The Lion and the Snake

The Lion and the Snake, Chapter 3

Locked In

Hermione rushed into the library. Usually, the library was Hermione's sanctuary, but not tonight. Students sat in bunches at tables' talking in hushed voices, but none of the tables contained Malfoy. The winded howled against the castle's stone walls outside, while thunder clapped overhead.

Hermione finally found Malfoy sitting in a table hidden by tall book cases, with a quill in his hand, writing away on a paper.

"God, could you have come any slower Granger?" Malfoy drawled lazily, looking up.

"Well if you weren't so hidden maybe I could have found you faster!" she snapped.

"I had to, I couldn't let anyone see me with a Mudblood," Malfoy sneered back..

"Malfoy, just tell me what we're doing, so I can finish this, and get out of here." Hermione was getting rather annoyed.

"Ooo, feisty tonight, aren't we Granger?" Malfoy said coolly, as Hermione shot him a nasty glare.

"Malfoy, are you going to tell me or not," Hermione snarled.

Malfoy sat back in his chair, he was enjoying watching Hermione get upset, but thought better of it.

"Okay, Granger, impatient are we?" Malfoy said, while the rain pounded violently against the windows. "We have a list of potions that we need to research and find the properties of."

Hermione sat down in a chair with a groan, and grabbed a book to start researching a potion.

~*~

Malfoy looked across the table at Hermione, who was writing the properties of the Confusing Concoction in her tidy scrawl. Her straightened, hair was tucked away softly behind her ear, showing off her glossy lips, and sexily done up eyes. She didn't have to wear make up, and do her hair for me he thought with a smirk, she was already beauti- oh god! What the hell am I saying? It's Pansy who's sexy, not the Mudblood.

~*~

Hermione glanced up from her parchment at Malfoy, as he quickly looked down writing away madly. She grinned, Ginny was right, Malfoy was dead sexy.

A couple hours later Malfoy shut his book, and glanced at his watch, it was late and Snape should have come and got them by now. He stepped out of the bookcases hiding the table. The candles were out; no one was in the library, not even Madam Pince. Draco figured it was probably all right to leave, so he started to walk towards the door, his foot steps echoed around the vast room.

"What the bloody hell!" Malfoy said, as he was yanking on the door knob. "It's locked," he sneered.

"Alohamora," he said again tapping his wand on the door knob, it still did not open.

"Alohamora, Alohamora, Alohamora!" A note of panic grew in Malfoy's voice with every 'Alohamora.'

Hermione, t came out of their hidden table to find Malfoy desperately trying to open the door, she rolled her eyes, Malfoy probably wasn't doing it right. She walked over to the door, and calmly took out her wand.

"Alohamora!" The door still did not open.

"Hmm... well, a charm must be on it so students can't sneak in at night," Hermione said with a frowned checking the door knob.

Malfoy's face went a little pale.

"Oh yes, if the Mudblood know-it-all can't open it, then obviously no one can," Malfoy sneered as he resumed trying to budge the door open.

Hermione shrugged and sat in a chair against the wall. She smirked as she watched Malfoy banging and yanking on the door frantically. She had never really seen Malfoy looking panicked, except of course the time her, Ron, Harry, and Malfoy had detention in the Forbidden Forest.

After a while, Malfoy finally gave up and sat near Hermione.

Great just what I need, a night locked in the library with Malfoy, Hermione thought. She didn't know how long they would be in the library, but kept reassuring herself that Ron and Harry, or someone would realise she was missing and come and find her. Hermione leaned against the wall and closed her eyes as the storm raged on outside.

~*~

Malfoy looked over at Hermione, she was leaning against the stone wall, and her eyes were closed. Her straightened hair fell across her shoulders gently, as her stomach rose and fell with every breath she took. Malfoy had never been so close to her before.

Oh god, I can't do this, It's Pansy who I want, no one else. However, Malfoy couldn't get rid of the feeling. He leaned his head back, and tried thinking of Pansy.

"Malfoy dignity," he muttered. "Malfoy dignity, Malfoy dignity, Malfoy dignity..."

~*~

After what seemed like ages, Hermione opened her eyes. The rain was still thrashing violently against the windows, and wind howled against the castle outside. Hermione shivered as an icy draft blew through the windows, blowing out the stubs of candles that remained. She wished she had grabbed her cloak as she left in a hurry from the common room. Malfoy looked over at her.

"You cold?" he grunted.

Hermione looked at him disbelieving as he started taking off his own cloak.

"Are you going to take it or not?" he snapped.

Hermione took the cloak slowly and put it over her like a blanket. The cloak was very warm, and smelt faintly of cologne.

"Thanks, Malfoy," Hermione mumbled.

"You know Granger, I do have a name," Malfoy said.

Hermione stared at him. "Oh and I suppose I don't?"

Malfoy smirked, he'd never seen Hermione like this before.

"Okay, Hermione," he drawled..

Hermione turned and snuggled deeper into Malfoy's cloak. Malfoy is acting very different tonight then his normal self, not that he has a normal self, Hermione thought as thunder clapped loudly outside. He was being a ... gentleman.

~*~

Damn, Draco thought, he had just given his cloak to Hermione. He had done something nice for her, again. Malfoy moved his hand accidentally touching Hermione's hand. He couldn't fight the temptation no matter how much he had tried. His hand rested on top of Hermione's, her hand was soft and warm.

~*~

Hermione could feel Malfoy's hand resting on top of hers. Her whole hand tingled, and her stomach tightened. As quickly as he put his hand on hers, she took her hand out from under Malfoy's. She couldn't understand why Malfoy was being like this tonight, it was far from his nasty usual self, and what was with the hand? Was it an accident?

The storm grew steadily worse, again, thunder exploded out side only much more louder, and closer, so that even it shook the book cases. Hermione trembled, she never had been fond of thunder.

~*~

Malfoy could feel Hermione trembling in the dark next to him. He didn't know what was going on with him, he wanted to get closer to Hermione. He had never felt this way about a girl before, not even Pansy. But what will your father say? A small voice said. If Malfoy did do something with Hermione, his father would be angry, and he would probably get a beating. You father is in Azkaban, though, how would he know? Another voice played in the back of his mine. The hell with it, Malfoy thought. He looked down, Hermione's hand was resting on top of the cloak draped over her. He placed his hand down next to hers , and rubbed her hand softly.

~*~

Hermione looked over at him, a thousands butterflies felt like they were trapped in her stomach. She didn't know how to react.

Lightning streaked through the sky outside, lighting Malfoy's face for a split second. With a daring nerve, Hermione ran her fingers across Malfoy's hand. Some how their fingers started to intertwine with each other, and they were soon hand in hand. No words were said, there was no need for them. Very steadily, Hermione rested her head against Malfoy's chest, and fell asleep, still keeping her hand wrapped up in Malfoy's.

Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, resting on Hermione and Malfoy. Hermione stirred, and awoke. The sun was blazing through the cloudless morning sky, at first she didn't remember where she was at, then realised she was resting against Malfoy, hand in hand. Malfoy was sill asleep, Hermione stood up, letting go of Malfoy's hand, and let his cloak fall to the ground. She walked made her way to the door, which opened, and left Malfoy asleep in the library.

What the hell was I thinking? She thought with a knot in her stomach.