Hello! This is just something I suddenly came up with. I was supposed to study for my test tomorrow but this was what came in my mind – not statistics, but Harry Potter fanfics. I am doomed tomorrow. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
Thud! A portrait door slammed shut and with that came a very disheveled and disgruntled boy with platinum blonde hair.
"Rough day?" Hermione asked, looking up from her book. She spent the whole afternoon reading about magical creatures. When she found out that centaurs and unicorns were real during her early years in Hogwarts, she wanted to know what other muggle myths weren't really myths. This was her guilty pleasure – debunking fairy tale creatures.
"You wouldn't believe." Draco slumped onto the couch in their shared Heads common room.
"Care to share?"
Draco breathed in deep. "Well, it all started with this stupid Valentine's ball coming up. I've noticed that whenever I go to class, strange girls are lingering outside my rooms. I go take a walk in the grounds and girls suddenly appear behind trees and bushes. I go practice Quidditch and girls are waving at me from the stands! One time, I even went to the boys bathroom and while doing my… business, I swear I could hear girls giggling outside the door! MADNESS! All the giggling, shrieking, dropping their handkerchiefs, batting eyelashes and what-not! They come up to me and bump into me and I get a whiff of their perfumes that may as well be toxic gas! It's insane! What's wrong with these girls?"
Hermione laughed. She was enjoying Draco's rant. "Oh, what must it feel to be so wanted!"
"This is serious. I am not at all pleased with these displays. Did I even mention that I found underwear in my bag this afternoon? Un-der-freaking-wear, Hermione Granger! I mean, I have nothing against women's underwear, I love them, but not when random ones just appear in my bag! I mean, who knows, maybe it's Millicent Bullstrode's lacies and ugh—I cringe at the thought. I'm scared, Granger, really, really scared."
Hermione shared his sentiments about Millicent's underwear by shuddering then proceeded to say, "I think you should be flattered, Malfoy! These girls are fawning over you, catching your attention. They want you! Although, I can't possibly understand why, but they do! They want to be your date for the upcoming ball. I mean, they think you're – ugh – hot and they wanna take the – ick – hottest boy in Hogwarts to the ball!"
"I know, Hermione. Thanks for finally admitting the truth." He winked at her. She scowled. He then whined, "But I don't want them! None of them!"
"Hard to believe, Malfoy. I'm sure someone has caught your eye. You do have a reputation for being Hogwarts' ladies man – you lure them, you sleep with them, you ditch them. And rumor has it that you and Pansy Parkinson have mutual feelings for each other."
Draco shuddered. "If Pansy Parkinson is disgusted with me, only then do we have mutual feelings. I would never in my life date such a hideous creature – inside and out."
"That's a horrible thing to say! I mean, Pansy has never exactly been the warmest and sweetest person having tortured me most of my life, but I am sure she doesn't deserve to be described as such."
Draco rolled his eyes. "You're way too kind for my liking, Hermione Granger."
"I like to believe that there's good in everybody." She said proudly.
"Even Lavander Brown?" Hermione winced and Draco continued, "She and her Won-won are getting pretty intimate. Can't find any fault in the one who stole your love away?"
She scoffed. "Please! I am not in love with Ronald Weasley."
"Then why the pained expression when I mentioned him and Lavander? Why the jealousy whenever you watch them eat off each others' hands in the Great Hall? Why the – oh stop giving me that face, I know you're madly in love with him."
"I am NOT and I never have felt anything romantic for Ron. I just do not like the fact that he spends more time with her than with Harry and me. Although, Harry and Ginny are spending so much time together as well. I'm always the third wheel." She sighed.
"And that's where our many conversations in this common room come in. You have no friends, I am avoiding people, ergo…" He gestured to their current predicament.
She scowled. "I do have friends."
"Is that so?" She nodded. "Then why are you alone inside our common room on a Saturday afternoon while everyone is in Hogsmeade?"
"I have homework to do."
"I saw you finish all your essays yesterday."
"I'm… doing advanced reading."
"You've been advanced in reading since the first day of school… of our first year ever in Hogwarts."
She shot him a nasty look.
"I told you, no friends. Or at least, pretty crappy ones leaving you behind for their significant mates!"
"Shut up, Malfoy. Well, why aren't YOU outside?"
"Didn't you just hear my rant earlier? I am running away from the women who want a piece of the gorgeous Draco Malfoy." He winked. "This is my only sanctuary, apparently."
Just then, an owl swooped in from the open window and dropped a howler on Draco's lap. Opening it and expecting reprimanding from his father or any of the professors (as Hermione so dearly wished for), they were both surprised when a forcibly sultry voice suddenly spoke:
"Platinum blonde hair, I look for you every day. Your grey eyes, your handsome smile, your witty comments, how I would die to be held in your arms! If you could only look my way then I know I will be the luckiest witch on earth. We will produce so many pureblood Malfoy heirs and live together, blissfully happy. If only you would look my way, if only you would say those three words I know in your heart you really feel… Oh Draco, I love you. Take me to the ball! Your father says you should take me! I told you, we're M.F.E.O., even your father thinks so. Oh Drakey, Parkinson-Malfoy babies forever! I'm waiting for you in the dungeons, ready to take you in my arms and give you the most passionate kiss in this world."
The howler dissolved into pieces.
Draco wanted to hurl. Hermione guffawed. "Oh! This is rich!" She laughed so hard, her sides started to hurt.
"What on earth is M.F.E.O.?"
"Made for each other." She laughed again. "This is hilarious!"
"This is creepy on so many levels! This is so wrong! I cannot, for the life of me, go to the Valentine's Ball with Pansy Parkinson. I do not even want to touch her." Draco looked at her with fear in his eyes. "You're the brightest witch of our age, you gotta figure something out. Help me out of this!"
"Draco Malfoy, have you never turned down women before?"
"Of course I have! I do not merely settle for anyone who just flirts with me. I have standards. And this is bloody Parkinson! She has claws! She has fangs! She's… She's Medusa incarnate!"
She giggled. "Well then, there is only way to end ALL this misery."
"WHAT? HOW? Tell me please." He begged.
"You have to finally choose from your many, many, many admirers and ask someone to the bloody ball. Make it known to the entire school population so that the flowers, the gifts, the charmed chocolates, the disgusting pigmies that squeak 'I love Draco' will finally end. For yours and my sanity's sake, please." She said gesturing to the flowers and all the gifts from his admirers scattered on their coffee table.
"Who?"
"Hmmm?" She asked, not looking up from her book. She was reading up on ogres. Apparently there was something similar to them in the Wizarding world. Hello Shrek, she thought. I wonder if there are hilarious talking Donkeys too.
"Who am I gonna take to the ball?"
"Gee, I dunno. Astoria? Parvati? Luna? Some random younger girl? Choose anyone and end the madness."
Draco was silent for a while, thinking. "No. I can't stand any of them. I don't even have conversations with these people!"
"Even Astoria? You guys are always so cuddly."
"Well, she's a good snog but her conversations are just plain dumb. Unless I can snog her all night during the ball." He smiled evilly.
"Eh. You're disgusting."
"No, I want someone I can talk to. Someone I can have a good laugh with. Someone I can enjoy the night with. It's my last Valentine's ball in Hogwarts, I should bring someone who means something to me."
"Mhmmm, that's good." She said half-heartedly, still engrossed in her book.
Draco was silent. "Granger?"
"Hmmm?"
"Would you like to go with me to the Valentine's Ball?"
Silence. Hermione was too into her book that she didn't really hear what he said. Otherwise, she would have flipped out. "What's that now?"
"I said – oh for Merlin's sake, drop that damn book and listen to me!" He grabbed the book from Hermione.
"Hey! I was reading that!" She grabbed the book back.
"GRAN-GER!"
"What?"
"Granger – Hermione, would you like to go with me to the Valentine's Ball?"
Silence. This time it was because her jaw dropped and she was staring at him in disbelief.
"Eh?"
"Would you like to go with me to the Valentine's Ball?"
"Are you freaking serious?"
"Well, thinking about it, you're the only girl in school who I have decent conversations with. We share good laughs together, we scare the crap out of the younger students when we're together, we even finish each others' sentences sometimes!"
"And your point is?"
"Going with you will certainly get the female population of Hogwarts off my back and you going with me will flip out carrot-top so, that's always fun. Win-win situation!"
"Wait, why is Ron even part of this?"
"Granger, admit it, you have romantic feelings for him. Now, I know I will never understand why but going with me will definitely catch his attention and probably make him jealous."
She was silent for a while, pondering on his offer. This would be fun. And it's not like anyone has bothered to ask me out. As far as I know, no one is planning on asking me. He'll definitely look good in a tux and I won't have to worry about him stepping on my toes since he can obviously dance – not that I would agree to dance with him so much.
"Okay, Draco. I'll go to with you… just so we can do that plan of yours."
He smiled. "Of course! No other reason but that! Thanks, Granger. I owe you one."
And so the day of the Valentine's Ball arrived. Draco was waiting for Hermione outside the Great Hall. She refused to walk with him all the way. He also suggested that this would be the perfect entrance and the perfect surprise to the school since they decided to keep a secret who their dates were. He was fidgeting with his tie when he heard gasps and whispers around him. He looked up to see Hermione descending from the staircase in a green dress, hair softly curled and framing her face. She had light make-up on and her dress was hugging all the right curves. He smiled and patted himself on the back. Good job bringing the prettiest girl to the ball, Draco.
She was nervous walking down the stairs. She kept herself as simple as possible so as not to attract too much attention. She never wore heels so she was worried she was going to trip and fall but luckily, she managed to keep her grace. Draco was looking up at her. He had the most amazing-looking tuxedo. His hair was, as always, perfect. He looked like he stepped out of an Armani catalogue or something. She smiled and patted herself on the back. Good job bringing the hottest boy to the ball, Hermione.
Neither will ever admit those thoughts out loud.
He walked up to her and she slipped her arm in his. People around them gasped at the very unlikely couple.
"Ready for this?" he asked, thrilled to see Pansy and Astoria's jaws drop in surprise when they walked in.
"As ready as I'll ever be." She replied, reveling in the expressions of the people around them. Ron went red in fury and Lavander walked out on him for paying too much attention to Hermione.
"Looks like everything's going according to plan!" Draco smiled at her, "Would you like to dance, Hermione?" He took her hand and led her to the middle of the dance floor. He held her close and she grabbed on as they danced.
That night, they felt something completely new for each other – amazing feelings, ones they have never felt before. And even though they blamed it on the fact that their elation was due to their success in their plan, we all know the truth.
Little by little, slowly but surely, our Slytherin Prince and Gryffindor Princess were already falling in love.