Sacrifice
A Dramione Love Story
Chapter 1: Beginnings
Draco stole a glance at Hermione from across the library. She was in her usual corner, studying away. Half of her long thick hair was pulled back out of her face.
He turned away. He was sitting alone on the other side of the library. Since the battle, the only place he had been accepted was in Slytherin, and he didn't want to be accepted there. They accepted him because of things that he regretted, things he hated himself for. He turned to his books, hating himself for what he had done and the world for his position. He couldn't even allow himself think about having feelings for anyone, let alone someone who hated him, and for good reason.
Hermione was so engaged in her studies that she didn't even notice when Harry and Ron sat on either side of her. After waiting a moment, Ron tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped.
"Ronald!" she shouted, or at least it was supposed to come across as a shout. It was more of a severe whisper. Both Harry and Ron tried not to laugh out loud. She looked at both of them, shook her head, and smiled.
"Come on, Hermione," Harry whispered. "It's almost time for dinner."
She was about to protest, but she stopped herself when she realized that Harry and Ron, along with Ginny, Neville, and most of the other students would be going home the next day for Christmas. She was staying at Hogwarts over the holidays. Her parents were on holiday somewhere in Australia, and she needed to continue studying for her NEWTS. Her parents had offered to cancel their plans, but she had said no. Her parents' memories had been restored after the war, and she did really want to spend time with them; however, she knew that they really wanted to go. She didn't want to be the reason that they canceled their big plans. Besides, she really did need to study.
"Fine, let's go," she consented. She packed her books up and grabbed her bag, and the three of them left the library.
No matter how much Draco resisted, he couldn't keep himself from watching her leave with Potter and Weasley. He silently scolded himself. He couldn't have feelings for her. He needed to get her out of his head. He turned back to his books.
"Are you coming to dinner or not?" He scowled when he heard Pansy Parkinson's voice behind him. His jaw tightened when she put her hands on his shoulders. He pulled away quickly to pack up his books. Then, he walked out of the library without a look or word to Pansy.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting at the Gryffindor table laughing with Ginny, Seamus, Dean, and Neville.
"Are you sure you can't come to the Burrow?" Ron asked.
She looked at him. After they started their seventh year at Hogwarts, they realized that they just weren't right for each other. It had been a mutual decision, but there still was an awkward stage after they broke up. She was so glad that they were past that and back to being best friends.
"Yeah," she said. "I have to make sure that I get good marks on my NEWTS."
"Like there's any question about that, Hermione," Harry joked. Hermione shrugged as the others laughed.
Draco walked in at that moment. He saw her immediately. He didn't want to, but he couldn't help it. There was just something about her. He stopped for a moment.
Was he imagining things?
It looked like she was looking at him.
He averted his eyes quickly and walked to the Slytherin table to sit next to Pansy. He tried to distract himself by eating and listening to the uninteresting conversation around him.
Hermione was shocked. Had Draco Malfoy really been staring at her? Her heart rate escalated slightly.
Stop it. She thought to herself. There was no way that Draco had been looking at her. Even if he was, she didn't want him to. After all he had done, how could she even consider it? She turned back to her food and friends, but that small thought refused to leave the back of her mind.
After everyone left the next morning, Hermione headed to the library to do some studying. She was walking very quickly, and as she turned a corner she ran straight into someone and dropped her bag. All of her books spilled out onto the floor.
She looked up to see Draco staring at her. They were so close together that it was uncomfortable.
Draco's heart was pounding. They were so close together that he could feel her breath and smell her perfume.
They just stood there for a moment. Neither one was really sure what to do. Hermione was shocked. She had expected Draco to immediately find some way to insult her, but he just stood there staring into her eyes. She found herself looking into his. They were the same pale blue as always, but it didn't take her long to see that this was not the same little boy that had called her names for their first few years at Hogwarts. His eyes were full of sorrow, pain, and…something else that she couldn't quite place.
She shook her head slightly and looked away, bending over to pick up her books. She was shocked when she looked over to see Draco helping her. He picked up a few books and looked up at her to hand them to her. She stared at his outstretched hand and the books in them like they were some potion that he was asking her to drink. She wasn't sure if it was safe.
She reached out to take them, and as she took them from his hands, their fingers touched. Hermione gasped, he felt so cold. She pulled the books from his hand and he jumped up to leave. Then he was gone.
Draco kept walking down the near empty corridors. He had forgotten where he had been heading in the first place. He tried to clear his head, but he couldn't.
He had definitely felt something in the corridor with Hermione, but he refused to admit it to himself. She was one of the good guys. He was one of the bad ones, whether it was his choice or not.
But it almost seemed to him like she might have felt something. He wasn't just staring into her eyes, she had stared back into his.
Stop that. He told himself. That was never going to happen. Thinking these thoughts was just going to get him hurt even more, and he wasn't sure that he could handle any more pain. He walked into the bathroom to wash his face and try to clear his head. He had to get her out of his head.
But how?
