Howdy folks! TEEHEE! 55 reviews on this chapter! That makes me EXTREMELLY HAPPY! Alas, I am a smidgen hyper right now. I apologize beforehand for any mistakes or confusing things in this chapter...I was on vacation at the beach for the past week, so I typed up this chapter this morning. Anyway, I would like to thank the following fantastic guys and gals who reviewed Chapter 5 (especially those (most of you!) who made positive comments- or some sort of comments- on absistence!). A huge thank-you goes out to: LadySimone123 (you must email me, chica, and tell me how everything's going!), antonia, GreenEyes, FairyPrincess, silktophat, NicciBubbles, Iloveyou064, eckles, N.C. PsyChick, Kitty Weasley, TheDaughterOfKings, cathyrock, YamiNekoKai, Lara Potter, SafetyXPins, kitotterkat, Anna, Loku, the-insufferable-know-it-all, Eponine Weasley, SilentRaven987, aurorasakura16, Ayantara, Emma-Lynn, mim, lacatamar, skysongscry, xPussyWillowKittenx, Aqb Dk, Elemental Water Mistress (I'm a Christian too! You rock, sista!), Syd, true-slytherin05, unknownspecies, goblin monkey, sheltielover, violet snicket, Alli-Baby, I AM EOWYN, MysteryALASKA, ShadowHexx771, MIDNIGHT-PIXIE, Orient Fox, Grim Reaper's Assistant, HiddenSmile, Ellie, NinitademiBrooke, Huggles4All, suckr4romance, love3luvfromCes, aishteru, and last, but not least, dancerrdw.
Another apology before you read this chapter: Unfortunately, this chapter does not include the whole "seduction" of Cassandra...but this leads up to Draco's recollection of it...I'm truly sorry about this...I kinda got carried away with everything that happened before Draco actually shares with Hermione if the plan was a success or not...So expect the whole "seduction" next week! I promise! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint anyone...Ithink it's fairly amusing...As usual, read, review, and above all else, ENJOY!
I stumbled blindly into the dormitory five hours later. "Lumos," muttered, using the light from my wand to avoid tripping over all of Parvati, Lavender, and now Cassandra's junk that covered the plush red carpet in a jumble of robes, hair potions, and beauty products.
"Oooh, Hermione!" A shrill voice pierced the darkness. I closed my eyes in frustration and massaged my temples. The tone of Lavender's voice indicated that I was in for some serious teasing- something I was not at all enthused about at half past midnight.
"No time to talk now, Lav," I grumbled. "I just came up to get my Charms book.
"You're not going anywhere, Hermione," she said gleefully. I began to slowly become a smidgen irritated.
"Look. I'm tired, hungry, and grumpy, and I have just spent the past 5 hours in detention with Snape- and I have a 2 ½ foot long essay for Flitwick! I don't need this..."
"But you have a secret admirer!" Lavender cackled.
"I DO NOT! For your information..."
"Oh, this is ridiculous," Parvati snapped from my right. I heard the swish of her wand as two oil lamps suddenly flickered to light. "Now, look at your bed." Perched atop my red velour blanket was a noble-looking grey owl, hooting most dignifiedly and sitting rather primly on top of a piece of expensive, heavy parchment. Lavender cleared her throat impatiently.
"Well, are you going to read it? That ruddy owl's only been there for ten minutes!"
"I really appreciate you two waiting up for me," I broke in.
"Don't flatter yourself. We were painting our nails." Typical Lavender answer.
"In the dark?"
"The polish is supposedly bewitched to glow and change colors in the dark."
"Fascinating. Not that I care or anything, but aren't we disrupting the bimbo's beauty rest with this light and noise?"
"She hasn't come to bed yet."
"Probably off with some sexy bloke or another in a broom closet." Parvati added darkly.
"Hopefully Draco." I crossed my fingers behind my back.
"Now read, Hermione! We haven't got all night!" Parvati crossed her arms across her pink terry cloth bathrobe.
"You two are certainly the most inquisitive witches I've ever met in my life," I grinned.
"Why, thank you," the two Gryffindors replied in unison.
"Patience is a virtue," I reminded them,
"Not at 12:37 AM."
"Fine, fine." I opened the crisp white stationary carefully. In an elegant cursive script were a mere two words: 5:30 RR.
"Who's it from?" Lavender chirped.
"Uh- just Ron," I stuttered.
Parvati narrowed her amber eyes. "I know as well as you do that Ron can't afford that quality of parchment."
"It's a present from Fred and George. Business is really booming at the shop." I smiled weakly.
"A likely story." Lav frowned with open suspicion. "This owl has now been here for 15 minutes. You've been with Ron until 5 minutes ago. When did he have a chance...?"
"Stranger things have happened." I gave a large yawn, summoned my Charms book, my favorite quill, parchment, and pyjamas, and dove into the refuge of my four-poster bed, pulling the scarlet hangings shut.
"And that's definitely not Ron's handwriting," the beautiful black-haired witch called after me. "In fact, if I didn't know any better I'd say..."
"Sod off, Parvati," I snapped, magically sealing the curtains and placing a Silencing Charm on my bed. I fell back on my fluffy purple pillow in the shape of a cat (a 16th birthday present from Mum and Dad) and unfolded the cryptic note once again. I assumed that Draco was unfortunately referring to 5:30 AM in the morning. The "RR," on the other hand, would take some thought and time...I glanced ruefully at my unfinished Charms essay. Neither of which I had a good deal of at the moment. "RR," I pondered as I dipped my quill into the inkpot, swearing under my breath rather loudly as I accidentally splattered a drop of ink on my pristine white sheet.
"Evanesco," I yawned the first spell that came to mind, unfortunately resulting in the disappearance of the whole sheet. "Dammit, I know I'm not a night person, but HONESTLY!" I growled, waving my wand to repair the damage and muttering the correct spell, "Scourgify."
"The Fidelus Charm is a very complex charm," I scrawled, then shook my head sleepily, and scratched my words out half-heartedly. My opening sentence sounded LOUSY and was, in essence, unacceptable by my standards.
"The Fidelus Charm, a complicated charm, is more commonly referred to as..." Ah, yes. That was better- but still miles away from perfection. I yawned widely, and fortunately remembered to cast a nifty little spell I'd read about in "101 Useful Spells for the Scholar," which would awaken one at the time he or she desired, which, in my case, was 4:45 AM, before falling into a deep, well-earned rest.
"You're looking darn sexy tonight, Hermione," Draco said huskily, running a slender finger down my bare arm. I shivered. "I believe I just may have to snog you bloody senseless."
"That really won't be necessary." I said weakly, attempting to inch out of the room. Draco pulled me flush against his muscular, lean body.
"You're not going anywhere, Hermione, until I'm finished with you..." I blinked. I could've sworn I recollected someone saying that exact same phrase to me before. A bloke who was adorable, handsome, and MY BOYFRIEND!
"Ron!" I yelped.
"Oh, don't worry about the Weasel," Draco said silkily, before lowering his mouth to mine.
"Bloody water! Thinking you can just waltz onto my face at 4:45 in the BLOODY MORNING!" I shrieked at the top of my lungs as indeed the "alarm-clock" spell I had cast less than four hours ago obviously worked- in the form a jet of icy cold water blasting me RIGHT IN THE FACE! Wiping water out of my bleary eyes, I blanched, remembering five quite disturbing things, each more terrible than the last.
1.) It was 4:45 in the BLOOD MORNING
2.) I had gotten approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes of sleep
3.) In forty-five minutes, I had to meet DRACO MALFOY in an unknown location
4.) My Charms essay consisted of 12 words.
And, finally...
5.) I had quite the erotic dream concerning Draco dong naughty things to me...and I HAD RELISHED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!
Alas, I was not in a very chipper or happy mood as I urged my weary bones out of bed.
"Dear Godric!" I gasped as I felt the unpleasantly cold floor beneath my feet. However, it did properly awake me, and soon I was rattling through a list of the names of places in Hogwarts that contained two r's. It hit me exactly as I was buttoning up my modest white blouse. "That's it! The Room of Requirement!" Although it befuddled me for a few minutes as to how Draco knew about that secret, I remembered that he WAS a Malfoy- and Malfoys always had ways of prying information from people- especially the witches. I pulled on my robes excitedly, hurriedly pulling –er- trying to pull a brush through my tangled mat, but, as usual, with little success. I gave my appearance a final check.
Hair? Tangled and a smidgen on the frizzy side, which indicated a high dew point- perhaps there was going to be rain later in the day. "You'll take no walks with Ron today, Cassandra," I cackled, looking over at her sleeping form.
Clothing? Robes looked the same as usual- long, drab, boring, and completely unflattering to the figure- not that I had any to speak of.
Grabbing my bag crammed with schoolbooks, and practically wrenching my shoulder from the heavy weight, I high-tailed it out of the dormitory, realizing halfway down the girls' staircase that I had forgotten to slip on my bloody loafers...
"I need a place where I can talk to Hermione about my seduction of that bimo." I heard Draoc's rather loud drawl before I saw him. "And where we can share a delicious breakfast." I stopped dead in my tracks.
"We're sharing a breakfast?" I asked the sexy Slytherin incredulously. I swear in Merlin that was the absolute first time I had ever seen Draco blush- or become flustered at all, for that matter. It was a most amusing sight. The red tinge rising on his cheeks contrasted sharply with his pale skin, creating quite the picture. "You're blushing!" I helpfully pointed out the obvious.
"I AM NOT! A Malfoy never blushes."
"Well, perhaps you aren't a true Malfoy." I opened the door that just appeared. "After you," I added generously. Then, when I heard no response from him, "That first comment was a compliment, by the way."
"I see."
"You really outdid yourself, Draco," I smiled wryly as I regarded the lavish room with carefully concealed awe. "I like the candles."
Draco flushed. "I didn't ask for candles," he said nervously.
"You wouldn't by any chance be trying to BUTTER ME UP before sharing BAD NEWS with me, would you?" I questioned.
"Here. Stop talking and sit. Or have you, for the hundredth time, forgotten my threat?" He pulled the chair out for me.
"I must be dreaming. You are actually being a COURTEOUS GENTLEMAN for once."
"Don't push your luck. Now, sod off and let me begin my story." He slapped my hand that was creeping towards a particularly delicious looking blueberry Danish on the polished table. "And no breakfast until I'm done talking."
"Listen up, you pratty git. I got up at 4:45 AM for YOU, after 3 hours and 45 minutes of sleep!"
"It's not my fault you and Weasley spent so much time shagging after detention last night," Draco shrugged.
"We didn't shag," I said through gritted teeth. "And nor have we ever shagged before, and we will NOT in the future until our wedding night. That is," I added as an afterthought, "If we both survive this war and decide to become married."
"Don't get your knickers in a twist! There's no need to start fiercely defending your virginity. This crack-of-dawn meeting isn't about your love life- it's concerning a certain favor I am carrying out for you. Anyway, you're the one who announced rather loudly in the Great Hall that you and Ron were going to shag!"
"I'm thoroughly ashamed at that memory, all right? I should've never said that."
"Sure," the Slytherin Seeker smirked.
"What about you?' I asked, suddenly curious.
"Although I may not seem as virtuous and morally upstanding as you, Potty, and Weasel, I didn't sleep with Cassandra last night and never have with any other witch- any night or day. Now, can I please continue?"
"As you wish," I said indifferently.
"It was a dark and stormy night..." As if on cue, the lights went out, and I heard a low rumble of thunder.
I raised my eyebrows. "Nice touch," I snorted through the dark. "That is, if I hadn't seen you flick your wand beforehand."
"I learn only from the best," the handsome blonde answered almost sadly. I sighed, thinking of the Death Eaters, his father, and Voldemort himself.
"Yes, you DID."
"Do." He corrected me. "Although I've come to the side of good, I've chosen to still remain a Death Eater." He sighed. "It's the only way I'm helpful to the Order. Like Snape, I'm a spy."
"If you're ever bored, Draco," I said with all seriousness and a tad bit randomly, "Do me a favor and become an actor. You're excellent."
"Why, thank you. I know I am."
"That performance on the Hogwarts Express when you passionately defended Voldemort...WOW! It was quite impressive."
"Indeed. Now, unless you close your mouth in the next 5 seconds, I really will have to..."
Coming next week: THE SEDUCTION!