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"Okay, so after that Potions class, I had one more class with the Slytherins that day. Care of Magical Creatures."
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Hermione was exhausted after her first day back, but it wasn't through yet. She had one class left, but fortunately Hagrid was the teacher, and he'd be easy on them on their first day back.
Care of Magical Creatures was an odd class. For one thing, it wasn't in a classroom. It was taken near Hagrid's hut next to the Forbidden Forest. With the tree walls that no one dared going into, the class paid close attention. Another thing was the professor. To Hermione, Ron and Harry, Hagrid wasn't a professor. He was their friend, and that made it easier to learn there. And not only was Hagrid their friend, but he was also half-giant! Who could've ever thought of an actual magical creature (or half of one, I suppose, without the mess) to teach the Magical Creatures class?
The class was split between houses, and it just so happened that Draco and his friends were also in this course.
They spent most of the class watching over Invisiflies, until Draco put one down Ron's robes.
Ron quickly got rid of the fly, but not before he took his robes off. (He had pants on, don't worry. And a shirt!) He reached down to his robes and pulled out his wand, calling, "Tempurium Magoocho!"
Malfoy fell to the ground and quickly started growing bullhorns, hooves and a tail.
"You turned him into a cow, Ron?" Hagrid yelled. And it was no fun hearing Hagrid yell. He was a big man with a booming voice, yelling or not yelling. "Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Goyle, please escort Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wing. Why must I send a student there every class?"
Harry could do nothing to stop his tears, he was laughing so hard. That seemed to be all the Gryffindor's responses. Besides Hermione. Hermione giggled on the outside, but sincerely hoped that Draco would be okay on the inside.
All the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs in their class were laughing as well, but mostly it was Gryffindors who needed a bathroom break. Finally, one of their own had gone against the rules and finally had done what everyone had wanted to do from day one: hex Malfoy. And to imagine, it was Ron Weasley and a really advanced Transfiguration curse!
All the Slytherins looked ready to kill. Pansy primarily looked like she could pull out her wand and Cruciatus Ron on the spot.
Hagrid was still yelling. "Ron, I'm sorry, but that'll be 20 points off of Gryffindor. And 4 detentions with me."
All the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws stopped laughing, and were
replaced by the Slytherins. Sure, one
of their own went down, but all of the others suffered.
Hermione was torn. Sure, she was happy that Ron finally stuck up for himself, but she couldn't help but smile on the inside when he was punished.
When the class was over, she left with Ron and Harry, who seemed very fed up.
"It was only a little hex! I didn't deserve all that!"
"Only a little hex, Ron? That was seventh year transfiguration! It was anything BUT a little hex," Hermione pointed out.
Ron stared. "Oh, so you're saying I should've let them get away with what he did to me?!"
"No! I definitely think he deserved what you had coming... it's just. You could've done it AFTER class."
"Oh. Well... still! I was provoked!"
"Yes, Ron, we know. But really! A cow?!"
"Hermione! Whose side are you on?!" Amidst this, Harry was saying nothing, but standing in between them. "Really, Hermione. Ever since we got together, all I've been seeing is stuff that made me suspicious."
"Like what?" Hermione kept her cool, but her palms were getting really sweaty with anxiety.
"Like, you rushed your meal than didn't come back with our schedules until at least an hour had passed."
"One thing. ONE thing. You have no idea what I was doing." Hermione had no idea what she was going to tell Ron.
"Oh? Then what WERE you doing?" Ron yelled with rage.
"For your information, Ronald Weasley...." She needed something good. She sneezed and stalled time. "I was in the Owlery, writing a letter to Sophie about you!" Sophie was her best Muggle friend at home, who thought she was away at a fancy boarding school. Hermione wrote letters to Sophie every once in a while, when something exciting happens, and sends them to her mom, who would Muggle post them to Sophie's house.
Ron looked down. "Oh. I... er... have to stop in the library before supper. I'll catch up to you two later." He left, quickly.
Harry finally spoke. "Don't you want to go with him?"
"No, I think he needs a little 'alone' time."
"Oh. So what were you really doing yesterday? He may be gullible, but I know a sneeze-stall when I see one," Harry said.
"Oh, Harry. Would you absolutely hate me if I said I couldn't tell you?"
"Yes."
"Well then. Hate me. I'm sorry, I'll tell you someday. Someday soon."
"Alright."
They reached the castle, and stepped into the Entrance Hall, and made their way into the Great Hall for supper. It was 7.oo, and Hermione was wondering whether or not she was still going to meet Draco that night. She ate rather quickly, and retired to the common room to do some homework.
The Gryffindor Common Room always made Hermione feel at home. It's warm fires and torches made the room very light indeed, and added a nice, homey touch. The color red was everywhere, from the large, high-backed chairs in front of the fireplace, to the carpets on the floors, and there were banners everywhere that said things like, "Go Go Gryffindors!" and "Gryffindors for the Cup!" to celebrate the Quidditch team. There were huge tables to do all your homework on, which made Hermione the happiest. That is where she went and started her work.
She was about ten minutes into her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework, when she heard a tap at the window. There were a few other people in the Common Room when she looked up, so a short, blonde second year with pigtails went and opened it.
Hermione was shocked when the valiant eagle owl landed in front of her and perched its leg out.
"Sorry, I have no food to offer you," she said to it, as she took the parchment from his leg. She unfolded the parchment, while the bird flew back out the window, and read:
"Dear Hermione,
Although I am still in the hospital wing, my hooves have turned back into feet, and I will still be meeting you in the library study room 16, at 9.oo. However, I may still have horns. Beware (to be turned on.)
Love, Draco."
'Love, Draco?' Since when did her worst enemy show affection? Since when was he called 'Draco?' MALFOY! MALFOY!
Hermione, though shocked at her message, continued on with her homework as if nothing had happened.
At 9.oo, however, she was still doing her homework.
Ginny came down and sat next to Hermione. "You almost done with your homework? It's 9.oo, you should think about going to bed soon."
"No, I need to finish -- Bloody Hell! It's 9.oo?! I have to go! Would you mind clearing this up for me?" Hermione raced out of the common room without waiting for Ginny to respond.
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"Ohhh, so that's what that was all about? You're lucky I'm such an understanding person!"
"Yeah, yeah. So I was running out of Gryffindor Tower, when I reach the Fat Lady. I was just about to climb out, when --"
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"Ron! Hello there!"
"Hey, Hermione, listen. I'm really sorry about jumping to conclusions."
"That's okay, Ron. Listen, I gotta run."
"Where are you going?"
Again, Hermione couldn't think of an excuse, so instead she just kissed him. With tongue. What? She was in a hurry! And left.
She didn't look back, but Ron did yell to her, "Be a good girl!" She didn't like how that sounded. He was her boyfriend, not her father. Why would he say that?!
She continued running, reached the library room within minutes, and opened the door.
"You're late." Draco was sitting in a chair, at the table, peering at her over his book. He was dressed in his school pants, shirt, sweater vest and tie, though the tie was rather loose. His hair was messy looking, under the bowler hat he wore. Beside him, on the table, sat a familiar looking silverish glob of air.
"That's an invisibility cloak!"
"Bet you haven't seen one of these before, huh?" he said, smirking.
"Actually, yes. Harry has had one since first year." It was Hermione's turn to smirk. She got to him.
"Oh, that hurt. So what did you call me here for tonight?"
"Oh, well, let's see. Where should I begin? Erm... just because we kissed... doesn't mean I'm going to leave Ron for you."
"Oh, is that all? I thought it was something important."
"That's not all!" He seemed to think this was a joke or something! "Actually, it is. But you're taking it very lightly."
"Well, why should you have to break up with your boyfriend just because we kissed. Never mind that it was the greatest kiss either of us have ever experienced, or that we both know we felt something a lot more than hatred in that kiss. Never mind that we kissed three times."
"Hey! Speak for yourself! I kissed Ron just the night before and I felt all of those things! Your kiss was just another old kiss to me... maybe that's just how all my kisses feel like."
"Then why'd you kiss me again?"
"I don't know. I don't know!" She didn't know. "Hormones! Yes! Hormones! And the thrill that was behind the kisses! Think about it -- if anyone would've found us kissing yesterday, so much shit would have happened, so much controversy. It was a rush."
He didn't say anything.
"It was a rush! Say it! It was a rush!"
Still, his mouth stayed closed.
"IT WAS A RUSH, DAMN IT! TELL ME IT WAS A GOD DAMNED RUSH!" Was she going insane? It sure felt that way. Ron and she get together after years of foreboding, they experience the best kiss they ever have had, and the next night she finds herself in the embrace of her boyfriend's arch enemy, his family's nemesis, sucking his face off and thinking that she'd never felt the way she felt before. She broke down. Luckily, the room was so cramped that the chair for the table was right near the door, and she slumped down on the weak, wooden thing.
Draco was soon over to her side of the table. He slumped down and picked her up and sat himself down against the wall, on the floor, and placed her in his lap. She nuzzled into him, right in the spot between his ear and his shoulder, her tears wetting her shirt, and sobbed.
"It's okay, it's okay," Draco reassured her, rubbing her back. "We'll get things sorted out. Hell, we don't even have to sort things out. We can still keep this going without you having to lose your relationship with WeaselBoy."
"You mean... you want me to lie to Ron?" she asked, perplexed.
"Not lie, per say. You won't be lying unless he asks you about it. And what kind of boyfriend asks their girl about that?"
Hermione sat there, in the boy that dared to suggest to her to cheat on her boyfriend's arms. Sure, Hermione thought it evil that Draco was asking her to do something so serious for him at such a vulnerable time, but Hermione thought about it, and decided she wanted this. She wanted to be bad. Maybe she was supposed to be more than the good girl.
After hesitating for a moment, Hermione kissed Draco again. The heat and the moisture between the two of them was way too much to give up. She needed Draco. She needed Ron, too. She needed neither of them to be hurt. She parted lips with Draco, and said, "Alright."
She kissed him again, this time more quickly and lustily. She got to the good stuff right away. As soon as their lips met, Hermione had Draco's mouth open, and slipped her tongue inside. When frenching started to bore her, she unloosened his tie and slipped it over his head, while he nibbled on her neck.
She took off his sweater vest, and unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a pale and toned (but not too muscly -- sure he had been Quidditch training, but he wasn't taking steroids) stomach. What Draco had for muscles, however, he used to take off Hermione's sweater vest and unbutton her shirt, revealing a plain, white bra over her humble breasts. Her skin was a pale tan, and when Draco pressed his body against hers on the cold floor, the only heat he could feel was from her stomach, which hadn't been through Quidditch training sessions, and was kind of questionable.
Hermione trailed kisses over his chest and downward, while Draco wrestled with her bra clasp. Hermione came back up his stomach and chest, and took off his hat.
"Whoa! What are we doing?!" The sight of Draco's cow horns made Hermione think of Ron, and regain her senses. She picked up her shirt, and her sweater vest, and put them back on. "Erm... Malfoy?"
"Yes, Granger?" said Draco, while putting his shirt back on as well.
"Do you think you could walk me back up to Gryffindor Tower?"
"I think it's a little too late to be a gentlemen now, Sweetie Pie."
"No, it's just that... it's past curfew, and I'll be caught roaming the halls, and I'm a Prefect, and, well. You know how it is."
"Sure."
"Thanks." She stood up, then reached a hand down to him. He grabbed it, and she pulled him up.
"Thanks, Granger."
"My pleasure, Malfoy."
Draco went to get his invisibility cloak, and threw it over Hermione and himself. They left, quietly but quickly, and made their way up to Gryffindor Tower.
When they got to the portrait of the Fat Lady, Draco whispered, "Goodbye, then. See you tomorrow in Potions. And the Prefect meeting." He kissed her, and she climbed out from under the cloak.
"Bye." She whispered the password to the Fat Lady very softly (so Draco wouldn't hear it), and climbed through the hole.
When she stepped into the common room, she saw Ron, Harry and Ginny sitting near the fireplace. Her stuff was cleared from the table, and she immediately went over and thanked Ginny.
"Thanks so much, Ginny. I have this Arithmancy test tomorrow and I had to do extra credit in the Restricted Section before 9.3o." Hermione was getting better at this excuse thing every day.
"But it's 1o.oo," Ron said.
"Yeah." Okay, so she wasn't getting better at it. "Well, then I got hungry. I snuck down to the kitchens and got some éclairs."
"Oh. Well." Ron didn't look very satisfied. "Why didn't you bring me back one?" Unsatisfied, disappointed. Eh, same thing.
"Sorry. Well, I'm exhausted. I'm going to go to bed now," Hermione said. She went around the chair and kissed Ron, said goodnight to Harry and Ginny, and went upstairs.
"I'm going to go to sleep too," said Ron. He followed Hermione up the stairs, then grabbed her hand before she got into her room. "We need to talk."
Hermione looked into his eyes, and prayed she wouldn't have to lie to him about Draco. This was going to be a long night.
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"Wow. So you talked it all out, right?" Ginny asked. "I mean, you didn't lie to his face, did you?"
"Well. I had to. I couldn't hurt him." She looked down. "I still can't believe what I've done to him."
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A/N- Well, that was fun, huh? I don't really have much to say about this chapter. I hope you liked it. Aren't you glad you gave PPC a second chance? Well, goodbye. Please review!
LGstar, Sully, Atty. Whatever.