Chapter 19: Up on the roof..and back in the store
~*~
Hermione ran as fast as she could to the roof of Empress Records. She struggled as she put her top on as she ran up several flights of stairs. She reached the top and managed to get her skirt on and began to zip it as she crashed through the door and came face to face with Draco who was repairing parts of the roof at Snape's request.
Draco looked at Hermione in her disheveled state and immediately wanted to take her in his arms and well, help her get dressed. Hermione stood there, staring at Draco with a tear-stained face, and zipped up her skirt and smoothed it down before she marched towards him.
"Go away."
Draco tried to take hold of her shoulders, but she shrugged off his touch.
"Hermione..."
Hermione turned around and looked at Draco. "What are you doing here?"
"Fixing the sign," said Draco pointing to a tilting 'Empress Records' sign. "What are you doing?"
"Taking a break." Hermione sat down on the steps by the door and slumped against the wall.
"Wow," said Draco. He made his way towards her and sat down next to her, "it's really weird that you just came up here. Look, 'Mione, I really have to tell you something."
"Oh Draco, not now please!"
"No, it has to be now," said Draco kneeling in front of Hermione, trying desperately to get her to look at him.
"Please Draco, NOT NOW."
Draco shook his head and took Hermione's hands into his. Hermione looked at him with confusion and anger, but Draco held on tight.
"No, no it has to be now. Listen. You remember that really horrible day that Weasley set off the store dark magic detectors by saying the wrong words in his 'moshing enhancement' spell, and, and Ginny got dumped by that Neville kid and cried all day, and I drew a picture of him and Harry found his invisibility cloak so we could trick him that evening and you wore that skirt that I hate? Do you remember that day?"
Hermione stared at Draco. He was talking so fast, which was so unlike him. He was always so articulate, and calm, and.....
"What skirt?"
'The, the one with the flowers."
"The blue skirt?" Hermione stared in disbelief. That was her favorite skirt! Her mother and she bought that at Harrods, it had cost her a fortune, how dare he..
"Yeah, the blue one."
"You- - "
"Yeah, I hate hate that skirt." Draco saw the look of contempt in Hermione's face. 'Blast, she probably loves that bloody skirt! Control Draco, you can do this,' "But it's good that I hate the skirt, Hermione, 'cos that, listen, that, listen to me, that skirt made me realize that, I mean, if I can, I can love her in the skirt then this must really be it. Hermione, I love you."
Draco took a deep breath and looked at Hermione. It seemed like ages before either one spoke. After an eternity of silence, Hermione jumped out and stared down at Draco.
"What?"
Draco stood up and grinned. 'She has to love me back, she has to! I mean, everyone loves me, even more so now that im less of a pompous jackass! She's the queen of nice; she has to have some spark in her after that, well, speech.'
"Hermione, I am in love with you."
Hermione shook her head and started pacing on the roof, just as Draco had earlier that day.
"Oh wow." She saw Draco coming towards her and she held out her arms to prevent him from walking any closer to her.
"Please not now, please Draco. Please don't do this right now." She looked at Draco and saw his face turn pale. "I'm sorry, but I can't handle this right now."
Draco ran his hand through his hair and cast an angry look at Hermione. "What are you telling me? That you can handle it some other time? Is that it?"
Hermione began to sob, partly at the tone of Draco's voice, and because of the emotional roller coaster she had just experienced within minutes of each other.
"Look, I just threw myself at Gilderoy Lockhart, ok? I made a total fool out of myself, I mean, and I really don't.."
Draco stared at Hermione, mouth agape. 'That explains the zipping up of the skirt. DAMMIT! Fucking Lockhart."
"You what?"
"Yes, and, and I'm not ready for, "Hermione gestured towards herself and Draco,"for this, ok? And I, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry..I'm sorry, I just want to be alone, ok?"
Draco looked at the girl he loved who was now on the ground sobbing.
"Yeah, ok, just forget I said anything alright. Just forget- -I didn't say anything, nothing happened."
By the time Hermione looked up, Draco was gone.
~*~
Draco made his way to the studio that Snape had set up for him. He got out some paints and stretched out canvas. He looked at the wizard clock and saw that he still had some time before he was due out in the store.
Draco stared at the blank canvas, and then he started to paint.
~*~
Hermione finally composed herself and grabbed Ginny to go on their lunch break at the Three Broomsticks.
Ginny and Hermione finally settled on a small cozy table on the outdoor deck.
Hermione looked devastated, and Ginny reached over and held her hand. "Forget Lockhart, we'll get you another guy!" Ginny then reached under her sweater and when her hand emerged she had a bright red bra in it. She handed it to Hermione and smiled.
Hermione stared at it as it if was a live animal waiting to pounce. She placed it on the table and began to sob.
"I don't want another guy," Hermione said between small sobs, "I'm not like you! I don't need another guy. Why do you always try and make me like you?"
Ginny was taken aback by Hermione's sudden outburst. The Weasley temper flared up.
"What do you mean 'like' me?"
"I'm not like you with guys. I don't need to do what you do all the time."
"Humph. Oh, ok, I see. Not like me the turbo-slut, is that what you mean?" Ginny stood up and leaned forward and stared directly at Hermione." What are you saying? That I have to do every guy that I see?"
Hermione looked at the angry girl in front of her, and the day's events offered no sympathy, but equal anger. "Well, you certainly seem to enjoy it."
"Huh," Ginny sat back down and leaned back, smirking." Well, what'd you do, huh, 'Mione? Did you go over to Lockhart and did you act all perfect and better than everybody? You think guys like you for that?"
"They may not like it, but at least they don't do it with me and then go off and laugh!"
"Miss Self-Righteous!" Ginny grabbed her purse and stormed off. Hermione could not believe her bad luck! First Lockhart, then Draco, now Ginny!
Just then, Seamus walked up to Hermione, apparently witnessing the whole ordeal. He came up with her food, and sat down across from her.
"Hey," said Seamus, attempting to make conversation," is Lockhart in yet? Cos if he is, you have got to show him my wizard disc? It's so great..."
"Seamus, please!" With a huff Hermione got up and left a bewildered Seamus sitting at the table, wondering what he had said. Then he looked over to where she was sitting and saw a bright red.......bra?
"Hermione!" Seamus ran out to the street hoping to catch her, waving the bra in the air. " Hey! You forgot your.....thingy!"
~*~
Ginny, after she had left the Three Broomsticks, rushed back to the store and found Gilderoy Lockhart in the room where Hermione had left him.
She began chatting with him as she shut the door behind her.
"So, want to know a trick of mine?"
Lockhart was in a daze. This was the second chick today who worked her who had that 'hungry' look in her eyes, except this one didn't seem the type to run away.
"Sure."
"I know what kind and what color underpants you're wearing."
"Really, how? Are you a seer?"
"Nope, I dunno, it's just something I've always been able to do. I can tell you what color and what kind."
Lockhart leaned back against the table and smiled. "Huh, alright, what am I wearing now?"
Ginny looked at him and returned his lascivious smile. "Muggle jockeys, navy blue. Am I right?"
"I don't know."
Ginny smiled and sauntered towards Lockhart, then pushed him on top of the table where he was leaning.
"Well, why don't you check it out, and you let me know?"
Ginny got off Lockhart and walked into an adjoining office. Gilderoy followed like an obedient puppy, carefully shutting the door behind them. Ginny shut the other door that opened into the backroom and brought out her wand.
"Lumos."
Gilderoy turned towards Ginny, "Now, the ultimate question."
Ginny smiled and began to undo his pants......
~*~
Hermione ran as fast as she could to the roof of Empress Records. She struggled as she put her top on as she ran up several flights of stairs. She reached the top and managed to get her skirt on and began to zip it as she crashed through the door and came face to face with Draco who was repairing parts of the roof at Snape's request.
Draco looked at Hermione in her disheveled state and immediately wanted to take her in his arms and well, help her get dressed. Hermione stood there, staring at Draco with a tear-stained face, and zipped up her skirt and smoothed it down before she marched towards him.
"Go away."
Draco tried to take hold of her shoulders, but she shrugged off his touch.
"Hermione..."
Hermione turned around and looked at Draco. "What are you doing here?"
"Fixing the sign," said Draco pointing to a tilting 'Empress Records' sign. "What are you doing?"
"Taking a break." Hermione sat down on the steps by the door and slumped against the wall.
"Wow," said Draco. He made his way towards her and sat down next to her, "it's really weird that you just came up here. Look, 'Mione, I really have to tell you something."
"Oh Draco, not now please!"
"No, it has to be now," said Draco kneeling in front of Hermione, trying desperately to get her to look at him.
"Please Draco, NOT NOW."
Draco shook his head and took Hermione's hands into his. Hermione looked at him with confusion and anger, but Draco held on tight.
"No, no it has to be now. Listen. You remember that really horrible day that Weasley set off the store dark magic detectors by saying the wrong words in his 'moshing enhancement' spell, and, and Ginny got dumped by that Neville kid and cried all day, and I drew a picture of him and Harry found his invisibility cloak so we could trick him that evening and you wore that skirt that I hate? Do you remember that day?"
Hermione stared at Draco. He was talking so fast, which was so unlike him. He was always so articulate, and calm, and.....
"What skirt?"
'The, the one with the flowers."
"The blue skirt?" Hermione stared in disbelief. That was her favorite skirt! Her mother and she bought that at Harrods, it had cost her a fortune, how dare he..
"Yeah, the blue one."
"You- - "
"Yeah, I hate hate that skirt." Draco saw the look of contempt in Hermione's face. 'Blast, she probably loves that bloody skirt! Control Draco, you can do this,' "But it's good that I hate the skirt, Hermione, 'cos that, listen, that, listen to me, that skirt made me realize that, I mean, if I can, I can love her in the skirt then this must really be it. Hermione, I love you."
Draco took a deep breath and looked at Hermione. It seemed like ages before either one spoke. After an eternity of silence, Hermione jumped out and stared down at Draco.
"What?"
Draco stood up and grinned. 'She has to love me back, she has to! I mean, everyone loves me, even more so now that im less of a pompous jackass! She's the queen of nice; she has to have some spark in her after that, well, speech.'
"Hermione, I am in love with you."
Hermione shook her head and started pacing on the roof, just as Draco had earlier that day.
"Oh wow." She saw Draco coming towards her and she held out her arms to prevent him from walking any closer to her.
"Please not now, please Draco. Please don't do this right now." She looked at Draco and saw his face turn pale. "I'm sorry, but I can't handle this right now."
Draco ran his hand through his hair and cast an angry look at Hermione. "What are you telling me? That you can handle it some other time? Is that it?"
Hermione began to sob, partly at the tone of Draco's voice, and because of the emotional roller coaster she had just experienced within minutes of each other.
"Look, I just threw myself at Gilderoy Lockhart, ok? I made a total fool out of myself, I mean, and I really don't.."
Draco stared at Hermione, mouth agape. 'That explains the zipping up of the skirt. DAMMIT! Fucking Lockhart."
"You what?"
"Yes, and, and I'm not ready for, "Hermione gestured towards herself and Draco,"for this, ok? And I, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry..I'm sorry, I just want to be alone, ok?"
Draco looked at the girl he loved who was now on the ground sobbing.
"Yeah, ok, just forget I said anything alright. Just forget- -I didn't say anything, nothing happened."
By the time Hermione looked up, Draco was gone.
~*~
Draco made his way to the studio that Snape had set up for him. He got out some paints and stretched out canvas. He looked at the wizard clock and saw that he still had some time before he was due out in the store.
Draco stared at the blank canvas, and then he started to paint.
~*~
Hermione finally composed herself and grabbed Ginny to go on their lunch break at the Three Broomsticks.
Ginny and Hermione finally settled on a small cozy table on the outdoor deck.
Hermione looked devastated, and Ginny reached over and held her hand. "Forget Lockhart, we'll get you another guy!" Ginny then reached under her sweater and when her hand emerged she had a bright red bra in it. She handed it to Hermione and smiled.
Hermione stared at it as it if was a live animal waiting to pounce. She placed it on the table and began to sob.
"I don't want another guy," Hermione said between small sobs, "I'm not like you! I don't need another guy. Why do you always try and make me like you?"
Ginny was taken aback by Hermione's sudden outburst. The Weasley temper flared up.
"What do you mean 'like' me?"
"I'm not like you with guys. I don't need to do what you do all the time."
"Humph. Oh, ok, I see. Not like me the turbo-slut, is that what you mean?" Ginny stood up and leaned forward and stared directly at Hermione." What are you saying? That I have to do every guy that I see?"
Hermione looked at the angry girl in front of her, and the day's events offered no sympathy, but equal anger. "Well, you certainly seem to enjoy it."
"Huh," Ginny sat back down and leaned back, smirking." Well, what'd you do, huh, 'Mione? Did you go over to Lockhart and did you act all perfect and better than everybody? You think guys like you for that?"
"They may not like it, but at least they don't do it with me and then go off and laugh!"
"Miss Self-Righteous!" Ginny grabbed her purse and stormed off. Hermione could not believe her bad luck! First Lockhart, then Draco, now Ginny!
Just then, Seamus walked up to Hermione, apparently witnessing the whole ordeal. He came up with her food, and sat down across from her.
"Hey," said Seamus, attempting to make conversation," is Lockhart in yet? Cos if he is, you have got to show him my wizard disc? It's so great..."
"Seamus, please!" With a huff Hermione got up and left a bewildered Seamus sitting at the table, wondering what he had said. Then he looked over to where she was sitting and saw a bright red.......bra?
"Hermione!" Seamus ran out to the street hoping to catch her, waving the bra in the air. " Hey! You forgot your.....thingy!"
~*~
Ginny, after she had left the Three Broomsticks, rushed back to the store and found Gilderoy Lockhart in the room where Hermione had left him.
She began chatting with him as she shut the door behind her.
"So, want to know a trick of mine?"
Lockhart was in a daze. This was the second chick today who worked her who had that 'hungry' look in her eyes, except this one didn't seem the type to run away.
"Sure."
"I know what kind and what color underpants you're wearing."
"Really, how? Are you a seer?"
"Nope, I dunno, it's just something I've always been able to do. I can tell you what color and what kind."
Lockhart leaned back against the table and smiled. "Huh, alright, what am I wearing now?"
Ginny looked at him and returned his lascivious smile. "Muggle jockeys, navy blue. Am I right?"
"I don't know."
Ginny smiled and sauntered towards Lockhart, then pushed him on top of the table where he was leaning.
"Well, why don't you check it out, and you let me know?"
Ginny got off Lockhart and walked into an adjoining office. Gilderoy followed like an obedient puppy, carefully shutting the door behind them. Ginny shut the other door that opened into the backroom and brought out her wand.
"Lumos."
Gilderoy turned towards Ginny, "Now, the ultimate question."
Ginny smiled and began to undo his pants......