When Malfoy came downstairs, there was no sign of Hermione. "Where is
she?" He asked Marina.
"Don't go after her now, Draco. She'll probably knock your teeth out."
"I just want to know where she is." Malfoy said.
"She's downstairs in the basement working with the bag."
"Thanks." Malfoy headed for the door.
There were thuds coming from downstairs as Malfoy cautiously came down the steps. As he rounded the corner, he saw Hermione beating the crap out of a punch bag. She looked like a dancer when she did it. All her kicks and punches landed, and after a moment it became obvious that she was doing a routine that flowed from one attack to the next. Malfoy didn't say anything, just stood in the shadows as Hermione moved against the punch bag. Her face was tear streaked, and she was breathing heavily. Malfoy walked forward, and his foot crunched on something. A slight pause in Hermione's routine was the only indication she had noticed him. Malfoy waited a moment, then he got bored. He walked up to the madly swinging bag, and stopped it, holding it while Hermione punched it. She was punching hard. After a few moment, the transfer of the shock was beginning to make his hands hurt.
"Hermione! Hermione, quit it!" She did, surprisingly. She stood, hands hanging loosely at her sides.
"What do you want?" she snapped.
"To apologise." The words surprised Malfoy. That wasn't what he was planning on saying.
"Yeah well. It's none of your business so piss off." Hermione said, and punched the bag again.
"Hermione-"
"Don't call me that!" Hermione yelled. "You don't have the right to call me that! Only my friends call me that!"
"Friends that you hide from." Malfoy said. He couldn't resist. Hermione narrowed her eyes and stepped forward, swinging out at Draco. He caught her hand and she countered. The two of them moved across the floor, sparring. Malfoy was mainly on the defensive, while Hermione lashed out at him.
After about a minute Malfoy had realised this was a chance for Hermione to work off some of the stress that was obviously messing with her head, and began to hit back. He really started hitting back when Hermione got through his guard and punched him hard, right on the cheekbone.
The two of them moved around the room, their movements a series of swift attacks and blocks. Somehow, though Malfoy hadn't the faintest idea how, Hermione had gotten behind him, and had kicked his knees forward, and wrapped her arm around his neck.
"I told you to piss off." She hissed in his ear. Malfoy did nothing for a moment, and then straightened and threw Hermione over his shoulder. She landed with a thump, and Malfoy straddled her stomach, holding her hands down and leaning forward so she couldn't catch him with her legs.
"Since when have I done what you told me to?" Malfoy said. "Are you quite finished?"
Hermione didn't say anything. She stared at the ceiling over Malfoy's right shoulder. "Hermione!" Her mouth thinned to a line, and she didn't answer. "Granger, I'm tired of playing this game. You have to make up your mind what you want. Its Potter or me." That got her attention. Her brown eyes met his silver grey.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice little more than a whisper.
"Oh please, Hermione. How many times have we kissed? You seemed to enjoy yourself. As far as I know, I'm the only one out of your friends who knows what you're really like."
"You're not one of my friends. I hate you." Hermione said, looking away.
"Who're you trying to convince?" Malfoy murmured.
"Look, Draco! It isn't fair. I'm supposed have this great relationship with Harry, and you come and ruin it with your damn good looks and smooth talk! What was I meant to do?" Malfoy smiled. "What?"
"You called me Draco." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I wasn't kidding, Hermione." Hermione met his steel gaze again. "It's me or Potter. Make your choice." Malfoy waited, keeping her gaze locked by his.
"You can't do this to me." She whispered.
"Yes I can. And I am. I'm tired of playing stupid little games with you, Hermione. You have to make a choice. You can't keep changing your mind." Malfoy watched as something changed in Hermione's gaze.
"Damn you, Draco Malfoy."
"Too late, Hermione." Malfoy leaned down and kissed her gently. He watched as Hermione closed her eyes. Then he sat up and released her. He got off her and held out a hand. She opened her eyes, took it and he pulled her up.
"Have you decided?" He asked. She nodded. "Who is it?" Hermione took a deep breath, and let it go.
"I'm so confused." She said. Malfoy didn't say anything. There wasn't anything he could say. "But I cant do this anymore. You were right. I had to make a choice. And the least I could do was find someone who could spar with me that well. I used to kick Harry's ass!" Malfoy let a small smile slip onto his features. "I pick you, Malfoy, because you were right. You're the only one I trusted with who I really am, and what I really look like. I hope you're satisfied. You win." Malfoy took a step closer to Hermione. He grasped her shoulders. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear.
"I always do." Hermione laughed, and pushed him away.
"So what was that thing with Quidditch?"
"I let Potty win so his poor little record wouldn't be ruined."
"Uh-huh. Sure. Whatever." Hermione grinned and started up the stairs. Malfoy followed behind her and smacked her bottom. "No. Don't even start that." Hermione turned around on the stairs and looked at Draco. He was two steps down from her, and he was only a little smaller than she was.
"Start what?" Malfoy asked.
"Don't just don't. And you know full well what I mean. No I have to go take a shower." Hermione ran up the stairs before Malfoy could do anything inappropriate again.
"Don't go after her now, Draco. She'll probably knock your teeth out."
"I just want to know where she is." Malfoy said.
"She's downstairs in the basement working with the bag."
"Thanks." Malfoy headed for the door.
There were thuds coming from downstairs as Malfoy cautiously came down the steps. As he rounded the corner, he saw Hermione beating the crap out of a punch bag. She looked like a dancer when she did it. All her kicks and punches landed, and after a moment it became obvious that she was doing a routine that flowed from one attack to the next. Malfoy didn't say anything, just stood in the shadows as Hermione moved against the punch bag. Her face was tear streaked, and she was breathing heavily. Malfoy walked forward, and his foot crunched on something. A slight pause in Hermione's routine was the only indication she had noticed him. Malfoy waited a moment, then he got bored. He walked up to the madly swinging bag, and stopped it, holding it while Hermione punched it. She was punching hard. After a few moment, the transfer of the shock was beginning to make his hands hurt.
"Hermione! Hermione, quit it!" She did, surprisingly. She stood, hands hanging loosely at her sides.
"What do you want?" she snapped.
"To apologise." The words surprised Malfoy. That wasn't what he was planning on saying.
"Yeah well. It's none of your business so piss off." Hermione said, and punched the bag again.
"Hermione-"
"Don't call me that!" Hermione yelled. "You don't have the right to call me that! Only my friends call me that!"
"Friends that you hide from." Malfoy said. He couldn't resist. Hermione narrowed her eyes and stepped forward, swinging out at Draco. He caught her hand and she countered. The two of them moved across the floor, sparring. Malfoy was mainly on the defensive, while Hermione lashed out at him.
After about a minute Malfoy had realised this was a chance for Hermione to work off some of the stress that was obviously messing with her head, and began to hit back. He really started hitting back when Hermione got through his guard and punched him hard, right on the cheekbone.
The two of them moved around the room, their movements a series of swift attacks and blocks. Somehow, though Malfoy hadn't the faintest idea how, Hermione had gotten behind him, and had kicked his knees forward, and wrapped her arm around his neck.
"I told you to piss off." She hissed in his ear. Malfoy did nothing for a moment, and then straightened and threw Hermione over his shoulder. She landed with a thump, and Malfoy straddled her stomach, holding her hands down and leaning forward so she couldn't catch him with her legs.
"Since when have I done what you told me to?" Malfoy said. "Are you quite finished?"
Hermione didn't say anything. She stared at the ceiling over Malfoy's right shoulder. "Hermione!" Her mouth thinned to a line, and she didn't answer. "Granger, I'm tired of playing this game. You have to make up your mind what you want. Its Potter or me." That got her attention. Her brown eyes met his silver grey.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice little more than a whisper.
"Oh please, Hermione. How many times have we kissed? You seemed to enjoy yourself. As far as I know, I'm the only one out of your friends who knows what you're really like."
"You're not one of my friends. I hate you." Hermione said, looking away.
"Who're you trying to convince?" Malfoy murmured.
"Look, Draco! It isn't fair. I'm supposed have this great relationship with Harry, and you come and ruin it with your damn good looks and smooth talk! What was I meant to do?" Malfoy smiled. "What?"
"You called me Draco." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I wasn't kidding, Hermione." Hermione met his steel gaze again. "It's me or Potter. Make your choice." Malfoy waited, keeping her gaze locked by his.
"You can't do this to me." She whispered.
"Yes I can. And I am. I'm tired of playing stupid little games with you, Hermione. You have to make a choice. You can't keep changing your mind." Malfoy watched as something changed in Hermione's gaze.
"Damn you, Draco Malfoy."
"Too late, Hermione." Malfoy leaned down and kissed her gently. He watched as Hermione closed her eyes. Then he sat up and released her. He got off her and held out a hand. She opened her eyes, took it and he pulled her up.
"Have you decided?" He asked. She nodded. "Who is it?" Hermione took a deep breath, and let it go.
"I'm so confused." She said. Malfoy didn't say anything. There wasn't anything he could say. "But I cant do this anymore. You were right. I had to make a choice. And the least I could do was find someone who could spar with me that well. I used to kick Harry's ass!" Malfoy let a small smile slip onto his features. "I pick you, Malfoy, because you were right. You're the only one I trusted with who I really am, and what I really look like. I hope you're satisfied. You win." Malfoy took a step closer to Hermione. He grasped her shoulders. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear.
"I always do." Hermione laughed, and pushed him away.
"So what was that thing with Quidditch?"
"I let Potty win so his poor little record wouldn't be ruined."
"Uh-huh. Sure. Whatever." Hermione grinned and started up the stairs. Malfoy followed behind her and smacked her bottom. "No. Don't even start that." Hermione turned around on the stairs and looked at Draco. He was two steps down from her, and he was only a little smaller than she was.
"Start what?" Malfoy asked.
"Don't just don't. And you know full well what I mean. No I have to go take a shower." Hermione ran up the stairs before Malfoy could do anything inappropriate again.