A Different Response (A D/Hr FanFic)
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in the Harry Potter Series, all credit to J.K Rowling.
Setting: In the beginning of Fifth Year.
The serenity of the sun radiated the absolute of the Hogwarts gardens as Hermione followed the tracks towards Hagrid's Hut. She missed her small but appreciative conversations with him; they would always make her feel significant in her own way. She knocked on Hagrid's giant door with her small hands and waited, but there was no response. She tried calling out his name, enough to make him hear but still, no response. Hermione turned away and spotted Draco Malfoy stumbling on the same tracks as she curiously watched him come towards the Hut.
When Draco figured it was Hermione, he stopped in his stance and forced himself to look disgusted and simply pulled off his signature scowl.
Hermione grimaced, "What are you doing here? You don't seem like the person to come by Hagrid's."
Draco straightened his robes with a smirk and replied, "I was sent down for business. Only to send him a message…"
Hermione snickered and said, "He's not here. I guess that's too bad."
Draco took steps forward and was compelled to retort, but it was no use, Hermione already sighed and walked off with her back towards him.
He yelled, loud enough for her to hear, "I wasn't finished!"
Hermione took a sharp turn towards him and replied angrily, "You never are Malfoy! You never are…" Draco took a step backward in surprise to Hermione's outburst of anger, and she continued, "What is it with you and always wanting the final word? Why do you make it so hard for people to be civil towards you? Pureblood or not…Is it supposed to flatter you?" Draco held a scowl on his mouth but pain was present in his piercing eyes.
Hermione shook her head in persuasion to hold back a tear, as she reminisced to that day when Viktor Krum held her gracefully in the midst of a delicate dance; he was a pureblood and knowing that, it was supposed to build a possibility that Draco could be like that. Though Hermione struggled to believe the image of him being so…gentle.
Draco tilted his head curiously in the direction of Hermione, and noticed her effort to restrain her emotions. Half of his heart wanted to walk away but the other half wanted to lend his shoulder for comfort. Hermione took a second glance at Draco and realized his expression mirrored Viktor's when he saw her cry at the Yule Ball and the hesitation to come forward and show compassion.
Draco walked slowly towards the heartbroken Hermione and was startled when she suddenly took notice of the situation, "Don't do that. Don't pretend to care about my feelings…you never have."The conflicted Draco argued back before he took another step, "Isn't this what you wanted? When I'm actually not trying to make it hard for you, you complain and reject the gesture. What do you want Granger? Honestly…"
Hermione wiped her tears with the back of her thumb and mumbled behind the wetness of her voice, "I'm sorry…" Strangely, Draco heard her even with the interference of the sound of her cries but it didn't make him feel any better as he stood awkwardly in front of her.
Draco shook his head in mournful disbelief and said, "Sensitive." Hermione looked up from her sobbing and shot a confused look at him as he continued, "That's the problem with you Granger. One wrong foot in your situation, it'll be enough to crumble your world to pieces. Yes, you're intelligent, gentle, and loyal but to be fragile…it's hard to take on. Do you think my acts of conceit and hatefulness is truly who I am? No, it's not to tell you the truth," Hermione wanted to talk but Draco blocked her chance and carried on in a tone of desperation, "I'm just trying to protect myself from being in a state like how you are right now. I despise the feelings that involve heartbreak, I despise the feelings that make me feel ugly…you need to learn to be strong, you need to learn to handle the tension and prevent yourself from looking vulnerable."
Hermione's expression weakened and absorbed Draco's confession, and explored through all the words and phrases of what he just said. Hermione believed him for once. Everything he said was true and as poignant as it was to her, she accepted it all. Hermione suddenly felt exhausted for some strange reason, as if she was just hit by a strong breeze. She felt a force that tried to pull her down to the ground, more than gravity. She felt helpless.
Draco, seeing this, said worriedly, "What is it?" He raised his hands in caution when he observed Hermione seeming like she was about to literally break down. He swiftly moved forward and enveloped Hermione in his arms before she took the fall, and finally gave that gesture he was longing to give. Draco questioned himself for his odd behavior as Hermione continued to release her heart full of emotions in his embrace. His furrowed eyebrows weakened and his hand gradually surrendered to brush it against her back in sympathy.
His kindness. Her surrender. Their warmth. All the small things of those few minutes were extraordinary. Draco wasn't able to see it, but for a quick moment there, Hermione, for the first time, smiled because of him.