Chapter III~
Mystery and Moonlight Encounters
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed! I love suggestions...
The reason for Malfoy's really mean behavior in this story is that I hate all those D/Hr stories where he turns all gooey and nice (hello, not the point of this relationship!). Anyways, I was sort of inspired by all the psychological stuff we've been learning about in science class where guys who like girls are sometimes cruel to them because they don't know how to express love. Review, but only if you like it!
Hermione walked down the stairs. She had been afraid she would be late, and she was; according to the clock situated upon the wall, she had less than a minute to enter. "Well, at least it'll be dramatic," she said to herself, remembering McGonagall's earlier words.
As she approached the ornately carved doorway, the mansion's clocks struck seven-twenty (she expected Dumbledore had had them set), and the doors swung inward.
Hermione tried not to concentrate on the boys' interested stares and the girls' quizzical looks. She lost herself in the crowd, and pretty soon everyone's attention was on Professor Dumbledore. "Welcome, students," he said with a smile. "I trust you all are properly confused at your clues?" He surveyed the crowd of students. "Good, good... well, I must inform you, however, that if you do not find your partner by tonight, you may have an unpleasant surprise when you encounter him or her in your suite. So I suggest that you concentrate more on discovering your partner's identity than on anything else." He smiled again. "Let the ball commence!"
Several students groaned at his previous announcement, then dispersed into groups; a fast-beating song began to play. Hermione, however, slipped away into the corner, where she could see Ginny.
"Hello," said Ginny sulkily. "Guess who my partner is?"
"I can't," said Hermione. "Who is it?"
"Colin Creevey," Ginny said as though it were a disgusting vegetable. "How could they put me with him?"
"Well, you wouldn't normally work with him, would you?" asked Hermione, trying not to laugh.
"No, I suppose not," agreed Ginny. She sighed and examined Hermione. "Perfect! You really do look better than you did at the Yule Ball. I'm so glad we didn't have to wear robes."
"Me too," said Hermione. "Look, there's Harry. I'll go talk to him, see who his partner is."
Ginny grabbed her arm as she started off. "No, you can't!"
"Why?" asked Hermione, then realized that Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were dancing right behind where Harry and Ron were standing. If she could read their expressions well, Pansy looked blissfully happy, but Malfoy looked bored and disgusted. Then, two girls walked up to Ron and Harry and showed them their letters. They appeared to be discussing the letters very deeply, but suddenly seemed to realize that they were partners. They paired off and moved on to the dance floor.
Hermione looked back dejectedly. Ginny sighed. "Look, Hermione," she said. "You have absolutely nothing to be sad about. You are the prettiest girl at this ball- even prettier than me, I have to admit, and your partner, whoever he is, is one lucky guy." She looked again at her watch. "And if I were you, I would hurry- a bunch of Gryffindors are going to have a party in the outdoor bar and pool. It's stocked," she added, winking. "And we're going in about forty-five minutes, so I would go ahead and find out who he is."
Hermione took a shaky breath. "Oh... okay," she said, squaring her shoulders. "I'm leaving."
Ginny noticed that Pansy Parkinson was dancing with Crabbe now. Where had Malfoy slipped off to?
(Malfoy's POV)
At least, whoever she is, she's not Potter or Weasley's partner, Draco thought derisively. They had both just walked off happily with two ditzes from Hufflepuff.
Looking at his watch, he noticed that it was time for him to get going out to that pool under the balcony. He had asked that dork Zambini for her map and found it there, with "The Matrix" conveniently written below it. And if it took too long to get this partner-meeting thing over with, he would be late for the Slytherins' "flashlight tour" later- in his second year, he had learned that this meant they explored the corridors until they found the first opportunity for trouble, then dove right in.
It was a tradition he liked.
Malfoy dashed out of the ballroom, leaving Pansy standing there, shocked. If he could remember the spell, he could easily slice through some of these hedges that blocked his way.
When he arrived at the pool, someone was already sitting against the stone wall that surrounded it... her face was hidden by shadows, but he could see the color of her dress: red. Blood red.
"Well, let's get on with it, then," he drawled, walking over to lean against the wall she was sitting against.
She didn't move, but her breathing stopped; she froze. "No, no, no," he thought he heard her whispering.
Feeling impatient, Malfoy reached down and gripped her upper arm tightly. Her skin, though soft and smooth, was cold. He pulled her up so she was standing; he still towered over her.
The girl tilted her head of dark curls upward and the moonlight struck her face, bringing into clarity what Malfoy had most, and least, wanted to see.
Yes, it was the incredibly beautiful, mysterious girl he had spoken to on the driveway. But... he looked closer, to make sure. Yes...
It was also Hermione Granger, that stinking little piece of Mudblood trash who had hated him since the first day of school at Hogwarts.
He let go of her arm, flinging it back against the stone. He saw her wince in pain.
Malfoy put both his hands on either side of her face, tilting her neck backwards so that her eyes were parallel to his. "So," he said very, very quietly. "We're partners for this damned project."
The Mudblood spoke, but it wasn't a scared whimper, as he had thought. Her voice was deadly calm, and as cold as his could be. "Right for once, Death Eater," she said, throwing what he guessed was the most malicious insult she could think of.
She was right. Those two words- Death Eater- made his blood turn to ice. But he kept a firm grip on her cheekbones. "Here's how it's going to work," he said, keeping his voice low. "We'll do the goddamned project. I'll meet you here- after dark, so no one will see us- and research the enchantment. That's all this is," he added, then bent his mouth closer to her ear. "An assignment. Your specialty, Mudblood."
(Hermione's POV)
His hands let go of her face, and she felt cold, burning patches of hatred where they had gripped her. Malfoy stopped to look at her, his eyes laughing, and then turned and swept out of the garden.
Hermione slid back to the ground, tears beginning to leak out of her eyes. How had this happened? Her new, mysterious attitude was supposed to make Malfoy like her, not make him hate her more.
She heard footsteps on the ground outside of the garden, and Harry, Ron, and Ginny burst in, all three of them rushing over to her. "Hermione, what happened?" asked Harry, as Ginny gasped at the red marks Malfoy's hands had left at the side of her face. "We saw Malfoy on the way here- Ginny told us she thought he might be your partner," continued Ron. "What did he do to you?"
Hermione looked down, then spoke. "Nothing," she said. "We just talked about the project."
Harry's eyes lingered on her red-lined ones, then on the marks on either side of her cheeks. Then, getting that she didnÕt want to talk right now, he patted her on the shoulder, turned and left, Ron walking with him.
Ginny sat down beside her. "What really happened?" she asked, not buying Hermione's excuse.
Hermione choked on a sob when she tried to sigh. "He... he was my partner," she said. "I was here waiting, and then he came and saw who I was..." she looked at Ginny, trying to smile, then ran two fingers through her hair and gestured at herself. "He saw through all ofthis, this joke. This isn't who I am; I'm Hermione, a boring, ugly mouse."
Ginny's mouth formed a line. "Maybe that's not the real Hermione. Maybe this-" she waved at the other girl's dress and hair. "-maybe this is who you really, truly are."
"Maybe," said Hermione, clearly doubtful. "Then... he did this..." she touched the sides of her face, wincing at the pain. "He told me we'd meet here every night to talk about the project, but that was it. Then... then he called me Mudblood. Again."
Ginny was about to speak, but the clocks chimed eleven. "The ball's over," she said, helping Hermione stand up. "I'll take you up to your room, and we're going to make this work. Okay?" She didn't wait for an answer.
Hermione froze. "My...my room," she said, trembling. "I have to share a suite with... with Malfoy!"
Ginny rolled her eyes at Hermione. "You heard McGonagall, you can lock the door," she said sensibly. "Now, come on. We have a lot to cover."
Mystery and Moonlight Encounters
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed! I love suggestions...
The reason for Malfoy's really mean behavior in this story is that I hate all those D/Hr stories where he turns all gooey and nice (hello, not the point of this relationship!). Anyways, I was sort of inspired by all the psychological stuff we've been learning about in science class where guys who like girls are sometimes cruel to them because they don't know how to express love. Review, but only if you like it!
Hermione walked down the stairs. She had been afraid she would be late, and she was; according to the clock situated upon the wall, she had less than a minute to enter. "Well, at least it'll be dramatic," she said to herself, remembering McGonagall's earlier words.
As she approached the ornately carved doorway, the mansion's clocks struck seven-twenty (she expected Dumbledore had had them set), and the doors swung inward.
Hermione tried not to concentrate on the boys' interested stares and the girls' quizzical looks. She lost herself in the crowd, and pretty soon everyone's attention was on Professor Dumbledore. "Welcome, students," he said with a smile. "I trust you all are properly confused at your clues?" He surveyed the crowd of students. "Good, good... well, I must inform you, however, that if you do not find your partner by tonight, you may have an unpleasant surprise when you encounter him or her in your suite. So I suggest that you concentrate more on discovering your partner's identity than on anything else." He smiled again. "Let the ball commence!"
Several students groaned at his previous announcement, then dispersed into groups; a fast-beating song began to play. Hermione, however, slipped away into the corner, where she could see Ginny.
"Hello," said Ginny sulkily. "Guess who my partner is?"
"I can't," said Hermione. "Who is it?"
"Colin Creevey," Ginny said as though it were a disgusting vegetable. "How could they put me with him?"
"Well, you wouldn't normally work with him, would you?" asked Hermione, trying not to laugh.
"No, I suppose not," agreed Ginny. She sighed and examined Hermione. "Perfect! You really do look better than you did at the Yule Ball. I'm so glad we didn't have to wear robes."
"Me too," said Hermione. "Look, there's Harry. I'll go talk to him, see who his partner is."
Ginny grabbed her arm as she started off. "No, you can't!"
"Why?" asked Hermione, then realized that Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were dancing right behind where Harry and Ron were standing. If she could read their expressions well, Pansy looked blissfully happy, but Malfoy looked bored and disgusted. Then, two girls walked up to Ron and Harry and showed them their letters. They appeared to be discussing the letters very deeply, but suddenly seemed to realize that they were partners. They paired off and moved on to the dance floor.
Hermione looked back dejectedly. Ginny sighed. "Look, Hermione," she said. "You have absolutely nothing to be sad about. You are the prettiest girl at this ball- even prettier than me, I have to admit, and your partner, whoever he is, is one lucky guy." She looked again at her watch. "And if I were you, I would hurry- a bunch of Gryffindors are going to have a party in the outdoor bar and pool. It's stocked," she added, winking. "And we're going in about forty-five minutes, so I would go ahead and find out who he is."
Hermione took a shaky breath. "Oh... okay," she said, squaring her shoulders. "I'm leaving."
Ginny noticed that Pansy Parkinson was dancing with Crabbe now. Where had Malfoy slipped off to?
(Malfoy's POV)
At least, whoever she is, she's not Potter or Weasley's partner, Draco thought derisively. They had both just walked off happily with two ditzes from Hufflepuff.
Looking at his watch, he noticed that it was time for him to get going out to that pool under the balcony. He had asked that dork Zambini for her map and found it there, with "The Matrix" conveniently written below it. And if it took too long to get this partner-meeting thing over with, he would be late for the Slytherins' "flashlight tour" later- in his second year, he had learned that this meant they explored the corridors until they found the first opportunity for trouble, then dove right in.
It was a tradition he liked.
Malfoy dashed out of the ballroom, leaving Pansy standing there, shocked. If he could remember the spell, he could easily slice through some of these hedges that blocked his way.
When he arrived at the pool, someone was already sitting against the stone wall that surrounded it... her face was hidden by shadows, but he could see the color of her dress: red. Blood red.
"Well, let's get on with it, then," he drawled, walking over to lean against the wall she was sitting against.
She didn't move, but her breathing stopped; she froze. "No, no, no," he thought he heard her whispering.
Feeling impatient, Malfoy reached down and gripped her upper arm tightly. Her skin, though soft and smooth, was cold. He pulled her up so she was standing; he still towered over her.
The girl tilted her head of dark curls upward and the moonlight struck her face, bringing into clarity what Malfoy had most, and least, wanted to see.
Yes, it was the incredibly beautiful, mysterious girl he had spoken to on the driveway. But... he looked closer, to make sure. Yes...
It was also Hermione Granger, that stinking little piece of Mudblood trash who had hated him since the first day of school at Hogwarts.
He let go of her arm, flinging it back against the stone. He saw her wince in pain.
Malfoy put both his hands on either side of her face, tilting her neck backwards so that her eyes were parallel to his. "So," he said very, very quietly. "We're partners for this damned project."
The Mudblood spoke, but it wasn't a scared whimper, as he had thought. Her voice was deadly calm, and as cold as his could be. "Right for once, Death Eater," she said, throwing what he guessed was the most malicious insult she could think of.
She was right. Those two words- Death Eater- made his blood turn to ice. But he kept a firm grip on her cheekbones. "Here's how it's going to work," he said, keeping his voice low. "We'll do the goddamned project. I'll meet you here- after dark, so no one will see us- and research the enchantment. That's all this is," he added, then bent his mouth closer to her ear. "An assignment. Your specialty, Mudblood."
(Hermione's POV)
His hands let go of her face, and she felt cold, burning patches of hatred where they had gripped her. Malfoy stopped to look at her, his eyes laughing, and then turned and swept out of the garden.
Hermione slid back to the ground, tears beginning to leak out of her eyes. How had this happened? Her new, mysterious attitude was supposed to make Malfoy like her, not make him hate her more.
She heard footsteps on the ground outside of the garden, and Harry, Ron, and Ginny burst in, all three of them rushing over to her. "Hermione, what happened?" asked Harry, as Ginny gasped at the red marks Malfoy's hands had left at the side of her face. "We saw Malfoy on the way here- Ginny told us she thought he might be your partner," continued Ron. "What did he do to you?"
Hermione looked down, then spoke. "Nothing," she said. "We just talked about the project."
Harry's eyes lingered on her red-lined ones, then on the marks on either side of her cheeks. Then, getting that she didnÕt want to talk right now, he patted her on the shoulder, turned and left, Ron walking with him.
Ginny sat down beside her. "What really happened?" she asked, not buying Hermione's excuse.
Hermione choked on a sob when she tried to sigh. "He... he was my partner," she said. "I was here waiting, and then he came and saw who I was..." she looked at Ginny, trying to smile, then ran two fingers through her hair and gestured at herself. "He saw through all ofthis, this joke. This isn't who I am; I'm Hermione, a boring, ugly mouse."
Ginny's mouth formed a line. "Maybe that's not the real Hermione. Maybe this-" she waved at the other girl's dress and hair. "-maybe this is who you really, truly are."
"Maybe," said Hermione, clearly doubtful. "Then... he did this..." she touched the sides of her face, wincing at the pain. "He told me we'd meet here every night to talk about the project, but that was it. Then... then he called me Mudblood. Again."
Ginny was about to speak, but the clocks chimed eleven. "The ball's over," she said, helping Hermione stand up. "I'll take you up to your room, and we're going to make this work. Okay?" She didn't wait for an answer.
Hermione froze. "My...my room," she said, trembling. "I have to share a suite with... with Malfoy!"
Ginny rolled her eyes at Hermione. "You heard McGonagall, you can lock the door," she said sensibly. "Now, come on. We have a lot to cover."