This was written for the Words They Don't Have In English Challenge. I just wanted to give it a try and voila, here's the result! The challenge, btw, is to write a story based on a word that isn't really found in the English Language because it's mostly foreign. I wonder, could you guess what my word is while reading this? :) I challenge you!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. Worship her.


Looks Can Do Wonders

Hermione Granger & Draco Malfoy (Sixth Year)

Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

"Move your filthy mudblood germs away from me, Granger!"

This was the umpteenth time that Draco Malfoy complained about being too close to the brunette beside him. The two of them were pushing each other, just to get a better view of their shared book, Potions: Where mess-ups happen.

Professor Slughorn was most disappointed by the two of his best students, bickering in class. The two were partnered together to make the hardest of the potions assigned to their class. To his dismay, Draco and Hermione decided that they were too immature to handle the task and started acting like baboons in the class.


"What do you want me to do?" Draco inquired his partner, Hermione, whom was the last person on Earth he would've wanted to be paired with. He understood how the decision came to be. They were the top students of the class. But he still despised it, nonetheless.

"You start preparing the Bezoar." She replied to him, not bothering to look up from the cauldron. The task of mixing the ingredients together was a very precise job. One mistake and the potion could result into some goo which is so far from being a potion.

"Fine." He said with barely a whisper as he started crushing the bezoar with the knife. Hermione caught what he was doing and quickly held his wrist to make him stop. While doing so, she made sure her other hand was still stirring.

"Wait! You should cut it, not crush it, stupid." The last word came so soft it could've passed as a sigh. Unfortunately, Draco's ears perked up as he understood what Hermione had completely said.

"Mudblood." He muttered under his breath. Hermione didn't miss that. Her ears quickly turned scarlet and her eyebrows furrowed in anger.

They began bickering like there was no tomorrow. Both were ready to attack the other and had a firm grip on their wands just in case the other decided to act abruptly. Because of their little argument, they seem to have forgotten the matter at hand. Their potion.

There was a loud booming sound that echoed throughout the whole room. Everybody turned to Seamus, expecting the usual mishap that always came with him. Seamus looked up from his work to see all eyes on him.

"What?" He merely asked while the students gathered their thoughts and tried to look for the person in charge of the disruption. All eyes almost popped out of their sockets once their eyes landed on the two students covered in black goo. The whole room turned silent.

"Malfoy, Granger, detention." Slughorn was the first to recover from the shock. He had a different expression on his face, this time. It wasn't the usual happy-go-lucky professor they usually had. But his attitude matched that of Snape's this time.

BOOM.

Nobody had to look that it was Seamus' potion this time.


Apparently, their professor was quick to assume that Draco and Hermione's problem was their lack of teamwork and acceptance of each other. With the death glares alone that they were giving to one another as they stood in front of Slughorn's desk was enough to tell him what the true cause of their rivalry. But there was a chance for them, he knew. If only they learned to accept the other's flaws.

And he could think of only one thing to solve that.

To lock them up in an abandoned classroom and assign them to a near-impossible-task. They have to fill out the given worksheet for them to be able to get out. Sharing one book was enough to make them crazy, but magically binding them together to sit not more than 12 inches apart? That definitely would give them a ticket to St. Mungo's in an hour.

Hermione just sighed as she craned her neck to the longest possible length to be able to read the written text of the cursed book. The two of them were sitting as far from each other as possible. The said book was right in the middle. So desperate to finish the freaking task, Hermione couldn't help but move a little closer to read easier. These would be the times she would casually brush into Draco's arm.

"Stop complaining and let's get this stu—thing over with." She was about to say stupid but held back. Hermione may be in detention, but that wouldn't give her an excuse to slack of and complain about any schoolwork. She was Hermione Jean Granger, for Merlin's sake. The official Know-It-All and Golden Girl.

But sitting right next to Slytherin's Prince, Draco Lucius Malfoy, did have its toll on her. Even with just a few minutes spent beside him made Hermione forget her values.

They stayed silent for some time after that and concentrated with finishing. Accomplishing half of the workload, they allowed themselves a break. Despite it, they still had to sit rather dangerously close to each other.

While having some time to herself, Hermione had the chance to think about her life. Okay, that may be so cliché but she really did. Well, specifically speaking, her life with Draco. She didn't really want to dwell on much except for the fact that she hates him. He hadn't really changed over the six years that they've known each other. He was still the same prick she had the pleasure to meet on that faithful day in their first year.

Despite all these, she knew how much emotion he was showing nowadays compared to the past years. Even though he always sported that cold, I-don't-give-a-fuck look, Hermione would see flashes of emotion in his eyes whenever she would catch him at an unguarded state. There was usually a hint of fear or vulnerability shown in his grey orbs. Maybe, just maybe, he's matured now.

She managed to sneak a glance at Draco while he was staring at the wall on his right, facing away from Hermione. Seems like he's deep in thought. She supposed. Her eyes traveled from his white-blonde hair down to his perfectly-shaped jaw, and his body. He had taken off his sweater and was left with only his white shirt and tie. Hermione didn't complain, though. Seeing as how this outfit showed his well-built body. Draco was a seeker and working out was in his everyday to-do list. She could clearly see where all his hard work had went. He wasn't that bulky, nor was he skinny. He had a lean yet muscular body, just the way she liked it.

Wait, hold up. Hermione caught herself just in time and looked away the moment Draco's head slowly faced her direction. Phew, that was close.

When Draco was positive that Hermione was distracted with the sudden attractiveness of the wallpaper, he hurriedly glanced at her then went back to looking at the wall. Nowadays, he spent his free time to think about matters regarding his life. It may be about his family, or something much bigger, Voldemort.

But the matter at hand was the pretty girl sitting right beside him. All his life, he has been molded into what his father wanted him to be. Draco, do this. Draco, beat her. One of the lessons that really struck him was how purebloods were above all. Muggle-borns aren't a tad better than squibs, either. They had dirty blood, tainted with those of muggles. They were destroying the purity of their kind. This was the reason Draco had thrown derogative words and insults at Hermione. The reason why he would take up any chance just to call her a mudblood.

Draco didn't really approve of it, however. Through his life at Hogwarts, he saw for himself how his father's theory was incorrect, invalid. Muggle-borns were just as competent as purebloods. They were capable of doing just the same things as his kind could do. One perfect example of this was the once bucktooth, nosy, and bushy-haired Hermione Granger.

Their coming of age, on the other hand, did great things to her, not only mentally, but also physically. She had grown into this elegant and, Draco hated to admit it, beautiful lady. She lost her imperfections, which he often teased her for, and it was replaced with the body witches would just kill for.

He couldn't help but look at her again. Cautiously, he raised his head to look at the direction she was in. Coincidentally, she was thinking of the same thing, and wanted to look at him too.

Their eyes caught one another's and there was a sudden spark that they shared. Something just snapped and they were hypnotized by the other. Both shared a look of want, affection, and dare I say it, lust. They stared at each other for Merlin knows how long. Grey eyes reflected brown eyes, and vice versa. Completely forgetting what they were really meant to be doing must have been a result of this sudden connection.

"Draco."

"Hermione."

They spoke at the same time. Both were shocked at the sudden usage of first names, and lacking the feeling of distaste while calling unto the other.

Hermione chuckled, breaking the tension that formed between them. "You go first."

Draco looked speechless and cleared his throat. There was silence after that. "Well, I don't really know what to say."

"Neither do I." She looked away and focused on everything, except his eyes. She stopped fidgeting around when her chin was firmly handled by Draco, forcing her head up to look at him.

When she finally laid her eyes on his again, she felt butterflies in her stomach. He smiled a genuine smile, not the well-practiced smirk that made him seem so indifferent and inconsiderate. This one was a smile that had affection behind it.

"Who needs words anyway?" The words rolled out of his mouth in a soft and sensual voice. Slowly, he reached down and his lips brushed hers lightly. The action left a tingly sensation to her lips. Draco looked at her eyes. He was bearing his soul through his eyes. Now, his soul was asking for permission to continue, asking whether she wanted or not. Hermione slightly nodded and closed her eyes as his lips found hers again.

Draco's tongue asked for entrance and Hermione gladly granted it to him. Their tongues wrestled while Hermione gripped unto Draco's hair for dear life. Moaning into his mouth, she felt him run his hand at her back. He was definitely an expert at kissing, that's for sure. By the mere small movements of his lips, it made Hermione's knees go wobbly. She could just do this all day, and never get tired.

Once they had pulled back, they smiled at each other. No words were needed to express how their relationship had suddenly rocketed up. With just a few minutes, they moved from I-will-avada-kedavra-you to never-ending-kisses-please. Neither of them complained anyway.

"We better get back to this." Hermione stated, breathlessly. She tapped on the piece of parchment on the table, calling them to answer it.

He just nodded and closed his eyes for some time. Draco recalled the kiss they had just shared and a smile crept its way to his face. Hermione titled her head to somehow understand what was going on with him.

"Draco?" Calling out his name, she hoped to get his attention and make him acknowledge her presence.

"Mhm." He nodded and opened his eyes to stare at hers again. "After this."

Draco lowered his lips to hers again and kissed her full on the mouth, their eyes wide open, gazing at the beauty of each other's soul.

-Fin-


So? Have you guessed what my word is? I hope I did the challenge right, though. This is the first challenge I've ever done... Reviews are greatly appreciated, tell me what you think of the story, whether you got the word right, or any criticism on my style of writing. :)

If you want to find out my word, just scroll down.

Mamihlapinatapei
"the wordless, yet meaningful look shared by two people who both desire to initiate something but are both reluctant to start"