Okay, I know that it's taken me a while for me to get this up and written, but I've had writer's block so Lord forgive me.
Chapter 4: Plans in Action
You Learn
I recommend getting your heart trampled on to anyone
I recommend walking around naked in your living room
Swallow it down (what a jagged little pill)
It feels so good (swimming in your stomach)
Wait until the dust settles
You live you learn
You love you learn
You cry you learn
You lose you learn
You bleed you learn
You scream you learn
I recommend biting off more than you can chew to anyone
I certainly do
I recommend sticking your foot in your mouth at anytime
Feel free
Throw it down (the caution blocks you from the wind)
Hold it up (to the rays)
You wait and see when the smoke clears
You live you learn
You love you learn
You cry you learn
You lose you learn
You bleed you learn
You scream you learn
Wear it out (like a three-year-old would do)
Melt it down (you're gonna have to eventually anyway)
The fire trucks are coming up around the bend
You live you learn
You love you learn
You cry you learn
You lose you learn
You bleed you learn
You scream you learn
You grieve you learn
You choke you learn
You laugh you learn
You choose you learn
You pray you learn
You ask you learn
You live you learn
Hermione woke up around 12:45 PM that night and turn on her CD player. She wanted to think for a while and for some reason her Jagged Little Pill CD helped her think. 'How am I going to get him back for the train ride? Hexing him is always an old favorite...and what was up with that mirror? He can't genuinely care about me, can he? I mean he's Malfoy. He doesn't have emotion. Oh and not to mention the fact that my reflection actually gave him a kiss on the cheek! I'm never going to live that down. I can't even believe that that's how I truly feel about him. I mean I knew that I wasn't very comfortable and so the child-like image of me seemed right, but when he showed up and his reflection appeared, mine was reacting to him like a school girl with a crush! Well, I'll show him! I'll hex him until he doesn't know which ways up let alone that I might be starting to feel something for him!' she thought furiously. Little did she know that out her door and down the stairs, the person that she was planning on hexing was thinking about her as well and had heard her music turn on.
Draco stayed up that night in the common room thinking over and over again about what had happened on the train and between their reflections. What he couldn't seem to get over was it was his first name that she has screamed in her dream-terror, and as if truly in anguish over something to do with him. He wasn't sure whether what bothered him most was that she refused to tell him about the dream when he really wanted to know, or that he really wanted to know. 'I mean, why should a little Mudblood occupy my mind so completely?' he thought to himself.
'Because she's brilliant and beautiful and spirited and innocent and-" replied the back of his mind just to be cut off in defiance.
'Bullshit! She might be the brightest witch of her age, but I do not fancy her.'
'I never said you did,' stated his other half smugly.
"Bloody Hell," whispered Draco in realization. He now understood the simple truth: he wanted her. He wanted Mudblood Granger. 'It won't matter though. It won't matter because she isn't going to care. She's already made that perfectly clear,' his cynical side thought.
'Wait...what about the mirror? She was acting just like you: unsure and awkward and she kissed your cheek,' his generally logical side thought.
'She may fancy. It's all in her own mind, but we both know Cherry-top and Pothead would never allow it. Hell the Slytherins would hate it too. Face it, it's never going to work.'
And so his inner battle continued through the night, while Hermione sat in her room listening to angry chick music and thinking of new ways to hex Malfoy. By morning she was set and determined to owl the Weasley twins and get some prank stuff to set her plan into action. Draco had finally decided to ask Granger for a truce and see how things go from there. Thus both set out to accomplish very opposite plans, neither of which would turn out the way they wanted.
Later on just before breakfast-
"Oi, Ron! I need your help with something!" Hermione yell at Harry and Ron as they made their way down to the Great Hall. They stopped and waited for her to catch up.
"I never thought I'd see the day when Hermione Granger, smartest witch of our age, required my help. Are you sure you're not sick?" Ron asked, placing the back of his hand against her forehead.
"Ha ha, very funny Ron," Hermione replied with dripping sarcasm. "Well you see Ron, I'm planning on owling the twins for some supplies, and I need to know if what I want is already made or if it will have to be custom designed. You have that chart of their products and their uses still, right?"
"Ya, let's go check it out," he said, turning back towards the Gryffindor tower.
Meanwhile-
Draco sat down at breakfast and waited for Granger to show up. He hadn't seen her this morning, but she'd have to come down sometime to eat, right?
Right.
He was planning on asking her to meet him at the boulder near the lake and asking for a truce there. She just had to show up. Please, show up. If she didn't show up, then what would he do? He was fairly certain there was another way to win her over...he just couldn't think of it.
Finally after sitting in his spot for 30 minutes, eating almost nothing, Granger appeared at the doors of the Great Hall looking like she had just taken over the world. For some reason, the expression on her face made him afraid, very afraid. Was that witch possessed or something? Maybe he should rethink the truce. Although he had to admit, he really would prefer knowing that that spite in her face was not directed at him.
She walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat where she usually did, Pothead and Weasel in tow. They seemed to be discussing something that was exceedingly amusing because they cracked up in laughter that rang through out the hall. Just then her eyes shot a look directly at Draco that screamed, "You'll be dead before the day is up." It might be just him, but that look wasn't exactly very inviting. In fact he felt like avoiding her the rest of the day, but he couldn't because he had to offer truce. Once she accepted he wouldn't have to fear what glares like that might mean to his reputation or his sexy face.
Finally she exited the Great Hall without her lackeys, and he, as quietly and secretly as he could, followed. She hurried down the corridor in the general direction of the library. Since he was now fairly certain where she was headed, he took a short cut to the library. When he got there he went to the table in the back because he was fairly certain that it was dark enough to not be seen and also because it was the quietest corner in the room, so she would likely choose to sit at it to avoid interruptions.
Hermione entered the doors of the library and observed the room. There were a few first years trying to figure out some Transfigurations homework, a few forth years working on the recent Potions project, and a few random students wandering the stacks looking for books for personal interests. Basically the library was packed. 'Oh well, I better go to my usual table,' she thought as she made her way to the table in the farthest corner, not realizing that some one was already there and watching her approach. Without really looking around, she dumped out her book bag on the table. "Lumos," she whispered and the tip of her wand lit up.
"Boo!" whispered the ghost-like image of...Malfoy?
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
"Miss Granger! Are you alright?" Ms. Pince asked running over to the back of the library...okay it was more like speed bustling.
"Yes, Ms. Pince. Granger here is just easily scared," Malfoy answered for her in an amused tone that made Hermione want to slap him.
"Well if you hadn't tried to terrify me I might not have screamed," she hissed.
"I just wanted to surprise you. I didn't think you'd be a ninny and scream at me," he drawled.
"I am not a ninny and you better be bloody happy that Ms. Pince is here to keep me from hexing you to next Saturday," she said, her voice getting higher as her blood started to boil from anger.
"Miss Granger, I would ask you to watch that mouth of yours and keep your voice down. There are students studying in here," said the old librarian in a huff.
"Yes, ma'am," Hermione replied softly, feeling slightly betrayed. Ms. Pince wandered off to see if any students needed help. "You insufferable jerk!" she whispered furiously.
"What did I do?" he asked with a smirk. 'God I hate that smirk! It's so infuriating!' Hermione thought. She stalked up to him and raised her hand, fully intending to slap him. When she was just about to take a swing at him, he grabbed her wrist with one hand and hooked the other arm around her waist. Before she was sure what exactly happened, she was sitting on his lap with both arms locked at her sides. "Now why would you try to slap me? I'm fairly certain I haven't done anything to you...yet," he breathed into her ear.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" she said with as much venom as she could muster.
"Meet me down by the lake at sunset, over by the boulder on the west bank," he replied and inhaled her scent. 'She smells like cinnamon apples,' he mused.
"Did you just sniff me?" she asked slightly amused, then remembered smelling him on the train. She reflexively breathed softly through her nose to fill it with the smell of vanilla musk and dark chocolate. 'Oh this is not good, not good at all. I have to get away," Hermione thought, and started to struggle out of his hold.
"Just say you'll be there and I'll let you go." His hold never loosened and she had to admit that she was too week to get away by force.
"Alright, I'll be there," she muttered. He stood up with his arms still locked around her body, which forced her to stand up with him and be pressed along his body. She stayed stiff in his hold until he finally let her go.
'I can't wait to get revenge for this,' she thought as she exited the library doors.
A/N- Hey guys! I hope you liked it! R&R please! I don't like begging, but I will if I have to. Please please please please review my story! Please!
Riley Malfoy- Thanks for the advice. I feel like such a ditz now!
Alyssium- I'm glad you liked the mirror thing, it was rather spur of the moment really.
green pea soup- Thanks for the review!
Caren H- Thanks and I'll update soon!
Love yas, Antanaqui
