This chapter is dedicated to Mary Beth and Emily for making Theology,
World Cultures and Study Hall the best parts of my day, going along with me
on my crazy assignment notebook writing extrazaganza, reading FFs during
our double block study halls, helping me multiply (Thank you Mary Beth!!),
talking in British accents, snowball fights, and because they are both
incredibly awesome girls!!! A special shoutout to Emily for allowing me to
use her computer to put up chapters. Thank you so much!!!!
To everyone who didn't understand that-- you're not alone. Please enjoy this chapter and send me a review once you're done.
Disclaimer-- The story plot is mine. Everything in it is JK Rowling's.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The week passed too quickly for Hermione. She spent every waking moment packing her trunk, turning in school papers, talking with her teachers and discussing any changes with McGonagoll. Finally on Thursday evening, Hermione was completely ready.
Seeing that it was only 7, she grabbed her swimsuit and robe and headed over to the Prefects bath. Since there were around ten prefects and no one wanted to schedule their baths around each other, everyone just wore swimsuits and bathed together when schedules conflicted.
Hermione made her way to the statue of Boris the Bewildered, whispered the password (Moonlight Fairies) and walked in. The bathroom was probably one of her favorites places in the castle, right after the library. The evening sun was streaming through the windows, catching the crystal chandelier and sending little rainbows dancing across the walls. She turned on the taps encrusted with the rose, opal, and sapphire jewels and changed into her bathing suit while the pool-like tub was filling up.
When the tub was filled with pink and blue, rose-scented bubbles, Hermione turned off the taps and jumped off the diving board. Resurfacing, she found herself completely at ease. Soft music played in the background and the picture of the mermaid had been removed (at the request of many), replaced by one of the sea. Closing her eyes, Hermione took a deep breath and started swimming laps of the pool. Eyes closed, as to not expose them to the bubbles, Hermione didn't even realize the presence of another until she felt the ripples from someone else jumping in. Startled, Hermione opened her eyes prematurely. The chemicals from the bubbles hit her eyes and made her jerk her head above the water, the pain making her cry out.
"Are you alright?" She could feel the person moving closer to her and she recognized his voice, but couldn't place it with a name or face.
"Fine... bubbles... in... eyes..." Hermione gasped, groping blindly for the side of the pool. When she found it, she started turning on all the taps, trying to find the one that gave out pure water. The other person realized what she was trying to do and lead her to the right faucet. Hermione rinsed her eyes out and turned the water off.
"Are you better?" Hermione turned to see Malfoy looking genuinely concerned. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay, I'm fine," Hermione lied. She could feel her eyes swelling.
It seemed like Draco could sense her dishonesty. "Hermione don't lie. Here, let me have a look at them." He moved over to her and tilted her chin up so he could look at her eyes. Hermione's breath caught in her throat at his gentle touch. Malfoy grimaced slightly looking at her eyes.
"That looks awfully uncomfortably, Hermione. Do you want me to take you up to Madame Pomfrey?" He held onto her chin for a beat too long before letting go.
"I'll be fine." Hermione started to get out and Draco followed.
"Please Hermione, let me take you to Madame Pomfrey. Your eyes look really infected." Hermione didn't want to admit it but she needed to go to the hospital wing. She was beginning to see spots and her vision around the edges was darkening.
"Thank you for your assistance, but I will be fine. I've gotten bubble bath in my eyes before. I'll see you in the morning," Hermione said as her sight of Draco began to fade. She pulled on her bathrobe, grabbed her clothes and ran out the door. She hadn't gotten very far down the hall when her eyesight went out completely. Hermione stumbled, groping the wall to guide her along.
"Hermione, let me help you." Draco had followed her out.
"I don't need help. I am capable of taking care of myself," she said to an area three feet away from where Draco stood.
"How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Seven."
"Three." Draco reached to help her, but she lashed out at him. "Come on Hermione. Will you let go of your pride for just tonight and let me help?" Please?" Hermione hesitated for just a second before giving in and letting Draco carry her to the hospital wing. He carried her easily in his muscular arms and for that few minute walk, Hermione let herself go and enjoyed being in his arms.
The second that they stepped foot in the hospital, Hermione could hear Madame Pomfrey rushing over.
"Mr. Malfoy. Miss Granger. What happened?"
"I got bubble bath in my eyes and now I can't see," Hermione said, starting to feel annoyed at herself for letting Malfoy help. "Do you think this might present a problem?"
"Mr. Malfoy, if you could set her down on one of the beds, I would be most appreciative. I'll go get a potion to fix her," Madame Pomfrey said, ignoring Hermione's comment. Draco gently placed her down on a nearby bed.
"Do you want me to wait?"
"I don't care." Hermione was torn between wanting him to stay or not. She heard him pull up a chair. "Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?" Draco asked softly, innocently.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Why are you being so nice to me? For the past 5 years, you haven't missed an opportunity to call me mudblood or insult me. This year you're so different."
Draco paused for a moment before responding. "Hermione, you know last year when Voldemort died..."
His answer was cut short by the arrival of Madame Pomfrey with the remedy.
"I've warned Severus time and time again about the ingredients he puts in those bubble baths, but does he listen? No!" Madame Pomfrey said furiously. She poured some of the liquid into an eyedropper. "Now darling, you're going to need to stay very still while I put these drops in your eyes. Try not to blink."
"Okay," Hermione said, bracing herself. Madame Pomfrey put the first drop in, making Hermione's eye sting. She quickly put the other drop in and ten minutes later, Hermione's sight was back.
"Try not to rub them or get anything else caught in them," Madame Pomfrey instructed. "You should be fine."
Hermione thanked her and she and Draco left together.
"What were you going to say before Madame Pomfrey came over?" Hermione asked, glancing over at him with her newly rediscovered eyesight. With slightly damp hair and wearing a black silk bathrobe, he looked more gorgeous than ever.
He stiffened. "Nothing. It was completely meaningless."
"I don't care. Just tell me."
"I don't want to take up any more of your time. And speaking of time, I have some packing that I need to finish. I'll see you in the morning." With that he darted down the stairs before Hermione could say anything.
Hermione let out a resignated sigh before walking back to the Gryffindor common room. Though it was still early, Hermione was completely exhausted and quickly fell asleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
So... please tell me what you think. I'm dying to know.
To everyone who didn't understand that-- you're not alone. Please enjoy this chapter and send me a review once you're done.
Disclaimer-- The story plot is mine. Everything in it is JK Rowling's.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The week passed too quickly for Hermione. She spent every waking moment packing her trunk, turning in school papers, talking with her teachers and discussing any changes with McGonagoll. Finally on Thursday evening, Hermione was completely ready.
Seeing that it was only 7, she grabbed her swimsuit and robe and headed over to the Prefects bath. Since there were around ten prefects and no one wanted to schedule their baths around each other, everyone just wore swimsuits and bathed together when schedules conflicted.
Hermione made her way to the statue of Boris the Bewildered, whispered the password (Moonlight Fairies) and walked in. The bathroom was probably one of her favorites places in the castle, right after the library. The evening sun was streaming through the windows, catching the crystal chandelier and sending little rainbows dancing across the walls. She turned on the taps encrusted with the rose, opal, and sapphire jewels and changed into her bathing suit while the pool-like tub was filling up.
When the tub was filled with pink and blue, rose-scented bubbles, Hermione turned off the taps and jumped off the diving board. Resurfacing, she found herself completely at ease. Soft music played in the background and the picture of the mermaid had been removed (at the request of many), replaced by one of the sea. Closing her eyes, Hermione took a deep breath and started swimming laps of the pool. Eyes closed, as to not expose them to the bubbles, Hermione didn't even realize the presence of another until she felt the ripples from someone else jumping in. Startled, Hermione opened her eyes prematurely. The chemicals from the bubbles hit her eyes and made her jerk her head above the water, the pain making her cry out.
"Are you alright?" She could feel the person moving closer to her and she recognized his voice, but couldn't place it with a name or face.
"Fine... bubbles... in... eyes..." Hermione gasped, groping blindly for the side of the pool. When she found it, she started turning on all the taps, trying to find the one that gave out pure water. The other person realized what she was trying to do and lead her to the right faucet. Hermione rinsed her eyes out and turned the water off.
"Are you better?" Hermione turned to see Malfoy looking genuinely concerned. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay, I'm fine," Hermione lied. She could feel her eyes swelling.
It seemed like Draco could sense her dishonesty. "Hermione don't lie. Here, let me have a look at them." He moved over to her and tilted her chin up so he could look at her eyes. Hermione's breath caught in her throat at his gentle touch. Malfoy grimaced slightly looking at her eyes.
"That looks awfully uncomfortably, Hermione. Do you want me to take you up to Madame Pomfrey?" He held onto her chin for a beat too long before letting go.
"I'll be fine." Hermione started to get out and Draco followed.
"Please Hermione, let me take you to Madame Pomfrey. Your eyes look really infected." Hermione didn't want to admit it but she needed to go to the hospital wing. She was beginning to see spots and her vision around the edges was darkening.
"Thank you for your assistance, but I will be fine. I've gotten bubble bath in my eyes before. I'll see you in the morning," Hermione said as her sight of Draco began to fade. She pulled on her bathrobe, grabbed her clothes and ran out the door. She hadn't gotten very far down the hall when her eyesight went out completely. Hermione stumbled, groping the wall to guide her along.
"Hermione, let me help you." Draco had followed her out.
"I don't need help. I am capable of taking care of myself," she said to an area three feet away from where Draco stood.
"How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Seven."
"Three." Draco reached to help her, but she lashed out at him. "Come on Hermione. Will you let go of your pride for just tonight and let me help?" Please?" Hermione hesitated for just a second before giving in and letting Draco carry her to the hospital wing. He carried her easily in his muscular arms and for that few minute walk, Hermione let herself go and enjoyed being in his arms.
The second that they stepped foot in the hospital, Hermione could hear Madame Pomfrey rushing over.
"Mr. Malfoy. Miss Granger. What happened?"
"I got bubble bath in my eyes and now I can't see," Hermione said, starting to feel annoyed at herself for letting Malfoy help. "Do you think this might present a problem?"
"Mr. Malfoy, if you could set her down on one of the beds, I would be most appreciative. I'll go get a potion to fix her," Madame Pomfrey said, ignoring Hermione's comment. Draco gently placed her down on a nearby bed.
"Do you want me to wait?"
"I don't care." Hermione was torn between wanting him to stay or not. She heard him pull up a chair. "Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?" Draco asked softly, innocently.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Why are you being so nice to me? For the past 5 years, you haven't missed an opportunity to call me mudblood or insult me. This year you're so different."
Draco paused for a moment before responding. "Hermione, you know last year when Voldemort died..."
His answer was cut short by the arrival of Madame Pomfrey with the remedy.
"I've warned Severus time and time again about the ingredients he puts in those bubble baths, but does he listen? No!" Madame Pomfrey said furiously. She poured some of the liquid into an eyedropper. "Now darling, you're going to need to stay very still while I put these drops in your eyes. Try not to blink."
"Okay," Hermione said, bracing herself. Madame Pomfrey put the first drop in, making Hermione's eye sting. She quickly put the other drop in and ten minutes later, Hermione's sight was back.
"Try not to rub them or get anything else caught in them," Madame Pomfrey instructed. "You should be fine."
Hermione thanked her and she and Draco left together.
"What were you going to say before Madame Pomfrey came over?" Hermione asked, glancing over at him with her newly rediscovered eyesight. With slightly damp hair and wearing a black silk bathrobe, he looked more gorgeous than ever.
He stiffened. "Nothing. It was completely meaningless."
"I don't care. Just tell me."
"I don't want to take up any more of your time. And speaking of time, I have some packing that I need to finish. I'll see you in the morning." With that he darted down the stairs before Hermione could say anything.
Hermione let out a resignated sigh before walking back to the Gryffindor common room. Though it was still early, Hermione was completely exhausted and quickly fell asleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
So... please tell me what you think. I'm dying to know.