Labyrinth of Life

Chapter 7: Night Time Visitors

By coeurnoir

Draco couldn't find Hermione that night to do their rounds so decided to do them on his own. As he checked the classrooms on the third floor he heard music coming from one. Thinking that it was a student out of bed he crept up to the door to see who it was. He didn't expect who he found.

There was a petite girl in a long black leotard with a translucent black wrap. She was pirouetting across the classroom floor. As she finished the pirouette, Draco saw her face. It was Hermione. Unfortunately his gasp of surprise was loud enough to be heard and Hermione yelped in surprise.

"Who is it?" She cried, grabbing her robe and pulling it on over her trim figure. Draco pushed off the doorframe walking into the room.

"You looked beautiful Hermione. I never knew you danced. I always wondered how you kept so fit though." Hermione relaxed when she heard Draco's voice. She walked over to him and looked at the clock on the wall.

"Oh I'm sorry Draco, I missed rounds! I was just upset; I always dance when I'm upset. I'll come now and finish with you if you'd like."

Draco chuckled, "you haven't cooled down yet 'Mione." She smiled at his use of her nickname.

"The walk will cool me down, just give me two minutes to stretch out," and with a wave of her wand she stopped the music and started to stretch. Draco watched, entranced by her gracefulness.

They were soon walking through the dungeons, it was a quiet night, and they had only caught a pair of Slytherins on a late night love tryst. Hermione chuckled as Draco tried to let them off without even taking points.

"What about the Griffindors you found earlier and took ten points each from. I didn't see me trying to let them off easy did you?" she gave him a playful push as she laughed at the hurt look on his face.

Draco stumbled as he caught back up with her; he grabbed her elbow gently and brought her around to face him. He smiled down at her as she looked up at him, a slightly confused look on her face. "It's great to see you laughing again. I don't like it when you're depressed."

"How sweet, Draco's being sensitive!" she teased him. She became quiet when she saw the intense look on his face. He leant down and pressed his lips against hers. She melted into the kiss as he deepened it. Hermione pulled back with a smile.

"We're supposed to be doing rounds Draco, hunting out people, not being one of them! Let's finish up with the fourth floor and then go back." Draco pouted, but nodded. It made sense.

The next day was Saturday so Hermione slept in, skipping breakfast and jumping into the shower as soon as she got up. She considered studying but decided against it as she was having a hard time keeping her mind off Draco. The kiss had left her feeling warm and fuzzy but she wasn't sure what it meant. You could safely say that she didn't have much experience with boys. The only ones she had hung around being Harry and Ron. Thinking of them made her cringe, knowing that she had lost a part of her life losing the boys.

Draco was about to walk into the bathroom when Hermione opened the door, walking out in a fluffy red bathrobe. "I'm kinda glad I didn't just walk in! I would've been hurt severely!" Hermione laughed. "Too true, young man, too true!" laughing she went to her room.

Draco woke up from his shower and went and knocked on Hermione's door. "Knock-knock!" Hermione came and opened up the door, smiling at him. They went down ti the common room and started chatting. Since they had first met, they had gotten to know each other much better. But both of them didn't seem to want to breach the topic of the night before.

Hermione was frustrated about it though; she was a very straightforward person who didn't like to be confused about things. They were halfway through a conversation about their latest arithmancy assignment when Hermione just came out with it.

"What was last night?" Draco looked up surprised from her sudden change of topic. His mouth gold fished for a second or two before he answered her.

"Which part of last night? Me finding your little dancing hideaway or something else?" he asked this with a cheeky grin, having regained his composure.

"Stop being a prat Draco! You know exactly what I'm talking about. Now answer me." Hermione looked frustrated now. Draco leaned over with the cheeky smile still on his face. He kissed her with more passion than the night before.

"Does that answer your question?" Hermione shook her head. He kissed her again, drawing her onto his lap so that she was straddling him.

"How about now?" he demanded.

"Nuh-uh" she mumbled. Draco kept kissing her.

"Go out with me then." Hermione sat back with a fake look of deep thought.

"I don't know about that one, you are a Slytherin after all." Draco growled and tickled her. "Okay! Okay!" she giggled. She kissed him quickly before hopping off his lap.

"Where are you going?" Draco grabbed at her hand gently.

"I want to go for a dance before lunch, I didn't get the full practice in last night. I'll see you after." She rushed of to her room to change. When she came back down Draco asked if he could come along and watch, once her permission was given they left for the unused classroom that MacGonnagal let her use.

Draco stayed quiet during her warm-up and throughout the series of routines that she did to keep her skill up. Only when it looked like she was finished did he speak.

"Can you dance any other styles? Or just Ballet." She scoffed at him.

"Mr Malfoy, I have been dancing since I could walk. I am able to dance however you would like me to dance." She twirled, making her wrap flutter around her.

Draco stood and walked over to her. He held her hand as the other snaked around her waist and pulled her tight to him.

"The question is, Miss Granger, can you salsa?" when she nodded with a grin, he flicked his wand and the music changed. They started moving to the music. Draco was good, really good, but she kept up every step of the way.

As the music finished they stood there, holding each other and the both of them out of breath.

Draco woke to the sound of someone tripping over furniture. Someone muttered a curse; it was a man's voice. That was definitely not Hermione. He jumped out of bed, not caring that he was only in his boxers and ran into the common room. There were three men in the common room; they were all wearing death eater's robes.

When they saw Draco they jumped him immediately and performed the incarcerous charm, leaving him bound on the floor. He heard a muffled shriek from the direction of Hermione's room. The cloaked men swore and ran in the direction of her room.

Please let her have hidden or have her wand at hand. After a series of loud thumps and then they brought out an unconscious Hermione.

One of the men started fumbling in his robes for something and ended up bringing out an old cap. The other two grabbed hold of Hermione and Draco's hands and held them on the cap. A spell was said and next thing that they knew they were being picked up and whirled around to land in an unceremonious heap.

They were on their own in a stone walled room. The ropes that had been around him and Hermione were gone. She was still unconscious though. The death eaters mustn't have come on the port key Draco thought. That begs the next question, how in Merlin's name did they get a port key to work in Hogwarts grounds?

Crawling over to Hermione, he brought her head into his lap; leaning against the wall he waited for her to wake up, and for their captors to introduce themselves. Though Draco didn't think he needed too many guesses to figure out who it was.