"'Mione?" Hermione jumped, and in an attempt to distance herself from Draco, backed into her recently vacated chair… toppling over and landing on the floor with a loud thud. Draco simply sighed, aiming a glare at the now smirking Boy Who Lived. He and Harry had developed sort of an odd camaraderie after Draco came to live at 12 Grimmauld place. Both men had realized the things that they had in common, and decided to form a sort of bond that was sort of like friendship. However, try as he might… Draco still couldn't seem to be able to stand Weasel. The puppy like looks that the tall redhead shot at Hermione whenever he thought she wasn't looking didn't improve matters much, either. "Sorry… did I interrupt something?" Draco smirked back. "What does it matter to you, Potter? Isn't there a little redhead around here somewhere that's waiting for you to snog her silly?" Harry grinned. "You have a point there, mate."
An irritated sound came from the floor somewhere behind Draco, and both boys glanced to where Hermione was still recovering from her little spill… her eyes flashing and her curly hair in disarray. "No need to help, boys… I suppose that I can do it on my own."
Standing and dusting herself off, she flushed, realizing that Harry's smug grin was not going to be fading any time soon.
"Well, I suppose that I'd better be off. I have some reading to do, and you two seem to be perfectly content in each other's company." With that, she picked up her book and headed to the door. She looked back for a moment, gave Draco a small smile, and exited in the direction that led to what Draco guessed was her room.
Harry's grin faded a bit, and he turned his gaze from the doorway to where Draco stood… his hands in his pockets and obviously uncomfortable. "Malfoy, I don't know exactly what's going on between you two…. If anything is going on… but there are some things that you should know." Draco sighed… meeting Harry's eyes and nodding slightly. He had known that this was going to be brought up eventually.
A short silenced followed where Harry seemed to be studying him. If he hadn't known better, Draco would have guessed that he was trying to read his mind.
"If you hurt her, I'll kill you."
"I understand."
"It's not easy for me to say. I'm glad that things are better between us, and I do want to be friends… but I love her like the sister that I never had the chance to have. For a while, she and Ron were all that I had."
"I understand, Potter."
Harry waited until he met his eyes again… and something that he found within them made him believe that he was telling the truth.
"Speaking of Ron… you know that he and Hermione have history. He will fight whatever this is every step of the way. Not because he still wants her… but because when they split, he wanted her to find someone better for her… someone who fit her. It will take him a while to accept that she's chosen you."
Draco nodded again.
"Is that all, Potter?"
Harry shook his head, still serious. "No. One more thing." He walked across the room to where Draco stood, and for a split second Draco was sorry that he left his wand in his room. However, there was no hostility as Harry clapped him on the shoulder, his face once again breaking into a wide grin. "She likes orchids, mate."
Draco laughed a bit, relaxing. "I'll keep that in mind."
The fact that he knew in his heart that he would be taking advantage of that piece of information made him smile in amazement. He, Draco Malfoy… the pureblooded Slytherin prince wanted to pursue Granger. The muggle born Gryffindor that had proved to be such a worthy arch nemesis all of these years. The most beautiful and intelligent witch that he had ever met. Hermione.
Harry's smile turned thoughtful. He could see that the blonde man standing across from him had feelings for the witch that he practically considered his sister. Feelings other than lust. 'This will be interesting….' He thought. Deciding to leave Draco alone with his thoughts, he smirked, playfully punching Draco's shoulder. "Well, I think it's time that I find that little redhead that we spoke of earlier. She's probably been looking for me, and I don't want to disappoint." With that, he turned to make his way out of the library.
"Harry."
Surprised, Harry turned to face the man that had never before called him by his first name. "Yeah?"
Draco gave him a crooked smile. "Thanks, mate."
Harry nodded once more. "Anytime.'
Later that night, Draco found his thoughts once again straying to the curly haired witch. He hadn't been able to find her for the rest of the day. Tonks had told him that she believed her to be doing some research in her room for the Order, and that she did not want to be disturbed. He had sighed and run his hand through his pale blonde hair… thanking his cousin and scowling at the knowing wink that she gave him just before he walked back down the hall towards his room. He had occupied himself by catching up on his studies for the following school year. (Many people didn't know, but he was just as much of a bookworm as Granger herself.) After his eyes started to ache from all of his reading, he decided to take a shower.
He thought that the hot water would help to help him relax… maybe help him to get his mind of off Granger for a few minutes. He was wrong.
Frustrated, he dried himself off… wrapping a towel around his waist and opening the door to walk back to his room. He stopped at the first door on his right. Granger's room. She and Ginny used to share a room on the floor below, but after a while she had requested to move to her own room since she often stayed awake hours after everyone else went to bed… studying and researching. Also, Ginny and Harry had gotten …closer… in their relationship over the past few months and Hermione decided that Ginny really needed her own space.
Draco paused outside of her door. The light was still on, and he could just picture her… sitting on her bed, surrounded by books and pieces of parchment, a small pair of reading glasses perched on her nose.
He swore softly as he felt himself grow hard again… turning and continuing down the hall to his room.
After he dressed in a pair of loose green pajama pants, he slipped between his sheets, hoping that he could find a way to sleep despite the day's events.
He reached over to turn out the light and paused, his silver eyes resting on the little bracelet on his left wrist. Surprisingly, he hadn't really taken the time to look at it since Hermione had put it on his wrist this afternoon. Relaxing back into the pillows, he lifted his wrist closer to his face. The bracelet had obviously taken Granger quite a bit of work. Hundreds and hundreds of knots had been painstakingly made in order to create a striped pattern of…. Green and silver. Draco smiled gently… incredibly touched. The protective charm would have worked the same way no matter what colors she had used… but she had chosen his house colors… especially for him. Then he thought about what she had said earlier in the library about friendship bracelets. How you were supposed to think about the person that you were making it for…and put all of your love for them into it.
He had the sudden urge to get out of bed, sprint down the hall, knock down her door and take her into his arms.
He resisted it, however… turning off the lights and trying to get comfortable under the blankets. There would be plenty of time for that later.