Reluctantly, Ron entered the breakfast room and encountered silence and watchful faces. Ignoring them all, he approached the girl he sought, "Davies."
Dark brown eyes met his green, wary, "Yes?"
He gathered his courage, repeating the memorised words, "I was out of line yesterday, please accept my apology. It was a physically very demanding proof, and I took it out on you. I shouldn't have, it was wrong," fidgeting with his fingers, "Can you forgive me?" Apologising in front of everyone was a hard nut to crack, though not doing it would be worse. Luckily, a quick glance towards Hermione revealed a soft smile on his best friend's lips, and it calmed him down. If she's smiling, it's because I'm doing the right thing.
Tracey stared into his eyes, "How can I be sure you'll not do it again?"
"You can't, but I'll do my best not to repeat my actions." It's the best I can offer, knowing myself.
The chair scraped the floor as she stood up to kiss him softly on his cheek, "Apologies accepted."
Relieved, he took the seat across Harry and thanked him for the served tea. His heart rate settled, soothed by Harry's approving half-smile. Last night he lied awake for the best part of it, coming up with his best 'I'm-sorry-speech'. However, Pansy caught his attention from the opposite side of the table, "Weasley, repeat your actions, and you don't have to worry about the boys. It's me you should fear, is it clear?"
"Crystal."
"Now I'm curious, Weasley, how are those cells like?"
Everyone chuckled, Ron included, "My arse and back hurt like hell. There are no mattresses, only the hard floor and a concrete bed. The bunker feels like a suite compared to it. Oh, Lavender, the room service is more of this bread with a slice of cheese. I'm not interested in an encore. "
"None of us does, Weasley." Theo joined in, "Your stay works motivational so to speak." The loaded silence disappeared and made room for chatting. Surprisingly enough the group sat today in a different order, the girls flocking together, leaving the boys to sort it out for themselves. The complaints, however, remained the same: the same dry bread, and a repeat of cold cuts and cheeses.
Hermione didn't bother asking who wanted tea, setting up the kettle on her initiative. When it began to shrill, Draco surprised her, taking over the task of fixing tea, winking at her while at it.
It confused her, especially when he asked, "How are you feeling today? Is the shoulder bothering much?"
"Hmm, no. The arnica ointment helped with the bruise, and it's only sensitive to touch." She was taken aback by his concern.
"I will take over as much as possible from our challenge; give you some time off. We don't know if there will be a new high demanding task for you, and we need to spare your strength."
This statement met with several nods in agreement, Harry thanking Draco openly for his cooperation, "Thanks Malfoy. Ron and I appreciate your concern."
"Yep." Ron's mouth was too full for a longer thank you.
Unlike yesterday, the goblin's remained absent, and an hour later the group moved from the room to the Atrium to enjoy the sunny day while waiting. Lavender and Tracey got tired of standing up and sought a comfortable place to lie down and sunbathe relaxed. Leaning with their eyes closed against the stones, they all moaned relaxed.
"Girls, I'm taking off my tank top. My belly's skin could use some tanning." Pansy kick-started the action using the top as her pillow, which was copied by all the other witches, none of them concerned about revealing too much, thanks to a decent sports bra which covered the essential.
The boys let their sight feast on the appealing sight. All the witches formed the proverbial cold drink of water for the road-weary eyes. Blaise murmured very low to Draco and Theo, "Salazar's tits; who knew the swot hid a body like that under her robes?" nudging Draco visibly.
The blond wizard sighed, "I know. I've noticed it already two days ago."
"What? And you didn't share the news?" Theo was baffled and saw Draco shrug in return, so he added, "Draco, those legs are made to circle a man's waist, thank Merlin." They noticed only then the flushed face of Neville, "Look to your left, mate. Our Longbottom is enjoying the view too…I'll be damned, he's eyeing our Tracey."
"Yo, boys, why don't you be a gentleman and give our female eyes a good view?" Pansy knew her fellow Slytherins as the palm of her hand, eavesdropping on their conversation. The comment about Tracey amused her; Longbottom is a good bloke, perfect for my girl.
The boys chose a comfortable setting, close to their counterparts. Theo smiled at Hermione, "Hey, Granger, don't you think I was right about this castle? It is the perfect setting for the Greyjoy's prison." In the meantime, he paid real attention to their surroundings. The worn out walls shown the consequences of exposure to sun and sea salt, the rusty handrails between the arches, the granite stone staircases leading to corridors. In one of the arcs serving as the main entrance, Theo could discern an engraving, dating 1857.
"Hmm…"
He got excited, "Granger, there's such a military vibe in here, as if was created to defend. We could role-play some scenes from the book?"
Hermione frowned, "Here? Nah, we have no props, nor the wands to make them. What good is enacting a battle without swords and cannons?"
"We have a dragon," Neville smirked at Theo's remark.
Hermione snorted, "Draco, can you fly and spit fire?"
"No, but I can torture a certain wizard if he keeps up with the dragon jokes. Eat his candy when we return to Hogwarts."
"No need to be rude, Malfoy. That's not nice."
Pansy intervened, "Please share the fun with the ignorant among us, what the hell are you talking about?"
"Have you read the book 'A Song of Fire and Ice'?"
"I only read Witch Weekly," Her three Slytherin wizards smirked simultaneously, "Don't give me the look, it's important to keep up with the newest gossip and fashion news. Granger, tell me more!" Her eyes remained closed when she waved her hand.
"It's a series of books about a dynasty war between clans, in this fictitious country called Westeros, who also fear the wildlings and the undead behind a huge ice wall on the north…"
Theo joined in, "Then you have Essos, where a drop-dead gorgeous Daenerys Targaryen lives, married off to this barbarian called Drogo. She hatched three dragon eggs under her husband's funeral pyre."
"Ugh, so gross." Tracey scrunched her face disgusted.
"Cool." Ron reacted enthusiastically; dragons were his favourite stories, "Which kind of dragon's?"
"Man, I don't know it by heart, Weasley. Only that they are three big badasses, Viserion, Rhaegal and Drogon. But what your lovely princess is omitting: the books are full of sex and nudity." He was figuratively jumping up and down, eager to deliver this last detail.
"WHAT?" Pansy couldn't look more feign shocked, pushing her body up to her elbows, "The prude Gryffindor princess reads erotic novels?"
The two other female voices exclaimed, "Ooh!"
Hermione struck back, deadpanned, "You consider it a sin? I bet your reading list is more extensive than mine." She had read the few she encountered in the restricted area and the ones she occasionally bought during their trips to Hogsmeade. Harry caught her reading one once, snatching the book out of her hands and teased her but she had acquired his silence by borrowing him some volumes.
"I didn't expect you to read them, Hermione," Pansy thought I'm starting to like this witch more very minute. Damn, have I misjudged her... Glancing over to the wizards she noticed several expressions, Harry was in the know, clear from his half-smile, Ron looked somewhat annoyed, didn't he know about her reading taste? Or was he cross because he wants to read them? Neville had a blush of embarrassment, now that's adorable to watch. Blaise's features mirrored hers, surprise and joy struggling for the first place. However, Draco looked in disbelief, Hermione is a witch of many layers, and her boy just started to peel one at the time. If it's up to me, these two will end up together, and I'm sure Hermione will have picked up some inspiration to re-enact.
"I tell you what, Pansy, I'll lend you some of mine, and you some of yours?" Hermione switched position, lying now on her belly, chin on her crossed arms. She looked smug at Pansy, "You never know, my knowledge might need some freshening up." No way she backed down to a Slytherin witch.
Theo followed Draco's line of sight and grinned, Hermione's shift gave his friend an interesting perspective on her cleavage. He could almost see the blond drool. He elbowed the man in his ribs to taunt him, receiving a snarl in return, "Mate, I think blood is about to come out of your eyeballs if you don't stop staring."
"I'm not staring." Draco seethed through his teeth.
"Hermione, don't you think Draco is the ideal version of Jon Snow? The blond haired version, of course."
"Huh?"
"I even suggest Pansy be…"
"The perfect Cersei Lannister." Hermione grinned wide.
"Theo, I see our Hermione as the Queen of Andals, the Rhoynar and The First Men, Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea-." Neville recited by heart the long title belonging to Daenerys, and got interrupted by the Slytherin wizard, who completed, "Mother of Dragons, the Unburnt, Breaker of Chains and Lady of Dragonstone."
"Salazar's tits, men, that's a mouth full." Blaise enjoyed the interaction, "Who could I be?"
Hermione leaned a finger against her lips, "Let me think…"
"He's our version of Jaime Lannister." Theo glanced devilish at his friend.
Not trusting his mates' look for a second, he interrogated Neville who grinned in the know, "Longbottom, spill it, buddy, what's the catch?"
"Nothing to worry about, Blaise, Jaime is known as the King Slayer." Hermione was gleefully chuckling at Neville's explanation, watching Blaise inflate with pride at such title, "He's the father of three children…" He beamed at the brunette, "he has with his sister."
Blaise's pride changed into sheer horror in a heartbeat, "What? Me and Pansy involved in an incest story?"
"Let me tell you, Cersei is an evil bitch to the core, but a sexy one. No pun intended, Pansy, you know I love you, sister, but you can be a devil when crossed." Theo had to rub it in.
"None taken, dear Theodore. When the moment demands it, there's nothing wrong with being bad." She was used to her friends bantering, "I'm sexy in this story of yours?"
"Drop-dead gorgeous and evil to the bone. More vicious than a python."
"She's perfection! She's mine, I'm her alright!"
Lavender inserted herself into the conversation, "Are we having a day off? No goblins in sight."
Blaise snarled, "Stop being a buzz killer. Hermione, who do you think your Lav here could be?"
Theo and Hermione answered together, "Ros."
Lavender smiled wide, "Who is she for a girl? Gorgeous too?"
"Absolutely, she's gorgeous, busty and a lady of pleasure." Everyone except Lavender herself caught the hint at that last one. Pansy rolled her eyes at so much ignorance, following Hermione's character description. The blond witch was clapping on her hands of joy, "Lady of pleasure…oh my, I love to give pleasure." They all broke into laughter, "Why are you laughing with, it's true you know…"
Blaise nodded, doing nothing to hide his laughter, "Yes, we know, Lav, and so does the sumo wrestler."
"I don't see the problem."
"Neither do we." Hermione dried some tears, exchanging glares with Neville and Theo, the image of Ros satisfying Tyrell passing in her mind, "Little Finger will love you."
"Little Finger?" Lavender was now completely lost.
Neville jerked his chin, "Hermione, who could be Little Finger?"
"Flinch, who else?"
Theo was red now from laughing his arse off, "Little Finger running a brothel? Oh balls, this is good." He fist-bumped Neville, "Don't you think, Longbottom?"
"Wait for a second, a brothel?" Lavender looked clueless.
Hermione couldn't look smugger, "Yes, Lav. Little Finger is a nasty sob and owns a brothel."
"But he loves me." The blond witch tried to connect the dots, looking around her but remaining completely oblivious to the fun floating in the air. "If this guy has a brothel, he's wealthy. There's nothing wrong with it, and he cares for me."
"He owns you. You work for him." Draco could swear he never saw Hermione this vicious before; clearly, the history between the two witches and the Weasel wasn't digested yet. Granger should have been a Slytherin, in Salazar's name. His thought was apparently the same of all the other snake-fellows, as they crossed knowing looks, this girl gives Slytherin a whole new meaning. Sly, has a taste for payback when wronged, and owns more courage than the average wizard.
Ron was slightly uncomfortable but refrained from comments, he didn't need a new loss-of-temper-episode from Hermione. He was back on her right side and wanted to keep it this way, particularly for his own sake. Plus he tried to forget that he ever dated this not-so-smart witch; cringing of embarrassment at every new remark.
"Work? As for what? His secretary?"
The honey-sweet tone coming from Hermione surprised the Slytherins the most, even Neville side-eyed the witch, "Lav, my dear, yes sweetie, as a lady of pleasure I guess you can book appointments and accept payment by the hour…"
Lavender swung her blond hair behind her shoulders, "Whatever, this Little Finger loves me. Your character hatches dragons under a funeral pyre." Concluding her character stood above this Daenerys-girl.
"Oh, this is getting too much to handle." Theo hesitated if he shouldn't explain better to the toddler among them, but refrained from it, to ridicule the girl was so much more fun, "Lavender when we are back at Hogwarts, ask McGonagall what a lady of pleasure is. Ask her if you can demonstrate your fellow students…"
"I might do that, Theo, thank you for the advice..." Blaise was grabbing his belly from laughing so hard, picturing how the headmistress would react. He could see Draco's shoulders tremble, while the wizard hid his face in the circle of his arms, who asked for more background information the moment he got his wits together, "Granger, who's Jon Snow?"
"Malfoy, he's a bastard son of Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell, and he was shipped off to the Northern Wall to protect the realm from wildlings. Can you handle his illegitimate origin?" Hermione was far from done, poking her nemesis. "He was sentenced to a life between men, forced to swore celibacy until the day he died. Hey Theo, you can re-enact this in your dorms!"
"Which part? Watching over the wall?"
"I meant the celibacy part, swear off any carnal activities." She didn't imagine having this much fun.
Blaise wasn't accepting any of it, "Granger, in case you've missed, we are not engaging in any of those activities, much to our regret. You can change this at any point if you wish."
"Are you..." She rose and walked up seductively to Blaise, squatting on one knee, "Suggesting we merge within our sleeping arrangements and let us say…engage…" she ran a finger over his knee, staring straight into his eyes, "in carnal activities." Blaise swallowed visibly.
"Granger, it's getting hot in here, witch." Pansy gave her a lopsided smile, "I can see the steam come out of their ears, no exceptions." She fanned herself to add some drama, "I never knew you had it in you, you belong in the Slytherin house."
Hermione gazed at her before she let her eyes roam over every wizard; Harry shook his head at her out-of-character behaviour. Blaise hadn't answered yet, "Zabini, cat got your tongue?"
He blinked a few times, "Huh?"
Tracey smirked, "Hermione, I believe you made his brain short-cut. Give him a minute. I wonder which character could I be?"
"I don't know Tracey, describe yourself in a few words."
"Oh… I don't know…" looking nervously at Pansy. "I can be cunning…"
"Granger, she is the sweetest snake among us. This girl will pick up a spider to release it into the wide world instead of using a roll of parchment to squash it, as I do. If you, however, hurt one of hers, she'll come down on you faster than lightning."
"I have ambition, but I don't want to trample others to do it. I often thought I'm a cross between the snakes and the badgers." She watched the faces of her housemates closely, fearing for a snide remark, but much to her surprise, Draco smiled at her.
"Davies, you are a snake. Let no one else tell you differently, witch." He looked stern, to erase any doubt in her head; counting on his fingers, "Cunning, ambitious and resourceful. You are all those, and yes, you are gentle and loyal, but I don't see the problem. Us, Slytherins, we could use some more kindness in our bones."
A growl came from behind the group, "Time for lunch, then challenges."
Ron got up to follow and saluted. Hermione pulled her tank top on while walking, deep in thoughts from Draco's words and more, in particular, his tone. It sounded sincere, no trace of mock or disdain. They changed glances, and she smiled.
He looked away, self-conscious of her attention. Receiving a friendly smile from Hermione was something he wasn't used to yet. He claimed the seat next to hers, but eyed his plate distrustful, scratching his hair, "Does someone recognise this?"
Neville lifted some food with his fork, "Looks like an omelette in a crust."
Gnarluk snarled, "Eat, it's quiche Lorraine," and left the room adding, "you have thirty minutes."
Blaise scrunched his nose, "Kish Lorene?"
"It's food, and it tastes better than it looks," Ron spoke with his mouth full, in his Ron-kind of way.
"I taste eggs, pie crust, bacon and maybe onion. I agree with Ron, it looks awful, but the flavour is decent." Hermione pondered for a second, after dishing up some of her meal.
Taking her cue, Draco took a bit, cocked his head and nodded, "Granger, about that story of ice, can you tell us more?"
"I've only read two books; the third is about to come out. It happens in Medieval England they call Westeros, and you could say the Esos is in France. This lord of Winterfell is a kind ruler, with consideration for his people who in return are very loyal to him. King Baratheon, who's murdered by poison, rules the country and his death starts the typical fight for the iron throne. On the contrary of what Theo made you think, I read the saga, not for the sex but for the intrigues, the historical element, the betrayals. When I end on the last page, I can't wait for the next instalment."
Neville nodded, "The nude parts are often too much, unnecessary. But I agree with Hermione, it's writing is very compelling."
"I'll grab a copy from Flourish when we're back."
"They might not sell it, Draco, it's Muggle literature. You'll find it at Waterstones." She spoke between two bites.
He shrugged it off, "Then a trip to Muggle London it will be before starting Hogwarts, I'm curious." She called him by his first name, and it disturbed him slightly. Made him want to hear it more.
Meanwhile, Neville propped a grape in his mouth, "I wonder what is waiting for us."
"As longs as it's nothing with spiders or other vermin…" Ron rested his chin on his folded hands, elbows on the table.
Pansy patted him on his hair, "Come, come, come, I'm sure Tracey will save you, cry-baby. How much harm can a little spider do?"
"Speaks the woman who never met Aragog," he dismissed her, hiding the blush behind a sip from his glass of soda. He heard a familiar smirk, "Harry, you weren't so kin on Hagrid's big friend either."
"You were panicky afraid."
"Have you forgot that his 'children' chased us? They were hundreds of them." He shivered at the memory of the giant spider and its offspring.
Hermione laughed aloud, "Oh Ron, after all these years? Your car saved you."
Theo beamed, "You got to tell us that story-"
Gnarluk interrupted, "Time is up, you and you, come," his finger pointed to Blaise and Lavender. The rest followed to the Atrium, choosing a comfortable place to sit. Draco simply remarked, "Hopefully, Blaise will not come out deaf from this one."
*Blaise and Lavender*
"The giant fan," Lavender read it to Blaise, "Oh, my hair will be like Hermione's, a mess."
"Finally, you'll have something in common with the witch." Blaise side-eyed his companion, but entered the room, not waiting for an answer. Upon the locking of the door, a giant fan ventilated the room, sending into the air the rope holding the key. The wind it created was so strong, it nearly pushed the wizard to the other side of the room, "Shit, how will we retrieve a flying key without a broom?"
He surveyed the room for a staircase or a chair to stand on and found only a Perspex cover. In the meantime, Lavender was fighting a battle against her hair, "Blaise, do something. I can't see."
"Wait, let me think woman." It took him a few moments to discern he needed to use the cover to close the entrance of the fan. The lid, however, weighed quite a few pounds, "Lavender you'll have to help me. I can't do this alone."
"Blaise…"
"Brown, help me and keep your snatter shut."
"All right, caveman." She grabbed one of the handles, copying the moves of the wizard and raised it with all her might, "My nails are going to break."
He snarled incomprehensible words at her of pure frustration, shovelling a foot at a time. He carried three-quarter of the whole weight, ultimately, feeling a trail of sweat run down his spine. It seemed to take forever to reach the entrance, and he flexed all his muscles to lift the cover to its place, "Are you helping at all?"
"This is too heavy for me; I'll strain a muscle."
"Fuck woman, can't you for once do something for someone else?" He grunted low when he almost lost his grip. She decided to cooperate under massive protest, and together the lid was placed. Instantly, the wind stopped, and the rope subsided. The wizard snatched it and escaped the room, falling on his knees from exhaustion.
"Are you okay Zabini?"
"Shut up."
"That's what you get when you try to be nice." She lifted her chin to the other side and missed utterly the murderous look Blaise sent her way, fists clenched.
To their surprised, the next couple surpassed them. Draco laid a hand on his mate's shoulder, "Okay Zabini?"
"Been better." The wizard answered between the massive intakes of breath.
Hermione gestured the goblin to wait, and handed Blaise a bottle of water, "It's a new one, take it."
"Thanks, Granger," the wizard flashed the girl a thankful look.
"You're welcome." She touched Draco's arm, "Uruk here has zero patience, and we need to go. Take it easy Blaise. You have time." She took off, followed by the blond.
*Draco and Hermione*
They read a page and looked confused at each other, none of them wiser about the challenge. Draco motioned his head to enter the room, and once inside, their confusion didn't diminish, "What the hell is this?" his eyebrows disappearing under his fringe.
Hermione spotted the lever; "I believe we need to pull up the key, using this." Moving from words to actions, she pulled up a red-caped iron handle, raising the key higher inside its metal shaft, but not high enough for them to grasp it. However, when she reversed her move, the key lowered again, much to her chagrin, "Balls, why can't things be easy the first time?" She peeked through the metal partition bars that divided the cell in to and saw a similar switch. Hermione could insert an arm through, but her limb was not long enough to reach her goal.
Looking around, she discovered at the same time as Draco, a padded door rocker, "Granger, I go through the door and push up the lever from that side." Taking some steps back he leapt and moved through, "Fuck," the rocking movement of the door turned harsher than expected. Holding his side of the handle, he repeated her move, and the key rose in height, while Hermione's handle returned to its starting position. Combining their movements, one pushed up his lever and then waited for the other to replicate the action so they could start over. At first, Draco and Hermione were silent, synchronising their movements with an exchange of looks and nods, but soon the rusty levers demanded more arm power, and her strength began to diminish. He encouraged her, "C'mon Granger, that's it…neat," though he grunted when it was his turn to push. Once or twice she had to wake him out of his daydream, as he focused more on her face than on his shift to press up.
After some twentyish turns, both out of breath and sweaty from exertion, the key raised enough for Hermione to grab it. She dangled it with a tired smile, "We have it! Come over to the other side!"
"No way, I remain a Slytherin." He wiped the sweat from his forehead, flashing his trademark smirk.
"Ferret, there's no room for a snake inside Gryffindor. I-"
"Relax, witch. I know what you meant." Breathing deep, he pushed with his shoulder door to Hermione's side, but the rocker didn't budge. Draco retreated four steps back, shoving at the door with more effort, alas without success. "Fuck this door; I want out."
"Take a bigger leap, Draco," she was tired and thirsty, watching him from almost behind the door. He flashed an annoyed look, retreated until his back hit the wall behind, and used all the power he had left to push hard, this time flying over, onto Hermione. His speed forced her with him until she was the one against the wall.
"Phew." He sighed, recovering from the little flight, letting his forehead rest on her shoulder for a short moment.
"Ooh." She blinked, catching up with the blurry events. Looking down, she noticed his hands, "Would you please remove your paws?"
"I don't have paws," Draco retorted first before he followed her gaze, "Oops, sorry." Both hands were on her breasts, encasing the two mounds inside his large hands, almost squeezing. Draco's face turned into a shade of red; a tone she never saw on his features before. It looked adorable despite the circumstances, hindering her efforts to maintain the irked look on her face.
He grasped his throat loudly, taking his hands away and shoving them deep in his pockets, while he lead her out the door. They remained for a few minutes outside their cell's door, embarrassed. Uruk eyed one another and took off impatiently, muttering something inaudible. Draco was about to break the silence, but she spun around and followed the goblin without a word while glancing back to see if he trailed behind.
She ran absently minded behind the creature, convincing herself that Draco's hands on her breasts didn't affect her. This is nothing; it was nothing, Hermione. Just a miscalculation, he didn't mean to grope at you. Why am I even bothered? I mean, nothing is going on between us. I don't want to pursue a relationship, have no interest in the git. Also if said git looked damn fine in his sports attire, his abs strong and chiselled pressed against me. His sweaty pectorals, flexed at every push, what a sight. The collar of his tank and its delicious sneak peek. No, Granger, nothing is going on. Nothing! He does look yummy…But I don't need a repeat session, no I don't. She sighed, in Godric's name, who am I fooling?
Draco kept a certain distance for several reasons: one, his dick was half hard-on, and he hoped to get rid of it by the time they arrived at the Atrium. Two, the sight of her arse in those tight shorts was terrific, one he would never grow bored of. If you want your dick to flatten Malfoy, stop! Maybe next time, when you fly into her, aim for those firm globes? Fuck, this is not helping.
Draco slowed his pace to a walking speed, riled up with his physical condition that remained too visible to his taste. Feigning a last minute visit to the loo, he hoped to buy himself some calm down time, although the vision of his big hands on her bosom kept running in a loop inside his head. Her tits were a perfect fit for his hands. Soft and full…and her nipples…two taut buttons. Cursing the path of his mind, he had only one option left.
The men's loo was empty as he'd hoped and he confined himself inside a cubicle, leaned against the locked door and fisted his freed rock-hard cock in search of relief. The inspiration to achieve his goal, reigned free in his mind, in the shape of long-time fantasies. Only Godric knew how long he fantasised of her soft, full breasts, her tight nipples, he always pinched in his dreams but today tangible against his palms. How her legs wrapped around his waist while he pounded, her moans, the shape of her arse. He was so worked up that the familiar coil in his belly burned fierily hot after a few pumps. He came so intensely with a loud grunt; that it was a miracle, he retained the clarity of spirit and diverted his spurts away from his clothing. Aware he couldn't scourgify the place, unfortunately.
His breath finally returned to normal. Cursing the absence of his wand again, he cleaned his mess with some toilet paper and washed his hands while staring at the face in the mirror. He smiled with a huff at his satisfied features. Confident to assume that this was the first of several wank sessions to follow, until the future gave him a more precise insight. There was sexual tension between them, and he would pursue whatever this was, if given a chance. Time would tell. For now, this cubicle served fine.
-oOo Atrium oOo-
Hermione joined the group breathless, and a quick glance confirmed her fears: they've all seen where Draco's hands landed. Choosing to stand her ground, she shrugged and flashed a half-looped smile at Pansy, who grinned at her in return, just as Harry and Blaise did. Theo coughed "Hot," while Ron looked away, wishing he were somewhere else.
Lavender was still pouting in a corner away from the group, but Tracey patted on the ground next to her, "Share it all with aunty Tracey, sweetie, what did the big bad blond do?"
Gnarluk motioned to Neville and Theo, breaking the buzz. Both wizards left with huge smiles, not necessarily because of the same witch…
*Neville and Theo*
"Longbottom, you have an eye for my Tracey." The second they were alone except for the goblin, Theo launched, satisfied to see his partner's face flush.
"You two have a thing?" Neville was nervous now.
"No, relax Neville. I meant my Tracey because she's ours, from our snake group. We, the Slytherin wizards, we watch over our witches." They trailed behind the goblin, who took them deep into the dungeons this time, "Bah, Longbottom, it smells foul around here."
"Not enough fresh air around these premises. We should be faster than usual, Theo." A quick glance at the explanation told them they had to move over cylinders to get to the key. Inside the room, a series of variously sized barrels painted as candy had to be crossed before reaching to the key, the floor covered with foam mats, "Looks fun, I'll go first." Neville didn't wait for an answer, climbing on a small platform before starting. His first three barrels went surprisingly well and certain of himself, he speeded up and fell almost immediately from a medium sized one, the wizards laughter echoing in the room, "Theo, not too fast, learn from my mistake, buddy."
They took turns into climbing on the barrels and understanding that going slow wasn't either the recipe for success. Several 'Ooh's', 'Shit', and 'Fuck's' later, they both were red of heat and sweat, not getting beyond halfway. They clapped on each other's shoulder between their laughs as if they were long-time mates on a night off, and Theo remarked, "Longbottom, there's not much time left."
Instead of waiting for each other's turn, they took off almost together, wobbling while laughing. One wizard arm shot out, pulling the other up at the umpteenth attempt, receiving in return a chuckled "Thanks." None of the two could retell how they succeeded in reaching the other side. What they did know, was that they barely escaped a night at the dungeons, with a few grains of sand left on the hourglass, and cheeks that hurt from so much laughter.
-oOo Atrium oOo-
Draco hoped to join the group stealthily but saw his plans be thwarted by two pairs of female eyes waiting for his arrival. One brown pair stared at him, nervously and uncertain about how to move on from their little episode. The other was itching to roast him about his feelings. Almost even guessing what he just did, if she read his features right, recognising the after-bliss on his face.
He chose to join Potter and Blaise, ignoring the stares. Unfortunately, his fellow snake was out for some taunting, "Nice catch there, I guess your hands never landed so softly."
"Zabini, drop it." Draco barely avoided rolling his eyes, he could have guessed.
"Potter, don't you agree? I mean every lad would love to land with his paws on a woman's tits." Blaise looked wickedly at the Gryffindor who smiled, surprisingly enough, with the same posture.
Harry drew a breath teasingly, "Yeah, only, we are talking about a fierce Gryffindor witch who knows a few nasty hexes. I guess you should feel lucky, Malfoy, that she hadn't her wand within reach."
Blaise nudged him, "Potter, just between us, and you have my word I won't spread the gossip. Have you ever sampled the goodies?"
"Zabini, for the last time, and believe me when I say I don't need a wand to fight. I respect Hermione, nothing happened and it never will. Speak of this one more time, Zabini, and I don't speak for the consequences. Now, Malfoy, you should feel lucky your crown jewels are intact. Consider yourself a warned man. The witch is a fantastic duellist with her wand but a fearless fighter without it too. Don't underestimate her." He glanced at the girls to make sure they couldn't hear his next words, "If she chooses to pursue something with you, I'm not interfering. All I want for her is a bloke that loves her like she should be loved. Otherwise, I strongly advise you to find another fuck buddy to play with."
"See if I get this right, you are okay if we would get romantically involved." Harry nodded at Draco's assessment, "But if it's just to scratch an itch-"
"I recommend you to find someone else." Harry rephrased his warning. "You got it correct. Have you made up your mind?"
"Are you asking me if I see her as a fuck buddy or as wife material?"
"Exactly."
Draco rubbed a hand over his neck, glancing again at the witch in question, noticing Pansy's attention, "Your 'sister' is a beautiful female specimen. The most intelligent witch of our year and allow me to say, of our entire school including the teachers. I am a former Death Eater who received a new chance at life thanks to you and her. People look down on me, and many think I undeservedly escaped prison. I don't deserve her, and I would be a burden in her life."
Green eyes stared deep into greys, pondering on his next words, "Malfoy, one: you were a kid forced to be an adult. We've been through this in the bunker, no need to repeat. Two, what my sister wants and what the world thinks are two very different issues. She'll never make up her mind based on what people think is good. A year ago, yes, you didn't deserve her, and she would hex you into oblivion. When we started this three days ago, she could almost drink your blood. She expected your worse, and you have given us your best. I say you have a new chance. Don't mess it up." Harry clapped on the blonds' shoulder and went to stand next to a silent Ron. Reading the mind of his best friend, he whispered, "Are you okay, mate?"
"I'm trying to stay invisible, so nobody uses me as their next shooting target. One day of wrath is well enough, thank you. Now, I saw you talk all serious with the git, what's that all about?"
"Just telling him, he should feel lucky a certain knee didn't crush his balls." Harry sparkled, "If he repeats his move…"
"She'll deal with him; he tested her right hook already in the third year." Both chuckled, "But what if?"
"If what? If Hermione dates the ferret?"
"Hmm, yeah," Ron wrinkled his nose, "I don't know…"
"He'll have to grovel deep before she even considers him as a partner. I would love to see that happen," rubbing his chin, "You and I will stay on the sideline, watch it develop. If needed we'll intervene. Otherwise, we'll do as she wants. It's her life, and I trust her judgement."
"He's the ferret-"
Ron was about to speak further but got interrupted by the voice of Pansy, "He's a very loyal friend who made the wrong decisions based on the lies of adults. If she can see behind his self-protection armour, she'll have a fierce companion. One who will push her into achieving her goals and will be there to catch her, if she fails." The Slytherin gave Ron a once-over, "Sounds familiar? Are you made of the same kind of wood?"
"I don't need a self-protection armour," Ron huffed.
"No, you need some brains that learn to think before you speak."
She snarled before walking away, leaving Ron with an open mouth, "What was that about, Harry?"
Hesitation dawned on Harry's face, "If I didn't know better, it sounded like she's pushing your buttons on purpose."
"What would she do that for?" he sounded disbelieving.
"Why does a girl push the boys' buttons, Ron? Use your brain for once." Harry looked incredulous, shaking his head. If Ron didn't see it, who was he to force him in to watch? Ron and Pansy? Hell, why not? She'll give him a run for his money; keep him on the top of his toes. This week is full of surprises.
"Hey, Potter, it's our turn!"
Harry followed, speaking of the devil…
*Harry and Pansy*
"Solve the sums to move through the maze, but use this code to enter and exit the maze," Harry read the sheet, "990". Pansy nodded, "Let's go, Potter."
They enter the room divided into partitions, each passage door closed with a numerical lock. They turned on a vault-like disc-mechanism to open the first door, "9-9-0". Pansy whisked Harry's hand and dragged him behind her, to the first note showing a sum, "40 times 10, is this first-grade shite?" scrunching up her face. Harry configured the lock on 400 instead of answering, crouched to fit through the door and hauled her along.
The next read, "Add 10 to 26," and Pansy snorted, "Really, is this the best these guys can come up with?"
"Woman, are you going to complain the whole time? It's a piece of cake, feel happy you don't have to grovel through the mud. There, 36 is the answer…"
"But this damn thing demands three digits…"
Harry stared at her in disbelief, "Really? You don't see it?"
"How do you turn a two-digit number into three?"
"Holly shites …that's a major problem…oops…what do we do? And Hermione isn't here to help…" Harry mocked her while setting up the correct combination, "Oh my, look! Parkinson, you can add a zero!"
She waved him off, "I was testing your capabilities."
"Yeah, right." He slammed the palm of his hand against his forehead. "Next, 39 plus 79 plus 49."
"This is giving me a headache." Her fingers scratched the top of her head, "I miss some parchment."
"Pansy, are you serious? How did you pass through calculus? Or did you copy Draco's answers the whole time?"
"This isn't some potion I have to make so I can wax my legs."
"Huh? Never mind, configure that thing to 157." She stared at him, appalled, "What Parkinson, never calculated mentally? Sum forty with eighty add fifty and subtract then three. Simple!" He shook his head, "Three down, one-two-three-…-seven to go. Put that brain to work, witch."
The next door showed two to the sixth, Pansy yelled, "Twelve!"
He snarled, "Sixty-four."
"I'm positively sure that it's twelve, scarhead."
"Then, be my guest and try yours, silver princess." He bit.
"Hmm…three digits…oh, yes, add a zero before." Pansy turned the wheels to form her answer, peeved for not figuring out straight away. Snarling inaudible words, she created Harry's solution, cursing even louder when it turned out correct.
From then on, she waited until he calculated and inserted Harry's solution, which was until the very last door, the correct one.
One doorway separated them from the exit door, and it turned to be the longest equation:
70 X 30 / 2 – 1/3 of 45 – 45 =
"Potter, my respect if you can solve this within a half minute."
"If you keep your mouth shut, I might." He murmured, "Ok, we should first do seventy times thirty divided by two…two thousand hundred divided by two is one thousand and fifty; a third of forty five-."
"I know that one! It's fifteen!" Her grin turned into a pout, watching Harry roll his eyes, and she stuck her tongue out.
"Jeez. That's an adult attitude you're showing..."
"Potter, my darling, it's almost time…"
"Parkinson, shhh, thousand fifty less fifteen is thousand thirty-five, less forty-five is nine hundred ninety…"
Pansy configured the number and approached their last door. "Potter, which one now?"
"Where's the hint?" They looked everywhere, but there was no note to be found, "Parkinson, search for the damn…"
"I can't find it!" They had barely seconds left to escape, "Scarhead, think, didn't we have to use a code to…"
"Enter and…Exit, shit that's it, which code did we use?"
"The hell that I know, Potter. With all your numerology and shitty calculations. I don't know…"
"What was the number…shit…fuck, it was something with a nine…" As he looks back at their last lock, his penny has dropped, and he's about to insert their exit code. However, a loud thud of a door being sealed echoes through the room. "Bloody hell…"
"This is all your fault, you moron! Now I have to spend the night sleeping on the floor!"
"Bitch if your brain worked, we wouldn't have lost time arguing about the solutions. And why didn't you memorised the exit code?" He was furious with her and her antics, out of ten equations she guessed only two, who made him wonder how she got past anything that involved math.
"Why didn't you, the mighty boy-who-lived?"
"Because someone had to do all the work? Because you only care about calculating beauty potions? Because-"
From outside their room, a deep baritone spoke, "You failed…"
Pansy snarled, "We KNOW!"
Unaffected the goblin continued, "You will spend the night in the dungeon."
"Arsehole." Pansy dried some escaping tears. Harry was still huffing, angry with himself for not paying more attention to the sheet outside. The door opened, and Uruk motioned them to follow. This time there was no walk of shame waiting for them but only concerned faces.
"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione laid a hand gently against his cheek, "I'll come later with some blanket and such. But calm down, not everyone is as fast as you when it comes to math."
Next to her, Draco was embracing Pansy, "Hey gorgeous, calm your nerves. You didn't do this on purpose, and if Snotter is blaming you for something, we'll deal with it, Slytherin-wise."
"Draco, I was never strong in calculus or…"
"I know, we know. Don't worry. We'll stop by later." He kept stroking her hair, offering her comfort with a soft smile, "Cool down, witch. It will all be alright." He barely released her or Hermione took his spot, her hand on the other witches' arm, "Harry is a hot-head, but he knows you didn't want to fail. He'll cool down in a minute and return to his normal self, instead of this troll-version you see." Hermione squeezed Pansy's arm softly, "I'll come later. I promise."
Uruk decided the show took long enough and shoved the pair forward, to the dungeons, "Hey, moron, be gentle!" Hermione yelled at the goblin by the lack of gentleness.
Gnarluk barked, "Final pair, come!"
Tracey looked at Ron, "I love Pansy, but I don't want to spend the night there."
The ginger head shook his head, "We won't." He offered his hand and took off with her right behind him, praying to Merlin for an easy challenge and strength to keep his rage in check.
*Ron and Tracey*
"Memory game. Thank Merlin for this easy one." Tracey opened the door, relieved with the manageable level, and yelped from surprise.
A grey-haired man watched her unmoving, creeping the hell out of the witch and even the wizard, who waved a hand in front of the man's face, "Anybody home?" The man remained unfazed. Ron sniggered and took place in one of the two chairs, pulling the other one for Tracey. "Come, witch, help me remember," patting on the seat, "I have a shorter memory span than a goldfish according to Hermione." Tracey giggled.
Without introduction, the man turned a series of cards showing six different pairs of figures, which he revealed one last time before raising four fingers and then six. Tracey wanted confirmation, "We have to guess four pairs? And six chances?" A grunted nod followed, "Okay, then turn this one and this one."
The man followed her commands, and she clapped on her hands, happy to have the first guess correct. Tracey exchanged a look with Ron who motioned her to go on, "I paid no attention, I'm sorry." She scrutinised her face but refrained from comment. Luckily for him, she had a photographic memory, and they were down to the last pair to guess and still had their two extra shots left.
"Oh, bollocks, one miss." She bit her lip, doubting her next move.
"Davies, don't hesitate, you can do it."
"Ron, what if I…"
"Then we will spend the night with your Pansy and my Harry. Worse things happen in life, you know. Now trust your instincts, I believe in you…"
She blinked, "Wow, Weasley, I didn't know you could be so sweet…" giggling more when he turned beet red. Glancing at him sideways, she focussed on the hidden cards. Biting on her fingers, she reconsidered her choice, which was once again faulty, "Damn, Ron…I can't."
He held her hand, "Yes you can. Use that last shot wisely."
"Ron?"
He shrugged, "I have my moments. Now beat this statue staring at us, will you?" He watched her shift her gaze from one card to the other and back. He found the blush on her cheeks quite adorable. "Take a leap of faith, girl." Blowing a loud breath through her teeth, she touched two cards, expecting a new failure.
To her surprise, the old man shoved her the key, and she punched in the air, "YES!" Rising to her feet, she jumped up and down, "Holly shit. I did it! I did it!" letting her held up stress fly away. Ron chuckled, "I knew you would," but found himself in a choking hug, receiving a loud peck on his cheeks.
She ran outside, still shouting and flew into Neville's arms, "Did you see it, Neville? I did it! I nailed it!" He twirled her around, "I saw it, Tracey, I'm so proud of you!" She beamed and didn't wait until he put her on her feet again, holding his face with both hands and kissing him full on the mouth in front of everyone.
The Slytherins grinned, Ron watched open-mouthed, while Hermione and Lavender covered their mouths stunned.
Tracey redrew, blinked a few times and apologised sheepishly, "I'm sorry, Neville."
"I'm not." Returning the kiss with a shorter one, "I like you."
-oOo Dungeons oOo-
Harry and Pansy faced each other, both calmed down, dreading their night on the floor. In the distance they heard multiple steps come through, Hermione leading the troops. In her arms a small bundle, while Draco and Blaise seemed to carry a more significant burden.
Hermione reached them first, "Here I brought you a muffin each. I stole them from the dinner table. Have you eaten?"
"A dry cheese sandwich and a glass of water." Pansy sounded defeated, accepting the dessert and biting a big chunk." She accepted the bottle of water Tracey carried, handing over the second one to Harry. "Thank you."
Draco mentioned to the burden in his hands, "We've brought some spare blankets we found in a closet, and a pillow, that you can use as an extra, I see," pointing with his chin to the one already present. He held out his package, waiting for Pansy to put away her muffin, while Blaise handed over his cargo to Harry, whistling, "Potter, I don't envy you tonight."
Harry shrugged, "It's just for a night. We learned our lesson. How did your challenge go, Ron?"
"Tracey here nailed, mate. It was a memory game."
"You were lucky, with your short memory span…"
"Don't need to rub it in, she won and kissed our Neville full on the lips to celebrate her victory."
Pansy exclaimed, "What? Tracey, you naughty witch… And you do something like that while I'm stuck in here?"
The witch in question flushed red, finding her squeezed against Neville's chest, who shushed, "Stop messing with her, Pansy."
Blaise added, "We won't tease her, we will focus our taunting on the wizard here. The Gryffindor stole a fine Slytherin witch here. We need to give him the talk."
Hermione frowned, "Which talk exactly?"
Theo winked, "That's not so difficult to guess, Granger, the treat-her-well-or-we-will-retaliate type of speech."
Crossing her arms over her chest, she enquired, "Do you give the same speech to your wizards too?"
"No, we tell our wizards to place their hands on strategic places to stop their fall." He didn't hesitate to strike, not flinching away from Hermione's nasty glare, "I have to say: he succeeded with high honours."
"Nott…" grunted the blond.
"You should warn your wizards. If the action repeats, I'm not responsible for the consequences. My knee would love some action." Her smile was directed at Draco himself, and very clear in its intent.
The wizard nodded first and sneaked meaningfully at his fellow housemates who hid their glee behind a rubbing gesture, "I apologise, Granger, on the contrary of what Nott here is spreading, our little thing was completely unplanned."
Everyone remained a while longer, before heading to their beds, Hermione kissed Harry goodbye on the cheek and squeezed Pansy's arm, "Try to get some sleep, these trolls don't have compassion."
Ron waved at the two, "Harry, Pansy."
"Hey, Weasley, where's my goodnight kiss?" She pouted her lips at him, her face against the bars. And she blinked, feeling him pressing his lips on hers for mere seconds.
"I'll always do as the lady pleases. Good night baby, dream of me." Ron winked, unsure inwards if his move was smart at all. But when she poked at him, he reacted instinctively. She riled him up, damn if he wouldn't play the same game.