Inevitable Lovers

Chapter 7:

'So what's going on with you and Potter then?'

'Draco, what are you talking about? Why would there be anything?'

There had been a free lesson for the seventh years, so that they could study that Tuesday afternoon, and many of the students had decided to use the library to help them. Hermione was studying with Harry and Ron at their own table, several feet away from Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson grouped around another dark mahogany table.

However, when Hermione had gone in search of a book some way away from Harry and Ron, Draco had slipped around the bookcase and talked to her in a whisper so they wouldn't be seen or heard.

'He practically had his arms around you just now! And you weren't exactly fighting him off, leaning in to whisper to him every five bloody seconds!' he said, as explosively as a whisper would allow.

Hermione regarded Draco. 'I was so not doing anything with Harry...as if I would ever fancy him...he's going out with Ginny anyway! And if you were worried about anyone, I'd thought it would be - ' she broke off hastily.

'Who?' Draco's eyes scanned the area quickly to make sure they were alone.

'No one, it's nothing - '

'Just tell me.'

'Well, I think Ron fancies me a bit...and I might as well tell you that I said I'd go to Hogsmeade this weekend with him.' She looked slightly abashed, although defiant.

'Weasley? Bloody hell, Hermione! How could you! Can't you bring Scarface? At least then there'll be three of you.' Bloody hell indeed. I could've sworn Potter was infatuated...

'No, actually, he's going with Ginny. I wish I was going with you, you know I do. But I bet you're going with Pansy,' she said in an undertone. 'I noticed she could hardly keep her hands off you.

'It's not my fault. I promised her as well that I'd take her. And I have to, anyway,' he added as an afterthought.

'What do you mean?' Just then they heard a rustling from the bookshelf one row in front. Hermione swiftly touched the side of Draco's face and she placed two fingers over his lips for a second. 'We'll talk later.'

'Yes, we will,' he replied. 'Oh, and I saw Potter "coaching" the other night. You might tell him that no matter how hard he tries, he's not going to beat Slytherin at Quidditch.' He smirked smugly and swiftly returned to his table.

Tutting, Hermione reached for the book she had been looking for and too continued studying for the rest of the afternoon.

***

A few hours later, Draco inadvertently bumped into Pansy Parkinson on his way to the Owlery after the long study period. As he walked, he was so deep in thought about the letter that had arrived from his father that very morning, he hadn't seen Pansy until she was practically upon him.

'Draco?' she demanded, stopping dead in front of him, 'What's the matter with you? Every time I so much as touch you lately, you push me away!'

'Er, Pansy, I'm actually - er - quite busy right now,' he said, dodging the question, and trying to dodge away, too.

She mirrored his movements. 'Doing what, exactly? What is this thing that's had you avoiding me for the past week?'

Trust Pansy to come over all melodramatic, Draco thought in annoyance. Stupid bitch. Can't believe I ever fancied her.

'Listen, I told you, I'm busy,' he said again heavily. 'Just because you haven't got a care in the world apart from the ridiculous shopping sprees you're planning with your mother to tempt me pathetically with expensive dresses and nice underwear, doesn't mean I'm sitting here waiting for you to come and find me all the time. I'm taking you to Hogsmeade, aren't I?' And without waiting for an answer, he stormed off in a near fury, leaving Pansy standing in the same spot, thunderstruck.

Draco knew he would face the consequences of his temper later; he wouldn't put it past Pansy to be composing a long, snivelling letter to her mother at this very instant. But at that moment, he also knew he had far bigger worries; which did, unfortunately, concern Pansy to an extent as well.

The afore mentioned letter had contained rather a lot of information than his father's usual "check-ups". Draco knew there would be a time when he would be initiated, willingly or not, into Lord Voldemort's inner circle, but he had always seen it as an unpleasant but necessary happening in the distant future. Now he knew otherwise. Things were no longer vague pretences of a future containing him, Pansy, and a couple of heirs (his father getting his wishes). In a remarkably short space of time, Lucius Malfoy seemed to have made up his mind about his only son's future once and for all.

Almost at the Owlery, Draco began to compose his own letter to his father in his mind, his face set in determination.

***

Meanwhile, Hermione had finished at the library rather later than most of her classmates, wanting to finish off a Muggle Studies essay early. She was fairly worried about the amount of work they were receiving so early in the term, and made a mental note to organise a study plan as soon as she got back to her tower. She also began to wonder where Draco was; she wanted inexplicably to see him, and felt almost ashamed of her own dependency as result. Nevertheless, she quickly checked the Tower, and finding it empty, decided to go the Gryffindor Tower instead. She could get the study plan done there, and maybe persuade Harry and Ron to do the same.

On the way, Hermione deliberately took a longer route as she found it hard to stop thinking about Draco. His face often filled her mind involuntarily now, she couldn't believe things had gone so fast. She was usually so conservative about boyfriends; she hadn't done nearly as much with Viktor Krum in months than she had with Draco in one day. Perhaps I'm a bit of a "Scarlet Woman", as Ron would say, she thought wryly, and turned the corridor just to walk smack into a petite, red-haired someone coming round the corner.

'Ginny!' said Hermione. 'You made me jump!'

'Hiya,' said Ginny. 'Sorry! You gave me a shock too! Is everything all right?' To Ginny, Hermione looked rather strained.

'Fine,' smiled Hermione. 'Lesson's are just hard work at the moment, that's all.' She tried to sound bright and cheery, but only felt more disconsolate. 'Going to the Common Room? I might meet you there a bit later.' She decided she needed some "thinking" time right now after all.

'Okay, see you then, Herm,' said Ginny, and carried on.

Just as Hermione got to the end of the corridor, and passed the Owlery, she caught sight of a familiar pale blond head moving in towards her.

'Draco!' she hissed. He looked around, and noticed Hermione, a somewhat weary smile spreading over his face. 'Can we talk?' asked Hermione.

'Sure. You know what? Can we go up to the Astronomy Tower?' He felt that if Pansy was looking for him, she would not find him there, and he didn't feel like going to their tower anyway.

'Mmhm.' Hermione nodded, and silently, they made their way there, Hermione slightly in front, should anyone walk past and suspect. Even the portraits on the walls couldn't be fully trusted - the Fat Lady and her friend, Violet, were just two of many painted gossips.

On arrival, Hermione shut the heavy wooden door carefully behind her, and for extra protection, cast "Alohomora" on the lock. Then she turned, and both she and Draco began to talk first. The Astronomy Tower was a rather intimate, comely place, with a grand view onto the grounds below, where the odd couple of students sauntered past. Of course, they were much too high up to be seen, even leaning over the balcony, unless someone knew they were there and looked directly upwards.

Hermione stopped. 'You go first,' she said.

'No, it's all right,' said Draco. 'What's wrong?'

'Oh, it's just that I feel like there's so much pressure to get all the work done right now,' sighed Hermione. 'It's worrying me. And there's the fact that Harry seems distant recently, I think he's scared about the Voldemort situation, and none of us really know what's going on anymore...' she trailed off. Hermione didn't want to give too much away about what she did know about Voldemort, as she was always careful to protect her friends, even if it was Draco.

'Oh. Well, Hermione, I'm sure no one is keeping half way up with you with the homework,' he said simply. 'Do you really think people like Longbottom and Finnigan are on top of it all?' he looked scathing. 'I just do homework when I can, I'm only really bothered about Potions, it's what I'm best at.'

'I suppose you have a point,' Hermione sighed. 'What were you going to say?' She noticed he hadn't commented on Harry's being distant, but she hadn't really expected helpful advice - he hated Harry and probably always would.

'My father sent me a letter today. I hate to admit it, but I'm worried too.' Draco walked over to the window of the Astronomy Tower, not meeting Hermione's eyes. 'I might as well tell you. It's about being initiated.'

A silence met these words, as Hermione received a slight shock. The thoughts about Voldemort had crossed her mind, of course, some time after she had first kissed Draco, but she had pushed them away, wanting to hang on to the present. The thought of Draco being brought into a group of sinister, dangerous Death Eaters, and having the Dark Mark imprinted on his unblemished, delicate, pale skin, disturbed her.

'Draco.' She walked over to him, and took one of his arms. 'Do you want to be initiated? Please tell me the truth,' she implored, her eyes searching his.

'No,' he replied shortly. 'I've always known about it, but my father watered the idea down when I was younger, making it seem like exclusive entry into a special society or something. But I know what's it's like really, and father, he is so indecently attached to Voldemort; it disgusts me. I don't want to be like that. I don't particularly want to kill people practically for a living. Crabbe and Goyle are all for it, but they're not exactly bright - they haven't caught on that it's not going to be like some aristocratic party the whole time.'

Hermione nodded. I don't think I could handle it, you being a Death Eater,' she said seriously. 'What on earth are you going to say to your father?'

'I've already replied. It was just some tosh to keep him sweet. I'll think of something later. And there's my other problem - Pansy.'

'What about her?' Hermione's eyes narrowed. She couldn't stand Pansy Parkinson at the best of times.

'Father want to make sure I'm treating her 'properly', i.e. taking her out to buy nice things and shagging her at every opportunity. Sorry to be so blunt,' he lamented at the expression on Hermione's face.

'You'd better not even go near her, Draco. I mean it. I won't play second fiddle to that vicious, stuck-up cow,' she replied almost angrily.

'Well, I'm taking her to Hogsmeade at the weekend - there's nothing we can do about that. I hate going with her - I bet she'll want to drag me into that infernal teashop again, it's so airy-fairy and boring.'

Despite her annoyance, Hermione smirked, remembering Harry's unfortunate experience in Madam Puddifoots.

'Can't I meet you somewhere?' Draco asked. 'You could get away from Weasley just for a bit, couldn't you?'

'Well, I'll try. Where will we go? It's too public.'

'No, I know this one place, near round the back of the Three Broomsticks,' said Draco easily. 'At least I'll partly enjoy it if I see you.'

'Well...okay,' said Hermione, secretly delighted to be wanted so much. Then she shivered; a cold October breeze rushed through the partially open window.

'Hmm...cold?' Draco asked, and without waiting for a reply, he pulled Hermione slightly roughly into his arms and murmured, 'I'm sorry,' while pressing his hands firmly into the small of her back.

'For what?' she whispered.

'For telling you all my stupid problems. Can we not talk about it now?'

'We don't have to.' Hermione kissed him lightly on the side of the mouth to seal the promise, and Draco turned his head slightly so that they were kissing fully. Hermione put one hand boldly at the back of Draco's neck to pull him closer. For several minutes the air was full of moans and slight mutters, and Draco twisted around so that Hermione was pushed against the wall of the Astronomy Tower. She felt a little overpowered, yet she did not think Draco would hurt her in any way and continued kissing him.

Draco's hands were running up and down her back and waist now; she had her hands pressed against his chest as he began to kiss and suck at her neck; she had never experienced anything like this and felt her body give in to the sensations.

A low noise escaped Draco's throat, as he tried to hold back. He didn't doubt that Hermione was a virgin, and had done more with him than anyone else, and he didn't want to push her. Yet she seemed to respond awfully warmly, tilting her head back for him. He stopped, feeling slightly out of control and sure that Hermione could feel his aching hard-on as his hips pushed against hers.

'Stop, stop.' Draco groaned, releasing her.

'What?'

'We can't do this here, I'm going to forget myself,' was the rather modest reply.

'Mmm, yes, I suppose we should be getting back. Sorry for being so eager.' She laughed. 'Listen to me, apologising when you're the one with all the - ' She poked him in the chest,' Experience!'

'All what experience?' Draco was keen to know exactly what his reputation was.

'Well, you've been with Pansy, and I...I bet there's been others,' said Hermione irrationally.

'Not too many others. And they were nothing on you, because you're forbidden.' He tried to make light of the situation.

'I'd rather not know who they were, actually. I don't want to see the competition, and fancy you enough anyway.'

Draco smiled, 'You're prettier than all of them,' he said stiltedly, as if not used to giving compliments. 'Come on.' And with that, he took her hand until they slipped out of the Astronomy Tower and along the now dark castle passages until they were safely within yards of their own dormitory. Hermione was happily replaying Draco's words over in her head, (he thinks I'm pretty, he thinks I'm pretty!) so she did not take much notice of her surroundings until they got to the last corridor.

It was very dark, in an almost sinister way. Hermione reached for Draco's hand again as they turned the last corner and suddenly started. A dark figure was huddled in robes at the end of the passage, its hood up, obscuring its face. Draco squinted through the gloom, trying to see whom it was, and stepped a bit closer, his hand feeling in his pocket for his wand.

'Hello?'

Suddenly, the figure straightened abruptly. It pushed its hood back gingerly, to reveal none other than the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Tuppy.

'Professor?' questioned Hermione.

Professor Tuppy cleared her throat. 'Oh, hello there,' she said a little uncertainly. 'You'd best be getting back to your dormitories you know, it's well after 9 o'clock.' And with that, she pulled her cloak awkwardly about her tall form, and shuffled off.

'Well that was weird,' said Draco offhandedly.

Something had occurred to Hermione, however, and she thinking too hard to reply. Without saying anything to Draco, she made a mental note to speak to Harry and Ron tomorrow. For a second, she was sure that Professor Tuppy had looked like a much smaller, shorter person disguised in the robes. When she had pulled them on, however, they barely came to her ankles. Or could it have been a trick of the light? Musing, she followed Draco submissively until they reached their own dormitory, where Draco's "kiss goodnight" drove all other thoughts from her mind.