Chapter 6

D.P.O.V.

I ran my hand through my hair in annoyance, deciding I should get up and get everyone out of they're stupor. I sat up and Weasley's sudden movement shocked me.

He held out a hand to me as though he were going to help me up. Hermione sucked in breath and was in a strange position, like she was prepared to stop Ron from attacking. Hurray for my instincts… They seemed to have returned and they were telling me to ignore the hand and get myself up. Then I remembered I wasn't supposed to be following normal protocol so I put my hand in his and he did most of the lifting.

It was quiet again as he walked closer to Lovegood, put an arm around her waist, and said, "You didn't see anything and we didn't either," before steering her the other way and beginning to walk.

"But Ron, you're not upset?" Granger asked confused. Weasley stood still for a moment to contemplate.

"Well…" He started, "I mean, it makes sense right… You two? Only after I thought about it, you two make sense. Take care of her Malfoy." And he walked away. My jaw hit the floor. Was he serious? Granger obviously felt the same as she watched them walk away in shock.

I cleared my throat, remembered I was supposed to be headed for the common room before Blaise's return, and grabbed he wrist, heading to the stairs.

She followed behind me lifelessly putting on foot in front of the other.

"I always thought he liked you," I commented feeling somewhat worried for her mental state at this point. "Yeah, me too…" she noted.

"Are you upset?" I asked, thinking that's what someone should say at a time like this.

She laughed then and ran up closer to me.

"No, I'm ecstatic!" she yelled. I almost mistook it for sarcasm until she said, "No, I really mean it."

"Um, I'm glad?" It came out as a question.

"Who knew all it took was for you and I to…" but then she trailed off. The air became just a little thicker and she looked down at my hand wound lightly around her wrist. I let her go.

Did she think that she and I could really… or that what happened in the closet meant that…

"You're just my tutor," I said as we stopped on the staircase and it began to move.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her cheeks brightening.

I realized that maybe that was a bit rude of too straight forward of me to blurt, but what could I say? How would someone who wasn't me say it?

"What I meant was…" I started, and we continued climbing the stairs as they reconnected. "I'm not… I don't… see you like… ugh," I groaned as I realized how truly unpracticed I was at being civil.

"No, of course. Me neither…" she waved a hand of dismissal as we reached our corridor. We walked in silence then and it occurred to me that maybe this whole tutor thing was indeed making me have to associate myself with Granger more than I should. What was she thinking of all of this? I could only guess and the guesses weren't good. I mean, did she really think that I…

I don't even want to know. And what did Weasley mean about us "making sense." I mean, what kind of sense could Granger and I really make? And why am I questioning all of this stuff anyway?

We reached the common room, stepped inside, and were headed our separate ways when…

"By the way Malfoy," she called to me before I could close my door. I came back out partially. "Sorry this didn't work out as planned, and umm… well, to be honest, I had a lot of fun with you today and I'm sure you were annoyed with everything, but I had fun, and what I guess I want to say is well… if you still need the tutoring, we can work here in the common room tomorrow and my services are still available. I'll work on not putting you to sleep this time… and I'll stop 'cause I sense I'm rambling." She smiled, putting her face down.

"Tomorrow then," I said, once again ignoring my instincts. She looked up and smiled at me and it was at this moment that I realized how completely horrible this was and how ridiculously friendly I was being with her today and above all, how much I wanted this to stop this before it became anything more than what it already was.

"Okay, tomorrow…" she started, "Oh, and one more thing. Thanks for helping me out last night."

"Well it was kind of my fault Granger," I countered, recalling the situation.

"Yeah," she laughed, "but you didn't gave to help me and still, you did."

All I could do was stand there. What was I supposed to tell her? That my kindness was only part of my plan? My plan! My mind started working overtime all of a sudden. I was right to want to beat her on wits alone, but I wouldn't be using my wits at all if I didn't take advantage of the fact that she was completely, as I found out today, easily swayed by my physical charms.

"Granger, you wanna come in for a sec?" I asked, making room for her to get past me. She stood there, shocked. Sure, Blaise said I should seduce her and I disagreed. I'm not the only one who probably thought she was gay, but who wouldn't use this to their advantage.

"I can't…" she said after the long pause, and it was like I'd been slapped. So I guess I was mistaken after all. All in all, my spirits somewhat lifted to know that Granger didn't think of me that way either.

"Okay then," I smiled, "Goodnight."

"'Night," she returned before shutting her own door.

As I shut my door and unclothed, another thought occurred to me. I reran the day in my head and realized that yesterday I'd written her a note to prevent from having to talk to her and now here I was having full-blown conversations; funny, intriguing conversations, and by the end of the day, the "utter niceness" seemed to spew naturally from my mouth like it had been there for ages instead of only a few hours. So it seemed, this whole being nice thing would be easier than I thought.

As I pulled up my blanket, placed my wand on my bedside table, and closed my eyes, I heard the shower start from the bathroom and had to tune out the falling water, and in annoyance finally fell asleep.

I was dreaming. Everything was dark. I heard a door open and close gently, then light footsteps coming closer 'til they stopped. I looked around but couldn't see anything, then I heard a bump and I woke up.

I opened my eyes and in my darkened room was Granger damp, and wrapped in a towel hovering near my bed with my wand in her hand.

"What are you doing?" I mumbled, pulling my fingers through my hair in frustration, and sitting my tired body up.

"I'm… I'm…" she stood there thinking. She wasn't looking at me and in the moonlight I could see her pink cheeks. Then I took in the rest of the view. She was quite stunning, to say the least. She looked beautiful. She was pale, her hair was wet, and she was wrapped in a burgundy towel.

"You're…" I pushed on now looking at my wand in her hand.

"I'm sorry," she began, "I got locked out of my room somehow, and my wand is in there, along with my clothes and I needed your wand to get my door open." She sighed, looking more embarrassed.

"I see," I said, "but why steal it?"

"I did knock, but you didn't answer, so I peaked in and called out to you but you were knocked out…" she explained.

I could feel that familiar unease forming around us again so I lay back down, turned over and said, "Just hurry back with it."

I heard her hurry from the room and try several spells to unlock the door and judging by her cursing, she wasn't having much success. I huffed a sigh of annoyance loud enough for her to hear before getting up, walking through my bathroom door and joining her on the other side at hers.

"Well?" I questioned. She gawked at me in my boxers for a moment.

"Nothing's working," she said in defeat. She looked at me hopefully.

"You wanna try something?" she asked holding out my wand.

"Naw, you probably know more of these spells than I do," I said, walking away.

"Wait, where are you going?" she asked.

"Where else?" I started, "Back to sleep. Try your front door and if that doesn't work, then I guess your shacking with me." I laughed and then yawned. While I was getting back into my bed, I heard her murmuring more spells at her front door and I drifted to sleep for only a few minutes before she was back in my room. I tiredly opened my eyes watching her place my wand back on the side table.

"Nothing," she mumbled, "But I don't understand, how could my room just lock me out?"

"I don't know," I grumbled in exasperation, shutting my eyes again. Instantly I felt myself drifting off one more when the blankets lifted and my bed became heavier before they fell again. Realization hit me and I shot up.

"What are you doing?" I had pulled the blanket off of both of us and was now faced with looking down on her in the tiny towel. I turned my head away.

"You said, 'Then I guess your shaking with me,'" she quoted, poorly imitating my voice.

I turned to her angrily, she was now sitting up and the towel was falling low around her top.

I averted my eyes. "Well i didn't mean-"

She cut me off, raising her voice. "So you want me to sleep in the freezing common room in a towel after you offered?"

"But how was i to know, and your... in my bed... half naked."

There was silence. Finally i got up and went to my dresser. i tossed her a pair of my boxers and one of my uniform shirts, then turned away.

"At least put this on." And if I sounded pissed off, well then, so be it. I was tiered and this whole situation was becoming ridiculous. She was up to something by acting like this and that much I could definitely tell. Why bother trying to stop her if she's willing to embarrass herself like this because we both know good and well that she might not be able to conjure what she needs to make the common room cozy but she can definitely do a heating spell and borrow a pillow. Perhaps she was thinking like a Muggle or she just wanted to sleep with me, rethinking my recent offer, either way way... no I cant find a rationalization for why I should not care. But the point is, that at the moment I just didn't.

I heard her stand from the bed and let the towel drop. I stopped my mind from wandering to far. a few seconds later she was done and i turned around to see her almost swallowed by my clothes. for some reason, this made my mind wonder more than the towel had. I felt my face get warmer, so I looked away.

"How do I look, because I feel ridiculous." she laughed obviously unaware of what the scene was doing to me or of how her words amplified it. I could swear she was doing it on purpose and I was getting more and more angry thinking about how she probably had this all planned out to mess with me. I mean, no girl is really that oblivious as to ask such a stupid question are they. No, their not and i was now sure that Granger was up to something.

I was just about ready to tell her to get out when I remembered myself and quickly, to my own disbelief, utter the word "Cute." in response before moving around her and lying down again. It hadn't come out sarcastic nor sincere so she stood there for a moment, contemplating it's meaning I guess, before she followed. She fell asleep quite quick.

I did my best to stay as far away from her as I could but she kept tossing and turning, stretching her legs over me or squishing her body close to mine. I was becoming more vex by the minute and then I found that the only way to keep her still was spooning and that wasn't about to last long i just don't do that kind of thing. Or at least I thought i didn't and for as tiered as I had been I was now wide awake and spooning with Hermione Granger.

Not by choice I might add. She pushed herself into me every time I moved away slightly. Don't get me wrong, ya, it was annoying to say the least but it was also quite arousing, though soon I was on the edge of the bed and enough was enough. I thought about climbing over her and starting over on the other side of the bed but I really didn't feel like putting in the work just to end up back were I stated. At this rate I'd be up all night.

I pulled my arm, which she was hugging tight, away and crept away. Pillow in hand, I headed for the common room and flung myself down on the freezing couch and fell asleep.

I vaguely recall, in my sleepy stupor, getting up from the freezing couch, going back to my room and seeing Granger sprawled across my bed before collapsing next to her, too cold and tiered to care about the arrangements. When I woke up again, not much later, she was facing me, her limbs intertwined with mine, her face nestled in my chest and again, wide awake, I headed back to the couch. I finally woke up the next morning... no wait, afternoon and decided I would be skipping classes today.

I was Cranky and sore but on the upper hand, at least I would be avoiding Blaise.