Beyond Desired Limits
The wind roared loudly against the castle walls, seeping its way through the slightly cracked windows. Hermione pulled her robes tighter around her skin at an attempt to cease the shivers that ran down her spine. It was past curfew and Hermione was still in the library, her nose in the book she had been reading for what seemed like hours now. She had persuaded Madam Pince to allow her to study for at least ten more minutes, twenty tops, but this soon became something that she deeply regretted. Her eyes grew heavy as she continued to scan the tattered pages of her herbology textbook. Before she could rest her head on the table to slip in a quick two-second nap, the library doors shot open and hushed voices filled the room.
From the other side of the library, Hermione couldn't exactly make out what Madam Pince was saying, but it was clear that she was scolding someone. Perhaps it was due to the fact that it was past curfew. Sliding to the edge of her seat, she strained to hear the muffled conversation. It wasn't any of her business, really. It's not in her place to snoop, but Hermione's curiousity got the best of her. Peering around one of the bookshelves, she soon discovered the source of the voices as she locked eyes with Draco Malfoy. She watched as he elbowed Blaise and Pansy, releasing a chuckle in her direction. A smirk appeared on his lips as he reverted his attention back to Madam Pince.
Hermione rolled her eyes before sitting back in her chair. She had no time to waste dealing with stupidity and was now contemplating on whether or not she should head back to her dormitory for the night. She didn't want to stick around for whatever scheme those three were up to. She gathered her books into a pile, accidentally knocking on of them to the floor in her rush to escape. Shifting in her seat, she watched as a foot was gently placed on top of the book's cover. Hermione turned her gaze upward, coming face to face with a familiar blond-haired boy.
"Let me get that for you" Draco offered, giving the book a slight nudge with the toe of his shoe before reaching down to grasp the leather spine. He toyed with it for a bit, flipping through the pages with his eyebrows slightly raised.
"What? Is the font too small for your liking?" Hermione hissed, extending her palm out to accept the book. Draco glanced at Blaise and Pansy before placing the book in Hermione's hand, his fingers still tightly wrapped around his end. It was Hermione's turn to raise her eyebrows as she was thrown off by Draco's slight sense of compassion. She began to retrieve her book slowly, a gasp erupting from the back of her throat as Draco yanked the book forward. She hit the floor hard, her disgruntled expression just inches away from his feet. She should've known. How could she even fathom the idea of Draco showing a single shred of respect for her? Courteous words weren't even in his vocabulary unless accompanied by a sarcastic undertone. All she wished for now was to grab him by the neck and-
"Enjoying the view from down there, Granger?" The three Slytherins laughed as Hermione got on her hands and knees. She looked forward, her jaw dropping as she realized how close she was to Draco's groin area. "Ah, I see she's found something else to admire other than those stupid books of hers. Like what you see?" Draco chuckled loudly, receiving a displeased look from Madam Pince from across the library. Hermione's face burned bright red as she rose to her feet.
"You are a foul, insufferable git!" She spat, snatching the book out of Draco's grasp.
"Look! She's as red as a Weasley!" He said, that provoking smirk still plastered on his face. Hermione released a sigh, gathering the rest of her things.
"What exactly are you doing here, Draco? It's past curfew."
"I could ask you the same thing." Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but decided that it wasn't worth it. She had no desire to waste even more time explaining herself for she wished to be in bed a long time ago. She tossed her chestnut locks over her shoulder, heading towards the library doors.
"Filthy mudblood" Draco muttered under his breath. He turned to face the stack of books in front of him, a look of disgust on his face. Hermione had caught his final words, digging her nails deep into her beloved books. A wave of relief overcame her as she entered the corridor. She felt as if she could breathe again. The usual banter between her and Draco was all too familiar to her and as agitating as it was, she's used to it. She's caught herself pondering witty comebacks from time to time, even stealing the occassional phrase or two from Ron's many rants about the Slytherin students. But that one word always threw her off. Mudblood. Hermione was suddenly pleased with the fact that she had stormed off before he could say it to her face. She couldn't even help but imagine what her expression must look like whenever he uttered that word. She expected it most of the time, feeling the tension build as their rows continued on, but would fall completely dumbfounded when he'd leave it out. Knowing Draco all too well, she knew it was never gone for long.