Desrosiers: SO SO SO sorry for the delay. Just started high school, lotsa work, but I'm back into the swing of things! I promise there will be more updatage. But for now, enjoy the 10th chappie!

A Smirk is Worth a Thousand Words – Chapter 10: Slippery When Wet.

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Whistles came from the crowds in the Great Hall, as Draco spun faster and faster on top of the Slytherin table.

On his tip toes, he twirled and twirled in his pink tutu.

Louder came the whistles and long bursts of laughter from the crowd.

Draco could feel himself getting redder with each spin.

He jumped, and pirouetted across the table. It felt as if someone was controlling him, he couldn't stop dancing. His bright pink ballet shoes tapped the ground with each leap he made. Faster. Louder came the laughing. Draco's face became redder. Then, with one final leap, he fell off the table with a large thump.

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Draco shot up out of his bed, panting furiously.

"What the hell!?" Draco exclaimed, as he jumped out of his bed and ran to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he could still see his red cheeks. He had even been blushing in his sleep.

Sighing and rubbing his forehead, Draco glanced at the mirror. He could see the reflection of the grandfather clock in his room. 5:43 AM.

Groaning, Draco trudged back to his bed. There was no way he could go back to sleep after that nightmare. No way. He flopped down on his bed, and even though he had been asleep for seven hours, he still felt weary. But he couldn't let his exhaustion get to him. He had to stay awake for classes, or at least for breakfast.

Draco suddenly remembered. Quidditch was today! Face palming, Draco jumped off his bed and walked over to his wardrobe, pulling out his Quidditch Robes.

"I'll kick your butt, Gryffindor."

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Hermione lightly shut off her alarm clock and sat up in her bed. Stretching, she bounced off her bed happily, and went to her wardrobe. She pulled out her Gryffindor scarf among a few other red and gold accessories, and headed for the bathroom.

"We'll kick your butt, Slytherin."

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Draco headed down to breakfast in his robes, and took his seat at the Slytherin table. Hermione walked through the Great Hall door shortly after, and took a seat herself.

"I have a few announcements this morning, students, so if you would please quiet down." Dumbledore waited for the hall to slowly grow silent, and then proceeded. "Today, Grffindor," cheers erupted in the hall, "and Slytherin," only the Slytherin table cheered, "will verse in an extravagant Quidditch match. Good luck to both teams, and with that being said, dig in!" Dumbledore smiled warmly and sat down in his massive chair.

"Who do you reckon will win?" Fred asked, his fork full of eggs hovered close to his mouth.

"Gryffindor. Idiot." George slapped Fred lightly on the head, causing his eggs to fall from his fork.

Hermione's eyes wandered over to the Slytherin table, and focused on Draco for a few moments. He didn't look half bad in his robes, she thought. Wait, what? Did I just..ew.

Hermione quickly rose from the table and headed for the quidditch pitch. She had to get away from her thoughts.

As Hermione exited, Ron looked at Harry. "What's up with her lately? I mean, she barely ever talks anymore, and that whole thing with Malfoy yesterday..."

"I dunno..." Harry stated, nonchalantly, but in his mind he was thinking something completely different. Malfoy weird. Hermione weird. Malfoy wants girl help. Hermione gives Malfoy note. It doesn't take much to put two and two together. Na..no way. Hermione and Malfoy? Harry huffed and continued eating his bacon. But something deep inside of him kept pulling at the thought of Draco and Hermione.

Hermione ran onto the quidditch pitch, where Madame Hooch was dragging the trunk onto the field. "Out a bit early, aren't you dear?" Madame Hooch ceased pulling the trunk and walked over to Hermione.

"Oh, you know. I have to join in the excitement." Hermione shrugged.

"Well, you can go ahead and have a seat in the stands. The match is due to start in 5 minutes anyway." Madame Hooch smiled kindly and went back to pick up the trunk.

Hermione walked away silently, towards the stands that seemed to reach to the sky. If only.

She sat down in the Gryffindor section, and stared in deep thought at the many kids slowly filing onto the pitch. Among them, Neville and Seamus were waving frantically at her, as if hailing a muggle taxi. The wrong way.

Hermione smiled, and gestured them over.

"What's up?" Neville asked in a worried tone as he and Seamus took a seat by Hermione. "I see you've beat us to the match!"

"Oh. Heh. So..."

"So...What's up?" Seamus asked.

"Hm."

Seamus gave a tired look at Neville. She just wasn't going to talk.

"Oh look! A flying pig!" Seamus yelled, to try and get her attention.

"Neat."

"Geez, 'Mione, when did you get all monosyllabic? Oh..oh you like that big word. Oh yeah! Score for Finnigan!" Seamus shouted, laughing.

Hermione smiled, but didn't reply. Her voice would have been drowned out by the sound of the teams rushing out onto the field.

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"That was..by far...the coolest match...ever." Neville struggled to catch his breath from all the cheering he has been doing. Gryffindor had won, 210 to 60.

Seamus nodded. "When Ron worked his Wronski Feint, I thought I was going to choke. I mean...Ron...Feint..it was just... wow."

"Party in the common room!" Neville yelled. "Fred n' George will raid the kitchens!"

"I'm in!" Seamus cheered. "Hermione?"

"Oh.. me? Oh, no thanks. I'm going to go and find Ron and Harry, and turn in early."

"But... it's a Friday night!"

"Well, I have to go and see them. I may join in later." She smiled.

Leaving it at that, Seamus and Neville gave her a slap on the shoulder and ran off towards the castle.

Sighing, Hermione made her way to the Quidditch locker rooms, and sat on a bench outside.

20 minutes later, she had seen every person in Gryffindor come out of the room except Ron and Harry.

She heaved herself up, and entered the locker room.

"Ron? Harry?" Hermione called out inside the Quidditch locker room, her voice bouncing off the walls as they echoed back to her. "Are you guys here?"

Hermione glided through the isles of endless lockers with sealer charms on them, and went to the back of the room. "Ron? Are you guys dressed?" Hermione asked timidly, as she covered her eyes and turned the corner. "Is anyone here?" She slowly removed her hand from her eyes, and peered around the room. Nothing but rows of showers, and a few tables which contained fresh, white towels.

She doubled back and turned the other corner, she found someone she wouldn't expect.

"Draco!?" Hermione hastily covered her eyes, as Draco frantically grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. "Hermione!?

"Oh my God, I'm SO sorry." Hermione turned away and headed for the door.

"And you should be! Sneaking up on a guy like that, in a BOY'S locker room!" Draco made sure the towel was tightly tied around his wet torso (A/N: Hehehehe.), and looked at Hermione.

"Hand me a towel." Draco ordered.

Hermione huffed, but it was the least she could do. She grabbed a fluffy white towel from the table next to her and threw it at Draco, still trying to not stare.

"Well, I called! No one answered! Is it my fault you're deaf!?" Hermione snapped back, trying to look at his face, and not his...body. (A/N: Fun fun fun. ;; )

"You shouldn't even be in here, mudblood!"

Hermione could feel her face burning, and tears of anger starting to swell up in her eyes. Draco continued.

"Is it some deranged pass time of yours to come into boy's locker rooms, wait until their naked, and give them a heart attack!?"

"I told you! I didn't know anyone was in here!" Hermione was clenching her fists. "No, I don't have to put up with this." Hermione turned to leave, and as her heel ground the wet floor beneath her, she slipped.

Grabbing Draco's arm trying to steady herself, she plunged to the floor, lacking grace, and pulled Draco down ontop of her.

The moment seemed like something you would see in a love tale. But this wasn't a love tale. It was reality. A twisted, Romeo and Juliet, sophisticated, magical reality.

Staring into each others eyes, they lay motionless, only moving to breathe.

Draco's bare, wet chest pressed against Hermione, as her breath came out haggard, and shuddered. Hermione's hands had somehow found Draco's shoulders, as she felt his soft smooth skin run beneath her fingertips. Hermione blinked, and found herself coming back to reality.

"Erm.." Hermione mumbled. "Draco...can you..erm...get off? Please?"

"What? Oh! Oh, right. Yeah, sure." Draco supported himself with one hand on the floor, while holding his towel with the other. He pushed himself off the ground, and helped Hermione up.

"I..um.." Draco stumbled. "You..erm..falling..tripped...caught..floor.."

Hermione gave a small grin, but hardly noticeable if you weren't waiting for it. "I won't say anything if you won't."

"..deal." Draco held out his hand for Hermione to shake, but Hermione was already running out the door.

In that one infinite moment, Hermione's feelings for Draco seemed to shift dramatically. That one infinite moment, though, could ruin her entire life, and Draco's entire reputation. Somehow, somewhat, Hermione just didn't seemed to care about the risks anymore. She was oblivious to it all.