Draco Malfoy was sitting on the left corner of the Slytherin house table, with his feet placed lightly on the worn bench. In his pale flawless right hand, he held his smooth, ebony wand between his thumb and index finger, which were manicured to masculine perfection. He was reeling it about, counteracting the talismanic wood on each of the opposing slender fingers. His left hand was situated fixedly to his side, with all five of his fingers curved inward, turning slightly white at the task of upholding his weight. His left arm was positioned at a slant behind his arched back, bending at a right angle. His wool black robes were flowing gracefully around his legs, outlining the silhouette of his circuitous knees. The traditional silver and green silk tie was secured faultlessly in its ligature, with the crisp, white, cotton caller sited with perfect grace over the shiny fabric. Malfoy's Prefect badge was exquisitely coupled to the corner of his robes, shining like the sunlight on a pane of glass. The fringe of his pale blonde hair falling moderately loose, barley grazing his long eyelashes; the rest of his hair lying with refinement, not a wave or tangle present.
The very air that he gave off made Ron absolutely sick.
Malfoy was now gazing up at Ron with his icy, granite eyes, with a look of extreme abomination, yet not gazing with unexpectedness. His upper lip was now curling up- the inception of a vile smirk. He was still reeling his wand about, eyes fixed pointedly upon the foiled form of one of his many foes.
"...although I do not feel the need to hammer my head against the door like some barbarian... however common that action would be for a Weasley," he fleered.
Ron slowly raised his head off the sleek surface of the massive oak door, but didn't fancy the idea of looking at Draco just yet. 'What would Hermione say if she were here?' he thought. 'Just ignore him? Well, Hermione bloody well isn't here!' When Ron did aversely turn around, he noticed that Malfoy was now fondling his wand in a threatening manner. No longer holding it like it had the weight of a feather, between his fingers, he now was grasping the wand in between his clenched fist. There was malice in his eyes and venom in his smirk.
Ron eyed the slender ebony object with distaste. He knew Malfoy and himself would threaten each other with their wands before the night was over and maybe even throw a few hexes at one another, but he didn't want Malfoy start any rubbish that he couldn't stop. Draco could probably conjure more Dark curses before Ron could mentally think about them, but no matter. Ron had had lessons with the smarmy git for six years and knew that Malfoy was a duffer when it came to the swiftness that was required to cast a hex at the opposing force.
"Why don't you put that bloody thing away, before I cram it up your arse where it belongs?" Ron suggested exasperatedly.
Draco snickered softly and lowered his wand. "I'm not going to hex you Weasley."
Relief didn't come to mind when Draco stated his intentions; Ron wasn't scared of Malfoy. The feeling that fell over him was more a feeling of curiosity and amazement. Ron cocked his head slightly to the left and scrunched his brows together before he bewildered said, "You're not?"
Draco narrowed his eyes into slits of granite at Ron. He shifted his direction to allow himself to completely face Ron and tenaciously planted his feet to the floor. The robes that had previously been crumpled around the sitting form of Draco were now flowing freely around him like black waves in a moonless sky. He walked briskly over to Ron, his midnight robes sailing with grace behind him. Malfoy was now a mere two inches away from Ron's face. He was so contagious to him in fact, that Ron could feel an icy chill being emitted from the surface of Draco and onto his own skin.
"Why?" Malfoy sneered in return, "You want me to hex you?"
"I'm not too keen on the thought," Ron replied as a grimace of expression blanked itself over his irritated face. He then pulled out his own wand of willow with such graceful silence that Draco wasn't even aware of his swift action until he felt the tip of Ron's wand gently prodding into his pale temple, "but I'm willing to gamble that you won't be the one to throw the hex first."
Ron's gaze penetrated into Draco's granite eyes. He then lowered his wand and loosely aimed it to Malfoy's right side. "ACCIO MALFOY'S WAND," he said softly. The black ebony wood slid out of Draco's hand and landed in Ron's.
Draco's eyes widened utter in shock. NO ONE had ever had the insolence to disarm him like that...it was appalling. "What the hell are you playing at Weasley?" he spat, voice full of toxic venom. "GIVE IT BACK," he said slowly.
"Not until we get one thing straight...ferret. I have had an appalling day and now I have to suffer the misfortune of patrolling with your sorry arse for the next two hours. I am positive that the feeling is mutual, like you already pointed out once. So, let's try to be civil to one another? I don't particularly fancy the idea of topping off the night with a trip to the Hospital Wing, do you?"
Draco looked disgusted that Ron had taken his wand in that kind of manner; it wasn't EVEN a disarming charm. "Fine Weasley," he said through his clenched teeth, with his fist balled up to his sides in coils of compressed bone, "but not because you asked me to...play nice."
Ron quirked and eyebrow at Draco and studied his face before he asked. "Oh yeah, why then?" The threatening tone that he had previously held was momentarily absent from his voice. Ron was genuinely curious.
"It's none of your damn business what I do or my motives behind my actions," he spat, "but I'm not going to engage in this childish banter tonight. I already informed you that I wasn't going to hex you. I meant it"
Both of Ron's eyebrows now rose to considerable heights. "Alright Malfoy," he said slowly. Still holding Draco's wand, Ron flipped it between his fingers, so the grasping end was now erected to Malfoy. "Just remember," Ron said malevolently with a hint of caution etching its way into the tone of his voice, "you said it." Draco seized his wand from Ron's clutches, smirked at him with narrowed eyes, and treaded out the door.
Ron and Draco were completely silent as the patrolled the vacant hallways, the only sound being the soft thumps of their feet as the walked on the cobble stone floors. To Ron's relief, as well as surprise, Draco appeared to have put his wand away; apparently he was intent on his desire to avoid all childish banter. However, this was not the typical conduct of Draco Malfoy. Ron was beyond all reason or comprehension as to understand why his conduct was so contrary to his normal behavior. It was almost like someone had told him to behave himself. Ron probed his brain over and over again to imagine who this person could be, if there was such a person at all. The only source he could come up with whom Draco would remotely listen to was Snape, but that was very unlikely. As far as Ron could see it, Snape let Malfoy get away with whatever he damn well pleased. Snape being the mystery person was even more unbelievable because he would never tell Draco to behave himself around anyone who was in the inner social circle of Harry Potter. Snape was the head of Slytherin House and he knew who Draco would be patrolling with. In all reality, Snape was probably keen on a hex or two projected at Ron. No. If Draco, had been told to act accordingly (and obviously he had), Snape was not the cause of his curious action; it was someone else, but who the hell was it?
Ron was diverted from his thoughts by the sound of something that he absolutely loathed to hear on his Prefect rounds. It was the sound of two people who were getting way too comfortable with one another in a dark, desolate area.
Draco was already looking at the deserted classroom an apathetic look stretched across his pointed face. He shrugged, and then turned to Ron.
"Bloody hell," Ron said as he habitually ran his fingers through is hair. "No," he said flatly, "I'm not doing it."
Draco continued to look at Ron, penetrating him with his eyes. "Malfoy," Ron said as he threw his hands over his head, "I'm bloody not doing it. I don't care if they start shagging each other senseless and break a damn desk! I WILL not go in there."
Draco gave Ron a look of disgust and said, "Fine Weasley. Don't get your knickers in a knot."
Ron's eye's, becoming as round as saucers, said, "I DO NOT WEAR-
But Draco never heard the last part of Ron's outburst. He authoritatively had walked up to the door and threw in open with a loud crash, before Ron had even registered what Malfoy had said.
Malfoy stood in the doorway for a few seconds, surveying what was taking place, before he walked over the threshold. Ron couldn't see what was going on inside that classroom, and he thanked the heavens for that, but he could hear every word that was exchanged between the three of them. As soon as Malfoy strode into the room, Ron heard a deep male voice swear at deafening tones, then Malfoy's slow drawl say, "Well, well. Nott and Brocklehurst. What, may I ask, is going on in here?
"Err...ah...Malfoy...err...we were just...erm- Nott stuttered.
"Just about the eradication of three articles of clothing away from shagging, from the look of your unbecoming appearance," Draco finished for him.
"Err..."
"Now," Draco said in a monotonous manner, "Off the top of my head, you two have broken at least three school rules. One, being out of your designated House past curfew. Two, wondering into a classroom without the presence of a professor, and/or with their permission. Three, engaging acts of immoral nature on school property. Now as Prefect, it is my duty to report you Nott, to Professor Snape, and you Brocklehurst, to Professor Flitwick. I am also obligated to escort the two of you back to your appointed House."
Ron thought that Draco's little speech was spoken like he had rehearsed it out of a book, said without any kind of meaning at all.
"What the hell!" Ron heard Nott roar. "Okay Malfoy, I'll admit it. We have broken a few rules tonight. What I don't understand is how you have the nerve to stand there and reprimand us for our actions, when you were doing the same thing, if not worse a few nights ago. I don't care if you are a bloody Prefect. A bloody hypocrite is what you are!"
Ron couldn't see the look on Malfoy's face, but he could tell by his voice that the apathetic nature in dealing with the situation at hand had completely vanished and was replaced by that of anxious furry.
"How in the hell do you know about that?" he hissed.
"Come on!" Nott said obviously, "Almost everyone in Slytherin knows about that!"
"They do?" Draco whispered barley in an audible whisper.
"Well...yes. But no one knows who you were caught with," he added quickly. But...err...while we're on the subject Malfoy, erm just for curiosity's sake, who was it that you shagged anyways?"
"Just for curiosity's sake," Draco spat back, "I didn't shag anyone! Not that it's any of your damn business in the first place." Ron heard the sincere tone of bitterness, intertwined with a tinge of remorse that had crept its way into Malfoy's voice.
"Well err...we all know that she isn't a Slytherin."
"I see," Draco said quietly. "Alright. I won't inform the House Head's of this embarrassing encounter. In return for my generous actions, if the two of you repeat anything that was exchanged here tonight, I will not hesitate to seek my revenge in the most tempestuous manner possible."
There was a short silence followed by an aggregated groan that could only belong to Malfoy. "In more simple terms Nott," he said slowly, "I will curse the hell out of the two of you if you mention any of this...and bloody hell! Put some damn clothes on!"
Malfoy walked briskly out into the hallway. He looked, if possible paler than he normally looked. He cast a nervous look in Ron's direction and nipped of down the hallway. Ron simply detested the idea of having any kind of conversation with Draco at all, even a hateful one, but the conversation that he had just over heard was too curious to ignore.
"OY! Malfoy!" Ron shouted.
Malfoy abruptly stopped, with his right foot still suspended centimeters from the cobble stone ground. He slowly lowered it to the floor, took a deep breath and cautiously turned around. "Yes Weasley," he said in a way that would have been considered kind by anyone else. But this was Draco Malfoy and the tone that he used was nothing more than pure poison.
Ron lost most of his courage when he saw the look that Malfoy gave him. However, it had not completely vanished from his wits and he said, "Who were you with the other night?"
"Please," Draco sneered, "that is something that I won't even discuss with another Slytherin. What in the bleeding hell makes you think that I would discuss it with you!"
The look that Draco had been gave Ginny that morning at breakfast had been playing out in his mind all day. Her tattered spirit was weighing on Ron's conscience like an anchor that holds the Man of War from floating into the abysmal ocean. He wasn't sure why his mind was linking Ginny's breakdown that morning to Draco's dodgy actions, as well as his supposedly empty classroom incident. They couldn't have anything to so with the other, could they?
"Look," Ron said pointedly, "I saw you give my catch my little sister's eyes this morning. I don't know if you have been messing her about any, but if you are, I want it to stop." He said his last statement dangerously low, in a tone that even made Draco a little uneasy.
"Oh get off it Weasel!" Malfoy drawled, "I don't care a damn thing about nitwit sister of yours... what's her name again?"
"Not that you should have the privilege of knowing, but Ginny," Ron said through his clenched teeth, inside his firmly set jaw.
"Ah yes, the little Weasel. No, I wouldn't even waste my time in acknowledging the little cretin with my presence- just the mere sight of her is absolutely stomach churning." With that, he turned on the heel of his left foot continued to make his way down the corridor.
Under normal circumstances, Ron would have charged Malfoy and beaten his arse to a pulp, after hearing these crude remarks about his little sister, but his massive sense of relief barricaded is brotherly instinct. Unbeknownst to Ron, Malfoy was shaken at how close Ron had come to hitting the truth. For the first time, Malfoy was truly fretting over something that Ron Weasley had said. This thing that Draco was involved in, if one could even call it a thing, was getting dangerous.
'It defiantly isn't worth it,' he thought to himself, 'yet...it is. The innocence is doubtlessly pleasing and the ultimate goal is close to completion. Yet, if Weasley, through that thick head of his, were to actually figure out what is going on, well, there would be hell to pay. Not to mention the little inconvenience that Potter implies. Yet... it is SO pleasing and the foulness of it all will all be over once I reach my goal and that will be VERY pleasing. No. It is worth it.' Malfoy decided that he had had enough interrogation from Ron Weasley for the night and turned on his heel again in the opposite direction of the cause of his anxiety.
"Where the hell are you going!" Ron bellowed.
"To the dungeons," he drawled.
"We already went down there. I'm not bloody doing it again!"
Without turning around, Draco placidly replied, "It's midnight, Weasel. Duties are over, so sod off." He then disappeared around the corner, with the swishing of his robes getting softer and softer, until they faded into silence.
Ron climbed through the portrait hole, exhausted and ready for his warm bed. Hell, he was ready for his warm bed two hours ago. Now, with Malfoy's dodgy personality, he was not only physically exhausted, but mentally exhausted too. There was no on that he wanted to see or talk to; no one that could cheer him up, except...
Ron boldly stopped dead in his tracts upon his entrance to the common room. The sight before him litturatly took his breath away. He finally became conscience of this when his throat started contracting, craving its lost breaths; he actually had to remind himself to breath.
She was beautiful. Hermione was sitting up, with her feet set on the floor, with an open book in her lap. Her head had fallen back to her left, to a resting place on the couch's back. Her brown hair was falling loosely in her face, grazing her closed eyelids and her long eyelashes. The heated fire was yet to dissipate and the soft glow that it left across Hermione's face was stunning. Her breathes were soft and steady; Ron knew that she had fallen asleep long ago.
He walked to her and delicately removed the book from her lap. He then gently placed it upon the nearest mahogany desk, still open, so she would easily be able to find her place the next time she resumed her reading. He then smoothed her hair out of her face and looked at her for a moment. She was beautiful. He wedged right hand in between the couch's back and the small of Hermione's back and placed his other hand gently on her left shoulder. He them slowly lowered her into laying position. He noticed that he knees were still bowed, so he delicately moved them so they were straight on the couch's surface. Hermione stirred, but her eyes didn't open. Ron's heart dropped; she looked so peaceful and he had tried so hard not to wake her.
"Ron?" she mumbled quietly.
"Shh," he whispered gently, "go back to sleep."
"I tried so hard to wait up for you, but I guess I didn't make it, huh?" she murmured with a smile etched across her lips, her eyes never opening.
"No," he said with a huge grin plastered on his face, "I guess not." But Hermione never heard him; she had already fallen back asleep. Ron looked around for a cover that he could blanket her with. Seeing that there was nothing, he quickly took off his school robe and draped it across her sleeping form. He then made sure that it was spread evenly over her body, and tucked in all the loose edges, to make sure that none of the accumulated warm air would escape. After he was finished with his work, he looked at her again.
She looked like an angel sent from Heaven. Everything about her was heart stopping and stunning, yet she looked like the perfect image of peace. Ron felt his pulse become more and more rapid the longer that he looked upon her sleeping form. Ron honestly had no idea what it felt like to be in love, but if felt half as good as this feeling that he was experiencing in calm serene moment, then he would die happy.
Ron placed the back side of him palm on her warm cheek and held it there. "But how do I tell you?" he whispered. He then moved his hand to her forehead, never breaking contact with her skin. Hermione's untamed hair had once again fallen across her face and he smoothed it back so he could see her face more clearly. "And what if you don't feel the same way," he said hoarsely. Perhaps by instinct, perhaps by fear of unreciprocated feelings, he wasn't sure what made him do it. Before he could stop himself, he slowly lowered himself and kissed her softly between her brows. He rose slowly to make his way to his dormitory. Before began to make his way up the landing, he slowly turned around to look at her once more.
"What is it about you that has changed me?"
He smiled slightly and made his way to bed. The day had been horrible, but the last few minutes had just made all the pain worth it and more.
Old Sweet Pea
2005-05-18
ch 10, signed
Aww, poor, poor Ron. This was a great chapter, the way you described Ron's loathing of Malfoy was incredible! can't wait for the next chapter. Tee hee.
Response: I'm glad that you liked my description of Ron's hate towards Malfoy and I'm glad that I was able to pull it off. Thank you so much for the review!
iluvtheo.c
2005-05-18
ch 10, signed
absoloutly brilliant! i LOVE your story so much! please update soon...can't wait for more!
love
Rachel
x
Response: Thank you so much! Reading reviews like yours really makes me feel good and gives me motivation to write!
angelface58
2005-05-17
ch 10, signed
i have been reading your story for a while now and have not had the time to review til now. i must say that this is a great story and you are a brillant writer. I really enjoyed the story and cant wait until you update again. Keep up the good work!
Response: WOW! Thank you so much! Blushes to self! Thank you for taking the time out to say such amazing things!
CindyVortex
2005-05-17
ch 10, anonymous
I really like your fanfic so far! Some parts do sound as though JK Rowling wrote them, which is extremley hard to do, if you ask me! I hope you write more soon!
Response: WOW! For real! That is an amazing compliment! Oh my gosh...I still can't get over it! Thank you so much!
Erika
2005-05-17
ch 10, anonymous
please please please update! its so cute:)
Response: Thank you so much!
Lilly-Eleanor
2005-05-17
ch 10, signed
I loved the scene in the dungeons when Ron and Hermione looked at each other. They are a very cute couple. I hope that JKR thinks so, too!
I liked the chapter ( just like the others :D )but I don't understand why Ginny is so thin. She isn't anorexic, is she?
Update a.s.a.p.! I don't know if I said it but yours is the best fanfic I´ve read for a long, long time :) Lilly-Eleanor
Response:
DarvLivesOn
2005-05-16
ch 10, signed
hehehehe i feel sorry for ron!
wai! can't get enough of your fic! haven't read a herm/ron fic in a buzzillion years and it's great that i can come back to read such amazing fics (yours included of course)
but anywho, please update soon! no not soon, now! WAI!
Ronandchicken
2005-05-16
ch 10, signed
I've always been one who is incredibly sympathetic to Ron--even when he doesn't deserve it.
So yeah. You had be groaning and cringing along with him. So PLEASE update soon... because this is one of the most suspenseful cliffhangers I've ever been caught on.
A note back to your use of WAY more description... it's got me so caught up I hardly notice any grammar or spelling... and it's also probably true that there's less and less.
Two big thumbs up, your writing just keeps getting better and better :-D
SpaceyChic468
2005-05-16
ch 10, signed
Aw, poor Ron! You're right, I do feel sorry for him! Anyway, great chapter! Are you going to tell us what is going on with Malfoy and Ginny? I can't wait to figure it out! But suspense is good in a story...
GypsytheCentaur
2005-05-16
ch 10, signed
hey! wicked chapter. i've been starting to wonder...where did you get that vocabulary of yours? do you like, sit around reading dictionaries or somehting? i think i might actually be...learning or something! its kinda cool! keep it up! and update- update now!
Love That Elf
2005-05-16
ch 10, signed
Hm...what's going on with Ginny and Draco? How ill hall patrol turn out? Answers are on the horizon, methinks. Loved the chapter, keep 'em comin.
Emma-Lynn
2005-05-16
ch 10, signed
Aww, Ron's so protective over his lil sister! What a horrible day! I can see why he's in such a foul mood! Oh, so you think ch 11 will be better than chapter 8 you say? I dunno...It's gonna be pretty hard to top ch 8! But if you say so...lol, now I'm PHYSCED for chapter 11, but I won't be able to read it until Saturday bc I'm leaving for Washington D.C. tomarrow! Oh, the horror! lol I'll read it as soon as I get back tho! This chapter was good!
Emma-Lynn
Renee25
2005-05-16
ch 10, signed
Who CAN'T sympathise with Ron? I hope things look up for him soon. Poor guy. Still liking this story:)
warrior of tortall
2005-05-16
ch 10, signed
luv it luv it luv it! i hv no time rite now bt luv it!
Celi
2005-05-16
ch 10, signed
Sorry I didn't reviewd your prewius chapter, I read it in the middle of the night and was to tired. Anyhow I really liked the way Harry acted, made me smile when he thougth Ron was under the bed hanging...smile...and it was quite obvius when he left them in the end...really liked it:-)
This chapter was also great! It was a great idea to have Ron look back on the day, I really liked that. Poor him, to have share prefect duties whit Malfoy. :-)
This was chapter ten, so in next chapter we will know whats up with Ginny and Draco?
lustful.kiss.
2005-05-15
ch 9, signed
awesome story! Keep writing, can't wait for chapter 10:D:D:D:D