Note: Ok so here's chapter 2! Hopefully you like it!
The library, how predictable. I mean I wouldn't call it obsessive to know that she loves to go to this one corner every time, and that when she reads she seems to drift off, or that every once in a while she'll come here to cry her eyes out, to investigate, or to just sit and relax. Nope, that's just being observative, the fact that I sometimes followed her there is beside the point. Sometimes even the golden trio will show up, no doubt planning yet another one of their ridiculous endeavors. It finally paid off because finally I know exactly where she will be on a Wednesday morning after breakfast, for which she was absent this morning. Although it is almost time for class maybe I can catch a glimpse and read a bit about our Polyjuice before class. I need to think of a more clever way of approaching the situation of the little glowing necklace that's currently in my cloak pocket.
I catch her at her table, near the restricted section with a remarkable pile of books that she's flipping through in something that might even be considered a panic. Lurking far enough that she doesn't see me I try to get a read on her mood. Panicked, frustrated and even on the verge of tears. I soon discover the book I need on the Polyjuice potion is uncomfortably close to Grangers table.
'Why should that matter Draco? Since when do you care about what she thinks of you' Frustrated at my own thoughts I strut up to the shelves with a confidence and arrogance that even I can feel. I start scanning the shelves coming nearer and nearer to the distressed girl. As soon as she catches me in her vision she becomes visibly more composed and quickly adjusts her disheveled clothing, masking the raw Hermione. Damnit Draco, stop calling her Hermione.
"Need something Malfoy?" She asks her voice smaller and more drained than usual.
"No need to waste oxygen Mudblood, I'm just looking for a book." I physically cringe at the insult that rolls so easily off my tongue, it's almost second nature. I'm almost sure I can feel her stare burn into my back and I slowly swivel to her. Her eyes are trained into me with a fixation I am certainly uncomfortable with then she suddenly breaks it, like I'm not worth it. She proceeds to close the dozens of books spread out across the table. The nerve. I pull the book I need off the shelf slightly surprised I found it so fast and find I'm behind Grangers chair, her bushy hair obscuring her face.
Out of slight curiosity I lean over her and read the heading of the page in an ancient looking book. Its large cursive print is hard to read at first but I make out the heading, "Semper sodales exponential" before she snaps the book shut muttering something about being late and a lack of discipline. All that shit. I slowly lean in closer to her ear.
"Why in such a rush Granger?" She instantly goes still; wow she's out of it today.
"I thought I wasn't worth your oxygen." She responds in almost a deadpan voice.
"I've changed my mind." I swiftly pull away from her and slink to her side to be able to make eye contact. "So are you going to answer my question?"
"No, as a matter of fact Malfoy I'm not going to, now if you will excuse me I am late." She starts putting on her tie which has been lying on the table for some time now. As she franticly sorts herself out and hefts her gigantic school bag onto her shoulder she seems to have forgotten her collection still on the table.
"Late for what?" I persist, just to see her reaction.
"None of your business, and if you think being civil for two seconds is going to make me all of a sudden want to actually speak to you or tell you what I do with my time then you are gravely mistaken." The fire in her eyes brings out something in me, I can't explain it, but her passion, and even in hate is exhilarating.
I smirk and of course press on. "Now, Granger, I don't think that's how it always has to be."
She looks at me as though I have become a Hippogriff.
"Malfoy, whatever you're trying to get at it's not going to work, so take yourself elsewhere." She tries to push past me but I refuse to move from my position that is currently blocking her. Too be honest, I'M not even totally sure what has come over me. Just being near her is gives me that feeling in my chest again, or maybe it's just that bloody burn.
"Mione'!" Oh dear gods it's the oaf. He comes turning the corner, "We need to get to the Room of-" Her eyes widen in gazing past my shoulder and fixating on the redhead. "What the hell are you doing here Malfoy? Hermione, we need to go, move ferret."
"Yes! Thanks Ron, let's just go find Harry." She pushes past me, my smirk still stationary on my face, as she leaves with the weasel, her books still forgotten on the table. They leave the library whispering and as close together as always.
My curiosity is suddenly overwhelming and I quickly sit down in the still warm chair. I sort through the array of closed books and quickly sense a theme going on, Love, Defense Against the Dark arts, and with just a tad bit of dark arts mixed in. Quite interesting Granger. I skim past the dark arts books, having seen all of them before, mostly in my own house and library until I come upon "Charms, Spells, Jinxes, and Potions of love." Are you really this desperate to get that redhead to love you Granger? I chuckle to myself as I flip through the book that I am sure all 1st year girls have a copy of. Those idiots. We all know these things don't really work. In a rush I get to get to the last book and recognize this one to be the one that Hermione so quickly closed.
I Look even closer and see that it is from the restricted section and is titled "Magick Moste Evile"...How did she get her hands on this? I'm not sure even I could get this one. Momentarily shocked, I try to skim the pages but do so in vain because of all of the almost priceless information in this old print. Things all about torture, dark spells, jinxes, potions, and almost everything I could think of. So many things capture my interest but I have a mission, find what the hell had Granger in such state. Finally, after countless other pages of things I could barely pull my eyes from, I hit gold and come upon the page.
"Semper sodales exponential" My closest translation of the script would be Soulemate or Soulmatch Spell, then again, ancient script has always slightly confused me.
My eyes slide to the first line.
"Yes, this is what it seems, to find that one person, this spell was outlawed only for the havoc it caused in some special case, but other than that fact it is not truly something of the dark arts, except for the fact that in doing this you compromise any chance of you being with any other then what your charm has determined is your mate for life. This is very similar to how Veelas choose their mate, although this is something forged from desperate measures and sometimes crude means of coming about. The actual process of finding your mate involves linking a part of yourself, your very being and physical health to a charm of some sort of charm of metal, a ring, a pocket watch, charm, or necklace is preferable. You will become linked to your mate once they are in possession of your charm, it will glow in their presence but-"
'Oh shit.'
"beware, once the charm is in possession of your mate-"
"Aye, Mate, get off your ass we have arithmancy in two minutes, we are already going to be late, but as you know we can't show without our partner. So stop reading that shit and come with me." Blaze Zabani, Of course that prick had to show up at a moment like this. He stands at the end of the table, his dark skin and short hair contrasting with his white collared shirt. His face is set in a scowl that leaves almost no room for argument. Then again I'm a Malfoy, I will argue with whomever I please.
"Piss off, I'm busy."
"Ha, that might work for your one and only Parkinson, but not on me, now get your nose out of that dusty book and let's go."
"Fine." I reluctantly stand and close the book, trying for him not to notice what it really is, and sling my bag back onto my shoulder thinking about everything I just read. Granger has some serious explaining to do.
"So now comes the time for partners, now I have been instructed to partner students from different houses. I hope you can learn to be civil and cooperate."
Groans can be heard from every corner of the room at his announcement. Oh, ok whomever I get paired with I know they will accomplish most things by themselves because either they are scared of me, ore get fed up that I don't pull my own weight. Either way, I know how to brew the Polyjuice potion in my sleep. That's another part of being a Malfoy, even when I'm away from school that doesn't mean I stop magic. This will be easy.
"Mr Ron Weasley, and Ms. Parkinson." Oh, now that will be worth seeing. "Ms. Lovegood and Mr. Potter." Predictable. "Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger."
'Yes!' My mind yells, although outside I just raise an eyebrow and turn to the Ms. Hermione Granger who looks absolutely frazzled. Snape rattles on but I only care that I'm going to be with HER now. When he asks us to take our seats next to our partners I stay put and make her come to me, which she does with a rather lethargic gait. I keep my gaze focused on Snape and don't even flinch when she drops her rather ugly book bag into our desk and slowly unpacks, as though my mere presence is a nuisance. Damn this girl knows how to push my buttons and she doesn't even know that she's doing it.
Snape goes over the simple instructions of the beginning of our potion and sets us loose to figure out how to start the rest of our Poloyjuice potions by ourselves. Hermione, damnit, begins in silence as I just watch her expert hands navigate all the ingredients and the beginnings of the potion start in record time. In our silence I lean back and study her, the whole time wondering how to approach the converstion of her charm which seems like some damned dark magic. Although I can't help but notice her constant glances to Pansy and her ever dearest weasel. When Pansy places a hand on his hand and helps him cut a root Hermione promptly slices her finger open from neglect of attention on herself.
"Shit." She mutters and her knife clatters to the floor.
"Is the so legendary Hermione Granger making 1st year mistakes now?"
"Must you always be so smug?" She harshly whispers back. "We are supposed to be partners so pull your own weight here. Now can you please add the knotgrass, while I fix this?" She fumbles for her wand in her pocket and looks down.
Without thinking it through, some instinct in me sees that she's hurt and I need to fix it, so I reach out and lightly takes her hand into mine. She jumps at the contact and looks up to me in both disgust and disbelief. Her hand is both like fire and ice, it's as though when I touch her, I feel more alive, like I'm closer with this person than anyone else I have ever made contact with. You're going loony Draco.
"Not afraid of touching a Mud-" Midway through her sentence she stops dead because I have raised my wand and muttered a healing spell and she watches has her finger heals within seconds. Her eyes meet mine and all of a sudden I realize I'm still holding her hand, and yet...It feels good. Her eyebrow raises and after a few more moments she removes her hand from mine. Slightly stunned. My heart almost aches from the lost contact. "Thank you." She says so quietly I'm not sure I heard it. I decide to even go further and actually help with the project, although I don't even need the book we still share the pages in silence. It's almost like she's done this before. After another good ten minutes I finally speak again, sick of listening to Longbottooms mutters behind me.
"So, Granger, It's like you've done this before, you may be a talented witch but it's all seems too familiar to you."
Her reaction is almost like she has been caught stealing from Snapes supplies.
She quickly composes herself, "Ha, as if Malfoy, I just happen to actually put effort into things like this, unlike some people...and am I mistaken in thinking you just complemented me in a way?" She says a sly smirk stretching across her lips. My gods that smirk will be the death of me. Oh no, I did complement her, keep it together Draco.
"Well, I mean it could be considered a fact, you are talented...but I have a feeling we both know that you don't always play by the rules, no matter how good of a witch you are..."
At first her face is confused and then she quickly glances to Ron then back to me. Oh, she doesn't get it.
"Let's just say, I might not be the only one between us who has looked into dark magic." I almost whisper. She drops the last ingredient with a large plop and her eyes go wide.
"You're mental Malfoy." He shakes her head and then her gaze flickers to Ron yet again. Oh this might be my hyperactive imagination, or this dark magic had something to do with the blood traitor ginger.
"Oh, well I think Semper sodales exponential begs to differ."
Bingo. Her eyes widen even further and her eyes meet mine in silent shock, her mouth makes a small o' and she glances around us, making sure no one is listening.
"You. Are. Mental." She harshly whispers back. Wow, still denying it, I thought you were clever girl.
"Don't play that game with me. " I whisper leaning closer, craving the contact again. "I found your little pile of research this morning, you left some precious information just lying about, how carless for such a clever girl. What I'm really wondering though is-"
Her hand shoots into the air. "Professer?" She says in almost a panic.
"Ms. Granger?"
"I must say, am feeling quite ill, and seeing as me and Malfoy have finished the first day of Polyjuice potion and that class ends soon anyway, I am asking permission to go see Madam Pomfrey." She us greeted by thick silence at first as he thinks it over.
"Very well Ms. Granger, we will begin our love potions next class seeing as some students will most likely take this whole class period, you are dismissed Ms. Granger."
I glare at Snape, first he embarrasses me in front of the whole class. Then second, he dismisses the one person I absolutely NEED to talk to. The old man needs to be a better godfather.
She shoves al of her things into her back, without noticing that it may hurt her precious books, then just as she's about to leave she leans in. She's so close I can see the specks of gold in her gorgeous eyes and her lips are just so close...I wonder what would happen is I just moved closer, just a few inches...I wave away the thoughts franticly. Where the hell did that come from?
"4th floor, abandoned classroom, 3rd door on your left. Meet me there once you are released from here. Then tell me what the hell you want or hope to gain from this."
Then she's gone.
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