Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Harry Potter
A/N: Hey Guys, this is Irish, I usually concentrate on Anime related stories (if you're interested check out my others: Our Love (Naruto), Beauty and the Nerd (InuYasha), and others!) I hope you enjoy this Hermione/Draco short fic!
In the Library: The Sleeping Chairs
She was always called the brightest witch of her age, always known as Harry Potters smart best friend. Always the one known for knowing spells, plans, and everything in between. She knew the Dark Arts, spells against them and people who ruled over them.
While Ron and Harry were enjoying being teenage boys, being able to go on first dates, and being able to kiss their girlfriends, Hermione found herself back at the familiar table in the library, tucked into the corner. She would sit for hours, researching spells in the Restricted Section. Her eyes would become tired and her hands would become sore from taking notes. But she never told her two friends of this extra time studying.
Harry being Harry would pat her hand while turning to her and telling her to relax, that he the Boy Who Lived would take care of everything. But there was just something about the way that he said it. Hermione knew that the Order was putting more and more stress on Harry, wanting him to work on his magic, pushing him to become more powerful, more useful, more everything. She just wanted to take some of the stress away. When Ginny came to him one day, her face flushed with excitement and fear as she asked Harry if he wanted to go with her to town.
"Hey Harry…" Ginny's soft voice could hardly be heard, but Harry still turned to her. Her voiced stuck in her throat, he looked so dashing today. His dark hair was windswept and held a bit of curl to it. She saw the lightning scar catch the light and glow. The snow flowed around them, encasing them in soft layers of flakes. His blue eyes were warm with affection, for this girl, not only for being his best friend's sister but also for his relationship with her. She had to turn her head farther up to catch his eye.
"Would you like to go…to town with me?" The simple question held more then what was stated, and both knew it. Harry smiled, an easy smile full of acceptance and humor. His lips lifted and she smiled back a shy smile. When he started to talk Ginny actually didn't listen to the words but the sound, it was so deep and soothing.
"…I would love to go with you Ginny." And that was the beginning of the day that Ginny and Harry started their relationship. Ron took it better then Hermione had expected. Telling them the surprising information that he had caught the eyes of Luna and that they had started their relationship soon after Harry and Ginny.
…and Hermione was jealous. Don't get her wrong, she was excited and happy for all of her friends, but she would smile gently when they would ask her to join them for events. The yearly Yule Ball was being held, the decorations being hung with care and every girl giggling about going. The Group was what everyone had started to call them. But usually it concentrated on the couples rather then the singles. Harry and Ron had told her that they were all going in the main group so that they could relax together and enjoy the ball. Having not been asked to the Ball by anyone, which she had told herself she was okay with, she didn't miss the pity stares that Ginny had sent her way. When arriving the music was in full swing…
"Come on Harry!" Ginny, wearing her vibrant purple gown, pulled a smiling Harry to the dance floor, as music bounced off the walls.
"Ron would you like to dance?" Smiling and nodding they both found themselves wondering towards the dance floor.
Hermione just smiled one of those smiles, one that said she was happy, but maybe a bit jealous. She melded back against the wall, thinking about the many battles that would be coming. The one a week before had left all of Hogwarts in an up war. The majority of the students had come out with scrapes and alive. Hermione without Harry or Ron's knowledge had suffered an extreme lance to the side, leaving a gapping hole. She had tended to them, scuffing at their antics before going to get her injuries checked. Her boys…no not her's anymore, were okay.
Her gaze wondered over the entire group of students. Her gaze drifted towards the door, letting her eyes lock with the silver haired teen leaning against it. Her eyes widened for a moment, for Draco Malfoy was flirting with two women at once. And they didn't even seem to care! She shook her head, it really wasn't her business what those women decided to do with themselves. His gray eyes, though, did not break away from hers. It locked there, and the dancing, the music disappeared, leaving the two enemies to look at one another. A moment passed and the message was clear, both were searching for something in the world. Unknowingly, both were searching for who they were.
The library door slammed closed and Hermione found her head snapping up. There before her stood an outraged Malfoy. His eyes were narrowed, leaving only black slits staring down at her. She tightened the hold on her quill as he leaned over the table, letting her gaze drift upwards she found him breathing heavily, but not from running, but from fury. His hands squeezed together tightly and his knuckles turned white as he leaned further down until their noses almost touched.
Hermione became aware of many things at that moment. One was that she looked very plain next to Malfoy. Her hair was dark as wood, and her eyes a strong brown. Her face, still as a an older teenager, was covered with freckles. Her hair was frizzy and sadly she hadn't combed it before coming to the library. With a glance out the large square windows she saw the moon high in the sky, telling her she hadn't been napping for long.
But even the most exotic of women would look homely next to him. He was beautiful, and becoming even more beautiful as he aged. His boyish features and squirrelly tone had turned harder and tougher over the last years of school. His eyes had hinted more towards gray then blue, and he his hair was that unblemished white that fell softly around his face. Strong brows, darker then his hair, slashed above his eyes, framing that face perfectly. After a couple of years of playing Quidditch Malfoy had developed the muscles needed to seek. His arms and torso had filled out, hinting towards a more athletic built that had bloomed.
Hermione knew that she wasn't…beautiful. She snorted, really was anyone even considered good looking next to Malfoy? Her hips and bust were smaller and when she looked at herself she saw herself as more of a pear shape. She had taken to wearing glasses, a consequence of all the books she always read. Even with all the beauty he had presented, she still could not make due with his attitude.
But over the last year they had grown to tolerate one another. More worried for their families and for Hogwarts then the small squabbles they usually had. Now those squabbles had been reduced to a feverish "Mudblood" towards Hermione and a short "Ferret" towards Draco.
Having been granted the titles of Head Boy and Girl, both had to be able to tolerate one another to get their jobs done. Every Thursday they had their meetings, which were tense and terse, but otherwise were done with easily enough.
"Granger!" his gruff voice flew from his mouth and into her ears, making her mouth firm into a white line at his tone.
"What Malfoy?" She turned the book over, as if to hide the title Dark Arts and Spells of the Malfoy Family. He didn't seem to care about that though. His eyes were locked onto hers and were staring holes into her head.
"You punished the third years from Slytherin, but not from Gryffindor?" He seemed truthfully outraged. With a prompt hand she shut the next book and added it to the stack next to the table. Her hands were unknowingly shaking. Her vision was starting to blur, but she didn't let that stop her from standing up and facing her enemy.
"Yes I punished your house members for their involvement in the fight." The explanation did nothing to appease him, instead he became even madder.
"You didn't punish you proud Gryffindors?" His voice held a sarcastic tone, but Hermione paid it no mind. She ended up setting her palms against the table, more for holding herself up as a wave of nausea swept through her.
"What is the matter with you Granger? Can't you take a proper tongue lashing?" he noticed the blush of her cheeks had waned leaving them chalky white.
"I…don't…know." She blinked, that was the stupidest thing she had ever said.
"Well moron, come on sit down." He came around the table, grabbing her arm to direct her to the seat behind her. "I don't want Madam Pomprey to holler at me because you decided to get sick." Her eyes lowered as she tried to get her balance back on the world. The library continued to spin and shake and she unknowingly laid her head down on his strong shoulder for support, not noticing he had taken the seat next to her. Her eyes closed, and she finally let sleep over take her.
What was he supposed to do now? She looked too fragile to move and to tell the truth it really didn't bother him that she was leaning on him. He no longer felt disgust for her, and had given up the prejudices taught by his father long ago. Her soft hair was rumpled and it tickled his nose, he breathed in the scent and found it to be light and appealing, almost a lemon scent, reminding him of when the house-elves cleaned at home every Spring.
He sat back, allowing his own head to drift down on top of hers, and letting sleep over take him and letting the first peaceful night to come to him in a long time.
The sun rose hours later, but the two didn't stir at first. As if their internal clocks were tied, they both woke together. Eyes were blinked open and both registered sore muscles. But they didn't recoil from one another in disgust and proceed to get up. Draco started towards the entrance, planning on leaving for a chance of robes and breakfast.
"Malfoy…" She spoke strongly, and he turned. She lifted the ends of her lips up, just enough to be called a slight smile. "Thanks Malfoy."
He shrugged at her thanks, but he too lifted his lips. "No big deal Muggle, none at all." He turned towards the entrance again but stopped. "I enjoyed it, you were quite peaceful." Her smile widened.
"I enjoyed it as well." They both gave each other a nod and Draco continued out, leaving Hermione to catch her breath and to collect her books. Both felt some of the loneliness lift from their hearts. This encounter was only the beginning of many in the library.
A/N: Hey guys I hope you enjoyed this, there will probably be others connected to this oneshot if enough people enjoyed it! So Review please.
Thanks,
Irish.