Year Seven:Blindsided

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or places they belong to the wonderful J. K. Rowling:
It is her world I just play in it.


Chapter 11 – The Morning After and Other Misfortunes


Draco continued to dance with Hermione for the remainder of the evening without knowing how much time had passed. Had he known, he’d not have changed a moment of the time that he’d spent with her. The noises of the onlookers gradually ebbed away as they all found more personal things with which to occupy their interests. The Hall was once again filled with dozens of young couples, all of whom were thoroughly enjoying the evening.


Dumbledore chuckled to himself, amused-no more than amused-with how well his plan to unite the school had worked. His gray eyes sparkled with pleasure as he surveyed the pairs of students dancing: Slytherins enjoying the company of half blooded and muggle-born witches and wizards, Hufflepuffs enchanting Ravenclaws, and proud Gryffindors learning to be themselves. He was a brilliant wizard, Albus Dumbledore. As a matter of point, he never thought that he was given credit for his most brilliant of ideas. (Of the many beings which he called friends most people only assumed that they knew him; there was only one creature he’d ever met who had actually given him something he’d wanted for Christmas. Dobby the House Elf had given him a pair of socks every Christmas since his employment at Hogwarts had begun.)


Of all the odd couples this experiment had spawned none was more of a surprise to the staff than Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. Dumbledore on the other hand did not seem at all phased by the pairing, “Is there something I can help you with Severus, you seem to be struck dumb by something?”


“Headmaster, are you sure that this was a wise idea? Many of these couples can not exist in the world that their parents have created.”


“Severus, is there something you wish to say and are not saying?” Dumbledore fixed Snape with a knowing stare from his gray eyes.


“Yes. Malfoy and Granger are mortal enemies; how do you think the two of them would react if you were to lift the glamour now?”


Dumbledore only laughed, he glanced away long enough so that he missed Snape’s face redden and pale again. “No, I think you should take a closer look. They are in love with each other, but neither is willing to admit it to the other as yet.” Dumbledore walked away whistling to himself, Snape shook his head.


Severus felt a sudden rush of anger at the idea of Draco and Hermione together; it was not supposed to be the young blond wizard who had captured Hermione’s heart! He had waited for so long to have his chance with her, and now with only a few months left he would have his plan thwarted by the young upstart. It would not happen!


Draco was too young to fully appreciate her. Her intellect was far too much for a mere child such as Draco to comprehend. Even years of Snape’s teaching techniques had only served to make her more resourceful and clever; what he’d disguised as torment all those years was, in reality, his way of grooming the young witch to expand her potential. She was the first in all his years of teaching to rise to and meet the challenge he’d presented. He would put a stop to this unholy union as soon as possible. He swept from the Hall his black robes billowing behind him.


As the evening wound down neither Hermione nor Draco took notice that the Hall had begun to empty, they were too enthralled with one and other’s company. Finally it was the absence of all other students, which shook the two of them from their shared reverie.


Hermione groaned to herself, the evening could not be over so soon. “Would you like to take a walk? I’m not tired just yet,” she said sweetly fixing Draco with a hopeful grin.


“What ever you wish, my darling. I am not at all tired.” Draco was relieved that she’d broken the tension that had begun to form as to what, if anything, they would do next. His mind had been racing a mile a minute, should he invite his mystery woman to his room? Would she be willing to sleep with him if she saw that he was the Head-boy? Was she even the type of girl who would sleep with him at all? He was nothing short of relieved to have had her take charge of the situation when he was paralyzed with thought. She was remarkable, whoever she was.


Sometimes Hermione was shocked at her own ability to think of an excellent solution to a problem so quickly. She’d been wondering how she’d explain to Draco that she knew the way to his room without telling him who she was. All she had to do was open her mouth and the suggestion had fallen right out in front of her. As the two of them moved to the door of the Hall she smoothed her hair as a way of covering the nervous shaking of her hands. She’d arranged a way to spend more time with Draco; she was better than she thought.


Draco thought it best to allow the mystery woman to lead him around the grounds; he was thirsting for information, which he could use to identify her later. She led him into the hedge maze that had been erected for the Yule Ball in his fourth year. He noticed that she seemed to have it memorized; this was no easy task, as it was massive. (Dumbledore had decided to keep it on the school grounds and placed a memorial to Cedric Diggory at the middle, but he’d thankfully removed it from the quidditch pitch.)


“I hope you don’t think that it’s morbid, but I like to come to this place to think. There is never anyone here.” She sat down on the bench opposite the little memorial stone.


Draco smiled. He was not the only one who had found a quiet spot to think. “It seems that privacy is at a premium in this place. I don’t find it morbid at all, Cedric was a very brave bloke.”


Hermione’s jaw hung open for a moment, Draco was acting human! This was exactly what she’d hoped for, but far more than she had been prepared to expect. She couldn’t help but wonder if he would have been as forthcoming with this information if he’d known who she was. What she’d felt, what the two of them had felt, those weeks ago had to have been real. She cursed Snape for the first time since the incident; she’d been too shocked to be angry with him at the time.


Draco looked at the mystery witch in his presence with a strange expression, why would someone who did not have any idea who he was be so shocked by what he’d said about Cedric? “Do you know who I am?” he asked.


Somehow Hermione managed to keep her composure as her heart began to race. How could she tell him the truth without having to tell him who she was? “That’s easy, you are the man I’m in love with.” She smiled in a way that seemed to hypnotize him for a moment. He was staring into nothing for a few seconds. He shook his head visibly to clear her remark from the surface of his mind.


“How can you possibly know that? I am almost certain that you would not feel the same way if you knew my true identity,” he said as he put his arm around her. Her only response was a weak smile that said, “Good thing you don’t know who I am Draco.” The two of them sat in silence enjoying each other’s company in the form of cuddling for an indeterminate amount of time.


She suddenly sat up, startling Draco. They’d fallen asleep, and spent the night outside! By the time he realized what was happening his mystery woman was fleeing into the grayish light of predawn, and with her flight went his last chance to see who she was when the sun rose in a few moments.


Hermione opened her eyes and smiled. Draco looked like an angel when he slept. ‘Oh no. We fell asleep! I have to get away from him before the sun rises and he sees me!’ She sat up and took off at a run without a backward glance. Fortunately for her, he was not so familiar with the maze and found that he was lost within seconds of trying to follow her. Even so, she dared not slow until she entered the Castle.


Once inside she ducked into the broom closet and used a simple charm to change the appearance of her dress robes to that of normal school robes. This was merely a precaution in the event that Draco might come thundering into the Entrance Hall. She exited the closet with great dignity and preceded to walk at a more normal pace to her suite, there was no need to draw undue attention to herself. She hoped to get to her room and clean up before Draco made it to the common room.


Draco sat up with nearly as much speed as his mystery woman, “Wait! Please, come back!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, but she did not look back. He tried to get to catch up to her, within moments it was clear to him that this was not possible, as he found that he was hopelessly lost in the hedge maze. He cursed that he had not paid more attention to the route into the center. After wandering in confused circles for several minutes his frustration grew past the point where the young blond wizard could control himself. Draco raised his wand, “Inflo Maceria!” Pointing at the gaping hole he’d created in the he cried, “Repairo!” Draco had to repeat this process several times until he found himself outside of the maze.


When he finally found that he was free of the hedges, the girl whom he’d been chasing after was nowhere to be found. The sun was slowly beginning its ascent toward its stunted Autumnal zenith. He kicked the ground and cursed, “Damn it! I was so close to finding out who she is, and I had to blow it by falling asleep!” Draco puffed up his chest as he began the long walk up to the castle from the maze. He paused for a moment and smiled, at least now if Hermione were out of his reach he’d found someone else equally as fascinating to pursue. Two women and only one of him; these were the kind of odds Draco had come to like.


Why shouldn’t both of these women fall for him? Was he not the most charming and dapper fellow in the entirety of the school? No other girl had ever been able to resist him why should either of these girls be any different. Even if for some reason he could not work his thrall on one of them surely the other would succumb. His spirits lifted considerably he decided to head straight for the kitchens to grab an early breakfast so that he could shower in peace.


He stood outside the portrait hole that was the entrance to the kitchen and rapped on the frame smartly. A few seconds later the small pointed face of a House Elf appeared from behind the frame and just as quickly it tried to disappear. “Hello Dobby,” said Draco warmly.


“M-mmaster Malfoy, how can I be of service?” asked Dobby with an over-accentuated bow.


“Dobby, you…you aren’t afraid of me are you?” The Elf winced as Draco held out a hand with a sock dangling from it. “My father may be some kind of monster, but I am not. How may I prove it to you?”


“A sock! Draco Malfoy has brought Dobby a sock? Thank you! What would you like to eat?” Dobby was so astounded by Draco’s gesture that it seemed that the tiny Elf might break into tears of gratitude at any moment.


“I…I tried to tell father not to be so horrible to you, and to your mother.”


“I remember. It is all past. Please come in, come in,” Draco followed the tiny creature into the kitchen where he was treated to the finest breakfast he’d ever eaten, which being a Malfoy, was saying something.


Hermione decided that there was no way that she’d be able to eat after the close call she’d had this morning. So instead of eating she decided to take a nice long hot bath, she was certain not to be interrupted, as the entire school was currently breakfasting. She was glad that the Head-boy and girl were each given a separate bathing chamber, the last thing that she needed was another mishap like those in her fifth and sixth year, when she and Draco had walked in on each other.


She sat in the bathroom as the steam filled it, obscuring the walls and fixtures. It felt so good when compared to the cold frost to which she’d awoken this morning. She slipped out of her robes and stepped gingerly into the bath. As soothing as the heat of the water felt to her stiff muscles, it was nothing compared to the warm safe feeling that spread through her whenever Draco so much as glanced at her. Not to mention the hot tingles that consumed her skin when he touched her.


Draco arrived at the portrait hole to his shared common room and opened it by pushing rather harder than he meant to, “I say boy! I do not manhandle you, so I ask for similar consideration!” barked the slumbering witch in the frame. Draco stammered an apology before entering the room and heading for the door to his private bathing chamber, he turned the tap and proceeded to his room to get ready for his bath.


Hermione stepped from her bath warm and refreshed. ‘All in all,’ she thought, ‘I had a pretty fabulous evening, didn’t I? Even if it can never happen again, I really had fun with Draco and he had fun with me.’ She smiled at the wonderful memory of the previous evening. She looked around her for a towel, then she remembered that she’d let Ginny shower here last night. “Damn!” She’d have to make a run for it. Good thing that Draco was at breakfast…


Draco entered the bathing chamber with his mind aflutter with the memories of the previous evening. He was so preoccupied that he didn’t seem to notice the lack of steam that was usually present when he drew a bath. He jumped into the enormous tub without a second thought. COLD! The water was cold! He nearly let a screech of discomfort slip, but he clamped his jaw against it at the last possible moment. The resulting noise was rather akin to a distant firework squeaking in the night.


Draco sprang from the water faster than he’d entered it, snatched up a towel and exited the room and ran right into a very naked Hermione. The moment was a carbon copy of the one that the two of them had shared only last year. Despite the awkward nature of the situation in which they found themselves neither of them seemed willing to turn away first. The two of them were, once again, locked in a battle of wills. To make things seem more fair Draco dropped his towel as he looked at the soft curves of Hermione’s dripping body. Fortunately for him, the sight of her took care of any discrepancies in size that might have resulted from the cold water in his tub.


He took a bold step toward her and she stood straighter in response to his challenge. She let out a soft moan as he pulled her close to him and kissed her. He pulled his face from hers and fixed her with an intense stare that said ‘I know’. Hermione felt the blood drain from her face and her nipples stiffen with excitement. His ice blue eyes took in everything about her.


She was staring back at him with those stunning chocolate eyes of hers. Clearly the summer had been very kind to her; her curves were more pronounced than before and her breasts had filled out nicely. Hermione leaned forward and kissed him in much the same way that she’d been kissed only moments before.


She broke the lip lock and embrace and turned to walk away from him coolly, and into her room. Draco was left standing alone in the common room staring at Hermione’s door long after it had closed, wondering what in the name of Merlin had just happened.