Disclaimer: All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. We make no profit from this story.

Beta Thanks:

Cosmoswithchaos

Ladyparongsny

rooOJoy

A/N: Thank you again for the positive reviews!


She Keeps Me Warm

Chapter Five

"...I don't know you, but I want you

all the more for that…"

(Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard)


Hermione paced the rug in front of the fireplace, irritation growing by the minute. Staring at the portrait hole with a glare that could ignite fire, she huffed one last time before turning to address her guests.

It was Friday night, and their first official meeting with the prefects. Draco Malfoy was without a doubt beyond late, and she was furious.

"It seems our Head Boy is running a bit behind, so I'll just go ahead and get us started here," she spoke with a warm smile, though the flames were still present in her eyes.

"Why not start with introductions?" she paused, surveying the room. "I'm Hermione Granger, Year Seven, Gryffindor," she nodded in encouragement to the girl at her left.

"Um, yeah…I'm Astoria Greengrass, Year Five, Slytherin," the girl spoke with a bored voice. Grinning smugly, she fell back on to the sofa and propped her feet on the table in front of her.

Right...okay then. Hermione did her best not to look annoyed as she gestured to the young man sitting next to Astoria.

"Hello everyone!" He smiled kindly at the large group of students, making eye contact with as many as he could. "I'm Michael Corner. I'm a Seventh Year student of the Ravencl…"

The room of prefects flinched as the portrait swung out with a loud creak, and Draco stomped his way through the hole. His hair was tousled, and his face looked as though he was ready to set the castle ablaze.

Hermione looked at him with her eyebrows arched; she was biting her tongue to keep from telling him off. "EVERYONE GET OUT…NOW!" Draco bellowed.

The students shot up from their seats, scrambling to gather their belongings.

"No! Everyone stay! Sit! Eat!" She pulled out her wand and flicked it toward the table – "Edulis!" The students looked up at Draco cautiously before making their way to the table filled with snacks and sweeties.

Draco walked over to where she was standing, and did his best to speak under his breath so the group of prefects didn't overhear. "Granger, we need to talk about this! We need to talk about Pansy - and we need to talk about her NOW." His voice was louder than he had intended, but he was unapologetic.

Hermione pulled back slightly, a look of confusion written across her face. "Malfoy! I have no idea what you're talking about, but whatever it is, can it not wait until after the prefect meeting? You know, the one you're late for?" She gestured her open hand toward the students that were happily stuffing their faces with goodies.

"No, it can't wait. We need to discuss this now!" Draco's voice had risen once again, no longer under the hushness of his breath. Hermione looked toward the group, noticing Astoria wasn't near the table with the others. She had a sheepish grin sprawled across her face as she observed the confrontation with a bit too much interest.

She squinted her eyes at Astoria, as her lips puckered in curiosity. "I'm really sorry guys, but something has come up. We will be sending Owls to everyone with a date and time for the rescheduling of this meeting. Feel free to take whatever refreshments you can carry and be on your way back to your rooms." The group dispersed once again to gather their things.

Hermione laughed to herself as she watched her chubby housemate, Neville Longbottom, push an assortment of Chocolate Frogs, Licorice Snaps, and Jelly Slugs into his bag.

The Headroom was empty now– well, nearly. Astoria was still sitting on the oversized sofa, her legs crossed and elevated, with her hands tucked behind her head. "Oh, don't mind me! Please continue. What's this about Pansy?"

Draco rushed his way to the sofa, his wand drawn and pointed directly at Astoria. "Might I remind you who placed you here amongst the elite of prefects? Speak Pansy's name again in my presence, and you'll be stripped of your title quicker than you received it! Do I make myself abundantly clear?"

Astoria bared her teeth, her eyes locked in gaze with Draco's. She stood, her shoulder smacking against him. They both watched as she bowed sarcastically. "Your Majesties!" They both rolled their eyes as the portrait closed behind her.

"Now what in the bloody hell is this all about, Malfoy?!" She was no longer hiding her anger and frustration.

With equal fervent, he hissed, "Your feelings for my girlfr… ex-girlfriend."

oOoOoOo

Draco turned away from Hermione, taking a deep breath in an attempt to reign in his growing temper. He hated losing control, and it seemed that within the last four days, his whole world had spun awry. With a final calming exhale, he faced her.

"Feelings? For Pansy? What are you on about?!" She scoffed at him, though her face drained of color.

"Don't play daft with me, Granger! I know everything! I know about the almost kiss, the longing stares across the Great Hall, and how you intentionally tried to embarrass me in Flitwick's class to impress Pansy!"

Draco's fists clenched in anger as he watched Hermione toss her head back in laughter.

"Is that what this is all about? Because I embarrassed you in front of your moronic friends?"

"No… this is about Pansy breaking up with me because she's in love with you…" Draco did his best to hide his emotions as he spat out the words he hoped he'd never have to say.

He watched as Hermione stepped backwards, fumbling against her own will to stay standing. She found the arm of the sofa, and perched onto it. "I'm sorry, what? Pansy is in love with…but she's not…and I'm not…" Her spoken thoughts trailed off, no longer making sense.

Draco walked over to the sofa, plopping down next to the arm where Hermione stood – stunned. "She is… and I'm pretty sure you are, too," his words were dry, defeat taking over his tone.

She placed her hand on her heart and pleaded, "I'm not, um… I'm not a lesbian, Malfoy." She swallowed hard, unsure if even she believed what she was saying.

"Listen, Granger. I love Pansy– I have for a long time, and this is not something I can lose her over. You need to figure your shit out, but whatever you do, don't you hurt her."

He felt defeated as realization finally sunk in. I really have to let Pans go. Draco darted towards the portrait hole, grabbing his broom that was leaning against the stone wall. With one last fleeting glance, he exited the quarters, leaving a shocked and confused Hermione in his wake.

Moving quietly, he made his way down the stairs and out the castle doors. This wasn't exactly how tonight played out in his mind; he hadn't meant to blurt out Pansy's secret like that. Panic briefly enveloped his thoughts as he realized he may have accomplished the exact opposite of what he had hoped for. He approached the Quidditch pitch, not bothering to check his surroundings. It wasn't quite curfew yet, but close enough that no one would be out here in the dark.

I am a complete git, he sighed in exasperation. His mind raced as he thought of all the ways Pansy might torture him when she found out what he'd done. He mounted his broom and kicked off; the cool wind whipped across his face, and he began to relax for the first time in days.

Just as he began to find comfort in his feelings of relaxation, he suddenly collided hard with some unseen force. He lost his grip and began plummeting toward the cold ground below him. Before he could react, he felt a tight grip around his forearm, and was swiftly maneuvered onto the back of another's broom.

Quickly, he clung to the mysterious rider in an attempt to steady himself before he could take another tumble. His eyes finally focused, and he was surprised to find himself with a face full of long strands of red hair. Having landed softly on the ground, he quickly hopped off the broom and smoothed his robes.

He looked up to see a smirking Ginny Weasley clutching both brooms. Flustered that he hadn't been in the right mind to see her before their collision, he muttered an apology and reached to take his broom from her hand.

"What… No 'thank you', Malfoy?" she goaded with a wink, pulling his broom slightly out of reach. He'd never had much experience with the youngest Weasley, but knew she was nothing short of a spitfire. One wrong word and she would hit him with a Bat-Bogey hex before he could even draw his wand.

"I don't find myself compelled to thank you for nearly killing me," he pointed out. She gave him another smirk before tossing his broom towards his waiting hand, mounting hers and soaring away.

Her hair, he noted, almost glowed in the moonlight. Draco stood there, completely mesmerized by her fiery tresses. If she wasn't a Weasley, he'd almost say he felt an attraction for the little minx.

Merlin. What was the world coming to?

oOoOoOo

The moment the portrait hole clicked shut, Hermione snapped back to the present, thoughts of confusion whirling through her head. How dare Malfoy insinuate that type of thing, she thought angrily.

Hermione Granger did not like girls. Hell, she barely tolerated them. It was no secret that she'd never gotten on with any of the other girls her year. Her only friends were Ron and Harry, and she had Ginny, of course… but that was all.

She thought back to what little romantic experience she had. There was Viktor Krum back in fourth year. She'd granted him a few pecks but nothing serious. She just hadn't been into him. Then, there was that brief stint with Ron, but that's laughable. She'd realized they were completely incompatible before it barely even began, though she wasn't wholly convinced he wasn't still pining for her.

Eighteen years old, and Hermione had never been close to a real relationship. She'd always assumed she would excel through school, get a great job, and then settle down to start a family.

Draco's words echoed through her mind. "She is… And I'm pretty sure you are, too."

She couldn't be. That was crazy! Wasn't it? She'd never really put much thought into who she would be with. But a woman? What would people think? It was almost unheard of in the wizarding world!

Why should I care? she scolded herself.

She hadn't a clue what she would say when she got there, but she couldn't sit idly wondering what was or wasn't true – talking to Pansy seemed exactly the right thing to do.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Hermione bolted from the common room and headed down the moving staircases, making her way to the Dungeons. She skipped the stairs two at a time, making her way down the long dark hallway with only a floating green lantern to give her light.

Seeing as she wasn't from the Slytherin House, she wasn't totally certain where the portal to the common room was - she only knew it to be behind a stone wall.

Hermione slowed down, pulling out her wand for extra light. "Lumos!" She rolled her eyes as she realized every wall of the dungeon was made of blocked stone.

"Pansy! I need to speak with you!" she shouted, running along the hall and knocking on the walls. After a few minutes of yelling, the floor shook and Pansy appeared from the south-facing wall of the dungeon.

She was wearing a green silk nightgown with a loose black robe over it; her long, dark hair pulled taut into a high bun. Her hand was just above her brows as she squinted to see who was making so much noise at this hour.

"Hello? Who's there? Put your bloody wand away!" she scowled. Hermione flicked her wrist, extinguishing the bright light.

"Oh! Hermione…" Pansy clutched at her open robe, closing it across her chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I just...I don't know, really." She suddenly remembered she had no idea what she intended to say to Pansy. "We had a fight - Malfoy and I. We argued, and he stormed out. And well, I didn't know where else to go."

"Don't you and Draco always fight, though? The two of you notoriously hate each other." Pansy chuckled aloud at her own joke.

"Yes, we do - but never about you…" Hermione's lips pressed together as she realized she couldn't turn back from the conversation she was about to have with the girl.

" …about me?" Pansy's fists gripped around her closed robe.

"Malfoy says that you broke up with him, and that it's all my fault. And that you're…and that I'm...but I'm not. I don't think, at least. We can't be sure, really! Can we? Or can't we? I haven't read anything on this before, not a single bit of literature on this in the…"

Before Hermione could finish her nonsensical blunder, Pansy's hand was placed delicately over her mouth. She scrunched up her face, embarrassed at the amount of words she was able to get out in a single breath.

She put her hands on top of Pansy's. Her hands were warm, just like the green lantern that hovered over them. Hermione looked up just slightly, locking eyes with her.

Pansy took a deep calming breath. "Yes, I did break up with Draco. And… yes, I am." Without skipping a beat, Hermione clenched the hand covering her mouth.

Their hands fell, and Pansy moved in closer to Hermione. She spoke the only words she could muster, "It's not your fault but," she hesitated, "you are the reason."

Hermione's legs trembled slightly beneath the whispered words, and without another moment's hesitation, she felt herself being drawn in. Her mouth parted slightly at the sudden contact, and soon Pansy's lips were moving softly against hers. Her hand felt warm against the back of her neck, a stark contrast to the chill of the dungeon halls. Her eyes fluttered shut as she breathed in Pansy's scent.

The embrace deepened a moment longer, and as quickly as it began she felt Pansy ease away – their lips lingering on each other's.

She struggled to find her words, the taste of Pansy's lips still fresh on her mouth.

"I'll see you later, Granger." Pansy slowly let go of her hands before making her way back toward the south hall.

Hermione placed her fingers on her lips where one small kiss confirmed undeniable feelings.

...I am, too.

oOoOoOo


A/N: Finally! Don't fight it, Hermione. Are you swooning with us?

Sidenote… Did we just meet Draco's mystery girl from our Prologue? ;-)