To Play with Fire

Disclaimer: I own only plot and pleasure of writing. All hail J.K.Rowling!


Chapter 2

To Work With Your Enemy


Draco was in a good mood. Even the task from The Dark Lord could not ruin it because he simply decided to ignore it. Pansy was history! History, history, histooryyyyyyy!! It had been days since the miraculous liberation from the ball and chain but he still felt like singing and jumping up and down. Except Malfoys didn't jump up and down or sing in public for that matter. He simply glared at the third-year, who had dared to occupy the most comfy armchair of the Slytherin common room, and lowered himself gracefully into immediately vacated seat. Yeah, I still got it. A slow smirk of satisfaction appeared on his lips. No undignified display of feelings. Nope, I'm the coolest, the evillest.... Draco was bored.

It was Tuesday again, over three weeks into September, and rain was pouring down in abundance. No Quidditch practice or field trip on a broom was possible. A snogging in an empty classroom? Or just a good book behind draperies in an empty bedroom? Draco could always order everyone out if he fancied a solitary evening. The common room was packed as expected because nobody fancied a soak outside for whatever meagre purpose or even for a good one.

He looked around the room. There was one girl he knew would be willing enough; nice luscious lips, acceptable bum, rather big tits... She was sitting by the fireplace, chatting among bunch of Slytherettes. Draco regarded her for a moment but today he didn't want easy. The girls tended to give in a way too easy these days if you knew who to ask. Prim and proper girls, on the other hand, had never really interested him – they were boring and mostly unattractive. Besides, it would take too long; he'd get nowhere in one night. Nah, all the available opportunities were... Draco didn't know the word but he knew what he wanted – something fresh and exciting, challenging and new. No to snogging then; he felt that he knew all about that.

He let his gaze wander over the occupants in the room again. Weak-willed buggers, all of them. Like that bloody useless git who emptied the seat Draco had wanted in a nick of a second. He sneered. Draco tried to get a rise out of a couple of fifth-years and one seventh-year but they all retreated wisely. Apparently it was a common knowledge that the only thing that could be worse than Malfoy in a good mood looking for a challenge, was Malfoy in a bad mood who's itching for a fight. Draco sighed in boredom and walked to the fireplace to have a better view. He looked the room over and focused his gaze on the door. People were coming and going but no one, who would interest him, appeared.

There weren't many who'd willingly stand up to him. At least one of the people who had guts, were in the room and most of them would be considered his friends. You were supposed to treasure your friends, weren't you? Though the term friend itself was not fully correlating with it's meaning in other houses. A respected ally who you spend your leisure with part was there, but it was heavily draped with a person with at least as high social status as you which at least for a Malfoy limited the range of contingency considerably. A person who's thoughts and feelings are similar to yours was on the other hand quite optional and in most cases even pointless, since many Slytherins rarely shared their real thoughts and feelings.

Draco thought about Crabbe and Goyle, who had been his best friends for years. They had been decent playmates up to some point, but now Draco didn't even know how their minds worked, if they did at all. The rumour that they were close to being illiterate was false, of course. They managed their homework by themselves mostly, and they were witty enough to stand up for their interests concerning pocket money. They knew fairly well, how to avoid detentions, and lose their tracks after some particularly nasty trick played on fellow student. They could hold their own generally and didn't have half a brain exactly, but the lively intelligence and quick wit Draco highly valued, was simply not there.

Why was it that Draco didn't feel like being their friend any more? They had drifted apart sometime after the fourth year. Malfoy felt like he had grown up but his friends hadn't. Vince and Greg still played the same games but now they gambled for money, they still beat up smaller kids just because they could, still laughed the most when somebody fell or was in a particularly embarrassing situation. Neither of them ever finished an assignment just because it was interesting or challenging, they never read books or obtained information if it didn't benefit them in any way. Draco thought that the world they saw around them was somehow smaller, than the world that he saw. What Draco resented the most, was that they had never even noticed him changing. He still went along with their crude jokes out of habit and solidarity, but often he felt like leaving their company for a book or other people.

All in all, Draco thought, they were no better than common half-bloods – sleep, food, sex, entertainment – that's all they desired. Even Granger seemed to be superior to them in a way. When he had realised it for the first time a year ago he had been deeply shocked. He thought that he must have gotten it wrong somewhere, there had to be a logical explanation to this monstrosity! Draco had written to his father the same day to seek guidance, but the answer had been direly disappointing. All he received was the propaganda he'd been taught from infancy.

The purebloods are superior by simply being what they are, even though there are some freaks of nature among them who are not as bright. The same way, by mistake, exceptional witches and wizards can be born to common muggle parents, but it is no more than a genetic fallacy.

His father had put it into a slightly more elegant way of course. Once again he had been ordered to think in a certain way, no questions asked. It had been the last time Draco had sought counsel with his father.

Draco's mood plummeted down as ''musts'' and ''have to's'' rose before his eyes in a string of colourful pictures. Sometimes Draco really hated his vivid imagination. He suddenly remembered The Task.

“You are useless...”

An empty corridor with a freakish grey light and frightening shadows appeared in front of his eyes and a huge snake passing him silently into the total darkness ahead.

“...useless...”

No plan then. If the consequences had not been so dire he would have given up a long time ago. No plan meant no success. Draco shuddered, pushed himself off from the mantelpiece, he had been leaning on and went to wander the castle. He was a failure after all.


* * *


Hermione was still depressed. It had been four days since The Event and the classes were over for the day. She'd skipped her dinner in favour of a library session and a sandwich. She did start her homework in the common room but Ron and Harry were working on a project together and it got a little loud for her. It was a lot more quieter here as Madam Pince stood on guard against any unwanted commotion.

Well, OK, it wasn't the loudness that had hindered her work, she could admit it, or the fact that she was forced to remind them about their project when they got carried away too much. Granted, they were still on the project, technically speaking, but they were not getting anything done. Inventing examples to illustrate statements proved to be fun. In fact, that was why Hermione had left - it was too much fun but she had to finish her own paper today. She smiled at the conjured image of Malfoy with green polka dots all over his skin (Ron's idea), riding Mrs Norris (Harry's supplement), and professor Trelawney trailing behind him prophesying the doom of the cat (Ron again).

Suddenly the library doors opened and - speak of the devil - Draco Malfoy strode in. No dots, no cat, just a gorgeous and obnoxious Slytherin. Gorgeous? I'm officially losing it. But the truth was that Malfoy could be described as handsome, if not for his ugly ever present sneer.

Hermione was sitting at the centre table because all her most favoured ones were taken. Rainy days always made people more inclined to pursue academic values. Consequently hers was the only table that had room for an additional student. Of course Draco Malfoy could choose any table and scare it empty in seconds, so Hermione wasn't particularly worried. When Malfoy wanted to get work done, he generally didn't bother her.

She glanced at him from behind her book. Draco was standing in the doorway exploring the room. Then he noticed her and his gaze stopped. Surely he will not want to sit with me! Malfoy grinned and started a purposeful stride towards her. He must be bored. Figures, I'm the lucky one to entertain him.

She pretended to read as if she weren't aware of his intentions.

“Granger.”

She lifted her eyes, “Malfoy.”

Not particularly friendly are we? He seemed to recognise the book. “Runes homework?”

Malfoy looked as if he were really just making small talk and it was making her nervous, “Yes?” Damn, she sounded as if she didn't know herself!

He resisted the urge to smile at her uncertainty. This was his chance! He had no plan but maybe today he'd just be lucky. When he first stepped into the room he saw her sitting alone, a yet fully undeveloped plan started to form. Play nice, he thought. That was it, the plan was formed! Too simple at the first glance but as he had never tried that one on Gryffindors before, so who knew, maybe it would work?

“I was going to finish it too. You mind if I sit here?” No reaction. Great, her brain has fried. Her big hazel eyes were looking at him unblinking. Suddenly Draco's vision tunnelled out and the only thing he saw were the eyes. The deep hazel eyes with small specks of gold around the irises. He didn't know how, but suddenly he saw a whole world in them.

THUD

Someone had dropped something. Hermione blinked, “You want to sit here?” There was a brief pause. “With me?” He saw disbelief in her eyes.

“Yeah? The seat's empty isn't it?” He shrugged nonchalantly, still quite polite even as he was getting annoyed. What the hell made him think it would work? Stay calm. Be nice. Think rationally. Maybe he needed a back-up plan? A witty insult that could save his day any time.

“OK.” She really didn't know how to be rude when somebody was polite to her, even if the said somebody was Malfoy. She got her parchments out of the way as he sat and started getting his things out of his backpack.

Good, plan's still on. “The common room's too crowded.” How do you talk to a mudblood?

Hermione blinked. “It's the same in ours. Actually, it's only slightly better here.” She felt weird. He was really trying to make small talk! She observed him reading the parchment for a minute. He was probably looking over the assignment. He really was handsome when not sneering.

Draco was very uncomfortable having those big round eyes on him. What the hell is she looking at? If she didn't stop soon he would start twitching. Eem... say something, you git! Anything! “I've got the first half done but I got stuck with this rune.” It wasn't true of course, he had already found the sign. He showed her his notes, “You know it?”

They discussed the rune and fell into silence, once more burying themselves into their own work. In truth neither could really concentrate, it was too weird sitting like that facing each other seemingly in a companionable silence. Twenty minutes passed.

What does he want? He didn't really sit here to study in piece, did he? He could have chosen any table he liked for that. Granted, he'd be forced to make somebody leave but when had that stopped him before? Voldemort must be committing a suicide, Draco Malfoy was sitting voluntarily next to Hermione Granger and acting nice! He must be plotting something! How do I find out what it is? She doubted a direct question would achieve anything so she decided to play along to see what happened.

Draco was having the most uncomfortable study session in his life. And that was saying something. Even one-on-one with his father was easier because as nerve wreaking as it was, at least it was predictable. Give all the right answers and you'd be OK. And Draco was good with academics. In his current predicament however, there was no way to determine what would be the right answer or even what the question was.

He hadn't planned for this! He came to talk to her on a spur of a moment and now he was stuck not knowing how to tread further. Some plan it was! If he stayed, he should at least talk to her, if he left now he was admitting defeat. How did it suddenly become a battle he did not know, but a battle it was and he was determined to win. He just didn't know how. Useless... The corridor once again flashed in front of his eyes.

“You know this one?” She showed him her parchment.

“Eem... let me look at it. Yes, I found it in that Watson bloke's book. It stands for 'remembering' but it often associates with malicious intent. So I don't know what it means for this passage.” Hermione had a couple of ideas on the matter, of course, so they discussed them.

He threw quick glances at her as they worked and found himself admiring her long eyelashes and creamy skin. She was beautiful when she wasn't acting all offended or trying to show off, figure that!

They finished Runes within an hour. He started putting his things away still not knowing if he should save his face by insulting her or help his cause with... well, he couldn't do that, could he?

“Listen Granger...” He hesitated. Draco knew now, he needed to do this for the plan to work but, damn, it was hard. He wasn't that good of a liar.

“Yes?” She looked up from her things suddenly weary. She didn't know what to think of Draco Malfoy now. Was this the moment he would do something nasty and his wicked plan would be revealed?

Draco was totally still for a few seconds and then he mumbled, “Nothing.” He quickly took his bag and left the room. No scratching remarks, no insults. It almost looked as if he had wanted to... No way! Malfoy would never apologise to me! She took her things and rushed to the Gryffindor tower. She needed to discuss it with guys.


* * *


Draco felt like an idiot. What must she think of him? Whatever the battle was about, he had lost it. He was an idiot! He had achieved absolutely nothing and he had acted like a ponce, no - worse! He had acted like a... like... like a Huffelpuff! Now he was angry. He stormed right through the Common room and into his dorm room. “Out!” He sent his bag flying under the bed, “I said out!”

Three boys where already on their way to the door but Draco felt the need to shout. He was furious. I'll be a laughing stock of the whole school! She'll tell everybody! What exactly Hermione was supposed to tell everybody he did not know but he was sure it would be terrible.

This whole thing was ridiculous. That had been his brilliant plan?! Be nice?! Idiot! Moron! Huffel-bloody-puff!! He stopped pacing and pounced on the bed. The pillow was beat up in a moment and went flying. Even the ridiculousness that was Pansy Parkinson could not make him feel better.

Look at you!

Useless

He slammed his fist into the headboard with all his might.


TBC