Round 2, Challenge I of the Dramione LDWS 'Leather & Librarians' at Livejournal.

Prompt: Must take place in a library.

Other submissions may be found here: community./dramioneldws/15068.html#cutid1

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A Scent of Leather, 499 words

Hermione was nearly in tears.

"What have we done?" she sobbed as she clutched helplessly at the half of the book in her hands.

"WE?" said Draco. "It was you who used magic to try to rip the book away from me."

Tears tricked down her face. "Just help me fix this, okay?"

Draco watched her scramble around the floor for a moment before speaking.

"Here, let me do it."

"Oh, like you know about fixing rare library books."

"It was actually my father's favorite punishment for me. I've repaired thousands of books like this, so shut it, Granger."

"Oh," Hermione whispered as he knelt on the floor too.

"Go get some paste," he grumbled. You've nearly torn this whole leather cover off."

Moments later Ron Weasley entered Hogwart's library, only to be stopped dead by Hermione's soft voice floating over the shelves.

"I love feeling leather stretch across the spine."

"We don't have time for your indulgences. Just take off the jacket."

A rustle and a sigh made Ron's heart leap.

"That's more like it," he heard Malfoy say. "Now, help me take this leather off."

"All of it?"

"Yes, all of it," said Malfoy. "Don't look so worried. I'll be careful, I promise. I've done this a million times."

With a grunt was the unmistakeable sound of leather dropping to the floor.

"Wow," Hermione whispered. "I've never seen anything so beautiful look so… naked."

Draco scoffed. "I'll bet you haven't. Alright, now grab that for me, will ya? And just hold onto it."

"What do I do with it?"

"Just give it a squeeze."

Hermione grunted. "Nothing came out."

"Well, just squeeze it harder."

Hermione exhaled loudly. Malfoy cried out in surprise.

"Oh, no," Hermione groaned. "It's gotten everywhere. Now I'm all sticky and wet."

"That's alright," Malfoy said impatiently. "We'll clean up later. Now put that right in there."

There was a pause and Ron's stomach dropped to his shoes.

"You promised to be careful, remember?"

"Yes, yes," Malfoy huffed. "Just move out of the way so I can get inside."

Ron collapsed soundlessly onto the carpet.

When the darkness cleared from Ron's eyes, it was done. From his position on the floor, Ron could see their shadowed feet moving beneath the shelves.

"Careful," Malfoy cautioned, "or we'll have to take everything off and start again."

Hermione laughed. "Don't tempt me. I usually like doing things a couple of times over, just to make sure I've gotten them right."

Malfoy carefully slid the repaired book back onto its shelf, its leather cover neatly realigned, its dust jacket wrapped snugly in place.

As they walked out of the library, Draco ran his wand over the sticky white paste splattered across Hermione's robes, making the stains disappear. Hermione stopped herself from saying that she could do that herself and smiled politely instead.

Draco grinned too, just as Ron picked himself up off the library floor. "You know, Granger, for your first time, I thought you did pretty well."

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5 favorite votes (woot!)

28 August 2008