The Dark Side (A Dramione Story)

Chapter 5

"Please tell me I heard that wrong." Hermione said in a low voice.

"You can't do it." Ron answered firmly. "Ask McGonagall if you can sleep in the Gryffindor dormitories. If she says no... you'll have to hand in your badge."

"Ron, are you mad? I'm not handing in my badge!"

"I don't like it. He was a Death Eater for Merlin's sake. And they're just going to make you live with him? He could murder you in your sleep!"

"Don't be ridiculous. He wouldn't do anything like that." She shook her head, irritated at his inability to move on from their past quarrels with Malfoy.

"Hermione, Ron's right. It's not safe." Harry said, his voice laced with concern.

"You too, Harry?" She couldn't believe the fuss they were making. She looked at Ginny for support, but she just shrugged with a sheepish look on her face. Sure, it was going to be almost unbearable to have to live in such close proximity to Malfoy, but she didn't think he was dangerous.

'Or is that just what he wants you to believe?' There she was again with the talking-to-herself thing. 'Maybe he wants you to let your guard down so that can-'

"Enough," she said, partly to Harry and Ron and partly to herself. "I can take care of myself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the library. Unless you'd like to accompany me there in case I get cursed in a hallway or something."

She saw them roll their eyes at each other, but her sharp tone made them keep their mouths shut. She dramatically stormed out of the hall, but couldn't stay angry for long. They were only trying to protect her. What was she doing, anyway, defending Draco Malfoy? For all she knew, he could be planning to kill her while she was sleeping.

After her temper had cooled a little, she wished she'd stayed to ask Harry where the DADA Professor's office was as she was unfamiliar with the second floor. She shrugged and decided that she'd just ask a student or professor later if she couldn't find it.

She was halfway to her usual spot in the library when she realised that her comfy armchair was already occupied. By Malfoy. He read books? She had never seen him step foot in the library in all the years they'd been here.

Feeling quite annoyed, she averted her eyes from him and huffily pulled a piece of parchment from her robe pocket. She had written a list of books she wanted to get through before her last year at Hogwarts was over. After finding the first title on her list, 'Dreadful Denizens of the Deep', she sat in a chair not far away from Malfoy and tried to shrug off the situation. The armchair was not as comfortable as her usual one, but she was soon too engrossed in the book to notice.