Welcome all to my second fanfic, this is my Dramione fic. Also known as: Draco and Hermione.
I know it will have somewhat of the same taste as some of the other fics, but I am trying to give it a different feel, which you will be able to tell as you read this story. Thank you and please enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the images and characters or story of Harry Potter, which does, in fact, belong to the mastermind J. K. Rowling.
Chapter 1: A Night Breeze of Music
He was playing with my hair as I read my book about shields against the first hexes ever made. I've read it multiple times, but this was currently my only way to get Ron to stop talking to me. He would always eye me as I read to see if I was in "the mood", but to his dismay, I never was anymore.
I glanced up every now and again and see Harry looking out the window. Rain pelted the glass as he gently blinked and breathed deep sighs now and again. I never knew what was on his mind anymore, not since Sirius died; he always seemed vapid and apathetic now.
It also did not help that his nearest and dearest friend Ronald was always too busy imagining a life with me to pay attention to Harry's worries. I thought it over. Ron and I had started to go steady only recently, and it had been soon after the death of Harry's dear Godfather. Maybe that was why my poor friend was in such seclusion now. Everyone was growing distant from him…
I shook my head and looked back at Ron. God, I didn't think I could stand to have him touch me any longer. I had to get out of there.
"Sorry dear, I need some air, okay?" I stood and kissed his cheek briskly.
"I'll come with you," he protested, "It's dark out-" he clamped my wrist a bit harder than was necessary and started to leave his seat, but I interrupted him.
"No, no. I just need to go out on the balcony for some air. I'll return soon." I stared at his hand, and reluctantly, he let go and sat back down. I smiled, and patted his shoulder. But the smile was now long past it's true nature of comfort, now a feigned sweetness that I held only because I didn't yet have the courage to tell him how little there was between us now.
As I grabbed my cloak and donned the hood, I heard Ronald call, "I love you."
Inside I cried, Whipped!, but I replied, "Love you, too Ronald."
I then rushed out of the dormitory through the portrait hole and headed down the marble staircase. I had learned long ago the tricks of these stairs, and I knew the proper time to step as one would make its way towards me. I eventually made it down to the main lobby of the school.
"I know that passage is somewhere around…" I took a left while muttering this to myself, and entered a room full of statues; I chose the one depicting a little girl baring a wand, and tapped the tip of it with my own.
The door at the bottom of the statue opened and allowed me safe passage to the outside of the school's halls.
The musty smell was soon replaced with a pleasant scent of rain, a crisp, chilly dew filling my nostrils when I opened the grass covered trap door. I took a moment to watch the rain splash on the floor before taking a step out and closing the portal, hiding it once again.
The grounds were gorgeous at nighttime, especially when it was raining. Not a bad rain, like a torrential downpour—this rain was gentle and constant, so it was also very quiet. The area around Hagrid's Hut was also a nice place to visit, as the hill that overlooked it was tall and revealed the the endless sprawl of the Forbidden Forest. I smiled and sat down, not caring that the wet grass would soak through the fabric of my cloak.
A sound started to emanate through the area, and I looked around for the source. I spied a figure down at the edge of the forest, leaning against a tree that was not quite yet grown into the eternal tangle of gnarled trunks. I looked closer and saw that they were playing a guitar. Who in Hogwarts would ever play a muggle instrument? The sound was so beautiful, and rare, that I listened until they stopped.
I attempted to take a closer look, standing up and creeping to the edge of the hill, trying to remain unnoticed. I could tell that the guitarist was a male, and that his hair was a pale colour. I gasped, my heart skipping a beat in my surprise.
Is that Draco?
I shook my head and laughed at myself quietly. How silly of me to think that. Malfoy was hardly the only pale blond at the school.
"No, that is absurd for me to believe for even a fraction of a second. He would never touch something that a muggle made."
My bewilderment now explained away, I patted myself to get rid of the debris that had settled on me, and then began the trek back to the castle. Before I had made it very far, I turned around to look at the boy. He was beginning to play a David Bowie song I knew well: China Girl. I sighed. It was my favorite song, but I knew that I had to return to my quarters and see Ronald. He would be dreadfully worried, and argue non-stop about my being gone.
I returned to the trap door and arrived at the castle shortly, where I made my way to the Pink Lady who would welcome me into my room.
She didn't seem particularly pleased to be awakened, but she asked politely for the password.
"Niezeldorm," I spoke with a sigh. She opened the doorway to the common room.
I stepped into the empty room; how peculiar that it should be empty. Where was Ronald? I chose not to investigate, and instead immediately dashed upstairs to change and dry myself. It would be dreadful if I caught a cold, on top of everything else.
Morning came, almost as if time was not on my side. I had not slept this terribly since I was a little girl.
It was Sunday, which meant that I had only one class to attend: Potions with Professor Slughorn and the Slytherins. Potions was been steadily improved since Professor Slughorn started to teach it, as he was more fair and actually distributed points equally. Draco was not very well favored by the professor, and it was amusing to actually see him try to do the potions correctly for once.
I sighed and got out of bed to put on my uniform, knowing that they would be waiting for me. And Ronald would go on and on about some theory about what I was doing last night. It was aggravating, and made me want to go to the infirmary under the pretense of a terrible headache to avoid him for as long as possible.
But I would be the mature one and try and talk to him about it.
I snatched up my Potions book and walked down the staircase to see a flustered Ron and a dazed Harry. We all walked to potions, but Ronald never said a word to me; he just looked forward with an angered glint in his eyes.
I broke the awful silence.
"I know you have something to say, Ronald. Just let it out."
He didn't turn his head, only looked at me sideways, and then growled, "It doesn't matter at this point. I'll say something, and you'll deny it. But I'll find out your true reasons for you being so distant." He puffed out an angered grumble and quickened his pace. He wouldn't believe anything I said at this point, which was unfortunate. There was no more trust between us, his jealousy and possessive behavior having worsened since the time when we were just friends.
I wouldn't be too surprised if he became dangerously clingy. I shook that awful thought out of my head and followed the two strange friends that were once amazing to be around. Had we grown apart this much all ready?
The Potions room was in front of us, and the scent of many ingredients filled the air. I could identify the Blood of a Jabberwocky and Tears of a Fairy. The only Potion I knew that had those ingredients was the Illusion Potion. I, of course, have made the potion before perfectly, so today's lesson would not be a problem.
I looked for a new seat to occupy, seeing as Ronald was being unreasonable. My seat had, fortunately, already been taken by Neville. With this as an excuse, I took only available seat, which was beside Luna. She was still next to Neville, even though their desks were separate. I ignored how disappointingly close I was still to Ronald, and glued my eyes to the front and feigned interest in a subject at which I all ready excelled.
I did not feel the need to pay attention in class today; I would be the only one involved with questions and would like a break from being the most intelligent in the class. The negative attention, especially from the Slytherins, was unsavory.
Music played serenely in my head, the guitar playing melodies that soothed me and also sent me a rush. China Girl played most of the time while I made the potion, and still finished before anyone else in the room. Professor Slughorn smiled in delight, but my mind was on the guitarist whose identity was unknown as of now.
Remembering the Time spent out there reminded me of the situation with Ronald, and soon my eyes were glaring daggers into his brain. Somehow sensing this, he turned his head and then gave me a look of complete jealousy and rage. He must be beyond irate now, if even my evil eye didn't sober him.
I became so aggravated at this point that I had little choice but to find a way to clear my head, so I calmly spoke, "Professor, I need to go to the infirmary."
He looked somewhat disappointed, but allowed me to leave. I would not go to the infirmary, but straight to my room until the night came.
Night came, but it was never a calm wait anymore. Days have become more drawn out, and the nights seem to be as fast as an excited heart.
I looked toward the window and saw that it was raining gently again, like it had the night before. I decided that I had waited long enough and grabbed my cloak to venture back to my spot of serenity.
Of course, I was intercepted at the moment I entered the common room. Harry, Ronald, Neville, and Luna were all down stairs and sitting in the big, comfy red chairs. Ron looked up at me and rushed to my side, taking me into his arms.
"Can we please just talk?"
I sighed, "Can we do it later? I need air."
It was his turn to sigh.
"Fine, but I'll be here when you return. Don't disappear like last night…please." He kissed me and let me go.
The feeling on my lips wasn't the tingle of affection. Rather, it was a repulsive sensation, as if his jealousy had marked me. I enjoyed neither his company nor his kisses anymore.
While I continued on my way to the trap door, my head started to spin with thoughts of who the guitarist might be. I did not recall any male with pale hair that played a muggle instrument, and I knew that there was no way that Draco would ever lay his hands on it either. So it was nearly impossible to guess who it was, unless the student was new.
The passage seemed longer than before, but when I finally made it I felt somewhat relieved. I did not know where this sensation came from, but it was a strange thing. I sat in my usual spot on the hill and stared off into the forest for about ten minutes before the boy appeared again and sat down underneath the same tree, guitar in hand.
He started off playing Dear God by Avenged Sevenfold, the only song I knew by the band. I sang along until he played a new song that I did not recognize.
I was so entranced that I lost all sense of time, and was so relaxed that I almost fell asleep—until I heard someone coming up the hill.