This Subdued Fire

Don\'t Sue Me! Yeah. :) Shouts out and credit given where it is due: KazVL, Cassie Clare, Lillith Janvier, Ramos, Anna and Barb. Jenny, Jen, Paril, and Mon. All my lovely readers, thank you SO MUCH for all your wonderful reviews! I thought my fic sucked ass...
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The two of them spent a very, very pleasant night in the hidden dungeon room. Morning descended onto the castle and neither of them would\'ve known it had not Draco enchanted a clock to ring with the sunrise. Hermione woke up and swept the offending timepiece off of the nightstand.

\"Bastard,\" she muttered. She snuggled back down into the black and green patterned satin duvet.

But before she could reclaim her sleep, Hermione became aware of her surroundings and the previous night came flooding back. She raised up on an elbow and watched Malfoy in his sleep. The hardness he carried in his face was all gone. His mouth was half open in sleep. She was amused to note that he drooled onto the satin pillowcase. Blond strands of hair were strewn around his head. His eyelashes were strangely dark in contrast to his pale hair and brows. Suddenly, quick as lightning, his arm shot out and drew her to his side.

Malfoy grinned at her cheekily. \"Did you have a pleasant sleep?\"

Hermione chuckled. \"Yeah, the two hours I had of it.\"

\"What time is it?\"

\"I don\'t know, I threw the clock on the ground.\" Hermione escaped from his grasp and leaned over her side of the bed to get the clock. \"It\'s five-thirty am.\"

\"When\'s your class?\"

\"Eleven.\"

\"Ah, yes, the Charms period before mine.\"

\"But the prefects\' meeting is at ten.\"

\"That\'s another four hours of sleep you know,\" Draco reminded Hermione.

\"So it is.\"

\"I suggest we take advantage of that fact.\" He took the clock from her hands and set it to ring at the appointed time.

\"Way ahead of you.\" Hermione\'s mouth opened on a yawn. She burrowed back into the covers and was back in la-la land before the count of ten.

It was Draco\'s turn to study Hermione. She clenched her teeth in her sleep. Instead of her muscles loosening and making her face baby-soft, she looked hard and determined in repose. Her breathing was slow, deep and audible in the hush of the cavernous room. She was peachy against the bright white satin of the sheets. Her hair spilled over the pillow in golden-brown waves.

(She really is a lovely thing,) Draco mused. And before he could stop himself he snuggled down into the sheets and curled against her warm body and fell asleep, too.

The clock jingled its merry tune four hours later. Draco tried to reach over and stop the infernal ringing but found his movements restricted. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes with his free hand. Hermione was sleeping on his other hand. Actually, she was sleeping on his whole entire other side. She was undisturbed by the ringing this time. Draco slid his arm from underneath Hermione and stopped the racket.

(Amazing. Still sleeping.) He shook his head and woke her up.

She stretched and yawned and scratched her ear - all like a slumbering feline would\'ve done. \"Is it time already?\"

\"Yes. Come on.\" Draco slid out of bed and began putting his clothes back on.

Hermione got out of bed as well. Draco snapped his fingers and the bed rearranged itself. She raised an eyebrow. Hermione hadn\'t thought of using her talents to perform ordinary tasks. She was used to waving a wand about. She snapped her fingers and torches sprang to bright life.

\"Impressive, Granger.\"

\"Thank you.\" She pulled her shirt over her head and tugged the chain with the little witch\'s hat from underneath.

\"What\'s that?\" Draco came over to examine the shining charm.

\"Oh. It\'s a birthday present from Ron.\"

\"Weasel? However could he afford this?\" Draco asked in amazement.

\"Careful, Malfoy. Your arrogance is showing.\"

\"Does my arrogance ever *not* show?\"

\"No. But that comment was particularly nasty. I\'ll thank you not to make another like it.\"

\"Then *don\'t* thank me. It\'ll take more than this -\" Malfoy\'s hands swept the
chamber. \"To eradicate the loathing I have for Weasley and Potter.\"

\"Duly noted.\" Hermione became transparent in a blink and was out of the chamber. She trailed distaste in her wake. He noticed that she\'d left the golden chopsticks laying carelessly on the floor.

(Women.) Malfoy though with a sneer, (They\'ll never understand a ruddy good feud.)
*******************
Ten o\'clock came and all the prefects were seated at a round table, indeed the Round Table, in the prefects meeting chamber. Hermione and Draco sat next to one another as Head Boy and Girl. Ron was there, as the seventh-year Gryffindor male prefect. Ginny and Colin were there, representing the sixth-years. Pansy was the seventh-year Slytherin female prefect. Assorted Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were there. Hermione, as top of her year, called the meeting to order with a bang of her gavel.

The first order of business was tomorrow\'s outing to Hogsmeade. The prefects made arrangements to switch spots every half-hour so that everyone had a chance to visit all the shops. The second order of business was to start thinking of the entertainment for the Seventh-year Dance. Calliope Cantata, the popular Wireless witch jockey, was available to play tunes instead of a live band. She not only spun popular wizarding music but Muggle songs as well. When Hermione put this to her fellow prefects, no one could find fault with it. The motion was carried and passed. The third order of business was the dividing of patrols. Gryffindor would take the first week of a month, Slytherin the second, Ravenclaw the third and Hufflepuff the last. When all the business was taken care of, Hermione banged her gavel and adjourned the meeting.

The Slytherin prefects, including Draco, left the table. The others stayed and congratulated their Head Girl on her natal day. Hermione was inundated with greeting cards. She was surprised to note that a good deal of them were stamped with the familiar crown on the back. Hallmark really was for when you cared enough to send the very best. She scooped up the cards and stuffed them into her bag. Ginny hung about, waiting to walk her to Charms.

Harry caught up with them as they walked. He carried a rectangular package. \"Gin and I didn\'t want you thinking that we\'d forgotten about you.\" Harry smiled at Hermione. He passed a small heavy box to her.

Hermione tried to shake it. The package sounded solid. \"What is it?\"

\"Open it and find out.\" Ginny scolded good naturedly.

Hermione ripped the wrappings off and pulled the lid off the box. Nestled inside a bed of crisp white tissue paper was a first edition copy of \'Most Potente Potions.\' Hermione gasped.

\"Where did you find this?\" she asked in amazement.

\"In a little antique shop in Hogsmeade. It was either that or the vintage omnioculars,\" Harry replied.

\"Do you like it?\" Ginny asked.

\"Like it? I love it! Thank you both so much.\" Hermione wrapped her arms around her friends.

\"Nothing to it, Herm,\" they chorused.

The trio left the room and traveled to Professor Flitwick\'s classroom. Hermione and Harry slid into their seats along the wall and waited for the diminutive instructor to appear. Flitwick climbed onto his perch behind the lectern and began the lesson. He spoke rapidly, they had a lot of material to cover now that their meeting times were cut from every day to once a week on Fridays.

\"But,\" he sighed, \"that\'s what happens when you get to Advanced Charms.\"

The three hour class period progressed quickly for some, heart achingly slow for others. Flitwick taught them two ingenius little charms. The first was an Air Freshening charm. A flick of the wand and a swift *\"Vapor Plaisir\"* produced a pleasant scent to the air around them As it was a personalized spell, each of the students smelt something different. Neville smelled freshly baked cookies. Ron smelled the smell of his mother\'s spaghetti. Hermione smelled freshly cut roses and hyacinth and Harry smelled crisp cut grass. The second charm was the Flame Freezing Charm.

\"So if you lads and lasses should ever find yourselves tied to a burning stake, you can get out of it alive.\" Filius Flitwick gave them an impish smile. \"Now, I need a brave soul to stand inside the flames of the fireplace and give the incantation. Anyone?\"

Hermione raised her hand. \"I\'ll give it a try, Professor.\"

\"Splendid, Miss Granger.\" Flitwick beamed at her. \"Now, just step into the fireplace.\" Hermione got up from her chair along the wall and stepped into the cold, unlit fireplace. \"Now, when I start the fire I want you to say *\'Flagrare Glacialis\'* and give the flames a tap with your wand. Alright. Here we go. *Incendio!*\"

Livid orange flames leapt around Hermione. From the depths of the blaze came Hermione\'s strong voice. *\"Flagrare Glacialis!\"*

The once opaque flames became translucent. The students could see Hermione quite clearly through an orange-red veil of light.

\"Well, Miss Granger? How do you feel?\" Flitwick asked.

\"I feel fine. Better than fine. It was a little chilly in the classroom but this is the perfect temperature. They rather tickle.\" To prove the statement, Hermione giggled a little.

\"Look everyone! Miss Granger\'s done it! Excellent work, indeed. Fifty points to Gryffindor.\" Professor Flitwick enthused. \"You may come out of the fire now, Miss Granger.\"

Hermione stepped out and shook a few random sparks from her hair. Some of the students in the class muttered nervously to themselves. Hermione could hear some disgruntled \"bloody know-it-all\" comments whispered heatedly. She shrugged them off and went back to her seat.

\"Now that you all know how it\'s done, I want each of you to take a turn in the fireplace.\" No one jumped from their seat. Flitwick hopped down from his perch atop the books. \"Come along. The sooner you all go, the sooner you\'ll be done. I won\'t let any of you die.\"

To everyone\'s surprise, Neville raised his hand. \"I\'ll go.\"

\"Excellent Mr. Longbottom.\" Flitwick beamed from ear to ear.

Neville visibly mustered up some courage and walked inhe nhe now cold fireplace. Flitwick began the fire. Neville shouted *\"Flagrare Glacialis!\"*

The fire died down to a slow, transparent waver. Neville grinned, pleased with himself. He stepped from the flames. \"It wasn\'t so bad. I liked it once I put the spell on the fire. Hermione was right - the flames do tickle a bit.\"

Neville returned to his seat. The class, encouraged by the fact that Neville didn\'t kill himself, was a bit more keen to try the charm. Each of the students went into the fireplace. None of them was singed a bit. They faintly smelt of smoke, but that was to be expected. Professor Flitwick, extraodinarily pleased by his students, let them out of class early and with no homework - a gesture that was cheered wholeheartedly.

Harry, Ron and Neville went down to the Great Hall for a spot of lunch. Hermione went back to her room to catch up on all the studying she\'d missed over the past two weeks. Arriving there, Crookshanks mewed piteously. He\'d missed his mistress.

\"Oh, Crook. I\'m here now.\" Hermione scooped the large feline into her arms and he began purring immediately. She charmed a bowl of cream and a bowl of tuna from the kitchens. Crookshanks leapt from her arms and dove into the goodies. Hermione laughed.

\"Tsk. Throw me over for a bowl of cream and tuna, will you? Your affections are fleeting indeed,\" she scolded the cat smilingly. Crookshanks gave her a baleful glance and continued gorging.

Hermione gathered her books and papers and spread them out on the desk. There was much to be done between now and the start of Magical Theory and Ethics. She waved her hand and her new cd came flying into her hand. Hermione unwrapped the troublesome plastic and examined the shiny surface of the cd for any flaws. She found none and placed the disc into the enchanted player. She pressed the play button and the sounds of Sarah McLachlan flowed into the room.

Hermione sat down at the desk and began her studies. The disc played for thremes mes and still she didn\'t look up. She was completely absorbed in theories, proofs, formulas and charms. Only the sound of \"Adia\" beginning again broke her from her studies. Hermione looked at the bedside clock. It was ten minutes to four. She scooped up her books and papers and stuffed them into her bag. Before leaving, she gave Crookshanks a cuddle and shut off the music. Throwing on her robes, she left the room and proceeded to Magical Theory.

The three hour period passed without disturbance. The class covered the philosophies and theories of Aristotle and Leonardo Da Vinci, two wizards who managed to pass themselves off as non-magical. Well, Leonardo managed. Poor Aristotle and the famous cup of hemlock had a very historic collision. The instructor, Philomena Itaretil, assigned the students a three foot long essay on the philosophies of Boethius and to correllate them to Arithmantic theorems.

Professor Itaretil dismissed the class and they poured into the halls. It was seven in the evening and the sky was dark. The moon shone through the long windows lining the corridor. Hermione headed down to the Great Hall to see what was left of dinner. The chamber was nearly deserted this time of night. Most of the students were hanging around in their dormitories on a Friday night. Some turned in early because it was a Hogsmeade Saturday tomorrow. A very few students were in the library.

Hermione dished up some pasta salad and a bit of roast beef. She dug in, having not eaten since breakfast. It was pleasant in the quietness of the almost empty chamber. Another hour passed and the few teachers left at the high table shooed the remaining students out. As Hermione left the Great Hall, she didn\'t see Draco.

(He\'s probably napping for his patrol tonight,) she thought.

She was correct in her assumption. Draco slept until it was time for he and Millicent to leave. Millicent had decided that they would start at the middle of the castle, split up and each take half. Draco got the lower half.

It was now eleven at night. Draco was full of some elusive emotion. It was akin to satisfaction but more naughty. He felt mellow. Draco had barely seen Hermione all day and he was itching for her company. He was on the seventh floor prowling about the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady eyed him suspiciously.

\"Hey. What\'re *you* doing out here?\"

\"I\'m on patrol, chubby.\" Draco eyed the portrait with a disdainful air.

\"No one asked for your smart comments you horse-faced git.\"

\"Ladies made of dough shouldn\'t cast aspersions on the appearance of others.\" He smugly raised an eyebrow.

\"Y.suc.suck.\"

\"Aw. Is that the best you can do?\" He gave the painting a smarmy grin and went off to have a go \'round on the other floors. Draco was put off by the suspicious work of art\'s foiling his plans to lure Hermione out of her room. He swept from the corridor thoroughly hacked off.

Draco and Pansy met up at midnight to return to their house. They ran into the sixth-year prefects who were waiting to take over. After a few forced pleasantries, Draco and Pansy went into their house. He left Pansy at the entrance to the girls\' dormitories and went into his chamber. Everything there was fresh as if he\'d never been away. Little did anyone know that this would be the first night in more than a week that he\'d spent a full night there. Draco pulled on his customary outfit of black satin pyjamas, and waving off the torchlight, got into bed.

He didn\'t like being thwarted. He didn\'t like being ignored either. Hermione hadn\'t sent him a note or anything. As much as Draco hated to admit it, he was getting used to her. But he\'d be damned if he was going to beg for her attentions. Damn her. As he tossed about in his bed, looking at the single peridot torch flickering dimly in the otherwise dark room, Draco would\'ve been gratified to know that Hermione was in a similar state of unrest.

Hermione lay awake in the middle of her queen sized mattress. She\'d gotten used to seeing Malfoy before sleeping. It was an odd feeling, really. It had only been a week\'s time since the whole affair began. Yet it felt much longer than that. Simply put, she rathersed sed Malfoy. Hermione had no choice but to put it down to stupid raging adolescent hormones - that and the underdeveloped brain all the scientists say that teenagers have.

She rolled to the right side of the bed. It still felt rather empty. Hermione had to admit she liked being curled up with someone at night - even if that someone was Draco Malfoy. Although, she thought with a smirk, it was a good thing he wasn\'t there to drool on her pillowcases.

They were still playing the game of neutral territory. Hermione freely admitted that she gained a measure of relief that they were sneaking all over the castle. However, she had been touched when Malfoy brought her into his inner sanctum. Hermione remembered her dream of Malfoy and Pansy. He hadn\'t bothered to take Pansy to the dungeon chamber. He seemed content to conduct things in his bedroom. A slightly uncomfortable thought wormed its way into her brain.

What if Malfoy had Transfigured that chamber just for them? Hermione\'s eyes widened in the darkness. She sure as hell wasn\'t going to ask him. If the answer was no, she\'d feel cheap and easy. If the answer was yes, then...the gesture was incredibly sweet. *If* Malfoy had gone to the trouble just to put her at ease. Then again, it was incredibly calculated. The more at ease she was, the less she\'d be inclined to balk at fucking him.

Hermione smirked. That was more than likely to be the case. Malfoy had a wickedly devious brain. It would be right up his alley to come up with something like that. But having thrown her cap to the wind, she\'d made up her mind to ride it out, so to speak. She rolled back to the center. Hermione refused to leave her bed this night. Seeking Malfoy out would change the nature of the arrangement. He certainly hadn\'t given her any indication that he wanted to see her. She, therefore, wasn\'t going to give him the satisfaction of going to him.

With those slightly vengeful thoughts rolling in her head, she settled down and fell asleep.
*************

Saturday morning dawned crisp. The temperature had taken a nose dive during the night. Hermione awakened to a slight frost on her windowpane. Crookshanks was a small purring lump under the crimson comforter. Hermione got out of bed and shivered when her toes touched the cold air. She jumped back under the covers and started a blazing fire with a wave of her hand - no *Incendio* required.

When the chamber had warmed sufficiently, she got out of bed and padded to the bathroom. Quickly going through her morning routine in the loo, Hermione came out and turned on the enchanted cd player. The sounds of Underground\'s \"Born Slippery\" soon filled the room.
Hermione waved open the armoire door and pieces of clothing came floating out for her selection. She settled on a pair of dark indigo dungarees, a fitted red and gold plaid oxford shirt and a red hooded sweatshirt to ward off the chill.

Slipping into her clothing, Hermione decided to actually think about her face. She stood at the dresser mirror and applied a few cosmetic charms. Putting a gold fillet on her head, she smiled, satisfied with her appearance. Hermione slid on a pair of red and gold flame patterned socks. Over those, she wore white trainers with two gold stripes down the sides.

Hermione looked at herself in the full length mirror. She looked like a Gryffindor today, if nothing else. Grabbing up a small bag of money and her outdoor robes, she left her room. The Common Room was filled with excited students. Most had already eaten breakfast. The third-years were simply too keyed up to eat. This was their first Hogsmeade weekend.

There were few students there that went to Hogwarts that came from Hogsmeade. Most of the children from Hogsmeade went to Hogsmeade Day Academy. But those who did opt to attend Hogwarts were excited to see their parents and friends. Hermione waved to them and left for the Great Hall.

Ron and Harry were there along with Ginny, Neville and Lavender. Parvati had elected to sit with her sister. Greetings and salutations were exchanged and Hermione sat at the table. She piled her plate with kippers, eggs, bacon and toast with jam. Across the nearly deserted hall Draco sat alone, an unfolded \'Daily Prophet\' in front of him. He looked up and gave Hermione a discreet nod which she returned.

Hermione tucked into her breakfast with relish. Feeling replete, she leaned back and watched as the last of the post owls soared into the building. Boolean dropped a package into Hermione\'s lap. It was from her parents.

\"Ooh. More birthday goodies, Hermione?\" Ginny asked.

\"Probably,\" Hermione replied. She tore open the parcel and looked inside. \"Splendid. I\'ve been wanting this cd for a long time now.\"

Hermione held aloft a cd case with a red and black inset. Ginny took it from her and read the title.

\"Third Eye Blind? What\'s that?\"

\"They\'re a Muggle band from America. Really good stuff. Calliope Cantata plays them sometimes on the wireless.\"
\"Oh. Could I listen to it sometime?\"
\"Oh, sure.\" Hermione continued digging through the box. There was an assortment of Muggle goodies: Cadbury bars, automatic pencils, packets of cheese flavoured crisps, spiral notebooks, ballpoint pens and a jumper from Grandmother Granger.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she pulled it out. There was a little tag in the neck that read \'Made With Love By Grandma Expressly For You.\" On closer examination though, the jumper wasn\'t that bad. It was a grey, white and red Fair Isle knit. There was a 20 pound note and a card tucked in with the jumper. Hermione set aside the box and opened the card. On the cover was the picture of an older woman and a younger woman hugging. Inside there were greetings and birthday wishes from Hermione\'s grandmother.

\"That\'s a really lovely jumper, Hermione.\" This came from Lavender.

\"Oh.\" Hermione looked up from the card. \"Thanks. My Gram made it for me.\"

\"I wish I got homemade stuff. All I ever get are things my father\'s secretary picks out.\" Lavender\'s pretty face wore a look of subtle longing.

Hermione patted Lavender\'s shoulder. Lavender gave Hermione a resigned smile and went back to chatting with Neville. Hermione folded the jumper back into the box. She then went to take it back to her room and to gather the lower years together. When the crowd of Gryffindors reached the entrance to Hogwarts, nearly the entire school was there awaiting the thestral-drawn carriages. Hermione couldn\'t stop herself from scanning the sea of people for a familiar gilded head. When she didn\'t see it, she found herself vaguely disappointed.

(Don\'t do it), Hermione\'s Sane voice warned.

(Do what?) the Reckless voice asked.

(Don\'t play coy with me. You know exactly what I\'m talking about. Don\'t fuc fal fall for Draco Malfoy. He\'s poison and you bloody well know it!) The Sane voice nearly screamed its frustration.

(I know that), Madam Reckless continued in a calm vein. (But I can\'t help it. He\'s so damned charming when he wants to be. And I know he\'s not a total horse\'s arse. You it it too, missy. Or have you forgotten?)

The voice of Reason gave an inward sigh. **I* haven\'t forgotten a bloody damned thing. Did you forget all those times he called you Mudblood? Did you forget when he hexed you and made your teeth fifty times bigger than they orginally were? Or has all that shagging clouded your memory?)

(No, it hasn\'t clouded my memory, thank you very much. And I\'m not bloody *stupid*. I know better than to actually begin to LIKE Malfoy. A God-damned good lay he may be, he\'s still an insufferable prat.)

(Yes, he is. So don\'t be a silly bint - and good googly moogly. Would you look at that!) Miss Reasonable stopped her tirade.

Draco came down the stairs to the entrance hall looking good enough to eat. He was dressed in a black v-necked jumper and black trousers with a knife-sharp crease in them. He carried his cloak nonchalantly over an arm. Draco gave Hermione a saucy grin and a wink and went to join his House.

Hermione shook herself from her slightly slackjawed reverie. (Pull it together, Granger. You don\'t see *him* getting all calf-eyed over you, do you?) the voice of Reason scolded.

(Shut up,) Hermione\'s other Inner Voice, the normal one, closed the book on her Superego\'s prattling.

The carriages pulled up at the castle doors and everyone piled inside them. The trip to the village was swift and pleasant. Most of the students poured out and headed towards Weasley\'s Wizard Wheezes and Zonko\'s. The staff went to the Three Broomsticks. Hermione went to the Bell, Book, and Candle. Ginny had recommended an excellent novel to Hermione, titled \'Heaving Bodices\'.

Hermione located the paperback quickly and began to browse the aisles. She was perusing a copy of Bullfinch\'s \'Mythology\' when a familiar face poked around the corner of the deserted space.

\"What\'ve you got there?\" Draco asked.

Hermione looked up and was stunned. \"What did you do to your hair?\"

\"You like it? Got a cut at Edward Scissorwand\'s.\" Draco grinned cheekily.

\"Turn around,\" Hermione ordered. Draco did, hamming it up. \"It\'s different...but I think I like it.\"

And indeed she did like it. He\'d cut about four inches off of his hair. Instead of it being slicked back, Draco\'d spiked it in the front and clipped it slightly in the back. Hermione had seen that cut on many a guy but none of them looked as good as Draco did. She reached a hand up and ran her fingers over the shortened strands.

\"It\'s very nice indeed.\" Hermione smiled. \"I\'ve been thinking of getting a haircut myself. Maybe I\'ll take a stroll over there.\"

\"Are you mad? Don\'t ever cut your hair.\" Draco looked aghast at her suggestion.

\"Really?\" She couldn\'t comprehend that anyone would actually like what she considered \"that dust mop\" on her head.

\"I couldn\'t imagine you without all that hair. You should grow it out longer than that.\"

\"Please. It\'s hard enough to manage as it is.\" Hermione rolled her eyes.

\"Well, I think it\'s alright, Granger.\" Draco\'s expression brooked no argument.

\"Very well then, your majesty. Your wish is my command.\"mionmione\'s mouth thinned in slight annoyance and she gave a mock curtsy.

\"Damned right it is.\" He reached out a hand and pulled her into an even more secluded corner of the bookseller\'s shop. \"And right now my wish is for you to kiss me.\" Draco manoeuvered Hermione against a stack of Plato\'s Republic.

Hermione dropped the books in her hand and pulled Draco\'s newly shorn head close to hers. She gave him a naughty lick on the lips and then kissed him thoroughly. When she pulled away, Draco was seeing stars and cursing himself for letting her turn the tables on him so neatly.

\"I\'ve always wanted to ask; where in the hell did you learn to kiss like that?\"

\"Now, now. A lady never divulges her secrets.\" Hermione\'s mouth curved in a kittenish smile.

His response was to press her more firmly against the dusty bookcase. Draco slid a hand into the curls on her head and grasped them tightly. Pinpricks of pain shot along Hermione\'s skull. Draco kissed her this time. He kept her pinned there, the edges of the shelves digging into her back, his hand knotted in her hair and his mouth bruising hers. Draco seemed content to go on kissing her and nothing more. Their kisses pushed and pulled and melded until Hermione\'s knees seemed to be made of water. Draco slid a woolen-clad thigh between hers. He straightened his stance so that Hermione was liftrom rom the floor. She gave a gasp but didn\'t break the kiss. The feel of his leg between hers was mind-boggling.

And then reality intruded.

In the form of a Weasley, no less.

\"Hermione?\" Ginny\'s voice came floating to the back of the stacks. Ginny called again, followed by a softer pitched \"I know I saw her come in here\" and footsteps falling on the wooden floors.

Hermione pushed Draco off of her and went sliding to the floor. She scrambled up, bringing her fallen books with her.

\"Fuck.\" Hermione swore softly. \"What the hell are we going to do?\" She looked around the dead end of shelves.

Draco pulled himself together hastily. \"You, my dear, are going to calm yourself and I am going to Apparate out of here and into the Three Broomsticks for a pint. Ciao.\"

\"But - \" She began, wanting to quibble further.

\"Quiet, wench. It\'s a good plan.\" Draco grinned, kissed her quickly and vanished from sight with a quick pop.

Hermione shook her head at him. Ginny stuck her head around the corner at that moment.


\"Hello, hello,\" the fiery headed girl chimed. \"Did you \'find Heaving Bodices\'?\"

Hermione grinned. \"I did indeed.\" She held up the paperback to Ginny.

\"Oh...they\'ve reissued it with a different cover...\" Ginny looked at the blond man with the overly muscled chest climbing the ivy covered tower to his lady love. The man on the cover turned his head and winked at Ginny lasciviously. The man\'s raven haired mistress rolled her eyes and went back inside her tower room. \"So, what else have you got?\"

\"Just a copy of Bullfinch\'s \'Mythology\'.\"

\"Good book.\"

Hermione\'s eyebrows rose. \"You\'ve read it?\"

\"Mum got me a copy when I was nine.\"

\"Really?\"

\"Yeah, really.\" Ginny chuckled.

\"Wow. I would\'ve thought that you know...that it being a Muggle book and all...\" Hermione floundered, at a loss for once.

Ginny laughed for real this time. \"Hermione...what makes you think Richard Bullfinch was a Muggle?\"

\"Well...I-I assumed...\"

Virginia smirked at her older friend. \"You should really get over these prejudicial tendencies you have. Come on, we\'re all waiting for you down at the pub.\"

Ginny turned away and went to the front of the store, Hermione following. The girls paid for their books and headed down the high street to the Three Broomsticks. Harry and Ron were waiting for them, foamy mugs of butterbeer already half-drained.

\"Hullo, girls.\" Ron greeted them. \"Did you get a look at Malfoy\'s new \'do? Positively masculine compared that queer thing he had before.\"

Hermione seethed a little on the inside before giving herself a mental slap. \"I saw it. But I hardlink ink it\'s an interesting enough topic for conversation.\"

(Bravo, Hermione. Just the right amount of ennui.) Hermione gave herself a mental pat on the back.

\"Well, Miss-miss. Aren\'t we just above it all? I\'ve seen you sneaking looks at the swaggering git when you think no one\'s looking,\" Ron sneered at her.

Hermione looked at Ron blandly. \"Yes, I look at him. I\'d have to be blind or dead to *not* notice Malfoy. And if you\'ve noticed, I am neither one of those.\"

\"Ron,\" Ginny butted in. \"You should really just leave it off. Malfoy is attractive. It\'s the Veela in him that does it.\"

Hermione\'s eyes widened. \"He\'s part Veela? That explains a lot.\"

\"Bloody unfair advantage, I\'d say,\" Ron groused over his pint. \"He\'s got the looks, the money and the girls.\"

\"Ron, stop being such a hating bitch.\" Ginny frowned at her brother. \"You\'ve got looks, if not the money. And you could have the girls if you\'d stop being such a great ridiculous annoyingly self-righteous prat. Here you are, moping for months on end because you\'re single again. Whoop-de-frigging-doo. Anyone with two eyes in their head could see that you and Hermione were simply *miserable* together. You\'re juoo boo blind to admit it. Grow up.\"

\"Ah, blow me. You\'re just saying that cos he\'s your ex whatever he was. You\'re entirely too soft for your own good, Virginia.\"

\"And you\'re a hard-headed prig. Get over yourself. Butterbeer, well iced.\" A frosted mug appeared in front of Ginny. She took a long swig, wiping the foam from her upper lip.

Harfor for his part, was barely containing his laughter. He thought Ginny\'s remarks were well deserved. Ron saw it and made a sour moue with his mouth.

\"Loyalty to a mate just doesn\'t mean what it used to, does it?\" Ron drained his glass, dropped a few Sickles on the table and left the pub.

Harry started to get up and go after his friend but was stayed by a hand on his arm. \"Let him go, Harry. He needs to work through this by himself.\" Hermione spoke, after having been silent through the entire exhange.

Harry sat down between his two girls. \"You\'re right, I know you\'re right. This isn\'t the worst of it though. You should\'ve seen him at the Burrow over the summer hols. Bloody terrible. Just full of rage and dark sarcasm. I\'d never seen Ron like that, ever. At least he\'s simmered down to petty jealousy and isolated whining.\"

\"Harry, he\'s just about done with this. Ron\'s a Taurus - it takes them a long time to get over things.\" Ginny reassured Harry with a pat on his hand.

\"I know. I just wish he\'d hurry the hell up about it.\"

Ginny grimaced. \"Don\'t we all?\"
******************

Later on that night, after the students were all returned to Hogwarts, Hermione decided to take a stroll about the grounds. She slipped out of the castle undetected and went walking along the forest\'s edge. Hermione zipped her sweatshirt up to the top and pulled the hood over her head. The temperature had taken another drop with the sunset. The leaves on the trees had gotten with the program and were beginning to don their fiery autumnal clothes. Hermione could smell the rain and the heather in the air. She took a big whiff and it calmed her somewhat.

Two bloody small weeks and here she was, on the verge of falling into Malfoy\'s little trap. Of course, she could blame the Veela in him. It would be the perfect excuse. She could blame the shagging. Malfoy was expert in it and she was no slouch when it came to being sensual. More than likely it was the stupidity of youth. Hermione sneered at herself.

(That\'s the only reason for it,) she thought. Youth - and plenty of stupid, shallow arrogance to go with it - was what made her want to defend Malfoy in front of Ron. She could only thank the shreds of her common sense for making her hold her tongue. Still...underneath all those layers of sense and sensibility lurked an intense romanticism. Hermione\'s lips quirked in a disgusted sneer. She was feeling all squishy inside thinking of Malfoy. Squish in this instance would be a bad thing.

What she couldn\'t understand was how she could feel it for someone she professed to hate and couldn\'t scrounge up the tiniest bit for someone who she professed to love. It was maddening. Hermione couldn\'t, just couldn\'t, actually begin to like Malfoy. He was actually eminently unlikeable. He was still an arrogant prat, but a charming one. And for someone who supposedly hated Muggle-borns, he\'d shown none of his bigotry to her. Perhaps he was that good of an actor.

Perhaps she was that much of a fool. \'Twas hard to tell.

The moon rose in the twilight sky and the temperature dropped another five degrees. Hermione shivered into the fleece of her jacket. She still didn\'t respect him though. Malfoy wasn\'t really a respectable person. He\'d never have blackmailed her into this untenable situation if was a respectable person.

Hermione was finding out that liking had nothing to do with respecting.

The wind whipped through the trees and made a mournful sound. Hermione huddled deeper into the jacket. She thought about the scene at the Three Broomsticks that afternoon. It replayed itself in her mind. She was sorry that she hurt Ron, but she felt that they could be friends again in time. Then again, thinking about it, they\'d never really been friends. At least, not the way she and Harry were friends. With Ron there would always be a strange mixture of affection and animosity, like between siblings. He\'d soon come to realize that and be at peace.

She could only hope that much for herself. The problem was that Malfoy, in and of himself, was an unnaturally tempting person. She couldn\'t help but be drawn to him. In their private times together, he could be rather...nice. Nice was a strange word when applied to Draco Malfoy, but when he dropped the arrogant lord of the manor schtick he was more than tolerable.

But the short amount of time bothered her to no end. It\'d barely been two weeks since they\'d been thrust into each other\'s company. (Who falls in love with their bitterest enemy in two weeks?) Hermione thought.

Her inner voice spoke up then. (Woah there, Nelly. Who said anything about *love*?!)

(*sigh* I did, fool that I am.)

(Fool is right. You can\'t love someone you don\'t respect. The two rather go hand in hand.) The inner voice chided.

(Yes, yes, I know. If it\'s any consolation, I definitely know I\'m *not* in love with him. That would be too weird. Besides, I don\'t know if there\'s anything even remotely lovable about him...other than that sometimes disarming charm he has...his smile...his kisses...*sigh* his kisses...)

(STOP! You sound like a love-struck teenager.)

Hermione gave herself a mental raspberry. (I AM ve-sve-struck teenager.)

Her inner voice gave a snort of disbelief. (Cock-struck, maybe, but not love struck.)

(And what would you know of it? All you know is logic and rules!)

(And you know that it\'s eminently illogical to actually like, let alone love, someone like Malfoy.)

(I know. I\'ll try my hardest to get over it. Are you happy now?)

(Yes. I\'ll hold you to it, you know.)

(I know you will,) Hermione thought rather dejectedly.

Hermione went back inside. Unfortunately, the first person she ran into was Snape. Hermione wished that she had had the presence of mind to have made herself invisible.

\"Well. This *is* a surprise. I\'ve caught you out not once, but twice in less than two weeks. Not very becoming behaviour for a Head Girl, now is it?\" Snape asked her silkily.

\"No, sir, it isn\'t.\" Hermione hung her head slightly.

\"So what brings you out to roam the halls this time of the evening?\"

\"Personal problems, sir.\"

Snape raised a dark eyebrow. \"And what sort of er, \'personal problems\' would they be?\"

\"Problems of the personal sort.\" Hermione replied cheekily. \"Sir.\"

\"Ah. I see.\" And indeed he did. Snape had often wandered about the grounds and castle when mulling over a particularly pressing matter. But that didn\'t make it alright for her to do so. He was about to open his mouth to give her a thorough tongue lashing but he caught a glimpse of the woe that lurked behind that Gryffindor bravado and decided against it. Instead, he found himself saying something he\'d never thought he\'d say to a Gryffindor, let alone Hermione Granger.

\"Yes, well...would you like to discuss it?\"

Hermione\'s eyes opened wide in a mixture of horror and disbelief. \"No, thank you, sir. I\'d rather just keep it to myself.\"

\"Very well, then. Go on back to your room.\"

Hermione stood there, looking at Snape bemused by his benevolent attitude. His mouth tightened at her perusal. \"Do I have to tell you twice? Twenty points from Gryffindor. Now go before I give you a detention as well.\"

Hermione didn\'t stick around this time. She hurried up the stairs as fast as she could. And who should she run into but the object of her thoughts. And down they went as a result of their collision.

\"OOF\" \"DAMNIT!\"

Hermione and Draco picked themselves up from the stone floor, rubbing their injured parts.
\"What are you doing up?\" Draco asked.

\"I was coming in from a stroll about the grounds. Snape caught me coming back in.\"

\"Did he give you detention?\"

\"Nope. Let me go with deducting a measly twenty points.\"

Draco considered that piece of information. \"Really? He must be getting soft in his old age.\"

Hermione laughed. \"Whatever it is, I\'m grateful for it. I hate having detention.\" Hermione made a face.

\"Will you meet me tonight?\" Draco looked slightly hopeful.

\"No. I need to spend sometime in my own house.\" She looked away at that. The truth was, she needed some time away from Malfoy to actually examine what was going on. Hermione wanted to test the axiom of absence making the heart fonder.

Draco looked crestfallen for a very brief moment. \"Alright then. I shall see you tomorrow.\"

Hermione smiled and gave him a small salute. \"That you will.\" She hurried past him and on up the last flight of stairs.

Draco watched her leave. He understood what she was trying to do. She was testing the waters by putting some distance between them. He didn\'t particularly like it. Draco saw it as Hermione being unpredictable again. On the one hand he liked it. On the other it disturbed him because he was used to people following *his* schedule. But he\'d give Hermione her space. He saw it as a way to bind her closer to him.

Draco had decided it was better to have her on his side than against him. He had no intentions of giving himself up to Voldemort and the fact was, two mages were better than one. He knew he had no right to involve her in his problems. However, his problem was directly related to her problem. They now had a common enemy. The tricky thing was how to go about making her believe that.

(People are so quick to believe lies over the truth,) he thought ruefully. At that Draco continued on his patrol of the castle. The castle was quiet and still. Even the ghosts where abed or wherever it was that ghosts went when they retired. Draco made his way to the entrance to Slytherin. As he passed by the doorway to the Potions classroom, it opened and Snape stepped out.

\"Mr. Malfoy.\"

\"Yes, Professor?\"

\"I need to talk with you.\"

Draco made a quizzical expression. \"About?\"

\"Come in, Malfoy.\" Snape\'s tone brooked no interference. Draco went past him into the classroom. Snape closed the door and led the boy into his office.

\"Sit,\" Snape ordered.

Draco flopped into one of the squishy black wingback chairs Snape had in front of the blazing fire. He looked at his Head of House with an expectant look. Snape stood in front of the boy.

\"Draco. I followed Miss Granger to make sure she went into her own house. I was invisible, of course.\" Snape stopped, letting the implications of that sink into Draco\'s brain. The blond\'s eyes widened as he realized what the older man was saying.

\"Just so, Malfoy. Just so. My question is, does anyone else know?\"

\"No. Not to my knowledge.\" Draco looked stunned.

\"Good. Keep it that way. The fewer people who know, the better. How long has this been going on?\"

\"Two weeks, sir.\"

\"That\'s all?\" Snape\'s voice took on a disbeliving tone.

\"Yes.\"

\"I\'m sure that she is aware of your...reputation. As much animosity as I have for those damned Gryffindors, I would make sure that she doesn\'t end up hurt. My advice is to end it - cleanlyr bor both your sakes.\"

\"But I don\'t think that\'s possible, sir.\"

\"And why the bloody hell not?\" Snape had reached the end of his patience. He wasn\'t used to a student questioning his judgment.

\"Because...it just isn\'t. I can\'t tell you why, but it isn\'t.\" Draco looked a tad woebegone behind the proud facade.

Severus thought about how much Malfoy reminded him of himself as a lad. \"Does it have to do with your father? The Dark Lord?\"

\"Both.\" Draco\'s mouth tightened at Snape\'s astuteness.

Severus sat down in the chair facing Draco and regarded him thoughtfully for a moment. \"Look. I can imagine how your father would react to this liaison you\'re conducting. One can assume that the Dark Lord wouldn\'t be too thrilled with it either. I do suggest that if neither one of you wishes to end up dead that you finish it.\"

\"But what if she doesn\'t want to end it, sir?\" And Snape could see the faintest flicker of hope that appeared in the boy\'s glance.

(By God, he\'s enamored of the wench and doesn\'t even know it,) Snape gave an inward grimace. (Poor fool. This is going to end in tears.)

Snape spoke aloud. \"I have every intention of speaking with Miss Granger on the morrow. If you won\'t see reason, perhaps she will.\"

Draco\'s mouth tightened even more. \"Are you finished with me...Sir.\" Draco tacked on the \'sir\' with surly respect.

\"We\'ve nothing more to discuss. You may go.\"

\"Thank you.\" Draco got up to leave.

\"Mr. Malfoy.\"

\"Yes?\" Draco didn\'t turn around to reply.

\"Do think on what I said.\"

Draco offered nothing and left the room without a word. Snape sighed heavily and conjured a bottle of brandy and a snifter. He truly hoped the two of them would work this tangled mess out before the whole thing exploded in their faces. Snape guessed correctly that they\'d been meeting all over the castle and grounds. It was just a matter of time before someone caught them in *flagrante delicto*. It was betteat hat he\'d caught them now, before they\'d become too wrapped up in each other to extricate themselves. He took a swallow of the cognac, feeling its warmth burn down to his stomach. Severus sighed again, pondering the weight of yet another secret on his already heavy soul.
*****************

Sunday was another chilly day. Hermione eased out of her bed and tested the floor cautiously. The stones were warm, attesting to the fire that the house-elves had built in the cavernous fireplace. She padded across the room and looked out of the window. It wasn\'t cold enough to frost, but there was a fine film of fog on the panes that she wiped away.

The long sleep provided Hermione with a sort of clarity come morning. She actually liked Malfoy and there was no getting around that. She couldn\'t explain why if pressed for an answer. But like him she did. Hermione couldn\'t figure it out but she decided not to fight it anymore. Besides, this was their last year and she felt that she was entitled to a foolish love.

Hastily washing and dressing, she sent Boolean off with a note to Malfoy (unsigned of course) and went to join her housemates at breakfast. Hermione arrived at the table just as the post was coming in. There were more birthday goodies for Hermione. There were cards and and packages filled with greetings from her aunts, uncles and cousins scattered throughout the world. Granddad Lyonnesse sent her a fine bottle from his vineyard in Burgundy. A quick Concealment Charm and the bottle winked from sight. Hermione looked around to see if any of the teachers saw it and found that Snape was staring at her in a most disconcerting manner.

Hermione hastily gathered up the goodies and went to store them in her room. She caught Snape rising from his seat out of the corner of her eye. Hermione scurried out of the Great Hall, Snape fast on her heels. He called her name. She didn\'t stop, perhaps, to pretend that she hadn\'t heard him. Then Snape called her name again. Hermione stopped and turned slowly, thinking of ways to explain the (slightly) illegal birthday gift.

\"Yes, Professor?\"

\"I wish to speak with you on a most urgent matter.\"

\"Regarding?\"

Snape\'s mouth tightened with impatience as he saw that this was to be a repeat of last night\'s conversation with Malfoy. \"I\'d prefer it if we didn\'t speak of it here. I\'m sure you\'d prefer it as well. Come along.\"

He swept past her and she trailed in his wake. Hermione couldn\'t quite keep up with his long strides but she gamely tried anyway. They reached the entrance to the dungeons and Snape led her into the Potion laboratory and into his private office. When they walked in a fire sprung up immediately and the torches lit themselves.

\"Have a seat.\" He gestured to the chair Draco occupied last night. Hermione sat.

\"I want to let you know that I know.\"

\"You know what sir?\" Hermione decided that total denial was the way to go. The Concealment Charm was still working its magic.

\"Don\'t play the fool with me, young miss. I know about you and Malfoy.\"

\"Malfoy? But I thought that you were going to take me to task about my birthday gift.\" Hermione looked confused by the sudden switching of gears.

\"That stupid bottle of wine? Don\'t be silly, girl. I really don\'t care about that.\" Snape sniffed disdainfully at the direction of her thoughts.

\"However in the world did you find out?\"

\" I followed you and -\"

\"Followed me?!\" Hermione exploded. \"How dare you follow me about! I\'m not one of your Slytherins.\"

\"Careful, girl. You\'re treading on thin ice as it is.\" Snape\'s lips thinned to a mere line. \"As I was saying, I followed you to make sure you went into your own house and not to some secret assignation. That\'s when I stumbled across yours and Mr. Malfoy\'s conversation.\"

\"You...eavesdropped on me? They\'re right, you are a bloody spy.\" Hermione looked sullenly at the Potions Master.

Snape afforded the girl a smirk. \"*They* are always right, Miss Granger. You should know that by now.\"

Hermione looked at him with a defiant gleam in her eyes. \"I suppose you\'ve called me in here to tell me to stop seeing Draco.\"

\"Precisely.\"

\"I won\'t do it.\"

\"Why not?\" He lifted a quizzical eyebrow.

\"Because I don\'t wish it.\"

\"If wishes were horses, Miss Granger.\"

\"Don\'t stand there spouting platitudes at me, Professor. You cannot tell me who I can sleep with and who I cannot.\"
\"I bloody well can. Do you honestly think that you\'ll be able to get away with it? Are you really that foolish and foolhardy?\"

Hermione quirked her mouth at him. \"I have so far, haven\'t I...*sir*?\"

\"My God. I thought you\'d be more sensible than that. This was the reaction I was expecting from Malfoy. He\'s obviously rubbing off on you in the most unpleasant way. You\'ve picked up his smirking arrogance.\"

\"Have I? I hadn\'t noticed.\"

\"You silly thing! Do you not realize the implications of this-this whatever it is between the two of you?! You could both end up very dead. Lucius Malfoy won\'t take kindly to his only son and heir consorting with a Mudblood.\"

\"What did you just call me?\" Hermione\'s fingers tightened around the box holding her gifts.

\"You heard me.\" Snape looked at his student coldly. \"And you\'ll be called much worse if the senior Malfoy gets wind of this. Not to mention the Dark Lord.\"

Hermione flushed with high colour. She rose from her chair slowly. \"Professor. With all due respect - \" her tone suggested that that respect was very slight. \"I will conduct my personal affairs as I see fit. You have neither the right nor the insight to tell me what to do outside of a strict instructor/teacher relationship. And I will thank you very much if you would refrain from saying *that* word in my presence ever again. It\'s not at all flattering to have one\'s prejudices exposed.\" Her nose lifted in the air as if she smelled something rotten and she stared down Snape as if he were the lowest of the low.

Snape looked at her from his seat. He could see from her reddened cheeks and golden eyes that she was on the verge of losing what grip on her temper she had. Only her white knuckles gripping the box betrayed the rage he knew she was feeling. He admired her speech and the fact that she could keep a rein on her emotions. \"As you like it, Miss Granger. I did warn you, however.\"

\"I\'ll take that under consideration.\" Her tone was dry and sarcastic. She spun on her heel and the door swung open to let her exit. Hermione walked through and out of the Potions classroom with the air of a queen.

Snape sat in his chair with a knowing smirk across his saturnine face. The silly, headstrong chit was headed for disaster and he knew it. But as he had become the unlikely couple\'s unofficial Secret-keeper, he wasn\'t about to go running to either the Deputy Headmistress or Headmaster Dumbledore. He knew that Draco was just like his father - a filthy, conniving little bastard. Snape also knew that Hermione was better than that. She was the only student to earn an \"Outstanding\" on her Potions OWL in the fourteen years he\'d been teaching. Potter and Weasley managed to get E\'s meaning they could take Advanced Potions with her but could not take the NEWT in Potions.

Snape had been rather impressed with Hermione deciding to become a Potions Master. She certainly had the aptitude and the appreciation for subtlety that the art required. However, she was so damned arrogant and sure of herself. Reminded him of another young woman who had the same attributes.

His mind flashed back on Lily Potter. Severus gave a small snort of disgust. Why, on that day of all days, did he not have on a clean pair of knickers? And then he called her Mudblood. Severus\' mouth tightened. He regretted it then and he regretted it now. He seemed to make the same mistakes all over again. However much he atoned for them, nothing would ever purge that from him. He might be able to tamp down on it for a period of time but it wouldn\'t go away.

Sixteen years later, here he was. Still spying, still fighting Vol-the Dark Lord, still struggling with his own prejudices and demons. Severus tossed back the whiskey and sought out the comforting logic of his laboratory.
**************

Hermione, for her part was so incensed by the conversation that had taken place she was surprised that steam wasn\'t rising from her ears. The students she passed onher way from the dungeons to Gryffindor looked at their Head Girl askance. Hermione didn\'t know it but her hair was literally spitting golden sparks from the ends of the wild curls and her eyes gleamed malevolently. She resembled nothing so much as an avenging fury as she loped up to the seventh floor. As she went by the paintings they whispered and pointed at her. A spark leapt from her hair and set one of the canvases to smouldering. Nearly Headless Nick, who had been floating nearby, snuffed out the low flames with his vapor and received a nose full of charred oil paint smoke for his trouble.

Hermione reached the Gryffindor portrait hole and screamed \"ORANGE ZEST!\" at the frightenend Fat Lady who sprung open before Hermione\'d even finished saying the password. Hermione tossed the box inside the hole. In a fit of rage, she tossed out *\"Engorgio!\"* and touched the round hole which immediately enlarged to let her pass without her having to climb up and scramble through.

Fortunately, the Fat Lady\'s portrait was big enough to cover the extra space.

Hermione snatched up the box and marched upstairs to her room where the warded door, seeing its mistress in such a state didn\'t even ask for the password, just opened. She tossed the box onto the freshly made bed and began wearing a hole in the gryffin patterned rug. Hermione muttered angrily to herself as she paced. She cursed Malfoy and Snape and herself for being so stupid as to get caught.

But then an owl perched itself on the window sill and tapped on the pane of glass.

\"WHAT IS IT??!\" She screamed.

Boolean seemed to shrink at that and he hooted feebly. Hermione stalked over and let him in the chamber. She untied the parchment from his leg and placed him in his cage. She unrolled the parchment. There were only a few lines on it but they were enough.

*\"A certain Slytherin who shall remain nameless has decided to butt into our arrangement. I think that it is time to come to terms with what, exactly, is happening here. Our spot, 2 am.\"*
The missive was, of course, unsigned. Hermione whispered *\"Incendio\"* to it and the paper smouldered into ash which she then dusted out of the window. The autumn sun hung in the air with a mellow yellow color reminiscent of marigolds in bloom. The grounds were quiet and peaceful seemingly mocking the turmoil within Hermione.

She couldn\'t ignore the logic that the Potions Master presented. Yet she was still highly hacked off that he would presume to tell her what to do. For nearly seven years, Severus Snape had had no interest in her whatsoever unless it was to offer up a smarmy comment and take house points away because she knew answers. Now all of a sudden he felt it necessary to give her advice! The thought galled her and she sent a hearty \"fuck you!\" in his direction.

Feeling somewhat better, she went downstairs and found Ron sitting in the common room actually doing homework. He looked a little disgruntled. Hermione sat across from him. He looked up at her. \"I don\'t know how you bloody know all this stuff. Snape\'s instruction leaves a lot to be desired.\"

Hermione grinned at Ron\'s frustration. She was peeved at Snape herself, although forfereferent reasons. \"Do you need some help with a potion?\"

\"This damned Polyjuice is completely shitting me, Herm.\"

\"Weren\'t you paying attention?\" She raised an eyebrow and he got her meaning.

\"Well...\" Ron looked sheepish. \"You did the work, me and Harry just kipped the ingredients.\"

\"I see,\" Hermione grinned at him. \"Well, this is how it goes...\" She lit the flame under the cauldron and they to to work. There were other cauldrons simmering in the common room, each carefully labeled with the owner\'s name and the contents. They sat along the long window seat that lined one side of the chamber.

Ron, under Hermione\'s tutelage, brewed a perfect potion. \"Now,\" Hermione pronounced, \"we have to let it simmer for a month. Let\'s seal it so no one is tempted to ahem, sample it before it\'s time for it to be turned in.\"

Hermione almost waved her hand over the cauldron but remembered in time and pulled out her wand from her jeans pocket. Tapping the cauldron\'s lip, a clear bubble surrounded the pot, flames and all.

*\"Locomotor Cauldron,\"* she said and the cauldron went wafting over to a place in between Ginny\'s slow bubbling pitch and Dennis Creevey\'s concoction.

\"Thanks, Hermione. You\'re a lifesaver.\"

\"Nothing to it, ickle Ronniekins.\"

\"Hey now, no taking the mickey out of me. I thought you weren\'t a gloater.\" Ron made a face at Hermione.

\"Only a little bit.\" She held up her thumb and forefinger to demonstrate how much of a gloater she was.

\"ehhhh\" was Ron\'s response. \"So, what did old Stupidus Stink want? I saw him follow you out of breakfast this morning.\"

\"Oh, erm...to um...ream me out about the bottle of wine my grandfather sent me from his winery.\"

\"That\'s just like him. You\'re of age.\"

\"Not in the Muggle world I\'m not, but close enough to that it doesn\'t make any difference.\"

\"It\'s just Snape being himself. Shrug it off.\" Ron went back to reviewing his notes for the test they were to have on Monday.

However, Hermione couldn\'t shrug it off. It really bothered her that Snape was making a big deal out this. She had no intentions of revealing *anything* to Malfoy. Hermione wasn\'t one for pillow talk. She was more the \"roll over and go to sleep\" type. Hermione laughed inwardly. Falling for Malfoy though she may be, it didn\'t make her that big of a fool.

\"I\'ll be right back.\" Hermione told Ron. He merely grunted in response.

She headed up the stairs to the girls\' dormitories and went into her room. Grabbing up her Potions book and notes she went back downstairs and joined Ron in silent study. The rest of the morning sped by and Ron\'s stomach began to rumble in anticiption of lunch. After a particularly loud and long gurgle, Hermione laughed and Ron looked up, ears slightly red.

\"Do you think it\'s safe to say that we need to feed you now?\" Her eyes twinkled at Ron in amusement.

\"I could eat,\" said Ron with great understatement.

\"I\'m sure you could. Let us repair to the Great Hall where there are a good many tasty victuals.\"

\"You need to stop reading so much Shakespeare, you know that?\"
*************

The rest of the day passed by in a slow ooze. Sundays were absolute lazy days at Hogwarts. Hermione got in an inordinate amount of studying done and was completely prepared for Monday\'s test and a number of other things as well. The night shone through the bank of windows lining the wall. Ron leaned back and yawned. Hermione could see a faint line of reddish fuzz trailing into the top of Ron\'s trousers. Her mind did an immediate \"yum\" before coming back to itself.

\"Well, stick a fork in me. I\'m done. \'night Herm.\" Ron gathered up his things and left Hermione sitting at the table.

Hermione put her quill down and looked around. She noticed that she hadn\'t seen Harry or Ginny since breakfast. The thought didn\'t overly concern her and so she gathered up her things and went to catch a short nap before having to meet Draco later that night.
*************

Meanwhile, a slightly worried Snape sat in Dumbledore\'s office watching Fawkes molt at an alarming rate. Dumbledore sat at his desk and observed Snape with an air of slight curiousity.

\"So, Severus. What has you so agitated?\"

\"It\'s Miss Granger, sir.\"

Dumbledore raised a white eyebrow. \"What about her?\"

\"Do you think we should tell her about...shelf number one hundred?\"

\"Has she given you any indication that...certain matters have come to light?\"

\"She and Draco Malfoy have forged some sort of relationship.\"

\"Ah.\"

\"Just so.\"

\"This could be fortuitous. Draco could be a great force for good if he is steered in the right direction.\" Dumbledore steepled his fingers and tapped them, thinking.

\"Yes. He is a part of it as well.\"

\"This is a dilemma. I remember my mistakes with Harry...\" Dumbledore trailed off. \"No. I don\'t think we should say anything until the situation becomes critical.\"

\"What about the others?\"

\"The same.\"

Snape rose and gave Dumbledore a small formal bow. \"I defer to your judgment, sir.\"

\"You will inform me of how the situation develops?\"

\"I will.\"

\"Good.\"

Severus left Dumbledore sitting there, fingers still tapping.
*************
*2am*

Hermione tipped down into the dungeons, trying to remember which way Draco went. She took a turn left and found herself in a room where there were skeletons chained to the wall. To her horror, they lifted their heads and looked at her.

\"Oh! Hello there!\" The one with the tooth missing greeted Hermione.

Totally terrified, she could only stutter. \"Uhhh, uhhh hey.\"

\"My name\'s Tom and this is Nigel, Dick and Vin.\"

The other three skeletons chorused, \"Hello.\"

\"uhhhhhhh....\" Hermione was petrified.

\"It\'s been so long since we\'ve had a visitor. Would you mind if we did our routine for you?\"

\"Rrrrroutine?\"

\"Yes! We\'ve been practicing for ages. Please do stay.\"

\"uuuuuuhhhhhh\"

\"Excellent!\" Tom snapped his finger bones together and Count Basie\'s \"Miss Minnie\" began playing from somewhere.

The bones began to dance. Their chains clinked in time to the music. They were really very good but Hermione wasn\'t in a state of mind to appreciate it. By the time they got to the \"hidey hidey hidey heys\" she was ready to lose it. Hermione turned tail and ran out of there as fast as she could. She ran into Draco along the way. He caught her by the shoulders to avoid a head on collision.

Draco noticed her parchment pale face and her fear darkened eyes. \"What happened?\"

\"Did you know that there are dancing skeletons down here??\" Hermione sounded as if she was on the verge of hysteria.

\"Oh, you\'ve met Tom, Nigel, Dick and Vin.\"

\"You know them?!\"

\"Of course. They\'re rather good fellows. We play Exploding Snap sometimes.\"

\"Exploding Snap?\" Hermione\'s voice began to rise in pitch.

\"Yes. And calm yourself. You\'re about to become apoplectic.\"

That brought Hermione around. \"Any normal person would be apoplectic if they\'d just seen a quartet of tap-dancing skeletons!\"

\"Are you saying that I\'m not normal?\" Draco inquired silkily.

\"You sure as hell aren\'t the gold standard for normalcy, Malfoy.\"

\"Neither are you, my dear. Come along, there\'s a great many things that we need to discuss.\" Draco spun on his heel and walked off.