Ron exited quickly, saying he needed time to clear his head. Astronomy wouldn't start for another three hours, leaving Hermione the dilemma of finding a way to kill a lot of time. Her school bag sat next to her on the floor. She was relieved she hadn't been at the cottage long enough to set it down. There was no telling when Ron would head back there, and she didn't want to risk running into him again that night, so going back was not an option. Neither was the library as he would have to pass through it at one point or another. Dinner was still being served, but only for another half hour. The time it would take her to get to the Great Hall would only leave her about ten minutes to eat, and even there, she still ran the risk of bumping into him. The one thing she was certain of was that he wouldn't be returning to the room she was currently occupying anytime soon. It wasn't what she would have chosen, but at least it was quiet, and would provide a good opportunity to go over the Astronomy notes Draco had delivered to her the previous night. She took a seat at the back table, Draco's table, the thought brought a smile to her lips, and pulled out his handwritten notes.
She was impressed with their legibility. Ron and Harry's handwriting was atrocious, so much so in fact, that in their third year, she had had to invent a deciphering spell just to read it. It even earned thirty points for Gryffindor when she shared it with all the professors. The other thing that impressed her was their detail. She wouldn't have been surprised if he had written every single word Professor Sinistra had said. The effort he put into making sure she didn't fall behind touched her. She knew, had it been up to Ron or Harry to bring her notes, she would have certainly been just as well off trying to fill in the blanks in the next lesson. It wouldn't have been that they didn't try. They simply lacked the part of their brains that is able to take good notes.
Draco was surprising Hermione on a daily basis it seemed. She was glad he was different and did enjoy getting to know him, but she couldn't help but feel like there was something she was missing. She knew with absolute certainty that the current Draco was the real Draco. She had always known there was good buried deep inside him, that the cruel persona was just an act. She could see it on his face when he thought no one was looking. His so-called friends probably would have seen it too if they'd cared enough to, but it was obvious to Hermione that they were nothing but vultures staying close to him, hoping to grab a scrap or two of influence from his family's reputation. There were so many times she had wanted to go to him, to reach out, but each time she was close to having built up the nerve, he would due something nasty to her or her friends, and she steeled herself to keep her distance. But this year was different. The longing for something just out of reach was still there in his eyes, but he was softer, approachable, likeable. The hardened shell was gone, leaving only the man Hermione had so often hoped was hiding inside.
She finished reviewing the notes in just over an hour. It was past curfew, so everyone would be in their dorms, leaving the corridors vacant. It had been too long since she'd simply wandered the empty castle, and she decided the movement would do her good. She slung her bag over her shoulder and left the dungeons, unsure where she would end up, knowing only that she needed to end her walk at the Astronomy Tower and avoid any where close to the library.
She found herself on the fifth floor, staring a door she'd walked past nearly every day of her school life, but never had the chance to open... the door to the prefects' bathroom. From the moment she read about them in Hogwarts: A History, she had dreamed of becoming a prefect. Circumstances beyond her control kept that dream from becoming a reality, but that didn't mean she couldn't pretend, now did it? Her heart began thumping rapidly as she stepped forward, hoping the password hadn't changed since Harry had used the tub to solve the riddle of the egg in their fourth year.
"Pine Fresh" she whispered hesitantly. Much to her surprise and delight, the door silently swung open.
When she stepped inside, it was just as she'd always imagined it. True to it's password, it most certainly did smell pine fresh, but also had notes of strawberries, crisp linen and lavender. For a moment, she simply closed her eyes and breathed them all in. The bath was in the center of the room, underneath a brilliant, stained-glass skylight. Fading bubbles were floating on top of the water. Hermione dipper her hand in. It was room temperature. That would never do. She pulled the plug and waited for the water to drain, before turning the taps on full blast. The hotter, the better, in her opinion. When the tub was refilled, she looked around for a private place to change. Although she was alone, she didn't feel quite right undressing out in the open. There were two hallways at the rear of room. She correctly assumed they were the entrances to the respective boys and girls changing rooms. She grabbed a towel off the rack, and proceeded to round the corner out of sight as the main door once again silently opened, leaving her oblivious to the fact she now had company.
Ron returned to the cottage about an hour after Hermione had dragged him out. His voice was hoarse and his eyes showed signs of recent crying. From his seat in the study, Draco could only make out about half of what the ginger said to his best friend and his sister, but it was enough. "Broke up with me... Want different things... Better as friends..." She actually did it! Hermione had broken up with Weasley. Draco wanted to run, immediately from the room, and search for her, but he could not let the boys know he'd just overheard their supposedly private conversation and most certainly not let them see that he was overjoyed about it. He waited until there was a break from their voices to casually emerge from the study.
"Bloody hell, Malfoy!" Ron shouted. "You could at least give a warning or something. I thought we were alone. This is a private conversation!"
As much as he wanted to make a smart comment, like: "Last I checked I didn't need to announce my presence in my own home." Or, "Well, maybe you should have checked to be sure you were alone before divulging your secrets.", but he reminded himself he was trying to make friends, not enemies with his housemates, so he simply replied: "I was just on my way out." He curtly nodded to Harry and Ginny, who were looking at him apologetically, as he strode to the portal door and out.
Draco began his search for Hermione in the Great Hall. Dinner was still being served, but there were only a handful of students remaining. It only took him one quick once-over the room to see she wasn't there. He searched the library next, and he couldn't help but feel a bit silly that wasn't the first place he looked. After all, it was were she spent most of her free time, and literally two steps from their cottage. It certainly would have saved him a large amount of time spent walking back from the Great Hall. But she wasn't in the library either. "Think, Draco, think... where else would Hermione go?"
After nearly an hour of searching, Draco resigned himself to the fact that it was not in the cards for him to find her right then. He would have to settle for seeing her in Astronomy shortly. It didn't make sense, however for him to go back to the cottage, so he went to the one place in the castle that he felt was a worthwhile use of free time.
Draco was surprised to find that the water was actually hot enough for his liking. Usually he'd have to drain the whole thing and start over, but tonight, it was just right. He had been using the prefects' bathroom for the past four years. Snape had thought it would be a nice place to escape the misery of the Slytherin common room. He even had his own password that would lock the door to anyone else until he was done. The near scalding water had always been a good way for him to feel the physical pain needed to release the emotional pain. Many tears had been shed and many screams had pierced the air of his silent sanctuary. But that day, he had nothing to be upset about, rather the opposite. That day, he was there to celebrate. He wasted no time removing his clothing, and dropping into the welcoming water.
Hermione wrapped the towel around her chest and tip-toed over the cold floor. She rounded the corner to the main room, but stopped dead in her tracks when she realized she was not alone. There standing with his hands at his hips, wearing only his navy boxers was the last person and the only person she wanted to see at the moment. She snuck her body back behind the changing room wall, leaving only her head peeking out. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks as Draco slid his thumbs under his boxer's waistband and slid them off, tossing them on the pile of what had to be the rest of his clothing. She swallowed forcefully, willing herself not to moan in ecstasy.
She had never seen a naked man before, but she was sure the specimen currently standing in front of her had ruined her for any other man on the planet. Every muscle was clearly defined and rippled as he moved. She bit down hard on her lip, wanting with every fiber of her being, to go to him and be wrapped in those strong arms. She turned back into the hallway, pressing her back against the wall and a hand against her mouth, as she heard the splash.
For the first time, she realized she must now remain in the changing room until he was finished. She re-dressed slowly, careful to make no noise. As tempting as it was to continue spying, it was a risk she wasn't willing to take. She couldn't let him know that she'd been there the whole time, so she pulled out her Astronomy notes once again, and studied. After what seemed like an eternity, Hermione heard the slap of feet against tile, and she knew Draco had emerged from the water. The footsteps, however, were not staying in the middle of the room by the bath. They were coming her way.
She froze, suddenly questioning whether or not she was actually in the correct changing room. She hadn't really cared if she used the girls or boys room, thus didn't pay attention to the signs. She held her breath as she heard him coming closer and closer, until finally he was at the entrance. "Right, go right." She attempted to communicate to him telepathically. She held her breath as she listened intently for more footsteps. They were getting softer! She was in the girls' room after all. "Oh, thank Merlin." She breathed. She heard him exiting shortly thereafter and return to his waiting clothing. Since the door was silent, she had no idea when or if he had left, therefore she remained in the changing room until she could be certain. Even then, she was cautious, making sure to stay pressed against the walls and peek around every corner.
