Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. All credit goes to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.
Hello! This is my first story. It's your typical Hermione/Draco love story. I tried my hardest and I'm happy with the result, and I hope you readers feel the same way. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!
Hermione Granger was just an average-looking girl; bushy mousy brown hair, slightly bucked front teeth, a round face. She didn't pride herself on how she looked. She was more conservative and focused her attention on her studies and keeping up with the shenanigans that her best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, got into.
She was in her fourth year, and it was just after Christmas break. Unlike other students, who spent the break relaxing and gossiping about the ongoing Triwizard Tournament, Hermione spent her break catching up on her reading and making sure she was ready for studies to resume when the break was over. And, indeed, when classes started up again, Hermione kept her spot at the top of her class. Other students sighed in relief when she threw her hand up into the air, because it meant they would be spared from answering another question they didn't know the answer to.
Hermione knew everything there was to know about everything, and she wasn't afraid to flaunt it. For this reason, most boys went after other girls, ones that wouldn't lecture them about Ancient Runes or the seven uses for dragons' blood at any given moment. And the few boys that were interested, Hermione wasn't. When boys ogled her as she flounced through the halls, she kept her eyes straight ahead. She wanted her name to be used in useful conversation, not thrown around is whispered gossip, as in, "Did you hear about Hermione and so-and-so?". No. She wasn't that type of girl.
Although, of course, there was Viktor Krum. He had come to Hogwarts along with the rest of his school, Durmstrang Academy, to participate in the renowned Triwizard Tournament. Not only was he a world-famous Bulgarian Quidditch player, but, of course, we was also chosen to be one of the three, now four, wizards competing in the tournament. He had shown some interest in Hermione, and, truth be told, she did find him mysteriously attractive. He kept to himself, like herself, and he had a dark and brooding look in his eyes. Ron always told her that he was as dumb as a troll, but she didn't believe him. Something about those eyes drew her in.
Now, during a free period, she was making her way through the snow outside towards the Herbology greenhouses to ask Professor Sprout about the recently assigned homework. She was having trouble concentrating on it while curled up on the couch in the Gryffindor common room, because Harry and Ron had been in a heated argument about who-knows-what. She tried to get them to close their mouths and talk like civilized people for even a second, but they wouldn't listen.
"Boys-", she started, but was cut off by a flailing Ron.
"Obviously the keeper is more important than the seeker!" he shrieked, finding the need to thrust his arm into the air to prove his point, almost knocking the quill out of Hermione's hand, "Oof, sorry."
"It's okay, but can you ple-", this time she was interrupted by a red-faced Harry.
"How? Explain to me exactly how you think the keeper can be more important than the seeker? The seeker determines the end of the game, just in case you forgot! Not to mention the extra points for catching the Snitch!" he let out in a rush of words, breathless to get the last word.
"Yes, but, without a good keeper, all you get is a Quaffle that goes in over and over and over, which makes those extra points good for sticking up your-"
"OKAY!" Hermione cut Ron off before the conversation was carried too far, "Can we just agree that both players are of equal importance and move on with our lives, please?" she said, exasperated.
"Oh yeah? And what exactly do you know about Quidditch?" Harry scoffed, and he and Ron shared a knowing glance. Hermione glared at him over her scroll, then gathered up her belongings and stood up.
"I love you both, but you are just too much, did you know? I'm going to go ask Professor Sprout about the homework, not that either of you know what that is," she said, raising an eyebrow at the two empty scrolls that sat on the table in front of the boys. They looked sheepish and bade her a farewell wave, and she stepped out of the room and made her way outside.
She was walking towards the greenhouses when she heard a rustle in the trees alongside her path. It was quiet otherwise, except for the occasional owl that flew overhead, and the sound startled her. She dropped her books in the snow, then scrambled to pick them up. A pair of feet jumped down from the tree, then the person they belonged to leaned down and helped her gather her items. She looked up and came face to face with Viktor Krum.
"So sorry. Did not mean to scare." he choked out through his thick accent, staring at her in a way that she couldn't even begin to describe.
"Oh, um, it's no...no problem. Really." she mumbled, blushing. She clutched her books to her chest and stared down at the ground. She kept walking down the path, stealing a quick glance in Viktor's direction.
"Where you heading?" he asked gruffly, falling into step beside her, nervously running a hand through his unruly dark hair.
"Greenhouses. Going to ask Professor Sprout a question..." she trailed off as he looked her in a way that made it clear he wasn't listening to a word she was saying. She hid a smile, biting her lip, then turned her head ahead of herself and kept walking.
"That is...good," he said, then grinned at her, "I see you around?"
"Um, yeah, sure," she stumbled through her words, then smacked herself in the head as soon as he was out of eyesight. She hated herself for being so...not herself around boys. Well, not all boys. Just the ones that mattered.
"So, Granger's got herself a boyfriend, huh?" she looked up and saw a pair of deep blue-gray eyes, hidden underneath a mop of white blond hair that covered Malfoy's bony face. She gasped, for he had come out of absolutely nowhere, then collected herself and glared at him, pure hatred in her eyes.
"What do you want, Malfoy? I do not wish to speak to you," she sniffed, putting a hand of her hip in defiance, then pushed past him, without looking back.
"I want to tell the whole school about your secret love. I'm sure everyone would be thrilled to know. Viktor Krum and Mudblood Granger, who would've thought? Weasley won't be happy, that's for sure." he grinned at her coldly, rubbing his hands together for warmth as he loped beside her, trying to keep up. With motivation, Hermione could walk fast. She spun around, staring at him.
"What are you talking about? Viktor and I are not a couple. And Ron would be happy for me." she said, wondering why she was even giving him the satisfaction of talking to him. Before she would've just ignored him. Then again, before he barely ever spoke to her, and never when she wasn't at Harry's side. He couldn't be seen talking to a mudblood. Of course not.
"Oh, please, don't flatter yourself, Granger," he scoffed, "Everyone knows Weasley lusts for you. What he sees in you...nobody knows. Beats me." With this malicious note, she sped up, leaving both him and a trail of angry steam behind.
"Hey, come on. You know its true," he said with scorn in his voice, jogging lightly until he was walking beside her again. She whipped her head to the side and sent him a death glare that could petrify.
"What do you want from me, Malfoy? I don't like you, you obviously don't like me. What is it that keeps you going? An evil plan? A plot to get to Harry? Hot air?" He laughed, surprising both her and himself. His eyes lit up after a moment of awkward silence and he smiled sweetly.
"Never thought I would say it, but you're good, Granger. See you around, Mudblood," with that, he strutted off, leaving Hermione alone with herself, her books, and a whole lot of confusion.
There's the first chapter. I don't know how I feel about this story just yet. Let me know what you think? Second chapter will be soon! Thanks!