Draco and Hermione reached the Head dorm and they stepped through the
statue. Hermione released her loose grip on Draco's hand to allow her hand
to slip out of his. But he pulled her back towards himself.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"What was that all about?" Draco questioned, arching an elegant eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean this!" Draco pulled their intertwined hands up to eye level, then dropped them.
Hermione's gaze dropped to the floor. "I don't know. I just... did it. I didn't really think about it."
"Yes well, I'm thinking about it, and I have no idea what I am to you. I would like to know what it means. What everything we've been doing means." He let go of her hand, then reached up to her chin, and lifted her face to meet his.
"Wh, what do you want it all to mean?"
He smiled softly. "A week ago I would have to shoot myself for say this, but I really like you Mya. You're the most intelligent girl I have ever met. You're intriguing, funny, kind, and you're beautiful. As ridiculous as this sounds, you've started to mean a lot to me in the past few days. You can match me, word for word, thought for thought. Very *very* few people can do that. I want this," he grabbed her hand again, and gave it a soft squeeze, "to mean a lot."
Hermione smiled. "Who would have ever thought Draco Malfoy could be such a sweetheart."
He laughed. "Trust me when I say that you're the only one that can do that to me."
"I do. And I want to let everyone else know that I do."
He smiled at her again, then leaned over and gave her a quick kiss."Good, now go get ready for potions." He watched her nod then enter her room before he walked into his own room.
***************************************************************************
That had certainly proved to be interesting. She wanted to be with him. Their fathers' were going to be thrilled. And it would be a bonus for him of course. If anyone didn't fear him now, they would very soon, as soon as word traveled that Draco Malfoy was courting Lady Voldemort. The two most powerful students Hogwarts has seen in centuries together as a couple would definitely grab people's attention. Now his plan would be much easier to put into action. Things were really beginning to look up. And there was the discussion she had with Potter and Weasley. She didn't want to choose between the two sides; she wouldn't have to. At least Draco wouldn't be the one making her. As for those two dimwits she called her friends, well, eventually they would make her chose. That's when she turned to Draco for help, and help her is exactly what he would do. Everything was working out wonderfully. And so quickly. He was going to have to have a talk with Snape very soon.
**************************************************************************** *
Hermione stood in front of her full-length bathroom mirror, not really looking. She was thinking. Everything was getting complicated. This thing with Draco, it was throwing everything out of balance. If it weren't for him, she could just run to Dumbledore and tell the old wizard everything, and use her position to help the Order. She could still do that of course, but then she would be betraying Draco. She had no solid loyalties to the Dark Lord, but she was attached to Draco. He'd helped her so much in such a short period of time. She just couldn't do anything that would put him in danger, and if that meant she couldn't choose a side, then so be it; she would remain neutral. As long as Harry and Ron were still her best friends, she couldn't betray them either. Neutral... This was going to be difficult.
**************************************************************************** *
"Hm... Did you do something with your hair?" Draco asked as he offered his arm to Hermione.
"You didn't have to wait for me. And no, I didn't do anything with my hair. Why?" Hermione replied.
"I don't know, something seems different about you. You look beautiful." Hermione turned her head to face him, her chin held high.
"So I don't *always* look beautiful?" she stated hotly. Draco's face fell and his eyes grew.
"No! I didn't mean it that way. Of course you always look beautiful! I was just trying to" Hermione cut him off with a laugh.
"I was only kidding," she said as she pulled him out of their common room and into the hall. "I didn't think you'd take it seriously." She stood on her tiptoes and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "We're going to be late for class."
"I doubt Snape will care now that you are in *Slytherin*." Harry's voice startled Hermione.
"Harry, Ron, you two scared me. What are you doing here?"
"Yes, why *are* you lurking around *our* dormitories."
"Shut Malfoy! We're not talking to you!" Ron shouted.
"We were waiting to take Hermione to class, but I guess she already has someone to do that," Harry said.
"Yes, she does. Now hurry along to class before Snape deducts points from your precious house," Draco stated with an elegant wave of his hand.
"Draco!" Hermione said as she gentle hit his chest. "Stop being such a prat." She turned to Harry and Ron. "I didn't know you guys were going to wait for me. You never did before. I'll walk you guys to your DADA class, okay?"
"No, don't worry about that. You can spend your 10 minutes between classes snogging Malfoy. I'm sure you'll enjoy it more than talking to us," Harry said, then turned and disappeared around the corner, Ron in tow.
"Well, that was in intriguing encounter. I just *love* how presumptuous Potter always is," Draco said.
"Damn it! Now they are both going to be upset with me! They are so defensive. I'm going to have to straighten this out."
"Why?" Draco asked. Hermione turned to face him.
"What do you mean why? I upset them. I need to talk to them and explain what's going on."
"I don't understand."
"You don't understand what?"
"Your *friendship* with Potter and Weasley. They seem to believe that they should be involved in every decision you make. If you make a decision that they don't agree with then they go on a rampage and you're the one that has to sit down and explain things to them like first years. Then you have to adjust your life to make them happy. Friends are supposed to support you no matter what you choose to do. Your choices are not harming anyone."
Hermione stood for a minute. Draco was right. She was making good decisions, and she certainly wasn't hurting anyone. They were her decisions, and she shouldn't have to change her ways to make her friends happy. Being with Draco made her happy, shouldn't they be happy for her?
The ring of the class bell shook her from her thoughts.
"Come on, we need to get to class. Even Slytherin's get in trouble for being *really* late," she said.
"True, but you do realize that we are not just Slytherins. I'm Draco *Malfoy* and you are Hermione *Voldemort*. I doubt he would say anything if we even skipped class," he said.
"That's true, but we still need to learn. We can't go around skipping classes all the time. We're Head Boy and Girl, we have examples to set for the rest of the students."
Draco shook his head and took her hand as they walked towards the dungeon. "Always the good girl."
"I wouldn't be me if I didn't *try* to obey all the rules."
"You don't obey all the rules, you are always meandering about causing trouble with Potter and Weasley."
"I said *try*. That doesn't mean I succeed."
Draco shook his head as he laughed and pulled her along to class. "Sometimes I severely doubt how hard you try to stay out of trouble."
"Well I certainly don't prance around looking for it, if that's what you're implying."
"No, no. I never said you extended the effort to look for it, but if trouble happens to wander into your path, do you really make an honest attempt to detour it?"
Hermione thought for a moment. "I used to, back in my first and second years here. Then I think I just realized that if you were involved with Harry or Ron in any way, it was pointless to waste your time running from trouble. It will just hunt you down," Hermione laughed, thinking back on fonder memories. "There's always an adventure going on with those two."
"Yes, they are *quite* good at causing problems for the rest of the world. While you don't look for trouble, I'd have to say Potter and Weasley surely do."
"Maybe. But after all the things that have happened to them, a close to... normal... life would just bore the crap out of them. And me. Even I will admit that I love a good intrigue. I can't just sit and read all the time, a girl needs a little excitement."
"You will have plenty of excitement from now on. After all, you will be spending a great deal of time with *me,*" Draco smirked. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to avoid the topic of Potter and Weasley. The only time I spent this long thinking about them is when I'm expressing my disfavor of them to Crabbe and Goyle."
Hermione looked up at him and laughed. "You always have to word things so elegantly. You could have said, 'when I'm complaining.'"
"Malfoy's do not complain," he said with an upturned nose. "We only state the troubles of the general public."
"Harry and Ron are the troubles of the general public?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Of course. Potter causes overcrowding and disrupts the peace on the walkways in Hogwarts and in towns."
"I would love to tell you exactly how moronic that statement was, but we have arrived at our classroom, and I would like to go in and learn something."
Hermione kissed his lips quickly, then released his hand and walked into class. Snape paused his lecture, nodded towards her seat, then resumed his torture. He didn't pause when Draco slide into the room. Draco was always late to class, yet people still turned to stare at him, as though it were a rare occurrence. That's probably why he did, he always needed to be the center of attention. She rolled her eyes at him as he took his seat beside her.
"Can you go get the ingredients while I finish setting up the cauldron?" Hermione asked.
"Whatever you say Milady," Draco said as he stood from his seat and bowed.
"Do that again and I'll kick you in the face while you're down there."
"And ruin my beautiful face? I think not." Draco smirked and walked to the front of the room to pick up Dragon's blood and Unicorn hoof.
"If you hurt her or you let her get hurt by whatever game you're playing, I'll kill you," Harry Potter's deathly serious voice could never be mistaken for anyone else. "Do I make myself clear."
Draco didn't even glace at him. "Inescapably." He picked up a hoof clipping and took his place next to Hermione. Being at her side was beginning to feel more right with every moment he spent with her.
**************************************************************************** **
A/N - I *finally* got the new chapter up. I've been adding sentences here and there for a while now, but I haven't had time to sit down and really work on it. Between school and work, I don't have time to breathe, lol. Well, I hope you all enjoyed it, and remember REVIEW!!! lol, thanks.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"What was that all about?" Draco questioned, arching an elegant eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean this!" Draco pulled their intertwined hands up to eye level, then dropped them.
Hermione's gaze dropped to the floor. "I don't know. I just... did it. I didn't really think about it."
"Yes well, I'm thinking about it, and I have no idea what I am to you. I would like to know what it means. What everything we've been doing means." He let go of her hand, then reached up to her chin, and lifted her face to meet his.
"Wh, what do you want it all to mean?"
He smiled softly. "A week ago I would have to shoot myself for say this, but I really like you Mya. You're the most intelligent girl I have ever met. You're intriguing, funny, kind, and you're beautiful. As ridiculous as this sounds, you've started to mean a lot to me in the past few days. You can match me, word for word, thought for thought. Very *very* few people can do that. I want this," he grabbed her hand again, and gave it a soft squeeze, "to mean a lot."
Hermione smiled. "Who would have ever thought Draco Malfoy could be such a sweetheart."
He laughed. "Trust me when I say that you're the only one that can do that to me."
"I do. And I want to let everyone else know that I do."
He smiled at her again, then leaned over and gave her a quick kiss."Good, now go get ready for potions." He watched her nod then enter her room before he walked into his own room.
***************************************************************************
That had certainly proved to be interesting. She wanted to be with him. Their fathers' were going to be thrilled. And it would be a bonus for him of course. If anyone didn't fear him now, they would very soon, as soon as word traveled that Draco Malfoy was courting Lady Voldemort. The two most powerful students Hogwarts has seen in centuries together as a couple would definitely grab people's attention. Now his plan would be much easier to put into action. Things were really beginning to look up. And there was the discussion she had with Potter and Weasley. She didn't want to choose between the two sides; she wouldn't have to. At least Draco wouldn't be the one making her. As for those two dimwits she called her friends, well, eventually they would make her chose. That's when she turned to Draco for help, and help her is exactly what he would do. Everything was working out wonderfully. And so quickly. He was going to have to have a talk with Snape very soon.
**************************************************************************** *
Hermione stood in front of her full-length bathroom mirror, not really looking. She was thinking. Everything was getting complicated. This thing with Draco, it was throwing everything out of balance. If it weren't for him, she could just run to Dumbledore and tell the old wizard everything, and use her position to help the Order. She could still do that of course, but then she would be betraying Draco. She had no solid loyalties to the Dark Lord, but she was attached to Draco. He'd helped her so much in such a short period of time. She just couldn't do anything that would put him in danger, and if that meant she couldn't choose a side, then so be it; she would remain neutral. As long as Harry and Ron were still her best friends, she couldn't betray them either. Neutral... This was going to be difficult.
**************************************************************************** *
"Hm... Did you do something with your hair?" Draco asked as he offered his arm to Hermione.
"You didn't have to wait for me. And no, I didn't do anything with my hair. Why?" Hermione replied.
"I don't know, something seems different about you. You look beautiful." Hermione turned her head to face him, her chin held high.
"So I don't *always* look beautiful?" she stated hotly. Draco's face fell and his eyes grew.
"No! I didn't mean it that way. Of course you always look beautiful! I was just trying to" Hermione cut him off with a laugh.
"I was only kidding," she said as she pulled him out of their common room and into the hall. "I didn't think you'd take it seriously." She stood on her tiptoes and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "We're going to be late for class."
"I doubt Snape will care now that you are in *Slytherin*." Harry's voice startled Hermione.
"Harry, Ron, you two scared me. What are you doing here?"
"Yes, why *are* you lurking around *our* dormitories."
"Shut Malfoy! We're not talking to you!" Ron shouted.
"We were waiting to take Hermione to class, but I guess she already has someone to do that," Harry said.
"Yes, she does. Now hurry along to class before Snape deducts points from your precious house," Draco stated with an elegant wave of his hand.
"Draco!" Hermione said as she gentle hit his chest. "Stop being such a prat." She turned to Harry and Ron. "I didn't know you guys were going to wait for me. You never did before. I'll walk you guys to your DADA class, okay?"
"No, don't worry about that. You can spend your 10 minutes between classes snogging Malfoy. I'm sure you'll enjoy it more than talking to us," Harry said, then turned and disappeared around the corner, Ron in tow.
"Well, that was in intriguing encounter. I just *love* how presumptuous Potter always is," Draco said.
"Damn it! Now they are both going to be upset with me! They are so defensive. I'm going to have to straighten this out."
"Why?" Draco asked. Hermione turned to face him.
"What do you mean why? I upset them. I need to talk to them and explain what's going on."
"I don't understand."
"You don't understand what?"
"Your *friendship* with Potter and Weasley. They seem to believe that they should be involved in every decision you make. If you make a decision that they don't agree with then they go on a rampage and you're the one that has to sit down and explain things to them like first years. Then you have to adjust your life to make them happy. Friends are supposed to support you no matter what you choose to do. Your choices are not harming anyone."
Hermione stood for a minute. Draco was right. She was making good decisions, and she certainly wasn't hurting anyone. They were her decisions, and she shouldn't have to change her ways to make her friends happy. Being with Draco made her happy, shouldn't they be happy for her?
The ring of the class bell shook her from her thoughts.
"Come on, we need to get to class. Even Slytherin's get in trouble for being *really* late," she said.
"True, but you do realize that we are not just Slytherins. I'm Draco *Malfoy* and you are Hermione *Voldemort*. I doubt he would say anything if we even skipped class," he said.
"That's true, but we still need to learn. We can't go around skipping classes all the time. We're Head Boy and Girl, we have examples to set for the rest of the students."
Draco shook his head and took her hand as they walked towards the dungeon. "Always the good girl."
"I wouldn't be me if I didn't *try* to obey all the rules."
"You don't obey all the rules, you are always meandering about causing trouble with Potter and Weasley."
"I said *try*. That doesn't mean I succeed."
Draco shook his head as he laughed and pulled her along to class. "Sometimes I severely doubt how hard you try to stay out of trouble."
"Well I certainly don't prance around looking for it, if that's what you're implying."
"No, no. I never said you extended the effort to look for it, but if trouble happens to wander into your path, do you really make an honest attempt to detour it?"
Hermione thought for a moment. "I used to, back in my first and second years here. Then I think I just realized that if you were involved with Harry or Ron in any way, it was pointless to waste your time running from trouble. It will just hunt you down," Hermione laughed, thinking back on fonder memories. "There's always an adventure going on with those two."
"Yes, they are *quite* good at causing problems for the rest of the world. While you don't look for trouble, I'd have to say Potter and Weasley surely do."
"Maybe. But after all the things that have happened to them, a close to... normal... life would just bore the crap out of them. And me. Even I will admit that I love a good intrigue. I can't just sit and read all the time, a girl needs a little excitement."
"You will have plenty of excitement from now on. After all, you will be spending a great deal of time with *me,*" Draco smirked. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to avoid the topic of Potter and Weasley. The only time I spent this long thinking about them is when I'm expressing my disfavor of them to Crabbe and Goyle."
Hermione looked up at him and laughed. "You always have to word things so elegantly. You could have said, 'when I'm complaining.'"
"Malfoy's do not complain," he said with an upturned nose. "We only state the troubles of the general public."
"Harry and Ron are the troubles of the general public?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Of course. Potter causes overcrowding and disrupts the peace on the walkways in Hogwarts and in towns."
"I would love to tell you exactly how moronic that statement was, but we have arrived at our classroom, and I would like to go in and learn something."
Hermione kissed his lips quickly, then released his hand and walked into class. Snape paused his lecture, nodded towards her seat, then resumed his torture. He didn't pause when Draco slide into the room. Draco was always late to class, yet people still turned to stare at him, as though it were a rare occurrence. That's probably why he did, he always needed to be the center of attention. She rolled her eyes at him as he took his seat beside her.
"Can you go get the ingredients while I finish setting up the cauldron?" Hermione asked.
"Whatever you say Milady," Draco said as he stood from his seat and bowed.
"Do that again and I'll kick you in the face while you're down there."
"And ruin my beautiful face? I think not." Draco smirked and walked to the front of the room to pick up Dragon's blood and Unicorn hoof.
"If you hurt her or you let her get hurt by whatever game you're playing, I'll kill you," Harry Potter's deathly serious voice could never be mistaken for anyone else. "Do I make myself clear."
Draco didn't even glace at him. "Inescapably." He picked up a hoof clipping and took his place next to Hermione. Being at her side was beginning to feel more right with every moment he spent with her.
**************************************************************************** **
A/N - I *finally* got the new chapter up. I've been adding sentences here and there for a while now, but I haven't had time to sit down and really work on it. Between school and work, I don't have time to breathe, lol. Well, I hope you all enjoyed it, and remember REVIEW!!! lol, thanks.