A/N: Welcome! We are super excited to present our first REAL fanfic on this account! So I hope y'all enjoy and review! Oh, and the Lavender Brown ordeal in fifth year in this fic, as this fic takes place starting in fifth year. So….yeah. Use your imaginations =P
~*~*~*~Dreadfully~*~Yours~*~*~*~*~
Third Person Point of View…
It was, ironically, a dark and dreary night when Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy become friends. Yes, friends.
She was hiding out in the Astronomy Tower, watching the night sky. She was alone; Harry was still in the Common Room, celebrating the Quidditch win- she'd told him not to worry, she'd be fine. And Ron…..well, Ron was too busy playing tonsil hockey with that leech to care.
With a sigh, Hermione leaned back against the cold stone. Against her will, a lone tear found its way down her cheek.
"Getting emotional, Granger?"
Quickly, Hermione swiped the tear away and fixed her mouth into a scowl. She turned to face the infuriating blonde leaning against the wall behind her. "Bug off, Malfoy." She spat.
He sneered. "Watch your tongue, Mudblood."
With a growl, Hermione's fists clenched. "Take it back." She hissed.
"What?" Draco asked, arching his eyebrows, a smirk playing on his lips.
"You know very well what." She growled, stepping closer.
With a lazy grin, he replied: "What? Mudblood?"
With a howl of rage, Hermione whipped out her wand. "I will Crucio you if you don't take it back!"
Draco pulled out his wand too, but only left it at his side. "Someone's temperamental tonight. Is it your time of the month?"
Hermione stayed silent, her wand still posed to strike.
"Well, are you going to answer me?"
He was met with more silence.
"Granger?"
The only sound was the very distant sound of a crowd from the Gyffindor common room.
"Mudblood?"
She threw her wand aside and jumped forward, her fists swinging. He sidestepped, grabbed her fist and twisted it around, so that her back was against his front. "I've learned a few tricks since third year, Granger." He whispered into his ear.
His breath was hot against her neck, and she decided he smelled like rain, and the forest.
"Let go of me." She snarled, struggling to get out of his grasp.
"No."
"Malfoy!"
"Granger, it's fun watching you struggle."
Hermione let out a huge sigh. "That's awful, Malfoy."
"Not really." She felt him shrug. "I just like knowing that without your wand and your bloody friends," She could hear the malice in the word "friends". "You are actually somewhat helpless against me."
"That's disgusting." Hermione spat. "Let go of me this instant."
To her surprise, he let go of her. She stumbled a bit, but righted herself. She picked up her wand and spun around to face the Slytherin boy, but he was faster. "Expelliarmus!" He shouted. The wand flew out of Hermione's hand and clattered to the ground at Malfoy's feet.
The smug expression on his face made her want to punch his lights out. "Why you little-"
"Granger, I don't want to fight you."
The words stopped her at once. She processed their meaning with shock. "W-what?"
"Look, we both came up here to relax." He held his hands up in surrender. "And to escape the people in our lives."
Hermione let out an involuntary gasp. "What…How did you…."
He smirked. "Granger you are so obviously smitten with Weasley, it literally makes me sick. He must be more daft than I originally thought if he hasn't noticed…..and he hasn't."
"Ronald isn't daft! He's getting full marks in every class." She defended.
"Whatever. I told you I'm not fighting you right now." With a sigh, he plopped down next to where Hermione had been sitting previously.
With one last look, Hermione crossed over to the other side of the tower and leaned against the window. "So….what are you up here for?" She asked after a few minutes of silence.
"Escaping Parkinson." He said.
"Among other things." It was more a statement than a question.
"Well….yes." He admitted after a moment's hesitation. "But primarily, escaping Parkinson."
Hermione chuckled a bit, looking out to the sky. The stars were shining bright. "I'm sorry. She looks to be terribly clingy."
Draco shuddered. "She is. Lavender looks to be about the same."
Hermione was silent, any semblance of a good mood flattened by his remark. He seemed to notice.
"I'm sorry. If it helps any, know that I believe Weasley is the only one on the entire planet who finds that girl date-worthy."
"I'm sorry, but did the high and mighty Draco Malfoy just apologize for something?" She asked in mock-and-somewhat-real-shock, turning around to face the blonde.
"Don't get used to it." He snorted, looking past her and into the sky.
After a seconds hesitation, she walked over and joined him, sliding down the wall to sit next to him. "Malfoy…what else are you up here for?"
He let out yet another sigh. "It's complicated, Granger. Much to complicated."
"Family?" She guessed.
He turned his head to look her in the eyes. "Do you really want to know, Granger?"
"If it will help." She shrugged.
He only continued to search her chocolate brown eyes with his silver ones.
"What?" She asked. He was probably about to mock her.
"You, Hermione Granger, would want to help me, Draco Malfoy, after all the thing I've done to you and your friends? After all the awful things I've called you?"
She shrugged again. "I like helping people. Why, do you not want my help?"
He finally looked away, Hermione nearly punching herself for wishing he hadn't. "No. Yes. I don't know. Maybe. Dammit!" He punched the wall in frustration.
Hermione jumped a bit. "Draco! Why did you do that?" She exclaimed, yanking his arm around so she could inspect his fist.
"Bloody hell!" He swore. His fist was red and bleeding, and a couple fingers looked broken.
With a sigh, Hermione picked her wand off the floor and pointed to Draco's hand. "Episkey!"
All of the broken bones straightened themselves out, back to the original places. Draco swore again, then rubbed his hand.
"Forget it. I don't think I want to know." Hermione said, pocketing her wand.
"It's just….it's my father."
"Oh." The two sat in silence, Draco rubbing his recently-broken, now-better hand.
Finally, Hermione broke the silence. "Seriously, Draco. Do you want to…talk about it?"
"It's the usual. Deatheater this. Deatheater this. I don't want you to have to hear it, honestly." Draco said, looking back to Hermione.
"Okay."
They sat in another comfortable silence for quite a while before Draco spoke again. "Hey, Granger?"
"Mmm?"
"I take back what I said earlier. You know, that name?"
"Really?" It was impossible not to hear the incredulousness in her voice.
"Yeah. It was…..out of line."
"Who the bloody hell are you?" Hermione asked suspiciously, her hand reaching for her wand again. "I know a spell that reverses Ployjuice Potion, so don't think you can get away with this!"
Draco actually laughed. "Merlin's pants, Granger! Do you really think so low of me? Here I am, swallowing my pride-which isn't easy to do, you know- and you accuse me of being a fraud! Give me some bloody Veritaserum, if you have too!"
Hermione relaxed and sat back. "Sorry." She said a bit sheepishly. "And apology accepted."
"Yeah, like I said before- Don't get used to it."
"I won't."
"Do you realize you called me "Draco" a couple of times?" He inquired, arching a blonde eyebrow.
"Yeah." Hermione's cheeks tinged the slightest pink. "But don't get used to it, ferret." She mocked.
He laughed again. "Granger, you aren't as insufferable as I thought you were."
"Err…thanks?"
"It's a compliment. It was actually kind of….nice…..talking to you."
"Uh, you too…" Hermione's cheeks were slightly more pink than before.
Draco stood up, brushing off his robe. "Look, I ought to get back. I'll talk to you later."
Hermione stood up too. "Yeah, same here. I'll see you around….?"
Draco gave a half-smile. "Sure. Bye." He disappeared down the stairs.
Hermione turned back to the window for a last look.
The last thing she thought before she left the room was that the silvery reflection from the moon onto the lake look nearly the color of Draco Malfoy's eyes.
A/N: Okay…..I think that was good, but I typed this up at 2 am sooooo… =P
Anyway, reviews are appreciated and LOVED! =)
~AwesomesauceAndNinjas =)