That's the way I loved you
Based on the song By Taylor Swift
First Verse
He is sensible and so incredible
And all my single friends are jealous
He says everything I need to hear
And it's like I couldn't ask for anything better
He opens up my door
And I get into his car
And he says you look beautiful tonight
And I feel perfectly fine
The Great Hall was full of busy breakfast chatter as Draco Malfoy sauntered over to the Gryffindor table.
"Awake yet, Granger?"
Hermione jumped a little in her seat as he shouted a little to close to her ears for comfort.
"Morning, you utter git." Hermione smiled up at him, rolling her eyes as he kissed her on the cheek. Ginny giggled at her, but no-one else was particularly bothered, the stares had stopped about a week after their very official announcement. It was bizarre that no-one was amazed by there relationship, despite its absurd nature. Pansy Parkinson still hated her and kept trying to hex her in the corridors. It never failed to amuse Hermione to petrify her, leaving her troll-like figures frozen in a very unladylike snarl of jealousy. Opinion was split in the rest of Slytherin, but most were still too scared of Draco to openly oppose it.
"Fancy corridor patrols this evening?" She asked sweetly. Everyone thought she was just getting bonus prefect points for such a dull job, but her thoughts differed completely. They would wander for hours, quite happily chatting to each other but somehow they would always end up on that particular corridor and therefore had to check the room of requirement for rebel third years. And somehow, that sumptuous bed covered in red and silver sheets would appear and well, it would be rude to ignore it. Hermione grinned to herself just thinking about it. No, patrols were never something you could call dull.
"Not tonight love, mock charms exam tomorrow. I don't want to be keeping you up all night." He winked knowingly at Ron, who pretended to gag into his cereal. Harry creased up watching Ron's put on display of brotherly protection.
"Oh, okay then." She tried to smile with them all. She shook her head. "When did you get so sensible?" She asked, the touch of disappointment colouring her words detracting from her forced smile.
"Since you came and saved me." He slid his hands down her shoulders, resting them on her waist and kissed her on the neck. "And you know you love me for it."
"Something like that." She bit her lip as he squeezed her.
"You Gryffindors are supposed to like your good boys, so I'm trying." He kissed her again before walking back to his table, a blissful smile playing on his lips. "Oh, by the way Hermione, Friday night - I'm taking you out," he called, "And don't you dare worry about this bloody exam – its only a mock and besides you will make us all look like two old acquaintances of mine with minimal effort!" Ron choked and spluttered through his toast as he followed Draco's eye line to where Crabbe and Goyle were sitting. Harry just kept laughing. Draco smirked. "And then, my dear, we'll have to find a way to celebrate." He winked at her and walked away.
Normality returned to the Gryffindor table and Hermione began to eat her breakfast again.
"That blonde git's getting so annoying every morning. It's almost enough to put you off your food," teased Ron as he leaned over Hermione to get to the bacon.
"Hmm," she smiled back, "I think it will take more than public displays of affection to put you off your food, Ronald. All that is hardly healthy for a Keeper."
"Hell, Hermione! Can we bring the ferret over again – at least he keeps you from doing the teacher thing."
Hermione glared as her friends cracked up again.
"Merlin! That boy is just incredible!" laughed Ginny, "You want to keep a close eye on him. I mean he does have a ridiculously impressive reputation. If I wasn't your best friend, I'd be extremely jealous."
"If you weren't single, I'd believe you." Hermione shot back, laughing. All those little niggling thoughts about the upcoming mock exams started to fade away. She was confident; she just needed to be told she'd be perfect. No-one else would have felt the need to encourage her. Ron and Harry were always too busy begging for last minute help. She was the one who had to encourage people, not the other way round. But Draco seemed to understand her perfectly. She'd never felt that with anyone else. She thought back to any old boyfriends, it was a depressingly short list. None of them came anywhere near him. He seemed unreal next to the normal few she had been with, with not a fault to lower him. She knew she was lucky that he even glanced at her twice. She looked over at the Slytherin table and sighed. "I really couldn't ask for anything better."
The knock on her bedroom door was at exactly 7.30, just as he had promised. Not a second late or early. Hermione smiled, checked her hair again and walked out.
Draco looked stunning as always, the black of his shirt making his pale skin look beautifully ethereal. He linked with her and apparated them out to the courtyard.
"How-" Hermione began.
"Special permit, for a very special witch" he smirked, putting a satin finger on her lips to prevent her from talking, asking exactly how he had broken the age old rules of Hogwarts. As they stood together in the cold night air, their gazes fell onto the strange black horses pulling the carriage Draco had asked for. Now Hermione could see them, she saw how terribly beautiful they were. Very much like a boy she once knew. She knew, she corrected herself.
"Madam?" Draco bowed low as he opened the carriage door. Hermione smiled and gingerly stepped in – her balance still wasn't fabulous. She nearly slipped, but his strong arms circled her waist to steady her. His breath tickled her neck as he whispered to her. "You look beautiful tonight, Hermione."
"And you are rather dashing yourself." She sat down and he sat next to her, allowing his cologne to envelope her, feeling perfectly… fine. Fine? When had she ever been able to respond coherently to any of Draco's compliments? His words still made her flush, but lately something was missing. Not missing, more like fading. She sighed and her thoughts raced back involuntarily to the night when she had leapt over the fine line between hating someone and completely loving the arrogant git, because the boy she was leaning on was still that arrogant git, he was still that beautifully flawed boy. He had to be.