Disclaimer: Whatever you don't recognize is mine. Whatever you do, it's J.K. Rowling's.
Author's Note: I haven't thanked my reviewers since like forever, so I'm gonna do that now, but I'm not gonna specifically say something to them, unless they reviewed my last chapter, and asked a question or something. Here goes.
xoKaSsIeox: yes, Viktor is Krum.
Then Kat Said: Krum isn't a teacher, is he? I thought he wasn't. plus, Hermione practically forced Krum and Ginny together, so I think she's okay with it. And, like, haven't you said that you were gonna stop reading it a few times? Just curious
I-hAd-No-Id3a-FoR-a-NaMe: you had to go into surgery? What for? All I did this summer was go to Vegas for a week, and spend the week at my friends house. Soooo exciting. I've never been to Maine. Is it fun?
mimazz: I don't think I'll have her friends give her the cold shoulder, but maybe. Who knows what the future holds (except Professor Trelawny, HAH! And phoebe halliwell, from charmed. Does any one else out there watch that show? I do).
Zarroc: I love those two together, too (that's probably why I am writing this fic). Yes, poor seamus, but who knows, with his make-better, he may find some one else…
soccerpixie3000: I can take constructive criticism, but when people tell me straight out they hate my story after the second chapter, then I get a little miffed (or a lot).
Okay, I screwed up a little, and went to far, but oh well. I told you a lot of things about what might happen later (and maybe you can give me some ideas).
Thanks to: KieshaDelela…Izumi Rules…rons-discret-lover69Hermione Charlotte Granger…Horse girl3ColdHeartlessDracoLover…quidditchgirl13…JKRowlingCreationLuver…amrawo…mugglegirl07thefeltongirl…mysteriouscharm…writealot…TriggerHappy666blondiluvbanana…perfectlyfakereality…Cocoamo1223bookfreak64Hazelocean…I-Lurve-Harry-and-Ron…lilnovelist…holding.on… DracoLover666... And perfectlyfakereality. You guys rock I took up like half a page just thanking everyone, and that was exactly what I didn't want to do. Oh, well. Oh, and in case any one is wondering, this story isn't over, cuz I still have to do the last dace, which may show up in this chapter. And now presenting…
Chapter Fifteen
"I never skipped a class." Draco Malfoy gulped down his fire whiskey, and was very surprised to see Hermione down hers, too.
"What?" she asked. "I'm not a totally prude. I do have fun."
It was around 6 in the morning and Draco and Hermione had given up on the wall. They were trying to think off something to do when Draco offered a game of 'I Never'. Draco, using his wand, made two shot glasses and a bottle of fire whiskey appear. As soon as the two teenagers realized that they could use their wands to somehow get out, the wands disappeared, leaving them to their game. Hermione was learning a lot about Draco, and Draco was surprised to learn that Hermione could hold down her fire whiskey just as well as him, maybe better.
"I never talked back to a teacher," Hermione said, emptying her glass.
Draco downed his, then the two glasses magically refilled. "Which teacher have you ever talked back to?" he asked Hermione.
Hermione smiled. "It was during History of Magic, and Professor Binns said something about Hogwarts, like they once allowed vampires in. I didn't believe him, 'cause I've read Hogwarts: A History like twenty thousand times, and I knew that wasn't right, so I told him. What about you. I assume that you have pretty much told off every teacher at least once, except maybe Snape."
"That is where you are wrong, my dear," Draco said. "Once, he told me my potion was inadequate, and I told him he could stuff my inadequate potion up his arse."
"You do realize that, it being a potion, he would have to pour it down his arse," Hermione said.
"Yeah, I realized that as soon as I said it," Draco said, "but Snape was too surprised to properly comprehend that." Draco cleared his throat. "I never…um…lied to my parents." Draco and Hermione drank their glasses.
"Oh, my, goodness," Hermione said, in mock surprise, her hand flying to her mouth. "The perfect Draco Malfoy has actually lied to his parents?"
"Ha, ha, you're so funny, Hermione," Draco said. "I have lied to my parents so much. Whenever I go home, and they ask if anything happened, I always say no, it was pretty boring. What about you?"
"I have also lied to my parents a lot," Hermione said, "mostly just recently, like, saying that I was spending the night at my friend's house, even though I was at some party. And, usually, I would spend the night at their house, afterwards. Oh, also, after fourth year, when my parents and I were on vacation in Italy, whenever they would ask if I wanted to go out, I would say I was doing my homework."
Draco waited for Hermione to go on, but when she didn't, he spoke. "What were you actually doing?" he asked.
"It's embarrassing," Hermione said, putting her head in her hands.
"C'mon," he said. "I told you about lying to my parents."
"Fine," Hermione said, looking up. "I was actually making out with Viktor Krum, who just happen to be staying in the same hotel. And that same guy is probably out there, snogging my best friend."
How right she was. Ginny and Krum had spent the last hour snogging, then Krum had taken Ginny back to her room, where they snogged for a little bit longer. After he left, Ginny squealed, then rushed to Hermione's bed, only to find it empty. She looked at the clock. It was 4 in the morning! Ginny checked the common room, but only a few stragglers were asleep in chairs, none of which were Hermione. Ginny hurried up the stairs to the boys dormitory, only to learn that Harry was also gone. She was relieved to see Ron in his bed, and shook him hard to wake him up.
"What do you want?" he asked groggily. "You're not suppose to be in here."
"Whatever," Ginny said, barely hearing him. "Have you seen Harry or Hermione lately?"
"No," he said. "After Hermione left for tutoring, Harry left a few hours later saying he was meeting someone. Why?"
"Because neither of them are back," Ginny said. "And it's, like, 4 in the morning. All I know is that Hermione may be with Malfoy."
"Yeah, that's reliable," Ron mumbled.
"Shut up." Ginny smacked him on the arm. "It's better that she's with him than alone. Now what are we gonna do?"
"How about you let me sleep?" Ron asked. "Maybe they'll come back and if they don't, then we can go tell McGonagell."
Ginny sighed. It's no use, she thought. "Fine. Bye." Ginny left, wondering where in the world Harry and Hermione were.
Harry was, at the moment, on his way back to the Tower after a very heated, passionate make out session with Pansy. He crept threw the portrait hole, and heard a scream. Acting on instinct, he pulled out his wand, and tackled the figure that moved.
"Harry! Get the hell off of me!" Harry looked down and saw that he had attacked Ginny.
"Oh, gosh, Ginny, I'm so sorry," Harry said, standing up. He helped her up. "What are you doing out here so late?"
"Just going back to my room," Ginny said.
Harry looked at her disheveled clothes, ruffled hair, and rosy cheeks, then up at the boys dormitory. He raised an eyebrow.
Ginny quickly realized what he was going at, and smacked him on the arm. "You perve! You know I wouldn't do that. I was talking to Ron. Hermione isn't in her bed, and you weren't, either, but you're here now, so maybe you know where she is."
"Hermione's not asleep?" Harry asked.
"I'm gonna assume you have no idea where she is," Ginny said.
"I don't know," Harry said. "Pansy and I were in the library, and I would think she is in there, but she wasn't. At least, not from where I could see." It took Harry a second to register what he had just said, but Ginny was already giggling. "Oh, shit," he said under his breath.
"What were you and Pansy doing at this late hour?" Ginny asked, nudging him.
"Nothing," Harry said, then added, "bad."
"I knew it!" Ginny cried. "You and Pansy were making out! In the library! I'm shocked!"
"Shh," Harry said, clamping a hand over her mouth. "I kinda don't want everyone to know about it."
"Okay, sure," Ginny said. "So, you have no idea where Hermione is? I'm really worried about her."
"I'm sure she's fine," Harry said, putting his arm around Ginny's shoulder and directing her towards the stairs that lead up to the girls' dormitory. "She's a big girl and can take care of herself."
"You're right," Ginny said, turning around and facing Harry once they were at the foot of the stairs. "And besides, if she can't handle herself, I'm sure Malfoy can protect her. 'Night, Harry." It took Harry a second to let this information sink in, but when it had, he called out her name for an explanation, but Ginny was already in the dormitory. Harry sighed, but retreated back to his.
-&-&-&-
"I never kissed someone on the first date." Hermione empted her glass and was shocked to see Malfoy not empting his.
"What?" he asked. "I do have class."
"I only did it once, and I had known the guy like my entire life," Hermione said. "Besides that, I've always waited until the second date."
"Me, too." Draco stifled a yawn.
"Oh, my, gosh, you're tired." Hermione looked at her watch. "It's 8! We are so, like, late for class."
"Well, it doesn't seem like we're gonna get out of here anytime soon," Draco said, standing up, "so how about we go to bed. I'm so tired."
"All right," Hermione said, reluctantly getting up. No matter how much she liked Draco, she wasn't sure if she was ready to sleep in the same bed with him.
Like he had read her mind, Draco grabbed on of the spare blankets on the bed, and a pillow, and walked over to the green couch.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I didn't think you would be too comfortable with me sleeping in the same bed as you," Draco said. "So, you get the bed."
"Well, then, let me have the couch, and you can take the bed," Hermione said, reaching to take the blanket, but Draco pulled it out of her reach.
"I'm sleeping on the couch." Draco put the pillow on the couch, laid out the blanket, then snuggled up underneath it. "Good night."
" 'Night," Hermione said, crawling under the covers. She wasn't very happy to be in her clothes, but she soon fell asleep.
-&-&-&-
Hermione woke up a couple hours later, starving. Draco was already up, staring out the window.
"Hey, Draco," she said, sitting down next to him on the couch.
Draco turned to her. "Are you hungry, Hermione?" he asked.
"So much," Hermione said. "But how exactly are we suppose to get food?"
"Say it, then," Draco said.
"Excuse me?"
"Say it."
"Say what?"
"That you're hungry."
"Why don't you?"
"Just do it." Draco was really getting annoyed by her.
Hermione sighed. "Okay." She sat up a little straighter. "I am hungry." Instantly, two plates appeared on the table in the corner, and were filled with cheeseburgers and fries. A strawberry milkshake plopped in front of the plate on the left, and a chocolate milkshake plopped in front of the plate on the right.
Draco hurriedly stood up. "Let's eat," he said, scrambling to the plate on the right.
"Hey, how come you get the chocolate milkshake," Hermione said, sitting down across from him. "How do you know I don't like strawberry?"
"Oh, do you want this one," Draco said, getting ready to stand up.
Hermione smiled. "I'm just kidding. I love strawberry milkshakes."
Draco smiled and sat back down.
-&-&-&-
"Where is she?" Ginny thought aloud.
"Ginny, please, sit," Ron said. "When Harry is done getting ready, we'll go get McGonagell."
It was Saturday morning, a few hours before Hermione and Draco were to get up. Ginny and Ron were both in the Gryffindor common room, but Ron was sitting in one of the overstuffed armchairs while Ginny paced in front of him.
"I'm sorry," Ginny said, plopping down into a chair next to him. "I'm just really worried about Hermione. Aren't you?"
"Yes," Ron said, "but let's at least wait for Harry."
About five minutes later, Harry came down the stairs, his black, unruly hair still wet from his shower.
"Ginny, it'll be your head if my hair gets messed up without proper drying time," Harry said, following his friends out the door.
"Who'll notice," Ginny mumbled under her breath.
"Ha, ha," Harry said, playfully shoving Ginny. "You're a comedian."
The three students walked through the halls of Hogwarts to Professor McGonagell's office. Once they reached the room, Ginny knocked on the door.
"Come in!"
Ginny pushed open the door to reveal McGonagell sitting at her desk, grading papers. She looked up.
"Can I help you three?" she asked.
"Professor," Ginny said, "Hermione didn't come back to her room last night, and I'm really worried about her."
"Do you have any idea where she was last?" McGonagell asked.
"Well, the library," Ginny said, "but-"
"Then go check the library," McGonagell said. "If she isn't there, then go to Professor Dumbledore. I'll tell him about your predicament. Good day."
Ginny, Harry, and Ron left her office.
"Ya know, how come we didn't think of that," Ginny asked as they walked to the library.
"I totally thought we should've checked the library before we went to McGonagell," Ron started, but quickly shut up after the murderous look Ginny gave him.
Ginny led the three to the library, were they felt lost again.
"What now?" Harry asked.
Ginny thought for a second. She was actually enjoying being the one who called the shots. Normally it was Harry or Hermione, as her brother was too much of a wimp to take command. Ginny always followed whatever the other three did, occasionally doing things alone. Ginny figured that Harry thought that Ginny knew Hermione better than him, so she would have a better idea as to where she may be.
"Hello? Ginny?" Harry waved a hand in front of Ginny's face, taking her away from her thoughts. "Any idea what to do next?"
It took Ginny about two seconds to come up with something. "C'mon," she said, grabbing the boys sleeves, and pulling them along with her as she searched for what she was looking for.
"Madame Pince!" Ginny called out to the chubby, kind looking lady, who was putting books onto one of the shelves. "Madame Pince!"
Madame Pince looked up in surprise to see a girl with flaming red hair rushing at her, with two tall boys, one with flaming red hair like the formers, and one with unruly black hair, being dragged along.
"Hush, child," Madame Pince said. "The only excuse to yell in a library is if you or the books are on fire. Now, can I help you?"
"Was Hermione Granger or Draco Malfoy here last night?" Ginny asked.
"Why, yes," Madame Pince said. "They both were here, together. Around 8. I meant to tell them that they would have to leave soon, but when I went back to their table, they were gone. Why? Is something wrong?"
"Well, Hermione never came back to the dormitory," Ginny said, "and, since they were most likely together, I don't think Malfoy went back, either."
"Well, I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help," Madame Pince said, going back to her books, "but I was the only one here until around 6 in the morning. Sorry. I hope you find your friends."
Ginny, Ron and Harry left the library, their shoulders hung, claiming defeat.
"Where in the world are they?" Harry asked aloud.
"Where are who?"
The trio looked up, and saw Pansy standing in front of them, hands on her hips. She gave Harry a kiss on the cheek, then asked her question again.
A thought dawned on Ginny, and her face lit up. "Pansy's in Slytherin!" she cried.
"Yes, we know," Ron said, slowly, as if he were speaking to a two-year-old.
Ginny smacked him on the arm. "Who else is in Slytherin?" Ron and Harry thought for a second, while Pansy just looked confused.
"Malfoy!" Harry and Ron said together.
"Exactly," Ginny said, then turned to Pansy. "Did Malfoy go back to the room last night?"
Pansy thought for second, then shook her head. "I don't think he did. He wasn't at breakfast. Why?"
"He and Hermione are missing," Ginny said, thinking of what to do next. She sighed. "C'mon, let's just go to Dumbledore. He probably knows where they are."
The quartet walked to the Headmaster's office, greeting friends along the way. Finally, they reached the gargoyle. Harry said the password, and the four teenagers stepped onto the moving stairs. Ginny knocked on the door, and Dumbledore granted them access.
"Ah, yes, Professor McGonagell said you would be coming," the wizened wizard said, looking at each student in turn, his eyes landing on Pansy. "But she didn't say you would be bringing someone extra. What can I do for you?" he asked, looking at Ginny.
"Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy have been missing since around ten o'clock last night," Ginny said. "Madame Pince was the last to see them, in the library, around nine, but they were gone when she checked again."
"I see," Dumbledore said, placing his hands together in a steeple, his fingers just touching. "I may have an idea as to were your friends may be, but I need to check something to be sure. It is a nice day out, why don't you go enjoy the weather during this month of January, as it may not come back until April, and I will try to find your friends."
Ginny looked a little skeptical, but nodded her head. The four teenagers left his office, and Dumbledore stood up once they were gone.
"You have no idea where the students are, do you?" Dumbledore looked up at the portrait of a skinny, angular woman, with sharp features, wearing a lace, yellow dress and hat, a pair of small glasses perched on her nose. She was sitting at a desk in what looked like a study, shelf upon shelf upon shelf filled with books.
"But there you are wrong," Dumbledore said, taking off his bed robe, and putting on his midnight blue robes. He walked towards the door, and turned when he was in front of it. "You need to learn to trust my judgment, Mother." He opened the door and stepped out.
Dumbledore rushed to the library, his robes billowing. He entered the library, greeted Madame Pince, then walked to the area near the room Draco and Hermione were stuck in. He looked around for a little bit, then walked up to the wall that had formed.
"I knew it," he whispered. Dumbledore pulled out his wand and said, "Dissendium," which, not only was used to open a secret passage to Hogsmeade, also was used to make walls disappear in certain parts of the school. The wall disappeared, and revealed Draco and Hermione sitting on the couch, talking. They looked up when Dumbledore cleared his throat.
"I think your friends are waiting for you," he said simply, gave them a small smile, then left.
Hermione and Draco looked at each other, smiling, then rushed out of the room, and straight into Pansy, Ron, Ginny and Harry, who had followed Professor Dumbledore.
"Hermione!" Ginny cried. The two girls hugged, screamed and jumped up and down. "Where have you been?"
"I have no idea," Hermione said, smiling. She gave Ron and Harry each a bear hug, and even gave Pansy one. She turned to Draco only to find him gone.
"Where'd he go?" she asked.
"He said he's sorry, he'll talk to you later," Pansy said, "but he really wanted to get back to his bed and sleep."
"That's okay," Hermione said, putting her arms around her friends. "I'll see him later."
-&-&-&-
Okay, I'm done. I hope this is long enough for you, it's 8 pages! I'm gonna do the dance in the next chappie, so be prepared. Please give me as many ideas as you can, cuz I could really use them. Also, review!