Harry Potter is not mine, Doo dah, doo dah
You want his books? Go stand in line! All the doo dah day
Stand in line all night!
Stand in line all day!
Instead just read this piece I wrote, cause you don't have to pay!
Author's Note: Hello my friends! I hope everyone has a great weekend! I won't be writing another chapter until after Monday, because monday is MY BIRTHDAY!!! Yay! 18, finally! It seems like it takes forever, doesn't it? Anyway, I thought I would give you guys a little bit of a diagram to show you how the Head Boy/Girl room looks, so that this might make a little more sense:
________ stairs _________
______
______
| ________ |
|```````````````````````|
|``````common room``````|
|```````````````````````|
|```````````````````````|
|____ painting exit_____|
Chapter Eight: Trouble Along the Way
Hermione woke up to the sun shining in her eyes. She groaned and rolled over, pulling the covers over to hide from the sunlight. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night, mostly due to thoughts of Draco floating around in her head. She knew that there was no way she could tell him that she was really Jim, but the only way for him to be decent to her was to tell him the truth.
She held her breath as she heard some movement outside her door. The Head Girl and Head Boy rooms were directly across the hall from each other, with a set of stairs leading down to their common room, while a bathroom sat between the two of their dorms. Hermioine sighed. Draco must be up... wait a minute... Malfoy must be up, not Draco! Hermione's mind corrected her. She groaned as she heard the water turn on in the room next to hers. So much for having a shower first.
Hermione looked at the clock. It was only six in the morning. For an instant, Hermione considered going back to bed, but then thought against it. It would be harder for her to get up the second time. Plus, she had to figure out how to solve her little problem.
Hermione was about to head for the door, throwing on her bathrobe as she went, when she stopped. Wait a minute...I don't have a problem! Dra-Malfoy's the one with the problem! This is payback for the six years that he's tortured Harry, Ron and I! I'll let him suffer." she thought with a twinge of guilt on the last sentence. Ron and Harry would probably agree with her though, if she ever worked up the courage to tell them. But then there would be too many questions... like what she was doing with Malfoy in the first place.
Hermione headed into the hall, the sound of water getting louder, laughing to herself as she thought of the look on Ron's face if she told him that she had spent the train ride with Malfoy. She stopped again.
Why had she spent the time on the train ride with Draco?
Her original plan, granted, was to see if she could get any information from him that she might be able to use against him, but after that... what had happened? She had seen a side to him that she had never seen before... something almost human in him.
She stopped in front of the door of the bathroom and froze as she heard the water stop. Maybe he really had changed... but then again after what happened yesterday...
Hermione had scolded herself all night for behaving that way to Malfoy. She hadn't even given him a chance to show her whether or not he had changed... of course, then again, he wouldn't have had a reason to. She knew he had tried to save face on the train by talking to Harry, but he had been saving face for Jim, not her. She snapped out of her thoughts as she waited impatiently for Draco.
"Malfoy! Hurry up!" she shouted. She heard him mutter something, yet the sounds on the other side of the door became quicker. Hermione groaned mentally. She had no idea how she was supposed to act in front of Malfoy, and she was seconds away from encountering him. As the door opened, she held her breath to see what Draco's reaction would be.
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Draco had been taking his time, moving around at a leisurely pace after his shower until he heard Hermione shouting on the other side of the door. At first he froze, trying not to groan. He was not in the mood to have a confrontation with Granger, that was for sure. He decided that the quicker he finished, the quicker he could get it over with, and the sooner he could get on with the day.
He tried to tell her something along the lines of "I'm coming," but it came out all slurred and broken. He wasn't fully awake yet, and his diction was completely damaged. He threw his black pants on and a tight black t-shirt, opening the door before it was on completely.
There Hermione stood in her red bathrobe, her hair falling down her shoulders, looking rather pissed off. Draco just looked at her and shrugged.
"What?"
Hermione crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Look, I have to talk to you."
For an instant, Draco considered actually listening, but decided against it. "Really? Well I don't have to talk to you," he said, grabbing his towel and heading towards his room.
"Malfoy!"
Draco stopped but didn't turn around. He heard her walk towards him.
"Look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I wasn't..."
"What Granger?" Draco questioned, turning around. "Thinking? I didn't know mudbloods like you could think. But hey, I'm just a stupid pureblood who expected a little more.
Hermione looked shocked for a second. Her face hardened, and she spun on her heel, storming away into her room and slamming the door behind her.
Any year prior to this one, he would have smiled, proud of his handiwork, and would have chalked one up for purebloods. Instead he stood there, trying to analyze what had just taken place. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He had sworn to himself when he woke up that nothing had changed, and nothing would change. That he was a Malfoy, and there was no way around it. He would always turn out to be like his father.
The first person who believed that he could be more was his mother, and he ended up almost dead trying to protect her, while she still bowed to her husband's every word. The second person who had made him feel like he could be more was Jim, but she had left him without a single form of keeping up communication, never mind any possibility of seeing her again. And finally Hermione, who... well, he didn't know how she felt, because she didn't know, but she always succeeded in getting him worked up, forcing his bad side to be unleashed.
He walked into his room and began putting on the robes that sat on the chair. He checked himself in the mirror, wondering where six years had gone and what they had done for him. Suddenly he heard her door open, causing his thoughts to turn to Hermione.
He knew that he was mad at Jim for abandoning him, and that he was taking it out on Hermione. He froze. He was taking his anger out for one onto another.
Just like his father.
He listened for any indication as to where she was. He heard her footsteps tread one by one, until he heard them stop just outside his door.
He silently stepped over to the door and pressed his ear against the oak. He could practically hear her breathing. He waited a few extra seconds until he gripped the cold doorhandle in his hand and turned it, opening the door.
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Hermione closed her door as she heard Malfoy open his. She was almost stupid enough to stay standing there, ready to ask if the two of them could at least be civil to each other. She had also been about to try and apologize again. The memories of him calling her mudblood came back, and she knew that it was going to be of no use. He would never change.
Grabbing her books off of the bed, she headed to the Great Hall.
****
It was well after ten o'clock at night when Hermione started to head back to her room. She had attended all eight of her classes, not surprised that she was sharing them all with Draco. She also shared all of them with Harry and Ron as well. Malfoy had ignored her all day, except once. When the two of them were called to Dumbledore's office and told the events for the next month, they were told that they were to be involved somehow with the first Quidditch match of the year. Draco had nodded and had quickly glanced over at Hermione to ensure that she agreed as well. Other than that, they had not come in contact with each other.
Hermione had finally walked back with Harry and Ron to their common room from the library after the three of them had talked for two hours about their summers and their classes, not to mention the fact that both boys had their eyes on some of the girls now. Hermione smiled as she walked, recalling the memory. "Boys will be boys," she said to herself out loud.
She was about to turn down the hall that led to her dorm when she heard two people arguing down the other hall. Her curiosity peaked, she headed down that hall instead. After all, she was the Head Girl, and people should be getting ready to go to sleep.
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Draco blinked for the millionth time that day, trying to keep his eyes open as he walked down the hall towards his dorm. He was exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to go to his room and sleep. As he heard a bit of yelling coming from an approaching hallway, he glanced down, intending on strolling right past, until he heard her voice and spotted her.
Hermione.
"Don't touch me!" he heard her shout.
Draco backed up and went down the hall, coming up behind Hermione, who was facing two older students. As he got closer, he recognized them. Lynx Dremply and Corvus Serpens. Two Slytherin seniors, both captains of the Quidditch team, who appeared as though they were ready to have some fun. Hermione wasn't small, but she wouldn't stand a chance against two Quidditch players like Corvus and Lynx. Draco felt his jaw clench as he walked towards them down the dark hall along the wall, hidding himself in the shadows.
"What's the matter? Afraid Hermione? It is Hermione right?" Lynx said, his brown eyes flickering.
Hermione crossed her arms and started to walk away when Corvus blocked her path, trying to grab her. Hermione tried to back away, but Lynx came up from behind, grabbing her with one hand around her waist and the other hand across her mouth.
"Shh. It's okay Hermione. Everything's gonna be fine..." he said, forcing her still as Corvus moved towards her.
Just as Draco moved out of the shadows, Hermione stepped on Lynx's foot and then kicked Corvus in the stomach. Draco then grabbed Corvus around the neck, staring at Lynx.
"Let her go, Lynx," he said, his voice hard and cold. He stared at Lynx, who appeared surprised. Draco allowed his eyes to glance at Hermione, who almost appeared glad to see him.
Lynx scoffed. "You want her Draco? Why? Last time I heard, Malfoys didn't associate themselves with mudbloods," he said, holding Hermione tighter as she struggled, trying to kick him again.
Draco smirked. "I'm not supposed to negotiate with morons either, so it seems I'm lowering myself even more talking to you."
Lynx laughed, but it was cut short when Draco kicked Corvus, who he was still holding, behind the knees, making him drop to the floor.
"Now, we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way. Which is it going to be Dremply?"
Lynx seemed to think for a moment before he sneered and released Hermione, shoving her forward. Draco caught her before she had a chance to hit the floor, and instinctively put one arm around her for balance. Draco watched as Corvus raised himself up, and he and Lynx made their way down the hall. Lynx stopped to look over his shoulder at Draco.
"This isn't finished, Malfoy."
Draco just stared at him as he skulked down the hall. It took him a couple of seconds to realize that Hermione was still in his arms. He was about to push her away when she looked up at him. For an instant, Draco didn't know how to react, much less how she was going to react. He was surprised as she smiled faintly at him. Then she gently pushed away from him, however, not quite stable enough. She started to fall as Draco caught her again. For an instant, a wave of familiarity came over him, but he shoved it aside as he held her around the waist, helping her get her balance.
Hermione took a few steps away and brushed out her robe, then looked around for her books. Draco watched her and couldn't feel a little disappointed that she left his arms so fast. Draco scolded himself for thinking something like that and looked up at Hermione.
"You okay?" he asked.
She appeared slightly relieved at his comment and sighed. "Yeah...I'll survive," she said, looking down at the ground. She gently lifted up her head, her eyes meeting Draco's. "Thanks."
Draco shrugged it off. "No problem. Happy to put those two in their place," he said as the two of them began to walk back to the dorm. "Someone's got to keep those kinds of jerks in their place."
Hermione laughed and Draco looked at her. "What?"
She smiled at him, and Draco noticed his stomach jump. "I must be hungry," he thought.
"You sound like John Wayne," she said.
Draco smiled. "John Wayne?"
Hermione nodded as the two of them reached the dorm room. "Yeah, he's an actor. He usually plays cowboys."
Draco chuckled and gave the picture the password. The two walked up the stairs."John Wayne? That's a terrible cowboy name. That's not going to work."
Hermione stopped walking, and Draco looked back at her. "What?" he asked.
She hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether or not to try this again. The last thing she wanted was to get into a fight over something that stupid again. "I think I heard that in a movie once."
Draco stopped for a minute and then smiled. "Yeah, it is."
Hermione nodded and headed to her door as Draco moved to his. "I thought so," she said. "Well, good night" she said.
Draco was halfway through the door when he heard her again.
"Draco?"
He felt his stomach jump again at the sound of his name. "Yeah?" he said, turning.
She smiled. "Thanks again."
He couldn't help but smile back. "You're welcome."
She took a step backwards into her room. "Shanghai Noon?"
Draco couldn't help grinning. He nodded. "Shanghai Noon."
He watched as she closed the door. Draco leaned in his doorway, staring at the door for an extra few seconds. He smiled to himself as he closed the door behind him, sleep now the last thing on his mind.
*****
Author's Note: YAY! I like messig with the characters and making them do what I want them to do... It's so much fun, isn't it? Anyway, I think this is the longest chapter that I've written so far. Anyway, you know the drill. Review please!!!
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To My Reviewers:
Alexa Donaghy: Yay! Lollipops! As long as it's a Tootsie Roll pop, because the chocolate ones are the best! Anyway, yes, that whole Head Boy/Girl thing becomes completely clearer in this chapter, so it's all good. Thanks again for reviewing! Let me know what you think!
fReD AnD GEoRGe WeASleY Are gOdS: You know what guys? I was thinking the exact same thing when I wenbt back to read over what I had written! Draco was such a sissy in some chapters. I hope he seems a little more in character in this one. Let me know how he seems in this one. And by the way, thanks so much for reviewing... and you guys are not gay just because you read my fic. *laughs*
bitter like chocolate: I'm telling you now that you can never spend too much time watching the television! Thank you so much for reviewing, and I hope you continue to enjoy it!
Girl-named-Belle: Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter even more, and that you continue to enjoy my story! Thanks for reviewing!
cherie: Thank you, thank you! I'm glad that you like the movie lines. I am the biggest movie fanatic that I know. I finally decided to use all of this knowledge that I have with films and stuff and put it into a fiction piece! Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you keep it up!
Lily of the Shadow: Whoa! Get out of my head! That happens to me every now and then, so I get where you're coming from. I'm glad I can bring a little laughter into someone's life. Anyway, here's the update, and thanks for reviewing! I hope I cause another coincidence soon!
b0ing: There are many bits... but I'm glad you liked the fic. I hope you like this song even better! Thanks for reviewing, and do it again sometime!
Ellie (XxSweetAngelz@aol.com): I'm glad you like it. I'll try to update again when I can! Thanks for reviewing! Come back anytime!
Dreaming One: I agree with Hermione's overacting, so I tried to explain it a little more in detail in this chapter! Anyway, this chapter has much more action than the other one. I hope that you enjoy it! Let me know what you think, and thanks for reviewing!
me: Wow! Thank you soooo much! You have no idea how much that means to me! Especially since I made your day! I think you made my day too with that review! Thank you so much for reviewing, and I hope that you will review for me again soon!
MysticalRing: Here the next chapter is, and I hope that you have enjoyed it. I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long, as I feel very upset with myself that I didn't get this out sooner. Anyway, I'm glad that you think it's cool about Draco not sure about Jim, cause I think the same way! I hope you liked this chapter much more than the other one! Thanks again for reviewing!
sleepy-kitty: Nah. I didn't explain that really well I know, and I'm glad you brought it up. You know how there are those people who are slender in the stomach, but have big... rear ends and big busts? Then there are those who are slender but not as big in either place? That was what I was getting at. I hope that makes it a little clearer. If not let me know. Oh, and thank you so much for reviewing!