"HERMIONEEEE!"
"SHH," Madam Pince scolded from her seat behind the desk that sat in the centre of library.
"Sorry, Professor," Ron Weasley whispered back, in a very loud whisper-tone. Madam Pince merely rolled her eyes.
Sitting under a table, hiding from Ron was definitely not the most courageous thing Hermione had every done. In fact it may have been the most cowardly thing she had ever done, but that was not about make her come out from hiding.
"Hermione?" He shouted again.
"Hermione, where are you?"
"She's not in here, Weaselbee," the familiar drawl was bored and somewhat irritated.
"What would you know, Malfoy?" Ron spat back.
Draco laughed an air of boredom and arrogance surrounded him.
"Oh the irony, Weasley, I know a lot more than you think. Firstly I know that you've done something entirely moronic, to upset your bookworm. Secondly, that it's probably taken you a few hours to realise that you upset the bookworm; or Scarhead had to point it out. And thirdly, I know that the bookworm isn't in here."
"Stop calling her that, Malfoy!" The ginger haired boy sneered.
"Beat it Weasley, without Granger or Potter here to save you, all you're going to do is hurt yourself! Some of us have work to do, as opposed to finding friends."
"Ha, at least I have friends Ferret," Ron spat back smugly.
"I don't send mine running away to hide."
"She's not hiding from me Malfoy."
"Then where is she, Weaselbee?"
"It's none of your bloody business, Ferret!" Ron argued feebly, before stomping his foot and storming away; leaving Malfoy to laugh at the progressive red colouring of Ron's ears.
Hermione let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding, and leaned back against the wall. But she remained under the table for good measure, in case Ron decided to come back again. Deep in her thoughts, Hermione didn't notice a pair of expensive, shiny black shoes approach her table.
"Hmm, I wonder! If I was a big brave Gryffindor, born with the heart of a lion, blah blah blah, where would I hide from a moronic ginger?"
"Very funny Malfoy, what do you want?"
The Slytherin sat on the floor and moved under the table, Hermione shifted over to accommodate to tall boy.
"Well an explanation?"
"Not that it's any of your business, I'm not hiding. He keeps asking for a second chance, telling me that his relationship with Lavender was a mistake, that he's sorry and that we could make things work, blah, blah, blah," she mocked childishly.
"So?" Draco answered stupidly.
"So, I don't feel that way about him anymore, and I don't know how to tell him without hurting his feelings."
"So you thought you would hide under a table? How terribly Gryffindor-ish of you?"
"Gryffindor-ish? And I was not, am not, hiding, I'm just staying out of sight, until I find a way to explain how I feel! Why am I telling you this anyway Draco, why do care? And why did you tell Ron I wasn't in the library, you knew fine well where I was!"
"What is this, the Spanish inquisition?" Hermione's eyes widened in shock.
"Yes, Yes Granger, I know muggle history, and I understand some of it too, whatever. You're telling me about Ron because I asked, and because you feel you have no one else to talk to, what with Scarhead being a moron and Weaselette being his sister. Secondly I don't care, and finally you clearly didn't want to see him, I didn't want to hear him it seemed like a win-win situation."
Hermione just looked at Draco, unsure of what to say next.
"And since when did you call me Draco?" He asked, mostly to break the silence, but some part of him was generally interested.
"Since now, I guess. So who is she?"
Turning his head slowly, confusion evident on his pale, Draco stared at Hermione, one perfectly shaped eyebrow slightly raised.
"Who?"
"The girl you're pining after," Hermione shot a look Draco quickly, "and don't lie to me. I know there's a girl you can see it in your eyes. You're distracted from class and your friends, I can see you eyes scanning the hall at dinner to find her, and you have a very heavy hearted sigh when you mindlessly flip through books o take your mind off of her."
Taking a moment o recover his equilibrium, Draco shook his head and smirked pointedly at Hermione, "Well, someone's been watching me, ay Granger? What makes you think I'm pining over a girl? Don't you think I'd just ask her out?"
"She's not in Slytherin, you're eyes never look down your table, you won't ask her cause you're frightened she will ruin your reputation, either that or you think she'll like you. She's not like you, she's kind, maybe Hufflepuff, I can tell because you're being nicer to people."
"Oh really? What about me antagonising your friend? That wasn't nice."
"Ron's a different story. You walked past Collin Creevey today and caught his book when he dropped it instead of kicking it across the floor, you got the book that first year couldn't reach from the top shelf and you bought the quibbler from Luna instead of mocking her. You're talking to me. You're changing for this girl and you're not even sure she'll accept you."
"She's beautiful," the words were tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them, "and funny and so clever. She's sweet and kind and passionate about things she loves. I know this girl would never love me, but becoming her friend would help the unrequited love. Talking about unrequited love, you should tell Ron that you don't feel the same way about him Hermione, its killing you and you're falling apart, you're too kind to hurt his feelings but not telling him will hurt him more."
"How do you know she won't love you back? You're a good guy Draco, deep down, you just have to let her see you."
"What do you want me to do? Pour my heart out to her? She'd never believe, besides she's not confident enough to accept my compliments."
"So she's shy?"
"What you going for process of elimination, now?"
"No, I'm going to help you! If she's shy you have to be intimate but surprise her, be spontaneous."
"Why are you helping me?"
"Cause you helped me!"
"So you think I should say nothing to her at all, walk right up to her, and kiss her?"
"Yes, exactly."
"Ok," shifting slightly, Draco moved onto his knees.
"Now?"
"Now," and with that final word, he leaned down and touched his lips to hers. He pulled back and looked into Hermione's flushed face.
"That was very Gryffindor-ish," she whispered, before leaning up and kissing him again.
A/N: This story has a mind of its own and turned out nothing like I originally planned. I'm not sure I like it, but it's done now. Thanks for reading and let me know if it's as awful as I think, thanks xx
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.