Chapter Two

The next morning proved to be even harder for Hermione. Not only was she tired, she was overcome with thoughts of how to get back at Draco for toying with her so much. So what if she had kissed him? It's not like he hadn't spent the last six years tormenting and embarrassing her. He needed to learn how to deal with that sort of thing just as she had! She desperately wanted to prove that she wasn't afraid of him. She sat in the Great Hall and sipped her pumpkin juice slowly. She had been one of the first students in that morning and it was almost time for classes. She realized that she hadn't seen Draco yet. She wondered how long he had hid in the darkness before giving up and going to bed himself. She laughed to herself picturing him carefully roaming through the darkness waiting to scare her and not receiving that satisfaction.

She then thought of how terrified she had been alone in the dark and began to worry. Did he even make it back to his dormitory last night? Why didn't he show up for breakfast? There were reasons Dumbledore had instructed everyone to pair up….Safety was the top priority and Hermione had stubbornly left him alone on the exact floor that the poor girl was kidnapped from. A lump formed in her throat as she saw Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise leave the table with concerned expressions. They were rarely seen without Draco. The only thing she could think of was to go back to the seventh floor and search for him.

She grabbed her books and jogged out of the Great Hall. Once she exited she bumped into something hard that sent her to the floor along with her books. Papers were flying everywhere as she looked up to apologize. She suddenly jumped up and smiled. "Malfoy! Thank goodness you're alright! I had this terrible feeling that-"

"That you wouldn't be able to pretend to bump into me today? Jesus Granger, the least you could do is try and make it look like you're not in love with me….At least for Weasley's sake." Draco said arrogantly as he smirked.

Hermione scoffed and started picking up her books. "What I was going to say before you so rudely interrupted me was that I had a terrible feeling that something happened to you last night. When I didn't see you at breakfast-"

"You noticed I wasn't at breakfast?" Draco smiled widely and looked her up and down. "What else have you noticed?"

Hermione gave a confused look and shook her head. "Nothing. I just felt-"

"Now here you go complicating things Granger….You can't feel anything for someone that is incapable of feelings….I thought we established that I'm a….Oh what was it now? Oh yes, a self centered spoiled bully. How could I forget when you put it so eloquently? And aren't you supposed to be ignoring me since it's the easiest thing in the world for you to do?" Draco finished and gestured for her to speak.

Hermione was speechless momentarily as she pondered his words. She sighed deeply. "You're right….Nevermind." Hermione walked away and shrugged off the encounter leaving Draco with a smug expression. She shook her head furiously as she chastised herself quietly. How could she possibly think he was in any danger? He probably had something to do with the abduction last year. She seriously doubted her last thought as she walked into Potions.

She sat down and reviewed the previous days notes. She smiled at Neville who took his seat next to her. Suddenly she noticed a bubble in the form of a snake slithering around her head. She flicked her wand popping it and heard Draco moan loudly in protest. Neville looked behind at him and then looked at Hermione. "Do you want me to say something?"

Hermione chuckled and placed her hand on his arm. "No thanks Neville. You're very sweet but I find it much easier to ignore people who are determined to play such childish games."

"Good luck with that Granger." Draco whispered behind her making Crabbe and Goyle snigger into their hands. Blaise shook his head with a smile. More bubbles flew her way taking shapes of books, quills, and a snitch. Hermione decided to send only one back to him in the shape of a seductive mouth. Draco nodded at his friends and spoke in a satisfied tone as it lingered around him flirtatiously. "I told you she wants more." Suddenly the mouth took a deep breath and blew an enormously wet raspberry in his face drenching him and his cronies. She heard them whisper the drying charm as Draco leaned forward. "Good one Granger….But I happen to think that it had a hidden meaning."

Hermione smiled to herself realizing that she had won that particular battle. As professor Snape began one of his rare lectures Hermione prayed he would ask them to begin a potion shortly. She was so exhausted she wasn't sure she could keep her eyes open if he kept up his usual monotone speak. She tried to distract herself with more exciting thoughts such as the Christmas Ball planning and the projects she had to complete for Ancient Runes.

She then began to think about different ways to get back at Draco during their rounds. She imagined herself ducking into the alcoves and shouting at him as he walked by….How juvenile! She thought to herself. No, this had to be perfect. He had to feel as terrified as she had. She wanted to hear him call out her name pleadingly. She pictured herself sneaking up behind him from out of the darkness. She could hear his shallow breathing and see his wand trembling in his hand.

She whispered his name in his ear causing him to spin around in fright. She looked into his eyes that were filled with terror. "Shhhh….Don't be afraid of me Malfoy….Malfoy?" He wouldn't look directly into her eyes. His were filled with such panic it gave her an eerie feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Malfoy? Malfoy!"

Hermione was poked in her side by Neville. She raised her head off her arms that were laying on her desk and looked around the room. Everyone was staring at her. Ron and Harry had angry looks while Neville looked confused. Snape looked intrigued along with Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione turned around to look at Draco who was smiling widely. He leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. "I didn't know how much you wanted me Granger….Dreaming about me again are you? I love it when you yell my name like that."

The Slytherins in class erupted in laughter as Hermione turned back around with a red face. She sunk down in her chair and tried to ignore the disapproving but concerned looks from Ron and Harry. She made a mental note to get more sleep and never allow herself to nod off in class again.

As she walked out of class Harry and Ron caught up with her. Ron's face was crimson and Harry's was very pale. Hermione scoffed at their angry expressions. "Don't you dare look at me like that! I fell asleep alright?"

Harry placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "What's going on Hermione? Did Malfoy do something to you?" The question made Ron rub his hand furiously through his hair and begin pacing. Hermione shook her head unconvincingly at Harry. "Tell me Hermione. You've never kept secrets from us before. What's going on?"

Ron threw his hands up in the air and screamed. "If he laid one hand on you I'll kill him!"

Hermione grabbed Ron's shoulders to stop his pacing and whispered. "Ron, he hasn't done anything to me. He's just being his normal arrogant self and I'm letting it get to me." Ron shook his head causing Hermione to grab a hold of his chin to make him face her. "You have nothing to worry about."

Ron nodded and they began to walk away when he and Harry suddenly tripped and crashed to the ground on top of each other. "Ugh! Get off me!" Ron yelled.

"I'm trying!" Harry yelled back. They untangled themselves as Hermione looked around to see what they may have tripped over. Something to her left caught her eye. She turned around and saw Draco ducking into an alcove with his arms crossed and a satisfied expression.

She shook her head at him and turned back to Harry and Ron who were picking up their books. "You two should be more careful. And let's be clear about something….You have nothing to worry about. I can handle Malfoy. He's the least of my problems." With that she walked towards the alcove Draco was hiding in and glared at him as she passed by. He chuckled to himself before casting the tripping jinx on Harry and Ron one final time before heading to his next class.

As she walked up the familiar flight of stairs she sighed deeply realizing that she had no clue how to get back at Malfoy. She shrugged it off remembering that after all, she was Head Girl and was expected to set an example even if the Head Boy was not concerned with doing the same. This thought eased her mind as she stepped onto the seventh floor. "I'll just ignore him." She said quietly as she leaned against the banister waiting for him. After fifteen minutes of waiting she rolled her eyes and headed down the dark corridor alone.

She figured that he was already there waiting to scare her or had decided not to come at all. Either scenario didn't bother her in the least. The less time she had to spend with him the better. As she walked alone she realized how much more terrified she felt this night compared to other nights. She wasn't afraid of him jumping out of the darkness, she was afraid of what or who else could be there waiting for her. She realized that knowing he was patrolling with her the previous nights was much more comforting than doing it alone. If something would have attacked her, he would have at least been able to alert someone. Goodness knows he wouldn't dare rescue her.

Just as she considered going back to the stairs to wait for him again a rattling sound to her left caught her ear. It was a quiet clattering that was coming from a door. She walked over to it and stepped closely realizing the rattling was simply the door shaking slightly. It almost seemed as if there may be a slight draft in the room due to an open window. Hermione wondered if she should open it and find out. Surely Dumbledore wouldn't want any unwanted creatures crawling or flying into that room. After a few seconds she nodded to herself and opened the door.

She stepped into the dark room that was partially illuminated by the moonlight shining through the closed window. Hermione shrugged at the closed window but then took a closer look at the section of the room that bared light. Someone was standing there but she couldn't quite make out who it was. The figure began to swiftly walk towards her angrily. Hermione gave out a yelp. "What a wonderful surprise. What's the matter?"

Draco approached the door where he had heard a man shouting from within. He had just left the Headmasters office with instructions to handle what was inside. He placed his hand on the knob and opened the door with his wand aloft. He saw a man screaming at a cowering and sobbing Hermione. He couldn't understand what the man was yelling or make out who he was.

Draco yelled and walked up to her shivering body. "What were you doing in here?" Draco spoke with a surprised tone.

Hermione choked back her tears as she looked behind her. She turned to him and wiped her eyes. "Malfoy…Nothing, we were just talking. Where did he go?" Hermione looked around the room nervously.

Draco kneeled beside her and tried to reason with her. "Listen Granger." Hermione began to shake as her tears flowed freely. She was trying to speak but she wasn't making any sense. Draco eyed her uncomfortably. "Granger, listen to me."

"I can't! He's so angry! I've got to find him before he-" She stood again and wiped her eyes as she trembled.

Draco grasped her shoulders, turned her to face him, and began to raise his voice. "Hey….Granger?" Hermione closed her eyes and cried out. Draco shook his head in disbelief. "GRANGER!"

Hermione sniffed and opened her tear filled eyes and whispered. "He's so angry." Her body started to go limp and head back towards the ground but Draco quickly tightened his grasp to break her fall.

Draco whispered as he gave a concerned look. "No one's really here Granger. Didn't you realize it was just a boggart. Didn't you hear me yell riddikulus?"

Hermione looked around the room confusedly. "What? Well no….I mean of course I knew…How much did you hear?" She asked with shame.

"Not much, I couldn't understand a word it said." Draco said with a hint of disgust in his voice.

Hermione wiped her eyes and mumbled a 'thank goodness' to herself as Draco released the grasp he had on her trembling shoulders. As they both stood and walked out of the room Draco resumed his questioning. "What were you doing in there anyway?"

Hermione shrugged in embarrassment due to the fact that Draco Malfoy had once again witnessed her during a weak moment. "I heard a noise and I thought it best to investigate."

"Alone?" Draco said in a shocked tone. "Why are you so stubborn anyway?"

She regained some of he dignity and straightened her shoulders. "Well it's not as if I had anyone to go in for me! And you accused me of tardiness?"

Draco smirked as they continued to walk together. "Yes well, I had some things to take care of. There's a reason why Dumbledore wanted everyone paired up Granger and-"

"Do you honestly consider yourself my partner? You're the reason I'm a nervous wreck you evil little prat!" Hermione turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

Draco was trying to hide his laughter. "Where are you going?" He walked towards her.

"Away from you-you hypocritical git!" Hermione yelled as she again changed her direction with him following closely behind.

Draco was only one step behind her as she walked down several different corridors. He whispered menacingly. "Granger….Granger….Are you honestly trying to get rid of me? Oh, you're trying to ignore me aren't you….Tsk, tsk….It will never work."

Hermione turned to face him with a look of fury. "Oh really? Honestly Malfoy! I can't imagine why you think you're so incredibly irresistible that a common mud blood like me couldn't ignore you! Don't you realize that us muggle-borns want nothing more than for you self centered pure bloods to disappear? Why must you taunt me so? If I'm such filth than why have dedicated most of our years here tormenting the only thing you despise? Why are you smiling you prat? What satisfaction do you get from terrifying me like this? Surely you have the tails of your precious pure-blooded girls to chase after!"

Draco smiled and whispered something under his breath which infuriated her even more. She attempted to scream at him again but was unable to move her tongue that was now glued to the top of her mouth. Hermione placed her hand over her mouth as her eyes widened on his large grin. Draco backed her into a wall and looked down upon her. "Now that I've got your attention and you're not mumbling about things you couldn't possibly understand I have something to say." Hermione had no choice but to stare at him with a dumbfounded expression.

Draco was smiling as he sensed how many words she was dying to scream at him. He cupped his hand over his ear. "Blimey, do you hear that? Silence. It's a beautiful and rare thing to hear when someone's in your presence…..Now where was I? Oh yes, I happen to know that I am too irresistible for you to ignore…Why else would you be dreaming of me in Potions? And who's the hypocrite when you yourself admitted that you'd like nothing more than purebloods like me to disappear? I taunt you because it's terribly amusing to see you become angered. And I have plenty of time to chase the tails of purebloods after our rounds each night so don't worry your pretty little head about me."

Hermione glared angrily at him but then gave a confused look at his last comment. Pretty? Draco suddenly realized what he had said and shook his head in frustration. "Oh come off it Granger! It's no secret that you're not as hideous as you once were. How do you think you landed Krum? Why do you think Weasley drools every time you're around? Speaking of that poor excuse for a wizard….Why didn't you tell them that I was the one that jinxed them today?" Draco stepped back and crossed his arms in satisfaction at Hermione's sad attempts at responding. "You have no idea how tempted I am to leave the Langlock charm on you for a few days….But, seeing how you'll probably tattle like most Gryffindors…Finite Incantatum."

Hermione felt her tongue release from the roof of her mouth and she charged at Draco sticking her wand into his chest backing him into the opposite wall. "You-evil-cowardly-little-snake! How dare you!"

Draco erupted in laughter. "Ouch! Watch where you're pointing that thing!" He tried to push away her wand which she dug further into his ribs.

Hermione grasped her wand firmly as a distraction but then backhanded him with her free hand. Draco touched his temple in shock and grinned evilly as he inspected the blood on his fingers. "Now, now Granger…Let's not get violent." Hermione suddenly realized that he had been allowing her to keep him against the wall as he suddenly flung her back to her original position with little effort. Her heart was pounding as they both panted heavily. She was certain he was going to strangle her where they stood. "An eye for an eye I always say." Hermione shut her eyes tightly as he raised his hand in the air. He began to laugh and released his grasp whispering evilly. "I know a better form of revenge. I'd be very careful if I were you Granger." He backed away into the darkness with a smirk leaving Hermione breathing heavily and wishing she hadn't struck him.

The next morning passed by with little incident. Draco hadn't yet attempted his revenge which surprised Hermione. He only stared and smirked as she passed him in the corridors. What concerned her was the fact that he didn't seem upset in the least. Her aggressive behavior seemed to please him in some way. Hermione was also becoming very suspicious at how often Ron had been mysteriously jinxed any time he was close to Hermione in the Great Hall. Draco often shrugged innocently when she would glance his way. Ron was certain Dean or Seamus were plotting against him to take his position on the Quidditch team.

As she sat down in Potions, Ron came up from behind her and rubbed her back. "I'm going to the library after class Mione. You want to come along-ouch!" Ron rubbed the back of his head and picked up a small rock from the ground. Who threw this?" He looked around the class as everyone shrugged and laughed. "You want a shot at Keeper? Talk to Harry! We'll have a go and the best one will win!" He yelled in Dean and Seamus's direction causing them to look bewildered at Ron's recent anger towards them.

He sat down as Hermione quickly turned around to face Draco who was turning red from his silent giggles. She leaned in and whispered. "Stop bothering Ron. He hasn't done anything to you."

Draco leaned in and whispered back. "How do you know it's something he's done? Maybe it's something he's doing."

Hermione shook her head not understanding his meaning. "Look Malfoy. Your problem is with me. Not him."

"Who says I have a problem Granger? And who says I haven't already dealt with it?" Draco whispered back evilly.

"Well no one but….Why? What did you do?" Hermione asked nervously.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "I just thought I'd catch up on my correspondence with Krum. I thought he may want to know how chummy you and Weasley have been."

Hermione gasped. "You wouldn't….Please Malfoy…You don't understand. Ron and I are just friends and if Viktor thought that I was-"

"You seem to be awfully afraid of Krum thinking you're up to no good. Terrified of losing him are you?" Draco asked menacingly.

Hermione nodded with a forced smile. "Yes…I'm terribly afraid of losing him so if you wouldn't mind finding some other means of getting back at me I would greatly appreciate it. I just don't want you to take you're revenge out on Ron either. But I'm fully prepared to handle anything else you've got up your sleeve." Hermione said and turned her head quickly to ensure no one was listening.

Draco leaned in closer to her. "Really? So I have your permission to take revenge on only you. And you're certain you're prepared to handle it?"

Hermione smirked mockingly at him. "You don't scare me Malfoy….Bring it on."

Draco smiled with satisfaction. "I knew that stubbornly brave girl was in there somewhere. You almost took all the fun of coming to this school. Keep your guard up Granger. You have no idea what I'm capable of." He leaned back happily as Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to face the board. She sighed in relief but then realized that now she had done it. She had given the most evil student in the school who would be alone with her in far off corridors permission to take revenge on her. She began to question her own sanity as Snape began the lesson.