Title: Blind
Recap: Hermione's blind. Draco has to lead her to the Headmaster's office.
It took them a couple of minutes to get to the Headmaster's office, due to Malfoy banging Granger into every object along the way. If only she could see then she could knock some sense into him, with the help of a few rocks and books that is, really heavy rocks and books.
" Okay, we're here Granger," Hermione reached out and felt the Gargoyle stone underneath her fingers.
He was telling the truth. " Now what's the password."
" I don't know, just guess! It has to be some sort of sweet." Hermione countered.
" Lemon drops?" He muttered.
" Cockroach Clusters?"
" Jellybeans?" Draco made a dramatic wave of his hands.
" Chocolate Frogs?"
" A pastry..." Hermione turned to his voice.
" A pastry? Now why would a-" She heard the rock scrap the ground as it moved over to reveal stairs leading up to the door. She felt Draco smirking. " Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now where are the stairs?"
" Over to the left, a little more, a little more." Hermione inched her way over, feeling around.
Not really trusting him, she slowed down until she changed directions and turned right. SLAM! The statue hit her; Malfoy cracked up laughing.
" You knew that I was going to turn right didn't you?" She growled, rubbing her injury.
" Ah...Yes, Granger, of course I did." He chuckled while Hermione glared.
He watched with merriment in his eyes, as she moved around and reached the railing on the stairs, slowly scuffing her feet to feel the steps. Walking toward where she was he moved beside her and hopped up the steps, two by two.
" Where are those...stairs?" He heard her mumble as he sped past her.
" Come on, Granger, we don't have all day." Hermione growled at his phrase but moved a little bit quicker, scuffing her shoes more.
It took five minutes to get up the winding stair and it only took Draco one minute to get bored. As she felt around, waving her arms in front of her, Hermione touched the cool wood. Rapping on the door with her fist, she heard a small light 'enter' and walked in.
" Ah, Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy. I have been informed of your problem." Draco shrugged and turned to leave; his job was done.
" Mr. Malfoy, would you please wait a few moments and sit down?" He slowly obliged and sat in the armchair, Hermione still standing.
" And can you please help Miss. Granger to her seat?" Grumbling under his breath, Draco grasped her wrist and roughly led her to the chair, but not by much to be noticed by the headmaster.
" Thank you." Hermione said stiffly, she didn't want to get in trouble with Dumbledore and all.
" Ah, it's a great misfortune to have our year's Head Girl blind," He ignored Draco's snort.
" Yeah, great misfortune..." Draco hissed under his breath, turning away from Hermione's glare.
Draco idly waved his hand around, glancing around the room. Sighing, he traced patterns on the old wood, thinking about a hundred and one ways to kill Potter. " Don't you think that is an excellent plan, Mr. Malfoy?"
" Huh? Oh...yes, of course. Can I go now?" Tapping anxiously on the chair, he waited for the answer.
" Splendid! Yes, you may." In a flash, Draco was at the door.
" Freedom!" He whispered as he reached for the doorknob.
" Ah...Mr. Malfoy, aren't you forgetting someone?" Dumbledore raised his eyebrows as he glanced over at Hermione.
" What? But I already took her here, can't you get somebody else to bring her back? I doubt we have the same classes." He whined, his hands barely an inch from the door.
The headmaster nodded a bit. " Yes, yes, but did you not just agree to take Miss. Granger with you. The schedules can be rearranged to help with your new partnership."
" What? What partnership?" He growled, his eyes narrowing.
Dumbledore seemed unfazed by the boy's actions. " Why, you just agreed to be Miss. Granger's helper until she regains her sight."
"...What? You can't possibly be...serious." He muttered, glancing between the two in front of him.
" On the contrary, Mr. Malfoy. You just said it was an excellent plan." Malfoy gaped at him.
" But I..." Trailing off, he decided against telling the headmaster that he hadn't been listening.
" Well, I wouldn't take up anymore of your time. So back to class you go." Dumbledore gave them a smile as Hermione stood up.
" Thank you, Headmaster." She felt her way around the chairs toward the door.
" You're quite welcome, Miss. Granger. Well, I bid you good day." With a twinkle in his eye, he disappeared up the stairs.
Hermione opened the door, walking out in front of Draco. Once the door closed, he grabbed her roughly by the arm, almost making them both fall down the stairs. " What the bloody hell was going on? I never agreed to drag your mudblood arse around."
" Well, then you shouldn't have said it was an excellent plan, hm? Of course, I didn't want you to, Harry or Ron would have been a better choice. But since you completely messed up, I guess we're stuck together." Turning away from him, she started walking down the stairs.
" Me? So now it's my fault? You should have warned me." Growling, he descended the stairs.
" You should have been paying attention to what the headmaster was saying instead of daydreaming." Hermione smirked.
" I was not daydreaming. I was coming up with plans to kill Potter." Snorting, Hermione placed her hands on her hips.
" Oh give it up already, Malfoy. You're never going to beat Harry. Unlike you, he doesn't have his daddy buying his way into everything." Draco clenched his teeth, glaring at her.
" Maybe it's because his father's dead." It echoed a bit around the empty hallways as Draco seethed, his fists clenched at his side.
Hermione gasped, before glaring at him. " Harry's father died a hero, yours, on the other hand, will die a Deatheater!"
Draco took in a deep breath, his shoulders heaving. " Maybe I should just leave you here! Let's see if you can get to class by yourself!"
With that he whirled around, stomping down the hallways. Hermione's anger diminished in a second as she reached out to find him. " Malfoy, wait. Come back here. You can't leave me here! MALFOY!"
" MALFOY!" He ignored her as he continued his rant down the halls.
" If she wants to be a bitch then let that stupid mudblood." He growled, glaring at floor.
" Now, calling a lady such an atrocious name is ungentlemanly." Came one of the paintings, wagging his finger.
" Why don't you just go shove a broomstick up your arse?" The painting gasped.
" Dear me, kids these days are so rude. Humph." He gave Draco a hard look, frowning.
Glaring right back at the painting, Draco flicked him off before walking down the halls. Slamming open the potion room door, he walked in. " Malfoy, where is Miss. Granger?"
" The headmaster kept her a bit longer." He lied, sitting between Blaise and Pansy.
Snape seemed to accept the explanation, turning back toward the board. " Where is she really, Malfoy?"
Glancing up, he narrowed his eyes. " Why would you care, Potter? It's none of your business anyway."
" Where is Hermione?" Ron joined in, glaring at him.
Before Draco could tell him off, the door creaked open. " Malfoy!"
" Yes?" He smirked.
" How dare you leave me back there!" She growled, feeling around the walls before Ron helped her.
" Ten points from Gryffindor for disturbing the class." Snape motioned for them to take a seat.
" Wait till I get my hands around his skinny neck-" Hermione was interrupted.
" Do you want me to take another ten points off, Miss. Granger?" Snape drawled, looking over at her.
" No sir." Draco snickered.
" I can't believe Malfoy!" Ron's word were muffled by the food.
" Yeah. Malfoy's a prat." Harry muttered.
There was a slight tinkling of glasses, quieting the students. Dumbledore stood up. " Students, I have some announcements to make. First, we have learned that Miss. Hermione Granger has had an accident in Potions causing temporary blindness."
There were several cheers coming from the Slytherin table. " That's horrible, Hermione."
" But good news is that the Head Boy, Mr. Draco Malfoy has volunteered to help Miss. Granger until her vision has returned. That is all. Continue eating." Murmurs rose up.
" Hermione! I would do anything to be in your shoes!" Lavender sighed dreamily.
" Wow, who knew that Malfoy would actually help a Gryffindor." Dean muttered, taking a bite out of his pastry.
The rest of the Gryffindors nodded, discussing what they thought was really going on.
" WAH! My poor Drakey-poo has to help that stupid little mudblood!" Pansy clung onto Draco's arm, wetting his sleeve.
Grimacing, Draco pulled his arm slowly from her hold. " Never do that again."
He noticed that Blaise was looking at him from across the table. Cocking an eyebrow, he saw his friend turn away. Odd...
" Hey Malfoy, did you really agree to help that mudblood?" He glanced over.
" I-"
" I bet he wasn't even listening when he agreed." Blaise stood up, leaving the room.
Draco watched as he left, furrowing his brow. " Is it true, Malfoy?"
" Yeah, sure whatever." He got up, intent on finding out what was wrong with his friend.
Blaise slipped through the shadows, hardly making a sound. He made his way down toward the Slytherin common room, gliding down the stairs. " Zabini."
Coming to a stop, he looked over his shoulder. " What do you want, Malfoy?"
" Never seen you this tightly wound since last summer." Blaise shrugged it off.
" Nothing's the matter, Malfoy. I'm just tired." He started again toward the common room, Malfoy following.
As they entered the room, Blaise started up the stairs. " What can possibly be bothering you this bad?"
" Classes are horrible." He answered bluntly.
" Yeah, McGonagall's giving us a three-page essay to do." Malfoy muttered, sighing.
" Yeah." He closed the door in Draco's face, surprising the teen.
" What did you do that for?" When he didn't hear a response, he glared at the door. " Fine, be that way."
He started down the stairs, heading back toward dinner.