Written for The Houses Competition run by MoonlightForgotten.

House: Hufflepuff

Category: Themed: Security

Prompt: Broom

Word Count: 1,199 words. Enjoy!

"I just...I don't know. I just know that I feel safe with you," Hermione said with a soft smile, tucking some of her curly hair behind her ear while staring at the blonde male in front of her.

"The know-it-all doesn't know something?" he replied with mock surprise.

Irritation set into the bookworm's face as she hit him, "This is serious, Malfoy," she said, "I've only ever felt this way around Harry and Ron." She placed a hand on his arm and looked into his eyes. "Well, not today anyway," she added bitterly regarding her best friends, "so thank you."

Draco wanted to flinch from the contact, but his body remained still. However, he did gulp; damn Potter and his inability to see the obvious.

"Come on 'Mione!" Ron whined, "We need a full team to go against the others, and there's no one left." He clasped his hands together in a pleading fashion.

Hermione was staring at him with an astonished expression, "Did you eat something rotten today?" she asked, "Because I don't see any other way for you to think that I would ever get on a broom on the Quidditch field no less!"

Harry was standing there next to Ron, adjusting his glasses, "You see, Hermione," he started, "Seamus and Dean have already roped Ginny and the others on their team, and we're one man short."

"I'm no man!"

"Neither is Ginny," Harry pointed out.

"Ginny already plays Quidditch whereas I do not," Hermione retorted with her nose in the air. "The answer is no, and that's final!"

Hermione held onto the broom like a cat clinging to something after getting wet. She couldn't believe she had allowed Harry and Ron to coax her onto the field. Hermione was the brightest witch of her age, yet she did not understand the idea of being on a broom and playing Quidditch. Her nerves were not built for this, which was ironic considering they were fighting for their lives against one of the most powerful forces in wizard history.

She looked around franticly while the others were zooming back and forth with the quaffle. Hermione screamed when something else flew by her, "Watch where you're hitting that thing!" she shouted.

Dean scratched the back of his head, "Sorry, Hermione!" he called out before aiming for another bludger.

Hermione shakily moved on her broom, eagerly waiting for the game to be over. The boys were so engrossed into winning against Dean and Seamus that they didn't notice that Hermione was not calm; she was not out of harm's way; she was not safe.

Draco had happened to begin his approach onto the Quidditch Pitch due to wanting to flaunt his newest broom around in front of the tossers when his eyes zeroed in on one particular broom. The person on it was shaking; he could tell because of the broom's speed and the way it was zigzagging from side to side

He frowned; as a prefect, Draco couldn't allow the person to continue up in the air. Of course, he normally wouldn't care and would laugh at their misfortune, but his arse was on the line if he mucked up this position before he could get Head Boy.

The blonde was prepared to call the whole game off, something he would enjoy once he noticed the game was a bunch of Gryffindors, but the shaky broom rider was hit off their broom. Without hesitation, Draco whipped his wand out and casted a spell to save the person.

Hermione's eyes were glued shut as she fell. She knew it was coming, and feared for her life ending so soon thanks to stray bludgers. However the feeling of impact never came for Hermione. She thought that maybe it was because she had died quickly, but the voice she heard was anything but angelic.

"Open your bloody eyes, Granger, you're not dead."

Hermione's eyes shot open to come face to face with Draco Malfoy, who was smirking.

"How does it feel to come face to face with your saviour?" he asked.

Hermione placed a hand on her forehead, "I must be in Hell."

Draco rolled his eyes and prepared to reply, but his eyes swept over the landing brooms. Of course they're finally reacting to their friend falling.

"I'd expect this out of the rest you moronic lot," he started, "but Weaslette?" Draco shook his head and made a tutting sound. Ginny scowled, but didn't say anything because he was right. Ron was preparing to whip out his wand, but Harry placed a hand on his friend's arm.

"You should listen to your boyfriend, Weasel," Draco taunted, "it would be a shame to hit a prefect. Imagine all of the house points you would lose…"

Harry glared at him while Ron turned a shade darker than his hair, "Don't you have something better to do?"

"Nothing is better than tormenting you, Pothead," Draco said before meeting Hermione's eyes briefly. Sighing dramatically, Draco put his wand away with a sneer, "I have some flying to do, but I suppose I'll have to wait until there's no more filth infiltrating the premises." He gave a curt nod, something Hermione caught was directed towards her. She bit her lip as the blonde sauntered away with swagger in his step.

"Pay him no mind, 'Mione," Ron told her, "are you ready to get back into the game?"

Hermione blinked at Ron, but Ginny beat her to it by slapping Ron on the back of the head, "Oi! What did I do?"

Ginny pinched the bridge of her nose while Hermione moved her numb legs away from the field.

"Is no one going to comment on Malfoy saving Granger in the first place?" Dean quipped, causing the others to frown in thought.

"It was nothing, Granger," Draco insisted. She had tracked him down in order to thank him, something that was not necessary.

"I know," Hermione bit her lip before looking around, "no one is around, Draco," she whispered.

Draco double checked their surroundings, "I would be more comfortable within one of our closed quarters," he muttered.

Hermione sighed and placed her hands on his own, "You proved to me that you're changing, Draco," she said, "I've never felt so protected in any way that didn't involve a madman; and you willingly risked your cover because of it!"

"Weasel doesn't count as a madman?" Draco asked. The look Hermione gave him was the answer. "You're welcome, Hermione."

"Thank you," she said, "and now that it's settled, I'm going to the library to calm the remaining nerves I have left; I'm never going on a broom again."

"You'll get back on a broom again with me," Draco boasted arrogantly as she started to walk away.

Hermione stopped and looked over her shoulder. "What makes you so confident that I'll say yes?" she asked.

"I'll keep you safe," Draco replied with a smirk, before turning on his own heel and heading in the other direction. Hermione shook her head lightly as she went in the direction of the library, wondering when she'll wake up from this dream of trusting Draco Malfoy with her life.