House: Slytherin
Category: Short
Prompt: "Books have feelings too, you know,"
Word Count: 1382
Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger had been together for...Merlin knows how long. They respected each other, for the most part, anyway. They knew what they did and didn't like. Some of those things clashed with each other, but they made it work. For instance, Hermione loved books. They were one of her favorite things in the world, aside from Draco, of course. Draco, however, was not the biggest fan of books. In fact, they were one of his least favorite things.
The couple had been living together for quite some time now, which meant that they constantly had to put up with each other's idiosyncrasies. Sometimes it got a bit out of hand, but at the end of the day, their love was magnetic.
Hermione had been in the library at Malfoy Manor. She was busying herself with rereading the book that Dumbledore had given her. It was the story of the three brothers and Deathly Hallows. It was one of her favorite books, which was saying something, considering that she'd read a fair amount of books in her lifetime. It reminded her of the memories with Harry and Ron. She remembered the adventures she'd shared with them. It made her feel warm and full of delight. The story, she felt, also had a deep connection with her. It somehow taught her lessons that she held dear to her heart. It was one of the things that stayed the same back then, when everything was changing so rapidly that she could barely keep up. It was reassuring that the book would never change, letting the story be a constant in her life.
Hermione smiled fondly as a rush of memories and warm feelings filled her up. Draco had climbed up the stairs and gone into the library with a plate of snacks and tea. He noticed her holding a book, a smile spreading across her face.
"What are you smiling about?" Draco asked, setting the platinum platter down. He looked at her, smiling at her glowing expression.
"Nothing important. I was just recalling the old times. This book reminded me of the trio and Dumbledore. It made me think of all of the fun and mischievous things we got into," Hermione replied, sighing at the calming thoughts. The mention of Dumbledore and her old trio made Draco scowl. He remembered how much he disliked her old friends, along with the haunting responsibility that he had to carry regarding Dumbledore. A dark expression overtook his smile. He looked down at his hands on the table. He studied the scars that claimed their spots on the top of his hand.
Hermione looked up at him and her smile faded, noticing his gloomy demeanor. "I was just recollecting what the past times. I wasn't trying to-," she was cut off by Draco's sharp tone.
"Save it. Don't waste your breath on explaining yourself. I just thought we agreed to not mention anything related to those things, while I'm present, anyway," he said seriously.
Hermione tried to apologize, but it was a failed attempt. "I'm-," she began.
"No. Don't. Just give it a rest. There's no need for you to apologize. After all, you weren't the one burdened with the responsibility of carrying out a murder. You weren't the one who went after close friends whenever you got the chance," he spat. His voice raised to a hostile tone. He let go of the coffee table, letting his knuckles return to their natural color. Draco walked slowly out of the library, leaving a tense atmosphere behind.
Hermione knew she may have stepped over the border. She had gone too far. At the start of their relationship, it was agreed that there would be no mention of what had happened back then. Nothing about him having to kill Dumbledore and nothing about his family's associations and duties. He had felt so guilty about trying so hard to make Harry and Ron's lives miserable that he hated hearing about them. Both agreed to respect each other's preferences and opinions. She realized her mistake. Apologizing would do no good, so she left the problem unresolved. Hermione was certain that it would soon die down, and Draco would get over it.
As soon as Hermione finished her book, she chose another one and settled herself right back down in the couch. With a fuzzy blanket thrown over herself, she sipped her hot tea as she read.
After a couple of hours, Hermione had gotten through five books. Draco seemed to have blown off some steam after that time, because he returned to the library later that day. "You still reading?" he asked, as if nothing had happened before.
"Obviously. I can't just neglect all of these books. They're begging me to read them. It's like they're on a waiting list. I want to read as many books as I can so that no one feels left out," she responded, as if the book's feelings were supposed to obvious.
"I feel left out," Draco said casually. He was trying to flirt with her. Hermione giggled and finally looked up from her book.
"Oh, I'm sorry for neglecting you for so long," she told him.
"As well as you should be. My feelings certainly matter more than some book, who don't even have feelings," he retorted jokingly.
Hermione scoffed. She put on an expression that Draco was all too familiar with. She was about to tell him off, like other times. This happened often, since Hermione always seemed to have a different opinion on other subjects. She stood up, letting the blanket fall to the dark wooden floor. She set down her cup of tea on the nightstand next to the couch gently, which demonstrated her level of irritation.
Hermione cleared her throat. "Excuse me, but it sounded as though you think that books cannot feel," she stated.
"I did, in fact, say that. I do think that they do not possess feelings or emotions," Draco said confidently, not willing to back down.
Hermione drew in a deep breath and exhaled. "I must inform you that you are wrong. It is my duty, as your other half, to notify you when and why you're wrong," she said. She started to pace around the room, preparing her debate. Draco crossed his arms and looked at her lovingly. Draco had a special gleam in his eye. His eyes were all focused on Hermione. He loved when she did this.
She began her speech. "Books contain valuable information and beautiful stories. They help you with your homework and research. They tell you a memorable story. What do you think they do? They feel," she said. "Books work too hard, which should make them all the more appreciated. Books feel when you open them and scan your eyes through them. I'm sure that when you do find what you're looking for, they fill up with satisfaction. At the end of the day, they're grateful for all of the faces they got to gaze upon. They love to feel like they're useful. Who wouldn't? The point is, books have feelings too, you know," Hermione ended her speech.
Draco was smiling at her. He loved listening to her voice. Hermione knew that he probably hadn't been listening to what she just said.
"I'm still not convinced. Could you tell me more?" he whispered, as he slowly walked up in front of Hermione. His face was inches from hers.
"Do you really want to know more? Or do you think that if I kiss you, that'll be enough to convince you?" she asked teasingly. She knew what he wanted.
"You read my mind," he whispered. She reached up to him, about to put her lips against his when he put a strawberry in between their mouths. He had grabbed it from the snacks on the nearby coffee table. He backed up from her and winked. He took a bite from the strawberry. "If you want a kiss, you have to come get it," he teased. He started towards the stairs and went down.
Hermione looked back at the shelves of books longingly. "I'll come back for you guys," she promised. Having reassured the books, she ran towards the door and went downstairs, determined to get the kiss she deserved.