Coffee At Midnight
Ch3: Death
Draco Malfoy watched Hermione Granger from his seat across the Great Hall. She did everything except look his way. This was how it had been for the last week. Even during their prefect's meetings or their hallways patrols she acted business like. Draco was getting what he wanted. Nobody knew about their kiss and that was the way he wanted to keep it. Yet at the same time it was aggravating for Draco to be ignored like that. She seemed to be completely unphased by their kiss.
"Draco," Pansy would purr trying to get his attention. "Draco, what's the matter?" she finally asked one day.
"Nothing," he brushed her off.
Pansy did not take too kindly to being treated this way and was starting to get irritated. Nobody brushed Pansy Parkinson off, ever. Not even Draco Malfoy.
"Draco, look at me," Pansy said firmly. He continued to look out across the hall. She took hold of his chin and turned his head toward her. He looked at her wearily. "What is going on Draco?" she asked. Her face showed her feelings. She looked terribly hurt by the way he was treating her. He's distracted, always acting as if he's not really here, she thought.
"Nothing love," he said cupping her cheek before kissing her. Pansy was still his girlfriend even if all he could think about was Hermione's lips. He thought maybe if he kissed Pansy enough times he'd forget. He'd even taken her to his bed the night of the earlier incident to get his mind off what had happened. If he kept kissing Pansy, it would go away. No matter what he did it just wasn't the same. It wasn't love, definitely not, Draco Malfoy loves no one but himself, not even Pansy. He just never had the same feeling when he kissed anybody else.
A shriek came from the Head Girl's room. When she came down her friends had worried looks on their faces. "Hey Mione," Ron attempted. Silence and the faint aroma of awkwardness hung in the air.
"Are you alright?" Ginny asked.
"Crookshanks is dead," Hermione stated matter of factly.
"Good riddance," Ron said under his breath. He thought he had said it quietly so only he could hear but Hermione started sobbing and Ginny gave him one of her looks.
"Way to be insensitive," Ginny chastised Ron while tending to Hermione. She gave her friend a hug and patted her on the back.
"That devil cat hated me!" Ron told her.
Ginny shot him another look, "just leave Ron, you're not helping at all."
"Sorry Hermione," Harry said before leaving with Ron.
"It was just a dumb cat," Ron said to Harry while walking away.
Hermione burst into tears. "You idiot," Harry punched Ron.
"What?" he asked rubbing his arm.
The two went for breakfast in the Great Hall. It was quite a while before Ginny and Hermione came down. When Harry saw them he warned Ron, "Keep your mouth shut this time okay?" He put on a smile and waved to the two girls.
"I won't say anything about her stupid cat dying, do you think I'm an idiot?" Ron said before taking a sip of his milk.
"Possibly the biggest one I know," Ginny said glaring at Ron. He hadn't realized the two girls had been behind him. It's like they apperated, he thought while nearly choking on milk. Seamus Finnigan, who was sitting across the table found this to be hilarious and snickered at Ron.
Hermione was sobbing. "There, there Hermione," Ginny said patting her back. Ginny gave Ron a whack on his back and Ron's milk went from his mouth across the table in Seamus' face.
Next to him Dean Thomas, laughed at him. "What are you laughing at?" Seamus glared at Dean.
"Terribly sorry," Ron said turning bright red.
"Why don't you sit down and have some breakfast? Harry suggested while making room for his friend.
Ginny seconded this plan of action saying, "It'll settle your stomach."
Draco stood at the front of the room filled with prefects. He noticed as Granger entered the room she didn't look quite right. She tripped over the edge of a rug and cursed it before sitting down. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt. She pulled on a loose string and if it had been a cartoon, not real life, her whole skirt would have unraveled right then and there. Draco cleared his throat.
When Hermione looked up everyone was looking at her. "Sorry," she said shifting in her seat, a little unsettled from looking up to find everyone staring..
"Now, onto business," Draco said starting the meeting. Prefects sat quietly as he read the minutes of the last meeting. "You can pick them up on your way out," He had written up their partnering and schedules for patrols. "Now, with that said. Leave," Draco finished.
"Granger you're with me," Draco said walking past her and out the room.
Malfoy had arrived without his two lug heads trailing him. Hermione sighed a heartfelt thank you to whatever it was keeping Crabbe and Goyle away. The way their eyes watched you was disturbing, and how they were always with Malfoy. I suppose that's not true though, Hermione thought, they're not always with him, sometimes Pansy is with him.
The two walked down the hallway and waited for the stairs to shift to the second floor. They walked in silence, the only thing heard was the echo of their steps in the hall. The silence was quite companionable, none of the usual harassment. Malfoy seemed to be content to walk quietly doing his duties. Though, Hermione noted, he seemed rather paranoid at the moment. His gray eyes shifted and darted all over the place. He looked over his shoulder behind him a couple of times. How odd, Hermione thought. From the second floor the two went down the marble staircase to the ground floor. They hung a right at the bottom and walked toward the west corridor.
"Granger, I'm sure we'd all appreciate it if you showed up on time for the next meeting," Draco broke the silence, "you do remember, as Head Girl, you're supposed to set a good example."
"Whatever," was all Hermione said.
"What's got your knickers in a knot?" Draco asked, he found it terribly strange that Granger didn't say much to that.
"Look, I haven't the heart to put up a fight today," Hermione told Malfoy with a tired voice.
"Well that's no fun," he quipped.
"You just like to see me annoyed, that's terrible!" Hermione said.
Draco answered with a smirk.
"I just don't understand why you're so prejudice toward me," Hermione said.
"Granger, if there's one thing to know about me it's that I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally," Draco told her.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're such an arse," she shook her head.
"You see, Granger, I am a member of the F.E.B.M." Malfoy state.
"The what?" Hermione asked, playing along.
"Fuck everybody but Malfoy," he explained looking smug, "you can take that any way you want."
A smile threatened at the corner of Hermione's mouth, but instead she said, "that's just vulgar." With that she made an effort to walk a little faster than him.
Draco lagged behind, his pace at a slow stroll. Hermione walked ahead of him carrying out their duties. Draco was about to turn back, as they had reached the end of the hall, but Hermione had stopped abruptly, then turning to the left she headed for the charms class room. It was unlocked, strange, Draco thought.
Upon entry the two found a pair of fifth years. "Out," Hermione told them. A glass went crashing to the floor. "Detention for the both of you," Hermione deemed.
"But.." one of them tried.
"No buts," she said with a stern look.
Draco sauntered over to see what was going on, "Ogden's Old Firewhisky," Draco read. "Good stuff," he said winking at the two 5th years. Hermione scowled at him.
"30 points each," Hermione said, "from Ravenclaw. Now get going."
The two quickly left the room. "I think I'll be keeping this," Draco said.
"No! Absolutely not," Hermione shook her head.
"And why on earth not? It'd be such a waste, there's more than half the bottle left," Draco stater his case, he paused and with a sly look he said, "we could share it if you really wanted."
"No Malfoy," Hermione said, "that's against the rules. You're so terribly immoral."
"Everything I do is either illegal or immoral," Draco told her with a smug grin splayed across his face.
"Well, you're not going to keep that," Hermione said and with a wave of her wand the bottle disappeared.
"Where'd you put that?" Draco asked angry, "give it back."
"No chance Malfoy," Hermione said turning on her heal to head out of the classroom, "you're head boy and you should know better." Before leaving she hit the corner of a desk and yelped. Behind her Draco laughed, she turned and killed him in torturous ways with her eyes.
Hermione walked down the hall with her arms crossed. She headed straight for the marble staircase so she could be as far away from Malfoy as possible. The stairs leading to the dungeons were next to the marble staircase. Draco paused, before going down, to watch Hermione angrily walking up the marble steps. He thought about chiding her. "Keep your mouth shut Malfoy," Hermione snapped as if she knew what he was thinking.
"Whatever you say Granger," Draco replied before heading down the steps to his dormitory.
Hermione's foot caught on the edge of the eighth step and she fell forward, up the stairs. She tried to get up, but after feeling a stabbing pain in her left leg she turned round to sit. Feeling a throbbing pain in her ankle she groaned unhappily and let out a frustrated sound. Hermoine's fists hit the marble steps in frustration. This attracted Draco's attention. His curiosity got the best of him and he went to check.
Draco was met by the scene of Hermione Granger crumpled and crying on the marble staircase. This made Draco uncomfortable. The one thing that makes him uncomfortable is a woman crying. Draco was hesitant, but he asked anyway, "are you alright?"
"My cat died! He died!" Hermione wailed.
"Oh," Draco said immediately regretting asking her if she was alright. What a stupid reason to cry, he thought. But it was always like his grandfather had said, No doubt exists that all women are crazy; it's only a question of degree.
Hermione continued, her crying now down to sobs and whimpers, "I woke up this morning and he was dead!
"Er that's terrible," Draco said unsure of what to say.
Hermione suddenly burst into tears. "Then., today everything went wrong! It just keeps getting worse and worse. The world hates me! I wish I'd just gone back to bed this morning," she explained bawling.
"You know who's good to talk to about these things? Your friends," Draco said highly uncomfortable.
"This is quite possibly the worst day of my life!" Hermione declared and cried harder.
"Please, would you stop crying?" Draco asked.
"My ankle hurts," Hermione complained. Draco appeared confused. "I think I twisted it," she explained.
"Hm, well then," Draco said, "I guess you should get to the infirmary, or something."
"You're a prize idiot aren't you?" Hermione sighed.
"Stuff it Granger," Draco glared.
"I can't walk!" she explained.
"Well what do you expect me to do?" he asked.
"I've no idea," Hermione said frustrated.
"Say that again and I'll take you myself," Draco told her.
"What?" Hermione asked confused.
"What you just said, say it again," he delighted in hearing it.
"I can't walk?" she said hesitantly.
"No not that Granger," Draco shook his head, "for someone who's top of our class you're a flipping idiot."
"I've no idea?" she tried again.
Draco's ears perked up like they did before. The insufferable know-it-all really doesn't know everything, he thought with a smirk. Draco would immortalize this moment in his memory forever. "That is what I wanted to hear," he said before starting forward.
His foot wasn't even on the first step when Hermione asked, "what are you doing?"
He cocked his head to the side, "the infirmary, I thought we'd discussed this already Granger."
"You're such a prat," Hermione told him.
He stood beside her, he hesitated a moment before leaning down to pick her up. "Granger, this is just between the both of us," Draco told her, "understand?"
"What is?" she asked.
"Granger, you are quite possibly," Draco started to say.
Hermione cut him off, "that went right over your head Malfoy. And you call me the idiot."
"Oh," Draco now got what she meant, "glad we're on the same page." He picked her up in his arms. One hand looped round her waist, the other under her legs.
"Quite frankly Malfoy, I'd rather no one know you ever got within touching distance of me," she looped an arm around Draco's neck awkwardly.
Had any one been up and about roaming the hallways this was possibly the strangest thing to have been seen in the history of Hogwarts. Forget about Blast-Ended Skrewts, or centaurs. It was a strange enough sight to see Draco and Hermione walking side by side quietly on their rounds, but that had an explanation. This however was a very odd sight. The very thought of Draco Malfoy touching Hermione Granger was unthinkable. He would never get that close to a Mudblood, especially Hermione Granger, Pansy thought spying on the two.
Earlier Pansy had thrown a fit in the Slytherin common room. "What do you mean Draco told you to stay behind?" she shrieked. Crabbe and Goyle sat on the couch stark white. The two looked from each other to her and shrugged. "Where is he supposed to be?" she interrogated the two. The two went through the motions again, looking at each other then back at her angry face answering with a shrug. "Useless!" she screamed.
"Draco," Pansy called out.
He turned, shocked, as if caught in the act of doing something terrible. After a moment he regained his usual air of careless snobbery. Draco's face settled back to the smug look it usually carried. He recognized the lean silhouette, dark hair, long limbs, in the incredibly short skirt that came down the stairs from the third floor. What's she doing up? he wondered. "Pansy," he answered.
"What are you doing?" she looked confused and glared at Hermione.
"Granger's fallen up the stairs, up the stairs!" He told her, "can you believe?"
Pansy laughed, "how do you fall up the stairs?"
"I've no idea," he told her a faint smile on his face.
"Draco," Pansy started again.
"Yes Pansy?" he said, his tone was tired.
"Why are you," she paused, Pansy looked like she would throw up, "carrying her?"
All this while Hermione has been quiet. Draco finally noticed the slight pressure of her head leaning against his chest. The air she breathed out was warm against his neck. "Pansy darling, can't you see she's passed out?" he said, "couldn't have just left her there."
"Well why on earth not?" Pansy crossed her arms, "someone would have eventually found her."
"Yeah, and as I was the last one to see her I would have gotten the blame for it," Draco explained. Or rather he lied, to Pansy of all people. Hermione hadn't passed out, or at least Draco didn't think she did. She was talking just a moment ago. She's just asleep, he thought.
For a moment Draco thought Pansy had seen straight through him but instead she sighed, "oh."
"Go back to the common room and I'll be down in a moment," Draco told her, "I promise."
"Oh but I want to go with you," Pansy whined.
"No," was all Draco said before heading down the corridor toward the infirmary.
Madame Pomfrey, was the first thing Hermione Granger woke up to the next morning. She furrowed her eyebrow, confusion flashed across Hermione's face for a moment before she remembered. I fell up the stairs, she reminded herself. Hermione's eyes were swollen from crying the night before and she had bed head. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and put her foot down. A stabbing pain went up her left leg.
"Sit back down Ms. Granger," Madame Pomfrey told her.
"Couldn't I get something for this?" she asked her face still filled with pain.
"Well dear your ankle is good as new, it'll just hurt a bit for the next week," Madame Pomfrey explained, "take it slow."
A bit? Hermione thought, this did not hurt a bit, this hurt a lot! "Sure," she said before touching the floor tentatively with her toe.
So, can you feel the sexual tensions? Really I can't. I just like to say that. More soon. Fourth chapter includes animals. Yes! Animals.
Remember to leave a comment. It won't take you too long.