As dinner came to a close Hermione found herself more tired than she'd been in awhile. It had been the type of day that made it feel like this morning was yesterday. She abandoned any hope of having a conversation with anyone, and instead chose to go back to her room and attempt to sleep. She managed to get past everyone with a polite wave and was skirting past students, attempting to make her way out. It wasn't until she was few steps out in the hallway that she realised she'd grown a shadow. Hermione's war training kicked in for a moment, making her continue on and chose the best course of action. As she weighed her options of violence and magic she realised she was being a bit irrational. She was in the school after all. Hermione abandoned her battle strategy and whipped around.
She regretted not attacking her follower. "What do you want Malfoy?"
"Well, McGonagall did just tell you I'd be giving you the rundown of things here. Unless you somehow forgot that," which she had, "though I doubt it with that massive head of yours." She was about to retort when he cut her off. "Anyway, let's go. Haven't got all night. Some of us need our beauty sleep a little bit more than others." He gave her a pointed look as he passed.
Ignoring his jab, which took almost all of her energy, Hermione realised something, "And whose room shall we go to?" He'd been heading in the direction of her room, but she didn't exactly remember inviting him in.
"Looks like McGonagall kept quite a bit from you, Granger. I take it she didn't tell you who your roommate is?" He turned around to look at her. He wanted to see her reaction when she put the pieces together.
"Look Malfoy what are you talking ab…"She drained off as she answered her own question. "...no. She didn't….Minerva would never..." She looked up at Draco almost pleading him to tell her it was a joke. He'd just been pulling her leg.
"Nope, no joke." He said, reading her mind. "I'm headed back to our room for the debriefing." And before Hermione could have a meltdown Draco didn't miss a beat. "Now hurry up,. Like I said, we don't have forever."
They walked briskly back to...their..room. Hermione's brain was beyond fried at this point. Was Minerva trying to kill her? Because it certainly seemed that way. First she'd paired her with him, then she'd roomed them together, what was next? At this point she wouldn't be surprised if the witch locked them in a broom closet together! 'Goodness, let's hope not', thought Hermione. 'Even if he is hotter and a bit more mature and kinda tolerable and slightly do-able….Oh my goodness Hermione Jean Granger, stop it right now!' That was it. Hermione had officially lost her marbles. She was self-diagnosing herself as insane. Because there was no way she had even thought about having sex with Malfoy. No. Way.
"Granger, stop blushing and start walking." Malfoy called from up ahead. He was almost at the door. And at some point, in her mental shock, she'd stopped walking. Hermione quickly ran to catch up and they reached the door at the same time. "So Hermione," Malfoy smiled at her, "what's the password?"
"What do you mean what's the password? Didn't you say you're living here too? How'd you get your stuff in if you don't know the password?" Hermione should honestly give up making sense of her life now.
"McGonagall let me in earlier today and told me I could settle in but once I left I had to wait for you to let me back in. She said you'd know it because it's your old Head's password. I don't know Granger, I just let the woman have her way without too many questions. She's done a lot for me." Hermione would have pried further but between his done-talking-about-it tone and the other pressing issue at hand she decided to put it on the backburner.
"Yes, I know the password." She wasn't quite sure how he'd react to it though.
"Well then.. what are you waiting for? Let us in." He looked at her expectantly, arms crossed and feigning impatience.
Hermione had never been happier to have chosen such a lovely password. She didn't think she'd get the chance to say this to him without sounding like a schoolgirl again. Even if he did have that effect on her. Proudly, she stepped closer to the door and said, "Ferret."
The door creaked open and Hermione threw Malfoy a smile on her way into the room. "That's your bloody password?!", she heard from the hallway.