Disclaimer: Nothing but the plot is mine


Step Six: Got in trouble? Naughty naughty! But the hallmark of a TRUE seductive flirt is one who can turn any situation to her advantage

"Oh man, we have to WHAT!" repeated Ron, incredulously. "This isn't even academic, it's pure manual labor!" Snape looked levelly at the five students.

"I'm sure washing the floors and windows in this hall with no magic will be enough to keep all of you from skipping class again, I presume? Might I add there will be seventy-five points taken from each house." Hermione groaned.

"But Professor Snape…"

"Ms. Granger, you should be thankful that I am not taking an additional seventy-five points for your unruly, fraternizing behavior." That shut Hermione up. Harry tried his luck.

"But this is going to take all night and the people on the Quidditch teams need to

practice!"

"I'm sure you can manage to forfeit one meeting for school purposes," Snape said, easily and smoothly. Ginny stayed naturally quiet so three pairs of eyes turned to Draco. His eyes blinked back.

"But Severus-"

"Just because of faint personal family ties does not make you any chummier with me than the rest of these disgraceful students." Faint my ass¸ thought Draco evilly. You seemed pretty "chummy" with my parents last Christmas. Well, you were drunk so I suppose that would mean that you were chummy with the family vineyard's wine too. In an alternate universe, Draco had enough bravado to say that out loud and Snape alterna fled from the room in shame. Draco envied that alternate universe Draco. But alas, this was real life and as much as he wouldn't admit it, he'd actually like to stay in school. Graduate, get a decent job and a wife perhaps.

"But Professor Snape," tried Draco. "I don't…do well…with soap and water. Look at my skin, it's much to delicate." Hermione snorted with suppressed laughter and Draco shot her an offended look. It would have been all and well if he had been playacting but this wasn't fake. He was dead serious and wishing now that no one had just heard him say something so undeniably feminine. Underneath the layer of hot appearances, he was just like any other boy, masculinity problems and all.

"I think you will survive this ordeal, Mr. Malfoy, or shall I ask Filch to bring some extra mild soap?" Snape managed to put more scorn and mocking in mild than anyone else could possibly dream of doing. They were silent.

"Anyone else?" asked Snape. Only ten pairs of pathetic eyes stared back at him. He frowned.

"Start working now," he barked. "And stop looking at me like starved puppies." He turned on his heel and walked from the room, his black cape billowing behind him.

"He is so evil," said Ginny. She sat down, as if the prospect of scrubbing all the windows and floors was too much to handle standing up.

"How long in this hall?" asked Hermione.

"It's a castle," answered Harry. "How long do you think there is?" Draco paled to an even whiter shade if possible. He could already imagine his perfect, artist hands turning red, decorated with cuts with terrible soap water and…

"Hello? Malfoy? Anyone there?" asked Ron, waving a hand in front of Draco's face.

"The lights are all on and working but no one's home," said Ginny, giggling.

"Like brother like sister," said Draco dryly, coming out of his nightmare. He shivered involuntarily. He could still see his chapped hands taking place of his smooth, moisturized, and manicured hands. He pushed up the sleeves of his robes and cleared his throat in the manliest way possible.

"Well, we should get started shouldn't we?" he asked. "Come on." He made sure that he didn't carry any of the buckets of water.

"Where are we starting?" asked Ginny, in a faint voice.

"Gods Ginny, Snape didn't send us to a scaffold did he? Will you chipper up?" asked Ron, irritably.

"Hey come on," said Harry, unconsciously jumping straight to Ginny's defense. "I personally think this is worse than a scaffold. At least with that you die fast, this is slow and painful."

"Shut up all of you and get to work," said Hermione. She gingerly crouched down and took a large yellow sponge and dipped it into the bucket of cold, soapy water. As of the moment it was sparkly and shone faintly back at her. Unfortunately, the water wouldn't stay that way for long.

Ron wrung out a rag and started to wash the windows.

"Ugh this is so disgusting," he grunted. "When was the last time these have been cleaned anyway? You'd think with all the magic they'd at least put a little consideration into sanitation."

"Why bother when Ron Weasley goes to school?" said Hermione. Ginny and Harry started giggling and even Draco ventured a faint smile.

"Very funny," muttered Ron. Hermione gingerly lowered herself onto her knees and hands and started to scrub the floors. When her back was completely turned, Ron put his rag into the water and made sure it soaked up a good amount. Then he walked quietly towards Hermione, unnoticed by everyone else, and wrung it out write over her back.

"RON!" Hermione shrieked. Ice-cold water dripped down her back. She grabbed the nearest bucket and tossed its contents at Ron, unfortunately getting Harry too.

"What did I do?" Harry complained and threw a sponge at Hermione. He missed and hit Ginny in face. She spit out the soap water and ran at Harry and tackled him down. Only when someone accidentally poured an entire bucket of water over Draco's head did he join the ensuing chaos.


"Heeey," said Ron slowly. They were all lying on their backs, out of breath. Hermione was so hot that even the cold stone floor seemed warm.

"What Ron, finally got a thought?" asked Harry. Ron lazily threw a sponge in his general direction. Harry didn't even bother retaliating. They were all too tired.

"What Ron," asked Ginny, finally.

"I think we actually did it," said Ron. "Look at the hall, it's clean." They all did.

"I think you're right," said Draco.

"For once," Harry and Ginny interjected.

"Will you give it a rest!" howled Ron.

"It is clean," finished Hermione. They were lying there in silence once more when Ginny said thoughtfully,

"Have you guys noticed, the buckets of water are still full and still clean."

"I imagine they magicked the buckets so that we wouldn't have an excuse to stop and rest," said Harry, bitterly.

"I don't think they have a shred of mercy in their cold, black hearts," said Ron. The company lapsed into silence again and Hermione could see, from where she was laying down, that the sky had turned a velvety black. Soon, she could hear Harry, Ron, and Ginny around her breathing deeply and evenly. She figured Draco was also asleep until she realized he had turned on his side, looking at her.

"Do you guys always spend detainment like this?" asked Draco quietly. His voice was curious but also held a slightly bitter tone underneath.

"What do you mean?" Hermione whispered back.

"You guys didn't work at all still got the job done," he said. "Does everything you Gryffidors touch turn to gold?" Hermione, underneath her recent bad girl image, was still sensitive and knew that Draco was being painfully honest about how he felt and acted accordingly.

"No, not everything," said Hermione. Draco shook his head.

"It must be nice," he said. He looked away and out the window. "You have it easy." Hermione knew that it was better not to argue. Instead, she carefully crawled over next to him, wincing as she moved her too long inactive limbs. She put her face close to his.

"You don't have to live life by yourself," she said softly. Where had that come from? Wondered Hermione. Remember the assignment! The assignment! But it was no use as Draco leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Hermione let herself have one more thought before giving herself away to the sensation of kissing and being kissed by Draco. Detainment has never been so much fun.