Okay so this is the replacement chapter 7. I didn't really like the way the first one was so guess what! I redid it (: no hard feelings okay?
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this fic at all (with the exception of original characters) or the poem.
Chapter Seven
Draco groaned and rolled over, trying desperately to avoid the sunlight that was beckoning him to awake and start his day. It wasn't until he felt an odd breeze that he even cracked an eye open.
'Granger?!' Draco's eyes were completely open now that he had found his 'breeze' to be Hermione's breath on his neck. 'What the hell is she doing here?!' He tried to remember this happening at some point in the night, but his mind found nothing to place her in his bed this way. He turned his attention back to her. His attention seemed to be always focused on her anymore. His eyes raked over her perfect slumbering form. No matter how many times he looked at her, no matter how hard he tried to engrave her features into his mind, she was still as breath-taking to look at as she was the first time he woke to find her sleeping beside him. A dwindling part of his consciousness mumbled something about this all being wrong and blah blah blah. He was surprised by how easy it was becoming to ignore. He doubted if even that small part of his sanity would be haunting him for much longer and he wasn't sure if the idea scared or excited him. 'I need to figure out what's going on here.'
Just then, Hermoine let out a contented sigh that shook him loose of his thoughts. Unconsciously, she scooted closer to him and his mouth twisted into a small smile as she wrapped her tiny arms around his bicep. He had just decided to forget about why she was there (for now) and simply enjoy sleeping next to her when suddenly her eyelids wrenched themselves apart.
"Oh crap!" she shouted as she sat straight up, remembering where she was and, more importantly, that she wasn't supposed to be there. "I've got to get out of here before Draco-" Hermione was halfway out of the bed when someone clearing his throat halted her rambling. She turned slowly towards the sound, dreading what she knew she'd see. And indeed, it was as she'd predicted: Draco. He was sitting up in bed now, wearing a mixed expression of amusement and confusion. "Umm…" Hermione began, completely at a loss for words. "Hi?"
"Hi?" Draco mimicked, one eyebrow cocked. "You sneak into my room – no, into my very bed no less! – and all you can say for yourself is 'hi'?" Draco crossed his arms over his bare chest and, in doing so, reminded Hermione very much of a cross father who'd caught his only daughter sneaking out past curfew. Only, you know, that would be weird if this were the case.
"Uhh…" Hermione thought it best to try again. "Would you believe me if I said I was sleep walking?"
"Sleeping walking?" He looked at her incredulously, one eyebrow still raised. She smiled sheepishly, her eyes looking everywhere but towards his. "Nice try," He encouraged sarcastically, trying his best not to smile. "Now would you kindly care to explain to me what you're really doing in my bed?" Hermione let her eyes finally fall to the comforter, praying that she'd be able to rip the perfect answer straight from its seams. Draco waited patiently for a reply, now totally unable to keep the corners of his mouth from turning up.
"I just- Uh… I couldn't sleep." With that, Hermione, thinking she'd seemingly answered his question well enough, finally finished untangling herself out of Draco's bed sheets and swiftly made for the door.
"Not so fast!" Draco jumped out of the bed and caught her by the arm before she'd managed to escape his little interrogation. "I'm not done with you yet!" Hermione looked back at him and pouted, disappointed that her small legs couldn't carry her fast enough to get away. Draco was disappointed too – disappointed that he found Hermione so adorable when she pouted.
"Come on, now," he began, towing her back towards the bed. "If you tell me the real reason as to why I caught you sleeping in my bed, I promise I'll try very hard not to make you remember that fact every waking minute of every day." Draco smirked mischievously and was content to watch Hermione bite her lip as she squirmed under his gaze, thoroughly embarrassed.
"Okay, okay," she spat, deciding that the truth would most likely be her best bet in this situation. She glared at him ruefully before continuing and he smiled back angelically, which made it very hard for her glaring to continue any longer. "Well, you see, I haven't really been able to sleep at night since, well, since the second day of the semester…" Draco plopped himself down on the edge of his bed.
"Oh please, do go on," he prodded as Hermione paused. 'Maybe I could if you'd stop using your gorgeous green eyes to turn my brain to mush,' she thought, already getting used to the idea that she found Draco attractive in every sense of the word. She let out a sigh as she continued.
"You see, the only times I could remember actually falling asleep were… were in your bed… so, I thought, you know, maybe if I, I dunno, were there again… I could… you know, sleep..." Hermione trailed off, fairly certain that her words had run together to form a sentence that barely even made sense and just the tiniest bit ashamed of what she'd done. Had she no common sense? Had she no self control? She didn't know what was happening to her lately. Only that Draco was most definitely the cause of it all. After a couple minutes of what could only be described as awkward silence, she looked up and met his gaze for the first time that morning.
Draco, who had recently assumed the position of a psychology, had one hand on his chin, looking concerned. This was definitely a situation to which he could see no possible downside. To fall asleep every night with her tucked in his arms? To wake up every morning next to her angel's face? What he would give for that! Just about anything. And, on top of all that, as if that weren't enough to make him sickishly giddy already, he took a kind of pride in the fact that she felt she could only fall asleep in his bed. Next to him. Okay, well maybe not next to him exactly since it probably had more to do with the bed than with his presence, but still. He slept in that bed too, so as far as he was concerned - he was part of the solution. And for some reason, that made him extremely happy. Way happier than he would ever admit to her. He had to play this off; he definitely could not afford to let her know how much he was actually going to enjoy this. He exhaled dramatically, Hermione's wide brown eyes stayed glued to his.
"Well… I guess I don't really have a choice," Draco said, pushing himself up to stand and pretending to dust off his arms. He threw a smirk at Hermione, but he felt something catch in his throat as he detected a twinge of sadness in her eyes.
"No, Draco, that's okay," she mumbled, casting her eyes down towards the cold stone tiles dejectedly. "I couldn't possibly ask you for that. It wouldn't be right for me to make you do this." 'Uh-oh' Draco thought. He was going to have to try another angle. And quickly.
"You're not making me do anything," he scoffed, considering the sheer impossibility of it. Like anyone could ever make Draco Malfoy do something he didn't want to. "And I'm definitely not going to have you wandering the grounds of Hogwarts all loopy and sleep-deprived. What if you were to trip over a mandrake root down a flight of stairs in herbology or walk too closely to the womping willow?!" He made a face of mock horror at the very thought. "I just could not have that on my conscience, Granger." Hermione glanced up at him through her long, thick eyelashes and it was quite possibly one of the most alluring looks he'd ever seen. He took a couple steps closer to her.
"Are you sure?" Neither of them had realized how close they were until they were now staring into each other's eyes. Hermione said nothing more, but she could feel the short distance between them weighing down heavily. And in that instant she wanted nothing more than to close the gap between them and crush herself into his chest. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her and never let her go. As if Draco was somehow reading her mind, he started moving closer to her. Gently, very gently, he took one of his hands into both of his.
"Yes," he breathed, "I'm sure." Hermione beamed brilliantly up at him and, for a second, he thought maybe this was the most alluring look he'd ever seen. Or maybe all of her looks were equally mind-blowing and he'd just have to get used to being stunned whenever their eyes met? …He could live with that.
"Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Hermione exclaimed as she immediately threw her arms around him and tackled him into what she conceived to be a hug. Draco laughed as she almost knocked them both backwards onto the bed.
"You owe me one, though," he added as he stood there awkwardly while he was pretty sure Hermione was trying to squeeze the life out of him. "No – you owe me ten!"
"I'll owe you twenty if it will make you happy!" She released him – just a bit – enough that he could see her still glowing with elation. "I promise, you won't even know I'm there! It'll be just like sleeping with a teddy bear! I won't hog the covers or anything, I swear it!" Draco chuckled again. A teddy bear? Really? He highly doubted he'd ever come across a teddy bear that could arouse in him the feelings she did (and if he ever did, that'd be way more than just a little creepy). And he didn't really care if she all but kicked him off the bed, so long as she was happy. He was pretty sure he'd do just about anything to see her smile like that. And with that last thought came the sudden realization: 'Ohhhh… I'm in deep.'
. . : . . : . .
"So, are you going to tell me who your mysterious lover boy is today?"
"No," Hermione said flatly, pushing Marie out of the way so she could reach the english muffins. Unfortunately, Marie would not be so easily discouraged.
"Aha!" She shouted, causing Hermione to jump in her skin. "So there is a boy!" Hermione, after replaying what she'd said in her mind, smacked herself on the forehead.
"There isn't!" she insisted.
"Sure… Just in case though, maybe you should have this." Marie just smiled demurely and slid a folded piece of battered parchment towards her. Hermione snatched it up in an instant, shoving it thoughtlessly into the deep recesses of her robes.
"And shhhhhh!" Hermione glared a few daggers at Marie's giggling figure as Ron and Harry strode down the aisle to take their places by her side. The last thing she needed was for them to find out about her recent little arrangement that placed her slumbering nightly in Draco Malfoy's bed. She was also about 95% sure that said news would most certainly cause Ron to fatally choke on the sausage links he was shoving down his gullet two at a time as quickly as he could manage. He had barely even got out a good morning before he'd gone to town on the buffet before them.
"…Are you trying to consume an entire pig's worth of sausage? Because I'm pretty sure you've already ingested most of the remains of Wilbur within the past five minutes," Hermione pointed out, still staring horrorstruck at Ron's savage attack on pan fried meats. He mumbled out something along the lines of "Bugger off, Charlotte" before disregarding her completely to return to his feast. It was not without herculean effort that Hermione managed to finally pry her eyes away. "I'm glad you're not a monster…" she whispered over her shoulder to Harry.
Harry laughed casually as he continued to watch his best friend pack away the better part of a live swine. "He's a growing boy, you know. We've gotta beef up for Quidditch Finals somehow!"
"Thash wah im shayin!!" Ron somehow spit out between bits, animatedly throwing his hands in the air. At this, even Hermione couldn't help but giggle.
. . : . . : . .
Hermione sighed heavily. At the moment, she was sitting between her best friends, Harry and Ron, so very near the blessed end of another awful potions class. She sighed as Snape informed them all of a huge assignment he was giving them- due Monday. 'So much for my weekend,' Hermione thought mournfully.
"I think I need some more belladonna," Hermione stated as she sprinkled the last bit of cut taproot into her cauldron.
"I'll get it, Hermione," Harry offered, scooting out his chair.
"Oh, no, Harry. I'll get it. I'm not helpless, you know!" She shot him a half smile playfully as she got up and headed towards the front desk. After gathering as much of the posionous Eurasian herb as she thought she'd need, she headed back to her seat. On her way seat, however, she lost her footing on the smooth stone floor. "Oh!"
"Watch it!" Draco reprimanded as he caught her smoothly before she fell. Harry and Ron instantly perked up in their chairs a few rows back, ready to leap to Hermione's defense, if need be. Everyone else in the class seemed to stop momentarily, to watch what they felt was sure to be just another Gryffindor/Slytherin episode.
"Thank you," Hermione breathed, a little shaken. Her heartbeat had noticeably quickened in pace from the second his hands touched her skin and she prayed that it wasn't loud enough for him to notice. Wordlessly, Draco bent down, picked up the fallen purple bell-shaped flowers and gently cupped her hand around them.
"Be more careful next time," he demanded somewhat gruffly, not totally unaware of their audience. His heart had jumped a bit when he noticed her trip and he hated it. It made him feel like he cared for this girl- which, mind you, he didn't. Or did he? I mean, they have been sleeping together – not sleeping together, sleeping together – but falling asleep together rather and, after this morning's incident, they obviously planned on sleeping together some more. Did people just do that? Just want to sleep randomly with someone? Not sleep with them, sleep with them, but just fall asleep with them… Draco snapped straight up as he realized where all these notions were headed. 'Oh no,' Draco thought glumly, 'What am I even saying?! I've gone totally mental, haven't I?' Hermione, unaware of the debate raging inside Draco between him and himself, nodded briefly and, with a smile, continued back to Harry and Ron.
"Are you okay?!" Ron hissed. They were attached to her side as soon as she'd reached their table. She shot them both a dubious glare.
"Of course I'm okay!" she exclaimed, trying to keep her voice at a reasonable level, considering they were all still in class. To be honest, she was more than okay. She really felt like singing. Likr dancing even! Only breaking out in song and dance in the middle of Professor Snape's classroom was, no doubt, suicidal. She was pretty sure she could spend every second of every day in Draco's arms.
"He didn't hurt you, did he?!" At this, Hermione simply stared at Harry, uncomprehending.
"Hurt me?" She said the words as if they made no sense. And to her, they didn't. "No he didn't hurt me! Were you two in the same classroom as everyone else just moments ago? I would have fallen flat on my face if he hadn't caught me and I'm pretty sure that that would have hurt me!" Hermione glowered at the now backpedaling duo.
"Sorry, sorry!" Harry waved his hands hurriedly in front of his face, trying to play peacemaker. "We know you two are fr-" He gulped, forcing himself to say the word, "friends now! It's just that, after so many years of constantly being on the lookout, it's simply instinct now, you know?" He shrugged his shoulders and feigned casual, Ron quickly following suit. "Yeah, instinct…" Hermione's glare weakened and she rolled her eyes.
"Okay, okay, I'll forgive you – again." She laughed a bit as she heard the two boys exhale their relief loudly. "But just try to get this through your thick heads – he's not going to hurt me! Okay?" Ron glanced at Harry, biting his lip.
"Okay," the two reluctantly agreed in unison, nodding their heads. Hermione smiled radiantly at her two best friends just as the bell rang.
"You know I love you guys, right?" She giggled, giving each their arms a light punch.
"Yeah, yeah, shove of it!" Ron laughed, as he tended to his imaginary bruise. "You're just happy cause you always get your way!"
. . : . . : . .
"Hey, Granger." Hermione pursed her lips together and shot a withering glance in Draco's direction. The two of them were in their shared common room, both on either end of the long black leather sofa, studying. Or trying to. He bit his bottom lip in an attempt to keep himself from laughing at her silly expression. "I mean… Hermione." Hermione's heart fluttered. There was something his mouth could do with her name that no one else's could. The way he said, the way his lips moved around each syllable, there was just something utterly wonderful about it.
"Yes, Draco?" she answered sweetly, batting her eyelashes in the process. She had been refusing to answer him lest he call her anything but her real name. This really didn't bother Draco, though. In fact, he enjoyed the chance to tease her, if only to see the cute faces she'd make in retort. Of course, she'd meant for them to be menacing, but he highly doubted if her features were even capable of producing any look short of endearing.
"Would you happen to have a spare quill I could borrow?" He smiled cheerfully, purposefully sugarcoating every word in an attempt to outdo her in her own game. "Mine seems to have disappeared." In truth, Hermione has snatched it while Draco had walked back into his room to grab some more parchment and shoved into her robe.
"Why, it's your lucky day, sir! I just so happen to have one right here!" As she whipped out his quill however, a folded piece of parchment flew out with it and landed with a plop on the table. Hermione stared at it for a moment, not quite recognizing it till Draco had already started unfolding it. "No!" she shrieked, not even wanting to imagine what horror was written inside the letter Marie had given her earlier at breakfast. "Wait! Don't!" But it was too late. Draco had barely even finished unfolding the parchment before both his eyebrow shot up in surprise.
"Oh no… what is it?!" Hermione groaned, knowing this could lead to nothing but degradation on her part. She held her hand out shakily for the parchment. What in the world could Marie have possibly written on it?
"You don't know what this is?" Draco asked, now completely bemused but still a little confused. He pulled the parchment closer to his chest as Hermione outstretched hand reached for it.
"No… Someone gave it to me earlier today, but I haven't had a chance to open it yet." Hermione's eyes tightened slightly as she saw Draco had no intention of giving her back possession of this piece of parchment. "What is it?" She leaned a little toward him, now truly curious to see what it was he was trying to keep from her. Draco was just about to tell her that he didn't think her fragile little mind could handle what was written on this particular piece of parchment, but before he could, he saw a mischievous glint flash across her eyes. He hadn't even had time to say one word before she'd pounced on him, struggling against his strong arms to take hold of the secret note and rip it from his clutches. "Give. It. To. Me!" she cried, emphasizing each word.
"Hermione! I'm telling you, you don't want to see this!" He snickered in spite of himself, unable to properly keep control of the situation and, in his moment of weakness, Hermione triumphed.
"Ha HA!" She jumped off the couch just in time to dodge a counterattack. Victoriously, she flipped the piece of parchment around to see it, a huge grin spread wide across her face. And two moments later, she was flinging the parchment towards the ground, all traces of her smile replaced by a gaping mouth. "Oh. My. God." Currently fluttering towards the ground was an article entitled 'Heat Up Your Nights at Hogwarts,' featuring no less than four animated naked couples, all enchanted to forever be aiding the sexually curious in their quest for spicy new positions. Draco was practically on the floor laughing at the dumbfounded expression on Hermione's face.
"I told you you didn't want to see it!" he howled. Hermione didn't speak; she just blinked profusely, trying to rid herself of the images that were unfortunately already burned into her skull. Marie thought she needed this!?! She was going to KILL her when she got a hold of her scrawny neck tomorrow!
"Hermione! Are you okay?" Draco was still unable to keep himself from smiling, but he had himself together enough to make sure Hermione wasn't going into shock or anything. It wasn't until she heard his voice that everything clicked for her. He saw the article too. And she saw it. They both had basically just seen four couples… doing it… hardcore… It was right around this moment that she blushed every shade of red visible in the light spectrum. She had no idea why she felt so – so humiliated. Ashamed even! She lowered her head to the ground, unable to even look at him, as her stomach relentlessly tied itself in knots over and over again. She was just about to make a mad dash for her room when a pair of iron arms encircled her.
"Hermione," Draco chuckled as she buried her head in his chest. "You look petrified! What's wrong?" He tried to gently pry her from his body, but this only caused her to submerge herself even deeper into the folds of his robe. Draco looked down at her, momentarily puzzled until he suddenly put the pieces together. Her wide brown eyes, her dark red blush, her fight-or-flight reaction. He couldn't help himself – he laughed. She was just so adorable.
"Hermione, are you embarrassed?!" She didn't really know what to do or how to react; she'd never been in this kind of a situation before. This time though, when he peeled her arms from around his waist, she let him. She was still staring in disinterest at the floor, although now that the shame had seemed to pass, she continued to do so awkwardly. "You're silly, you know that, right?" Hermione scowled at the tiles individually for not being able to find her a way out of this mess. Suddenly, she felt a cool finger under her chin, lifting her face up stare helplessly at Draco.
"It's not a big deal, really it's not," he assured her and, after hesitating a second, gently, so very gently, he reached out with his other hand to trace a line down her cheek. Hermione shivered slightly at his light caress. The knots in her stomach were instantly replaced with butterflies and her blush returned. She smiled meekly at him. Draco took a step back and let his hands drop from Hermione's face, to her pure disappointment. He let out a ragged breath and then turned towards his door.
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked a little too quickly, unable to completely cover her sadness at his retreat.
"To bed." Draco turned, throwing a wicked smirk over his shoulder as he reached the door. "See you in there."
End for now – this chapter's nice and long for you (:
read|review
