Warnings: This fic may have some ill content and bad words, may have some wrong grammar, characters are also OOC.. I think. It also has a bit of fluff. Also, no flames please. If you don't enjoy it.. then you don't enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I only own the plot. I don't own anything else.

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The Tape Recorder

Draco's POV

I sneaked stealthily like a jungle cat, hiding behind the numerous walls that separate me from my planned destination. My target is not in sight, but you can't be too sure. I clutched tightly my weapon of choice: a tape recorder.

Yes, yes, that's right. I, Draco Lucius Malfoy is indeed holding a Muggle whatchamacallit that I stole from Granger once I found out it records stuff after I saw her recording lectures and listening to them after when she's doing her homework. Anyways, I stole it when she was showering, like what she's doing now…

DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!

Even if I'm the so-called sex god in Hogwarts, it doesn't mean I'm a peeping tom. Girls come to me, not the other way around. Hmm.. I don't blame them one bit. If I've been born the opposite sex, I would've drooled after me too.

And no, I'M NOT DROOLING AT GRANGER NOW… well at least not yet. The much-inevitableness of that action will come after, after she becomes my wife. Well, yeah, I admit she doesn't even recognize my presence, mostly ignoring me, but hey, that's better than slapping me back at third year, tainting my perfect ivory skin.

Heh, but that never stopped me from loving her, albeit from faaar away. I even tortured myself by taking muggle studies. I thought of it as my penance and good deed while my heart declared it as a sacrifice for my one and only. Good thing, when Father found out (stupid Slytherin 'friends' ratted me out), he believed me when I said I have to know my enemies well so I can defeat them. Yeah, he's a sadistic bastard, and I'm admitting it. I stopped idolizing him after I found out what happened in the Department of Mysteries. Beaten by Potter and his friends (personally, I think it's because Granger's there, that's why Potter didn't die) yet again? Is that the best the Death Eaters can do, well then I know who's going to win the war. I pity Voldie.

Anyway, back at the question I'm sure you're all wondering by now: Why am I holding a tape recorder while approaching the bathroom which Granger is obviously occupying?

Well, it's because I'm planning to blackmail her. Fear not and thy rejoice! The handsome boy that I am is still evil! (and manipulative and sly and cunning and oozing with sex appeal, I must add.smiles cheekily)

I sighed. Who am I kidding? I'm recording her voice so that I can listen to that semi-deep rich but definitely feminine voice over and over again in my room, the tape on my headphones (another contraption I discovered) lulling me to sleep, kicking my nightmares, memories away.

The nights where I spent watching my Mother die and die again. The real one was bad enough that it makes me insane by only thinking about it. The countless cruel ways the people I once looked up to and trusted raped my mom repeatedly while throwing Crucio Curses at her to get some 'reaction' while forcing me to watch every single measure they did that took away my Mother's life agonizingly slow and painful. They finally ended her life when she told me she was proud of me. That was the only good part of the dream, to hear her say she's proud of what I have become and when her pain ended. But to relieve that night after night was just.. unbearable.

I saw a teardrop falling out of the corner of my eyes. I hastily wiped them away and forced myself to think of happy thoughts.. like my Granger.

So I then put my ear against the bathroom door, looking for the chords she's due to be singing now. Sure enough, her loud voice, a bit muffled by the sounds of the droplets of water sliding down her gorgeous bre- STOP, EVIIL PERVERT-Y THOUGHTS! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.

Pervert-y Malfoy: mmmm hmmm.. that's what you say right now… (blasts Malfoy of a vision of Granger in sexy undies)

Abstaining Malfoy: Shut up! I don't have time for you right now!

PM: changed the Granger-Almost-Naked-Visions to Granger-Taking-Undies-Off-Cruciatingly-Slow.. to Granger-Snapping-Her-Bra-Off…

AM: ohhh yeaaah. drools (then remembers what he's SUPPOSED to be doing) STOP TORTURING ME! Fine, look, I really don't have time for this. Come back later okay? I'll be more.. ehmm.. receptive when I'm finished with this.

PM: Hmph. Fiiine. (briefly flashed a Vision of newly-braless-Granger on top of Draco) evil laugh Toodles!

AM; Grrrr…

I quickly snapped out of my thoughts, wanting to save what sanity I have left and pressed the button that says 'Record', afraid of missing a note of Granger singing.

"She's cold and she's cruel but she knows what she's doing
She pushed me in the pool at our last school reunion

Then, unbidden memories of the past I have with her floated in my mind.

The times when she called me 'ferret' while passing by on the hallways…

The countless duels in DADA, the only one to whom I lost except Potter…

The glares and scowls I always receive…

The disappointed look she gave me when I told Umbridge the happenings in the Room of Requirement…

The sadistic gleam in her eyes when Moody bounced me from wall to wall

When she slapped me soundly near the forest…

Her reluctance and manifestation of being forced of having anything to do with me …

When I know that she avoids me just because she doesn't want to see my face, handsome to many, but having quite an opposite effect on her…

"She laughs at my dreams but I dream about her laughter

Strange as it seems she's the one I'm after"

… but even then, I continued to admire her from a distance. I ignored all the sexual innuendos and advances girls gave me because I end up saying the wrong name when I climax… Her name…

"Cause she's bittersweet, she knocks me off of my feet.
And I can't help myself, I don't want anyone else .

She's a mystery; she's too much for me
But I keep coming back for more
She's just the girl I'm looking for "

Then, I envisioned her in her modest Hogwarts uniform, the epitome of innocence. Her rich mahogany brown hair, framing her heart-shaped face; the chocolate brown almond-shaped eyes captivating me with every time I have the courage to look at her beautiful eyes; her cute button nose; that bowstring-shaped mouth that has always curved into a smile when she's with Potter and Weasel. I can imagine her small hands clutching her wand to perform a spell…

… if only I can put my hands through those thick locks of hers…

… if only her eyes could look at me with emotions other than contempt, hate and anger…

… her nose wrinkling as if there's a stinking bomb dropped somewhere in the vicinity where I am…

… if only those lips could smile for me like she does for Potter and Weasel…

… if only there was some way I can transfigure myself to be that same oak dragon heartstring wand she's always holding…

"She can't keep a secret for more than an hour
She runs on 100 proof attitude power
And the more she ignores me the more I adore her
What can I do?
I'd do anything for her."

Those words caused other reminisces to transcend up in seventh year. Merlin, when she found out that I was the other Head, she went crazy, more than the usual. I was watching her angry expressions and listening to her hateful words while admiring how sexy she manages to look when she's mad and accusing me of stuff I didn't even do. So hot…

Although, I did pay the governors to give me the title of Head Boy, it helped that my grades were only second to hers. I would HAVE BEEN Head Boy without money, but still I can't take the chances of her sharing a room with another guy.

When my father found out the real reason I wanted to be Head Boy through the journals I kept at home, he disowned me.

But hey, like the song says: I'd do anything for her. ANYTHING, even if my name did become a cigar hole on the Malfoy tapestry.

Well, it helped that I already received my trust fund when I turned 17 last January.

And don't again think what I think you're thinking! Even though I'd give up all my money just to see my ring on her finger, doesn't mean I don't admit I like to be materially well-off. Besides, how can I buy the ring if I don't have any money? Hmmm? Bet you didn't think about that, huh??

"Cause she's bittersweet, she knocks me off of my feet.
And I can't help myself, I don't want anyone else .

She's a mystery; she's too much for me
But I keep coming back for more
She's just the girl I'm looking for.

The way she see's it's me
On her caller ID
She won't pick up the phone
She'd rather be alone
But I can't give up just yet
Cause every word she's ever said
Is still ringing in my head
Still ringing in my head."

There was this time once when she saw me crying inside my room. I didn't hear her come in, thus having no excuses at that moment to excuse the tears. After she got over her surprise of the Malfoy (thaaaat's me!) crying, she jumped in my bed and held me like my Mother used to. She never said anything though. But the silence was comforting and not at all awkward and by the way she's holding me, enough words were said. Much to my disappointment, she never brought up the subject the following day and I followed her example much to my dislike, I owed her that didn't I?

Since then, we never fought as much as we used to and we never-

Suddenly, the door opened.

Hermione's POV

"She's just the girl I'm looking for... just the girl I'm looking for…" I sang the last chords of the muggle song that I was currently obsessed with while turning the shower knob to the left, the water efficiently stopping to flow. I then got a towel and dried myself, wrapping it around my body after. Then, I got another towel to separately dry my hair, twisting the towel to make a sort-off turban to more effectively dry my hair. I opened the bathroom door and exited the shower.

I reached the counter where the sinks were put and felt for my clothes, the turban blocking my sight. I must've been reaching for my robes when, it occurred to me that said clothes were left in my room.

Cursing and praying to any gods out there to have pity on me to not let Malfoy appear any time I make the trek to and fro my room to get those stupid clothes. And then I thought, what the hell? Who cares if Malfoy sees me in a towel? I don't have anything to be ashamed of, right, if the catcalls and whistles I received when I came back for my seventh year have to say for anything.

So I swung the door open and 'lo and behold, the gods ARE against me. Mafoy was there, a tape recorder in his outstretched hand (which suspiciously looked like the one I lost) and in a deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression on his face. I quickly grabbed the tape recorder to see if my initials were scratched on the back, confirming it mind. Sure enough, 'H.G.' was indeed there. How dare he steal my tape recorder! So I told him so.

"How dare you steal my tape recorder!" I said, jabbing a finger from my free hand to his direction accusingly. So busy was I jabbing my finger that I didn't notice that my towel fell off.

"I didn't steal! I just borro-" His expression changed from an indignant look to a awed one and his eyes left my face and traveled downwards. I could swear I could see a drool forming at the side of his sexy lips. Argh, even my mind was against me now. I pulled out of my reverie and followed where his eyes went.. which were on me.

Okaaay.. that's weird. Why is he looking at my towel-clad bo- I thought while I looked down.

Said towel was slowly slipping off, revealing my chest.

It took me a few seconds to contemplate before I screamed and ran for the safety of my room, blushing all the way, taking the tape recorder with me while leaving a towel behind.

When I was in the safety of my room, I quickly rushed to my walk-in wardrobe and pulled my sleeping attire: a pair of pajamas, a grey tank top and my Victioria's Secret panties.

I then sat on my bed and cursed the tape recorder which was the cause of all this trouble. No doubt, Malfoy was planning to blackmail me and mass-wizard-message the recordings.

I better find out what he plans on humiliating me with..

Draco's POV

Shit. Fuck.

She got my tape recorder! All those work for nothing! Well, technically, it's hers but it's mine now!

But it's worth it, seeing her in all her naked glory was veeery worth it.

But still… shaking head to kick PM back to his own hole …we have end-of-semester tests tomorrow! And they are a quarter of my grades! I can't concentrate when I can't get a wink through the night because of those stupid nightmares!

I need the tape recorder, I pouted.

Oh well, it doesn't matter. What do I have to be worried about? It's not like I recorded myself singing or recorded anything embarrassing about me… right..?

Nevertheless, I'll steal the little bugger back before I sleep. Right now, I'll just take a walk around the lake while I wait for Granger to sleep.

Hours later…

"Carpe diem." I said, revealing the password. The portrait of the two founders of Hogwarts, showed Slytherin and Gryffindor (depends on which Houses the Heads are from) reluctantly waking up, revealed a door shaped hole which I entered. I turned to the staircase leading to the Head Girl's room, taking three steps at a time, eager to get the tape recorder. And well.. seeing her sleep makes me excited, I admitted to myself.

Man, I'm so whipped. And we're not even married yet!

Finally, I reached her door. I charmed the door to open silently. Then I began to walk on tiptoes in fear of waking her up. I whispered, "Lumos!", waving my wand quickly to slightly dim the light while me eyes surveyed the room for the tape recorder.

When my wand lighted the general direction where her bed is, I found out that she wasn't in her bed. Suddenly frantic, I checked the bathroom if Granger's there. Nope. Nada. I then went back inside her room, not bothering to hide my footsteps now, knowing the owner of the room is gone. I quickly opened the sliding door leading to the balcony.

"… if only those lips could smile for me like she does for Potter and Weasel…

… if only there was some way I can transfigure myself to be that same oak dragon heartstring wand she's always holding…"

A pause and then..

"….She never said anything though. But the silence was comforting and not at all awkward and by the way she's holding me, enough words were said. Much to my disappointment, she never brought up the subject the following day and I followed her example much to my dislike, I owed her that didn't I?"

Hey... that sounds like my voice! What the fck?

"She can't keep a secret for more than an hour. She runs on 100 proof attitude power
And the more she ignores..."

Suddenly it stopped. An elegant finger tapped a button on the tape recorder. Oh hell.

Hermione's POV

Too much information, and not the lewd kind. Malfoy has a crush on me? Well, more than a crush since he's planning on marrying me. I laughed. That sounded so ridiculous.

And yet, as I play the tape again, I can hear the sincerity in his voice, the gentle pleading and frustration. For one second there, I almost believed Malfoy. Thank Merlin I knew him more than well, what with the past encounters Harry, Ron and I received from the Slytherin Prince.

Too bad.. if he wasn't going to be a future Death Eater and wasn't a Pureblood bigot, I would have admitted that he is more than hot and that he shivers meh timbers every time he passes by.

I'm becoming delusional, I thought. I laughed yet again at the expense of myself and proceeded to go inside my room for some much-needed sleep. The events of the nights addled my brains too much.

Then I saw that unmistakable sight of platinum blond hair I've come to despise so much over the years.

Sleep would have to wait. I think it's time for some payback for that git. That hot git.

Okaay.. I so just did not think that.

Draco's POV

As Seeker and Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch Team, I've obtained my abs (from which the girls swooned over), my balance, hand-and-eye coordination and quick reflexes. As I saw the tape recorder in her hand, I quickly made a grab for it, using the latter skill.

Tape recorder in my hands, relief shot in my veins. I was going to do my victory dance when Granger held up a rectangular object with two holes in the middle.

I slowly opened the tape recorder in my hands, praying Granger doesn't have what I think she has.

Granger has the tape.

As a Malfoy, I've also learned some trick that has become useful in the past. It's getting what I want.

"Give me that tape Granger, or else." I drawled. I decided using my threatening voice would do the trick.

"Or else what, Malfoy?" Granger parried, a smirk that would have made me proud under other circumstances.

"Or else…." Think! Think! What can I threaten Granger with? Ah! I know.. "Or else I'll tell the Weasel that you luuuurv him."

Granger became quiet.

"Ah ha! I seemed to have touched a nerve there, Granger. Aww.. did the Weasel not return the feelings? Or, haven't he realized that you are into him? Oh yeah… right. He's too busy snogging the brains out of that Brown girl, if that girl even has one to notice you, huh." I taunted while thinking: You're so busy making Weasley noticing you that you haven't noticed that I'm trying to get you notice me, hence all the insults and hexes.

While I was retorting back Granger in my mind, I didn't notice that she started crying. When I did start noticing, I panicked.

I never comforted a girl crying before! I mean, they always cry after I dumped them or something so I instructed Blaise to 'comfort' them for me. Now, what did Blaise do to get them out of my back?

……

Curse short term memory!

A sniffle escaped from Granger and I went to her side of the balcony.

Her back was leaning on the wall, her arms around her knees with her head bowed. I reprimanded myself for being too harsh. I didn't know a few words would hurt her this badly. Of course, this is about Weasel, her one and only, like she is mine. This is so ironic. I'm pining for a girl who's trying to get a guy to notice her who's busy getting the tonsils out of another girl. So while I didn't remember Blaise's style of comfort, I remembered Granger's.

I sat down beside her and hugged her awkwardly and cautiously at first. After a few moments, I decided to hug her more fiercely, leaping on the chance to hug this beautiful crying girl. This may be the only time she will ever let me hug me, you know. This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime things and I'm planning to take advantage of it.

After a few minutes, her sobbing decreased but she still didn't stop.

"Look, Weasel doesn't deserve you, okay? He's dumb, idiotic, crumbles into pressure, gets jealous easily and would have been dead by now if Potter's not there protecting him." I said, listing off some of the ugly traits about that scum.

"He's not dumb!" Hermione suddenly defended. I've got to give it to her, even if we both knew he was, she still defended him like the loyal friend she was.

"He's dumb enough not to notice that his best friend has feelings for him!" I retorted, anger seeping in my voice. Why can't she get it inside her head that that Weasel isn't the right man for her! He'll only hurt her more.

"That's not true! He noticed me," Hermione near shouted with and indignant look on her face.

"Oh yes, only after every boy in Hogwarts noticed you!" It was true. When Granger went back for our last year, let's just say she turned every wizard's head in the vicinity. It doesn't take a genius to find out that their heads became dicks.

She bowed her head again, her fighting spirit gone. I realized that she probably must've noticed that too. I've had a sudden desire to beat that piece of scoundrel so bad that if Hermione wasn't feeling so vulnerable right now, I would march up to the Gryffindor Tower to find that bastard.

I forced myself to calm down.

"What's wrong with me, M-Malfoy? Why am I so u-undesirable that he only wanted me after I received attention from o-others? Why can't he like me for who I am and not what my body looks like? Am I too smart for him?" Hermione suddenly rambled, stuttering.

I'm starting to hate that idiot more and more.

I then decided to lift her head so I can look at her in the eyes. I gently cupped her chin with my hand and her eyes found mine.

I suddenly noticed that she's really beautiful. Crying only made her more beautiful. Her eyes were so full of emotion of different varieties that I can't look away if I tried. So I told her so.

"You're beautiful, Hermione, inside and out and Weasley's just a blind idiot for not seeing you like I do." I calmly said even if I was a bottle of pent-up emotions inside. I guess I'll never be with her then. She's too infatuated with that Weasley and I should move on with my own life even if I know it'll not be easy. I kissed her chastely on the corner of her mouth, thinking of it the last time of me doing so.

"Oh. And what the tape said was true." I said and I stood up walking inside our dorm.

Hermione's POV

"Oh. And what the tape said was true."

I watched him walk away with my jaw dropping on the floor.

What just happened?

Okay, so I knew that that man has some capability to love since I caught him crying for his mother some night ago and I noticed that he kept staring at me more than necessary but I've quickly brushed it off, becoming use to the attention by now when I showed up at King's Cross last September with a makeover.

I also heard the contents of the tape but I dismissed it off as a joke. I noticed that he became a bit more polite to me and we didn't have had a quarrel with wands for a year now, a feat considering our history.

I was also surprised when he soothed me and assured me and called me beautiful sincerely. Now that was a bomb. But I did not care at that moment that it's Malfoy comforting me about my boy problems because I was too busy pitying myself over my supposedly best friend. I'm so stupid.

I also could not deny that I never felt warm, safe and cared for since the last time I hugged my parents goodbye when he wrapped his arms around me.

Oh God.

Does that mean I like Malfoy?

Narrator's POV

Hermione knew what she has to do before the night ends.

So she quickly went inside the Head Boy's room. Moans of pain greeted her. She rushed to the bed, unconsciously straddling the screaming sleeping boy in front of her to wake him up

Said boy woke up, ending all the hell-ish screams to the girl's relief.

"What are you doing here?" the boy asked shyly. He figured out from the relieved look of the girl's face to know that she heard him scream again in his nightmares. Now, Draco would have done anything to get Hermione on his bed but that was in the past. He was now trying to avoid her and try to ignore the goddess before him as was his vow before to move on. He was also trying so hard to crush his lustful thoughts.

"Oh. Uhmm.. about that. I just wanted to thank you for all the things you've done for me. I'm so sorry that I never noticed that you like me. As in more than friends. Uhmm.. I'm such an idiot and I really don't know why you like me. And do you know you're the only one who called me the word beautiful aside from my parents? I was really touched you know and I realized that I like like you back, I just never really acted upon it and it was hard to imagine you know? A Slytherin and Gryffindor together? But that is if you still like like me back, I mean- " she rambled, forgetting or not noticing that she was on top of the boy and was really causing the other to harden, especially when he remembered the sight of her naked self, courtesy of his Pervert-y side.

But the boy had his answer from the girl's ramblings. He smiled a little, admiring his luck. He then remembered finally what his friend Blaise did to comfort girls, although this style of his won't be used to soothe. It's for her to shut up, she's talking too much. So, finally giving in to his lustful side and to answer her wonderings, he kissed the girl.

They pulled back for a moment to breathe and smiled at each other.

"Hey Malfoy, can I ask you a question?" Hermione asked.

"It's Draco." Draco curtly said, a bit annoyed that his girlfriend and future wife (if he could call her that) still call him by his surname.

"Oh yeah right. Sorry," Hermione smiled sheepishly. "So Draco, can I ask you a question?"

"It depends. I don't know. You have to do something back for me." Draco coyly said.

"Like what?"

"Kiss me."

"But I already did!"

"Do you want me to answer the question or not?"

"Okay fine."

(smack)

"There! I kissed you already."

"B-But that was only on the cheek! That's unfair! "

"You didn't say anything about where I kiss you! So, can I ask my question?"

"Fine!" grumble

"Why did you steal my tape recorder?"

"…. To blackmail you!"

"Mmmm hmm…. Try again, daaahling"

"Okay, NO endearing names, got it?"

"Whatever you say, honeybunnywun."

"Arghh! Fine. It's because I dream of my mom being raped and killed okay? And the tape recorder makes those nightmares o away."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well, if I have anything to say about it, you'll not have a need for a tape recorder tonight."

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Draco asked hopefully.

"Yes, I'll sleep with you."

"Thank you Merlin! And Circe! And whoever gods are –"

"Not that kind of sleeping you pervert. Keep that up and I'll never sleep with you, that way."

"Hmph. Killjoy."

"But you still liiiiike me for it."

And on and on they went for the remainder of the night, neither remembering that they have end-of-semester tests tomorrow.

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Please review! My writing's not that good but I hope you like it. Thanks for reading my fic. I really appreciate it even if I don't know who you are. :D