Chapter Twenty Two
The soothing water ran down her aching body, she closed her eyes and let the shower drench her thoroughly, she lathered herself up with a soapy sponge and ran it over herself entirely, as she washed her thighs she opened her eyes, she could see the faint markings of where the scratches had been imprinted in her flesh, but in the bright light of day her fear had turned to inquisitiveness. She remembered Neville and Luna's tale from the night before and wondered how much of it was true. "I will have to do some of my own research about Bertram Villanos (or whatever he was called)," she thought as she continued her ablutions.
Feeling somewhat refreshed Hermione got out of the shower. She wrapped herself again in the fluffy bath robe and sat upon the bed, glancing once more at the note on the table. "A present?" she thought as she rubbed her hair dry with a warm towel.
Hermione got dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and left her voluminous hair loose and tousled. She left her room and made her way down to the bar. As she was waiting for Tom to see to her she noticed a copy of the daily profit laying on a table to her right. A picture of her draped sexily against a bedpost stared out at her from the front page, with the headline, "Gregarious Gathering for the Gorgeous Miss Granger," The picture shifted and showed Hermione slinking up the large staircase her hips swaying provocatively. Blushing, Hermione read the report beneath it;
"It has been quite a week for the buxom redhead as she spent her time away from teaching Arithmancy at the prestigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, here in London. Granger, 26, became famous as the brave friend of Harry Potter, who helped in the defeat of dark wizard Voldemort at the battle of Hogwarts. This week however, Hermione has put her heroics and genius to one side to explore her more sensual side. The latest example of this is these sexy shots of the stunner as she makes her modelling début. She arrived at the Georgian mansion of Neville and Luna Longbottom-Lovegood last night to attend their first annual Halloween Masquerade Ball wearing a delightful black and gold ball gown by new designer Aurelia Perky.
Earlier in the week, a stunned London society read the startling confessions of none other than..."
"Got summink for you Miss. Granger." Tom interrupted. He waved a small package wrapped in brown paper above his head. Hermione rolled the newspaper up and put it under her arm. She took the package from Tom.
"Thanks," she said could you please have some toast and coffee sent up to my room please?"
"Not a problem." Tom said, "Good night last night eh?"
"Errr, yeah great," she said, and made her way back up to her room.
Once inside she closed the door behind her and threw herself onto her bed, she buzzed with excitement as she began carefully unwrapping her present. Before she had finished a note fell out.
"Hermione,
I will be waiting at my London apartment at 8pm this evening, if you decide you want to see me.
The address is;
278k Rosenthal Towers, London Town.
If you do not come I will understand and I will not bother you again.
Yours hopefully,
An admirer
xxx
Hermione tore the rest of the paper from the package and sat looking at a shiny new book. She read the title out loud,
"A Dragon Can Change his Spots."
Then she caught sight of the name of the author.
"Oh my God!" she said aloud, "DRACO MALFOY!"