Hello! Well, this is my second attempt at a Draco/Hermione romance! Hope this one isn't so rushed!
Disclaimer: well obviously…my goodness!
Read and Review!
Cruelty has a human heart,
And Jealousy a human face;
Terror the human form divine,
And Secrecy the human dress.
--A Divine Image, William Blake
Chapter OneDraco Malfoy released an audible hiss from between his teeth as he thundered past a group of fourth year Ravenclaw girls. The girls stared after him with their mouths agape and eyes wide, shocked by the boy's demeanor. It was understandable, of course. Not one single attendant at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had ever seen Draco Malfoy in a blind rage, the present occasion being the one exception.
'How dare she?' Draco thought brutally to himself, his chest heaving as his mind whirred with the visions of everything he could have done to that wretched girl. 'I am Draco Malfoy! I am parallel to God in heaven!'
Draco knew this to be the virtue of his own existence. He was a beautiful man, this he knew. He was a clairvoyant man, this he was also aware of. He was a modest suitor, the ideal for any woman to marry. Draco ran a spider-like, pale, thin hand over his crown; his eyes had grown wider than saucers and a snarl had set itself arrogantly upon his lips. Pansy Parkinson had worshipped the ground Draco had walked over since he had come to Hogwarts, so what was the objective of such infidelity on the verge of an engagement so extravagant as one to Draco himself?
The postern of a somber dungeon classroom was thrown away in sudden rage and Draco found himself standing breathlessly before an audience of his peers, all of whom seemed to be floored by his impromptu entrance.
"Ah. Monsieur Malfoy, how generous of you to join our lesson, and might I commend your benevolent shock-and-awe on the door, such a spectacular way to arrive late," announced a rather bemused Professor of Ancient Runes.
"Professor Sedykin," Draco acknowledged gruffly, sauntering calmly as he could to his seat and sliding rather haggardly onto his stool. The young Russian waved his hand distractedly through the air, sending the broken door back onto its hinges and snapping it closed. Artemis Sedykin had come to Hogwarts just that year, desperate for a teaching position. Draco did not particularly care for the man, whom in Draco's opinion was rather cross and incapable of teaching even the most inept students. Draco folded his arms over his chest huffily, thumbing a heavy locket that was strung around his throat.
What was he to do about Pansy? His mother and his father were expecting Draco to accompany home a young pureblood witch named Pansy Parkinson; for Merlin's sake they had planned an engagement ball of the likes no other pureblooded family had seen. Draco released his anger on the block of stone set before him, on which he was supposed to engrave his name in Latin. Instead, however, chunks of stone were sent hurdling across the room as the boy whacked at the block, one such shard hitting Neville Longbottom in the back of the head. Neville yelped, collapsing ungracefully to the floor, rendered unconscious by the offending chunk of stone. Draco surveyed the unconscious Gryffindor with amusement, his cold gray eyes falling upon a girl who was crouched over Neville. Suddenly, Draco had an epiphany. His parents expected him to bring home a beautiful girl, and this girl was clearly beautiful, but who was she? Draco dropped his chisel unenthusiastically, striding across the chamber confidentially. Surely this girl, whomever she may be, would gladly pose as Pansy? Any girl would swoon at the chance to charade as his fiancée, of course.
"Monsieur, would you mind removing yourself from Miss Granger's shoulder?" Professor Sedykin said through a thick Russian accent, raising a dark eyebrow. Malfoy raised his in response. He was nowhere near Granger!
"Yes, Malfoy, would you mind?" Hermione Granger scathed, glancing up at Draco through a curtain of thick chestnut colored curls.
"Granger?"
Draco gaped at Hermione as though she had just sprouted antennae and had simultaneously announced her diabolical plan to slaughter the lot of them. It was Hermione's turn to lift a fine eyebrow.
Draco could hardly breathe as realized with trepidation that he, for a moment, had believed Hermione Jane Granger to be a woman. Tremendously embarrassed and overall disgusted with the notion, Draco turned abruptly on the heel of his shoe and marched back to his desk. He had believed himself to be clever in the idea that he could pass off said girl as Pansy, but as he began to hack and chop at the adamantine block before him, Draco couldn't help but wonder if it was possible. Could Granger be passed off as a pureblooded witch? Draco doubted this prospect very much, for he knew that Granger would have no suggestion of etiquette or the rich confinements of being wealthy and respected.
Furthermore, the real subject of the matter concerned the simple question of how desperate was Draco Malfoy? Was he rash enough to allow himself to be put through such wooly castigation? Was he prepared to stake his well being over his own pride? If he arrived at Malfoy Manor without Pansy in tow, he was affirming that she had committed adultery with another, lesser man; for no other man could compare with Draco Malfoy's looks and Draco Malfoy's charm, therefore he was above all of them. If, however, he arrived home accompanying a charming lover who openly swooned over him, he could pass her off until his return to Hogwarts after New Years Celebration. After New Years, the girl would be no more than a footnote and he would write his mother and tell her of his sudden cold feet and explain how he had left the wretch for another. Quite understandable, if you asked Draco.
"Malfoy, I know that pragmatic functions must impair upon you, but would you mind giving me my barrette back?" Hermione scoffed impatiently, holding out a hand. Draco was pulled from his thoughts, noting that the rest of the class had abandoned the classroom.
"What barrette? Why would I have your filthy barrette?" Draco spat, narrowing his eyes. Hermione rolled hers in return.
"You took it out of my hair, Malfoy. Or is your memory of five minutes ago failing you? Let me refresh. You came over to me, touched my hair, and took my barrette! Then you took it upon yourself to go back to your seat and start hacking away at that pebble you call your project!" Hermione bellowed. Draco noticed thoughtfully that the paleness in her cheeks brought out every freckle that was splattered over her nose.
"Oh, I'm sure. Where's your proof, Granger? Maybe you should see Madame Pomphrey. I think your pathetic little attempts to become a know-it-all have lessened your own pragmatic functions," Draco rambled, tossing his truly worn down project into his bag along with his textbooks.
"It's in your hand!" Hermione uttered in disbelief. Before Draco could protest, the girl had captured his palm and retrieved a small hairpin with a significant-looking crystal figure inset upon it. Draco acknowledged after a moment that the figure was in fact an attractive lily. The flower must have meant something to Granger, Draco realized, as the girl immediately placed it back into her hair.
"I did you a favor, then, Granger. It's hideous," Draco snickered, lying through his teeth. Hermione appeared a moment to be taken aback by this, before she simply closed her lips together and glared at the Slytherin.
"You wouldn't understand, Malfoy! You've never owned anything that was meaningful to you accept that stupid locket!" Hermione breathed, placing her hand over the gold pendant around Draco's throat and giving it a tug. The chain unclasped from Draco's neck and Hermione paused a second to admire the pretty necklace before dashing it to the floor and stepping upon it with all the strength she could muster.
"It's Harry's mothers," Hermione whispered, referring to the barrette in her hair. With that said, the irked young schoolgirl turned and stormed out of the bantam chamber, hugging her books to her chest.
Draco stooped down to the floor, scooping up the locket that had been his since birth. The ornament was unscathed and as striking as it had ever been. Draco couldn't help but feel slightly wearied by Hermione's short disposition. What could be so exceptional about a barrette of Harry Potter's?
"They are dating, as I hear it," Professor Sedykin enlightened, leaning impassively against the escritoire just beside Draco. Draco bowed his head uncomfortably, for he was quite overwhelmed with this specification.
"Dating? It is expected, of course. Potter's mother was a filthy mudblood just like Granger," Draco snarled, standing and slinging his bag over his shoulder. The teenager was then jaded when Professor Sedykin held a callused hand to Draco's shoulder, recessing Draco's path.
"Don't speak of the Potter's in such a way, Mister Malfoy. Lily Evans, muggle born or not was a profound witch. Coming to stipulations with the certitude that two muggle born witches, one of them being deceased, are still more piquant than you is most wise. You make yourself appear quite the ignoramus insulting those who are more applicable than yourself," Artemis chided, releasing his grip on Draco's collar. Draco stared at the teacher, one of his eyebrows raised and the other curving into an arch. The product was quite comical, as half of Draco's expression appeared to be in shock and the other appeared to be in utmost amusement. The prudent young Professor brushed a diminutive dishwater curl off of his forehead, frowning at his pupil's expression.
"Good Evening, Mister Malfoy," Artemis bade after a moment of silence, gesturing inconspicuously to the doorway. Malfoy shrugged his broad shoulders and sauntered from the classroom, leaving his teacher to stare sadly after him.
Malfoy nibbled on his lower lip determinedly. He had to find a way to lure Granger into his plan. He knew that if he could not convince her to accompany him home, his pride would suffer the consequences. If he could not convince Granger to pose as Pansy, he would simply have to find a way to force her to do so.