The Modern Romoe & Juliet - Draco Malfoy and Dawn Lupin Style

Part I

"Since Draco's a year older then me, we didn't see each other that much at the beginning of my time at Hogwarts - and we hated each other from the first time we knew what each others names were - our fathers hated each other too after all. I was still pretty young then and didn't realize the stupidity of what we were doing. Who could realize that at eleven anyway?

It was years later (when I was in my fifth year actually and he was in his sixth) that we met in the library where I was doing my potions homework and he was about to start doing it too. It was the first time that we were quite in each other's presence - instead of bickering back and forth (sometimes with malicious intent too). The silence between us as we sat opposite each other (there were no other free tables available and being a Malfoy, I suppose it was beneath him to just leave the library a few seconds after leaving it) was actually quite nice and I was caught staring at him a few times. He wasn't that ugly to look at, I realized at the time. Well, of course he wasn't - he was known as the hottie of Slytherin after all. But I hated him and he hated me - right?

Some time passed again and I found myself in the library again - this time doing my homework for charms when he sat down opposite me again. Why did he have to be so irritatingly handsome when being quiet anyway? It wasn't like his usual sneers and snarky comebacks. And it was nice. I actually mustered up enough of my flimsy courage to ask him what he was doing. And he actually replied to me with a calm voice - usually he would have a sneery, snarky voice - but this time it was different and I was totally confused. So confused actually that I almost blushed - and by Merlin's pants was I grateful to my make-up that hid it from him.

He probably noticed that it was my usual spot when doing homework and our 'quiet work' continued for some time until I couldn't stand it any longer. Oh, it wasn't because it was annoying me that my nemesis was there, sitting opposite me and doing his homework. No, it was more like I was being more and more aware of him being there and when he wasn't there, I missed his presence. And then I snapped and one day when we were doing our homework together - again - I asked him why he was doing what he was doing.

It must have come out wrongly because he snapped at me that perhaps it was because there weren't any empty tables in the library. Of course, it was wrong - for there were quite a few empty tables there. Liar. I started chuckling then and he seemed to realize that what he said was contrary to what was around him and actually looked uncomfortable. I've never seen him look like that - he was usually all poised as the pure-blooded noble that he was. And it was a new experience for me that made me hate him even less.

And then the christmas holidays begun. On christmas morning when we were all opening our presents there was a present for me under the tree that no one knew who sent - there wasn't any card with it either. When I opened it, there was a white gold bracelet with small emeralds in it. I don't know why I didn't realize that it was from Draco then - It was such a Slytherin gift after all. No matter - I decided to wear it anyway - it wasn't dangerous after all. Even my father had to say so.

Then, after the holidays when Draco and me met in the library again he told me that the bracelet suited me. I was surprised that he even noticed it and thanked him, hoping that I wasn't red in the face. I don't know why it was that I got blushing attacks every time I was near him nowadays.

It wasn't until we had a masquerade party at the end of our fifth year that I actually realized why I was feeling all those things towards him - ignorant me. We were told to dress up and come to the party - and at midnight we were supposed to pull of our masks and let our partner see who we were. And it so happened that my partner was Draco. We danced for most of the night - and I liked it. I hadn't realized it was Draco until half the night was already over. Why was I so slow anyway? Probably because I didn't see Draco much - and when I did see him, he was always sitting.

Anyway, we danced and then we were suddenly in a corner of the great hall and he was kissing me. I was so shocked that I couldn't do anything but stand still with my eyes widely open, staring at him through my mask. And then when he put his arms around me, my knees got weak and it was as if I experienced a paradigm shift and realized what it was that I felt towards him. I don't know what got into me that night, but I put my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me and let him continue kissing me.

Midnight came and we put our masks down - we already knew who the other was so we weren't shocked. We didn't have to say anything - Draco wasn't the type to express his feelings anyway. It was a silent agreement that passed between each other and from then on we still met in the library to do our homework - but we talked a bit more (quietly so that the others didn't hear us), got to know each other more and generally enjoyed each other's company.

He was totally different from what I expected. Instead of being all smug about everything, he was calm and had his romantic moments when he would suddenly push something in front of me and watch me read it. Sometimes it was something that would help me get a better grade in the subject I was doing my homework for, sometimes a poem that he liked and that I liked. I really liked this Draco.

And then the end of the year came and with that two months of not being able to see Draco. We did promise to write to each other when we could though - even if that would be a bit troublesome since both our families hated each other and would wonder from whom we got the letters. So, we had to find a way to let us communicate with each other during the summer. And we came up with two notebooks that were connected to each other and whenever I wrote something in my notebook it would appear in Draco's and vice-versa. We also agreed on a time that we would chat and so the whole summer was spent getting to know each other even better.

Sometimes he would be snappy and like the old Draco that I knew, but somehow I knew that it wasn't my fault - because he would always apologize to me later. Much much later. With a simple I'm sorry just before I went to bed.

And then school started again."