Chapter 13: Beds are Burning

A/N: WICKED! Chapter number thirteen... up & running! Sorry for the wait! Took awhile to make sure this one was the way I wanted it. If that makes any sense. Alright, Ms.Sprinkles has finally written her story - If It Were Up To Me and posted it! So go read it and review it... please? It's really good! Anyways, read away my friends! REVIEW AFTER PLEASE?


Draco was sitting on the couch a week later, staring at Hermione, who was busy in her own little world of work, so she didn't notice him staring. Draco was going insane, the awkward silences that happened so often, and the fact that they hadn't said anything to each other in a week and how Hermione kept running off to Harry.

Hermione, although she was busy with work, her mind wasn't. She couldn't stop thinking about how much she missed Draco – how badly she had screwed up. She didn't know why she did it. She didn't understand why she had the sudden feelings towards Harry. I mean, Harry's my best friend, I never felt so close to anyone like how close I am with Harry but I don't love him. I love Draco… She got up randomly, looking at Draco, who was looking back at her. She just froze, starring into those piercing pale eyes – entranced. She couldn't stop looking at him. Finally she got out of the trance and walked into her room.

Draco sat there for a good twenty minutes contemplating everything. Finally, he gave in. He went and knocked on her door but she didn't say anything. He opened it, determinedly, and went in, shutting it behind him. Hermione was on her bed, sleeping. Hermione wasn't getting much sleep at night anymore. She couldn't stop thinking about Draco and how she had screwed things up.

Draco walked over and shook her gently, making her open her eyes and upon seeing Draco yelped and sat up straight. "What are you are doing?" She asked timidly. "Did I fall asleep?" Draco just stared at her.

"I came to talk to you." Hermione looked at him oddly, as though she didn't believe him, as though it were a dream. There was a moment of awkward silence before Draco broke it, "Look… I know I said some things that probably hurt you and led you to believe I didn't love you… but that's not the case… you just hurt me really badly… and Harry, the thought of you kissing him… the thought of him not stopping you, fully knowing that we were a couple… I don't get it though… Uh…" Draco said, realizing he was rambling. "I'm sorry." Hermione just gaped at him. Why is he sorry? She thought.

"And you're sorry because? Look, Draco, you have nothing to be sorry about. If it wasn't for me and my kissing of Harry, none of this would be happening now. Like you said, you only said those things because you were mad. Who made you mad? I did. I am the one who is supposed to be sorry. I am the one who is sorry. Sorry for breaking the trust you held in me, sorry for doing what I did and sorry for not trying harder to get you back. I just thought… I just thought… that it was too late." Tears sprung up in her eyes and she brushed them away quickly, trying to hide them. Hermione wasn't one to show her emotions; she thought they made her too vulnerable.

Draco motioned her to move forward and hugged her. He didn't know what all of this meant – he wasn't sure if he wanted a relationship with her anymore, but he wanted to be friends for now. "Hermione, I accept your apologies and I hope you accept mine, but I think, for now, we're better off as friends. If we're meant to be, we're meant to be… I guess we'll find out." He kissed her softly on the cheek and walked out of her room, into his. He drew a sigh of relief – being friends was better than nothing.


"Did you finish your potions homework?" Hermione asked Draco a month later. They were sitting in their common room. It had been awhile since the whole Harry-incident happened and Hermione and Draco had become rather good friends.

"Yep, did all of it last night. Stayed up half the bloody night doing it. Stupid professors, they shouldn't give us a shit load of homework in exam time!" Draco said.

"Oh well, it's not that hard." Hermione said, smirking.

"For you, brainiac." He said, throwing one of their pillows at her.

"Bugger off, ferret." She threw it back at him, sticking out her tongue.

"Hey!" He said, getting up and moving 'stealth'-like towards Hermione. She giggled and climbed off the couch, running from him. He eventually caught her, after running around the common room a couple of times, by grabbing her leg, causing her to fall down. Draco got tripped up too and nearly fell on top of Hermione, putting his arms out just in time. Now he was positioned right over top of Hermione, who laid on her back, looking into her eyes. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful they were and how beautiful she looked tonight. He moved in slowly, not thinking, and kissed her, softly. Hermione was shocked; she couldn't believe she was actually feeling those lips against hers again. When he backed away from her, she moved her head up with his and kissed him again.

He backed away quickly, not knowing what to do. Draco did indeed want this but was holding back for his own sake. She hurt you once… what's stopping her from hurting you again? He was asking himself. This is Hermione we're talking about! He got up and grabbed her hand, pulling her up. "I have to go," He said, leaving Hermione standing there.

He's teasing you! She thought. He's doing this on purpose! It was all running through her head now. I hate him! I hate him… no, no you do not! You love him. "Ugh." She said as she stormed off into the bathroom, turning on the shower to very hot. Much better. She said to herself as the hot water rushed down her body, making her shiver.


Draco was just walking… and walking… and walking. He didn't know where he was going, or why, he just had to walk. So walk he did. He finally came to his senses and headed back to the Head dorm about ten minutes later. He walked in and, of course, couldn't find Hermione. Probably went to see Potter. He said and got angry with himself for bringing that up. I need a hot bath. He headed for the washroom, slowly getting undressed on his way there. He went in, not noticing Hermione in the shower, filled their pool-sized bathtub with hot, hot water and dived in. The hot water relaxing his muscles as he swam to the other side.


Hermione looked out into the bathroom through the glass door of the shower and saw no one, but noticed the bathtub was filled. Shit. She thought, turning off the tap and grabbing a towel. "Whose there?" She called but no one answered. She went to the edge of the bathtub and looked in; she saw a figure swimming under the water… a figure with a long, tall body, blonde hair and a nice ass. DRACO! She panicked. He came up right by her foot and grabbed it, pulling her in. She landed in the bath with a huge splash. The towel, once wrapped around her body, had sunk down to the bottom. Hermione, barely touching the bottom, rose to top, gasping for air. Once she was breathing normally again she looked at Draco, "What the hell?" She said exasperated. She thanked God that the bath was foamy, or else Draco would be able to see all of her, no lies.

Draco was just laughing and went under the water. Hermione panicked again and went under with him. He was looking right at her when she opened her eyes; she gave him a very crude sign with her hands and pulled him up to the top again.

"Do not go under the water! I'm naked, damn it!" She said.

"And that is supposed to keep me from going under the water?" He said.

Looks as though someone has forgiven you, Hermione said to herself. "YES! Jeez, how am I supposed to get out of here?"

Draco was just gaping at her, with the wet hair, foamy body… Gotta think about something else… Gotta think about something else… "I won't look, I promise." He said mischievously.

"Get off of it, Draco!" Hermione started to swim to the other side, getting away from Draco. "What's with the mood changes?" She yelled, swimming away…

"Mood changed?" Draco asked, acting confused.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. 'I have to go now' after kissing me and then all of the sudden pulling me into the pool!" Hermione said, sounding annoyed.

"Oh, sorry?" He asked.

"Apology accepted. Now, I want to get out, please… don't look." She said awkwardly.

"Fine!" Draco said and faced the other way, covering his face with his hands. Hermione tried to get up off the side but slipped back in. When she finally got out she looked at Draco, who was—

"I thought I said don't look!" Hermione wailed. Turning around quickly.

"Couldn't help myself." He said, getting out of the tub himself.

"Ah! Cover up." Hermione said. She was not enjoying this at all.

"It's not like you haven't seen it before." He said, smirking.

"You're saying that the wrong way! I walked in on you naked – not my fault! Could you throw me a towel?" She said, tired of standing there naked.

"Sure." He threw one over to her and she wrapped around her body, grabbed one for himself and wrapped it around his waist. He walked up to Hermione and kissed her on the cheek, "Night." He said and walked away.

"Night." Hermione said, but Draco was already out of the room. She stood there, dumbfounded, dressed in a towel and shivering.


Hermione had already been down to eat breakfast, had a shower and was all ready when Draco woke up. He came out just in time for classes and spotted Hermione sitting at her desk, writing ferociously.

"Whatcha doing?" He asked.

"Writing a letter home." She answered shortly.

"Ready to go?" Draco asked her.

"Yeah, give me a sec." She ran into her room with the letter and came back. Draco noticed something on her finger… I took him a second to realize it.

"You're wearing my ring again." He said, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess… I decided that it was time to put it back on." She has taken it off after Draco had 'broken up' with her. She couldn't look at it without crying, but she thought that she would let of a little signal of 'I love you still and if you want to get back together I'm good with it.'

"Thanks." He said, kissing her forehead. "Shall we?" Together, unofficially a couple, they walked to Care of Magical Creatures together.


"Hermione… I think we're meant to be together. Will you be my girlfriend again?" He paused, "No, no. That sounds bad." He was pacing his room a week later trying to figure out how to ask out Hermione again. "God, why does this have to be so flipping difficult? Ugh." Draco fell back on his bed, sighing. He heard a knock on his door a moment later.

"Come in." Fully knowing it was Hermione. She came in wearing some plaid pyjama bottoms and a black tank top. "You look comfy." Draco said. He could feel the sweat dripping down his back. He was never nervous around girls, why does she have the power to make him be so… so weak?

She came and sat down beside him, just looking at him. He had to do it. He needed to do it, it was the perfect opportunity. "Okay, Hermione, I've been thinking. It's been awhile since everything happened and I thought my feelings would change but they didn't. I don't know how you feel about me anymore but I hope you feel the same. Do you want to be my girlfriend? Again?" He asked timidly.


Sorry for the cliff-hanger. Chapter 14 will be up ASAP.

Laterdays