Hermione's bad mood did not improve. Dumbledore has assigned the two to be working on the arrivals for the next year. Apparently, Head Boy and Girl worked even before their year.
Hermione was forced to go to the library at night and check the list that they had been sent. She held in her hand the piece of parchment with several names on it and a few last minute notes. She and Draco had to run through the list, and double check with Ministry papers, that everything would be in order.
As she entered the room, a cold chill swept past her and she shivered. Most the torches had been extinguished as it was getting late into the night, but two were still lit dimly. Between the lights a pale boy with white-blond hair was sitting with his arms crossed and a very nasty look on his face. "So you deiced to come," he said irritably.
"Sorry, I'm late," she said, trying to be civil. She went over to the table and put her paper down, and saw that he had the Ministry papers. "Let's get started."
"Can we?" he said sarcastically, grabbing the parchment and looking it over. "I think I've done my part by arrving on time. Here," he said, thrusting the papers at her. "Have fun."
"Oh no you don't!" she shouted, standing up to meet him. Her yell echoed around the library.
Draco looked around. "Wake up the castle, will you? Touchy muggle. Fine." He took the papers and gave her what seemed around half, but she knew he gave her more work.
"What's your game?"
"I just want to get this over with," he growled as he sat back down and started leafing for the first name. He checked the papers together and then looked up at her. "Well sit down."
"Don't talk to me like that." But she did sit and started working too. "So how are you?" she asked capriciously.
"Don't speak to me."
She looked over at him and snapped, "You could try to be a little more pleasant. We have to work with each other all next year."
"I said," he looked furious, "Don't speak to me."
Hermione stopped. What the hell was wrong with him? Maybe he was just having a bad day. As she wrote next to one of the names 'Cleared' she started thinking about why he might be so angry. She sighed. She guessed that just how he always was. But she gave him another glance and started thinking. 'Maybe something's bothering him…' "Will you-"
"Listen!" he said, looking up. Then he saw her concerned face. "What?" he asked, distracted.
"Is it so bad if we talk?" she asked. "I mean, we're going to have to be at peace some time. The whole next year, fighting and working with you. It's too stressful."
"Oh, I'm sorry," he mocked her. "I am inconvenient for your schedule?"
"Draco," she nagged.
"Did you call me 'Draco?'"
"Yea," she said, surprised.
"Ok," he said, seeming to have decided to hear her out. "What is it?"
"I just wanted to talk; to say hello." She looked up at him and waved. "Hello!"
He looked thoughtfully at her. A smile, not a smirk, started to dawn on his face. But suddenly it was wiped away. "Get back to your work, Mudblood."
She pretended to work, as she dwelt on the hurt feeling dimly inside of her. 'Why is he so mean?' She noticed his smile. 'Maybe he's embarassed…maybe he's mad that I kicked him when he kissed me.' She blushed as she looked through her work. She stared at the writing in front of her, not able to understand the letters as she thought hard. 'He scared me. He scares me. He's so stupid.' She dared another glance at him.
He was sitting opposite from her, writing very fast. His silver-blond hair was slicked back as normal. His eyes had a tint of orange from the fire. She felt a hungry yearning as she stared at him, and the way he just…was. "Draco," Hermione said after a while, and also after she had summoned up the courage to speak again.
"What," he snapped.
"Are you alright?"
"Have you been working at all?" He stopped writing and looked up at her, interested but still a little heated.
"I don't know," Hermione said untruthfully. She was still avoiding thoughts in her head.
"Stop being concerned and get to work. Or don't. Either way, it doesn't matter to me, I'm leaving when I'm done."
"I guess," she ventured, "That if I spend enough time with someone I start caring."
He paused, thinking, but then said, "Well, don't," and he returned to his task.
She lingered again, wondering if to push it, but she continued. "I'm not like you."
"What?"
"I'm not detached from the world."
"Maybe it's a muggle thing."
"You always bring up the muggle issue whenever I start talking truthfully."
"Get off it."
"Draco," she said, troubled. Then she realized she had nothing to say. "That kiss-I-" slipped out of her.
Draco stared at her, his eyes wide. He didn't like the way she was acting. He didn't know how to react, and he hated engaging in something he didn't have control over. "Just work," he sputtered.
"Why do you keep shying away from me!" growled Hermione, frustrated. "This is hard enough for me as it is, and you keep avoiding it."
"Avoiding what?"
"Alright here it is," she said, still wondering why she was talking when she had no idea what she saying. "You really scared me back at the lake. Then the next day you acted as if nothing had happened which is just irresponsible, immature, and just-just stupid." Draco opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione didn't pause. "And now, we are Head Boy and Girl. We will have to work together all next year. I mean, we already are. So let's just put everything aside and be neutral. Not friends, but please, do we have to be enemies?"
"Yes," he finally answered.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want a truce. You, Potty, and the Weasel all come as one big group pack of muggle-lovers, but in your case, muggles themselves. I don't need your filth influencing me."
"Malfoy!"
"I'm not going to."
"Hey, I-"
"I will not!" he shouted in a crescendo.
There was an awkward pause. "Alright," she snapped. "Fine!"
They continued working in silence until an hour later when they had finished. As soon as he left, Hermione strode over to a book shelf and pulled out a book she had spotted a month ago called 'The Love of Arithmancy.' She pulled it out of where it was, and wished Madame Pince was here. She had been trying to check the book out for ages, but people kept taking it. She noticed someone behind her and tried to turn, but the person turned her around themselves. The lips pressed down on her again and this time, she did not shy away. She threw her arms around his neck as she felt his tongue enter her mouth. He picked her up so that she was sitting in his hands and then sat her down on the window sill as they continued to grope each other, Hermione's hands holding his head close to her as they continued to wrestle tongues. She had no idea on what was going on and had tiny glimpses of half formed thoughts, but ignored them. She bit her lip excitedly, a thrilled grin on her face as he started to kiss her neck in little suckinglings as his hand caressed the back of her head. She squealed and arched up to him.
And then suddenly they heard the library door open. She gasped despite her lack of breath and Malfoy spun around. "Hello?" said a boy's voice from the door. It sounded horribly familiar.
Hermione hopped off the window sill and ran out of the alcove of shelves she and Draco had been in. "Ron?" she said, breathless.
"What are you doing?" he asked. "Are you done?"
Hermione gave a fleeting look sideways, taking in that Draco was leaning against one shelf so that Ron couldn't see him and seemed not to be coming out. "Yes," she said, walking over to her papers and organizing them. "I'll just be a minute." But Ron was going to wait for the minute, so Hermione, caught, chanced another look at Draco.
"Go," he mouthed.
"Yes, well." Hermione picked up the papers and went to meet Ron who stared at her.
"What's up?" he asked her.
"Nothing," she said, her voice higher than usual. Her head was pounding and she seemed to be beginning to think. 'Oh, my God, what am I doing?'