Chapter Six: You Scared?
Disclaimer: Sorry, nope. I only own my friends. J/K! I own…some beanie babies? Maybe some other stuff, but that's about it.
Reviewers:
DugueGirl: I'm sorry! Hehe, the next 3-4 chapters are fairly short, but in Ch. 8-9, they're pretty long. Anyway, here's the update.
MistressDeDraco: Yeah, I had to put those fun little inner battles. Yesh, that Fat Lady thing is a hint, lol. So overused, but hey. No, they're looking through Dumbledore's Pensieve. You know, that thing that Harry looked into in the 4th book. I bent it to my will, lol. Ah, Hermione can be such a butt, eh? Well, fork her! I put in electronics, so there! Hehe, sorry, I had to put that there…
KathrynValmont: Spank you, spank you. Again, here's the update.
Ringette-chick: Yay! Thanks muchos, man!
HarryPotterWanter: No, I suppose Hermione couldn't know, could she? Bwahaha, I'm so evil. Yeah, I kinda forgot about Pansy, didn't I? Oh well. I guess you could say she knows better than to mess with Draco twice. Who knows where Dumbledore gets anything. Obviously here, it's from the delves of my mind, but that's being technical.
Blanch Dubois: Hurrah. Um, I guess that would be a peeping Tom, wouldn't it? But, hehe, sorry I ruined it for ya in that last chapter. Had to be done.
Shaz: I'm glad you like it!
Hermione was lying on the couch, on her side of the room when she heard the door open.
"Where were you?" she asked, coolly.
The memories of the afternoon were still fresh in her mind, burned into her brain. She lifted her head defiantly, looking back at the book, waiting for Draco to answer.
Instead, he walked to his side of the common room, and sat on a chair, propping up his feet on a table.
Hermione glared, turning back to her book once more.
The room was so tense. She was surprised that he didn't say anything. Draco wasn't embarrassed, he wasn't angry; he was just…Draco.
She began to hum a familiar lullaby, one that her mother sang to her. Her foot was swaying with rhythm equal to the song.
She heard a low growl from the other side of the room.
Hermione just rolled her eyes, continuing to hum the song louder, in efforts to piss off Malfoy.
It worked, she noticed, when he jumped up, glaring at her.
"Stop it, mudblood," he hissed.
"What if I don't?" she asked, smugly.
Draco's cold eyes bore into her warm brown ones, stepping forward. "Stop," he commanded, menacingly.
"No," Hermione replied firmly.
He growled again, walking towards her quickly.
He grasped her throat, pressing harder and harder until she finally stopped, gasping for breath.
"It's just a song, Malfoy! Get over it!" Hermione rasped, breathlessly.
"You just don't get it," he whispered softly, walking away.
"What don't I get? I don't get anything you do!" Hermione replied, angrily.
"Don't…hum…that lullaby…again."
"Why?" Hermione persisted.
Draco closed his eyes, clenching both his jaw and fists. His entire body tensed up, and he breathed out raggedly.
"Because my mother used to sing it to me. Happy now, you stupid mudblood bitch?" Draco demanded, his eyes flashing.
He walked angrily to his room, slamming the door forcefully, letting the sound echo throughout the common area.
She glanced down at the deep red carpet, her lips pursed.
That's why it upset him so much.
Poor Draco. His mother was taken away from him at so young an age… Hermione thought to herself.
She could definitely understand the need for a mother.
The one thing she couldn't get, was why she was pitying Malfoy, the bane of her existence.
~*~
Draco slammed his fist down on the nightstand next to his bed. The one that had the picture of his mother holding him.
He watched furiously as the delicate frame teetered over the edge.
He vaguely saw the glass holding his precious picture break, shattering into a million pieces. His mother stared at him, her blue eyes wide with shock and hurt. She was frantically mouthing something, pointing to the smaller him.
Draco glanced over at the younger him, and saw him crying, clutching his elbow.
"Don't cry, it's weak," he spat.
The little boy looked up at him, wide and teary-eyed.
Draco huffed, picking up the deep green frame, with the Slytherin symbol on it.
He gently fingered the picture, staring at his mother. It finally seemed as though his emotions came through, because his mother became blurry.
He was crying.
~*~
Draco glared at Hermione from across the Hall.
She was laughing with her two idiot friends. To the normal person, it seemed like she was having the time of her life. But to Draco's watchful eye, he saw the glimmer missing in her chocolate eyes.
"Drakkie…" Pansy purred, rubbing his thigh.
He glared at her, seeing Hermione turn around to see him.
Draco fought back a laugh noticing her wounded look, before she whirled back around.
"It's that stupid mudblood bitch, isn't it?" Pansy asked in a whine.
He swiftly brushed off her hand, and looked at her contemptuously. "It isn't, and I'd appreciate that you stayed the hell away. Besides which, what makes you think it isn't that Ravenclaw over there?" Draco demanded, pointing to a blonde girl.
"I've seen you with her. It isn't that Ravenclaw, it's Granger!"
Draco stood up. "You know, Pansy…I've had enough of this bullshit. I'm going to my room," he snapped, striding away.
He stopped outside the Hall, leaning against the wall for support.
He wasn't too sure about last night's events. It wasn't very obvious why it irritated him so much that the mudblood hummed that specific lullaby. Hell, probably a lot of mothers sang it to their kids.
But for some reason, he felt possessiveness over it, beings as it was his last memory of his mother.
He wasn't even 15 when she was taken away. It was, in fact, before his first year that they took Narcissa away.
The only reason Potter and his gang had seen her during the Quidditch game, was to keep up appearances.
But eventually, one of the servants let it slip that the woman of the manor was locked up, and that image was destroyed…as well as the servant.
Hermione had hit a nerve last night, and she didn't even know it.
Draco missed his mother.
He saw Hermione glide out of the door, oblivious to his presence. She walked down the hallways, at a rapid speed.
Draco reminded himself to breathe, as he followed her stealthily.
~*~
Hermione was startled to see Draco leaning comfortably against the wall of her bedroom.
"What do you want?" she asked softly, choosing her words carefully.
Hermione was still a little nervous after his outburst last night. That was when she found out just how much it hurt him that his mother was locked up.
Something she was sure she'd regret to have found out, despite her yearning to know him better.
"About last night…" she trailed off, breathing in deeply.
Draco arched an eyebrow, silently urging her to continue.
"I—I promise I won't tell anyone, since you value your privacy so much."
"Gee, thanks," he muttered, sarcastically.
"Hey, it's not my fault," Hermione replied, defensively.
"Oh, so it's mine?" Draco shot back.
"Yes!" she yelled.
No sooner than she had said it, her hand flew to her mouth.
"Are you scared of what I'll do to you?" he asked, stepping closer. His famous smirk back in place.
"Are you?" Hermione quipped.
Draco smiled faintly. "Definitely."
She gasped, stepping back. "What?"
"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Granger. It's called flirting."
Hermione swallowed nervously. Why was he flirting with her? After last night, she was sure he'd be plotting his revenge.
"A futile effort to get into my pants, I'm sure," Hermione finally said.
"I almost did it once. Don't you think I could do it again?" Draco replied smugly.
"Don't you wish," Hermione spat, turning for the door. "Last time was a mistake. I'm just glad I have great friends like Harry and Ron."
Draco let a guttural growl escape his lips as he ran to catch up with her.
Deciding she had enough, she turned for the outside door, hoping to find some shade under a nice tree.
~*~
Draco grabbed Hermione's arm roughly, pulling her back.
How dare she saw it was a mistake. How dare she invade his privacy.
"Go away, Malfoy," Hermione said with great patience.
"You think I really could? Honestly, you stupid git. I live with you!"
"Let's keep it that way."
He tilted his head, staring at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Let's keep it that way. So long as I never have to sleep with you," she snarled.
His ice eyes narrowed into dangerously thin slits.
"Don't fuck with me, mudblood."
"Don't worry, I won't," Hermione replied, using his 'joke' about their near hook-up.
She really angered him with this insolence, forcing him to use his iron grip.
Draco began to twist her arm around at an uncomfortable angle, causing her to squirm and wriggle.
He had her delicate arm twisted almost halfway, when she finally squealed in pain.
"Let me go!" she cried, breathing harshly.
He wrinkled his aristocratic nose, and kept twisting. "That should teach you," he hissed in her ear.
Hermione shrieked softly in protest when he licked the side of her face.
"You like that?" Draco asked harshly.
She whimpered in fear, writhing away.
Tired of the game, he let go, thrusting her away. "Go."
Hermione needn't be told twice, and she ran away, with tears undoubtedly staining her face.
~*~
"Dumbledore, this must stop," Minerva pleaded, looking into his pensieve, watching Hermione run away crying. "The boy is hurting her."
"Really, Albus, Draco doesn't need to be distracted by a brat like that!" Severus added.
Albus Dumbledore pushed up his thin glasses, smiling wryly.
"Didn't I tell you before? This is just the beginning. The two will eventually get together. How they go about it isn't our business."
"Of course it is!" Professor McGonagall screamed.
"No, Minerva, it isn't. Their well-being is not at stake, they're perfectly fine."
"Are you daft? He's hurting her!"
"Minerva!" Dumbledore roared, standing up.
She stared, shell-shocked, before shutting her mouth.
He sat back down, calming down. "He is not doing anything terribly serious. Normally, I'd feel that way too, but I think we should trust the two to go about this maturely. They are, after all, Head Boy and Girl."
Severus sat in the chair calmly, his dark eyes focused above Albus. "Draco is not as horrible as you make him out to be," he said slowly. "He's just as good as Hermione, I'd daresay."
Minerva McGonagall sat, tight lipped.
"However, if it concerns you so much…if their fighting becomes a problem, then I give the both of you permission to issue a detention, and the this spell right here," Dumbledore said, finally speaking.
The two professors' eyes widened in horror.
"No, Albus—"
"You can't! It hasn't been used for years…"
"And for good reason," McGonagall finished.
But the old Headmaster merely smiled, leaning back in his enormous chair.
[Submitted April 6, 2003]
A/N: I hope that was satisfactory for you all. The punishment isn't anything too terrifying, unless you count how much they'll hate it. The next chappies will be out soon, b/c bwahahha! I got the internet in my room now! I rule all!!!!
Sorry. Well, talk to ya guys later!