The Lion and the Serpent
Chapter 1: A Huge Mistake
In the Gryffindor common room Hermione Granger sat with all her school books spread across two tables.
"Not now, Harry," she groaned, not looking up from her books as she wrote furiously on a piece of parchment.
Harry stopped at the edge of the table nearest him, mouth open as if he was prepared to say something but thought better of it. Then after a few moments Hermione stopped her writing and looked up catching a glimpse of the envelope in her friend's hand.
"Oh, what is it?" she moaned, impatiently.
Harry looked deep in thought as if he were trying to decide whether to leave this for another time when Hermione was less stressed or if he should just get it over with. Obviously recognizing the annoyed look on her face he chose to confront it now.
"Well, I've just been given this envelope on my way in," he began, looking down at it before stretching his hand out to offer it to Hermione. "I can't tell the hand-"
"Where did you get this? Who gave it to you?" she asked, ripping the envelope from Harry's hand, examining it.
He looked over at her, shocked, his eyebrows raised almost to his hairline.
"I, uh…" he began, still in shock at Hermione's reaction. "A house-elf on the way in tonight-"
But before he could continue Hermione turned away and ran up the stairs to the girl's dormitories. Lavender and Parvati were both sound asleep as Hermione threw herself onto her bed. Quickly she retrieved her wand from inside her robes and muttered a soft, "Lumos." The tip of the wand lit as she pointed it at the paper she'd ripped from the envelope as she rushed up the stairs. Written in a tiny script were just a few simple words.
"Need to talk."
Hermione's heart began to race and she felt a rush of heat to her cheeks. He couldn't possibly believe this would amount to anything. There was absolutely no reason for him to think that she wanted anything more to do with him than that one night. It would be foolish, reckless and not to mention blasphemous. Shaking her head she muttered, "Nox," extinguishing her wand light and shoved the note with its envelope into the bottom of the draw of her bedside table. Quickly she rushed back to her books finding that Harry hadn't stayed to see if she'd return.
While gathering her books, unable to concentrate on anything but the note and what it could possibly mean, Hermione's mind wandered to just a few nights before.
It had been the weekend. A Hogsmeade weekend to be exact. Harry and Ron had convinced her she needed to relax a bit before exams and, against her better judgment, decided to take them up on it. At the Three Broomsticks, the three best friends sat laughing and chatting while having a few Butterbeers. Hermione didn't realize she had had a few too many and once the boys decided it'd been enough had to carry her back up to the school grounds. Continuously, Hermione tried to convince the boys she would be fine and that they should go down to supper.
"I just want my bed," she'd slurred. Catching Ron and Harry glance nervously at each other, Hermione waved an arm while the other grasped at the wall beside her. "I'll be fine!" As if to convince the boys further she stood straight up letting go of the wall and took a few steps. Ron looked concerned but, glimpsing the defiant look upon his friend's face, knew it would be better to let her struggle her way up to Gryffindor Tower than have to listen to her try to fight them off the whole way there. With a shrug he looked to Harry who mimicked him and turned away. With a sigh Hermione hurriedly grabbed the wall trying to steady herself, becoming slightly dizzy.
"Ah, bullocks," she muttered, slowly putting one foot in front of the other.
With her head hung low and a hand upon the wall, Hermione slowly made her way down the hall. Suddenly her head hit something soft, yet firm and she was caught off balance falling backward.
"Sorry, sorry," she muttered, slowly bringing her gaze up to catch a glimpse of her victim. She noticed the outstretched hand before the face and just as she was about to take the hand, caught her breath.
"You," she murmured, furrowing her brow and taking to getting up on her own. Finding she couldn't, her victim moved behind her and grasped her firmly under each arm.
"I've got it, I've got it!" Hermione boomed, defiantly trying to shake her helper. The strong arms gripped her tightly and once she was firmly on her feet leaning against the wall they dropped and she thought the person had disappeared. Slowly she turned to find her victim's face just a breath away from her own.
"What happened to you?" came from the mouth of the face right before her. It sounded just as Draco Malfoy's did and as she gazed upon the face now knew it was, indeed, Draco's face, hoping she had been wrong before.
"Go away," she groaned, turning back around and making her way, easier now, up the hall towards the Gryffindor common room. As she went she felt a hand grasp her arm and tried to pull free, unsuccessfully.
"What do you want?" she asked roughly, turning to face him.
"Where are Potter and Weasley?" He spit their names, as if they were the worst form of swearing. "Why aren't they making sure you get up to bed?"
Finally Hermione was able to break free. "Leave me alone, Malfoy," she said, before turning back around. Just as she was beginning to walk again her way was impeded. "What is your problem?"
With a sly smirk, Draco shrugged. "I'm just wondering what a perfect little student such as yourself is doing in this state."
"I was having a little fun," she defended. "Finally."
Draco laughed his condescending laugh and shook his head furiously as he did so. Then suddenly he stopped as Hermione's arm had pounded against his chest. At first his face grew stern and frightful, his eyes boring into Hermione's but seeing that she wasn't the least bit scared, softened his gaze. The two of them stood in the hall while students passed on their way to the Great Hall for dinner. Hermione's stomach rolled. She didn't recognize this feeling.
"What?" she asked finally, unable to take his gaze anymore. She turned her own eyes away and sighed. When he didn't speak she looked up to see if he'd walked away but the look upon his face when Hermione turned her eyes back to his was something she never thought she'd see Draco Malfoy aim at her. His eyes burst with longing. Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed up at him fighting the pounding within her chest. But under the influence of the Butterbeers she'd consumed that night, Hermione Granger, for the first time she could remember, acted on impulse. Before she could change her mind she quickly rose up on her toes and pressed her lips quickly to Draco's. It wasn't perfect like in the Muggle movies she would watch. It was awkward and painful. She raised a hand to her lips feeling the pain after having slammed them against Draco's not realizing the force with which she was moving towards him. Suddenly realization kicked in and her eyes grew wide as she glanced at him.
"Sorry, sorry. Oh, my gosh. Sorry," she kept muttering as she rushed around Draco. Before she could get away, however, he grasped her wrist, turned her around, and pulled her close to him. He had his hand still wrapped firmly around her wrist while the other brushed a bit of hair from her face. She stood, rigid, against his chest unable to breathe. With a smirk upon his lips, Draco leaned forward and pressed his lips to Hermione's softly at first. Then slowly he began to move them against hers. Unsure, but a fast learner, she mimicked his movements. This time it seemed perfect like the Muggle movies. This time it was sweet and painless. After a few moments Draco pulled back, his hand still wrapped around her wrist while his other moved through her curly, brown hair. Looking up at him, realization hit Hermione like a ton of bricks. She was suddenly dizzy again but this time it had nothing to do with the Butterbeer. With her free hand she pushed against his chest. He wouldn't let her go and she found she couldn't push any harder than she already was.
"I can't…we can't," she began to mutter.
"What the bloody hell are you doing, mate?" came a familiar voice near them. Suddenly Draco dropped his grip on Hermione and jumped back as if she had some sort of disease. Near them stood Draco's henchmen, Grabbe and Goyle.
"She…she fell and I was helping her up."
"She fell?" Goyle scoffed, "Helping her up? Are you mad?"
Draco shook his head looking from his friends to Hermione who seemed to have begun to cry softly as she looked at him. Hermione's insides burned and, unable to stand there any longer, she rushed off to Gryffindor Tower leaving Draco there to explain to his friends what had just happened. She could just imagine the things he'd tell them. But suddenly it wasn't about what he'd tell Grabbe and Goyle but what would get back to Ron and Harry or anyone in Gryffindor. If they found out she'd been snogging Draco Malfoy… She couldn't even think of it. Her stomach lurched as she bellowed the password to the portrait of the Fat Lady and heard her mumble something about being an overdramatic little witch as she rushed into the common room. Up the stairs she went, hoping Lavender and Parvati weren't back from dinner yet. As she entered the dormitory she was relieved to find that was just so. Throwing herself onto her bed, Hermione shook with sobs. What had she been thinking? What good could possibly come from that encounter? Her mind reeled and her eyes poured with tears until finally sleep consumed her well before her roommates arrived back from dinner.
Now, as she sat back down in the chair she'd recently vacated to read the mysterious letter, Hermione recalled that night with a bit of an ache in her heart. She'd never been kissed in such a way before. Why did it have to be Draco Malfoy of all people? Figuring it was just the effects of it being her first kiss, Hermione pushed the thoughts away and finished gathering her books. She'd simply meet him tomorrow and insist there was nothing there and it had been a mistake. Yes, a huge mistake.