Chapter 17
"Alllllright Granger, you're done." Draco said as he turned her away from the muscular, bearded man and pried the bottle of Firewhiskey from her hands.
"Nooooo! Francis was going to introduce me to his wife!"
Draco chuckled. Granger was completely wasted. Her eyes were nearly closed, lids heavy and droopy, her speech was slurred and choppy, her body looked a little too relaxed, her head rested weirdly on her neck and her back was slumped.
"No. Granger you've had enough," he ripped the drink from her hand and quickly handed it to Rosemerta who had been watching the scene humorously.
Granger reached for her drink as if she were a child crying for a toy that had been taken away. "Just o-one more sip! I didn't finish!!"
"Shhhh Granger be quiet!" A few people at the bar were looking their way. Draco covered her mouth with his hand and dragged her away from the counter. His mistake.
She licked his hand.
"Eugh gross!! Granger what the hell!"
Draco wiped the saliva off his hand, and onto her sweater. "C'mon we're going back to the castle."
She stumbled out the door and leaned against the side of the building. "Whoa! Watch it!" He warned. "Here, come here." Draco slung her arm around his shoulders and the other around her waist.
Granger, with a surprising amount of strength for a drunk person, shoved him roughly, "I—don't—need your—help!" Draco threw his hands up in surrender but grinned as she began walking the opposite way, stumbling along the leaf strewn path. She staggered a few feet before she tripped and face planted in a pile of leaves.
"Oh shit!" Draco cursed and ran to her side. She just laid there, limp and motionless. He squatted next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Alright there Granger?"
She mumbled.
"I take that as a 'no'." He sighed and reached under her arms, heaving her up to her feet. This time when Draco put her arm around his shoulders and his around her waist she obliged. She looked at him goofily and grinned. "I reckon I do need your help."
The fact that there was a leaf plastered to the side of her face and several in her hair made the matter all the more funny. He gave a light chuckle as they stumbled up to the castle.
"Be quiet for a second will you?" He whispered. "I think someone's coming."
Granger giggled but shut her mouth none the less. They had entered the school through the heavy oak doors, sauntering up the staircases until they found themselves on the sixth floor. Just one more to go and they'd be hidden in their common room.
The sound of heels against the stone floor could be heard up ahead. Draco hid them behind a pillar just as Professor McGonagall came into view. She strolled past them and down the corridor to the left. Not a second after she had disappeared did Draco haul Granger up the stairs beside him.
As they reached the end of the skinny corridor, Lupin's portrait came into view. He looked tired and worn as usual but when he saw them stumble and give the password he looked wide awake. "What—"
"Granger here had a little too much drink. Now if you'd kindly let us in, I'd appreciate it if I could get her off of me."
With a final worried glance at Granger, Lupin swung the door open. Once inside Draco dumped her on the couch and caught his breath.
Granger laid half way off the couch, her head and arms dangling over the edge. She was in a fit of laughter, over what, he had no idea, but Draco figured he should get her cleaned up. She had dirt and wet leaves stuck to her clothes. Stands of hair from her pony tail had fallen out and shrouded her rosy face. There was a slight tear in her jeans from where she had fallen, crimson soaked the fabric just underneath. She must have scraped her knee.
Draco went cautiously into her room, he knew she wouldn't scold him for she was in no state to even formulate a single sentence, but even so, he wearily searched her room and looked around. He pulled open her drawers looking for a set of pajamas. He found and pair of Gryffindor pants and a grey shirt; part of him wanted to make her pay for the trouble she had caused him this evening. And so, the immature guy he was, he put the Gryffindor clothes back and searched for a green long sleeve shirt and black shorts. He grinned.
Granger would be waking up a Slytherin tomorrow.
He walked back out to see Granger laying face down on the floor. Draco sighed and picked her back up and sat her down on the couch. He placed the clothes in her lap and and slapped her face lightly. "Your gonna change alright Granger. You'd better be able to do it yourself because there is no way in hell I'm helping you, understand?"
Granger laughed and nodded. Her head rolled unnaturally on her shoulders again, but she stood up all the same and walked to the bathroom. Draco waited outside the door, after nearly five minuets he pounded on the door. Why was this so stressful?
"Oi Granger! What's taking so long."
The door knob wiggled and out came the drunken Gryffindor. Her hair was still untucked from its original style, toothpaste was smeared on the side of her cheek, blood ran down her leg from where she had fallen, and best of all, her shirt was inside out AND backwards.
All he could do was gape at her. As much as he wanted to just throw her into her bed and lock her in her room, Draco knew he couldn't leave her like this. "Uh alright Granger come here."
He led her back into the bathroom and sat her down on the tub. Draco grabbed a towel and wet the end of it. He awkwardly turned her face and wiped the excess toothpaste from her cheek. Then he brought out his wand and tapped her knee once. The cut sealed in a matter of seconds leaving behind a faint bruise. Another tap and the blood vanished. Her inside out and backwards clothes would have to stay.
Draco brought her back into her room and helped her into bed. "I'm not tired!"
She struggled against him and broke free from his grip. Granger stood on her bed and began jumping. "Come jump with me Malfoy!"
A grin plastered itself on her face as she sprung up and down, the pillows falling over the edge.
He watched rather amused. The normal Granger would be beside herself if she knew she had ever acted like this. He had to admit she was way more fun when drunk, but this wasn't her. He didn't like the shrill laugh that came from her every time she hit the mattress. It sounded like every other ordinary girl he knew, but one thing was for sure, Granger was no ordinary girl. He preferred her condescending chuckle, the one she offered every time he said something even remotely stupid.
Therefore Draco reached for a pillow that had landed on his foot and swung it forcefully at her legs. Granger toppled over and fell on her back, he took this opportunity to throw the covers over her body and trap her under the sheets. "Go to sleep Granger!! Your sorry arse is going to regret all this in the morning!"
She struggled under the covers for several minuets, punching and kicking, and then all of a sudden she stopped. Was she dead? Draco waited cautiously before pulling back the sheets.
She was starring thoughtfully at the ceiling, her face had grown soft and somewhat serious, then her eyes moved to his. She looked up at him and spoke as if she hadn't just been jumping on her bed like a child or drunk for that matter, "You were very sweet today. To that little girl. . . She needed someone to just cry to; and you were that someone. I can guarantee she'll never forget what you did for her. Ever. Those kinds of things, they're always remembered."
Thats how she left him: starring and looking speechless as she took the sheets from his hands and pulled them up to her chin and closed her eyes.
Draco blinked several times just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. . . He wasn't. So he quietly made his way out of her room, even though he was positive Granger was out cold, and went to his.
Draco closed the door and sat on his bed, he had other things to think about other than drunk Gryffindors words. Slowly, he took the phial out of his pocket, the liquid was ink black and sloshed around eerily as he examined it.
It was stupid. Beyond stupid, and Draco knew it, but he had to get rid of the Mark, he just had to.
And so, without further thought, he uncorked it and put the glass to his lips.
"A small sip, each night, for several weeks should do the trick." The cloaked figure had said. "But be warned, it will put you through much pain. . . "
Draco grit his teeth and took a sip.
Boy did he regret it.
••••••••
Hermione woke with a mind splitting headache. What happened? Fragments of the previous night pounded against her skull. All she could remember was sitting alone at the pub and then talking with someone. Who had she been taking to?
Her room was bright, wayyyyy too bright, and funny enough, her eyes weren't even open. She groaned and stretched her arms and legs, they were very sore. Her stomach churned and knee throbbed. Everything hurt. She could ask Madam Pomfrey for a potion to help her head, and maybe that would clear her mind and help her remember the previous night.
Slowly, Hermione inched open her eyes. The sun streamed through the window, the sky outside was a brilliant crisp blue. She groaned again and tried to make out where she was. Thankfully she recognized the wardrobe to her left and the heavy Gryffindor duvet that covered her. She was in her dormitory. But how had she gotten back? If she was as drunk as she thought she had been, someone must have helped her back to the castle.
The answer was laying beside her.
"Oh Merlin!" She yelled.
Face pressed in one of her pillows laid none other than a shirtless Draco Malfoy. He stirred at the sound of her voice and rubbed his eyes, "Morning Granger. How kind of you to wake me."
Hermione gaped in horror at him,
"How—why—what are you . . ." That was when she looked around the room and saw both of their shirts and her pants in a heap on the floor. She pulled the sheets all the way up to her chin, "Oh my God!!! D-did we—"
A smirk from Malfoy told her all she needed to know. Disgust and panic flooded through her. She sputtered and told him to explain.
"Not much too it. You got completely hammered, I walked you back to the castle, you kissed me when I helped you into bed, and well. . . here we are." He rolled out of the bed and spread his arms open, grinning at her.
Hermione smacked her forehead. How could she have been so stupid? Letting herself drink, with Malfoy for that matter, and being so careless. She was beyond embarrassed but not to mention livid. "YOU SON OF BITCH! What kind of bastard takes advantage of someone who's drunk!! You foul, sick headed git—"
Malfoy paid no attention to her aimless rant, he was in a fit of laughter. His face was bright red, tears rolling down his cheeks. He slapped the bed, trying to regain his breath, "As—if! Granger—your—clothes—"
"What are you on about!" She seethed.
He stumbled around the bed, clutching his stomach as he continued to laugh, and with a swift tug he threw off the sheets that had been covering her.
Hermione screamed as she lay exposed . . . Wearing clothes. She turned to him, utterly confused, "What is this?"
Malfoy caught his breath, "You—we never—slept together!" He chuckled again as Hermione visibly relaxed. "I did bring you back up to the castle, but I left you in your room and that was it."
"B-but how did you end up in my bed a-and the clothes?"
He snorted, "Simple. All I did was take off my shirt, grabbed a pair of your clothes and throw them on the ground to make it look like we—"
She jumped out of bed and punched him hard in the arm, and every other bit of him. "HOW—DARE—YOU!! I—CAN'T—BELIEVE—" A wave of nausea washed over her. Her hand flew to her mouth as she ran to the bathroom and ripped open the lid just as she emptied her stomach. Malfoy followed in behind her and patted her back softly.
"You need to learn to hold your liquor better, Granger."
She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and produced the biggest glare she could muster. "You. . . Better watch out. . . Because tomorrow. . . I will kill you."