Chapter 8: Dating, Day-Dreaming and Creating a Rift

Hermione kept her eyes closed as she moved through the dark into consciousness. She was trying to place where she was as the large bed was clearly not hers; however her thought were interrupted by a tickling sensation that was dragging itself along her collarbone. Hermione squirmed slightly as what she took to be a finger moved further down her form, its ministrations on her chest repeated by a cool gust of breath.

Hermione's deep brown eyes flew open when she remembered exactly where she was and the real reason that she was naked. She moaned lightly when one long finger entered her and looked down upon the blond head that was moving down her body, following the finger. "Morning, lover." Hermione whispered, her back arching and her fingers twisting in the silky blonde locks. Draco didn't answer as his tongue was busy following the action of his roaming finger.

When Draco surfaced to place a chaste kiss on Hermione's lips, the Gryffindor was flat on her back and breathing heavily. Draco leant into the pillows, propping himself up on one elbow so that he could watch the expression on Hermione's face. "So," he said, as Hermione's breathing returned to normal, "What do you say?"

Hermione tilted her head so she could look Draco in the eye. "Uh, thanks?" Confusion fed the lines that creased her forehead. Draco chuckled as he settled down so that Hermione could place her head on his chiselled chest.

"I meant us. What do you say about us...being a couple?"

"I'd say my sex life would improve."

"Well that's a given."

"I'd love to date you. As long as you do what you did last night again."

"You only want me for the sex, don't you?"

"Guilty as charged, but can you blame me?"

"Not one bit."

"Do you know what the time is? Or where my wand is?"

"Your wand is over here." Draco leant across the bed and grabbed both their wands of the bedside table. He handed Hermione hers and cast a quick spell to find out the time. "Do you have a class this morning?"

"It's Wednesday, right? No I have a free first."

"Good because its quarter past nine."

"Nine?" Hermione gasped and sat up.

"Calm down, you have a free. We can go have a shower in the prefects' bathroom and you'll still be in time for your classes later."

"Better get going then. I'll go first."

"I thought we would go together. Makes showers more fun that way."

"What if someone sees us? How am I supposed to explain that not only was I mysteriously absent last night, but I also turn up in the morning with you, of all people?"

"Relax, Mya." Draco reached out and took Hermione by the shoulders, gently pulling her back down to the bed. "Everyone will either be in class, the common rooms or the library. No-one will see and if they do I'm pretty handy with jinxes."

"If it gets out then I'm holding you solely responsible."

"Then I take full blame. Come on, the shower awaits."

Ginny was in a foul mood. She had watched Hermione walk into the common room late in the evening, a smile lighting up her face. Hermione had ignored all questions from both Harry and Ron and instead had dragged her up to the dorms. Ginny's mood had steadily worsened as she listened to a gushing Hermione spill every detail of the day's events. Ginny had made an early exit claiming fatigue, but lay on her bed into the early hours of the morning, staring at the ceiling a scowl fixed on her features.

The next morning at breakfast Ginny played with her food, snapping harsh remarks the two times Harry tried to engage her in conversation. She was watching Hermione and Draco shoot sickeningly sweet looks across the halls. She was even more annoyed that Ron took no notice of Hermione's odd behaviour, choosing to eat his pancakes and witter on to deaf ears about the recent victory of the Chudley Cannons.

Ginny looked up feeling eyes on her, expecting Harry's green orbs. She was met instead with the bored gaze of Blaise as he looked across the hall. He gave her a half-hearted smile as he nodded his head towards Draco, rolling his eyes is exasperation. Ginny allowed her lips to pull up at the corners as she gave a similar reaction to Hermione's sickeningly happy state. Blaise responded with a series of nods and discrete hand gestures but Ginny's eyebrows slipped into confusion as she watched. She was distracted from the complicated movements across the hall as the familiar clatter of noise arrived as the post owls descended.

Ginny caught the Weasley family owl and placed him carefully on the table as she looked at the letter that he had brought. She sighed as she read Ron's name scrawled on the front in the familiar handwriting of her mother. She threw the letter at him and was about to turn back to her toast when a second owl flew down and perched neatly on the sideways Errol. The dark feathered owl calmly reached out its leg, indicating the note that was tied to it, and calmly blinked up at the red head. Ginny, slightly confused took the note and opened it.

Little Red,

These two are making me sick. Wanna get outa here? Meet me in the entrance hall. Oh, and bring some toast.

Blaise

Ginny looked up, noticing that both the owl and its owner had gone and stood to follow suit. She grabbed her bag and her remaining slice of toast and ignored Harry's voice as she made her swift exit. Outside the hall she spotted Blaise leaning against a pillar calmly stroking his owl.

Stuffing the note in her pocket and straitening her robes Ginny headed over. "Hey." She said softly, reaching a finger out to stroke Blaise's owl. "What's his name?"

"Jake." Blaise replied. "Oh good you brought toast, Theo ate all of ours and I think Jake's hungry." Blaise used his spare hand to take the piece of toast from Ginny's fingers to feed to the owl.

"That was my breakfast!" Ginny protested. "And really, Jake?"

"What's wrong with Jake? And I said bring some toast not your toast."

"Doesn't look like I get a choice anyway." Ginny scowled but a smile still played across her lips and her tone was teasing. "Jake is just...an unusual name for an owl, that's all."

"I was seven when I named him. It was a tossup between Jake and Merlin."

"Jake is the better out of those two." Ginny giggled, still calmly moving a finger down the back of the owl.

"Do you want to walk up to the owlery? You might be late for your first class though." Blaise suggested.

"Sounds great." They started to move off towards the stairs. "I don't care about being late though." Ginny added. "I'm not a Hufflepuff." Blaise snorted.

"Like I'd talk to a Hufflepuff." Blaise chuckled and Ginny scowled slightly as she was good friends with some of the Hufflepuff girls in her year, but chose to keep quiet about it, not wanting to ruin the good atmosphere. "I'm guessing Hermione spoke to you?" Blaise asked.

"At length." Ginny replied. "I really didn't need to know all the details." She shuddered lightly at the memory.

"I got the same treatment." Blaise chuckled. "He was chucked out of the library and still couldn't take the hint."

"They deserve each other.

Harry sat at the table, suitably confused. Ginny had been in a bad mood all morning and without warning had left the table with a sudden smile on her face. Hermione wasn't paying attention to anything that was happening around her and Ron, well Ron was prattling on about nothing with his mouth full as usual, so at least someone was normal.

"Hermione." Harry said. "Hello, Hermione?" He waved his hand in front of her face, which finally got her attention.

"What, Harry?" Hermione snapped.

"I was just wondering what class we had first."

"I don't know look at your timetable. Honestly." Hermione shook her head and went back to ignoring him.

Harry blinked, shocked. Hermione always knew what classes they had. Even when they didn't share a class, she knew what each of them had. Harry turned to Ron, about to point out the situation, but thought better of it. Ron would disagree with him and then proceed to consider him mad. Harry sighed; maybe he was going mad, what with all the pressure emanating from his teachers and the entire wizarding world. Of course he was the 'Chosen One'; he was expected to beat Voldemort, save the entire world both wizarding and muggle, give the right impression so he didn't have to suffer the whispers when the Daily Prophet printed something controversial and keep up with his homework. Harry scowled, and now he had to go and face Snape's ridicules in DADA.

Nobody was speaking. The three of them sat in silence surrounded by the usual noise that accompanied Gryffindor common room. Harry had noticed Hermione's absence and Ginny and Ron were suffering the consequences. Harry was trying to control Ginny by not allowing her to leave the common room despite her many lies which had resulted in a mutual silence between the two of them. After many snappy remarks being shot at him, Ron had seen the light and decided it was in his best interest to keep his mouth shut too.

The tension in their corner was getting to Harry, and he knew his homework was suffering. He was about to slam his textbook closed and head to the dorm to get an early night when a bag dropped down next to his own and Hermione fell into the empty chair around their table.

"Hello." Hermione looked around, noticing the stony glares that passed between Harry and Ginny. Choosing not to say anything, Hermione pulled her Potions homework out of her bag and ducked her head, trying to avoid the inevitable questions.

"Where have you been?" Harry asked, placing his quill down on the table. Ron head shot up and his eyes moved between Harry and Hermione, before he carefully began to pack away his homework, pretending to yawn.

"In the library." Hermione answered, looking back down to her parchment, her quill poised, but no words were being written down.

"How come you haven't finished your homework?" Harry asked, his gaze not leaving the top of Hermione's head.

"I did my Ancient Runes homework." Hermione glanced back up, one eyebrow raised. "Is that not allowed."

"It's unusual, that's all." Harry's eyes locked with Hermione's, green gazing into brown. Hermione looked back down at her parchment, trying to avoid the piercing stare.

Ron stood up getting the attention of everyone. "I'm tired." He announced, awkwardly. "I'm going to bed." He turned and marched away up the stairs to the dormitories. Hermione followed suit and stood up quickly.

"I'm pretty tired too. Coming Ginny?" Hermione grabbed her things and walked off, leaving Ginny no choice but to follow.

"Night, Harry." Ginny muttered as she left.

Harry sat back in his chair, confused as to what had gone down. He understood that Ron was uncomfortable with an argument between his best friend and girlfriend and Harry knew that Ginny had obligations as a friend to go with Hermione. However, he could not understand why Hermione was lying. He scowled at two first years as they tried to sit in the recently vacated chairs, running a hand through his hair in frustration.