I know its been so long since I have updated. Please forgive me. Life has been hectic and a friend of mine has been going through a rough time. She was raped during the last summer holidays and was told only a few months ago. As a result she has had a baby girl. So I've been trying to manage school, work and trying to be a great aunty and friend. I also had terrible writers block for a while and was unhappy with the progress of the story. I have completely rewritten chapter 7. So please re-read it before reading this one. I have corrected some of my spelling and grammar mistakes in the previous chapters but there may still be some remaining. I will eventually get around to fixing these errors. Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews and interest in my story.
disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters.
It was dinner time in the great hall and students were piling various foods that lined the tables. On entering the hall Hermione saw Harry and Ron eating dinner together. She approached the table and sat next to Ron.
"Hey Hermione, tough luck about this morning huh?" Harry said sympathetically.
"I know, what annoys me even more is the fact Malfoy didn't accept my apology. Last night I thought we were making some progress. It's not like we are best friends or anything but we agreed to be more civil towards one another. What a jerk, that is the last time I try to compromise with a prick like him."
"Last night? Didn't he cancel your meeting?" Harry inquired.
"Uh yeah but he cancelled it because Blaise Zabini couldn't do patrol last night so he had to fill in for him."
"What?" Ron shouted.
"Yeah I know, when he showed up I thought he was joking."
"So what happened?" Asked Harry.
"The usual, we argued with each other, he insulted me, I insulted him. You know just the usual."
"I wish I'd gotten someone else to do it now. Bloody hell if I knew Malfoy was going to do patrol last night I would have tried to get someone else to do it." Ron replied angrily.
"It doesn't matter now, besides I can handle Malfoy."
She knocked on the wooden door of the potions lab twice before entering the room. On entrance she was shocked to find Professor Snape talking to Draco Malfoy.
"Ms Granger finally you've arrived. You are to clean out the potions storeroom and clean the classroom from top to bottom. All cleaning must be completed without your wand. Mr. Malfoy will supervise your progress and will notify me when you have finished, understood."
"Sir, why is he supervising my detention?"
"Mr. Malfoy has kindly offered to supervise your detention this evening to allow me some personal time."
"But sir. . . "
"Ms. Granger I would suggest you get to work unless you want to spend tomorrow evening in detention also."
Within seconds Snape had left the room and only Hermione and Draco remained.
"Come on Granger, get on with it." Draco ordered.
"Shut up Malfoy. Anyway why in Merlin's name would you offer to waste your evening supervising my detention?" Hermione inquired, her left eyebrow raised in suspicion.
"Well Granger I need to study for a muggle studies quiz that's scheduled tomorrow and I need your help. But you had detention tonight and I couldn't fail a quiz because you have no time management skills. So I convinced Snape to allow me to supervise. "
"You are such a hypocrite! You were late to class today too." She yelled, her entire being pulsing with disbelief and rage.
"Granger shouldn't you get to work? Wouldn't want to be here all night would you?" Draco snickered. A cruel smirk plastered upon his handsome aristocratic face.
Groaning in frustration she walked up to Snape's desk and grabbed a bottle of 'Mrs. Scower's Magical Mess Remover' and began to scrub all the desks and windows.
Draco immediately began to give Hermione instructions and appeared to enjoy his power over her immensely. During all of this he was sitting on top of a desk asking Hermione every question imaginable about the ways of muggle living.
"So let me get this straight muggles drive automobiles which are powered by an energy source known as fuel?"
"Yes they purchase it from a service station and pay money for the amount they buy. Okay the classroom is clean and all I have to do is organize and clean the potions storeroom." Hermione stated proudly.
"Wait a second Granger I have to make sure that the job has been completed to my satisfaction."
"Everything looks to be in a . . . . satisfactory condition. Not as well as I would like but I guess it will have to do. After all I can't spend all night over seeing your detention. A handsome beau like me needs beauty sleep."
Hermione rolled her eyes in annoyance and moved swiftly into the storeroom.
Draco watched her as she went until she disappeared from sight. He then directed his attention to his textbook and continued writing notes.
Twenty minutes or so had passed when Hermione had finished sorting the lower shelves. Smiling at her work she then attempted to do the same for the upper shelves. She wasn't tall enough to do so and grabbed a stool from the corner of the room. Hermione grabbed the stool and stepped onto it, the stool was a little wonky and keeping her balance was a little difficult, but she managed. /this would be a lot easier if I had my wand/ Hermione thought to herself. But thankfully she was nearly done. Just as she about to step down off the stool she noticed a few vials at the very back of a shelf. She thought of asking Malfoy to help her as he was taller than she was, but shook the thought from her mind and decided to do it herself.
/Besides he would only refuse anyway and probably decide to tell everyone how 'mudblood' Granger had begged the 'great' Draco Malfoy to help her./ Outstretching her right hand and stepping onto her toes as she attempted to reach them. At that moment she lost her footing and knocked the stool over. Letting out a shriek of panic she immediately grabbed onto the shelving unit. The shelves began to fall forwards causing many of the vials shelved onto it to smash all over the floor. The gooey and potent liquids they contained oozed out of their respective vials. Potion fumes and thick clouds of swirling colours began to fill the room causing her to lose consciousness.
Draco was revising his notes for class when he heard the sound of shattering glass and Hermione scream. He instantly ceased all movement and his blood ran cold.
"Granger"
When he didn't hear her reply he closed his text book and jumped down off the desk. Draco's eyes widened upon catching sight of the coloured smoke emerging from the store room. Covering his mouth he ran into the storeroom and through the fog of coloured smoke. Draco strained his eyes in a desperate attempt to find Hermione, at that moment he could make out the outline of her body which was sprawled on the stone floor. Parts of the broken shelf surrounded her and she was covered in various gooey substances. Moving pieces of the shelf out of his way he quickly scooped her lifeless form up into his arms. Draco carried her out of the storeroom and through the classroom into the hallway. Faltering slightly he fell to his knees and dropped Hermione onto the floor. /I have to get to the hospital wing, Hermione might be hurt. / As Draco attempted to pick her up again he suddenly felt very lightheaded and stumbled. Sliding up against the stone wall of the corridor he tried to regain his senses by closing his eyes. When he finally decided to open them he found his vision was blurry and he could just make out a dark figure kneeling in front of him. His name was the last thing he heard before he lost consciousness.
