A/N I wrote this chapter right after the last one, and as Christmas is
coming up, go ahead and expect more chapters faster. That is, if my betas
are up to it. I understand that "Christmas should be spent with family" and
what not, but I know, at least in my opinion, family sucks and I'd rather
not spend too much time hanging out with them. That said, please feel free
to come and read my story, or email me or something....Christmas depresses
me, so I look forward to some contact from life forms more intelligent that
my grandma.
Also, sorry to Brit, but it's not like you don't have plenty more chapters to review! Hehe, I'm not mad, and I hope you're not, I don't think you will be, but I'm just checking.
Disclaimer: ~You don't know why they had to go this far
Traded your worth for these scars
For your only company
And don't believe the lies that they have told to you
Not one word was true~
Okay, so they're right; Not one word is true. And not one element is mine. You all know this, but I'm in a Lifehouse mood right now, and as I am typing previously written material, there is none in this chapter. I had to work it in somehow. If you were wondering, that song is called Simon, by Lifehouse. Yes, the same song chapter 8 was named after. It just fits this fic in so many ways! Lifehouse + Tom Felton + Me = 3
(Whoa, I'm getting good at this naming chapters thing..... ;o) )
CHAPTER TWELVE: Deliberate Serendipity
Draco had awoken to find Hermione cheerfully reading next to him. She hadn't noticed he was awake and Draco thought to take advantage of the situation. He let his hand journey under the covers, to her knees, then climb up her thigh. He watched for her reaction; she smiled, still looking at the book. Draco could tell she wasn't really reading and just let his hand slide farther up her leg. She looked down at him and smiled. He smiled back.
"Glad to see you finally awake, Mr. Malfoy. Do you have any idea what time it is?" Draco rolled over and sat up. Confused and tired, he ran a hand through his hair.
"What?" he asked, having no idea what she was talking about.
"It's ten thirty," she informed him in a professional tone.
"And?" he asked stupidly, not seeing her point. Hermione smiled.
"AND I've been up for two and a half hours waiting for you." Draco knew she wasn't angry, just playing with him. He decided to play along.
"Nobody said you had to stay here," he said coolly. Hermione closed her book and removed her glasses.
"Right, and what exactly would you be thinking when you woke up and I wasn't here?" she looked at him, eyebrows raised.
"Good point. Thanks for that," he said and kissed her on the cheek before speaking again. "You could have woken me up," he ventured, seeing no legitimate excuse for her not doing so. Hermione found one.
"Yes, I suppose, but you look so cute and innocent while you sleep; I just couldn't." She smiled as she saw Draco blush a little. The, he smirked.
"Then we must blame genetics for your boredom," he stated. Hermione smiled at him again, he really wanted to win this.
"I never said I was bored, I simply informed you of the fact that I've been waiting here for a ridiculous amount of time, just to see you conscious." He leaned closer to her, their foreheads touching.
"Love me that much, huh?" he asked, staring into her eyes. She smiled.
"Yep." Hermione said this simply, and they both smiled as their lips were brought together. Neither deepened the kiss; it wasn't that kind of kiss. Their lips touched gently, only lingering for a moment before separating and coming together again in a rhythmic motion. Neither of the two could say that they were unsatisfied with the kiss, and each made a mental note to try that one again.
* * * * * * * * * *
It was late afternoon that same day and both Draco and Hermione were on the common room floor, studying. Hermione looked up sharply then turned her head slowly around to look at the door of her room.
"What is it?" Draco asked.
"We haven't even looked in there in like two days," she paused and turned to face him, "Don't you think we should, I mean, do you think they might have come back?"
"Maybe we should," he agreed, standing. He walked toward the door and Hermione tried to follow, but Draco held out his hand as if to hold her back. Hermione unwillingly stayed rooted to her spot while he crept up to the door of the room and slowly opened it. Peeking inside, Draco was glad to see that everything was exactly the way they had left it. The house elves had obviously entered, unaware of the previous state of the room, to light the fire, which was still burning, but dieing down. He entered cautiously, however, and held his hand around his pocketed wand, ready if needed. There was nothing out of place, nothing changed. Draco felt unusually calm, which was a good sign. He walked through the room slowly, checking everything.
Hermione was nervous. Draco had only opened the door enough to slip in and she couldn't see him roaming around the room. She waited there for what seemed like hours, wishing that familiar blonde head to pop through the crack. It didn't come.
"Draco?" she called nervously after a few minutes. There was a dreadful pause and Hermione's heart sank. Then, he spoke.
"It's alright, Hermione. There's nothing." She sighed in deep relief at the sound of his voice.
"Draco, please come back out, you're making me nervous." There was a slight pause, then the door swung slowly open. Draco appeared with a slightly worried smile on his face. Hermione walked to him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder in attempt to convince herself that he was in fact there.
"Alright then?" he asked, knowing she was fine. Hermione smiled at him and nodded gently. She limply slid her hand down his arm and turned back to her room; everything looked eerily normal. She looked back to him, uneasy. Draco noticed how uncomfortable she seemed and closed the door. She smiled at him, glad he understood her feelings, and walked back to her spot on the floor. Draco followed, not speaking. ** Best not to speak of this again, I think ** he noted mentally.
* * * * * * * * * *
Hermione and Draco went to bed early that night, exhausted from endless hours of pouring over textbooks. They were drowning themselves in their studies, wanting to forget everything that was happening. Draco looked at Hermione, asleep on his chest. He cursed himself for falling asleep the previous night and made himself promise not to do so again. He hadn't had another premonition, but he wasn't sure if that meant that the danger was gone, or if it simply hadn't happened yet.
Draco watched Hermione sleep, feeling her heartbeat against his chest. He kept himself thinking about her, making sure he knew what drifting off would be risking. He was successful and was still awake when the sun rose and Hermione stirred.
Hermione remained on his chest through the night and awoke there the next morning. Draco had his eyes only partially open and was stroking her arm with his thumb. Hermione fluttered her eyes open, feeling the soft caress. She tensed, but remembered it was Draco who was with her and instantly relaxed. Draco felt this and his eyes popped open, but he said nothing. He faltered his thumb, but then continued, and Hermione noticed the hesitation.
"Draco, are you awake?" she asked in a whisper, not wanting to wake him if he wasn't.
"Depends on your definition, but I think so, yes," he whispered back playfully. Hermione smiled at this.
"Draco, you never seize to amaze me." She said, no longer whispering. A pause, "What time is it?" Draco turned his head to the blue digital numbers of his alarm.
"Quarter of seven," he said, sighing.
"Hhm..." Hermione mumbled, shifting her position. Then she paused and pushed herself up with the hand not on Draco's chest. She turned her head to look at him and eyed him suspiciously, "Wait, why are you up so early?" Draco was a little nervous, but kept his cool and didn't falter.
"Why, so you wouldn't have to wait for me, of course," he said smoothly, as if it were obvious. Then he smirked. Hermione smiled warningly, then laid her head back down, sighing comfortably. Her hand still rested on Draco's chest, and his rested casually on her arm. He let his other hand snake around her, stopping on her hip, and pulled her a little closer to him.
They stayed that way for over an hour; Draco getting increasingly closer to sleep. He had to do something soon or his efforts would be lost, but he didn't want to be the one to move her. He needed something, anything that would keep his mind off sleeping. **No, not just anything... her**. Draco slid his hand farther up her arm, then down again. It moved casually to her hand, then flew smoothly to her chin. He gently pressed her chin up, causing Hermione to look at him.
She was smiling and he couldn't help but smile too. Draco kissed her and Hermione got surprisingly into it. Whenever Draco deepened the kiss, Hermione came back twice as hard. Much to his dismay, she broke off abruptly after only a few seconds. Draco could only manage a weak reply, but it satisfied Hermione better than a longer one would have.
"Whoa..." he said quietly, eyes gone a little wide. Hermione smiled deviously and leaned in for more. Draco decided to take advantage of her presently wild state and let her lead him, only kissing back at her speed.
Not breaking the kiss, Hermione slid a leg over him and settled herself as she had done the morning of the dream. Draco made no effort to stop her in any way. Hermione's kisses were all hard and wild and Draco admitted that he liked this side of her. He slid his hands under her shirt and ran them over her back; Hermione noticeably melted and his touch. It went no farther than that, however. They were already in love, and making more was out of the question. The couple seemed to have an unspoken understanding on the subject.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Draco, do you want children?" Hermione asked, totally off topic, one afternoon as they sat in the common room playing chess. Hermione wasn't very good and Draco almost always won; she had beaten him once, but Hermione suspected he had let her win. Neither enjoyed the game much, not nearly as much as Harry and Ron, but it helped pass the time.
"What?" he asked, shocked at the question.
"Do you want children?" she repeated. Hermione thought of continuing and reassuring him that she would support his answer, but instead left it at that simple statement. Draco looked utterly shocked for a moment, then seemed to get over it and smirked a little.
"Now, now Hermione. That's rushing things bit now, isn't it? He said playfully. Hermione reached across the small table and pushed him gently on the shoulder.
"Oh! You know what I mean." He looked a little more serious, but was still smiling.
"I don't really know. If they come, they come. If not, then that's the way it is. I wouldn't mind kids, don't get me wrong, but I'm not going to try for them. If I'm meant to have an heir, then I will." Hermione was surprised at the sincerity of his answer. She looked at him thoughtfully. He moved a piece on the board, then looked at her as if expecting her to say something.
"What?" she asked, honestly not knowing what he wanted.
"Well, don't think you're getting an answer like that out of me without giving me one in return, Miss Granger," he said in mock outrage. She smiled.
"I want them, I really do... but I agree with you. If fate has a child in line for me, that's great. If not, I'm not going to blackmail him into it," she said, looking at the board and contemplating a move before actually making it. Draco smiled.
"Interesting way of looking at it," he moved a piece while he spoke and paused briefly before continuing. "Check Mate." Draco paused to look at Hermione, her mouth open with an expression of shock at his unexpected win. "You know, sometimes I'm not sure if even you know what you're talking about." Hermione snapped her head up to look at him and closed her mouth; then she smiled.
"I'm not so sure either," she agreed. Draco smiled too; it was little things like that that made him love her.
It had been three days since Harry had come and Draco hadn't slept more than an hour the whole time. He had managed to stay awake, but it was difficult with not caffeine in his system, and he sometimes nodded off.
Hermione had noticed how bad he looked and couldn't help but wonder the real reason he was awake whenever she woke up. She knew about the premonitions, but something inside her wouldn't let her take them seriously. Draco had said nothing after her last comment and Hermione looked at him, worried.
"Draco, are you alright?"
"Of course, love. Why do you ask?" He was lying. He knew it and so did she. Hermione sighed; that was the answer she was expecting, however not the one she was hoping for.
"Please don't lie to me, it just makes everything worse." He looked at her quickly and spoke sternly.
"No, Hermione, I'm fine... really," he sighed, he had to say something more. That wasn't going to cut it this time, "I'm just worried about you. It's been four days since the dream and nothing's happened...it's never been that long before. I'm hoping that means we changed something and it's over, but I don't think it will be that easy..." he trailed off, looking sad.
"Don't give me that premonishing bullshit!" she said, almost yelling. Draco looked at her, shocked. She looked furious and her eyes were cold. He wanted to be mad, but exhaustion had taken over his emotions.
"Wait, you don't believe me?" Hermione said nothing, but continued to glare at him. "Hermione...you were right there, how can you not believe me?" He sounded hurt, deeply wounded. Hermione looked at him; she had never seen Draco look so pathetic; she had done this to him. Hermione released a deep sigh, dropping her shoulders and letting all of her fear, frustration, and anger leave her body. She couldn't even look at him.
"I know, I'm sorry. I know you're not lying to me about this...I'm just confused. I think I'm in denial, actually...I know you're telling me everything, yet I can't believe it. I'm sorry..." Draco seemed to understand. He stood from his chair and stepped toward Hermione. He held out a hand, as if asking to dance, and she took it, bewildered. Draco pulled her up and into a hug. Neither made any notice of the simple wooded chair that fell to the floor behind her.
"It's alright Hermione," he whispered. She was crying again and Draco made as if it didn't bother him. He held her, rocking gently, until she had calmed down enough to stop the tears.
"Sorry," she said, wiping her tears away.
"Don't be," Draco said and kissed Hermione ever so gently. She collapsed into his arms and Draco supported her. He waited for her to kiss back, and she did, righting her stance in the process. The light kiss ended and was followed by a heavy pause.
"Hungry?" she asked him, wanting to change the subject.
"For you," he replied, backed by a trademark smirk. Hermione loved that side of Draco; he always made her heart flutter when he said things like that.
"No, really...let's go."
"Whatever you want, Hermione," he agreed. Not that he really had a choice, as he was dragged from the common room before he could react anyway.
* * * * * * * * * *
To their surprise, the great hall wasn't empty. Dumbledore sat at the head table, cheerily drinking tea and reading a copy of the Daily Prophet. Draco and Hermione entered, unaware of the old professor. They were walking very close, arms around eachother's waist, and Hermione's head was on Draco shoulder.
The happy couple gasped in unison when they saw Dumbledore and Draco felt Hermione's arm tighten around him.
"Good afternoon, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy," he said, not looking up from his tabloid. **Wow, it's really creepy how he seems to know everything...** both students thought in unison.
"Good afternoon, Professor." Hermione said this hastily, as Draco was speechless. Dumbledore looked up from the paper with a cheery smile.
"Come now, join me for lunch," he said to them, eyes twinkling. Hermione smiled and obeyed, not about to defy Professor Dumbledore. She took Draco's hand from her waist, and switched it to her other hand before beginning to walk toward the head table. Draco said nothing and looked a little paler than usual. Hermione held his hand and glanced up at him. He smiled weakly and followed her toward the head table, a bit reluctantly.
The couple sat together, to the right of the old man. As they did, their food appeared automatically. Hermione seemed to have relaxed and was possibly even enjoying the encounter, but Draco was still shocked and nervous.
"Something wrong, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked. Draco broke out of his state and hastily replied.
"N-No, Headmaster," he said and turned back to his plate; attempting to eat. Hermione smiled at his reaction to the old man. The two ate in silence for a few minutes, Draco growing increasingly uncomfortable.
"Well, how is your studying going, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy?"
"Very well Professor. I have confidence in both of us," Hermione said and looked at Draco affectionately. The old man nodded and there was a brief silence.
"And is Mr. Potter quite well?" he asked casually. Hermione and Draco exchanged a surprised and frightened look.
"You know about Harry?" Draco asked, speaking willingly for the first time since entering the great hall.
"I have my ways, Mr. Malfoy." He paused, eyes twinkling that familiar twinkle. "Now, would you mind visiting my office when you are quite finished?" he asked, standing.
"Of course, Professor." Hermione said. Dumbledore smiled at them understandingly and exited the hall via a side entrance. Both Draco and Hermione watched him exit, then Draco looked at her fearfully. She was smiling widely and couldn't help but burst out laughing. Draco rolled his eyes and smiled.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again; you are bloody insane." She nodded through her laughter, but didn't stop for a good two minutes.
When she did calm down, Draco didn't say anything. **How can she be so pretty no matter what she's doing? ** he wondered innocently.
"That was just really creepy and stressful..." she paused, "I've wanted to laugh like that since we walked in." Hermione slumped back in her chair, breathing hard.
"Hermione, I don't think I'll ever understand you," he said, smiling. She smiled back and shrugged her shoulders. Draco paused for a moment, then spoke again. "Want to go right to Dumbledore? He did ask us to come." Hermione nodded and he stood, holding out a hand to her. She took it and they exited the hall through the main doors, hands clasped.
* * * * * * * * * *
In less than ten minutes of horribly slow walking, the Hogwarts couple found themselves at the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Soon after, they were inside, holding hands and awaiting their fate.
Dumbledore entered, smiling at the two as they quickly unclasped their hands. Both knew that he had knowledge of everything; Harry's visit, their relationship, and most likely even the staff. He always seemed to know everything. The old man sat behind his desk, smiling, but not speaking.
"You wanted to see us, Professor Dumbledore?" Draco asked, respectively.
"Indeed I did, Mr. Malfoy. It appears that we have a few matters that need to be discussed. Firstly, about Mr. Potter..." the old man began, but was cut off.
"Please don't be angry with Harry; it was my fault, I should have asked him to leave. I'm sorry, professor, but we hadn't seen each other in over three months and..." Hermione said, but she too was cut off.
"Calm down, Miss Granger. I am not about to punish either of you for this simple friendly randeveus. All I ask is that I be notified the next time Mr. Potter decides to drop in. Agreed?" He finished, looking at Hermione with raised eyebrows.
"Of course, Professor," Hermione said. If she was relieved, she was doing a good job at hiding it.
"Good. Now, it seems as though Mr. Potter is not the only visitor you have received?" The teenagers paled. "Would you care to explain the presence of a certain staff, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy?" The old man finished. Hermione was the one with no words this time, but Draco came to her rescue.
"Technically, we don't know why the staff is there. One morning we woke to find Hermione's room had been destroyed and on further investigation discovered the artifact. It was left by someone, apparently," he said, noticeably nervous yet very professional. Hermione noticed that he had left out the premonitions and was glad. Dumbledore need only know what is absolutely necessary.
"I see," Dumbledore said and turned to the girl. "...and you were in the room during this attack, Miss Granger?" Hermione said nothing, but shook her head weakly. ** We're in trouble...** she thought. "No?" he sounded surprised. "Where, may I ask, were you then if not in your own bed?"
Hermione looked to Draco slightly and tried to read his eyes. They seemed to say, *He already knows.* She took a deep breath and sighed. Then, strangely, she smiled. ** Why is this so bad? I love Draco and I'm shouldn't be ashamed of it. **
"I was with Draco," she said, almost proudly.
"Ah. And you were...?" the old man asked. She briefly wondered why Dumbledore was acting this way; asking them questions he already knew the answer to. It almost seemed out of character, but she shrugged it off; what did it matter?
"We were sleeping," she said in her previous tone. Dumbledore looked satisfied, as if he knew but only wanted to hear it from them.
"Well," he said, changing the subject. "May I suggest you show me this object, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione seemed happier.
"Certainly, Headmaster," she said and smiled.
* * * * * * * * * *
It seemed to take them less time to get back to their rooms than it had to go from the great hall to Dumbledore's office. Draco and Hermione did walk near each other, but did not hold hands. Hermione was no longer ashamed of their relationship, and she hoped Draco felt the same way, but they did feel uncomfortable expressing it in front of the old headmaster, as many other student couples did.
They found themselves in the common room in no time and were faced once again with Hermione's door. Draco silently volunteered to open it, knowing Hermione would be afraid to. They hadn't been in there in almost a week; not since the day after Harry's visit.
Draco opened the door cauciously, peeking around the door to make sure all was well for Dumbledore. Upon seeing that everything was still in order, Draco swung the door open. He heard Hermione sigh in relief and looked at her reassuringly. Dumbledore was still smiling and he walked past Draco into the room. Hermione followed, but stopped at the doorway, standing next to her platinum blonde boyfriend. The aged man gingerly lifted the staff from the floor and held it in his hands. After inspecting it for a few minutes, he turned back to the couple in the doorway.
"Knowing the both of you, I trust you have already discovered the name and origin of this artifact?" he asked. Draco nodded. "Well, then you must also be aware of the danger of having something like this in the school, unguarded?" he continued, not raising his voice, but still striking fear into their hearts.
"Yes, Sir," Draco said quietly, not looking at Dumbledore.
"Yet, you still did not see reason to inform me of this discovery?" Neither said anything and looked only at their feet. "Not to worry. I'm sure you both have your reasons and I'm not going to ask of you to inform me of them. As no one was hurt beyond repair, I see no need to punish you. I trust you will tell me, however, if anything like this were to happen again?" The two nodded in unison. "Good." He finished and moved toward the door.
Draco and Hermione stepped out of his way and let the old man pass. They then followed behind him to the door and watched as he exited through the portrait, neither speaking. When he had safely exited the room and was well on his way down the hall, Hermione spoke.
"He took the staff, Draco." Hermione looked at him, "What if they come back? They won't be able to find it and that could cause some big problems. Or what if they're tracking it? They'll think we told him..." She gasped, horrid ideas flying through her mind. "What if that's what they were waiting for?"
Hermione closed her eyes and slowly slid to the floor, rocking back and forth as she sat, obviously shaken. Draco came to her rescue, wrapping his arms around her and speaking reassuringly, but he couldn't help but to think, **What if she's right?**
A/N HAHA! Ntyc, but I just thought I'd share with you, that was a whole composition notebook! The next chapter begins the blood red book, as this one was black. The third volume, if there be one, which I think there will as I am halfway through the blood red one now, will also be red, ntyc. Haha, anyway...
PRF:
S-Star - I told you it was a good idea not to kill me....haha, here's one more reason. It's called chapter twelve. There are nine more reasons ready to follow, can you guess what they are? Haha, Happy Christmas.
CassieXanthe- Yes, I thought that was a fairly good twist myself. And, as said in the authors note in chapter eight (Simon), the chapter is named after the song Simon by the band Lifehouse. Its on the No Name Face album; my favorite CD, and it fit Hermione's mood. Check it out, you'll be glad you did...hehe t4r!
CLARICEKARN1234- Thanx, and I try to add as often as possible. You put me on your favorites! Thanx! Im flattered, for sure! T4r, and t4reveiwing!
hasapi- thanx, and that was kinda my line of reasoning. I'm glad you wanna read more! It makes me feel like pop-corn. Haha, inside joke from later in the story....you'll figure it out about chapter 26, so be patient....haha
Dark Rogue- Thanx, and thanx, no ones ever told me that b4! I'll try to email you; sorry if I don't get to it right away, I cant do it right now, its midnight and I have rents breathing down my neck to go to bed, haha
Avi- Don't worry! There's always review 200, lol ... and do your homework so you don't get in trouble and not allowed to check back anymore! I would cry, :sniff sniff: Happy Christmas
Dragon Girl- Thanx, and I appreciate your reading and reviewing! I'm posting as fast as my betas can read...they're only human, dammit! Lol, and I don't have a lot of experience w/ the kissing, but I try
Also, sorry to Brit, but it's not like you don't have plenty more chapters to review! Hehe, I'm not mad, and I hope you're not, I don't think you will be, but I'm just checking.
Disclaimer: ~You don't know why they had to go this far
Traded your worth for these scars
For your only company
And don't believe the lies that they have told to you
Not one word was true~
Okay, so they're right; Not one word is true. And not one element is mine. You all know this, but I'm in a Lifehouse mood right now, and as I am typing previously written material, there is none in this chapter. I had to work it in somehow. If you were wondering, that song is called Simon, by Lifehouse. Yes, the same song chapter 8 was named after. It just fits this fic in so many ways! Lifehouse + Tom Felton + Me = 3
(Whoa, I'm getting good at this naming chapters thing..... ;o) )
CHAPTER TWELVE: Deliberate Serendipity
Draco had awoken to find Hermione cheerfully reading next to him. She hadn't noticed he was awake and Draco thought to take advantage of the situation. He let his hand journey under the covers, to her knees, then climb up her thigh. He watched for her reaction; she smiled, still looking at the book. Draco could tell she wasn't really reading and just let his hand slide farther up her leg. She looked down at him and smiled. He smiled back.
"Glad to see you finally awake, Mr. Malfoy. Do you have any idea what time it is?" Draco rolled over and sat up. Confused and tired, he ran a hand through his hair.
"What?" he asked, having no idea what she was talking about.
"It's ten thirty," she informed him in a professional tone.
"And?" he asked stupidly, not seeing her point. Hermione smiled.
"AND I've been up for two and a half hours waiting for you." Draco knew she wasn't angry, just playing with him. He decided to play along.
"Nobody said you had to stay here," he said coolly. Hermione closed her book and removed her glasses.
"Right, and what exactly would you be thinking when you woke up and I wasn't here?" she looked at him, eyebrows raised.
"Good point. Thanks for that," he said and kissed her on the cheek before speaking again. "You could have woken me up," he ventured, seeing no legitimate excuse for her not doing so. Hermione found one.
"Yes, I suppose, but you look so cute and innocent while you sleep; I just couldn't." She smiled as she saw Draco blush a little. The, he smirked.
"Then we must blame genetics for your boredom," he stated. Hermione smiled at him again, he really wanted to win this.
"I never said I was bored, I simply informed you of the fact that I've been waiting here for a ridiculous amount of time, just to see you conscious." He leaned closer to her, their foreheads touching.
"Love me that much, huh?" he asked, staring into her eyes. She smiled.
"Yep." Hermione said this simply, and they both smiled as their lips were brought together. Neither deepened the kiss; it wasn't that kind of kiss. Their lips touched gently, only lingering for a moment before separating and coming together again in a rhythmic motion. Neither of the two could say that they were unsatisfied with the kiss, and each made a mental note to try that one again.
* * * * * * * * * *
It was late afternoon that same day and both Draco and Hermione were on the common room floor, studying. Hermione looked up sharply then turned her head slowly around to look at the door of her room.
"What is it?" Draco asked.
"We haven't even looked in there in like two days," she paused and turned to face him, "Don't you think we should, I mean, do you think they might have come back?"
"Maybe we should," he agreed, standing. He walked toward the door and Hermione tried to follow, but Draco held out his hand as if to hold her back. Hermione unwillingly stayed rooted to her spot while he crept up to the door of the room and slowly opened it. Peeking inside, Draco was glad to see that everything was exactly the way they had left it. The house elves had obviously entered, unaware of the previous state of the room, to light the fire, which was still burning, but dieing down. He entered cautiously, however, and held his hand around his pocketed wand, ready if needed. There was nothing out of place, nothing changed. Draco felt unusually calm, which was a good sign. He walked through the room slowly, checking everything.
Hermione was nervous. Draco had only opened the door enough to slip in and she couldn't see him roaming around the room. She waited there for what seemed like hours, wishing that familiar blonde head to pop through the crack. It didn't come.
"Draco?" she called nervously after a few minutes. There was a dreadful pause and Hermione's heart sank. Then, he spoke.
"It's alright, Hermione. There's nothing." She sighed in deep relief at the sound of his voice.
"Draco, please come back out, you're making me nervous." There was a slight pause, then the door swung slowly open. Draco appeared with a slightly worried smile on his face. Hermione walked to him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder in attempt to convince herself that he was in fact there.
"Alright then?" he asked, knowing she was fine. Hermione smiled at him and nodded gently. She limply slid her hand down his arm and turned back to her room; everything looked eerily normal. She looked back to him, uneasy. Draco noticed how uncomfortable she seemed and closed the door. She smiled at him, glad he understood her feelings, and walked back to her spot on the floor. Draco followed, not speaking. ** Best not to speak of this again, I think ** he noted mentally.
* * * * * * * * * *
Hermione and Draco went to bed early that night, exhausted from endless hours of pouring over textbooks. They were drowning themselves in their studies, wanting to forget everything that was happening. Draco looked at Hermione, asleep on his chest. He cursed himself for falling asleep the previous night and made himself promise not to do so again. He hadn't had another premonition, but he wasn't sure if that meant that the danger was gone, or if it simply hadn't happened yet.
Draco watched Hermione sleep, feeling her heartbeat against his chest. He kept himself thinking about her, making sure he knew what drifting off would be risking. He was successful and was still awake when the sun rose and Hermione stirred.
Hermione remained on his chest through the night and awoke there the next morning. Draco had his eyes only partially open and was stroking her arm with his thumb. Hermione fluttered her eyes open, feeling the soft caress. She tensed, but remembered it was Draco who was with her and instantly relaxed. Draco felt this and his eyes popped open, but he said nothing. He faltered his thumb, but then continued, and Hermione noticed the hesitation.
"Draco, are you awake?" she asked in a whisper, not wanting to wake him if he wasn't.
"Depends on your definition, but I think so, yes," he whispered back playfully. Hermione smiled at this.
"Draco, you never seize to amaze me." She said, no longer whispering. A pause, "What time is it?" Draco turned his head to the blue digital numbers of his alarm.
"Quarter of seven," he said, sighing.
"Hhm..." Hermione mumbled, shifting her position. Then she paused and pushed herself up with the hand not on Draco's chest. She turned her head to look at him and eyed him suspiciously, "Wait, why are you up so early?" Draco was a little nervous, but kept his cool and didn't falter.
"Why, so you wouldn't have to wait for me, of course," he said smoothly, as if it were obvious. Then he smirked. Hermione smiled warningly, then laid her head back down, sighing comfortably. Her hand still rested on Draco's chest, and his rested casually on her arm. He let his other hand snake around her, stopping on her hip, and pulled her a little closer to him.
They stayed that way for over an hour; Draco getting increasingly closer to sleep. He had to do something soon or his efforts would be lost, but he didn't want to be the one to move her. He needed something, anything that would keep his mind off sleeping. **No, not just anything... her**. Draco slid his hand farther up her arm, then down again. It moved casually to her hand, then flew smoothly to her chin. He gently pressed her chin up, causing Hermione to look at him.
She was smiling and he couldn't help but smile too. Draco kissed her and Hermione got surprisingly into it. Whenever Draco deepened the kiss, Hermione came back twice as hard. Much to his dismay, she broke off abruptly after only a few seconds. Draco could only manage a weak reply, but it satisfied Hermione better than a longer one would have.
"Whoa..." he said quietly, eyes gone a little wide. Hermione smiled deviously and leaned in for more. Draco decided to take advantage of her presently wild state and let her lead him, only kissing back at her speed.
Not breaking the kiss, Hermione slid a leg over him and settled herself as she had done the morning of the dream. Draco made no effort to stop her in any way. Hermione's kisses were all hard and wild and Draco admitted that he liked this side of her. He slid his hands under her shirt and ran them over her back; Hermione noticeably melted and his touch. It went no farther than that, however. They were already in love, and making more was out of the question. The couple seemed to have an unspoken understanding on the subject.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Draco, do you want children?" Hermione asked, totally off topic, one afternoon as they sat in the common room playing chess. Hermione wasn't very good and Draco almost always won; she had beaten him once, but Hermione suspected he had let her win. Neither enjoyed the game much, not nearly as much as Harry and Ron, but it helped pass the time.
"What?" he asked, shocked at the question.
"Do you want children?" she repeated. Hermione thought of continuing and reassuring him that she would support his answer, but instead left it at that simple statement. Draco looked utterly shocked for a moment, then seemed to get over it and smirked a little.
"Now, now Hermione. That's rushing things bit now, isn't it? He said playfully. Hermione reached across the small table and pushed him gently on the shoulder.
"Oh! You know what I mean." He looked a little more serious, but was still smiling.
"I don't really know. If they come, they come. If not, then that's the way it is. I wouldn't mind kids, don't get me wrong, but I'm not going to try for them. If I'm meant to have an heir, then I will." Hermione was surprised at the sincerity of his answer. She looked at him thoughtfully. He moved a piece on the board, then looked at her as if expecting her to say something.
"What?" she asked, honestly not knowing what he wanted.
"Well, don't think you're getting an answer like that out of me without giving me one in return, Miss Granger," he said in mock outrage. She smiled.
"I want them, I really do... but I agree with you. If fate has a child in line for me, that's great. If not, I'm not going to blackmail him into it," she said, looking at the board and contemplating a move before actually making it. Draco smiled.
"Interesting way of looking at it," he moved a piece while he spoke and paused briefly before continuing. "Check Mate." Draco paused to look at Hermione, her mouth open with an expression of shock at his unexpected win. "You know, sometimes I'm not sure if even you know what you're talking about." Hermione snapped her head up to look at him and closed her mouth; then she smiled.
"I'm not so sure either," she agreed. Draco smiled too; it was little things like that that made him love her.
It had been three days since Harry had come and Draco hadn't slept more than an hour the whole time. He had managed to stay awake, but it was difficult with not caffeine in his system, and he sometimes nodded off.
Hermione had noticed how bad he looked and couldn't help but wonder the real reason he was awake whenever she woke up. She knew about the premonitions, but something inside her wouldn't let her take them seriously. Draco had said nothing after her last comment and Hermione looked at him, worried.
"Draco, are you alright?"
"Of course, love. Why do you ask?" He was lying. He knew it and so did she. Hermione sighed; that was the answer she was expecting, however not the one she was hoping for.
"Please don't lie to me, it just makes everything worse." He looked at her quickly and spoke sternly.
"No, Hermione, I'm fine... really," he sighed, he had to say something more. That wasn't going to cut it this time, "I'm just worried about you. It's been four days since the dream and nothing's happened...it's never been that long before. I'm hoping that means we changed something and it's over, but I don't think it will be that easy..." he trailed off, looking sad.
"Don't give me that premonishing bullshit!" she said, almost yelling. Draco looked at her, shocked. She looked furious and her eyes were cold. He wanted to be mad, but exhaustion had taken over his emotions.
"Wait, you don't believe me?" Hermione said nothing, but continued to glare at him. "Hermione...you were right there, how can you not believe me?" He sounded hurt, deeply wounded. Hermione looked at him; she had never seen Draco look so pathetic; she had done this to him. Hermione released a deep sigh, dropping her shoulders and letting all of her fear, frustration, and anger leave her body. She couldn't even look at him.
"I know, I'm sorry. I know you're not lying to me about this...I'm just confused. I think I'm in denial, actually...I know you're telling me everything, yet I can't believe it. I'm sorry..." Draco seemed to understand. He stood from his chair and stepped toward Hermione. He held out a hand, as if asking to dance, and she took it, bewildered. Draco pulled her up and into a hug. Neither made any notice of the simple wooded chair that fell to the floor behind her.
"It's alright Hermione," he whispered. She was crying again and Draco made as if it didn't bother him. He held her, rocking gently, until she had calmed down enough to stop the tears.
"Sorry," she said, wiping her tears away.
"Don't be," Draco said and kissed Hermione ever so gently. She collapsed into his arms and Draco supported her. He waited for her to kiss back, and she did, righting her stance in the process. The light kiss ended and was followed by a heavy pause.
"Hungry?" she asked him, wanting to change the subject.
"For you," he replied, backed by a trademark smirk. Hermione loved that side of Draco; he always made her heart flutter when he said things like that.
"No, really...let's go."
"Whatever you want, Hermione," he agreed. Not that he really had a choice, as he was dragged from the common room before he could react anyway.
* * * * * * * * * *
To their surprise, the great hall wasn't empty. Dumbledore sat at the head table, cheerily drinking tea and reading a copy of the Daily Prophet. Draco and Hermione entered, unaware of the old professor. They were walking very close, arms around eachother's waist, and Hermione's head was on Draco shoulder.
The happy couple gasped in unison when they saw Dumbledore and Draco felt Hermione's arm tighten around him.
"Good afternoon, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy," he said, not looking up from his tabloid. **Wow, it's really creepy how he seems to know everything...** both students thought in unison.
"Good afternoon, Professor." Hermione said this hastily, as Draco was speechless. Dumbledore looked up from the paper with a cheery smile.
"Come now, join me for lunch," he said to them, eyes twinkling. Hermione smiled and obeyed, not about to defy Professor Dumbledore. She took Draco's hand from her waist, and switched it to her other hand before beginning to walk toward the head table. Draco said nothing and looked a little paler than usual. Hermione held his hand and glanced up at him. He smiled weakly and followed her toward the head table, a bit reluctantly.
The couple sat together, to the right of the old man. As they did, their food appeared automatically. Hermione seemed to have relaxed and was possibly even enjoying the encounter, but Draco was still shocked and nervous.
"Something wrong, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked. Draco broke out of his state and hastily replied.
"N-No, Headmaster," he said and turned back to his plate; attempting to eat. Hermione smiled at his reaction to the old man. The two ate in silence for a few minutes, Draco growing increasingly uncomfortable.
"Well, how is your studying going, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy?"
"Very well Professor. I have confidence in both of us," Hermione said and looked at Draco affectionately. The old man nodded and there was a brief silence.
"And is Mr. Potter quite well?" he asked casually. Hermione and Draco exchanged a surprised and frightened look.
"You know about Harry?" Draco asked, speaking willingly for the first time since entering the great hall.
"I have my ways, Mr. Malfoy." He paused, eyes twinkling that familiar twinkle. "Now, would you mind visiting my office when you are quite finished?" he asked, standing.
"Of course, Professor." Hermione said. Dumbledore smiled at them understandingly and exited the hall via a side entrance. Both Draco and Hermione watched him exit, then Draco looked at her fearfully. She was smiling widely and couldn't help but burst out laughing. Draco rolled his eyes and smiled.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again; you are bloody insane." She nodded through her laughter, but didn't stop for a good two minutes.
When she did calm down, Draco didn't say anything. **How can she be so pretty no matter what she's doing? ** he wondered innocently.
"That was just really creepy and stressful..." she paused, "I've wanted to laugh like that since we walked in." Hermione slumped back in her chair, breathing hard.
"Hermione, I don't think I'll ever understand you," he said, smiling. She smiled back and shrugged her shoulders. Draco paused for a moment, then spoke again. "Want to go right to Dumbledore? He did ask us to come." Hermione nodded and he stood, holding out a hand to her. She took it and they exited the hall through the main doors, hands clasped.
* * * * * * * * * *
In less than ten minutes of horribly slow walking, the Hogwarts couple found themselves at the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Soon after, they were inside, holding hands and awaiting their fate.
Dumbledore entered, smiling at the two as they quickly unclasped their hands. Both knew that he had knowledge of everything; Harry's visit, their relationship, and most likely even the staff. He always seemed to know everything. The old man sat behind his desk, smiling, but not speaking.
"You wanted to see us, Professor Dumbledore?" Draco asked, respectively.
"Indeed I did, Mr. Malfoy. It appears that we have a few matters that need to be discussed. Firstly, about Mr. Potter..." the old man began, but was cut off.
"Please don't be angry with Harry; it was my fault, I should have asked him to leave. I'm sorry, professor, but we hadn't seen each other in over three months and..." Hermione said, but she too was cut off.
"Calm down, Miss Granger. I am not about to punish either of you for this simple friendly randeveus. All I ask is that I be notified the next time Mr. Potter decides to drop in. Agreed?" He finished, looking at Hermione with raised eyebrows.
"Of course, Professor," Hermione said. If she was relieved, she was doing a good job at hiding it.
"Good. Now, it seems as though Mr. Potter is not the only visitor you have received?" The teenagers paled. "Would you care to explain the presence of a certain staff, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy?" The old man finished. Hermione was the one with no words this time, but Draco came to her rescue.
"Technically, we don't know why the staff is there. One morning we woke to find Hermione's room had been destroyed and on further investigation discovered the artifact. It was left by someone, apparently," he said, noticeably nervous yet very professional. Hermione noticed that he had left out the premonitions and was glad. Dumbledore need only know what is absolutely necessary.
"I see," Dumbledore said and turned to the girl. "...and you were in the room during this attack, Miss Granger?" Hermione said nothing, but shook her head weakly. ** We're in trouble...** she thought. "No?" he sounded surprised. "Where, may I ask, were you then if not in your own bed?"
Hermione looked to Draco slightly and tried to read his eyes. They seemed to say, *He already knows.* She took a deep breath and sighed. Then, strangely, she smiled. ** Why is this so bad? I love Draco and I'm shouldn't be ashamed of it. **
"I was with Draco," she said, almost proudly.
"Ah. And you were...?" the old man asked. She briefly wondered why Dumbledore was acting this way; asking them questions he already knew the answer to. It almost seemed out of character, but she shrugged it off; what did it matter?
"We were sleeping," she said in her previous tone. Dumbledore looked satisfied, as if he knew but only wanted to hear it from them.
"Well," he said, changing the subject. "May I suggest you show me this object, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione seemed happier.
"Certainly, Headmaster," she said and smiled.
* * * * * * * * * *
It seemed to take them less time to get back to their rooms than it had to go from the great hall to Dumbledore's office. Draco and Hermione did walk near each other, but did not hold hands. Hermione was no longer ashamed of their relationship, and she hoped Draco felt the same way, but they did feel uncomfortable expressing it in front of the old headmaster, as many other student couples did.
They found themselves in the common room in no time and were faced once again with Hermione's door. Draco silently volunteered to open it, knowing Hermione would be afraid to. They hadn't been in there in almost a week; not since the day after Harry's visit.
Draco opened the door cauciously, peeking around the door to make sure all was well for Dumbledore. Upon seeing that everything was still in order, Draco swung the door open. He heard Hermione sigh in relief and looked at her reassuringly. Dumbledore was still smiling and he walked past Draco into the room. Hermione followed, but stopped at the doorway, standing next to her platinum blonde boyfriend. The aged man gingerly lifted the staff from the floor and held it in his hands. After inspecting it for a few minutes, he turned back to the couple in the doorway.
"Knowing the both of you, I trust you have already discovered the name and origin of this artifact?" he asked. Draco nodded. "Well, then you must also be aware of the danger of having something like this in the school, unguarded?" he continued, not raising his voice, but still striking fear into their hearts.
"Yes, Sir," Draco said quietly, not looking at Dumbledore.
"Yet, you still did not see reason to inform me of this discovery?" Neither said anything and looked only at their feet. "Not to worry. I'm sure you both have your reasons and I'm not going to ask of you to inform me of them. As no one was hurt beyond repair, I see no need to punish you. I trust you will tell me, however, if anything like this were to happen again?" The two nodded in unison. "Good." He finished and moved toward the door.
Draco and Hermione stepped out of his way and let the old man pass. They then followed behind him to the door and watched as he exited through the portrait, neither speaking. When he had safely exited the room and was well on his way down the hall, Hermione spoke.
"He took the staff, Draco." Hermione looked at him, "What if they come back? They won't be able to find it and that could cause some big problems. Or what if they're tracking it? They'll think we told him..." She gasped, horrid ideas flying through her mind. "What if that's what they were waiting for?"
Hermione closed her eyes and slowly slid to the floor, rocking back and forth as she sat, obviously shaken. Draco came to her rescue, wrapping his arms around her and speaking reassuringly, but he couldn't help but to think, **What if she's right?**
A/N HAHA! Ntyc, but I just thought I'd share with you, that was a whole composition notebook! The next chapter begins the blood red book, as this one was black. The third volume, if there be one, which I think there will as I am halfway through the blood red one now, will also be red, ntyc. Haha, anyway...
PRF:
S-Star - I told you it was a good idea not to kill me....haha, here's one more reason. It's called chapter twelve. There are nine more reasons ready to follow, can you guess what they are? Haha, Happy Christmas.
CassieXanthe- Yes, I thought that was a fairly good twist myself. And, as said in the authors note in chapter eight (Simon), the chapter is named after the song Simon by the band Lifehouse. Its on the No Name Face album; my favorite CD, and it fit Hermione's mood. Check it out, you'll be glad you did...hehe t4r!
CLARICEKARN1234- Thanx, and I try to add as often as possible. You put me on your favorites! Thanx! Im flattered, for sure! T4r, and t4reveiwing!
hasapi- thanx, and that was kinda my line of reasoning. I'm glad you wanna read more! It makes me feel like pop-corn. Haha, inside joke from later in the story....you'll figure it out about chapter 26, so be patient....haha
Dark Rogue- Thanx, and thanx, no ones ever told me that b4! I'll try to email you; sorry if I don't get to it right away, I cant do it right now, its midnight and I have rents breathing down my neck to go to bed, haha
Avi- Don't worry! There's always review 200, lol ... and do your homework so you don't get in trouble and not allowed to check back anymore! I would cry, :sniff sniff: Happy Christmas
Dragon Girl- Thanx, and I appreciate your reading and reviewing! I'm posting as fast as my betas can read...they're only human, dammit! Lol, and I don't have a lot of experience w/ the kissing, but I try
