"What's it like?"
"What's what like?"
You know spending all you evenings with Draco" Ginny said suggestively
"Stop making it sound as if we're having some scandalous rendezvous!" Hermione quickly exclaimed "we are simply working together to catalogue the new collection of dark magic books, and I have told you this already like a million times" Hermione finished sounding very exasperated.
"Merlin you are so dense, you're with the hottest guy in the school every evening and you can't even summon up a teeny bit of enthusiasm. Do you know how many girls would kill to have the opportunity you have"
"I do not view working with Malfoy as an opportunity, it's more like a curse" Hermione replied staunchly, even though she knew it was a blatant lie. "If it wasn't for Neville I don't know how I would survive"
Ginny laughed out loud "That's so funny" she said in between giggles "What was McGonagall thinking, isn't she afraid that he will somehow destroy the entire collection"
Even Hermione had to laugh at that. "Maybe her plan will work and he will learn to be more responsible" she replied "although seriously I think that Malfoy is sometimes seconds away from hexing him for his clumsiness"
"Hmm Malfoy" Ginny sighed "what would I give for a piece of that"
Hermione rolled her eyes heavenward; it was obvious that the majority of the girls in the Wizarding world had caught something that Hermione liked to call 'Malfoy Fever'. It was ridiculous how girls practically threw themselves at him, and of course Malfoy being the jerk that he was, was only to happy to take them up on their offer. Hermione hated the feeling she got whenever she though of Malfoy with other girls, but she absolutely refused to call it jealously even though there really wasn't any other name for it. There was a short silence between the girls as Ginny continued looking around the library and Hermione resumed reading her text trying to get thoughts of Malfoy out of her mind.
"Okay, so I've finally figured it out" Ginny said abruptly, her animated gaze fixed on something on the opposite end of the library.
"Figured what out?" Hermione asked, her concentration more on the text before her rather than on her friend's statement.
"I've figured out what it is that has all the girls attracted to Draco" Ginny replied.
Hermione shook her head, a faint smile playing on her lips, closing her text she gave her full attention to Ginny.
"I thought you had already done that. As I recall the last time it was because of his silky blond hair and cold smoke coloured eyes, or was it because of his lean muscular physique that makes you drool or then again was it because of his sensual smirk. Really Ginny you need to just pick one because this is getting very confusing" Hermione replied teasingly.
"Well he is all that … and…"Ginny replied defensively
"And what?"
"And it's also because he has that bad boy, good boy thing "
"What!" Hermione exclaimed, starting to think that maybe her friend was a little bit crazy.
"You know, like how he can be a real bastard to people, especially to Neville, and yet he's good because he did help us to defeat Voldemort, so he's kinda like a bad good devil, and that's very sexy" Ginny finished wistfully.
"Ginny Weasley you're certifiably mad, Draco Malfoy is just plain bad, in fact he's evil!" Hermione exclaimed, suddenly noticing that Ginny's gaze was directed to something behind Hermione, and she was also blushing a deep shade of red"
"So glad to know that you have such an exalted opinion of me Granger, but if you're through glorifying me could we get going". Draco said coldly from somewhere behind her. She quickly gathered her books, glanced at Ginny, who was giving her an "I'm so glad I'm not you right now look", and turned to leave with Draco. However by the time she turned around Draco was already striding down the corridor almost reaching the restricted section of the library, leaving Hermione to hurry after him. He had opened the door and was waiting for her to enter looking casually relaxed but as Hermione neared him she could sense that he was very angry, and she knew she had to apologize, being deliberately mean was not something she aspired to.
"Listen, I'm sorry about…." She whispered as she passed him to go into the room.
"I really don't want to hear it" he rasped angrily closing the door behind him and coming to stand directly in front of her. They were so close she could feel his warm breath against her cheek, she could also feel the fierce anger emanating from him and directed at her. All at once she felt a tingling awareness and mentally she kicked herself for having such an overriding attraction to Draco Malfoy.
"Ahm… Hello Hermione" she heard a timid voice say.
She saw Draco's eyes narrow ominously and his beautiful lips curl into a snare before he turned to face Neville.
"Hi Neville" Hermione replied, brushing past Draco to sit with her fellow Gryffindor. She glanced nervously at Draco, relieved to see that he had taken a seat across from them. Although he was reading through a text apparently impassive, Hermione knew that he was still angry and looking across at Neville she could tell that he was aware of it also.
Fifty five minutes and three threats to Neville's life later the tension in the room was so thick Hermione thought she would suffocate with it. Draco was still angry, very, very angry, and she knew she had to do something about the situation before Neville was indeed Avada'd.
"Neville, perhaps you could, ah, take a break now" she offered helpfully, after all if she had to make Draco listen to her apology, she wasn't going to do it in front of any witnesses.
"Do you think I could Hermione" Neville practically gushed, glancing furtively at Draco.
"Of course Neville, I'm sure….." however before she could even finish her sentence Neville had already grabbed his stuff and bolted through the door. Hermione was still looking bemusedly at the spot where Neville had been when she heard a deep, sinister chuckle behind her.
"Aren't you afraid to be in here all alone with pure evil Granger" he asked her tauntingly as she turned to face him.
"I've been trying to tell you I'm sorry for saying that" she told him apologetically
"Sorry? no Granger I don't believe you're sorry at all" Draco responded sarcastically.
"If I said I was sorry, then I am sorry, she told him indignantly, feeling relieved as she saw his platinum eyebrow raise and his smirk appear, apparently he was accepting her apology "although, even you have to admit that you do things that people might misconstrue as being evil" she said, oh no why couldn't she have just shut up after saying she was sorry, argh.
"Things like what Granger" he asked, his anger swiftly returning.
"Like nearly killing Neville" she pointed out, getting angry because he was angry
"Granger, I thought you would be grateful for that since he's always throwing himself at you anyway" he replied venomously. Well he did have a point there Hermione agreed but she would never let him know that
"Plus you're still mean to Gryffindors, and Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws"
"That's because I'm still Slytherin and we are still better than everyone else" he countered rationally, well as rational as one could be when one was fuming mad.
"You still fight with Harry and Ron"
"Oh, for the love of …, that's only happens on the Quidditch pitch" now he was furious, still sexy but furious. "have you even noticed Granger that I joined you to fight against Voldemort and by doing that I have forsaken my parents and my heritage, or that I have been accepted as an Auror already, or even that everyone else has accepted me except for you" he finished, breathing deeply.
He was totally correct, everything he said was the truth, and she really didn't have anything to say to defend herself, he wasn't evil, but she had always known that. She turned to leave but found the door blocked by his gorgeous six foot two body.
"How can you still think I'm evil, for Merlin's sake, you're supposed to be the smartest witch in our year!" he bit out exasperatedly
"I don't, not really" she murmured, not wanting to draw his ire anymore unto her
"Why did you say it then" he questioned
"Because …. Because"
"This is not the time for prevarication Granger"
"It's like a form of protection"
"Protection, against what…me?!!" he asked incredulously
"You wouldn't understand"she murmured despondently
"Make me understand, because there is no way you're leaving this room until you do, this nonsense has gone on long enough" He told her threateningly.
"Okay, she relented, but just remember you forced me into saying this". However it was only when he jerked he toward him with barely suppressed violence did she finally begin to confess.
"If I think you're evil then there is now way that I'd ever want to be with you and that I'd ever wish you could be mine." she whispered
"What!" he exclaimed instantly releasing her, seeing the very shocked expression on his face Hermione wished she hadn't opened her big stupid mouth, she really had never believed that he would hurt her anyway. She made a move to leave, praying the earth would just open and swallow her up, but he grabbed her wrist.
"Let me get this straight, you like me?"
Still being too embarrassed to look at him, she stared at his polished shoes instead
"Like is such a …. Mild word" she murmured, oh Merlin, she couldn't believe she had just blurted that out!!!
He grabbed her shoulders in a fierce grip, forcing her to look at him.
"Tell me exactly how you feel about me"
Hermione didn't understand why this should be so important to him but she knew that she would tell him the truth, because finally being able to tell him was important to her.
"I… I like to be near you for some reason that makes me very content, I like to see you smile because that makes me happy, I hate to see you angry because that makes me hate whoever it is that has ruined your day, and I hate to see you sad because I want to hold you and help you to be happy again, but that's impossible because you don't see me in that way. I don't know what it is I feel for you but if I really had to give it a name" she whispered, closing her eyes ".. I think that I might love you"
He released her shoulders and then tenderly cupped her face in his large hands. She felt his lips move gently over hers, and she knew her heart skipped a beat before her body was consumed with heat. Timidly she started to return his kiss but immediately he pulled back. Hermione felt disappointment lance through her.
"Look at me" he commanded quietly, she reluctantly looked up at him and was startled by the burning fierceness of his gaze.
"I don't know when or why or how, but what I do know is that working with you these past weeks have made me the happiest I have ever been. I wait expectantly every day just to get a glimpse of you , you make me laugh with your sarcasm, you keep me interested with your amazing intelligence and it is very difficult for me to keep my hands off you because you make me burn more than any girl ever has or probably ever will. If I had to give it a name Hermione, I think that I might love you."
Hermione couldn't believe it, she had to be dreaming, or dead or something because Draco Malfoy could not be standing here making all of her dreams come true. But then he kissed her again and there was no more denying the reality of the situation.