Chapter 17

It took all of his self control not to go Hermione's room that night. He was angry; well, he was always angry. He was jealous; well, he never was jealous until he became involved with her.

"Shit!" He cursed under his breath and turned to another position in his bed. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. Minutes later, he drifted off to dreamland…but suddenly came back when he felt someone's presence nearing. His fingers crept below his pillow and closed in on his wand.

The aura of the person was getting closer…

Closer…

And closer…

He snatched his wand and pointed it on a figure hidden by the shadows. The figure produced a loud piercing scream and Draco immediately realized it was Pansy. Who in the world could scream like that other than Pansy?

He stood up and covered her mouth with his hand. "Damnit! What the fuck are you doing here?" He demanded when Pansy calmed down.

"You told me to," she replied, still in quite a shock. Draco stood back from her and looked at her up and down as if inspecting whether it was really Pansy or not.

It was Pansy, and he was annoyed.

"What?! I never said anything about that," he retorted, turning his back on her and walking out of his bedroom and into the adjoining room. Pansy followed him into his lounge and into a corner where the mini kitchen was located.

"Oh please, Draco, don't tell me you forgot! You told me to come here tonight!"

"I never forget and I don't remember telling you to…" his voice trailed off and he paused. Damn! He remembered. It suddenly dawned to him that she was right; he had told her…but…but it was just…a joke? It happened in the spur of the moment when he was angered by Hermione.

Draco felt arms wrapped around him from behind and he shrugged it off as he went to a cupboard to get something to drink. He poured himself a firewhiskey and offered some to Pansy who declined.

"So what do you want?" Pansy asked in a rather sexy enticing voice as Draco took a long sip from his glass. For you to fuck off! He thought. "Sex? Blowjob? Hand---"

"No," he cut in silently.

"No? Anything else in mind?" She totally misunderstood him. "A new position to experiment on, I suppose?" She moved closer to him and started pulling down his boxers, but Draco hauled her up before she could undress him.

"I said NO, Pansy. I'm not in the mood," he said and walked away back into his room with the glass and a bottle of firewhiskey.

"Why not?" she pouted. Draco thought an alluring girl pouting her lips was sexy, but on Pansy? Oh no, not anymore. Pansy used to really arouse him. It was even with her that he lost his virginity and with him, she lost hers. They were quite a hot item back then; very sexual item. They explored their sexuality and went beyond the limit, doing it wherever and whenever they felt like it. But that's just it. It was pure physical…sexual…pure sex, nothing else. He never felt anything with her…he never felt real, unadulterated, untainted fire…emotion. He was empty and with her, even emptier…

…unlike with Granger…

…Hermione filled him…

…she somehow completed him…

He couldn't wait to make love with her...to teach her the beautiful art of making love. There was plenty to teach to such an innocent beauty.

He felt his body hardening at the thought of Granger in his bed…or hers…whatever…wherever…

"Ooohh…you're hard all over---"

"Get out, Pansy," he said softly.

"Ooohh…big bad dragon hot, huh?"

"I said get out now!" He raised his voice higher. "---before I kick you out."

"Ooohh…now, the big bad dragon is threatening to burn me with his fiery breath---"

"GET OUT!!!" He yelled, and Pansy laughed.

"No need to put that tone in me, dear, we're not yet over."

"We are now."

"What?"

"You heard me," he turned to her, his eyes turning into a dark shade of blue-violet. "Bad news, love, we're over. I'm done with you. It's been over for years so I suggest you get out."

"What is wrong with you?" She asked, ignoring his suggestive command. "I know you're really bad-tempered and all that, but you've changed. I see that. I know you, Draco. What're you hiding?"

"I'm hiding plenty of things from you, Pansy. Newsflash, YOU DON'T KNOW ME!!!" He shouted.

"I'm going to find out what you've been up to. Watch me!" She said and turned to leave the room, but before she closed the door behind her, she turned to Draco and said, "And we're not done, Draco. We're betrothed." With that, she left, slamming the door behind her.

The nerve on Draco's forehead pounded against his skin as the muscles on his jaw flexed. Damn that Pansy! But she was right; it was not over for both of them; they were already betrothed.

Draco fixed his eyes on the clock situated on top of his bedside table. It was 1:13 in the morning just 2 hours after Pansy slammed his door. Still he couldn't sleep; still he couldn't forget the truth that she just reminded him; still he couldn't stop thinking about the girl "next door" who was possibly waiting for him…

…or not.

The bottle of firewhiskey in his hand had long been empty, but he wasn't drunk. The bottle was already half-empty when he got it out that night.

"And we're not done, Draco. We're betrothed…"

"Damn!" He cursed after the thought echoed in his mind again. Why does it have to be me? He wondered. But there was nothing he could do. His future had long been decided by his father…that old fuck! He has been enslaved by his father for 17 years and he barely survived it; how would he be able to survive another 17 years?

Of course, he can always leave the mansion after begetting the next heir…

Yes, I'll leave. I'll escape and never show my face again…

Hermione Granger…

"I'll marry her," he whispered before he could stop himself.

But!!!

But what would my father say?

I'll be a disgrace to the Malfoy family…

He didn't continue to ponder on that subject. He instead stood up and made his way towards a mirror identical to the one in Hermione's bedroom. He stared at his own reflection before placing his right hand on it. The mirror felt cold. The hand disappeared and his body followed as he entered.

^~^~^~

Draco was not the only one who couldn't sleep that night. Hermione who now had her attention directed on the mirror that faced the side of her bed was tossing and turning, forcing herself to sleep for the last 3 hours.

Just when she was about to close her eyelids, something stirred in the mirror. She sat upright and brought the sheets up to her chin. A second later, a body emerged.

"Draco?" She whispered. He didn't answer but continued walking towards her. The moonlight touched his body as he passed by the window, revealing a well-built 17 year-old upper body. Hermione gasped; Draco wasn't even aware that he was wearing nothing but his boxers that Pansy failed to remove.

He climbed on the bed and settled on top of her before lowering his head. Hermione could smell firewhiskey in his breath. "Are you drunk?" She asked.

"No," and with that he kissed her. She tasted like sweet honey; he tasted like whiskey.

^~^~^~

The next morning, Draco woke up just before dawn. He debated whether or not to stay or to go. He glanced at the girl next to him and screamed. It wasn't Hermione; it was Pansy.

And she was pounding her wand on his head, shouting, "Wake up, Hermione! Wake up! Wake up!!! WAKE UP!!!" The voice deepened and became masculine, "Hermione! Wake up!" The face was Pansy's and the voice was Ronald Weasley's.

He opened his eyes but closed it again as the bright rays of the midmorning sun shone brightly in the room, hurting his eyes. It was early January and the sun was already up, bright and blinding.

The loud voices continued for a couple more seconds before it died out. When Draco next opened his eyes, Hermione was already on her feet, walking to the door.

Panic surged through his body like fire. What if she forgot that he was there? Bloody hell! His heart slowed down when he relaxed and told himself he didn't care if the Weasel found out.

"Ron, what is going on?" The door was narrowly opened and only Hermione's face was visible to Ron. "It's still---"

"9 in the morning," Ron interrupted. "Hermione, there's been…um…um…well, it's rather funny."

"What is it?" She demanded impatiently.

"Ginny and Harry are in the Hospital Wing---"

"What?! What happened?" She asked without letting him finish.

"They're fine actually…can I come in?" He asked.

"Oh, yeah --- no!" She exclaimed, glancing at the bed where Draco was lying on his chest, pretending to be asleep when in truth, was trying to eavesdrop. "I mean…um…I'm…I'm…I'm undressed. Yes, I'm undressed." Draco looked up at the word and fell back down when she saw her fully dressed in her PJs. "And my room is a mess. Yes, it's a mess." Draco chuckled.

"Is there someone there?"

"Who? What? No!"

"I can hear someone laughing."

"It's Crookshanks," she answered. "So, um…what happened?"

Ron seemed to believe her when he continued, "Well, they got into a fight and out of anger, I guess, Ginny rather cursed him and he fell back down on…well, on the stairs --- but it was an accident!" he pointed out hurriedly, seeing Hermione's shocked expression. "Um…well, Ginny partly dragged partly carried him to Madam Pomfrey."

"All right, I will go there; I'll see you there. I'm just going to dress," Hermione said.

"Oh, all right --- wait!" Ron blocked the door from closing as he continued slowly and sadly, "I fear they have broken up." Hermione nodded and closed the door. She walked to the bed where Draco feigned sleep.

Ginny and Harry have broken up! Her tummy gave a flip in excitement as she digested the very words Ron told her.

20 minutes later, Hermione found Ron waiting for her just outside the Hospital Wing when she came out.

"Ugh! I hate this!" Ron exclaimed to her. "How's Harry?"

"He's got a headache; he's fine. Where's Ginny?"

"Crying in her dorm," he answered. "I hate this!" He repeated.

"Ron, are you all right? What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? My best friend and my sister have just broken up and I don't know what to do! Who will I side on? Argh! I knew this would happen!!! I never should have let Ginny date him…" Ron continued to babble on. "It's all my fault…"

When Hermione heard enough of his lamentations, she cut in, "Look Ron, it's not your fault and apparently what happened between them is their business not yours." Ron looked at her with an expression of disbelief and confusion. Hermione sighed, "Ron, what I mean to say is that whatever happens, you're still Harry's best friend and Ginny's sister. They certainly won't blame you for…um…for…um…for that and you don't need to pick sides---"

"Hermione, you don't understand!" Ron exclaimed in exasperation. "Sooner or later, Harry will be talking to me about this and Ginny will too. I'm sure of it! They'll practically ask me if they're right and stuff. I'm caught in the middle!"

"Ron, by that time, they'll just expect you to say what they want to hear---"

"Exactly! And then what? They'll probably roast me alive---oh, you think this is funny, do you?" She bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing some more. Ron was acting really anxious.

"Relax, Ron," she advised.

"Relax? Hermione, haven't you been listening!?" Madam Pormfrey came out of the Wing to hush him. Ron apologized and when she was gone and nobody was in sight, he continued in a more moderate tone, "Hermione, I am afraid of what's going to happen to my friendship with Harry and my relationship with my sister. When situations like this happen…well, t-things will be a-awkward," he was dead serious when he remarked that.

"I…I…I understand, Ron," she replied silently, and she did understand and she was sorry for Ron's predicament, but she…she was not sorry for the split up.

Well, honestly, I am not sorry…She thought and she was ashamed with herself.