Thank you so much to everyone who reads and reviews ) I love the feedback, I'm really trying to incorporate peoples suggestions into the story. Especially the Note to Selfs which I find amusing to throw in. I'm also attempting to put more of Hermione's thoughts in because I realized last chapter and the one before dealt mostly with Draco. I guess I find Draco more entertaining to write about because hes a funny character. Thank you again!
The bright sun leaked through the windows of Hogwarts Castle this early Friday morning,;waking up many agroggy eyed students to have them start off their hum drum days. However; Hermione Granger, sound asleep and dead to the world, snuggled deeper within her scarlet blankets, clutching a small stuffed animal to her chest. Around her, the other girls' hustled and bustled about, drying their hair and applying pounds of makeup to their tired faces. An impatient Ginny Weasley sighed as she walked over to Hermione's bed to awake her.
"Sleeping Beauty, it's time to wake up!" she shouted loudly, shaking Hermione's shoulder. She opened one eye to see a flustered Ginny above her.
Oh no, morning already? I feel like I've only slept for an hour. Come to think of it, I didn't sleep that well last night, all on account of that damned Draco Malfoy and his stupid gift giving extravaganza.
"Five more minutes," Hermione groaned, pulling the covers over her head. Ginny, already use to dilly dallying boys in her household, snatched the cover away from her and tossed it aside.
"You don't have five more minutes, you've got to get down to Dumbledore's office don't you?" she asked. At the mention of this, Hermione's eyes snapped open and she bolted upright in bed.
"Oh no, I completely forgot!" she yelped. Jumping out of bed, she knocked her stuffed animal onto the floor. Ginny knelt down and picked up the stuffed cat, eyeing it closely.
"Where did you get this from?" she questioned, holding it up so Hermione would see.
"My mum," Hermione lied through her teeth as she began gathering clothes from her trunk.
"Why would your mum give you a Thank You gift?" Ginny shot back, She was quick to read people and she could tell what Hermione was saying was the farthest thing from the truth.
"Let me go change and I'll tell you on the way downstairs, I promise," Hermione said, rushing to the bathroom with a pile of clothing under her arm. A few moments later, she emerged from the bathroom clad in her usual robes with her hair put up into a messy tousle.
"Ready to spill?" Ginny asked her as they headed for the stair case. Hermione shuddered and looked at Ginny with a cloudy gaze.
"Alright, you remember how I saved Malfoy from choking yesterday?" she said. Ginny nodded her head with a grin.
"How could I forget? You were like bloody SuperWoman, pouncing over all of the tables and nearly knocking Pansy into a wall to save him," she commented with a giggle. Hermione rolled her eyes at the mention of her daring rescue.
"Well, after dinner last night, Malfoy thanked me for saving him and he gave me that stuffed animal," Hermione said nonchalantly. Ginny's jaw dropped and she stood motionless and stunned.
"Malfoy gave you that?!" she shrieked. Hermione nodded her head and pulled on Ginny's sleeve to make her start walking.
"Shh, don't be so damn loud, I don't want the entire school knowing," Hermione hissed. Ginny shook her head in disbelief and lowered her voice significantly.
"That gift is awfully…romantic don't you think?" she commented. Hermione stuck her tongue out and winced.
"Malfoy being romantic? You must be out of your mind. Malfoy absolutely hates me, or has that small detail slipped your mind?" she snapped. Ginny looked hurt by the nasty reply Hermione made.
Poor Ginny. I didn't mean to make her on the verge of tears. Why am I such a bloody bitch sometimes? It's almost like I am Malfoy's female counterpart, ha ha. That's a load of bullocks. The only part of me like Malfoy is our damned magical ability and that's even a big stretch on his end.
Hermione's face softened as she reached out to touch Ginny's shoulder.
"I'm sorry Gin; I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just weird having to deal with Malfoy so much as I've had to in the last week, and he's got these damned different personalities. One day he can be the huge prat we all know, and the next he can be almost human," Hermione explained. Ginny looked up at her with compassion in her emerald green eyes.
"No, I'm the one who should be sorry Mione. I forgot that you had all this to deal with and I haven't been really supportive," she said lowly. Hermione stopped walking and wrapped her arms around her friend.
"Don't even worry about it, Gin." she said. The girls broke apart from the hug a few seconds later smiling, feeling the bonds of their friendship grow even stronger with the passing moments. BY now, they had reached the corridor where Hermione had to go her seperate way to Dumbledore's office.
"I'll see you later, Hermione! Make sure you fill me in on everything when you finish," Ginny called out as she started to walk down the opposite hall. Hermione waved her off and turned to head to Dumbledore's office when she found herself face to face with her reason for insomnia.
"Good morning, Granger," the voice of Malfoy drawled. He looked a bit tired, dark circles were lightly evident under his eyes and his hair was unruly misplaced, not the usual trademark of a Malfoy. Hermione looked at him curtly and nodded.
"Morning to you too, Malfoy," she said back. Draco looked at her disheveled appearance and smirked.
Looks like Mudblood didn't get much sleep either. Leave it to that damned cat to ruin everyone's night.
"So..uh..what do you think this meeting is all about?" Hermione asked, trying to keep the subject general as they started to walk down the hall. Malfoy shrugged his shoulders and scratched the back of his head.
"Beats me. It's probably some stupid speech about the rules of the game and the spirit of competition, you know how Dumbledore is," he said with a meek grin. Hermione smiled back and instantly felt a blush rise on her cheeks.
Damn that Draco Malfoy making me now feel embarrassed all of the time. It's like I'm standing in my underwear every time I'm talking to him. Hmm speaking on underwear,I do wonder what that Quidditch body of his looks like in his silky Slytherin boxers…oh ew what am I saying.
Draco looked at Granger curiously, watching her stare straight at his chest and then move her gaze to the rest of his body. He smirked uncontrollably at the thought of Granger checking him out.
Well I'll be damned, she is a girl! Her eyes are roaming all over me like I was a piece of steak dangling in a window. It is kind of appealing the way she's narrowing her eyes trying to picture me parading around in my underwear. Wait, what? Since when is bush head Granger appealing? Oh ,and there is no way she will be seeing me in my underwear in this lifetime if I have anything to do with it.
"Bloody hell Granger, I know I'm the sexiest man in this castle but really, would you contain yourself?" Draco said, causing her to snap out of her fantasizing and turn even redder.
"Oh please Malfoy, you are the last thing in the world I would be thinking about," she snapped back and quickened her steps to get away from him. As she walked ahead of him, Draco couldn't help but catch a glance at her backside.
Never knew a Mudblood could have an ass like that, all round and perfect looking. Every other girl's is either flat as a board, or has a bloody satellite coming out of their pants. Oh, god this is disgusting, pull yourself together Malfoy. How can I even think of Granger's ass as being… nice? It's actually absolutely horrifying, can't even look at it. Nope, not even going to sneak a peek now that she's bent over picking up her wand.
Note to self: Ask Granger if her mother is semi-related to that muggle Jennifer Lopez.
"What on earth are you thinking about?" Hermione asked him, causing Draco to emerge from his thoughts. He breathed in quickly, trying to erase the image of Granger walking in front of him out of his mind. He put a scowl on his face as he pushed ahead of Granger.
" Oh, just the look on your face you will have when your precious stuffed kitty explodes in your arms," he said dryly. Hermione's mouth gaped open.
"I knew you did something to it you bastard! How could you give me an explosive, have you lost your damn mind?!" she started shouting. Draco grinned seeing Hermione red faced, waving her hands about.
"Aren't you going to say something!" she yelled swinging her arms violently toward Malfoy. He grabbed both of her wrists in mid flight and leaned close to her. His hot breath tickling her nose and face.
"It was a joke," he said simply and threw her wrists down. Hermione stood there motionless, her senses going haywire
The boy is such a little twit, I can't believe he'd even joke about something like that. But god, he smelled so good, and his breath made me feel dizzy, and how can I forget his steel eyes gazing into mine. Christ, Hermione! What am I thinking, this is Malfoy here. The same unemotional jerk that's tortured me for the past six years. He will never be anything more than that to me.….never.
"Fizzing Whizbees," Draco spoke in a loud, clear voice to the statue in front of them. They had reached Dumbledore's office. The statue quickly revolved, exposing a thick door. Hermione reached out to knock, but Draco placed his hand on hers shaking his head.
"It isn't necessary, he is expecting us," he said quietly. Hermione shuddered at his touch but quickly shook the feeling off. Draco was also blindsided by the small hint of lust he felt as he brushed his hand on hers, if only for a small moment. He simply thought nothing more of it and pushed open the heavy door.
"After you, my dear Mudblood," he said, bowing and motioning her in. Hermione looked at him and scoffed, walking forward into Dumbledore's office.
"Ah, the final two competitors have arrived, " Albus Dumbledore announced as he saw the two approaching the main room of his large office. Hermione and Draco sheepishly grinned seeing that everyone else around them had already arrived.
"Have a seat on the couch," Dumbledore coaxed pointing to a small leather couch in front of him. They walked over to the couch and sat down hesitantly, feeling the gazes of the others on them. Hermione squirmed at the attention and tapped her fingers on the couch.
"What's wrong with you?" Draco hissed. Hermione shot him a glare back and shook her head.
"Nothing you would be concerned about," she said back. Draco shrugged his shoulders and leaned back.
Suite yourself Mudblood.
"Now that everyone is here and settled," Dumbledore said in a cheerful voice, "I will tell you what this whole meeting is about." The group of students stopped fidgeting in their seats and sat up straighter to fully hear what Dumbledore would say.
"You all know that tomorrow is the tournament correct?" Dumbledore asked. He was acknowledged with a chorus of "Yes'" and nods all around.
"Wonderful, yes very good. Well today I have gathered you here for a little game," he said. The students looked at each other quizzically. Draco cocked his head to the side, wondering what the crazy Headmaster had planned.
"The game I have for you will offer a prize. A prize that will help you in your conquest tomorrow," he told them. He paused for a moment, waiting for the anticipation to build in the room. Dumbledore saw the students lean forward, while small whispers where exchanged between partners. After seeing this display, he seemed ready to continue.
"If you win my game, you will be rewarded the clue for the first object you must find in the Scavenger Hunt today. You will be able to discuss with your partner the whereabout of the object and also it's identity. Having the clue given to you this early will surely give you a head start in the game, and possibly a large enough margin to ensure a victory," Dumbledore said. At this, the excitement amongst the students was apparent. Hermione was grinning next to Draco, practically bouncing on the couch.
"Malfoy, this is fantastic! All we have to do is win this and we're practically home free!" she babbled. Draco couldn't help but feel the anticipation rising in him but could feel his senses getting the better of him.
"Granger, don't be so daft. Just because we may have a head start if we win doesn't mean we should start packing our things to move to the Head's dormitories," he said bluintly. Hermione's face fell as she realized his statement was very true. She cursed herself realizing she had jumped to such a far fetched conclusion.
"Regardless, we still need to try and win this. So are you going to at least try, Malfoy?" she said. Draco looked at her and waved his hand in front of her face.
"Excuse me Granger but how long have you known me?" he asked her. She gave him a confused look in response to his question and thought for a moment.
"About six years, why?" she told him. He smirked and leaned toward her, putting his lips close to her ear making Hermione tremble.
"I would think in six years you would know that I am a Malfoy and that I do not lose….ever," he hissed. He lingered this way for a second, his lips lightly brushing her earlobe. He noticed Granger's body become tense and a small shake was noticeable. He leaned back into the couch again, smirking galantly knowing he could drive Granger crazy with only a whisper. Hermione was fumbling with her wand nervously now, trying to avoid looking at Malfoy out of the corner of her eyes.
I can't believe that prat. It's almost as if he knows I now become completely dumbfounded and helpless when he does things like that. His voice was so low and husky, and his lips..oh hes soft lips were touching me, if only barely,had made my heart leap. God,this is not good, not good at all.
"I am assuming you've expressed your excitement with your peers by now?" Dumbledore asked rhetorically. He began to pace back and forth in front of the students.
"But now we must get on to the game I have for you today," he said to them. He stopped for a moment and reached into his pocket. He fiddled around until he paused for a second. He had found what he was rumaging for. His hand emerged momentarily after holding a white feather by one end. Draco raised his eyebrow and gave Granger a What-the-hell look next to him. She saw this motion and mouthed back "I have no idea."
"I bet you are all wondering why I am waving about a feather. Well this happens to be your task," he stated. The hushed sounds of students voices buzzed. Draco was eyeing Dumbledore carefully.
What the hell is up Dumbledore's sleeve this time?
"Your task is to levitate a feather," he said simply. Almost instantly the Prefects voices rose higher.
"That's the bloody task?" Draco asked in a wave of shock.
Surely he has got to be out of his mind. The old man must know that they learned to levitate feathers in their first year. But here they all are now, competing to be Heads ,and having to levitate a feather is going to bring them closer to it.
"Yes as you so plainly put it. Levitating the feather is the task," he told them with his usual mischievous twinkle in his eye that the diligent Hermione caught.
"But do not think this is so easy Mr. Malfoy. You each will receive a feather that is bewitched. You will levitate the feather for as long as possible and the last person still levitating one will win the clue for them and their partner," he explained. Draco shook his head in bewilderment.
This seems simple enough, but there must be a catch, this cannot possibly be it.
"Oh yes but that is it," Dumbledore said looking directly at Malfoy. Draco let out a small gasp.
The old fool reads minds! Oh shit, he definitely just read that.
"But if you break concentration and the feather falls, it will disintegrate and you will be eliminated from the challenge. Mind you, this task will challenge you mentally and physically because by the looks of this group, many of you will be levitating for quite some time," he added. Hermione fingered her wand in her hand, itching to completely annihilate everyone in this task.
So that's the catch. This bloody competition is going to go on for hours. Damn it I knew I should have woken up earlier to eat something at breakfast. Blasted Ginny.
"So, are we ready to begin?" Dumbledore asked the group. The students nodded and began to arise from their seats. Hermione looked at Draco and stuck out her hand. Draco looked at it questioningly, wondering what she was getting at.
"Are you ready to kick some wizard ass?" Hermione said with a glint in her eye.Draco was surprised at her sudden outburst and glared at her with intensity.
"You bet your bloody panties," he shot back and grabbed her hand, shaking it firmly. A jolt of electricity shot through him as they connected, making him jump back in surprise. Apparently she had felt it to, for she snatched her hand back immediately. They stared at each other for a moment and then harsh reality struck them. Malfoy was the first to comment.
"Just try and keep up Mudblood," Malfoy spat. Hermione knew with this that the moment between them was long gone and she quickly came back to her senses.
"Ha, in your dreams, Ferret. Now move aside, I've got a date with a floating feather," she scoffed and pushed him abruptly, making her way over to Dumbledore who was distributing the feathers to the other students. Draco shook his head, and plunged his hand into his robe to grab his wand. Smirking, he headed over to Dumbledore as well to pick up a feather.
Note to self: Get Crabbe or Goyle to take Mudblood out to Hogsmeade one weekend so she never has to tell me that she is going on a date with an inanimate object again.