Hermione wore the same jeans and pants she had worn to the two days of detention with Draco. It was the first day of her community service and although she had hoped to look half decent for Todd, she wasn't about to ruin a new outfit just for the sake of impressing him.
She left her dorm room and entered the conjoined room that she shared with Draco. He was sitting on the couch reading a book. Cocking an eyebrow, she walked behind him and read the heading on the page. "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare. Her lips curled into a grin. What was Draco doing reading a muggle book? Especially one as sappy as that of the "star crossed lovers".
Smirking, she tapped him on the head, causing him to jump nearly a foor from his seat on the couch. He set the book in his lap and just stared at her for a while.
"What do you want?" He asked harshly.
She frowned at him and shook her head. "What is your problem, Draco?"
He shrugged and picked up his book, burying his nose in it again.
"Fine," Hermione said in a near whisper. "I don't know how much more of your attitude I can take. I am trying to very hard to be a good partner."
She watched him nod, but he refused to look at her, just kept reading almost as if she wasn't there. This frustrated her even more. She took off through the portrait and into the hallway. Honestly, she wish Draco would just come out and tell her what was bugging him. He had been stubborn like this for the past few days.
Hermione walked to the entrance of the great hall where she had promised to meet Ron and Harry. She had been neglecting them for the past few days due to her studies as well as her punishments and Todd. Really, she had been neglecting a lot for Todd. The past two days she hadn't picked up a quill once. She hadn't even opened a book. It was more than likely a record for the girl. Hermione leaned against the wall and sighed. Of course they were late. They were always late.
Harry nudged Ron as he attempted to toss his robe on. Instead, Ron became twisted in the fabric. A loub moan escaped the Gryffindor as he ripped a hole in the fabric.
"Damn! Harry, that's the second robe this week. My mum's going to kill me if I keep sending ripped robes home," He tossed the mangled mass of fabric to the side and dug through his trunks for another. "Here we go!"
Harry nodded and watched as his friend prepared for a day at Hogsmeade. Ron was trying to impress Hermione, especially now that she had been hanging out with Todd, the unusually nice guy in Slytherin.
"You know," Ron started, throwing Harry off his train of thought. "I heard he was in prison for a few years, then he was transfered to Azkaban."
"Who?"
"Todd," Ron answered. Harry should have been able to pick up on that right away seeing as how Todd was all Ron seemed to talk about lately. The poor boy... "I heard Neville talking about it. I wouldn't doubt it."
"Come on Ron," The boy who lived said in an annoyed manner at his friend who had paused between putting him robes on so only half of it covered him. "We really need to get out of here. Hermione will be a mess if we are too late." They were already ten minutes late. He hoped she was still there.
Ron looked at his friend and nodded. "Let's get going!" He shoved his arm through the other sleeve and rushed for the door.
"Ron! Shoes!"
The red head looked at his bare feet and smirked, hurrying over to his trunk and throwing on a pair of unmatched socks that had tons of holes in it then his shoes over them.
The two walked towards the great hall. Harry listened as Ron rattled on endlessly about Todd and Hermione. Even though the boy wouldn't admit it, Harry knew Ronald Weasley was jealous. He couldn't blame the poor bloke though. In fourth year, Harry had a tiny crush on Hermione and was jealous of every guy who even talked to her. It was a small and quick crush. Very harmless, unlike Ron's growing infatuation with the brown eyed Gryffindor.
Once Hermione was in view, Ron quieted down and let out a breath as if he'd been holding it in. Harry looked over at Ron who was slightly flushed.
"Hey you two! Hurry up! I cannot be late for garbage detail!" She hollered at them, waving her hands widely to persuade them to hurry. They both sped up.
"How does it feel to be a delinquent?" Harry asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Getting in trouble all the time,"
She let out a tiny laugh and glanced at him, "Harry, as your friend I have rarely not been in trouble in some shape or form."
"Fair enough,"
"Nice garbs," Ron said. Harry imagined that was all he could manage.
Hermione waved goodbye to her friends and met Draco inside Hogshead. She actually couldn't believe that the man who would be supervising their work today had picked such a dreadful place to meet.
She walked up to Draco who sat by the bar, his blonde hair fell into him face as he looked at the cup he held in his hands. "Hey Draco..." She said almost uncertainly, afraid of the back lash she would get for talking to him this time.
His head turned towards her, his intense, gray eyes focusing on her own. He looked more sad then she had ever seen anyone. When he didn't say anything she took it as a sign to leave him alone and sat at a table behind him.
The two of them sat around for a good hour before a tall lanky guy stood over Hermione. He tapped her on the shoulder and smiled a smile that show his half rotted teeth. She nearly shrieked as she looked up at the man and push her chair back so hard it smacked into some one elses. She didn't care though.
"I'm Will'eh" he said and sat across from her.
Draco turned around and looked at the two, "Got yourself a new boyfriend?"
She glared at him.
"I'm 'ere ta show ya' 'round an start ya' off with some wor'in"
Hermione watched Draco raise an eyebrow at the man's weird accent. It was like a twist of Hagrid's and something she had never heard before.
The three left the bar. Willy brought them to a dumpster behind it and handed them each a black trash bag. "This 'ere is aye dumpster... those are ya' bags. Collect all the magical items before we ship 'em off,"
"Where does the trash go?" Hermione asked.
"Eh... some goes to the muggle trash piles which is the reason we're doing this," He turned and left the two alone.
Great, Hermione thought as she looked at Draco who just stood there. Just perfect...
Draco stared at Hermione as she climbed up on a bin so she could reach into the large metal bin and started picking out pieces of garbage. He sauntered over to her and place on hand on her stomach and another on her butt, then pushed her up and over the side of the bin so that she fell head first into the smelly trash.
"Draco Malfoy!" She hollered, her voice muffled by trash so that it sounded more like "Drrerr Merroy"
He climbed on top of the bin she had been standing up and looked down at her. She looked pitiful with pieces of dried food in her hair and a large slug on her shoulder. Her face turned red and then she didn something he didn't expect... She cried
He watched as tears streamed down her face. Suddenly he was in the garbage can with her, holding her to himself. He hardly noticed the smell of rotten ale and butterbeer. She responded by leaning into him and hugging her legs to her body.
"What's wrong Hermione?"
"You are wrong and everything else so far this year! I should be having fun but instead I'm stuck arguing with you all the time. At first I hated you, then this summer I grew to like you… I was even attracted to you and now you are treating me like this. I don't understand and I don't want this trouble." She sniffled a little and continued. "IF we keep bickering like this then we will lose our positions as head students!"
"Attrected to me? Huh?" He said teasingly.
She took one of her hands and slapped his chest, making a loud thud. "Yes and you knew it. At one point I was considering just letting myself be with you. You know… like a couple."
Draco was surprised at her confessions. She had finally stopped crying and now just lay against he chest.
"Lets get to work and finish this up!"
She left her dorm room and entered the conjoined room that she shared with Draco. He was sitting on the couch reading a book. Cocking an eyebrow, she walked behind him and read the heading on the page. "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare. Her lips curled into a grin. What was Draco doing reading a muggle book? Especially one as sappy as that of the "star crossed lovers".
Smirking, she tapped him on the head, causing him to jump nearly a foor from his seat on the couch. He set the book in his lap and just stared at her for a while.
"What do you want?" He asked harshly.
She frowned at him and shook her head. "What is your problem, Draco?"
He shrugged and picked up his book, burying his nose in it again.
"Fine," Hermione said in a near whisper. "I don't know how much more of your attitude I can take. I am trying to very hard to be a good partner."
She watched him nod, but he refused to look at her, just kept reading almost as if she wasn't there. This frustrated her even more. She took off through the portrait and into the hallway. Honestly, she wish Draco would just come out and tell her what was bugging him. He had been stubborn like this for the past few days.
Hermione walked to the entrance of the great hall where she had promised to meet Ron and Harry. She had been neglecting them for the past few days due to her studies as well as her punishments and Todd. Really, she had been neglecting a lot for Todd. The past two days she hadn't picked up a quill once. She hadn't even opened a book. It was more than likely a record for the girl. Hermione leaned against the wall and sighed. Of course they were late. They were always late.
Harry nudged Ron as he attempted to toss his robe on. Instead, Ron became twisted in the fabric. A loub moan escaped the Gryffindor as he ripped a hole in the fabric.
"Damn! Harry, that's the second robe this week. My mum's going to kill me if I keep sending ripped robes home," He tossed the mangled mass of fabric to the side and dug through his trunks for another. "Here we go!"
Harry nodded and watched as his friend prepared for a day at Hogsmeade. Ron was trying to impress Hermione, especially now that she had been hanging out with Todd, the unusually nice guy in Slytherin.
"You know," Ron started, throwing Harry off his train of thought. "I heard he was in prison for a few years, then he was transfered to Azkaban."
"Who?"
"Todd," Ron answered. Harry should have been able to pick up on that right away seeing as how Todd was all Ron seemed to talk about lately. The poor boy... "I heard Neville talking about it. I wouldn't doubt it."
"Come on Ron," The boy who lived said in an annoyed manner at his friend who had paused between putting him robes on so only half of it covered him. "We really need to get out of here. Hermione will be a mess if we are too late." They were already ten minutes late. He hoped she was still there.
Ron looked at his friend and nodded. "Let's get going!" He shoved his arm through the other sleeve and rushed for the door.
"Ron! Shoes!"
The red head looked at his bare feet and smirked, hurrying over to his trunk and throwing on a pair of unmatched socks that had tons of holes in it then his shoes over them.
The two walked towards the great hall. Harry listened as Ron rattled on endlessly about Todd and Hermione. Even though the boy wouldn't admit it, Harry knew Ronald Weasley was jealous. He couldn't blame the poor bloke though. In fourth year, Harry had a tiny crush on Hermione and was jealous of every guy who even talked to her. It was a small and quick crush. Very harmless, unlike Ron's growing infatuation with the brown eyed Gryffindor.
Once Hermione was in view, Ron quieted down and let out a breath as if he'd been holding it in. Harry looked over at Ron who was slightly flushed.
"Hey you two! Hurry up! I cannot be late for garbage detail!" She hollered at them, waving her hands widely to persuade them to hurry. They both sped up.
"How does it feel to be a delinquent?" Harry asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Getting in trouble all the time,"
She let out a tiny laugh and glanced at him, "Harry, as your friend I have rarely not been in trouble in some shape or form."
"Fair enough,"
"Nice garbs," Ron said. Harry imagined that was all he could manage.
Hermione waved goodbye to her friends and met Draco inside Hogshead. She actually couldn't believe that the man who would be supervising their work today had picked such a dreadful place to meet.
She walked up to Draco who sat by the bar, his blonde hair fell into him face as he looked at the cup he held in his hands. "Hey Draco..." She said almost uncertainly, afraid of the back lash she would get for talking to him this time.
His head turned towards her, his intense, gray eyes focusing on her own. He looked more sad then she had ever seen anyone. When he didn't say anything she took it as a sign to leave him alone and sat at a table behind him.
The two of them sat around for a good hour before a tall lanky guy stood over Hermione. He tapped her on the shoulder and smiled a smile that show his half rotted teeth. She nearly shrieked as she looked up at the man and push her chair back so hard it smacked into some one elses. She didn't care though.
"I'm Will'eh" he said and sat across from her.
Draco turned around and looked at the two, "Got yourself a new boyfriend?"
She glared at him.
"I'm 'ere ta show ya' 'round an start ya' off with some wor'in"
Hermione watched Draco raise an eyebrow at the man's weird accent. It was like a twist of Hagrid's and something she had never heard before.
The three left the bar. Willy brought them to a dumpster behind it and handed them each a black trash bag. "This 'ere is aye dumpster... those are ya' bags. Collect all the magical items before we ship 'em off,"
"Where does the trash go?" Hermione asked.
"Eh... some goes to the muggle trash piles which is the reason we're doing this," He turned and left the two alone.
Great, Hermione thought as she looked at Draco who just stood there. Just perfect...
Draco stared at Hermione as she climbed up on a bin so she could reach into the large metal bin and started picking out pieces of garbage. He sauntered over to her and place on hand on her stomach and another on her butt, then pushed her up and over the side of the bin so that she fell head first into the smelly trash.
"Draco Malfoy!" She hollered, her voice muffled by trash so that it sounded more like "Drrerr Merroy"
He climbed on top of the bin she had been standing up and looked down at her. She looked pitiful with pieces of dried food in her hair and a large slug on her shoulder. Her face turned red and then she didn something he didn't expect... She cried
He watched as tears streamed down her face. Suddenly he was in the garbage can with her, holding her to himself. He hardly noticed the smell of rotten ale and butterbeer. She responded by leaning into him and hugging her legs to her body.
"What's wrong Hermione?"
"You are wrong and everything else so far this year! I should be having fun but instead I'm stuck arguing with you all the time. At first I hated you, then this summer I grew to like you… I was even attracted to you and now you are treating me like this. I don't understand and I don't want this trouble." She sniffled a little and continued. "IF we keep bickering like this then we will lose our positions as head students!"
"Attrected to me? Huh?" He said teasingly.
She took one of her hands and slapped his chest, making a loud thud. "Yes and you knew it. At one point I was considering just letting myself be with you. You know… like a couple."
Draco was surprised at her confessions. She had finally stopped crying and now just lay against he chest.
"Lets get to work and finish this up!"