"Hermione! Nott really? I mean, I will give you that he is fit. But really, Nott?" Ginny's eyes were wide as she took in the news her best friend had just given her. When Ginny had opened her door to Hermione's frantic nodding this was not what she was expecting.
Hermione had blundered her way through the encounter that had transpired between herself and Nott. She tried and failed to keep from blushing as she described how he had looked at her. How he had touched her. As it had happened, Ginny had discovered she was sharing a bathroom when Hannah Abbott had come to knock on her door asking if Ginny wished to shower first before the feast. Hermione's interaction was far more interesting. As they sat on Ginny's bed Hermione could feel her face becoming flush at the mention of Nott being fit.
"Are you sure he was flirting with you, Mione? A Slytherin was flirting with the Gryffindor Princess? That is a miracle. Even if you leave out the fact that his father tried to kill you on multiple occasions, it still seems unlikely. Maybe you are reading too much into this?"
"I am not crazy Ginny; I know what he said." Hermione attempted to hide the slight contempt she had for Ginny in her voice. Sure, she wasn't as obviously beautiful as the redhead, but Hermione failed to see why a member of the opposite sex might not find her attractive enough to flirt with, Slytherin or otherwise.
After her brief conversation with Ginny, Hermione returned to her room to find the bathroom door open. Peaking her head through, she found Nott standing in front of one of the basins brushing his teeth, a towel slung low on his hips. Biting her lower lip softly she entered the room.
"Back so soon? I thought you might have run off for good." He shot her a playful wink and rinsed his mouth. "Bathroom is all yours," and then he was gone. No, she was not imagining this. There was something there.
Hermione waited a moment to make sure he would not re-enter before stripping down for her shower. The warm water soothed her aching muscles as she tried to calm her breathing and not think about how she had forgotten to ward the door. Nott could walk in at any moment. She looked at her wand on the bathroom counter and inwardly cursed herself for not bringing it into the shower. She was exposed. She was helpless Well not entirely; she could perform wandless magic but not enough to stop him if he came in there with force.
You won't need to, the voice in her head told her; you can trust him.
Hermione shut her eyes tightly wondering where that thought had come from. Trust him? How could she trust him? A Slytherin, son of a death eater! Maybe Ginny was right, and she was overthinking it. She thought back to her last real conversation with Ron. How they had ended things, partly due to Hermione not wanting to be in the public eye so much, and Ron wanting to bask in the afterglow of being a 'war hero'. He had made her feel like she wasn't enough for him. And now here she was, making up 'connections' with death eaters to help boost her self-esteem.
But he doesn't have the mark, does he? She thought back to his naked body just moments ago, she focused her mind onto his left forearm, mentally scanning his body. Sure, enough there was no dark mark. So, he wasn't a death eater. Just the son of one. Small victories in her own made-up world she supposed. Closing her eyes, she let her mind wander with what ifs and maybes.
There was a knock at the door and Hermione opened her eyes, only now realising that she was somehow on the floor. When had that happened? She had been standing just a moment ago. What time was it? And why was the water so cold? There was another, much more forceful knock before the door swung open and Nott came barging in. Her mind jumped to the worst conclusion, and she prepared to defend herself, Hermione tried to bawl her fists but found she did not have the strength. It was then she noticed the white fluffy towel in Notts hands as he came toward her. Wrapping her up, he proceeded to scope her up and carry her toward her bed before gently placing her down.
"Granger, Granger! Dammit it Hermione can you hear me?" his voice was frantic as he looked into her caramel eyes. "Hermione answer me please."
She willed her mouth to open, for her voice to speak, "Nott what are you doing get out!"
Her voice was weak, there was no force behind her words even though her mind was screaming at her.
"Hermione do you have any idea what time it is?" she looked around the room confused, trying to avoid eye contact with him. "Hermione it is ten o'clock at night."
Looking to her alarm clock she realised he was right. She had missed the entire feast. She was shaking now as the cold night air filled her room. Without thinking Nott placed his arms around her and pulled her to his side for warmth.
"You have no idea how much you scared me when I opened that door and heard the shower still running." His voice was barely a whisper.
"Thank you." Pulling herself from his embrace she walked toward the bathroom to retrieve her wand and see him out. She glanced at her reflection and saw her lips were blue and her face ghostly.
"I'm not leaving till the elves bring you something to eat." Nott said sternly still sitting on the edge of Hermione's bed.
"Then you will be here all night, they won't come for me." She muttered.
"Maybe not for you, but they will for me. Tipsy!" he called before a pop was heard and a small elf stood in Hermione's room.
"What can Tipsy do for Master Nott?"
"Tipsy could you please bring some food up for Miss Granger? She missed dinner."
The elf turned giving a disgruntled look at Hermione before turning back to Nott. "For you Master Nott, anything."
The food arrived shortly after the elf had gone with a pop. Nott stood there and watched her eat until the colour returned to her face and she had her fill, then banished the dishes back to the kitchen.
"We will talk about this tomorrow, Granger. Now, get some rest." He tucked her in rather kindly and with a wave of his wand transfigured the bath towel into a pair of silk pajamas for her and then left closing the door behind himself.
She wanted to fight it, to go after him and thank him again for noticing she was gone, for his panic at finding her and for making sure she ate, it was very un-Slytherin of him she thought. But her eyes began to droop, and sleep took hold of her.
