A/N: Just a one-shot I wrote while on holidays because I couldn't update my stories from there. I'll be updating them soon though, please be patient. Read and review please. Sorry for spelling and grammar mistakes, I tried really hard to limit them all.
Collin Creevy was in need of inspiration. Or to be more exact, he was in need of a subject. He had been wandering the halls and grounds of Hogwart's since four o'clock in the morning in search of something to photograph. He had tried artistic abstract pictures of the school's nature, art and architecture but the result was unsatisfying, especially since he planned on turning them into wizard photos as soon as he was done.
Indeed, wizard abstract images were unimpressive to say the least. He needed something amazing, something unexpected, something that would surprise the whole of Hogwarts when he put it on display as was his custom. He takes pictures and chooses one to reveal to the school. Once a month, every month he did this and this month would be no different.
Except that maybe it would. His picture was expected tomorrow at eight a.m. at the latest and right now it was nine twenty-three p.m. and the halls were growing empty. Clutching his camera to his chest, at the ready, he looked left and right not wanting to miss the perfect opportunity.
Not only did he not want to disappoint his fellow students who had grown to enjoy seeing his monthly pictures, but he also wanted to post one last picture before the end of the year. Graduation was soon and he would be graduating with the returning eight-th year students. He himself was a seventh year and though the war was a tragedy, Collin knew that it was the War that he had to thank for being able to graduate with Harry Potter, his idol. He had been very proud of this year's batch of photos but now, as it was his last ever picture in Hogwarts as a pupil, he wanted to have a picture worth remembering, one that would be talked about and thought of for years yet to come. One that no one would expect. His quintessence.
Suddenly light whispering floated to him from the dark empty courtyard. Curious as to who would be outside at this hour he sneaked a peak around the corner and nearly dropped his camera at what he saw.
There in the outdoor open corridor stood Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. They stood close to one another and were both smiling slightly. Malfoy stepped forward and Hermione, throwing him a cheeky smile, ducked under his outstretched arm. Malfoy chuckled and caught her by her wrist, he murmured something in her ear. His whispered words did not have the desired effect as Hermione scowled and turned her back to him, glaring in the general direction of where Collin stood. Removing the flash from his camera, Dennis quickly started snapping a few shots, unnoticed by the couple.
Malfoy stared at Hermione's back in confusion, as if trying to understand what he had done wrong. Slowly his expression softened and he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder thus turning her halfway towards him so that Collin could only see her profile.
They were standing in the center of the corridor, Hermione's back now facing the cliffs of Hogwarts and the dark night sky, twinkling with stars. Malfoy's back was turned towards the courtyard and the light emanating from the torches hanging all around created mysterious and romantic shadows on the pair. The gothic arches and stone columns created an olden day atmosphere and the black robes they both wore hid their simple muggle clothing from sight.
Hermione looked up at Draco, her gaze filled with something Collin could not understand. Draco carefully caressed her cheek with one of his large hands and the other moved to rest on her waist. He pulled her against him, thus wrapping his whole arm around her back, forcing her to arche her back and neck in order to keep eye contact with him.
Draco Malfoy stared at her in awe, as if she was the most amazing thing he had ever seen and he couldn't believe he was actually holding her. Seeming to try to convince himself he ducked down and enclosed her lips with his. His mouth brushed against her once reverently before he deepened the kiss. He kissed her softly yet passionately, trying to convey all his feelings to her in that one simple kiss.
Finally he pulled away from her, one hand on her neck, her hands tangled in his hair and smiled at her lovingly. He rested his forhead against hers, as her hands came to rest on his shoulders, he closed his eyes briefly in bliss. He then whispered words that anyone could understand and lip read from the moving picture Collin would expose. That is where his picture ended, over and over people would watch as Hermione glared, as Malfoy handled her with care, kissed her with an intensity that would make any witches knees buckle just at the sight and whispered words of love no one thought him capable of. The first time the student body would see his lips form those words, no one would dare believe it. But slowly as they grew accostumed to his attitude towards the brunette they would understand that those words had always been and always would be reserved for Hermione Granger. And that would never change. He wasn't a changed man, oh no, he was incredibly arrogant and narcissic, he would for ever remain an annoying prat who would enjoy picking fights with a certain muggleborn brunette just because he loved watching her face light up at the chance of a well formulated argument. Hermione Granger would always be a bushy haired, insufferable, know-it-all bookworm. But he would forever and always love her for it just as she loved him despite his flaws.
The following day, he received permission from his subjects to release the picture, after all he was a man of prinicple not a mere paparazzi, and he finally got the reaction he had always craved.
The couple would suffer mixed reactions to their relationship, especially from Gryffindor and Slytherin. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were rather indifferent to the appearance of this new affair. If they hadn't been aware that Hermione and Draco supposedly hated each other they wouldn't have given the pair a second glance.
Ginny Weasley, Hermione's best girl friend, would squeal in excitment and gush about how handsome the blond boy was. She would then push her boyfriend, Harry Potter, to accept his bestfriend's boyfriend. Ron Weasley, however was a different story, and would decide that sulking in a corner and ignoring Hermione was a perfect way to show his anger at the union, unable to accept a Malfoy. Hermione would leave him be on Harry and Ginny's orders, after they assured her that given time Ron would get over his childish attitude and come back to her. And, of course they were correct, a week and a half later, Ron would apologise with a sheepish smile and a tense handshake with Malfoy. Hermione would grin and welcome him back with open arms.
The teachers, who had not had the privilege of seeing the picture before breakfast, would choke on their food and drinks at the sight of a smirking Draco and relieved looking Hermione, who walked into the great hall hand in hand. It seemed that the discovery of their secret lifted a weight off their shoulders as they shared a brief kiss before curious watchfull students.
Malfoy's close friends would have some problems dealing with their leaders change of opinions towards muggleborns and halfbloods. Gradually they too, same as Hermione's, would choose to remain beside their friend, no matter what. Slowly they would all learn to get along despite many strained moments. Hogwarts in general, however, would be filled with gossip about the couple for weeks and years to come. The Wizarding World would never tire of hearing more about the couple.
Collin Creevy's picture was one worth being remembered for. It protayed love and caring perfectly, it revealed the feelings of both people in the moving picture. It exposed the atmosphere of hope and fear perfectly. This was a portrait that would live on forever... Even when the world forgot who exactly the characters in the image were, this picture would stay famous and groups of wizards would come from every corner of the world for a simple glimpse of the photo Collin Creevy took 17 years to take.