Sorting Priorities (a Romione/Dramione Fic)

Chapter 6 • Careful, Now...

Hermione walked quickly into the Great Hall for lunch. She had rather enjoyed staying with Draco in the Room of Requirement, and was actually quite eager for their next test, if only because she might get to know him a little better. She strode over to the Gryffindor table, casting a covert look at Draco, and sat beside Ron.

"Hey, Hermione," Ron said, piling his plate with drumsticks. "Are 'oo all be'er?" He had begun eating.

"Yes, I'm fine, Madam Pomfrey gave me a potion that cleared it up in no time, but she had me stay the rest of next period in case it came up again." She gave a sly look in Harry's direction. "I saw you near the Room of Requirement on my way down, what were you doing in there?" She noticed his face flush slightly, but Ron was too wrapped up in eating to care.

"Oh, er, just....Checking on things," he said, but didn't meet her eyes. "The room's fine. I went in to the Room of Hidden Objects. It's fine." Hermione decided to pry further; she was feeling rebellious.

"Really? I heard you talking to Ginny. Something about the room's default form?" She smiled mischievously.

"It was you!" He exclaimed, pointing at her with his fork. "You were in the Room of Requirement when we tried getting in!" He savored the flash of panic that he saw flit across her face, but Hermione gathered herself.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Hermione said, feigning confusion. "I just heard you and Ginny talking. What would you want to do with her in there anyways?" Hermione added, redirecting the heat onto him. Ron was still too busy to notice anything.

Harry's face turned red. "None of your buisness," he said rather nastily. "And I daresay you were using the room for the same purpose. That's why we couldn't get into it. So don't go accusing me of hooking up with my girlfriend when you're off kissing someone who isn't Ron!" Hermione sat there, aghast at his accusations.

"Excuse me?! I needed somewhere dark and cool to lie down after the Hospital Wing!" She knew she was practically admitting that she had lied before, but she didn't care. As long as Harry didn't find out about her and Draco. "At least I was lying alone!" Hermione turned away, but couldn't resist the smile that tugged at her lips. She was quite proud of that last comeback, which had left Harry speechless with anger.

The two didn't speak for the rest of the day, and Hermione was still a little shaken from nearly being discovered.

Ron tried several times to initiate conversation between them, but failed every time, and left them to themselves to brood. When evening rolled around, Hermione was much more cheerful at the prospect of another night with Draco, but had to hide it as she bid goodbye to Ron. Once she slipped out of the portait hole though, a smile danced across her face.

She turned a corner into the next corridor and found herself face-to-face with Draco.

"Oh!" Hermione said, looking up into the face of Draco. "Hi!"

"Hi, Hermione," he said, touching her arm fleetingly. He turned and began walking in the same direction as her. "Did you and Potter fight at lunch?" He asked, with a hint of concern in his voice, though not, Hermione was sure, for Harry.

"Yeah," Hermione admitted a little sadly. "He figured out that I was in the Room of Requirement after Potions. But he didn't realize you were there too. He thought I had someone with me, but I think I convinced him that I just wanted to lie down. I told them I had to go to the Hospital Wing for a headache," she explained. "But come on; we don't want to be late." The two walked quickly to McGonagall's office and sat down, not betraying any inklings of what had passed between them earlier.

"Today your task is to organize the Herbology section of the library. As with Professor Trelawney, you will recieve any special instructions from Madam Pince and work together." She looked at Hermione and Draco. "Professor Trelawney reports that you two performed acceptably on her supplies, but a few books were out of order and a crystal ball was dropped, but she was not worried. She says that she appreciated your efforts and that you worked well together." Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't stopped to consider if Trelawney had been watching them while they had worked. "You may go."