The Objects of Desire

Chapter Three

Hogwarts Express

Hermione lay on the bed looking at a piece of blank parchment in front of her. She was determined to take this logically; she still believed that anything was possible if only you applied yourself to the task.

She thought about the events of this morning in the bookstore. She had always had a passionate relationship with Draco; the boy knew how to push her buttons and visa versa.

She hated the git with a vengeance but was wise enough to know that love and hate were opposite sides of the same coin. Someone who drew strong negative emotions out of you, given the right stimulus, could draw equally strong positive emotions out as well.

Make no mistake that Hermione had noticed how Draco had played her today. As always, the emotions he brought out of her were mixed, and strong. When he first walked into the store, with that smarmy smirk on his face, she had been filled with anger and repulsion. That had changed as he so eloquently made his apology. First she had been shocked, and then stunned at his admission. She had been flooded with respect and admiration. Her heart had gone out to him, his little boy lost look so sweet that she found herself agreeing to give him a chance.

She was shocked by the small yearnings that had filled her stomach as he cried in her arms. It had been enough for her to admit that maybe one day there could be more than friendship between them. The way it had felt when he hugged her was overwhelming, dangerous and frightening. Yet full of warmth and passion. Her body had reacted to his the moment they touched. It had become electric, like the nerve endings itched for his touch. She had never felt like that before, so full of mixed emotions that had flooded her system and almost sent her over the edge. She had forced the feeling back, the last thing he needed was another Pansy Parkinson fawning over his every word, dropping to the ground with her legs raised at a moments notice. No she had to earn his respect, make him realize that there really is something more to a person than the purity of their blood.

She thought back to the way she felt when she hugged Harry and Ron. It always left her with a warm fuzzy feeling, like coming home. But that was nothing compared to the passion she felt for Draco. As she had said, they had always known how to push each others buttons. That’s why she believed she had a chance, if he let her get close enough, she could teach him how to feel.

She pulled herself from those musings; she had to keep her mind objective. It wouldn’t do either of them any good if she let emotion cloud her judgment of the situation. She still was not sure of his motives for the meeting today, he probably had ulterior motives for wanting them to become friends. Malfoy always had ulterior motives. And she couldn’t allow herself to forget that she had played a big part in the arrest of his father only three months ago. Malfoy wasn’t usually the forgiving type. Was it even possible that he didn’t blame her at all?

The truth was that If she had ever been afraid of Draco, she would not be willing to take this chance. But she was sure enough in her ability to know she could best the wizard when it came to magic. If she was honest with herself she knew the only wizard who could compete with her magically was the-boy-who-lived.

A knock rapped on the door and she stood up to open it.

\"Miss Granger may I have a word with you,\" replied the silky voice of the potions master.

\"Come in,\" she said pointing at the chairs around the desk.

\"Would you mind if we went to a more comfortable room,\" he replied arrogantly.

She smiled at him brightly, motioning for him to lead the way. They went down the corridor walking into the study.

\"Miss Granger, I’m under the impression that you are trying to turn Mr. Malfoy to the light,\" his voice purred with its normal sexual energy.

\"I feel he could do with a friend outside the Slytherin Common Room,\" she said with a smile.

\"Do you really believe the boy wants to befriend you?\" Snape questioned, disbelieving smirk in place.

Hermione looked at him blankly, \"Draco has asked for my help.\"

\"Do you think that maybe he is trying to play you in attempt to disrupt the relationship you have with your two shadows?\" Asked the master looking at her, his eyebrow raised.

She sighed deeply. Trying to decide just how much she should reveal to the professor. Could she trust him not to laugh in her face? She respected him for his ability as a potions master, she could sit for hours and watch the skill and dexterity he had when working with potions ingredients. She also had great respect for what he did for the order. Constantly putting his life on the line to save people he didn’t seem to care about, never wanting or getting any praise. Though neither of those where the reasons she was about to share her plan with the hated potions master. No, he and he alone out of the order members knew what Draco was going through, could sympathize with his plight. If she couldn’t make Snape understand why she was doing this, nobody would understand. \"That is always a possibility.\" Hermione fixed the professor with a piercing stare. \"But what would have happened if, when you had come to the headmaster asking for his help, he had doubted your motives and not given you the chance he has.\"

\"I would probably been dead or rotting in Azkaban now,\" he replied thoughtfully, pacing about the room, lost in contemplation.

\"I have to say that it is my honest opinion that Draco is not being truthful in his reasons for approaching you,\" he added looking deep into her eyes, as if trying to make her believe his words were true.

\"I know that Draco’s intentions are probably nefarious. He is a Malfoy. I have no more reason to believe he has changed then anybody else does. But I feel in my heart that I have to give him the benefit of the doubt.\"

\"Your mind is made up? There is no way that I can change it?\"

\"No sir I am bound to my word to Draco. Good or bad, I will give him a chance to prove himself worthy of my friendship.\"

\"Very well Miss Granger I will give you the benefit of my experience as head of Slytherin,\" he said in a resigned voice, \"there are rules to follow that would make your task easier or more difficult to complete.

Hermione smiled at him, \"you want to help me convert Draco?\"

\"If there is a chance that he will turn then I will give my full support to achieving that. I take every student who takes the dark mark as a personal insult, it is another human that I have failed.\"

Hermione looked at him with bewilderment written all over her face, \"Miss Granger, I thought it was common knowledge how I feel about the students in my house. Knowing that, did you believe that I am happy to watch them throw their lives away following that demented half snake?\"

Hermione nodded slowly, she understood the potions masters sudden need to share his inner thoughts with one of his students. If he was to be of any use to her she would have to believe that his motives were pure. This could only be achieved by explaining to her clearly what the driving force behind his need to help had been. \"Sir why would you be willing to put so much on the line for Draco?\"

\"Miss Granger, Slytherins are pack animals and Draco is the alpha male. If we can lure him to our side there is a strong chance that he can convert several of the others.\"

\"So, how do I go about luring him to the light so to speak?\" Asked the young witch, turning to give her full attention to the teacher.

\"Mr. Malfoy’s, intentions for you are mainly physical, he will try from the start to seduce you.\"

\"What, how, why?\" She looked at her professor mortified, the color raising in her cheeks. She knew it to be true, only moments earlier she had been thinking about the passion that had been evident in their embrace, but to hear someone else put it into words hit home like a hammer blow. Draco Malfoy was trying to seduce her. Finally she came to her senses, \"What am I supposed to do?\"

\"Keep him at arms length,\" the master looked down at the floor while thinking how to phrase his next sentence. \"You have to gain dominance of the situation, tell him that romance is a long term goal, first you have to be sure he is truly interested in you as a person and not just a piece of meat.\"

\"But how am I supposed to dominate Draco? He’s been around he’s experienced,\" a deep blush filled her face, she couldn’t believe she was going to say this to Professor Snape. \"I-I’m not.\"

Snape looked at her taken aback, surely Potter or Weasley, he shook that thought from his mind. It was none of his business. \"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy is a hormonal teenager and you are a very attractive young woman,\" Snape sneered. How he could even make a compliment sound an insult was beyond her. \"you could have him eating out of your hands if you play him right.\"

September the first rolled round quickly and the three friends once again found themselves on the Hogwarts Express Harry walked past three empty carriages before he found the one he wanted.

\"Erm, do you mind if we join you? Or are you saving the seats for someone else?\" he asked the short blond haired girl sitting by the window reading a book.

\"Be my guest,\" she said looking at him politely.

\"Good,\" said taking the seat next to her, Ron and Hermione seating themselves across from them. \"Hermione and Ron have prefect duties to attend to for most of the journey. At least I will have someone to talk to while they’re away.\"

\"So I am only worth your attention when your friends are absent,\" she said raising an eyebrow in a manner that reminded him of Snape.

\"No, no I just meant that….\"

\"She only teasing you Harry,\" laughed Hermione, \"lighten up.\"

He smiled at her with his electric green eyes, becoming lost in the smile playing over her rosy red lips. The tongue poked through the lips slowly licking the soft red flesh moistening the surface before retreating back into the comparative safety of her mouth.

Harry opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He ran his hand around the rim of his sweater trying to reduce the heat building in his body.

\"He’s cute isn’t he,\" the blond said to Hermione, never taking her eyes of Harry’s.

\"He’s a bit shy,\" came the reply, \"he’s only ever asked one girl out before, and that ended rather badly.\" He closed his eyes with embarrassment he felt a flush raise in his cheeks.

\"Do you think he’ll ask me out before we get to Hogwarts?\" She asked a look of concern on her face.

Harry turned his gaze to Hermione and stared daggers at her, before plucking up his courage, \"Daphne Greengrass would you do me the honor of going on a date with me Tuesday night?\"

She smiled at him broadly, \"see that wasn’t so difficult. I’d love to. Where are you taking me?\"

Harry’s courage had come back in a vengeance, \"I was thinking a picnic down by the lake.\"

\"That’s so sweet,\" she said turning her attention to Hermione, \"didn’t I tell you he’s really cute.\"

\"We’ll go and see what is required of us in the prefect car,\" Hermione grabbed hold of Ron’s hand and pulled him out the door.

\"But she’s a Slytherin,\" shouted Ron as they walked down the corridor, \"What’s it with you two and bloody Slytherins all of a sudden.\"

\"He’s kinda right,\" said Daphne looking at Harry appraisingly. \"I thought that you were totally anti Slytherin.\"

\"Don’t you think all this animosity between houses is a bit childish. I mean when all is said a done we are all just wizards and witches.\" Said Harry blushing, \"why should some stupid hat tell us who we can and can’t be friends with.\"

A frown fills her beautiful face, \"you only want to be friends.\"

Harry looked confused. \"What? No! I mean….\"

She put her finger on his lips and an electric shock flowed between them, \"I was only teasing you,\" she said smiling at him wickedly, \"I mean I am a Slytherin, we are known for our unfortunate sense of humor.\"

\"Just my luck! I fancy a young female Snape,\" he said indignantly.

\"Even joking that is not funny,\" she said looking at him with an annoyed expression, \"But I’ll let you off since you said you fancied me.\"

\"Hay Potter, swimming with sharks now?\" said Draco from over by the door.

\"Malfoy, what an unpleasant surprise,\" said the boy-who-lived turning to face the door.

\"You still here? Shouldn’t you be in the Prefects car?\" asked Daphne pointedly, throwing him a sod off I’m trying to flirt kind of stare.

\"OK ladies,\" smirked the blond wizard, a twinkle in his silver eyes, \"Don’t let me get in the way of your shagging. Oh and Potter, watch out for her sense of humor. It can be rather confusing.\"

\"Only because you need twice the brain cells of a flubber worm to understand it,\" snapped the witch.

\"See what I mean,\" said the blond wizard shaking his head as he pulled out of the cart, sliding the door shut behind him.

\"I’m sorry about that, I know you don’t like the guy,\" said the blond witch giving him a tentative smile.

\"Don’t worry about him, Malfoy is just being Malfoy,\" replied Harry smiling at her, his eyes transfixed on her full pouty lips.

\"So I take it you like my mouth,\" she said, licking her lips for added effect.

\"I was wondering what they taste like,\" he said with a wicked smile.

\"Down boy, we haven’t even been on a date yet,\" she said narrowing her beautiful blue eyes. \"I hope you\'re not going out with me because you believe all Slytherins are easy?

\"You\'re joking again right?\" Asked Harry, with a dolefully confused expression.

\"I’m being bloody serious,\" she said straight faced, \"did you ask me out because you think all Slytherins are easy?\"

\"I can’t do this, I bloody useless at it, I mess it up every single time,\" he said with a sigh of resignation.

\"Hey,\" she said pulling his face up to look him in the eye, \"This isn’t easy for me either, a sexy guy has just asked me out, but he’s so shy he doesn’t know how he’s supposed to act.\"

Harry smiled at her brightly, \"so I’m cute and sexy?\"

\"Don’t get too carried away, I like my men to be able to put two sentences together without falling over his tongue,\" she replied giving a classic Slytherin smirk.

His smile broadens, \"I’ve only ever seen the Slytherin smirk on the males of the species before. I never realized it could look so sexy.\"

\"See now you getting the hang of it,\" she said with a smile, \"a complement with only the slight inference of an insult.\"

\"It wasn’t meant as an insult,\" said Harry exasperated.

\"Chill, its cool, I like my roses with the thorns still on,\" She rubbed her thumb along his bottom lip, \"Otherwise they just look false.\"

\"Granger, nice to see you in muggle wear, those jeans really suit you,\" called the blond wizard as he entered the prefect carriage. \"If you need a hand getting out of them later you know where to find me.\"

Hermione put her hand on Ron’s arm to stop him from reacting, \"Thanks Malfoy,\" she said, blushing profusely. \"You don’t think they make my bum look big?\" She turned sideways affording him a better look at her arse. What the hell am I doing? For Merlin’s sake, she chastised herself, I’m turning into Lavender Brown. She thought, trying to act as though nothing had happened, but the color rose further in her cheeks..

\"Looks damn sexy from where I’m standing\" he replied, \"but really I hear they can be a pain to peel out of so if you require any assistance…\"

Ron’s face had turned the same color as his hair as he was dying to take a swing at Draco, but Hermione had already warned him that if he wanted anything more to do with her life he’d let her make her own mistakes.

\"I think I can manage this time but I keep it in mind for future reference,\" she attempted a coy smile, but not sure how it would come over with a face the color of a ripe plum.

\"OK everybody listen up,\" called a gruff voice from by the door.

\"Professor Lupin!\" cried Hermione, \"You’re back! I was hoping that with Minister Bones taking over we would see a change in the half-breed law.\" She threw herself at the professor wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight hug. Ron smirked as he saw the piercing look Malfoy was giving them, as he mumbled gruffly to himself.

\"Hermione, glad to be back,\" he said as he looked between his friend and the boy who had just called him a ‘bloody werewolf,’ taking in the jealous look on his face, \"I am truly grateful that the headmaster has given me another chance to prove my worth to the wizarding world.\"

\"So onto the matter at hand,\" said the professor, \"fifth years will patrol for the first hour, you will be replaced in an by the sixth years, then the seventh will follow those. Keep an eye out for any trouble I don’t expect to see any, but better safe than sorry.\"

\"So,\" said Hermione, when the meeting had broken up, \"does Harry know you back?\"

Malfoy stood scowling at the couple as Hermione was lost in the bloody werewolf’s eyes. He was disgusted, the way she was fawning over him in public was making him ill. She should be bloody ashamed of herself. What do I care anyway? It’s only a sodding bet, he thought but still he couldn’t take his eyes of them his anger growing all the time.

\"No,\" said the professor, \"I was going to see him now.\"

\"I’d knock first,\" scoffed Malfoy gruffly, \"He’s otherwise engaged.\"

Lupin looked at him with inquisitive eyes, \"with whom?\"

\"A bloody Slytherin is who,\" said Ron, his voice full of resentment.

\"Which one?\" snapped Parkinson her hackles up.

\"Leave it,\" ordered Draco, only too pleased to take his bad humor out on someone else, \"it’s her life, you’ll keep out of it.\"

Hermione smiled at him sweetly. \"I doubt that they are actually up to anything, Daphne looks like too nice a girl to get carried away this quickly.\"

\"Daphne Greengrass,\" scoffed Parkinson, \"the poor sap’s got his work cut out there. All talk no action that one.\"

\"There comes a time in a man’s life when he looks for more than a walking mattress from a relationship, Pansy,\" replied Draco curtly, his anger still boiling below the surface.

Pansy stared daggers at him before walking off.

\"Thanks for standing up for Daphne,\" smiled Hermione, \"I know that she will probably have some trouble in the common room for dating Harry.\"

\"Hey,\" said Draco taking both her tender hands in his slightly calloused one’s, his temper vanishing at the sight of affection in her beautiful brown eyes. \"I want us to work out and it will probably be Harry that stands up for you to the other Gryffindors, I’m only repaying the favor in advance.\"

Ron snorted indignantly before storming off down the corridor.

Dragon34 glad you like it I’ll try to keep the story moving in an interesting direction.

Apollonia Yeah I thought that Snape was cool in that chapter, he is a lot more reserved in this one because he was trying to gain Hermione’s trust but believe me sarky Snape will be back with a vengeance

Rubberduck Glad you like the chapter I think it is rather good myself. I think that Hermione is more open to Snape than the other Characters; she has stuck up for him on occasion when Harry and Ron have run him down. She even asked Harry to tell him about the ministry of magic before they ran of on their own to try and rescue the situation. So after trying to persuade Harry to Seek help from Snape I doubt she would turn it down if he offered it freely.

Morrison Thanks for your comments and believe me there will be smut eventually I’ve just got to set the story up first. I don’t believe that Hermione would just fall in bed with Draco before he could earn her trust and Harry is too inexperienced to dive straight in. So be patient and the story will slowly build up the level of action.

Jess thanks


Once again many thanks to my Beta Rain you the best