AN: So this chapter is a shorty, which I apologize for. Only made it to six pages and those of you who are used to my writing know that I tend to shoot for roughly 6000-7000 words a chapter. I really wanted to add a lot more but I also desperately needed to update for you all. Something is better than nothing, yes? Happy reading and cheers to you!

She's A Work of Art
Chapter Six
-~-~-~-~-~.~-~-~-~-~-

Hogwarts Castle, Gryffindor Common Room - September 7th, 1997

After her wildly intriguing exchange with Draco in the Courtyard, Hermione practically skipped back up to Gryffindor Tower to prepare for their brief and risky trip, as well as attempt to get some of her school work done in her bedchambers instead of the library.

Yet, when she walked into the Common Room there was Harry, Ron, Ginny and Neville. Oh shite. Was this to be some sort of intervention? The energy in the air was crackling with discontented panic.

"Whatever is the matter with you all?" she questioned exasperatedly. She figured that as much as she tried to avoid it, she knew this was coming and might as well get on with it.

Ginevra stepped forward first. She knew a little more than the boys did about Hermione and Draco's interest in each other and with her nurturing instinct would comfort Hermione best in this situation. "Well… 'Mione, just know that we love you and are here for you no matter what,"

Oh bollocks, Hermione thought. This was dreadful.

"We just want to ask a couple of questions…" Harry said quickly. "There's so many rumors going around my head is swirling," he made a show of palming and rubbing around his messy onyx mop.

"You've clearly been asking all the wrong people Harry," Hermione chided lightly and tried to make a break for it to the staircase. Unfortunately, her efforts were futile as Ginny immediately blocked her from the route, stepping in between the archway with her hands at the edge of the stone walls. The lionhearted boys were right behind her, creating a barricade on both sides of the entrance to the stairwell. Hermione contained herself as the inner turmoil reticulated through her bloodstream. "Even you, Ginevra?" she groaned woefully, theatrically. Hermione was being cornered and assassinated by her best girl-mate, like when Brutus the Younger along with the other members of the counsel betrayed Julius Caesar in the play by William Shakespeare.

The youngest Weasley only shook her head sheepishly, feeling very sorry for the Head Girl but Harry and Ron wouldn't leave her alone about it and now Neville was involved… Hogwarts wasn't the easiest place to keep secrets at and eventually, Hermione would have to fess up to her best friends anyway. It would hurt their relationships further wouldn't it, for her to stay withholding her troubles and keeping her mates guessing? Hermione was in some sort of calamity, wasn't she? She might really need their help and just not realize it, seeing how independent she was.

"Considering you haven't allowed me to talk to you about anything directly," Harry began and the sass in his tone was evident. "I've been forced to get my information from the snakes,"

Hermione's eyes rolled over to the back of her skull in pure annoyance. "Oh really…? Fine then, ask away." She clipped, ready to get it over with.

"I caught up with Davis, Zabini, Greengrass and Nott right after breakfast," Harry stated. "They said quite a few things but mostly they just let on that you and Malfoy… well, there's something going on between you two - big time - and honestly I'm not surprised after what I saw at Scrivenshaft's yesterday."

"You know what, Harry?" Hermione seethed, her teeth clenched angrily. "I can understand your concern but..." she stopped. She'd been about to tell him it was none of his business, but that wouldn't have been right considering she's always made it her business to help Harry in his love-life. "I-I shouldn't have to feel so bad about this, should I? I'm telling you, he's… he's different now."

"In what way, exactly…?" Ron finally peeped. "I don't understand,"

"Yes, please help us to understand Hermione," Neville offered supportively.

Hermione took a calming breath. "Yesterday at the Three Broomsticks, Cormac McLaggen threatened Malfoy, saying he'd pay for hitting him in the face, even though Cormac was harassing me. Then - last night - McLaggen blindsided Malfoy with some curses and violently assaulted him in an empty classroom, but Malfoy was more skilled than him a-and he was able to peruse his memories with Legilimency. It turns out that Cormac has been much more than just obsessed with me. Since first-year he'd had his eye on me and had all these pla-plans to take me away and," she swallowed, finding it terribly difficult to say it out-loud. "...make me his slave." Hermione exhumed meekly and they all made moves like doubling over in shock and gasping in petrified disgust. "Apparently he had all these abandoned places mapped out across England where he could keep me hidden,"

"Where is he?" Harry bellowed as he rolled up his shirt sleeves almost comically and before the rest of them could make any raucous comments Hermione held her hands up to stop them.

"Gratefully, McLaggen's been expelled," she relayed and their eyes widened from the news. "He's been taken to St. Mungo's for further testing and therapy, where hopefully they can save him from himself. I'm not positive if he'll be able to get out or when but he will be forever charged as a sexual offender I'm sure,"

"Bloody hell," Ron swore.

"Good," Harry said warmly, the relief settling over his shoulders.

"That's excellent news," Ginevra breathed.

"Yes, yes it is. This all happened under my nose too. I had no idea Cormac would attack Malfoy in the very same day. Malfoy's alright now by the way - if you lot cared at all about the one who saved me from such a brutal fate," she didn't let them respond to that and barreled onward. "He went to McGonagall and Snape right away, where they took it upon themselves to take care of the problem. I have yet to speak with McGonagall about the details but we've arranged to meet following lunch,"

"So… what you're saying is true, then? Malfoy really did…?" Ron stammered, unable to fathom that yes, indeed the Head Girl was telling the truth: a total shocker, apparently.

"I just can't believe Malfoy actually had it in him to do something like this," Harry lamented almost angrily.

"Why don't you go ask him for yourself then? I have a lot to catch up on now and I need some time to myself, so I'll be popping up to my room, if you please. I'll talk to you more later on, okay?"

Ginny let her pass by without another word out of them. At least they found out the Head Girl's truth of it.

-~-~-~-~-~.~-~-~-~-~-

The Entrance Hall

"Hey Malfoy,"

Draco - who was on his own, walking towards the Great Hall - stopped in his tracks and turned towards the voice behind him calling his name. It was Harry Potter, beloved King of Gryffindor. "Can I help you, Pothead?" the Slytherin asked, at that moment unsure where a conversation with the Boy Who Lived would go.

Harry frowned, perturbed at himself for choosing to be in the presence of his arch nemesis to begin with but he'd come to Draco with a point to make. "Hermione told us what happened w-with McLaggen and I just wanted to…" he paused, thinking something over for a second and then stuck his hand out, a gesture of goodwill. Draco quirked a silver brow, bewildered at the insinuation. "Thank you… so much f-for what you did. You've truly impressed me."

At first instinct, the Prince of Slytherin wanted to snicker, or smack his hand away and claim this was a trick… but Harry's emerald eyes shone with such a sincerity it struck him off guard and the Gryffindor's raised arm quivered as it lingered, just as Draco's had so many years ago when they were eleven. This was symbolic and mirrored that time on the very first day they came to Hogwarts. They both knew what this meant.

Snatching his palm up in his own, Draco shook him in a firm, friendly grip. "All in a night's work," he told him, tipping his head toward him in acknowledgement and then let him go. "I know it may have come as a bit of a shock, but some of us Slytherins aren't all bad you know. I only did what was right but either way, if it's in my power I'd do whatever I could t-to protect her,"

"Why?" Harry queried, confused. "You never cared for her before,"

"Excellent observation Potter," he responded, purely snarky. "I care now, so."

"Alright, but it's just a little strange that out of nowhere you come running. I mean, you're you," Harry reiterated. "And let me tell you something," he got himself closer to Draco's face even though the snake was comparably taller. "Sure, I'm forever grateful but I don't care how many times you might be there for her Malfoy - you hurt her once," he held up a finger to display the number one. "You're fucking dead, got that?"

Draco chuckled under his breath, mildly irate about Harry's threat but also completely entertained. "Loud and clear Potter," he replied, a twinkle in his eye. "Rest assured - you have nothing to worry about. I'd like to properly court her, after all."

"Y-You what…?"

"See you around," he was smirking as he turned back towards the door to the Great Hall. It was lunch time and he wanted to keep some of his secrets. Draco hadn't exactly planned to declare that he wanted to court Granger. It sort of slipped out in the wake of Harry's violent countenance but that wasn't to say he didn't mean it.

-~-~-~-~-~.~-~-~-~-~-

The Owlery

Hermione arrived at the meeting place they'd discussed prior in the Courtyard but this time Draco was waiting for her, punctual as ever. It was a huge relief to see him standing there in the mist, with his back resting against the cobbled walls of the tower and a sly smirk on his lips. After talking with McGonagall in her office, Hermione was told there was a Magical Restraining Order on McLaggen, meaning he was now forbidden to contact her and was also unable to be in her vicinity within a half-kilometer depending on the circumstance. This was hugely alleviating to know, after what she'd had to come to grips with.

Still, after bidding adieu to her beloved Transfiguration professor Hermione was feeling a bit guilty that she was about to run off for the evening with Draco. They really weren't allowed to be doing something like this and she wasn't sure they'd actually get away with it either. So here she was, to be the voice of reason and even though she had packed a small bag and brought it with her - just in case - she was planning on talking him out of it.

And yes, she was wearing the lilac-lavender blue dress underneath her cloak but she had it transfigured to look like her uniform. If they went on their trip, she'd undo the disguise. Hermione had twined the front of her locks in tiny braids across her head and into a half-bun at the back of her head, letting the rest of her long brunette curls down her back. It was roughly similar to the tribal-like styles she'd worn all summer and if they were to go anywhere, she really wanted to show him a piece of the person she became by bringing him to Greece.

"Hello there gorgeous," Draco greeted softly.

"Hello," she returned, suddenly so shy because she was reliving in her mind the feeling of his sweet, meticulous kisses while they'd sat there on that bench after breakfast. My, oh my - that particular bench would forever remain as the place where she and Malfoy first snogged. His titanium-orbs glinted, puzzled as he examined her bashful expression.

"What's wrong?" he asked her. She hadn't shown up to lunch so he'd been wondering if she was alright anyway. He also felt slightly nervous after what he'd said to Potter about courting her. Did Potter get the chance to tell her about that? What if she didn't even want him to court her? Maybe she was only meeting him here to tell him she'd changed her mind. "Do you not want to…?" he trailed off. Twenty different scenarios played itself out in Draco's mind before she finally answered.

"I'm just… I-I don't know Malfoy," she stammered and then leaned in near to whisper. "I really don't think this is such a good idea anymore. We're risking a lot, aren't we?"

"What like detention and a brief, stern talking-to? Granger, that's if we even get caught! As long as we're back by ten, we'll be solid gold."

"Is that so?" she questioned, a small smile on her lips. "Yet, we all know you've had your fair share of bad ideas. Need I remind you of third year? You were at your worst. The whole time you were just up to no good. And it never did work out for you did it, what with Buckbeak and all?" Draco snickered, rolling his eyes.

"Look here," he stepped closer, surprising her as he unexpectedly began running his digits over her long, coffee-brown tendrils and taking a calming breath through his nose. "The only bad ideas are the ones where we're not living in the moment," Hermione was absolutely stupefied from his reserved wisdom. "Well, within reason but surely this is a pretty reasonable thing to do,"

"I'm sorry but when did you become this person exactly? And why haven't I seen nary a glimpse of it until now?" she ordered and he laughed warmly, yet he could not really tell her the truth, could he? Could he actually be honest and say he had an extra-large painting across his bed where the subject was a delectable nymph who looked precisely like her? Could he tell her that when he saw Hermione in the South Suite, completely mesmerized by her beauty he for a second believed it was really the same girl? She'd hate him again, wouldn't she? She'd think his feelings weren't genuine but that wasn't true. He was sure that even if he hadn't bought that portrait during the summer, he still would have been entirely taken with Granger on the train. He was also sure that he might have been attracted to the goddess in the portrait because subconsciously she reminded him of Granger. Still, he was dying to know if she was the siren but in his quest to find out, she may end up loathing him for it.

"I don't know, but…" he started, not completely certain where he was going. "Truth be told, the last few summers I-I've been evolving; mainly visiting one of my favorite villages in southern Spain. I collect... all different types o-of artwork. All Malfoy's do… that is we prefer to be cultured, so somewhere along the way I guess I've changed."

"Apparently," Hermione teased and then, "That's very interesting because coincidentally, I felt that way as well the last couple of summers - mostly this summer, which is why I want to take you to the lush and jagged, yet highly spiritual surroundings of the monasteries in Meteora."

Draco thought on that a minute. "In Greece…?"

"Yes. Very good Malfoy," she said. "Do riddle me this though: how do we sneak out of the grounds and to the Apparition point without anyone noticing?" Hermione was speaking so quietly Draco was straining his ears.

"Why are you talking so low, Granger? No one's going to hear us, I already checked inside the Owl tower to find it empty and from here, we'd see if someone was coming."

"I was indeed worried about that," she replied. "Okay then, go on."

"We cut through the Forest and out onto the road to Hogsmeade."

"This is your plan? We have to make it past Hagrid's hut to be able to get to the Forest…"

"We'll be fine, don't you trust me yet? I won't get you into trouble,"

"Oh Draco Malfoy, trouble is the only thing you're going to get me into."

-~-~-~-~-~.~-~-~-~-~-

AN: Once again, I'm so terribly sorry for the length of this chapter. This is very unlike me but I had to update. I hope you enjoyed the sixth installment and keep a look out for the seventh coming soon *hugs*