Vindicta Short Story- Cold As Ice

Hermione stood out in the cold, leaning against a metal pole. She was waiting for Harry and Ron to hurry up so they could go to Hogsmeade. "I wish you two would just use Accio. It's so much quicker, you know." She said, opening her eyes as the footsteps approached. Instead of her friends, a blonde-haired boy stood there in front of her.

"Draco? What are you doing here? I thought you would've gone off with your Slytherin friends by now." Hermione looked at him, raising an eyebrow. Draco obviously wasn't late, it wasn't like him. He was here for other reasons.

"Hey Hermione. How are you?"

"Draco, what the heck's happened to you? Did someone slip you a potion or dare you or something?" Hermione pulled out her wand, having a spell ready on her tongue.

"No, I just thought I'd be nice today. I'm not always like that you know." Draco's gray eyes were sincere.

"Veritas!" Hermione's eyes widened. "Either you've gotten around a truth spell or you really are being honest."

"I just keep up the act around them. I have to, otherwise Dad will... get mad, let's put it that way." Draco winced. Hermione, without realizing it, went to rest her hand on his arm to comfort him. "I always knew you that you would be nice to everyone, even Slytherins."

Hermione looked down at her hand, and jerked it back. "What?! Oh, sorry Draco." She had been a bit rude there, she knew, and regretted it. Draco was being nice for once. Hermione didn't want to waste this rare moment.

"It's fine, Hermione. I've never been that nice to anyone, even my Slytherin 'friends', as you called them. I wish I had been. It'd be nice to have real friends, as you do with Potter and Weasley."

Hermione smiled. "Now, that's part of your problem. Call people by their first names, like instead of Potter or Weasley, call them Harry or Ron. Besides, it would make them jump."

Draco grinned. "However, I didn't know you were into pranking, my dear 'Mione."

"My dear...?" Hermione repeated, stepping away from Draco.

"Wait, don't go. I'm sorry, Hermione. I didn't mean it in that way." Draco shook his head immediately afterwards, as of shaking a thought. "I'm tired of lying all the time. I did mean it in that way, Hermione. I've had a crush on you since first year. I was only mean because I didn't know what else to do. You were a Mudblood, something different than I was, and I've always been taught to do what's wrong. Now you have Harry, and Ron, and seem closer to them than ever, and I regret not being nicer, breaking away from what I've been taught, and going after the person I've loved, no matter how outrageous it'd be to anyone else. I like you, Hermione, I really do, even though I've never shown it in the slightest."

"Draco, I didn't know that you felt that way..." Hermione said, not sure what else to say.

Draco turned around, and leaned over the railing, staring out at the frozen scenery around them. "It's fine. You couldn't have. Only a psychic could know what I've been feeling, and obviously I'm not talking about that fraud Trelawney."

"I'm glad someone else thinks that!" Hermione threw her hands up in the air. "She couldn't tell the future of an apple!"

"Great minds think alike." Draco smiled, turning back to face Hermione.

"I've always liked that saying." Hermione smiled, leaning up against the opposite railing, beside Draco.

At that very moment, Harry and Ron appeared from the corridor, out of breath. Hermione pulled away from Draco immediately, leaving him standing there, his lips parted as if to say something else. "Oi! Draco! Get away from 'Mione!" Ron yelled, running over to bring Hermione even further away from Draco. They pulled her away, dragging her running down the path to Hogsmeade.

Hermione looked back to see Draco, and his sad face told it all. He understood, and he would always be there for her, if she ever needed him. 'I'm sorry,' Hermione mouthed back at him, regretting her choice already to let herself be dragged along. She knew he had saw when he smiled in response. 'I love your eyes.' He mouthed back, and Hermione smiled back. A spark of warmth slowly melted her body, freeing her from the winter day. No longer would she feel as cold as ice.

AN: Hello again! I know, it's another little short story from something that isn't even up yet, but I was listening to a song and had some inspiration. This will be mentioned in Vindicta, at some point. Seems the story is going to be a bit more romancey than I originally thought. Oh well. It will hopefully still be good. I hope you all enjoyed another little story that was fun to write! A bit bittersweet but still fun portraying Draco as not his usual icy self and Hermione, of course! :D! Again, hope you enjoyed, and have a good day! Bye!

-Faded ;3

P.S. The song was Hay Ms. Derpy by Forest Rain, found on YouTube. ;)