Draco woke in the morning to a foul smell. He got up and rubbed his eyes, got out of bed and into his robes. He went and showered. That got rid of the smell. He walked out into the lounge area and sat down for his French toast breakfast. On appearing in the room, Harry let out an almighty roar of a laugh. Hermione appeared out her room, took one look at her handy work and had to disappear back into her room. Draco sat puzzled, what was everyone's problem! Taking himself back into his room he sat next to a mirror and saw the joke. His hair was gold and red striped! He couldn't believe it. In his shock, it occurred to him the colours were that of Gryffindor, and then it hit him who did this. Hermione.
Hermione stepped out of her room to see Draco on the couch in all his glory of hair. She couldn't help herself; she had to go back into her room. After her laughter subsided, a knock was heard at her door. One very angry Draco Malfoy burst in and vented his anger at her!
"Mudblood, how dare you do this to me! It is the epitome of low and embarrassment. Do you think I'm gonna be able to face the school today! NO I WILL NOT!" he roared at the girl. She let out a chuckle.
"I'm only playing the game you started", she retorted, "the war you started. If you don't like it you can quit while your losing".
Quit while I'm losing! He was outraged. "You will reverse this right now Granger or else!"
"Why Malfoy, such manners don't get you anywhere. I'm afraid I can't reverse it. Muggle hair dye doesn't easily come out". She got up and sauntered out of the room. Draco was dumbfounded. He followed her out and went into his room to get a beanie. Merlin knows he was gonna look like an absolute idiot today! A wanker in a beanie. That stupid stupid girl!
The day passed eventfully. Draco entered his first class greeted by an uproar of laughter from his friend Blaise. The boy had to laugh at how the war now was playing out! Not in Draco's favour. Draco was also welcomed into the Great Hall by a cheer and much laughter. The Gryffindors were clapping applause to Hermione, who was now well known for the prank. The Slytherins were angry, and slightly amused that Draco had been the butt of this joke. And Dumbledore had a smirk on his face all day.
As night approached, dinner was over and Hermione had just got back from the library and was sitting in her room just about to start her homework. A knock disturbed her and the door slowly opened. Draco stepped into her room and closed the door.
"Hermione", he started, "can you please take this blasted dye out of my hair".
She sat in silence. Malfoy had said please! She savoured the moment, but felt pity for the boy who had endured so much taunting today.
"Sit" she gestured to her bed. He sat obediently. She took out a book, and began to span the contents. Finding the right page she took her wand and waved a spell over his head.
"Now", she started, "you will have to rinse your hair and wash it 4 times before it will completely come out. And if that doesn't work put this through your hair". Digging through her top draw she pulled out a blonde muggle rinse the same colour as his platinum blonde hair. She had felt bad and brought it just in case she needed it. He thanked her for it and took it. Disappearing into the bathroom from Hermione's room, he quickly came back with a horrified face. Hermione looked at him puzzled.
"I just saw Potter and the Weaselette fondling in the bath together, NAKED!" he gasped.
Hermione cringed and then laughed. He sat back down on her bed.
"So this stuff will work you reckon?" He attempted to make the conversation work.
"It should do, if not I can find something that will," she said with a reassuring smile. His face lit up, what an amazing smile. She smiled, the image of him sleeping in her head. She had felt an urge to get into bed and snuggle up to him when she saw him. He looked so peaceful and carefree. Shaking her mind back to the present, she started a meaningless conversation with him about the day and Hogwarts.
The time passed by, half an hour, an hour… Draco and Hermione grew more and more at ease in each other's company. They both loosened up and found out more about each other in that time they had previously known. Neither wanted to leave.
"So Hermione do you think we could plan a seventh year party in the lounge, or maybe a prefects one? No one excluded, all can come."
They had been discussing parties. Hermione agreed.
"Definitely, we should plan it for this Friday, that gives us four days to sort it out."
"Yeah sounds good. We could have a theme, or nah just come as your are?"
"Come as you are sounds good, theme next time".
"That could be the theme, come as your are. That way we can all be exactly who we want to be for the night".
"Wow! Good idea. We should plan all the dances this year together. Between us we could make one hell of a dance!"
A knock interrupted them and Harry entering the room. The scene that greeted him, a relaxed Draco and Hermione, in Hermione's room, evidently confused him!
"Ah Malfoy you can use the bathroom now," he said with a grin.
"Thanks Potter, I really don't want to sicken my mind with anymore pictures like the one I saw. Its R-rated action" Draco replied smartly.
Harry left and Draco rather reluctantly got up and left Hermione's room. She was sorry to see him go.
After his shower and blonde rinse being a hair success, he was tempted to go back into his room and show her. But he couldn't, paused at her bathroom door. Instead he went back to his room and drew up a list. The list was a spell to resize her clothes, which he slipped under her door before he went to bed.
Hermione saw the note slip under her bed. She opened the door to thank him, but he wasn't there. Her heart sunk. Wait, her heart sunk! This couldn't mean, she couldn't admit it to herself; she liked Draco Malfoy, more than a friend! She saw the side of him that she never thought she would see. And she liked it. She thought about running to his room, and starting a conversation like this morning, but she couldn't move her feet. In his room, Draco was paused at his own door, leaning on it, wishing he could go back and talk to her. He wanted her. Wanted her for her conversation and the way she made him feel. For her smile and charm and easy going nature. And she is smart, something attractive to him in woman. Yes, she was a woman, not a silly little girl. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but her couldn't.
Both made their way to bed. Both lay in bed, staring at the ceiling thinking about each other. Both wanting to tell each other the truth of how they felt. Both fell asleep at one am, after restless mind searching. Both slept past sunrise.
He woke up to the truth. He still hadn't confronted her. He had to do it soon. He couldn't put it off. The truth he found out in the holidays was always with him, he had to tell her soon, then everything would be out in open and everything could be as it should. She would be respected. The truth sat on his shoulders like a weight, it pulled him down. How could this have been a secret for so long? How could no one find out? Was he the only one who knew?