Enemy Seduction: Dramione

Different Signals

Hermione could find nothing more relaxing, nothing more liberating than swimming around naked in  warm, bubbly bath water. Having completed her tenth lap around the perimeter of her Olympic-size bathtub, she swam to the edge and sat on the stone bench, leaning her drenched head back and closing her eyes.

As the perfumed steam rose up from the surface of the water and floated over her face, Hermione quietly mused to herself, wondering how it was possible for bath water to stay consistently warm even after an hour of soaking in it. She knew she should get out soon. Draco would be back from patrol any minute, and she couldn't risk him finding her naked in a bathtub.

She was just contemplating getting out when she heard a very loud bang come from Draco's room followed by what sounded like furniture being thrown around.

"God, damn it!" came a muffled yell.

She yelped in alarm when the door to the bathroom suddenly slammed open, and Draco came striding in.

"AHHH! GET OUT!" Hermione screamed hysterically, lowering herself into the water so that only her head was above the water.

"Oh, cool your bloody horses, woman! I'm not here for you!" Draco retorted as he frantically opened drawers and cabinets, tossing through the contents of each one before moving on to the next.

When he reached the towel cabinet, he tossed them on by one over his shoulder until the whole cabinet was empty and a large mound of towels lay on the floor.

"Son of a bitch!" he raged, slamming the cabinet shut and kicking the towels.

Hermione found his childish behavior rather comical...and yet somehow charming.

"What are you looking for?" she asked with an amused smirk on her face, grateful that she was well covered by the thickness of the bubbles floating on the surface of the water.

"I can't find my lucky boxers," Draco whined, grabbing his hair in frustration.

"What do they look like?" Hermione asked calmly.

He looked at her.

"They're silk and green," he replied.

"Aren't all your boxers silk and green?"

"Well, yes...but these were a bit more worm than the others, and they had my initials on them."

Hermione snorted.

"What's so funny?" he asked defensively.

"Nothing. Did you check the laundry?" she asked, trying desperately not to laugh for she suddenly recalled burning a pair of Draco's boxers for a spell that hadn't worked.

"I checked everywhere! My room, here, the laundry! I even asked the house elves if they had sen them," Draco painfully admitted.

"Did you check the changing rooms?" Hermione asked a bit stiffly, frowning upon his condescension towards the house elves.

"They couldn't possibly be in there. I only wear them for games, and we haven't played yet."

"When are you playing?"

"Tomorrow! Our first game against Gryffindor! I'm doomed without my luck boxers!" he concluded dramatically.

"How are they your lucky boxers?"

"Pardon?"

"You've never beaten Harry to the snitch before. Obviously, your boxers can't be that lucky. What difference would it make if you worse them or not?"

"That's rather bold of you to scoff at me, Granger...especially in your present state of vulnerability," he said, taking a threatening step towards the water.