Chapter 18: (Draco's POV)
I was mortified. I couldn't speak, I just sat there, staring at my plate. I didn't dare look up. I just had to leave without making a big deal out of it. 'Alright, Draco. Don't let that filthy mudblood get the better of you. You have to beat her at her own game.'
I stood slowly and walked calmly and collectively towards the doors of the Great Hall. As I walked past each of the house tables, I heard hearty sniggers following me everywhere. I was so self-conscious at that point that I almost screamed when George Weasley caught up to me as I was going through the doors. He pulled me into a tight embrace and pushed his lips against mine in a short, and thank goodness, closed-mouth kiss. He laughed as he walked away.
I don't know why they came back, he and his twin had left a couple years back and had recently returned to go through a couple more courses before taking the N.E.W.T.'s at the end of the year. I think they actually missed Hogwarts.
"What the-" I said, spitting on the ground and wiping my mouth on my sleeve. I stared after him as he joined his twin and Lee Jordan at the Gryffindor table. He saw me watching him and winked before turning back to the conversation at hand.
I heard someone laughing behind me and turned sharply. It was Granger, she was half-hidden in the shadow of the doorway of an empty classroom.
"You," I started towards her.
"Yes, me," she replied, walking towards me. She clearly wasn't frightened. "You think that you could embarrass me with a simple sign, Malfoy? You've got to be joking."
I ignored her and continued towards the boys' toilets located next to the staircase. She followed, laughing.
"Haha. So he kissed me. Big squalling deal. Why is it so bloody funny?" I pushed the door open and strode inside the bathroom. The thong was riding up farther than I had ever imagined possible. I realized that she had followed me in and commented, "You're not supposed to be in here. I could give you detention for it, you know."
"Oh, you won't. You know why?"
"Why?" I decided to play along.
"I can do for you what no other person can," she replied, fixing me with an icy cold glare. She stepped forward and pushed herself up so she was sitting on the counter. She looked into my eyes, and her lips were quivering like she was trying her best not to smile.
"Granger, are you proposing that-"
"-Why yes, yes I am," she grinned broadly and hopped off the edge of the counter. She started laughing.
"What is wrong with you?" I asked, turning slightly to face her. Then I caught a glimpse of a piece of parchment sticking to the back of my robes. "You stupid mudblood! Is that- I'm going to get you so bad! So that's why he kissed me!" I shouted for a couple of moments more before reaching back and tugging on the sign.
She came up behind me, snaked her arms around my waist and said, "That's what I meant. If you don't give me detention, I can remove the sign. Only I can do it, since I'm the one that put the charm on it."
"Will you get off of me?" I was angry now. "Why are you acting like my girlfriend or something?"
"I don't know really, but you're really cute when your mad," she smiled as she pinched my cheek. She tugged the sign off of my robes and walked out of the room, not even looking back.
I could not believe her. She had really changed over the summer, just like she said. Maybe she was on drugs or something, I really didn't know. Maybe it was that incense stuff that she burned constantly in her room. I should try some….
After readjusting the thong, and shamefully trying to pull it into a position that kept it from riding up, I left the bathrooms and headed upstairs to my last class of the day. I wondered about what was in store that evening when I would be joining Diana, Blaise, and Pansy on a date in Hogsmeade.
After Transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs and Arithmancy with the Ravenclaws, I climbed the stairs to the Head Dormitories. When I got to the portrait of the lion and dragon, they were having a tea party at a round wooden table with some monks and a lady with hair down to her waist that looked rather like a veela.
"Password," said the dragon, getting to his feet. I remembered the first night in the castle and how the dragon's voice had affected Hermione and how I had used that to my advantage. Maybe I could do that again sometime.
I grinned to myself as I said, "Bundled."
"Very well then," said the dragon and the portrait moved forward so I could enter.
(Switch to Hermione's POV…. just a warning.)
Malfoy walked in and promptly tripped over the miscellaneous furniture I had stacked near the entrance in my good mood.
"Bloody furniture- Granger!" he yelled as I hurried into my room.
Like I thought he would, he followed me in, and I was waiting with a book in hand. As he strode confidently through the door, I struck him in the face with a book, knocking him off his feet.
Once he got up, I was already in the common room. I sat on one of the chairs and picked up my Herbology homework that had been given this morning.
He walked in and sat down across from me. He looked at me for a long time before saying very slowly, "Now, I will kill you."
I couldn't help emitting a small squeak like a mouse before I looked up and saw him grinning at me. "That's not funny!"
He looked at his silver wristwatch, so I looked at it too. It was 4:32. "I don't have time to fight with you, Granger. I've got a date in an hour and a half and I need to get ready."
"You don't need that long to get ready! Oh, wait, I forgot. You have to spend at least an hour on your hair."
"I do NOT! Blimey, Granger! You just can't get over the fact that I'm better looking than you!" he scoffed and walked toward his room.
"If you want, you could take a quick kip on the couch and I'll wake you up in a bit," I offered.
Not expecting it, I was surprised by his answer, "Sure. I think I'll do that. Two double classes in a row is exhausting! Whoever gave me those two together can go get stuffed." He flung himself onto the only couch that hadn't been piled next to the door and fell asleep within seconds.
Hmmmm. What could I do with this great opportunity? I ran quietly into my room and grabbed one of my fine-tip permanent markers. A plain black one would do fine. I sneaked back into the common room. Uncapping the marker silently, I steadied my hand and brought it close to his face. Suddenly, his hand had grabbed my wrist in a tight grip. His eyes flew open.
"Don't even think about it, Granger," he said seriously. I couldn't help grinning as he shut his eyes again and continued to sleep.
Okay, so I couldn't touch him. What else was there? Oh, yes. He hadn't told me exactly when to wake him up.
I finished my Herbology and then got dressed for the rave that night. I decided to glance at his watch to see what time it was. The watch said 5:27. Now, when was his date, again? Oh yah, 6 o'clock. I decided to be nice and wake him up.
I took my wand and prodded him in the side. No movement, no response at all. I pulled his arms upward and let them drop back to his sides. He didn't budge. "Blimey," I muttered. He was asleep and I could do anything I wanted. The thought came as quickly as he had grabbed my wrist, it wasn't totally evil, but it would have to do. I dragged him into the bathroom, pulled him into the shower and turned the water on as cold as possible.
"GRANGER!" His whole body jerked involuntarily as the cold water hit his face with full force.
Yep. He was awake. "What?" I asked innocently.
"What did you do that for?" he reached up and turned the water flow off.
"I thought you might want to freshen up for your date," I smiled childishly as I backed away from the shower so he could stand up. I offered him my hand but he didn't take it. "Aww. Come on. Are you mad at me? I couldn't wake you up otherwise! I mean, I tried jumping up and down on your stomach and that didn't work so I had to go to this."
"You jumped on me?" he seemed incredulous. He stood up and stepped out of the shower.
"I'm kidding, Malfoy." I grinned and got a small smile back from him.
"What am I going to wear?" he exclaimed, rubbing the back of his neck and feeling his sopping wet hair.
"That's not my problem," I said and walked back into the common room.
Half an hour later Draco walked out of the bathroom. His hair was dry again and had only a hint of gel instead of a whole bottle. He was wearing a nice black button-down shirt that looked like it had been recently ironed and excessively starched. The jeans he was wearing were dark blue and he had put on a black hemp necklace with a silver charm hanging from it. He looked really uptight.
I walked over to him. Up close I saw that the silver charm on his necklace was a flat oval disc with some words inscribed around the edge and the dark mark in the middle. Seeing me staring at it, he pushed it under his shirt quickly, and looked away from my face.
"You smell good," I commented as I walked around him in a circle studying him carefully. "Here," I added, and I un-tucked his shirt from his jeans, "That's the only thing I can do with this situation. I think leather would look better, but then again, why waist good looks on someone you don't like?"
"How do you know if I like her or not?" he asked.
"It's obvious, Malfoy," I answered equally annoyed. "Now you'd better get down to the entrance hall."
"Why are you wearing such a bulky cloak?" he asked.
"None of your bloody business," I replied and shoved him out the door.
