"YOU! You foul, loathsome, evil little COCKROACH"
Wham.
Draco's nose had made a sickening snap as Hermione's fist collided with it. He should've expected it; mocking her, the Weasel, and Potty was never the smartest thing he did. He secretly knew that one day they would fight back, but he never thought it'd be Granger who snapped first.
He held his bleeding nose and sprinted for the castle, not looking back to see Weasley's expression of awe or Potter's grin.
He didn't even look at Crabbe and Goyle. Stupid as they were, they would never forget this when they looked at him. She had embarrassed him and he had done nothing. He truly was the sniveling prat that she thought him to be. All words, no action.
He hated Granger with a passion. It wasn't enough that she bruised his ego, broke his nose, and beat him in every class (even potions where the professor practically loved him). It was that she couldn't be broken. She was a know-it-all for sure, but everyone seemed to think that she was nice enough. And Harry Potter was her best friend.
Draco remembered his first year when he had met Potter. He had hoped to befriend him. Despite his father's warnings, he truly did want to see if the famous Harry Potter was decent. But instead of rising to Malfoy's test, the Potter kid had chosen a different way. He had been sorted to the exalted Gryffindor house, where no one had ever gone to the dark side. The Brave and noble Harry Potter was set on a course for destiny right then and there. His Weasley pet had followed him too. Draco's father had told him about the Weasleys even before he had gotten to Hogwarts. The lot of flame haired children whose family worshipped the very ground that Dumbledore stood upon.
He also had remembered the pretty girl with the wild brown hair, amber eyes, and the excited expression. She too had joined Gryffindor.
Little had Draco Malfoy known that, from that moment on, he had made his greatest three enemies in his first year. It wasn't because he hated them as people. He knew they were decent enough, but he hated their tolerance, he hated their confidence, he hated their genuine approach to each other, and he hated their undeniably un-arrogant approach to everything.
They represented the very things Draco craved but never got. His father had always impressed upon him that he had to be a certain way. Money and status were powerful tools, and Draco was taught that playing the part of the wealthy Slytherin meant acting like it.
He watched Harry Potter's struggle at being famous, and he was jealous. He watched as Harry found a best friend in Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, two unique wizards who were as loyal to him as he was to them. Malfoy in comparison had two thugs with whom he could barely hold a conversation. Harry was happy. Malfoy was not. Maybe that's why he hated Harry Potter above all.
Malfoy's nose smarted. He was pressing a cool cloth over it as Pansy Parkinson crooned next to him. Crabbe and Goyle were making a huff in a corner telling the other Slytherins that the poor Slytherin Prince had been attacked by the jumped up Gryffindors. Zabini and Nott had checked if Draco had been okay and then had gone back to their game of exploding snap. They knew better than to question the unbelievable tale Crabbe and Goyle were spouting, and found it better to stay out of it to avoid Draco's foul mood.
"Draco…are you…are you feeling better?" said Pansy in a horrible simper.
"I'm fine." Draco said swiftly. When Pansy looked hurt, Draco softened, "Thanks."
"What happened?" She asked, trying to keep Draco talking.
"I was attacked." Draco said shortly.
"Oh, well Crabbe had said that Granger had-"
"Shut up!" Draco said sharply. He stood up and shoved Pansy's hand away. "I need to go for a walk."
He marched out of the Slytherin common room and tramped through the castle, not bothering to care about where he was going, or how late it was. Through a window in an abandoned corridor, he made out a bright light coming from the grounds. He couldn't make it out exactly, but it was coming from around the lake.
Draco shrugged again and kept walking.
Term came to an end. Sirius Black escaped. Harry Potter was hailed as a hero for facing him down. Hermione Granger was saved by a powerful patronous. Weasley had broken a leg and was being watched over by St. Potter and Miss Perfect.
The summer was long and slow. His father had been perturbed by the darkening mark on his arm. For thirteen years it had been faded. Now it was black. The Quidditch world cup. His father getting drunk and attacking random tents with a couple of his old "friends." The Dark Mark in the sky.
Fourth year started. The Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students had arrived. St. Potter's name had been drawn out of the goblet of fire and, despite Potter's protestations, he had been forced to compete. Professor Moody had taken a dislike to Draco. The horrid ferret incident. Potter had passed the first task with flying colors, literally. Class. Pansy had cornered him after Care of Magical creatures and had tried to- needless to say Draco had had his first kiss. The Yule ball.
Draco had remembered that night all too well. He had taken Pansy Parkinson. I guess they were dating now. He didn't really know. All she wanted to do was snog him. They didn't really talk of anything else. Zabini and Nott thought it was funny. Crabbe and Goyle sniggered but didn't say anything. Malfoy had remembered looking at Pansy in her pink frilly robes and thinking she was very pretty.
They had danced. Draco had been nervous, his sultry confidence not as evident, especially since Pansy had seemed to know what she was doing. And then the moment.
"Oh my god." Hissed Pansy next to Draco's ear. "Is… Is that Hermione Granger with Victor Krum?"
She had stopped dancing at this point, choosing to instead stare dumbstruck somewhere over Draco's left shoulder. Draco whirled around and his heart stopped.
In that one moment everything disappeared. Granger's hair was no longer bushy, but sleek and tied in an elegant knot in the back of her head. She was dressed in a beautiful periwinkle blue dress that seemed to flow and shift around her as though made of wind and stardust. Her smile was absolutely stunning, and the way she glanced shyly at Victor made something twist in Draco's stomach. She was beautiful.
Later that evening when he was sitting with Pansy in the makeshift rose garden that the Hogwarts professors had conjured up all he could think of was that dazzling Hermione Granger. Though he would never admit it to himself, every kiss he shared with Pansy in that starlit rose garden was not with her. No, it was with another… a mysterious girl in a periwinkle dress, with whom Draco could never be with except within his own fantasy.
Classes resumed the next week. Draco had broken up with Pansy over some spat that they were having…something about him not paying her enough attention or something. The second task loomed, and before he knew it Draco saw the idiotic Krum pull a soaked but relieved Hermione from the depths of the lake.
School. Potions. Crabbe. Goyle. Class. Granger. Transifguration. Blast Ended Screwts. Avoiding Pansy. St. Potter. Handing out Potter Stinks badges. Homework. Granger. Peeves' mischief. Cedric Diggory. Homework. Defense Against the Dark Arts. Hermione.
The third task approached rapidly. Draco remembered that day all too well as well. The champions had all disappeared into the maze amidst the cheers of the students watching. Fleur was first to be pulled out of the maze. She looked dazed but unharmed. And then Krum. And then the schools waited in silence. A Hogwarts win was presumed, however house rivalry dictated the school was still divided. An hour passed. Another hour passed. And then Harry materialized gripping Cedric Diggory's corpse. Draco remembered his own shock and horror. He remembered Potter screaming that Lord Voldemort had returned as Professor Moody dragged him from the field. Ice had filled Draco's stomach at this. He had seen the signs but he never thought that Lord Voldemort would return. Of course his family would probably support him…
