Chapter 8

The day was drawing to an end as Malfoy and Hermione set out again into the forest. The meeting had dragged on longer than expected, but it would be the last for two days. Everybody has complaints, questions, fears and worries; few seemed yet to be enjoying the assignment. Harry and Ron had tried to prompt Hermione into complaining about Malfoy but she stayed quiet, flattered that Malfoy did as well. He had embraced Pansy on their departure and Hermione could smell Pansy's vile perfume following them through the gathering darkness. She hated that smell, and hated still more the pink lipstick mark on Malfoy's cheek. She stopped for a breather and jabbed violently at it with her finger.

" Get it off will you, I can't stop thinking of that girl with her smell and smear all around us"

Malfoy raised his eyebrows in mock surprise.

" No" he said. " I like it, she stays."

Hermione huffed and stamped her foot. " Oh of course. Because you two are so pathetic. So in love"

" Love Granger? Who mentioned love? She's sexy, there need be nothing more than that"

Hermione continued walking, but could not stop thinking of short skirts and black bra's. Was that why she never had a boyfriend? Because she didn't dress like that? Was Pansy really sexy? She admitted she had a fine figure but it was so obviously displayed, so on show. She supposed most of the girls dressed similar to this recently; they were all getting older, more sexual and seductive. Hermione had barely changed her dress since she was twelve. She still wore woolen skirts, tights and thick, cozy jumpers. Messy, unruly curls untouched, everyday for the last five years. Hermione could hear Malfoys steady plod behind her and took comfort in the sound. She would not really like to be out here alone. Despite her constant show of bravado, she was still a girl underneath and a vulnerable one too. She craved approval and to be liked just as anyone did. Despite Harry and Rons loyalty they were still friends, it was not she that drove them wild, but other girls, sexier girls. Hermione tried to pull her mind from such silly thoughts but it was difficult, her feeling of inadequacy had been steadily growing since sixth year, when couples and lovers started springing up all around her. Krum had liked her a little, but mostly because she didn't really like him, and he thought his supposed interest in her would dissuade the hoard of girls that surrounded him constantly. He was wrong and when he realized this, their friendship that was mistaken for more, was quickly dropped. She wrote to him occasionally, to see if he was still interested but he had long moved on and the last she had heard he was dating an Italian model.

Hermione's walk had been growing steadily slower as her thoughts sunk lower and lower and she eventually stopped, causing Malfoy to run into her. She wondered why he had been so quiet, an hour had nearly passed and as she glanced at his face she was astounded by its peacefulness, he looked happy and calm. His eyes had softened and a little blue had entered them, a spark even, of light. She could not help a weak smile; it was nice to have someone, anyone here when her thoughts were so saddening.

" Malfoy" she said, in a tired voice. " Are we close to camp?"

He was surprised at her question, generally she would jump his bag and find her own way, but her face looked soft, sad even, and her timid little voice reflected that. He may have been cold, but he was not totally inhuman, he could see she wasn't quite her normal and annoying Granger self.

" Oh you look" he replied, dumping his bag at her feet and stretching his arms in a yawn. She took it out, climbed onto a rock and drew her legs to her chest, shivering. She switched the torch on and studied the map while he lay and popped jellybeans into his mouth one by one. He didn't offer her any.

" Alright" she said, folding up the map " We are not far, come one"

Something weird was up, Malfoy was sure. Instead of their usual fighting and bickering they had settled into a sort of indifference, a very unsettling sort of indifference. Malfoy began to sing a loud and rude song in her ear. She strode on dejectedly for a while, still ignoring him but slowly, strength came back into her walk, her fists started to clench and breathing got louder. Malfoy was glad; he wanted the old Hermione back, that was the only one he was sure of. He knew how to get at her, bait her, provoke her, but when she went all quiet and sad it was like she was a real girl, with feelings that could be manipulated and crushed.

She turned on him, slamming a rough hand into his chest.

" Stop it okay? Just because I am a little quiet doesn't mean you need to rev me up for entertainment ! She sniffed the air, close to his body, Pansy's perfume was still lingering.

"Oh god" she muttered, really frustrated by it.

He smirked, enjoying the old Hermione again.

" What is it?" he questioned lightly, sniffing the air.

" I can smell a mud blood, a smelly mud blood, it that troubling you?" he looked at her, faux tenderly and was amazed to see her anger dissipate and tears well into her eyes. Her lips trembled and she turned away but not before he saw the flow escape and course down her cheeks. It was pathetic, he couldn't understand what was up with her, and surely he didn't make her cry?

She sat on a log, with her back to him and tried really hard to stop the tears. She couldn't believe she was crying in front of Malfoy but it was too much, all of her thoughts of the afternoon were confirmed by him. And it was undeniable he was a good looking guy, as much as she disliked his company, he was proof of her unattractiveness, he confirmed it everyday. Malfoy stood staring at her back, totally perplexed and confused by her strange and erratic behavior. It was dusk now and Granger was seriously slowing them up. He was surprised by her tears, he knew other girls cried a lot, had seen them sob many times before, but he had never really considered Granger crying, he had always assumed she never did and never had, yet here she was sniffy and teary just like any other sappy girl around Hogwarts. He sighed with frustration, at her, at Pansy's lingering perfume,

At every damn teary girl he knew.

" Oh damnit Granger, now what's wrong?" he crossed his arms impatiently and stared hard at her back, spitting flames with his eyes.

She hiccoughed pathetically, and shrugged her little shoulders.

" Oh nothing Malfoy" her voice sounded tired, but not weak and girly anymore.

" You wouldn't care". It was such an obvious cry for attention that he laughed silently. He came forward and sat next to her on the log. He opened his bag and pulled out a tin she hadn't seen before. From it he took two biscuits and gave one to her.

She really looked a sight, looking up at him as if he had presented to her the answer to all of her problems, and he looked away hastily.

" Now, really Granger, I don't know what this is all about but it's wasting our time. Maybe you are hungry or something, my sister always gets funny if she doesn't eat enough, take that biscuit, I will make tea and then we can bloody well be off. I am sick of teary girls today"

She looked at him surprised, and laughed a little " Who else have you consoled lately?"

He considered not telling her, stopping the easy conversation right there but she still looked shaky and he thought distraction the best tactic.

" Pansy, who else? She was fuming with jealousy about us sleeping together"

Hermione blushed.

" I mean, I didn't say we slept together, of course, just you know, that we had to share the same bed"

" Yes, had too" Hermione agreed, nodding her head vigurously.

" Yes well, she sobbed and said I didn't love her and I agreed of course.."

Hermione giggled, lightness returning to her eyes,

" And she got so mad and said we had been betrothed since birth and nothing would kill her eternal love for me."

" Oh god Malfoy, what a tumultuous love life you lead!"

" That's not all. She showed we this ring she had bought for herself, our engagement ring, she claimed. It was hideous, huge and purple, very expensive I dare say. I got so pissed off at her I shrunk it down a couple of sizes until her pink skin was spilling over the band and covering the damn thing. It was dumb, it will get back to my father, but I really want nothing to do with her. Screw what I said before, her sex appeal does not make up for that!"

Hermione went quiet again, thinking it all over, intrigued by Malfoys love life, which was so much more interesting and exciting than her own. She believed he must have plenty of girls in his bed and the idea made her stomach turn a little, she couldn't help queering a little further, and she had never spoken to anybody as promiscuous and lusted after as him.

" Malfoy" she said, as he set, swearing and cursing, to brewing the tea.

" Are you with very many girls?" her tears had made her quite childish, her voice, her legs pulled against her chest and the wide eyes she was staring at him with. She had no experience in the kind of life he led.

He looked at her, amused, enjoying the way she sat and the tone she used.

" Yes Granger," he said softly, not wanting to shock her,

" Lots and lots of girls"

She nodded quickly and snuggled her head into her knees, feeling young and silly around this girl-eater Malfoy.

" However." Malfoy continued, laughing still at her doe like act.

" Never have I had a girl quite like you" He brought her tea to her, milky and sweet, and sat on the ground near her feet. She noticed he looked comfortable there, at ease and could see again the peaceful look that stole onto his face as he watched the birds and the trees and the peeking sky above.

" You haven't had me Malfoy, don't start spreading horrible rumors like that"

He looked at her now, still curled up and stared hard into her warm, vulnerable chocolate brown eyes.

" I haven't had you Granger, but I've sure seen you. I don't think anybody would believe me if I said I'd seen you cry… and hiccough. And sob…"

He trailed out and she took it well, nodding gently. She could not deny he had seen something rare, she hardly ever cried and it made her feel worse that he knew she could. Her only tactic against Malfoy was to stay strong and fierce, all the time, now he had seen her weak, how would he use it against her?

" Come on." He took her teacup from her hand and began to pack everything away. "Enough talk, more walking" he was brusque suddenly, anxious to get away and a certain rough edge had entered again into his voice, a cold, distancing edge.

She wiped her tears, flattened her wild hair and brushed off her skirt.

" Thanks for the tea Malfoy, I feel better and I am sor-"

" Don't bother Granger, I don't care, let's just go okay?"

She nodded, hoisted her pack onto her back and set off into the forest, determined to never again crumble in front of the dragon, Draco Malfoy.