Masquerade (Dramione)

Chapter 5

Oh, shoot! It's only when I get out of the shower and wrap a towel around myself that I realize... I left my clothes out there. Hesitantly, I opened the door a crack, clutching the towel tightly under my arms. Trying hard not to think about the fact that the traitor towel doesn't even reach my knees. I glanced around the room hoping to find it abandoned but to my dismay, Malfoy is once again sitting on the couch no more than 5 feet away. My clothes are on the other side table, where I had placed them while stretching. Great.

"Did you want me to join you or something Granger?" Malfoy asks, without even turning around. My skin heats up to about the temperature of a sauna and I blush beet red.

"Take a joke Gran-" Malfoy says as he turns to look at me, then stops when he sees what I'm wearing. "Um." He hesitates.

"I left... Left my... Clothes." I stutter out and my eyes fill with tears. I refuse to let them spill over. I hate crying when I'm frustrated or embarrassed. I wait for Malfoy to laugh at me and brace myself for a snide comment but to my surprise he stands up, scoops up my clothes and walks over to me. I can't seem to look him in the eye so I stare at his hands instead. Suddenly I wish I hadn't placed my bra on top of the pile, despite the fact that there was no way I could be more embarrassed than I already was. Without a word, Malfoy handed me my clothes and then turned around, sitting on the couch with his book as though he hadn't moved in the first place.

"Thank you." I said in a barely audible whisper. Then I disappeared into the bathroom and sank to the floor in complete mortification.

Dracos POV

I am such a jerk. I thought, scrubbing a hand through my hair as I walked out of the common room. I couldn't get the look she had given me out of my head. It was beyond embarrassed. She had been terrified... Of me. why am I such a jerk? I felt like a complete prick. I might like her, but she was scared stiff of me.

"I am a complete and utter arse." I half mutter.

"I'm not disagreeing." A familiar voice says. I turn around and find Pansy Parkinson walking towards me, hips swaying in a way that only Pansy can pull off.

"what do you want Pansy?" I demand, but it's difficult to be angry with the friend you confided in during your first 5 years of school.

"so you finally decided to get over yourself and admit that you have a major crush on Granger?" she asks. Suddenly I wish that I hadn't told Pansy about all this. At the time I had just needed someone to give me advice. but now she would probably use it against me.

"Did you tell anyone?" I asked icily. Pansy steps towards me across the hallway and smiles sadly.

"Do you really think that I'm the kinda friend who would do that?" I take a breath and calm down.

"No." I respond. "I guess not."

"So are you dating her now or something? Because that was not the way to announce it." Pansy jokes, gesturing towards the great hall.

"No." I shake my head. "She doesn't like me back."

"So turn up the old Malfoy charm. You could get any girl you want."

"Not her." I mutter. "I've heard her too much. She scared of me." Pansys eyes soften and she places hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry Draco. I've got your back."

"You're going to help me?" I ask, surprised. Pansy is not really the type to help anyone. She just shrugs.

"What are friends for?"

Hermiones POV

What are friends for? All they ever do is let you down. I thought I could count on them but obviously I was wrong. The conversation went something like this.