Hermes' Secret

Chapter 4- Midnight encounter

An early chapter this week. Instead of a Saturday, you've got a Wednesday story!
This'd probably mean that there won't be an upload on this story this weekend unfortunately, but, hey, at least I published something for you guys!

Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to @BestsellerBeauty for voting on my Dramione one-shot 'Valentine Ritual'. Thank you so much for voting!

And on with the story folks...

~*~

On their way back to the dungeons, they were blocked by Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley.

'Ahhh, new boy' Potter drawled. 'Trying out for the Quidditch team'

'No' Hermione replied instinctively.

'No?' Harry raised his eyebrows, looking over her Quidditch attire.

'He doesn't exactly favour Quidditch' Theo stepped forward. 'He was simply having a go'

'A very bad go from what we saw up at the tower' Ron guffawed.

'At Beaxbatons, sport isn't taken this seriously' Hermione sniffed 'Now if you two don't mind, we're off to bed before you can try and get us killed, or worse expelled' With that, Hermione marched off down the corridors with Draco, Theo, Blaise and Pansy in tow.

'I think that Potter and Weasley need to broaden their range of insults if you're going to carry on like that?' Pansy sniggered 'Did you see their faces?'

'First, they get rejected and now this' Theo laughed 'I almost feel sorry for them'

'Almost' Hermione emphasised.

~*~

Hermione lay awake in her bed that night, unable to sleep. Getting up, she planned to go get some fresh air. She was about to go out, still in her disguise, but at the last minute decided against it. No one was going to be able to see her anyway; it was almost pitch black outside. Checking for anyone in the common room, she slipped out of the common room and up the staircase, heading for the grounds. The fresh air tickled on her throat glands as she inhaled heavily and soon she was lost in her steady breaths. That was until a voice called out to her.

'Hey, you!' She'd recognise that voice anywhere: Draco. Hermione cursed inwardly as she began to run. She had forgotten that it was Draco's turn to patrol today. 'Wait up!'

She began to run full speed towards the castle. Draco was far behind her, but had longer legs than her own and had soon caught up with her. She would have got away, though, if it wasn't for the invention of the trip jinx. Hermione stumbled and fell forward, flat on her stomach. She tried to get up but a sharp pain shot through her ankle at the mere thought of placing weight on it.

A figure loomed over her

'What happened?' Draco asked, his gaze resting solely on her ankle.

'I think my ankle is sprained' Hermione moaned. 'I can't put any pressure on it'

'Here, hold onto me' Draco offered, holding out his arm. Hermione grabbed it and pulled herself up.

'Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow' Hermione uttered immediately, hopping painfully on her undamaged foot. She'd only had time to register Draco walking towards her before the next moment he was carrying her, bridal style, into the castle.

'What are you doing?" Hermione panicked, more out of instinct than anything else. His arms were warm and comforting around her petite frame.

'Carrying you to the castle' Draco replied matter-of-factly, his eyes looking straight ahead.

'Couldn't you simply heal my ankle here?' Hermione asked exasperatedly. She only hoped that he'd look at her.

'I wouldn't be able to see it properly' Draco replied 'And, anyway, you could get away again'

'Fair enough' Hermione replied as they reached the Great Hall and Draco placed Hermione down on a table. Only then, did he look to see who she was? Her hair was in a messy bun atop her head and her drooping with sleepiness, but to Draco, the casual attire and messy hair held a natural beauty that seemed to radiate from the girl.

'Can you heal my ankle then?' Hermione asked, snapping him out of his reverie.

'Uhh...yeah...sure' Draco nodded, muttering a quick 'episkey'.

Hermione smiled, getting off the table to check that she could place weight on her foot, but instead landed ungraciously on her bottom, hissing painfully.

'I'm sorry' Draco apologised, kneeling to Hermione's level 'I have no idea why it didn't work though'

'Maybe because I was sprained by a jinx rather than by physical means. Jinxes are harder to mend or reverse than natural means of maiming' Hermione pondered aloud.

'You make me sound like such a bad guy' Draco chuckled.

'Who says you're not?' Hermione smiled back at him before hissing in pain again. 'Can you take me to the hospital wing?'

Draco answered in picking her up again and making his way toward the infirmary. He didn't mind; it meant that he got to talk to her.

'I've never seen you around?' Draco asked 'Which house are you in?'

'I'm a seventh-year Slytherin' Hermione replied nervously, expecting the coming questions.

'Are you sure, because I haven't seen you in the common room at all?' Draco asked suspiciously.

'Of course. I'm a Slytherin and proud to be one. You must just not be looking carefully enough' Hermione sniffed, hoping the quiver in her voice wasn't audible. He couldn't know. Not now.

'I don't think I could ever miss such a beau-' Draco cut himself short, biting his lip anxiously.

'A what?' Hermione asked, sure that she had heard him wrong. He was probably just trying to play her.

'Oh look, the infirmary' Draco announced a bit too cheerily, ignoring Hermione's previous question.

He lay Hermione on a bed, calling for Madam Pomfrey.

She bustled out of her office, tutting fiercely.

'You teenagers ought to be more careful' the matron chided, frowning at Hermione's ankle. 'Constantly getting into trouble'

'Je suis désolé. Sorry, miss' Hermione apologised, looking worried.

Hogwarts' professors were far more brash and forthright than her teachers back at Beaxbatons. She hoped she wasn't in trouble

'Oh, it's all right dear' the matron softened immediately 'I am here to help'

Draco appeared behind her and was about to sit next to Hermione when the matron spoke again.

'You better get to your common room, Mr Malfoy. You don't want to lose on any sleep'

Draco nodded, knowing that he could do nothing but oblige.

'Bye' he waved his hand to the girl before swinging on his heel and striding out of the infirmary.

Hermione waved back, secretly thankful for the matron's decision.

The lady would need to know about her secret identity to treat her and Hermione knew that Draco shouldn't know yet.

He hadn't proved his trust.

Not yet, anyway.

~*~

Je suis désolé means sorry in French

So, there's far more drama in this chapter. How do you like it? Draco has now met Hermione as a girl and finds her pretty. 

But isn't he going to notice soon, y'all are probably thinking? Well, I guess you're going have to wait until the next chapter. 

I know, I mean aren't I?

A necessary evil, unfortunately. *laughs maniacally*