After fifteen minutes of prowling corridors, Hermione was utterly sure that she was lost.
What I wouldn't give for the Marauder's Map now, she thought.
Moonlight glittered in a window ahead of her, and she hurried to it, thinking that she might catch glimpse of something on the grounds that could help her pinpoint her direction. As Hermione's eyes scanned the dark grounds for a landmark of some sort, she began to feel a sort of prickling sensation, as though she was being watched. She whirled around, hoping to catch whatever it was by surprise.
"Malfoy!" She screamed, startled.
"Thought it'd be a bit longer before you'd be screaming my name..."
"Oooh... I do hate you sometimes. You're really unbearable, Malfoy."
"I have a first name too, you know," he said. "I rather like it, actually. It's Draco."
"I know it is. Are you hinting that you'd like me to call you by it?"
"Only in bed, Hermione."
Hermione sighed angrily. "If you could perhaps not be a pervert, we could accomplish something. I actually learned something about you in the past few minutes..."
"What? That I'm a perverted guy whose name is Draco. That's impressive. Everyone knows that. But you did leave out that I'm quite an arse. People like to remind me of that often."
"Oh... I don't really think you're an arse. You just act like that. I think that perhaps you might even be a bit charming, under that smarmy exterior... Draco..."
"Yeah..." said Draco slowly. "I heard you thinking aloud in the corridor back there."
"What's your middle name, Draco?" asked Hermione suddenly.
"Hmm... dunno if I want to tell you that or not." Draco replied thoughtfully. He slumped down the wall and sat down onto the floor, paying little attention to the fact that he was in a corridor in the middle of the night. Worst of all, with a Gryffindor.
"I'll tell you mine," said Hermione. "It's embarrassing, really. My parents met in Greece, and decided to name their firstborn child a Greek name. So, I ended up with Hermione Alethea Granger. Hermione was the daughter of a Greek goddess and Alethea means 'one who is truthful'."
"Ah yes..." said Draco smartly, "that is a bit embarrassing."
Hermione, who had also taken seat on the floor, hit Draco heavily on the arm with the back of her hand.
"Ouch! Ok... my middle name..." he said hastily. "I still don't know if I want to tell you. You'll go tell Potty and the Weasel, and I'll never hear the end of it."
"No I won't. I don't tell them everything..."
"Hmm... alright then. It's Lucian. It means 'of the light', after my father. Lucius means 'the light'... I guess they wanted no mistake that I'm my father's son."
"Oh... well. I think it's lovely, really." said Hermione, earnestly.
Draco could tell that she wasn't being totally honest, but it mattered very little to him. She was now the only person other than his parents who knew his middle name, and personally, Draco felt the he'd bestowed upon her a great honor.
"Malfoy... mal foi... your surname is French... it means... 'bad faith'," Hermione mused aloud.
"Yes, I know. Fitting, don't you think?" smiled Draco.
"I suppose so, yes," Hermione smiled back. She thought, I suppose he is rather charming, when he isn't trying too hard. She let herself relax for the first time all night, leaning comfortably back against the cool stone wall.
"What next?" she asked, thinking he would suggest another topic of conversation.
"I'd thought, perhaps, I'd show you how to get back to your common room, since you were so utterly lost when I found you."
"Oh!" said Hermione, embarrassed. "Well... I wasn't really lost..."
"You're definitely a Gryffindor."
"What makes you say that?"
"You're an awful liar. Come on," said Draco, standing up and brushing off his robes. He extended his hand to Hermione, offering her help up. She would have scoffed if Harry of Ron had done this, but she grasped Draco's hand.
"Thank you," she replied, and noticed his hand still clasped around hers. She continued with a small smile, her tone good-natured, "I'm amazed you let me touch you, Mudblood that I am."
"You'd be surprised," Draco whispered, drawing closer to her.
What I wouldn't give for the Marauder's Map now, she thought.
Moonlight glittered in a window ahead of her, and she hurried to it, thinking that she might catch glimpse of something on the grounds that could help her pinpoint her direction. As Hermione's eyes scanned the dark grounds for a landmark of some sort, she began to feel a sort of prickling sensation, as though she was being watched. She whirled around, hoping to catch whatever it was by surprise.
"Malfoy!" She screamed, startled.
"Thought it'd be a bit longer before you'd be screaming my name..."
"Oooh... I do hate you sometimes. You're really unbearable, Malfoy."
"I have a first name too, you know," he said. "I rather like it, actually. It's Draco."
"I know it is. Are you hinting that you'd like me to call you by it?"
"Only in bed, Hermione."
Hermione sighed angrily. "If you could perhaps not be a pervert, we could accomplish something. I actually learned something about you in the past few minutes..."
"What? That I'm a perverted guy whose name is Draco. That's impressive. Everyone knows that. But you did leave out that I'm quite an arse. People like to remind me of that often."
"Oh... I don't really think you're an arse. You just act like that. I think that perhaps you might even be a bit charming, under that smarmy exterior... Draco..."
"Yeah..." said Draco slowly. "I heard you thinking aloud in the corridor back there."
"What's your middle name, Draco?" asked Hermione suddenly.
"Hmm... dunno if I want to tell you that or not." Draco replied thoughtfully. He slumped down the wall and sat down onto the floor, paying little attention to the fact that he was in a corridor in the middle of the night. Worst of all, with a Gryffindor.
"I'll tell you mine," said Hermione. "It's embarrassing, really. My parents met in Greece, and decided to name their firstborn child a Greek name. So, I ended up with Hermione Alethea Granger. Hermione was the daughter of a Greek goddess and Alethea means 'one who is truthful'."
"Ah yes..." said Draco smartly, "that is a bit embarrassing."
Hermione, who had also taken seat on the floor, hit Draco heavily on the arm with the back of her hand.
"Ouch! Ok... my middle name..." he said hastily. "I still don't know if I want to tell you. You'll go tell Potty and the Weasel, and I'll never hear the end of it."
"No I won't. I don't tell them everything..."
"Hmm... alright then. It's Lucian. It means 'of the light', after my father. Lucius means 'the light'... I guess they wanted no mistake that I'm my father's son."
"Oh... well. I think it's lovely, really." said Hermione, earnestly.
Draco could tell that she wasn't being totally honest, but it mattered very little to him. She was now the only person other than his parents who knew his middle name, and personally, Draco felt the he'd bestowed upon her a great honor.
"Malfoy... mal foi... your surname is French... it means... 'bad faith'," Hermione mused aloud.
"Yes, I know. Fitting, don't you think?" smiled Draco.
"I suppose so, yes," Hermione smiled back. She thought, I suppose he is rather charming, when he isn't trying too hard. She let herself relax for the first time all night, leaning comfortably back against the cool stone wall.
"What next?" she asked, thinking he would suggest another topic of conversation.
"I'd thought, perhaps, I'd show you how to get back to your common room, since you were so utterly lost when I found you."
"Oh!" said Hermione, embarrassed. "Well... I wasn't really lost..."
"You're definitely a Gryffindor."
"What makes you say that?"
"You're an awful liar. Come on," said Draco, standing up and brushing off his robes. He extended his hand to Hermione, offering her help up. She would have scoffed if Harry of Ron had done this, but she grasped Draco's hand.
"Thank you," she replied, and noticed his hand still clasped around hers. She continued with a small smile, her tone good-natured, "I'm amazed you let me touch you, Mudblood that I am."
"You'd be surprised," Draco whispered, drawing closer to her.