Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be. I'm just playing with them.
Summary: Hermione Granger tried her best to not hate Draco Malfoy. Until that one day…
A/N: VERY loosely inspired by Plain White T's "Hate (I Really Don't Like You)" and a scene from Kaoru Tada's manga "Itazura Na Kiss".
Happy Birthday, Mudblood
(In Which Hermione Granger decides to Hate Draco Malfoy)
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Hermione Granger tried her best not to hate anyone. Hate was a powerful, negative emotion that should only be reserved for the very few who truly deserved it, like Voldemort or Hitler. So it was very difficult to not hate Draco Malfoy, the slimy git. She dismissed the "mudblood" and constant insults that he spat at her on a daily basis. She turned her back on him whenever she caught him glaring and sneering at her in class, in corridors, at meals; which, unfortunately, was way too often. She refrained from hexing him whenever she found him and his slag-of-the-week snogging late at night while she was on rounds; instead she satisfied her anger by deducting points from the deluded girl and glaring daggers at the bloody prefect she couldn't punish. Yes, he was an irritating pest and she found his actions offensive, but she tried her best to feel nothing and just ignore him.
She was sprawled out on the library floor when she changed her mind about that.
One minute Hermione was intently searching for a transfiguration book, the next minute warm arms were around her waist, crushing her against someone's firm chest. The sudden switch in position made her lose her balance; it was all she could do to fist her hands into the robes before her and stay upright. Startled, a silent "Oh!" escaped from her mouth. Suddenly, a set of lips captured hers and a tongue snaked inside. The shock of it all shutdown her brain, leaving her body to rely on pure instinct, which was inexplicably drawn to the person kissing her. What began as a clumsy kiss almost immediately turned into something more. Sparks flew throughout her body, melting her insides. A wondrous feeling surrounded her; it was almost like coming home. As her eyes drifted closed, she glimpsed white blond hair and pale blue eyes.
It felt like hours, but the searing kiss probably only lasted a few seconds, a minute at most. Before Hermione knew it, she was roughly released, her knees buckling and the robes' fine material slipping from her fingers. She fell to the floor with a "Umph!" Looking up, she discovered Malfoy leering at her with his trademark smirk on his face.
"Happy Birthday, Mudblood", he said, before winking at her and sauntering away.
A ghost of a smile flitted across her face before she shook her head and composed herself. "You're an arse, Malfoy!" she shouted at his retreating form.
The prat didn't even bother to turn around or look back at her. "Love you too", he shouted back as he nonchalantly waved goodbye.
Yes, hate is a strong word, but that day, Hermione Granger decided to hate Draco Malfoy. To not do so would be wrong; criminal even. She needed to hate him just like she needed to breathe oxygen. Hating him was essential.
"Otherwise," she thought to herself as she softly brushed her bruised lips with her fingertips, "I just might fall in love with him."