Where the Heart Lies
Author Notes: ahh another day, another chapter! I hope you guys are enjoying it! And please review!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this fic at all, except for any original characters. Use them if you want, but I think then you'd be crazah! ;-)
Chapter Four
"1573 in Edinburg, Scotland!" All eyes were on him. Harry had unknowingly nudged Ron awake only to startle him. He mistakenly thought he was being called upon and shouted out the first few words that came to his head. Hermione slid down in her seat, embarrassed. 'Ron, you're such a twit!' she thought.
"That's all very well and good, Mr. Weasley," Professor Binns drawled. "But I do not believe a question was addressed to you." Ron nodded drowsily and blinked a few times before dropping his head back down on the desk. Two minutes later, Hermione could make out muffled snores. She rolled her eyes and went back to diligently copying down notes.
Twenty minutes and a sore hand later, History of Magic ended.
"I can't believe we have to write a whole scroll by Monday!" Ron complained. The three were headed towards their next class accompanied by Cal and Marie.
"Would it be just too difficult for you to at least stay awake while we're having class!" Hermione reprimanded. Ron straightened up indignantly, shooting her a shocked look.
"Why I've never!" he said in a high-pitched voice, his mouth hanging open as if he had never been so insulted in his life.
"Where are we going?" Marie interrupted, shivers crawling up and down her spine. They were now in a part of the castle that was much darker and very cold.
"The dungeon..." Ron replied ominously.
"Ah.. Potions..." Harry sighed. "My least favorite class."
"And what makes it all the more enjoyable," Hermione said sarcastically, "is sharing it with Slytherin!" She made a face as if to gag and Marie giggled.
The five of them entered the classroom and took their seats. Hermione was grateful that Marie had sat down next to her instead of Cal. She didn't know if she was imagining it or not, but it seemed to her that Cal had stayed annoyingly close to her since they met up with him in History. All the chatter within the room came to an abrupt stop as Professor Snape whisked into the room, glaring coldly at the each student individually. After the usual lecture and the traditional take-away-at-least-five-points- from-Gryffindor-within-the-first-five-minutes-of-class were through, Snape began the lesson.
"Today," he said, "We will be brewing a basic Veritaserum, or truth potion." His voice was barely a whisper, but, even so, it was powerful. All the students knew that Snape was not someone to mess with. You definitely didn't want on his bad side, or rather, any side for that matter. Hermione looked over at Marie, knowing that all Snape's potions were done in pairs but Snape noticed this. "Don't get ahead of yourselves," he informed them all. " I will be assigning partners." He picked up a scroll that had been laying on his desk and began to read off the names.
" Potter - Bulstrode. Weasley - Parkinson. Malfoy - Granger. Goyle - Longbottom..." And once Professor Snape had reached the end of his list, he swiftly scrolled it up and pointed to the board. All the instructions and ingredients appeared and he snapped at them to get working before striding back behind his desk. Hermione sighed as she saw Malfoy approach her.
"Good luck," Harry whispered to her and he forced himself to pack his things and move to sit with Millicent.
"I'll get the ingredients," Malfoy said, setting his books next to her and walking over the cupboard. Hermione got the cauldron ready while Malfoy filled his arms up with nettles, belladonna, ginger root, and fluxweed, looking at the board every so often to make sure he had gotten the right things. When he returned, he let the items fall to the table and the two worked without a sound between them.
Hermione was starting to get uncomfortable after a while. She looked up from crushing the ginger root and turned to watch Malfoy. He was hunched over a bit, meticulously cutting up taproot. Hermione noted that he looked cute with his hair falling in front of his face before she mentally slapped herself. 'Oh my god, Hermione! What the eff is wrong with you lately?! You're acting like one of his love-struck fan club floozies!' she scolded. She went immediately back to her work, however, when Malfoy lifted his head and gave her an inquisitive look.
'What is she looking at?' He gave her a weak glare and then pretended to go back to cutting his taproot. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, though. She looked flustered, muttering things to herself every now and then. He smiled inwardly. 'I guess there really is a fine line between genius and insanity.'
A few minutes before the class ended, Snape spoke up. "I want you all to take a small vial of your potion. You and your partner will meet up tonight. Test your veritaserum. If you have made this incorrectly, you will both become very ill after drinking it. If not, you will have twenty minutes apiece in which the other will be forced to speak the truth." He eyed the students carefully, smirking and knowing fully well that some of their deepest secrets may be revealed tonight. Or they'll all end up in hives. Either way, it was a win-win situation. " I'll alert Madam Pomphrey to have some beds ready," he sneered. Hermione and Malfoy scooped up some of the purple liquid into vials as the bell rang. She quickly tossed the tube into the pocket of robes before rushing out of the dungeon with Harry, Ron, and Marie. Cal was last seen hitting on a brown haired slytherin.
. . : . . : . .
The portrait slid shut behind Hermione as she made her way into the common room. She hadn't really noticed how spectacular it was. A huge, grand fireplace was the first thing you saw, centered on the wall across from the entrance. A large, comfy black sofa was situated a bit back from the fireplace with an oak table in the middle of the two. Two long, wide windows adorned either side of the fireplace, light drizzled in through them onto the cold, grey floor.
From out of no where, she felt two hands on her waist. She yelped and spun around on her heels to face her surprise visitor... only to see Malfoy, smirking as usual.
"I'm sorry," he said sarcastically. "Did I frighten you?" She was fuming and he found it hysterical.
"What do you want, Malfoy?!" she spat, half-regretting ever having helped him last night.
"Well, this is my common room as well, if you must know," he replied, making her feel stupid and even more angry. He bit back a smile. "But since we're both here, I thought maybe we could finish our stupid potions assignment?" She nodded grumpily.
"But first, I'm changing," she stated, daring him to fight with her. But he just shrugged.
"Suit yourself." He walked over to his dormitory, intent on doing the same thing.
A couple minutes later, Hermione appeared in the common room in a black tank top and loose gray cotton pants, potion in hand. Draco was stretched out on the couch, waiting for her. She discovered he had changed as well, now wearing sweat pants and a t shirt. He looked up as he heard her door open and moved over so she could sit down.
"Would you like to go first?" he asked, voice dripping with mischief.
"Not necessarily..." she answered cautiously. She was afraid Malfoy was up to something. She didn't have many big secrets, but she was sure that he would be able to find something to pick on her about for the rest of the year. Actually, now that she thought about it, she just wanted to get it over with. "...but yeah, I suppose so." She uncorked the vial, shot Malfoy a withering glare, and then drank the potion. It tasted horrible and felt like ice going down her throat. She shivered. Malfoy looked concerned at first, momentarily afraid that they had made an error while making the potion and Hermione was getting ill. But the feeling soon dissipated and he glared as Hermione smirked evilly.
"You thought I was getting sick, didn't you?" she said, still smiling and knowing the answer was yes but wanting to hear it from him. He scowled. But then, something dawned on him and he smiled evilly. That definitely wiped the smirk of Hermione's face.
"I believe I have 20 minutes of the cold, hard truth with you, now don't I?" He grinned wickedly. 'Oh no...' Hermione thought. "Let's test this baby out, shall we? Who's the sexy, smart, blonde Slytherin you're sitting next to right now?" He knew that if the potion didn't work, there was no way she would admit to him being sexy and/or smart but he was in fact blonde and a slytherin.
Hermione snorted. She didn't feel anything compelling her to scream out 'Draco Malfoy'. There was no way she was saying his name! She opened her mouth to say "if I see one, I'll let you know", but instead, out slipped "You." She gasped and threw her hands over her mouth. 'Oh... I'm in trouble.' Malfoy laughed, making Hermione even more nervous. He was just getting warmed up.
"So, does that mean you think I'm sexy?"
"Yes," she blurted out, unable to keep her mouth clamped shut. Oh this sucked so bad. Malfoy seemed pleased with that answer though. "Really now? Then say it." Hermione glared at him. "I'm waiting."
"I think you're sexy," she said through gritted teeth. Hermione was screaming in her mind. Malfoy smirked.
"Now onto more interesting things... Do you like Potter?" Hermione looked at him like he'd gone mental.
"Yes, of course I do. Harry's one of my best friends."
"No, no, no, what I mean to say is do you like Potter? In a very romantic sense of the word." Hermione flushed a deep red before saying "No!" Malfoy frowned. There was no way she was lying, but he could have sworn that she had liked him. "Hmm... well, well, then... is it Weasley, perhaps?"
"Perhaps not," she scoffed. They may have been her best friends, but she could never see herself intimately involved with either of them. Just the very notion was making her want to gag.
"Longbottom?"
"Definitely no!" she replied. Although Longbottom had indeed become much more attractive, she still knew him as the clumsy, bumbling Longbottom of their first few years. Instead of pressing the matter, Malfoy let it drop. He would rather figure it out on his own anyway.
"Oh well, next topic! Is the precious Hermione Granger still a virgin?" This was something that he had been wondering for quite a while now, and he leaned in a bit closer, not wanting to miss the answer. Hermione blushed a light pink color.
".....yes..." she said softly, eyes downcast. She had never felt so stupid in her life, even though it was something silly to feel stupid about. She knew that there was no way Malfoy was a virgin and sitting there in front of him, knowing he excelled in something she did not, no matter what it was, made her feel especially small.
But Draco was surprised by the reply, although he hid it well. He would have bet anything she'd have let someone take her by now. But he tried to carry on as if he wasn't dwelling on it (although he was).
"Well then, what's the farthest you've ever gone?" He knew he was getting into very personal territory, but, for some reason, he just had to know.
"Not very. I kissed a boy at summer camp on a dare. That's about it," she replied glumly, still staring down. She had given up trying to keep her mouth closed. It only hurt her jaw.
"Would you want to have sex if the opportunity arose?"
"I would, I guess, but not with just anyone. Only someone that meant something to me. Someone I believed I loved..." At this comment, Draco decided to change the subject. He still had a couple minutes left and was not about to just waste them.
"So Granger, there is one thing I have been dying to know." He leaned in closer to her and said "Why did you help me last night if you hate me?" She looked up at him curiously. Wasn't he going to keep asking her questions like the previous few? Wasn't he going to laugh at her or tell her she was pathetic? Make fun of her or something!? But he didn't.
"I don't hate you, Malfoy," she said. And before she knew it, her mouth was running away. "I just think that sometimes you can be an annoying little git. You're always picking on me and saying rude things to Harry and Ron. If anything, I think you're that one that hates me! And I helped you last night because, well, like I said, I couldn't just leave you there like that, annoying git or not. You seemed so helpless, so weak, so... unlike yourself... it scared me." Malfoy turned this over in his mind. He had never felt cared for before. Suddenly, he got a brilliant idea. Before Hermione knew what was happening, Draco had her wrists in his hands and was an inch away from her face.
"Draco! What are yo-!"
"Shhh!" Draco quieted her. She could feel his breath on her lips. "What are you thinking right now?" Hermione's eyes got wide and a small blush crept over her face.
"Get away!" Hermione shoved Malfoy off her, but the smile on his face still remained.
"You didn't answer my question, Granger. What were you thinking?" The blush across Hermione's face intensified. Draco raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Is someone's mind in the gutter here?" Hermione glared at him for the millionth time.
"I... I was thinking," she began slowly, "that your lips looked very soft and.."
"And...? Oh there's an and! And what, you naughty, naughty girl, you!" Malfoy knew it was probably wrong, but he was really enjoying himself. Actually, he knew it must have been wrong when Hermione shot him a look that would have stabbed him in the face if it could.
"...and I was wondering what it would be like to..." Hermione looked like it was physically hurting her to tell him the truth. Finally she just let out a sigh and finished her sentence because she knew she would have to say it one way or another. "...to kiss them," she said softly.
"That's it?" Draco asked incredulously.
"What do you mean 'that's it?'!!" Hermione looked absolutely shocked. "I just told my sworn enemy of six years that I thought about kissing him and you say 'that's it?'!!"
"Well, it's just that most girls wouldn't have thought about just kissing a guy when they get that close to them," he said looking away and rubbing a hand awkwardly behind his head.
"Well, I'm not like most girls," she replied matter-of-factly.
Almost immediately after the words left her mouth, Hermione felt the icy chill that gripped her melt away. A huge smile washed over her face as she realized that her twenty minutes were up and it was her turn to interrogate Malfoy. "Time's up!" She happily handed Draco his vial. "My turn!"
He took the tiny tube from her hand uneasily, thinking he should have gone first, and then downed the purple liquid, feeling the cold sensation grasp his throat. Hermione grinned maliciously.
"So, Malfoy, are you still a virgin?" 'Wow, she sure gets right to the point, doesn't she?' Malfoy thought. He sighed and nodded his head. Hermione blinked a few times and then said "What?" Malfoy rolled his eyes.
"Yes I'm a virgin, Granger. Or is that too hard for someone as intelligent as you to comprehend?" Hermione was stunned speechless.
"Umm.... yes, actually. I thought you and Pansy..."
Draco shuddered involuntarily at the mention of Pansy. "Hell no. Although she's been trying to get me to sleep with her since our third year here, she's remained unsuccessful... thank god..." Hermione laughed. She never suspected Malfoy to be the particular type. She thought he was more of a get-some-where-you-can kind of guy.
"Well then how far have you gone?" He shrugged his shoulders.
"Blaise got me drunk once and I did a couple of things I would rather not mention... nothing too big though," he replied, looking around the room at anything else but her.
"Oh... I see...," Hermione said softly. "Well, since you don't like Pansy, do you have a thing for Millicent?" Draco looked like he was about to throw up.
"No. That girl looks like a freaking pug dog."
"Awe, that's so mean!" Hermione scolded. He looked at her, one eyebrow raised.
"Oh, I'm sorry, my mistake," he apologized. "Pug dogs are at least somewhat cute where Bulstrode is not." Hermione hit him playfully in the shoulder.
"That is so mean!" she said between laughs. She had to admit, though, he had a point. Millicent Bulstrode was not a looker. "Hmm... what else do I want to know?" Draco shrugged again.
"I don't know, you tell me."
"Why do you hate me?" she asked suddenly. He looked thoughtfully at her for a moment before speaking.
"I don't hate you, Granger."
"What? What do you mean you don't hate me! If you don't hate me, then why are you so incredibly rude to me all the time?!"
"I do enjoy agitating you, but I don't mean to hurt you with anything I say. I never thought you really cared." And this was the truth. Malfoy would have said anything to make Granger feel a little less superior to everyone else, but he never intended to cause her any kind of pain.
"Well, I do." She looked wounded and Malfoy noticed tears begin to well up in her eyes before she put her head down, suddenly very interested in her hands that were resting in her lap. He wanted to ignore her, but for some reason he was finding it harder and harder to do so as time went by.
"Please. Don't cry," he begged, putting a hand under her chin and gently tilting her face up. Hermione looked into his sad eyes. 'There it is again,' she thought. 'Why is he being so sweet to me lately?' He tucked a stray strand of her hair back in place. "Please don't."
"Why do you even care?!" she asked bitterly, turning quickly away from him. But she gradually looked back as she felt a hand over hers. "I don't know, Hermione..." he whispered, focusing on her yet trying not think about her at the same time. "I really don't know why... I just know that I do..." Malfoy hung his head low. Just as Hermione was about to say something, she got a better idea.
While Draco was still lost in his thoughts, she pushed him down onto the couch and threw herself overtop of him. At first, Draco thought that Hermione was falling. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled, not realizing that he was only pulling her closer. They were now in a very compromising position with Draco stretched out on his back and Hermione practically laying on top of him. Her lips were so close to his that he could almost feel them moving as she spoke to him: "What are you thinking right now?"
Draco closed his eyes and felt like kicking himself. "I'm thinking I should have gone first, that's what I'm thinking!" he whispered.
"Draco." He opened his eyes to find that she hadn't moved an inch away from him yet. "What were you thinking," she asked him seriously. Draco groaned as he gently lifted Hermione off him a bit so that he could lean up on his elbows and talk to her.
"I was thinking..." She was looking at him expectantly.
"Yes?"
"I was thinking that you are quite possibly the most attractive being in this entire school and- and that I..." He stopped, not wanting to continue. "Please don't make me go on."
"Oh no, please do go on, Draco." Now Hermione was the one having all the fun. She propped herself up on his chest and smiled in absolute delight. "And that you what?"
"That I would love to make you scream," he whispered.
"What was that?" Hermione said, holding a hand to her ear. "I didn't quite catch it." Draco swallowed hard and sighed.
"I would love to make you scream," he repeated loudly, slapping himself on the forehead.
"Make me scream?" Hermione questioned earnestly. "What do you mean by that?" Draco looked at her in disbelief. 'Is she kidding me?!' But the confused gleam in her eyes told him that she was not joking around, she truly didn't understand what he was getting at. He sighed again, not wanting to have to explain it but having no other choice.
"I mean it in a very er... sexual sense." Realization suddenly dawned on Hermione and she quickly turned a shade redder than any other that night. She slowly inched her way off of Draco and he sat up swiftly, not wanting to look her in the eye. Hermione at first didn't know what to say, but then she thought of something he had said earlier.
"So you think I'm attractive, huh?" Hermione grinned slyly at him. He smiled to himself at her sudden playful attitude.
"Actually, stunningly gorgeous was what came to mind." He heard her giggle and his slight smile grew a little wider. Before she could say anything more, they were both startled by a knock on the common room entrance.
"Ms. Granger? Mr. Malfoy? I need to speak with the two of you please." Professor McGonagall. Hermione hated to leave the position she was in but she was forced to get up by Draco.
"Coming, Professor McGonagall!" Hermione swung open the door, Malfoy standing by her side. McGonagall eyed the them both and wondered briefly why they didn't seem to be fighting before announcing the details of a heads and prefect meeting to be held the following Thursday. When she finished, she gave them a suspicious glace before adding "I hope the two of you plan on taking to your separate beds upon my departure?" Hermione shook her head up and down furiously while Malfoy gave her a swift nod. She shot them one last piercing look over the rim of her glasses before saying goodnight.
Hermione shut the door behind her and turned to Malfoy. He was standing there, watching her.
"I'm going to bed," he said after a few moments of awkward silence. He walked into his room and shut the door behind him, not even taking a second look at Hermione, who he left waiting by the entrance. He had to think about things.
Hermione, now thoroughly confused, went to her bedroom as well. She couldn't understand what was going on with her lately. But most of all, she couldn't believe the things she had said to him! Not only did she flat out admit that she found Draco attractive to his face, but she actually told him she wanted to kiss him! And the worst part was that she really meant it. She did want to kiss him. But she wished she didn't.
. . : . . : . .
I hope you like it! Please please please please please review it!! I am begging you! If you don't I hope you enjoyed it anyway! And thanks again to PaulIsTheDevil and lcj! SweetDreamsMuse
Author Notes: ahh another day, another chapter! I hope you guys are enjoying it! And please review!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this fic at all, except for any original characters. Use them if you want, but I think then you'd be crazah! ;-)
Chapter Four
"1573 in Edinburg, Scotland!" All eyes were on him. Harry had unknowingly nudged Ron awake only to startle him. He mistakenly thought he was being called upon and shouted out the first few words that came to his head. Hermione slid down in her seat, embarrassed. 'Ron, you're such a twit!' she thought.
"That's all very well and good, Mr. Weasley," Professor Binns drawled. "But I do not believe a question was addressed to you." Ron nodded drowsily and blinked a few times before dropping his head back down on the desk. Two minutes later, Hermione could make out muffled snores. She rolled her eyes and went back to diligently copying down notes.
Twenty minutes and a sore hand later, History of Magic ended.
"I can't believe we have to write a whole scroll by Monday!" Ron complained. The three were headed towards their next class accompanied by Cal and Marie.
"Would it be just too difficult for you to at least stay awake while we're having class!" Hermione reprimanded. Ron straightened up indignantly, shooting her a shocked look.
"Why I've never!" he said in a high-pitched voice, his mouth hanging open as if he had never been so insulted in his life.
"Where are we going?" Marie interrupted, shivers crawling up and down her spine. They were now in a part of the castle that was much darker and very cold.
"The dungeon..." Ron replied ominously.
"Ah.. Potions..." Harry sighed. "My least favorite class."
"And what makes it all the more enjoyable," Hermione said sarcastically, "is sharing it with Slytherin!" She made a face as if to gag and Marie giggled.
The five of them entered the classroom and took their seats. Hermione was grateful that Marie had sat down next to her instead of Cal. She didn't know if she was imagining it or not, but it seemed to her that Cal had stayed annoyingly close to her since they met up with him in History. All the chatter within the room came to an abrupt stop as Professor Snape whisked into the room, glaring coldly at the each student individually. After the usual lecture and the traditional take-away-at-least-five-points- from-Gryffindor-within-the-first-five-minutes-of-class were through, Snape began the lesson.
"Today," he said, "We will be brewing a basic Veritaserum, or truth potion." His voice was barely a whisper, but, even so, it was powerful. All the students knew that Snape was not someone to mess with. You definitely didn't want on his bad side, or rather, any side for that matter. Hermione looked over at Marie, knowing that all Snape's potions were done in pairs but Snape noticed this. "Don't get ahead of yourselves," he informed them all. " I will be assigning partners." He picked up a scroll that had been laying on his desk and began to read off the names.
" Potter - Bulstrode. Weasley - Parkinson. Malfoy - Granger. Goyle - Longbottom..." And once Professor Snape had reached the end of his list, he swiftly scrolled it up and pointed to the board. All the instructions and ingredients appeared and he snapped at them to get working before striding back behind his desk. Hermione sighed as she saw Malfoy approach her.
"Good luck," Harry whispered to her and he forced himself to pack his things and move to sit with Millicent.
"I'll get the ingredients," Malfoy said, setting his books next to her and walking over the cupboard. Hermione got the cauldron ready while Malfoy filled his arms up with nettles, belladonna, ginger root, and fluxweed, looking at the board every so often to make sure he had gotten the right things. When he returned, he let the items fall to the table and the two worked without a sound between them.
Hermione was starting to get uncomfortable after a while. She looked up from crushing the ginger root and turned to watch Malfoy. He was hunched over a bit, meticulously cutting up taproot. Hermione noted that he looked cute with his hair falling in front of his face before she mentally slapped herself. 'Oh my god, Hermione! What the eff is wrong with you lately?! You're acting like one of his love-struck fan club floozies!' she scolded. She went immediately back to her work, however, when Malfoy lifted his head and gave her an inquisitive look.
'What is she looking at?' He gave her a weak glare and then pretended to go back to cutting his taproot. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, though. She looked flustered, muttering things to herself every now and then. He smiled inwardly. 'I guess there really is a fine line between genius and insanity.'
A few minutes before the class ended, Snape spoke up. "I want you all to take a small vial of your potion. You and your partner will meet up tonight. Test your veritaserum. If you have made this incorrectly, you will both become very ill after drinking it. If not, you will have twenty minutes apiece in which the other will be forced to speak the truth." He eyed the students carefully, smirking and knowing fully well that some of their deepest secrets may be revealed tonight. Or they'll all end up in hives. Either way, it was a win-win situation. " I'll alert Madam Pomphrey to have some beds ready," he sneered. Hermione and Malfoy scooped up some of the purple liquid into vials as the bell rang. She quickly tossed the tube into the pocket of robes before rushing out of the dungeon with Harry, Ron, and Marie. Cal was last seen hitting on a brown haired slytherin.
. . : . . : . .
The portrait slid shut behind Hermione as she made her way into the common room. She hadn't really noticed how spectacular it was. A huge, grand fireplace was the first thing you saw, centered on the wall across from the entrance. A large, comfy black sofa was situated a bit back from the fireplace with an oak table in the middle of the two. Two long, wide windows adorned either side of the fireplace, light drizzled in through them onto the cold, grey floor.
From out of no where, she felt two hands on her waist. She yelped and spun around on her heels to face her surprise visitor... only to see Malfoy, smirking as usual.
"I'm sorry," he said sarcastically. "Did I frighten you?" She was fuming and he found it hysterical.
"What do you want, Malfoy?!" she spat, half-regretting ever having helped him last night.
"Well, this is my common room as well, if you must know," he replied, making her feel stupid and even more angry. He bit back a smile. "But since we're both here, I thought maybe we could finish our stupid potions assignment?" She nodded grumpily.
"But first, I'm changing," she stated, daring him to fight with her. But he just shrugged.
"Suit yourself." He walked over to his dormitory, intent on doing the same thing.
A couple minutes later, Hermione appeared in the common room in a black tank top and loose gray cotton pants, potion in hand. Draco was stretched out on the couch, waiting for her. She discovered he had changed as well, now wearing sweat pants and a t shirt. He looked up as he heard her door open and moved over so she could sit down.
"Would you like to go first?" he asked, voice dripping with mischief.
"Not necessarily..." she answered cautiously. She was afraid Malfoy was up to something. She didn't have many big secrets, but she was sure that he would be able to find something to pick on her about for the rest of the year. Actually, now that she thought about it, she just wanted to get it over with. "...but yeah, I suppose so." She uncorked the vial, shot Malfoy a withering glare, and then drank the potion. It tasted horrible and felt like ice going down her throat. She shivered. Malfoy looked concerned at first, momentarily afraid that they had made an error while making the potion and Hermione was getting ill. But the feeling soon dissipated and he glared as Hermione smirked evilly.
"You thought I was getting sick, didn't you?" she said, still smiling and knowing the answer was yes but wanting to hear it from him. He scowled. But then, something dawned on him and he smiled evilly. That definitely wiped the smirk of Hermione's face.
"I believe I have 20 minutes of the cold, hard truth with you, now don't I?" He grinned wickedly. 'Oh no...' Hermione thought. "Let's test this baby out, shall we? Who's the sexy, smart, blonde Slytherin you're sitting next to right now?" He knew that if the potion didn't work, there was no way she would admit to him being sexy and/or smart but he was in fact blonde and a slytherin.
Hermione snorted. She didn't feel anything compelling her to scream out 'Draco Malfoy'. There was no way she was saying his name! She opened her mouth to say "if I see one, I'll let you know", but instead, out slipped "You." She gasped and threw her hands over her mouth. 'Oh... I'm in trouble.' Malfoy laughed, making Hermione even more nervous. He was just getting warmed up.
"So, does that mean you think I'm sexy?"
"Yes," she blurted out, unable to keep her mouth clamped shut. Oh this sucked so bad. Malfoy seemed pleased with that answer though. "Really now? Then say it." Hermione glared at him. "I'm waiting."
"I think you're sexy," she said through gritted teeth. Hermione was screaming in her mind. Malfoy smirked.
"Now onto more interesting things... Do you like Potter?" Hermione looked at him like he'd gone mental.
"Yes, of course I do. Harry's one of my best friends."
"No, no, no, what I mean to say is do you like Potter? In a very romantic sense of the word." Hermione flushed a deep red before saying "No!" Malfoy frowned. There was no way she was lying, but he could have sworn that she had liked him. "Hmm... well, well, then... is it Weasley, perhaps?"
"Perhaps not," she scoffed. They may have been her best friends, but she could never see herself intimately involved with either of them. Just the very notion was making her want to gag.
"Longbottom?"
"Definitely no!" she replied. Although Longbottom had indeed become much more attractive, she still knew him as the clumsy, bumbling Longbottom of their first few years. Instead of pressing the matter, Malfoy let it drop. He would rather figure it out on his own anyway.
"Oh well, next topic! Is the precious Hermione Granger still a virgin?" This was something that he had been wondering for quite a while now, and he leaned in a bit closer, not wanting to miss the answer. Hermione blushed a light pink color.
".....yes..." she said softly, eyes downcast. She had never felt so stupid in her life, even though it was something silly to feel stupid about. She knew that there was no way Malfoy was a virgin and sitting there in front of him, knowing he excelled in something she did not, no matter what it was, made her feel especially small.
But Draco was surprised by the reply, although he hid it well. He would have bet anything she'd have let someone take her by now. But he tried to carry on as if he wasn't dwelling on it (although he was).
"Well then, what's the farthest you've ever gone?" He knew he was getting into very personal territory, but, for some reason, he just had to know.
"Not very. I kissed a boy at summer camp on a dare. That's about it," she replied glumly, still staring down. She had given up trying to keep her mouth closed. It only hurt her jaw.
"Would you want to have sex if the opportunity arose?"
"I would, I guess, but not with just anyone. Only someone that meant something to me. Someone I believed I loved..." At this comment, Draco decided to change the subject. He still had a couple minutes left and was not about to just waste them.
"So Granger, there is one thing I have been dying to know." He leaned in closer to her and said "Why did you help me last night if you hate me?" She looked up at him curiously. Wasn't he going to keep asking her questions like the previous few? Wasn't he going to laugh at her or tell her she was pathetic? Make fun of her or something!? But he didn't.
"I don't hate you, Malfoy," she said. And before she knew it, her mouth was running away. "I just think that sometimes you can be an annoying little git. You're always picking on me and saying rude things to Harry and Ron. If anything, I think you're that one that hates me! And I helped you last night because, well, like I said, I couldn't just leave you there like that, annoying git or not. You seemed so helpless, so weak, so... unlike yourself... it scared me." Malfoy turned this over in his mind. He had never felt cared for before. Suddenly, he got a brilliant idea. Before Hermione knew what was happening, Draco had her wrists in his hands and was an inch away from her face.
"Draco! What are yo-!"
"Shhh!" Draco quieted her. She could feel his breath on her lips. "What are you thinking right now?" Hermione's eyes got wide and a small blush crept over her face.
"Get away!" Hermione shoved Malfoy off her, but the smile on his face still remained.
"You didn't answer my question, Granger. What were you thinking?" The blush across Hermione's face intensified. Draco raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Is someone's mind in the gutter here?" Hermione glared at him for the millionth time.
"I... I was thinking," she began slowly, "that your lips looked very soft and.."
"And...? Oh there's an and! And what, you naughty, naughty girl, you!" Malfoy knew it was probably wrong, but he was really enjoying himself. Actually, he knew it must have been wrong when Hermione shot him a look that would have stabbed him in the face if it could.
"...and I was wondering what it would be like to..." Hermione looked like it was physically hurting her to tell him the truth. Finally she just let out a sigh and finished her sentence because she knew she would have to say it one way or another. "...to kiss them," she said softly.
"That's it?" Draco asked incredulously.
"What do you mean 'that's it?'!!" Hermione looked absolutely shocked. "I just told my sworn enemy of six years that I thought about kissing him and you say 'that's it?'!!"
"Well, it's just that most girls wouldn't have thought about just kissing a guy when they get that close to them," he said looking away and rubbing a hand awkwardly behind his head.
"Well, I'm not like most girls," she replied matter-of-factly.
Almost immediately after the words left her mouth, Hermione felt the icy chill that gripped her melt away. A huge smile washed over her face as she realized that her twenty minutes were up and it was her turn to interrogate Malfoy. "Time's up!" She happily handed Draco his vial. "My turn!"
He took the tiny tube from her hand uneasily, thinking he should have gone first, and then downed the purple liquid, feeling the cold sensation grasp his throat. Hermione grinned maliciously.
"So, Malfoy, are you still a virgin?" 'Wow, she sure gets right to the point, doesn't she?' Malfoy thought. He sighed and nodded his head. Hermione blinked a few times and then said "What?" Malfoy rolled his eyes.
"Yes I'm a virgin, Granger. Or is that too hard for someone as intelligent as you to comprehend?" Hermione was stunned speechless.
"Umm.... yes, actually. I thought you and Pansy..."
Draco shuddered involuntarily at the mention of Pansy. "Hell no. Although she's been trying to get me to sleep with her since our third year here, she's remained unsuccessful... thank god..." Hermione laughed. She never suspected Malfoy to be the particular type. She thought he was more of a get-some-where-you-can kind of guy.
"Well then how far have you gone?" He shrugged his shoulders.
"Blaise got me drunk once and I did a couple of things I would rather not mention... nothing too big though," he replied, looking around the room at anything else but her.
"Oh... I see...," Hermione said softly. "Well, since you don't like Pansy, do you have a thing for Millicent?" Draco looked like he was about to throw up.
"No. That girl looks like a freaking pug dog."
"Awe, that's so mean!" Hermione scolded. He looked at her, one eyebrow raised.
"Oh, I'm sorry, my mistake," he apologized. "Pug dogs are at least somewhat cute where Bulstrode is not." Hermione hit him playfully in the shoulder.
"That is so mean!" she said between laughs. She had to admit, though, he had a point. Millicent Bulstrode was not a looker. "Hmm... what else do I want to know?" Draco shrugged again.
"I don't know, you tell me."
"Why do you hate me?" she asked suddenly. He looked thoughtfully at her for a moment before speaking.
"I don't hate you, Granger."
"What? What do you mean you don't hate me! If you don't hate me, then why are you so incredibly rude to me all the time?!"
"I do enjoy agitating you, but I don't mean to hurt you with anything I say. I never thought you really cared." And this was the truth. Malfoy would have said anything to make Granger feel a little less superior to everyone else, but he never intended to cause her any kind of pain.
"Well, I do." She looked wounded and Malfoy noticed tears begin to well up in her eyes before she put her head down, suddenly very interested in her hands that were resting in her lap. He wanted to ignore her, but for some reason he was finding it harder and harder to do so as time went by.
"Please. Don't cry," he begged, putting a hand under her chin and gently tilting her face up. Hermione looked into his sad eyes. 'There it is again,' she thought. 'Why is he being so sweet to me lately?' He tucked a stray strand of her hair back in place. "Please don't."
"Why do you even care?!" she asked bitterly, turning quickly away from him. But she gradually looked back as she felt a hand over hers. "I don't know, Hermione..." he whispered, focusing on her yet trying not think about her at the same time. "I really don't know why... I just know that I do..." Malfoy hung his head low. Just as Hermione was about to say something, she got a better idea.
While Draco was still lost in his thoughts, she pushed him down onto the couch and threw herself overtop of him. At first, Draco thought that Hermione was falling. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled, not realizing that he was only pulling her closer. They were now in a very compromising position with Draco stretched out on his back and Hermione practically laying on top of him. Her lips were so close to his that he could almost feel them moving as she spoke to him: "What are you thinking right now?"
Draco closed his eyes and felt like kicking himself. "I'm thinking I should have gone first, that's what I'm thinking!" he whispered.
"Draco." He opened his eyes to find that she hadn't moved an inch away from him yet. "What were you thinking," she asked him seriously. Draco groaned as he gently lifted Hermione off him a bit so that he could lean up on his elbows and talk to her.
"I was thinking..." She was looking at him expectantly.
"Yes?"
"I was thinking that you are quite possibly the most attractive being in this entire school and- and that I..." He stopped, not wanting to continue. "Please don't make me go on."
"Oh no, please do go on, Draco." Now Hermione was the one having all the fun. She propped herself up on his chest and smiled in absolute delight. "And that you what?"
"That I would love to make you scream," he whispered.
"What was that?" Hermione said, holding a hand to her ear. "I didn't quite catch it." Draco swallowed hard and sighed.
"I would love to make you scream," he repeated loudly, slapping himself on the forehead.
"Make me scream?" Hermione questioned earnestly. "What do you mean by that?" Draco looked at her in disbelief. 'Is she kidding me?!' But the confused gleam in her eyes told him that she was not joking around, she truly didn't understand what he was getting at. He sighed again, not wanting to have to explain it but having no other choice.
"I mean it in a very er... sexual sense." Realization suddenly dawned on Hermione and she quickly turned a shade redder than any other that night. She slowly inched her way off of Draco and he sat up swiftly, not wanting to look her in the eye. Hermione at first didn't know what to say, but then she thought of something he had said earlier.
"So you think I'm attractive, huh?" Hermione grinned slyly at him. He smiled to himself at her sudden playful attitude.
"Actually, stunningly gorgeous was what came to mind." He heard her giggle and his slight smile grew a little wider. Before she could say anything more, they were both startled by a knock on the common room entrance.
"Ms. Granger? Mr. Malfoy? I need to speak with the two of you please." Professor McGonagall. Hermione hated to leave the position she was in but she was forced to get up by Draco.
"Coming, Professor McGonagall!" Hermione swung open the door, Malfoy standing by her side. McGonagall eyed the them both and wondered briefly why they didn't seem to be fighting before announcing the details of a heads and prefect meeting to be held the following Thursday. When she finished, she gave them a suspicious glace before adding "I hope the two of you plan on taking to your separate beds upon my departure?" Hermione shook her head up and down furiously while Malfoy gave her a swift nod. She shot them one last piercing look over the rim of her glasses before saying goodnight.
Hermione shut the door behind her and turned to Malfoy. He was standing there, watching her.
"I'm going to bed," he said after a few moments of awkward silence. He walked into his room and shut the door behind him, not even taking a second look at Hermione, who he left waiting by the entrance. He had to think about things.
Hermione, now thoroughly confused, went to her bedroom as well. She couldn't understand what was going on with her lately. But most of all, she couldn't believe the things she had said to him! Not only did she flat out admit that she found Draco attractive to his face, but she actually told him she wanted to kiss him! And the worst part was that she really meant it. She did want to kiss him. But she wished she didn't.
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I hope you like it! Please please please please please review it!! I am begging you! If you don't I hope you enjoyed it anyway! And thanks again to PaulIsTheDevil and lcj! SweetDreamsMuse
