DISCLAIMER:I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, Draco and Hermione would be married and living in a red brick house complete with picket fence and seventeen babies.

Heart of Stone

I.

Caution

Keep a fair distance, Draco.

There are some lines which should not be crossed.

And you aren't good enough, anyway-

for the girl with the brains, the bravery-even the beauty.

(Yes, she is beautiful-because even though she can't measure up to people like the Weaselette, her smile is radiant and wide and it captures you)

She is free, unlike you.

She is still unsullied by the taint of evil that has already marked you as different.

So why does she follow?

And why does she haunt your tracks?

Because these days it seems she's everywhere you go-you look over your shoulder, and there she is.

(Maybe it's a misguided attempt at friendship-that strikes you as funny. Friends? As if. There can only be two extremes)

Why does she want to get entangled in your invisible chains?

They would only weigh her down, and she deserves to fly.

II.

Crush

See, it's not that you're imagining it.

Because you've tried, Merlin knows you've tried to avoid her.

(You're the last person to want to rake up history)

But she's the one who recommended that you be taken for the law program at the Ministry-maybe the only reason you got in.

(Who'd believe that you want to make a difference?)

And well, it's not like she's asked you to have lunch at her table, but that's possibly because her boyfriend really hates you, and he's studying at the Ministry too.

And she smiles at you?

You suddenly realize you're obsessing about every little thing she does.

Merlin.

You can't afford this right now.

Not ever, in fact.

III.

Hate (Jealousy?)

You've always hated Ron Weasley.

But suddenly-

(or maybe since forever)-

your hate for him-well, it's morphed into some kind of monster.

Bloody hell, you get sick at the sight of him.

(Especially the sight of him with her)

His fucking hair is suddenly too red.

Bloody, bloody Gryffindorperfectwarhero.

Because you could be so much better than him-

(So much better for her,with her)

but you're not allowed.

IV.

Pain

And it's started hurting now, looking at her smiling

and knowing you're restrained.

(You know you're in love now-you're not stupid, whatever may be your other faults)

You talk, you work, you even laugh together.

(And it's been so long since you last laughed)

But you can't work up the courage to tell her.

Because she's not looking for love with you-

she's just being perfect like she is, and befriending you because somehow, somehow, she knows you're lonely-

and it would shatter her, shatter her perfect existence, to know that you, being stupid like you are, have gone and fallen in love with her.

And you cannot bear to hurt her, so you put up with the pain on your own.

V.

Fear

Sometimes you feel afraid.

It isn't the desperate, drowning kind of fear.

It isn't the fear you felt when you had Dumbledore at wandpoint and couldn't move your hand.

It's not the fear of cowards.

(The fear you know so well, because you were once a coward)

Rather, it's the fear that you won't be able to hold yourself back someday-

you'll give in to the way she smiles hesitantly at you and sticks up for you when no one else will.

A/N:

So Dramione is my new obsession.

And this is obscenely short, and really sucky, but I have a test tomorrow.

There's more crappy high-school romance where this came from-believe me.

So goodbye and review!