Author's Note: Saw this little conversation on tumblr and just had to write this up! Thank you to hpconversations for allowing me to do so! I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to J.K. Rowling. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. Credit for dialogue given below. I do not write for profit.
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Inspired by hpconversations on tumblr:
Hermione: I hope you go bald!
Draco: I hope the Library burns down!
Hermione: YOU TAKE THAT BACK!
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Take That Back
Tap-tap. Tap. Tap Tap.
Tap-tap. Tap. Tap-tap.
Tap-tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Tap.
"I swear to Merlin, if you don't stop that incessant tapping, Malfoy, I am going to break your quill overtop your platinum head," Hermione grumbled, gripping her own quill most severely as she tried to remain focused on the page she was reading. Why Professor Slughorn insisted the pair work together on this potions project, she would never know.
"Easy there, Granger," Malfoy drawled, shifting in the chair across from her in the library so that he was no longer slouching. "Those curls of yours might just turn into Medusa's snakes."
"Honestly," she began, giving up reading, for the moment, to stare daggers at her unwilling partner. "Do you even think before you attempt to insult people? Medusa. Pft."
Draco frowned as the bushy-haired witch made to resume her studying, ignoring his comment about her hair almost completely. Reaching forward, he deftly snatched her quill from between her fingers, enjoying the way her eyes widened and her mouth popped open in shock.
"You give that back," she seethed, her words a harsh whisper as she tried not to call Madame Pince's attention to their disagreement. "One of us has to do research seeing as you're sitting here doing nothing but tapping your useless quill for over an hour."
"An hour? Hardly. It was more like five minutes, and besides...we both know you're going to write the essay for the both of us whether I do research or not." Twirling her quill around his nimble fingers, a smirk slid onto his features as Hermione continued to stare at him flabbergasted.
"You're incorrigible, Malfoy."
"Thank you," he drawled, choosing to take her insult as a compliment as he tossed her quill back onto her side of the table. Deciding it best not to get her too riled up with Pince hovering, he flipped open the potion's text in front of him and began pursuing the table of contents for something to help with their project. Glancing up between blonde lashes, he noticed she'd gone back to reading. Typical Granger. It was going to take more than a few trivial comments about her ridiculous mane of hair for her to lose control, wasn't it?
Continuing to flip the pages from his book aimlessly, Draco lost himself imagining what it would be like to see Hermione Granger lose control. Would she tug at her curls? Would she throw her quill and books? No, never the books, but definitely the quill. Possibly the inkwell also. Wouldn't that be a sight to see? He smirked just imagining it, causing the witch in question to give him a long ponderous stare. In response, he merely shrugged, the corner of his mouth tipping up as he finally stopped turning pages.
Giving him a narrow-eyed look, Hermione dipped her quill into the inkwell and scratched out a few notes, the sound irking on Draco's nerves. His attention drifted back to what she was doing, the quill swirling along her parchment bringing meaning to her thoughts. He wondered what she thought about while she researched. She was always in the library. Surely, she had to think about more than just what was printed across the page from the books she devoured.
Continuing to watch her, he noticed the way she rolled her shoulders, as if her back ached from leaning over the table all afternoon. The movement caused her Hogwarts sweater to pull against her chest, and Draco to realize that Hermione Granger was no longer the young girl he used to torment about her teeth and hair. As her eyes lifted, obviously feeling his stare upon her, he averted his gaze, pretending to find something fascinating on the pages before him. His cheeks felt warm, his throat tight, from the embarrassment of almost being caught ogling her breasts.
When she'd taken her attentions from him once more, he chanced another peek at her from under his lashes. She really wasn't as ugly as he always made her out to be, he had to admit. The smattering of freckles that adorned her nose and upper cheeks was actually...dare he say it? Adorable. Her brown eyes were warm like honey, and her lips were plump. As if knowing his train of thought, her teeth came out to tug thoughtfully at her bottom lip, causing Draco to shift slightly in his seat as he imagined being the one to nibble on the soft flesh.
This was bad. Very bad.
"Malfoy?"
He jolted, grey eyes flashing wide to meet her gaze. She was staring at him strangely; her brow furrowed slightly. "What?" He snapped, not exactly sure how to deal with the conflicting emotions roaring inside of him. This was know-it-all Granger—he wasn't supposed to fancy her, let alone find her attractive. Wait. What? Fancy? Where did that come from? This was worse than bad. This was apocalyptic!
"I was just wondering if you were alright," she explained, giving him a dirty look as she reached for a fresh piece of parchment. "You look a little flushed, but forget I asked. You're always such a prat."
"Not everyone wants to share their feelings with you like Potty and Weasel." Even for him, that was a horrible insult. What the bloody hell was happening to him?
"I wasn't asking for a biography, Malfoy!" Huffing, she crossed her arms causing her chest to stretch the fabric of her sweater most desirable, and Draco to gulp dramatically. She gave him another weird look. "What is with you today? You're acting like you've forgotten how to act around me. It's just a potion's assignment. We research, write the essay, and that's it. No more time spent together than needed."
"Good, because any time spent in your presence is far too long." Good, Draco, he thought. That's better. Keep it going. Forget you ever thought you fancied her. "I can't stand having to stare at that bird's nest you call your hair. Do you let Potter's owl sleep there, or is that just what it looks like a normal day?"
"What!?" She slammed her hand down on the table, the quill she was using bouncing to the floor and the inkwell rattling. This is it; he thought. He was going to see her lose control. She inhaled deeply, chest swelling as she prepared for her outburst. Draco prepared himself too, for he knew it was going to be fantastic. "I hope you go bald!"
Well, that's not what he expected, but nevertheless, his hand flew to his head, smoothing over his beautiful blonde hair almost as if checking to make sure it was all still there. Floundering for a moment, he attempted to come up with a proper response. His eyes darted about the room they were in, shelves of books lining the walls. A sinful smirk formed upon his lips, and then he spoke the words he knew would make her lose it completely.
"I hope the Library burns down!"
"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"
He was shocked by the intensity of her response, but even more so when she threw herself across the table in an attempt to get at him. He had enough sense to shove his chair away from the table before she could do so, but she still managed to get across the space. He was standing against the bookshelf behind where they'd been sitting when she reached him, her fists pounding out her frustration on his chest. He covered his face for protection, not wanting a repeat of third year and the bloody nose she'd given him then.
"Take it back," she continued to scream over and over, her voice shrill to the point where he knew Pince would be on them in an instant if he didn't do something, and quick. So, doing the only thing he could possibly think of, and later he would wonder why he hadn't thought of anything else, he took hold of her wrists and flipped them so she was the one against the bookshelf. As she inhaled to start yelling some more, he surged forward his lips covering hers, effectively cutting off her screeching.
At first, she struggled, her hands smacking uselessly at his shoulder, but he persisted. Not because he didn't want her to scream anymore, but because he found he enjoyed kissing Granger. Her lips were exactly how he imagined as he nipped playfully at the bottom one, supple between his teeth. Her small gasp opened her lips, allowing his tongue to slide inside, massaging her gently. She stopped fighting then, her body becoming pliant and willing, her hands coming up to tangle in his hair.
Sweet Salazar how he wanted to continue kissing her, but they were in the middle of the library, and Madame Pince was coming for them, her heels clicking dangerously against the marble flooring. Smirking, Draco released his hold on Hermione, stepping back a few feet to deal with their current predicament.
"Mister Malfoy! Miss Granger!" The librarian scolded them, coming to a stop. "That is no way to behave in the library! Get out this instant!"
Instead of arguing, Draco quickly gathered their belongings before grabbing Hermione's hand and leading her from the library. Once in the corridor outside, he turned to her, trying to figure out which books were hers and which were his. She was entirely unhelpful, her face devoid of every emotion besides shock; cheeks still stained pink from their kiss.
"Take that back, Malfoy."
"What, Granger? The kiss?" He tried not to smile; he really did, but failed royally.
"What you said about the library. You didn't really mean that did you?"
"No, I didn't."
"Okay, good."
"Why is that good," he asked, wondering where exactly she was going with this. She merely shrugged before answering.
"Because if you'd meant it, I wouldn't be able to do this."
And then, she stepped forward, kissing him right there in the corridor where anyone could see them. The books tumbled from Draco's hands as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. Oh yes, he was most definitely glad he'd chosen to take back what he'd said earlier. If it meant he could kiss Hermione Granger for the rest of his life, he'd take back everything he ever said to her before. He'd take back every bad and hurtful thing he'd ever done, as long as it meant Hermione Granger was his.