Shampoo

Chapter Six - Hermione Makes Progress

Ron staggered into the Great Hall and slumped into his seat next to Harry. He looked completely dazed and his hair was messier than Harry's.

"You've been with Hermione?" Harry asked.

Ron swallowed hard and shot him a look.

"How did you know?"

"She's kissing everyone in school. Research, she calls it."

"Bloody hell," Ron whispered.

"Yeah. How long did yours go?"

"Ten minutes, I think. Kind of lost track of time. And everything else. You?"

"About the same," Harry lied. He'd been trying to think of a way to ask Hermione for a redo. Maybe Harry could start his own "research project."

Ron grimaced. "She's going to kiss Slytherins, too?"

"I suppose."

"I'd like to be there when she tries to kiss Malfoy," Ron said with a laugh. Harry tried to laugh, too, but when he'd caught them on the stairs, Malfoy hadn't looked to be too upset about the idea of Hermione kissing him.

"Or Montague," Ron said and sobered. They both looked at the burly Slytherin. He'd likely Avada Kedavra Hermione if she tried to kiss him.

"She's too smart to be that obvious. She'll probably Polyjuice herself into someone from Slytherin, but I doubt even Slytherin girls would want to kiss Montague."

"She tried to kiss Colin, but he fainted."

Ginny, across from them, had been listening to their conversation.

"What are you two talking about?" she asked finally.

"Don't you girls gossip about stuff like this?" Harry asked. "I thought you'd know all about it. Hermione said she has a research project. She intends to kiss every male in the school and make some sort of chart."

"What for?" Ginny asked.

Harry's brow wrinkled.

"I didn't really have a chance to ask her that."

"Is that why she was kissing you in the common room? You two aren't going out?" Ginny demanded.

"We're not going out. She said it was research. She kissed Ron, too."

"And Seamus Finnegan," Ron said. "I walked in on them. That's when she pounced on me."

"That's disgusting!" Ginny said, but she looked a bit relieved.

Hermione strolled up to the table at that moment, humming softly.

"Where did I rate, Hermione?" Ron asked suddenly.

Hermione sat down between him and Harry.

"I can't say until the chart is finished. Let's just say you're not at the bottom."

"Who's at the top? So far, I mean?"

Hermione tsked and reached for a wheat bun. "Now, now, I've barely started on the Gryffindors. I still have three Houses to go. And the staff, of course."

Ron recoiled.

"Staff? You mean... Dumbledore and Hagrid... and Snape?"

Hermione pondered for a moment.

"You know, I don't think Dumbledore would kiss me no matter what, so I'll have to cross him off the list. And Hagrid is a bit too much like a big brother. I think that might be gross."

"And Snape?" Ron shuddered at the idea.

"So, Ginny. How is Quidditch going?" Hermione asked brightly, ignoring Ron's question. Harry groaned and put his head in his hands.

"Hermione already kissed Snape," Ginny said bluntly. Hermione's eyes narrowed.

Harry clapped his hands over his ears. "I'm not hearing this. I'm not hearing this."

"You're just upset because I kissed Harry."

Harry unclapped his ears and perked up.

"Am not!"

"You are so. Harry, Ginny still likes you. Ginny, Harry is a top-notch kisser. Highly recommended. You two should go off and snog somewhere."

Both Harry and Ginny flushed scarlet.

"Honestly," Hermione snapped with a sigh. "Ron, tell them it's okay."

"It's okay," Ron mumbled. "Do I rank above or below Harry?"

"This isn't about you, Ron."

Ginny got up and ran from the table.

"Better go after her," Hermione commented around a bite of roll. "You're wasting valuable kissing time."

For once, Harry didn't argue. He bolted.

"If I'm not in the top five, I want a do-over," Ron said petulantly as Harry fled.

Hermione stepped off the moving staircase and rounded the corner. She started in fright and clutched her books to her chest when a voice rang out from the nearby shadows.

"What the hell are you about, Granger?"

Hermione let out a shaky breath when she recognized the voice.

"Malfoy. You scared me half to death. What are you doing hiding up here?" She peered into the darkness, but couldn't spot him. She had done some studying in the library after dinner and was returning to the Gryffindor common room.

"I've heard some nasty rumors about you."

"Worse than the ones you started yourself, you mean?" she asked dryly.

Footsteps and voices sounded from below. More students were approaching. Malfoy suddenly appeared in front of her. He grabbed her arm and dragged her down the landing and through an archway, away from the stairs. She allowed it, curious about his behavior. He towed her until they were well away from casual eavesdroppers and stopped when they reached a small room--empty but for a single table and chair. A tall stained-glass window threw a mosaic of light on the floor. Malfoy stopped under the light and a yellow beam crossed his features and turned his hair bright gold. She noticed he still wore it loose. It dangled becomingly over his eyes.

He released her.

"I heard a rumor that you plan to kiss every male at Hogwarts for some sort of book you're writing."

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear."

"Then you deny it? Crabbe said you grabbed him outside the Great Hall after breakfast this morning and planted one on him."

Hermione cleared her throat. "Oh. That. Well, it took every bit of Gryffindor bravery I possessed, let me tell you. Not only could he crush me like an insect, but I expected he would kiss like a slavering boarhound--in that I was entirely accurate, by the way--"

"You. Kissed. Crabbe. Why?" Draco demanded.

"Okay, so the rumor is somewhat true, except I'm not writing a book, I'm simply compiling a chart--"

Draco's eyes flashed as his golden brows drew down.

"So, all that outside Snape's office--it was just research? Some sort of clinical study on your part?"

"No," she admitted. "Kissing you had nothing at all to do with my research."

"Nothing at all? Really? Why don't I believe you?"

"I kissed you because I wanted to. Outside Snape's office, you looked so beautiful and vulnerable... I wanted to take you in my arms and make everything better. Of course, the minute I kissed you I wanted to..." She trailed off with a cough.

"To what?" he asked suspiciously.

"To never stop."

He stared at her speculatively, obviously mistrustful.

"I thought you hated me," he said.

She dropped her books in a heap at her feet and stepped forward to slide her hands into his silken hair again.

"I don't hate you at all," she breathed and kissed him. To her relief, he didn't resist, and she let out a muffled sigh of pleasure when his arms closed around her waist.

"I hate you, though," he muttered around her kiss.

Hermione giggled.

"I can tell."

An hour later, Hermione grabbed Draco's shoulders and pushed him back forcibly. They were sitting on the floor, locked in a passionate embrace. To her delight, he was breathing as hard as she and his eyes looked slightly unfocused. His face was highlighted in a blue pane and he looked like a rather mussed Jack Frost.

"What?" he muttered and leaned in for another kiss. She put a finger over his lips reluctantly.

"It's almost time for lights out. We'd better go. I don't really want to spend the night with you on this cold, dusty floor."

That was a blatant lie. She would have liked nothing better than to curl up in his arms on this--or any other--cold, dusty floor and...

"We could find a floor that was less cold and dusty," Draco suggested, smashing her resolve into powder. The very thought of it sizzled the synapses in her brain and left her grasping for words for a long moment.

"No," she managed to choke.

"Why not?"

She couldn't think of a single reason. She knew reason was in there somewhere, but damned if she could locate it while gazing into Draco's too-handsome face.

"Where?" she asked breathily. His silver-blue eyes widened and then narrowed in consternation.

"Snape's office? He's got that big couch..."

"He's probably there. Tormenting a student with detention... or entertaining."

Draco grimaced, probably remembering Snape entertaining his own mother.

"Right. There has to be somewhere..."

Logic was slowly returning to Hermione under the onslaught of rational thought. She got to her feet and took several resolute steps away from Draco.

"All right, then. Back to your common room," she said.

"I'm sure I can think of a place."

"Really, Malfoy. What would your little Slytherin friends think?"

"I wouldn't tell them!" he replied as if the very idea was ludicrous. Hermione turned and stalked out, muttering about leopards and spots.