CHAPTER FIVE

DRACO'S P.O.V

It touched me. Did I want it to touch me? No. Had I said it could touch me? No. Did it touch me? Yes.

"Dracooooo" Pansy said in an apparently seductive voice running her hand up my chest. I plucked her hand off and shoved it next to her.

"Yeah. No."

"But Dracoooo" she whined. "You said that-"

"I only said that stuff to get to Dells, I wasn't actually planning to do it. I made her a promise and I intend to keep it- I told you as much."

"But-"

I held up my hand. "Don't" and her eyes immediately welled with tears but I turned around and began walking away. I didn't do crying, especially crying girls. I gave it to them straight up; I never made any promises or commitments because I knew I couldn't keep them. Growing up in Malfoy Manor wasn't as easy as everyone liked to believe- it had left deep scars. The constant need to excel at everything, the loneliness, the disapproval of affection, always keeping up appearances, trying to-

My thoughts came to a rapid halt as I spotted Granger walking into the Library. I rolled my eyes- she was so predictable. I followed her- how could I pass up the opportunity?

She looked around and when she was satisfied that she was alone she took off her robe and stretched up to take off her sweater and threw it on the abandoned sofa. She left her hands above her head for a moment, standing on the tip toes of her stupid muggle sneakers, and sighed.

Was Hermione Granger indulging in a striptease? In the Library?

She walked two steps and I couldn't help but notice she had the most delectable body- she had filled out over the summer. Her hair had grown and she'd gained a couple of inches, she'd also lost some weight because her body seemed toned, her cheekbones sharper.

I leaned back against the door and looked on with amusement as she pulled her hair out of its ponytail and shook it out.

"Look who has a wild side" I drawled with a lazy smile.

Granger yelped and spun around banging into a bookshelf and then throwing her arms wide to remain upright.

"Malfoy" she gasped.
"Was that for someone else's benefit?"

"None of your business Malfoy!" she said straightening and crossing her arms under her chest.

Apparently her chest had grown too. Without bothering to stop for her sweater or robe she began to walk out of the Library. I grabbed her hand when she was passing me.

"Leaving so soon? And here I thought the rest was coming off too" I said in a mock disappointed voice.

"Keep your disgusting thoughts to yourself!" she hissed, her color high. She yanked her hand out of mine and began stalking away and I followed her.

"Come on Granger Danger, don't be such a spoilt sport."

"Go away Malfoy" she hissed

I opened my mouth to respond but before I could we were being hit with something large and wet. Hermione shrieked and I grunted.

"Naughty Forth Years were getting too hot, me thinks they needed to cool off!" Peeves roared while throwing more water balloons at us. I grabbed Granger by the waist and threw us both behind a pillar but now before we were both totally drenched. Her shirt was clinging to her and her shirt seemed extremely short now and she was plastered to me. Sweet Salazar, was a I having dirty thoughts about Hermione Granger?

"Eyes up here" she said when she realized that I was staring at her chest but it had a breathless quality. Ha. She was attracted to me too.

"I think it's safe now" I said in a cool tone and she stiffened and nodded, pulling away. We began walking towards the dormrooms, her in front and me behind, both trying to figure out exactly what it is that had just happened. Peeves materialized somewhere in between and I rolled my eyes at him but he grinned at me. A light wind materialized when he swished his hand and I thought nothing of it but Granger's shirt flew up a couple of inches revealing her back. She whirled around, her eyes burning with anger.

"Just because you decided to stalk me does not mean you automatically have the right to feel me up you little- little… slimeball!" I blinked. She advanced on me her finger jabbing me in the chest and I took a step back for every step she took forward. "Is that your sleazy plan? To follow girls when they're alone and then harass them?" Okay. What? "Is Peeves part of your plan as well? Is that why we got hit with water balloons?" Yes, I'd include a ghost in my elaborate seduction plans. I'd even sent an invite to my mother. "I mean every girl does not find you irresistible Draco Malfoy-" sure they didn't "- and just because your perverted brain told you that I doing a slow strip tease for your benefit does not mean I was. Every time you think a girl says yes does not mean she says yes." It actually does. "Yes, yes we've all heard of your 'magical hands' and your ability to make a girl scream but I am not one of those girls" she shrieked jabbing me in the chest one more time.

What a flattering assessment. "At least wait till you're asked" I said and she stopped momentarily.

"What?" she said blankly

"I haven't even asked if you want to sleep with me yet" I said drily and she colored. "So d'you want to?" I said in mock happiness

She tensed up again. "I am not the kind of girl who will sleep with you because you're pretty to look at and you've got some experience. More importantly don't you dare go around thinking I am because I swear on Godric Gryffindor's dead soul that I will hex you if you get any such ideas of that sort, understood?

"Understood" I said thought that wasn't exactly true but she relaxed a bit. I looked down at her hand still fixed on my chest. "That's going to bruise" and she immediately dropped it but not before I realized that she was shaking. It dawned on me then that she'd forgotten her robe and sweater in the Library. "Are you cold?" I asked.

"Freezing" she said as she wrapped her arms around her.

"Well why didn't you say so?" I snapped as I took off my robe and wrapped it around her cold body. It was several sizes too large and it dragged on the ground and her arms nearly disappeared inside it.

She looked at me suspiciously. "Why are you being so nice?" she asked with chattering teeth.

"Listen if you die or something I'm going to have to carry you to the infirmary and then I'm going to have to be questioned and all that- that's just a lot of unnecessary hassle I don't want. It's not for you, it's for me."

She nodded like that explained it and was opening her mouth to say something when someone interrupted us.

"I hope Ms. Granger that for your sake, you aren't going to be screaming again"

Snape. Brilliant.

"I think you've already done enough of that thanks to Mr. Malfoys magical hands"

I nearly guffawed. He'd heard that? Granger turned as red as a beetroot.

"Precisely why are the two of you making a nuisance of yourself on the first day back here? And why exactly are you wet?'

"It's all his fault. Ask him" Snape raised his eyebrows. Did she have absolutely any idea about how suggestive she sounded? "Professor we-"

"Save it for detention Ms. Granger. Two weeks, every Monday, Friday and Saturday for three hours in my room. Don't be late"

"But-
"Silence! Now off to bed both of you!"

"That's not-" I slapped my hand over her mouth.

"Shut up Granger" I hissed and then nodded at Snape. "We'll be there Sir"

He scowled at me. "Leave now before I decide to reconsider my generosity" and he left with another swish of his robes. Granger waited until he was out of sight before turning on me.

"You slimy little-"

I slapped my hand over her mouth again. "Do you want to be thrown out of school? You have to stop doing that!" I whispered. "Now I'm going to remove my hand and then we're both going to walk back to our respective dorms in silence"

She nodded and I did as promised. We looked at each other and then nodded again. We'd taken barely two steps when she stopped again.

I nearly groaned. "What?"

"My sweater and robe. I have to get them." she said turning around. She was shivering. I waved a hand at her. "I'll handle it"

"But-"

"Shut up and go! Don't irritate me more" I snapped and her eyes widened and then she turned on her heel and left.

I realized something when I got into bed that night; I hadn't called her mudblood once.

And I realized I hadn't wanted to.

When I'd woken up the next morning and Granger's sweater and robe had just been sitting there staring at me I realized that I would have to return it to her. The girl had trouble written all over her- I'd had to go back all the way just to get them. So I decided that I would at least return them to her in style. Hermione Granger would be getting a very interesting package the next day. I took a seat at the breakfast table that was more clustered than usual because of all those peasants from Durmstrang and Beaubaxtons. Some girls were pointing at me and giggling and I flashed them a charming smile.

"Look who decided to join us" Blaise drawled.

"I'm actually early, you moron"

"Boys" Adele said in a long suffering tone. "Let's not start please. It's too early for this"

"Hello, my pretty lady" I heard an accented voice drawl and Adele attempted to smile while I scowled as Sergei took a seat opposite her. Come to think of it, it wasn't only the number of girls sitting around us today was more than usual. I frowned at Adele. She was too pretty for her own good. Her red hair fell in perfect curls down her back, a rich deep red as a pose of those pathetic Weaselys bright and jarring heads, and her deep blue eyes were stunning with her fine features. She had a pale completion but no freckles and she was tall and slender. If she weren't my best friend she'd have been my girlfriend already.

I zoned out as some girls tried to speak to me and the irritating Russian made eyes at Adele- she wasn't interested anyway.

As I left for my first class I realized that all the Slytherins were acting rather shifty around me. They were hiding something and every time I approached they got weirdly quiet. I missed Lunch because I was in the Library so I'd just have to wait till Dinner to take them to task but take them to task I would.

Nobody hides things from a Malfoy.