Strange Relationships

Chapter 2

~ Unexpected ~

The room was lit dimly but the light of a fire, and as Hermione swung open the door she found a figure sitting with his back to her. She sighed.

"Malfoy. What are you doing here?"

He spun around; apparently surprised that someone had found him.

"Could ask you the same thing, Granger."

She crossed her arms, taking note of the book in his hands.

"I, as a Prefect, am upholding those duties. It's plain, however, that you are simply abusing this position. We're supposed to be patrolling the halls, not sitting in classrooms to catch up on our reading." She was tempted to turn and leave, as she was quite tired, but decided to stay. She knew there must have been a reason for him being there. A real reason.

His drawling voice washed over her. "Well unlike some Prefects, I actually have a life. I'm sure you must have hated the fact in the past people like you were out to catch you and your friends on your night time strolls?" He was avoiding the questioning looks she was shooting him.

"And who says we were?"

He simply raised an eyebrow.

"Well I suggest that you get back to your common room Malfoy. Even our curfew ends in 15 minutes." Her arms were now uncrossed, and fiddling with her wristwatch instead.

"I'll be sure to, Granger. What are you doing here anyway? You've already checked this classroom once tonight." He closed the book, but pushed it out of the way so she couldn't see the title.

"How did you know?"

He rolled his eyes. "I was in here."

"But..." The room had been empty before.

He cut across her. "Guess you didn't look hard enough. Anyway, you're avoiding my question." His piercing eyes stared directly into hers, empty and devoid of emotion.

Her arms were crossed once more. "Well, I was just down the corridor when I ran into your dear friend Pansy, she seemed to think..." She was on the verge of blurting out what she had said about Ron, but there was no way in the world that she would show her uncertainty to him. Not that Draco noticed anyway.

"Pansy? Is she still there?"

She nodded. "As far as I know. She was in the..." Once again she dropped away. Should I tell him about Blaise? No... She continued. "She was in the classroom down the hall just, having a look I think. Patrolling."

Draco pushed the book into his bag and stood up. "Well maybe if I go now I can avoid her. Beat her back to the Common Room."

Hermione stepped aside so the doorway was clear. If he chose not to continue the conversation, then it was his choice. "Don't you like her?"

He stood there, as if to be laughing at her words.

"But I thought you two were..."

He smirked. "Well, yes, but it's not my choice. Believe me. She's more like a stalker than anything. I just can't shake her off." He rolled his eyes and walked towards the door.

"Well then you ought to know she was in there with Blaise Zabini." She smirked. Leaving out the snogging part would hopefully tantalise Malfoy to imagine much worse things.

His face went gauntly white. "Blaise? Alone?" He stopped and turned to her, his eyes now popping out of his head. He seemed rather mad.

"Yes," she said mildly, fiddling with her watch once more. She looked into his eyes and smiled sweetly.

And without a further word, he stormed out, his footsteps echoing down the corridor, leaving Hermione feeling rather satisfied. That'll teach her... And with a smirk, she closed the classroom door and hurried back to the Common Room, eager to tell Harry and Ron what had happened.