Unheard Of

Hermione watched him sitting before the fire, the lighting flickering flatteringly on his face. She sat there on the couch three feet from him, simply watching for a good long while.

He was unaware that she had sat down behind him, just watching him. She thoroughly enjoyed the peaceful expression on his face, shocking even herself. It would be too cliché to tell herself to stop.

It was a reflecting, quiet moment. Hermione briefly wondered why he was the way he was, and was suddenly curious as to why he was so wicked. She wanted to know anything and everything about him. It was certainly confusing, and she continued to observe him silently.

He had yet to notice her presence, and shifted slightly to adjust himself. He nibbled on his quill, suggesting it was a Sugar Quill.

There was only the crackling of the fire and the spontaneous scribbling of his quill on the paper, and it was the most relaxing environment she'd ever been in, hands down.

"I wonder…why it is that you insist on staring at me?" Draco finally drawled, with his voice cutting sharply through the air and startling her.

"I-I was just relaxing, Malfoy. Last I checked, it wasn't a crime. Besides, you've got a fire in your own room, haven't you?"

"As do you," he shot back, never bothering to turn back and face her while he spoke. Wordlessly, he wrote more onto his parchment not letting her bother him.

Drawing her knees up to her chin, she tilted her head admiringly. "What are you writing?" she asked softly.

"It's nothing," he replied quickly, rolling it up. "Nothing that concerns you, Granger." Draco stood up abruptly, allowing only an angry glare in her direction.

"I was only asking, it's not like I could see it," Hermione assured him crossly. "Merlin."

He stopped making his way towards his dorm, and stared hesitantly at her. "Are you asking me to stay?" he asked suspiciously, the faintest traces of a smirk crossing his features.

She blushed furiously, turning her head as if it would keep him from watching her. "Not in so many words…But yes, I suppose I am."

Nodding assuredly, he sat back down in his original spot. This time, the scribbling was less frequent, and Draco wrote as though he were afraid she could tell what he was composing just by the scribbles.

Lazily, Hermione swayed her head before speaking. "Why do they call you the Slytherin Prince?"

He turned to her, looking perplexed as to why she would randomly ask such an odd question. Shrugging, he replied, "I have no idea, Granger. Perhaps because I have enough money to rival that of the Queen's?"

"So…so you're family's like royalty? Over the Slytherins?"

Draco fully turned his body to face her, and glared. "What exactly are you doing? What's with the third degree?"

"I was only curious," Hermione snipped, snatching a book. "Fine, then. I'm going to my room if you're going to be so hostile!"

Draco watched her go, never making a move to stop her. It had been his intention the entire time to make her leave. From the moment she walked in, until he was successful.

Honestly, he didn't know why the girl even tried. Didn't she know they were never going to be friends? There was just no way.

It was unheard of.

A/N: I'm not entirely sure exactly what this was…it was just a random short story that popped into my head after I was reading a fic that kept calling him the Slytherin Prince. It's definitely a weird little bitty ficlet. Who knows? Perhaps it'll build into a story…or maybe I'll work it into one. Meh, only time will tell.

Love you all lots, thanks for taking time out of your schedules to read this oddball ficlet!