Whew! Finals are over, so now I have a few weeks to write before I leave for the summer. Starting with June 14th, my stories will take a two-month hiatus. I'm really sorry! Just stick with me! I promise I'll continue writing when I get back…
But until then, I'm sure I can get a few more chapters up. Whaddya think? J
Chapter 8 – A New Proposal
Hermione slammed her head against the dorm wall and emitted a muffled moan into the red velvet.
How could I have been so stupid?! To go in there in the first place was just –
She groaned in frustration and braced herself against the wall, hitting her head again.
"Whoa! Hermione! Easy!"
*SLAM*
I was wrong! I'm never wrong! AUGH!
*SLAM*
Lavender approached her from behind and placed a hand on her shoulder. Hermione turned, seeing her friend's worried expression - before she resumed her self-punishment.
*SLAM*
"Bloody hell, Hermione! How are you supposed to do Ron's homework if you have a concussion?! I mean, he really counts on you!"
Hermione chuckled softly at Lavender's true words, but winced as she gingerly placed a hand to her head. Lavender gave her a sympathetic smile. "Anything you want to talk about?"
Hermione smiled back gratefully, but shook her head. "I'm fine. Just…need to talk to Harry…"
Lavender raised her eyebrow before nodding. "Well, if you're sure. Just know I'm here if you need to rant or something. I mean, it must be pretty tough doing everything that you do…I know I would be stressed out? Is that what this is about? You know, Angelina told me …"
Hermione was nodding without realizing it, although she wasn't listening to a word of Lavender's rambling. Her eyes had wandered to the black knight above the mantle piece. His eyes were still deep and stoic, but his armor was different somehow. She squinted; attempting to discern with her eyes what she knew in her mind was there.
"…you know? I mean – Hermione?"
"Wha-? Yeah, Lavender, I know. Thanks." Hermione shook her head, trying to block the eerie feeling that had set in from staring at the knight…
Maybe it's nothing…I'm just not myself today…
She mumbled a hurried goodbye to Lavender and rushed through the portrait hole to find Harry.
"Hermione, you gonna eat that?" Ron pointed to her roll, his mouth full of potatoes. Hermione rolled her eyes, shoving the bread onto his plate and exchanging a smile with Harry. Ron shoveled the rest of his turkey into his mouth and tore a large piece out of Hermione's roll.
Harry moved his head across the table. "So, Hermione, how did it go?" he asked in a hushed voice. "Did you find anything?"
Hermione lowered her eyes, embarrassed. "Well, sort of…"
Harry looked at her expectantly. "And?"
She poked her carrots around her plate with her fork, pretending to be incredibly interested in the Hogwarts Coat of Arms pictured on the back of the silver utensil.
Harry grabbed her fork and she let go, hearing it clatter to her plate. Several students glanced over before returning their gazes back to their dinners.
"Harry!" she hissed, "Nothing happened! I mean…" she stared down at her lap. "I was wrong…"
Ron spit out his pumpkin juice, spraying Harry with the orange liquid and particles of half-chewed bread. He turned to Hermione. "You were WHAT?"
"I said I was WRONG. Malfoy's not up to anything." Hermione crossed her arms and stared at him, noticing a thin line of pumpkin juice trickling down his freckled chin. "Ronald Weasley, you disgust me."
Ron shifted his gaze guiltily to Harry, who was holding his glasses out at arms length and wrinkling his nose. "Sorry, mate."
Harry gave him a look like one of a parent to a child before pursing his lips, trying to hold back a smile. Soon he began to chuckle, cleaning his glasses off with his napkin. Ron laughed nervously, turning his face to Hermione and wiping his chin with the back of his hand.
"Eeerr…so Herms, you were saying?"
Hermione sighed heavily. "I was wrong, Ron. I misheard."
Harry looked at her dubiously. "How could you 'mishear' something like that? According to you before, Malfoy had every intention of sending me to the hospital wing for Merlin knows how long. What happened?"
Hermione chewed on her lower lip, trying to arrange her thoughts.
I could tell them about the vile…but it was only sugar water! I would seem so stupid…just, so stupid! No, they don't need to know that. I could tell them about how he trapped me against the…
Hermione shook her head silently
Yeah right. Maybe about how Malfoy leaned in and…what am I thinking? Ron would have a hernia…
She glanced up resolutely. "Nothing happened. I just didn't find anything, that's all."
Hermione shifted her eyes away from her friends' inquiring gazes, feeling guilty about her white lie. Somehow, though, she knew that relating any of the events that had passed in Malfoy's room would not sit well with Harry or Ron.
But Harry had quickly recovered from Hermione's news. "Okay, no worries," he grinned, "New plan."
Hermione noticed him winking across the table at Ron and she prepared for the worst.
"Harry James Potter! I think I'm quite finished with ALL of your plans concerning Malfoy, thank you very much."
"What?" Harry was genuinely surprised. "But why? You barely had to put up with anything! So what? You listened to him talk for an hour and then you poked around his room a bit…what's so bad about that? You said nothing happened."
Ron caught her nervous expression. "Hermione," he waited until she faced him and stared into her eyes. She tried to fix her gaze on anything and everything else.
I can't lie again…
"Nothing happened, right?"
Hermione noted the worried look on his face – but she knew what he wanted to hear.
I can't lie AGAIN…
"No, of course not," she replied softly.
Well will you look at that? I just did.
Ron appeared to be relieved, and for that, Hermione was grateful. Apparently, he had believed her; she released a breath that she hadn't known she'd been holding.
"Okay then," Harry continued, "For my new proposal…" He stopped for a moment, smiling to himself at Hermione's cocked head and set jaw. It was as if the judge had announced that she would be whipped or scourged, and she was waiting for the verdict.
"Hermione, just how interested in Quidditch are you?"
She threw him a dirty look. "Actually, not really at all – you know that. I only go to support you and Ron…"
"Wrong!" Harry smirked triumphantly.
Ron grinned. "Wow, Herms, two times in one day. What's happening to you?"
"Actually, Hermione," Harry continued, "You are incredibly, extremely, and unbelievably fascinated with Quidditch!"
Hermione caught on quickly to what he was hinting towards. "Harry, no way. You were only right about one thing – it WOULD be unbelievable."
"Come ON, Hermione! Just get him to explain things to you. Boost his ego a bit. You know he won't resist an opportunity to gloat."
"He's right, you know," Ron agreed, "Malfoy is as cocky and conceited as they come."
"I know THAT!" Hermione hissed icily, "But there is no way that I'm going to pretend I like Quidditch at all, much less in order to listen to Malfoy brag! I'd rather be thrown in Azkaban for a year!"
Harry wasn't prepared to let go so easily. "Please, Hermione! For me?"
"Oh no, Harry Potter, don't try to sweet-talk me into THIS one. Besides, Malfoy wouldn't believe it for a second." She stood up and threw her napkin down beside her plate. "I'm sorry, Harry," she added more gently. "I hate to let you down, but I can't go through with this – not even for you and Ron."
The two boys followed her retreating figure with their eyes before groaning in disappointment.
"Oh well," Ron shrugged. "It's probably that time of the month…" At this he exchanged a knowing grin with Harry across the platters of food.
"Yeah," Harry nodded, "We'll just ask her again next week…"
Hermione hastily climbed the stairs to her dorm.
The nerve of those two! What do they think I am – a bloody machine?
"Licorice," she grumbled, still distempered at her two friends.
"My, my, my. Aren't we grumpy today?" a sluggish drawl reached her ears.
"Malfoy, just leave me alone!" she yelled, turning only to find an empty hallway and hearing her words bounce through the halls and echo two or three more times.
Well, that was strange…
"Underneath the shield, you'll find –
A heart of gold, a gifted mind…" the voice whispered again. Hermione glanced wildly all around her, but to no avail.
"Malfoy! That's not funny! Where the bloody hell are you?" She was beginning to feel uneasy. She moved to step through the portrait-hole.
"Oomph! Ow! It was just open! How the heck-?"
"I don't respond well to bad tempers, Miss…"
It was Malfoy's voice, but it wasn't Malfoy. Hermione rubbed her sore back as she pulled herself to her feet, finally realizing who had spoken.
"You know," she said, annoyed, "You really should stop scaring people. Or at least take that bloody helmet off so I can tell you're talking."
The black knight bowed deeply, and Hermione could tell he was smirking underneath his armor. "My apologies," came the sarcastic reply.
Hermione was struck again with the image of the knight in her dorm that paralleled the one in front of her. Something was different – she knew, but she couldn't place her finger on it.
"Excuse me! Sir Whatever, would you please-"
"Sir Nogard," the knight asserted.
Hermione put her hands on her hips. "Sure, okay…Sir Nogard…Would you please let me in?"
He sighed, but finally swung aside. "Fine, but don't touch my armor – I just had it cleaned."
So that was it! Hermione realized. His armor was cleaner.
She suddenly remembered the dirty, dusty image of Sir Nogard when she had first arrived. It was good to see that he had cleaned himself up a bit. Somehow it didn't make the blackness of his suit seem so foreboding and opaque. She stepped onto her soft, red carpet, pleased with herself for solving her earlier quandary. She quickly started a fire in the fireplace and glanced up at the picture above her mantle.
"Hello again," the knight laughed down at her.
"Sir Nogard?"
"But of course, fair lady," he dictated mockingly. "I come and go as I please between your two frames. What else am I supposed to do all day?" He sat down on the grass in the picture and leaned his iron-clad form against the gold frame of the portrait.
"You know," he began slowly…
Merlin, his voice is exactly like Malfoy's!
"Although I'm not too fond of you, I have taken into consideration your earlier suggestion."
I could care less…
"Fine then," Hermione shrugged indifferently.
"AND…" he paused dramatically, hoping that she would realize the weight of what he was about to say. "I will remove my helmet!"
Hermione stifled laughter at his enthusiasm and the simplicity with which he became excited. Sir Nogard pulled off his head covering and smirked.
Oh sweet Merlin, I know that smirk…
He held the armor at his side and ran his iron hand through his hair, staring at her emotionlessly.
Oh…my God…he looks exactly like…
A whistle sounded from across the room. "Wow, Granger, you sure have a good-looking portrait…"
Malfoy sauntered up to the fireplace and tilted his head, admiring the picture.
"Yep, quite a handsome man, wouldn't you say?" He smirked at her and awaited her response.
Sir Nogard, however, was the first to speak. "I like HIM!"
"Oh shut up!" Hermione spat at the helmet-less knight.
Malfoy was critically eyeing her room. Hermione caught his gaze and put her hands on her hips indignantly. "Something wrong?"
He threw her a nauseated look. "I just don't see what it is with you and pink."
He slicked his hair out of his eyes before retreating to his room. He turned, always having to have the last word. "Oh, and Granger – keep that guy around for a while." He jerked his thumb towards Sir Nogard. "I like him."
I bet you would, you prat. Anything to stroke your precious ego…
Hermione felt sticky from the syrupy sweetness of his words. She grabbed her pink, fluffy towel defiantly and went to turn on the bath water.
Wow, that was long for me… I know it's not a very long chapter overall, but I'm working on length so bare with me…
Kasumi Izukawa: Thanks – I'm glad you think it's realistic. I try hard to keep everything believable and it makes me happy to know that you think it's working!
Starwandmagical: hee hee…*sizzle*…AMEN! YAY Draco! Woohoo!
Nina217: Aw…*blush*…thanks!
CindyLea: No worries – plenty of that later. I just hafta keep them in character…if things go too fast then I lose the believable factor, right? Hee hee…
Malfoys-Tinkerbell: Glad you liked it so far!
Sierradogbaby: Hey you! Big hugs! I wrote a longer chapter just for you. I hope to make them longer as it goes on, but I gotta start somewhere right?
Ja: lol…thanks! Rock on Draco…
The kath: J'ai une classe de francais a mon ecole – c'est tout. Je ne pense pas que j'ecris bien, mais merci mille fois! Tu es tres gentille! I'm glad you like it so far!
Aindel: Thank you so much for your review! I like it when people tell me more about what they think about the characters – it helps me to develop them. Keep reviewing! Thanks again!
Alexa: oooh I know….Hermione totally has to get back at him…I have a few paths I could follow, but nothing's for certain. Tell me if you have any suggestions because I'm completely open to new ideas! Thanks for reviewing!
Devin Jamie Pickrell: I'll explain more about the sugar water in the next chapter with more D/H interaction…*evil smirk*…Also, I was a bit confused by your review (partly because I'm tired and partly because I'm a bit slow sometimes…). You said, "Put that in, beFORE they get together…"
Put WHAT in? Anyways, thanks for reviewing…I'm glad you like it!
BLB: Aw! That's so sweet – thank you!
WHEW! Okay, that's it! Please review because it makes me very happy…*goofy grin*
I love hearing your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas…any favorite lines? Favorite character traits? Lines or traits that you wish had been in there? LET ME KNOW!
Okay then…both my Draco muse and I are wiped out, so we're both going to bed *mischievous grin*....just kidding…relax! Hee hee…
Cheers to pleasant Draco dreams!
Xoxo…Kate
