HALFWAY THERE
A/N: hello my lovely readers. I know I have been gone for such a long time but good news is that I'm alive. I haven't been able to write because of my studies and I also didn't have net connection for some time. But with this new fic I hope I am back for good. I will be updating ALTM soon.
So please be patient with it and shower love and support to this story as well.
And yeah, this is one-shot. Past references are in bold for your convenience. Enjoy!
Disclaimer- nah, Hp world's not mine, but this story and its plot are indeed mine.
He put on the Slytherin green tie and looked in the mirror. He adjusted the tie till he was satisfied that it was perfect. He brushed the invisible dust off of his cloak. He was a very meticulous person when it came to his clothes... he was groomed like that from childhood.
'Princess... if you'll please move a little then we'll be lucky enough to use the mirror ourselves.' Came the voice of his best friend. He scowled at his overly dramatic friend.
'Mate, he's right you know. Why are you so nervous?' His second best friend asked him. This one was dramatic as well but somehow understood what was going inside his mind… and that power was dangerous.
'I'm not nervous.' He said with a scowl.
'Oh wait! I know why you are being so fidgety this morning... you are afraid Granger will beat you to the top this time too.' His first best friend said and he snapped.
'Shut up Blaise.'
'But mate it is obvious she is going to top the school with the greatest score in the century... why bother with the inevitable?' His second best friend i.e. Theo said.
He ran a hand through his messy hairs. He would go crazy with these two. He didn't know how he dealt with them for so many years.
Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy were friends since childhood. When they came to Hogwarts they met Theodore Nott. He kept to himself most of the time but by second year the three of them formed a very strong bond.
The three were total contrasts. Blaise was humorous and very crude in his humor. Theo was the sensible one who took care of responsibilities and always got them out of trouble. Draco Malfoy was a witty person with quick remark and an academic hereditary. But there was still so much in common.
They all were dramatic people; even though Draco never admitted it. They were brilliant flyers and they were also purebloods with shitty parents. But what got them through was their intelligence and friendship.
'I don't care... I have got nothing to prove to anyone.' He said bitterly remembering his deceased father and his sky high expectations and 'never good enough' attitude.
'Whoa mate… chill will you. Lucy ain't here and it doesn't matter to me if you don't top the class, you'll still be my mate.' Blaise said punching his biceps lightly.
Draco sighed at his friend's dramatic flair. But he had to admit that Blaise Zabini was damn entertaining with all his antiques. Theo shook his head and put on his cloak.
'Now if the pair of you are done with the drama and all the pity party, then can we move to the great hall? I would personally like to get my N.E.W.T.S. degree and be done with it.' Theo said and Draco got up.
The three of them headed down to the Great hall with Blaise complaining about how he didn't get time to get ready and the other two entertaining his complaints with smile.
Draco Malfoy didn't anticipate his life would change so much after the defeat of Lord Voldemort in their fifth year. He had begrudgingly joined the inquisitorial group on his father's command. He had always been quite sick of the old toad Umbridge and secretly rooting for Saint Potter and his team to throw her out. He had known that they were upto something but he didn't feel like ratting them out.
He had caught Granger or one of the fool from their group roaming around the seventh floor on suspicious occasion and time but he and his friends had turned a blind eye over it.
Then one day they were caught, the golden trio with their fellow D.A. members. Draco had sighed in disappointment. He was holding Granger casually when she started sobbing and asking her friend to tell Umbridge the truth. His mind was reeling in confusion- weapon by Dumblydore? And before he could grasp what was happening, she and potty were on their way to forbidden forest to show that pink toad the so called weapon.
Firstly he thought that they had lost their minds. But then when Theo brought the news that that toad was gone for good, he felt as if he could kiss Granger for accomplishing such a great feat.
The dust hadn't settled and he found out from some Gryffindors that the group of six had gone to Ministry. His friend and he were baffled as to what was happening. And then the next day the old coot announced that saint Potter and his group had gotten rid of the Voldemort. He sat there still for a moment before going over to Gryffindor table and shaking Potter's hand. 'Maybe he isn't that useless' he had thought.
He nodded at Granger and Weaslette. He still couldn't bear the presence of the youngest male Weasly so he hadn't even bothered. But the year still held some surprise for him. The next day at breakfast he got a letter by his mother telling him about his father's demise. He was called home urgently. His mother had been inconsolable for a long time. But with some effort from him and his godfather, she came to accept the situation.
He often thought about how liberating it was to be free of his father's rule but also guilty to be happy about his own father's death. Then came the sixth year where all of his problems ended and other problems started.
He stopped his train of thought when they entered the great hall. It was decorated in colors of all the houses… it looked rather mixed up but still it suited the hall. The four house tables were gone and so was the teachers' table. Chairs were lined up in the hall in two columns. The right side from the podium was for parents and relatives, while the left one was for the students of their batch. They dropped Blaise at the last row and walked up to sit at their respective row.
As soon as he sat down he was greeted by the sight of Potter beside Theo. They smiled at each other and looked away. Sure there was no rivalry between the two but they were not exactly buddies. And he was sitting far too close to him than he would have liked. But he chased the thought of Potter away and started looking for the brightest witch of their age; Hermione Granger.
If somebody had told him 3 years earlier what a crucial and big role she'll playing in his life, he would have thought that that person was crazy and recommended him the insanity ward in St. Mungos. But now… now he was stuck with her.
As he found her eyes, she gave him a bright smile. She was wearing her uniform but she had paired it up with some muggle wrap skirt like she did on the first day of their sixth year… when it all had started.
He had been confused and overwhelmed with all kinds of emotions when he came to attend his sixth year. His father had died not so long ago, his mother was a shadow of her former self and he was head of the house of Malfoy. He had been busy cleaning up the image of his family business and trying to take care of his mother. To say the least, he was exhausted as hell.
When he entered the great hall for the opening feast that year, he sat down in between his best mates. And when he glanced towards the Gryffindor table, he saw the worried glance of the Gryffindor princess turn into a bright smile. He sat confused for a moment before he gave her a tired smile in return. She smiled in some sort of understanding and looked away.
To say the year was fucked up was a big understatement. Piles of confusion and workload paired up with that smile that seemed to chase him everywhere, the year was definitely fucked up.
He smiled back at her and she turned away. The ceremony was going to start so everyone started to settle down.
'Draco, why don't you just tell her?' Theo asked.
'What? Tell her what?' Draco said looking confused. Deep down he knew what Theo was referring to, but he was afraid that if he said it aloud then it would all be true. Then it won't be just his confusion and uncertainty and doubt. If he admitted it then it would all suddenly become so real.
'Feigning confusion doesn't become of you Malfoy. Just tell her.' Theo said and turned his gaze to the front.
Draco turned his head to the front and his gaze went to the back of Hermione's head. All this insanity and craziness was because of her. If she hadn't initiated then he wouldn't be here in all this confusion.
In their sixth year, they often shared smiles. He hadn't thought of it as it wasn't anything to him as such. It started out slow but then it grew rapidly. He started to look forward to her smiles, whether it was in great hall or hallways or class and maybe sometimes in library. He sat in great hall facing the Gryffindor table and it seemed like she faced his table too. It seemed like some sort of game at first but it escalated fast.
Whenever she gave him that smile, his day seemed to brighten up. He would suddenly be in good mood abandoning lethargy and foul mood. It seemed like she acted as some pepper-up potion or something.
In the middle of the sixth year, they were partnered up in most of their classes for their project work. It led to them talking. At first, it was little talks and project study. But as the final exams of their sixth year approached, they were sharing notes and studying together. It was mostly academic but there was something growing under that blooming friendship; something much stronger.
The graduation ceremony started. Being the head girl and the topper of the batch, Hermione Granger was all set for the speech. She looked beautiful. Her hair was braided to a side and her cloak was too large for her. Still she held herself with a certain graceful and strong stance. Many people believed her to be nothing special but to him, she was beautiful.
Call him romantic or anything but for him, the real beauty lied beneath her exterior. She had sharp features and curves but what made her so beautiful was the light inside her. She was so pure and so bright. She was kind and caring, sometimes downright bossy bitch but a wonderful and loyal friend.
She didn't ask question when they were not needed because she just understood. She could be intimidating and inquisitive at times but she handled situation with such way that it was enchanting. She radiated positivity, hope and light and this was what made her so damn beautiful.
As she started speaking, she had him and everyone else present in her charm. She just had that air about her.
When they parted for summer holidays, they promised to write and they did a few times. But he was constantly busy in his work and she had gone on a vacation so for a long time there was no communication between them.
Perhaps that was the reason that they both had just hugged each other tightly the first time they saw each other after summer break. He remembered seeing her in muggle clothes waving at her parents. When she turned around, and their eyes met, it was like the time had stopped for a bit. They took their time remembering how the other looked and then she smiled.
They tore through the crowd and hugged each other. Her hair smelled of green apple and he buried his head deeper holding her closer. She too returned the hug with same intensity. In that moment, everything was good and right and simple.
When they parted it was awkward for a second before Draco asked her about her vacation. She answered it while they secured seats in Hogwarts express and the question-answer series went on till they reached their destination.
They were comfortable and it was just like old times but something had changed. Maybe distance really made the hearts grow fonder.
'Good-morning my fellow batch-mates and all the others present here. Normally, a formal speech is read out at graduation with formal greetings, some random experiences and a typical paragraph about how we are the future of the wizarding world and that people expect so much so we should do great things. And then those speech comes to end with the same old 'good-luck my fellow friends'.' She said the last line imitating heavy voice to which everyone chuckled at.
'So today, I thought that why not do something different. I won't lecture you all about your responsibilities and blah-blah as I'm sure our batch has grown mature enough. No, today we talk about ourselves. We were children when we came to Hogwarts and were enchanted by the ceiling that we've all had heard about. Then we were sorted in our houses and so started the house rivalry. We competed in classes and on the grounds. All of houses were brilliant but Gryffindor won the house cups; cuz c'mon our house is just so awesome.' She said cheekily and Draco smiled.
People thought Hermione Granger was a boring know-it-all but when he discovered her humorous and cheeky side, he knew people were fool.
'But jokes apart, we all did our best. We made hell difficult potions and transfigured our pets into glasses… I mean who does that, but we did. We wrote all those long essays sprawled in our common room while gossiping or planning an adventure. Some new friendships were born, some old ones perished, some stood strong while some faltered. In Hogwarts, we didn't just experience school-life, we experienced another world. And best of all, we defeated Voldy-Moldy; as Fred and George called him. So yeah, we did hell lot of things. And despite all the storms we survived.'
'Today, we stand here to gather our N.E.W.T.S. degree and then we'll be on to our different paths. We'll be aurors or maestros or curse-breakers or healers or some ministry worker or maybe something totally unique. But let's promise ourselves that no matter where we go we are gonna rock and be kickass… cuz seriously, this is the best batch and I don't have any doubt 'bout that. So let's rock people, tonight in graduation ball and in the outside world. Let's show them what we're made of. Happy Graduation and cheerios!' She said and the hall broke in a round of applause. She bowed down dramatically and he chuckled.
When it was announced in their seventh year that she was made the Head-girl, the hall had broke in same applause like now. He himself was pleasantly surprised when he was made the head-boy. Maybe it was because of Granger's friendship or his academic performance, but it felt great.
They met regularly to patrol the school and those late night strolls and talks had been great progress. By the middle of seventh year they were so attached. And by this time, Draco had realized how beautiful she was. He would often just stare at her… etching every feature of her to his memory. At first he dismissed it as some crazy random thing but whenever she hugged him or as much as touched him, he would feel the sparks.
It was so uncommon for him and he spent more than a few months in denial. But then last month, when he toppled over making her fall and him falling over her, he knew he was besotted. He didn't know how to react because the feelings he hid inside for so long were now surfacing fast.
When professors started calling the names out, the excitement between the students grew. When professor Snape called out his name, his heart sped up. He could hear his heart thumping inside his ribcage. He wondered if Theo could hear it too. Theo clapped him on his back and he stood up. He started to move toward the stage.
As he ascended he saw Granger flash him a bright smile. She looked so beautiful and her smile was just brilliant. He returned her a smile. She bit her bottom lip and pointed towards Professor Dumbledore with her eyes. There was happiness in her eyes but something else; anxiety maybe. But why would she be anxious.
He moved to take the degree from Professor Dumbledore and posed for a photograph. And suddenly, he did something no one could ever fathom; not even himself.
He turned around, grabbed Hermione by her waist, pulled her closer and kissed her on the lips.
Theo and Ginny smiled, Blaise whistled, Harry and Snape were in shock, Ron and Pansy grew red while Dumbledore gazed at the two students with twinkle in his eyes.
'Was I out of line? Should I have stopped?' He whispered when he pulled back.
She looked him in eye, smiled and said.
'You can't stop now, when we're halfway there falling deep.'
THE END
A/N: so I hope you enjoyed this fic. It just popped in my head. And special dedication to Slytheringabby for dropping lovely reviews, making my day and motivating me to write again. Lots of love to you sweetheart.
As I said, I will be updating ALTM in a short while so hold tight and enjoy this one till then.
Lots of love
Aps