefect tower, unsure of herself. What was Draco up to now? Was this another one of those times that he was going to break her fragile heart? Hermione wished he wasn't so brief with her. She wanted him to come straight out with the truth.
Draco, on the other hand, was playing it cool, while he was wondering what he'd just gotten himself into. His mind half on the potion, the other half was thinking about Hermione. Was he serious, or was he merely leading her on? Draco turned his head a fraction of an inch, and took a quick look at Hermione. Her cheeks were a healthy pink, and her eyes were clouded over with confusion. Draco turned back, and tried not to stop and take her fragile frame into his arms.
He wanted her close, but whenever she was in his arms, Draco felt his conscience prick him, and he could hear his father's voice in his mind. Then, he'd have to push her away, and hurt her, though he didn't really want to.
But Draco couldn't tell her. It wasn't easy, putting his feeling into words. The Malfoys did not express themselves in words. No one said 'I love you' to him, or kissed him, or tucked him in bed. He couldn't write to her either. He knew that he just had to show her.
The million-galleon question was - How?
Draco had to think fast before he lost her to Ron, though he didn't know that Hermione wasn't going to turn around and fall for Ron. At least - not yet...
Chapter 27
"Hermione, are you sure Malfoy is coming?" Said Ron impatiently, looking across the wooden table at Hermione, who was gazing into space with a dazed look on her face.
It was the one she had on all throughout lessons earlier on. Harry, who was seated next to Ron, studied her, but said nothing.
"Er, what? Oh, er, yeah. He is. I mean... He will be." Hermione said vaguely.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Asked Harry, looking at Hermione with concern.
"I'm fine!" Said Hermione loftily, waving a hand at him. "What makes you think I'm not?"
Ron snorted. "You've got your book upside down, and you're looking at the contents page!"
Hermione glanced down, and saw that Ron was right. Shrugging lightly, she closed the book with a snap. As she was about to tell them about the book Draco had showed her, the portrait was opened, and Draco strode in purposefully.
"About time!" Ron muttered, rolling his eyes at Harry.
Hermione glared at him, but did not pass a comment, as she stood up. "Is the book with you?" She said, trying to look more serious.
"It's upstairs," he said, daring to give her a glance and a small smile, which made her heart race, before he hurried upstairs.
When he came down, he had his cloak over his shoulder, and had the leather bound book clutched tightly in his hands.
He took the seat next to Hermione, and pretended not to see Ron's furious expression. "Here it is," he said smoothly, opening the book as he smirked across at Harry. As Ron reached out to touch it, he snarled, "Hands OFF, Weasel!"
"Draco," said Hermione softly, not looking at Ron, as she put a hand on his arm under the table. She was afraid her face would betray her.
Draco took a deep breath before pushing the book towards Harry and Ron. Harry flipped through the pages to the book-marked page, and began to read under his breath. While they were reading, Draco inched his left leg towards Hermione's right leg, and nudged it gently. Hermione tried not to look at him, but could not resist the temptation. She glanced sideways at him, and saw the smirk on his face. Hermione went red, and looked down at the table, as she crossed her right leg over her left.
When Harry and Ron finished reading, Harry looked up at Draco and said, as politely as he could, "I thought there was the ingredients for the potion and how to brew it?"
Draco gave Harry an icy stare as he said, "It's at the back, Potty. At the back." Without waiting for Harry to hand it to him, he reached over, and flipped to the last few pages.
When Hermione saw the print, she gasped. She could tell it was an ancient font. The pages were faded with age, and looked brittle. Hermione leaned over and read through the page with Harry and Ron.
"Wow," said Hermione, her eyes going wide. "Most of these ingredients are forbidden, or very rare! Listen, 'Essence of Firecrab', 'Manticore blood'... Wherever did the person find these?" Hermione looked up at her friends. "Unless - unless the person who made this potion - isn't a student! Or - or he... Or she could've been sent the ingredients!"
Harry nodded. "I've written to Snuffles, and I should be expecting his reply today. I wrote to him about the potion, and who he thinks has done it."
"Who's Snuffles?" Demanded Draco, looking at Harry with a glint of suspicion in his eyes.
"An old friend," said Hermione promptly, glancing at Harry, then back at Draco.
Before Draco could inquire more, Ron said, "What's the point of showing us the ingredients?"
Draco stared coldly at Ron for a whole minute before he replied. "Well, Weasel, if you'd paid a little more attention, instead of staring at Hermione, perhaps you would've heard her say that the ingredients were mostly rare, or forbidden!"
Hermione blushed when Draco mentioned her name. She didn't dare look at Draco or Ron, but she could feel Harry's intense stare on her.
The awkward silence was broken when Harry looked at Ron's watch and exclaimed that they had only five minutes to potions. Frantically, the four students summoned their books, and raced down to the dungeons, with the Gryffindors praying fervently that Snape was in a good mood.
"Lucky," sighed Ron. "Really, really lucky!"
He was, of course, referring to the detention that they were spared from.
Hermione shook her head. "No, Ron! He knew we were doing the research for the potion. Besides, he still looked like he was going to blow any minute!"
Harry, Hermione, and Ron were headed towards the Great Hall for dinner, their arms free of books.
Harry shrugged, as the two friends waited for his opinion. "Who cares? I'm hungry. I barely touched lunch."
As the three of them sat down, Draco caught Hermione's eye, and mouthed, "Prefects tower, after dinner." Hermione nodded, as Ginny came over and sat next to Hermione, her eyes shining with excitement.
"Uh-oh," muttered Ron, as his sister opened her mouth to speak.
"Guess what I just overheard?" Said Ginny, as Hermione passed her the chicken stew.
"Overheard?" Said Harry, smiling one-sidedly at her. "Not snooping?"
Ginny gave him a sharp nudge with her right knee. "I overheard! Professor Trelawny told Professor Sinistra that Dumbledore was thinking of having three upcoming balls!"
Hermione stared at her. "Trelawny?" She repeated with a deadpan expression.
"Why'd you believe that?" Asked Ron, looking at his sister, as though she was crazy.
"Please, shut up, Ron," said Harry, defending Ginny.
Ginny smiled gratefully at Harry before she continued. "I heard there's going to be a Halloween, Yule and Valentine's Ball!"
"Really?" Said Hermione, lacking enthusiasm, as her eyes flicked subconsciously in Draco's direction. Somehow, she doubted that he would even dream of inviting her.
"I don't know, but there really is, however, won't we be needing a lot of dresses?" Said Ginny, bubbling on.
Hermione looked down at the peas on her plate. "I guess," she said, softly, wishing she could leave the table, but she forced herself to stay for Ginny's sake.
"I wonder if Colin will ask me to go with him," said Ginny slyly, glancing at Harry, her heart racing.
Harry picked a small strawberry off a bowl nearby, and pushed it into Ginny's mouth. "Yeah," he said, grinning. "I wonder too."
Ron rolled his eyes at his sister, who was smiling at Harry, and then looked at Hermione, who was quietly helping herself to some gravy. He wondered if she was all right. However, he said nothing.
Finally, when Harry had finished the last of his chocolate angel cake, the three excused themselves, and went off to the prefects' tower. Before they left, Hermione saw Draco get up, and catch up with them, though he walked a few paces behind them.
Hermione wished that she could make Draco feel comfortable around Harry and Ron, though he seemed not to care that he was being ignored. Though he was probably used to being ignored or insulted by her friends, Hermione felt that she had to do something, though no ideas came to mind.
She tried to pay attention to what Harry was telling Ron about the quidditch training season, as they turned into a deserted corridor, getting further from the Great Hall.
"Yes, tryouts are next Wednesday. We need two chasers, beaters, and a keeper. Then we'll take a vote on the new quidditch captain," said Harry.
"I'll vote for you," said Hermione and Ron loyally.
Hermione glanced back in time to catch the smirk on Draco's face.
"Hey, Herm," said Ron, looking at Hermione with amusement in his eyes. "Why don't you try out for chaser?"
"Me?" Hermione managed to squeak, as Harry suppressed his laughter. "I can barely even hang on to a broom, and you're asking me to try out for chaser? No thanks," she shuddered. "Maybe you can try out for keeper," she smiled sweetly, wiping the smile of Ron's face.
Draco couldn't stop him himself. "Weasel would make a better spectator than keeper, Hermione. Why bother asking him to try out?"
Everyone stopped as Ron turned to face Draco, his face matching the colour of his hair. Hermione hoped he wouldn't punch Draco right in the face. However, Hermione needn't have worried, as Harry was already holding on to his school cloak.
"Oh yeah?" Said Ron, in a low growl. "I bet you five galleons I'll make it as keeper, Malfoy."
"Five?" Repeated Draco, looking bored. "Thanks, but I can get that money anywhere. What about twenty galleons?"
"RON!" Cried Hermione, reaching out for his clenched left hand with both her hands. "Don't! Please don't do such a stupid thing!"
"Hermione, I-," Ron tried to argue.
"Go on, Weasel," interrupted Draco, smirking broadly. "Listen to your girlfriend."
"Malfoy, you -!"
"Shut UP, Draco," yelled Hermione, releasing Ron's hand.
"Forget working with Malfoy, Hermione," said Ron, glaring at Draco. "I'm never coming near this slime again!"
With that, Ron shook himself free from Harry's grip, and strode off briskly in the direction of the Gryffindor common room.
Harry threw a last glance at Hermione, then Draco, before running after Ron.
When they'd turned a corner and disappeared, Hermione turned to Draco, and said furiously, "Why did you do that?! Ron was SO mad!"
Draco's smirked turned into a soft smile. "I never asked them along," he said smoothly, making Hermione want to melt into a puddle, and evaporate.
"I - I thought you wanted to work on the research," stammered Hermione.
"I didn't" said Draco, glancing at his watch. "Better move it quick. Dinner ends in five minutes."
Hermione walked behind Draco, as he led the way to the prefect tower, unsure of herself. What was Draco up to now? Was this another one of those times that he was going to break her fragile heart? Hermione wished he wasn't so brief with her. She wanted him to come straight out with the truth.
Draco, on the other hand, was playing it cool, while he was wondering what he'd just gotten himself into. His mind half on the potion, the other half was thinking about Hermione. Was he serious, or was he merely leading her on? Draco turned his head a fraction of an inch, and took a quick look at Hermione. Her cheeks were a healthy pink, and her eyes were clouded over with confusion. Draco turned back, and tried not to stop and take her fragile frame into his arms.
He wanted her close, but whenever she was in his arms, Draco felt his conscience prick him, and he could hear his father's voice in his mind. Then, he'd have to push her away, and hurt her, though he didn't really want to.
But Draco couldn't tell her. It wasn't easy, putting his feeling into words. The Malfoys did not express themselves in words. No one said 'I love you' to him, or kissed him, or tucked him in bed. He couldn't write to her either. He knew that he just had to show her.
The million-galleon question was - How?
Draco had to think fast before he lost her to Ron, though he didn't know that Hermione wasn't going to turn around and fall for Ron. At least - not yet...