Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it belongs to J.K. Rowling. No profit will be made from this, no copyright infringement is intended.
Spoilers for any Harry Potter book may be included. Don't read if you want to be surprised.
~*~*~*~
Chapter Five
Hermione lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. She was, for only the time being she hoped, no longer a witch. It was nothing she hadn't dealt with before. She was muggle born; she hadn't practiced magic at all before coming to Hogwarts. But to have it suddenly taken away was frightening. Give the kid a lick of icing, then take away the cake, it wasn't fair. Dumbledore had instructed them to continue in their classes as usual until a remedy could be brought forth. They were however forbidden to discuss the fact that Dumbledore was without magic as well. He feared that if the news got back to the wrong people, a Voldemort wannabe might take it as the ideal opportunity to try and rise to power. The Ministry of Magic had finally restored their faith in Dumbledore, but without magic, he may be removed from Hogwarts once again. Hermione shuddered as she picture Dolores Umbridge coming back to school.
She pulled the covers up to her chin and rolled over to her side. Ron, Harry, and herself smiled and waved back to her from the picture sitting on her bedside table. No matter what they had been through, they had always found time to be happy together. Now when they had all the time in the world to celebrate, the only thing they ever really had in common had been stripped from them. Hermione pressed her eyes shut, her eyebrows drawn together in frustration. "Damn him." She muttered into her covers. She sighed in frustration and threw the blankets to the side. It was useless; she was too upset to sleep. She slipped her feet into her slippers, and pulled on her bathrobe. She checked the clock on the wall. One thirty in the morning. Everyone would be asleep, and since she was Head Girl, there would be no one up to reprimand her.
She whispered the password to the fat lady and stepped out into the dark corridor. Looking for either Mrs. Norris of Professor Filch, she made her way to the front corridor and slipped outside. She walked slowly to the edge of the lake, her arms wrapped around herself to shield it from the slight chill. She looked out across the calm lake and sighed heavily. The air was cool enough that normally she would cast a warming spell on herself. She dropped to the grass and pulled her knees up inside her robe. She rested her chin on her knees and lost herself in thought.
"You know, it's really not safe to be out here by yourself." Ron said dropping to the ground beside her. His hair was more disheveled than usual, but he had enough sense to pull on his jeans and a sweater before following her.
"We killed the boogie man, remember." She said, giving him a small half smile.
He put his arm around her shoulder and she leaned in against him, glad for the heat his body radiated. "That we did, but there are other monsters out there, you know." He laid his cheek against the top of her head.
"The one in the lake is asleep." She murmured, nestling into his embrace.
"Actually I was talking more about Crabbe and Goyle and what not. But with their idol in the infirmary, I'm sure they're too scared to venture out on their own." He kissed the top of her forehead protectively. "I wouldn't put it past them to try something as soon as they find out about our situation."
"Hmm," Hermione said, shutting her eyes briefly, enjoying the closeness, the togetherness, without having to wonder who was watching. "I'm a Gryffindor. I could be the sexiest girl in school and they wouldn't have anything to do with me, thank Merlin."
"Could be?" Ron asked cocking an eyebrow at her. "You definitely have that covered." Give or take Padma and her sister, but Ron wasn't about to mention that fact aloud. He used his finger to tilt her face up so she was facing him. "I just don't want you to hurt anymore than you already have." He whispered.
"Thank you." She replied, closing her eyes as he leaned in close to her. He pressed his lips against hers, and kissed her. She leaned in against him, running her fingers through his hair. He deepened the kiss, pulling her down into the grass beside him. She let the kiss continue, wanting to lose herself in it. But when Ron's hand trailed from her waist to the belt of her robe and started to tug at it, she pulled back with a gasp. "Ron, stop." She sat up and pulled the robe tighter around her. "I'm sorry, I just can't, not here, not now." She climbed to her feet, her face flushed with embarrassment and unexpected warmth.
Ron watched as she ran back to the school, her hand clutching the robe together at her neck the whole time. "No problem." He said picking up a stick lying on the ground beside him. He began drawing abstract figures in the dirt. He pressed to hard and felt the stick snap in two. "I'll just go take a cold shower or something." He waited until she had time to reach her room before standing up and knocking the grass off his pants before he followed.
~*~*~*~
The next morning Hermione still woke up earlier than every one else. She dressed quickly, wanting to avoid Ron, and went to visit Harry. She walked slowly to his bed, hoping that even though the curtains were still closed around his bed, he was already awake. As she got closer she heard him talking, and when his visitor spoke up, she knew Ron was already in there with him. "I think Madame Pomfrey's coming." Ron said, hearing Hermione's footsteps. Her uncomfortability from the night before flared up, and she knew she wasn't ready to face him so soon.
She looked around, and quickly stepped into the curtains across from Harry's bed. She steadied them quickly, and peered out through the small crack. Sure enough, Ron stuck his head out and looked down the hall. "Guess she must have forgotten the extra long needle."
"Ha ha." Harry replied sarcastically. "No, go ahead and leave it open." He said as Ron started to close it back. Hermione sighed and backed away from the curtain.
'Fine mess you've got yourself into now, Granger.' She muttered under her breath. She couldn't go out now and face them; they'd wonder why she hid in the first place. She jumped as her leg brushed against the soft sheet of the bed behind her. She turned around and looked down at Draco's still form. Now she knew she'd have to wait until they couldn't see her. How else she going to explain why she hiding from them with Draco. She sat down in the chair beside Draco's bed and looked at him, really looked at him.
His chest rose and fell in a slow but steady rhythm. His eyelids fluttered every so often as if he was just in the middle of a dream. His hands were in a different position than when she had last peeked in at him, but from the look of him, she gathered he hadn't moved him. It scared her, looking at him. Granted she had at one point or another wished terrible things upon him, but to see Draco Malfoy in such a fragile condition was unnerving. He looked like a different person, as if he was his Draco's cousin who bore a strange resemblance, but you knew that they were not one in the same. Before she knew what she was doing, she leaned over and tucked a strand of his pale blonde hair behind his ear.
She pulled her hand back and interlaced them together in her lap. She could hear Harry and Ron carrying on their conversation on across the empty hall, and from the sound of it, it would be awhile before they were done. She settled back in the chair and closed her eyes. She would just have to wait them out.
She never dozed off, but leapt in and out of daydreams. She was about to check her watch when the sound of her name met her ears. "So how did things go with Hermione last night?" Harry asked Ron. Curiosity got the best of her. Hermione rose from the chair and inched towards the curtain. She stayed to the side of the crack, but leaned close listening.
"Not very good. She went out before I could get up my nerve."
"She went out?" Harry asked surprised. "I would have never guessed that from her. Thought she would be too afraid of getting caught. Didn't Filch catch her?"
"Nah, she didn't go out until way after midnight. I reckon he was already asleep."
"What were you going to do wait for breakfast?"
"How long did it take you to talk to Cho?" Ron shot back. "And I know you like my sister, and you haven't said anything to her yet either, at least I got up the courage."
Harry laughed. "What were you going to do?" His voice dropped into a fake accent. "You are getting sleepy, very sleepy, now roll over and kiss me. Hey." Hermione guessed Ron had hit him with a pillow from the sound of the muffled thump. Good.
"Anyways." Ron continued. "I followed her out to the lake. She let me kiss her and everything, but when I tried to take it a bit further, she jumped and ran."
"I told you she would, she's not ready to go any further than kissing. You're lucky she didn't curse you right then and there."
"Blimey Harry, at this point in time I would have been glad if she was able to curse me. Besides, you said she wouldn't go all the way. You agreed with me that second base wasn't out of reach. In fact it was you who said that you thought she let Krum go that far, but she was definitely still a virgin."
Hermione felt her cheeks burn. They had actually discussed her sexual experience. Behind her back. She felt her embarrassment turn to anger. It was none of their damn business what she had done with Krum, even if she had done something. She felt the tears well up in her eyes. How could they? Their topic turned to Quidditch and whether or not they would be able to play in the last games. Hermione took a deep breath and turned away from the curtain. Her eyes widened in surprise and she stopped short. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it when she realized there was nothing to say.
"Hello, Hermione." Draco said softly. The sound barely reached her ears, but she peeked back out the crack to see if Ron and Harry had heard. They hadn't. "You were one of the last people I thought I'd wake up to."
"I- uh," She slipped back into the chair and leaned towards him. "Please Draco, if you have any kindness in you, please don't let them know that I'm here." She felt another tear roll down her face.
Draco's eyes narrowed. "And why not. Are you breaking a covenant with them? Consorting with the enemy?"
"I can't tell you why, just please." She pleaded with him, looking back at the closed curtain. She looked back at him, her eyes wide and vulnerable. "Draco, please."
Draco looked at her for a long moment. "I don't do anything for nothing, you should know that my now."
Hermione sat back and nodded. He hadn't actually agreed, but his voice had dropped lower to avoid being heard. "Yes, I know that." She bit her bottom lip and looked away.
Draco turned his gaze from her as well. He stared at where the curtains met. "As long as you don't forget it."
~*~*~*~
To be continued....
A/N I'm not sure, but this one seems to be a bit longer.... I hope.... Thanks to all who have reviewed so far!! I hope to get into some action soon; right now I'm just building some ideas, some details and setting the stage. Lol, I'm just basically letting the story take me where it wants to go.
Spoilers for any Harry Potter book may be included. Don't read if you want to be surprised.
~*~*~*~
Chapter Five
Hermione lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. She was, for only the time being she hoped, no longer a witch. It was nothing she hadn't dealt with before. She was muggle born; she hadn't practiced magic at all before coming to Hogwarts. But to have it suddenly taken away was frightening. Give the kid a lick of icing, then take away the cake, it wasn't fair. Dumbledore had instructed them to continue in their classes as usual until a remedy could be brought forth. They were however forbidden to discuss the fact that Dumbledore was without magic as well. He feared that if the news got back to the wrong people, a Voldemort wannabe might take it as the ideal opportunity to try and rise to power. The Ministry of Magic had finally restored their faith in Dumbledore, but without magic, he may be removed from Hogwarts once again. Hermione shuddered as she picture Dolores Umbridge coming back to school.
She pulled the covers up to her chin and rolled over to her side. Ron, Harry, and herself smiled and waved back to her from the picture sitting on her bedside table. No matter what they had been through, they had always found time to be happy together. Now when they had all the time in the world to celebrate, the only thing they ever really had in common had been stripped from them. Hermione pressed her eyes shut, her eyebrows drawn together in frustration. "Damn him." She muttered into her covers. She sighed in frustration and threw the blankets to the side. It was useless; she was too upset to sleep. She slipped her feet into her slippers, and pulled on her bathrobe. She checked the clock on the wall. One thirty in the morning. Everyone would be asleep, and since she was Head Girl, there would be no one up to reprimand her.
She whispered the password to the fat lady and stepped out into the dark corridor. Looking for either Mrs. Norris of Professor Filch, she made her way to the front corridor and slipped outside. She walked slowly to the edge of the lake, her arms wrapped around herself to shield it from the slight chill. She looked out across the calm lake and sighed heavily. The air was cool enough that normally she would cast a warming spell on herself. She dropped to the grass and pulled her knees up inside her robe. She rested her chin on her knees and lost herself in thought.
"You know, it's really not safe to be out here by yourself." Ron said dropping to the ground beside her. His hair was more disheveled than usual, but he had enough sense to pull on his jeans and a sweater before following her.
"We killed the boogie man, remember." She said, giving him a small half smile.
He put his arm around her shoulder and she leaned in against him, glad for the heat his body radiated. "That we did, but there are other monsters out there, you know." He laid his cheek against the top of her head.
"The one in the lake is asleep." She murmured, nestling into his embrace.
"Actually I was talking more about Crabbe and Goyle and what not. But with their idol in the infirmary, I'm sure they're too scared to venture out on their own." He kissed the top of her forehead protectively. "I wouldn't put it past them to try something as soon as they find out about our situation."
"Hmm," Hermione said, shutting her eyes briefly, enjoying the closeness, the togetherness, without having to wonder who was watching. "I'm a Gryffindor. I could be the sexiest girl in school and they wouldn't have anything to do with me, thank Merlin."
"Could be?" Ron asked cocking an eyebrow at her. "You definitely have that covered." Give or take Padma and her sister, but Ron wasn't about to mention that fact aloud. He used his finger to tilt her face up so she was facing him. "I just don't want you to hurt anymore than you already have." He whispered.
"Thank you." She replied, closing her eyes as he leaned in close to her. He pressed his lips against hers, and kissed her. She leaned in against him, running her fingers through his hair. He deepened the kiss, pulling her down into the grass beside him. She let the kiss continue, wanting to lose herself in it. But when Ron's hand trailed from her waist to the belt of her robe and started to tug at it, she pulled back with a gasp. "Ron, stop." She sat up and pulled the robe tighter around her. "I'm sorry, I just can't, not here, not now." She climbed to her feet, her face flushed with embarrassment and unexpected warmth.
Ron watched as she ran back to the school, her hand clutching the robe together at her neck the whole time. "No problem." He said picking up a stick lying on the ground beside him. He began drawing abstract figures in the dirt. He pressed to hard and felt the stick snap in two. "I'll just go take a cold shower or something." He waited until she had time to reach her room before standing up and knocking the grass off his pants before he followed.
~*~*~*~
The next morning Hermione still woke up earlier than every one else. She dressed quickly, wanting to avoid Ron, and went to visit Harry. She walked slowly to his bed, hoping that even though the curtains were still closed around his bed, he was already awake. As she got closer she heard him talking, and when his visitor spoke up, she knew Ron was already in there with him. "I think Madame Pomfrey's coming." Ron said, hearing Hermione's footsteps. Her uncomfortability from the night before flared up, and she knew she wasn't ready to face him so soon.
She looked around, and quickly stepped into the curtains across from Harry's bed. She steadied them quickly, and peered out through the small crack. Sure enough, Ron stuck his head out and looked down the hall. "Guess she must have forgotten the extra long needle."
"Ha ha." Harry replied sarcastically. "No, go ahead and leave it open." He said as Ron started to close it back. Hermione sighed and backed away from the curtain.
'Fine mess you've got yourself into now, Granger.' She muttered under her breath. She couldn't go out now and face them; they'd wonder why she hid in the first place. She jumped as her leg brushed against the soft sheet of the bed behind her. She turned around and looked down at Draco's still form. Now she knew she'd have to wait until they couldn't see her. How else she going to explain why she hiding from them with Draco. She sat down in the chair beside Draco's bed and looked at him, really looked at him.
His chest rose and fell in a slow but steady rhythm. His eyelids fluttered every so often as if he was just in the middle of a dream. His hands were in a different position than when she had last peeked in at him, but from the look of him, she gathered he hadn't moved him. It scared her, looking at him. Granted she had at one point or another wished terrible things upon him, but to see Draco Malfoy in such a fragile condition was unnerving. He looked like a different person, as if he was his Draco's cousin who bore a strange resemblance, but you knew that they were not one in the same. Before she knew what she was doing, she leaned over and tucked a strand of his pale blonde hair behind his ear.
She pulled her hand back and interlaced them together in her lap. She could hear Harry and Ron carrying on their conversation on across the empty hall, and from the sound of it, it would be awhile before they were done. She settled back in the chair and closed her eyes. She would just have to wait them out.
She never dozed off, but leapt in and out of daydreams. She was about to check her watch when the sound of her name met her ears. "So how did things go with Hermione last night?" Harry asked Ron. Curiosity got the best of her. Hermione rose from the chair and inched towards the curtain. She stayed to the side of the crack, but leaned close listening.
"Not very good. She went out before I could get up my nerve."
"She went out?" Harry asked surprised. "I would have never guessed that from her. Thought she would be too afraid of getting caught. Didn't Filch catch her?"
"Nah, she didn't go out until way after midnight. I reckon he was already asleep."
"What were you going to do wait for breakfast?"
"How long did it take you to talk to Cho?" Ron shot back. "And I know you like my sister, and you haven't said anything to her yet either, at least I got up the courage."
Harry laughed. "What were you going to do?" His voice dropped into a fake accent. "You are getting sleepy, very sleepy, now roll over and kiss me. Hey." Hermione guessed Ron had hit him with a pillow from the sound of the muffled thump. Good.
"Anyways." Ron continued. "I followed her out to the lake. She let me kiss her and everything, but when I tried to take it a bit further, she jumped and ran."
"I told you she would, she's not ready to go any further than kissing. You're lucky she didn't curse you right then and there."
"Blimey Harry, at this point in time I would have been glad if she was able to curse me. Besides, you said she wouldn't go all the way. You agreed with me that second base wasn't out of reach. In fact it was you who said that you thought she let Krum go that far, but she was definitely still a virgin."
Hermione felt her cheeks burn. They had actually discussed her sexual experience. Behind her back. She felt her embarrassment turn to anger. It was none of their damn business what she had done with Krum, even if she had done something. She felt the tears well up in her eyes. How could they? Their topic turned to Quidditch and whether or not they would be able to play in the last games. Hermione took a deep breath and turned away from the curtain. Her eyes widened in surprise and she stopped short. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it when she realized there was nothing to say.
"Hello, Hermione." Draco said softly. The sound barely reached her ears, but she peeked back out the crack to see if Ron and Harry had heard. They hadn't. "You were one of the last people I thought I'd wake up to."
"I- uh," She slipped back into the chair and leaned towards him. "Please Draco, if you have any kindness in you, please don't let them know that I'm here." She felt another tear roll down her face.
Draco's eyes narrowed. "And why not. Are you breaking a covenant with them? Consorting with the enemy?"
"I can't tell you why, just please." She pleaded with him, looking back at the closed curtain. She looked back at him, her eyes wide and vulnerable. "Draco, please."
Draco looked at her for a long moment. "I don't do anything for nothing, you should know that my now."
Hermione sat back and nodded. He hadn't actually agreed, but his voice had dropped lower to avoid being heard. "Yes, I know that." She bit her bottom lip and looked away.
Draco turned his gaze from her as well. He stared at where the curtains met. "As long as you don't forget it."
~*~*~*~
To be continued....
A/N I'm not sure, but this one seems to be a bit longer.... I hope.... Thanks to all who have reviewed so far!! I hope to get into some action soon; right now I'm just building some ideas, some details and setting the stage. Lol, I'm just basically letting the story take me where it wants to go.
