That evening, I was putting the finishing touches on a Arithmancy essay that wasn't due for two weeks, when Ron returned from his detention.
He was scowling.
"Unbelievable! Sinistra made us scrub the stairs all the way up to the top of the astronomy tower!"
I patted his arm. Just walking up those stairs was enough to make me tired, sometimes, I couldn't imagine having to scrub every single one.
"That's awful, Ron."
"Yeah. Only good part was that Malfoy started at the top and I started at the bottom, so we didn't have to actually be anywhere near each other most of the time."
"Oh, well, that's good, at least. You just missed Harry, he just went up to bed."
I expected Ron to go straight up, but instead he stood there and looked at me curiously.
"You know, he said the weirdest thing, Malfoy. As soon as I saw him the first thing he said was something about us starting at separate ends so we wouldn't end up fighting again and getting in trouble. I mean, I didn't mind or anything, but it was kind of a weird thing for MALFOY to say. I always reckoned he liked making me mad."
I shrugged, trying to look unconcerned.
"Maybe he just didn't want to get another detention."
"I guess. But still, kind of weird."
"Yeah."
I pretended to be engrossed in my essay, which was actually finished. I stretched myself and stood up.
"I'm going to bed, goodnight Ron."
"Alright. G'night."
I walked up to my dormitory, wondering vaguely if Malfoy would be at Hogsmeade tomorrow.
---
I was rudely awakened at about eight by an incessant tapping on the window. An owl was pecking on my window, a scrap of parchment tied to it's leg.
Groaning, I got out of bed and opened the window, allowing the owl to fly in and perch on my bedside table. Slowly, I fumbled with the note until it came free.
Hermione,
Didn't realise until this morning that I never asked; Are you going to Hogsmeade today?
If you are, I'll meet you at the Hogs Head at one thirty.
If you're not, I'll notice before then.
- DM
I sat heavily down on my bed again. This was it. I would have to tell Harry and Ron where I was going, or else there was no way I could get away. I knew that I didn't strictly HAVE to go to Hogsmeade, nor was it essential that I met up with him but ...
I really wanted to.
If somebody had of told me that a few months before, I would have laughed in their face. But, to tell the truth, I was really starting to like the guy.
Besides, I was going to have to tell the others sooner or later.
---
"Morning, Harry, Ron" I said, brightly. "Are you guys going to Hogsmeade today?"
They both nodded, and I swallowed. This was it.
"Um, do you guys mind if I-"
My words were drowned out by the arrival of the daily post. I wondered why Malfoy's owl hadn't come with these. He must have told it to take it straight to my room, I supposed.
The Daily Prophet landed heavily in my lap, I gasped and nearly spat my cereal everywhere.
It took me a moment to catch my breath back, and pay the owl which was now impatiently pecking at my hand. By the time this was done, Harry and Ron had told me they were going up to the common room to get their money and coats.
I looked around the table for Ginny, but she was gone too. Sighing, I stood up and made my way to the Entrance Hall, to wait for them.
About halfway there, I ran into Malfoy. To my surprise, he was alone. I saw Crabbe and Goyle in the distance with Pansy. He fell into step with me for a moment, before subtly grabbing my arm and pulling me into an empty classroom.
Before I could even open my mouth to say hello, he kissed me. I got quite a shock, but quickly wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer. After kissing for a moment, he pulled away and smiled at me.
"Got my owl, Granger?"
Ignoring his question, I poked him in the ribs.
"Why are we still on last names?" I asked.
He shrugged.
"I'd hate for one of us to slip up and say the wrong name in front of people."
"Oh. Fair enough."
"Really, I thought you were supposed to be the smartest girl in school."
I gave him a withering look, and he grinned.
"I did get your owl, actually, but I don't know if I can go. Harry and Ron still-"
"Don't know? Yeah, I sort of figured that after detention with the Weasel last night."
I frowned at his tone of voice. And his use of his old nickname for Ron.
"He said you guys didn't talk."
"Oh, really? Then, he must have omitted the part where he yelled at me for meeting you at the top of the astronomy tower. He said he 'doubted my intentions.' How did he know we were up there, anyway?"
I closed my eyes massaged my temples with my index fingers. Trust Ron to say something like that.
"They met you on the way down, and saw me at the top. We had a bit of a fight about it."
"You see? I told you Weasley liked you."
"He does not!" My voice came out shriller than I had expected, but I continued anyway. "He's just ... well, maybe he really does doubt your intentions."
Malfoy traced my jawline with one finger.
"Do you? Doubt my intentions, I mean."
I swallowed. I hadn't really thought about his 'intentions', so to speak. I settled for smiling up at him.
"That depends on what they are."
He leaned down closer, and I could feel his breath on my cheek.
"I would have thought that would be rather obvious, Granger."
His lips met mine once more, and he pushed my back up against the wall. My heart started beating fast as I draped both of my arms around his neck. I felt his arms come around my waist. One of his hands went under the back of my shirt again, while his other hand pushed me closer to him.
When he pulled away to breathe, I grabbed him and pushed his mouth back down on mine again, harder. He closed his eyes and ran his hand up and down my back, under my shirt, sending shivers down my spine.
After a while, he pulled away again for a breather. We were both panting, and I pressed my forehead against his and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, his gray eyes were glancing over at the door. He sighed.
"We better go, somebody might come in and find us."
I nodded, and he kissed me, lightly, one last time before making for the door. I grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Do you still want to meet up at the Hogs Head?" I asked.
His eyes twinkled suggestively, which made my cheeks heat up a little.
"If you can ditch Potter and the Weasel."
My smile faded.
"I wish you wouldn't call him that."
"Why not? I'm sure he calls ME all manner of interesting things."
I frowned, but didn't say anything.
"You see" he said, tapping my nose. "The Malfoy is always right."
With that, he flitted out the door.
He was scowling.
"Unbelievable! Sinistra made us scrub the stairs all the way up to the top of the astronomy tower!"
I patted his arm. Just walking up those stairs was enough to make me tired, sometimes, I couldn't imagine having to scrub every single one.
"That's awful, Ron."
"Yeah. Only good part was that Malfoy started at the top and I started at the bottom, so we didn't have to actually be anywhere near each other most of the time."
"Oh, well, that's good, at least. You just missed Harry, he just went up to bed."
I expected Ron to go straight up, but instead he stood there and looked at me curiously.
"You know, he said the weirdest thing, Malfoy. As soon as I saw him the first thing he said was something about us starting at separate ends so we wouldn't end up fighting again and getting in trouble. I mean, I didn't mind or anything, but it was kind of a weird thing for MALFOY to say. I always reckoned he liked making me mad."
I shrugged, trying to look unconcerned.
"Maybe he just didn't want to get another detention."
"I guess. But still, kind of weird."
"Yeah."
I pretended to be engrossed in my essay, which was actually finished. I stretched myself and stood up.
"I'm going to bed, goodnight Ron."
"Alright. G'night."
I walked up to my dormitory, wondering vaguely if Malfoy would be at Hogsmeade tomorrow.
---
I was rudely awakened at about eight by an incessant tapping on the window. An owl was pecking on my window, a scrap of parchment tied to it's leg.
Groaning, I got out of bed and opened the window, allowing the owl to fly in and perch on my bedside table. Slowly, I fumbled with the note until it came free.
Hermione,
Didn't realise until this morning that I never asked; Are you going to Hogsmeade today?
If you are, I'll meet you at the Hogs Head at one thirty.
If you're not, I'll notice before then.
- DM
I sat heavily down on my bed again. This was it. I would have to tell Harry and Ron where I was going, or else there was no way I could get away. I knew that I didn't strictly HAVE to go to Hogsmeade, nor was it essential that I met up with him but ...
I really wanted to.
If somebody had of told me that a few months before, I would have laughed in their face. But, to tell the truth, I was really starting to like the guy.
Besides, I was going to have to tell the others sooner or later.
---
"Morning, Harry, Ron" I said, brightly. "Are you guys going to Hogsmeade today?"
They both nodded, and I swallowed. This was it.
"Um, do you guys mind if I-"
My words were drowned out by the arrival of the daily post. I wondered why Malfoy's owl hadn't come with these. He must have told it to take it straight to my room, I supposed.
The Daily Prophet landed heavily in my lap, I gasped and nearly spat my cereal everywhere.
It took me a moment to catch my breath back, and pay the owl which was now impatiently pecking at my hand. By the time this was done, Harry and Ron had told me they were going up to the common room to get their money and coats.
I looked around the table for Ginny, but she was gone too. Sighing, I stood up and made my way to the Entrance Hall, to wait for them.
About halfway there, I ran into Malfoy. To my surprise, he was alone. I saw Crabbe and Goyle in the distance with Pansy. He fell into step with me for a moment, before subtly grabbing my arm and pulling me into an empty classroom.
Before I could even open my mouth to say hello, he kissed me. I got quite a shock, but quickly wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer. After kissing for a moment, he pulled away and smiled at me.
"Got my owl, Granger?"
Ignoring his question, I poked him in the ribs.
"Why are we still on last names?" I asked.
He shrugged.
"I'd hate for one of us to slip up and say the wrong name in front of people."
"Oh. Fair enough."
"Really, I thought you were supposed to be the smartest girl in school."
I gave him a withering look, and he grinned.
"I did get your owl, actually, but I don't know if I can go. Harry and Ron still-"
"Don't know? Yeah, I sort of figured that after detention with the Weasel last night."
I frowned at his tone of voice. And his use of his old nickname for Ron.
"He said you guys didn't talk."
"Oh, really? Then, he must have omitted the part where he yelled at me for meeting you at the top of the astronomy tower. He said he 'doubted my intentions.' How did he know we were up there, anyway?"
I closed my eyes massaged my temples with my index fingers. Trust Ron to say something like that.
"They met you on the way down, and saw me at the top. We had a bit of a fight about it."
"You see? I told you Weasley liked you."
"He does not!" My voice came out shriller than I had expected, but I continued anyway. "He's just ... well, maybe he really does doubt your intentions."
Malfoy traced my jawline with one finger.
"Do you? Doubt my intentions, I mean."
I swallowed. I hadn't really thought about his 'intentions', so to speak. I settled for smiling up at him.
"That depends on what they are."
He leaned down closer, and I could feel his breath on my cheek.
"I would have thought that would be rather obvious, Granger."
His lips met mine once more, and he pushed my back up against the wall. My heart started beating fast as I draped both of my arms around his neck. I felt his arms come around my waist. One of his hands went under the back of my shirt again, while his other hand pushed me closer to him.
When he pulled away to breathe, I grabbed him and pushed his mouth back down on mine again, harder. He closed his eyes and ran his hand up and down my back, under my shirt, sending shivers down my spine.
After a while, he pulled away again for a breather. We were both panting, and I pressed my forehead against his and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, his gray eyes were glancing over at the door. He sighed.
"We better go, somebody might come in and find us."
I nodded, and he kissed me, lightly, one last time before making for the door. I grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Do you still want to meet up at the Hogs Head?" I asked.
His eyes twinkled suggestively, which made my cheeks heat up a little.
"If you can ditch Potter and the Weasel."
My smile faded.
"I wish you wouldn't call him that."
"Why not? I'm sure he calls ME all manner of interesting things."
I frowned, but didn't say anything.
"You see" he said, tapping my nose. "The Malfoy is always right."
With that, he flitted out the door.