Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews everyone! Avanell sort of guessed what my next move was. I had to go to work yesterday so I skimped on describing her bedroom. I'll make up for it in this chapter. There's finally a little romance in this chapter. Thanks for reviews…please leave more!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Well I do own some things but unfortunately not the Harry Potter characters.
Love on the Rocks
Chapter Three: It Wasn't A Joke
"I'm bloody awake…stupid spell…oh Merlin…I feel like I was hit by a bus." Hermione reached for her wand on the nightstand positioned next to her four poster bed and the beeping sound it had been emitting instantly ceased. Hermione grumbled to herself, "It's the only way I can get up in time but that damn spell is annoying. Who ever thought of a spell to wake you up in the morning should be thrown in to Azkaban." Hermione rubbed the sleep from here eyes and threw back the thick cream colored comforter.
"What the…? It was scarlet last night…Oh my…what happened?" Hermione stared in wonder at the room she woke up in because…it wasn't the one she remembered falling asleep in last night. Well technically it was but everything…even the wall color was totally different.
Last night she had barely registered the details of her Head Girl room before she had fallen asleep. All she could remember was some tacky red wall paper with a gold lion border, plush scarlet carpeting with gold specks, and furniture swathed in red and gold velvet. Very gold…very bold…very not Hermione.
Now the room was a soft pale shade of green and the single window was covered with a sheer white fabric that seemed to magnify the sunlight as it peeped into her room. The furniture was made of honey colored pine that matched the beautiful hardwood floors. Intricately woven rugs of green and a soft yellow color were placed around the room and there was a huge pine bookcase standing against the wall with loads of books stacked upon it's shelves. Hermione pushed up off the bed and stared at her new room in amazement.
This was…perfect…almost as if the room had been designed to fit her exact desires. Grinning to herself, Hermione guessed that there must be some spell in the room that forced it to redecorate itself to the desires of the owner. The perks of being Head Girl were obviously well appreciated but she wondered if the responsibilities of her new title would outweigh the benefits .Hermione's thick eyelashes settled into two crescents on her cheeks as she closed her eyes and took a cleansing breath to prepare herself for the long day ahead.
"This must be Heaven."
"Not quite Granger. If this were Heaven I probably wouldn't be here." Hermione gasped and spun around quickly to find Draco Malfoy standing in her doorway ogling her bare legs exposed by the cloud covered pajama shorts she had worn to bed.
Grabbing a blanket off her bed, Hermione covered herself up and Draco's eyes snapped to her face as if he had been lifted from a spell. "What do you think you're doing in here Malfoy? "
"I wanted to make sure you were up. We need to meet McGonagall before classes and I for one want to have time to eat some breakfast."
Hermione's cinnamon eyes spit fire as she said, "I don't care if Lucifer himself is poking you with a pitchfork, I don't want you barging into my room without permission. Do you hear me? We may have to live next door to each other but I will not have my privacy invaded by you!"
Draco had the courtesy to look slightly embarrassed for his actions and he quickly mumbled, "Sorry…I shouldn't have walked in on you. I'll wait in the common room." At that he turned and shut the door behind him.
Hermione blinked several times before she could believe that Malfoy had apologized so quickly. Two apologies from the Slytherin Prince? Why was he being so nice to her when he was so horrible to Harry and Ron? She wanted to like Draco but she didn't want to betray her friends. They would be furious if she forgave him so easily but Hermione wasn't really a grudge holding type of person.
"He's up to something…I just can't figure him out," muttered Hermione as she headed to the unadorned door next to her bed that she assumed led to her private bathroom. For the second time since arriving back at Hogwarts, Hermione was shocked dead in her tracks.
Her new bathroom was the same pale green as her dorm with a floor paved in marble tiles. An antique looking tub, surrounded by flourishing bright green ferns, sat towards the back of the room and a stack of fluffy towels towered next to it. "Wow…this is even better than home." Walking over to the sink, Hermione noticed that the house elves had already unpacked all of her belongings and frowned over her failed S.P.E.W. campaign. After brushing her teeth and hair, Hermione threw on her uniform and grabbed one of the cloaks she found hanging in her dresser.
"What do you mean you have to plan the Yule Ball with him? Can't you just work on different parts so you don't have to be around each other."
Rolling here eyes at Ron, Hermione sighed, "No, McGonogall said that Draco and I have to work on it together 'to provide an example of unity for the younger students.' I don't want to but it comes with the territory. And don't talk with your mouth full."
Waffle paused midway to his already overflowing mouth, Ron's eyes scrunched together in his normal look of confusion and said, "Did you just call Malfoy 'Draco'? Are you two getting cozy or something?" Harry and Ginny paused in their previous conversation and looked over at Hermione.
"What! It's Malfoy, come on. It was just a slip of the tongue!" Hermione felt slightly uncomfortable as she remembered her feelings from last night when Draco had said her name and the way her heartbeat had sped up when he had been staring at her legs this morning. Were they getting cozy? Harry looked doubtful as he gestured for her to pass the pumpkin juice to him and Ron looked as if his bushy haired friend had committed a felony.
As Hermione leaned forward to hand the jug to Harry her cloak accidentally dipped into her plate of food and Hermione took it off to use a quick cleaning spell on it.
"Why are you wearing a Slytherin cloak?"
Hermione glanced up bewildered at Ron's question until she looked down and noticed the green lining of the cloak with silver snakes embroidered around the edges. Her mouth dropped open as she realized that she was holding Draco's cloak. She had forgotten to give it back to him last night and it seemed she had mistaken it for one of hers this morning.
Swallowing a lump in her throat, Hermione looked up to find half of the Gryffindor table watching her as she searched for an answer. "I borrowed it."
Ron, who had stopped eating finally, tried to grab the cloak but Hermione pulled it away from his searching grasp. Ron said frustrated, "Who could you have borrowed it from? You never talk to anyone in Slytherin so why…" Ron's voice faded as a look of understanding dawned on his face and
Hermione quickly said, "Now Ron. I was cold on the train and Draco let me borrow his cloak. That's all…not a big deal."
Hermione could see Ron's fingers grip the edge of the dining table in anger and waited for the inevitable. "Bloody hell! Not a big deal? If you were so cold you should have borrowed mine or Harry's robe. Not…Malfoy's. Why the hell would he be nice to you? He hates all of us! You shouldn't trust him or he'll try to take advantage of you."
Before Hermione could get a word out, a cold voice came from behind her and she turned to see Draco's imposing form standing mere inches from her. "You've got one thing right, Weasley. I can't stand you or Scarhead but you're wrong about me hating Hermione. She's proof that not all Gryffindors are a total disgrace. As far as she and I are concerned you can keep your snout out of our business."
Ron looked flabbergasted as the entire hall grew quiet but he continued on with his ranting. "Business? What kind of 'business' would the two of you have together? She's not interested in you and she never will be."
Hermione saw a strange spark flare up in Draco's eyes and before she could do anything he had pulled her to his chest. Strong arms circled her waist as she felt her feet lift of the ground slightly and she instinctively circled her arms around his neck. Draco's lips crashed down on her own in a kiss that was both demanding and gentle at the same time. All thoughts floated out of her head as Draco deepened the kiss and her body melted like butter into the muscular body holding her. All of a sudden cool air hit her face as Draco released his hold on her and stumbled to the side.
A furious looking Ron advanced on the blond Slytherin and it was all Harry could manage to hold him back. "What the hell was that?"
Despite looking slightly dazed, Draco managed to growl, "That is the 'business' we have together. Obviously, you're huge nose does not need to be involved."
Harry lost control of Ron at that point and the Gryffindor lunged. Draco shoved his fist into Ron's nose causing Ron's forehead to bash into the Slytherin's mouth. Hermione gazed in horror as Ron sank to the ground with blood dripping from his face and her stomach lurched when she saw Professor Snape stalking towards them, black robes flapping behind him. The group had obviously made quite a scene in the middle of breakfast and Hogwarts' resident bat was swooping in on his prey.
"Stop this at once! Potter, take Mr. Weasley to see Madame Pomfrey this instant and fifty points from Gryffindor for inciting a riot."
Harry groaned at that and pleaded, "But professor it was Malfoy's fault…"
"Nonsense Potter. Don't go blaming innocent students for Weasley's out of control temper. He ought to be expelled for attempted murder but I think a week's worth of detention should suffice. Get a move on! Everyone get to class. Breakfast is over!" The noise level instantly rose as people began milling about and heading towards their classes. "I don't know what the two of you are thinking but I would expect better behavior. The Head Boy and Girl are supposed to behave like adults. I have no choice but to give you both detention in hopes that it will cure any chance of further rule breaking."
Hermione, silent till now, gaped at that and quickly said, "But professor I didn't do anything,"
"Fifty points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, for lying to a teacher. I witnessed your harlot routine with my own two eyes. Both of you will report to me Sunday evening at 6 o'clock sharp for your detentions. Do not be late." With that Professor Snape pivoted on his heel and stalked off to torment his first class of the day.
Hermione stomped over to Draco and , poking her finger into his chest, yelled, "What the hell did you do that for?" No response came from the boy and Hermione continued. "I asked you a question. Did you think it would be funny to kiss me in front of everyone? A real big joke….ha ha ha. Kiss the ugly bookworm. Well it wasn't funny!"
Hermione quickly made for the exit so she wouldn't have to hear the answer she knew was coming. She had been stupid to believe that the two of them could ever get along. Draco Malfoy could never really change. He was obviously tired of just embarrassing her about her looks and her bloodline. Now it seemed he wanted to make the fact that she had never been with anyone into a big joke as well. Hermione heardDraco call her name but she broke into a run. She was so caught up in getting away that she never heard Draco whisper softly, "It wasn't a joke."
Author's Note: I know it was a bit corny but…I've been reading too many romance novels. Anyway, I love putting Professor Snape into stories because he can say absolutely ridiculous things and it's usually funny. Please review. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed so far.