A/N: Well I'm back like I said I would be with another chapter. I can't believe that I actually finished this without making you guys wait another two months so I have been rewarding myself in the form of the new Harry Potter book which I have to say is tre magnifique. I'm finished with the book and let's just say that I was on the edge of my seat with every chapter I read because I don't want to give anything away. Anyway on with the story shall we?
Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series which belongs to J.K. Rowling and how could I? I could never come up with a plot line like hers which is why I'm trying my hand at fan fiction. The only thing I do own is the wonderful seventh book which I think is the absolute best in the series and which I had to wait one week to get in the book store.
Chapter 4: When In The Presence Of A Shadow, Think The Worst!
I was so disgusted, I almost threw up my dinner right then and there but I managed to hold it in.
I was disgusted, irritated and annoyed.
Disgusted because it seemed people were in a classroom having intercourse and not just any person was in there but whoever was in there moaning was there with Draco Malfoy which is beyond disgusting and just bordering on insanity.
Irritated because Malfoy felt that a quick shag was more important than ridding the halls of trouble makers which was what we were supposed to be doing instead of shagging girls in empty classrooms. I mean, I had only been five minutes behind him yet somehow he had managed to escape from my grasp which enabled him to start his night of sexual enjoyment.
And I was last but not least annoyed that he was taking this night watch duty thing far less seriously than I was. No one can make a mockery of school rules while I'm Head Girl. NO ONE!!!
All these three components mixed together made me do what I did next which was barging into the classroom (there was no locking spell, how stupid of him) and glaring daggers at Malfoy.
However, to my surprise and utter embarrassment, there was no sexual enjoyment being had in this classroom.
It was more like Draco Malfoy sitting on a teacher's desk with that annoying smirk I can never seem to wipe off on his face with his wand raised in the air which had most likely conjured the girl in the air moaning Draco's name.
I was surprised to say the least that he had managed to perform a spell like that but when my initial surprise wore off, it was replaced by anger which I was not so subtly radiating.
I had just been hoodwinked.
Not just hoodwinked but conned.
Not just conned but deceived.
And I was not happy about it.
I couldn't believe that I had fallen for that gormless trick.
Malfoy knew that I would come searching for him and in order to get a reaction out of me decided to play a first year level trick on me.
He knew when I heard the noise coming from the classroom that I would come investigate (stick my nose into his business) and most likely enter (barge) into the classroom demanding the occupants leave and take their sexual escapade someone else.
Except that when I entered (barged) into the classroom, there were no occupants in the classroom having a sexual escapade.
It was just Malfoy sitting with that insufferable smirk plastered on his face while his hand was held high in the air to keep the ghost like girl moaning his name in place.
To say I was angry would have been making it sound nice but yes I was angry and would have showed it with a couple of hexes thrown at Malfoy's expense but then calmed and reminded myself that I was Malfoy and not Ron which got me thinking about my two best friends and where they could be.
To say that I was happy would be a lie. I wasn't happy ( and not just because of my present situation) because they were off fighting a war that I should be as much a part of as they were but was instead made to stay in the "safety" of the school.
What kind of school was safe when they had attempted murderers lurking around the school pretending to be having sex with a girl just to entertain himself at his sworn enemy's reaction.
Speaking of attempted murderer, I quickly snapped out of my reverie and focused my attention on a pair of cold pale blue eyes which seemed to dance with amusement and the fact that he had just hoodwinked the smartest witch of his year.
I didn't want Malfoy to speak first which would allow him to make a crude joke at my expense so I spoke first.
"What are you playing at?" I asked and was so surprised that the question came out in my normal voice and not a scream.
This seemed to surprise Malfoy too because he looked taken aback but as quickly as it had come, he snapped out of it and had a quick retort flying back at me.
"Oh just taught I'd have a little bit of fun" he sneered looking rather pleased and glum with himself.
He even waved his wand a bit and the ghost like girl began to moan his name again which did nothing but make the situation worse for me because it reminded me that I had just been conned by this meager Slytherin.
To say my pride wasn't hurt would be a blatant lie because it was and so to save myself from any more humiliation that would come my way from this arrogant git, I retreated and walked out the room.
I wasn't too far from the classroom when I heard him come out of it and following me.
Now this was a sight to see, the great pureblooded Malfoy seeking out mudblood Granger. But the moment was soon lost when he caught up to me and was walking at my pace.
"What, no 'I'll report you to McGonagall Malfoy' or 'you insufferable git, why are you demeaning girls and making it look like they will sleep with you when you know perfectly well they won't' " he jeered.
When I didn't reply him and continued ignoring him, he got rather offended and gave a cruel laugh to show his disapproval.
He was yet again quick with his reply.
"Oh so you're playing the silent game are you but realize this Granger, you and your elf loving mouth can't keep mum forever so I'm bound to get a reaction out of you".
And he was right, I couldn't stay shut because I next said "I've already wasted more than the necessary amount of time needed on you and if you would excuse me, I have a job to do and whether or not you will be there is entirely up to you but just know McGonagall will know either way" and then I stalked off to the next floor to continue my watch.
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It had been about thirty minutes or so since I officially started my watch duty and things weren't getting any more interesting.
I had already patrolled all the floors and checked the classrooms on the whole west wing and was about to do it a second time.
Malfoy was trailing a few steps behind me which I thought wasn't too dangerous because if he tried anything, I would know and have enough time to counter attack.
He had been quiet ever since I gave him his ultimatum which he surprisingly took as a threat.
I wasn't aiming for it to be a threat but he just sort of assumed that was what I meant it to be.
I was making my way to yet another classroom on the first floor of the West Wing when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.
I glanced at Malfoy at first thinking it was him trying my patience and hoping to pull yet another trick on me but was surprised when he looked just as stunned as I was.
It seemed that there was another person or living being sharing the corridors with us and that wasn't exactly comforting in a time like this.
I wasn't scared but the newly discovered intruder did put more weight on the air between Malfoy and I.
I tried to convince myself that it was just a first year who was sleep walking and even went as far as thinking it was Peeves the poltergeist sneaking up on us which I would gladly have welcomed.
What I didn't want to think was behind the shadows was a Death Eater who had infiltrated the building and was planning on attacking me.
I didn't place too much (none) trust in Malfoy to help because he was one of them and if anything, he would have a hand in my demise.
And so I pulled out my wand and held it at the ready, steadying my shaking hand and pointed the wand at where I had seen the movement.
"Who's there?" I asked, my voice going up and octave.
When no one answered, I looked over at Malfoy to see what he was doing.
I have to admit that I was expecting him to have a smug look on his face because one of his fellow Death Eaters was about to come out and ambush me but he looked just as frightened as I was.
Surely then Malfoy couldn't know what this thing was that was hiding in the shadows? He had to be as clueless and scared as I was about to situation…unless he was just acting.
This realization seemed to raise my fear two fold and my brain quickly started to think of ways in which I could possibly transfer myself out of the situation.
I didn't know who I should attack; Malfoy or the hidden thing in the shadows.
However before I could make my decision, a spell was being thrown.
At first I thought it was coming for me but when I stood there and nothing happened, I turned and saw that the spell was shooting in the direction of the thing lurking in the shadows which meant that Malfoy had cast it.
Instead of the spell hitting the thing however, it hit the wall and rebounded, coming for me.
"Granger, get down!" I heard Malfoy say before I was knocked off my feet and flattened on the floor.
Before I could say thanks or give a scowl at being manhandled, Malfoy got up and was pointing his wand at the thing behind the shadow.
"Come out now or I'll stun you" he said with such ferocity it sent a shiver down my spine.
I was slowly getting up when the thing came out of the shadows and to my surprise and utter bewilderment, it was a scared first year who was on the verge of tears.
"Don't hurt me!" he cried.
"I just w-w-wanted to get a s-s-snack cause I get h-h-hungry at night and I lost my way so p-p-please don't hurt me!" he continued crying.
"Yeah well that's too bad you got caught then isn't it? Now hold still while I stun you" Malfoy bit out seriously.
"Malfoy!" I interjected.
"How can you say such thing?" I asked angrily staring daggers at the head boy in front of me.
"He tried to scare me so don't I have a right to give him a taste of his own medicine?"
"No because he is only a first year and it isn't his fault he was hungry and besides, that's not the way to punish rule breakers Malfoy and you know it!" I replied hotly.
I couldn't believe that this blonde ferret was seriously thinking about harming a child although I shouldn't have been too surprised considering it came from him.
"Oh shut it Granger" and then he turned to the kid and said "Try something like that again and I'll hurt you like the brat you are" and then he stalked off.
I quickly scolded the boy and sent him on his way to his common room and then proceeded to follow the spineless git making his way down the corridor.
"How could you say that to him? He's just a child!" I said when I finally caught up to him.
"And so bloody what?" Malfoy replied.
"So bloody what? Malfoy, you just threatened a child!" I all but yelled but Malfoy still didn't see what was so wrong about what he just did.
"If that ever happens again, you'll have to be reported to professor McGonagall." I said thinking that this had to scare him a bit.
But alas, I was wrong because he showed no sign of remorse but just merely said "As if I give a damn" and walked away leaving me to finish the watch by myself.
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K/N: Ooohhh the tension is heating up or deflating (depends on how you look at it). Anyway, a lot of you might be wondering why I wrote the thing with the kid but I felt I had to because Draco and Hermione can't just start getting along without some rough patches. They have to have arguments here and there before anything remotely romantic can happen between them so hopefully that explains that. I would also like they say that last chapter I was a fool when I told people to review if they wished because I thought I would be fine without any reviews however, I've become wiser now and I'm asking people to please review. I don't mean to be a review hog but it does put a dampen on one's spirit when no one responds to one's work so I encourage you guys reading to leave something down for me. Anyway, I'll hopefully have the next chapter up real soon so stay tuned for that.
Arigatou