"The Restricted Section"
By: DementedDreameater
Draco Malfoy stared at his reflection. It almost looked like a ghost was staring back at him. His complexion was paler than usual. His usually well-kept hair was disheveled, and not because of a snogging session with Pansy. He had dark circles underneath his eyes and he had lost a considerable amount of weight.
And he looked dead tired.
Merlin, he was dead tired. During the day, he'd be repairing the vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement while Crabbe and Goyle guarded outside. He'd also busied himself to putting a certain Headmaster to an early grave. A cursed necklace here. Poisoned mead there. Both unsuccessful. He still wasn't sure whether both failed attempts were to his relief or his horror.
At night, he'd toss and turn, haunted by the thought of failing his task, unable to get a good night's sleep.
Should he fail his task...should he fail to kill Dumbledore...
No. He'd rather not think of what would happen to him and his family.
He couldn't afford to lose his nerve now...now that he was so close.
After splashing water on his face, he sat down on the tiled floor and leaned against the cool stone wall. He closed his eyes, trying to find rest and peace in the quietness of the prefects' bathroom, but found none.
He had given up a lot of things to become the Death Eater he had always bragged about becoming.
He had stopped attending to prefect duties. He had given up Quidditch, the only thing that gave him happiness and a sense of freedom. He dragged his feet to classes, no longer interested in lessons, no longer seeing the point in continuing his education now that his life was going downhill fast.
He distanced himself from his friends, but in reality that really wasn't much of a challenge. He was already used to distancing himself from people, to hiding his emotions safely away. Why, he'd been doing it all his life! Besides, Crabbe and Goyle really weren't much of friends. They were more like lackeys, brainless thugs who could never in their life comprehend the kind of stress and difficulty he was going through.
Perhaps the strangest change of all was the fact that he no longer bullied the Golden Trio as much. Saint Potter, Weasel and Mudblood Granger. They'd pass each other in the halls and still glare at each other but that was all they did now really. He was just too busy to keep their petty little fights up.
He was too busy. Too worried. Too tired.
Draco reluctantly got up and headed for a class he realized he was actually late for. Luckily, it was Potions. Snape would persuade Slughorn to get him off the hook with some elaborate excuse like Snape having him do some extra work. The man knew what Draco was going through but it didn't do much to comfort him.
The blonde sat through the class without absorbing a single word from the lecture. His mind was preoccupied, thinking of different incantations and methods he could try to successfully repair the cabinet. He didn't have time to learn about silly things such as Amortentia. Merlin, if there was something he was running out of, it was time. Time and resolve.
And just when he thought he couldn't handle more work on his hands, Slughorn announced the instructions for the research paper they were required to do. Apparently, the paper would comprise a big part of their final grade.
Great. Just great.
More time in the library, away from the the Room of Requirement where he actually needed to be. He decided to just quickly scrunch up a paper that would at least get him a passing mark. He figured grades no longer mattered as much anyway. It wasn't as if Voldemort would spare him and his family just because he got an 'O' in all of his subjects. He also decided he might as well check out some other books at the library for spells that could help repair the cabinet.
So, after classes, he trudged to the library, hoping to quickly finish the bothersome paper so that he could go back to his task. Other students probably got the same idea as him...either that or half the Hogwarts population had magically turned into bookworms overnight. The library was littered with students. Madam Pince was having a field day scolding, glaring at and even forcefully throwing out students.
He found some books that helped him with his paper and quickly took down his notes. By the time he had finished, his eyelids were getting heavy and he was constantly yawning. It didn't help that the library was bloody quiet as well. It just made him sleepier.
Putting away his research work, he started with more important business - finding more spells for the repair of the cabinet. But he had already scoured all the sections of the library for information he could use. He had searched all the sections, save one: the Restricted Section.
He took the opportunity to sneak over there while Madam Pince was busy interrogating a couple of first years.
It hadn't really been his first time there. But it was definitely his first time going through that section with an actual purpose. He yawned and made his way to his usual corner, the most secluded part of the whole library, away from Madam Pince's prying eyes. He was about to drop to his spot in exhaustion when he saw something or rather someone sitting comfortably there already.
It was none other than the Gryffindor bookworm herself, Hermione Granger.
Damn his luck.
She sat Indian style in the corner with a book in her lap. His surprise was mirrored on her own face.
"What are you doing here, Granger?" he scowled.
Ah, old habits were hard to break.
Hermione glared up at him. "I could ask you the same question, Malfoy."
"You do know that's my spot you're soiling?" he sneered.
His scowl darkened when she made no move to leave his corner.
"I was here first, Malfoy," the witch argued. "Now unless your father bought you this particular corner and had a nameplate built into the stone to prove it was yours, I am not moving from this spot!"
She threw him another glare then went back to her book.
Draco looked at her in disbelief.
He was losing his touch... Either that or he was probably just too tired to think of a witty comeback. He chose to believe the latter.
Hermione, noticing that he wasn't going anywhere, looked up at Draco again and sighed. "I know why you like this corner. Madam Pince can't bother us here."
The blonde only cocked an eyebrow.
Then, hesitatingly, she added, "Look, if you swear not to be so arrogant and conceited...I guess we could...share the spot."
"Share?" Draco almost burst out laughing. Who did she think she was talking to? He didn't do sharing. Especially not with a Mudblood like her! He was a bloody Malfoy for Merlin's sake! But seeing that she clearly wasn't going anywhere and that he needed the spot, he decided to hold back on the taunting and actually be civil with the infamous Mudblood.
Swallowing his pride, he plucked the book he needed from the shelf and sat down beside her, pointedly avoiding physical contact.
Hermione was surprised that he had even considered her offer but kept her thoughts to herself, burying her nose once more in her book of choice.
She could not concentrate, however, because of the noise Draco was making by just turning the pages of his book. It sounded like he was close to ripping the pages off it. Hermione tried to ignore it but the noise sounded like it was getting louder and louder with each passing minute. It was a wonder Madam Pince hadn't come to kick them out yet!
Unable to stand it much longer, she sighed in exasperation. "Could you please turn the pages with a little less...brutality?"
Draco looked up from his book with an annoyed expression on his face. "What are you talking about now, Granger?"
"Your page turning," she repeated, irritation clear in her voice. "It's making more noise than it should!"
The blonde scowled. "Who do you think you are? Madam Pince?" He then purposely turned the next page loudly, making Hermione's left eye twitch. "I'll turn these pages however I please, thank you very much."
His lips then curled into a smirk. "If you can't stand it, leave."
"How dare you!" the witch spat. Realizing she had said it a little too loudly, she then craned her neck to check whether Madam Pince had heard her. She sighed with relief when the old witch did not come around to throw them out. Looking back at the blonde, she whispered angrily, "In case you forgot, I was here first!"
But Draco had long ignored her and was back to reading his book.
She grumbled incoherent insults and complaints before going back to reading her own book. After a while, she noticed that Draco was turning the pages of his book with less noise.
But it was no use. She was now too distracted to go back to reading.
Hermione wondered what their blonde nemesis was doing in the Restricted Section. She was there purely for educational purposes of course. She had learned all their schoolbooks by heart but it never was enough for her. The information in the books in other sections didn't satisfy her hunger for knowledge either. Being the brains in the Golden Trio, she felt it was her responsibility to be well-informed, especially now that Harry needed all the help he could get.
So what was Draco's excuse?
Harry had mentioned that Draco might have been up to something. The blonde was secretive and was always going off somewhere. The changes in him were noticeable, too. Not only was he no longer a rival for the top marks in class, but he rarely got into a fight with her or with Harry or with Ron as well.
She snuck a look at him every now and then while he was engrossed in his reading. His forehead would sometimes crease and he sported a worried look on his face. Once in a while, he would release a long yawn and shake his head to keep himself awake. He looked gaunt and tired, like he had the whole world on his shoulders.
What was he up to?
After a while, Hermione closed her book and stared at him. "What exactly are you doing in the Restricted Section anyway?" she whispered, scrutinizing him and his book. She saw that he was reading Magical Repair and Restoration for Dark Artifacts. "And with a book on magical repair to boot?"
What did he need to repair? She didn't think Malfoys needed to repair anything in their lives. Didn't they have help to do it for them? Or didn't they just buy a new model or version of whatever it was they broke?
Draco scowled, displeased by her nosy questions. "I think you'll do well to mind your own bloody business, Mudblood!"
He didn't need to have a silly little girl find out about his task and ruin everything...put to waste many months' worth of bloody hard work, sleepless nights and the years that were scratched off his life from the constant worry and fear he was subjected to. No, he didn't need that.
"No need to get so touchy, Malfoy," the brunette frowned, feeling the sting of being called the M-word for the nth time. "I was just asking."
"Yeah, well I didn't come here to answer stupid questions!" he spat back.
"Fine!" Hermione whispered angrily and buried her nose in her book again.
The old Malfoy that used to piss her off to no end was back. His nasty attitude effectively dowsed her curiosity. That was the last time she'd ask him anything. Was he having his monthly period? Because damn was he PMS-ing! She decided to infer that he was probably just doing wizard drugs or something. That would explain why looked so wasted.
He more frequently yawned now. If she hadn't heard him turning pages, she'd have thought he had fallen asleep right there and then. She snuck another look at him and saw his eyelids drooping. He was fighting to stay awake...and she could tell he was losing.
Her curiosity resurfaced. Wasn't this boy getting a good night's sleep? His perfect attendance in classes had long been broken and he no longer passed most of the subject requirements. So if he weren't busy doing school work or going to classes, what in the world was he doing with his time to make him so exhausted?
He looked so spent...even she felt tired just looking at him. Maybe he was having problems. Even rich people like him had problems, too, right? Did it have something to do with his father being imprisoned in Azkaban? That was most likely it. It must have been mortifying for him to watch his father be taken away, to see his family name being shamed everyday in the papers, to be known as the son of a Death Eater. He didn't choose the cards he was dealt with. He just learned to roll with the punches.
And for a moment, Hermione actually felt sorry for him.
She figured that was probably why Draco was always so nasty towards others, why he was always so terrible to her and her friends. He'd grown up in that kind of family. He'd grown up as the son of a Death Eater. He'd grown up in the shadow of Voldemort and his underlings. Merlin, if she were in his shoes, she'd probably turn out like him, too...if not worse.
At that moment, all the years of being bullied, scorned and hurt by this particular blonde boy suddenly didn't seem so...significant. All those years suddenly felt like something from a different life, from the memories of different people. When she looked at him, she didn't see the condescending boy she was so used to loathing. When she looked at him, all she saw was a boy who looked like he needed just a spot of sympathy.
"You know," she started as nonchalantly as she could, keeping her eyes on her own reading material. "You should get some rest. You look terrible."
The blonde looked at her this time, not with the usual annoyance and contempt, but with surprise. "What did you say?" he asked while staring at the brunette. Did he hear her right? Did the Gryffindor bookworm actually...care? And about him?
"I said you look terrible," Hermione repeated as she turned a page. "You've been yawning for quite some time now. You look like you haven't had a decent night's sleep in weeks!"
Draco eyed her some more before smirking and turning back to his book. "Months, actually," he said dryly.
This made Hermione's eyes snap back to his pale face. His situation (whatever it was) was that bad? He had a smirk on, but it didn't look quite like the infamous smirks she had often seen during their earlier years. It looked forced...even pained.
"Why don't you just head back to your dorm and take a rest?" This time, she stopped pretending to sound so casual. With her book now effectively forgotten, she kept her attention fully on him.
The concerned tone of her voice caught him off-guard yet again, but he kept to his own book. Draco frowned, "I just...I just don't have time for that." It was the truth and boy was it ugly.
Hermione's brows furrowed. She was wrong. This wasn't the old Malfoy that used to piss her off to no end. This was a completely different one. This one seemed to be more vulnerable...almost defenseless. This one seemed so frail despite the bravado he kept trying to put up. This one seemed so...genuine.
"I'm sorry to hear that..."
And the witch meant it.
Draco probably got that as well, judging from the bewildered look on his face. He was staring at her pointblank and Hermione felt a little self-conscious. Was she talking too much? Was she letting her guard down just a teensy bit too much? Was she crossing some line and invading his personal space? Was it a mistake to actually care? She was anxiously waiting for a smart-ass comeback or a snide comment or a low-blow insult.
But it didn't come.
Instead, he turned his head back to his book again. His eyes though didn't seem like they were focused on reading like they were before. They had a far away look in them now and she could tell the boy was thinking deeply about something.
An uncomfortable silence settled between them as both continued to "read". Hermione was obviously far too distracted as she kept stealing glances at the boy and Draco's mind was probably miles away from that library. She started thinking about leaving him to his studies or research (or whatever it was he was doing there) to give him the space and peace he probably needed when the boy released another long yawn and paused.
"Granger," he said, startling the witch beside him. The way he said her last name hardly had any disdain in it. The way he said it almost sounded normal. He pointedly avoided eye-contact. "Can...Can you do me a favor?"
Hermione blinked. A favor? Draco Lucius Malfoy was asking her for a favor?
"W-What kind of favor?" she asked, her head starting to fill up with morbid thoughts of her being a test subject for a hex or of her being a test subject for anything, really.
Draco was silent for a while as his eyes continued to droop. The brunette was about to repeat her question when he surprised her by saying, "Let me borrow your shoulder for five minutes."
It was her turn to stare at him pointblank. It was her turn to second-guess what she heard. Were her ears screwed on correctly? Did she hear him right? She searched his eyes. Although extremely tired, they looked at her sincerely, and she saw something else in them.
It almost looked like desperation. It almost looked like he was pleading.
It was then that she understood what he really wanted...what he really needed from her. Hermione nodded and moved herself closer to the boy. Draco, in turn, looked at her like he couldn't believe she actually agreed. He waited for her to admit joking about it, to laugh in his face.
But that didn't come either.
So he smiled faintly. It was the first smile she ever got (or saw) from him and she thought he actually looked good with a smile on his face. She gave a small one of her own before he leaned his fair head against her shoulder.
The weight of his head was light at first, like he wasn't entirely comfortable with leaning against her. But after Hermione moved even closer to him, pushed some of her bushy hair away from him (since it was getting in his face) and adjusted her position so that he didn't have to lean in so low, he rested his weight fully on her.
It must have been an odd scene. Draco Malfoy resting on Hermione Granger's shoulder was unfathomable...and yet, there they were, completely unbothered by it.
He was a little heavy but Hermione didn't mind. The girl's brown curls tickled his face a bit but Draco didn't mind. At that singular moment in time, they weren't sworn enemies. Draco was not the son of a Death Eater, not the insufferable prat, not the slimy ferret. Hermione was not the know-it-all, not the annoying bookworm, not the self-righteous Gryffindor. They were just two regular people sharing more than just that little spot in the library.
The witch's little shoulder was comfortable and Draco was surprised how his head felt just right being there. He could smell her hair. It smelled faintly like apples and he found himself smiling just a little more. All the stress, all the fears just seemed to melt away.
The brunette watched the rising and falling of his chest slow down. His head on her shoulder was getting heavier. She turned her head slowly to look at his face. He looked simply angelic with his fair skin, his pointed but handsome features, his long lashes and the peaceful expression all over his face.
He had fallen asleep.
It was way past five minutes now, but Hermione didn't care.
She smiled and gently leaned her head on top of his.
Draco sat through another class without absorbing anything from the lecture. Flitwick was going on about some sort of exam they'd be having soon but he didn't really care. He released a long yawn before slumping onto his desk. He'd been working on the vanishing cabinet early that morning. He hadn't had a good sleep since...since...
He quickly looked around the room for a certain girl in that class. He actually felt disappointed when he failed to see her familiar face.
"Oh yeah," he thought glumly. "We've got Charms with the Hufflepuffs."
He released another yawn and wondered how long before they would be set free from the boring class.
Soon enough, they were dismissed and Draco was officially done with his classes for that day. He looked tiredly around for a place to rest. He tried their dorms, their common room, even his little spot under a tree near the Black Lake but he just couldn't fall asleep.
There was only one place where he knew he could get the rest he badly needed.
He decided to go to the library. Once he reached the familiar corridor going there, he found himself taking bigger steps. He was almost running when he reached the library. Madame Pince was easily distracted by a couple of rule-breaking first years yet again and so he was able to make his way to a certain forbidden place in the library undetected. As he neared the spot, he felt his heart race. He wondered whether a certain someone he was looking for would again be there...
He felt anxious and excited. There was some hope left in him, some hope that a certain someone would be around. Finally, he rounded a bookshelf and there, seated comfortably yet again in his spot and reading another large book, was the brunette.
She looked up at him with a small smile. "Come to read more on magical repair?" she asked casually.
Draco blinked a couple of times, making sure he wasn't just seeing things. When the girl did not disappear in front of him like some dream, he grinned.
He never thought he'd be that happy to see a Gryffindor.
"I'll be honest with you, Granger," he continued tentatively, taking a seat beside the girl and foregoing plucking his usual book from the shelf. This time, it didn't bother him that they were seated so close to each other. "I was actually...I was actually hoping you'd be here."
Hermione stared at him and then smiled. "I'll be honest with you, too, Malfoy," she said as she closed her book and put it aside. "I was actually waiting for you." Then, she brought out a scrunchie and proceeded to tie her hair up into a ponytail. "This makes things easier, doesn't it?" she asked, pointing to her new hairstyle.
The boy looked at her for a while before smiling. This time, he smiled without restrain and he found he actually liked it. Hermione moved even closer to him and he gently leaned his head on her shoulder. He could smell apples again. He felt contented and relaxed. He closed his eyes.
He could get used to this.
A/N: Well, how was it? Was it sweet? Was it nice? Did it make you feel all tingly inside? :)
If your answer is yes to all of the above, then I've done my job.
Also, it looks like a lot of people want me to continue this. Haha. Hmm...I'm not yet sure about that, but I'm considering it. :) Let me know what you think about turning this one-shot into an actual short story.
I'd love to read your reviews, comments, ideas, etc. So don't be shy! Click on that little blue link at the bottom. :D