Callie here: Thank you all my reviewers. Your support is more than I could ask for and it really inspires me to write.
"I'm pleased to see you Miss. Granger. Candy?" Professor Dumbledore held the crystal dish, filled with succulent treats, out to Hermione as if this was any other normal visit. Hermione eyed the dish, before selecting a rather unthreatening looking mint. Dumbledore retrieved a piece of butterscotch and popped it in his mouth; he waited until she did the same before continuing. "However I'm rather concerned about the pretenses this visit is under. Professor Snape says that you caused total and complete chaos in his class today, is this true?"
Remembering the hooting and hollering of her enthusiastic classmates she muttered, "Yes, it's true. But it was only after Professor Snape left, the students went wild with their sudden lack of restraint, it wasn't like I did it on purpose."
"I know, I know." His eyes twinkled in that very special Dumbledorian way. "I called you here not to punish you, only to talk."
A barely audible sigh escaped from Hermione, but she still didn't understand. "What about?"
"Your future. Although you have been doing well so far, don't take this last year lightly. You might feel safe and set, but your future is not unshakable. It wouldn't be very fair to you if a teacher failed you because of an exchange of heated words?"
"Oh don't worry Professor, I would never take my future lightly; I understand the full gravity of the decisions I make. It was foolish of me to behave the way I did, and it will never, ever happen again." Hermione said this with all seriousness; it was never her intention to make a joke of such a heavy situation. She was just sick of putting up with Snapes blatant dislike for her and her friends; she wanted her last year at Hogwarts to be remembered as fun and not a grueling task.
"Very well, Miss. Hermione, you may return to your schedule now." Hermione rose at Dumbledore's command and made to leave, but she was called back. "I hope you understand that, because of Professor Snape's involvement, ten points will be taken from Gryffindor."
"Yes, Head Master, I understand." Hermione left the twinkly-eyed, wizen wizard without another word.
(Break)
Later on that night, Hermione lay on her bed unable to sleep a wink. Classes had gone by with their regular speed, with the exception of the time it took for her to explain to Harry and Ron what had happened in Dumbledore's office, and homework just as quick. Now she was bored and resulted to starring up at the ceiling and creating pictures with the funny little bumps. That was the state she was in when someone began to knock on her door.
To her disbelief it was Draco clad in sweat pants, and only sweat pants, leaving his chest exposed and those delicious pieces of flesh called love handles (you girls know what I mean). Hermione ate the sight up like candy.
"You like what you see Granger." Linking his thumb around his pant's elastic waistline, he taunted her with a little more exposed skin.
Goodness, those love handles were to die for. The rest of him wasn't that bad either. He wasn't bulging muscle, but he did have that firm tautness that you look for in a guy. Hermione shook her head snapping out of her reverie. "What do you want Draco?"
"Touchy, touchy." He clucked, relinquishing his seductive pose for an impassive one by leaning against the doorframe. "Where's your friend Rowna?"
Hermione couldn't contain the laughter that bubbled up at this simple question, so she let it spill freely unaware of Draco's threatening glance. This was the last thing she thought he would ask, and she wasn't sure how to explain it; but she did, very simply. "Rowna was just Ron in a dress."
Draco seemed to contemplate this quietly, his face displaying a mixture of dignified worry and shock. "No wonder she looked so familiar." He finally stated.
Again Hermione fell into an endless abyss of unexplained laughter, while Draco just watched passively. "I'm sorry," She paused to fill her lunges with air, afraid that they'd explode from all this laughter, "I'm sorry, it's just so funny." Regaining her composure she looked at him with all seriousness, despite the smile that twitched at her mouth. "Is there anything else I can do for you Draco?"
At this his eyebrows rose deviously, and she shrank away wishing she could rephrase the question. "Actually, if you would accompany me to my room."
"I don't think so Draco." She made to shut the door, but he stopped her.
"Come on Granger, just for a little while. I just want to talk, no lie." He held up his hand, palm out, as if declaring a boy scout's oath.
His hair was rumpled uncharacteristically, and a boyish grin was plastered to his face; how could she ever refuse.
"Alright, but just for a bit."
At her submission, his gray eyes gleamed with a new fervor.
Hermione wasn't surprised to see that Draco's room was an exact replica of her own, with only a few exceptions. These exceptions included a black snake that hung on the wall instead of a lion's head; the west wall that was glass plated to open onto the Quidditch Pitch unlike Hermione's East; and the smell, it smelled of him. Minty and chocolaty.
Draco closed the door behind her and she found herself jumping, needlessly. It was her decision to come, she could've stayed away but something had lured her here and she had to deal. As if sensing her discomfort, Draco crossed the room and sat resolutely on his bed, leaving her clear passage to the door.
"I see Dumbledore wasn't hard on you." An unthreatening topic; Draco played his cards well.
"No, he advised me to invest more in my future, and then sent me on my way."
Draco rubbed his chin in thought, before saying absently, "Dumbledore knows what he is talking about, and he is fond of you and Potter."
Hermione was bewildered, who was this imposter and where was Draco.
Suddenly, Draco rolled off the far side of his bed and onto the floor with a thud. For a moment Hermione wondered if he was hurt, but then he popped up holding the book she had given him.
"I don't get it." Getting up he glanced at her self-consciously. "I tried everything the book advised. Every bloody thing, but nothing had any effect."
Hermione cocked her head to the side, as if she was studying a hard test question and looking for every possible solution. "What is wrong exactly?"
"Nothing's wrong!" The book flew across the room in his growing rage, falling to the ground dejected. Draco stared at it, anger evident in his rigid stance. "It's only-"
Hermione went forward hesitantly, and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. She watched as his muscles visibly loosened and he turned to her, seeking comfort in her presence.
"I don't know what it is, but about a week ago it started. I only thought it was an STD because that's the only reasonable explanation." He stopped, but with one look at Hermione, who was trying to pry it out of him with her eyes, he finished. "My magic's been slowly waning away into nothing. I can hardly accomplish basic spells let alone keep up in class, and it kills me to think that I may never perform magic again."
To Hermione being a witch meant a lot, that's why being called a 'Mudblood' hurt so much. Being excepted at Hogwarts had been the dawning of a new life and if she were to wake up one day to see that it had all been a dream, or have her powers suddenly whisked away, it would be devastating. She could see that devastation reflected in Draco's eyes, he was a poor crippled puppy leaving behind his whole world. A downtrodden star with no hopes of burning bright again.
"I don't know what to do, Hermione."
Feeling a desperate need to comfort she stood on her tip- toes and brushed her lips against his.
A/n: It is 1:02am so if any of this comes out wrong please don't yell, for your yelling will wake me.
A.k.a- Love handles: the delectable flesh around an in-shape guy's hips. Sculpted muscles that seem to hold up the abdominal, they are the best part of the male body (besides you know… his eyes LOL). If you have never seen them ask any fit guy to show you his stomach, look just above the hips and you are sure to see them. Wow, oh so hot!
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