Hi everybody! I normally will not write two chapters that take place in the same day unless required. The story's pace picks up around chapter 4 so please hang around until then. I will state write now that there is no romance between Draco and Hermione, just complex flirting. On with the second chapter!
Chapter Two: The Hidden Game
Groaning, I roll off of the bed. Time to wake up sleeping beauty. Admitted, he has his vile moments but he is a pretty good aquantince when I am not around my gryffindor's. Although he is still a monsterous playboy. I run to the bathroom to brush my hair again. That is the key to managing my bipolar hair, lots of brushing.
After deeming myself presentable I walk out of the room and bang on the door adjacent to mine. I hear groaning. I rap louder. More groaning. This time I kick the door. Even more groaning. A wicked smirk etches onto my face. Oh! I am a genius.
"Wake up Malfoy! If you do not come out right now I will sneak into your room tomorrow night and put pink dye in your shampoo! And I will string your lacy purple-" The door flies open and a pale hand clamps my mouth shut. Light grey eyes glare at me, so I smile innocently and then bite his hand.
"The hell Granger! There is no need to yell bloody murder outside my door at bloody 9:50 at night!" He whispers feroshiously. I raise an eyebrow and reply calmly, "Well we have to go visit Dippet and you were not coming out. I was being a good co-head and getting you, I could have gone by myself and said that you were busy with... things." He sighs and inside I hear whining.
"What do you have in there anyway? A chihuahua? And by the way Malfoy you are in your nightrobe." He rolls his eyes and throws me an arrogant smirk. "I know Granger." I sigh and say exasperatly, "Yes I know you know." He winks devilishly at me and says wickedly "And I know that you know, that I know that you know...how madly you are in love with me." I lower my eyelids in a seductive way and decide to play his little game. "Yes then you know that I know how...ravishing you appear right now." He walks cockily over to stand rather close to me. His smirk widens when I rest my hands on his sculpted shoulders. I lean up to whisper sassily in his ear "But we need to go to the meeting." He mock-pouts at me.
"Draco?" I say, "Maybe some pants?"
He looks down at his legs as if noticing his outfit for the first time. Then he whips off his night robe leaving him in just his underwear. "Why? Do you find this" - he strikes a ridiculously provocative pose - "distracting?" I laugh and he struts back into his room only to reappear in the next five minutes fully dressed. "Like what ya see?" I roll my eyes and take his extended arm. "Yes I like what I see Malfoy." He smirks down at me in a knowing way and we stroll to Dippet's office.
When we arrive it seems as if Dipped senses our prescense, totally creepy, and yells to enter. We share a smirk and unlink arms as we stroll in. All the coaches are standing against the back wall and Dippet himself sits in a black office chair behind his desk. Malfoy and I stop in front of his desk and I fold my hands together behind my back. Although I swear I see Malfoy glance at Riddle with an unreadable face and the air around Riddle darkens ever so slightly. I shake it off though.
"I congragulate you both and I am sure you will make a fine set of heads." Dippet starts firmly but his face melts into a small smirk as be says, "And Miss Granger I thank you greatly for assisting in the handling of your house's disbehavior at supper." The other coaches chuckle except coach's Snape and Riddle, whom eerily nod their head approvingly at the exact same time. A soft blush warms my cheeks, I was worried about how they would react to that occurance. I try to keep my temper in check but it runs loose on occasion.
"Thank you. Malfoy and I are very excited about meeting your expectations as heads." I say smoothly. Beside me Malfoy smirks. "Great so to cover the basics you two will be in charge of all the other prefects and will host the weekly prefect meeting. As you both have been prefects before I do not need to worry the details and I am sure you are both capable of handling everything."
"This year," Dippet begins again dramaticly. "we will be hosting a ball for us, Camp Beauxbatons, and Camp Durmstrang. You both will come up with the theme, when it is, and are in charge of gathering everything needed." He smiles so wide you can see the gap inbetween his two front teeth. "That will be all." He nods sharply, stands up, and marches out of his office.
The rest of the coaches take no haste in hurrying out after the lively head coach, all except for Riddle. He remains completely still except for his eyes roaming over us. I shake off an unfamiliar flutter in my stomach and turn to Malfoy. He raises a pale blonde eyebrow and says mockingly "Ladies first." I smirk at him, "I know."
He frowns, "Go on then."
I smirk wider, "But there is someone in this room slightly more... womanly then I." He hesitates then breaks out into a grin and whispers not so quietly in my ear "Granger! I expected you to be the better of us! I can not believe that you already bedded someone on the first night, let alone the new prof-!" I whack him upside the head and glare daggers at him. He whimpers and gives me a mock-puppy dog pout.
"Well," I start in my bossy voice, "You are the one that owns a pair of lacey, sexy," He tries to grab me but I dart out of the way and stare calmy at him, "purple underwear. As you have raided my wardrobe before you know that I own nothing close to or of the sort." He hmmphs and storms out of the room with his nose high in the air.
A deep melodious chuckle echos throughout the small room. I whirl around to face coach Riddle. His utterly kissable lips- hold on there Granger his lips are so not utterly kissable- are twisted into an amused smirk. "I am deeply sorry you had to witness that coach Riddle. It is a heart-wrenching and utterly mind numbing to bear the secret of the one and only Draco Malfoy owning a pair of such..." a wicked smirk creeps onto my face, "crude undergarmets."
"No need to fret miss Granger. You will find that I am very good in the art of secret keeping." He purrs charmingly. "It was very...entertaining to watch." We share a look of twisted amusement and a warning light flashes across my mind. I do not know exactly what it is warning me agaisnt but I have a feeling that it has something to do with thhe well hidden sinister glint in his sterling eyes.
I glance at the clock,10:21. I need to get some sleep, I have a revenge-seeking angry house to deal with tomorrow. It seems as if he reads my thought as the words "Well, after such an eventful day I believe it would do us both some good to get some rest." glide from his lips. I nod, "Yes. I can not imagine what tomorrow will bring."
Coach Riddle inclines his head toward the door and I stroll out the door. He falls into step next to me at a polite distance. "I almost forgot to go over the details of your assistance." Coach Mcgonnagel never went over details, I just simply helped with whatever had to be done, which irked me because I like to know exactly what I am doing. Only on Harry, Ron, and I's little adventures do I like to be adventerous. So I how like how he is settling eveything before it is done. I nod and do not allow any sign of my admiration.
"Could I know your schedule?" He asks suavely. "Yes. I have lacrosse at seven, diving at eight, swimming at nine, volleyball at ten, lunch at eleven, and soccer at twelve." We continue walking as he thinks. Arriving at my cabin I stand to face him. Now that I pay attention to it he is probably around six foot three. He does not have that awkward slouch that most men have at that height. Coach Riddle has an elegant charisma that makes him seem even taller then he actually is.
A small smile plays at his lips as he pushes a dark lock behind an ear. "So, you could assist with the first through third years from two to five?" He states more than asks. "Sure." I say politely.
"Great, you would help demonstate with me and then give corrections and pointers. Would you be willing to do this daily?" I contemplate this in my head. Since I am not doing tennis and water polo this year I guess I could help everyday. And the more hours will look great for when I start applying to universities. "That sounds great but I do not want to intrude on to much of your teaching. Will it be okay if I do help everyday?" He chuckles richly. "You will surely not be intruding miss Granger. It would be magnificent if you would although I understand if that would be to much." He says slightly dissapointedly but with a semi-mocking look in his eyes. My face contorts into a devilish smirk. But inside a volcano erupts. Of course it is not too much! I am Hermione bloody Granger for goodness sake! I can handle everything!
"No, no, that is perfect. I like to have a lot going on, it keeps me busy and level-headed. My brain does not respond well to sitting on a train going to la-la land." I say calmly with a hint of haughtyness. "Wonderful. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Good night miss Granger." He says charmingly with well hidden triumph.
"Good night coach Riddle." I say sweetly before swifty walking into my cabin and up to my room. I flop gracefully onto my bed.
My heart thuds loudly in my chest, as if trying to break free of its close confinement. Conversations with coach Riddle are... stimulating. I feel as if I am matched for once on an intellectual level. Hanging around Harry and Ron for who knows how long has left me used to slightly daft company. I love them both with sisterly love down to the deepest part of my heart but I feel thrilled. Like I am on a rollarcoaster with the fall twist lurking around the corner. A tiny voice in the back of my mind yells "Not to mention he is yummmmmmy!" but I lock that voice in a closet and mentally swallow the key. I do not have time for such mundane girly thoughts.
My mind then wanders to Malfoy. He is such a moody, unpredictable, complex fellow. He hides behind that arrogant facade, sheltering the shivering soul inside. If my father was like his I do not know how long I would last before snapping. Our banter may seem like flirting but it is somewhat stimulating for my brain. And he gets redder than a ripe tomato when properly ruffled.
I sigh and change into my aqua and white polka-dot pajama's then crawl under the thick covers. Thoughts of riddles and dragons swimming through my mind. The riddles seem to persuade me to solve them. The biggest riddle of all being Riddle himself. He seems charming but I saw cracks of something much darker lurking beneath that facade. After Harry, Ron, and I became known as the Golden Trio for saving people and solving mysteries my mind became fine-tuned to figuring out people's true intentions. Again, an unsettling chill runs up my spine as I wonder about the malicious spark in coach Riddle's eyes. The thought that Draco may be involved also pokes at my concience.
What is this game that seems to be being played and how do I become a player?