Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Friends do not belong to me. They are the
property etc. of JK Rowling, Warner Bros. whatever. Please don't hit me.
Draco dropped his mouth in shock, then burst out laughing. "I could tell that you're lost. What else would a Brave Gryffindor be doing sleeping in the halls down here?"
"What's so funny about that?" Hermione demanded.
He stopped laughing and stared at her. "It was funny," Draco explained simply.
Hermione stared at him. "What?"
"You are lost," Draco started pacing slowly, smirking to himself at his control of the situation, "and I'm the only one in the whole world who knows where you are."
She frowned, "Dumbledore."
"Dumbledore could know," Draco cut her off, "if he wanted to, that is. But the fact is, that doesn't help you in this situation."
Hermione kicked the stone wall in frustration, sending a sharp pain up her big toe. She cringed and looked back at Draco. "I don't like you," she announced. "I really don't like you."
"Saying you don't like me wont make me want to help you," Draco mocked.
She stopped to look at him, "Would you rather me say that I'm madly in love with you?"
"Oh! That's so kind of you, Granger! Shall I tell Weasel?"
Hermione turned red and Draco confirmed that he had reached a nerve. Suddenly he turned around and began to walk off.
"Malfoy, wait!" Hermione said in surprise, running after him.
He ignored her and kept walking.
"Where are you going?" she asked, getting slightly panicked.
"It's none of your business, is it?" He snapped.
Hermione stopped, taken aback by Draco's sudden change of attitude. "Yes, it is. I'm haven't eaten dinner yet, and I'm hungry. If you could tell me how to get to the Great Hall from here I would be very grateful. How hard is that?"
"Can't you find your own way back? Aren't you supposed to be brainy Granger?"
Hermione's face turned red with anger, "Do you think I enjoy being here right now? If I knew how to find my way." She stopped as she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. "Never mind, someone's coming. They'll help me." Hermione faced the footsteps as Draco quickly walked the other way.
A scrawny brown cat walked towards Hermione. "What's that, Mrs. Norris? A student?" Argus Filch, the old caretaker said, "Up to no good, no doubt."
"Mr. Filch?" Hermione started, "I'm.lost, and."
"Lost? That's what they all say. You were setting off dungbombs by the Slytherin Dormitories, weren't you?" Filch accused.
Hermione looked startled, "Me?"
"I'm talking to you."
"No," she stuttered, "I don't even know where it is."
"Excuses, excuses. I'll have to take you to see Professor Snape."
"Snape?"
Filch walked down the hall that Draco and disappeared down earlier. "Follow me," he commanded.
"But, Sir, I didn't do anything," Hermione protested. "I was just standing here, trying to find my way back to the Great Hall when you came. I don't even own any dungbombs!" She yelled at him.
"Hostility, young lady, is not advisable. Now, your guiltiness is for Professor Snape to decide, not me. Come along, quickly now," Filch said, annoyed.
Hermione, realizing that she was fighting a losing battle, reluctantly followed the caretaker and his cat down the hall. Mrs. Norris lingered by Filch's feet, rubbing against them. A tuft of fur fell out and landed on the stone floor. Hermione lifted her head high defiantly and followed the cat into Snape's office.
"This student has been causing trouble, Professor," Filch accused and shoved Hermione. Snape's office was quite small, with a desk in one corner (at which Snape was sitting) and a small armchair in the other. There were two candles floating in the air over the desk.
Snape looked up from his papers and glared at Hermione, "What has Miss. Granger done this time, Argus?"
"She set off those dungbombs in your common room, Professor," Filch drawled.
Hermione interrupted, furious, "I did not! I was just minding my own business when."
"I don't believe you were spoken to," Snape interrupted. "Argus, you may leave us alone. I shall deal with Miss. Granger appropriately."
Hermione shook as Filch slammed the door behind him. She looked around the office, slightly panicked at the small enclosure. Her potions professor looked pleased with himself.
"Well, Miss. Granger, make yourself comfortable; take off your cloak, have a seat," Snape sneered at her as she reluctantly removed her cloak and sat down. "Well, I hear you were setting dungbombs off in the Slytherin Common room." Snape stood up; he was wearing tight black jeans and a black button-up silk shirt. He began speaking in a low, raspy voice, "May I be so bold to ask what you were doing there?"
Hermione gulped and replied truthfully, "I wasn't in your common room, I was in the.um.hall." Snape had glided over to the chair and rested his hand on the back of it. Hermione continued, her voice getting quieter, "I was lost."
"A very likely story. Miss. Granger: Top of her class, lost in her own school," Snape mused.
"Professor," Hermione squeaked as he leaned over towards her, "I promise that I never set foot in the Slytherin Dormitories. How would I even get the password, let alone find the entrance?"
Hermione flinched as Snape put his hand on her shoulder and said, "You're a very clever girl."
"Professor." Hermione closed her eyes in terror as he began caressing her shoulder.
Suddenly the door to his office was thrown open. Snape yelled, "Draco, please knock before you disturb me."
"Sorry to bother you, Sir, it's just that Crabbe dropped a bag of dungbombs in our common room, and." Draco trailed off as he caught sight of Hermione. "Oh," he smirked, "I didn't know you were busy," and turned to leave.
Hermione took the opportunity to stand up. "See, it was Crabbe, not me! May I leave now?"
Snape pouted, "I need to punish you first."
"Yes!" Hermione said frantically, "Take points! 10! 15! 20! I'll leave now."
"Sir, could I borrow an air-freshening potion? The common room smells like something out of Goyle's ass, which is probably not far from the truth."
Overwhelmed by the two students, Snape tossed the potion to Draco. Hermione left his office before he could stop her. Once out of the horrible confinement Hermione stood in the middle of the hall, shaking.
Draco closed the door behind him and walked over to Hermione.
"Snape harassing you now?" He mocked. "I guess he got tired of snogging Millicent Bulstrode and was looking for fresh meat."
Hermione squeaked, causing Draco to snicker.
"Oh yes," he continued, acting like he just remembered this, "and Pansy sucks up to him every now and then, when her grades are low."
"My grades are fine," Hermione said, indignantly.
"Yes, you spend all your free time studying. Don't you have anything better to do?"
"Yes. I am leading a house elf rebellion," Hermione announced.
Draco snorted, "Associating with those of your own class now?" Hermione scowled as he continued, "I bet they just fawn over you, 'Help save us from naughty, perverted wizards who make us run around in nothing but tea cozies," he said in a high, squeaky voice as he dropped to his knees and starting tugging on Hermione's robes. This was too much for her. She kicked him with all her strength in the stomach. Draco doubled over, dropped his head.
Hermione gasped at her sudden act of violence. She turned around and made to run away, but she startled by a strange noise. Draco was laughing.
"What?" She stuttered.
Draco ignored her, but kept chuckling to himself. Quite annoyed, Hermione fell to her knees in front of him, and stared at his bowed head.
"What is so funny?" she demanded.
He looked up at her. "You're so emotional."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You get so worked up about everything. It's amusing. It's so easy to take advantage of you."
Hermione shuddered and stood up. Draco remained on the floor, cross- legged, grinning.
"I hate you! You're a bloody inconsiderate bastard who only cares about himself and his money! You enjoy torturing innocent creatures and blaming everyone else for your problems," Hermione spat at him, then added, "And you'd speed stop signs too, if you could drive."
"That's some stupid muggle thing, isn't it?" Draco asked, apparently unmoved.
"Can't you just make things easier and show me the way out of here?" She begged, on the verge of tears.
"What would I get out of it?"
"Anything you want," Hermione said, then noticed the look on Draco's face and added, "Well, almost anything."
"Perhaps this week's password to the Gryffindor common room would do it?" Draco mused.
"Why would you want that?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"Because I don't trust you in my dormitory."
"Why not?"
"Because you're a perverted teenaged guy," Hermione accused.
"Thanks. I try my hardest," Draco said and smirked.
"You're so bloody frustrating!" Hermione cried. "I can find my way on my own. How hard can it be?" she turned around and walked away from him, muttered to herself, "maybe if I go up far enough." then promptly ran into Professor Moody.
Harry and Ron trotted joyously down the corridor. They skidded to a halt before nearly colliding with Ron's twin brothers immerging from the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"We know you two are very excited to see us," George said, "but please try to not run us down."
"Sorry." Harry greeted them. "Have you seen Hermione lately?"
Fred and George shook their heads. "Not that I can think of," Fred said absentmindedly. "We're dreadfully sorry we can't stay and chat."
"But we really must be off now," George added.
The two scampered off, and Fred waved over his shoulder, "Cheers!"
Harry looked at Ron and mused, "I wonder what they are up to."
They walked into their common room and looked around. Colin Creevey was attempting to teach his brother Dennis how to play Slapjack with Exploding Snap cards, and from the singed rug and small cloud of smoke lingering above their heads it was obvious that it wasn't going all that well. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown were sitting on a couch giggling with each other as they did their Divination Homework. Yet their was no sign of Hermione.
Puzzled, Ron asked his sister Ginny if she could run up to her dorm and look for Hermione. Ginny grumbled, but obliged reluctantly. She came back down to report the absence of Hermione.
"She's probably in the library," Ginny suggested. "There's no reason to bother her if she's studying.
Harry and Ron grumbled, but decided to wait and look for her after a game (or two) of Wizard's Chess.
Draco dropped his mouth in shock, then burst out laughing. "I could tell that you're lost. What else would a Brave Gryffindor be doing sleeping in the halls down here?"
"What's so funny about that?" Hermione demanded.
He stopped laughing and stared at her. "It was funny," Draco explained simply.
Hermione stared at him. "What?"
"You are lost," Draco started pacing slowly, smirking to himself at his control of the situation, "and I'm the only one in the whole world who knows where you are."
She frowned, "Dumbledore."
"Dumbledore could know," Draco cut her off, "if he wanted to, that is. But the fact is, that doesn't help you in this situation."
Hermione kicked the stone wall in frustration, sending a sharp pain up her big toe. She cringed and looked back at Draco. "I don't like you," she announced. "I really don't like you."
"Saying you don't like me wont make me want to help you," Draco mocked.
She stopped to look at him, "Would you rather me say that I'm madly in love with you?"
"Oh! That's so kind of you, Granger! Shall I tell Weasel?"
Hermione turned red and Draco confirmed that he had reached a nerve. Suddenly he turned around and began to walk off.
"Malfoy, wait!" Hermione said in surprise, running after him.
He ignored her and kept walking.
"Where are you going?" she asked, getting slightly panicked.
"It's none of your business, is it?" He snapped.
Hermione stopped, taken aback by Draco's sudden change of attitude. "Yes, it is. I'm haven't eaten dinner yet, and I'm hungry. If you could tell me how to get to the Great Hall from here I would be very grateful. How hard is that?"
"Can't you find your own way back? Aren't you supposed to be brainy Granger?"
Hermione's face turned red with anger, "Do you think I enjoy being here right now? If I knew how to find my way." She stopped as she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. "Never mind, someone's coming. They'll help me." Hermione faced the footsteps as Draco quickly walked the other way.
A scrawny brown cat walked towards Hermione. "What's that, Mrs. Norris? A student?" Argus Filch, the old caretaker said, "Up to no good, no doubt."
"Mr. Filch?" Hermione started, "I'm.lost, and."
"Lost? That's what they all say. You were setting off dungbombs by the Slytherin Dormitories, weren't you?" Filch accused.
Hermione looked startled, "Me?"
"I'm talking to you."
"No," she stuttered, "I don't even know where it is."
"Excuses, excuses. I'll have to take you to see Professor Snape."
"Snape?"
Filch walked down the hall that Draco and disappeared down earlier. "Follow me," he commanded.
"But, Sir, I didn't do anything," Hermione protested. "I was just standing here, trying to find my way back to the Great Hall when you came. I don't even own any dungbombs!" She yelled at him.
"Hostility, young lady, is not advisable. Now, your guiltiness is for Professor Snape to decide, not me. Come along, quickly now," Filch said, annoyed.
Hermione, realizing that she was fighting a losing battle, reluctantly followed the caretaker and his cat down the hall. Mrs. Norris lingered by Filch's feet, rubbing against them. A tuft of fur fell out and landed on the stone floor. Hermione lifted her head high defiantly and followed the cat into Snape's office.
"This student has been causing trouble, Professor," Filch accused and shoved Hermione. Snape's office was quite small, with a desk in one corner (at which Snape was sitting) and a small armchair in the other. There were two candles floating in the air over the desk.
Snape looked up from his papers and glared at Hermione, "What has Miss. Granger done this time, Argus?"
"She set off those dungbombs in your common room, Professor," Filch drawled.
Hermione interrupted, furious, "I did not! I was just minding my own business when."
"I don't believe you were spoken to," Snape interrupted. "Argus, you may leave us alone. I shall deal with Miss. Granger appropriately."
Hermione shook as Filch slammed the door behind him. She looked around the office, slightly panicked at the small enclosure. Her potions professor looked pleased with himself.
"Well, Miss. Granger, make yourself comfortable; take off your cloak, have a seat," Snape sneered at her as she reluctantly removed her cloak and sat down. "Well, I hear you were setting dungbombs off in the Slytherin Common room." Snape stood up; he was wearing tight black jeans and a black button-up silk shirt. He began speaking in a low, raspy voice, "May I be so bold to ask what you were doing there?"
Hermione gulped and replied truthfully, "I wasn't in your common room, I was in the.um.hall." Snape had glided over to the chair and rested his hand on the back of it. Hermione continued, her voice getting quieter, "I was lost."
"A very likely story. Miss. Granger: Top of her class, lost in her own school," Snape mused.
"Professor," Hermione squeaked as he leaned over towards her, "I promise that I never set foot in the Slytherin Dormitories. How would I even get the password, let alone find the entrance?"
Hermione flinched as Snape put his hand on her shoulder and said, "You're a very clever girl."
"Professor." Hermione closed her eyes in terror as he began caressing her shoulder.
Suddenly the door to his office was thrown open. Snape yelled, "Draco, please knock before you disturb me."
"Sorry to bother you, Sir, it's just that Crabbe dropped a bag of dungbombs in our common room, and." Draco trailed off as he caught sight of Hermione. "Oh," he smirked, "I didn't know you were busy," and turned to leave.
Hermione took the opportunity to stand up. "See, it was Crabbe, not me! May I leave now?"
Snape pouted, "I need to punish you first."
"Yes!" Hermione said frantically, "Take points! 10! 15! 20! I'll leave now."
"Sir, could I borrow an air-freshening potion? The common room smells like something out of Goyle's ass, which is probably not far from the truth."
Overwhelmed by the two students, Snape tossed the potion to Draco. Hermione left his office before he could stop her. Once out of the horrible confinement Hermione stood in the middle of the hall, shaking.
Draco closed the door behind him and walked over to Hermione.
"Snape harassing you now?" He mocked. "I guess he got tired of snogging Millicent Bulstrode and was looking for fresh meat."
Hermione squeaked, causing Draco to snicker.
"Oh yes," he continued, acting like he just remembered this, "and Pansy sucks up to him every now and then, when her grades are low."
"My grades are fine," Hermione said, indignantly.
"Yes, you spend all your free time studying. Don't you have anything better to do?"
"Yes. I am leading a house elf rebellion," Hermione announced.
Draco snorted, "Associating with those of your own class now?" Hermione scowled as he continued, "I bet they just fawn over you, 'Help save us from naughty, perverted wizards who make us run around in nothing but tea cozies," he said in a high, squeaky voice as he dropped to his knees and starting tugging on Hermione's robes. This was too much for her. She kicked him with all her strength in the stomach. Draco doubled over, dropped his head.
Hermione gasped at her sudden act of violence. She turned around and made to run away, but she startled by a strange noise. Draco was laughing.
"What?" She stuttered.
Draco ignored her, but kept chuckling to himself. Quite annoyed, Hermione fell to her knees in front of him, and stared at his bowed head.
"What is so funny?" she demanded.
He looked up at her. "You're so emotional."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You get so worked up about everything. It's amusing. It's so easy to take advantage of you."
Hermione shuddered and stood up. Draco remained on the floor, cross- legged, grinning.
"I hate you! You're a bloody inconsiderate bastard who only cares about himself and his money! You enjoy torturing innocent creatures and blaming everyone else for your problems," Hermione spat at him, then added, "And you'd speed stop signs too, if you could drive."
"That's some stupid muggle thing, isn't it?" Draco asked, apparently unmoved.
"Can't you just make things easier and show me the way out of here?" She begged, on the verge of tears.
"What would I get out of it?"
"Anything you want," Hermione said, then noticed the look on Draco's face and added, "Well, almost anything."
"Perhaps this week's password to the Gryffindor common room would do it?" Draco mused.
"Why would you want that?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"Because I don't trust you in my dormitory."
"Why not?"
"Because you're a perverted teenaged guy," Hermione accused.
"Thanks. I try my hardest," Draco said and smirked.
"You're so bloody frustrating!" Hermione cried. "I can find my way on my own. How hard can it be?" she turned around and walked away from him, muttered to herself, "maybe if I go up far enough." then promptly ran into Professor Moody.
Harry and Ron trotted joyously down the corridor. They skidded to a halt before nearly colliding with Ron's twin brothers immerging from the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"We know you two are very excited to see us," George said, "but please try to not run us down."
"Sorry." Harry greeted them. "Have you seen Hermione lately?"
Fred and George shook their heads. "Not that I can think of," Fred said absentmindedly. "We're dreadfully sorry we can't stay and chat."
"But we really must be off now," George added.
The two scampered off, and Fred waved over his shoulder, "Cheers!"
Harry looked at Ron and mused, "I wonder what they are up to."
They walked into their common room and looked around. Colin Creevey was attempting to teach his brother Dennis how to play Slapjack with Exploding Snap cards, and from the singed rug and small cloud of smoke lingering above their heads it was obvious that it wasn't going all that well. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown were sitting on a couch giggling with each other as they did their Divination Homework. Yet their was no sign of Hermione.
Puzzled, Ron asked his sister Ginny if she could run up to her dorm and look for Hermione. Ginny grumbled, but obliged reluctantly. She came back down to report the absence of Hermione.
"She's probably in the library," Ginny suggested. "There's no reason to bother her if she's studying.
Harry and Ron grumbled, but decided to wait and look for her after a game (or two) of Wizard's Chess.