Something hit Hermione in the leg, and she rolled over. It was hard to breathe, and she opened her eyes to find a green wooly mass in front of her. She tilted her head up and saw Draco's eyes fluttering open. His arm was wrapped around her waist, and when he realized what he was holding, he pulled her tighter.
"'Morning," he muttered sleepily.
Hermione rubbed her eyes. "Good morning." She rolled over, gently releasing Draco's grip, and stood up. The clock on the wall told her that it was eight o'clock.
"I'm going to go take a shower," she said.
Draco rolled over. "Mm hmm."
Hermione padded over to her room, changed into a swimsuit, grabbed a bathrobe, and went into the bathroom. She set the robe on the floor and filled the tub before diving in. The hot water and bubbles woke her up, and she washed her hair. When she finished, she wrapped her robe around her and went back to the common room to check on Draco. He was still asleep.
Hermione sighed. "Wake up," she said, tapping him gently on the shoulder.
He rolled over, squinting at her. "I don't want to get up."
"Come on," she said, grabbing his arm and hauling him up off the couch. "You're heavy."
Draco rubbed his eyes and regained movement. He followed her to the bathroom sleepily, and she brought him to the side of the pool. As soon as she turned to leave, he requested that she stay, and she complied.
Draco stripped down while Hermione faced away. She heard a splash, and turned to see a wave of water heading towards her. It soaked her thoroughly, and Draco laughed.
"I'm awake now," he told her, smirking.
"Yeah, thanks," she said, wringing out her sopping robe.
"Well, you're wet again...you might as well get in," he told her, swimming over to the ledge.
Hermione raised her eyebrow. "What for?"
"Come on," he said as he grabbed her ankle, gently tugging her towards the pool.
"But you don't have any clothes on!"
"But I don't mind," he replied, wiggling his eyebrows. "You should try it."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "No, I'm fine."
Draco yanked her ankle, pulling her into the water. When she emerged sputtering at the surface, she found Draco relaxed, leaning on the ledge.
"What was that for?" she asked as she put her robe on the edge of the pool.
"I don't know. You need to loosen up this morning."
"Yeah, you're right," she said, cracking a smile.
"That's more like it." Draco slid underwater, where Hermione couldn't see him. She looked around at the opaque surface of bubbles, treading water.
Something brushed up against her, and Draco's head surfaced inches from Hermione's face. "You look nice in that suit," he told her.
Hermione looked down. "Oh, I got it this summer."
Draco inched closer smoothly. "No, I mean really nice," he said as he moved one arm around Hermione's waist and he kissed her. Hermione closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Draco's naked torso, causing the pair to dunk underwater. They kissed again, and Hermione pulled away to gulp air from the surface. She swam to the wall as Draco advanced on her.
"Hey, you don't have any clothes on," Hermione told Draco.
"We've already been through this," Draco reminded her, "and I'm fine with it." He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up out of the pool.
She prepared to get up. "I have to go get dressed before-" Draco pushed his torso out of the water and leaned in, giving Hermione a long, deep kiss. Hermione ran her hand through his wet hair as she pulled away. "We need to get dressed," she said, getting up. Draco dropped back into the water.
Hermione walked back into her room and changed into a light pink sweater and a pair of jeans, and clipped her hair up into a messy bun. She went to the Great Hall for breakfast and found Harry and waiting for her.
Plopping herself down next to her friend, she realized that Harry seemed depressed. "Hey, Harry, what's wrong?" she asked. He looked across the table and answered her question. Ron and Lavender were rather busy with each other.
"I'm sorry. This is totally my fault," she said.
"No it isn't. It's not your fault that Ron and Lavender won't get off each other," he said, stressing the last sentence. Ron and Lavender stopped, realized how many people were staring at them, and began to eat.
Hermione suppressed a giggle as Harry rolled his eyes. "How're you two?" she asked Ron and Lavender.
Lavender smoothed her hair back down. "We're just peachy. How about you two?" she said.
"I'm ok," Harry replied, smiling weakly.
"Yeah, me too," said Hermione, trying to make the point that they weren't together.
"Wait, aren't you two-" Lavender began, but quickly stopped when Hermione kicked her in the leg.
"Don't you guys have Quidditch practice?" Hermione said, giving Harry a meaningful look. Harry took the hint and left the Great Hall with Ron.
"What was that about?" asked Lavender.
"We aren't together."
"What?! What do you mean you aren't together? What went wrong?"
"Uh...you were in the Three Broomsticks, weren't you?"
"Well, yeah, but I wasn't paying attention to what was going on. So what happened?"
Ginny Weasley flipped her legs over the bench and sat next to Hermione. "Yeah, what happened? I need some juicy gossip," she said excitedly.
Hermione laughed. "Well, just wait a sec and you'll have some. What happened was when Harry kissed me, it didn't feel right," she explained to Lavender.
Ginny's eyes grew. "Woah, woah, when did Harry kiss you?"
"When we were at Hogsmeade."
"Woah, you went to Hogsmeade together?" Ginny said, her half-buttered toast lying forgotten on her plate.
"Yes, Ginny, and the sky is blue," said Lavender impatiently. "So it didn't feel right. Who's the other guy?"
Hermione was taken aback. Did Lavender know about her and Draco? "What do you mean, who's the other guy?"
"I mean it didn't feel right in comparison to who?" Lavender pressed. Hermione held her breath.
"It didn't feel right...in general," Hermione said as she watched Ginny slowly bite into her toast. "'Cause he's always been such a good friend."
Lavender regarded Hermione with a searching eye before popping her last bite of waffle into her mouth and pushing her plate away.
"Well, Hermione, me and Ginny are always here if you want to tell us anything. I've gotta go watch Ron practice now. Bye, girls," said Lavender as she left.
"Hey, whatever happened to her and Parvati?" Hermione asked Ginny.
"Oh they had this big tiff about Ronald. So they're not talking anymore."
"Mm hmm. Oh, hey, Dean," Ginny said, turning to give the boy a kiss. Hermione sighed.
"I'll talk to you later, Gin," she said, getting up from the table. She walked back out to the Entrance Hall and up to her dormitory to begin on her homework.
Two hours later, she had finished everything she had been assigned, including the in-depth analysis of mer-people's existence. When she had put her last quill back into her bookbag, a tawny owl dropped a rolled-up piece of parchment at her feet. She opened it up and read the note.
Miss Granger,
Your presence is requested in the headmaster's office at 1:30 this afternoon in order for you and Mister Malfoy to discuss the plans for this year's Halloween feast. Mister Malfoy has been informed of this meeting, and notes have been sent to all of the prefects as well. We expect to begin a new tradition this year, but you will be informed of this at the meeting. Please make sure that you arrive on time.
Professor Minerva McGonagall
Hermione wondered to herself what the "new tradition" would be. Rolling the note back up, she grabbed her bag and put it in her room. She noticed a muggle-paper envelope sitting on her desk, picked it up, and slit it open. Inside were letters: one from her parents and one from Kelly. She read the one from her parents quickly, which told of the usual news about Aunt Flora and their latest patients. She picked up Kelly's letter and unfolded it excitedly.
Oh Dearest Hermione,
I have no idea how I live without your logical saneness. You'd better be home for Christmas break. Your parents said you might stay, but I know you love me and you'd never leave me here all alone with all these hot guys.
Speaking of hot guys, who's this Harry character? He'd better be treating my Hermione right. And that boy that shares your bathroom, I'll beat him up for you. Unless he's hot. In which case I'll make him my slave. Just kidding.
And I broke it off with my new boyfriend. Actually, he broke it off with me, but that's because he accidentally found me snogging his best friend at a café one day. Whoops. As I said, all things have to end eventually. But I still feel bad. Especially because I didn't mean to snog him. It just came over me...and he has a girlfriend now. And consequently, I'm sad.
So would you mind making it snappy with the finding me a hottie thing? Thanks, dahling.
Wow, I am shallow. Bad Kelly. But I'm way excited for Halloween to come! Oh yes, I have the most awesome costume ever. Wait, I'm being shallow again.
I'm just going to shut up. But I miss you oh-so-much! Come home for Christmas and we'll go caroling!
Muah,
Kelly
Hermione picked up a muggle pen and sheet of paper, chewing on the end of the pen before putting it to the paper and writing to her friend.
Oh Dearest Kelly,
I have no idea how I live without your insane skewed thinking. I'm being very you lately, though. You'll see. And I will be home for Christmas break, all for you. And you can have those guys for your own. Wait, on second thought, you're being locked in a closet this winter. Bad Kelly.
Well, a bit late on the Harry thing. I broke up with him cause I'm stupid and there's the now-not-asshole that I just so happen to share a bathroom with (wink). You know, the Head Boy. And he is hot, so suck it up.
And finding a guy for you is getting increasingly harder, mostly because I have my own guy issues, and also because of the homework. Oh right, and then there was that period of time where you had a boyfriend. So really...you can have Harry if you want. He's been a bit down ever since I told him he was a better friend...yesterday. He'll be fine. I hope.
And so will you! I know you, Kelly. By the time you get this letter, you'll have rebounded magically. Because you're just so snoggable, apparently.
Oh Halloween here is going to be awesome! I have to go for a meeting about our Halloween party right now. With the Head Boy (wink). So I'm out of here. I miss you, but I'll be home for Christmas. You'd better write me back!
HermioneAs soon as the last word was written, Hermione sealed up the paper and left it on her desk so she could deal with it later. She had fifteen minutes until she had to be in Dumbledore's office. Since her destination was nearly completely across the castle from her dormitory, she quickly put away her things and headed off towards the headmaster's office.
Other than a run-in with Neville around the library, Hermione didn't see anyone on her way. She reached the gargoyle just in time and muttered the password. The gargoyle sprang to life, allowing Hermione to enter. She found Draco sitting in an armchair casually talking to Dumbledore, and she seated herself next to him in a similar armchair.
"Hermione," Draco said, acknowledging her existence.
"Draco," Hermione replied.
Dumbledore chuckled. "You two don't have to pretend around me. Yes, I've suspected your romance would occur. Although I'm sure you could expect that I would expect this."
Hermione and Draco looked at each other, mouths hanging open. Before either one of them could open their mouths to say something to the headmaster, all of the prefects arrived and seated themselves on the floor or in squishy chairs.
Dumbledore stood up and addressed the students. He informed them that they would be in charge of decorating for the Halloween Ball, which, for the first time since 1654, would be a masquerade ball. All students were to arrive in costume with masks, and the stores in Hogsmeade would be well-stocked for these clothing purchases. By the end of the meeting, every one of the prefects was looking forward to the upcoming ball.