A/N: Here's the next chapter:
Hermione woke up on Sunday earlier then one would on the weekend. Being trapped in the Room of Requirement postponed all the time she could have been spending doing her homework. She was reviewing her Transfiguration essay when a tired looking Malfoy came down from him room a few hours later.
"Hermione," he said yawning, and eyeing the pile of papers in front of her, "what are you doing?"
Hermione rolled her eyes as if she were doing the most obvious thing in the world.
"I'm so behind on my studies! I have to do the essay Snape gave us, and I still have to do my Arithmancy homework!"
"You were only gone for one day! And that essay Snape gave us isn't due for another week!" He said in shock.
Hermione threw daggers at him with her eyes. "Trust me. One day can affect everything."
Malfoy laughed, and stood next to her, inspecting her three-foot essay. "I'm going down for breakfast. You want something?"
"Some coffee. And toast." She replied as she busily searched the mound of papers on the desk for something.
Malfoy patted her back. "Alright, I'll be up soon."
By the time Malfoy came back up, Hermione had finished her Arithmancy, and was beginning to do Snape's essay.
He entered the portrait hole, and put her coffee and toast next to her.
"Guess who I came across when I was coming back?" He asked in an amused voice.
"Who?" Hermione said absent mindedly, scribbling out the sentence she just wrote.
"Potty and Weasel."
She frowned at his use of childish nicknames. "Did they say anything?"
"They wanted to know where you were, and they told me that they'll kill me if I had done anything to you." He responded in a bored tone, picking at a spot on his finger.
Hermione sighed. "I'll go down to the common room later today and tell them everything's OK." She turned to Malfoy. "But you'll have to walk me there. I'm not going anywhere alone from now on."
He nodded. "I think I'll go play some Quidditch with Zabini. We can go when I get back." He went up to his room to retrieve his Quidditch gear, and she went back to her essay.
Hermione and Draco walked up to the Gryffindor common room together. The sight of them walking together caused many curious stares. Malfoy was getting quite irritated, and he actually yelled at a couple of second years for whispering.
"What're you whispering about? I'm the Head Boy, and she's the Head Girl! Now go away before I dock points from your house!" The second years scampered off, looking scandalized at the sound getting points off for whispering.
Hermione stopped when she was near the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Er – here's my stop. I'll come back to our common room with Harry or Ron." She shifted on the spot. "I won't tell them anything important, and I'll try to make it quick. But if Ginny's there, I doubt that I'll be able to-"
Malfoy was about to lean down and kiss her when she urgently backed away.
"What're you doing?!" She whispered, her face turning red. "Someone could see us! Go-" She pushed Malfoy in the direction of the staircase "-and I'll meet you in a bit!"
He smiled cheekily, and proceeded to go down the steps.
She turned the corner, and walked up to the portrait of the Fat Lady. She said the password, and the Fat Lady smiled at her. "I haven't seen you in a while deary!" She said as she swung open the portrait hole. "Head Girl duties keeping you busy?" She winked. Hermione smiled, and entered the portrait hole.
Harry and Ron were sitting by the fireplace. They were talking about Ron's now former girlfriend.
"You're such a flake Ron, you always back away when you're sensing they're getting serious!" Harry said heatedly to Ron.
"Yea, well, I'm not exactly ready for commitment!" Ron retorted, his face as red as his hair. Hermione sat down on an armchair next to him.
"So I take it Ron and whats her name are over then?" She said amusedly.
"Yes," Harry said angrily, staring at Ron.
"Why so angry Harry?" Hermione asked, "You weren't like this when Ron broke up with Lavender last year."
"Well, Lavender, she was annoying. But Lynn, she was normal. And she didn't stick to him like glue either." Ron mumbled something indistinguishable, and turned his attention to Hermione.
"Where have you been? You didn't see us yesterday, and today we saw Malfoy bring food up to your dorm."
"I've just been really busy with my studies and all-" She waved her hand carelessly "-nothing to worry about. And as for Malfoy, he was bringing food up for himself. Don't worry. I can take care of myself."
Ron smiled weakly. "Alright. Its just a bit strange, you not being with us all the time."
"Yeah," Harry said. "We haven't talked – I mean really talked in a while."
"So lets talk, then."
After almost an hour of fun conversation (most of which involved bashing Professors Snape and Trelawney) Colin Creevey walked into the portrait hole of the common room. He stopped, and stared at Hermione for a brief moment before sitting at a table in the far end of the room. He looked tired and stressed out.
Harry leaned toward Hermione. "Do you know whats up with him? He hasn't been acting – well – like himself lately."
Ron snorted. Harry cast him a look that clearly said 'shut up'.
Hermione shifted in her chair. She could feel Colin staring at her. "Erm – not really. I don't have time to study his odd behaviours."
"What happened since that day when you – uh – talked to him?" Harry whispered.
"Nothing. He hasn't talked to me since. And I haven't talked to him either."
"You know what I've been hearing?" Harry asked very quietly, causing Ron to crane his neck to hear the conversation more clearly. "I've been hearing that he's been having rows with his friends from other houses. Like this kid Cardin,-" Hermione cast a guilty glance around the room, "-Ernie Macmillan told me he found them fighting. Actually, Creevey was the one fighting. Macmillan said that he had to pull him off the kid. He was fighting like a maniac."
She coughed, no longer wanting to talk about Colin when he was in the room. She stood up. "Um, you know Harry, I think I'll go back to my dorm. I think I still have some homework I have to finish." She heard Colin's chair slide against the floor.
"Want to walk me there?" She asked quickly.
"We'll both go," Ron said, standing up. "You never know what surprises Malfoy could have." He added in an undertone to Harry with a dark look on his face. Hermione hurried out of the common room with Harry and Ron at her tail.
After a hasty goodbye, Hermione was back in her common room. She hard a hard time shaking off the feeling of Colin's eyes on her. What Harry had told her was very troubling; Cardin had failed to do what Creevey wanted him to, and he got hurt for it.
That isn't normal. People like Colin should be locked up or something. He could do something serious.
She needed to talk to Malfoy, but he wasn't in the common room.
Nervously, Hermione walked up Malfoy's staircase and knocked on his door, waiting intently. She heard him yell something incoherent, and after a few moments he opened the door, towelling his wet hair.
"Er – I think I'll – um – I'll wait downstairs – you have no shirt on – er – I'll go." She stammered as her face turned scarlet. Malfoy grinned and grabbed her hand.
"Haha, Hermione calm down. Come in." He said, walking to his cabinet. He opened a drawer and put on a shirt. "Sit." He pointed to his neat bed.
Hermione half-heartedly sat on his bed. He sat down next to her.
"So, you were gone for quite a while," He said throwing his towel behind him. "Anything happen that I would be interested in?"
"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I saw Colin today, for the first time in a while. He looked terrible, like he hadn't slept in days." Draco's expression hardened.
"Did he do anything?"
"Well, of course he didn't, Harry and Ron were there. But he sat away from us, and I could feel him staring at me. It was so unnerving." She gave a little shudder. Malfoy put his arm around her protectively. "Harry told me that he's been acting oddly. And he also told me Macmillan found Creevey beating up Cardin."
Malfoy raised his eyebrows. "You mean Macmillan, that Hufflepuff prefect?"
Hermione nodded.
"I'll ask him about that..." he said, staring down at the floor. They didn't speak for a while, each in their own thoughts.
This whole ordeal with Colin is eating up so much of my time and energy! I mean, this is my last year! I'm supposed to enjoy it, and I will! This has to end now.
Malfoy sighed, and held her closer to him. "I'm really getting tired of that little prick interfering with our lives."
"I know. This has to end. I don't know how we're going to make him stop. I mean, its not like we can just go up him him and say 'can you leave us alone please?' This needs some planning."
"I have a foolproof idea." Malfoy said, grinning.
"What?"
"Well, he could always get into a terrible 'accident', and get fatally injured."
Hermione gasped. "No Draco. As much as I don't like Creevey, I would never wish death upon him."
Malfoy shrugged. "It's just a thought,"
"Hmph. I'll try and think of something by the end of the week. You should too, but nothing where he gets fatally injured." She added at the look on Malfoy's face.
"Alright, alright. I'll see what I can do." He stood up, leading Hermione out of his room. "But for now, lets go 'study'." He smirked, and Hermione turned scarlet once again.
"Alright." She replied, flustered.
Over the next week, Hermione contemplated ways of getting Colin to leave her alone. Sadly, she was thinking along the same lines as Malfoy: She couldn't find a way of getting rid of Creevey with out him getting incredibly injured, or killed.
But on Thursday night at dinner, Hermione got an idea from Ginny.
Ginny was asking Hermione about what was going on with Colin.
"Well, I always walk down the halls with you, Draco, Harry or Ron." Hermione said, taking a bite of her food.
"So you're saying that if you walk down the halls alone, he'll attack you?"
Hermione hadn't told her about being trapped in the Room of Requirement. "I'm not sure, but I don't want to take any chances."
"No wonder I never see him anywhere anymore. He probably spends all his time following you. You should be careful, even if you are with someone else."
"Oh my gosh Ginny!" Hermione practically leaped out of her seat with excitement.
"What?!" Ginny asked, alarmed, choking on her food.
"You just gave me an idea!" She said wiping her mouth quickly. "I need to talk to Draco." She looked over at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was absorbed in a conversation with Zabini. He looked up after a while and caught Hermione's eye. She tilted her head in the direction of the doors, and he nodded.
"Ginny, will you wait with me outside until Malfoy meets us?"
"Sure." She stood up. "What is this all about anyway?"
"I'll tell you later. I promise." Ginny looked unhappy with the idea of not knowing what was going on at the second, but she walked Hermione out to the Entrance Hall nevertheless. After a few moments Malfoy appeared.
"Good. I need to talk to you." He said.
"Same here. Lets go to the common room." She said.
Ginny cleared her throat. "Can I please know what is going on?" She asked, sounding a bit annoyed.
"Not now, later," Hermione said going in the direction of her common room.
"I bet it isn't even anything important," Ginny said, walking back to the Great Hall, "probably some excuse for a snog session..."
Hermione and Draco walked quickly to their common room, trying not to call much attention to themselves. It wasn't that hard since almost everybody in the castle was at dinner.
They quickly entered their common room, earning a suspicious glance from the warlock and goblin, and sat down on the couch.
"What did you want to say?" Hermione said hurriedly.
"I have a way to get rid of Creevey, with out him getting killed." He smiled like a little boy who accomplished something grand.
Hermione positively beamed.
"Well, I don't exactly have a way to get rid of him, but I know a way we can get him." She said.
"Yes, that's good, because I want to ask him questions. I still have more Veritaserum, you know." He grinned.
"OK, so tell me, how are we going to do this?"
"Well, at dinner, Zabini was telling me something very interesting..."
A/N: Yay! OK, from here, there are probably two chapters left. And just a little FYI, when Draco tells Hermione "lets go 'study'", it only refers to snogging. That's all.