A/Note: Well, here it is, my first Dramione fanfiction. Yay!
Intense boredom and the current obsession this particular couple urged me to write this…finally. I love the whole Romeo and Juliet thing with them. I'm such a sap.
This story isn't compatible with HBP. Damn, that book was good, but I just got so depressed when Dumbledore died. So, because that old dude kicks ass, I'm going to keep him alive. Haha:D Thus, that changes everything. XD So there are no Horcruxes that require finding (Because I like the whole Horcrux idea, and don't want to write it out completely). Harry has found them all, now all that needs be done is destroy Voldemort…and…fine, destroy Nagini. Because otherwise that'd make no sense.
Summary: Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy have always hated each other. They'd never been given a reason to feel otherwise. And now, in their final year of Hogwarts, and the war heating up, things between them just seem to get worse. But when Hermione accidentally stumbles onto a certain secret of Draco's…things just seem to change after that. But are either of them willing to make some drastic changes in their lives for the sake of a love that could only be defined as 'true love'?
Disclaimer: I own none of it. Unfortunately. Stupid copywrite laws.
Please Read and Review!
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Chapter One
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Draco Malfoy knew it the minute he first laid eyes on her.
It was one of those deep feelings in his gut, that he knew couldn't possibly be wrong.
And that gut-wrenching feeling of his had indeed proven to be correct.
He first saw Hermione Granger when he'd been standing on line in the Great Hall, six years back, waiting to be Sorted into his House. He'd watched her as she stepped up to the Sorting Hat, wringing her hands nervously together, and the feelings came in such a rush that he actually, to his shame, slightly winced. He'd been completely overwhelmed.
What's worse, there was simply no way to avoid her. She was always hanging out with those annoying prats, Potter and Weasley. And because Draco was just that lucky, their paths were forever crossing. .
The years dragged on.
Draco nursed his feelings, let them blossom, and bloom into something even bigger, more passionate.
They drove him on, gave him reason to do what he did, act how he acted, be who he was..
His feelings for Hermione Granger were so different. After all, she was friends with Potty and the Weasel. And she was a Mudblood. Those two combined gave him more then enough reason to let his feelings grow, to do what he did.
Yup. The minute he laid eyes on her those six years ago, Draco Malfoy just knew he would hate her with a passion.
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Now here Draco was, standing outside the prefect's compartment on the Hogwarts Express, staring down with his usual sneer at said fellow classmate and enemy. Hermione had been walking with her head down, rummaging for something in her bag, when she'd accidentally collided with Draco.
"Watch it, mudblood." He hissed, taking a step back and brushing himself off. Merlin, he felt dirty now. He had mudblood filth on him!
Hermione snapped her head up at the sound of that wretchedly familiar voice. She'd just been about to apologize, but after realizing who it was she'd bumped into, she decided against it. Especially after he'd called her...that. Her face colored a faint shade of pink, and she herself instinctively took a step back from him.
She knew she was going to have to see him here. She just didn't expect to actually have to confront him, and speak to him. Lord, she really didn't want to. Hermione was just not in the mood for this.
"Not flanked by the Weasel this time, mudblood?" Draco drawled, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at her (he'd grown considerably taller over the summer).
Even after six years, that name still irked her. Didn't he ever grow tired of it? Hermione strongly believed it was high time Malfoy found something else about her to pick at.
Hermione glared at him, and responded lamely, "Obviously not, ferret."
It wasn't that big of an insult, but it had hit home. Draco flinched, paled, and his expression grew angry. He was still smarting over his humiliating Transfiguration incident three years previously. It was permanently etched into the minds of almost everybody who knew him…and the guy who'd done it to him had been on his side!
Before he could insult her, hex her, or find some way to get back at her for what she'd said, the Weasel decided to choose now to appear on the scene.
"Hermione!" He called, his bag slung across his shoulder as he hurried over to where his best friend stood with…Malfoy?
"What are you doing here?" Ron growled as he reached Hermione's side, giving Draco the dirtiest look he could muster.
"Obviously the same reason you are, Weasel. Prefect duty."
Ron's ears, as they usually did whenever he exchanged words with Draco, became a bright red, and, unable to answer, he hurried past them into the compartment, muttering angrily, "C'mon, Hermione…"
Hermione had been only too happy to oblige.
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Sometimes, Hermione thought as she sat, listening to newly appointed Head Boy, Ernie Macmillan, drone out the usual, annual instructions for the prefects, I really wish we could just go back to our first year of Hogwarts.
At least then, there's been barely any worries about You-Know-Who returning (that is, of course, before everything had happened with the Philosopher's Stone), no worries of wars between 'good' and 'evil', and life in general had just been simpler.
And back then, Hermione didn't know 'hatred', and didn't have 'enemies'. And now, she'd found all that in Malfoy. Back in the first year, Hermione had pitied Malfoy. He'd been a cowardly, attention-seeking fool. She'd found him too pathetic to actually hate him, despite the fact that he'd been annoying beyond belief.
But then their second year had come along, and Malfoy had grown up to be more pathetic, even more of a jerk, and more hateful towards Hermione and her friends. And, he'd learn to use the word mudblood against her, and she could never find a proper way to counter that insult.
"Hermione!"
She jolted, her mind instantly returning to the present. Hermione tore her eyes off the window she'd been staring out of, and turned to look at Ernie. Everyone was looking at her, Malfoy, she noticed, with a pleased sneer on his face.
"Hermione. You're Head Girl now. You can't afford to daydream!" Ernie sternly chastised her. Hermione couldn't help but color in the face once again. She knew her responsibilities as Head Girl perfectly well, and she didn't need pompous Ernie pointing them out and berating her in front of everyone.
"I understand that, Ernie." Hermione managed to say, a feat that Draco actually found quite impressive. She hadn't moved her mouth at all!
So Ernie droned on, and finally, the meeting had ended. They were to go do their rounds before retiring to their compartments for the rest of the journey.
Of course, Draco went straight to his own compartment. Why bother wasting his time? It wasn't like people were doing illegal things on the actual train. People weren't THAT stupid!
Hermione, who'd noticed Draco strut away, completely shirking his prefect duties, sniffed disdainfully, and turned the other way. She grinned as she passed by Ron, who was mumbling angrily about having to do his rounds now.
Hermione shared his irritation, but, unlike Malfoy, she didn't go sauntering back to her compartment. So Hermione did her rounds, and met up with Ron, and then, together, they searched for Harry, where he no doubt would be sitting with Ginny, Neville, and Luna.
It was easy enough to find them. They were further back then usual, but halfway down the aisle, they'd encountered Neville, who was once again trying to catch his aging toad, Trevor. Neville had led them to the cart, where, when Ron and Hermione entered, the usual was to be seen.
Luna's face was buried behind the Quibbler, Harry and Ginny were snacking on the assortment of treats they'd bought from the snack cart. Ron, obviously, sat on the opposite side of Harry, and wasted absolutely no time in stuffing a Cauldron cake into his mouth.
Hermione grinned, and sat down next to Luna, taking out her copy of Advanced Rune Translations, but then stuffed it right back into her bag. Why waste her last trip to Hogwarts reading?
It was so hard to believe that this would be their last time ever riding to Hogwarts on this train. Hermione was really going to miss Hogwarts after she graduated. So much of the defining moments of her life had happened right in that castle, and she was going to be leaving it forever.
So Hermione settled into this care-free moment, where they all chattered about nothing at all, with Luna occasionally throwing in an absurd comment about Wrackspurts floating in the air, or other such imaginary creatures. Might as well enjoy this happy moment, where nothing really mattered.
Who knew? These unfettered, happy moments might never come again.
TBC…
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A/N- This introduction was not as fun to write as I thought. Introductions always make me nervous. dies And my introductions always sound so…stiff! Argh!
So yes. Thus ends my first chapter. And I'm positive my next chapters will be more relaxed, and not so forced. I have confidence that they'll progress much more fluidly.
I hope. ;
Anyway, please read and review! I'd REALLY appreciate it! I love hearing people's opinions!