Two weeks later Hermione Granger was working diligently to impress Draco and gain his affections towards her. Draco, even though he hated to admit it, was quite impressed with Granger; she had learned to speak in full sentences now. Every day after classes Draco would sacrifice his 'Slytherin' time to teach Hermione new meanings and sentences. And every day the lessons became more heated.
Blaise had stopped by only a few days ago saying, 'Draco, just admit it mate! You've fallen for Granger!' and Draco would reply 'Shut up Blaise, you don't know what you're talking about.' This became routine with Blaise and Draco, and their friendship wavered greatly these last few days. There wasn't the spark that used to be ignited –and to be perfectly honest Draco didn't seem to mind. He had taught Hermione not only to speak and make sense, but his 'affection' training had taught her how to kiss all over again. Draco smirked often at this thought because Granger probably didn't know how to kiss when she was her old self either. As much as he hated to admit it, the time with the new Granger wasn't all that bad. And then again some things never changed.
"Okay, now if Pansy comes through this door right now…" Draco said, hinting to Hermione to finish his sentence.
"I say she's absolutely ghastly and to… to…" Hermione's face contorted into a painful expression trying to remember the sentence Draco had taught her.
"You say she's absolutely ghastly and to take her arse to some fat camp –where you're sure that's where she lost all that weight anyways. Not that it shows that much." Draco finished, and took a bite out of Hermione's chocolate pudding that was lying next to her tray. She still was in the infirmary until St. Mungos could give her a complete inspection. Dumbledore had come in one day telling Draco that it was very noble of him to spend his time helping his once former enemy –Draco corrected the Headmaster saying 'She's still my enemy –but oh Professor I pity her so…' and not telling Dumbledore about the bet. Of course, everyone in school knew about the bet thanks to Collin anyways, so they had learned to embrace the bet and not question Draco when he went to tend to Granger's lessons. But little did they know how personal they had become.
"Oh, right… I forgot." Hermione said, twisting her fingers nervously.
"And THAT'S why you don't get a kiss." Draco said, and leaned back on an available bed next to Granger's. "You've got to pick up the pace if we're going to beat Pansy in that bet."
"I know." Hermione agreed. "It's just… so hard to- to remember…"
"Yeah, well, that's what a memory tampering spell will do to you." Draco scoffed. It was the first time he had mentioned the incident Hermione had went through since she had been taught her first few words. She looked over at him and scowled a little –quite like the old Hermione.
"We've got two more weeks and at the end of this month Pansy's going to be walking in that tutu in the Great Hall and I'll be laughing my arse off." Said Draco, while smirking slightly. Though lately the thought of Pansy in a tutu became less and less appetizing. He rather enjoyed having his little student who was a vessel of blankness- he could have molded Granger any way he wanted he later realized but it had been too late; she had already learned to speak. And once someone learns to speak, there's no going back.
"Draco," Hermione said softly, "When you… win this bet with Pansy… are you going to stop coming here?" She looked down to the floor as shy as the first time Draco had saved her. He looked over to her from his position on the bed and thought about it for a moment. He had never really thought about quitting his sessions with Granger –of course he realized he would have to eventually… and the thought of that almost made him sick. Almost. But the fact was Granger was a toy – just a pawn in a game to see Pansy in a tutu and prove something of himself… wasn't it?
"I dunno." He said truthfully. "Can't say for sure."
A dead silence echoed in the room, while a few people were heard outside enjoying the evening around the lake.
"I learned a new word!" Hermione said out of the blue, trying to lighten the mood Draco supposed. She held up a dictionary and smiled.
"Where did you get that?" Draco asked, pointing to the dictionary.
"Blaise."
Draco's face turned slightly pink with disgust.
"Well go on –tell me what you learned."
"Alright," Hermione said, "The first word I learned was satirical."
"And what does it mean…?" Draco asked, wondering secretly what the word meant himself.
"Satirical," Hermione said as if reading from a book, but her eyes were set on Draco, "to be mocking or ironic. A humorous sardonic sarcasm. –Like your witty comments that usually insult someone."
"Very impressive." Draco said, "You're acting like your old self every day." Hermione beamed at this; Draco rolled his eyes. "Did you learn any more?"
"Yes, two more." Hermione nodded prideful-like. Draco ushered her to continue. "I learned malevolent. It means to be spiteful or wicked, also used in the form of acting hateful. An example is the way you and Blaise are being malevolent to each other."
Draco narrowed his eyes at this comment. "Why should you care if Blaise and I are arguing? I don't trust him around you."
"Covetousness. That's my other word." Hermione said, "Its to be greedy or avaricious." There was a long pause.
"What, no example?" Draco scorned.
"It's the way I feel whenever… Pansy is around you."
"Yeah? Aww, little Granger jealous." Draco smirked. Hermione's cheeks turned red and she scowled. With a heave she lay back on her bed and opened up her dictionary to a new word. Her eyes scanned over it a few times before turning her face towards Draco.
"Draco…?"
"What?"
"Don't I get a… re-re…"?
"Reward?" Draco asked. Hermione nodded. "One more word and then I'll give you a reward."
"Fine." Hermione grumbled, and continued to read her dictionary for a word she hadn't learned already. Finally one presented itself. "Urbane – to be suave or sophisticated. –What a pureblood is."
"Good job," Draco smiled a half smile. "I'm surprised you haven't asked me to quit teaching you –you've already out-schooled the master."
"No… I like it when you teach me things." Hermione said smiling slightly.
"Well then come over hear and get your achievement award." Draco smirked, looking around to make sure Collin Creevy wasn't hiding in the corner or Madam Pomfrey wasn't about to storm in at any moment. When he decided the coast was clear, he didn't give Hermione a chance to make her way to him; he leaped off of his bed and over on top of her before dominantly capturing her lips in a long kiss. This was nearly a routine they had gotten into but every time the kisses would become less and less innocent and more and more… zealous.
Hermione's mind rattled with a confused expression every time this happened, and Draco could and would always sense it. But he managed to push that out of his mind so he could get what he wanted –a little toy to practice with. The sneaky Slytherin had something of the most potent plans today, hoping this would ease some of the urges he had been having lately. He pulled away from the kiss and smirked a little smirk. Ever since Hermione had learned to speak she had told Madam Pomfrey she hadn't wanted to see either Ron or Harry, and Draco wanted to know why.
"So… Potter and Weasley coming in soon?"
"No." She said quietly.
"Any reason…?"
"They make me feel uneasy." Hermione said, and Draco sat up on the bed at this. He hadn't asked Granger about who had done this to her since the incident two weeks ago, and he wasn't sure he wanted to jeopardize everything he had been working for to do it.
"Look Granger, I wasn't going to bring this up until I taught you a bit of magic because these damn fools don't do anything but think you cant speak… which by the way –have you spoken a single word to Madam Pomfrey yet?"
"No." Hermione answered.
"Why are you so damn afraid to say something to anyone?"
"I'm… not…su-su… what's that word when you're not certain of something?"
"Sure."
"Yes, that."
"Well," Draco said, standing up from the bed and putting his hands in his pockets, "I'm going to ask you again. –Who raped you?" Hermione's eyes looked up at him fearfully. "Look, I'm quite aware you know something about all this and I'm going to find out one way or another." He narrowed his eyes. "Either you tell me or I'm going to get it out of you some other way."
"I'd like to see you try." Hermione said. "I don't KNOW who did… that… to me. Okay?"
"Then why are you so afraid of Weasley and Potter?"
"I don't know –I told you that!"
"You know something more than you're telling me." Draco said between clenched teeth as he picked up his book bag next to the bed. "So you can kiss your lessons goodbye." He slung his book bag over his shoulder and began to march for the door. Hermione looked down at her dictionary and back up to Draco.
"Draco, I learned one more word." She said hopefully. Draco was beginning to become fed up with kissing her and not getting anything out of it but a kiss back. He was expecting more trust from Granger after all, and expected she'd tell him SOMETHING. But, with a hasty sigh, he turned around half way across the room.
"And what is that?" He growled.
"Ardor… to have passion or love for an individual." There was a long pause and then both looked to one another before glancing away quickly. "Draco I-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Draco spat at her, turning quickly on his heels and storming his way to the door. "Our little lessons are over."
"But-"
"If I find out who did it to you I'll owl you." He said and exited without another word. He looked up just in time to see Harry Potter and Ron Weasley walking down the hall talking to each other. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Ol' Potty and Weaselbee – come to see if the mudblood needed a good threesome? I'm sure that's what you Gryffindors do in your spare time anyways." He smirked.
"Malfoy lay off." Potter said as Draco stood in front of the hospital wing doors. "Just let us pass and we wont tear you apart."
"Ooh, I think that'll be challenge for you considering you'll be in that hospital wing faster than you can say Quidditch for a different reason than seeing Granger."
"I think he just challenged us." Weasley said, drawing his wand. Potter blocked Ron's hand before he could raise it to Draco's nose.
"Ron, don't. You're not that good with duels –you tend to hit everyone except your target." Harry whispered. Ron's face turned as red as a tomato.
"Besides," Draco scoffed, "It's not like you, being Potter's personal assistant and all, could do anything without his permission." This caused Ron's entire body to glow scarlet.
"Watch it, Malfoy." Potter's fists were clenched.
"Oh I'm watching –watching as the little innocent Harry Potter falls because he can't even convince his best friend that she should forget everything he's done to her."
"Are you implying I did something to Hermione?"
"Well, if the ring fits." Draco smirked at his ironic joke. Harry and Ron both glared heavily.
"What's that supposed to mean, Malfoy?" Weasley spat. "How do we know you're not the one who did it to Hermione and aren't playing out this 'good guy' roll for the Professors to take the blame off of yourself?"
"Because I didn't fucking do it." Draco hissed.
"Likewise." Said Harry. "So why don't we lay off the immaturity and try to help Hermione remember something. –Or at least say something." This caused Draco to smirk widely.
"Oh, she'll be saying something in two weeks." Draco said. "Don't you worry."
"Do you actually think YOU'RE going to get Hermione to say something?" Ron sneered. "If Harry and I cant- the bloody hell you could."
"Who's to say she hasn't already been saying things?" Draco smirked. It was Harry's turn to say something witty.
"What? Like 'get out before I call the Ministry of Magic'?"
Draco's face turned a little pink. "Ah, you're not worth my time." He scorned and began to walk away.
"Why the hell are you talking to Hermione all the time?" Ron yelled at him as he moved down the hallway.
"Don't worry, I wont anymore!" Draco growled and turned the corner. As soon as he reached the Slytherin common rooms he sat down on one of the comfy couches just in time to see Pansy Parkinson stroll in the room with a 'Head Girl' badge on and her hands full of suitcases. "Where are you going?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Can't you read?" Pansy sneered, "I'm the new Head Girl. So shove off and go stick it up your tight arse, Draco." And with that she stormed out of the room with a Slytherin smirk on her twisted face.
But this wasn't the least of Draco's worries. Oh no. The only word that kept running through his mind was Ardor. Stupid fucking ardor…
Please don't forget to R&R (Read and review)
Amy
AKA
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