Chapter Four:
Harry and Hermione
"Where the hell were you, Hermione?" Ron demanded, when Hermione showed up in the Gryffindor common room that night. For the rest of their time stuck in the room, Draco and Hermione had talked about everything and worked on their Potions project. Hermione had made a point of not allowing herself to spend too much time with him, because the strange feeling that was forming inside of her grew stronger with every smile they shared.
"Malfoy and I got into a fight. A curse went wrong and we got stuck in our studying room for twenty-four hours," Hermione explained, quickly. She was willing to get the memory out of her system as fast as possible. Especially the last half hour. The last thirty minutes they had together would need to be exterminated. Forgotten. Pushed to the furthest corner of her mind. She wasn't thinking clearly then. She said things that she shouldn't have said. It's not like she meant any of it...or did she? Shaking her head to purge her mind of these potentially dangerous thoughts, she muttered an excuse about needing to go to the library. Walking swiftly through the hallways actually worked as a stress reliever. She was calmed down by the time she walked in the library doors. Feeling suddenly safe and secure in her most favorite place on earth, she settled down in her usual armchair to read. It was after eleven when Madame Pince announced to her that she needed to lock up the library. Hermione, with reluctance, put down her book and left. On her way back to the Gryffindor tower, she heard footsteps traveling up the stairs to the Astronomy tower. She narrowed her eyes. Students weren't supposed to be out of their dormitories at this hour. Glancing down at her Head Girl badge, Hermione decided that it should be her responsibility to make sure this student wasn't getting into any trouble. Quietly, she followed them. She kept a safe distance behind and carefully trailed him all the way up to the top of the tower. She slipped out into the brisk night air and watched the dark figure that was leaning against a stone pillar, looking up at the stars. It was clear that the student wasn't up to any mischief, but he seemed so familiar.
"Do you often stalk random people around the castle at night, Granger?" Malfoy's voice drawled. Hermione was caught off guard.
"How did you-"
"I'm a Slytherin. I know everything cunning and sly."
"Well, I guess I should be going."
"Wait. Is everything going to be awkward now because of my question?" Hermione fell silent. Her efforts to not think about his question were apparently futile.
"Can we just forget that ever happened?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because your answer meant a lot to me."
"I hate to break it to you, Malfoy, but I'm sure I didn't mean what I said." Draco's face fell slightly. He was usually rather good at concealing his emotions.
"You're lying, and you know it."
"No, Malfoy. I don't believe I am. So let's just forget anything ever happened."
"But-"
"No buts. Do me this one honor." Draco looked like he wanted to protest, but decided against it. He nodded slowly and returned to stargazing.
"Good night, mudblood," He muttered through the darkness. The familiar feelings of intense hatred filled Hermione's veins. She smiled. Everything was going to be all right. Draco remained on the top of the Astronomy tower and watched Hermione leave. He shook his head, confused and disappointed. What would happen now? Would they just resume being jerks to one another? It didn't seem right after they had made such a break through in the twenty-four hours together.
"Hermione?" Harry waved his hand in front of Hermione's face. She blinked and smiled apologetically at her best friend. They were sitting in a secluded corner of the library on a cozy couch.
"Sorry, Harry."
"That's the third time you've spaced out on me. Is something wrong?"
"No."
"Are you sure? You've been weird like this for the past week," Harry pressed. Don't make the connection, Hermione pleaded in her head. Don't remember how Malfoy and I got trapped in a room together one week ago today.
"I'm just feeling a little stressed, that's all."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Harry replied, moving so he could massage her shoulders. Her skin tingled under his fingertips. A confused expression crossed her face. Do I like Harry?
"Are you excited for the Halloween Ball?" He asked, carefully. He had to be careful in his attempt. Hermione sighed. She had forgotten all about the Halloween Ball.
"I haven't given it much thought. I probably won't go anyway."
"Even if someone asked you?" Hermione snorted at this.
"Who would ask me? I'm a know-it-all book worm."
"Maybe I like know-it-all book worms," Harry continued, cautiously. Hermione went rigid and turned her head slowly. Her eyes met with the emerald ones of her best friend.
"Are you-"
"Yes. Do you want to go to the ball with me?"
"Oh, Harry, I don't know. How would Ron feel about it?"
"Ron's going with Lavender. They'll spend the entire night in an empty classroom." Harry held his breath, hoping that she'd say yes. Ever since Hermione had began to grow into a gorgeous figure, Harry had beheld her in a new light. She was no longer his best friend. She was his love interest. He admired everything she did. He paid special close attention to everything she said. He even pretended to not understand Transfiguration just so she'd stay up late to help him. Unfortunately, his infatuation went unnoticed by her. She still looked at him as a brotherly figure. Harry was determined to change that. Now.
"Please say yes, Hermione."
"O-okay," She replied, shakily. Harry leaned forward and gently brushed his lips against hers. An electric current passed through her body, and before she knew it, she and Harry were locked in an impassioned embrace. A particularly loud pop from the fireplace jolted them both apart. A warm fuzzy feeling occupied Hermione's stomach as she stared at Harry. How could her feelings for him have gone ignored for so long? He stroked her cheek with soft fingers and smiled at her.
"Don't even ask me how long I've wanted to do that."
"Are you sure Ron won't be mad?"
"He'll understand. I promise," Harry shifted on the couch so he could wrap his arms around her. Hermione rested her head on his chest and sighed with contentment. A loud crash came from an aisle of books, and she caught a glimpse of a tall blonde stalking out of the library. She didn't let it bother her. She was happy with where she was and who she was with. For the first time in a week, Hermione thought nothing of Draco Malfoy. Unfortunately, Draco Malfoy was thinking constantly about Hermione. Seeing her curled up against Harry Potter in the library was a sight that sickened him. If he had stayed a slight bit longer, he would have thrown up. He just wanted to grab Potter by the collar and punch the living shit out of him. But why? The answer was obvious, but it was also being denied by his entire being. There was simply no way he could accept the only plausible explanation. He couldn't. Wouldn't. He slowed his pace as he neared the front doors to the school. It was late. Far after hours. No student, not even the Head students, was permitted to leave the building at night. Deciding that he really didn't care, he burst into the darkness of night. The cold October wind stung his cheeks and brought tears to his eyes. The school grounds looked so different at night. The Forbidden Forest was just a dark mass looming at the bottom of an incline. The lake was a sheet of glass, broken every so often by the giant squid. The Whomping Willow was still and looking very ominous. The part about night that Draco enjoyed the most was the sky. He glanced upward and was taken aback. The amount of stars visible was incredible. There were enough for everyone on the planet to have three. The moon was a brilliant orb, shedding the eerie blue light on the grass. The serenity of night was just the thing Draco needed to sort out his feelings. One week ago, he and Hermione had been stuck in that room together. It was probably the greatest day of Draco's life, even when he thought it would be the worst. Who would have thought that twenty-four hours could have done it? If that had happened a few years ago, they could already be dating by now. Not that Draco would want to date her. She is, after all, a mudblood. Father would never approve. Lucius is dead, Draco. He reminded himself. Even with his father passed away, Draco still felt like he was under his control. He straightened up suddenly. A sound behind him. If he was caught, it would be more detention than ever before.
"You're going to get in trouble," Hermione's voice cut through the silence.
"So are you."
"Not if you come back inside with me right now."
"Why? What concern is it of yours?"
"I'm just trying to help you by keeping you out of trouble. You could at least show me the slightest hint of respect." Draco turned to face her.
"You haven't forgotten either."
"Excuse me?"
"One week ago today. You can't forget it, can you?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Malfoy. I've already forgotten it. In fact, Harry has asked me to go to the Halloween Ball with him. I suggest you get over it as well."
"What is there to get over? Nothing ever began."
"You contradict yourself very often, do you realize that? Well, I'm going inside now. If you don't follow me, then I hope you get caught," Hermione finished and started walking away.
"You don't mean that," Draco called after her. She stopped walking, then continued without saying a word. Draco sighed and took one more glance up at the stars. Then he followed her into the castle. She turned and gave him a victorious smirk before going up the stairs. Draco watched her until she was out of sight. Why did she plague his existence so? Why did he get tangled in her web? And why did he have to kiss her one week ago today?
Hermione spent hours preparing for the Halloween Ball. She and Ginny laughed and joked around the entire time. Hermione had gone with the Greek goddess approach, while Ginny had chosen to be a vampire.
"You look positively angelic, Hermione!" Ginny had exclaimed when Hermione revealed her costume. It was a cream colored satin toga with a low cut v-neck. Thin gold sandals on her feet, she spun around in front of the mirror.
"You think Harry will like it?"
"Yeah," Ginny replied quickly, trying to hide her jealousy. She, herself, had fancied Harry for many years. It hardly seemed fair to her that Hermione, the one who didn't like Harry until just now, would be the one to date him. Ginny had been patient for so long, waiting for Harry see her. That time had never come, and it was upsetting to her. But if Harry wanted Hermione, then Ginny wanted him to have Hermione. All she wanted was his happiness, even if that meant Hermione over her.
"You look great, Gin. You really do. Who are you going with again?"
"Dean."
"That's nice. He's a good guy. Excellent dancer."
"And have you seen his shoe size?" Parvati voiced her opinion as she came out of the bathroom in her robe with her hair in a towel. Hermione and Ginny laughed. "You do know what they say about guys with big shoes, right?"
"They have big socks?" Hermione offered, winking at Ginny. They lapsed into giggles again.
"What are we giggling about?" Lavender asked, entering the room in a big poofy pink dress. She had a diamond tiara nestled in her dark curls.
"Boys. What else?"
"I hear you've finally gotten together with Harry, Hermione," Lavender said, pointedly.
"I've heard you've done more than that," Parvati added in a scandalous tone. Parvati and Lavender giggled like hyenas together. Ginny tried to block them out, and Hermione blushed.
"How would you know, Parvati?"
"Through the grape vine."
"Which grape vine?"
"Well, Harry told Seamus, who told Dean, who told Claire, who told Elizabeth, who accidentally let it slip to Pansy, who broadcasted it before Divination yesterday."
"Pansy knows?" Hermione asked, horrified.
"Yeah. She was very smug about it."
"I can't believe Harry told someone about that."
"He's a guy, Hermione. They tell each other every time they orgasm," Parvati said, matter-of-factly. Lavender nodded in agreement. Hermione sighed, making a mental note to talk to Harry about it.
"Well, Ginny and I are ready to head down. We'll see you guys there."
"Later," Lavender and Parvati replied, fighting for the mirror. Hermione and Ginny headed down to the common room to meet up with Harry and Dean. When Harry saw Hermione, his jaw dropped.
"Hermione, you look so beautiful," He told her, kissing her cheek. Hermione blushed vibrantly and took hold of his outstretched hand. Ginny tried not to look at the couple. They headed down to the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table. They chatted with everyone for awhile, waiting for the ball to officially begin. Hermione suddenly felt the strange need to turn her head. The moment she did, Draco was turning his head. Their gazes clashed and held. Hermione felt her heart beat extra harshly against her chest when she discovered the agony in the gorgeous blue eyes.
"Hermione?" Harry nudged her.
"Sorry."
"Do you want to dance?"
"Sure," She replied, standing up. She cast another glance back to where she had seen Draco. He was gone. Pushing thoughts of the blonde Slytherin from her mind, she tried to concentrate on dancing with Harry. Her focus failed and she stepped on Harry's toes five times. Sore and frustrated, Harry pulled her off the dance floor and into the entrance hall. There were scattered couples around, talking or kissing.
"Let's go somewhere more private," Harry suggested, taking Hermione outside. The air was brisk, and Hermione's toga was not providing her with much coverage. Harry wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply. Hermione pushed him away gently.
"Harry, can we talk about something?"
"Sure," He replied, as though sensing he was in trouble.
"Why did you tell Dean about the library?"
"What?"
"Please don't pretend to not know what I'm referring to, Harry. I'm not an idiot."
"Okay, sorry. I don't know why I told him. I didn't think it would be such a big deal."
"Harry, do you know what a grape vine is?"
"Uh...a vine of grapes?"
"It's a chain. You tell someone, they tell someone, then that person tells someone else. Through this grape vine, someone you don't like could find out something you don't want them to know."
"I don't get it," Harry mumbled. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Someone eventually let it slip to Pansy."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Were you not in Divination when she announced it to the class?"
"Me and Ron cut Divination yesterday."
"Harry-"
"I know, I know. Cutting is bad and I shouldn't be doing it. Can we talk about something good now?"
"Like...?"
"Like this." Harry pressed his lips against hers with passionate intensity. Hermione was stunned for a moment, but responded soon enough. She wasn't sure how long they had been kissing before she felt a hand slid down the front of her toga. The v-neck left her chest all too vulnerable. She shifted uncomfortably, hoping Harry would get the message and stop. Unfortunately, he just kissed her with increased ferocity and massaged her breasts with his cold hands. No...stop, Harry! Hermione was screaming in her head. She couldn't bring herself to push Harry away, no matter how uncomfortable she got. Harry lowered himself to kiss her neck and breasts.
"Harry, I-" She trailed off, gasping as he suckled on her nipple. His hands now gripped her lower back, pressing her tightly against his stiff erection. The front doors to the school creaked open, and Harry immediately stopped kissing. Hermione sighed with relief and readjusted her toga, which had been splayed open. Another couple hurried outside and stumbled to the ground, kissing and laughing. Hermione saw a strange look in Harry's eyes. He wanted to do that sort of thing with her. An uneasy feeling surrounded Hermione, and she made a quick excuse to go to the bathroom. She locked herself in a stall and cried.
Draco was walking sullenly back to the Slytherin dormitories when he (coincidentally) saw Hermione walking up the stairs, wiping her eyes. He stopped dead and thought. Should I go after her? Deciding quickly, he hurried up the stairs after her. He grabbed her arm gently.
"Hey." When he looked into her eyes, he could still see the best half hour of his life.
"Well we've made it twenty-three and half hours without fighting. To top it off, we were talking the entire time. Someone owes me a question of my choice," Draco stretched out on the couch.
"I hate to admit it. You're right. Do your worst."
"All right. My question has two parts. First of all," He paused for dramatic emphasis, "at any point in the past twenty-three and half hours did you wonder what it would be like to kiss me?" Hermione blushed and continued staring into the fire.
"Do I have to answer that?"
"Yes. You promised you would." Hermione closed her eyes and tried to imagine she was answering another sort of question.
"Yes."
"Part two...do you want to find out?" Hermione's eyes flew open and she stared at Draco, questioningly.
"Right now?"
"Right now." He got up and stood directly in front of her. Hermione looked down at the floor, trying to hide her anxiety and desire. Draco lifted her chin with a gentle finger and kissed her softly on the lips. It was over as soon as it began, leaving them both hungry for more. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him once more. Draco's arms surrounded her waist and pressed them close together. Neither of them considered the effects that their passion would have on their future.
"Oh, Malfoy. You scared the crap out of me." Hermione looked down to avoid thinking about a certain twenty-four hours.
"Sorry...are you all right?" He asked, eyeing her tear stained eyes and red cheeks. She looked down at the floor and sighed.
"I'm fine."
"You're a liar. A bad one, at that."
"Just leave me alone, Malfoy."
"No."
"Why not?"
"I want to know that you'll be okay." Hermione eyed him strangely.
"I'll be fine."
"Really?"
"Really...thank you for asking."
"Anytime," Draco replied, reluctantly releasing her arm. "If you need to talk about anything, I'll be in the library until midnight." He walked away, leaving Hermione puzzled. Was that an invitation? Slowly, Hermione began climbing the stairs. Then faster. Then even faster. She was practically running when she reached the Fat Lady.
"What's the rush, dearie?"
"I'm meeting someone." When Hermione reached the girl's dormitories, she changed out of her toga and into a pair of dark blue pajama pants with a baby blue sweat shirt. She stepped into a pair of white flip flops and hurried through the corridors to the library. As soon as she burst through the doors, she saw him. He was standing directly in front of her with a smug sort of smile on his face.
"So what happened?"
"Pardon?"
"Why were you crying?" Hermione looked down.
"Can we sit?" She asked. Draco nodded and moved to sit down on a couch. Hermione sat down next to him and stared into the fire. "I'm going out with Harry."
"You poor thing. That would be enough to make me cry, as well." Hermione shot him a warning glance and he quickly shut up. "Sorry. Go on."
"He's taking things...a little too fast for my taste."
"Can't you tell him that? You're good enough friends."
"That's why I can't tell him. What if I ruin everything by saying something?"
"If he'd dump you just because you wouldn't let him fool around, then he's not good enough for you. You need to tell him that you're not comfortable with it."
"I guess...but I don't know what I should say?"
"You could go short and sweet by saying, 'Get your fucking hands off my C's'."
"C's?"
"You're at least a C, aren't you?" It took a moment for Hermione to understand that he was referring to her bra size. When she did, she blushed and nodded.
"I don't want to be mean, though."
"Okay...'Please get your fucking hands off my C's." Hermione laughed. Draco looked into her eyes when she laughed, and he was positive that that was the moment when he fell in love with Hermione Granger.
"See, it's easier for me to just deal with it."
"No it's not. What if he tries something even further than what he already has?"
"He wouldn't."
"No? Did you think he'd grope you like he did?" Hermione felt silent, realizing he was right. Then she paused to look at him.
"Why were we never friends?"
"We didn't have time between cursing and making fun of one another."
"Oh yeah...it's a shame."
"You think?"
"I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have this conversation with."
"Isn't this what you have girl friends for?"
"Usually...but Ginny's been acting weird for the past few days."
"Did you ever think that it has to do with the fact that she's had her eye on Harry since she first came to Hogwarts? And now one of her closest friends has the man she's been after."
"I've never thought of it that way..."
"You do need me as a friend. You're completely lost without me." Hermione snorted at this.
"I've been getting along fine without you." Draco shook his head, smiling.
"Denial."
"It is certainly not denial! I'm very happy with the way I've controlled my social life."
"And yet you're here, talking to me about a feisty boyfriend."
"Yes...I mean, no. I mean-"
"Way to set yourself up for that one."
"All this banter is making me tired. I'm going to be heading to bed."
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah."
"Don't forget to tell Potter hands off."
"I won't," Hermione promised, swearing to herself that she would do it, no matter what. She hated to admit it, but Draco was right. She had to stop it now before Harry did something even further.
"Good night," Draco smiled at her and left the library. Hermione went her separate way and started to think about how weird that conversation had just been. She had just voluntarily told Draco Malfoy something personal, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. Even worse than that, he made her feel better about everything.
The morning after the Halloween Ball, Hermione woke up with a head ache. She winced as she sat up in her bed. Quickly, she hurried to the bathroom and downed some Advil. Softly, she returned to her bed. Unfortunately she could not go back to sleep. The clock read six thirty-four. Giving up on sleep, she changed into a pair of dark blue jeans and a pale yellow sweat shirt. The Gryffindor common room was completely vacant. She left the tower and began wandering around the corridors. She didn't know precisely where she wanted to go. The library wasn't opened until Madame Pince arrived at seven. A sudden thought came to her and she hurried up a flight of stairs. A few staircases later, Hermione was at the study room.
"Good morning, Ferris."
"What are you doing up at this dreadful hour?"
"I can't sleep."
"Send for a house elf to bring you a glass of warm milk. They'll deliver straight to this room."
"That's all right. I think I'll just read a book."
"Whatever you please, Miss Granger," Ferris replied, opening the door. Hermione thanked him and stepped inside. Poking through the bookcases, she discovered a delicate looking book with blank pages. Hermione quickly adopted this book to be her diary. She performed some security charms to make sure that no one would be able to read it. Then she took out her quill and began writing.
Dear Diary,
Harry and I are going out. I'm not sure whether I should be happy or not. Harry has been a wonderful friend to me, and I'm scared that if our relationship doesn't work out, we won't have the same friendship we had before. And that's not even my biggest concern. Harry is turning out to be a lot different when we're dating than when we're friends. Every time we're alone now, he jumps all over me, and does things that make me extremely uncomfortable. You'll never guess who I went to for advice on this subject. Malfoy. Yeah, I can't even believe it myself. Draco Malfoy. The one who has called me so many nasty names for six years is suddenly my strongest confidant. It's strange. He doesn't tease me anymore. At least not brutally. On occasion he'll make fun of my study habits, but he has stopped calling me a mudblood. He's stopped tormenting Gryffindors in general now that I think about it. This has been on my mind for awhile. Is it at all possible that Draco Malfoy is in love with me? Can it even be an option? This question I cannot answer, and I doubt he'd be able to answer it either. The more I began to think about his feelings for me, I started to delve into my feelings for him. I'm not sure I can deal with the results I have found...
Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were walking to Care of Magical Creatures one cold November morning. They had class with the Gryffindors, as fate would have it. Draco didn't mind it so much any more. It gave him more of an opportunity to admire Hermione from afar. Crabbe and Goyle were too busy playing with a cricket they found on the ground to notice that Draco was miles away. They did notice, however, that when Ron got bit by a Kneezle, Draco didn't even laugh. On a normal occasion, Draco would have been on the ground laughing at Ron's misfortune. He would have made a nasty comment or two about the economic status of the Weasley family, but not anymore. He didn't feel like making fun of the Gryffindors. Maybe they weren't so bad after all.
"Draco?" Crabbe grunted.
"What?" Draco snapped, annoyed that Crabbe had yanked him out of his reverie.
"Weasley just got bit by a Weezle." Draco smirked at the stupidity of his so-called friend. It's a kneezle, you twit!
"So?"
"Aren't we going to make fun of him?"
"No," Draco replied shortly, trying to get rid of Crabbe so he could return to daydreaming.
"Why not?"
"Do you need a reason for everything, you dolt?"
"No, but I was just thinking-"
"You're not supposed to think, Crabbe, you'll hurt yourself." Crabbe fell silent, trying to decipher what Draco had meant by that. Draco rolled his eyes and went to stare at Hermione. She was staring back at him, personally shocking Draco. He didn't break the gaze. He just waited. She wouldn't break it either. It was as though both of them were trying to see if something was there, and they longer they stared, the more they'd understand about themselves. Harry nudged Hermione, and the gaze shattered.
"What's wrong, sweet heart? You seem dazed."
"I'm just tired, Harry."
"Rest up, Hermione. Don't forget about our date tonight." Draco overheard the exchange and saw the wince in Hermione's reaction. She tried to give Harry a weak smile. It was pathetic, but Harry accepted it and kissed her on the cheek. Fury boiled in Draco's stomach. Harry put his hands on her hips and rubbed gently. Draco was close to breaking. A finger slid beneath the waist line of her jeans. Draco couldn't stand it. From Hermione's uncomfortable shifting, it was obvious that she couldn't either. God! Is Potter the only one who doesn't notice that she doesn't like that kind of crap? Draco thought, angrily. Thinking fast, not logically, Draco marched over and shoved Harry aside as he passed. He made it seem like he was just pushing him for the hell of it, but only Hermione and Draco knew the true intention. Harry whipped around and glared at Draco.
"What the hell is your problem, Malfoy?"
"You, Potter, and your meaningless existence," Draco retorted. He glanced at Hermione who was pleading with him to stop before something physically happened. Unfortunately, he was far too pissed off the cool down.
"Go to hell, Malfoy. Have a father-son reunion." Draco threw a solid punch at Harry. It hit him square in the nose, and blood spurted everywhere. Harry, stunned for a moment, glared at Draco and lunged at him.
"Stop it!!!" Hermione screeched. She grabbed Harry's robes and pulled him back, with help from Ron and Seamus. Hagrid was gone during the skirmish, so it was up to Crabbe and Goyle to hold Draco back. When he was finally calmed down, he cast a glance at Hermione. She glared harshly at him and gently tended to Harry's bleeding nose. Hagrid returned from his hut shortly after Hermione had mended Harry's wound. He began announcing everyone's partners. He had gone through the entire list and hadn't said Hermione's name.
"Hagrid, you didn't give me a partner."
"Sorry 'bout that. Let me see here...-"
"I could go myself if it's necessary."
"No, this has to be a partner activity. Oh, dear. Hermione, I'm sorry, but yeh're paired up with Malfoy." Draco watched Hagrid glance over his list again, and shrug apologetically. Hermione let her head drop into her hands. She sighed and moved over to where Draco was. Made suddenly uncomfortable, Draco struggled to find something to say.
"Nice day, isn't it?" He commented, then winced. One look at the darkened sky, and she smirked at his ridiculous comment. He narrowed his blue eyes. (A/N: hot action, right there)
"Find something funny, Granger?" He watched her eyes darken again.
"Quite, Malfoy. Quite." She had stopped smirking at him, but her eyes were still burning with mockery. A raindrop fell and landed on Draco's nose, causing Hermione to smile sarcastically at him.
"I agree. It's such a beautiful day." Hermione mocked him. He glared at her. He especially did not appreciate being made fun of.
"I didn't hear you make an attempt to start a conversation."
"I didn't know you wanted to start a conversation." Unable to reply to that, Draco snatched the scroll of parchment Hagrid was handing out.
"The firs' team to find all of the creatures on the list will get a prize."
"Well we should start our scavenger hunt now. The groups already have a head start." He started walking, and Hermione followed, still talking.
"Well we have my genius. So we are, in a sense, ahead of the others, anyway." Draco snorted at her confidence.
"Oh please. I'm smarter than you." Hermione pretended to choke as she took a sip of her water bottle. The front of her shirt was splashed with water, and it clung to her figure a bit.
"Good god, Granger, can you please control your spasms?"
"It wasn't a spasm. I was merely choking in disbelief."
"Turn left over here."
"First of all, don't order me around. Second, we should keep going straight. Hinkypunks like swamps, and the sloppy mud on the ground means we're getting close to a swamp that lies straight ahead."
"You're wrong, Granger. Hinkypunks reside in grassy thickets, which means we should go left here to get away from the swamps." He made to change direction, but Hermione grabbed his arm. A million volts of electricity surged through him, and his breath caught in his throat.
"Trust me, Malfoy, I know what I'm talking about."
"Well I know what I'm talking about!" Draco shouted back at her. No you don't, you git! Hermione released Draco's arm and sighed.
"Then you go your way. I'm going this way. I'll bet my entire fortune on me finding a Hinkypunk before you do."
"Fine!"
"Fine."
"FINE!" Draco stalked off into the trees, temper raging. He had walked about five minutes before he began to think clearly.
"Shit, what the hell am I doing?" He muttered, angrily, whipping around and rushing in Hermione's direction. A couple of raindrops hit his head, and he cursed under his breath. Pretty soon after, the rain was coming down in sheets. Soaked and exhausted, Draco continued to plod through the forest. He paused and backed up a few paces. He had definitely seen that large blue rock before. Draco kicked a tree stump in frustration and slumped down onto the rock. It was wet, but so was Draco.
"FUCK!" He shouted angrily. Then there came a rustling of leaves. Draco's head snapped up, and he glanced around. An odd sort of bird cawed loudly, and he jumped. The rustling came again, and Draco reached for his wand. He positioned himself behind a tree, and when the moving object emerged, he sprang out and pointed his wand at it.
"Malfoy, what the HELL are you doing?" A girl screamed. Through the rain, Draco could make out Hermione's confused face.
"Granger?!?" He brushed his hair out of his eyes to make sure it was her.
"Malfoy! You idiotic git! If you had just listened to me, I wouldn't have had to come looking for you. Now, it's raining, I'm freezing, and we're LOST!" She sighed and rolled her eyes. Draco thought she looked awfully cute when she was distressed.
"Well maybe if you have come with me, none of that would have happened either!"
"That's ridiculous! If we had come this way, we'd still be lost."
"But we would have been together! Two heads are better than one, you know!"
"Last time I checked, my intelligence doesn't match yours."
"It doesn't have to! Together, we're smarter than Dumbledore." By now, they were both shouting at each other, not really acknowledging the rain. Their attention was snatched, rather harshly, by a streak of lightening dancing across the darkened sky. The entire forest lit up in the moment. There was a moment of brief silence, then a deafening rumble of thunder. Hermione cringed and trembled faintly.
"All right. Let's find our way out of here." Hermione muttered. Draco nodded and took her hand, dragging her with him. They walked in silence for awhile; the occasional thunder and the rain were the only sounds. Draco increased his pace, eager to get out of the forest. Hermione had to break into a light jog to keep up. A painful cramp sliced through her left side.
"Draco- wait." She gasped in pain. Then she tripped over something on the ground and fell, her hand ripping from Draco's grasp. Draco stopped and fell to his knees beside her.
"Are you all right?" Hermione closed her eyes tightly, willing the throbbing pain in her ankle to disappear. Draco watched her face contorted with pain, and lifted her head gently into his lap. "Where does it hurt?" He held his hand above her eyes, blocking the rain so she could look at him.
"My ankle. I twisted it when I fell." He glanced down at her ankle, which was covered by black knee socks. Not wanting to removed her shoes and socks, knowing it would be a nightmare trying to put them back on, he gathered her in his arms and got up. She wasn't particularly difficult to lift, thanks to her petite figure and his muscular upper body. He continued to walk through the foliage, making mental images of where they were. Twenty minutes later, Draco recognized the same place were Hermione had tripped.
"Bloody hell." Draco groaned, collapsing onto a tree stump, still holding onto Hermione. Her hair was completely drenched and it clung to her cheeks in long, dark strands. His own blonde hair was plastered to his head, and he brushed a few irritating pieces out of his face. For a moment he considered using his wand to dry them both, but he figured they'd just get wet again, so there was no point. A particularly loud crash of thunder sent Hermione into a tremble, and Draco instinctively held her closer to him. They remained quiet, listening to the rain.
"You can't forget it either...can you?" Draco spoke suddenly. Hermione glanced up at the man holding her in his arms. His gaze was directed towards the trees, but when he sensed her looking at him, he shifted it to meet hers.
"Forget what?" Hermione asked, although she knew perfectly well what he meant. He sighed and shifted his gaze away from hers.
"You're that ashamed? You can't even acknowledge what's happening between us when we're alone?" Hermione paused. He was right. She was worrying too much about what everyone else would think that she had forgotten about what she thought.
"I'm sorry. Would it make you feel better if I told you I haven't thought of anyone else for the past week?" She watched as Draco bit his lip to keep away a smile. The action made a smile cross her own face.
"Why do you have to be so damn charming?" She accused. Draco raised an eyebrow in mock surprise.
"Me? Charming? Coming from you, Hermione, that is quite a shock." She shook her head, and droplets of water flew in every direction.
"You must know. Judging by the amount of giggling girls that visit your bedroom each year." Draco winced slightly. That wasn't quite the impression he was trying to impose upon her. Her gaze met his once more. "I'm an innocent girl, Draco. Not your whore of the week." He felt her body tensing in his arms as though she was deciding if she should get up.
"It's not like that, Hermione."
"Really? Then what is it like? I'd love to know." She stared at him, waiting for his answer. He searched into her eyes, disappointed he couldn't read her thoughts.
"I meant it's not like that anymore. I'll admit, the past few years I've been breaking hearts all over Hogwarts. But things like that are bound to happen when you're in popular demand." Hermione snorted, and Draco glared at her quickly. "I'm not into that anymore. I'm more serious this year, since it is my last." A sad glaze came across Hermione's eyes. It disappeared quickly, replaced by fire.
"I thought your last year was supposed to be fun. A last chance to do everything...or I suppose in your case, everyone." Draco stood up abruptly, catching Hermione and forcing her to stand in front of him. His hands were grasping her shoulders so tightly, Hermione gasped with pain.
"People change, Hermione. You'll never see it unless you give them a chance." He loosened his grip and made sure her weight wouldn't fall on her ankle. "So...give me a chance?" Hermione stared up into his blue gray eyes. No trace of lies or deceit. Slowly she nodded in agreement.
"One chance."
"What about second chances?" Hermione raised her eyebrows.
"If you really have changed, you won't need a second chance." There was some logic to it, Draco mused. He prayed extremely hard that he wouldn't screw up his only opportunity.
"Fine. Shall we continue on, then?" Draco nodded towards the trees. Hermione nodded and attempted to walk. She limped harshly on her bad ankle, and yelped a few times from the pain. Draco chuckled to himself. Strong as hell fire. He followed her and swept her up into his arms. She gasped in surprise, then relaxed when Draco kissed her forehead. Her robes clung to her body, outlining the feminine figure that was the envy of every girl in Hogwarts. Draco had to close his eyes a few times in attempts to block out some of the fantasies swirling through his mind. About an hour and a half later, things were beginning to seem hopeless. Draco set Hermione down on a low tree branch, and leaned up against the gnarled trunk.
"You'd think they'd have sent someone after us by now." Hermione commented.
"Maybe they did. We're just so deep in this damned forest, they can't find us." The sky, already fairly dark, was beginning to grow a deeper shade of gray as dusk approached.
"What if they don't find us before dark?" A new emotion made itself known in Hermione's voice. Fear. He'd never seen her so afraid. She had always been in charge, always knowing exactly what to do. Now...she didn't. And neither did he. Her soft brown eyes filled with tears. Draco sat on the branch with her and put his arm around her shoulders. She buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around him tightly. The rain poured down even harder than before, if that was at all possible. Draco closed his eyes, almost enjoying where he was. He could finally spend time with Hermione without being ridiculed by his fellow Slytherins. Her fragile figure shook in his arms, and he held her tighter, trying to transfer some of his body heat to her. Draco stared up at the sky that was visible through the leafy trees. It was the darkest, most threatening looking gray he had ever seen. Soon it would be pitch black, and they wouldn't have anywhere to go. He knew they'd need to find a spot to make some sort of shelter, but he didn't feel like moving so soon. He'd forgotten how wonderful it felt to hold her in his arms. He felt her breathing become slow and rhythmic. Even soaking wet and sleeping, she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He gathered her into his lap, ever so gently, and her head rested in the crook of his neck. He jumped when she kissed the wet skin of his neck, not realizing she had wakened. A warmth, starting at the place where she'd kissed him, spread slowly through his body. She looked up into his eyes and smiled.
What a better Christmas present than a ten page long addition to my fanfic? I was up really late last night trying to finish it for you guys. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Christmas!