A/N: I am so ubber sorry for the lateness of this chapter! But fear not, I will finish this story sooner or later. Sorry also for the shortness of this chappy.

Shameless Advertising: Please read my other fic, Slave For You.

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Chapter Seven: Drowning

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It's official.

Draco Malfoy fucking hated his mother with the passion of a burning thousand—and another thousand—suns. And when he sees his mother this Hogsmeade weekend, oh, all hell will get loose.

Bloody hell, Draco amended furiously. If his mother have the guts to even show her freaking face to him.

He sauntered forth, angry strides matching his fuming ambiance. How dare she plan his engagement without his consent! It was preposterous, simply enraging. And who the fucking hell is Adrienne anyway? Does she even go to this school?

He growled in frustration. His hands curled into fists as he stopped in front of the Head Dorm's portrait. He drawled the password as a young lady with bright blue eyes and blonde hair asked for it.

"Honeydukes."

He ignored the flirtatious wink that she had sent in his way as he strolled inside the Head common room with a scowl on his face. He was close on opening his door and banging it shut when he heard soft whispers coming from the other room. He shrugged and continued to stroll inside his room.

Now that he was engaged with that Adrienne girl… how does he suppose to be the most wanted bachelor when he graduates? He has so much aspirations. To be the most wanted bachelor, for one. To be the richest single man in the face of the Earth and… Granger.

What about Granger?

He ruffled his hair in frustration. Granger was nothing to him. Nothing. If she was, she'll only be the distraction of his life. And still, she'll mean nothing. She's just Granger. A know-it-all, Gryffindor mudblood.

He paced across his room in thought.

So, that thought done, another would follow. How was he supposed to oppose with the engagement? He didn't want to commit in such a young age and he doesn't even know that Adrienne!

He growled in frustration.

Oh, if Lucius knew that mother engaged him with an assumed tramp—he'll be absolutely… pleased. Draco groaned aloud and tousled his neat blond locks. Just as long its not a mudblood and a Gryffindor Draco's marrying, he'll be fine with anything.

"Can it get any worst?"

&

Morning came quickly and the sun's rays peeked through the curtains of Hermione's room. It was a Saturday and that meant that there were no classes and if there were no classes—

Hermione has no life.

No… not really.

She plopped down heavily on her bed as she closed her eyes. The humid temperature that day was horrid and it annoyed her greatly. Brown locks already stuck to her forehead as she wiped away beads of sweat.

"Why is it so bloody hot all of a sudden?" She asked to no one in particular, irritably.

She forcibly sat herself up and sighed. She pushed herself at the edge of her bed and stood up in a wobbly stance. It was already late in the afternoon and the warm air was still taking over half of the day.

"A quick swim in the lake sounds appealing right now," she muttered lowly to herself as she walked towards her closet. She picked out a conservative tank top and shorts that went up to above her knee. She tied her massive hair up into a ponytail and took her towel from a nearby chair.

She strolled towards the door and shut it behind her as she strutted purposefully down to the lake's icy coldness.

&

Draco kept silent throughout the night, contemplating on his problem but was just plain crazy. He'd been thinking till morning and he now has large eye bugs to match his unkempt hair.

Draco's ears perked up as he heard the portrait door shut close. His eyes strayed towards the bathroom that joined his bedroom from Hermione's. Just out from sheer curiosity, he stood up and stalked towards her room.

Why was she giggling last night anyway?

It's impossible to think that Granger could get a boy—because seriously, I'm the only man here, Draco thought smugly—to sleep with her. And Granger just doesn't fit the description of sleeping with men.

Because in other words, Granger is just a prude, know-it-all Gryffindor.

He stealthily opened the bathroom door and walked passed it and headed towards Hermione's room. He took a deep breath and exhaled. He then clutched the doorknob in his hand and turned. He pushed the door open and rolled his eyes at himself.

Nobody was there.

He chuckled at his silliness. Of course nobody would be there! What the hell was he thinking? He scanned the room and a particular book caught his eye. He walked towards the bed were it was placed and picked it up.

He opened it and a broad grin spread across his face.

It was Granger's journal—

—With juicy gossips in it.

Draco chuckled aloud and turned the page. There were plenty of things written in it but nothing that caught Draco's interest. He turned to the recent page where she had last written and his eyes narrowed apprehensively.

Granger has been writing about me, I see, Draco thought with a small frown. Let's see what she had been saying about me.

—"Dear Diary," it read.

Ginny told me late this morning that I was falling in love with Malfoy. (Draco's eyes widened.) I mean, it's only a crush; nothing more. Falling in love is out of the picture. (He raised a brow at this.)

Harry and Ron would get mad at me and I'm sure of that. But if they truly care about me, they would let me be. If ever I actually loved Malfoy—

Here, Draco froze. He couldn't read any further. He closed the journal with a soft thud and plopped it down on the bed. His eyes darkened slightly at what he had just read. No, no, it couldn't be. She couldn't—she just can't be in love with him.

"It's impossible." He muttered out loud. "Granger couldn't be in love with me."

Could she?

He groaned and tousled his hair further. All the heat of the moment was infuriating him. He needed to get some air. Or a wake-up call from this nightmare.

He bustled outside Hermione's room and headed outside the Head's common room. 'A quick swim in the lake might soothe my tense muscles.'

He thought as he stepped outside the Head common room.

&

Outside, the idyllic scene of the lake greeted Hermione's stern eyes. The smell of fresh air wafted towards her nose and it soothed her all over quickly. She walked to the edge of the lake and smiled at the surroundings.

Only two were people outside that day; Harry and Ginny sat alone at the bottom of a large oak tree, staring at the lake and all its' glory. They were cute together… however, Ginny fancies Blaise a bit.

What's going to happen to Harry when Ginny ends up with Zabini?

Hermione shook her head and headed down to the watery edge. She took off her shoes, socks, and lifted her skirt up as she dipped her feet to the coolness of the water. She shivered as she felt the temperature rise up to her senses.

She leisurely got used to the coldness and started to strip down to her tank top and shorts. She finally rested half of her body to the water's height and shuddered. She swam towards the middle of the lake and wished that the giant squid wasn't awake yet.

The sun was glaring at the earth below and it stung Hermione's eyes as she stared at it for a short period of time. She splashed along the lake's center and giggled for a long time as she saw Harry snuggled closer to Ginny.

Blaise, coincidentally, got out from the castle and decided to walk down towards the lake. He was going to see Ginny and Harry! Hermione hastily called upon Harry, which he returned with a raised brow.

"Harry! Come here, now!" Hermione ordered as she panicked when Blaise neared the place where Harry and Ginny were snuggling under.

Harry hesitantly stood up and whispered to Ginny something Hermione figured saying that he'll be back. Harry staggered to the lake's edge and shouted at Hermione.

"What is it, 'Mione?" Harry asked, obviously irritated.

"Well… I was just wondering if," Blaise passed by Ginny's place and smiled at her charmingly. "… if you'd like to swim?"

Blaise sat down beside Ginny and started a conversation. Ginny was grinning idiotically and blushing madly. Hermione smiled at her friend and pouted at Harry. He was smiling at her, defeated, and stripped his cloak off.

"Fine, just a quick dip then I'm out," he muttered and threw himself at the lake. He was chuckling when Hermione started to choke on the water he splashed. "Sorry, 'Mione."

Hermione glared at him but giggled nonetheless. "You're such a child, Harry." She rolled her eyes at him fondly.

"And you're such a prude," Harry laughed aloud, splashing her some more.

Hermione groaned and splashed Harry back. He began to choke. She laughed at him and swam towards the very end of the lake where it met the Forbidden Forest. Harry grunted at her and began to swim towards where Ginny sat… alone.

Where had Blaise gone?

Hermione stayed there at the water edge and basked at the coolness of the breeze there. Suddenly, a small prick of foreboding crept towards neck to her toes. Small bubbles started to form at the middle of the lake and Hermione panicked.

The squid—

—it was already awake!

Hermione screamed but Harry and Ginny was too far away. They stood up from their positions and began to race each other… away from Hermione's vision. She started to swim back but the bubbles started to get larger by the second.

She furiously paddled but to no avail. The squid was near. And nobody was going to help Hermione. She sobbed slightly. Why did she have to forget her wand today?

Why?

Consequently, she felt something encircle her ankle and pull her down. She screamed, her heart beat faster, she was drowning. As she was pulled down the lake, her fingers stretched, finding something to pull her up but finding none… she fought.

But no chance came.

A white light passed by her eyes and she felt herself being lifted.

A voice shook her out of her reverie…

"Hermione!"

Malfoy.

&

End Note: Yey! I finally updated! Anyway, I'll finish this story first before I finish Slave For You. I think I'll take a bit more time with that fic first.

Anyway, please REVIEW! And I'll try to update as soon as I can when I get the chance.