Ripples in the Water-
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I am not JK Rowling.
It all started with a few simple words: "Another 'A' Miss Granger." That was McGonagall. Followed by a ripple of whispers. "Again?" "Another One?" "As Always..."
Normally this would have made her proud, but for some reason, today it just left her feeling empty and ridiculed.
She took the paper from McGonagall's outstretched hand and followed the previous students as they filed out of the classroom, a mixture of happiness, sorrow and anger on their faces.
Once past the crowd, she hugged her books to her chest and fled down the corridor, only semi-aware of the tears threatening to fall at any second. She reached the lake and sat down on the end of the rickety jetty. Opening her folder, she pulled out the plastic sleeve which she used to hold all the tests and essays she had got back so far that year.
As she carefully paperclipped the newest edition to the front, she flicked through them and saw nothing but 'A', written in the same flowing red ink of Professor McGonagall, sometimes with comments underneath, but often there was nothing more to say. No ways to try and improve her marks, no helpful study suggestions, nothing. What more could you say to the witch getting the highest marks in the year?
Suddenly, like a wave coming over her, Hermione felt a surge of despair. She was bored with this. Everything always being the same. She wanted something new. Something exciting. Something, anything, that was so incredibly un-Hermione-ish that people would stop and take notice.
She just didn't know what.
She looked over the edge of the jetty at her reflection in the crystal clear water. Sad brown eyes stared back at her.
As a tear trickled down her cheek, it stopped for a moment before falling into the water, sending ripples everywhere and shattering the delicate surface.
As the tiny waves spread around in circles that grew with every second, the tears began to fall down her face freely, splashing in the water and casting more and more ripples into the water below.
She watched as they swirled and merged together, moving this way and that. Never stopping to think about what they were doing, never thinking, never having to decide between right and wrong. They were free. Free to do exactly what they pleased. To go exactly where they wanted. No one was telling them what to do or how to behave.
Hermione wanted to be like that. She wanted to be free. To not have to worry. Not have to stress over every little tiny detail. She wanted to be able to just ripple as she pleased. Before she knew it, she had stopped crying and the ripples were gradually fading away.
She didn't want that. She didn't want to return to the calm. The way things 'should' be. She wanted to be wild, adventurous, dangerous...
She stood up and pulled her robes off over her head to reveal a black singlet top and white skirt. Then, before she could stop herself or convince herself that she shouldn't be doing this, she dived into the, now, almost calm water.
As she resurfaced, she saw the huge ripples created by her jumping in, she screamed in delight. She dived under and swam around, always resurfacing to see the effect she had had on the perfect water.
And she'd never felt so alive.
'What on Earth is she doing?' Draco thought to himself as he walked past the lake and saw Hermione swimming around, fully clothed with a grin on her face bigger than any he'd ever seen before in his life.
"Granger, have you completely lost the plot?" He walked to the water's edge and called out to her.
She turned and looked at him with an odd expression on her face, almost as if she'd thought she was the only person on Earth.
Draco raised an eyebrow at her, "I think you need to see Pomfrey, Granger. All those high marks must have somehow affected your head."
"You can't make me!" She replied with a very un-Hermione-ish giggle, "You'd have to come get me first!" She dived under the water and resurfaced a few metres further away than before.
Draco rolled him eyes and looked around. There was no one to be seen. 'Well I suppose I'll have to save her then, won't I?' he thought to himself 'Otherwise she'll drown, and then if she does somehow survive, she'll blame me!'
He shook his head "Damn you, Granger," he muttered under his breath before taking his shoes and socks off and stepping into the icy cold water. He flinched before taking another step in deeper. Once he was about waist high, Hermione turned and saw him. A grin spread even wider across her face and she swam over to him, bobbing in front of him, just out of reach.
"Well, well, well," She smiled, "If it isn't Draco Malfoy come to be my valiant hero and save be from insanity," She giggled again, "What are you going to do now Malfoy? Carry me back to your castle and ask me to be your bride?"
Malfoy glared at her and took a step towards her, reaching out to try and grab a hold of her arm. But she got him first, gripping tightly onto his wrist and pulling him towards her. As he fell into the water with a splash and resurfaced, coughing and spluttering, she looked at him devillishly.
His hair had fallen into his eyes and his white shirt was clinging tightly to his muscular torso. She took a step closer to him and danced her fingertips up his arm before leaning in and kissing him passionately on the lips.
He pulled away in shock and saw her looking at him sweetly before she turned to dive back into the water again. He grabbed onto her arm and pulled her around to face him. She opened her mouth to say something else, but was silenced as he put his lips on hers.
When he eventually pulled away, she looked at him in shock. He smiled at her.
"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that for," He said in a whisper, running his fingers through her wet brown hair.
She looked up at him, eyes wide. He was so different to everything she'd ever seen him as. He was standing there, soaked to the core, telling her exactly how he felt about her. For all he knew, she was going to go straight back to the castle and tell everyone. But yet he was still here. Still standing there before her, waiting for a response.
She had no idea what to say. So she kissed him again. And that was all either of them needed.
They both knew nothing would be said to anyone else. It'd just be their little secret.
The next day, Hermione returned to classes as her usual self. No one but her and Draco knew that anything had ever been wrong.
To everyone else, she was still her usual smart, organised, predictable self, but she knew, when she met up with Draco that night, that nothing would ever be the same. She had a little of the devil in her and it wasn't going away any time soon.
And as they held each other close, she knew. He was the unpredicable ripple that she so longed for in her life. He was what she had needed to feel whole again.