Another chapter for my fellow HG/DM shippers! I hope you enjoy. I expect each chapter to be between 1000 to 1,400 words long. This seems to be a comfortable word count...


Hermione slowly made her way up the stone steps. She let her sensitive fingertips drag against the raw stone which enveloped the staircase. The damp walls encircled her on both sides as she climbed higher. A simple arched mahogany door lay at the pinnacle of the stairs.

Hermione let out a soft breath of warm air as she pushed opened the heavy door. Warm air brushed against her face, a vast different from the chilly dampness of the staircase. Though she missed the familiarity of the Gryffindor common room, she was excited to see her new living space.

The room was circular, evidently they were in a tower somewhere on the castle grounds. A wide brown couch flanked by two armchairs sat in front of a crackling fireplace. Hermione couldn't help but smile. No more fighting for the best seats near the fire, she reflected as she found herself standing before the broad mantle over the hearth. Her footsteps were subdued by an ornate carpet embroidered with maroons, browns and rich greens.

The room was dark, only a few narrow windows dotted the stone walls. Surly they produced plenty of light in the day, but currently, the only light was from the burning logs in the fireplace, and a few strategically placed candles.

A crackle emitted from the hearth as well as the comforting smell of burning wood. Hermione felt a sense of warmth and serenity, a feeling she had missed for quite a while.

She lazily gazed around the space. Bookcases filled much of the room, and the walls were covered in beautiful paintings. There were two tables with wooden chairs just behind the sitting area. To the back of the room two doors sat side by side, one with a crest adorned with a lion, the other with a serpent.

Hermione slowly made her way to the door embellished with a lion and turned the cool brass handle. Another spiral staircase sat behind this door. Climbing upward, Hermione quickly realized that this spiral staircase lead directly into the center of another circular room, right through the floor.

Hermione covered her sudden intake of breath with her delicate hand and subdued a laugh. It was stunning. A four-poster bed sat in front of her, the thick curtains opened revealing rich maroons and cream colored bedding. As the common room below had few windows, this room was filled with them. Hermione stepped forward, peering through the paned glass, affirming her thoughts. Her bedroom this year was housed within a single tower to Northside of the castle. Below her window was the Forbidden Forest, just visible in the murky night.

Her trunk laid open at the foot of her bed, empty of her clothing, but clearly unpacked by the school's army of house-elves while she was at the feast. A mahogany armoire to her right held her many school uniforms. She couldn't help but smile. A sliver of hope crept into her heart and lightened her mood. This was going to be a good year, she decided in that moment.

"And...If it's not, I'll just hide in here all year." She said out loud to herself as she fell backwards onto her lush bed with a giggle.


The sound of a wand vibrating on the wood woke Hermione with a jolt, pulling her from her dreams. She had clearly been thrashing within her bed. The comforter was twisted around her legs, and a thin sheet of perspiration dampened her skin. Pieces of her dream stuck to the back of her mind.

Her dream came in parts. She was running, running so hard that her legs ached and lungs burned. She was laying, unable to move on a damp stone floor, a crazed voice to her left and a molten burn to her arm. She was screaming, screaming so hard she couldn't breathe. Hermione's breaths came out in gasps as she calmed her mind.

She looked around, the windows within the tower showed the darkness which still lingered outside. Good, she thought. She preferred a head start to the day. She was always the first awake in her old common room; she didn't plan on changing that now. A small wood-burning magical heater sparked to life as she placed her bare feet onto the cold stone floor.

She gathered her small toiletry bag and towel, making her way to a second door in the room, she guessed to be the bathroom. In hindsight, she should have listened, she would have heard the steady trickle of water coming from within the bathroom, or perhaps, should she have been just a little more awake she would have seen the thin beam of light emitting from under the door, In her sleepy stupor she noticed nothing until it was just a little too late.

She pulled hard on the wooden door. Instantly blinded by the bright light pouring from the well sized bathroom.

"What the hell!" shouted a deep voice from within the steamy room. Hermione's eyes slowly adjusted, revealing a half naked Slytherin standing directly in front of her, a toothbrush in hand and a perplexed look on his face.

"Oh my Gods!" she shrieked, slamming the door shut behind her. "I am so sorry." she yelled through the closed door, a snicker traveled through the wood in response.

Her face burned hot as she sank, sliding down the door until her butt collided with the hard stone floor. She rested her face in her hands, humiliation radiating into her palms. For Merlin's sake, she had seen Harry and Ron half dressed countless times during the war. They had been on the run for months, after all. Malfoys body hadn't embarrassed her. What embarrassed her was what she would have seen should be have arrived only a few moments later.

She rubbed her eyes hard with the heels of her hands, attempting to wash away the image. Not that Malfoy was terrible to look at. She was actually quite surprised at the way his body had matured over the last year. Her head bolted straight out of her hands, her eyes filled with shock.

Where did that come from? She thought. She had never looked at Malfoy before as anything but the slimy, muggle hating git he was, and yet Hermione could not get his pale, toned chest out of her mind.

"No! Nope!" she abruptly stood. What in Merlin's name had gotten into her, she thought as she raced around her room, locating her belongings. Throwing her uniform on haphazardly, she directed a few carefully worded spells at her hair, calming it into a simple braid. Grabbing her leather book bag, Hermione ran down the spiral stairs into the common room below.

She made a quick check for Malfoy before rushing to the exit. She was running away from the humiliation and distracting thoughts she had left in her bedroom. She remembered a quote in the moment, as she rushed down the stairs "My feelings are too loud for words and too shy for the world."