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Last Time on LGG:
"Why must those Gryffindor conspire against me?"
"Well, you DID lost them a hundred house points," Draco pointed out and Hermione smirked.
"Yeah, I did... didn't I? Ha! As if they have any chance of winning without me answering all those damn questions. And I refuse to do it, too. I'm not answering a single one this year... I don't care who thinks I've gone crazy... nope."
"What if I think you've gone crazy?"
"Then you're pathetically unobservant," she said, smiling up at him.
"To Transfiguration?"
"Lead the way."
~*~*~*~
CHAPTER TEN: Sleeping Alongside Mr. Weasley
Unfortunately for Draco and Hermione, both Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, whose class they had post-transfiguration, decided it best to assign seats... with like house members. The two prefects were forced to sit about as far away from each other as possible in both classes. Hermione sat next to Ron, with Harry and Lavender behind them, and Draco with Pansy, Millicent and Blaise in front of them. Hermione ignored all three of her friends for the entire of Transfiguration... but Charms brought with it a bit of an argument.
"Hermione," Ron said in a whisper, but Hermione ignored him, keeping her eyes on the text she was supposed to be reading. No one noticed that she wasn't even on the right page. "Hermione, come on, I said I was sorry." She turned and glared at him.
"Do I look like I care?"
"Not particularly..."
"Ooo... big words, Ron. Careful, now. Wouldn't want to choke," she said, smirking, but Ron looked confused. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back to her book.
"Why are you being so nice to Malfoy?" he asked after a minute or so, causing Hermione so set her jaw at the immense annoyance he was causing her.
"Because he's your exact opposite," she said, teeth clenched. Ron smiled, thinking she was complimenting him.
"Gee, Mione..." he said, flattered. Hermione rolled her eyes, but said nothing. "I don't think you should hang around him too much... he's rancher- ous." The Gryffindor prefect groaned, exhausted from holding in the urge to put Ron out of his misery... and hers.
"You mean rancorous? That doesn't really even make sense. See Ron, I told you to be careful, now, didn't I?" Again, Ron ignored the fact he had no idea what she was talking about.
"I can't believe you lost us a hundred and fifty house points," Lavender hissed from behind her and Hermione turned to glare.
"I can't believe I'm wasting my time listening to you. Oh, and..." she leaned back and lowered her voice to a whisper. "About that halitosis of yours... my Mum says the dentists always use mentholated tongue scrapers. Just a thought." Hermione winked, then set her chair back on all fours, smirking as she turned back to her text. Lavender was practically on fire, and shooting the most deadly glares Hermione had ever seen... but it didn't bother her in the least. As said by another member of REO Speedwagon, 'She looked at me with fire in her eyes, looks can kill but she certainly tries and try as she might, I'm gonna be alright.'
"Oh!" said the girl behind her, unable to find words to express her anger. Hermione just smiled, not noticing another smiling face staring directly at her.
~
"Draco!" whispered Pansy harshly, but the Slytherin paid no notice of her. "If you don't answer me, you'll regret it, Malfoy!" Again, Draco said nothing... his attention was directed elsewhere. Pansy scowled, reached down and...
"Ah!" Draco practically yelled, sliding his chair back and away from Parkinson's odious decision in capturing his attention. Because the room was quiet, every head turned to him. Draco smirked and wagged his fingers at them, causing the students to scowl and turn back to their books. Except one. She stared right at him, a smile on her face, and Draco stared back... that is until he felt Parkinson walk her fingers toward his inner thigh again.
Then, he turned and scowled at her, grabbing her wrist. When Draco looked back to Hermione, she was having another argument with Ron and was no longer looking at him. He turned back to his partner, glaring, and gave her wrist a good hard squeeze, causing Pansy to gasp. Annoyed, he threw it away, letting her cradle it as if it were broken.
"You are not allowed to touch me there, Parkinson," he whispered fierce and coldly, eyes narrowed. Pansy seemed unaffected as she rubbed her wrist.
"You never used to mind," she reminded him and Draco shuddered at the memories. "Why the hell are you staring at the mudblood, Malfoy? Did what I said not penetrate your thick head? What would your father say?"
"Who gives a shit? It's none of his business, and it's none of yours, so keep your pudgy little nose out of it. And if you ever touch me again, I swear I'll make you physically unable to do so a third time. Are we clear on that?"
"God, Malfoy, what the hell is your problem? It's no wonder everyone's ditching you, you....you..." Pansy scowled and turned away, shaking her head. Draco suppressed the urge to beat her to a bloody pulp and instead turned his sights back on Hermione... who seemed to be enjoying this just as much as he was. She was staring directly at the clock on the wall, ignoring the animatedly chattering red-head beside her. Draco stared at the girl who stared at the wall, both unmoving for the next ten minutes.
"Alright class, you may be..." started Flitwick, but he was interrupted.
"RON! SHUT THE HELL UP!" Hermione screamed, standing in the process, and towering over Ron, who shrunk back in his seat, eyes wide with fear. Hermione, who had never really taken out more than her textbook, grabbed her bag and stormed out of the room. Draco watched, wishing he could go after her, but thought better of it. Flitwick was just about to dismiss the class; it might be a better idea to just wait and look a little more inconspicuous. Plus, she seemed angry... he didn't really want to volunteer to be her outlet. When the door stopped swinging behind Hermione, everyone turned back to the professor, who was looking quite taken off guard himself.
"Right... as I was saying, you may be dismissed, but remember your reading assignment..." If Flitwick said anything more, no one heard. Half the class was out the door before he got to the word 'remember.' At this realization, Flitwick chuckled merrily and left for the teacher's lounge. Draco stood slowly, put his text in his bag, then looked over to where Hermione had been seated. He looked around when he noticed that her book was still lying closed on her desk. Potter, Weasley, and Brown were all long gone, so he ventured to the Gryffindor side of the room to retrieve his roommate's textbook.
Draco picked up the book by the binding; big mistake. As he lifted it, the notebook she'd been writing in on the train and fell out, scattering a few papers across the floor. Draco cursed, but wasn't too bothered by it. He knelt down and picked up the blood filled book, making sure to close it without reading anything. Draco had a feeling he didn't want to know what was written in there. There were three papers which fell from the notebook, and he picked up each one, placing it back where it came from. The first two were written in the bronzy ink, so he kept his eyes away from their words, but the third was written in black, and in a very familiar script. Draco couldn't help but smile as he began to read the note.
*I see we listen well. Yes, I did bring you upstairs. No, I did not go...*
"What are you doing?" asked a voice from the doorway and Draco looked up, startled. Hermione was standing there, looking more scared and surprised than angry. Draco said nothing for a moment, sliding the note back into the notebook as he stood, then re-lifted the textbook from the table. He piled the diary atop the text and held them toward her.
"Forgot your books." Hermione stood frozen for a moment, then quickly stepped forward and accepted her possessions, holding them close to her chest. She looked up at Draco with the eyes of a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding big rig.
"That's why I came back," she said unwavering, then sounded scared out of her mind as she continued. "What did you see?" Hermione turned her head down and closed her eyes as she waited for him to tell her he'd seen everything. Waited for the questions, waited for the disgusted comments, for the order to leave his sight and never return... but he did something she was in no way expecting. Draco smiled and gently slid his fingers below her chin, lifting it. Hermione opened her eyes, surprised.
"I told you I wouldn't read, and I didn't. Promise." Hermione blinked. Was he telling the truth? That must've taken a damn lot of self control.
"Really?"
"Of course. I'm not that much of an asshole... honestly," he said, rolling his eyes, then he smiled at her. Hermione was compelled to smile back. Then, she stepped forward and kissed him square on the lips. She'd meant it only to be a peck, but something stopped her from pulling away. Draco didn't seem to mind; he kissed back with more effort than Hermione had put into the initiation and let his hands move to the small of her back, pulling her a little closer. Hermione placed the books in her arms back on the desk and trailed her hands up to the back of his neck.
When the kiss finally finished, Hermione took a step back. Draco, although he'd had no trouble in reciprocating her efforts, still looked shocked as they parted. She hadn't kissed him since the beginning of the train ride. I'd always been him...later on the train, outside the great hall, in bed, in the common room, after the essay... but this was all her. Hermione smiled at the look on his face and picked up her books again.
"Thanks, Draco. Walk with me to lunch?" Again, Draco was surprised. Not only had she gone and kissed him... she acted like nothing had happened. He swallowed dryly and gave a slight nod. Hermione looked ecstatic, smiling as if she'd just won the library.
"It's not for half an hour," Draco said, just realizing it, as they exited the classroom. Hermione shrugged her shoulders innocently.
"We'll walk slowly," she said, smirking, and Draco smiled. He kept his eyes on her as they walked, indeed slow, and Hermione smiled at the ground, fully aware of his gaze. Draco kept quiet for a while, but his curiosity was eating at him. It was after about ten minutes of strolling in comfortable silence that he spoke up.
"So, why did you keep my letter?" Hermione's smile dropped and her face looked ashen as she quickly looked up at him.
"W-What?" Uh-oh; Hermione suspected he had done a little more snooping than he'd owned up to. Draco, although he knew exactly what she was thinking, played innocent... not that he was guilty.
"It fell out and I recognized my handwriting. I was just curious as to why you would keep something so meaningless." Hermione sighed in visible relief, then looked down at the notebook still in her hands. She'd put the heavy charms text in her feather-light bag, but insisted on carrying the precious item she'd almost lost. Suddenly, she hugged it tight to her.
"It's not meaningless," she whispered, then looked up at him. Draco looked at her with a somewhat touched smile. Hermione laughed slightly and looked back to the floor in front of her. "You'll think I'm stupid, but... I always keep things like that. I still have my letter of acceptation from first year, the letter informing me of my prefect status, the very first letter my parents ever owled me, the first letter I got from Harry and Ron the summer after we met, Hagrid's first request to join him for tea, and... others." She said this last word as if it bothered her, but the uneasiness disappeared quickly. "And now I have your letter, and I'm not throwing it away. It's not meaningless," she said and Draco could tell how much such simple things meant to her. He smiled unconsciously, intrigued by her simplistic view of sentiments. Hermione laughed again. "I would have kept our letters from potions had I not been so afraid Snape would find them and beat us down." Draco laughed.
"As if he could." She shrugged.
"You shouldn't underestimate people, Draco. People underestimate me; big mistake," Hermione said with a smirk and Draco smiled.
"That's a good point." She looked up at him.
"Do me a favor?" He smirked.
"As long as it involves no mutilation or homicidal tendencies of any kind."
"Oh, damn; never mind, then," she said sarcastically and Draco smiled.
"Will you kick me if I say no?" Hermione smirked.
"Yes. Thank you for that excellent suggestion."
"Okay, okay, fine. What do you want?" Hermione looked uneasy.
"I don't know yet... but back to my favor..."
"Yes, which is what I was referring to," he said, nodding and Hermione laughed.
"Right. Let's start over. Do me a favor?"
"Of course."
"Don't make me hate you," she said seriously and Draco raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you already hated me?" Hermione sighed.
"No Draco; I usually don't repeatedly snog, sleep with, or let Eglamour hang out with people I hate. I don't hate you. Never did, really. You weren't the only one to piss me off, or shoot insults at me... and if memory serves me, I rebutted each of your comments... therefore, we're even, and I have no reason to hate you."
"Agreed. And for the record, you didn't sleep with me." Yet, Draco thought. You didn't sleep with me yet. Say it damn you! But it was too late. Hermione smiled.
"Yes, that's true," she agreed.
"So, why this request? Am I on my way to your blacklist?" He asked almost worriedly and she frowned slightly, then her smile became sad.
"I've had quite a bit of experience with suddenly hating someone I'm friends with. I really do like you, Draco. I don't want to hate you." Draco smiled. He wanted to... hug her, or pull her close... hold her hand... something... but he did nothing; simply smiled and walked beside her. Then, as if she'd read his mind, Hermione let one hand away from her precious notebook and slid it in his, pulling him toward a hallway. For a moment, surprise and happiness distorted his conscious, but then Draco regained himself.
"Hate to be the one to point out the obvious, Hermione, but the great hall is that way," he said, pointing. Hermione smirked, but didn't let go of his hand.
"I said we were going to lunch; I never said anything about the great hall. I haven't been there since the 'Welcome Back Feast' and I don't plan on returning anytime soon." Draco stayed quiet for a moment.
"Not even going to ask," he said out loud, but to himself, although Hermione could hear. She smirked.
"Good; you'll find out, anyway."
"Which reminds me... is there a purpose for the wolfsbane?" Hermione laughed evilly; three deep throated chuckles.
"Of course. I do believe we will be attending breakfast tomorrow morning, if only for a few minutes. Well, I will... you don't really have to go if you don't want to... but you're getting up earlier. I can't get back at Arenz and Gouvas by myself..." Draco smirked.
"I'm assuming you have plans, then?" he asked and Hermione looked up at him.
"I ALWAYS have plans. Nothing for me is ever spontaneous."
"Oh! So you MEANT to eat yourself into an agonizing oblivion yesterday? I see now... it all makes sense," Draco said sarcastically and Hermione glared good-naturedly.
"Oh, shut-up, you. The wolfsbane will indeed be added to the remaining vials of pheromone potion," she said, patting her pocket. "And will be slipped into Harry and Ron's breakfasts. Distracting them shouldn't be hard. I was thinking I'd need you to do that, but then I realized all I had to do was point somewhere and say 'Look, it's Sting!' and they'd both look for twenty minutes before they realized they had no idea who Sting was..."
"I don't even know who Sting is."
"That's a good thing; you don't want to. In the words of Ozzy Osbourne; 'I may be Ozzy Osbourne, but it could be worse... I could be Sting'." Draco smirked.
"Now Ozzy I know."
"Your Mum again?"
"Hell no; she chews me out for that stuff all the time," Draco laughed, still consciously aware of her hand in his. Hermione smiled.
"Good; we DO have something in common. Anyway... this slide of the hand which will occur at eight AM tomorrow will cause both Harry and Ron to lose their 'appeal'. I realize Ron really doesn't have any to begin with... but I'm playing on if no one's after Harry, he'll be pretty close in line for the next... 'stud'." She spoke the last word as if it were a disease. "Now; I'm assuming Snape won't figure out why all the girls in the rest of his classes are batting their eyelashes at him today, meaning he'll still reek of attraction tomorrow. It should be quite interesting to see Harry's reaction when his fan club starts fawning over one of his only remaining enemies. Still not that great, but it's a start. I'm working with what I have here."
"It's brilliant." Hermione smiled, blushing slightly. "So, what about the pack rats?"
"That depends on what ingredients we can manage to steal during our detention tonight; I was hoping for a possible irreversible adhesive potion to apply to their chairs... but I don't know if Snape'll just leave six ounces of water beetle tears on his desk or something," she said and Draco nodded.
"Good point."
"It doesn't matter... I'll think of something."
"I have no doubt that you will." Hermione smiled again. "Hey, Hermione... do you think I'm 'stud' material?" Draco asked playfully, stopping and spreading his arms so she could get a good look. Hermione smirked.
"Oh, most definitely. And if your father is any indication, you will be for quite some time," she said and stared walking again, gently pulling him to come with her. Draco made a shocked and disgusted face.
"You find my father attractive?" Hermione burst out laughing and Draco felt suddenly relieved. That would have been just plain weird.
"Hell no! Sorry, love, I'm not really attracted to men more than twice my age, but I'm picky like that. Honestly, Draco... I was just implying that your father isn't outstandingly unattractive, like... Mr. Weasley. Nice guy, a bit off in the head, but... I don't know how Ron's mother sleeps next to him every night," she said, shaking her head.
"Well that's reassuring," Draco said sarcastically and Hermione smiled up at him. She looked for a good while, and Draco noticed. He looked back with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm serious, though. As long as you leave your hair the hell alone and keep it where it is... and oh, god, promise me you will never grow a mustache. It'll totally kill the whole little kid innocent look you've got going for you."
"Done." Hermione smiled and Draco returned it.
"I bet you could marry Parkinson and your kids would still be cute." Draco snorted.
"If I marry Parkinson, there will be no children." Hermione laughed.
"Can't say I blame you there. You know, if you're ever hard up on cash... come to the muggle world and look into Soap Operas. I'm not a fan myself, but I've seen enough to know that every one of them has a blonde guy and a little-kid-innocent guy. You'd be perfect," Hermione said, smiling, and Draco laughed.
"I can't really... act. Lie, yes, I can lie... but I can't act," he said and Hermione shrugged.
"That's okay. None of the others can either. Just remember who suggested this when you're all rich again.... and...." she started, but then stopped, holding a light smile on her face.
"And?" he prompted.
"And forget me the next season when they kill off your character." Draco smiled and pushed her lightly.
"As if I'll ever forget you," he said and Hermione smiled.
"When I'm finished, no one will forget me," she said evilly and Draco smirked.
"I think I like the sound of that."
"You too will be eminent, my friend. Together, we shall reign. Hogwarts alumni will rue the day they double crossed us... or in some cases, single crossed us," Hermione said, still with an evil after-tone and Draco kept his smirk.
"Here-here." Then, he looked around. "Yep."
"Yep what?" Hermione asked and Draco shrugged.
"I had a feeling I'd be totally lost by the time we got to wherever you're taking me," Draco said and Hermione smiled, looking around herself.
"Oh, damn," she said, laughing.
"What?"
"I forgot I was going somewhere; come on," she said, turning around and pulling Draco to follow her. He laughed and came along; luckily, they hadn't gone too much farther than Hermione had originally wanted. She stopped right in the middle of the hall, a smirk on her face. Draco looked to where she was looking and nodded.
"Yes, a very interesting painting. Definitely worth the walk." Hermione pursed her lips and glared at him, but a smile broke through.
"Oh, come on," she said and stepped up to the giant bowl of fruit. Draco watched as she lightly ran a finger over the green ball impersonating a pear and was surprised when it giggled and the portrait opened. Hermione looked back at him with a smile, enjoying the surprise and subtle excitement in his expression.
"Thought you might like that." Draco looked past the doorway to the enormous kitchens, filled with dozens of house elves; at least twice what he had back at the manor. One in particular caught his attention.
"Dobby?" he wondered, crinkling his brow and inspecting one of the many workers. Hermione beamed.
"Oh, you know Dobby, do you? I thought Harry said something about him belonging to you or something... Oi! Dobby!"
"Miss Hermione!" said the little man Draco had been inspecting and he put down the rag he'd been cleaning with, dashing over to the darkly dressed Gryffindor. "Dobby was wondering when he would see Miss Hermione again."
"I missed you too, Dobby. I believe you know Draco," Hermione said, indicating the Slytherin behind her with her book-clad hand. Dobby looked up at the blonde and his tiny mouth dropped.
"Draco!?" he exclaimed and Draco shook his head to clear away the daze, then smiled.
"Hey, Dobby. Long time."
"Damn straight!" said the little man, shocking Hermione, who looked at Draco, who looked at her in turn, then she laughed. It was quite odd to hear a house elf speak that way.
"I was going to say you could drop the act if you wanted; Mione's on our side." Dobby looked uneasily between the slightly confused looking Gryffindor and the smiling Slytherin, then trailed his eyes down to their interlocked hands. He smirked.
"Yeah, I know that," he said and Hermione's eyes opened. "Sorry, Hermione. I should have stopped that sooner. Do you know how annoying it is to talk in third person all the time? If there's a table of six people, you can't just say 'Can I take your order?' you have to say 'What can Dobby get for Mr. What's-his-name, Miss So-in-so...' and about ten minutes later, they finally tell you what they want." Dobby shook his head. "Which reminds me; what can I get for you?"
Hermione looked at Draco, who shrugged, then back to Dobby.
"Whatever they're serving for lunch is fine, Dobby. Thanks," she said and he nodded, turning back toward the kitchens. Hermione turned to Draco. "Never try and follow them; they're very defensive of their kitchen territory. If you get in their way, you get burned," she said and led him over to the small table she'd always sit at when she came to visit Dobby.
"I thought you said EVERYone hated you; Dobby seems to like you well enough," Draco pointed out with a smirk as they sat down, their hands finally coming apart. Though he wasn't too thrilled about his, Draco said nothing about it. Hermione smiled.
"Dobby doesn't count."
"Why?" Draco asked, looking suspicious. "Because he's a house elf?"
"No, because I could come in here and Avada every one of the other elves, and he'd applaud. As long as you're nice to him, that guy'll love you forever." Draco nodded.
"Good point."
"Of course; it came from me, didn't it?" Draco smiled.
"Hey, I was wondering... why'd you blow up at Weasley? What'd he do? I know it wasn't just because he was talking to you; he'd been doing that the entire class." Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Watching me, were you?" Draco smirked and shrugged.
"It was either that or look at Pansy."
"Wow; that must have been a tough decision. I feel special now," she said sarcastically and Draco shrugged again.
"There was no contest. So anyway, about my question?"
"He told me I had a nice ass," she said and Draco looked somewhat surprised. He leaned over in his chair, which was across from Hermione's, and pretended to validate Ron's statement.
"I agree," he said as he straightened again and Hermione shook her head at him. He smirked. "What, no 'Malfoy! Shut the hell up!'?" Hermione smiled.
"If I'm not mistaken, Malfoy, you are not a member of an elite group of dumb asses bent on making my life a living hell, are you?"
"No. I fly solo," he stated smartly and Hermione smiled.
"That's what I thought."
A/N: Hehe... sorry this is so like, detailed and stuff, but I tend to do that. The train ride took two chapters, remember. Lol. And someone mentioned the absence of Eglamour. Yes, this saddens me as well... I apologize for him not being in this chapter either. He'll be in the next one, promise... love that guy. Anyway... warning! There is another sappy and weird conversation in the next chapter! Plot development, I swear! Hehe. Hermione did something... and now she's owning up to the consequences. Whatever could she have done? And what is in store for her this faithful evening? Will there be water beetle tears? We shall see.
PRF:
Tom*Feltons*Babe: Draco seems to really care about what Hermione thinks of him. He keeps asking her... lol. Is that a little too self-concious? I don't know... I like it. Lol. I HATE EVERY MEMBER OF GRYFFINDOR (with the exception of Hermione)!!!!
Erilyn Rose: Snape Snape Snape... gonna get some lovin!!!
Hataher: (I think you meant Heather) anyway... lol... Mione HAD to get close so he wouldn't notice her dump the vial in his coffee. I don't know why she'd want to be that close otherwise... she just enjoys being a psycho- bitch... lol
MysticPixie: It was a Pheromone potion... pheromones are the natural scents animals excrete to subconsciously alert members of the opposite sex that they're ready for some lovin! Believe it or not, B.O. is a pheromone, lol... but it only works if you can barely smell it. I'm not saying that people should be attracted to people with bad B.O.... but, GOOD B.O. Lol. Basically, this potion is gonna make Snape seem like one sexy bitch and like every girl in the school who gets close enough will be attracted... lol...should be fun!
Dreamer: Read MysticPixie's PRF....^^^ to learn about the potion, lol. Thanx, I'm glad you like my fic so much! I like it too!
Exlibris: Yeah, I don't like them either... they're just supposed to be stupid and mean. Which they are. The story's not about them. Pay them little attention. Lol... that is until this plan plays out!
Kat-tak: Thanx!
Tainted Black: Nope, sorry... but the later on will be quite humourous. No coffee drinking in plain sight, lol. Nick is just an ass. Read MysticPixies PRF up there to learn about the potion. Claire's gonna be a druggie later, lol... peer pressure... JUST SAY NO! SAY NO CLAIRE!
Sleepy-Kitty: Your pal TOM? Can I meet this TOM? Lol. Thanx for reviewing!
Ezmerelda: Thanx for the lovely compliments! Lol. Yes, Nick will be punished... and Snape's got it coming to him.
Shezabel: You know what? Me too! And I love your penname! Is that your real name? That's awesome!
Vanessa: For right now, they just do. This matter will be confronted later. We all love Draco!
Silver Dragon Goddess: Proofreading is very important. Lol. I loved that line too... hehe.
KittyKat589: In answer to your conclusions A) Most definitely B) I totally agree, have always thought this C) Yes, that would be sad. This is why I'm updating, lol.
Starry Skies: I find black sheets attractive, lol. Is that weird? Oh well... black sheets and a pale blonde Slytherin... yum, yum.... actually, Can you imagine that white room of hers, and Draco wearing white, sitting in the white bed with the white sheets.... oh lord... lol. It's like an image straight from heaven... anyway, away from my fantasies... I think my story's pretty original... I like it that way, that's what I was trying for. Its nice... like Draco in a white suit in a white bed wearing that adorable smirk....::Swoon::
Last Time on LGG:
"Why must those Gryffindor conspire against me?"
"Well, you DID lost them a hundred house points," Draco pointed out and Hermione smirked.
"Yeah, I did... didn't I? Ha! As if they have any chance of winning without me answering all those damn questions. And I refuse to do it, too. I'm not answering a single one this year... I don't care who thinks I've gone crazy... nope."
"What if I think you've gone crazy?"
"Then you're pathetically unobservant," she said, smiling up at him.
"To Transfiguration?"
"Lead the way."
~*~*~*~
CHAPTER TEN: Sleeping Alongside Mr. Weasley
Unfortunately for Draco and Hermione, both Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, whose class they had post-transfiguration, decided it best to assign seats... with like house members. The two prefects were forced to sit about as far away from each other as possible in both classes. Hermione sat next to Ron, with Harry and Lavender behind them, and Draco with Pansy, Millicent and Blaise in front of them. Hermione ignored all three of her friends for the entire of Transfiguration... but Charms brought with it a bit of an argument.
"Hermione," Ron said in a whisper, but Hermione ignored him, keeping her eyes on the text she was supposed to be reading. No one noticed that she wasn't even on the right page. "Hermione, come on, I said I was sorry." She turned and glared at him.
"Do I look like I care?"
"Not particularly..."
"Ooo... big words, Ron. Careful, now. Wouldn't want to choke," she said, smirking, but Ron looked confused. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back to her book.
"Why are you being so nice to Malfoy?" he asked after a minute or so, causing Hermione so set her jaw at the immense annoyance he was causing her.
"Because he's your exact opposite," she said, teeth clenched. Ron smiled, thinking she was complimenting him.
"Gee, Mione..." he said, flattered. Hermione rolled her eyes, but said nothing. "I don't think you should hang around him too much... he's rancher- ous." The Gryffindor prefect groaned, exhausted from holding in the urge to put Ron out of his misery... and hers.
"You mean rancorous? That doesn't really even make sense. See Ron, I told you to be careful, now, didn't I?" Again, Ron ignored the fact he had no idea what she was talking about.
"I can't believe you lost us a hundred and fifty house points," Lavender hissed from behind her and Hermione turned to glare.
"I can't believe I'm wasting my time listening to you. Oh, and..." she leaned back and lowered her voice to a whisper. "About that halitosis of yours... my Mum says the dentists always use mentholated tongue scrapers. Just a thought." Hermione winked, then set her chair back on all fours, smirking as she turned back to her text. Lavender was practically on fire, and shooting the most deadly glares Hermione had ever seen... but it didn't bother her in the least. As said by another member of REO Speedwagon, 'She looked at me with fire in her eyes, looks can kill but she certainly tries and try as she might, I'm gonna be alright.'
"Oh!" said the girl behind her, unable to find words to express her anger. Hermione just smiled, not noticing another smiling face staring directly at her.
~
"Draco!" whispered Pansy harshly, but the Slytherin paid no notice of her. "If you don't answer me, you'll regret it, Malfoy!" Again, Draco said nothing... his attention was directed elsewhere. Pansy scowled, reached down and...
"Ah!" Draco practically yelled, sliding his chair back and away from Parkinson's odious decision in capturing his attention. Because the room was quiet, every head turned to him. Draco smirked and wagged his fingers at them, causing the students to scowl and turn back to their books. Except one. She stared right at him, a smile on her face, and Draco stared back... that is until he felt Parkinson walk her fingers toward his inner thigh again.
Then, he turned and scowled at her, grabbing her wrist. When Draco looked back to Hermione, she was having another argument with Ron and was no longer looking at him. He turned back to his partner, glaring, and gave her wrist a good hard squeeze, causing Pansy to gasp. Annoyed, he threw it away, letting her cradle it as if it were broken.
"You are not allowed to touch me there, Parkinson," he whispered fierce and coldly, eyes narrowed. Pansy seemed unaffected as she rubbed her wrist.
"You never used to mind," she reminded him and Draco shuddered at the memories. "Why the hell are you staring at the mudblood, Malfoy? Did what I said not penetrate your thick head? What would your father say?"
"Who gives a shit? It's none of his business, and it's none of yours, so keep your pudgy little nose out of it. And if you ever touch me again, I swear I'll make you physically unable to do so a third time. Are we clear on that?"
"God, Malfoy, what the hell is your problem? It's no wonder everyone's ditching you, you....you..." Pansy scowled and turned away, shaking her head. Draco suppressed the urge to beat her to a bloody pulp and instead turned his sights back on Hermione... who seemed to be enjoying this just as much as he was. She was staring directly at the clock on the wall, ignoring the animatedly chattering red-head beside her. Draco stared at the girl who stared at the wall, both unmoving for the next ten minutes.
"Alright class, you may be..." started Flitwick, but he was interrupted.
"RON! SHUT THE HELL UP!" Hermione screamed, standing in the process, and towering over Ron, who shrunk back in his seat, eyes wide with fear. Hermione, who had never really taken out more than her textbook, grabbed her bag and stormed out of the room. Draco watched, wishing he could go after her, but thought better of it. Flitwick was just about to dismiss the class; it might be a better idea to just wait and look a little more inconspicuous. Plus, she seemed angry... he didn't really want to volunteer to be her outlet. When the door stopped swinging behind Hermione, everyone turned back to the professor, who was looking quite taken off guard himself.
"Right... as I was saying, you may be dismissed, but remember your reading assignment..." If Flitwick said anything more, no one heard. Half the class was out the door before he got to the word 'remember.' At this realization, Flitwick chuckled merrily and left for the teacher's lounge. Draco stood slowly, put his text in his bag, then looked over to where Hermione had been seated. He looked around when he noticed that her book was still lying closed on her desk. Potter, Weasley, and Brown were all long gone, so he ventured to the Gryffindor side of the room to retrieve his roommate's textbook.
Draco picked up the book by the binding; big mistake. As he lifted it, the notebook she'd been writing in on the train and fell out, scattering a few papers across the floor. Draco cursed, but wasn't too bothered by it. He knelt down and picked up the blood filled book, making sure to close it without reading anything. Draco had a feeling he didn't want to know what was written in there. There were three papers which fell from the notebook, and he picked up each one, placing it back where it came from. The first two were written in the bronzy ink, so he kept his eyes away from their words, but the third was written in black, and in a very familiar script. Draco couldn't help but smile as he began to read the note.
*I see we listen well. Yes, I did bring you upstairs. No, I did not go...*
"What are you doing?" asked a voice from the doorway and Draco looked up, startled. Hermione was standing there, looking more scared and surprised than angry. Draco said nothing for a moment, sliding the note back into the notebook as he stood, then re-lifted the textbook from the table. He piled the diary atop the text and held them toward her.
"Forgot your books." Hermione stood frozen for a moment, then quickly stepped forward and accepted her possessions, holding them close to her chest. She looked up at Draco with the eyes of a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding big rig.
"That's why I came back," she said unwavering, then sounded scared out of her mind as she continued. "What did you see?" Hermione turned her head down and closed her eyes as she waited for him to tell her he'd seen everything. Waited for the questions, waited for the disgusted comments, for the order to leave his sight and never return... but he did something she was in no way expecting. Draco smiled and gently slid his fingers below her chin, lifting it. Hermione opened her eyes, surprised.
"I told you I wouldn't read, and I didn't. Promise." Hermione blinked. Was he telling the truth? That must've taken a damn lot of self control.
"Really?"
"Of course. I'm not that much of an asshole... honestly," he said, rolling his eyes, then he smiled at her. Hermione was compelled to smile back. Then, she stepped forward and kissed him square on the lips. She'd meant it only to be a peck, but something stopped her from pulling away. Draco didn't seem to mind; he kissed back with more effort than Hermione had put into the initiation and let his hands move to the small of her back, pulling her a little closer. Hermione placed the books in her arms back on the desk and trailed her hands up to the back of his neck.
When the kiss finally finished, Hermione took a step back. Draco, although he'd had no trouble in reciprocating her efforts, still looked shocked as they parted. She hadn't kissed him since the beginning of the train ride. I'd always been him...later on the train, outside the great hall, in bed, in the common room, after the essay... but this was all her. Hermione smiled at the look on his face and picked up her books again.
"Thanks, Draco. Walk with me to lunch?" Again, Draco was surprised. Not only had she gone and kissed him... she acted like nothing had happened. He swallowed dryly and gave a slight nod. Hermione looked ecstatic, smiling as if she'd just won the library.
"It's not for half an hour," Draco said, just realizing it, as they exited the classroom. Hermione shrugged her shoulders innocently.
"We'll walk slowly," she said, smirking, and Draco smiled. He kept his eyes on her as they walked, indeed slow, and Hermione smiled at the ground, fully aware of his gaze. Draco kept quiet for a while, but his curiosity was eating at him. It was after about ten minutes of strolling in comfortable silence that he spoke up.
"So, why did you keep my letter?" Hermione's smile dropped and her face looked ashen as she quickly looked up at him.
"W-What?" Uh-oh; Hermione suspected he had done a little more snooping than he'd owned up to. Draco, although he knew exactly what she was thinking, played innocent... not that he was guilty.
"It fell out and I recognized my handwriting. I was just curious as to why you would keep something so meaningless." Hermione sighed in visible relief, then looked down at the notebook still in her hands. She'd put the heavy charms text in her feather-light bag, but insisted on carrying the precious item she'd almost lost. Suddenly, she hugged it tight to her.
"It's not meaningless," she whispered, then looked up at him. Draco looked at her with a somewhat touched smile. Hermione laughed slightly and looked back to the floor in front of her. "You'll think I'm stupid, but... I always keep things like that. I still have my letter of acceptation from first year, the letter informing me of my prefect status, the very first letter my parents ever owled me, the first letter I got from Harry and Ron the summer after we met, Hagrid's first request to join him for tea, and... others." She said this last word as if it bothered her, but the uneasiness disappeared quickly. "And now I have your letter, and I'm not throwing it away. It's not meaningless," she said and Draco could tell how much such simple things meant to her. He smiled unconsciously, intrigued by her simplistic view of sentiments. Hermione laughed again. "I would have kept our letters from potions had I not been so afraid Snape would find them and beat us down." Draco laughed.
"As if he could." She shrugged.
"You shouldn't underestimate people, Draco. People underestimate me; big mistake," Hermione said with a smirk and Draco smiled.
"That's a good point." She looked up at him.
"Do me a favor?" He smirked.
"As long as it involves no mutilation or homicidal tendencies of any kind."
"Oh, damn; never mind, then," she said sarcastically and Draco smiled.
"Will you kick me if I say no?" Hermione smirked.
"Yes. Thank you for that excellent suggestion."
"Okay, okay, fine. What do you want?" Hermione looked uneasy.
"I don't know yet... but back to my favor..."
"Yes, which is what I was referring to," he said, nodding and Hermione laughed.
"Right. Let's start over. Do me a favor?"
"Of course."
"Don't make me hate you," she said seriously and Draco raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you already hated me?" Hermione sighed.
"No Draco; I usually don't repeatedly snog, sleep with, or let Eglamour hang out with people I hate. I don't hate you. Never did, really. You weren't the only one to piss me off, or shoot insults at me... and if memory serves me, I rebutted each of your comments... therefore, we're even, and I have no reason to hate you."
"Agreed. And for the record, you didn't sleep with me." Yet, Draco thought. You didn't sleep with me yet. Say it damn you! But it was too late. Hermione smiled.
"Yes, that's true," she agreed.
"So, why this request? Am I on my way to your blacklist?" He asked almost worriedly and she frowned slightly, then her smile became sad.
"I've had quite a bit of experience with suddenly hating someone I'm friends with. I really do like you, Draco. I don't want to hate you." Draco smiled. He wanted to... hug her, or pull her close... hold her hand... something... but he did nothing; simply smiled and walked beside her. Then, as if she'd read his mind, Hermione let one hand away from her precious notebook and slid it in his, pulling him toward a hallway. For a moment, surprise and happiness distorted his conscious, but then Draco regained himself.
"Hate to be the one to point out the obvious, Hermione, but the great hall is that way," he said, pointing. Hermione smirked, but didn't let go of his hand.
"I said we were going to lunch; I never said anything about the great hall. I haven't been there since the 'Welcome Back Feast' and I don't plan on returning anytime soon." Draco stayed quiet for a moment.
"Not even going to ask," he said out loud, but to himself, although Hermione could hear. She smirked.
"Good; you'll find out, anyway."
"Which reminds me... is there a purpose for the wolfsbane?" Hermione laughed evilly; three deep throated chuckles.
"Of course. I do believe we will be attending breakfast tomorrow morning, if only for a few minutes. Well, I will... you don't really have to go if you don't want to... but you're getting up earlier. I can't get back at Arenz and Gouvas by myself..." Draco smirked.
"I'm assuming you have plans, then?" he asked and Hermione looked up at him.
"I ALWAYS have plans. Nothing for me is ever spontaneous."
"Oh! So you MEANT to eat yourself into an agonizing oblivion yesterday? I see now... it all makes sense," Draco said sarcastically and Hermione glared good-naturedly.
"Oh, shut-up, you. The wolfsbane will indeed be added to the remaining vials of pheromone potion," she said, patting her pocket. "And will be slipped into Harry and Ron's breakfasts. Distracting them shouldn't be hard. I was thinking I'd need you to do that, but then I realized all I had to do was point somewhere and say 'Look, it's Sting!' and they'd both look for twenty minutes before they realized they had no idea who Sting was..."
"I don't even know who Sting is."
"That's a good thing; you don't want to. In the words of Ozzy Osbourne; 'I may be Ozzy Osbourne, but it could be worse... I could be Sting'." Draco smirked.
"Now Ozzy I know."
"Your Mum again?"
"Hell no; she chews me out for that stuff all the time," Draco laughed, still consciously aware of her hand in his. Hermione smiled.
"Good; we DO have something in common. Anyway... this slide of the hand which will occur at eight AM tomorrow will cause both Harry and Ron to lose their 'appeal'. I realize Ron really doesn't have any to begin with... but I'm playing on if no one's after Harry, he'll be pretty close in line for the next... 'stud'." She spoke the last word as if it were a disease. "Now; I'm assuming Snape won't figure out why all the girls in the rest of his classes are batting their eyelashes at him today, meaning he'll still reek of attraction tomorrow. It should be quite interesting to see Harry's reaction when his fan club starts fawning over one of his only remaining enemies. Still not that great, but it's a start. I'm working with what I have here."
"It's brilliant." Hermione smiled, blushing slightly. "So, what about the pack rats?"
"That depends on what ingredients we can manage to steal during our detention tonight; I was hoping for a possible irreversible adhesive potion to apply to their chairs... but I don't know if Snape'll just leave six ounces of water beetle tears on his desk or something," she said and Draco nodded.
"Good point."
"It doesn't matter... I'll think of something."
"I have no doubt that you will." Hermione smiled again. "Hey, Hermione... do you think I'm 'stud' material?" Draco asked playfully, stopping and spreading his arms so she could get a good look. Hermione smirked.
"Oh, most definitely. And if your father is any indication, you will be for quite some time," she said and stared walking again, gently pulling him to come with her. Draco made a shocked and disgusted face.
"You find my father attractive?" Hermione burst out laughing and Draco felt suddenly relieved. That would have been just plain weird.
"Hell no! Sorry, love, I'm not really attracted to men more than twice my age, but I'm picky like that. Honestly, Draco... I was just implying that your father isn't outstandingly unattractive, like... Mr. Weasley. Nice guy, a bit off in the head, but... I don't know how Ron's mother sleeps next to him every night," she said, shaking her head.
"Well that's reassuring," Draco said sarcastically and Hermione smiled up at him. She looked for a good while, and Draco noticed. He looked back with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm serious, though. As long as you leave your hair the hell alone and keep it where it is... and oh, god, promise me you will never grow a mustache. It'll totally kill the whole little kid innocent look you've got going for you."
"Done." Hermione smiled and Draco returned it.
"I bet you could marry Parkinson and your kids would still be cute." Draco snorted.
"If I marry Parkinson, there will be no children." Hermione laughed.
"Can't say I blame you there. You know, if you're ever hard up on cash... come to the muggle world and look into Soap Operas. I'm not a fan myself, but I've seen enough to know that every one of them has a blonde guy and a little-kid-innocent guy. You'd be perfect," Hermione said, smiling, and Draco laughed.
"I can't really... act. Lie, yes, I can lie... but I can't act," he said and Hermione shrugged.
"That's okay. None of the others can either. Just remember who suggested this when you're all rich again.... and...." she started, but then stopped, holding a light smile on her face.
"And?" he prompted.
"And forget me the next season when they kill off your character." Draco smiled and pushed her lightly.
"As if I'll ever forget you," he said and Hermione smiled.
"When I'm finished, no one will forget me," she said evilly and Draco smirked.
"I think I like the sound of that."
"You too will be eminent, my friend. Together, we shall reign. Hogwarts alumni will rue the day they double crossed us... or in some cases, single crossed us," Hermione said, still with an evil after-tone and Draco kept his smirk.
"Here-here." Then, he looked around. "Yep."
"Yep what?" Hermione asked and Draco shrugged.
"I had a feeling I'd be totally lost by the time we got to wherever you're taking me," Draco said and Hermione smiled, looking around herself.
"Oh, damn," she said, laughing.
"What?"
"I forgot I was going somewhere; come on," she said, turning around and pulling Draco to follow her. He laughed and came along; luckily, they hadn't gone too much farther than Hermione had originally wanted. She stopped right in the middle of the hall, a smirk on her face. Draco looked to where she was looking and nodded.
"Yes, a very interesting painting. Definitely worth the walk." Hermione pursed her lips and glared at him, but a smile broke through.
"Oh, come on," she said and stepped up to the giant bowl of fruit. Draco watched as she lightly ran a finger over the green ball impersonating a pear and was surprised when it giggled and the portrait opened. Hermione looked back at him with a smile, enjoying the surprise and subtle excitement in his expression.
"Thought you might like that." Draco looked past the doorway to the enormous kitchens, filled with dozens of house elves; at least twice what he had back at the manor. One in particular caught his attention.
"Dobby?" he wondered, crinkling his brow and inspecting one of the many workers. Hermione beamed.
"Oh, you know Dobby, do you? I thought Harry said something about him belonging to you or something... Oi! Dobby!"
"Miss Hermione!" said the little man Draco had been inspecting and he put down the rag he'd been cleaning with, dashing over to the darkly dressed Gryffindor. "Dobby was wondering when he would see Miss Hermione again."
"I missed you too, Dobby. I believe you know Draco," Hermione said, indicating the Slytherin behind her with her book-clad hand. Dobby looked up at the blonde and his tiny mouth dropped.
"Draco!?" he exclaimed and Draco shook his head to clear away the daze, then smiled.
"Hey, Dobby. Long time."
"Damn straight!" said the little man, shocking Hermione, who looked at Draco, who looked at her in turn, then she laughed. It was quite odd to hear a house elf speak that way.
"I was going to say you could drop the act if you wanted; Mione's on our side." Dobby looked uneasily between the slightly confused looking Gryffindor and the smiling Slytherin, then trailed his eyes down to their interlocked hands. He smirked.
"Yeah, I know that," he said and Hermione's eyes opened. "Sorry, Hermione. I should have stopped that sooner. Do you know how annoying it is to talk in third person all the time? If there's a table of six people, you can't just say 'Can I take your order?' you have to say 'What can Dobby get for Mr. What's-his-name, Miss So-in-so...' and about ten minutes later, they finally tell you what they want." Dobby shook his head. "Which reminds me; what can I get for you?"
Hermione looked at Draco, who shrugged, then back to Dobby.
"Whatever they're serving for lunch is fine, Dobby. Thanks," she said and he nodded, turning back toward the kitchens. Hermione turned to Draco. "Never try and follow them; they're very defensive of their kitchen territory. If you get in their way, you get burned," she said and led him over to the small table she'd always sit at when she came to visit Dobby.
"I thought you said EVERYone hated you; Dobby seems to like you well enough," Draco pointed out with a smirk as they sat down, their hands finally coming apart. Though he wasn't too thrilled about his, Draco said nothing about it. Hermione smiled.
"Dobby doesn't count."
"Why?" Draco asked, looking suspicious. "Because he's a house elf?"
"No, because I could come in here and Avada every one of the other elves, and he'd applaud. As long as you're nice to him, that guy'll love you forever." Draco nodded.
"Good point."
"Of course; it came from me, didn't it?" Draco smiled.
"Hey, I was wondering... why'd you blow up at Weasley? What'd he do? I know it wasn't just because he was talking to you; he'd been doing that the entire class." Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Watching me, were you?" Draco smirked and shrugged.
"It was either that or look at Pansy."
"Wow; that must have been a tough decision. I feel special now," she said sarcastically and Draco shrugged again.
"There was no contest. So anyway, about my question?"
"He told me I had a nice ass," she said and Draco looked somewhat surprised. He leaned over in his chair, which was across from Hermione's, and pretended to validate Ron's statement.
"I agree," he said as he straightened again and Hermione shook her head at him. He smirked. "What, no 'Malfoy! Shut the hell up!'?" Hermione smiled.
"If I'm not mistaken, Malfoy, you are not a member of an elite group of dumb asses bent on making my life a living hell, are you?"
"No. I fly solo," he stated smartly and Hermione smiled.
"That's what I thought."
A/N: Hehe... sorry this is so like, detailed and stuff, but I tend to do that. The train ride took two chapters, remember. Lol. And someone mentioned the absence of Eglamour. Yes, this saddens me as well... I apologize for him not being in this chapter either. He'll be in the next one, promise... love that guy. Anyway... warning! There is another sappy and weird conversation in the next chapter! Plot development, I swear! Hehe. Hermione did something... and now she's owning up to the consequences. Whatever could she have done? And what is in store for her this faithful evening? Will there be water beetle tears? We shall see.
PRF:
Tom*Feltons*Babe: Draco seems to really care about what Hermione thinks of him. He keeps asking her... lol. Is that a little too self-concious? I don't know... I like it. Lol. I HATE EVERY MEMBER OF GRYFFINDOR (with the exception of Hermione)!!!!
Erilyn Rose: Snape Snape Snape... gonna get some lovin!!!
Hataher: (I think you meant Heather) anyway... lol... Mione HAD to get close so he wouldn't notice her dump the vial in his coffee. I don't know why she'd want to be that close otherwise... she just enjoys being a psycho- bitch... lol
MysticPixie: It was a Pheromone potion... pheromones are the natural scents animals excrete to subconsciously alert members of the opposite sex that they're ready for some lovin! Believe it or not, B.O. is a pheromone, lol... but it only works if you can barely smell it. I'm not saying that people should be attracted to people with bad B.O.... but, GOOD B.O. Lol. Basically, this potion is gonna make Snape seem like one sexy bitch and like every girl in the school who gets close enough will be attracted... lol...should be fun!
Dreamer: Read MysticPixie's PRF....^^^ to learn about the potion, lol. Thanx, I'm glad you like my fic so much! I like it too!
Exlibris: Yeah, I don't like them either... they're just supposed to be stupid and mean. Which they are. The story's not about them. Pay them little attention. Lol... that is until this plan plays out!
Kat-tak: Thanx!
Tainted Black: Nope, sorry... but the later on will be quite humourous. No coffee drinking in plain sight, lol. Nick is just an ass. Read MysticPixies PRF up there to learn about the potion. Claire's gonna be a druggie later, lol... peer pressure... JUST SAY NO! SAY NO CLAIRE!
Sleepy-Kitty: Your pal TOM? Can I meet this TOM? Lol. Thanx for reviewing!
Ezmerelda: Thanx for the lovely compliments! Lol. Yes, Nick will be punished... and Snape's got it coming to him.
Shezabel: You know what? Me too! And I love your penname! Is that your real name? That's awesome!
Vanessa: For right now, they just do. This matter will be confronted later. We all love Draco!
Silver Dragon Goddess: Proofreading is very important. Lol. I loved that line too... hehe.
KittyKat589: In answer to your conclusions A) Most definitely B) I totally agree, have always thought this C) Yes, that would be sad. This is why I'm updating, lol.
Starry Skies: I find black sheets attractive, lol. Is that weird? Oh well... black sheets and a pale blonde Slytherin... yum, yum.... actually, Can you imagine that white room of hers, and Draco wearing white, sitting in the white bed with the white sheets.... oh lord... lol. It's like an image straight from heaven... anyway, away from my fantasies... I think my story's pretty original... I like it that way, that's what I was trying for. Its nice... like Draco in a white suit in a white bed wearing that adorable smirk....::Swoon::