AU: Voldemort was defeated on the night Harry's parents died, so Draco wasn't recruited to be a Death Eater on his sixth year at Hogwarts BUT he was still a bit of an arrogant guy, and he and the Golden Trio weren't friends.
This is just a little oneshot for Valentine's Day, I suppose. I might've written this story with the start of "The Notebook" in my mind, so yeah.
Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and I do not own the characters in the story.
Hermione's Quidditch Woes
"Morning everyone!" Ron said cheerfully, greeting his housemates as he sat down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast.
"What are you so happy about?" Hermione asked him curiously.
"Excellent flying conditions, of course." the redhead replied. "What do you say, Harry, fancy a game of Quidditch today?"
Harry grinned. "Sure beats studying. You're on!"
"Excellent! I'll go grab our brooms after breakfast and we'll-" Ron stopped, noticing the look on Hermione's face. "What?" he asked her.
"I really don't think you should be playing Quidditch right now! Exams are just around the corner and both of you are really behind on your studies." she reprimanded.
"Oh come on, 'Mione, it's just one day! Besides, we've got a Hogsmeade trip coming up this Saturday, we can use that day to catch up on our homework."
"But-"
"It's just one day, 'Mione. Please?" Harry asked her.
"Aww, is mummy not allowing Potty and Weasel to go out and play?" a snide voice suddenly interrupted the trio.
"Shove off, Malfoy." Harry replied coldly.
"She's right, you know, you two are awfully behind in your classes." Draco said in a patronizing tone.
"What exactly are you doing here, ferret?" Hermione arched one eyebrow at him.
"Well, Granger, I heard Weasley here talking about Quidditch. I'm just surprised the bumbling idiot can even hover on his broomstick, much less play an entire game." he taunted Ron.
"You're just sore that Gryffindor beat Slytherin in that last match!" Ron replied, his face reddening in anger.
Draco scoffed. "That was sheer luck, Weasley."
"It wasn't!"
"Care to prove it?" Draco said, his eyes glinting maliciously. "How about a game of Quidditch after breakfast? Winner has bragging rights for the rest of the year."
"You're on, Malfoy." Harry replied, rising up to the challenge.
"Oh it is so on." Draco smirked. "See you there, Granger." he winked at Hermione before he left.
"In your dreams, Malfoy." Hermione retorted. Draco smiled at her once more before leaving.
"Oh he's so hot!" Lavender Brown suddenly said, joining in the conversation.
"Lav, you're supposed to be my girlfriend!" said Ron indignantly.
"Aww Ronniekins, are you jealous?" she replied coquettishly.
Hermione looked at Draco's retreating figure with disgust. "That arrogant arse! Bloody man thinks every girl has the hots for him."
"Well it's true! Every girl in our year thinks he's absolutely dashing." sighed Katie Bell. "I mean, have you seen him on a broom? He's amazing!"
Harry and Ron both groaned in annoyance. Hermione simply rolled her eyes.
"Well there's certainly more to a person that his Quidditch abilities!" she huffed impatiently.
"Oh, didn't you know? Malfoy's second in our year." Parvati Patil put in helpfully.
"Next to you, of course." Lavender added.
That shut Hermione up.
"You're kidding!" Harry said, his tone unbelieving.
"Nope." Parvati said. "My sister told me about it, apparently all the Ravenclaws have been going on about how brilliant he is."
"And dashing." Lavender sighed.
"Can we please stop talking about that git and just prepare for the game?" Ron said grouchily, while Lavender kissed him on the cheek to appease him.
While Harry and Ron organized a team for the Quidditch game, Hermione's thoughts drifted unwillingly to Draco. She certainly did not know that he was second in their year, and that piece of information definitely shocked her. It was odd, she never really noticed his intelligence before, as he never drew attention to himself during class. Was he really as smart as everyone says he is?
"Hermione, you'll be cheering for us on the stands, won't you?" Harry's voice brought her out of her thoughts.
"Oh, uhm…I really don't know, Harry. I was planning to head over to the library to study." she replied.
"Please come, 'Mione. I know you don't like Quidditch, but it'll be worth it to see Malfoy's face when we beat him, right?" Ron begged. The rest of the team nodded in agreement.
"Oh alright. As long as you won't get angry if I bring some of my books there to study." Hermione compromised.
"You wouldn't be Hermione Granger otherwise." Harry laughed.
Anyone who knew Hermione Granger knew that she never liked Quidditch. She didn't relish the idea of flying, and would rather have both feet on the ground thank you very much. Truth be told she was scared of the idea of soaring through the air with only a piece of wood ensuring her safety. No, she didn't like Quidditch at all.
Therefore it was a mark of her friendship with Harry and Ron that she agreed to watch their Quidditch practices, given that she be allowed to do her homework in the stands. Harry and Ron didn't mind, her presence in the stadium was enough for them.
Everyone met up in the Quidditch stadium after breakfast, the Gryffindor team wearing their red Quidditch robes, while the Slytherins wore green. Hermione had just made her way over to the stands when she saw Draco Malfoy sauntering across the field and giving her a wide smirk.
"Guess I'm dreaming, then." he remarked happily to her. Hermione simply rolled her eyes and opened her books.
But it was difficult concentrating on her studies once the game started; a sizeable crowd had come over to watch, and the air was filled with noise as everyone started cheering and shouting in excitement. Reluctantly, Hermione lowered her book about an inch to glance over at the game.
It seemed that the Slytherins were leading by 30 points, much to Harry and Ron's chagrin. He saw Ron curse angrily as he missed another goal, adding another 10 points to the Slytherin's score.
Irked by the idea of losing, Hermione cheered her housemates on. "Go Gryffindor!" she shouted. Ron waved at her happily, motivated by her shout.
On the other hand, she saw Malfoy giving her an odd look from the other side of the field. Hermione glanced back at him, curiously noting his expression. Was he…jealous?
"No, that's ridiculous, Hermione. Why in Merlin's name would he be jealous?" Hermione muttered to herself.
The game went on, and Hermione, completely abandoning her books, watched the game. The Gryffindors were slowly catching up, thank Merlin, and the game was growing increasingly more exciting. Hermione cheered loudly when Ron was able to save a goal, and Harry gave a twirl in his elation.
"You're cheering for the losing side, Granger!" a voice from two feet above her suddenly said.
Hermione gave a jolt in surprise when she saw Malfoy hovering a few feet above her, giving her an annoyed look before flying off and circling the field once more. She couldn't help but notice that Draco Malfoy was indeed a talented Quidditch player. He did a couple of complicated loops that Hermione doubted even Harry could have done, and his flying was amazingly calculated and light; she wondered if it was his broom that enabled him to fly so incredibly or it were his prodigious skill.
Hermione also couldn't help but notice how his figure had changed over the summer; his tall, lanky figure replaced by a muscular but lithe one. She noticed how his jaw suddenly became more defined, and his sneers replaced by a sort of boyish charm when he grinned due to another ten points being scored by the Slytherins. He caught her eye then, and gave a wink that sent the girls sitting near her giggling in delight, thinking that it was them he winked at.
But Hermione knew that the wink was directed solely at her, and a warm blush crept upon her face. She felt a tingle running down her spine, and much to both her and Draco's amazement, she smiled back at him.
That smile, it seemed, became Draco's undoing. He soared even higher around the stadium, performing the most dangerous stunts Hermione had ever seen.
"Oy, Malfoy, quit playing around before you break your neck!" one of his teammates shouted at him. Draco said nothing, merely giving an arrogant smile as he circled around the stadium once more.
Hermione stared at him in apprehension; she couldn't help it, flying scared her, even if it wasn't her who was doing it.
"Nervous for me, Granger?" he shouted as he flew near her, performing a stunt that sent the other girls gasping.
"In your dreams, Malfoy." Hermione said, crossing her arms and ignoring her sweaty palms.
"I thought we already established that I am dreaming." Draco smirked.
"Don't you have a game to play?" she said acidly.
"Not until you admit that you'd care if I fell off my broom." he grinned. The girls sighed in admiration at his smile, and Hermione shot them an annoyed look. Really, they were acting so ridiculously.
"You can fall off a million times, for all I care." she replied haughtily.
"Alright then." Draco said, as he got off his broom and dangled dangerously from it, both hands gripping the broomstick.
The game had come to standstill, and both the Gryffindor and Slytherin players shouted at Draco to quit playing and return to the game. The petty girls near Hermione shrieked in horror as Draco Malfoy dangled 20 feet from the ground.
"What the hell are you doing, Malfoy? Get back on your broom!" Hermione said, her throat tightening in nervousness.
"But you said you wouldn't care if I fell." he said, as he swung back and forth dangerously.
"Alright, alright I'd care!" Hermione shouted in alarm. "Now get back on your broom!"
"No."
"No? NO?! What game are you playing, Draco Malfoy?!" Hermione said hysterically.
"Say you'll go out with me."
"WHAT?! Of course not!" she shouted.
Draco let go of one hand, and the crowd that had gathered near him gasped in horror. The girls were openly crying now.
"Get back on your broom, you git!"
"Malfoy don't be stupid, she won't go out with you!"
"Oi, are we going to finish this game or not?"
Draco ignored the shouts, and stared at Hermione instead.
"Say you'll go out with me, and I'll get back on this broom." he stated.
"Go to hell!"
"I might. My hand is slipping, I won't be able to hang on any longer." Draco said, grunting with the effort of hanging from his broomstick with only one hand. He slipped about an inch lower, causing more frightened shouts around them.
Hermione wrung her arms in panic. "Okay, I'll go out with you!" she shouted.
"Say it again."
"I'LL GO OUT WITH YOU!"
Draco shook his head. "Don't do me any favors, Granger. And say my name, damn it!"
"I WANT TO GO OUT WITH YOU, DRACO MALFOY!" Hermione shouted, terror gripping her as he slid another inch lower.
"Good. That's settled then." he said, swinging back onto his broomstick. "I'll pick you up this Saturday then, we're going to Hogsmeade." he winked once more before speeding away.
So...how'd you like it? :) Leave a review please, I'm dying to know if you like it or not!