Only Fools Rush In
*Disclaimer – I *do not* own anything except my original characters, my story and plot lines and my scenarios, even though they've probably been used, mauled and distorted before. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!!! And, also, please don't sue me for any of the copyrighted things in here (like music and songs) unless they're my own or if I added or changed a line, that line is MINE!. [Scratches head sheepishly.] Okay! Enjoy!*
Chapter 1 – Thugz Mansion: A Truce
Hermione's POV
"Really, I'll be fine, guys! I'm just stuck in a compartment without you. I'll survive," I pleaded and reasoned with my best friends.
"Yeah. You'll be with the Head Boy. Rumor has it that it's Malfoy," Harry quipped, pulling a face.
"Ferret Boy? If it is, 'Mione, come straight back here, alright? I don't want you to be stuck around him for who knows how long."
"Ron, shuttup! 'Mione's a big girl now!" Ginny replied, interpreting my thoughts. She thumped her brother on the arm and stood, joining me at the doorway. "C'mon. I'll walk you to the compartment."
As we left the two boys in their section, we started walking.
"I wanted to get away from them, go see Jared," she said with a relieved sigh. Jared Santiago was Ginny's boyfriend, an American who transferred the year before. "My brother can get so protective. He's such a prat."
"You're telling me," I replied. "Overprotective and way over-bearing. How do you stand it?"
"I don't. I've been yelling at him a lot more lately. We've been pretty pissy at each other during the summer. I try avoiding him, really. I'm telling you, Herm, he's going to be the same with you."
"Hmm? Why's that?" I asked her, giving her a questioning glance.
"Because, isn't it obvious, Granger? The idiot has a crush on you. Well, seeing what I'm seeing, who wouldn't?"
Malfoy. Just great.
"Malfoy. Just great. And how long, prey tell, have you been stalking us?" I shot this at him, each word soaked with venom. I turned around and looked up at him. My arms crossed themselves under my chest and my glance showed attitude.
"Oh, feisty now are we? Well, that's the way I like my ladies, Granger. Except for the fact that you look like you smacked into a pole and you're a Mudblood, I almost would've been inclined to make my move."
I almost gave him the satisfaction of dropping my jaw. But I thought up of one of the quick remarks my cousin had taught me over the summer.
"Oh, dear, still bent up about that? Well, Ferret Face, I don't really care. How about you just go run along to the ladies' bathroom and go sit on your finger and rotate? We'll be off now." I grabbed Ginny's arm as she chortled with laughter. Malfoy's jaw was dragging the floor at what I said and he looked dumbfounded. Suddenly, the train jerked and he fell flat on his face. I was howling with laughter as I ran.
When we reached the door of the Head Compartment, I let Ginny in to keep me company until the Head Boy made his appearance.
"Wow, Hermione, you've changed. A lot," she commented when we sat down and calmed ourselves.
"Well, two full months in the United States surrounded by mostly gutter-minded Americans can do that to you. But it was worth seeing Malfoy with his jaw dragging and falling flat smack on his face."
"Yeah. You're right. Well, I'm gonna go now. Jared might be looking for me." Ginny winked.
"You're leaving me?" I whined, imitating her brother. "Okay. Say hi to him for me. Later, Gin."
I settled into my seat, stretching my legs out on the whole couch. I started reminiscing about my past summer, which was by far one of my favorites. I had stayed in New York and San Francisco, living with my cousin Marissa Barton. I thought about what Ginny had said, about me changing. I guess I did change. Missa had taken me, after hearing me complain about my hair, to get Japanese hair and spa treatment which made my hair straight as pins, my skin baby-soft and my body fuller and curvier. Which I didn't mind. I even caught myself a temporary boyfriend. If my friends could hear me, they'd of thought I had gone insane. Too bad.
"Ugh. It's hot in here," I said. Then I remembered a Nelly song, 'Hot In Herre'. I grinned and summoned out my enchanted CD player. It automatically started blaring out the song when I turned it on and set it on the seat. I stood and started rooting around my trunk for some light, cool clothes. I settled on a pair of low belt, hip hugging Abercrombie & Fitch white capri's and a baby blue three-quarter sleeve v-neck shoestring hole collar shirt from Sirens. I could always just tap my wand and change into my Hogwarts robes later. I started dancing along to the song as I changed. I had shed my jeans, socks and shoes and managed to squeeze into my capri's. I don't know why I started dressing like that, but I like that. I like the way that I could simply show off catches of what I had without looking, as Missa put it, 'easy 'n' sleazy'.
Shit, tired of gettin shot at
Tired of gettin chased by the police and arrested
Niggaz need a spot where WE can kick it
A spot where WE belong, that's just for us
Niggaz ain't gotta get all dressed up and be Hollywood
Ya know what i mean? Where do niggaz go when we die?
Ain't no heaven for a thug nigga
That's why we go to thug mansion
That's the only place where thugs get in free and you gotta be a G
... at thugs mansion
As 'Hot In Herre' ended and Tupac Shakur's 'Thugz Mansion' started, I grinned and thought of Chris Williams, my boyfriend in New York. This was one of his favorite songs. I sighed contentedly and started mouthing along and started thinking about our fun times. I shrugged off my big t-shirt and bent down, rooting around the floor amidst strewn clothes and books for my baby blue top.
A place to spend my quiet nights, time to unwind
So much pressure in this life of mine, I cry at times
I once contemplated suicide, and woulda tried
But when I held that 9, all I could see was my momma's eyes
No one knows my struggle, they only see the trouble
Not knowin it's hard to carry on when no one loves you
Picture me inside the misery of poverty
No man alive has ever witnessed struggles I survived
Prayin hard for better days, promise to hold on
Me and my dogs ain't have a choice but to roll on
We finally found a spot to kick it
Where we can drink liquor and no one bickers over trick shit
A spot where we can smoke in peace, and even though we G's
We still visualize places, that we can roll in peace
And in my mind's eye I see this place, the players go in fast
I got a spot for us all, so we can ball, at thug's mansion
I found it hidden beneath one of my (well, Chris' really) hiking boots and a Vogue magazine. I stopped, holding up the shirt against the window and thought for a moment. Really, is this what I want to wear? I know it sounded stupid and trivial, but I had nothing better to do than waste my time. I thought for a while and then decided to root through my clothes one more time.
Every corner, every city
There's a place where life's a little easy
Little Hennessy, laid back and cool
Every hour, cause it's all good
We wont stress from the world outside
Every wrong done will be alright
Nothin but peace, love
And street passion, every ghetto needs a thugz mansion
I started singing along with the chorus when it came on. So here I was, bending over my trunk, throwing out clothes everywhere, wearing no top, pretty much not being the old Hermione. I sort of liked that. I wanted to show everyone who I really was, not the damned façade I played 10 months of the year. I was going do everything I wanted to do and I was going to do it my way, and no one would stop me. Not even Ron or Harry.
A place where death doesn't reside, just thugs who collide
Not to start beef but spark trees, no cops rollin by
No policemen, no homicide, no chalk on the streets
No reason, for nobody's momma to cry
See I'm a good guy, I'm tryin to stick around for my daughter
But if I should die, I know all of my albums support her
This whole year's been crazy, asked the Holy Spirit to save me
Only difference from me and Nossie Davis, gray hair maybe
Cause I feel like my eyes saw too much sufferin
I'm just twenty-some-odd years, I done lost my mother
And I cried tears of joy, I know she smiles on her boy
I dream of you more, my love goes to Afeni Shakur
Cause like Ann Jones, she raised a ghetto king in a war
And just for that alone she shouldn't feel no pain no more
Cause one day we'll all be together, sippin heavnly champagne
Where angels soar, with golden wings in thug's mansion
After I called a halt to my verbal diatribe, I re-opted for the blue shirt. As I was pulling it on, I didn't hear the door creak open. Well, even if I wasn't pulling on my shirt, I wouldn't have heard it. I was prancing around the carriage compartment half-naked and singing. Being a total spoiled prat. Yeah, that nails it.
"Wow, Granger. Now I know where you acquired the tongue. It came with that fabulous body."
Draco's POV
I heard her turn around and gasp, her head not even fully through that shirt (if you could call a flimsy piece of cotton that practically doesn't cover anything a shirt). I smirked and watched as she got it on and glared at me.
"What do you think you're doing?" she spat at me as I fell on the closest couch.
Every corner, every city
There's a place where life's a little easy
Little Hennessy, laid back and cool
Every hour, cause it's all good
We wont stress from the world outside
Every wrong done will be alright
Nothin but peace, love
And street passion, every ghetto needs a thugz mansion
"Don't stop changing on my account. I'll just watch," I said silkily, definitely liking what I saw.
"Oh, please." She rolled her eyes and pulled her wand out from some of the debris littering the floor. With a flick of her wrist the mess had been cleaned up and was zooming back into her trunk. "Now, what are you doing here, Malfoy? This is the Head compartment."
"Then I should be here, darling Granger. Please, don't forget that your grades only surpassed mine by a margin."
"If you could call a margin a landslide, Ferret," I heard her mumble. Then out loud cam "So Daddy dearest nagged you this spot, darling Ferret?"
"Shut up, Granger," I said. I hated it when the Golden Trio always assumed my Father did everything for me. "I busted my arse for this position for the past 6 years. I will not be shaken by… By some stupid little Mudblood, got it?"
She just sneered at me and turned her back, setting a pair of blue block sandals beside her on the seat. She hid herself behind a magazine so I took my time to study her. I moved myself to the couch directly across from her.
She straightened her hair. Something that I never thought I would see in my lifetime. It actually suited her quite well, softening the angles in her face, and the highlights ranged from honey gold to sunny blonde. Her eyes had changed from a dark chocolate brown to a golden yellow, almost cat-like. Obviously her vacation changed her. But nothing had changed about me. I still acted like bitter blithering idiot towards her. I mentally kicked myself for that.
Dear momma don't cry, your baby boy's doin good
Tell the homies I'm in heaven and they ain't got hoods
Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night, it had me shook
Drinking peppermint Schnapps, with Jackie Wilson, and Sam Cooke
Then some lady named Billie Holiday
Sang sittin there kickin it with Malcolm, 'til the day came
Little LaTasha sho' grown
Tell the lady in the liquor that she's forgiven, so come home
Maybe in time you'll understand only God can save us
When Miles Davis cuttin lose with the band
Just think of all the people that you knew in the past
that passed on, they in heaven, found peace at last
Picture a place that they exist, together
There has to be a place better than this, in heaven
So right before I sleep, dear God, what I'm askin
Remember this face, save me a place, in thug's mansion
"Turn off that infernal racket, will you please, Granger? I mean, I hear that enough on the WWN," I snapped.
"Maybe if you ask nicely and act civil, I just might be inclined to do so," she replied without lowering the magazine.
We went on like this for another thirty seconds. She sighed heavily and set the magazine in her lap.
"Look, Malfoy, I don't like you and you don't like me. But let's just face reality. We're stuck sharing living quarters together and we're stuck together no matter what we do. I'm laying it on the table to put aside our differences and I suggest a truce. That means no name calling, hexing or unpleasantness, on both parts." She stuck out her had to me.
I sat and thought about this. This was I was waiting for all these years. An opportunity to be civil without ruining my reputation. I wanted her, but I didn't know how to get her. And this chance was unfolding itself perfectly. When Draco-Francis Quintus Malfoy wants something, Draco-Francis Quintus Malfoy gets it.
I guess she thought I didn't want it because she shrugged and said something along the lines of 'suit yourself'. But I did want this truce. And more, but that could wait.
Every corner, every city
There's a place where life's a little easy
Little Hennessy, laid back and cool
Every hour, cause it's all good
We wont stress from the world outside
Every wrong done will be alright
Nothin but peace, love
And street passion, every ghetto needs a thugz mansion
I leaned forward and it must've caught her attention, because she leant in, too. I was centimeters from her face. It was now or never. I leaned in, closing my eyes, relishing the heat of her breath emanating from her mouth, like spicy cinnamon candies. I didn't know it until I felt it, but I had my lips pressed against hers. I snaked my tongue out to caress those soft lips and she shivered before pulling back. Damn her.
"Malfoy…" I could hear her shaking in her voice. "What was that for?"
"I was going to shake your hand, but it wasn't there. I had to formalize our truce somehow."