Who knew a simple walk could be so complicated?
Gliding through the old stone hallways of the castle, Hermione had her mind on that morning's Arithmancy test.
She was sure she had completely blanked out. There was no possible way she was going to get more that 112 percent!
She really should have been paying attention to where she was going. Of course…she wasn't sure now, if she entirely believed that.
She was happy with herself now, content at least.
But back to the past—she had run head on into him, knocking them both down. Whoops.
Hermione landed with an "Oomph!" to the hard stone floor, actually feeling the heat radiating from Malfoy's glare.
She looked up at the blonde Slytherin, now brushing himself off and straightening off his crumpled robes. He looked down to her, his grey eyes piercing her.
Ooohh, soo scared! She sat there for a minute. "No thanks, Malfoy, I'll get up myself." She shot sarcastically, pushing herself up to an upright position. What a gentleman.
It's like it's my bloody fault your down there anyways. One doesn't normally walk into a person plainly walking down the same path of travel in the opposite direction." Draco Malfoy sneered.
How could a git like that ever become Head Boy?!? Hermione wondered incredulously. The answered seemed so instantly appealing that she voiced her question.
Malfoy just shrugged. "Don't know, but while we're asking, how could a mudblood like yourself ever become Head Girl?"
Hermione snorted. A very un-lady like thing to do. "Oh, ouch, very original Malfoy."
Draco just sneered. "I always thought so."
Hermione rolled her eyes and they stood there for a minute, staring into the floor, occasionally throwing each other cold glares.
That was when it started.
---
She was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Hehe…yes. Hermione Granger was Malfoy's project.
This'll be interesting…
(-Quite)
(-Rather)
(-Certainly)
(-Noticeably)
(-Indubitably)
(--heh, inside joke…)
Malfoy looked Hermione up and down, scrutinizing every detail, muttering things like "Hmm, yes…" and "…pathetic…" finally he straightened, looking Granger square in the eyes.
She looked quite frightened. "Perfect…" he whispered.
Even more frightened, if that was humanly possible of a face. "Malfoy—"
"Not now, Granger." He interrupted waving her away. "I just found a way to cure my boredom." With that he swung around and walked off, a noticeable bounce in his step.
Now as you can imagine, being …well, examined by Malfoy, then him pronouncing he was no longer bored and walking off back to his dorm room didn't make Hermione feel comfortable at all. She shuddered at the thought of his new found activity…Creepy…
---
It was several hours later that Hermione returned to their (Hers and Malfoy's…joy, right?) common room.
When she entered she found him sitting in a comfy chair, staring into the fire.
"What are you doing?" the question slipped out. After that afternoon she wanted no social interaction with him.
He stood. "Waiting for you."
Again with the scared. "All day…?"
He nodded. "Yes."
"…Why…?" Hermione squeaked out.
"I have a proposition for you."
Hermione huffed, rolled her eyes, and walked past Malfoy to her bedroom. He promptly followed. He was always so good at annoying her.
She gave him a quizzical look, and then took out her homework. She needed to get working on her Potions essay. Ignoring him, hoping he would leave, Hermione sat at her desk and started flipping through the pages of her book.
He didn't. In fact, he seemed to be getting quite comfortable on her bed. She glared up at him. "What do you want?"
"How do you feel about yourself, Granger?"
"Well there's a stupid question." She muttered, getting back to her book.
"I'm serious." He sounded it. "How'd you like to fix yourself?" he walked over to her and she looked up, more confusion than fear on her face.
"I didn't know I was broken…" she sputtered dumbly. She stood and walked to her door, opened it and made violent gestures with her hands out it.
"I'll leave in a little bit. I was bored. I had an idea. But I couldn't find the right person to test my theory on…" Malfoy trailed off.
"What theory?" she asked uncertainly.
"That, with a change in attitude and appearance," Malfoy started, moving closer to her. "And the right influence by the right people, that one like yourself would become…"
"One like myself? Just how do you mean, Malfoy?" Hermione was getting angry now. "Become what exactly?"
"Yourself…dorky…book-wormy, know-it-all resembling something of a…cur," Malfoy put emphasis on the word and Hermione flinched, hey eyes flashing with anger. "Might become…well, cool."
"Look, Malfoy, I am perfectly content being who I am, which is a friendly, kind, intelligent person, not to be brought down by one like yourself that, no matter what you say, doesn't now, nor will ever look like a dog!" Hermione's voice rose ever louder with each word until she was panting for breath. "Now, out!"
Malfoy wasn't intimidated. Actually it looked to Hermione as her reaction had been exactly what Malfoy wanted it to be. He looked thrilled at the challenge.
He smirked. That arrogant, smug, Slytherin smirk of his, and shook his head. "Fine, I'll leave. But think about it, Granger."
"Oh I will!" she exclaimed sarcastically, slamming the door as hard as she could behind his retreating figure.
---
Excellent…a challenge…Malfoy flopped down onto the bed in the room next to Hermione's. It would have been too pathetic had Granger complied right away…
Draco sighed, pushing his free-falling hair from his eyes. But she will comply…tomorrow…I'll try again tomorrow. Soon she'll see…hell, by then she may have already come crawling to him, begging him for the change.
Malfoy absent-mindedly chuckled out loud. "Doesn't resemble a dog…" he muttered softly. "Has she looked in a mirror? I mean, honestly!"
---
Sleep fell on Hermione quickly, as soon as she snuggled under her warm, scarlet blankets.
The last thought on her mind: Honestly…a proposition…who the bloody hell does he think he is?!?
Her sleep was dreamless, thankfully, and Hermione rose early the next morning. It was just after six, and Malfoy was already in the bathroom.
Hermione used her spare time to decide how she was going to do her hair, give herself a manicure and pedicure, paint her nails steely silver, and read three chapters of Hogwarts, A History.
It was just after seven, and Malfoy still wasn't out. Hermione was becoming impatient.
She strode over to her bathroom door and pounded repeatedly on it. "Honestly, Malfoy, an hour?! I don't even take that long! ...I'M A GIRL!"
Seemed Malfoy was getting annoyed as well. Steam rolled into her room as he unlocked and ripped her door open, leaving her standing with her mouth open and her fist raised ready to pound away again. "Freak out, please. I'm done."
Hermione shut her mouth into a thin line, scarily resembling McGonagall and proceeded to glare at Malfoy. She then realized that glaring was about the same as an evil stare, and that she was staring at Malfoy's nearly stark-naked body. Not cool!
Hermione blushed and turned around, waiting for Malfoy to leave. He didn't. It wasn't a blush because it was Malfoy she had seen, she'd never seen a boy so near nakedness before.
He glided over to her, moving dangerously close. Still she kept her back to him. He was so close now she could feel how warm his skin still was from the shower.
"Have you thought about my offer, Granger?"
She remained silent."Come now, blushing eyes."
Hermione wasn't exactly sure what Malfoy meant by that, but she turned and glared at him. Apparently she had misjudged how close he really was, for they were now face to face, and Draco Malfoy stared coolly into her eyes. "I suppose that's a no? Pity. Well, Granger, I'll leave you to your bathroom needs. It was very inconsiderate of me," he said, eyeing her up and down once again. "Seeing as how you so obviously need the time more than me."
Hermione refrained herself from slapping the blonde and instead focused her attention on pushing him through the bathroom and into his room.
She abruptly slammed the door, but he didn't move. Instead he called through the wood, "The offers always on the table, Granger. Think about it."
Pfff…think about it…right
---
"Er aff ou ven?" Ron asked, his mouth, as usual, stuffed to capacity and then some. (AN: Ron talk for- Where have you been? – in case you didn't get that)
"There was an infestation of the ferret kind in my bathroom. Took me an hour to get rid of it."
Ron's eyes narrowed, not nearly looking as menacing as Harry, seeing as how he looked like an angry squirrel with acorns stored in his cheeks.
"Can we help you exterminate that, Hermione?" Harry asked, glancing over to the Slytherin table.
Hermione cocked her head to one side, thinking about this then sighed. "Nah…I suppose its fine, just spends too much time in the bathroom is all. I'll get up earlier tomorrow." She purposefully neglected to tell them of Malfoy's proposition the day before. She thought it ridiculous; they would think it a reason to kill.
"Hermione?"
"Mmhmm?" she looked over to Ginny Weasley.
"Are you going to eat anything? You're just kind of staring off into space."
"Oh, yeah." Hermione shook her head. "Still early, brain's not quite awake yet."
Hermione quickly scooped scrambled eggs and bacon onto her plate. She picked around at the eggs, turning to the boys for conversation.
"…no, no, no, Hufflepuff will be easy we don't need to worry about them, it's Ravenclaw and Slytherin we've got to plan ahead for." Ron was saying.
"Especially Slytherin, I hope they all get banned from Quidditch for unfair play."
That was a no…quidditch again…honestly that is all they ever think about! She turned instead to the red head next to her, who was talking animatedly with Lavender Brown.
"…I can't believe you! You promiscuous little—"
"Ginny?"
"Ginny turned to Hermione, obviously annoyed at being interrupted. "Yeah?"
She smiled faintly. "Never mind."
Ginny turned back to Lavender. "Where was I? Oh, I can't believe you…with him!" Lavender giggled and Hermione rolled her eyes.
She picked at her eggs a bit more, feeling a bit out of place. Couldn't talk with the boys about Quidditch, couldn't talk with the girls about boys…
Looks like another Saturday in the library…Hermione felt strange. She looked around, and soon met gazes with a blonde Slytherin across the Hall.
He promptly turned back to his friend and nodded, but looked over seconds later and gave her a meaningful glance. She saw his eyes move to either side of her, confirming that she was, or might as well have been, alone. She read it in his eyes: Lonely?
She broke the gaze and abruptly stood, turning to Ginny. "I'm going to go finish up my Potions essay."
Ginny gave Hermione and nod and a wave of her hand, her eyes and ears obviously never leaving Lavender.
---
He sighed behind her. "How did I know I would find you here?" he asked, leaning against the back of her chair.
"Maybe your psychic." She offered.
She felt him shrug. "Could be. Or maybe you're just too predictable." Hermione huffed. "Something that I, daresay, could change easily."
"You want to change something so bad go put on some new socks. I can smell them from here." She added.
"I'll let you know, Miss Granger, that I change my socks several times a day."
"I can imagine." She muttered, flipping the page of her book and scanning for useful information.
"I saw you at breakfast."
"I noticed."
"You looked lonely." Malfoy gave a dramatic sigh. "Were you lonely, Hermione? You don't mind if I call you Hermione, do you Hermione?"
"I'd rather drink bubertuber pus than hear you say my name."
"Okay, as long as it doesn't bother you. Anyways, were you lonely?"
"No." Hermione gritted her teeth.
"Really? Because you were just sitting there…" he adopted a sad, pitiful tone. "…looking around and picking at your food…no one to talk to…no one who cares."
Hermione shot out of her chair and spun around to face Malfoy. "I've got plenty of people who care about me!" she hissed.
"Oh really? Why so touchy on the matter, then, Hermione." Hermione fought the urge to cringe at the sound of her name on that arrogant prat's tongue.
"What do you want?" she growled.
"I want you to listen to me."
"I'm listening."
"I'm bored—"
"I care." She interrupted.
He ignored her. "—and I figure I could do you and the rest of the school a favor—"
"By making me something I'm not…"
"Oh, but you won't be something you're not. You will become who I make you."
"Ever think that maybe I don't want your advice on how to be?"
"Ever think maybe you do?"
"Malfoy." Her sigh was filled with exasperation.
"Just say yes, Granger. You know I won't stop bugging you until you do."
"Malfoy." Full of annoyance this time.
"Just say—"
"YES! Okay? Happy? Yes, fine, whatever; ya ya, oui oui, sí sí."
"Excellent." Malfoy perked right up, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "See you tonight, say, eightish?"
"Where?" she sighed.
"Where else to we start? At the root of the problem. Your room."
The thought of Malfoy in her room for who knows how long that night was frightening. I should have just knocked him unconscious…
---
Well, my first thing of this chapter. Whatcha think so far? Heh, review…
My idea: I DREAMT this, how weird is that?