It Couldn't Kill You...
Chapter Two: The Aftermath of Potions
"Good going, Granger," Malfoy said, as the group of teens walked down the corridor in the direction of the main staircase. Hermione stopped walking and turned to look at him. The look wasn't exactly friendly. In fact, had he been anyone else, he might've considered turning around and getting the hell out of the area. But, he was a Slytherin and Slytherins were in no way, shape, or form, afraid of measly Gryffindors, other wise known as the ass-kissers of Hogwarts. In his opinion, Slytherins was the best house to get into because you could do badly at your own leisure. Whereas in Gryffindor, you had to behave. It was expected of you. Not surprised considering, their Head of House was McGonagall, who walked around as if she had a stick shoved up her ass. Snape was more laid back. Okay, he favored his of house. It's not like it's a secret, or anything. But, Dumbledore has his favorites too, and they were walking in front of him. The Perfect Little Know-It-All, The-Boy-Who-Wont-Die, and the Weasel and Weaselette.
"Oh, I know you are not about to blame me for this whole mess," Hermione shot back, tossing a curious look at her friends who kept on walking as if nothing was happening. Draco graced her with his trademark smirk.
"I casted a little spell. I believe you know it as 'Muffilatio', and yes, I am blaming you," Draco replied. Hermione had stopped walking and gaped at him as he passed. He made a show of rolling his cold gray eyes, even tossing in a sigh for good measure. "Close you're mouth, Granger. You look like a frog otherwise." He was rewarded with a frustrated grunt and soon Hermione was walking beside him clearly annoyed. This was one of the reasons why he enjoyed school.
For a brief moment, neither said anything. Not that the silence lasted long.
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"Why, what?" Draco asked, exasperated.
"Why are you blaming me when you were the reason the potion tipped over?" Hermione replied. Draco rolled his eyes again; this time was less dramatic though.
"Because," Draco began, as the group walked through the door that led to the main staircase and started climbing the stairs to get to the seventh floor. The Hospital wing was on the fourth floor, located in the corridor across from the one that led to Binns' classroom, so it was quite a climb. Especially if the stairs decided to change before he and Hermione got to the staircase they needed to be on when it happened. "If you hadn't decided to contradict me a hundred times I wouldn't have been in a foul mood and thus, would have never started that fight with Potter."
"You're so full of it," Hermione retorted, giving him a glare. "You would've started a fight with Harry anyway and you know it."
"Actually, I probably would've waited until the weekend when no teachers were around," Draco said, calmly, while he falsely checked his fingernails. He looked up at her and shrugged. "So, yeah, I guess I would've."
"See you later, Hermione?"
Hermione jumped at the sound of Ron's voice, and Draco laughed at her. Typical.
"Uh, sure," Hermione replied, looking around. They had reached the seventh floor already and her friends were getting ready to go into the Gryffindor House. Hermione bid her good-byes to them and waiting on the stairs with Malfoy until the stairs moved over to their own House, the Head Boy and Girl's House, that was located on the adjacent wall from the Gryffindor House. While they were waiting, Hermione picked up her argument/discussion with Malfoy.
"Of course, you probably could've fought Harry right in front of Snape. I bet he'd even encourage him," Hermione said, bitterly. To her slight surprise, Malfoy didn't agree with her.
"Actually, what I heard from those friends of yours was that Snape was so furious about the whole thing that he deducted points from both houses. A hundred points from my house, and fifty, I think it was, from your house," Draco replied, sounded equally, if not more, bitter than her. He gave her an accusatory look.
"It's not- whoa-" Hermione grabbed the banister as the stairs lurched suddenly and moved over to their own house. The pair got off the stairs and stood in front of the portrait that guarded the Heads House. It was of a knight that went by the name of Sir Rodney, who was drinking out of a gold goblet.
"Password?" He asked, putting down his goblet and looking down at the two.
"Anyway," Hermione said, ignoring the Knight, and redirecting her attention to the blond bad boy of Slytherin, "As I was about to say, it's not my fault that you can't control your damn temper. Especially when it comes to my friends and I, actually, make that any Gryffindor that looks at you funny."
"Password?"
"Not true," Draco retorted, hotly. "Just this morning I had nasty arguments with Pansy and Blaise. In the fight with Blaise I ended up punching him in the face because I didn't have my wand on me."
"Password?"
"So you walked into Potions with a bad mood- that's not my fault. None of this is and you just proved why."
Draco gaped at her, realizing she was right. He quickly recovered and gave her a nasty look. But it was too late. The damage was done. Hermione was smirking at him, obviously pleased with her small victory. Draco was not amused, but he was at loss for words. Anything he said would just further prove it. So he remained quiet and they just stood there staring at each other.
"PASSWORD?"
"Dragon's Blood," The two said, simultaneously, and Sir Rodney swung open and allowed the two to enter.
The Heads Common Room was truly something to look at. The main theme was crimson red and black, with touches of silver heard and there. The walls were painted a beautiful crimson, four tapestries, each bearing the colors and animal of the houses, hung on the walls between large windows that had black satin curtains hanging in front. The carpet was black, as well as the two leather couches and marble fireplace. The couched each had a pair of red and gold pillows and silver and green pillows. There was one of each color on each couch. The fireplace was just that. A fireplace. There was really nothing special about it except that it just look fancy and elegant. Perched on the wall next to it, was a miniature version of the hourglasses that kept track of the house points. Currently, Gryffindor was in the lead, with a hundred and forty points. In the space between the fireplace and couches sat an oval mahogany coffee table. A similar looking table sat in one of the corners, with light red armchairs sitting around it. Then there was the silvery gray marble staircase that led to Hermione and Draco's rooms. Each room was done in their house colors and had a large four-poster canopy bed, a large dresser, a nicely sized desk, and a six-foot bookcase for all their books. And they each had their own bathroom equipped with the usual, including both a shower and bath that were separate from each other.
Draco plopped down on one of the couched while Hermione continued up to her bedroom. It was a rarity that both teens would be in the common room at the same time. One would either leave or go to their room. Same old. Content with her small victory upon getting Malfoy to admit he had done something both wrong and stupid, Hermione was about to settle down on her bed and read a book when she remembered something positively dreadful. Her alone time with Malfoy was far from over; they had to patrol the corridors together that night. Damn it.
A/N: Don't forget to review on the way out!