Inescapable

chapter 4

Draco gazed down at her, mildly amused, to find several different emotions battle it out on her face. There was shock, anger, panic, and then something that looked an awful lot like reluctant acceptance.

Draco couldn't help but grin. "Come on, Granger, I don't have all bloody night," he said almost jovially.

Hermione glared at him. "I... Well, I think -" she began.

"Sssh," Draco slapped a hand over her mouth, none too gently, and stared at the closed door.

He could have sworn that he just heard... Yes - there it was again - a distinct meow.

Hermione, who had been beating his arm in an attempt to get herself free, suddenly stilled and stared at Draco with wide frightened eyes.

Shit. She'd heard it too, so he wasn't imagining it. Fuck. That could only mean one thing...

The door to the storeroom was suddenly flung open, and both Draco and Hermione jumped back in alarm.

"Well, well, well," Filch sneered, showing his rotten teeth. "What do we have here then?"

Draco gagged loudly as the old caretaker's breath reached his nose. Jesus Christ, but it was putrid.

Hermione whacked him in the stomach and shot him a stern look, clearly conveying that if he didn't behave himself, there would be hell to pay. "Mr. Filch," she began solemnly.

"Save it, girl, you won't be able to talk your way out of this one. Not only is it past curfew, but I just caught you two doing the nasty in my storeroom," he looked delighted by this.

Hermione gasped, thoroughly shocked. "Mr. Filch, I don't know what you think you saw, but I can assure you that there was no nasty business - of any sort - going on in here."

Draco couldn't help it, he snorted.

Both Hermione and Filch gave him equal narrow-eyed looks.

"Have you got something to add, boy?" Filch asked, left eye twitching ominously.

Draco cleared his throat. "Well -" he began, obviously about to say something irrevocably damaging, as was his nature. Hermione, sensing this, pinched the skin on his arm and twisted. "Ow!" he screeched. "What was that for?!" he snarled. "Bloody Devil woman!"

Hermione smiled at Filch serenely. "He doesn't have anything else to add."

Filch stared at them both, evidently thinking they were a bit mental, which was saying something, because he was basically bat-shit crazy himself. "Well, follow me then. I'm sure Professor McGonagall will be very interested in hearing about this," he chuckled lowly, turning and walking away, clearly expecting them to follow.

Hermione looked at Draco, sheer panic written all over her face. "What shall we do?" she mouthed.

Draco scowled. "I don't know," he mouthed back, irritated. He rubbed his arm vigorously. It was still stinging.

Mrs. Norris hissed at them, causing them both to flinch. They exited the storeroom, giving the mangled old thing a wide berth and quickly caught up to Filch.

Hermione fretfully pulled on the sleeve of Draco's jumper. "We need to do something," she hissed.

Draco smacked her hand away, throwing her an impatient look. What the fuck did she expect him to do? "Get off me," he snapped when she grabbed at his arm again.

Fuck. This was just what he needed right now. How the hell were they going to get out of this?

Draco scanned his mind, grasping at everything and anything, until finally he had an idea. Without a moment's pause he pulled his wand out of his pocket, pointed it directly at the back of Filch's head and said: "Obliviate."