Appearances Can Be Deceiving
Chapter 6: Just Touch Me
DISCLAIMER: Elaine (AKA Elmo) is mine, pretty much everything else, isn't. I own a cuddly toy of the Penguin of Death (an xmas pressy off Toni) but Edward Monkton came up with it.
A/N - Hermy needed to talk to someone, was thinking bout bringin Ginny back but since i mentioned Elaine a few chapters ago and since Toni has such a big part, i thought i'll put Elaine in there :)
"So, what happened in the morning?"
"Well, we just talked it over and we agreed not to tell anyone – especially not Ron. I don't really know what's going on, I mean…he's just been so weird since the night before the end of term. We just thought he was in another one of his moods. But it's almost like he's a whole different person. And that kiss! I would never imagine that Harry would kiss me, never mind kiss me that passionately. I'm just so confused! It's been three days since he kissed me and I just can't stop thinking about it, it's all just so weird Elaine!"
The two girls were sitting in their pyjamas before the roaring fire in the Hufflepuff common room, blankets, pillows, and a vast array of sweets lay haphazardly all around them. It was one in the morning and their mini sleepover was well underway.
"Have you forgiven him?" Elaine asked Hermione, the half-eaten chocolate frog in her hand forgotten, she was too intent on this juicy gossip to notice the chocolate melting into a squidgy ball between her fingers. "For sleeping with Toni, I mean?"
"I can't really hold it against him that she's an evil manipulative..." she struggled to find an adequate insult, "...Penguin of death, can I?" (A/N - Edward Monkton is a genius)
"So that's a yes then?" Elaine had a small smile on her face, even though, unlike Hermione, she attempted to see the good in people and never held grudges.
"That's a 'he better be incredibly nice to me and buy me an amazing Christmas present.'" She grinned.
"Can you keep a secret, Elaine?" She asked, suddenly serious.
"Of course I can, I'm in Hufflepuff aren't I?" She flicked back her dark brown hair in fake indignation.
"Well…I think…" Hermione stuttered, "I think I'm falling for Harry!" She said, so quickly that it took a minute for Elaine to decipher what the blonde had just said.
"It's about bloody time!" Elaine laughed. "People have been waiting for that since Rita Skeeter's articles in the Daily Prophet in fourth year!"
"Shut up!" Hermione blushed and playfully slapped her friend on the arm.
That set the tone for the rest of the night. Normal girly gossip – who fancied who, who was going out with who, were the rumours about Parvati and Lavander true?
"You will never believe who I, very grudgingly, find quite hot!"
"Another guy, Hermione? You're quite the little man magnet aren't you!"
"I highly doubt that Draco Malfoy would consider me a magnet."
"Malfoy?" Elaine squealed as Hermione hid her head in her hands.
"I know! I know! But he was lounging round by the lake just after the summer term began and he just happened to have his shirt off, and can I help but notice the fact that he has an extremely nice body?"
"Well, I'll agree with you there, but he is a bastard."
"Oh yeah, he's an absolute bastard."
By the time 4am rolled around the two girls' energy was finally ebbing. Laying back amongst the pillows and blankets, all was silent for about ten minutes until:
"Elaine?"
"Yeah?" The brunette replied softly, hearing the vulnerability in the other girls solitary word.
"I'm scared to go to sleep."
"Why?" She asked cautiously.
"I keep having a nightmare. I've had the same dream for the past four nights. I can never remember anything about it, only a feeling of terror and a scream as I wake up."
"If you don't remember them, how do you know they're the same dream?" Elaine asked, not unkindly.
"I…don't know. It's just so weird. I just know they're the same and that it's really important for me to remember them, but I just can't and I'm scared to even try." Furious at herself, she rubbed her hands over the tears that were silently snaking their way down her face.
Four nights with not a lot of sleep were taking their toll on the usually strong witch.
"Don't worry, Hermione, I'm here if you need me," Elaine's voice comforted her as she sank unwillingly into the darkness of her dreams.
She could hear screaming. Who was it? Hermione opened her eyes only to realise the unearthly terrified wailing was coming from her open mouth. Elaine's pale worried face bent over her as she forced herself to stop shrieking.
"Oh God, it happened again!" Hermione cried, burying her head in her hands, this time out of pain instead of embarrassment.
"Hermione…" Elaine's voice was careful; as though she wasn't sure Hermione should hear what she was about to say. "You were shouting in your sleep."
Her head snapped up. "What? What was I saying?"
"Well, you were shouting at someone to wake up, I think it was Harry, and then you screamed Draco Malfoy's name. I think you screamed so loud you woke yourself up."
"I screamed 'Malfoy' in my sleep?" Hermione looked aghast.
"Actually, no. You screamed 'Draco' in your sleep."
Hermione groaned, "could this get any weirder?"
Shortly after 7am she walked through the portrait hole. The mood of the sleepover had gone dramatically downhill after the dream incident.
"Hermione?" Harry sounded shocked as he looked up from the Daily Prophet he was reading on the sofa.
"Oh, hi Harry," she replied absently, not even looking at him.
"What's wrong?" He stood up, gathering a towel – the only item of clothing he wore – tighter around the bottom half of his body.
She finally turned to look at him, tears glittering in her eyes.
Oh, what the hell was going on now? Draco wondered is this going to speed things up or slow things down? He was getting really bored playing at being St. Potter. Not to mention impatient. He had about two and a half weeks to get Granger to fall in love with him and convince her to brew up an extremely complex potion without knowing why she was making it.
"Mione?" He said softly, plastering what he hoped was a concerned look on his face.
Her eyes finally focused on him. "Why are you wearing a towel?" She asked simply.
"I've just had a shower," he replied, walking towards her. He grabbed her shoulders gently and looked into her eyes, Harry's black hair, still wet from his shower, obscuring his vision. I don't see why the prat doesn't just get it cut or gel it back or something, he thought impatiently, shaking his head to move it.
He led her to the sofa he'd just come from.
"But that doesn't matter, Mione, tell me what's wrong." And make it quick, he added silently, I don't want to spend all day babysitting you.
He sat down beside her and she looked up into those stolen emerald eyes, tears now pouring freely down her face.
"I've…" she gasped out, "I've been having nightmares." She collapsed against his bare chest."
It was a good thing she did otherwise she would have seen a very strange look on her best friends face.
That was it? The stupid girl had a couple of bad dreams and then went round crying about them? He looked thoroughly disgusted. But there was more…
"You're in it, Harry, but you're asleep and I'm shouting at you to wake up, but you won't. And Malfoy's there as well, and I wake up screaming his name! I've had the dream every night since the first night of the holidays. I'm scared to sleep, I'm scared to even close my eyes! I'm cranky, I'm emotional. Look at me! I'm bawling all over you like some little baby!"
Yeah, you noticed, huh? He thought.
"That's it!" She sat up, sounding as impatient with herself as Draco felt with her, and suddenly filled with resolve. "As soon as I've had a shower and put some clean clothes on I'm going straight to the library to check up what the hell is wrong with me!"
Draco smiled down at her, that was more like it, now she'd be out of his way for the rest of the day, while he thought of a way to bring up the whole potion topic.
"Only…" She looked suddenly timid and blushed slightly, "…would you mind if I just sat here with you for a bit first? It's just," she continued hastily, before he could answer her question, "well, you smell really nice, and you're so warm and I don't really want to be alone at the moment." Her brown eyes fixed upon his green ones.
"Sure," he replied, smiling softly down at her, their gazes locked.
"Thanks," she said quietly. So quietly that he could barely hear her. He moved his head down closer to hers in case she spoke again. She did.
"Harry. Make love to me."
"What?" Draco was shocked and surprised, not usually his first reaction when faced with a proposition like that, but still…it was Granger asking.
"Please? Ever since that kiss I've barely been able to think of anything else. I think I'm falling for you Harry." It was more than that, though. Her dreams had filled her with a sense of loneliness. She felt desolate. She just wanted to touch him as much as possible to reassure herself that he was fine. To convince herself that she wasn't empty. She wanted to feel something, anything, other than despair.
Which was why she raised her lips to softly touch Harry's as he stared down at her uncomprehendingly.
He responded after a moment of hesitation, pressing his lips to hers, his hands wrapped around her body as she opened her mouth to his and moaned. He ran his lips down her neck and collarbone as she undid the buttons of her shirt and let it drop to the floor.
Harry's eyes widened when he noticed this, or it might have been due to the fact that Hermione had just ripped his towel off him.
"Please, Harry, please." She whispered, kissing her way down his chest. "Just touch me."
Two hours later they lay on the soft rug in front of the fire, their naked bodies entwined.
The sofa hadn't been big enough to hold them.
Hermiones head rested on Harry's chest, the sound of his heart beating and the movement of his breathing comforted her.
"Hermione?" Harry's voice was soft.
"Yeah?" She replied, just as softly, for the first time in days she felt utterly relaxed and at ease. Strange considering she was lying half on Harry's naked body.
"I know it's probably not the best time to bring it up, but would you help me with a potion I need to make?"
Hermione laughed quietly. Harry asking for help with work. Some things never changed.
"Sure," she muttered, "just let me sleep first, k?" At the thought of sleeping again she tensed up slightly.
Harry noticed this.
"Don't worry, Mione," he kissed her on the top of her head, "I'll be here to look after you, Little Dreamer."
Something about that name seemed wrong to Hermione but her euphoria dragged her down before she could question it.
A/N - yes - they had sex! sorry, couldn't help myself :) PleasePleasePlease click the little review button - i feel so lonely!