OI, GRANGER!
There's a place I dream about
Where the sun never goes out.
And the sky is deep and blue.
Won't you take me there with you.
Ohhh, we can begin again.
Shed our skin, let the sun shine in.
At the edge of the ocean
We can start over again.
-Ivy
Chapter Seven: Dating the Devil PT1
"Fuck…" Draco hissed. His head slammed against the shelf as Hermione pushed him into the nearest cupboard. He gave himself two feet from her, rubbing the back of his head at the bump he knew would soon be there. "Damn it, Granger…I know you want to snog, but do you have to hurt me to show your desperation? OW!" he cried again. She had pinched him on his arm again, and yanked him down to kiss him eagerly.
This was their routine, and it had been for the last month. Hermione would finish her patrolling duties early, leave Ron or Harry to fend for them selves, or be late to class for a few obscured minutes with Draco. They would kiss for hours on in, if they could.
They pulled apart and she looked up at him. "I love you," Hermione said, her eyes glazing over. "I love you, and I know it's only been a few weeks…but…I…" she was suddenly cut off by Draco's finger pressing against her lips.
"I love you, too. I don't want you to think this isn't real—that we aren't real." He lifted her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her fingers gently. Hermione exhaled.
"Good…because I was thinking about telling Harry and Ron."
"NO!" Draco shouted, startling her. "You can't tell them. They wouldn't understand Hermione! They wouldn't…"
"I think if we worked at it…if we…told them together—"
"—they'd gut me like a fish and claim that you've been hexed, yes I know!"
"They would not!" Hermione cried.
"YES THEY WOULD!" He threw open the door of the cupboard and walked out. He then turned on his heels and faced her. "I don't have time to fight your friends Hermione…our relationship means so much right now, why would you ruin that by telling your narrow-minded friends?"
The corridor was empty and Hermione was supposed to be in Advanced Ancient Runes right now, but she had decided to spend the first half of class with Draco. Her scrolls were placed safely on top of Professor Vincent's desks anyways, having completely her week's worth of homework already. Hermione stepped out of the darkened closet, and scowled. "You're being a prick Draco Malfoy!"
"And you're being a prissy wench, Hermione Granger!"
She gasped at his words and took off down the corridor, her robes billowing after her in an angry rush. Draco followed her, giving in to the soft side Hermione had built in him.
"Hermione, wait!'
"Sod off Malfoy!" He grabbed her elbow and yanked her back. "Just leave me alone!" she shouted. He pulled her to him. "Just move!"
"Granger, do we have to play these games? We do this every time we snog. Don't you agree that the fighting has become just too much?" he asked, rubbing at the small of her back. He kissed her neck, and swung her so that her back was pressed against the nearby wall. He spread her legs apart with his knee and kissed her neck again. "We fight all the time, can't we just have some fun?" he whined. Hermione gasped, feeling the strong feeling of hungry lust that had overcome Draco. Having felt Hermione's reaction, Draco moaned, snuggling deeper into her neck with his mouth.
"I have to go to class," she murmured against his mouth. "I need to go…" she kissed him on last time and struggled free from the tight space between him and the wall. She picked up her fallen backpack that was still inside the cupboard, and blew away a stray of hair that had fallen into her face.
"Fine, fine," Draco drawled, leaning against the wall. His eyes flickered from Hermione's flushed face to her shaking hands. "Looks like you're all shaken up."
"I am…it was a good snog." Draco laughed.
"It would be a lot better if we'd…you know," he wiggled his pale eyebrows suggestively. It was Hermione's turn to laugh now.
"There will be no wiggling of the eyebrows here. I'm going to maintain the perfect little virgin idea, Malfoy." Hermione cracked a wide smile at Draco's exasperated facial expression and kissed him soundly on the cheek.
"I'll see you later…" he said, pushing himself off the wall and retrieving his own backpack.
"Don't forget, we have an important meeting with Dumbledore before lunch, okay?"
"Yeah…how could I forget that?" Draco asked, walking away.
"Professor, you wanted to see us?" Hermione asked, standing in front of Dumbledore's desk with Draco. Their hands were clasped tightly upon coming to his office.
Albus Dumbledore would never believe in all his years that the two rivals of the school would fall in love so quickly. He surveyed them deeply over his spectacles, smiling.
"Ah! My two favorite students—please, have a seat." Hermione moved to sit in the squashy chairs that Dumbledore had in front of his desk, Draco followed suit, sinking a good six inches into the chair. Hermione giggled. Draco glared.
Dumbledore cleared his throat and folded his hands on top of his desk. His gloved hand was green today. "So how is out project team today? You both look extremely happy."
Draco shifted in his seat. He began to wonder just how much this old man knew. "No need to squirm Mr. Malfoy, I'm not prying, I just want to know how the last month has been with these…er…changes."
"They've been wonderful Professor," Hermione said quickly, feeling the suspicion swelling inside of Draco. "We're off to a smashing start," she said with a grin. Draco grunted.
"That's a pleasure to hear, Miss Granger. Now, on to business…Madame Hooch has decided to put together a class for the 6ths and 7ths years here. I think in the muggle world, they call it Physical Education." Hermione's eyebrows disappeared under her bangs. Draco's lack of muggle knowledge angered himself even more.
"What is that?" Draco asked.
"Miss Granger?"
"It's a class…a physical class that involves running, sports, and exercise, usually taking place outside in required uniforms. But Professor, why would we need that?"
"It's part of the Project for Unity. It's a brilliant idea, I believe. It will be a class between all four houses."
"I don't think so," Draco said, standing up. "I'm not going to be running around the Quidditch field in nothing but scratchy clothes ruining my perfect skin in the sun, okay?" Draco said, turning on his heel to leave the room.
"Sit down Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said. Draco, cowering to the warning tone in Dumbledore's voice, returned to his seat. "Actually, with this addition to the curriculum, students will be able to cut their classes from ninety minutes, to sixty, and have an extended lunch period."
"I wasn't complaining, was I?" Draco asked happily. What was he thinking? He liked Dumbledore a lot.
Dumbledore ignored Draco's comment and turned his attention back to Hermione. "I think this will work, yes?"
"I can see your logic behind this Professor," Hermione said, nodding her head. "The interaction between the students would be priceless, and it would give us a break from using our wands, which would ultimately relate our experiences to the muggle world."
"Good, I'm happy we're on the same page. This will begin in about a week, so please inform the 6th and 7th years about our schedule change. Here it is," Dumbledore handed them two heavy pieces of parchment. "Keep doing what you're doing, you two look fabulously comfortable around each other," Dumbledore said with a happy glint in his eyes. Hermione blushed and Draco grunted yet again.
"Thank you Professor," Hermione stood up and beckoned for Draco to follow her out. But Draco had grabbed a handful of gummy worms and then left Dumbledore's office with a happy nod.
"What the bleeding hell is Pee?" Ron bellowed, leaning forward to see the new bulletin posted on the board in the Gryffindor Common Room.
"It's a class, Ron. In the muggle world, it's a class that I was required to take. It's pronounced PEE-EE," Harry explained, folding his arms across his chest.
"What do you do in it Harry?" Neville asked, moving to stand next to the bulletin.
"Er…this would be better answered by Hermione. Hermione?" Harry turned around to see that Hermione had walked over to the portrait door. It was slightly ajar and she was leaning out of it, her face glowing with a smile.
"Oi! Hermione! Don't you hear Harry calling your arse?" Ron bellowed. Hermione turned around, her cheeks burning furiously.
"Sod off Ron, how dare you say that to me!"
"What?!" Ron cried. He began stomping over to where Hermione was. She quickly whirled around in enough time to see Ron's purple face lean into hers. "Mione! You can't embarrass me like that! What are you doing anyways?" He pushed open the portrait to see Draco Malfoy standing in the corridor. "WHAT'S HE DOING HERE?"
"I'm here for Head Boy business, Weasel…not that it's any of your concern," Draco said hotly.
"Why were you smiling Hermione? This is Malfoy!" He pulled her away from the door and made to shut it, but Hermione placed her foot in between the door.
"Ron…stop!" she hissed. Ron, shocked by Hermione's demand, turned around to call Harry.
"Harry! Come see this…Hermione's decided to go off and fraternize with our acclaimed enemy!" Harry sighed and walked over to see Hermione leaning out of the door, Malfoy standing in front of her.
"What's he doing here?" Harry asked.
"You know what?" Hermione asked, letting go of the door and stepping out the portrait. "I was just about to leave."
"What? You can't leave; we're supposed to go to Hogsmeade today!" Ron shouted.
"Ronald, must you always shout?" Ginny asked, seemingly appearing out of thin air.
"Ginny, go away!"
"I really can't deal with this right now," Hermione said. She dodged Ron's wild grab at her and jumped into Draco's arms, startled by the harsh move. Draco wrapped his arms around her before she could fall sideways.
"RON!" Ginny and Harry shouted.
"You nearly took my bloody arm off!" Hermione growled, pushing hair out of her eyes. Draco stood her up promptly, watching the confusion dawn on Ron's face.
"Why did you let him touch you?"
"I have to GO Ron!" Hermione shouted. She took off down the corridor, Draco following her heels…along with Ron, Harry and Ginny.
"What are you doing, Malfoy?" Ron shouted off in the distance, following them. "Stop following her!"
"Go away Ron!" Hermione cried.
"What are you going Ron? Leave her alone!" Harry shouted behind Ron.
Hermione took off in a run, not wanting to face what she had earlier suggested to Draco about confronting her friends. She felt the event approaching like an impeding doom, and wanted to run away from it as fast as she could.
"SECTUMSEMPRA!"
She stopped as pain shot through her stomach. She fell to her knees and then turned to see Draco suspended in air, clenching his stomach.
"STOP!" she cried. Ron had his wand trained on Draco.
"Do you like that Malfoy?" Ron asked again, gripping his wand tighter. Draco screamed, shaking Hermione to the core.
"RON! I DIDN'T TEACH YOU THAT SO YOU CAN GO AND DO IT ON OTHERS!" Harry shouted, trying to put Ron's arm down, but Ron pushed him away.
"Tell me something Hermione," Ron started off. His blue eyes were intensely lit. "Where have you been this last month? You're always around this ferret, and you don't come to class anymore." It was then that Harry stopped struggling with Ron, taking a keen interest in how the conversation was turning.
"Put him down Ron! Before I take points away!" she cried from the floor.
"You wouldn't take points from your own House!"
"TWENTY POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!"
"HERMIONE!"
"RON! STOP THIS!"
"Why are you HELPING HIM?" Ron bellowed. Draco screamed again, this time a drop of blood landed near Hermione's bent over form. She glanced up to see that Draco was bleeding from his abdomen, the spot becoming larger. Hermione stood, coming back to where Ron was standing, and grabbed his sweater, yanking him forward a bit.
"If you don't stop, you'll be expelled for this," she hissed. Ron narrowed his eyes, and removed his trained wand from Draco, who fell to the floor with a thud. She cried out again and fell onto her back also, drawing a nervous shuffle of feet towards her. Ron lifted her into his arms, concern replacing his anger.
"Hermione, are you okay?" he asked. Harry ran over to Draco, who was touching the gash across his stomach tenderly.
"I'm okay…" she whispered. She scrambled to her feet and went over to Draco, who was being helped from off the floor by Harry. "Draco, oh Merlin—are you okay? We should take you to the Hospital Wing."
"It's okay; let's just get back to our room." arHasaojdhsdhlksd sa
Hermione burst into tears, the feeling of her own exasperation and Draco's feeling of pain becoming too much. She wrapped her arms around Draco and hugged him.
"Hey…" he murmured. "It's okay. I'm fine."
"Hermione, just tell me what's going on," Ron whispered. Hermione looked up and saw the jealous look slowly drain from his face to show an exhausted one.
Hermione wiped away the tears quickly and tried to support some of Draco's weight on her, but he was slightly refusing.
"Ron. Now is not the time," Harry whispered, pulling him away.
"Don't you know what friends are Weasley?" Draco said, wincing as he made an attempt to stop his torn shirt from sticking to his wound. "Hermione and I are friends, and you need to stop trying to control her…she'll come to you when needed." With that, they turned around and left.
"Colloportuse," Hermione whispered, watching Draco carefully sit in a chair near the roaring fire. The portrait door locked firmly, making sure no one would be able to come through. She tore the remainder of Draco's shirt to see the horrible gash across Draco's stomach. She moved her wand over the wound and healed him. He grunted at the pain and rested his head on the backrest of the seat, his eyes fluttering close.
"I'm sorry," he said looking down at her kneeling form. "I shouldn't have come to the common room. It was too risky."
"Nonsense! You were just telling me how the Slytherins took to the new change. It's not your fault that Ron is a total pillock."
"Yeah, you're right. But what's his bleeding problem? Is he barmy or something, using that spell on me? Potter did it last year and nearly scarred my face, if Dumbledore hadn't come to heal me!"
"Aye," Hermione said with a sniff. The wound healed completely and she stood from her spot on the floor.
"Right love, what do you want to do, since our date at Hogsmeade is over?"
"I don't know," Hermione muttered, sitting next to him on the chair. He smiled.
"Let's go pissing around, eh?" he asked, a raunchy look passing his face.
"Not very polite, we're Head Boy and Girl. We can't go around harassing people."
"Well, we can go to Hogsmeade then. Screw the Weasel! We can stop by Zonko's and maybe Honeydukes."
"You're right, I think that's better," Hermione said. "I'm going up to change into something warmer. It's nearly November, and I think it's going to snow tonight." She went up the spiral stairs, still talking. "You should come up too and change your shirt. You don't want to go out like that, now do you?" Hermione asked. She glanced down at him in the common room.
"Hermione," Draco started. He could hear Blaise's voice in his ear, egging him on.
"Yes?"
"I…I think we should run for Winter King and Queen. It'll be fun…"
"But we're not a public couple," Hermione said in bewilderment. Draco flinched. His mind began to race and he finally stumbled out something.
"Well! Maybe it might be the right time to come out and tell everyone."
Hermione looked carefully at his nervous expression and laughed.
"Oh Draco! I knew you'd come round! Of course we should run, it's a perfect idea!" she said with a huge grin. Draco smiled back. "I love you," she said, before running up the stairs to get dressed.
Draco fingered the spot where his wound was just minutes ago, and grimaced. He thought about the comment she made a couple of days ago, concerning the maintenance of her virginity.
"Love you, too," he whispered.
Hope you enjoyed the jolly good read. All spells used in this chapter are the creations of JK Rowling herself. A clever combination of Latin words, actually. If you want the website with the link to these words for your own fic, just leave me a comment telling me and I'll have it to you ASAP.
Please review! It makes things a lot better--and if you don't, Draco will never fall in love with Hermione, and actually run off with Ron and marry him. not cool haha. next chapter will be out soon. This story is going exactly how I want it. It's very fun writing it. You might think it's gettin all fluff (i hope you're not) but don't worry! I never fail!
For those of you waitig around for an update of TRFHP, it'll be soon! So keep your knickers on!