"Granger, you dumbass. Why did you fall asleep in the common room..?" Draco said out lout after he woke up and strode into the common room to find Hermione sound asleep on the recliner. He went into the bathroom and started getting ready, pondering on whether to wake up Hermione or not. He decided it'd be best if he did… 10 minutes before classes started.
"Granger…. Granger! Wake up! Classes are starting in 10 minutes!" Hermione jolted up as if she saw a ghost.
"Oh my God, I can't be late on the first day..! Why didn't you wake me up!" She shot a daggering look at Malfoy and rushed into her room, came back out with a set of robes and ran onto the bathroom. Not even 5 minutes later, she was changed and pampered. Hermione scowled at Draco, who was waiting for her and grabbed her book bag and rushes out into the corridor.
"Why are you following me Draco..?" She asked in an annoyed tone.
"What did you just call me..? I'd prefer if you would address me as 'Malfoy' if you please." He said to her, huffing a bit and walked next to her. "I'm not following you, I'm trying to give you your schedule… And besides, we have our first lesson together anyways. Charms classroom would be that way, Granger." He stopped and pointed down a crossing hallway that Hermione missed.
"Oh… right..." She lowered her head and picked up her pace, Draco not far behind, and they walked into the classroom just as the bell rang.
……
"Ugh! Malfoy needs to get the shit beaten out of him… you know what he did this morning?" Hermione fumed to Harry, Ginny and Ron over lunch.
"Let me guess… flushed the toilet while you showered..?" Ron said half-heartedly, most of his attention on an olive he couldn't get a hold on.
"No… he woke me up freaking 10 minutes before classes started! It was so rude!" She folded her arms over her chest as Harry and Ginny sniggered a little. "What?"
"Well what do you expect out of Malfoy..? He's always gonna be like that.
"Yeah, but still… you'd think after what Dumbledore said to us he'd have the decency to be civil towards his fellow Head Student…" She mumbled, and took a bite out of some garlic bread.
"What'd Dumbledore say?" Ginny asked looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh.. Something about forming an interhouse unity or whatever… It was sort of an in one ear, out the other thing for me, surprisingly…" Hermione reached to grab an apple and the other three shot confused and concerned looks at each other and shrugged.
…..
After the lass class of the day got out, Defense Against the Dark Arts, which surprisingly, Dumbledore was teaching, Hermione was pulled aside by Harry.
"Meet me at the astronomy tower tonight at 9, okay?"
"Er... alright, Harry, but why – "
"I can't tell you right now, so I'll tell you when you get there tonight,"
"Okay, I'll see ya then…" Harry walked out of the class and Hermione looked at Dumbledore, who only smiled at her and nodded, then returned to the papers he was looking at on his desk. She shrugged and walked back up to her tower. When she got there, Draco was sitting on the sofa, absorbed in his homework. She decided not to piss him off and talk to him, and went to her bedroom. She sighed and dropped her stuff onto a French chair that was next to her bed and opened the door to her balcony. The day seemed so perfect. A warm, summer breeze blew the flowing draperies on the door around and rustled her curly hair. Probably one of the last good days of summer… Oh I know! Hermione opened her trunk and pulled out her black bikini and put it on. May as well take advantage of today then… She stepped out onto the balcony into the bright sunlight and laid down on the hard stone floor. Hermione sighed happily, put her arms behind her head and closed her eyes, soaking up the rays of sun.
Hermione probably would have fallen asleep right there, but she was disturbed of her peaceful being by a knock on her bedroom door. She yelled from outside.
"Come in…" She shifted her arms slightly and continued laying there. Draco stepped in and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Hermione. He wiped his mouth nervously and regained his composure.
"The Weasleyette is here to see you, Granger."
"Ginny, you mean?"
"Yeah whatever… she's down in the common room." And he got out of the room fast. Hermione got up and put some shorts on, then went down into the common room to see her best friend looking around in awe.
"Hah, that was my first reaction too, Ginny!"
"Oh man, we think alike too much, Hermione…" Ginny took notice of Hermione's bathing suit top, unbuttoned her shirt and revealed her powder blue bikini. They laughed and went back into Hermione's bedroom and shut the door.
"Ron told me Harry had to ask you something…"
"Oh yeah, THAT."
"Uh oh, did he ask you out?"
"Well sort of… he just told me to meet him at the astronomy tower at 9, I have no clue why, though…" Hermione laid back down on the balcony, and Ginny did the same.
"I think that Harry really likes you Hermione, you should see the way he looks at you sometimes…" Ginny said, casually. Hermione looked at her.
"Well, part of me really doesn't want him to… but…"
"But?"
"But another part of me wants him to… it's weird. Sometimes when he talks about other girls, I get so jealous, but he's one of my best friends. How would it work out without ruining our friendship?" She pondered for a moment. "Maybe tonight he'll address this… Maybe then I can stop worrying."
"Lets hope so, then we can ALL stop worrying…" They laughed.
8:30 rolled around much too quickly after dinner was over. Hermione threw her quill down and stretched her arms out, yawning. She glanced at her watch 8:30… better leave soon… But then her conversation with Ginny resurfaced… I think that Harry really likes you, Hermione … Maybe tonight he'll address this… She stood up quickly and walked over to her trunk and pulled out a pair of jeans that fit her perfectly, a pink tank top with sequined flowers lining the neckline and a white sequin sash. Hermione was pleased with all this and grabbed her light blue shrug and started dressing. She tied the sash around her waist for a final touch and looked in the mirror, flipped her hair a bit and decided she looked fine.
The door to the roof of the astronomy tower was open, so Hermione naturally assumed Harry went up there. She rushed up the spiral staircase and called for him.
"Harry..? Are you up here?"
"Yeah, hurry up, Hermione!"
She appeared in the doorway and looked at Harry. He was looking up at the stars, his back turned to her. She walked up silently and put a hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly and glanced at her, then smiled.
"So how was your first day back, eh?" He asked, still staring at the sky.
"Oh, you know… It's started out bad, because of that Ferret Boy… but it was alright… Then came our last class... Why did you need to meet me up here?"
"Hermione, look up at the stars… What do you see?" She looked and scrunched her eyebrows in thought… A shooting star whizzed by.
"I see hopes and wishes…"
"And?" She hesitated.
"My dreams." Harry turned himself to Hermione.
"Hermione… you're dreams aren't up there in the sky, they're inside of you… in your heart and soul. Now… Close your eyes and look into yourself." She smirked and looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because I want you to realize your dreams, Hermione… now, close your eyes…" She did, then opened them after a few moments.
"What did you see?"
"I saw myself… Heh, don't laugh at me though… I saw myself in the center of attention... cameras were flashing everywhere… I was wearing this beautiful gown.. I was.."
"You were what?"
"I was a fashion model, okay!" She spun around in embarrassment. Harry smiled.
"Hermione, when I was in Paris, I met this girl, Charlene." She sighed in annoyance. "You know who she was? She was England's top modeling agent." Hermione turned around and looked at Harry. "After I found out she was, all I could do is think about you because, sorry if this sounds really shallow… But you're hot, Hermione. You have the perfect, petite body build, a beautiful face," Hermione blushed and looked down. "So I showed her some pictures of you."
"What? Why?" Hermione asked in a dull, confused voice.
"Because I think you could make a name for yourself. Now, to stop it there, I have something for you." Hermione's heart leaped. Harry handed her an envelope. "Charlene wants to meet with you to discuss a potential caree—" Hermione screamed and pulled Harry into a monster hug. Then without realizing it, she found herself pulling away and looking into his eyes. He looked back with happiness and longing.
"Harry.. How did you know I wanted to be a model…?" She asked.
"You should see yourself, I know you love yourself, that you think you're beautiful… You're not the only one." He looked at her lips then back to her eyes. "I think you're beautiful." He leaned forward and their lips met softly. Her eyes widened with disbelief and surprise, but soon closed and she put a hand around his neck. He dropped the letter and his arms snaked around her waste and she stepped in closer, their lips melting together. Harry pulled away and looked back at Hermione, who was still in awe of his actions.
"Hermione… I-I…"
"Yes..?" She looked at him expectantly.
"I love—" They were suddenly distracted by the tower door slamming shut. The looked over and saw Fitch.
"Two students out of bed alone on the roof… Hmm, that's questionable… Potter and our Head Girl? I'm thinking a week's worth of detention should clear this up…" The two teens were still in each others arms, and suddenly realizing it, leaped away from each other and looked down embarrassed.
"Yes, sir…" Hermione said, meekly.
"Get back to your dorms then!" He left and Harry looked over at Hermione. She looked back and grinned slightly.
"You were saying..?"
"Eh, I'll tell you later." He smirked evilly and started down the spiral staircase. Hermione stood there in disbelief.
"What! Wait, Harry, that's not nice—! " And she took off after him, leaving the envelope forgotten on the stone floor.
A/N – well, hope you liked the first two chapters, hopefully you liked it, it's sort of experimental though. Constructive criticism is always welcome, now go REVIEW CHILDREN!
Mucho gracias,
Gracie Lou