He looked for her later that day, finding her alone in the library as he'd expected. He couldn't help but watch her for a moment before he disturbed her. He felt like a hunter stalking a beautiful deer through the dusty bookshelves of the deserted library. Granger was attractive in her own unique way, not striking like Pansy or Classical like Daphne but attractive none the less. With her unruly chestnut curls and porcelain skin, delicate features framed by a strong Jawline and big brown eyes that lit up as she turned each new page of the book in front of her. There was no denying that she was beautiful, but then again this was not the first time he had noticed that, as he'd followed her publicity over the past year he'd grown fond of the way she straightened her shoulders and elegantly crossed her ankles as she sat. How she twisted her long fingers in her lap when she was clearly feeling uncomfortable and his personal favourite… the way she scrunched her nose ever so slightly before she erupted into laughter. It was possible that he had spent a little too much time watching her from afar but part of him didn't want to disturb her.
Her brown eyes found him when he was only a few yards away. "Malfoy, what are you doing in the library on a Sunday afternoon?" he smirked at the shock in her tone, perhaps Granger knew him better than he thought. He extended a key to her, she saw immediately that it was not the one he had given her numerous times before, it was the same size and the same brass metal, only it had a tinge of purple to it. "What's this for?"… "It's yours, using mine is impractical, we'll spend half of our time locked out. This gives you your freedom. All I ask Is that you keep it safe and to yourself…" she saw a flash of worry briefly pass through his gaze "I don't want to come home to Weasley wielding a pitchfork" he smirked at the very thought.
Her mind raced back to their conversation the night before… "Malfoy… about that, I'm not sure if this is a good idea. What with the Ball coming up, I've got rehearsals for it everyday this week, I'll never have chance to move my things and then I'll just end up going between." He dropped the key on the table next to her "How long can you keep dancing, when you haven't slept in days? You're things have been moved, I took the liberty of having that taken care of."
Fire flashed through Hermione "You moved my things?" she flew to her feet standing in front of him, the few people dotted around the library turned to watch them, mouths open at the scene unfolding in front of them. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy were quickly becoming the main topic of conversation for the whole school. "How did you even get in? You're a boy, my rooms charmed." He braced himself at her fiery reaction… Granger at her best he missed this. "I had help" he kept his cool so perfectly that it riled her "Who? Who did you have rooting through my things Malfoy?" hearing her spit his name the way she used to before the war strangely excited him. He took the opportunity as she picked up her satchel to slip the key into the pocket of her robe draped over her chair. "Pansy" he answered, waiting for the eruptions to ensue, he wasn't disappointed. "PANSY, you let Pansy Parkinson go through my room? Are you crazy? Really?" he shook his head "She wanted to help Granger, she's not the person she used to be." Hermione glared at him before storming past and out into the courtyard… how dare he.. Who did he think he was? Letting Parkinson rifle through her belongings.
Later that evening she laid on her bed in her own room, it was rather bare without her things in it and she had never noticed quite low lumpy this mattress was. Still fuming from the conversation earlier that evening she thought it over in her mind. She'd spent most of the afternoon in Hogsmeade with Harry, Ron and Ginny but of course she couldn't tell them why she was so disgruntled. They would never understand how she'd got herself into this situation with Malfoy, if she was honest she didn't quite understand it herself. Harry hadn't questioned her to avoid angering her further, Ginny had only been with them for a little while before she joined her seventh year friends and Ron had been completely distracted the entire visit so it seemed she had gotten away with it. Anger bubbled steadily through her, the aching pressure still came in occasional periods but the argument she'd had earlier definitely made it worse. What left her really riled was the way he left her feeling like it was her who was over reacting, her who was being small minded and judgemental. She couldn't stand it any longer, sitting upright she flew off the bed and out into the corridor, having found the key in her pocket earlier she knew exactly where she was going.
The courtyard was lit up with white snow drop lights against the dark evening sky, in preparation for the Ball the next weekend. As she stormed across she saw a small group of girls sat on the stone gathering next to the building, recognising Daphne Greengrass's long white blonde hair she sneered to herself, no doubt Parkinson was over there too. The two of them seemed to come as a pair now a days. Hermione didn't dislike Daphne, although in appearance she was the female version of Draco she was actually a very placid girl, a little dim if anything but her family had never encouraged her to be particularly intelligent. Beautiful and a pureblood, Hermione supposed that her future had been sealed for her since the moment she was born with no expectation for her to stand out. Pansy Parkinson however was a different breed entirely, although she looked nothing like Malfoy with her jet black hair and bright blue eyes she shared his dark manipulative traits. Quick witted and every sharper tongued Pansy had never in all of their years here said a single pleasant word to her. Ron even nicknamed her "Pug face Parkinson" in third year, referencing the horrible face she pulled whenever Hermione came into her sight.
Lost in her train of thought she didn't notice Pansy come running over to her until she was stood almost directly in front of her, if she hadn't noticed immediately Hermione would have steamed straight through her. Pansy smiled widely, she wasn't sure what to do, she'd never seen Pansy smile… ever. "Hermione, I'm so sorry, Draco said you were angry about me… moving your things. I wanted to apologise, I should have thought about how you'd feel. It's just he told me how tired you'd been, what with Neville keeping you up and how busy you were. He really wanted to help and you know me, I can't say no to him." Hermione was stunned, she had no idea what to say she simply nodded and accepted her apology as graciously as possible. She knew exactly what she meant when she said she couldn't say no to Draco, she was starting to understand how that felt. Maybe she had been a little harsh earlier, perhaps he had just wanted to help. Oh no, the aching was back, her thighs quivered as she continued on trying to block the image of Draco from her mind.
Walking through the door she saw him, sat on his sofa buried in a book with a glass of fire whisky in his hand. Dropping her satchel by the door she hovered for a moment. He glanced up acknowledging her but then continued with his book "So…. Granger… Will you be staying this evening?" he didn't look up.
She had come here to tell him off, shout at him a bit and then move her things back but the run in with Pansy had completely wrong footed her and seeing him sat there, reading, thinking of the lavender scented peaceful room that awaited her. All she wanted to do was stay here "Yes" without another word she headed to the bedroom shutting her new bedroom door firmly behind her.
The next morning was the first rehearsal session they had for the Ball. Although it was a private Ministry event it was to be held at Hogwarts, it seemed the only suitable place given the memories it held for those who had fought here last year. There was to be a grand entrance procession and three formal dances to begin the festivities. The first was solely the three celebrated war heroes' with their partners, the second had the Minister, Mcgonagall and a few selected dignitaries join and the third included all of the surviving members of Dumbledore's army. Each dance was to be exquisitely choreographed. As she arrived at 7am on the dreary Monday morning it reminded her of the Yule ball, before any of this had happened. Although the victory ball was a celebration, it brought with it a deep sadness for those like her who remembered the events they now celebrated.
The Ministry had sent a special dance teacher, a petite woman with short fashionably grey hair and thick rimmed glasses. They were working on the first dance today so when she arrived in the hall she found Ron, Harry and Ginny waiting patiently. "Nice of you to show" Ron muttered, mornings did not agree with him. "Miss Granger, a pleasure to meet you" woman introduced herself as Miss Anne. After dancing at the Yule Ball with Krum the prospect of making it through three choreographed dances with Ron was starting to look grim. He had two left feet and an early morning attitude problem that left Hermione both bruised and irritated. When they had first been asked to choose a partner it simply made sense to dance together. To show their unity, they had fought the way they would dance… together. Harry and Ginny were naturals and glided across the dance floor perfectly under Miss Anne's instructions. Hermione watched them and wished that she could look like that. They weren't officially a couple, Ron was all but oblivious to it but it was becoming more and more obvious that they were mutually infatuated with each other.
Calling it a day and giving up without cracking even the first quarter of the dance Ron and Hermione Fled to class. She had meant to tell them about her new living situation but had re thought telling Ron with him in this awful mood. Nobody knew yet though so she was sure she had time to ease them into the idea.
She was wrong, so very wrong.
As she left her morning class she was pulled by the elbow into the empty room next door. Harry stood in front of her panting whilst Ginny stood arms folded looking as though she was contemplating sending a Bat Bogey hex her way. "Ron's….Ron's on the warpath, he's looking for you. Harry looked as though he had ran from the other side of the castle. Her heart sunk, oh no. "Living with Malfoy?" Ginny's voice was shrill, she sounded exactly like her mother in the howlers the boys had often received. "Living.. with…MALFOY? Really Hermione?" She'd never seen Ginny this stern before and it scared her a little. "I'm staying with Malfoy, not living with. He had a spare room and I couldn't sleep in mine, it was torture. I really wasn't in my right mind when I agreed." Ginny's glare softened just a little "Well you're right there, he has a spare room? Typical Malfoy I take it he's built himself his own little palace hidden somewhere here. Honestly Hermione I think this is the most stupid thing you could have possibly done." Ginny looked more concerned than angry now. "I'm not going to apologise for staying there, it's my choice to make." starting to feel indignant as she faced their firing squad she spoke up. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you but it just happened. He's actually been pretty nice, he's changed, I think a few of them have, without their vile parents here dictating how they behave." Both Ginny and Harry were taken aback by her outburst. "Hermione… you're not… are you involved with him" Ginny's eyes widened as she asked it. "No, not at all" she could feel the hairs on her neck sand on edge as she said it, it wasn't a lie, just not perhaps the entire truth but they both looked a great deal happier.
Harry had managed to collect himself and catch his breath. "Ok, well I trust your judgement. If you say he's changed then he's changed." Harry looked sternly at Ginny who was clearly no so convinced. Hermione had never led them astray before and Harry couldn't bring himself to turn down the first time she really needed him to be on her side. He didn't like it but he would see for himself if she was right.
Hermione smiled but it was wiped away almost immediately when she asked the question she was fearing the most "Ron knows?" Ginny erupted into laughter…"Oh yes, Ron knows. One of my friends who he was hitting on told him she thought it was really impressive how well he'd handled you moving in with Draco Malfoy yesterday, apparently the whole school knows." Now harry couldn't help but laugh as well as he saw the dismayed expression on her face. "He hit the roof and stormed off looking for you." Harry felt sorry for her. "I think you might need a new dance partner" Ginny left the room heading back to the busy corridor.
It followed her like a Dark cloud for the rest of the day. Although eating in her new private dining room seemed like a safer idea than heading to the great hall tonight she couldn't do it. He was going to find her eventually. It was half way through her chicken casserole that she heard his booming voice. The entire table hushed into silence as she turned to see him stood behind her. "MALFOY? Living with MALFOY? She had hoped he would have calmed down by now but clearly that had not been the case. He loomed over her as she stood to meet him. "You…. You… and him? How could you? How long has it been going on? How could you not tell us? Harry tried to stand to defend her but was swiftly pulled back down by Ginny. "This is their argument to have" she whispered to him, he had to agree and tried to ignore what was happening around them.
"It's what it sounds like, I'm not l.." she couldn't finish before he interjected "You're a TRAITOR… you're a traitor to everything we stood for." A tear fell from Hermione's cheek, there was a gasp from their audience and before she could register what was happening Draco had swept in. "Is there a problem Weasley?" Ron turned bright pink and was surely ready to explode. "No" Hermione could see him swallow his rage. "If you want him Hermione, have him… but don't expect me to be here the next time he tortures you..." Ron turned to leave but stopped after a few steps "sorry… the next time he watches you being tortured and does nothing." Ron's eyes burned with sheer hatred. Hermione was used to his volatile eruptions but she had never know that this level of spiteful hatred existed beyond that. She could feel Draco wince at his words. The whole room now knew what had happened that night and that hurt her more than she could process.