He hadn't fought the last league of the war. Something about that always nipped away at him. Like he was some sort of coward.
You are a coward.
He shook his head, as though trying to shake the thoughts away. Really, that's what pushed him to help fix Hogwarts afterwards. As though it were a way to repent.
It wasn't…easy. It was hard work, repairing a building like that. Especially when he wasn't use to work of any sort. Throw in the fact that he had to take orders from the Golden Trio…
He showed up with a grimace every day. But he did his part, just like everyone else. Eventually, he found the work to be a time when he could think. It kept his body busy, so his anxious thoughts and confused gripes never became strong enough to consume him.
"Nicely done."
He clenched his fists. He didn't like when she tried to talk to him. It felt…wrong. He knew it shouldn't matter. That this was what the entire war had been about. But she had always been a mudblood. To suddenly have that wiped away felt…strange to say the least. Then again, she had always kind of bothered him. With her smart remarks and her constant hand-raising and that bushy hair that she still hadn't managed to fully tame. She was never afraid to speak her mind, and she had thrown her fair share of words to him as well.
A surge of jealousy pulsed through him. For a woman to so freely speak her mind was a bit cringe-worthy. How could she, a woman be able to speak so freely when he couldn't bring himself to be like that? And he was a man. The head of the house. A Malfoy man…
The castle had a lot of red areas, meaning there were loose floorboards and the like, so one had to be careful when entering said areas. Naturally, because the people he was working with were idiots, one of those areas had failed to be properly marked. So when Draco showed up that morning, he fell right through the floor, landing in a dusky, basement type of room, with no windows and a lot of cobwebs.
The room was rather large, for being so damp, and as he began to look for a way out, he noticed something that caught him by surprise.
He knew exactly what it was. That he shouldn't go near it. And yet, the temptation of it was something that pulled him in, coaxing him, like a silent beckoning finger. At first, he only eyed the intricate carvings on the outer upper curve of the mirror. He shouldn't look at his reflection. He knew that. He was not happy; he knew at least that much, but at the same time he wanted to know what would appear before him.
In all the confusion he had been forced to suffer, could he not at least know what his true desires were?
With a shaky breath, and eyes half closed he looked at the mirror head on, more scared than anything else. In it he saw his father, smiling at him, mouthing the words 'I love you.'
Draco grimaced, clenching his teeth. The stupid thing must be broken after being in this stupid room for so long.
But then, his father began to walk away, and in his place, came Hermione, also smiling. Her bushy hair framed her face, and when she got close enough, she started laughing. Was she laughing at him?
For whatever reason, Draco couldn't look away. It wasn't that the mudblood was captivating, but he found women in general who laughed to be captivating. They had this certain glow to them that just gave off an overall aura of happiness.
When she had stopped laughing, she cocked her head to the side tenderly, smiling at him again. She raised her hand on the opposite side of the mirror, reaching out to him, and Draco caught himself raising his hand to meet her.
No.
He snatched his hand back. It couldn't be. The mirror had to be broken. Of all the things it could have shown him and it showed him Hermione Granger. He scowled, kicking the mirror and making his way up and out of the room.
Perhaps it wasn't Hermione he wanted, but rather, the happiness that was attached to her. Yes, he reasoned, that had to be it. The witch was always smiling these days. Meanwhile he was a balled up string of brooding gloom, slowly unraveling.
Despite this he found himself back at the mirror every day after that. Never for very long, two minutes or three, but it was always the same image. And when she would lift her hand up to the glass, he would retreat, coming to his senses once again.
She was muggle-born, but she had a nice smile. He had caught himself smiling back a few times. But it was never long before he noticed, and quickly switched back to a scowl. He began getting nervous, after a few days. Enough to where his hands would itch and sweat. But he reasoned his way out of it every time. It wasn't Hermione that he desired. It was what she represented. It was her ability to be happy.
"Another successful day, done." She said one day, exhaling deeply as the sun set over their heads.
He looked at her curiously. Her real smile was something else. Not even the mirror could capture that.
"Don't you think?"
He blinked. Was she talking to him? He was the only one close enough to really hear her. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I guess."
She nodded her head affirmatively, as though he had just confirmed anything and everything to her.
"Draco," she said.
His stomach lurched. That was probably the first time she had ever called him by his first name. It sounded…different.
He gave her a look as if to say 'what?'
"Thank you," she smiled, "For helping."
He nodded, and she went away. And for a fleeting moment, he wondered if maybe he should have said something back.
That next day the image changed. She still laughed and smiled, but when she put her hand up to the glass she mouthed his name, and he swore he heard it, the sound jingling in his ears. It was enough for him to give in. This time, he put his hand up on the glass to meet hers. He twitched upon feeling the glass meet his fingers. He shook his head.
Idiot.
Did he think really think he'd meet her hand? This was the bloody Mirror of Erised. There was a reason wizards and witches had wasted their entire lives in front of the thing. And he would not be pulled in so easily. He refused. He nearly punched the glass, shattering the mirror, but decided against it. That was the problem with indulging in guilty pleasures—one never seems able to let go.
"Draco,"
His heart palpitated as he turned his head to meet her gaze.
"I…" she blushed, looking away for a moment. What did she have to be shy about, he wondered. Though he had to admit, the light blush on her cheeks was alluring. He nearly smiled.
"Um, thank you. I know you don't want anyone knowing, and I'll keep it that way, but...still." She cleared her throat awkwardly.
"What do you mean?"
She twirled her fingers. Was she always this nervous?
"The…donation." She lowered her voice upon saying the word 'donation' as though it were a secret only she and he shared.
"Oh." He cleared his throat. "Plenty more where that came from, if its needed." He said casually.
She shook her head, her hair bouncing, and she smiled a smile that showed off all of her teeth. There she was again, exuding happiness.
"You've done more than enough. I don't think Hogwarts would be reopening without you." She smiled kindly once again, and after a few moments, made to leave. Draco nearly lunged after her, not wanting to let her go.
"Hermione," he croaked hoarsely.
She turned around, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Yes?"
His mouth went dry. He tried to lick his lips. That was the first time he had ever said her name. Had she noticed? "I, um," he swallowed, "I found something. I think you should see."
"Oh," she said, before nodding, "Yes, of course."
He led her down to the secret room that had no windows and only one door. When she saw what the room contained, she gasped.
"Draco!"
There it was again. His name. He cringed. He didn't like how worried her voice sounded.
"Do you know what that is?" The shock was clear on her face.
He lied.
"It's the Mirror of Erised," she looked about the room, as though she were searching for something, "We have to cover it up." She said frantically.
"Don't you want to look?" he asked.
The confused face he was met with made him instantly regret his question.
"Witches and Wizards have lost everything because of it. I wouldn't take that risk if I were you."
"Ok," he said carefully, "We're both here. We can stop each other. I'll even tell you what I see, if you want."
She eyed him suspiciously, but he knew she wanted to look. Everyone did. It was the seduction of the mirror, and no one was immune.
"Fine…" she said cautiously, stepping in front of the mirror, her curiosity getting the best of her. In all truth, he was dreadfully curious as to what Hermione Granger would see when she looked into the mirror. Draco guessed she'd see her own reflection, happy as she was. He couldn't stop looking at her.
As soon as she stepped in front of the mirror, her face broke into a smile, a small 'oh' sound escaping her lips. Draco clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to find his nerve. "What do you see?" he said, finally.
"I'm older," she spoke as though she were lost in a dream, "and I'm holding a baby." She blushed at her admission, and Draco felt his own cheeks heat up at her intimate confession.
"You want a child?" his voice felt coarse.
She looked up at him and nodded, her eyes absolutely shining, as though they were laced with gloss. It nearly took his breath away. Without realizing it, he smiled back.
"What about you?"
He turned to face the mirror, becoming aware of the fact that he hadn't taken his eyes off of Hermione almost that entire time. He blinked a few times, and yet, nothing happened. In the mirror he saw his meager reflection, Hermione next to him, a small smile still lingering on her face. He looked from her to the mirror, trying to confirm that it was indeed her true reflection.
It couldn't be.
"What do you see?" she asked softly.
"Money." He replied quickly, turning away from the mirror and shoving his hands in his pockets. "Lots of it." He turned his back to her and walked away, spitting out the words angrily. He never should have looked in that stupid mirror to begin with.
A/N: Hi everyone ^_^ Just a drabble I wrote whilst on the way to school this morning. Hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading! Don't forget to comment ;)