author's note: hello all again. welcome to the third chapter. In this chapter, i tried my best to say how difficult it will be for Hermione to get through the rest of the summer. I wanted Draco to be as 'draco-like' as possibe.
Draco
Draco stirred in his bed and rolled over. The clock showed 7:45 A.M. "Way too early to be awake in the summer," he thought. Sighing, he rolled over again and attempted to fall asleep. With heavy eyes, his mind began to wander. "Thinking about that worthless mudblood kept me up last night. How am I possibly going to enjoy this summer with that upturned nose around the house? At this rate, how am I possibly going to get a decent night's sleep with her always interrupting my dreams?" Fed up, Malfoy sat up and rubbed his eyes. Dragging himself out of bed, he headed towards the shower. "And what was with that strangeness last night? Trying to get on mother's good side?" Draco let the warm water splash on his body. He was so tired; he could barely remember what happened the night before. "And Granger getting lost, that's not what you see everyday." He smirked, that would have been the perfect opportunity to ridicule her. His smile disappeared, why hadn't he again? Was it because he was tired? Was it because he felt weirded out when Hermione was being nice to his mother? Draco shook his head, thinking this early in the morning when he was so tired wasn't going to solve anything. Fifteen minutes afterwards, Malfoy stepped out of the bathroom and headed back to his own, only to emerge five minutes later to head towards the kitchens. "Maybe I'll go for a ride later," he thought.
Hermione"Have you ever seen the rain come down on such a sunny day?" Hermione thought, waking up sleepily. Granted, that was the most comfortable night she has had, ever. But the thought that she was sleeping in a Malfoy bed, in a Malfoy room, in a Malfoy house, after eating a Malfoy dinner, plainly ruined the perfect night. Turning, the clock read 8:55 AM. Snuggling deeper into the bed, she thought about yesterday. 24 hours ago, she would have never guessed that the next day she would be waking up in Draco's house. She shivered, although nothing happened, she hoped she would have never be in the same vulnerable position she was as last night. Those icy eyes that appeared out of nowhere threw her off balance.
Sighing, she unraveled herself out of bed and got out. Smiling, she wiggled her toes in the lush carpet. Hermione stretched, changed and slowly made her way into the bathroom. Now that Hermione was fully awake, she was astonished at how the Malfoy's made even the bathroom look exclusive. The bathroom was a soft purple, perfect for relaxing. Everything was a pure, luminous, glossy white. A large vanity mirror with elegant lights lining the top faced a massive bathtub. The bathtub itself had this striking welcome to it, sophisticated and hospitable. A handsome looking shower stood on the far end of a wall, in front of a, although Hermione hated to admit it, nice-looking toilet. After finishing brushing her teeth, she gingerly put her toothbrush and face towel on the long modern and classy countertop that lined the large mirrors. Finished, she headed out the door.
Taking her time down the many hallways and stairs, Hermione felt her mind boggle. How could she have possibly missed the beauty of this house before? Sure, it was daylight now, and she was in no rush, but anyone with eyes could have seen the pure beautifulness of this castle. The ceiling towered over her, held up by the most spectacular walls. The floor upon which she walked changed from a charming hardwood floor to a lovely marble floor, then to an exquisite carpet. Glittering figurines were found all around the house. Rare collectables were blocked by protective glass cases. Divine furniture, such as the large Grandfather clock she heard last night, was around every corner. Finding the kitchens, Hermione turned around and took one last look of the house, unable to tear her eyes away.
"Like what you see, Granger?" Came a low voice from her left. Draco stood in a doorway wearing gloves, boots, and other riding gear. Soft sweat touched his face, and his shirt clung to his stomach and broad shoulders. He brushed back his moist hair.
Rolling her eyes, Hermione ignored him. "So were you out riding this morning?" Malfoy snickered, "Obviously. Nothing gets past you doesn't it? Between that question and seeing you lost last night, I'm beginning to wonder how you pulled off those good grades you got at Hogwarts." Staring at him, Hermione wondered how she could possibly make it through the next two months. At the next moment, the door to the kitchens opened, and a little squeal erupted from a Tinky. "Oh, Miss, and Master! Tinky is sorry. Tinky is apologizing. Tinky did not know Miss and Master were standing at doorway! Miss has not had breakfast yet, so Tinky was wanting to go serve her food. Please forgive Tinky for interrupting important conversation! Tinky will go back in kitchens now." Scurrying around, the little house elf headed back towards the kitchens. "Tinky wait," Hermione stopped the elf, "yes, in fact I think I will have my breakfast now. No need to apologize, it's ok. I'll follow you into the kitchen." And with that, Hermione followed the elf into the kitchens, leaving Draco in the hallway.
20 minutes later, Hermione emerged from the kitchens with a leftover bun in her hands. Standing for a moment, not entirely sure about what to do, she decided to head outside. The backyard and gardens were just as gorgeous as the inside of Malfoy Manor. The backyard stretched as far as the eye could see. On the left were the stables, where you could hear several horses grunting and chewing. A shimmering pool that looked like a natural pond and stream flowed serenely among the curves of the lawn. Large gardens aligned the house, filled with wonderful scents and adorable cobblestone walkways. A few fountains dotted the gardens, along with endearing benches and garden lamps. Nibbling on her bun, she took a small walk among the gardens, breathing in the many fragrances and taking in all the sights. "If only mum and dad were here," she thought, gently sitting on a bench. "Mum had always loved fountains. She would especially like this one." Hermione gazed upon the fountain to her right. The water gently sprayed outward, tenderly moistening the flowers and plants next to it. Sighing, Hermione got back up and headed towards the house, "Might as well go find Draco, I AM supposed to help their home, after all."
DracoDraco laid on top of his bed covers; trying to catch up on the sleep he missed this morning. "Draco?" a quiet voice asked. "Oh no." He groaned inside. "That stupid girl has got me thinking about her night and morning!" Frustrated, he rolled over on his bed and buried his face in his pillow. Draco thought angrily, "Forget her, just go to sleep!"
"Draco?" Malfoy frowned, this time he thought he heard a soft knock along with the voice. He lifted up his head and held his breath. "Draco, are you in there?" There was no mistaking it. He stumbled out of his bed and rushed to his door, only to crash into Granger, who was mid-step in his room.
"Oh my goodness. I-I… you weren't answering the door and I wasn't entirely sure if you were in here…" Draco hastily stood back up and watched as Hermione struggled on the floor. "I-I knocked three times but you never answered so I was c-confused….." Standing, she took a large breath to calm her nerves. "Um, sorry."Eyes narrowed, Malfoy said, "You knocked three times." Hermione nodded. "You heard nothing, no answer from me at all?" She nodded. "Then what Granger, made you think that it was ok to come in my room," he sneered.
Hermione blushed. "Oh, um, I-I wasn't thinking." She flustered, "I-I definitely wasn't trying to invade your privacy, and I had no idea if you were in your room or not. S-so I thought…well..I guess I didn't think-"
"So," Draco interrupted her stammering, "what?"
"Oh, um, come again?" He rolled his eyes. "You came to my door, Granger, so one can assume that you wanted something. What did you want? Or do you go knocking on all doors to see if anyone would answer, just so you can walk into the room? Because whatever you want, tell me now, because I'm extremely busy" he ignored the fact that all he was trying to do was sleep, "otherwise, go, if you don't want anything." Draco saw her shocked face for a moment. However, the shocked face quickly turned into a cool one. Standing straight, "Nothing. I don't want anything," she said huffily. And with that, Hermione turned on her heel, and strode back to her room.