Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They are the product of JK Rowling.
Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews! Keep it coming. They are very encouraging!
Hermione spent the next several days alone. She stayed in her dorm room all Sunday, only entering the Student Center during the late afternoon to pick up some food for her system. She fell asleep early that night, restless and anxiously waiting for morning.
The following days, she spent either in her dorm room, in classes or in the library. She barely ate a bite for breakfast and lunch, easily avoiding Draco and the group of friends with whom she had gone to Covent Garden. Selena had found out about their encounter in the Student Center by Monday evening, but she merely told Hermione that if she wanted to talk, she was there.
Though she saw Malfoy in all of their classes, they didn't say a word to each other. Usually, he greeted her with a wave and a nod. Now, it was nothing. He simply acted as if she didn't exist.
Hermione didn't even know why Malfoy's silence affected her so much. This was what bothered her the most. She had hated Draco Malfoy in Hogwarts. Why, at university, was he suddenly that important to her? Why did he matter?
She had a sneaking suspicion that it was because he had lulled her into believing that he cared, that he cared about her and their relationship. Relationship? They had a relationship? Yes, she confirmed to herself. They did. They had strong feelings towards each other. You couldn't hate unless you had strong feelings towards someone. You couldn't love unless you had strong feelings towards someone. So, did this mean she loved him? Because she didn't think she hated him anymore.
Damn it. She was confused.
By Thursday, the day of their three hour lab together, Hermione was miserable. She had had numerous "talks" with herself. She was anticipating this class with much dread, and just a little bit of anticipation since interaction was necessary. If she wanted to admit it totally to herself, she missed Malfoy. She missed their banter, their study sessions, their arguments. At Hogwarts, they were always interacting, whether they wanted to or not. And, in the past week, she hadn't seen hair or hide of him outside of class.
Hermione took a deep breath before entering the lab room. They were beginning a new project, analyzing the human brain over the next few weeks. They would be using a realistic model for the first few labs with a holographic image as a secondary source. She had already read over the chapters in their text book at least three times, and she was completely prepared.
She had dressed carefully that day, knowing that Malfoy would inevitably make a comment about her appearance. She didn't want him to think that she was crying over their lost relationship. Her blue jeans fit her form in all of the right places, and she wore a v-neck sweater of burnt orange. Her hair was only partially pulled back, and she had treated it with a potion to tame the curls a bit. Her jewelry accessorized her outfit perfectly. She had actually broken down and asked Selena on the matter. She looked good. She knew it.
Malfoy was already there when she entered the room. He was reading his own text book, ignoring everyone else in the room. He was resting his elbow on the desk that they shared, his head resting on his hand. He turned the page and sighed.
Hermione quietly placed her bag on the floor and sat down, accidentally brushing her foot against his as she crossed her legs. She felt him pull away from her touch, and she resolutely ignored the hurt she felt as he did so. Sighing, she pulled her own books from her bag and began to read.
The minutes slowly ticked by as more students filled the room. The lab only had sixteen people in it, and most usually showed up at least five minutes prior to the start time. Hermione glanced at the clock again and again. Only one minute had passed each time. She closed her eyes in frustration. This was going to be a long three hours.
A rustling sound interrupted her thoughts and she turned her head to see Malfoy's face inches from hers. She blinked her eyes slowly, her expression impassive.
"Granger, you smell like a cheap flower shop in Hogsmeade. What the hell do you have on?" he sniffed and pulled away from her, wrinkling his nose.
Hermione tossed her hair over her shoulder. "It's Selena's. You never seem to mind when she wears it."
"I'm not forced to sit next to her for three hours in a lab and smell her perfume. Go wash it off," he said curtly and turned back to his reading. He was clearly dismissing her.
Her sharp laugh brought his attention back to her. "Am I bothering you, Malfoy? Is my presence bothering you?" she asked, leaning closer to him.
He raked his gaze over her, lingering a little too long on her chest. Hermione allowed herself a small smile. The necklace that Hermione wore accented the plunging neckline of the sweater, drawing attention to her cleavage. Selena had assured her that any male would be appreciative of the sight.
"Go wash off the perfume, Granger," he ground out.
"Don't tell me what to do, Malfoy," she hissed. "You don't own me." She kept her face close to his, purposely infiltrating his personal space. She could smell his own cologne, and she had to admit that he smelled good. Really good.
They stayed that way for a full minute before the professor walked into the room and began the day's lesson. Malfoy turned away before she did, and Hermione felt a small satisfaction in winning their staring contest.
Fifteen minutes later, after a series of directions from the instructor, they began.
"Let's get this done quickly, Granger," announced Malfoy. "I don't want to spend any more time with you than necessary." He headed to the side of the room to pick up supplies for the lab.
"The feeling is mutual," Granger assured him when he returned. She had set up the 3-D image over their workspace.
Malfoy set down the model on the table top. Over the next two hours, they painstakingly picked apart the frontal lobe, labeling every portion of it, and reviewing its functions. They spoke in clipped, direct tones. They finished sooner than any other group in the room. After cleaning up their workspace, they received permission to leave early.
Hermione grabbed her coat from the back of the chair and pulled a scarf out of one of its pockets. It was the scarf he had given her less than a week ago, the one which had caused their fight. It shimmered under the lights and caught Malfoy's eye. He paused in his movements to stare as she wrapped the scarf around her neck and used it to cover the exposed skin on her chest. Tugging her coat on, she lifted her hair so that it wouldn't get caught under her clothes. She was completely aware that Malfoy was still noticing her every move.
Selena had recommended this move. After a quick discussion last night, Selena had suggested she wear the scarf. "If you want a reaction out of Draco, you should wear that scarf that he gave you. It will be a peace offering from you and it will make him start the conversation. He won't be able to hold back. He's just that type of guy." Her eyes had glittered with anticipation. "I would love to be there when he sees that wrapped around your neck."
She gathered her books and bag and hurried out of the room. Malfoy was directly behind her, right on her heels. Down the hallway, out the door, and down the stone steps to the walkway to the Student Center, she went. The anger emanating from him grew and grew. A small shred of joy, maybe even hope, sprouted inside of Hermione. Draco Malfoy was not indifferent to her.
Hermione felt a hand on her upper arm grab her and whirl her around. "What are you playing at, Hermione Granger?" he growled in her ear.
She tilted her head up to him. "What are you talking about?" she asked playfully. For the first time in five days, she was smiling. She felt giddy with relief. He had sought her out.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Wearing perfume, dressing like a whore, and finally putting on that damn scarf that I bought. I don't trust you," he said, pulling her closer.
Hermione smirked. "Maybe you shouldn't," she said, unwavering in her stance. She had her wand within hand's reach. He couldn't do much to her in the middle of the university grounds.
Reluctantly, he released her. "What do you want?" he asked, crossing his arms and staring shrewdly at her.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" she countered. He didn't say a word. She continued, stepping slowly backwards, away from him. "You know what I would want if I were you? I'd want the Charms notes that you left on the table on Sunday. I'd want them for that big test we have next Wednesday. Especially the notes on charms for mending muscles and tendons. You seemed to have a little trouble on those." She pulled out an object from her bag, and flashed him a notepad with his very distinct, neat handwriting visible on it.
His face fell. She knew that he hadn't realized the notes were gone. He would have come after her sooner. She grinned cheekily, scooted away from his outstretched hand, and then took off running across campus. She needed to reach the Student Center; more specifically she needed to get herself lost in the hallways there and take refuge in one of the rooms.
It was exhilarating; the chase always is. Hermione ran down one pathway, and then another, before cutting across an open field. She was quick, due to the daily run she had every evening before dinner. The daily run that Draco didn't know about.
He was close behind her, but his surprise had given him a late start. Hermione had about twenty yards on him, but the gap was closing rapidly. She climbed the stairs to the building two at a time, flung open the door, and turned right at the first hallway. As she turned the next left, she heard his footsteps in the building. She squeaked, which unfortunately alerted him to her direction.
Quickly, he followed her. Hermione passed several rooms before seeing the small alcove into the women's bathroom. Breathing a sigh of relief, she slammed the door shut behind her and collapsed into a fit of giggles against the wall. Teasing a guy was more fun than she realized.
Suddenly, the door swung open. Malfoy, sweating and gasping for breath, stood in the doorway. Hermione squeaked. "Malfoy, you moron, this is the women's room. You're across the way." She waved her hand to the opposite side of the hallway, smiling impishly at him.
He ignored her. Approaching her, he hauled her up to a standing position. Hermione stopped giggling, and stared straight at him. She gulped, unable to help herself. She was a little bit afraid at that moment. Just a little bit.
"I want my notes back," he said quietly, his hands firmly underneath her arms, pressing her into the wall.
"I will give you your notes back if you stop acting like such an ass," she replied calmly.
"I haven't done anything to you," he stated.
"Exactly," said Hermione. "You haven't upheld your end of the bargain. Why should I help you with your study habits?"
"You're playing dirty, Granger," he said, releasing her. He turned away, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"I'm not the only one," she said, crossing her arms and staring at him defiantly. "Look, I'll give you back your Charms notes at our next study session."
Malfoy's eyebrows raised as he stared at her incredulously. "You want to study with me?"
Hermione shrugged. "Sure, why not? As long as you stop being such a jerk about everything. I didn't want to take the scarf because my mom always told me that I should never accept a gift from a guy who I wasn't dating. Well, I'm nineteen now, and I'm allowed to make my own decisions."
Hermione watched as Malfoy transformed into an awkward teenager before her very eyes. A small, pleased smile crossed his face and then quickly disappeared. A pink tinge erupted on the tips of his ears. He was embarrassed, she realized. Embarrassed and pleased all at the same time.
She had accepted his gift and he was pleased. But, he wasn't sure how to display his emotions towards her.
Hermione put out her hand. "Do we have a deal?"
He stared at her hand for a long time. Hermione watched a dozen different emotions cross his face before a triumphant look settled there. Shaking her hand, he said, "Deal."
His grip suddenly tightened and he yanked her to him, reaching for her book bag. Pulling it from her shoulder, he started going through it, searching for his notes. He suddenly realized that Hermione wasn't protesting. He looked up when he couldn't find them.
She was smirking. "Do you really think that I would bring those notes with me? They're up in my dorm room. I needed collateral for today. I merely showed you a copy of what I have. That's disappeared by now."
Surprised, Malfoy looked down at the bag in his hands and started rummaging through it again.
"I don't have my Charms notes in there, either, so stop looking for a copy," she said, still watching him, a gleeful expression on her face.
He pulled out her lab notebook, from the class they had just attended. He sneered, "That's not what I was looking for. I felt the need for some security of my own. I'll just take this until our next study session."
"Shit," mumbled Hermione and reached for her notes. Malfoy lifted it higher, out of her reach. She scrambled to get her notes one more time, before she realized how dumb she had been and how dumb she looked. Settling down, she said, "Fine. Keep it."
She gathered up her things, avoiding his gaze, and walked out of the lavatory. He followed her.
"When do you want to study?" he asked, falling in step with her. He had shoved her notes into his own bag.
"Tonight," she answered. "Student Center."
"Why don't you just come over to my place?" he suggested. "It'll be quieter, and we won't attract so much attention if we get into another fight."
"Anticipating battle with me, Malfoy?" she questioned, tilting her head up to scrutinize him.
"As always, Granger, as always," he said. He stopped at the double doors leading to the outside. "I'll owl you directions and the password."
"Leave it to you to have a password to your college flat," she said dryly.
"I do what I must," he said. Then, he turned and walked away.
Hermione shook her head as she watched him exit. If she wasn't mistaken, Malfoy had a little more bounce to his step. Their encounter had been quite invigorating. She was looking forward to tonight.