Disclaimer: I finally remembered! NO OWN-Y THESES PEEP-SY-S.... lol.
Last time on LGG:
"What did I tell you, Osric? When you took Celia, what did I say?"
"Draco, man, it's not what you think... she came on to me," Osric insisted, backing up against the wall.
"She came onto you, then beat the shit out of you for it? Does that sound right to you? I was watching, you ass, I saw exactly what happened," Draco barked. Osric actually looked scared. When Draco took another step toward him, he closed his eyes and morphed back into a scorpion, scampering down the hall as fast as he could. "You better run!" he called after him, then, in a fit of rage, punched the wall beside him. Down the hall, a portrait fell, barely missing a fleeing scorpion. Draco waited a moment, breathing deeply, forehead against the wall, calming himself down. When he felt ready, he knocked on Hermione's door.
"WHAT THE FUCK! DID YOU NOT GET ENOUGH? WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" screamed Hermione on the other side of the door. Draco took a small step back, afraid she might do something rash before she realized he wasn't Osric.
"Hermione, it's me! Draco!" he called back. There was some fumbling, then Hermione cracked open the door. When his statement was validated, she threw the slab back and ran into his arms, pushing against the opposite wall. Draco held her close.
"Draco..." she pulled back, tearing up slightly. "I'm sorry, Draco.... Osric, he... he tried to..."
"I know, Hermione, I saw everything... it's okay, I know it was his fault," he said and Hermione held him tight, eyes squeezed closed and head pressed hard against his chest. Draco bent and kissed her head softly, causing Hermione to look up, slightly confused. Draco smiled crookedly at her. "Come on," he said softly, and pushed her backward, into her room.
~*~*~*~
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE: Sanctuary! Sanctuary!
Draco quietly closed the door behind them and Hermione broke away, knelt near her open bags, possessions already strewn about the floor. Draco noticed his shoes lovingly placed next to the bed, straight and orderly; certainly not how he'd left them.
"Hermione?" he asked quietly and she paused in her search, then continued, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of one wrist. She refused to make eye contact.
"Yeah..." Hermione said softly and Draco sighed, sitting down beside her.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, unsure of exactly what to do.
"I'm fine," she said as if it were obvious, but not in a sarcastic way. Draco honestly doubted she was telling the truth.
"Mya..." he started again and Hermione looked at him, tilting her head.
"What?" she asked as if it were he who had the problem, and she were trying to be comforting.
"I'm sorry. Are you mad at me?" She sighed and went back to searching.
"Why do you always think I'm mad at you?"
"Because you usually are." She smiled. "Seriously, though..."
"Of course not; confused, yes, but I'm not mad at you. I have no idea what the fuck is going on with anyone anymore," she said, and breathed a sigh. "Finally," she said as she found what she was looking for; a small black pouch. Hermione turned around, sitting beside Draco, their backs against her trunk. She extracted a toothbrush from the bag and began to squirt a fair amount of white paste on it. Draco smirked at her as she poked it into her mouth and started furiously scrubbing. She looked at him and paused. "What?" Draco shook his head.
"Do you do that after I kiss you?" he asked, smirking and Hermione smiled.
"Maybe," she mumbled and Draco shook his head. Then, Hermione paused, letting the toothbrush slide slowly out of her mouth. "Are YOU mad at ME?" Draco frowned and turned his eyes to her.
"What the fuck did you do?"
"That's just it... I'm not exactly sure. I actually thought you were before you left... maybe I'm just seriously disturbed," she said, eyes widening, then continued to brush her teeth.
"Hermione... I have to tell you something," he said and she stopped again, looking up at him.
"What do you mean you HAVE to tell me something? Is it that bad that you HAVE to tell me? Something totally out there that's going to change everything... like you're a vampire... or something?" she asked, but didn't sound serious. Draco smiled.
"Something like that. Eglamour, actually, told me to." Hermione tilted her head to each side, weighing her options.
"Okay, I'm curious," she said and waited for him to speak, but Draco didn't say anything. He simply stared at the floor, contemplating his words... wondering if he should try to be subtle and witty or just spit it out. Hermione watched him, continuing to brush her teeth. She rolled her eyes, realizing he wasn't going to tell her anything, and swallowed the toothpaste, sticking her brush back in the bag without even bothering to magik it clean. Then, she turned to Draco, giving him her full attention. "Draco?" she asked softly and he looked up, then smiled.
"You've got some..." he said, pretending to wipe something off his face and Hermione smiled.
"Oh," she said, wiping hers the same way, but on the opposite side of the spot. Draco smiled. "Is that what you HAD to tell me?" she asked, laughing. "Did I get it?" He shook his head, and she tried again. "Now?" Again, he shook his head, moving close and bringing a hand to hold her jaw while he licked her pasty smudge away. Hermione smiled. "Thanks," she whispered, but couldn't have said more if she wanted to. Draco only pulled away a few centimeters before coming back in, kissing her deeply. Hermione brought her hand to his shoulder, but didn't push him away. She kissed back as if she hadn't seen him in years. When they broke apart, she smiled. "Is THAT what you had to tell me?" Draco smiled and nodded.
"Pretty much," he said, and Hermione raised her eyebrows.
"Eglamour told you to kiss me?" Draco laughed softly.
"Not exactly," he admitted before kissing her again and Hermione smiled into his lips.
"Tell me." Draco sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing his cheek against hers. "Tell me what I want to hear..." she whispered almost inaudibly and Draco pulled back a little, surprised. Hermione just smiled, her face pretty in its innocence... eyes sparkling, on the verge of immense happiness.
"I..." She nodded encouragingly. "I..." he sighed. "Never mind," he said and saw her heart break though her eyes. Closing his eyes in shame of his failure, Draco turned to leave again, but Hermione grabbed his arm.
"No, don't go," she pleaded, pulling him the three inches back to the ground and wrapped her arms around him, keeping him there. "I'm sorry," she said and Draco opened his mouth.
"Hermione..."
"No, you don't have to say anything," she said and shifted, crawling over him and turning around. Draco kept his eyes closed. He couldn't face her... but if he tried to look down, he'd be face to face with her breasts... and he couldn't take that either. "Just listen," Hermione suggested, settling herself and resting her head on his shoulder. She paused for a moment, enjoying the calmness of the situation. "I love you," she said in a deeply honest whisper and Draco stopped breathing.
"You LOVE me?" he asked after a long, intense, pause. "Are you sure?" She laughed softly and lifted her head, but kept her eyes down, nodding.
"I know, it's bad, I'm sorry... I didn't mean for it to happen, I just..." Draco was shocked beyond reason. He'd been struggling to tell her he liked her... and here she goes, beating him to the punch and dramatically changing the spelling of the 'L' word in use.
"Hermione, I..."
"No, don't say anything..." she said, sighing. "I know you don't love me, Draco, but... I just don't want to hear you say it right now, okay? I don't expect you to love me... that would definitely be asking too much... but I just couldn't keep it from you any longer. It doesn't change anything... don't worry about hurting me, or anything... I know you didn't ask for this... I didn't either, but it's my problem... as long as you know, I can just live with it. I'm sorry," she finished and Draco sat with wide eyes, mouth open like a fish out of water, wracking his brain for something to say.
"Hermione," he started, but she shook her head.
"No, don't."
"You don't understand, just listen..." Hermione looked up at him.
"Are you going to say 'Hermione, I love you too'?" she asked and Draco looked uneasy. He couldn't lie.
"Not exactly," he admitted quietly and Hermione looked down again.
"Then I don't want to hear it," she said and started to get up, but Draco held her close, suppressing a small grunt as her hips ground into his. She looked at him strangely, and Draco let out a tiny breath before leaning close.
"Can I?" he asked before he let himself continue and Hermione, although surprised, agreed.
"I guess..." she was cut off by his kiss, and allowed herself to kiss him back with not only the same heated passion, but with the love she'd so recently confessed. Although he didn't say as much, Draco noticed. Her kiss was hungrier, deeper... more thorough. He found himself unable to give her everything she unintentionally asked for, and it stung him a little. Hermione didn't seem at all unsatisfied. She let out a deep breath after he slowly pulled away. Then, after a silence, her breathing became slightly irregular. "Why did you do that?" she asked, sounding betrayed as the tears began to fall down her cheeks again. Draco was a little alarmed and lifted a hand to pull her into him.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, rubbing slowly up and down her back as she silently cried.
"No, tell me why," she demanded and Draco closed his eyes, face pressed against her hair.
"Because I wanted to," he said and Hermione sniffled.
"Really?"
"Yes... really," Draco whispered and she pulled back to look at him.
"Why? Why, after I told you... do you still want me? You're not supposed to... you're supposed to freak out and tell me to fuck off and get out of your way," she said, sounding extremely surprised, in a dead whisper. Draco smiled and shook his head.
"I would have told you before, but you wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise." Hermione just looked at him blankly, as if he'd never said anything. "Look, Hermione... I know you don't want me to say this, but..." she looked down and Draco swallowed, hoping he could save her before she hit the pointy rocks at the bottom of the pit of despair. "I may not love you.... but," he added quickly and she looked up. "I do like you. A lot. Probably more than anyone else, ever... and I do care about you... and I most definitely still want you," he said and smiled at her. Hermione took a deep breath.
"That's a lot better than I expected," she said and he smirked.
"Obviously. Did you really think I would just ditch you? After all that's happened the last few days? Honestly, you must have known I liked you... I've been acting like a total git... today in particular," he said and she smiled, then it fell.
"But you said..." she started, then stopped. Draco swallowed.
"What, Hermione? What did I say that would make you feel that unwanted?"
"You said... 'How can you leave me if you're not even with me?' and I thought... after the train, maybe we could be something... but then..." she said and Draco sighed.
"I know... I've regretted saying that ever since, Mya. I'm so sorry," he said quietly and kissed her softly. "Do you still want to be something?" She smiled.
"Yes..." Hermione said longingly as if she wanted nothing more. "But I'll understand if you don't, I mean... why would you, right?" she ended with a nervous laugh and Draco smiled.
"Because you're amazing, and smart, and beautiful, and I care more about you than any other girl I've ever met... no contest. I think about you constantly, Hermione. The simplest thing, you're worked into it. On Wednesday, I had practice before detention, remember?" She nodded, although confused as to where this was going. "I was walking to the pitch with the team, and Zabini says 'It looks like rain,' and my very first thought was 'Hermione likes the rain.'" Hermione laughed, looking down at her hands on his chest.
"You're lying." Draco shook his head.
"Why would I make that up?" She smiled.
"I don't know, but you did," she insisted, but Draco denied it.
"I'm not, promise. I was just telling Eglamour today, that when Snape suspended us, I knew I couldn't last two weeks without seeing you... or ending up in Dad's room," he said and Hermione smiled sadly, but shook her head. "It's true. And what's more, I'm wearing black underwear today." Now, she smirked.
"I know... but what does that have to do with anything?" He smiled.
"You've seen me in the morning, Hermione... on a normal day I could go shirtless and not notice until lunch. Do you know WHY I know something so insignificant?"
"I bet you're going to tell me," she said, smiling and Draco nodded.
"True," he said, then paused. "It's because you always wear black... except your underwear, so I remembered, because it was, although pitifully, ironic." Hermione looked up, suspicious.
"How do you know that? They're black today..." Draco nodded.
"Also true, but," he said and paused. "Monday night, you came into my room in a towel and asked for your wand back, remember?" She nodded, eyes growing wide. "Well, you were a little neglectful as you got on the bed. They were red that day." She was too stunned for words... and embarrassed, above all. She hadn't even known he'd seen anything. "Well, that is, until you came back to sleep with me... then they were black again."
"So you saw me wear red underwear for like two seconds and you remembered?" He nodded. "Do you frequently stalk the women you're attracted to?" Draco laughed.
"Nope, just you."
"So you keep a mental log of the light refraction from my knickers, and you shower me with lovely adjectives, and you don't want to spend fourteen days away from me... but you don't love me?" she asked curiously and Draco sighed, dropping his smile.
"I don't know, Hermione. Maybe I do love you... but I'm not exactly sure what that means, and I'd just like to really know before I go making you think something that might not be true. I don't want to lead you on... that'll only end in you getting hurt. I don't want to hurt you, Mya. Do you understand?" Hermione smiled wider than he'd ever seen her.
"Yes, Drakey, I understand," she said and Draco smiled, looking up slightly. Hermione looked into his eyes for a moment, then kissed him forcefully. "But I'm sure," she reminded him, then crawled off and sat sideways beside him. Draco smiled.
"Can I take you up on that offer?"
"And what offer might that be?" Hermione asked as she began to throw things back in the still open trunk. Draco smiled.
"The one the lets me call you mine." Hermione stopped everything. She didn't even breathe. It looked as if, had she dropped it, the bag would have stopped mid-air. "Not that I own you, but..." Draco began to assure her, thinking she might be upset. Hermione let out a shallow breath.
"Are you asking me what I think you're asking me?" she asked quietly and he smirked.
"I think so, yes." Hermione laughed, unable to not express her happiness.
"Really?" He nodded. "Well then, you can have me, if you want. Nobody else does." Draco shook his head and leaned toward her, giving her a comforting kiss.
"I don't like it when you say things like that, Mya."
"It's true, though, Drakey. Name me one person, other than you, who would attend my funeral," she challenged, still smiling, but looking determined.
"Your parents; that's two people." She shook a shoulder.
"Only for show, and only if it wasn't during business hours."
"Weasley," he said and Hermione laughed.
"If so, then only for the free food."
"Potter?" Hermione nodded.
"I'll give you that one, if there's an open bar."
"Potter, pride of Hogwarts, is an alcoholic?" Hermione nodded sadly.
"He can hold his liquor, that's for sure. A few days before term sixth year, we met up in Diagon Alley so I could show them which extra books they would need to be able to understand everything while at the same time sleep through class. Just to humor them, I took them to a wizard bar in London; sometimes it's good to be 'friends' with a celebrity. Harry downed six Red Dragons, and didn't even throw up. I paid for the last three just to see how many it'd take... but he just wouldn't. Pass out, yes, but I couldn't get him to yak. Sad, really. Ron, who was also quite drunk, and I dragged him back to his room at the Leaky Cauldron, and just kind of left him there. He came to school, it was fine," she said with an indifferent shrug of her shoulders and Draco laughed, shaking his head.
"Wow... six? I can only take four," he said and Hermione eyed him skeptically.
"Really? I can't even drink one... they're terrible, who in their right mind would willingly order that when there are much more tasteful options... mmm... like cranberry schnapps... we should hit at least one bar before we go back to school... we deserve it." Draco laughed and shook his head.
"This is stupid, Mya. It's just depressing, and you know it." She sighed and shrugged.
"Maybe. I think I'm just going to go change or something... where's the bathroom?" Draco looked startled.
"Oh, I never told you? Sorry." He pointed toward one side of the room. "Down this hall, third door after this on the left, but if you want a shower, you go down this hall, turn into the second corridor on your right, then it's the first door on your left. The closer one is D1 and the other is D2. It's written on the door," Hermione recounted this and nodded.
"Okay, I think I've got it," she said and Draco smiled. She leaned forward and kissed him, with that same hunger, smiling widely as she pulled away. Placing a hand on his shoulder as she stood, Hermione stepped over him and grabbed not only the little black cosmetic bag from her trunk, but a larger, overnight bag from beside it, then started for the door. Draco smiled as he watched her go, and she turned her eyes to him briefly before starting down the hall.
Then, Draco remembered Osric, and he felt himself grow not only angry again, but worried as well. He let out a breath. No, she'd be fine... Osric wouldn't dare touch her again. If he did... oh, Draco didn't even want to think about what his cousin would look like when he finished with him. He'd let Celia go... but he didn't care so deeply for Celia. He liked her... but it'd never have worked out. Hermione was different... she understood him... she wanted him not for his name, but despite his name... she loved him. He wouldn't lose her... not to Osric. Not to anyone.
~*~*~*~
As Hermione walked down the hall, she looked at the numbers and counted.
"One... two... three," she said and opened the door a crack. Sure enough, it was a small bathroom, with no shower, but everything else there could possibly be in a bathroom. There was even, she noted with slight disgust, a bidget. Much to her relief, it was filled with decorative soaps and potpourri, suggesting it wasn't used.
With the knowledge of the location of the closest bathroom, Hermione continued down the hall. Not only did she want to make sure she knew where she could find a shower, she decided it wasn't such a bad idea. Something about the train had made her feel dirty... and it wasn't the sex. She smiled, remembering it.
"Okay, second corridor... first door on the right. Must be this one... yep, D2," she said to herself and reached for the doorknob, but it turned before she could touch it and the door opened, revealing a very damp and startled Osric, wearing a green cotton bathrobe open over navy boxers and carrying a towel over his arm. He stopped cold when he saw her and Hermione peeped, taking a step back. Then, she glared. "I warn you, I can scream really fucking loud." Osric sighed, wincing a tad in the middle.
"Look, Granger, right? I'm not going to... do anything. You're not worth it," he said and shifted slightly.
"Oh, stop with the compliments," she said and he rolled his eyes. "Did I do that?" Hermione asked, pointing toward a large purple bruise on his side, her voice showing no sympathy. Osric looked down.
"Yes," he said icily and Hermione kept her indifference.
"I apologize," she said, in the same tone. Osric huffed and she made innocent eyes. "I thought you liked them feisty?" she asked, tilting her head. He scowled.
"Please remove your being from my direct line of vision. I do not wish to move you myself." Not wanting to make trouble, Hermione stepped to the side and bowed as he passed her. She smirked at his slight limp and entered the bathroom; glad to be rid of the git.
It was the largest bathroom she'd ever seen. Much bigger and better than the prefect bathroom back at Hogwarts. There was a large, in ground, black marble bathtub, big enough to fit at least six people comfortably, a circular shower with three bright silver showerheads, a toilet, and a sink, as well as a linen closet full of towels. The entire wall to her left was a gigantic mirror, while a large stained glass window covered almost half of the one directly across. The final wall was lined with the shower, closet, and toilet. Next to the door resided the sink, and the tub was centered in the dark green tile. Smiling at the extravagance that was not unexpected of Malfoy Manor, Hermione closed and locked the door, setting to work.
She showered, using that shampoo she knew drove Draco crazy, and changed, then sat on the floor in front of the mirror. As she brushed through her ebony tresses, Hermione took a good look at herself. The small spiral curls fell over her shoulders, dampening her skin slightly. She leaned in, letting them fall forward and drip onto her legs and the floor.
Hermione looked until she couldn't recognize herself anymore, then turned her head to the side, continuing inspection. If Draco thought talking about her funeral was depressing, she was glad he wasn't there now. Every time Hermione noticed something about herself that she liked, she talked herself into hating it.
Her nose, she noticed, was much too small for her face. Her profile looked stunted, as if she'd been hit much too hard with a book. Her hair, well... that was just plain awful. The color was the only thing she really liked about it. Hermione noticed that her skin seemed a little blotchy... and although her face was free of blemish, it seemed slightly off set to her other skin...redder. She sighed.
"I am officially the most undesirable person on the planet," she whispered to herself. "I have no idea what Draco was thinking when he said different. He is so out of my league it's not even funny." Hermione stood up and turned to the side. "Well, at least I have a fairly good figure... although I have no arse, and probably the ugliest KNEES I've ever seen."
With that thought, she charmed her shorts into long flannel pants, still black, but more complimenting. With a look of slightly unpleased discovery, Hermione placed her palms on her breasts, lifting them and watching as they fell back into place.
"Ugh, I'm only seventeen. I'm supposed to be able to go braless and not trip over my own damn chest," she said, flailing her arms out in exasperation. Feeling she'd had enough of a self-confidence plummet, Hermione picked up her bag, leaving the bathroom and debating whether or not to put on a sweatshirt to hide her hideous breasts. "I just couldn't have bought a tank top with a built in bra, could I? NO, let's buy the more ATTRACTIVE one... god forbid we look bunchy. Ugh..." she mumbled to herself and returned to her designated bedroom.
Draco was still there, lying on the bed and, surprisingly, watching T.V. There was a little black color T.V. on a shelf hanging from the ceiling, and was channeled to, surprisingly enough, a Quidditch match. He didn't notice her until Hermione dropped her bag on the floor with a thump.
"Oh, hey. Jeez, you were gone forever; I thought you got lost or something," he said, smiling as he watched her walk toward the bed. Hermione smirked and climbed up next to him.
"You thought I was lost, and you decide that watching T.V. is the best choice of action? How considerate of you." Draco laughed, placing a hand on her thigh as she knelt beside him.
"I'm just kidding, Mya. I wouldn't really worry for at least another half hour. Reasons: 1) Girls always take sixteen times longer in the shower than necessary. 2) The room really isn't that far away. 3) You're smart, and there're MP's everywhere. Even if you didn't remember which room you were in, I'm willing to bet you'd remember one of the others I told you, and if not, you could have gone to the other bathroom... I'm hoping you could find your way back from THERE."
"Okay, okay, I got it. Now, tell me why you're watching T.V. in the first place," she suggested, turning sideways and resting her head on his stomach, lying across the width of the bed. "And why it's playing Quidditch." Draco smiled, switching the remote to his other hand and stroking her hair with the one now free.
"Why not?"
"Do I really have to answer that?" Draco laughed.
"You have to ask for it; show 'em your wand... all that jazz. It's mostly muggle-born wizards who order it, but I figured it's warmer in here than in Bulgaria... and it doesn't cost as much money to watch a game." Hermione smiled.
"Is that all you get is Quidditch?"
"Nah, there's tons of other stuff. Look," he said and held up the remote control. It had dozens of buttons... many of which Hermione had no clue of the function. He pointed to one lit in red and shaped like a 'W' at the top, next to power. "This is for wizard mode," he said, then pointed next to it where there was an 'M', but it was unlit. "And this is for muggle."
"I never knew there even was such a thing," she said and he shook his shoulders.
"It's not like it's advertised." Hermione smiled.
"That's true."
"This room, the drawing room, and my room downstairs are the only ones with TVs. Mum doesn't watch it, and Lucius really only likes cartoons and his video games... so I put them in the rooms I use," Draco explained and Hermione smiled.
"So you have your room, your sleeping room, your bathroom, and your TV room?" she asked and he laughed.
"Sort of, but this is more like my sanctuary room. I put all the cool stuff I figured out how to install in here. Had to do something with my ridiculously large allowance." Hermione looked around. There was nothing out of the ordinary. A bed, dresser, desk, closet, and her bags on the floor. She turned to him.
"Like what?" He smiled widely.
"I was hoping you might ask that."
A/N: I know, I know... Draco just seems to be getting mushier and mushier, isn't he? And Hermione? Holy hell has she changed. It's hard, because I'm currently writing three fics... this one, one in which Hermione is the helpless little female and Draco is the strong but sensitive and protective boyfriend, and one where they're parents, which means everything is sentimental... and this is nothing like the other two... I think I'm getting my feelings mixed up a little. Lol. Sorry. Don't worry, it's not going COMPLETELY down hill... I've got some fun stuff cooked up... Chapter 23 is my favorite so far... you guys'll love it!
PRF:
Melanie: Can do, melly-po. Lol, sorry.
Princess: Yes, Osric an ass... popular belief...lol
Chick Vicious: Like... Sid Vicious? Lol. I like my chapter titles too... they're most of the time quite vague... and that makes people interested... I mean, look at this one? Lol. How could you put that off? :o)
Sleepy-kitty: I'm not much better, lol. I've been neglecting Flames like there's no tomorrow... or like, there is, and I can write then... wait... never mind, lol.
KittyKat589: Lol. Yep, Oz is an ass. Totally true.
Girl-named-belle: Yeah... me too ;o)
polvsmay_wobbly: Write another story once I'm done with this? As if I'll ever be done! And I'm already writing three! Lol. Sad, sad...it is.
Erilyn Rose: Gotta love the cat-couple! And Mione beating the crap out of that guy was a favorite for everyone, I think... lol. And ya gotta love little' Luci. We all do.
Crystalline Lily: Lol. I thought the pea was a nice touch, lol. I've had that whole procrastination thing going on too... I hope to hell there're no summer assignments this year!
Ezmerelda: I wrote you a review for that story... again, I apologize for not asking. Crystal-kitty2003: Yum yum in your tum tum.
Ash: Of COURSE she beat the crap out of Osric. She wasn't going to let him, like... fuck her... lol. That would have been crude... xoP
Tainted Black: Omg, your review was funnier than my chapter! Lol. That court scene was HILARIOUS... maybe, just maybe that could... come into play? Lol. Maybe not, but we'll see. If anyone kills Oz, it should be Lucius. You know how children are with bugs... he'll stick a needle in him and put him up on the wall... lol. And that's the 'Draco takes things way too seriously' kind of flirting. Lol.
Little Witch: Lol. Toddler voice on a grown man... SO cute!
Starry Skies: Lol, that comic strip sounds hilarious! I was laughing just reading you talk about it! Lol, so I got a little brave and took the smut a tad to the left...okay? lol. So what if I lied... are you upset? Didn't think so :o) Sorry, no Lucius in this chapter... but I think he's in the next one! Yes, actually... I'm positive. Hehe. Take it straight from the author.
Gray Fox: Oh so professional your review is, lol. Thanx. I appreciate it. I like being a little unorthodox; it's fun. Hehe.
Silver Dragon Goddess: I would have been pissed off if Draco got the wrong idea too... I mean, how over done is THAT. So, I let him watch his friend beat the shit out of his dumbass cousin. Lol. I was actually not planning on making Oz a bad guy... I think cause I like his name so much, but I did anyway... needed some sort of conflict.
Tigerbrat88: Lol. I like that Lucius thing too... he's such a cutie! And yes, Oz is an ass, we know. Lol.
Blue Angel: Am I? Well, thank you. Lol. If I can captivate you for a whole three hours, I'm proud. Thanks for sticking with me!
Dracoluva99: Love your pn... lol. Don't we all love Draco? ::sigh:: Anyway... lol. Thanx for reviewing! It's okay that you didn't review anything else, I usually don't until I get to the end, or wherever it's at that theres no more chapters... so I'm not upset. I'm glad you took a minute to do it! Thanks!
MoshiMoshiQueen: Osric is from the Shakesperian play "Hamlet." Do not ask me what part the character has, because I have no idea. Also, Draco's ex- girlfriend, Celia, is a Shakespereian name. From "As You Like It." Another play I've never read. Both Eglamour and Proteus (Morag's frog, which Mandy threatened, remember?) Are from the play "Two Gentlemen of Verona." This one I know. Eg is the long lost lover of Protus' girlfriend... but Proteus has ANOTHER girl, who is pregnant, which he doesn't know about, so it works out all well and good when they get back together. Anyway... on with the review, now that we've had a lesson in Shakespeare.... I'm glad you like it... I like Lucius... and I think Oz is, frankly, like a horny old-draco. Before he became the nice guy he is... ;o)
Cherryplumb11: Lol, you seem to like my story a lot. Thanks for all the praise, and fyi, we ALL hate Osric, lol. He's just that kind of person ;o)
Seraph: Lol... a seraph is a six-winged angel, did you know that? Lol. I bet you did ;o) Anyway... thanx for reading. Yep, 20 chapters... can you believe it? And I still have a WHOLE lot of revenge to plan. Hopefully, it'll get moving... I've got plans, baby.. let's put them into action, ya! I just picture Lucius like Art Alexikis from the band Everclear. Art had long hair, but he cut it short, and I'm like... whoa... and I figure if Luci is a little boy, his momma's gonna make him get a hair cut...lol.
Cookie: Thanx. I like it too... and heres a chappy for ya!
FiliatheRyuuzoku: Sorry, Ron's still trying to figure out why he can't get a girl, lol. They never DID take off that potion... and do you think he's smart enough to figure it out himself? ::shakes head:: Lol. Yep, Hermione's cheering up a tad... but then all that happens... ^^^ up there, in that chapter... whatever shall we do now?
George: Lol, maybe... I never thought of it that way... Eglamour sure sounds like he is in this chappy: Hermione: Eglamour told you to kiss me? Draco: Not exactly... :oD
Fred And George Weasley Are Gods: Lol, I read your story, boys... good good, by crakie! Lol. Why do you 'admire' Osric? Cause he scored a little on the one girl you never could? ::Evil grin...:: lol. You may think Draco's getting soft... and maybe he is... but he'll surprise you, don't worry. Lol. And, yes... Hermione rules.
Krissy: I think it's your computer, because my Chapter two seems fine to me on mine. Thanks for reading, though. Lol.
Last time on LGG:
"What did I tell you, Osric? When you took Celia, what did I say?"
"Draco, man, it's not what you think... she came on to me," Osric insisted, backing up against the wall.
"She came onto you, then beat the shit out of you for it? Does that sound right to you? I was watching, you ass, I saw exactly what happened," Draco barked. Osric actually looked scared. When Draco took another step toward him, he closed his eyes and morphed back into a scorpion, scampering down the hall as fast as he could. "You better run!" he called after him, then, in a fit of rage, punched the wall beside him. Down the hall, a portrait fell, barely missing a fleeing scorpion. Draco waited a moment, breathing deeply, forehead against the wall, calming himself down. When he felt ready, he knocked on Hermione's door.
"WHAT THE FUCK! DID YOU NOT GET ENOUGH? WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" screamed Hermione on the other side of the door. Draco took a small step back, afraid she might do something rash before she realized he wasn't Osric.
"Hermione, it's me! Draco!" he called back. There was some fumbling, then Hermione cracked open the door. When his statement was validated, she threw the slab back and ran into his arms, pushing against the opposite wall. Draco held her close.
"Draco..." she pulled back, tearing up slightly. "I'm sorry, Draco.... Osric, he... he tried to..."
"I know, Hermione, I saw everything... it's okay, I know it was his fault," he said and Hermione held him tight, eyes squeezed closed and head pressed hard against his chest. Draco bent and kissed her head softly, causing Hermione to look up, slightly confused. Draco smiled crookedly at her. "Come on," he said softly, and pushed her backward, into her room.
~*~*~*~
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE: Sanctuary! Sanctuary!
Draco quietly closed the door behind them and Hermione broke away, knelt near her open bags, possessions already strewn about the floor. Draco noticed his shoes lovingly placed next to the bed, straight and orderly; certainly not how he'd left them.
"Hermione?" he asked quietly and she paused in her search, then continued, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of one wrist. She refused to make eye contact.
"Yeah..." Hermione said softly and Draco sighed, sitting down beside her.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, unsure of exactly what to do.
"I'm fine," she said as if it were obvious, but not in a sarcastic way. Draco honestly doubted she was telling the truth.
"Mya..." he started again and Hermione looked at him, tilting her head.
"What?" she asked as if it were he who had the problem, and she were trying to be comforting.
"I'm sorry. Are you mad at me?" She sighed and went back to searching.
"Why do you always think I'm mad at you?"
"Because you usually are." She smiled. "Seriously, though..."
"Of course not; confused, yes, but I'm not mad at you. I have no idea what the fuck is going on with anyone anymore," she said, and breathed a sigh. "Finally," she said as she found what she was looking for; a small black pouch. Hermione turned around, sitting beside Draco, their backs against her trunk. She extracted a toothbrush from the bag and began to squirt a fair amount of white paste on it. Draco smirked at her as she poked it into her mouth and started furiously scrubbing. She looked at him and paused. "What?" Draco shook his head.
"Do you do that after I kiss you?" he asked, smirking and Hermione smiled.
"Maybe," she mumbled and Draco shook his head. Then, Hermione paused, letting the toothbrush slide slowly out of her mouth. "Are YOU mad at ME?" Draco frowned and turned his eyes to her.
"What the fuck did you do?"
"That's just it... I'm not exactly sure. I actually thought you were before you left... maybe I'm just seriously disturbed," she said, eyes widening, then continued to brush her teeth.
"Hermione... I have to tell you something," he said and she stopped again, looking up at him.
"What do you mean you HAVE to tell me something? Is it that bad that you HAVE to tell me? Something totally out there that's going to change everything... like you're a vampire... or something?" she asked, but didn't sound serious. Draco smiled.
"Something like that. Eglamour, actually, told me to." Hermione tilted her head to each side, weighing her options.
"Okay, I'm curious," she said and waited for him to speak, but Draco didn't say anything. He simply stared at the floor, contemplating his words... wondering if he should try to be subtle and witty or just spit it out. Hermione watched him, continuing to brush her teeth. She rolled her eyes, realizing he wasn't going to tell her anything, and swallowed the toothpaste, sticking her brush back in the bag without even bothering to magik it clean. Then, she turned to Draco, giving him her full attention. "Draco?" she asked softly and he looked up, then smiled.
"You've got some..." he said, pretending to wipe something off his face and Hermione smiled.
"Oh," she said, wiping hers the same way, but on the opposite side of the spot. Draco smiled. "Is that what you HAD to tell me?" she asked, laughing. "Did I get it?" He shook his head, and she tried again. "Now?" Again, he shook his head, moving close and bringing a hand to hold her jaw while he licked her pasty smudge away. Hermione smiled. "Thanks," she whispered, but couldn't have said more if she wanted to. Draco only pulled away a few centimeters before coming back in, kissing her deeply. Hermione brought her hand to his shoulder, but didn't push him away. She kissed back as if she hadn't seen him in years. When they broke apart, she smiled. "Is THAT what you had to tell me?" Draco smiled and nodded.
"Pretty much," he said, and Hermione raised her eyebrows.
"Eglamour told you to kiss me?" Draco laughed softly.
"Not exactly," he admitted before kissing her again and Hermione smiled into his lips.
"Tell me." Draco sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing his cheek against hers. "Tell me what I want to hear..." she whispered almost inaudibly and Draco pulled back a little, surprised. Hermione just smiled, her face pretty in its innocence... eyes sparkling, on the verge of immense happiness.
"I..." She nodded encouragingly. "I..." he sighed. "Never mind," he said and saw her heart break though her eyes. Closing his eyes in shame of his failure, Draco turned to leave again, but Hermione grabbed his arm.
"No, don't go," she pleaded, pulling him the three inches back to the ground and wrapped her arms around him, keeping him there. "I'm sorry," she said and Draco opened his mouth.
"Hermione..."
"No, you don't have to say anything," she said and shifted, crawling over him and turning around. Draco kept his eyes closed. He couldn't face her... but if he tried to look down, he'd be face to face with her breasts... and he couldn't take that either. "Just listen," Hermione suggested, settling herself and resting her head on his shoulder. She paused for a moment, enjoying the calmness of the situation. "I love you," she said in a deeply honest whisper and Draco stopped breathing.
"You LOVE me?" he asked after a long, intense, pause. "Are you sure?" She laughed softly and lifted her head, but kept her eyes down, nodding.
"I know, it's bad, I'm sorry... I didn't mean for it to happen, I just..." Draco was shocked beyond reason. He'd been struggling to tell her he liked her... and here she goes, beating him to the punch and dramatically changing the spelling of the 'L' word in use.
"Hermione, I..."
"No, don't say anything..." she said, sighing. "I know you don't love me, Draco, but... I just don't want to hear you say it right now, okay? I don't expect you to love me... that would definitely be asking too much... but I just couldn't keep it from you any longer. It doesn't change anything... don't worry about hurting me, or anything... I know you didn't ask for this... I didn't either, but it's my problem... as long as you know, I can just live with it. I'm sorry," she finished and Draco sat with wide eyes, mouth open like a fish out of water, wracking his brain for something to say.
"Hermione," he started, but she shook her head.
"No, don't."
"You don't understand, just listen..." Hermione looked up at him.
"Are you going to say 'Hermione, I love you too'?" she asked and Draco looked uneasy. He couldn't lie.
"Not exactly," he admitted quietly and Hermione looked down again.
"Then I don't want to hear it," she said and started to get up, but Draco held her close, suppressing a small grunt as her hips ground into his. She looked at him strangely, and Draco let out a tiny breath before leaning close.
"Can I?" he asked before he let himself continue and Hermione, although surprised, agreed.
"I guess..." she was cut off by his kiss, and allowed herself to kiss him back with not only the same heated passion, but with the love she'd so recently confessed. Although he didn't say as much, Draco noticed. Her kiss was hungrier, deeper... more thorough. He found himself unable to give her everything she unintentionally asked for, and it stung him a little. Hermione didn't seem at all unsatisfied. She let out a deep breath after he slowly pulled away. Then, after a silence, her breathing became slightly irregular. "Why did you do that?" she asked, sounding betrayed as the tears began to fall down her cheeks again. Draco was a little alarmed and lifted a hand to pull her into him.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, rubbing slowly up and down her back as she silently cried.
"No, tell me why," she demanded and Draco closed his eyes, face pressed against her hair.
"Because I wanted to," he said and Hermione sniffled.
"Really?"
"Yes... really," Draco whispered and she pulled back to look at him.
"Why? Why, after I told you... do you still want me? You're not supposed to... you're supposed to freak out and tell me to fuck off and get out of your way," she said, sounding extremely surprised, in a dead whisper. Draco smiled and shook his head.
"I would have told you before, but you wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise." Hermione just looked at him blankly, as if he'd never said anything. "Look, Hermione... I know you don't want me to say this, but..." she looked down and Draco swallowed, hoping he could save her before she hit the pointy rocks at the bottom of the pit of despair. "I may not love you.... but," he added quickly and she looked up. "I do like you. A lot. Probably more than anyone else, ever... and I do care about you... and I most definitely still want you," he said and smiled at her. Hermione took a deep breath.
"That's a lot better than I expected," she said and he smirked.
"Obviously. Did you really think I would just ditch you? After all that's happened the last few days? Honestly, you must have known I liked you... I've been acting like a total git... today in particular," he said and she smiled, then it fell.
"But you said..." she started, then stopped. Draco swallowed.
"What, Hermione? What did I say that would make you feel that unwanted?"
"You said... 'How can you leave me if you're not even with me?' and I thought... after the train, maybe we could be something... but then..." she said and Draco sighed.
"I know... I've regretted saying that ever since, Mya. I'm so sorry," he said quietly and kissed her softly. "Do you still want to be something?" She smiled.
"Yes..." Hermione said longingly as if she wanted nothing more. "But I'll understand if you don't, I mean... why would you, right?" she ended with a nervous laugh and Draco smiled.
"Because you're amazing, and smart, and beautiful, and I care more about you than any other girl I've ever met... no contest. I think about you constantly, Hermione. The simplest thing, you're worked into it. On Wednesday, I had practice before detention, remember?" She nodded, although confused as to where this was going. "I was walking to the pitch with the team, and Zabini says 'It looks like rain,' and my very first thought was 'Hermione likes the rain.'" Hermione laughed, looking down at her hands on his chest.
"You're lying." Draco shook his head.
"Why would I make that up?" She smiled.
"I don't know, but you did," she insisted, but Draco denied it.
"I'm not, promise. I was just telling Eglamour today, that when Snape suspended us, I knew I couldn't last two weeks without seeing you... or ending up in Dad's room," he said and Hermione smiled sadly, but shook her head. "It's true. And what's more, I'm wearing black underwear today." Now, she smirked.
"I know... but what does that have to do with anything?" He smiled.
"You've seen me in the morning, Hermione... on a normal day I could go shirtless and not notice until lunch. Do you know WHY I know something so insignificant?"
"I bet you're going to tell me," she said, smiling and Draco nodded.
"True," he said, then paused. "It's because you always wear black... except your underwear, so I remembered, because it was, although pitifully, ironic." Hermione looked up, suspicious.
"How do you know that? They're black today..." Draco nodded.
"Also true, but," he said and paused. "Monday night, you came into my room in a towel and asked for your wand back, remember?" She nodded, eyes growing wide. "Well, you were a little neglectful as you got on the bed. They were red that day." She was too stunned for words... and embarrassed, above all. She hadn't even known he'd seen anything. "Well, that is, until you came back to sleep with me... then they were black again."
"So you saw me wear red underwear for like two seconds and you remembered?" He nodded. "Do you frequently stalk the women you're attracted to?" Draco laughed.
"Nope, just you."
"So you keep a mental log of the light refraction from my knickers, and you shower me with lovely adjectives, and you don't want to spend fourteen days away from me... but you don't love me?" she asked curiously and Draco sighed, dropping his smile.
"I don't know, Hermione. Maybe I do love you... but I'm not exactly sure what that means, and I'd just like to really know before I go making you think something that might not be true. I don't want to lead you on... that'll only end in you getting hurt. I don't want to hurt you, Mya. Do you understand?" Hermione smiled wider than he'd ever seen her.
"Yes, Drakey, I understand," she said and Draco smiled, looking up slightly. Hermione looked into his eyes for a moment, then kissed him forcefully. "But I'm sure," she reminded him, then crawled off and sat sideways beside him. Draco smiled.
"Can I take you up on that offer?"
"And what offer might that be?" Hermione asked as she began to throw things back in the still open trunk. Draco smiled.
"The one the lets me call you mine." Hermione stopped everything. She didn't even breathe. It looked as if, had she dropped it, the bag would have stopped mid-air. "Not that I own you, but..." Draco began to assure her, thinking she might be upset. Hermione let out a shallow breath.
"Are you asking me what I think you're asking me?" she asked quietly and he smirked.
"I think so, yes." Hermione laughed, unable to not express her happiness.
"Really?" He nodded. "Well then, you can have me, if you want. Nobody else does." Draco shook his head and leaned toward her, giving her a comforting kiss.
"I don't like it when you say things like that, Mya."
"It's true, though, Drakey. Name me one person, other than you, who would attend my funeral," she challenged, still smiling, but looking determined.
"Your parents; that's two people." She shook a shoulder.
"Only for show, and only if it wasn't during business hours."
"Weasley," he said and Hermione laughed.
"If so, then only for the free food."
"Potter?" Hermione nodded.
"I'll give you that one, if there's an open bar."
"Potter, pride of Hogwarts, is an alcoholic?" Hermione nodded sadly.
"He can hold his liquor, that's for sure. A few days before term sixth year, we met up in Diagon Alley so I could show them which extra books they would need to be able to understand everything while at the same time sleep through class. Just to humor them, I took them to a wizard bar in London; sometimes it's good to be 'friends' with a celebrity. Harry downed six Red Dragons, and didn't even throw up. I paid for the last three just to see how many it'd take... but he just wouldn't. Pass out, yes, but I couldn't get him to yak. Sad, really. Ron, who was also quite drunk, and I dragged him back to his room at the Leaky Cauldron, and just kind of left him there. He came to school, it was fine," she said with an indifferent shrug of her shoulders and Draco laughed, shaking his head.
"Wow... six? I can only take four," he said and Hermione eyed him skeptically.
"Really? I can't even drink one... they're terrible, who in their right mind would willingly order that when there are much more tasteful options... mmm... like cranberry schnapps... we should hit at least one bar before we go back to school... we deserve it." Draco laughed and shook his head.
"This is stupid, Mya. It's just depressing, and you know it." She sighed and shrugged.
"Maybe. I think I'm just going to go change or something... where's the bathroom?" Draco looked startled.
"Oh, I never told you? Sorry." He pointed toward one side of the room. "Down this hall, third door after this on the left, but if you want a shower, you go down this hall, turn into the second corridor on your right, then it's the first door on your left. The closer one is D1 and the other is D2. It's written on the door," Hermione recounted this and nodded.
"Okay, I think I've got it," she said and Draco smiled. She leaned forward and kissed him, with that same hunger, smiling widely as she pulled away. Placing a hand on his shoulder as she stood, Hermione stepped over him and grabbed not only the little black cosmetic bag from her trunk, but a larger, overnight bag from beside it, then started for the door. Draco smiled as he watched her go, and she turned her eyes to him briefly before starting down the hall.
Then, Draco remembered Osric, and he felt himself grow not only angry again, but worried as well. He let out a breath. No, she'd be fine... Osric wouldn't dare touch her again. If he did... oh, Draco didn't even want to think about what his cousin would look like when he finished with him. He'd let Celia go... but he didn't care so deeply for Celia. He liked her... but it'd never have worked out. Hermione was different... she understood him... she wanted him not for his name, but despite his name... she loved him. He wouldn't lose her... not to Osric. Not to anyone.
~*~*~*~
As Hermione walked down the hall, she looked at the numbers and counted.
"One... two... three," she said and opened the door a crack. Sure enough, it was a small bathroom, with no shower, but everything else there could possibly be in a bathroom. There was even, she noted with slight disgust, a bidget. Much to her relief, it was filled with decorative soaps and potpourri, suggesting it wasn't used.
With the knowledge of the location of the closest bathroom, Hermione continued down the hall. Not only did she want to make sure she knew where she could find a shower, she decided it wasn't such a bad idea. Something about the train had made her feel dirty... and it wasn't the sex. She smiled, remembering it.
"Okay, second corridor... first door on the right. Must be this one... yep, D2," she said to herself and reached for the doorknob, but it turned before she could touch it and the door opened, revealing a very damp and startled Osric, wearing a green cotton bathrobe open over navy boxers and carrying a towel over his arm. He stopped cold when he saw her and Hermione peeped, taking a step back. Then, she glared. "I warn you, I can scream really fucking loud." Osric sighed, wincing a tad in the middle.
"Look, Granger, right? I'm not going to... do anything. You're not worth it," he said and shifted slightly.
"Oh, stop with the compliments," she said and he rolled his eyes. "Did I do that?" Hermione asked, pointing toward a large purple bruise on his side, her voice showing no sympathy. Osric looked down.
"Yes," he said icily and Hermione kept her indifference.
"I apologize," she said, in the same tone. Osric huffed and she made innocent eyes. "I thought you liked them feisty?" she asked, tilting her head. He scowled.
"Please remove your being from my direct line of vision. I do not wish to move you myself." Not wanting to make trouble, Hermione stepped to the side and bowed as he passed her. She smirked at his slight limp and entered the bathroom; glad to be rid of the git.
It was the largest bathroom she'd ever seen. Much bigger and better than the prefect bathroom back at Hogwarts. There was a large, in ground, black marble bathtub, big enough to fit at least six people comfortably, a circular shower with three bright silver showerheads, a toilet, and a sink, as well as a linen closet full of towels. The entire wall to her left was a gigantic mirror, while a large stained glass window covered almost half of the one directly across. The final wall was lined with the shower, closet, and toilet. Next to the door resided the sink, and the tub was centered in the dark green tile. Smiling at the extravagance that was not unexpected of Malfoy Manor, Hermione closed and locked the door, setting to work.
She showered, using that shampoo she knew drove Draco crazy, and changed, then sat on the floor in front of the mirror. As she brushed through her ebony tresses, Hermione took a good look at herself. The small spiral curls fell over her shoulders, dampening her skin slightly. She leaned in, letting them fall forward and drip onto her legs and the floor.
Hermione looked until she couldn't recognize herself anymore, then turned her head to the side, continuing inspection. If Draco thought talking about her funeral was depressing, she was glad he wasn't there now. Every time Hermione noticed something about herself that she liked, she talked herself into hating it.
Her nose, she noticed, was much too small for her face. Her profile looked stunted, as if she'd been hit much too hard with a book. Her hair, well... that was just plain awful. The color was the only thing she really liked about it. Hermione noticed that her skin seemed a little blotchy... and although her face was free of blemish, it seemed slightly off set to her other skin...redder. She sighed.
"I am officially the most undesirable person on the planet," she whispered to herself. "I have no idea what Draco was thinking when he said different. He is so out of my league it's not even funny." Hermione stood up and turned to the side. "Well, at least I have a fairly good figure... although I have no arse, and probably the ugliest KNEES I've ever seen."
With that thought, she charmed her shorts into long flannel pants, still black, but more complimenting. With a look of slightly unpleased discovery, Hermione placed her palms on her breasts, lifting them and watching as they fell back into place.
"Ugh, I'm only seventeen. I'm supposed to be able to go braless and not trip over my own damn chest," she said, flailing her arms out in exasperation. Feeling she'd had enough of a self-confidence plummet, Hermione picked up her bag, leaving the bathroom and debating whether or not to put on a sweatshirt to hide her hideous breasts. "I just couldn't have bought a tank top with a built in bra, could I? NO, let's buy the more ATTRACTIVE one... god forbid we look bunchy. Ugh..." she mumbled to herself and returned to her designated bedroom.
Draco was still there, lying on the bed and, surprisingly, watching T.V. There was a little black color T.V. on a shelf hanging from the ceiling, and was channeled to, surprisingly enough, a Quidditch match. He didn't notice her until Hermione dropped her bag on the floor with a thump.
"Oh, hey. Jeez, you were gone forever; I thought you got lost or something," he said, smiling as he watched her walk toward the bed. Hermione smirked and climbed up next to him.
"You thought I was lost, and you decide that watching T.V. is the best choice of action? How considerate of you." Draco laughed, placing a hand on her thigh as she knelt beside him.
"I'm just kidding, Mya. I wouldn't really worry for at least another half hour. Reasons: 1) Girls always take sixteen times longer in the shower than necessary. 2) The room really isn't that far away. 3) You're smart, and there're MP's everywhere. Even if you didn't remember which room you were in, I'm willing to bet you'd remember one of the others I told you, and if not, you could have gone to the other bathroom... I'm hoping you could find your way back from THERE."
"Okay, okay, I got it. Now, tell me why you're watching T.V. in the first place," she suggested, turning sideways and resting her head on his stomach, lying across the width of the bed. "And why it's playing Quidditch." Draco smiled, switching the remote to his other hand and stroking her hair with the one now free.
"Why not?"
"Do I really have to answer that?" Draco laughed.
"You have to ask for it; show 'em your wand... all that jazz. It's mostly muggle-born wizards who order it, but I figured it's warmer in here than in Bulgaria... and it doesn't cost as much money to watch a game." Hermione smiled.
"Is that all you get is Quidditch?"
"Nah, there's tons of other stuff. Look," he said and held up the remote control. It had dozens of buttons... many of which Hermione had no clue of the function. He pointed to one lit in red and shaped like a 'W' at the top, next to power. "This is for wizard mode," he said, then pointed next to it where there was an 'M', but it was unlit. "And this is for muggle."
"I never knew there even was such a thing," she said and he shook his shoulders.
"It's not like it's advertised." Hermione smiled.
"That's true."
"This room, the drawing room, and my room downstairs are the only ones with TVs. Mum doesn't watch it, and Lucius really only likes cartoons and his video games... so I put them in the rooms I use," Draco explained and Hermione smiled.
"So you have your room, your sleeping room, your bathroom, and your TV room?" she asked and he laughed.
"Sort of, but this is more like my sanctuary room. I put all the cool stuff I figured out how to install in here. Had to do something with my ridiculously large allowance." Hermione looked around. There was nothing out of the ordinary. A bed, dresser, desk, closet, and her bags on the floor. She turned to him.
"Like what?" He smiled widely.
"I was hoping you might ask that."
A/N: I know, I know... Draco just seems to be getting mushier and mushier, isn't he? And Hermione? Holy hell has she changed. It's hard, because I'm currently writing three fics... this one, one in which Hermione is the helpless little female and Draco is the strong but sensitive and protective boyfriend, and one where they're parents, which means everything is sentimental... and this is nothing like the other two... I think I'm getting my feelings mixed up a little. Lol. Sorry. Don't worry, it's not going COMPLETELY down hill... I've got some fun stuff cooked up... Chapter 23 is my favorite so far... you guys'll love it!
PRF:
Melanie: Can do, melly-po. Lol, sorry.
Princess: Yes, Osric an ass... popular belief...lol
Chick Vicious: Like... Sid Vicious? Lol. I like my chapter titles too... they're most of the time quite vague... and that makes people interested... I mean, look at this one? Lol. How could you put that off? :o)
Sleepy-kitty: I'm not much better, lol. I've been neglecting Flames like there's no tomorrow... or like, there is, and I can write then... wait... never mind, lol.
KittyKat589: Lol. Yep, Oz is an ass. Totally true.
Girl-named-belle: Yeah... me too ;o)
polvsmay_wobbly: Write another story once I'm done with this? As if I'll ever be done! And I'm already writing three! Lol. Sad, sad...it is.
Erilyn Rose: Gotta love the cat-couple! And Mione beating the crap out of that guy was a favorite for everyone, I think... lol. And ya gotta love little' Luci. We all do.
Crystalline Lily: Lol. I thought the pea was a nice touch, lol. I've had that whole procrastination thing going on too... I hope to hell there're no summer assignments this year!
Ezmerelda: I wrote you a review for that story... again, I apologize for not asking. Crystal-kitty2003: Yum yum in your tum tum.
Ash: Of COURSE she beat the crap out of Osric. She wasn't going to let him, like... fuck her... lol. That would have been crude... xoP
Tainted Black: Omg, your review was funnier than my chapter! Lol. That court scene was HILARIOUS... maybe, just maybe that could... come into play? Lol. Maybe not, but we'll see. If anyone kills Oz, it should be Lucius. You know how children are with bugs... he'll stick a needle in him and put him up on the wall... lol. And that's the 'Draco takes things way too seriously' kind of flirting. Lol.
Little Witch: Lol. Toddler voice on a grown man... SO cute!
Starry Skies: Lol, that comic strip sounds hilarious! I was laughing just reading you talk about it! Lol, so I got a little brave and took the smut a tad to the left...okay? lol. So what if I lied... are you upset? Didn't think so :o) Sorry, no Lucius in this chapter... but I think he's in the next one! Yes, actually... I'm positive. Hehe. Take it straight from the author.
Gray Fox: Oh so professional your review is, lol. Thanx. I appreciate it. I like being a little unorthodox; it's fun. Hehe.
Silver Dragon Goddess: I would have been pissed off if Draco got the wrong idea too... I mean, how over done is THAT. So, I let him watch his friend beat the shit out of his dumbass cousin. Lol. I was actually not planning on making Oz a bad guy... I think cause I like his name so much, but I did anyway... needed some sort of conflict.
Tigerbrat88: Lol. I like that Lucius thing too... he's such a cutie! And yes, Oz is an ass, we know. Lol.
Blue Angel: Am I? Well, thank you. Lol. If I can captivate you for a whole three hours, I'm proud. Thanks for sticking with me!
Dracoluva99: Love your pn... lol. Don't we all love Draco? ::sigh:: Anyway... lol. Thanx for reviewing! It's okay that you didn't review anything else, I usually don't until I get to the end, or wherever it's at that theres no more chapters... so I'm not upset. I'm glad you took a minute to do it! Thanks!
MoshiMoshiQueen: Osric is from the Shakesperian play "Hamlet." Do not ask me what part the character has, because I have no idea. Also, Draco's ex- girlfriend, Celia, is a Shakespereian name. From "As You Like It." Another play I've never read. Both Eglamour and Proteus (Morag's frog, which Mandy threatened, remember?) Are from the play "Two Gentlemen of Verona." This one I know. Eg is the long lost lover of Protus' girlfriend... but Proteus has ANOTHER girl, who is pregnant, which he doesn't know about, so it works out all well and good when they get back together. Anyway... on with the review, now that we've had a lesson in Shakespeare.... I'm glad you like it... I like Lucius... and I think Oz is, frankly, like a horny old-draco. Before he became the nice guy he is... ;o)
Cherryplumb11: Lol, you seem to like my story a lot. Thanks for all the praise, and fyi, we ALL hate Osric, lol. He's just that kind of person ;o)
Seraph: Lol... a seraph is a six-winged angel, did you know that? Lol. I bet you did ;o) Anyway... thanx for reading. Yep, 20 chapters... can you believe it? And I still have a WHOLE lot of revenge to plan. Hopefully, it'll get moving... I've got plans, baby.. let's put them into action, ya! I just picture Lucius like Art Alexikis from the band Everclear. Art had long hair, but he cut it short, and I'm like... whoa... and I figure if Luci is a little boy, his momma's gonna make him get a hair cut...lol.
Cookie: Thanx. I like it too... and heres a chappy for ya!
FiliatheRyuuzoku: Sorry, Ron's still trying to figure out why he can't get a girl, lol. They never DID take off that potion... and do you think he's smart enough to figure it out himself? ::shakes head:: Lol. Yep, Hermione's cheering up a tad... but then all that happens... ^^^ up there, in that chapter... whatever shall we do now?
George: Lol, maybe... I never thought of it that way... Eglamour sure sounds like he is in this chappy: Hermione: Eglamour told you to kiss me? Draco: Not exactly... :oD
Fred And George Weasley Are Gods: Lol, I read your story, boys... good good, by crakie! Lol. Why do you 'admire' Osric? Cause he scored a little on the one girl you never could? ::Evil grin...:: lol. You may think Draco's getting soft... and maybe he is... but he'll surprise you, don't worry. Lol. And, yes... Hermione rules.
Krissy: I think it's your computer, because my Chapter two seems fine to me on mine. Thanks for reading, though. Lol.