[I do not own the rights to these characters]
Hermione was sitting alone in the library, mountains of homework piled up. She heard someone approaching and looked up.
Draco Malfoy was bored, and strutting around in the library, when he saw Granger. He thought it would be best to avoid her, but there weren't any other empty seats. Except for the one directly opposite to her. "Crus", he swore as he grabbed his potions book and worked on his essay.
As he sat down next to her she scowled. If he even so much as uttered the word "mudblood..."
Draco was really tired. He had a huge task on him. He had to find a way to get the death eaters in the castle and kill Dumbledore. And now, he had know-it-all Granger looking at him, as he's some sort of freak. "What do you want, Granger?"
Hermione's face turned blank. She didn't realize how obvious she was being. "Nothing, sorry."
"Good." he muttered. As he went back down.
She looked over at him. He was doing the same potions essay. But he had a few things fundamentally wrong. She wondered if she should point this out...
He couldn't do his essay with her watching over him. "What now?"
"You did your potion wrong. You were supposed to add two lacewing flies, not three. and you weren't supposed to skin your roots, you were supposed to stew them."
"OH wonderful. Here, why don't you do it yourself" he said sarcastically, handing over his essay to her. But not before he made the changes that she pointed out.
"well your essay is basically useless now." She said coldly, but rephrased her thoughts. "Look, why don't we go to the potions classroom, we can remake the potion, if you'd like"
"I'm fine. Mind your own business" He snarled at her. He got up and was walking away.
She looked at him. He looked so tired, worn out. Did he lose his air of smugness? Knowing she would probably regret this, she followed him.
"Oh my god Hermione. Stop following me!"
She stopped in her tracks. He had adressed her by her first name. Not Granger. Not Mudblood.
"Okay, I'm sorry I tried" she added cooly. She walked away.
He sighed and walked to the potions class, not bothering to look back.
Twenty minutes later, Hermione was all finished with her essay. She was about to go back to the common room when she remembered Ron and Lavender would be there. And Harry was at Quidditch practice. The library was about to close, so she couldnt go back there...she wandered to an empty classroom...the potions classroom.
He was in the girls bathroom, after he was done. The only one who truly understood him, was Myrtle. Merlin, he had sunk to a new low. He didn't want to do anything. He just wanted to be normal, and have a normal school year. With friends. He wanted to make friends with anyone he wanted to. He felt tears streaming down his eyes. Myrtle was next to him, trying to console him. But he was tired. He shattered a mirror and picked up the shard. He wanted to die.
Hermione heard sobbing from a bathroom nearby the potions room. It wasn't Myrtle's regular bathroom either. She went to investigate.
"What the hell?"
"I could ask you the same thing - this is a GIRLS bathroom"
He threw away the glass shard.
"look...Draco," she started "...are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine!" He snapped at her.
She noticed that his voice broke a little. She also noticed all the dark rings in his eyes. She wanted to hold his hand, but she hesitated. There was a tension.
He got up, secretly wiped his tears, and stormed out. Why couldn't people just leave him alone?
She looked down after he left. He had left his potions book. She barely recognized it - she was so used to Harry's butchered copy. Why couldn't he stop obsessing over the Half-Blood Prince? But she ran after Draco nonetheless, screaming "you left your book in the bathroom" she found him outside the hallway where she knew the room of requirement was.
"WHAT NOW?" he screamed at her. He was really getting angry now."Leave, before I hex you"
She laughed, "Just you try! but here." She threw him his potions book. Hopefully he would see the note she left in it.
Pathetic. He walked three times around the Room of Requirement. He entered, and his breathing hitched when he saw the vanishing cabinet. He threw the book on a nearby chair and saw something fall from it.
Hermione was back in the common room now. She was listening to Harry rant about how Draco had just dissappeared off the map. Did he really have nothing better to talk about? Why was she still thinking about him, anyway? She looked up Ron and Lavender were intertwined on the couch near her, but for some reason, that didn't sting as much as it used to..
He looked at the note. You can talk to me about anything. "What the hell?"
Hermione wasn't used to this. Why was he still on her mind? He taunted her, bullied her, but she just couldn't let it go..
What was wrong with her? She was following him around like dog. Even Crabbe and Goyle stopped. And now, ho couldn't stop thinking about her. "Thanks a lot, Hermione." he muttered sarcastically.
The next day at breakfast in the great hall she kept sneaking glances at him. She didn't even mind that ron and lavender were making out in the way, she just looked right past them.
Why was she looking at him? And why was HE looking at her? That's it. This needs to stop. He got up and caught her looking at him. He motioned towards the door and walked, indicating she should follow him.
Her heart started beating really fast. What was about to happen?! She was stupid for following him, but she told Harry she would see him in potions, thier next class, and followed Malfoy out.
"Ever since the day in the library, you've been following me around like a...- like a-"
She held up a finger to silence him. "You dont have to tell me what's going on, but I know something is not right. Youre tired. You haven't been sleeping well, your friends have been avoiding you and you can't focus in class. Your skin looks like you've barely been outside. I know this feeling. and it may not be for the same reasons, but I know what it's like to be alone. Please...can we talk about it?"
"That's why I called you out. NO. I can't talk about it." he made air quotations when he said the last sentence. "You will never understand!" And saying so, he stormed off.
She ran after him. "I won't take no for an answer. Can I at least talk to YOU?"
"No, you MAY not!", he walked to the dungeons, into the Slytherin Common Room, hoping he'd leave her out.
She tried again the next day in the great hall to catch his eye.
He rolled his eyes at her. Girls are so annoying! There was no way he can let the death eaters in, with her trailing behind him. He needed to do something.
Desperately trying to catch his eye - what was wrong with her?! She was becoming as obsessed with him as Harry.
He had to stop this... this whatever they were doing. He took in a deep breath and stood. "What's up, Granger?" he bellowed, and he saw her eyes widen. The whole school could hear him. "Can't stop staring at me? Got a crush, eh? I'm sorry, but I don't date filthy little mudbloods.". He was well aware that McGonagall was walking towards him, about to take points from his house, or detention, or probably both. He ignored the hurt look on his face, as the Professor dragged him out, by the hand.
Hermione's eyes filled with tears. Even Ron and Lavender had separated long enough to span on her. Harry looked at her with shock and rage. She ran out of the great hall crying into a classroom...the same classroom McGonagall and Malfoy were in.
"Mr. Malfoy, you are well aware that that was an offensive word. And it most definitely hurt Miss Granger's feelings. You must..." she went on and on, and he stopped listening to her. Granger just entered. "Miss Granger.." McGonnagall looked at her, "Well, Mr. Malfoy. You must apologize to her. And fifty points from Slytherin. And detention every day for a week. Now go apologize.". He swore under his breath as he walked towards Hermione. "Sorry." He said, like he didn't mean it, but he really did. He bumped into her shoulder, for good measure, and walked away.
She sunk down to the floor. Why was she so stupid to do this to herself? She swore to never talk to Malfoy again.
He swore that he would never have anything to do with Granger, ever. He walked to the Room of Requirement. He set to work, fixing the Vanishing Cabinet.
The next day in potions class she didn't even look up from her textbook. Harry refused to talk to her and she refused to talk to Ron. She was alone...just like - no. she didn't let herself think his name. Or glance to her left
He was turning away from her, concentrating hard on his potion. Or anything else which caught his fancy, even playing with a speck of dust on the desk, if it made his stop thinking about her.
Days after weeks...she couldn't go on like this? Why was he still on the back of her mind?
He couldn't go on like this. There was definitely tension whenever they were in the same room. Even if they were in the two corners of the room. He shook his head. He was almost done with the Cabinet. It was only a matter of time, before the Death Eaters swarm into the school, before he kills Dumbledore. The school would be a dangerous place then. Nowhere would be safe. What would she do, then? She'd be one of the first to be killed, being muggle born and all. His head hurt. Maybe he'd rather not go to the Room of Requirement now.
She walked down a hallway - shoot! he was there. she tried to walk away, but he saw her
He followed her. She walked into an empty classroom. He locked the door behind him. Her eyes shot open, scared. "We need to talk."
"I...think you made it pretty clear you didn't want that." She regretted these words as soon as she said them. Yes, she wanted to talk, but she didn't want to get hurt again.
"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm trying to help you."
"okay..." she was so stupid for believing him "how?"
They were close now. He was looking down at her, and she looked up. He could feel her breath on his face. He leaned in and closed the distance between them. Pent up denial exploded.
Whatever she was expecting - it wasn't this. But the sense of release was phenomenal. She didn't know how long they were together, but she knew it felt amazing
It was awesome. He closed his eyes and experienced the moment. He felt her hand sneak up under his shirt. Somehow, he knew that this is what he'd always wanted. He picked her up, and lay her on a nearby desk. He trailed kisses on her neck.
She had never known this feeling. She wanted this so badly, but she never even knew it until now. She let him unbutton her shirt.
He let her take off his shirt. But the exhilaration was short lived. He saw her look at his arm. She saw his Dark Mark.
"what the..."
Merlin, no. She knew. He grabbed his shirt and ran off. He was getting good at that, walking out on her.
She was in shock. She didn't know what to do. Her best friend was Harry...and now...
He was in love with her. Room of Requirement. Now. He needed to finish the job once and for all. Granger was Potter's best friend. There was no way this was going to happen. He shouldn't have cornered her in the classroom. He punched a nearby wall. This was bad.
She backed out of the classroom. Put her head against the wall - tears filling up. What had she done?
The next day. He completely ignored her. He didn't look at her in The Great Hall. He didn't look at her during potions. Not even when they bumped into each other on the trip to Hogsmeade. It was killing him.
He was ignoring her. In potions. Great Hall. Even in Hogsmeade. What could she do to fix this? Why did she WANT to fix this?
Sunday. The no classes day. He could now go to the Room. He was dragged into a classroom. "What the bloody hell, Granger?" he screamed, as she locked the door behind them.
"We need to talk. Now."
He laughed. "Oh, really?". He pulled up his sleeve. "You SAW this. What's there to talk? Are you going to kill me now?"
She stared blankly. "No. Never." She wondered where she should start. "Look, Harry suspected this a long time ago, but Ron and I laughed about it, turns out he was right. But I didn't tell him. And...I didn't tell him because..." She couldn't bring herself to say it
"Because...?" He knew what she was going to say. He should walk away, right now. But he couldn't.
"Because" she phrased it as innocently as possible "I care a lot about you" - understatement of the year
He smiled a little. What an idiot. "Hermione, you don't understand. You have to leave me. I'm dangerous."
She wanted to protest - but she knew he was right
"Okay." she agreed miserably
He pulled her shoulders towards him. "I didn't have a choice" he whispered, laying his head on her shoulder "He has my mother"
She looked at him - how scared he really was "I know. You're right. I'm sorry I ever..."
"I love you" he whispered in her ear, softly.
"I love you too" she whispered back. She meant it too.
He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Good-bye", he said, finally. He was never going to interact with her. Never, if it meant saving her life. He unlocked the door and walked out of the room and for one last time, looked at her. She looked broken. Whatever they had, for the past few months, was over now.
She knew it was for the best - but she was still wishing for something better. But it was too complicated. Maybe...someday...if they both were okay at the end of this...
The next day, at the Great Hall, he didn't look at her. And she didn't look at him either. He noticed that she had made up with Potter and the Weasel. He'd heard that the Ginger broke up with the Flower Girl. And Draco didn't like the look Ron was giving Hermione. He wanted to go up to her and scream to the world that she belonged to him. Just as he did, to her.
She tried her hardest not to look at him. She tried to focus her attention on Ron. But it was always there on the back of her mind "what if.."
He tried hard not to look at her. He tried to focus on his dinner, but to no avail. Pansy came and sat next to him, and draped her arm around his shoulder. "Hello, Draco...", she purred. He wanted to push her away, but he caught Hermione fuming. He mentally smirked.
How dare she!? Hermione started to open her mouth to protest but then remembered - no, she reminded herself. It doesn't matter anymore.
He smiled. She still liked him. But wait, it was only yesterday that they opened up to each other. He should stop now. There was no way this was goint to work out.
She sighed to herself. He knew how she felt, but he no longer cared. Yet, she did
The next day, at the Great Hall, Ron was making more advances on her. Draco rolled his eyes. Could he be even more obvious? He saw her laughing with him. Anger, and jealousy bubbled in his stomach. He didn't care anymore. He saw as she got up and walked away. To the library, probably. He knew she didn't have any classes. And neither did he. He followed her and pulled her into a broom closet.
She was shocked "What?!" She gasped
He kissed her. "I can't get you out of my head", he groaned, his voice husky.
She kissed him back. "I know, I feel the same way."
He took off her shirt. And she took off his. He was going to make her his, now.
She knew this was wrong. The mark reinforced that belief. But she couldn't help it. she wanted it to happen just as badly as he did
He grabbed her face and looked into her eyes. "Stay with me, right now. In the moment."