The Yule ball soon to come to a close, Hermione absentmindedly noted as she sat on the stairs a couple hours later after her fight with a certain red headed miscreant. No one stopped to ask how she was. All of them ignored the bookworm. All too preoccupied with their post-yule-ball hype. She didn't mind too much. It would be nice, she thought to herself as she watched yet another group of girls who giggled as walk past as they talked about the event that had just happened as if one of them hadn't been there, if they stopped to see how I was, even for just a second. She glared at another innocent couple that ran past her; it was obvious that they were in search of a more private place where they could continue what they had previously been caught doing.
She heard someone's footsteps come towards her from the left. She ignored it. It's just another person that will just walk by, just like the rest of them, she thought to herself. That's why she was surprised when she heard the person stop right in front of her; she still refused to look up and only saw the shiny black shoes of a man. She knew that it wasn't Harry or Ron; they had gone up to the common room hours ago.
The, still, unknown man sighed, "Why do you let him do that to you, Granger?"
Her eyes widened in surprise, she knew that voice. Granted, that voice is usually used to send scornful remarks about her background or bloodlines, but she knew that voice. She looked up. Grey met brown. Sure enough, Draco Malfoy stood right in front of her. "What do you want, Malfoy?" she spat. She cringed at the roughness of her own voice, "Come to make fun of me, maybe about how I can't seem to keep a guy around without making them go mad?"
He sighed, he deserved that, and he knew it. He himself didn't know what he was doing; this was not something he had planned. She was the girl that he belittled relentlessly. Yet, when he saw her, clearly upset about the evening, he had the strange urge to go comfort her. "I don't know," he said finally as he ran his hand through his blonde locks, which messed up his once perfect hair do.
He sat down next to her, on a lower step, as he slid his back against the wall, his legs stretched in front of him. They sat in silence as they watched couples come in and out of broom cupboards; they did not bother to give the Gryffindor and Slytherin a second glance. They were safe.
They sat like that for what seems like hours, awkward silence engulfed them. "Why me?" she whispered, he heard it, "why is it always me, Malfoy? They tell me to loosen up, and when I do, they get mad at me." Tears prickled her eyes, he wordlessly gave her a conjured handkerchief, she took it but didn't use it, but instead she twisted it in her hands, "I have spent the past four years with them, they just looked at me as 'one of the boys', which I had never really minded but, now, when things started to fall into place, I mean, Viktor Krum noticed me, and when that happens… I just… I don't know what do anymore." She babbled on.
He didn't answer she didn't expect him to. They sat there, once again in silence; "I'll ask again Granger, why is it that you, of all people, let him do that to you?" she looked at him strangely, she silently asked for clarification. He refused to look at her but continued, "You are the brightest witch of our year, you are the brains of the so called "golden trio" and I'm sure that without you, Scarhead and Weaslebee would be dead," she cringed at the casual way that he said it, "so why?"
"I don't know," she said quietly as she looked into the empty space in front of her. No doubt thinking about what her enemy had just said.
They both sat, they didn't talk, and they didn't seem to mind. Soft music seemed to drift towards them from somewhere. They sat, lost in the music. She didn't notice when he stood up. She did, however, notice the hand that hovered in front of her. She noticed the nervousness that danced across his face, "Dance with me Granger,"
"What are you playing at Malfoy?" she asked, she stared at his hand with caution.
"Nothing," he replied, his hand still outstretched, "just a dance…. Hermione."
The use of her first name made her look him in the eye. No hatred, no prejudice. He wasn't the person that had done nothing but made her life hell, he constantly brought her down and question whether or not she should be here. Right now, he was just a boy who had just asked her to dance.
She knew that she shouldn't. She knew that if Ron or Harry ever heard about it they may never forgive her. She knew all this, but it seemed her body didn't want to listen to her brain. She watched as her hand slowly lifted before it gently fell into the blonde's outstretched hand.
He helped her as she slowly stood. This was not the Draco Malfoy she knew, but it was the one that she preferred. They swayed cautiously to the beat of the soft music. Her head looked up at him. His looked down at her. Awkwardly, she rested her head on his shoulder, her heels allowed her to do so. He was shocked. He didn't expect that. She didn't either, for that matter. Both decided they didn't care. If they were going to break the rules, may as well do it thoroughly. Hesitantly he rested his cheek on the top of her head. She stiffened, but she didn't move. They moved stiffly with the other, still very much aware who the other one was.
They both knew of the consequences. That didn't stop Draco, his hand curled around some of the blue material that rested at her waist, to pull her closer. She gasped inaudibly, before she looked up at the grey eyes that looked back at her. Electricity bubbled between them. "Draco," she whispered as she pulled herself closer.
"WOOPS!" someone yelled with a laugh, the Slytherin and Gryffindor pulled back hastily. Hermione's face turned a bright red; she had started to resemble a strawberry. The girl that interrupted them fell into a fit of giggles. She was drunk. That was for sure. Both Draco and Hermione looked at the girl, who had passed out after the first few seconds of laughter. They turned to each other. Fear present in her eyes as she realized what could have happened between them, if they had not been interrupted.
They both pulled away hastily, their eyes refused to meet. Awkward coughs were exchanged instead. Their eyes met in a briefly, but moved on just as quickly.
"I should…" Hermione stuttered, her voice shook as she willed her heart to beat normally, "I shou-should go."
Draco stared at the darkened hallway, the stealthily shadows danced up the walls. Monsters were shown where there was none. He stared at her. Their eyes only met for a split second, but his decision had been made. "I'll walk you back," he said simply, he stared at the brown orbs that looked at him in shock.
"Wh- I mean you-no it's… it's okay… Malfoy," Hermione stuttered as she thought of his offer, as tempting as it was, maybe it was better to go back to how they used to be, before all this happened. Maybe it was better to just forget about this day all together. It would be better, for both of them.
"Listen, Granger, it's late, it's dark, and who have no idea what kind of perverts are sitting in the shadows, watching you, waiting till you're alone," he said with a mysterious edge, the mixture of the way words rolled off his tongue and the mysterious way he spoke sent chills down her spine, "you never know what they are thinking an-"
"OKAY!" Hermione shouted, her voice echoed around the abandoned hallway, before it fell to a much quieter voice, "Okay, I get it. I – you – I don't want to impose on whatever you were doing before you came up to the crying mess of a girl –"
His unneeded (at least, to her it was unneeded) scoff stopped her from saying anymore, she looked at him, her face was placed in a mask of shock, while her cheeks seemed to paint themselves a dark red, her mouth opened without any real thought. However before she could say anything he reached out, grabbed her hand, (which fit perfectly in his, they both thought but neither would say out loud) and gave it a tug, as he pulled her towards the direction of the grand staircase.
The silence was deafening. The only sound came from the clunk, clunk, clunk, of her heels. Both tried to think of a way to break the awkward walk. After continuously opening and closing of her mouth, the bookworm spoke, "Why are you doing this? After all that time… you've belittled me, you've teased me; I've punched you, for Merlin's sake. So tell me why are you being nice to me now?"
He stopped; it was not till a couple of steps later did Hermione realize that she was walking by herself. His head was bent slightly, not looking her in the eye, but instead, to the ground, "Listen, Granger," he spoke softly, she had to move slightly closer just to hear him properly, "I want to apologize. Everything I said, everything I did, and I – you know I never wanted to do that to you, but… my father…" he hesitated, just realizing what information he had divulged.
She moved down the stairs until she was the same height as him. The sudden touch of a hand being placed on his shoulder made him look up. Her eyes sparkled and the pale light coming through the window from above seemed to make her glow. The fact that her hair seemed to be less perfect than it was earlier that evening made her, in Draco's view, more beautiful. A tentative smile fell upon her lips and all he could do was stare at them.
"Draco," she whispered, as he shuffled a little closer, his hands seemed to have found their way to her hips, bringing her closer as well. Timid smile were exchanged, each second their faces gravitated towards the other as the wind from outside, created a muffled symphony from behind the walls of the old castle.
There was barely enough room to fit a magazine between them as Draco crashed his lips to hers in desperation. Her hands moved automatically, she followed her instincts as it landed in his hair. Her fingers ran through the blonde tresses. His arms weaved its way around her hips, impossibly trying to pull her closer.
They both broke away slowly, their breaths came out in loud, short puffs. He had a small smirk on his face, but it wasn't a cruel one, the one she was so accustomed to, but rather a happy one, or perhaps it was triumphant, "You have no idea how long I've waited for that." He whispered to her, his breath filled her senses. Mints and chocolate filled her nostrils.
She just smiled. "I have to be back in the common room soon," she whispered back, as if she didn't want to break the spell that had fallen over them by speaking too loudly. She tugged slightly on the front of his robes where her hands now rested.
He allowed himself to be pulled. The smirk now turned into a smile, one that has not been seen in many years. Her hands slipped into his, and without any words, he placed his fingers in the spaces of hers. A smile grew on her face as she moved closer. They didn't understand what had just happened between them, but neither of them cared. In the back of their minds, they knew that it would not be possible to keep this going, but for tonight, it would last. For tonight was their night.
The entrance of the Gryffindor common room drew closer with every step they took. They slowed to a stop. The young Slytherin moved slightly so that he stood in front of her, staring into her brown eyes which had started to fill with tears once again. "You know…" he whispered, his voice filled with emotion. Before he could continue, lips smashed into his locking them in a tight embrace. Passion filled the air as they gripped on to one another, knowing that as soon as she walked through the door, it would be over.
"Thank you, Draco," she whispered, her mouth millimeters in front of his, "thank you for everything." With a quick kiss, she left the comfort of his arms before whispering the password to the portrait.
With a soft bang of the portrait closing, they both knew it was over. But this night had been theirs.