Chapter Six
"What do you keep looking at, Hermione?" Ron asked around a mouthful of food.
I snapped my eyes down to the plate of food in front of me and muttered, "Nothing."
I heard a snort and looked up to see Ginny trying not to laugh.
"What's so funny, Gin?" asked Harry
"Yeah, Ginny," I growled, "What's so funny, huh?"
Ron and Harry looked at me curiously due to my tone of voice. Ginny just smiled, "Nothing, boys. I was just thinking about something that happened last night."
"Well.." Ron prompted
"Well what?" Ginny asked innocently as she took a bite of her toast
"What happened last night?" Ron asked impatiently
"Why don't you ask Hermione?"
"Ginny!" I said loudly, "Not now!"
"Not now what?" Harry asked curiously
I groaned and dropped my head down to the table with a dull thud, "I'll talk to you guys later. I'm going to class."
I gathered my book bag up and quickly walked out of the hall. I hurried up to the fourth floor and leaned against a wall tiredly.
"What's the rush, Granger?" came a familiar drawl. I groaned at the disturbance.
"What do you want, Malfoy?"
"Well, you rushed out of the hall looking flustered. I was curious."
"Well, don't be." I snapped
"Merlin, what's got your knickers in a twist?" Malfoy jeered. I was tired and frustrated already. I did not need the added stress of Malfoy this morning.
"You! You, Malfoy, are what's got my knickers in a twist!" I said harshly as I snapped my eyes open and glared up into his steely eyes. I watched in satisfaction as his eyes widened in surprise and he took a step back. I took this as a chance to advance on him and shoved my finger in his chest rather hard, "I don't know what you're playing at, but you can't just go from treating me like dirt to kissing me! You bullied me for seven bloody years, you prat! What makes you think that I wanted you to kiss me? Are you so pigheaded that you just assume that all girls want to jump your bones?! Well, let me tell you—"
I was cut off abruptly as his lips descended onto mine. My anger slipped away with my train of thought. I no longer remembered what I was so upset about. I leaned into the kiss and probably would have fallen to the floor if not for Malfoy's arm wrapped around my waist, holding me against his chest. I forgot that we were in the middle of a corridor. I forgot that students would soon be flooding the halls. I forgot that Malfoy used to be my enemy. I forgot that I was upset with him at all, really.
"Hermione?" I heard a voice call in disbelief.
I froze and my eyes snapped open. I pushed Malfoy away quickly and turned to see who had wandered down the corridor, "Ron.."
"I.. I can't.. What.. What is going on here?!" Ron stuttered angrily
"Ron, let me explain." I said weakly
"Explain? Explain what, Hermione?! Explain why you are kissing Draco sodding Malfoy in the middle of the corridor? Explain why you're throwing yourself at the git who's bullied you for the past seven years?!" Ron ranted
"Ron, it's not like that. Just let me ex—"
"No, Hermione! You're not the same person I used to know. The Hermione I know wouldn't be caught dead snogging in a hallway like some common slut." Ron said coldly
"That is quite enough, Weasley." Malfoy stepped in, "She is your Headgirl. Treat her as such."
"Bugger off, Malfoy." Ron said furiously, "I'm tired of you stepping in the middle of our business."
"You know what, Weasel? I don't give a bloody fuck. It is none of your business what Hermione does in her spare time. You're just jealous because she doesn't want you anymore. She found someone better." Malfoy sneered.
"Malfoy! Don't tell him that rubbish!" I yelled
"What's going on here?" asked another voice quietly
I sighed as I looked to see Harry and Ginny standing behind Ron.
"She was kissing Malfoy!" Ron said, gesturing wilding.
"What?" Harry asked incredulously and Ginny squealed and clapped her hands together.
"Oh, I knew it! I knew it, I knew it! I knew he would read that note and then pester you until it all came out!" Ginny exclaimed happily as she bounded over and threw her arms around my neck.
"Ginevra! What are you doing? She's betrayed us for the ferret!" Ron stated
"Oh, Ronald, shut up. Don't you think it's about time this world changed? Blood prejudices are a thing of the past now. Or, rather, they should be. What better couple to promote that?" Ginny sighed wistfully, "It's just so romantic. Sworn enemies to lovers."
"We are not lovers!" I said indignantly.
"We can change that." Malfoy mumbled
I turned around and wacked him on the arm, "Shut up. If I wanted your input I'd ask for it!"
"Hermione, what's going on?" Harry asked calmly
That's what I liked about Harry. He could usually keep a level head. I could see him struggling to keep calm and listen right then. Usually he didn't have an issue with staying calm, but anything involving Malfoy caused that to go right out the window. I could see that he was making an effort to listen because I was involved in this particular situation.
"I.. I don't know, Harry." I said quietly as I looked down at my scuffed shoes.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Ron asked rudely
"Honestly, Ronald. Shut up." Ginny said irritably
"Why should I? She turned into a common whore!" Ron yelled
"That is enough, Weasley!" Malfoy said angrily as he moved toward Ron
I put a hand on his arm, stopping him from moving any further, "Don't, Malfoy. It's not worth it." I said, tears evident in my voice.
"Come on, Granger! He just called you a whore! Do you honestly expect me to stand here and do nothing?" Malfoy asked
"Yes. I do."
"Why?"
"Because he's not worth it. You don't need to lower yourself to his level. If he truly believes that of me, then let him believe it." I said softly
Nobody said a word. A tense silence hung in the air as Malfoy glared at Ron, Ron glared at Malfoy, Harry warily watched the two of them, and Ginny looked sadly at me. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.
"Have a nice life, Ronald." I said quietly as I turned and walked away from the group.
"Way to go, Weasel." I heard Malfoy sneer right before I heard heavy footfalls behind me.
We walked in silence the whole back to the common room. As I entered the common room, I threw myself down on the sofa and let my head fall into my hands. I felt the couch dip as Malfoy sat down beside me.
"What do you want?" I mumbled
"Are you okay, Granger?"
"Why do you care?"
"I.. I thought we'd become friends.." Malfoy said hesitantly
I laughed bitterly, "Friends? From what I've seen, I'm just a booty call to you. I'm just a common whore, remember?"
"No, you aren't. Weasley is just jealous, Granger. I don't even see what you saw in the prat in the first place, but that's not the point. Booty call? Why would you even think that?"
"Why would I think that?!" I asked hysterically, "Why do you think?! Surely you know of your reputation! The Slytherin Prince, a sex god, Merlin's beard, Malfoy, I know you've heard what people say of you!"
".. And you don't think I've changed." Malfoy said quietly, "You don't think that I've renounced my old ways after the war, do you? You think I'm still the same old bully. That I'm just trying to get you in bed? Fine. Goodnight." He stood to walk to his room.
"No, Malfoy, wait." I said weakly. He stopped walking, but did not turn around, "I'm sorry. I know you've changed. Just.. I'm not used to being protected like that. I'm not used to Ron acting like that either. I don't know how to handle it." My voice cracked as the stress of losing a friend began to set in.
Malfoy slowly walked back to kneel in front of me. He took my hands in his gently and squeezed them lightly, "I know it's hard to accept, but I really have changed. I want to get to know you. You drive me up the wall and sometimes I just want to stun you so I can have five minutes of peace to study without hearing you mutter to yourself. But even though you annoy me sometimes, I'm drawn to you. I don't understand it and I'm not going to try. My mother always told me that if something is meant to happen, it will happen no matter what and not to try to fight what my heart tells me to do. My heart is telling me to stick close to you. I don't know what will happen, but I sure as hell want to find out. You are not just a booty call, Hermione. I promise you that."
I sniffed back my tears and let a watery smile spread across my face, "I don't know if you really mean all of that, but thanks anyway."
"I mean it. I'll prove it to you somehow. I swear it."
"Well, I guess we'll see then. You're still not getting in my knickers." I joked
Malfoy chuckled and stood. He held a hand out to me, "Come on. You should sleep. You look like hell."
"You sure know what to say to a distressed girl." I said sarcastically as I let him pull me to my feet.
"Bloody women." Malfoy muttered, "Never happy, are they?"
"Hey!" I said indignantly
"Sorry, sorry. Come on, Granger. You really should get some sleep. You know we're gonna be all over the school tomorrow."
I sighed in defeat, "What are we gonna say? It's not like we're dating.. We just.. you kissed me a couple of times and one of those times we happened to get caught."
"I kissed you? Hold up, Granger. You kissed me back! If I recall correctly, I had to hold you up or you'd have hit the floor."
I snorted, "Don't flatter yourself, Malfoy. I could stand just fine on my own, thank you very much."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, really."
Then his lips were on mine again and I felt my knees begin to wobble. Malfoy's arm slid around my waist, holding me up. Bloody stupid prat. He was right.
"Nice to see you standing on your own, love." He mumbled softly against my lips
"Shut up." I whispered as I pressed my lips to his again. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself more firmly against his chest. My fingers tangled themselves in his hair and tugged lightly. Malfoy moaned quietly and slid his hands down to rest on my hips.
"What are we doing, Granger?" Malfoy ground out as I trailed light kisses from his lips down his neck.
"I don't know. I just want one night of not being me. I just want to forget everything that happened tonight. I want to forget Ron. I want to forget school. I just want.. no.. no, I need change. I need something different." I said quietly as I pulled back slightly to look up into Malfoy's eyes. The flames in the fireplace were making his grey eyes look like molten silver, flowing around his irises.
"I can show you change. I will show you change. But this, this right here, is not how it should be." He replied gently.
"Malfoy. Tomorrow morning I am going to walk out of that portrait hole and face the whole school. People will be talking and whispering behind my back. Don't make me regret falling for you, Malfoy."
"You.. You're falling for me?" Malfoy stuttered
"Already fell." I said as I turned and walked to my room, shutting the door softly as Malfoy stared after me.