Disclaimer: I still don't own HP.

A/n: Third chapter! Well, let's see if I could make things more interesting in this part. Enjoy!

By: aningme


Anger Management

Chapter 3

"Hold still!"

"I am holding still!" Draco shot back as he tried to balance himself on the stool. Hermione was standing on a ladder beside him, only she was more elevated than him.

"I can't reach the damn shelf!" Hermione cursed and sighed, still reaching out the moist rag she was holding. It was their last chore for the day. Their room was sparkly clean.

"Just keep reaching. The table won't hold my weight."

Hermione sighed and kept reaching. Draco kept dusting the lower shelves and put back some books they found scattered in the old table. It was a hell of a room. But they made it somehow beautiful. The old red carpet looked brand new. All the oak wood furniture looked shiny and bright. The bathroom smelled great. And their bed was all made up in the middle of the spacious room. They did a great job.

"Careful! You're pulling me down!" Hermione shrieked, out balancing her stature.

"It's damn hard you know! You're up there. I'm down here. And there's a damn chain in our hands. How the hell can we do our jobs properly?" Draco started to whine. He kept on whining and complaining that he didn't notice Hermione's body falling over him.

"Waaaiiiiiiittttttttt!" Hermione shrieked, bewildering Draco, and bringing them both to the ground. She landed directly on top of him and he hit his head pretty hard on the ground.

"What the hell?" Draco exclaimed, in between groans. He reached for the top of his head and closed his eyes, cursing the pain.

Hermione looked at him, shocked and shaken from the fall. She looked up at the table where she fell. It was kind of high. Almost falling into five feet in height. She looked at the stool were Draco stood, and it fell off balance.

She looked back at him and found him still groaning.

"Are you alright?" She muttered. He slowly opened his eyes and stared at her.

She suddenly found herself frozen on top of him. It was the first time she saw Draco's eyes this close. The colors around the room played in his pupils, making his eyes turn into different colors. She felt shivers down her spine just looking at them.

"Oh, sorry." She suddenly snapped, rolling of him.

He started to get up and rub off dusts on his trousers and shirt. She just watched him, observed his folded sleeves, his disheveled crop of blond hair. He had taken his robes off before they started. And it revealed his muscled body.

"Can't get up?" He suddenly looked at her again.

"N-no." She stuttered, abruptly standing up. She looked down at her white blouse and her dusty skirt. She hastily rubbed them clean and settled herself. That one second stare in his eyes shook her, more than the fall.

"I need to take a shower." He suddenly said, still rubbing the top of his head. "The shelf would be fine that way for now."

Hermione looked at him in horror. "How the hell are you going to take a shower with this?" Hermione asked, pointing at the cuff.

He smirked that evil smirk of his and scared the hell out of Hermione's wits. "You just close you eyes while I shower."

"You really expect me to do that!" She wanted to run away.

"Yes."

"I can't do that! So can you!" Hermione insisted.

"What other way is there?" He said, starting to unbutton his shirt. "And besides, we should take a shower. We're covered in sweat and dust."

Hermione found herself in the bathroom with a naked Slytherin. She couldn't settle herself as she heard the water dripping from the shower cubicle. Her right arm was in the shower cubicle and she was sitting in a stool beside it.

"Could you lift your hand a little higher so I could shampoo my hair?" Draco suddenly muttered. Hermione jerked and lifted her hand. She felt the droplets of water soak her hand. She smelled the vanilla scent of his shampoo. And she liked it.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." She thought out loud.

"Believe it." He said. She jerked on her chair and cursed herself for thinking too loud. After a moment, he stepped out of the cubicle with only a towel on his lower torso. "You can take your shower now."

Hermione looked at him in disbelief. "How the hell can you say it just like that?" She shook her head. "Aren't you..." She couldn't find the right words. "appalled by this?"

"We don't have any choice, Granger." He said and took another towel, drying up his hair. "Don't worry. I'm not a pervert."

She glared at him and stepped in the cubicle.

"Um... how am I supposed to take my shirt off with this chain in our hands?" She asked, plainly embarrassed.

"Translucio." He answered. Hermione sighed and unbuttoned her shirt. As the sleeve got stuck in their chain, she took out her wand and muttered the spell, watching in amusement as the sleeve turned liquidish and slowly passed through the metal bonds.

"Where did you learn that?" She asked.

There was pause. "My Father." He whispered.

Hermione kept quiet and turned to the shower.

Everyone knew about Draco's father. He was taken to Azkaban right after the war due to the murder of numerous people. Including Narcissa Malfoy, his mother. And a few days later, they found him dead in his chambers. And Draco was left all alone.

After their shower, they brushed their teeth in silence and started for their bed. They stood at first, staring at the bed.

"I really can't believe I am doing this." Hermione whispered. Draco seemed to ignore her and lay down on the soft bed, pulling Hermione with him.

After a few moments, Draco was fast asleep. And Hermione was left alone in the dark.

She thought of a lot of things. How she could have spend her vacation with her parents. How she could have sleep in her own bed without any fears and troubles. Only if she didn't gave in to Malfoy that night. She hated him. I loathe him. Hermione told herself and turned to him. But then as she stared at him for a moment, all she could think was to kiss him. She looked away and stared out of the window. Bad thoughts Hermione! Bad thoughts! She shut her eyes and told herself to forget it. But then, no matter what she does, she found herself very awake, and staring into Draco's face. She watched his golden hair fall freely over his eyes. He looked very peaceful. He looked gorgeous. She was so dazed at him that she didn't notice her hand reaching out to his face, tucking that lock of hair away from his eyes. And to her bewilderment, his eyes fluttered open, and stared at her.

She couldn't breathe.

"Sudden interest in me, Granger?" Draco said, just laying still.

"I-I..." She couldn't answer.

"You're still awake?" Draco continued.

Snap out of it! She forced herself. "Isn't it obvious!" She suddenly exclaimed. "My eyes are wide open. And I am talking to you."

He just watched her and smiled. "I can see that."

"Then you shouldn't ask what you already know!" She couldn't help it but to sit up and tuck her knees into her arms. She couldn't look at him even longer.

She suddenly felt him sit up beside her. "Why are you so angry at me?"

Hermione sighed. "You want to know why? It's because you are being an idiotic asshole for all the years I know you. And you always love to torture me and my friends. And we ought to hate you."

He still stared at her. "It's not that."

Hermione looked at him. "Yes it is. It always has been."

Draco shook his head. "There's something else."

"Assume all you want." Hermione grumbled and slumped herself back to bed, turning away from him, only pulling his arm.

Draco stared at her and sighed. But instead of laying back down, he stood up, getting his robes and pulling Hermione up.

"What are you doing?"

"Come with me. I'll show you something." He muttered and smiled at her weakly. He grabbed her robes and tossed it to her.

"Where are we going?"

"Just trust me." He mumbled. "For once."

She stared back at him and fumbled in her robes.


A/n: What do you think? Please send in reviews! I just want to know if it is okay... (still kneeling andpleading...) Please! I am begging you…