Disclaimer: A story created based on J.K. Rowling's work. Characters and Harry Potter jargon belong to J.K.Rowling.
Quest: Snag Hermione Granger
Chapter One
Life was pretty straightforward at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He woke up bright and early everyday to take advantage of an empty bathroom before the Head Girl could walk in and disrupt his daily pampering session with his comb and matching tweezers, before heading off to the Great Hall to satiate his delicate stomach of its morning hunger pains.
Breakfast would be a slow affair, with toast, bacon and a glass of pumpkin juice, all between the gossipy paragraphs of "Celebrity Affairs". It was hard to believe that the ex Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge was getting it on with three different women, all young and voluptuous. Honestly, he was a scrawny man who looked old, in fact, too old to be spreading his seed throughout the entire wizarding world. Merlin knows that the world would only be able to handle one Cornelius Fudge at a time.
His grand exit from the hall would be carried out after his meal, and if he was lucky, a few unfortunate but not life threatening incidents involving unsuspecting Gryffindors would occur. These incidents were always a killer to his stomach, threatening to ruin his pompous and arrogant but well respected image by making him double up, laughing like no other Malfoy has ever laughed before.
Lessons were attended and Gryffindor pride was shattered by his stunning insults that were continuously being hurled towards the boisterous bunch. Younger students looked up at him with respect and awe as he swept imperiously down the hallways towards his next class, and the Golden Trio… Yes, they were made of some tough nuts. It was always a challenge to bring them down, but down they did go. Nothing was ever too challenging for a Malfoy.
Girls swooned at the sight of him, and fought to sit next to him during dinner. In fact, he was so popular with the ladies that a fan club had been established to celebrate his Adonis-like qualities. Homework was completed at a grade O for Outstanding level, and study sessions were held to ensure that he was number one. Or close to it, damn you Granger.
And that was life at Hogwarts.
But today was different. Today was a Saturday, and a Hogsmeade weekend. The school had been drained as its students clambered into carriages which rattled down the road towards the village. And he would have gone with them, if not for the important task he had set himself for today. The school was empty except for a few teachers and students, granting him the privacy he needed for this task.
He stepped delicately through the library's double doors, ignoring the suspicious glares that Madam Pince was directing his way. He was Head Boy; shouldn't that at least deserve a little trust? He breathed in deeply, taking in the smell of books and preparing himself for what was to come. This was going to take a lot out of him, but he would carry it through. Malfoy's always carried it through, so shoot him if he wasn't one.
Draco Malfoy stalked across the carpeted floor, weaving deftly through the hundreds of shelves. He cursed at Hermione Granger. Why on earth would she pick the most secluded place in the library? It was the furthest away from the entrance of the library, it was dark, and it required climbing stairs to reach it. Stairs! He snorted. As if he didn't have to climb enough stairs already, but this was ridiculous. Who wanted to climb up and down stairs every time they needed a book from the first floor, or needed to go to the bathroom?
He marched up the staircase and navigated his way through more shelves before reaching the corner furthest away from Madam Pince. He stepped towards the chair adorned by brown curls and some muggle clothing, tugged it out and positioned himself in front of the Head Girl, the only other student as highly respected as him. If he had to give his opinion though, the students of Hogwarts respected him just a little bit more than this slip of a girl.
Draco mentally cackled at the startled expression on her face.
"Malfoy, what on earth?"
He leaned over her, pushing her back further into her chair.
"Granger, I can't hold myself back any more. I've waited an eternity for this day, until I could tell you. To me, your face against that infamous bush growing out of your head is like the rose among its leaves, the gem embedded in the rock of a mine. My heart pounds as loudly as the largest waterfall on earth when I see your figure among the mob of students in the corridor. Shall I describe it to you? Your figure, almost always surrounded by the standard black school robes… Can you see that image? Isn't it beautiful? Can't you see how much you mean to me? All I want is for you to be by my side. That is all I ask. Hermione Granger, will you be mine?"
He gazed into her eyes as he silently congratulated himself for his very heart warming, simile filled monologue and waited for her answer.
Did his speech hold so much emotion that it could even stun Hermione Granger into silence? Yes, of course. He patted himself once more on the back, proud of his achievement. She opened her mouth and he readied himself to embrace Granger's acceptance of his love for her.
"Malfoy that has got to be the crudest, corniest declaration of love I have ever come across."
She looked up at him in disbelief, her lips almost on the verge of smiling.
"If I didn't know you, I would have taken it all to be an insult. You have to try harder than that if you want to win a girl's heart. Your latest crush will have her image of you destroyed by those words you spewed out of your mouth not a minute ago. Now move. I need to finish my Charms essay. Go find a romantic novel of some sort and educate yourself. The next girl you say that to will run the length of this castle sixty times before feeling sane enough to confront you again.
She pushed him out of her way and dragged her chair back towards the table.
He trembled. The nerve of her! What kind of Head Girl was she if she couldn't even recognise that he was telling the truth? He growled in frustration and hurled himself into the nearest vacant chair. He watched her scribbling away on the parchment.
Wasn't she feeling the slightest remorse for hurting his feelings? He pouted and crossed his arms, eyeing her like a hawk. She continued to write. He began to wiggle around in his chair, stomping his feet against the floor, clenching and unclenching his hands and throwing heated glares at her.
Moments later, she threw down her quill.
"Malfoy, your princess fits are distracting me! Would you at least stop until I finish my essay?"
"No."
He petulantly turned his head away from her, still watching her from the corner of his eye.
"I can't believe you Granger. I was telling the truth and you just brush me off. That was my heart on the line! My red, bleeding, pumping heart!"
His pout grew even bigger.
"You have got to be joking Malfoy. There's no way you could be telling the truth. We've been at each other's throats for six years!"
"What can I say Granger? Opposites attract."
He waggled his eyebrows at her, showing his pearly whites.
"Stop it! You don't even know me!"
"I've known you for six years, two months and twenty seven days."
"We've been fighting for six years you pompous git, and we've only really known each other for three months!"
"Two months and twenty seven days."
"What? Fine, you pedantic freak of nature! Two months and twenty seven days! What can you find out about someone in two months and twenty seven days?"
"Everything."
"Alright then, what is my mother's name?"
Draco paused, his eyes slowly looking up towards the ceiling.
"Ah hah! So you don't know!"
"I do too know! I just can't remember it now…"
"You don't know, therefore you can't possibly have feelings for me."
She beamed at him and picked up her quill.
Draco gave her a hurt look. There she went again, brushing him aside. How would she know what he felt for her?
"I'll show you that I was telling the truth Granger. I'll show you that I really do know you!"
He stood up and stalked out of their corner, glaring over his shoulder at the bent back of his love interest.
"I know you Granger. I know you."
He stormed down the corridor the next day, his view of the world closing in on two select individuals.
"Potter, Weasley!"
He stalked up to them and thrust his wand up Potter's nostril.
"Tell me everything you know about Granger!"
He wanted to laugh as Potter pushed the wand away from his face.
"What are you doing Malfoy? Trying to kill someone?"
He glanced surreptitiously down the hallway, checking for eavesdroppers.
"Let me say it again. I want to know everything about Granger."
Weasley spluttered, his eyes widening in realisation before launching himself at Draco hands, flexing and reaching for his neck.
"I knew it! I knew you had something against her! What is it? Tell me now!"
Weasley shook him repeatedly.
"Off you poor excuse of a sane person! Get off! And keep in mind that the pun was very much intended!"
Draco pushed him off, coughing and adjusting his shirt collar. He pointed his wand at Weasley, ready to shove it up another nostril if the need arose.
"I know you won't believe it, considering who I am and who you are… but I like Gra – hey don't move! I've got a wand here! Don't make me use it unless you really want to share germs with Potter!"
He paused, brandishing his wand in a threatening manner.
"Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case… The both of you are so chummy towards each other that I can actually start to believe 'Celebrity Affairs' and its column about you two eloping to Hawaii and adopting a baby to complete your nuclear family…"
Draco shook his head, discarding those disturbing thoughts.
"Right, well. I hope you guys had a nice honeymoon. Now I want to know everything about Granger."
"Yeah well, what's in it for us Malfoy? Why should we help you? Hermione's our best friend!"
"I have things that you can only dream about."
"What? You're bribing us?"
Their nostrils flared simultaneously in rage.
"Stop it, you freakish beings. You'll definitely like what I have to offer."
He raised an eyebrow at them suggestively.
"…Malfoy! Stop trying to come on to us!"
"I'm not! I only want to tempt you with my goods!"
"Stop it, you're making me sick!"
"Not those goods you dunderheads! Weasley! Look at this!"
Draco held out the sweat stained Quidditch robes of Chudley Canons keeper Justin Wickleburn.
"And see here, it's even signed by him. You can have it if you can gather information for me."
Potter shook his head at his friend and tried to hold him back. Weasley was slowly reaching out for the robes, his mouth slightly open as if to taste the sweat of one of the members of his favourite Quidditch team.
"Don't do it Ron. It's not worth Hermione."
"I wouldn't say that if I were you Potter. Look here, I've got a picture of Ginerva Weasley that you'll spend the rest of your life drooling over."
Draco could almost see the light that flicked on in Potter's head and he could definitely see the scarred boy stand up straighter however small the movement was. He handed over the photograph and watched those green eyes widen behind their glasses, and the blush that rose to those cheeks.
He grinned, laughter rolling off him in waves. Yes, Potter was becoming all hot and bothered from staring at the female Weasley's exposed thigh as she crossed her legs. He was probably gaining an erection from seeing the top buttons of her shirt undone, and he would most likely end up wetting himself if he saw her lick her lips one more time after sucking her sugar quill.
And the sight of Ron Weasley turning blue from self-suffocation brought on by rage almost sent him over the edge.
TBC
So um… What do you reckon?