Chapter 2: Battle of the bricks

Hermione pov

Draco was pushing my limits today.

It honestly started to come to my attention that he might enjoy my rage. After the spiders in my shampoo -which ended in me bursting out into my shared room with him, who coincidentally was waiting for my demise, while I screamed at the top of my lungs in only my towel. He grinned the entire time. - he decided that flowers that smelled like his dirty clothes hamper would smell amazing on me while I was walking to transfiguration. That was embarrassing. Then his personal favorite. He decided that charming all of my outfit's bright neon pink with permanent letters of Hermione loves Ron in black on the back. He couldn't stop laughing at that one especially when Ron and his girlfriend (lavender brown) chased him down the hallway once they both got wind of the situation. Even after I changed it back, he wouldn't stop laughing. He didn't prank me for a week after that deeming it 'too perfect to be ruined by such an amateur prank as the one after it'. I poured ice water on him every morning to wake him up. He didn't seem to find it that funny. Today we were arguing about when the potions assignment was due for us was. I had the luck of having this slack off being my partner.

"It's due this Thursday." I insisted.

"No, its next Thursday because I have a charms assignment due the day before."

"I have it written in my planner as tomorrow. And if one of us is correct it's the now who actually pays attention."

He clicked his tongue disapprovingly at me, "Granger reduced to such a low blow. What a sad day."

"You have no right to say that when you are at a lower level."

"I can say it because you expect it of me whereas when you do it it's not expected because you're the brightest witch of our age. 'The best of us.'" He finishes with air quotes.

I turn to him getting right up in his face. "Are you implying that I do not deserve that title? Because honestly, I don't need it to prove that I am smarter than you. Are you saying that I do not take school seriously? Because ask any of the teachers and they will tell you I do. Are you saying that because you are a 'pure blood' you are better than me? Because I can beat you 24/7 and make my 'mudblood' parents proud and just because I'm not a descendant of Salazar Slytherin doesn't give anyone the right to shame me. Are you saying you are better than me?" I lower my voice to a whisper letting my rage take control of me, "Because honestly, I could do so much damage right here and the only thing keeping me from doing it is because I am one of the 'the best of us'." For a finale flair I turned his brand-new shoes into the first thing I can think of which is…. Bricks. To be fair our walls are made out of bricks so….

He gasps in horror. I guess rich boys do have feelings. I stalk out of the room with my rage following me.

After I cool off, I head back to the shared room with the devil himself. And do you know what Lucifer did? I gasp audibly as Draco lounges on my bed. He looks up and has the audacity to smirk at me. My beautiful four poster bed of heaven is made up of…. Bricks. God I should have expected that I stormed of instead of claiming my territory so nothing like this would happen. My bed being destroyed is way worse than shoes. But first things first let him live in fear for a bit.

"Oh, thank you Malfoy! This is the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a while!" I say in sweetest voice trying to mask the growing rage in my eyes. Hopeful it's masked I doubt he will look close enough to see it and if he does what can he accuse me of. Honestly how I didn't sound sarcastic is a question. He stands looking like he might run. The carefree annoying persona gone. I throw my arms around him for a hug. He freezes unsure of what was happening. "Thank you so much!" I turn and almost pirouette to the bathroom to mask the growing fury and to change into my pjs. Once I've locked myself into the bathroom, I let down the 'sweet and loving' little girl of a mask and looked past the frizzy halo of hair that had escaped their pins and into the big brown eyes staining back at me. In their depths I recognized anger but under that was exhaustion and defeat. I was sick of standing up for myself even though Malfoy was joking and I definitely over reacted to his comment there were millions of little comments that people would make and I would have to have the backbone for it not to affect me but a small boat against the weight of thousands of tons of water from the waves beating it to the sea floor and even once it hits there they never stop. Or people would just always put my brain ahead of the rest of my personality. Yes, I put school ahead of most things but that's not all of me. Sighing I turn to the closet next to the sink. I found my pjs and put him. When I walked out Draco was reading the instructions for Antemortia and without looking up he said, "lights out in ten okay?"

"So, you finally decided that the assignment was due tomorrow?"

Still looking at the page he replied "I thought that I'd rather be prepared instead of half-assing it. Although that's probably not a possibility with you as my dutiful partner."

"Ha Malfoy. Really funny."

He turned, his jaw tightening and looked at me assessing my body language and took something away from it. He turned back to the page.

"It was."

Choosing to ignore that action I bid him goodnight and went to the closet where all the spare blankets. Sadly, the only two comforters were a Slytherin and Gryffindor print covers. Having left my wand in the bathroom I had to carry them to my bed. Halfway to my bed I tripped, and the blankets encased me. I was exhausted and gave up on my journey to my bed. "Malfoy" I called. A muffled "yes" came soon afterwards.

"Throw me a pillow please."

The disembodied voice laughed, and I heard footsteps. Two seconds I was airborne. The blanket shifted away from my face so I could see what was happening. Dracos face was right in front of me and I realized being carried bridal style over to…. His bed?

"Malfoy hate to tell you this, but my bed is over there."

"Oh, I know."

Silence.

I was feeling tired, hurt, and I still wanted to lick my wounds from my rage fest. "Draco put me down."

"Do you realize", he mused, "that that was the first time you've called me by my first name?"

"Well, Draco," I pulled out his name just to annoy him and bring attention to it, "I have been telling you to put me down or to tell me what you are doing and you've ignored me or given an unhelpful response every time so please tell me what is going on or I will throw myself to the floor and me whining about my bruises will be unbearable." All my words were overdramatic, and I put a theatric voice to it.

"You know I could catch you if you were able to escape." I sighed knowing full well that I wouldn't make well on that promise. I could feel his muscles and it looks dire for my escape.

All the sudden I was tossed on to his bed and fell the blankets made more of a womb of an enclosure. Then he tossed himself next to me. I turned to him to narrow my eyes at his grey ones. His face was way closer than I would have liked.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, I felt like it was time for our fist roomie sleepover, and it does help that a house elves won't be able to come and fix the mess with your bed until morning but enough about that. What do girls talk about? I'm assuming boys." I make a non-committal sound and roll my eyes. "So, what boys? Is he amazing? Do you stutter when your around him? Or are you always hanging out with him? Does he have a girlfriend? If I had to guess, I would assume it would be a certain red head."

"Ew no we are just friends and will always be. I actually am infatuated with a certain specimen right now. They have wonderful facial figures, and they are always grouchy in the morning. Either way they are also very haughty to a certain redhead sometimes."

"Granger? Are you saying you like me?" He looked so taken aback that I had to laugh.

"Nope!" I looked at Crookshanks who had just jumped up. "'You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you', Crookshanks."

"Granger, you scared me there." But his face told a different story. Disappointment was written all over his face. Then it was gone a haughty, cocky smile was plastered there. I wonder if he uses a mask like I due sometimes.

After a beat longer in the awkward silence he said, "So I have a guess to why we are always fighting."

"What's your guess?" No longer needing to watch his face for emotions I scanned the ceiling looking at the ruff patches and the stories that were hidden within the walls.

He looked so happy like what I imagined a spider would look like when it finally caught a spider after a dry spell. "I think" he said slowly "that its sexual tension." I whipped my head back so fast that I think it cracked audibly.

"Excuse-me?!"

He was laughing so hard that he choked on his spit. "This might be better then the Romaine incident." He said still laughing. It's a wonder he made it through that sentence.

"You shall be the death of me."

"Shall we continue our roomie bonding time?"

"Hmmm"

"You know you want to."

"I think even if I said no you would continue."

"Truth or Dare? Because I have an awesome dare Including you trying to shove me off."

"Try? You want me to try? I think it's a guarantee sir. Ill show you just how cocky you are being."

"Me cocky? Never. That statement though." He made a face. "That was cocky. So, granger some show me how cocky you are? True or dare." He said it with enough emphases it sounded like he was giving a moral dilemma for me to puzzle over when he held the correct answer right above my head.

I knew the right answer. To back down just held mockery. "Dare."

"Shove me off and you can have the bed and I will claim the floor."

I tried to shove him I really did. Even with the promise of sleeping on the bed instead of bricks wasn't enough. That causes him to laugh at me especially when I huff my hair out of my face.

"Ok enough laughing at my expense. Truth or Dare?"

He runs his hand through his hair. A piece falls in front of his eyes. I brush it out of his eyes for no reason other than it was bothering me. He looks weirdly at me. I gave him a look to tell him to hurry up with his answer.

"Hmm I'll go with truth."

"So, our brave captain is not as brave as he seems."

"I am a captain?"

I move my hand and brush the question from the air. I felt bold all the sudden, "Why were you disappointed when I told you that I was in love with Crookshanks?"

"I wasn't disappointed."

"Uh-huh." I said skeptically.

He looked at the stories in the wall, "What do you think of quidditch?"

"Don't sidestep the question."
I turned my head, so it blocked the ceiling. It also meant that he had to look me straight in the eyes. If he was going to say what I think he was going to say, then it would be a lot funnier like this.

"I was disappointed that you didn't use a main character from one of the books you were reading."

"I don't really think that is why you are disappointed. I believe you were wishing that the character had grey eyes, blonde hair, and was a little stuck up some times but the part that you wish the most is that they weren't so scared to tell the girl they like that they like them." His face was hilarious to watch as he took in what I said. "No worries though. I am my own heroine from my own book." I kissed him. He rose up to the challenge. He clearly wasn't expecting it. He flinched a little bit. I think I should feel a little remorse for enjoying him being uncomfortable, but it was just so funny and he was a very good kisser. I drew back and rested my arms on his chest.

"So now are you going to tell me something?"

He smirked at me.

That was a long chapter wasnt it. Not going to lie i am proud of my self for the pride and prejudice quote and the herione in her own book own. You might not like it but i sure did. Review if you want ;)

~Crimsonqlayer