A/N : Alright, this chapter should clear up some of the confusion that
people seem to be having. The point was to make you wonder, so read on, and
those gaps will be filled in. This chapter contains mild(think three day
old diet sprite mild) sexual imagery, but no actual sex.
Chapter 18
Draco paced, waiting for Hermione. His backup plan, an essay for Transfiguration, lay on the table. He wasn't sure exactly what to say to her, how to explain everything. He took a deep breath as he heard her coming down the stairs.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked, nervously.
"That's so sweet," Hermione cooed. "I'm just fine," she replied. Draco rolled his eyes. She wasn't exactly fine, but at least she wasn't sick anymore. He hoped this initial phase would wear off quickly, he wasn't sure he liked this new Hermione.
"Sit down," he said, a little more harshly than he had intended. She sat down on the couch, and looked up at him expectantly. He sat down next to her, and took a deep breath. "I know this might sound a little bit strange, but just trust me on this," he started. "When you met Him at my house, last week, he put a spell on you. It wasn't a traditional wand- waving spell or anything like that. You must have made eye contact with him at some point, and in doing so, he was able to put you under his influence. Right now you're in the middle of a transformation, he probably timed it just right so that you'd be at school when it happened. That's why you felt sick earlier, your subconscious was fighting the evil influence, but it gave in, and that's why you feel all right now. And that's just the first step of the process," Draco told her. She was looking at him with her eyebrows raised. "I didn't believe it at first either, but you have to trust me. He did it to me too," Draco felt incredibly stupid. Hermione took a deep breath and leaned back.
"Honestly, Draco, I'm believing you," she said, closing her eyes. "Even though inside I'm thinking that's the most absurd thing I've ever heard. For some reason you have me totally convinced."
"That's His influence. It's telling you what to do, what to think, everything," Draco explained. "Now you have to learn to control it. You can't let him control your personality, or people will become suspect. You have to work really hard, and once you've accomplished that, he'll step back and let you go on about your ways. Then he'll only control you completely when he needs you," Draco continued. He took a deep breath, knowing it was only half him talking, and the other half was the Dark Lord himself, talking through him.
"So I won't be like this much longer?" Hermione asked, referring to her new personality.
"I sure hope not," Draco muttered. Hermione laughed. That was the Draco she was used to. Then her smile faded.
"Then there's something I have to do before I go back to my conservative, insecure self," Hermione said, biting her lip. Draco raised an eyebrow at her, wondering exactly what she was about to do. Before he could even start to think about what she was intending to do, Hermione had leaned forward and covered his mouth with her own.
Draco was shocked. He hadn't expected this, especially from Hermione Granger, the teacher's pet. And surprisingly enough, he was enjoying it. Until it occurred to him that she was a mudblood, and therefore was probably making his father very angry with him. "But so was Pansy," a little voice in the back of his head nagged. He had to agree. Draco Malfoy wasn't necessarily a nice guy, but he certainly wasn't a hypocrite.
Draco kissed back, putting his hand on her cheek. He wasn't sure how long this would last, but he wanted to take it for all it was worth. Gently, and slowly he rubbed his tongue across her lips, testing her. Hermione surprised him again by slipping her own tongue into his mouth, teasing his palate with the tip. Draco shuddered slightly, enjoying every second. He casually placed a hand on her knee, not really thinking about it. She took his other hand and moved it to her chest, so he was just barely touching her breast. A few seconds passed, then Draco came to his senses.
This wasn't just some girl he could do whatever he pleased with. This was Hermione Granger, the smartest girl in the school, and whether he liked it or not he was going to have to face her in potions tomorrow. Her good friends Harry and Ron would certainly have something to say if they could see her now. On top of it all, she was a mudblood. Muggle-born he corrected himself mentally.
Draco tried to casually remove his hand from her chest, but she must have sensed something was wrong, because she broke the kiss to ask him what was wrong.
"Hermione, you're a really sweet girl and all," Draco began. Hermione's eyes clouded over.
"But I'm not your type," Hermione finished for him. "You prefer the slutty ones and the naïve ones who just melt in your hands. Not me, not the bookish girl, the one who edits your essays and helps you with Potions projects." She was really upset now. "Draco Malfoy, you're absolutely insufferable!"
"Whoa, calm down," Draco said, standing up. "You didn't let me finish."
"I'm not sure I want to hear it," Hermione snapped. Draco grabbed her by the arms and pushed her until she was sitting down again. He put his forehead against hers, and knelt in front of her.
"Listen, Hermione, you're amazing. Incredible even. But right now is not a good time for us to be exploring each other's feelings for one another. I don't want to hurt you, Hermione, but I'm afraid that's the only thing that will come out of this. Can we just put this on hold until we're sure you're gonna make it okay?" Draco looked up into her eyes before he went on. "Besides, Hermione, you deserve so much more than this," he finished before kissing her softly on this lips and walking away.
* * *
"I hope she's alright," Pansy said, pacing. Ginny Weasley sat on the sink in Myrtle's bathroom.
"I found this in her room," Ginny said, reaching into her pocket for Hermione's prefect badge. "I don't know why she's not wearing it. She hasn't taken on any of her duties as prefect either. I'm afraid McGonagall is going to take it away from her."
"Hermione didn't tell me she made prefect!" Pansy screeched. Then her face fell. "Gosh, she must be really upset with me."
"Upset?" Ginny asked. Pansy shrugged. "Something must be really bothering her if -" Ginny was cut off by Myrtle appearing at the top of a stall, squealing with delight.
"Ooh, just you wait," Myrtle cooed, floating down to talk to the girls. "I was just talking to Peeves, and he told me the most amazing thing. He just saw Draco making out with Hermione in the hall. And we're not talking just a little kiss, he had his hands all over her," Myrtle informed the girls triumphantly. Pansy went pale.
"Are, are you sure?" she asked, reaching for the sink to steady her. Myrtle nodded. Pansy burst into tears and sat down on the floor. "I thought Hermione was my best friend, how could she do this to me?" Pansy asked. Ginny sat down on the floor next to her.
"Pansy, I know Hermione pretty well," Ginny said, "And I know that she would never do anything to intentionally hurt you, or any of her friends. Something must be incredibly wrong for her to be acting like this."
"Maybe," Pansy sobbed. She wiped her tears away, and stood up. "I think I'm going back to the common room to study. I really should work on my Potions essay," Pansy excused herself.
All the way back to the dorm, Pansy couldn't help but wonder if Hermione had only been using Pansy. After all, Pansy had seen them together at the Malfoy Ball. Everyone had seen them, even Lucius who had smiled happily at the muggle-born as he danced with her. She couldn't help but feel cheated.
"Some best friend," Pansy sniffed. She said the password and went into the Slytherin common room. It was empty except for Breena, who was reading in front of the fire. She looked up as Pansy came into the room. Her face, which was originally dark, softened when she saw Pansy's tearstained face.
"Are you okay?" Breena asked, actually concerned for her classmate. Pansy shrugged and flopped down next to Breena.
"My so-called 'best friend' was just seen massively snogging Draco in the hallway," Pansy's voice was venomous as she explained things to Breena.
"Is that all?" Breena asked, bored. Pansy rolled her eyes and started to leave the room, but was interrupted as Draco came breezing through the portrait. He was humming to himself and though no smile graced his lips, Pansy could tell he was happy. Beyond happy even. Elated. He headed straight for his dorm, taking no notice of the girls. Pansy's face crumpled and she started to cry again. "Oh, geez, don't cry," Breena said exasperatedly. She stood up and gave Pansy a hug. "Listen, I'll tell you what. Tonight after curfew we'll sneak down to the kitchen and load up on junk food. We'll have a little pity party for ourselves. What do you think?"
* * *
Hermione sat on her bed reflecting on the day. So she was under a spell. An evil spell. Oh, the irony of it all. She could just see the Daily Prophet headline now, "Hogwart's most talented student in league with Dark Lord." She lay down, staring up at the ceiling.
She'd kissed Draco Malfoy. The Draco Malfoy. Only the hottest, most coveted boy in the school. She smiled to herself. She'd finally had the guts to do it. Hermione had harbored feelings for Draco since the first month of her fifth year. She'd been so jealous of Breena it made her sick.
And then Hermione remembered Pansy. She'd barely given a thought to her best friend all day.
"She must hate me," Hermione said to herself. That's not a problem a voice in her head echoed. Someday, you'll have to be rid of her anyway the voice added. Hermione shuddered. The feeling of whatever it was talking inside her head sent chills down her spine. "Who are you?" she asked. How silly of me not to introduce myself the voice laughed. Hermione recognized the laugh - she'd recognize that laugh anywhere. It was the Dark Lord. Very Good he agreed. Congratulations, you've accomplished the first step in your transformation. It took Draco a week to get this far. I have big plans for you, my dear, big plans. But for now, just be patient. Everything will happen in good time, all in good time the voice faded away as he completed his thoughts, and Hermione could feel his presence leaving her. Then she was herself again.
Hermione closed her eyes. She was horrendously tired. She drifted off into a deep sleep, with no dreams.
* * *
Hermione woke a few hours later, around midnight. She looked around the room, and decided to go for a walk to clear her head. She was feeling like the old Hermione again, which she supposed was a good thing. However, she had to wonder if she'd ever get to kiss Draco's soft lips again.
Hermione slipped out of Gryffindor Tower and started walking aimlessly around the school, careful not to run into Filch or his cat. She was a prefect after all, she could make up some kind of excuse for being out of her room past curfew.
After walking for a while Hermione found herself in the lounge she and Draco had been in earlier that day. She decided to sit down and take a break from walking and sort things out in her mind. The school year hadn't exactly been going according to her plans. She'd been sleeping through class, falling asleep in the middle of doing homework, forget reading anything outside what was assigned. She hadn't even worn her prefect badge once, let alone been fulfilling her duties as prefect. Hermione sighed, wondering if there was a way to turn everything around. Being trapped in some form of Dark Magic spell wasn't exactly working out for her, although Hermione had some trouble seeing what was so bad about being under His Influence. She was back to her normal self, and it wasn't like she hadn't talked to herself in the past. A chill went down her spine suddenly, and she wished she'd thought to put a bathrobe on. All she was wearing were her cotton pajama pants and an old t-shirt with flip-flops.
"Cold?" a familiar voice called. Draco appeared suddenly at her right shoulder, two steaming cups of hot cocoa in his hands. "I figured I'd find you here," he said, kissing her forehead and handing her a mug. Hermione smiled shyly at him. She was almost embarrassed about what had happened earlier, especially now that she was her normal self again.
"I couldn't sleep," she explained, sipping her cocoa. Draco sat down next to her on the couch. He was also in his pajamas, black flannel pajama pants and a tight-fitting dark gray t-shirt.
"I've had trouble sleeping lately too," Draco agreed. "There's been so much going on that it's hard to adjust."
"That's true. This is really a lot to handle, and to be honest, I'm kind of overwhelmed," Hermione admitted. Draco patted her on the shoulder.
"You seem to be handling it pretty well. You're still sane at least," he joked. "Seriously, you're doing alright."
"Draco, I know I've asked you this a million times, but why are you being so nice to me?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not the hard-ass that I pretend to be, first of all. I'm not always a very nice person, but I can be when I want to be, and I want to be nice to you. I've gone through what you're going through and I would have loved to have someone to take care of me and tell me what to expect and how to deal with it all," Draco paused, trying to shift the conversation to the sense that Hermione had meant. She was asking him why he was being so nice to a muggle born. "Honestly, Hermione, this time last year I probably wouldn't have given you the time of day unless it was to tell you that you were late. I think part of it has to do with the fact that Pansy is a muggleborn, and Pansy meant and still does mean a lot to me. "We were very young, and I feel like things got out of hand. She and I were very close friends until last year, and I take full responsibility for destroying that. But because she means so much to me, I've had to change my opinion on muggleborns, regardless of how my father feels about them. So that's how I can be nice to you now. Before I was jealous of your grades, and bitter about your friendship with Harry and Ron. They're not bad people, we just don't get along, and if you were going to be friends with them you weren't going to be friends with me. "But you shouldn't worry about it anymore, Hermione," Draco said, taking her hand. "Because now you know that this is the real Draco Malfoy," he added jokingly. Hermione smiled at his joke.
"That's fair," Hermione said. She was happy for the change, regardless of his original ideas. Her hot cocoa was almost empty, so she drank the last sugary-sweet dregs and set her mug on the table.
"So tell me what's bugging you, Hermione," Draco suggested, massaging her hand with his thumb.
''Mostly the lack of attention I've been giving my schoolwork. I can barely keep my eyes open in class, let alone concentrate on the assignments. Also, I'm a prefect and I haven't even worn my badge once, I've been so distracted," Hermione explained. She felt another headache coming on. Draco gave her hand a squeeze.
"Hermione, how did you do on your O.W.L.s?" Draco asked. Hermione shrugged.
"I got 12," she admitted.
"I think you're allowed some time to slack off a little bit. You've done above and beyond every single year. At some point in your life you need to take a break, or you'll have a breakdown," Draco informed her. Hermione shrugged again.
"I just feel like I've lost control," she said softly.
"You haven't lost control, at least not yet," Draco told her. He touched her cheek. "You're going to be just fine."
"Thank you," Hermione said. She looked up into his eyes, feeling a little shy all of a sudden. Draco put his hand gently on her cheek and tipped her head up. He could see by looking in her eyes that she was nervous, so with his thumb he gently closed her eyelids before leaning in to kiss her.
The kiss felt much different to Hermione than it had felt that evening. His lips were soft, and he was very gentle. All too soon the kiss ended. Hermione smiled at Draco.
"You know, we could work on homework together. That way you wouldn't fall asleep," Draco suggested. Hermione thought for a moment.
"Wouldn't people wonder why we're spending so much time together?" she asked.
"Probably, but we are Potions partners, I mean, they wouldn't say anything about it," Draco reminded her.
"I'd like that," Hermione agreed. Draco smiled and kissed her again, this time sliding his tongue into her mouth. He tasted sweet to Hermione, like cocoa and cinnamon. He knocked her off her feet each time he kissed her. Hermione hadn't ever given a thought to her feeling for Draco. Before that day he'd just been her Potions partner, a friend, but nothing more. It hadn't occurred to her to think of him otherwise. But why not? She wondered, as Draco's hand massaged the back of her neck. She'd been too busy to consider it, she supposed. And there was the matter of Pansy, whom she'd forgotten entirely. She was betraying her best friend, and unfortunately loving every second of it. But it was easy at night, when there was no one around to see. Hermione couldn't help but wonder what the next day held. She didn't want to lose her best friend. They'd been through too much together.
A sharp pain shot down Hermione's spine just then, making her jerk away from Draco's grasp. His eyes were wide with concern.
"What's wrong?" He asked, reaching for her arm.
"I hurt," Hermione gasped. "Pain, in my spine," she clarified.
"You must have upset Him," Draco's eyes, previously full of concern, now turned dull. "Something you were thinking, maybe."
"Draco, please, why can't you save me from this?" Hermione asked, grabbing his arms. Her eyes pleaded with his.
"Because, it would kill you and me both. Face it, Hermione, there's nothing you can do except wait it out. Once he is dead, then we will be free," Draco whispered the last part. He pulled Hermione into his lap and began massaging her back. "Just relax, for now," He whispered, his breath warm against her ear. Hermione turned her head to meet his lips. Somehow she felt safe in Draco's arms. Free from all harm, and above anything the other students could throw at her. Suddenly she knew what it felt like to be Draco Malfoy. Not to care what the others thought, because she answered to a higher power. She lay down on the couch as Draco crawled over her, smothering her with kisses.
They were so focused on one another that they failed to hear the approaching footsteps. Breena and Pansy were descending the stairs on the way to the kitchens. Try as she might, Breena hadn't been able to keep Pansy from winning a place in her heart. The girls had a lot in common after all. They chatted away like old friends, keeping their voices low, just in case. It took them a minute to register exactly what they had stumble upon once they entered the room, but Pansy let out a shriek as soon as she realized what she was seeing.
"So it was true!" She hissed. Hermione turned pale, and scooted closer to Draco, who put a protective arm around her.
"Yes, it is true," Draco agreed. "What's your point?"
"No biggie," Breena said dryly. "Just as long as no one's spreading nasty rumors about dear, sweet Hermione."
"It won't last," Pansy snapped, on the verge of tears. "Once everyone hears about this, you'll be over. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor. It just wasn't meant to be."
"Oh come on, Pansy, let's go," Breena said, shoving the blonde girl out of the room. Pansy burst into tears as they headed towards the kitchen.
"That went well," Draco remarked, running his fingers through his hair. Hermione sighed and leaned back against the couch.
"Something tells me life isn't about to get any easier," She said unhappily.
Chapter 18
Draco paced, waiting for Hermione. His backup plan, an essay for Transfiguration, lay on the table. He wasn't sure exactly what to say to her, how to explain everything. He took a deep breath as he heard her coming down the stairs.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked, nervously.
"That's so sweet," Hermione cooed. "I'm just fine," she replied. Draco rolled his eyes. She wasn't exactly fine, but at least she wasn't sick anymore. He hoped this initial phase would wear off quickly, he wasn't sure he liked this new Hermione.
"Sit down," he said, a little more harshly than he had intended. She sat down on the couch, and looked up at him expectantly. He sat down next to her, and took a deep breath. "I know this might sound a little bit strange, but just trust me on this," he started. "When you met Him at my house, last week, he put a spell on you. It wasn't a traditional wand- waving spell or anything like that. You must have made eye contact with him at some point, and in doing so, he was able to put you under his influence. Right now you're in the middle of a transformation, he probably timed it just right so that you'd be at school when it happened. That's why you felt sick earlier, your subconscious was fighting the evil influence, but it gave in, and that's why you feel all right now. And that's just the first step of the process," Draco told her. She was looking at him with her eyebrows raised. "I didn't believe it at first either, but you have to trust me. He did it to me too," Draco felt incredibly stupid. Hermione took a deep breath and leaned back.
"Honestly, Draco, I'm believing you," she said, closing her eyes. "Even though inside I'm thinking that's the most absurd thing I've ever heard. For some reason you have me totally convinced."
"That's His influence. It's telling you what to do, what to think, everything," Draco explained. "Now you have to learn to control it. You can't let him control your personality, or people will become suspect. You have to work really hard, and once you've accomplished that, he'll step back and let you go on about your ways. Then he'll only control you completely when he needs you," Draco continued. He took a deep breath, knowing it was only half him talking, and the other half was the Dark Lord himself, talking through him.
"So I won't be like this much longer?" Hermione asked, referring to her new personality.
"I sure hope not," Draco muttered. Hermione laughed. That was the Draco she was used to. Then her smile faded.
"Then there's something I have to do before I go back to my conservative, insecure self," Hermione said, biting her lip. Draco raised an eyebrow at her, wondering exactly what she was about to do. Before he could even start to think about what she was intending to do, Hermione had leaned forward and covered his mouth with her own.
Draco was shocked. He hadn't expected this, especially from Hermione Granger, the teacher's pet. And surprisingly enough, he was enjoying it. Until it occurred to him that she was a mudblood, and therefore was probably making his father very angry with him. "But so was Pansy," a little voice in the back of his head nagged. He had to agree. Draco Malfoy wasn't necessarily a nice guy, but he certainly wasn't a hypocrite.
Draco kissed back, putting his hand on her cheek. He wasn't sure how long this would last, but he wanted to take it for all it was worth. Gently, and slowly he rubbed his tongue across her lips, testing her. Hermione surprised him again by slipping her own tongue into his mouth, teasing his palate with the tip. Draco shuddered slightly, enjoying every second. He casually placed a hand on her knee, not really thinking about it. She took his other hand and moved it to her chest, so he was just barely touching her breast. A few seconds passed, then Draco came to his senses.
This wasn't just some girl he could do whatever he pleased with. This was Hermione Granger, the smartest girl in the school, and whether he liked it or not he was going to have to face her in potions tomorrow. Her good friends Harry and Ron would certainly have something to say if they could see her now. On top of it all, she was a mudblood. Muggle-born he corrected himself mentally.
Draco tried to casually remove his hand from her chest, but she must have sensed something was wrong, because she broke the kiss to ask him what was wrong.
"Hermione, you're a really sweet girl and all," Draco began. Hermione's eyes clouded over.
"But I'm not your type," Hermione finished for him. "You prefer the slutty ones and the naïve ones who just melt in your hands. Not me, not the bookish girl, the one who edits your essays and helps you with Potions projects." She was really upset now. "Draco Malfoy, you're absolutely insufferable!"
"Whoa, calm down," Draco said, standing up. "You didn't let me finish."
"I'm not sure I want to hear it," Hermione snapped. Draco grabbed her by the arms and pushed her until she was sitting down again. He put his forehead against hers, and knelt in front of her.
"Listen, Hermione, you're amazing. Incredible even. But right now is not a good time for us to be exploring each other's feelings for one another. I don't want to hurt you, Hermione, but I'm afraid that's the only thing that will come out of this. Can we just put this on hold until we're sure you're gonna make it okay?" Draco looked up into her eyes before he went on. "Besides, Hermione, you deserve so much more than this," he finished before kissing her softly on this lips and walking away.
* * *
"I hope she's alright," Pansy said, pacing. Ginny Weasley sat on the sink in Myrtle's bathroom.
"I found this in her room," Ginny said, reaching into her pocket for Hermione's prefect badge. "I don't know why she's not wearing it. She hasn't taken on any of her duties as prefect either. I'm afraid McGonagall is going to take it away from her."
"Hermione didn't tell me she made prefect!" Pansy screeched. Then her face fell. "Gosh, she must be really upset with me."
"Upset?" Ginny asked. Pansy shrugged. "Something must be really bothering her if -" Ginny was cut off by Myrtle appearing at the top of a stall, squealing with delight.
"Ooh, just you wait," Myrtle cooed, floating down to talk to the girls. "I was just talking to Peeves, and he told me the most amazing thing. He just saw Draco making out with Hermione in the hall. And we're not talking just a little kiss, he had his hands all over her," Myrtle informed the girls triumphantly. Pansy went pale.
"Are, are you sure?" she asked, reaching for the sink to steady her. Myrtle nodded. Pansy burst into tears and sat down on the floor. "I thought Hermione was my best friend, how could she do this to me?" Pansy asked. Ginny sat down on the floor next to her.
"Pansy, I know Hermione pretty well," Ginny said, "And I know that she would never do anything to intentionally hurt you, or any of her friends. Something must be incredibly wrong for her to be acting like this."
"Maybe," Pansy sobbed. She wiped her tears away, and stood up. "I think I'm going back to the common room to study. I really should work on my Potions essay," Pansy excused herself.
All the way back to the dorm, Pansy couldn't help but wonder if Hermione had only been using Pansy. After all, Pansy had seen them together at the Malfoy Ball. Everyone had seen them, even Lucius who had smiled happily at the muggle-born as he danced with her. She couldn't help but feel cheated.
"Some best friend," Pansy sniffed. She said the password and went into the Slytherin common room. It was empty except for Breena, who was reading in front of the fire. She looked up as Pansy came into the room. Her face, which was originally dark, softened when she saw Pansy's tearstained face.
"Are you okay?" Breena asked, actually concerned for her classmate. Pansy shrugged and flopped down next to Breena.
"My so-called 'best friend' was just seen massively snogging Draco in the hallway," Pansy's voice was venomous as she explained things to Breena.
"Is that all?" Breena asked, bored. Pansy rolled her eyes and started to leave the room, but was interrupted as Draco came breezing through the portrait. He was humming to himself and though no smile graced his lips, Pansy could tell he was happy. Beyond happy even. Elated. He headed straight for his dorm, taking no notice of the girls. Pansy's face crumpled and she started to cry again. "Oh, geez, don't cry," Breena said exasperatedly. She stood up and gave Pansy a hug. "Listen, I'll tell you what. Tonight after curfew we'll sneak down to the kitchen and load up on junk food. We'll have a little pity party for ourselves. What do you think?"
* * *
Hermione sat on her bed reflecting on the day. So she was under a spell. An evil spell. Oh, the irony of it all. She could just see the Daily Prophet headline now, "Hogwart's most talented student in league with Dark Lord." She lay down, staring up at the ceiling.
She'd kissed Draco Malfoy. The Draco Malfoy. Only the hottest, most coveted boy in the school. She smiled to herself. She'd finally had the guts to do it. Hermione had harbored feelings for Draco since the first month of her fifth year. She'd been so jealous of Breena it made her sick.
And then Hermione remembered Pansy. She'd barely given a thought to her best friend all day.
"She must hate me," Hermione said to herself. That's not a problem a voice in her head echoed. Someday, you'll have to be rid of her anyway the voice added. Hermione shuddered. The feeling of whatever it was talking inside her head sent chills down her spine. "Who are you?" she asked. How silly of me not to introduce myself the voice laughed. Hermione recognized the laugh - she'd recognize that laugh anywhere. It was the Dark Lord. Very Good he agreed. Congratulations, you've accomplished the first step in your transformation. It took Draco a week to get this far. I have big plans for you, my dear, big plans. But for now, just be patient. Everything will happen in good time, all in good time the voice faded away as he completed his thoughts, and Hermione could feel his presence leaving her. Then she was herself again.
Hermione closed her eyes. She was horrendously tired. She drifted off into a deep sleep, with no dreams.
* * *
Hermione woke a few hours later, around midnight. She looked around the room, and decided to go for a walk to clear her head. She was feeling like the old Hermione again, which she supposed was a good thing. However, she had to wonder if she'd ever get to kiss Draco's soft lips again.
Hermione slipped out of Gryffindor Tower and started walking aimlessly around the school, careful not to run into Filch or his cat. She was a prefect after all, she could make up some kind of excuse for being out of her room past curfew.
After walking for a while Hermione found herself in the lounge she and Draco had been in earlier that day. She decided to sit down and take a break from walking and sort things out in her mind. The school year hadn't exactly been going according to her plans. She'd been sleeping through class, falling asleep in the middle of doing homework, forget reading anything outside what was assigned. She hadn't even worn her prefect badge once, let alone been fulfilling her duties as prefect. Hermione sighed, wondering if there was a way to turn everything around. Being trapped in some form of Dark Magic spell wasn't exactly working out for her, although Hermione had some trouble seeing what was so bad about being under His Influence. She was back to her normal self, and it wasn't like she hadn't talked to herself in the past. A chill went down her spine suddenly, and she wished she'd thought to put a bathrobe on. All she was wearing were her cotton pajama pants and an old t-shirt with flip-flops.
"Cold?" a familiar voice called. Draco appeared suddenly at her right shoulder, two steaming cups of hot cocoa in his hands. "I figured I'd find you here," he said, kissing her forehead and handing her a mug. Hermione smiled shyly at him. She was almost embarrassed about what had happened earlier, especially now that she was her normal self again.
"I couldn't sleep," she explained, sipping her cocoa. Draco sat down next to her on the couch. He was also in his pajamas, black flannel pajama pants and a tight-fitting dark gray t-shirt.
"I've had trouble sleeping lately too," Draco agreed. "There's been so much going on that it's hard to adjust."
"That's true. This is really a lot to handle, and to be honest, I'm kind of overwhelmed," Hermione admitted. Draco patted her on the shoulder.
"You seem to be handling it pretty well. You're still sane at least," he joked. "Seriously, you're doing alright."
"Draco, I know I've asked you this a million times, but why are you being so nice to me?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not the hard-ass that I pretend to be, first of all. I'm not always a very nice person, but I can be when I want to be, and I want to be nice to you. I've gone through what you're going through and I would have loved to have someone to take care of me and tell me what to expect and how to deal with it all," Draco paused, trying to shift the conversation to the sense that Hermione had meant. She was asking him why he was being so nice to a muggle born. "Honestly, Hermione, this time last year I probably wouldn't have given you the time of day unless it was to tell you that you were late. I think part of it has to do with the fact that Pansy is a muggleborn, and Pansy meant and still does mean a lot to me. "We were very young, and I feel like things got out of hand. She and I were very close friends until last year, and I take full responsibility for destroying that. But because she means so much to me, I've had to change my opinion on muggleborns, regardless of how my father feels about them. So that's how I can be nice to you now. Before I was jealous of your grades, and bitter about your friendship with Harry and Ron. They're not bad people, we just don't get along, and if you were going to be friends with them you weren't going to be friends with me. "But you shouldn't worry about it anymore, Hermione," Draco said, taking her hand. "Because now you know that this is the real Draco Malfoy," he added jokingly. Hermione smiled at his joke.
"That's fair," Hermione said. She was happy for the change, regardless of his original ideas. Her hot cocoa was almost empty, so she drank the last sugary-sweet dregs and set her mug on the table.
"So tell me what's bugging you, Hermione," Draco suggested, massaging her hand with his thumb.
''Mostly the lack of attention I've been giving my schoolwork. I can barely keep my eyes open in class, let alone concentrate on the assignments. Also, I'm a prefect and I haven't even worn my badge once, I've been so distracted," Hermione explained. She felt another headache coming on. Draco gave her hand a squeeze.
"Hermione, how did you do on your O.W.L.s?" Draco asked. Hermione shrugged.
"I got 12," she admitted.
"I think you're allowed some time to slack off a little bit. You've done above and beyond every single year. At some point in your life you need to take a break, or you'll have a breakdown," Draco informed her. Hermione shrugged again.
"I just feel like I've lost control," she said softly.
"You haven't lost control, at least not yet," Draco told her. He touched her cheek. "You're going to be just fine."
"Thank you," Hermione said. She looked up into his eyes, feeling a little shy all of a sudden. Draco put his hand gently on her cheek and tipped her head up. He could see by looking in her eyes that she was nervous, so with his thumb he gently closed her eyelids before leaning in to kiss her.
The kiss felt much different to Hermione than it had felt that evening. His lips were soft, and he was very gentle. All too soon the kiss ended. Hermione smiled at Draco.
"You know, we could work on homework together. That way you wouldn't fall asleep," Draco suggested. Hermione thought for a moment.
"Wouldn't people wonder why we're spending so much time together?" she asked.
"Probably, but we are Potions partners, I mean, they wouldn't say anything about it," Draco reminded her.
"I'd like that," Hermione agreed. Draco smiled and kissed her again, this time sliding his tongue into her mouth. He tasted sweet to Hermione, like cocoa and cinnamon. He knocked her off her feet each time he kissed her. Hermione hadn't ever given a thought to her feeling for Draco. Before that day he'd just been her Potions partner, a friend, but nothing more. It hadn't occurred to her to think of him otherwise. But why not? She wondered, as Draco's hand massaged the back of her neck. She'd been too busy to consider it, she supposed. And there was the matter of Pansy, whom she'd forgotten entirely. She was betraying her best friend, and unfortunately loving every second of it. But it was easy at night, when there was no one around to see. Hermione couldn't help but wonder what the next day held. She didn't want to lose her best friend. They'd been through too much together.
A sharp pain shot down Hermione's spine just then, making her jerk away from Draco's grasp. His eyes were wide with concern.
"What's wrong?" He asked, reaching for her arm.
"I hurt," Hermione gasped. "Pain, in my spine," she clarified.
"You must have upset Him," Draco's eyes, previously full of concern, now turned dull. "Something you were thinking, maybe."
"Draco, please, why can't you save me from this?" Hermione asked, grabbing his arms. Her eyes pleaded with his.
"Because, it would kill you and me both. Face it, Hermione, there's nothing you can do except wait it out. Once he is dead, then we will be free," Draco whispered the last part. He pulled Hermione into his lap and began massaging her back. "Just relax, for now," He whispered, his breath warm against her ear. Hermione turned her head to meet his lips. Somehow she felt safe in Draco's arms. Free from all harm, and above anything the other students could throw at her. Suddenly she knew what it felt like to be Draco Malfoy. Not to care what the others thought, because she answered to a higher power. She lay down on the couch as Draco crawled over her, smothering her with kisses.
They were so focused on one another that they failed to hear the approaching footsteps. Breena and Pansy were descending the stairs on the way to the kitchens. Try as she might, Breena hadn't been able to keep Pansy from winning a place in her heart. The girls had a lot in common after all. They chatted away like old friends, keeping their voices low, just in case. It took them a minute to register exactly what they had stumble upon once they entered the room, but Pansy let out a shriek as soon as she realized what she was seeing.
"So it was true!" She hissed. Hermione turned pale, and scooted closer to Draco, who put a protective arm around her.
"Yes, it is true," Draco agreed. "What's your point?"
"No biggie," Breena said dryly. "Just as long as no one's spreading nasty rumors about dear, sweet Hermione."
"It won't last," Pansy snapped, on the verge of tears. "Once everyone hears about this, you'll be over. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor. It just wasn't meant to be."
"Oh come on, Pansy, let's go," Breena said, shoving the blonde girl out of the room. Pansy burst into tears as they headed towards the kitchen.
"That went well," Draco remarked, running his fingers through his hair. Hermione sighed and leaned back against the couch.
"Something tells me life isn't about to get any easier," She said unhappily.