Disclaimer: same thing
OYI!!! It didn't work again!! I tried to change the chapter, but now I am just going to tack it on behind both ch 7's however, I might end up w/ two chapter eights now! Oh well! Sorry for all the confusion!!
WOW!! Totally sorry guys!! I guess that updating after 2 am should be not allowed. Although I usually do and don't mess up like that. O wel heres the real ch 8 n sorry about that!
FAÇADE
Confusion
Hermione opened her eyes and tried to take in her surroundings. The room was bright and this agitated a very unpleasant feeling in her head. She thought she was in her room, but she didn't want to look into the brightness.
"Too bright!" she muttered, and immediately the room fell darker.
"I shut the curtains," a voice explained seeing her confusion. She knew that voice, oh no! "It's good to see you awake. You seem to have done nothing but sleep for the past week."
The past week? "What day is it?" she groaned since it pained her to be up; she couldn't have missed that much more school, this was horrible!
"Relax, it Thursday. You've only missed one more day of school than you had before, and all the notes are sitting over there on your desk for you to look over. Which probably would have been a better way to spend your Wednesday night than parading around with older men and drinking far too much. Oh, and if any body asks, you caught a nasty case of influenza, and have been laid up because of that. Pomfrey is going to stick to this story also. Here now drink this."
She didn't want to drink it, but she was in too much pain to object. The minuet she drank it, she started feeling better though. "You, you know about last night?"
"Yes I saw the whole thing." He looked down at his feet. A Sick feeling entered Hermione's stomach; he saw on of the most embarrassing nights of her life. Why did he keep doing these things? How come he couldn't just leave her alone? She hated him now more than ever. Stupid git! I bet now he thinks he is something special because he knows all about Granger and her little problems! And he obviously knows that the drinking was due to him; as if he needed to inflate his ego any more? Now that he knew everything, she was sure life would be completely unlivable. He was probably planning the black mail even now as they spoke.
"Great," she said sardonically, now that the pain had subsided, her anger with him was stronger than ever. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have studying to do." These words she spat out in and incensed manner. She hated him and wanted him to get as far away as possible and never come back!
"Oh, right." He said dejectedly turning to leave; this is what you get for helping someone?
Draco decided that he would go ahead and leave for dinner even though it was a little bit early. When the portrait opened, he saw a red head running down the hall, "Wait! Don't close it!" she panted as she stopped running, and then continued talking. "Is Hermione in there?"
"I don't …" her eyebrow raised. He nodded and began to walk again.
"Draco," it felt funny to say his name, but she felt it appropriate. He turned around. "Give her time; I'm sure she'll some around."
"Like I'd want her to?" he said coolly and took a few menacing steps toward the younger girl.. "She's nothing but a filthy little Mudblood, and if I never talk to her again, it will be too soon." The words came out harsh, but the harsher the better! He was through with Hermione! She didn't want him and he was beyond caring. Nothing would ever change between them, and he accepted this now. They would just have to ignore each other again; it worked before.
Hmm… rejection? It was interesting, and she was the only one who knew of Malfoy's true feelings. She was pretty sure he did not even admit them to himself at times. But thinking about this new development took her mind off of her problems with Harry. This is why she began to plot things in her mind. She ran up to Hermione's room and flung herself on the unexpecting girl.
"Mione!"
"Gin, what's up?"
"Oh, I'm just so glad to see you safe. I was so worried, first with those guys who gave us alcohol, and then how they tried to," she shuddered, "You know. But then Malfoy came up and punched one of them and well after they were gone you passed out cold, and I was worried, but Malfoy said he'd take care of you not to worry. And…"
"Woah Gin, slow down some. Malfoy did what?"
"Saved us from getting raped by a couple of drunks."
"Why would he do that? He's Malfoy." She said his name with such hatred, the red head was sure that if she could curse his family for centuries, she would.
"I don't know, but he did, and then he carried you back up here. Said he wouldn't take you to the infirmary because you could get into trouble."
"Isn't that exactly what Malfoy would want?" clearly she wasn't buying it.
The red head shrugged, "That's what happened." She stood up, "Well I have to go I have practice, I just wanted to see if you were okay."
"Wait, Gin. Ginny!" but the red head had already left.
Hermione did not go to dinner that night; she stayed behind to study in the common room. Being behind was something new and peculiar for Hermione Granger, and she did not like it one bit! However, despite her need to catch up, she fell asleep on one of the couches.
When Draco walked in and saw her lying there, he crossed the room and started up to his own dorm. He sighed; he really ought to leave her there, but she hadn't exactly been up to par lately. And even though, he wanted to leave her there, something inside him became enraged at this very thought. Maybe he should just carry her to her bed. Then she'd be fine tomorrow, and he'd never have to worry about that again. He could sleep and not ever have to be reminded of her again.
He gingerly put his hands under her shoulders and her knees, and slid her slowly onto his arms. No doubt she felt the warmth of his body, because she began to snuggle up to him. It made something inside feel funny, but he forced himself to ignore it.
When they got into the hallway, Hermione's foot hit the wall and she stirred. Her eyes flew open and discovered she was in Malfoy's arms.
"What… what are… what do you think you are doing?" she screamed, making him stop walking.
"Taking you back to your room, unless of course you wanted to sleep on the couch all night."
"Put me down, I can walk! And stop."
"Stop what?"
"Stop trying to help me! I don't want you to!"
"Don't flatter your self, Mudblood! I simply have had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time! You think I wanted to save you? Please. You're not worthy of my attention. I was just saving my own skin least someone find out I knew about your plight and I get in trouble. As you can see I regret it now."
His words stung her, but she was not quite sure why. There was not time to think of that now. She continued yelling, "Well no one asked you to! So just put me down! And leave me alone!"
He put her down, not so gently though, and said with his eyes boring into hers in an extreme glare of fierce anger, "If I never speak to you again, Granger, it will be too soon!"
"My sentiments exactly!"
"I hate you!"
"I hate you too!"
The next thing that happened was quite unexplainable; neither was quite sure how it happened. All either of them knew was that one second they had been screaming at each other, and the next they were in the middle of the hallway, fully intertwined in each other's arms, forcefully kissing as if there was no tomorrow. Hermione had one hand around his shoulders and the other up in his hair, while he had his arms pulling her in as close as he possibly could, and then some. There was a moan of pleasure.
The kiss was fierce, hungry. It was hard and passionate; as if all six years of anger and hatred was merely to cover up for the inexcusable behavior that was happening now. Each knew the other was forbidden, but neither was about to stop. There was a longing, an understanding in that kiss which was more complicated than anything either had felt before. They needed each other, and this kiss was more powerful than either could have ever imagined; it was bigger than both of them.
They stood there for a good long time, pulling themselves in closer and closer still. The violent kiss felt so good neither wanted it to end; yet neither wanted to admit they were enjoying it. After some many minutes, the hands that had been encircling each other had moved to pushing themselves free. Both teens now stood on opposite sides of the hallway, leaning on the wall for support. Neither looked at the other at first, as they stood there catching their breath not understanding what had just happened; but slowly, their heads raised and for a second their eyes locked. The eyes were full of emotion, passion, need, hunger, longing, lust, love? It was too much, too much for either of them.
Hermione moved first running into her room and slamming the door. She didn't know what to think. Thousands of emotions were running through her head, and none of them made any sense. None at all. She walked to her bed and finally collapsed.
Draco turned from his spot when he heard the door slam. There were so many thoughts in his head, that had he begun to go through them all right now, he was sure he'd be still working after Christmas. Everything was complicated; nothing made sense. In a daze, he walked back down to the common room and fell on the couch; not knowing what to think, what to feel.
And then, the last thing he needed to happen at that second, happened. A figure emerged from the shadows beside the fire place and said in a deep, slow drawl:
"Interesting display of affection there, Draco."
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I'm sorry its short, but well I didn't want to go into the next chapter, and I was going to put it at the end of last chapter but well it didn't fit there either. But now is the time to review!! And if you really love me, check out my new fic Moonlight, ::pleads:: ^_^
Review!
Thank you my many wonder full reviewers!! I love you guys!! I cant thank individually right now, b/c its 2 am n im dead tired from working a late eight hour shift, n I gotta update. But let me know that you think!
ReViEw!!
~Atiannala