Power Within

Chapter 11

Here Kitty Kitty Kitty

Hermione spent hour after hour in the library--alone. So much for Draco's help. But Hermione was not going to bother him with it. It was her problem and he did have an image to maintain.

The first Quidditch game of the season was Slytherin versus Gryffindor. Hermione sat at dinner trying to get Harry and Ron to discuss something other than the game. An owl swooped down in front of Hermione with a letter from her mother. She let the boys continue their night-before-the-game talk while she read the letter.

Hermione,

I am sorry I have taken so long to respond. Please, be patient and I
will speak with you soon about this.

Love,
Your mother.

Well, at least now she knew nothing was wrong. She was folding the letter back up when she felt Draco's icy glaze. She looked up at the Slytherin table.

Yep, for some reason he was watching her.

Why? Should I smile at him? But this is Malfoy. But who is Malfoy? That was not the Malfoy I always knew in the common room--speaking of which, how did he get in?

Another owl, a school owl, swooped down in front of her. She took the letter with Draco's eyes on her the whole time.

Okay, this is why he's watching me.

Granger,

I said I would help. The library after dinner.

Draco Malfoy

She looked up at Draco and smiled nodding her head. She finished eating and told Harry and Ron she would help them later with their Potions essays; she was going to the library. They all said their goodbyes and Draco watched her walk out of the Great Hall and stood to follow. For some reason he was looking forward to this.

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Draco watched the trio at dinner with their heads together.

They are up to something.

Usually, when they were seen in such a position within twenty-four hours they would be missing and Harry facing Voldemort--again. But Hermione was smiling, except for the occasional glance toward the professors and an apparent looking question.

"Draco, what are you staring at?" Pansy was noticing his object of obsession lately.

"Just wondering what Saint Potter is up to now." Pansy's eyes widened.

"Oh, you mean you don't know!"

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"I don't know Harry, Ron and I are prefects...what if we get caught?"

"Hermione, we are doing this to cheer you up. I will use the Marauder's Map and we will all be fine."

Hermione hesitated and then nodded her consent.

"Okay, this is what will happen. While you and Ron finish getting ready I will go meet the girls in front of the Potions class..."

"Girls?"

"Pansy and Millicent."

"Harry!"

"What! I said it was their idea. Anyway..."

"Hey! Why am I staying back with the GIRLS?"

"Ron, have you ever noticed how long Lavender and Parvati take to get ready?"

Ron considered what Hermione said and then nodded okay. Harry continued.

"Okay, like I said I will go meet the girls and bring them to the tapestry. So we should be there by about 8, at which you two, Ginny, Lavender, Parvati, Seamus, Dean, and Neville should meet us there. Everyone else will come after. The three of us will produce the room. Got it?" They all nodded and got up to go to the Gryffindor tower to get ready.

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The room was perfect. Instead of the usual padded floor and sneakascopes and books as when the DA meetings were held there--it was now a muggle club in the wizard world. The floors were harder and black. The walls were black and on each wall were a different houses mascot surrounded by swirls of paint in that house's colors. On the left side of the room was a long table full of food Dobby brought up from the kitchens and in the corner was a few barrels of butterbeer. Naturally, pumpkin juice was among the other food on the table. The music came from nowhere in particular, but it was there. Pansy and Millicent were amazed that such a room existed. Harry was happy to finally see Hermione smile.

Draco watched people enter the Room of Requirement. He knew about the DA being held there from his spot on Umbridge's short lived Inquisitorial Squad. But tonight was not a DA meeting. Pansy called it a "muggle club" to make Hermione feel better. Since when does Pansy give a crap?

Should I go in? What if I end up dancing with that Granger again? But isn't that why I want to go? No, I just want to see her--see her smile again. To see Granger in as close to her own environment as I will ever get. NO! Snap out of that line of thought, Draco. It would be interesting to see though.

Draco stepped out of the shadows and went in.

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Everyone loved the muggle club the room conjured. Draco noticed Hermione had a genuine smile and seemed to have let her hair down more. He over heard Ron telling Millicent and Pansy this was the Hermione they knew when they were not in school. The music was not bad--but Draco was trapped watching Hermione again.

Hermione noticed Draco come in. What is he doing here? Then she looked at Pansy talking to Harry.

Oh.

A song started to play with a pretty good beat--one she loved during the summer and her and Harry faithfully danced to. Harry was standing with Ron, Pansy, Millicent, and three or four others. Hermione saw that Draco was standing in front of them talking also. She could not resist. She thanked Neville for the "dance" and headed toward the group.

This is going to be priceless.

Harry would know that Hermione was coming for him because of the song, Draco would not know that and to see his face during the dance would be worth all the galleons in Gringotts. So, as soon as the song started she headed straight for Draco.

Oh Merlin! She cannot be coming to me. I could not handle it. I have never been in a muggle club to know how to dance. Oh Merlin! Please.no, of course Potter! Why did she smile at me like that when she was walking by?

Just like Hermione thought.

"Uh...Hermione, are you sure? We are not exactly back home...we are at Hogwarts."

"Do we always dance to this song?" He nodded. "Was this to make me feel better?" He nodded. And they headed to the dance floor with a shocked Malfoy watching.

Why does she choose to dance with Potter? Like he could dance to this. What is this?

I love the way you look at me
I feel the pain you place inside
You lock me up inside your dirty cage
Well I'm aloas she?"

Harry looked at Draco.

"What do you think?" Draco looked at Hermione sitting across from him. She looked at him and went into hysterics.

"Yeh, guess not." She proceeded to try to calm her giggling enough to lean into Pansy's ear to whisper. Harry and Draco just watched this transaction. Neither had ever seen Hermione in quite a state. The more she whispered the wider Pansy's eyes got and then... "Hermione!"

Finally, everyone decided that Hermione needed to go to bed. Harry already told Luna he would take her to her dorm so Draco volunteered to take Hermione. He got the giggling girl under the invisibility cloak and headed out.

Draco and Hermione had to walk slowly even under the cloak. Filch would be out with Ms. Norris and Draco did not want that evil cat to hear their footsteps. The corridors were deserted and silent--except for the stifled giggles of the Gryffindor. She was right behind him under the cloak and kept playing with the hair that rested on his neck. He kept moving her hand away.

"Stop." Merlin! Does she even know being this close is driving me crazy? No. "Stop, shh...Stop giggling." Draco thought he heard something, but Hermione would not stop giggling and playing with his hair. He looked back at the peppered up girl. Her cheeks were flushed and she had a gleam in her eye that had never been there before. She still had not moved her hand. He tried to glare at her and his natural smirk appeared. This time in Hermione's state, it did not make her mad. She giggled more. "Have I ever told you how sexy you can be when you are being so...Malfoyish?" His features soften for a moment.

"What?" But then he saw Ms. Norris and pushed Hermione back a little to get her out of the way of the cat. Ms. Norris sniffed around. "Granger, cut out the giggling." But she couldn't stop and now she felt the urge to do something else. She bent down. "Granger, what are you..."

"Here kitty kitty kitty." Draco could not believe what he was seeing. She was calling that blasted cat to them. Then Draco heard Filch approaching and Hermione would not stop giggling or calling the cat. He did the only thing he knew to do. He grabbed Hermione and pushed her against the wall out of the way. She looked up at him in disbelief that he just pushed her. Then something came over him the second he looked at her. "Stop giggling Hermione." He leaned down and before him or Hermione could think twice their lips touched forcefully--at first. There was such heat and power radiating from her lips that he felt he could not stop. Hermione felt like she was glued to the spot and to him. There was the crashing of the waves again. What was going on?

Hermione stopped giggling.

His kisses turned very gentle once he realized she was no longer a giggle box and pulled away. She was just looking at him. Her heart was pounding just as fast as his was and she thought she was going to pass out. All she could remember was Ms. Norris screeching and running and Filch running after her yelling.

"What in Merlin was that about?"

Hermione just looked at him still. "What? I had to shut you up somehow, Granger." He turned to continue walking, but instead he walked straight into Professor Snape.