A/N: Hey thanks to the people who R&R. Hope you enjoy Chapter Two!
Hermione's Dilemma
Chapter Two: Living Arrangements
--HERMIONE—
The sorting ceremony was quite ordinary. Each child got sorted and the house would clap as the student joined his or her table, however Hermione wasn't taking any notice. She'd always found sorting overrated.
Dumbledore congratulated Hermione and the other prefects on continuing their duties again this year. When he was finished Professor McGonagall lead them to their rooms.
'The password is serpent and lioness. Please don't forget it,' Professor McGonagall explained. 'I would like you two to behave yourselves. You aren't usually very friendly with each other,' Malfoy smirked but Hermione kept her serious expression. 'Mr. Malfoy, I might remind you that if you two don't get along, you may have your privileges taken away from you.' Professor McGonagall muttered the password and they climbed through the portrait hole.
The common room was a large room with what looked like extremely comfortable armchairs. To their right was a desk for completing homework. On the left was a long table with lots of chairs. The walls were decorated with red and silver. Red was one of Hermione's house Gryffindor's colours and silver was one of Malfoy's Slytherin colours.
'This is where your meeting will be held,' Professor McGonagall explained, pointing at a long table. 'I expect the room to be kept clean and nothing damaged.'
The three walked promptly up the stairs. They were extremely beautiful, with Quidditch patterns on one side and on the other a gorgeous white dove looked as though it were flying past.
'Through here,' Professor McGonagall continued, 'are your rooms. If you look closely your names are engraved on your door so there will be no confusion or fights. There is one bath that you will share. You may decorate your rooms in any way you like. Enjoy.'
Hermione tiptoed into her room. It was fairly big and decorated in her house colours. She had a queen sized bed and a cozy red armchair. In the corner was her trunk.
'Maybe Malfoy is worth it, for all this glamour,' Hermione thought to herself. 'Even if he is the biggest git in the history of Hogwarts!'
Hermione made her way to the common room. It was getting late and she wanted to finish another chapter or Hogwarts, A History. She danced down the stairs, pleased with her new living arrangements.
Malfoy was already sprawled across one of the couches, clearly marking his territory and making himself comfortable.
Hermione took a seat as far away from Malfoy as possible.
'You wait until father hears about this!' Draco drawled. 'Draco Malfoy sharing a dormitory with a mudblood… what is McGonagall thinking? Surely by now she's worked out your standard and my standard which are extremely different.'
'I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking letting you become a prefect. This school has higher standards to you. You don't have any respect for anyone. Nobody really likes you that much, Malfoy,' Hermione replied calmly.
She had gotten over her and Malfoy's rivalry. Hermione had grown up since their bickering days as second years.
'You're different, Granger,' Malfoy said, looking her up and down.
'You seem to have a memory problem, you said that on the train,' Hermione replied rolling her eyes.
'Yeah, but on the train I meant how you looked.'
'What do you mean now?'
'How you act,' he said simply. 'You're not a snappy little twelve year old trying to impress Potter and Weasel anymore. You don't kiss Potter's ass as much, showing him the new little spells you learned and the stuff you read about.'
'That's very observant of you Malfoy. I never thought I'd have a stalker.'
Malfoy rolled his eyes and jumped to his feet, clearly annoyed. He gave her one last annoyed look before climbing up the spiral staircase which lead to his new room.
'Night, Malfoy!' Hermione called.
To her surprise she found herself disappointed when there was no answer.
'Do you reckon I'll make the team again this year?' Ginny asked Hermione the next morning as they cuddled up to the pillows in Hermione's common room.
'Probably, you're so good at Quidditch and with Harry on the team we have nothing to worry about unless he gets injured. Gryffindor are almost foolproof with Harry,' Hermione replied.
'Yeah, but Malfoy's not terrible. He certainly has potential it's just…hidden. Is he really THAT annoying when you have to live with him, even if it has only been on night?'
Hermione had began asking herself the same question. She hated Malfoy although she couldn't help having a weird soft spot for him. He called her mudblood at every opportunity and was a smart ass but he also seemed complicated and misunderstood.
It seemed as if Draco Malfoy had so many doors waiting to be unlocked and Hermione couldn't help but wonder if she held one of the keys.
'We had an argument last night,' Hermione told Ginny in a flat voice. 'But it wasn't a vicious fight like before it was more of a playful disagreement.'
'I think someone's got a crush on a certain blonde headed Slytherin!' Ginny giggled.
'You're dreaming!' Hermione laughed.
But later that night Hermione questioned her answer. In some strange, alternate universe could she and Draco ever work? Could years of squabbles and insults be forgotten?
Hermione seriously doubted it. But the idea of her and Malfoy was still in the back of her mind and she hated it.
How could she even think of forgiving Malfoy for all the hurt he had caused herself, Harry and Ron?
Every time he'd called her mudblood Hermione had felt a sense of emptiness as if she didn't belong anywhere. She was a muggle born and it made her feel like Hogwarts wasn't her place. The word mudblood made her doubt her magical ability and question whether or not attending the school was ever really her destiny. Maybe it was just an unfortunate twist of fate?
In one part of Hermione's mind she had decided to close every thought of her and Malfoy. But in the other, unforgivable part of her mind, she couldn't stop thinking about what could be. What might be? For once Hermione was scared to find the answer.
--DRACO—
Draco had decided to spend his first day back at Hogwarts with Crabbe, Goyle, Millicent Bullstrode and Pansy Parkinson. They were eating breakfast at the Slytherin table and discussing what had happened in the holidays.
Pansy and Draco had somewhat become and item over the summer due to the frequent visits Pansy's father had made to the Malfoy Manor.
Pansy would spend hours trying to act sexy, sprawled across his bed.
'Drakie,' she'd say in a misty voice. 'Pansy misses you. Pansy wants a cuddle from her slimy snake. Pansy loves you. Come here Drakie Snaky!'
Draco found this exceedingly annoying; considering Pansy was telling him she missed him even though she was a mere meter away from him. Being nicknamed a 'slimy snake' wasn't exactly a turn on either.
He liked a girl who played a little hard to get without messing with his head too much.
Over the holidays Pansy had demonstrated to Draco what he definitely was not looking for.
But the thing Draco hated most about her was that no matter what, a part of him wanted her. Even though she was a revolting skank Draco still wanted to be with her.
Pansy was the first person who wasn't ashamed to express her love to him, no matter how sickened he felt about it.
His father didn't love him. Lucius wanted Draco so that he could become another puppet for Voldemort. To him, that was Draco's only purpose.
His mother, however, loved Draco more than life itself. Everything she did was for his benefit. Everyday she lived was so she could watch her son grow up into a young man who would respect women and treasure the power to decide whether he would be good or evil, a trait that Narcissa did not posses
Even though her love for Draco was amazingly strong, it was never shown. She never did anything to reassure Draco that someone cared what happened to him. She never told him that he was the only reason she carried on with her life for so many years.
But Narcissa's greatest fear was that he would never know.
'Draco had a wonderful time over the holidays. We spent long nights together. It was romantic…' Pansy's voice broke Draco's thoughts. 'I didn't realize how good he was until…you know?'
'You and Pansy had…SEX?' Crabbe and Goyle asked in loud voices.
'SHUTUP!' Draco hissed at them in reply.
At that moment Hermione walked passed with Ginny, raising her eyebrows at the two stupid oaf's comments.
'And NO we didn't,' Draco finished in an even louder voice than Crabbe and Goyle's.
For some strange reason he was trying to get the information to reach Hermione's ears. Draco didn't know why.
His weird feeling for Hermione had started on the train. He could help himself having a perve. She seemed so mysterious and wasn't giving Draco the satisfaction out of their arguments anymore. He liked that.
Her warm, honey-brown eyes were so welcoming and heart-warming, even though when she looked into his steely grey ones it was like she put up a protective wall. A wall that was invincible. That wouldn't let him look deep down into her.
Draco wanted to know more about her even though he knew she was out of bounds. Hermione didn't want to have anything to do with him. She probably wouldn't even care if he dropped dead right in front of her. If Draco were slipping down a cliff, she would put out a hand to save him.
Little did he know, Hermione felt the same way.
Neither of them knew they had a hidden ability to mesmerize each other. How would they know that they could stare into each other's eyes and find the answers to all their problems?
'That Hermione, she's got a nice ass, hey Seamus. Wouldn't mind getting me a piece of that!' Dean droned.
'She's not bad, that Hermione. I wouldn't mind tapping her either. She'd be a real trooper in the bedroom I reckon! Have a go, Dean. She'd give you one!' Seamus chuckled.
'Yeah, I might give her a go…' Dean concluded before him and Seamus scuttled away.
Draco experienced something that he rarely felt at that moment. He could feel himself becoming protective over Hermione. He had only felt this way once before and that was toward his mother.
He was so jealous of Dean. He was jealous that maybe Hermione would consider going out with him. He wanted Hermione and he didn't care how weird he was beginning to sound.
'Malfoy, can you make at least a little effort to keep this place tidy?' Hermione sighed throwing a sock at him. 'McGonagall won't tolerate us leaving this place in a mess!'
'Wouldn't want to get into trouble, would we now, Granger?' Draco sneered in reply.
Hermione plonked herself down on the couch and began reading a magazine she had left on one of the coffee tables. Draco couldn't see what it was titled but it was purple and green in colour.
'Do you reckon my hair looks better straight or curly,' Hermione asked him, half in a daze.
'What?' Malfoy asked in with a half laugh. What was Hermione thinking asking him this?
'Oh, sorry, thought you were Ginny,' Hermione said suddenly, her face growing hot.
She could feel her cheeks burning as Draco sat in is armchair, a thoughtful expression on his face.
The silence that had overcome them was making Hermione feel uncomfortable.
'Straight,' Draco said suddenly.
Hermione peered over the top of her magazine and studied him for a few seconds.
Her eyes found a thin, white scar on his chest that his school robes usually covered. But sitting on the couch in his pajamas it was in clear view.
'What's that from?' she asked curiously, her finger outstretched, pointing to the scar.
To Hermione it seemed insignificant, but at the question Draco seemed somewhat annoyed.
'Mind your own business, Granger,' he snapped and once again followed the stairs to his room and fell asleep, thoughts of Hermione's dazed face swimming around in his head.
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