Don't Doubt Me
By: The Paper Towel Holders
Summary:
Draco Malfoy finally realizes that he has feelings for a certain muggleborn at the Yule Ball. After trying to deny it for the better part of a year he finally takes the plunge and tries to get Hermione to trust him and to not doubt his feelings.
Chapter 1: First Year
Draco's P.O.V
Draco Malfoy couldn't pin-point when he had first noticed, really noticed, the obnoxious know-it-all. Maybe it had been at the sorting when she started reciting spells. He had rolled his eyes, knowing immediately that she was a mud . He had resolved to ignore her. She was obviously not worth his time.
It could have been in Potions class, the fist Potions class. She had dared to raise her hand, when obviously Snape was trying to put Saint Potter in his place. She was ignorant of the inner workings of Pure-blood society. It was Snape's right to try to assert nce over another head. She was stupidly trying to interfere. He had rolled his eyes again and muttered "Mudblood's" under his breath. How was he supposed to deal with that overgrown beaver for seven years?
Draco had annoyed her for the next year. And by doing so he got to know her in odd ways. When attacking prey one must know the enemy. He had observed her. The way no one was friends with her except Weasley and Potter, the way she became so absorbed in her books. The way Potter and Weasley didn't even realize that they hurt her with their words and didn't see her face fall in sorrow. It had given him a slight thrill to see her turn away from Potter and Weasley. He told him self that it was because she was suffering without her friends. He found it wasn't as much fun to torment her when she was already down; there were no witty comebacks, no intellectual battles. He unconsciously left her alone during those times.
When he heard about Potter and the stone the first thing he had asked Blaise was whether 'the mudblood' was alive. He had acted impassive about his question, but he had seen Blaise's eyes narrow slightly.
When the year was over Draco went home and listened to his father plotting and planning about some diary that was once Voldemort's. It seemed rather stupid in Draco's mind that his father followed a Dark Lord that was a hypocritical half-blood... But no one else would ever know that. He didn't think about Hermione Granger all summer, except when his father had mentioned that the mudblood had beaten him in classes. He hated her for that.
Hermione's P.O.V
Hermione had never had any real friends. She had learned to deal with it, finding solace in her books. Because of this her social skills had never been the best. All Hermione really had, was her brain and love of knowledge. She used that to the best of her ability. Hermione had always been top of her class, even in primary school. When Hermione had been thrown into a new world she had taken to the new source of knowledge like a fish to water. She read anything and everything that she could get her hands on. When Hermione arrived at Hogwarts she was met with isolation once again.
At the sorting ceremony she had tried to think of every spell she could in hopes of being accepting into this new world. It hadn't worked. The children around her had rolled their eyes and scowled at her. One pair of eyes caught her attention. They were stormy grey and full of malice. He was scowling at her, those hard eyes boring through her. For reason, that one glare hurt more then all of the other ones put together. Perhaps because he actually belonged in this world and she, Hermione, never would.
Those eyes seemed to follow her after that. In the first potions class of the year Hermione had tried to help Harry Potter out of a tight situation with the Professor. She had read a book about Wizarding etiquette. Hermione Granger was no fool; she knew that Professor Snape was trying to assert himself over the young boy. The eyes, whose she latter learned belonged to a boy named Draco Malfoy, glared at her once again. He muttered something. He had thought that she hadn't heard. But she had. It was like a knife going into her heart. Maybe she wouldn't ever be anything but a 'stupid mudblood'.
She had tried to avoid those eyes after that, but she didn't succeed. She could feel him watching her and knew that he was playing some sick game of cat and mouse. She enjoyed playing. She didn't know why, but those moments of pure hatred and intellectual battle were some the best during her time at Hogwarts. Hermione never admitted that until many years later though.
When summer came and scores were delivered home, she was disappointed to be 1st once again. She had hoped for some competition from her enemy. But no, he had gotten 2nd. He hadn't beaten her. He hadn't even come close. She hated him for that.
A/N: This is Karyn. Please read and review.