Hogwarts' Hero

Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks to Angie chick, Tacky Socks (great name!), and mel62 for reviewing.

Special note for bk: Yes, I am Canadian. Good work. It sucks some times though, because I use Microsoft Word and it's set to American English, and I don't know how to change it. Sometimes it will change the Canadian spelling to the American spelling, and I won't notice until after I've posted. It gets pretty annoying, so I'm surprised you didn't get thrown off by the mixture I've got in here. Great detective work. You'd give Hermione a run for her money!

Ok, so now that the monstrously long author's note is over, on with the story!

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The Sorting Hat hadn't been wrong when he put Draco in Slytherin. Slytherins were scheming, slimy, devious little bastards. They weren't like Gryffindors. Oh, no. Instead of charging into to things, they planned and strategized, looking at situations from every possible perspective for the solution that was least likely to get them thrown into Azkaban.

Slytherins had plans for everything. What to do when a professor catches you cheating on a test, what to do if your girlfriend is pregnant, even what to do when your best friend turns out to be a transvestite.

If anyone bothered to get to know them, they'd realize the Slytherins were a very colourful bunch.

Slytherins also had plans for getting attention, because how could they be truly happy if their sneakiness wasn't being appreciated? Of course, no one knew what to do when someone wanted out of the spotlight. If they spent all that time getting the attention, they were going to milk it for all it was worth. So, as a Slytherin, Draco was in a very unique situation.

He wished that people would just stop talking about what he'd done, because, sooner or later, the truth would come out and that would be dreadfully embarrassing. Not to mention, it would kill his image.

Even though he had no desire for people to continue wondering what actually happened in Flourish and Blotts that day, he still didn't mind the interest. After all, how could he rob the general public of this devilishly handsome face? So, in true Slytherin fashion, Draco came up with a plan. He decided that he didn't need to completely exit the spotlight; he just had to shift it a bit.

Draco had to do something outrageous, something that would completely shock the students of Hogwarts. If he managed that, no one would ever talk about what happened in Diagon Alley again, because it would be yesterday's news and only the outcasts of the Hogwarts social scene still talked about that when something more exciting came along.

So, he knew what to do, the question was, how to do it? Although Draco was adamant about no one speaking of that fateful day ever again, he was not going to sacrifice his pride completely and do a strip tease for the Great Hall. Not subtle enough for a Malfoy.

No, he had something much more shocking in mind; he just hoped it wouldn't involve any bodily harm. She was quite testy these days.

Draco walked into the library, outwardly exuding an air of confidence, but inwardly he was nervous.

'Will it work? Or am I just going to make a royal arse of myself?' he wondered.

He walked purposefully towards the far left corner of the library, knowing that she'd be there. Professor McGonagall had assigned an essay today, and if Hermione Granger wasn't sitting at her regular table working diligently, Draco would assume the world was coming to an end.

Of course as soon as he rounded the corner of the mythical beasts section, he spotted Hermione's frizzy mass of hair at her regular table, wedged between the Witches' Rights section and the Defense against the Dark Arts section.

Perhaps the universe was trying to tell him something, but Draco didn't have time for trivialities.

Who believes any of that rubbish anyway?

Hermione didn't seem to notice his presence, so he strode up to the table and graced her with his most naughty smirk, the one he only used on special occasions.

Hermione still didn't notice Draco standing there, and continued scribbling wildly on the parchment, mumbling incoherently under her breath.

Draco sighed, exasperatedly. Other girls would have killed to see that smirk, and Hermione didn't even notice it had happened. Honestly.

'I cannot lose my concentration. I have to do this, besides it will be fun to mess with the mudblood's head a little,' he told himself.

Draco took a chair, sat down charmingly and waited until Hermione noticed he was there. Hermione ceased her writing abruptly, and looked up, confusion written all over her face.

"So, what are you working on?"

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Confusion was quickly replaced by anger, as Hermione narrowed her eyes and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Well, I should think it was obvious Granger. I've come to the library to work on McGonagall's essay. No doubt you're doing the same," Draco explained, his smirk remaining intact. He leaned back in his chair, making himself comfortable.

'He should NOT be making himself comfortable,' Hermione fumed. 'Who does he think he is to just come over here and plant his arrogant little arse at my table?'

"I don't have time for your asinine little games, Malfoy. Why don't you go make out with that cow Parkinson, and leave me be?" Hermione growled.

Malfoy clutched at his chest sarcastically. "Oh, Granger, you wound me."

Hermione made a frustrated noise and turned back to her essay, intent on ignoring him.

'If he has something to say to me, he can bloody well say it. I'm not about to waste my time with all this foolishness.'

When Malfoy didn't say anything, Hermione tensed. The table remained in silence, Hermione working on her essay, and Malfoy just sitting there, watching her.

Hermione tried to focus on what she was writing, but Malfoy's silent presence unnerved her, and she was unable to concentrate. Hermione knew what he was doing. He was waiting until she got fed up and struck the first blow.

'Well, Draco. That isn't going to happen,' she vowed.

Hermione gritted her teeth and stared harder at her essay. The silence went on. Hermione's eyebrow twitched. She wasn't giving up that easy.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Malfoy yawn. A big loud yawn that seemed to say 'I-don't-care-if-you-have-an-essay-to-finish-because-I'm-an-annoying-prat-and-I-have-all-the-time-in-the-world'

Hermione clutched her quill so hard it broke.

The silence continued, and Hermione could hear all the other students babbling away. Their chatter got louder and louder, and Hermione's breathing grew more ragged.

'Tick, tick, tick,' boomed the large Grandfather clock in the corner.

'I can't take this torture any longer. Bloody Slytherin, I'll teach him!'

Hermione looked over at Malfoy, who had an amused smile on his face.

'Kill, kill, kill,' Hermione's inner voice urged.

"Listen here Malfoy," Hermione raged, jumping up from her seat. "I've had enough of you today to last me the whole bloody year. So why don't you go on your merry way, and bother some first years, who might actually care what you have to say!"

Everyone in the library turned to see Hermione Granger towering menacingly over a seemingly innocent boy sitting at her table.

"Miss Granger!" snapped Madame Pince, coming round the bookcases to stand in front of them. "What is the meaning of this disgraceful outburst?!"

Hermione quickly adapted a deer caught in the headlights expression, and stammered, "I-I'm so s-sorry. I-I d-didn't mean to—"

"This is a warning, Miss Granger. Another episode like that and I'll be forced to ban you from the library," Madame Pince interrupted gently.

"B-b-banned . . . "

"Yes, I'm afraid so. See that it doesn't happen again Hermione."

Madame Pince gave her a pointed look, and walked back around the bookcases to return to her desk by the entrance.

As soon as she was out of sight, Hermione rounded on Malfoy. Madame Pince's warning may have stopped her from castrating Draco, but she still planned on finding out what he was up to.

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and stated angrily, "You've gotten what you wanted. I was completely humiliated and now you have my attention. So, out with it."

She said this in a commanding tone, but she was completely unprepared for the reaction her words caused.

Malfoy stood suddenly and neared her with a completely evil look in his eyes.

If Hermione hadn't been so shocked, she would have pulled away as Malfoy's face drew closer and closer to hers. No, really. She would have.

It took a moment for Hermione' brain to register what was going on. When it did, she realized that Malfoy's lips were on her own, doing something that had to be illegal.

Hermione hastily pushed Malfoy away, but she hadn't been quick enough.

Hermione could hear shocked whispers about what had just happened from all corners of the library. She gaped at Malfoy in shock.

He smiled and said, "Thanks, Granger. Now maybe everyone will stop talking about what happened in Diagon alley."

Malfoy winked at her and exited the library, with a cheery bounce in his step.

Hermione looked around at the students in the library, silently praying that they wouldn't tell anyone.

Of course, the whole of Hogwarts knew what had happened by supper.

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When Hermione entered the Great Hall it was as if time stopped. No one dared move as the Gryffindor scurried over to her table and sat down with her friends.

As soon as Hermione was seated, heated whispers filled the Great Hall.

Hermione glanced over at the Slytherin table just in time to see Malfoy smirking at her.

Just bloody perfect.

"Where have you been Hermione?!" Ron demanded as soon as she sat down.

"I've been in the library—"

"Yes, we know," Ginny interjected. "Did you and Malfoy really—"

"Please! I'm eating!" Harry interrupted.

Ginny turned back to Hermione and asked, "Well?"

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Parvati from her other side.

"Is Malfoy as good a kisser as they say he is?" Parvati asked earnestly. Seeing the enraged look on Hermione's face, she hastily added, "Not that I want to kiss him. After all, he is your boyfriend Hermione."

"He's your what?!" Ron shrieked, spraying chewed bits of chicken all over the table.

"Eww, Ron! Gross!" Lavender exclaimed from Parvati's left.

Hermione looked at the expectant looks on her friends' faces. They were waiting for her to deny what had happened, but she had no idea what to say. So, she did the only thing she could do.

She ran.

Hermione jumped up from the table and sprinted out of the Great Hall.

It had only taken 30 bloody seconds for her to suffer a complete mental breakdown. Just great.

As soon as she made it through the big oak doors, she ducked down the nearest hallway, and hid in one of the niches in the wall.

'This is all Malfoy's Fault!' she spat bitterly, sinking to the floor. 'What did he mean "now maybe people will stop talking about what happened in Diagon Alley"?'

And then it clicked.

'Malfoy doesn't want people talking about what happened in Diagon Alley because he doesn't want people to find out what happened,' Hermione realized. 'This is just a ploy to get people to stop talking about it!'

This was just what Hermione was looking for. She needed revenge for what Malfoy did to her today, and she knew exactly how she'd get it.

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As Hermione plotted in the corridor, a pair of bright eyes in the Great Hall twinkled, formulating a plan of their own.

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A/N: So, was it worth the wait? Gah! I hope you liked it. Make sure you review and let me know;)