Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING, except this little one-shot. Everything belongs to the wonderful JK Rowling. :)
"Looks like we really are just next-door neighbors." Fred whispered to George as they eyed the prefects ushering the first years towards the dormitories after the feast. The reason for it was that Ron hadn't spoken much to them since he had gotten his prefect's badge, figuring that one little connection with the twins would render him badge-less.
"Let's try Hermione." They scuttled forward, gently pushing their way through the crowd, hoping to find a familiar bushy-haired girl.
"Why can't we just teach them how to Apparate? That way, I'll be –" Ron complained, pushing one first year student harshly, almost sending him tripping to the floor.
"Ron! How many times do I have to tell you? You can't –"
"–Apparate in the school grounds, I know." They were cutting each other off. "Oh no, Malfoy alert." He caught a pale, blond-haired boy leading the Slytherins out of the Great Hall from the other side of the room.
Just when Ron turned his head to the other side to avoid having seen by Draco, the blonde spoke up in an annoying, arrogant voice. "Hey, Weasley! After a year I still can't figure out how you've earned yourself a prefect's badge! Did you ever think they got the owls intercepted?" He laughed with Crabbe and Goyle, attracting the heads of a few of the freshly-sorted Slytherin first years.
"Ignore them." Hermione whispered to his ear. Ron had his teeth clenched and she could swear she heard his jaws crack. She was expecting Malfoy to attack her next about her Muggle parents and the like.
But all she got from Malfoy was a raised eyebrow.
.:.
A few weeks passed after the first feast and Hermione was seen beside the window in the library. She shook her head as she grabbed her quill to write the header of her notes. Boys were just plainly irresponsible. She had no choice but to head to the library herself with the refusal of her invitation for Harry and Ron, who decided that it was better to play Quidditch than advanced studying. She wondered how they got no competition – usually, Snape would book the field for Slytherin before Gryffindor got a chance. But anyway, they weren't going to have training today. It was just a little practice, which usually resorted to playing.
In normal days, Malfoy would love any chance to tease Ron about his Keeping skills. However, these days, there was nothing much to tease him about – Ron was getting quite good actually. That was probably the reason why Malfoy was seen in the library too, striding alone.
Hermione, not intending to and refusing to admit that she had in fact looked up to see who had passed, wondered how he could be Crabbe-and-Goyle-free. She had bewitched her quill to write on its own, and therefore, took time as Malfoy stopped by when he too looked to her direction.
She regretted immediately staring at the boy, wondering how he had easily caught her attention. But it didn't give her the hopes of having him forget he actually caught her staring at him. She went back to her work, grabbing her quill which worked on its own.
"Your attempts to escape me stink, Granger."
Hermione's eyes quickly flicked to him. She would have to face this for now. "Your friends are out."
"I can see that." Instead of sitting beside her, he perched on top of the table, staring down at her. In the daylight, where every feature of his face was illuminated, he actually looked quite...pleasant.
"That's a mystery." She shot back to her work.
"Which is none of your business." However, he continued to stare at her, giving nothing away with his expression.
Hermione shrugged to herself, ignoring him as she constantly told Ron and Harry when they wanted to beat him to a pulp.
"And your friends are out too."
"They're playing Quid – well, that's none of your business too." She cut herself midsentence, looking up at him, quite annoyed. Now, she discovered that he had an amused smirk on his lips, the same smirk which made Ron steam every opportunity Malfoy seized to insult his family.
"I can see that."
"If you can see that, then you must see how busy I am."
Hermione heard no response, but had her nose an inch away from the pieces of parchment on the table, so she hadn't seen the boy nodding, although she noticed that he didn't refuse to walk away without one last insult – he stayed there.
When she looked up, Malfoy was staring straight through her eyes. "What's the matter?" She asked irritably. "Where's Parkinson? I thought I saw you snogging her behind that shelf so why couldn't you go back to your business?"
"Clever, Granger, but as you can see, the last of that happened last year. We broke up before summer."
"I thought your business was yours only?" She tilted her head to look at him, clearly annoyed.
"I think you're wrong with that, seeing as how you witnessed our certain library activity."
Hermione squinted at him, steam practically flowing out of her nostrils. There was a long pause before she went back to scanning the pages of a thick book, saying, "Get lost."
"You're in no position to tell me what to do."
"I'm a prefect. I can give you detention if I want to." Hermione snapped, fully remembering how she had reprimanded Ron for trying to take advantage of his position.
"And I'm one too."
Hermione gave herself a mental slap on the forehead. "Of course, if there was any mistake Dumbledore could ever commit, it would be making some git a prefect."
"And now you're calling me a git?"
"I can call you anything when I want to."
Malfoy clucked his tongue several times, shaking his head. "I can give you detention for that."
"No one would accept anything as shallow as 'git.' It's nothing compared to 'Mudblood.'" Hermione regretted saying those words as soon as they were out of her mouth – it was as though it was she who called him a Mudblood, judging by the pained expression that replaced his arrogant face.
"I'm truly sorry about that, Gr – Hermione."
She looked up in surprise again, only to find him walking away from her without another word.
.:.
"Where have you been, Hermione?"
"I spent the day in the library." She crossed the common room with large strides and sat before the fire with Ron and Harry, who looked absolutely tired but still alive enough to talk among themselves.
"You didn't have to ask." Ron said to Harry.
"And I also don't have to ask where you've been."
"Oh that's because we told you." Ron spat in a cold way, which surprised the girl. Harry, who was on Ron's right side, threw him an alarmed look and shook his head as though to warn her not to ask any more questions.
But there was no need for that because Ron was blabbering in an instant. "Crabbe and Goyle visited us in the pitch. Lucky Malfoy wasn't there."
Hermione tried hard not to entertain guilt – well, she shouldn't. After all, it was Malfoy who approached her, not the other way around.
"Quite a mystery, he'd never pass out an opportunity to ruin my life."
Hermione, figuring it was safe to ask now, mumbled. "What happened?" Usually, Ron was used to their insults and filthy jokes to not be quite affected. They had lived with it for more than five years now – it was different to see him skulking about something as worthless as bored Crabbe and Goyle.
"Aside from ruining my broomstick, he called my dad a –"
"Why can't you just snap out of it?" Harry cut him off, totally, suddenly annoyed too. It looked to Hermione as though today, their insults had grown to the next level.
"Harry's right. You're being babies when you should figure out ways to get back at them. As for the broomstick –"
"It'll be fixed." Harry cut her off too, almost whispering.
"I don't see why you're both having long faces." Hermione shrugged, throwing her arms up in the air. But of course, this time, their words probably involved something about Mr. Weasley in the Ministry, probably about his love for Muggles....
"I don't see why you don't." Ron frowned at her.
"Well," Hermione cocked an eyebrow. "Unlike you, I find pleasure in advanced studying."
"I wonder where Malfoy was, though. He was always together with his cronies." Harry began.
"Yeah, it almost made me think that he's kind of in love with one of them." Ron sniggered.
"Maybe, h-he just...you know...he was just..." Hermione regretted ever interrupting them – liars got caught when they said too much. "Snogging Parkinson in the library?"
"No, I heard that was just a love potion he used to have her." Harry said in a calm manner.
Hermione's jaw dropped upon hearing this.
"Why do you even care about that?" Ron asked suspiciously.
"I...no, I wasn't!"
"Yeah, you were."
"It's just...quite impossible to have him use love potions, don't you think? I-I mean, the arrogant prat he is, he can just lure girls...like that, you know? His git skills?"
"I suppose." Harry rolled his eyes, laughing. "So are we going back to Quidditch or discuss more of Malfoy's love life?"
.:.
Hermione couldn't believe her ears. So Malfoy had been using a love potion to have lured Parkinson during fifth year! No wonder, the git he was, no girl ever wanted to be near him without a love potion....
"Hermione, are you okay?"
Hermione snapped out of her thoughts, responding quickly to Harry and Ron, back and forth, before settling on Ron. "Of course."
"For a moment I thought you were trying to imitate Trelawney."
Harry burst out laughing, spilling Pumpkin juice all over. "The Giant Squid's the best so far."
Hermione, who frantically and swiftly crammed food inside her mouth and chewed, stood up from the table in a hurry.
"Library." Ron muttered to Harry.
"Yeah, I'll see you in the common room."
.:.
Hermione entered the library and passed a few shelves, locating for a certain blond head. When she had found what she was looking for, she actually beamed brightly, then fought back her smile that instant too. No, she wasn't supposed to be smiling at Draco Malfoy, world's worst git.
"Ahem."
She was pleased to have seen him look so surprised. "Oh, Gr – well...what are you doing here?"
"Trying to pick a book to read." She said, trying to sound as innocent as ever, as though it was natural to have stumbled upon him.
"I think there's no need for that." He glanced down at the few books she hand-carried against her hip.
"A new book." She hissed icily at him, breezing towards the same table she sat on yesterday.
"I thought you were going to pick a new book." He imitated the last part.
"Well, with you on that shelf, I have no choice but to go away."
"The shelf is free now." He sat on the same spot he was twenty-four hours ago, on top of the table.
"And I can see this desk isn't, so if you'll excuse me..." She started to pile her books messily on top of each other as she stood up, but discontinued when Malfoy easily pushed her shoulders down so she went back sinking on her chair.
"What?" She looked up at him, glaring.
"I seem to find the library quite amusing these days."
She scowled at him, almost growling.
"I thought I made my apology clear yesterday. You still hate me?" He tried to imitate a puppy's face but all he got was a twist of ugliness that even more infuriated the girl.
It took her probably more than a minute before her lips twitched and something like a muffled squeak came out of her lips. However, the boy could still make out her words. "No, Malfoy."
"Malfoy now, are we?"
Hermione smiled, looking up at his glowing face in the sunlight and mumbled, "Draco."
.:.
Hermione was gleefully skipping along the halls leading to the Great Hall. There was quite a different air to her, as though You-Know-Who did the Tango or something similar to that. But Dark Wizards didn't seem to exist in her world, currently. Malfoy – Draco must have had quite a huge impact on her, especially in their library encounter today. There were fewer people now, as they were getting ready to sleep, and she was heading inside only to meet the ever burly Crabbe and Goyle, carrying as much food as their arms could handle.
"Ever wonder why Draco doesn't join us anymore?" Crabbe stuffed a huge cupcake in his mouth. Somehow, Hermione thought, they never learned how to bewitch the stolen food to let them fly. It would be quite useful for them.
But that wasn't what she was minding now, especially when Goyle spoke up with a bewildered expression. "I don't see him around anymore. Pansy's avoiding him, of course. I wonder if he's set out for the next girl we tricked with the potion."
"Yeah, but how come he hasn't told us anything about it? I've heard a few girls gossiping about him and Hermione in a library, but come on! A Mudblood?"
They halted with frightened and startled looks on their faces upon seeing the girl standing in front of them, wearing a grim expression. Somehow, they didn't see any opportunity on how they could intimidate her – no, they just spilled out the contents of their leader's love life to the next girl he seemed to be tricking potion-lessly….
"Love potions, huh?"
.:.
Draco had a goofy smile plastered on his face as he walked – more like bounced – along the corridors toward the library, his two drones trailing along behind him with the same frightened faces since last night. He didn't understand what the fuss was all about – maybe because they refused to tell him the complete story. After all, he couldn't really understand anything with "Blurrblahblahblahck…s-sheee…wu-wu-wuuu…" and a series of nonsense he didn't bother to care about.
"See you. Dinner." He left them before he went inside the library. "Is everything all right?" He turned from Vincent to Gregory. When they shook their heads no and Draco, with the full knowledge that he couldn't force anything sensible out of them, left without another word and strode inside the library.
He was looking forward to meeting Hermione, no, the Mudblood, but somehow, he couldn't deny for himself that she was a Mudblood…she seemed to have hit a pretty good target on him….
"Hey," Draco leaned half his body on the table, weight supported by his elbows.
Hermione kept on scribbling but he sensed the tight hold she had on her quill.
"Is something wrong?"
He was still ignored.
"Hermion – "
"Don't call me Hermione!"
Draco retreated in shock, leaning with his back on the shelf instead. It quaked a bit but he didn't mind. "What's the matter?"
"Don't look at me like that! You're messing with the wrong girl and you're stupid enough not to know that I am not." She knew how she entirely sounded stupid but she made her point straight.
"What are you talking about?" He had a genuinely bewildered look on his face.
"Get off, Malfoy! Before Madam Pince sees."
"What's wrong?" He persisted. "I thought it was 'Draco' now."
"I thought so too." Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes. "But it turns out that you're still the world's greatest prat." Hermione started to pile and straighten her books, clutching them against her chest.
"Why won't you tell me why you're acting like this?"
She drew out a sharp breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they met a pair of truly curious ones. "Love potions. You think I'm another girl to use love potions on, huh? Well, fat chance. Good day, Malfoy." She couldn't even draw one step when he seized her arm and dragged her until she was leaning on the shelves. It quaked again.
"Where did you hear that nonsense?"
"Nonsense, is it? I believe your daft friends are entirely capable of managing some nonsense. Seriously, have you got nothing better to do? I'd rather you snog Parkinson in this library in front of me."
Malfoy suddenly seemed to have been enlightened. "How'd you know about that?"
"I told you, I'm not stupid." She spat bitterly. "So better find another girl to trick with that love potion of yours."
Malfoy took another chance on her arm, setting her in a more uncaring way. "Well, you are stupid."
She grunted, her eyebrows meeting in the middle. "Get off!"
"I won't. Not until I let it sink in to you that the love potion with Parkinson was a dare."
She laughed coldly. "You think I'm supposed to believe that? Who knows, I might have been inflicted with your stupid dares, too?"
"You're even dumber than I thought. I haven't given you a love potion."
"And how would I know?"
"Because you're now pissed off at me. When you should be throwing yourself at – "
"Shut up." Hermione shook her head furiously. "Leave me alone."
"I can't. That's been my weakness for a certain time now." He maintained the hand gripping her arm, so she wouldn't somehow escape. "I can't stand talking to you when that Potter boy's around. Or that silly Weasley..."
"They're my friends."
"I know. That's the only reason I haven't made their lives a living hell yet."
"Oh yeah, you have."
"But they haven't faced the fullest of me."
Hermione looked at him for a few seconds with a blank expression. "When you're done gloating, I believe that's when I can go."
Malfoy shook his head with a clearly satisfied smirk on his face. "I'm not."
She sighed, rolling her eyes as well as crossing her arms across her chest. "Then go on."
"I believe I don't need to use a love potion on you."
Hermione's jaw dropped. Then, she was back to laughing coldly. "You don't change, do you?"
He ignored her. "Well, I'm pretty much saying the truth or you should have Stunned me now or something. I haven't forgotten third year yet."
She recalled the time she had punched him straight in the face. "You deserved it."
"I guess I did."
"Good you know."
"Yeah, and I'm still not yet Stunned or punched or anything."
"Are you waiting for it?"
Malfoy grinned. "I wish you won't."
"Well, then, good-bye."
"I'm not yet done." He blocked her way.
"I can figure that out – you have enough things to gloat about to last you a lifetime."
"No. No." He shook his head, now with a serious expression, the grin wiped off his face. "Hermione..." The girl flinched at her name. "Crabbe and Goyle have only dared me to trick Parkinson with that stupid potion. It had nothing to do with me."
She continued to stare at him blankly.
He took a deep breath before continuing. "The past few days...didn't involve a potion. It's the sane Hermione Granger I'm talking to. And I'd like that to...well...to continue."
It was quite an amusement to see Malfoy tripping over his tongue. She smiled, silently laughing once in a genuinely cordial way. "How do I know if you're not fooling me?"
"I think I make myself obvious every time. I show how I dislike certain people."
Hermione nodded, smiling. "I'd like that too."
"And umm...I think I'll prefer if your friends didn't know about this? For now?"
"I feel the same way." She nodded once and licked her lips. "I'll see you later, Draco." Then she stepped forward and stood on her toes, giving him a little kiss on the cheek.
He grinned back at her.
Author's Note: This is my first ever fanfic! Please review and tell me what you think! :)