Oh my goodness! Please Please Please forgive me for taking so long. I have been really busy. I moved to a new house and couldn't get the internet hooked up forever! I am so sorry! I promise to update regularly now. I'm sorry if this chapter seems a bit slow after the exciting info in the last one, but I am building character depth, so please stick with me! And again, so so sorry! Please review! Thanks Phaedra
Chapter 12 Alter Egos
Hermione was awakened by a throbbing pain in her head, and her back. She opened her heavy lids and focused on the dim room. Only the embers remained of the fire, but an eerie light was staining the windows. The light of dawn, far before it arrives. Hermione felt ill. She tried desperately to remember what had happened last night, to fit all the pieces together. She didn't dare to move for fear that the pounding in her head would only increase. She lay perfectly still and blinked away the fog still clouding her mind.
Draco watched Hermione with amusement. He remembered the first time he and his sister had broke into their father's study and each tried his own home made fire whisky. The two spent the entire next day in bed claiming they had a terrible stomach ache. He assumed this must be how Hermione was feeling. He rested his disheveled head against the back of the couch. He let out a long slow breath and then said in a tone of complete annoyance. "You'll be wanting something for your head I'm sure, but your going to need to move off me first. Let's just hope I'm not paralyzed.
Hermione stiffened when she heard that lazy drawl laced with impatience. It all came flooding back to her. She slowly raised up off of Draco's lap and rested her head in her hands. She refused to look at him even though she could feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of her head. He gripped the edge of the couch and launched himself on to his feet hoping the surprise of blood would not send him reeling to the floor. He let out the breath he had been holding and willed his legs to move toward his dormitory.
Draco paused hearing a muffled sound. He whipped around and said "What?" Almost not trusting his hearing.
"I said I don't need anything, thank you. I think your bony legs just put a horrible strain on my neck." She said still muffling her voice with her hands. Draco smirked at her. He admired her will, being able to choke down the pain that was probably unbearable just for her pride. He left her sitting on the couch and proceeded to his dorm. He vaulted up the steps feeling oddly alive, refreshed, even though he hadn't slept a wink. He rummaged through a few drawers until he found the bottle of pills he had been searching for. He dumped two into his palm and returned to the common room that was slowly filling with light. He paused for a moment, forced himself to breathe. The sun was playing tricks with Hermione's hair. It almost seemed to glow. At that moment Draco could have sworn he was looking at an angel. He angrily shook his head and cursed himself for being so sentimental. He purposefully strode over to the couch and wrenched one of her hands away from her face.
"Ah, what the hell do you think you are doing?" Hermione growled, trying to tug her trapped wrist away from his vice like grip. She looked up at him and flinched slightly at the ill disguised loathing beneath the surface. He turned her palm up and dropped the two bright green pills into her hand.
"What are these?" She demanded.
"To make you feel better you idiot." He said coldly. "Don't try to act all tough for my benefit Granger, I know you're not that strong."
Hermione narrowed her eyes to slits. She closed her fist tightly and ripped it out of his grasp. She heaved herself off the couch and gave Draco an enormous shove backwards. He toppled over the coffee table and landed squarely on his back. He made a choking sound and Hermione charged toward her room. Draco leaped to his feet and raced after her, prepared to throttle her until her eyes rolled back in her head. Unfortunately the extra moment he spent sprawled on the stone floor was enough for the statue to seal firmly behind her. Draco raged on the warrior slinging every insult he knew.
Hermione was never so thankful for the solid stone walls of the castle. She knew she had gone too far, and regretted her sudden burst of anger. She slammed her back against the door and slid down to a sitting position. She couldn't put it together. Last night they had shared something special, or at least she thought, and only a few hours later he was treating her lower than a house elf. She willed the tears pooling in her eyes to go away. She looked down at her still clenched fist and snarled in disgust. 'Help me? More like poison me! Trying to get my guard down! I'll show him.' Hermione stormed.
She shot upright and ran to her bathroom. She threw both the bright green pills in the toilet and gave it a firm flush, and then did it again just to make sure they were gone. Hermione slumped back into a heap and held her head in her hands. She was in too much pain to recount her evening with Draco. So instead she slowly rocked back in forth soothing her aching temples.
After Draco had beat his knuckles raw on the statue and screamed himself hoarse he turned and walked stiffly to his own dorm. He flopped on his bed and left his feet dangling over the edge. His head throbbed dully, but he could still see through the fog. 'What the hell happened? I was so happy ten minutes ago. What did she expect? We would give a great hug and be like two peas in a pod. She's smart, she should have seen this coming. What the hell was I trying to do? Oh god, Persephone! Why did I tell that stupid little bitch my darkest secret? What was I thinking? Oh god, trying to be noble? What was I saving her from? Herself? Doubtful. I'm a Malfoy, I only do something if it is for my own personal gain. But what did I gain by having her sleep in my arms, besides a dead leg? Oh hell! No, no, it was all just a ploy. Make the little fool care for me a little, identify, so she won't go running her great mouth to Dumbledore about my club. Yes that's it. I knew there was a reason. I just don't want to be disbanded. If she asks about my sister I will tell her to drop it. I never want to hear her mention that name again. Yes, I will be completely indifferent to her from now on. God, what is she doing to me? She is lower my guard. No, no, I lowered it myself, it has nothing to do with her. She smells like lavender, it clouds my thoughts. No, she smells like filth, and I will not tolerate her interfering any longer!' Draco spat furiously. His thoughts were switching so fast, all contradicting the other. The pounding in his head became more pronounced. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples in rhythmic little circles and then cast his hands away when he remembered the sensation of her fingers on his body.
Hermione didn't remember falling asleep. She slowly opened her eyes and the bathroom came into focus. She was in a crumpled mass on the floor her entire body aching now, not just her head. She crawled carefully into her room and clawed her way on to her bed. It was only Saturday, she still had all day Sunday to do her homework and sort out the horrible mess with Malfoy.
Draco woke up as the sun was setting. His stomach gave a tremendous rumble as he sat up in bed. He estimated that it was around dinner time. He stalked out into the common room running his fingers through his mussed hair. He was half hoping to see Hermione so he could shake her as he intended to hours ago. He looked around the common room, and then towards her door. She hadn't left yet. He could tell because he had cast a truly ingenious spell. It was to follow her where ever she went making crude noises and filling the surrounding air with a horrible odor. He frowned as the green gas floated above her door waiting to strike. With a casual flick of his wrist the spell was gone. He immediately decided he didn't want Hermione stinking up his common room, but in reality he didn't want to see the look of pain in her eyes. He angrily snatched up a sweater and headed down for the great hall. He decided he would not return tonight, instead he would spend his time with Pansy, filling his senses with anything but lavender. Anything but Hermione Granger.