The Room of Necessity

Disclaimer: If I owned Rowling, you'd be impressed. But I own nothing, so don't be stressed!

I know, that was sad, wasn't it? Oh well, at least you know I own nothing except for the plot.

Chapter Seven

Earlier that day:

"What do mean she's not here!" Lavender placed a reassuring hand on Ron's arm.

"It's really nothing to worry about."

"But you're sure that she didn't sleep here last night." That was Harry. As soon as morning had come, both boys had gone and sat in front of the entrance to the girls' dorms in the hopes that Hermione would come out. Instead, the first female they had met was Lavender Brown, and after pouncing on her they had discovered some distressing news. She had seen no sign of Hermione, whose bed had remained unslept-in all night.

"Don't worry guys; she probably fell asleep in the library or something." Seeing Harry and Ron looking unsure, she hooked both of her arms through theirs and began to lead them towards the portrait hole.

"C'mon you two, lets have some breakfast and if she isn't there and didn't sleep in Ginny's room, then we can go on a search." At the mention of food Ron perked up a bit and hopped out of the common room through the portrait hole, followed closely by Lavender. Harry lingered, sweeping the common room with his eyes once more before leaving.

10 minutes later:

In the great hall, Ron was choking and being whacked on the back by Harry, who was apologising fervently. When Ginny had finally entered for breakfast, Harry had jumped up to greet her and had knocked Ron who – as always – had put too much food into his mouth and had begun to choke on his Cheerios.

"Here." Swiftly Ginny had come to the rescue by filling a glass with pumpkin juice and putting it into Ron's hand. Eventually she even had to help him drink it.

As his coughs subsided he turned to glare at Harry, but out of the corner of his eye he spotted some pain au chocolat, so settled for eating that instead. Meanwhile, Harry had turned to Ginny in earnest.

"Gin, have you seen 'Mione recently?"

"Not since yesterday, why?"

"Well, Ron had a… nightmare about her last night and we were looking for her. According to Lav," Harry nodded his head further down the table to where Lavender was sitting with some friends. "Hermione didn't go back to her room last night and we were hoping she'd stayed with you."

At first Ginny's eyes widened with worry but a moment later they were twinkling with mischief, her eyebrows raised and a smirk plastered over her face.

"What kind of dream did you say you had Ron?"

Ron gulped down his mouthful and shook his head violently.

"Nightmare. Nightmare. Nightmare. It was definitely a nightmare." He corrected, now nodding. "It was… horrible." His ears turned a shade of pink in embarrassment of the memory and he looked to Harry for help. Harry was busy staring open-mouthed at Ginny. She noticed his attention.

"What?"

"It was DEFINITELY a nightmare and is DEFINITELY not true. Understood?"

"Whatever you say Harry. I'm off now. Don't go searching in any bedrooms…"

"GINNY!" Ron shrieked after her as she walked at a leisurely pace away and down the Gryffindor table to some of her friends. Harry sat down on the bench with a soft thump.

"You done yet Ron?"

"Just a minute." Harry sighed again. Then froze.

"Ron…" He began cautiously.

"Hmmm?" Ron had stuffed a whole croissant into his mouth.

"Where's Malfoy?"

Ron began to choke.

HP

After cornering and threatening Pansy, Ron and Harry had found to their utter and absolute dismay that she had not seen Malfoy. Not since yesterday.

'Uh oh'.

As one Ron and Harry had dashed off, sprinting through the corridors of Hogwarts on a search for their dear, endangered friend; closely followed by the haunting, terrifying memory of: The Dream.

"HERMIONE!"

30 seconds later:

Ron was hunched over against a wall, gasping for air. Harry was doubled over in pain, clutching a stitch.

"Harry… C – can't gasp go on. Must… rest. This is never gasp going to work."

"I gasp know what you mean gasp. Must gasp find another way. Gasp." Their breathing began to return to normal and Ron was struck by an idea.

"Map."

"Map?"

"Map." Ron, bobbed his head, emphasising his point.

"Oh, map." Harry nodded to show his understanding as he got out his wand. "ACCIO MARAUDERS MAP!"

As the map flew into Harry's hand, both boys collapsed onto the floor in fatigue. After a few seconds: "I do solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Could be heard, then silence as they pored over the tiny moving dots. After a while Ron looked up with a sombre expression.

"They're not on here Harry."

Earlier that morning:

"What do you mean you don't know where my clothes are! You are SUCH a little –" Hermione tightened her grip on Draco's neck "– lying –" She shook him violently "– BRAT!" Malfoy croaked in reply, desperately clawing at the hands which were fastened around his neck, his eyes rolling like a frightened horse. He inhaled a haggard breath as she threw him away from her and covered herself once more with the duvet, trying to maintain some dignity.

"You raving – I did NOTHING with your clothes you stupid… Why are there rabbits on the floor?" Draco asked suddenly.

"I dunno. Give me back my clothes."

"I don't have them."

"Well they didn't disappear by themselves."

"Well I don't have them."

"Liar."

"Mudblood."

"Will you stop calling me that?"

"What? Mudblood? But you are."

"And you are a ferret-faced lying piece of scummy dragon dung that has attached itself to the bottom of my shoe, but I don't go on about it."

Draco's mouth flapped open like a fish, his pale skin flushed with humiliation and fury.

"How dare you."

"Stop calling me a mudblood and give me back my clothes."

"I don't have your filthy clothes. Like I'd touch something you'd touched."

"You kissed me last night easily enough."

"I kissed you! THAT'S a laugh…"

"You did."

"You bit me."

"Don't change the subject."

"Why are there rabbits hopping around?"

Hermione looked around, surveying the fluffy white hopping puff-balls.

"How odd…" she mused aloud.

"What." Hermione was very quickly getting on Draco's nerves, despite her body.

"I had a dream about bunnies last night." Expecting a cutting remark, Hermione looked at Draco in surprise when she was met with only silence. Draco was staring at her bra-clad breasts in deep thought. She gasped as she realised that the duvet had slipped while they had been arguing.

"Draco!" She grabbed the duvet from where it had fallen in her lap and held it up to her neck. Draco looked up and caught her eye. God, his eyes were so silver… NO! He was a perv.

"I was thinking Hermione. You dreamt about rabbits. I dreamt about… something a bit closer to home, if you get my drift…" He looked pointedly back to where her breasts had been.

"DRACO! Eyes up here… oh."

"Bingo. Whatever we both want appears. It seems that our dreams are somewhat stronger, in the sense that only one of us has to want it at the time."

Hermione contemplated this for a moment, but there was a more pressing need.

"Wish me some clothes." Draco looked up, startled. Why would he want to go and do a thing like that? Uh oh, she was giving him the evil eye again; he'd better do it…

"Thank you Draco! I love you! Oh, it's so soft." Hermione had whipped back the duvet and stepped onto the floor, giving a little twirl but being mindful of the rabbits. She was wearing a long, silk, burgundy, (figure-hugging – Draco smirked to notice) dress (with a lowish cut) that really, really suited her. Hermione was delighted. She jumped back onto the bed, gave Draco a quick thank you peck on the cheek and bounced off again to resume her twirling. Draco was gob-smacked. What had… oh, never mind. He'd never understand her. He continued to sit and grin at her obvious delight. Her thick soft hair was loose and gently framed her face as she turned to Draco again. She was so beautiful…

"Draco." She repeated.

"Huh?" He had zoned out.

"I need the toilet."

"Go then. Why are you telling me?" Then he realised. There was no screen. Heehee. She scowled at him in expectance and he inwardly sighed, turning himself around to face the wall. When he heard no movement, he looked back at her to see her wringing her hands and looking at him with a very nervous expression. Draco was immediately worried and jumped out of the bed, coming to stand directly in front of her and grasping her hands in his own strong ones. It was distracting when people fidgeted. She didn't pull away.

"Hermione?" His husky voice was laced with concern. She looked away, unable to meet his gaze. "Hermione, what's wrong?"

"You're gonna hate me."

"That's not hard." She glanced at him and looked away, blinking quickly. He realised what he'd said. NOT FUNNY DRACO! Idiot. He tried to dig himself out of the hole. "Just joking 'Mione. I couldn't hate you even if I tried." Ok, that was a bit much, but right now he felt as if it was true. He gave her hands a slight squeeze to show his sincerity, but didn't let go.

"Well, I need you to wish a couple more things for me."

"Whatever you want." She looked into his eyes and her resolution stiffened.

"Well, first a screen," She nodded her head towards the privacy-deprived toilet in the corner. Seeing him about to interrupt she hurried on. "ALSO, I'm, well, you know I've been having these slight mood swings..." He smirked in amusement. Slight is not how HE'd put it… "Well, I'm er, I'monmyperiodandIneedyoutowishmesometampons."

He dropped her hands and took a step away. "Eew! NO! No way am I even VISUALISING those things. NO WAY!"

"Please Draco. I need this. You were so sweet a minute ago. If you could only swallow your pride for just one second…"

"No, I have some self-respect thank you very much."

"I HATE YOU, YOU FILTHY PIECE OF PIG BLADDER!"

'Talk about mood swings,' he muttered under his breath as he kept as far away from Hermione as possible, struggling not to step on any of the stupid rabbits that were scattered across the floor. Why rabbits? They were limiting his manoeuvrability and slowing his escape. Snakes were WAY better.

Something unexpected happened and he was surprised yet again however, for Hermione's anger dissolved as she flopped down onto the bed instead of advancing, and she resorted to pleading.

"Please Draco, I REALLY need this. It's quite important. Unless you want me to leak everywhere…"

"STOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!" Draco was covering his ears with his hands, trying to block out what Hermione was saying. "Stop! Please stop! I'll do anything!" Draco almost threw himself to his knees in desperation. He was going to be sick. Never was he going to touch a girl again.

He missed the evil, triumphant upward-curl of the lips that flashed across Hermione's face.

"Ok, this is what it looks like..."

HP

Draco had his head in his hands, almost sobbing as the box of whatever it was that Hermione had needed appeared. He had lost his most prized possession in the most ghastly way. He had lost his pride to a girl and her nagging. He couldn't live. He turned his back to Hermione and faced a wall, staring blankly at the stone. What had he done to deserve this?

He continued to sit there with glazed eyes, not noticing the ball of light that appeared just behind him, leaving behind a small scrap of parchment.

A/N

Ok, I think that that chapter might have been slightly longer…

As always, thanks to my wonderful beta reader: Miraen.

Siriuscherry I was unaware that Draco was gay, but it has been a while since I have read the books and if you could tell me where Rowling suggests it I would be delighted to adjust this fanfiction accordingly. I had to leave this one in.

Schermionie You are correct in that assumption, I think… hehehe. Yeah, you're right. My writing is very spontaneous so I'm not 100 percent sure where this is going. Though, when I first started this fic I was thinking of something on the lines of the Room of Requirement… It's kinda like it really, but it's controlled by the Fates instead of Hogwarts or goodness knows what. And the Fates want them to complete a task… hmmm… I wonder what that could be… I know! But you and everyone else won't unless you REVIEW! Mwahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa! I love being evil.

I'm attempting to re-read the 'Chamber of Secrets' in French at the mo (it's not going very well), but did you know that Hogwarts in French is called 'Poudlard'? And I think that Snape is known as 'Rogue' but I'm not entirely sure… And Draco Malfoy you ask? 'Drago Malefoy". Heh. Malefoy, good name.

And finally thank you to all my reviewers. You are my chocolate.

OK, that is the end of a REALLY long authors note. Now press the button in the little corner that says Go. Go on. Really. It's ok.