The Room of Necessity

Disclaimer: I do not own Shakespeare, Tolkein, Stephen Hawking, or – believe it or not – Harry Potter. There. Done it. Happy now? Grrr…

Chapter Nine

"Really?"

Draco and Hermione had moved back onto the bed, their stomachs happily full. Draco was lying comfortably on his back with his head on his hands while Hermione was sitting leaning against a wall, looking at him with incredulity.

"Why so surprised Granger?"

Hermione shook her head in disbelief.

"I just can't believe that you – Mr Pureblood I-hate-all-muggles Malfoy – have read books by muggle authors. What have you read?"

"Only what I could understand," He replied humbly. "Some Shakespeare, Tolkein, Stephen Hawking…" He raised an eyebrow at Hermione's obvious show of disbelief. "I'm not an idiot Granger, no need to look so shocked."

Hermione's mouth closed with a snap as she lowered her eyelids in humility. She attempted to make amends.

"I just hadn't realised what an all-rounded intellectual you are Malfoy."

"You should have; I am, after all, the one who has solved all the riddles of this room so far… Admit it Hermione," He said softly, confidentially, raising his head onto an elbow. "I'm smarter than you."

"What? No." Violently she shook her head. Draco dragged himself into a sitting position to better see her face.

"Go on, admit it. You know it's true."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"I'm not arguing with you Draco."

"Then admit to the truth in your heart."

"No."

"So you recognise that it's the truth?"

"No."

"Liar."

"So?"

"Hermione…" Draco drawled, catching her attention. "Admit it."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

Thirty minutes later:

"No."

"Yes."

"FINE!"

"Really?"

"No."

"Listen Hermione." Draco leaned forward beseechingly, loosely clasping her hands in his. She glanced at their interlocking fingers before looking again into his piercing blue eyes and raising an eyebrow. "I figured out how to get the stuff that we want. I figured out about how our dreams seem to be more powerful. I'm a prefect. I'm second best in the year overall and would easily be top if I was nearly half as obsessive as you. I'm top without even working too hard. You're psychotic. Face the truth Granger. I'm smarter than you. Admit it. What have you got to lose?"

"My reputation." She mumbled, very quietly. Draco's eyes gleamed as his hands tightened around hers.

"Admit it."

"No."

"Do it Hermione. Admit to the truth in your heart."

"Fine!" Hermione snatched back her hands away from his and closed her eyes in resignation. "Draco Malfoy," She said in a voice barely above a whisper. "You are smarter than me."

"Excellent." Startled at the creepy voice Hermione glanced up into his eyes once more and was shocked at the maniacal look they held. What…? Oh.

Yet another ball of light had appeared and once again a small piece of parchment was left behind, only this time it was addressed to a 'Miss Hermione Elizabeth Granger'.

"Let me guess: 'Stage Two, complete'?"

"You gotcha." Confirmed Hermione, reading the note twice before throwing it onto the floor were it harmlessly disintegrated into ash.

"You planned this." She accused, turning to him warily.

"No my darling, I just figured it out part way through. I am, after all, smarter than you."

"Malfoy if you dare- Wait, did you just call me 'darling'?"

"No." He said quickly. Too quickly.

Hermione smirked in her oh-so-unGryffindor way that Draco loved.

"If you say so…"

"If I was a secret, moveable, magical room, where would I be?"

"Between four walls?"

"C'mon Harry! You're not doing this right. It's for Hermione remember?"

"Right…" Harry mesmerised eyes followed Ginny as she crossed the common room to her dorm. He shook himself and returned his attention to Ron who was looking at him with exasperation. "Right… no. No! No Ron, Dumbledore said that there is nothing we can do about it."

"We can at least be waiting at the destination for her when she comes out. Who knows, Malfoy might have injured her or something…" Ron shuddered while Harry's skin darkened a shade.

"If he has touched her with so much as a barge pole, I will skin him alive," Harry turned to stare angrily into the fire, its light reflecting menacingly in his emerald eyes. "But he wouldn't dare."

"Yeah!" Ron nodded in vigorous agreement. "Especially if he knows that we're just on the other side of the door." He flexed the muscles in one arm and out of the corner of his eye looked to see if the group of girls sharing the common room with them had noticed. Harry shook his head, trying to hide a sad smile. He honestly didn't think that Malfoy was too scared of Ron, however much he wanted to. But what he did know was that if Malfoy did ANYTHING to Hermione, when they got out of that Room there'd be hell to pay for.

That night, Hermione tossed and turned in the throes of a nightmare. She dreamed of monsters. Dark creatures with hellish teeth and long razor-like talons, almost impervious to magic.

Neither she nor Draco saw the dark form materialise in the corner of their room, its foul breath misting in the air before it even as it looked around and located the green satin bed, its occupants lying prone.

A/N

For the names (Draco Lucius Malfoy and Hermione Elizabeth Granger) I don't know if they are right or not. I couldn't find their full names in the books and I read this as their full names in another fic, and they sounded realistic so I adopted them. Thanks to whosever fic it was.