The classrooms were empty, and so were the hallways. Aside from an occasional hoot or titter from a far-away owl, the castle was quiet. Fading sunlight tinted the sky a beautiful pink-and-blue, and the lake across the grounds rippled gently with a dying breeze. In other words, a peaceful scene …
"Hey, pay attention!"
The blond teenager was rudely snapped from his daydreaming by his companion hitting him with a rolled-up scrap of parchment. He frowned at her, and she frowned right back.
"Honestly, Draco! How do you expect to pass Professor McGonagall's exam tomorrow if you can't even transfigure a twig?"
He rubbed his forehead, muttering "By cheating off you, like always."
Hermione, irritated now, aimed another swat at him, but he dodged, making her scowl.
"Oh, come on, Draco! You asked me for help, remember?"
"That's because I thought I'd be practicing, not listening to you talk!"
The girl rolled her eyes, thoroughly exasperated, and pushed her bangs from her face. "You have to understand the technique first."
"I'm not really understanding much of anything the way you're explaining it."
"Ugh. Talking to you is exhausting."
"I know something else that's exhausting …" Draco smirked, waggling his eyebrows, and Hermione hit him again before grabbing her bag. She stood up and strode towards the door of the classroom.
"I'm leaving."
"Hey, wait!" He got up and dashed after her, barely keeping up with her brisk pace. "At least let me get Crabbe and Goyle so they can walk you back."
"Such a gentleman you are," she said scathingly. Draco held up his hands in a defensive gesture.
"I was only kidding. Do you even have a sense of humor?"
"Not when it comes to a lummox like you."
"What?"
Hermione sighed, muttering "forget it" before continuing her brisk pace. She refused to look at him, and he felt a tiny twinge of guilt. He really hadn't meant to piss her off this much; all he'd wanted was a bit of alone time. Their differing schedules and the ongoing hostility between him and Harry usually prevented that, but now what he has it, what does he do? He makes her angry. Great job, Draco.
Looking away, he gazed out one of the windows, watching the last rays of sunlight sparkle on the lake. This was too much of a perfect moment to waste in this awkward silence! He was attempting to think of a way to alleviate the tension between them before he had an idea.
Hermione started slightly when he felt a hand slide into hers; she looked over quickly, but Draco wouldn't meet her gaze. He was blushing.
"Your hand is cold," he muttered, still avoiding her eyes, but he gripped her hand tighter. For the first time that evening, Hermione smiled.
:*:*:*:
"…and that's when Zabini realized that there was toilet paper in his trousers. Blimey, the poor bloke was so embarrassed that he spent the rest of the day in the dungeons!"
Hermione laughed, shaking her head, and Draco grinned, proud of his tale-telling skills. When her guffaws died down to giggles, she wiped tears of mirth from her eyes, signaling a waitress.
"More butterbeer, please?" The waitress smiled and nodded before taking up her empty mug and striding back to the counter.
"So what happened the next day?" Hermione leaned forwards, cheek in hand.
"He ended up being scolded by McGonagall for, and I quote, "cowardice and cleanliness infringement." He told me it was the worst day of his life, and I brought up that time he went to Potions with a wand in his pocket –"
"Here!" A different waitress, one with a heavy scowl and a squashed-tomato nose, plonked the butterbeer on the table hard enough to make it slosh onto the table and the research papers Hermione had brought.
"Hey! The ink'll bleed!" Furious, Hermione made as if to get up, but Draco stopped her.
"Just let it go, 'Mione. It charms right out, see?" With a brandish of the wand, the paper dried instantly, the ink unharmed. Hermione stared at him incredulously as the waitress stomped away.
"Really, Draco? It's not the papers; it's the fact that she didn't even apologize!"
"Calm down. My father can buy and sell a wench like her. Spare the last dry years of her life from a lecturing, will you?"
The girl gritted her teeth and clenched the sticky mug of butterbeer. Ignoring him when he began another anecdote, she stared at the clock on the wall, suddenly wishing she was back in the castle.
:*:*:*:
"Who's that from?" Draco jumped at hearing Hermione's voice from behind him so suddenly, quickly stuffing the letter back into his satchel.
"Er, I-It was from …my cousin! In Switzerland! She's …er, teaching me German, so she writes to me sometimes …"
"Really?" Hermione folded her arms and looked down her nose at him in that haughty way he hated. "Then why is there a "xoxo" and a color-changing heart on it?"
"She's just affectionate, that's all!"
"Hmm." She was no fool; she noticed the flushed cheeks he tried to hide by pretending to look for something in his bag. Her heart panged.
Who was the letter from?
:*:*:*:
Draco stifled his third yawn and sat up straight, watching the frog choir's fifth performance through bleary eyes. Beside him, Hermione was leaning forward in her seat, an excited twinkle in her eyes.
"Marvelous, just marvelous! Don't you love how Lillian sings those high notes? I must compliment her after the show …"
She kept yammering, but it faded to background noise as Draco wobbled in his seat, trying to stay awake.
"Oh, Draco, listen! This is my favorite part!"
He nearly rolled his eyes; all of it was her favorite part. What was the big deal about these guys, anyway? His father could hire professionals instead of this sorry excuse for a choir. If only he could convince the headmaster …
Yeah, and he could get taffy, too. It might get a little messy, but the taffy could help with the magic. And that's when the fairies came in, to dance, of course. Brilliant! Who wouldn't want a show with free taffy?
Draco shook his head, realizing that his half-asleep mind was spinning nonsense again. Beside him, Hermione was sitting back, her favorite part apparently over. Good; her shoulder looked so comfortable in that shawl. He leaned his head against it, his eyes drifting shut.
"Draco, what are you doing?" she whispered, going a bit pink.
"Nothing, just a bit cold."
Hermione said something else, but by that time he was already asleep.
Later, he held his arms up defensively in from of his face as she hit him with a program again and again.
"You idiot! Do you know how embarrassing it was for me when you messed Winston up by snoring?! You got us kicked out!"
He deflected another swat.
"Sorry, sorry! How many times do I have to say it?"
"Until the next choir performance! And this time, you're buying both tickets!"
Draco really wished he hadn't fallen asleep.
:*:*:*:
"Why are you being so clingy?"
Hermione frowned and latched on to Draco's arm tighter as he again attempted to pull away from her.
"Because that whole group of girls over there is staring at you and giggling. They obviously don't realize who they're up against."
"Who, you? No, they do, and that's why they're not hiding their interests."
She abruptly let go of him, and Draco laughed before grabbing her hand.
"Don't worry about them, Hermione. You already know who I prefer."
Hesitantly, he drew her into a light embrace, and Hermione smiled before putting her arms around him.
"Sorry, I just …worry sometimes."
"Good. One of us needs to."
:*:*:*:
"Er, I'm not sure about this …"
"Oh come on, Draco! We've been seeing each other for two months and we still haven't even kissed! Is that natural to you?"
"Well, it depends on how you look at it."
"Is this because it's your first?" A slow grin was spreading over Hermione's face. She poked his arm, amused. "Draco Malfoy, a kissing virgin?"
"Don't say it like that! Gods, it's only because my father didn't want me touching the filthy lips of some unworthy peasant!"
"And am I an unworthy peasant?"
"Of course not!"
"Then come on, kiss me!"
Flustered, Draco whirled on her. "And have you kissed someone before?"
"Of course!" Hermione waved his exclamation away. "Honestly, did you think I hadn't?"
"But who?" Draco was half angry, half curious.
"Ron."
"Weasley?!" Now he was just angry.
"Yes, for a dare. Three dares, actually. It was terrible, he had no idea how! Our teeth kept bumping together and he was so sloppy with it! I don't care about the consequences; if I was dared to do it again, I would just –"
She was interrupted by Draco's lips pressing insistently against hers. She blushed, taken off guard, and his hands caught her face. Her eyes slid closed.
He drew away, his face flushed. Sniffing, he crossed his arms.
"How was that? Natural enough for you?"
Hermione grinned, her arms sliding around his neck.
"Very," she agreed, and pulled him in again.