So this idea just popped into my head while watching the Half-Blood Prince on ABC Family this weekend. I knew I needed to get it out of my head as soon as it got in there so here it is! I challenged myself to write this as quickly as I can so my apologies if it is short and a little...not proofread at all.
This is the scene where Hermione runs off after seeing Lavender and Ron kiss. My thought was; what if Draco found her first? Well this is my opinion of that.
I own nothing, it all belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.
Draco was walking back towards the Slytherin dungeon after another failed attempt at sending a bird through the vanishing cabinets. If he couldn't send a bird how was he supposed to send an entire group of Death Eaters? He really didn't want to do this task. How could he possibly do this? How could he kill Dumbledore? It was hard for Draco to come to the realization that he had to kill someone, harder for him to take the steps to do it, and he knew it would be even harder to actually do it. To watch as his headmaster was soon to sink to the floor, to watch as the life left his eyes, to become a killer. If only he could talk to someone, if there was someone that would even begin to understand him, if…wait…what was that?
Draco turned his head towards the corridor where he thought he heard the sounds of someone crying. Listening for a moment longer and hearing nothing more, he continued on his way. But then he heard it again. Deciding to act very unlike Draco, he walked through the door and down the short corridor. To his surprise he saw Hermione Granger sitting on the ground, with her head in her hands and her body shaking with heavy sobs.
He closed his eyes and drew in a silent breath, praying that he wasn't going to regret the words that were about to leave his mouth, "Are you okay, Granger?"
She immediately silenced and looked up, obviously startled that anyone was there, let alone Draco Malfoy. She looked at him, and realized the underneath his stone cold face; he was just as broken as she was in that moment, if not more. So instead of saying the nasty retort that came into her mind, she just sniffled again and shook her head, returning to her previous position.
She expected him to leave, and quite frankly so did he. But he didn't. Instead he sat next to her and waited in silence for her to stop. And stop she did. Her sobs subsided and her sniffles became few and far between. She wiped her face on her sleeves and looked up, not at the blonde boy next to her but at the wall straight ahead.
"Thank you" She said, so quietly that Draco barely heard it.
He turned his head towards her, "For what?"
"For sitting here with me. I would have never expected you to do that."
He shook his head, "Honestly, I never did either."
"Why did you?" She asked, turning to face him for the first time.
"I'm not even sure myself," He answered, turning towards her too, "it just felt like I should."
"Well, thank you, Draco."
"Did you just call me Draco?"
She gave him a slightly puzzled look, "Yeah, I guess I did."
A moment of silence passed in between them. It seemed almost sinful; their position, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, sitting there, about to confide in each other more than they ever thought they could. "Would you like to talk about why you were so upset?"
"I guess it would help," She said looking down, "and you're as good as anyone I suppose."
And so she told him everything, all about how Ron was kissing Lavender and how could Ron be so stupid and even how it had made her feel so unloved by him and, for those few moments weak and helpless. And to her surprise, he listened. He listened to every last word and never once did he interrupt with a rude comment or look at her in disgust like he used to for these many years. He actually listened. She finished her rant with a heavy breath and looked at him expectantly.
"You're crying over Weasel-bee?"
"Yes I am."
"You shouldn't cry over him. He is an idiot."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that he is an idiot. He has you falling for him and never once has he even realized it."
"Yeah, you're actually right."
"Then he goes and pulls this crap without knowing how it affects you."
"Yeah, he is an idiot."
"Stop crying over him, he isn't worth it."
She gave a small smile, "Thank you. I needed to hear that."
"You are welcome."
They gave each other small smiles. It was odd, when they dwelled upon this situation, that the two of them would find this comfort in one another. At a time when they were both vulnerable and needed to find comfort in someone, they surprisingly found each other.
"Would you like to tell me what has been bothering you all term?"
"What do you mean?"
"Draco, even I can see that something has been bothering you. You have been acting differently all term."
"It's just some family stuff." He dismissed quickly. "It will all be over and done with soon, and I will hopefully be back to normal and tormenting you, Potter, and Weasley." Even as he said the words, he knew they were false. There was no way things would ever be the same.
Hermione studied him, and realizing that this is how much he was going to open up to her, she would have to accept it. With that thought she stood up and gently brushed herself off, "I should get going; someone may realize that I'm not there."
He quickly followed her lead and stood up too, "That's right, don't you have a celebration to get back to?"
She nodded and they paused looking at each other. Their faces were closer than they were before, than they have ever been. They breaths became slightly heavier and faster, and all of sudden there was even less space between them. Their breaths became one and before either of them realized what was happening, their lips were touching. It was unlike anything they had experienced. Hands became tangled in hair and arms became encircled around each other. They moved together as if they did this every day, as if this was normal and wasn't at all unusual. All of a sudden they realized what was happening and broke the kiss. They stayed in each other's arms for moments longer than they would have liked to admit. They stared into each other's eyes and let their breaths catch up to them.
"We shouldn't…" Draco said, starting to loosen his grip on her waist.
"You're right…" Hermione agreed, both of them letting go. She walked past him but paused in the doorway and turned around to face him once more, "Thank you again…Draco," and with that she left, but not before hearing a soft, "You're welcome, Hermione."
That night they both lied in bed, mulling over the events that occurred mere hours ago. A smile on both of their faces, each wondering the same thing; that maybe, just maybe, the blonde boy will confide in her about what is troubling him so much.
And the following evening, they met in that same corridor again. And he did just that.
Well, that definitely came out better than it I thought it would have. I realize that Draco is acting a little OOC, but I figure that with all the pressure he felt that year, he would have acted a lot differently. I tried to keep him in character as much as possible. But in all honesty this is the best writing I have done in a long time. Feel free to check out my other Harry Potter story, That Stupid Law, I am in the process of rewriting some chapters and updates will be coming out soon. Thanks for reading!
