A Game of Lust
Hermione applied brown eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara. This made her doe eyes sultry and the plum lip-balm was the icing on the cake. She brushed her curly hair till it shone like the sun glittering down on the Black Lake. Hogwarts had a uniform policy, but the combinations of the garments were up to the student. She laid out a scarlet beanie and her House scarf.
Woody floral perfume on her neck and wrists, one pleated skirt, a white blouse sans House tie, and a pair of stockings later, she was dressed to leave. Forgetting her cloak, she exited her dormitory. She held her breath before entering the Common Room and nearly gasped with relief when no one took notice of her. Not a single finger rose to point at her, not a whisper of a snigger. Hermione found Harry and Ron by the notice board and made an awkward beeline for them.
Perhaps the rumor had not reached Gryffindor House just yet? It was only 7:30 a.m. and the first bell to signal classes was not for another hour and a half. If she wasn't so focused on her revenge, she would have noticed how her looks were drawing Ron's blue eyes.
"Where's your cloak?" He asked. "We have herbology."
"It's too hot in the castle." Hermione lied with a shrug. "I figured one of you would be a gentleman and lend me yours."
Ron scoffed, "You'd have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers!" He then smiled, "Of course you can have it." He began to shrug it off, "Need it now?"
Hermione hoped to have a dream about Ron tonight instead, "No, thanks."
Flanked by her two best friends, she began the seven-floors trek down to the Great Hall for breakfast. It was practically customary by now for students to stare at Harry. Hermione and Ron received side-effect stares as well, being his closest friends. Hogwarts was a cesspool for gossip and there's no way the student body would leave her be if Draco had leaked her embarrassing moment. So Hermione kept her eyes mostly on the ground as they arrived at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.
She craned her neck to check the bewitched ceiling for what weather to expect outside. Drizzly silver clouds highlighted by the rising sun. She then glanced at the Great Hall entrance and felt like her heart stopped when Draco arrived, accompanied by Crabbe and Goyle as usual. She had never noticed how virile his strut was. He was wearing a white button-down like her with his House tie loose around his neck, his Head Boy cloak draped over one arm, and dark trousers.
His eyes like the clouds overhead did not lock with hers till he had settled his long slender body on the Slytherin bench. Hermione let her hair curtain her face while she doubled over to fish out the same book from the night before from her tote. When she was sure Draco was looking in her direction, she flipped her hair back as she straightened up and took her seat. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him darkly, daring him to say something. He just cocked a brow and rolled back his sleeves, unveiling his forearm muscles and veins.
Hermione's lips parted - why was that sexy? Whatever the reason, it worked. But she would not let him sense it. She averted her gaze to her breakfast and her book. She could feel Draco's presence even though they were so far apart, towering over her as he would if he were standing before her. His table was just as sleepy as the other three House tables. He talked with his group of cronies but Hermione was now confident that he had not divulged.
Perhaps Draco and Hermione had accepted the challenge before they had parted last night. This was a private game between the two of them. No one was going to know. Hermione met his eyes once more and had the sneaking suspicion that he knew Occlumency when he nodded surreptitiously at her.
