Chapter 16Silken Campsites[Ooh la la by Goldfrapp]

Thursday afternoon, Draco heard a knock an hour earlier than he expected. Hermione stood there in jeans, a sweater and hiking boots. "You're early."

"Did I interrupt anything?" Hermione snipped.

At first, her comment confused him, but then he wondered if she was jealous. To find out, Draco decided to do what he did best, goad. "If you arrived an hour ago, you would've interrupted quite a lot."

"Well then, you'll need my help to pack so we can leave on time." Hermione barged past him.

"No mother, I'm a big wizard and I packed everything already, like I said I would." Draco pointed to a filled back-pack. "I'm leaving the tea for last so it'll be hot tonight."

"Don't call me mother!" Hermione stood with her hands on her hips.

"Stop acting like one! When have I ever not fulfilled my obligations in this project?" Draco watched her glare at him. "Name one."

"Never," she replied reluctantly.

For an hour, they ignored each other until they touched their portkey to get to Hogwarts. Together they hiked into the woods, to the heart of werewolf country. While she encircled the camp with droplets of the potion, Draco unpacked the camping supplies awaiting nightfall.

Behind him Hermione giggled. "Silk sheets on top of feather top cotts and a temperature controlled tent," she remarked. "Self lighting logs and fine china for tea and meals." Then Hermione looked at the large picnic basket. "Are there gourmet meals in the basket?"

"Of course," he answered.

"I thought we were roughing it."

"For me, this is roughing it." Draco cast his wand making the tent and everything go into place.

They sat next to the fire, on lookout, portkey ready, in case it didn't work. While Draco impatiently twirled his wand, Hermione looked around nervously. "Mickey apologizes for looking at your fiancée," she said breaking the silence.

"Mickey needs to apologize to you." She looked astonished. "He doesn't need to ogle other witches while he has you." Draco unpacked club sandwiches and poured some hot tea. "Also, he needs to treat you better."

"That's rich, coming from the wizard who has been nothing more than an arrogant prat towards me for the entire time we've been in school," she countered acrimoniously.

"I thought we were past that." Sensing her antagonism, he tried to lighten the mood. "Indeed," he agreed inflecting humor. "As king of the arrogant prats, I have decreed that no one will ever mistreat you again." Including self-righteous pricks. "As your friend, I'm concerned."

"I appreciate it," she conceded with a little laugh. "As your friend, I should warn you that everyone knows you've been sneaking into Bianca's room nightly, not to mention having her at the manor. You should stop before her father finds out."

Even though he knew he shouldn't provoke Hermione's jealousy, her jealousy renewed his hope. "How else am I to satisfy my needs? Besides, I'm not afraid of her father."

She visibly tensed with that comment. "Will Bianca be upset about the time we spend together?"

"Not at all, she's not the jealous type," he assured her. "As a matter of fact, she wouldn't care if we had a cuddle in the tent, as long as it's just to keep warm." Hermione gasped. He thought a moment about how few of his compatriots he trusted anymore. "Pity you haven't met her yet. She's very loyal. She stuck by me when most of my friends turned on me."

"She sounds extraordinary," she said in a bit of a snit. "No wonder you're so whipped."

"I'm not whipped," he chuckled. "Lately, you and I haven't been acting like friends. For my part, I apologize for being irrational but everything's been crazy. I want to be friends, again."

"We didn't stop being friends. We were just having a squabble. " She nudged him as if in sympathy. "Something else is bothering you. Isn't it?"

"Some of my choices aren't in line with my family traditions. There are so many that I have to uphold and I have to give up so much of what I want. Sometimes I envy you because you are Muggle born." She turned towards him, slightly. "You don't have to uphold any traditions."

"Draco, while I don't condone your family's tradition of disdain for Muggle borns nor arranged marriages, I envy you of most of your traditions." He harrumphed in disbelief. "It's true. You have wizard traditions because you have a wizard family that grounds you. Whenever you have any problems in our world, you have a place to turn. I don't. My parents and I are close but they can't help me in this world. I feel out of place sometimes, though I wouldn't change them for the world." She nudged him. "My advice would be to uphold the ones that don't hinder your life and that you believe in."

"Good advice," he acknowledged. "As for anything in the wizard world or other, you can turn to me if you need anything."

"Thank you." They air started to chill. "Draco, how do I repay you for saving my life?"

"You already have," he bluntly remarked. She looked deep in thought at him as she tried to figure it out. "You were unconscious several hours and in my bed so I took advantage, several times in fact."

Without even a moment of shock, she replied, "No you didn't."

"Of course I did. I'm a dark wizard who enjoys power, corruption, lies, intimidation and everything evil." He stared her dead in the eye.

"No you're Draco Malfoy who is not evil but who does enjoy power and intimidation and who needs to stand up for what he believes," she stated. "Also, he needs to just be himself and not hide behind a wall of obnoxiousness."

Once he recovered from the shock of her insight, he retaliated. "And you Hermione Granger are the cleverest but most timid witch around." She looked taken aback. "A witch too timid to pursue her writing career for fear of rejection and who only dates fools because her match might be right a lot of times and wouldn't let her be in control all the time."

"That's right I only date idiots. Since you're the relationship expert here and so smart, why don't I just let you interview them? You can then decide if I should date them." He smugly stared at her refusing to reciprocate. "As for my book, I think I might need more revisions." She awaited his retort. "Well, no comment?"

"If you will please be quiet, I'm thinking of quiz questions for your prospective idiots," he snidely replied.

"Obnoxious," she muttered as she walked to the edge of the camp. From behind, he picked her up despite her protests and plopped her down in front of the fire. Quickly, she jumped up.

"You're staying here where it's safe. Try that stunt one more time and I'll glue your little derrière to the ground."

"You wouldn't dare," she replied.

"Want to find out?" They both shivered in silent contemplation refusing to acknowledge the other's insights. "I'd be happy to constructively proof your book." Hermione grabbed a blanket, handed one end to him, and covered herself with the other. She kept a comfort zone between them. "C'mon, I won't bite," he said closing the gap.

"Will you promise to keep a secret and I mean you can't even tell Potter?" She nodded. "Bianca and I are not in love and we don't intend to go through with the marriage." Hermione gasped. "She loves someone unsuitable but is afraid to face her father just yet. She and I are pretending to go through with it for now, until she is ready to face him."

"Already taking my advice," she laughed. "You had everyone fooled." She seemed relieved. "In the courtyard, you two seemed so in love."

"I guess we're good actors." He laughed. "The funny thing is she thinks our being lab partners, is a cover for a tryst." Once he said that Hermione gasped in shock. "She wants you and me to admit we are a couple so that it is easier for her to tell her father about her lover. She also thinks it will help ease some of the leftover tensions between the pure-bloods and Muggle borns." She stared at him in astonishment. "I told her several times there wasn't anything between us but she refuses to believe it." She looked deep in thought. "Also, I told her no one would believe that we were a couple."

"And why not, what is so wrong with me?" She stood up. "I refuse to be insulted."

"I'm not insulting you. I told her you would never cheat on Mickey." He got up and gently touched her shoulders so she would sit down once more. "You're too honorable."

"Can you keep my secret?" He nodded. "Mickey and I are cousins. He's the only family I have with magical abilities. We didn't tell anyone because he's pretending to be a pure-blood so he'll get treated more favorably. Once he gets what he wants, he'll give up the ruse." She almost looked ashamed. "Everyone just assumed we were a couple. You wouldn't believe the rumors going around." Never had he felt so relieved. "I'll help you and Bianca. No one should be forced into a relationship they don't want."

"That's magnanimous of you," he replied. "I'll let you know more of her plans when she tells me." He cocooned them in the blanket. "Are you warm enough?"

"I'm plenty warm," she smiled up at him, the firelight dancing in her eyes.

As he closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of her next to him, he remembered that he forgot to take any Sedo potion. Her scent completely ensnared him causing him to shift uncomfortably but he only saw her naked writhing beneath him. "Draco, I wasn't attacking you," she pleaded. "I shook you because you seemed out of it."

The veela mating drive had completely engulfed him when he realized that he had her pinned beneath him. "Hermione, you said you wanted to repay me for saving your life," he suggestively stated as he continued to rub up against her.

She looked mortified at the suggestion. Does he know about the dream I had?

Beyond the perimeter of their camp, he heard the snapping of twigs and a few low growls. "I knew you'd be more terrified of sleeping with me than being attacked by werewolves," he explained. That made a great cover. She continued to look at him strangely. Does my touch repulse her so much? "Snap out of it. You only need to worry about the werewolves, the lesser of the two evils. They are around the edge of the camp." They prepared for the worst but the creatures avoided their camp all night.

"It worked," exclaimed Hermione. "Let's submit the potion first thing tomorrow morning."