Chapter Three
Fighting
"Umm... explain to me what just happened?" Ron said as the three flopped themselves onto their beds. Draco smirked, but then the frown was apparent on his face. His hands fidgeted, and his silver eyes were doubtful.
"Come on, Draco! Seriously man, what happened?" Harry said as he remembered Hermione's tearful face. Draco looked at Harry, and he saw something on Draco's face that reminded him of the time Severus had told Draco that his parents had been killed. It wasn't something Draco knew his entire child hood. Severus had waited a few years, so that Draco would be able to handle it better.
Draco muttered something about going up to bed and stalked off towards the dormitories. Ron sighed and trudged up after him, and Harry followed suit. The three boys fell asleep silently in their new beds. And all of them were thinking the same thing, "What was said back there?"
The next day, as the three got dressed for breakfast, Harry decided to give it a go. "So Draco... what happened back there?" Draco looked at him and frowned. Harry didn't like this look. So he decided to say something else. "Come on Drake! You know it doesn't matter to me what you say! We've been friends for ages, I won't think any less of you and neither will Ron." Harry said, and Draco turned around, and Harry noted his look had improved a bit.
"Well... I don't really know what happened. I started to talk with her about morals and stuff, and I guess she doesn't appreciate my view on the matter." Draco said hurriedly. Harry glared at Draco, knowing full well that wasn't what happened. Draco looked at his feet sheepishly. Even though Harry was younger than Ron and Draco, Harry had learned some looks from Mrs. Weasley. He could stare anyone down.
"Alright, alright. Just stop glaring at me. You look like Mrs. Weasley." Draco said shuddering. Harry laughed and his eyes lightened up. Then Draco told Harry the story. It wasn't a long story, but then again, it wasn't a long argument. Harry watched Draco as he continued it, and then when he had finished Draco sat down on his bed, with his head in his hands. Harry walked over and sat next to Draco. This was big. This was bad. Harry muttered a few comforting words to Draco, not like they mattered though. Harry convinced Draco to go to breakfast. After all, Hermione was in his house, they had classes together. He had to confront her sometime. Draco sighed and followed Harry to the Great Hall. Ron had saved them places at the table. They sat down and Draco immediately started wolfing down food, while Harry told Ron in a hushed voice the whole story.
Ron looked at Draco in complete shock. Draco was looking ashamed as he heard Harry finish the story. "I'm sorry! I guess I just kinda blurted it out! You think she'll tell? What if she tells and I get kicked out of Hogwarts?! Severus isn't gonna like that! Oh my god! Why did I do that?" Draco practically yelled. He looked like he was gonna start crying. Ron and Harry immediately started the comforting. They tried all they could to try and tell him that he would be okay, and that he wasn't going to be expelled.
Severus, seeing the trouble, came down from the Staff table to ask if Draco was ok. Harry explained the whole ordeal to Severus, and upon hearing the verdict of the conversation, Severus looked at Draco with a mixed expression. In part of it he saw disgust and horror at what Draco had said, and then there was the look of pain and sorrow that Draco had been subjected to that. Severus gave Draco a few words of wisdom and assured him that he would not be thrown out of Hogwarts for saying things like that. As much as Miss Granger might like, no one had much grounds for throwing him out, even if he did know what he was saying. Draco seemed to be at peace, but Harry, Ron and Severus knew it wouldn't last.
Professor McGonagall swept down the Gryffindor table, handing out class schedules. Harry knew no matter what he would have class with his friends, so he didn't really bother looking at it. They had potions first, with Severus. He wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, but the current professor was gonna finish one maybe two more years before retiring. Draco had just poured himself a new glass of orange juice, when Hermione shoved by knocking his juice onto him. Draco watched Hermione go with a look of irritation. He slammed his glass down and followed her outside.
"Granger! Hey, GRANGER!" He yelled, as they were just past the doors to the castle, she turned around on her heel and stared at him. She put her hands on her hips and stared at him, expecting him to say something much to the same affect as last night's conversation. "What is your problem? I said I was sorry, and blimey I meant it!" Draco yelled at her. No one in the castle could hear them yelling at each other, which was good. Unfortunately, there are no teachers around to witness the cruelty of this monstrous... Hermione thought.
"My problem is that you are terrible, monstrous creature. With no respect towards anyone but your 'buddies' and your fat ego! You are cruel and hurtful and I refuse to just step back after what you said!" Hermione screeched at him, using her hands animatedly. Draco's mouth was gaped open as his mind searched for words. He couldn't think of anything, his mind was still stuck on terrible, monstrous creature.
"Are you kidding me?! I didn't even know what the word meant!? I'd heard someone say it earlier, and I should have thought into it! I'm sorry I said it to you and I'm sorry that you think I'm a foul, loathsome little cockroach! But will you please lay off me? I just found out that my parents were murdered, by Voldemort nonetheless! So if you'll kindly back off and stop being a bloody prick to me!" Draco yelled. Hermione was outraged at this, she choked a little then starting screaming at him in what sounded like French. Draco took the initiative and started yelling at her in German. At one point they were screaming at each other, nose to nose, neither of them understood the other whatsoever, and they didn't care. This wasn't an I-love-you-so-I'll-be-cruel-to-you thing... this was I-hate-you-with-the-passion-of-a-thousand-burning-suns kind of thing.
Hermione and Draco both exhausted their German and French vocabulary and Hermione seeing that she wasn't entirely winning or losing, launched herself at him. Draco was surprised when he found himself apparently wrestling with Hermione Granger, and he took initiative. They wrestled on the ground for awhile, punching, biting, clawing, and kicking. They were relentless. Draco would hit Hermione and she'd just bite the arm that hit her. They rolled around on the grounds for a while, and then were lifted into the air by some magical force. Then they realized, Hagrid had pulled them apart.
"An' wat do ya two think yer doin'?" Hagrid asked looking Hermione and Draco. They both looked equally ashamed, but the look of hatred when they looked at each other was overwhelming. Draco hated Hermione and likewise. If you had seen this fight, you wouldn't have thought even civil words would be possible. But being an experienced reader, we all know better than that. When I say things like that, you know something's gonna happen. And if your reading this story in the order I'm writing, then you know, civil words are more than possible. But back to the story!
Draco and Hermione stood in front of Professor Dumbledore, both of them staring intently at the floor as Professor Dumbledore talked with Professor McGonagall and Severus. Draco glanced up, but at the wrong moment. Severus was glaring at Draco as though this was troubling for him. Draco's eyes shot back to the ground and he could feel tears start to well up on the sides. He loved Severus to death, and Severus loved him, but Severus was a strict person, and didn't let Draco get away with anything. But, all the same, he hated seeing Draco cry or hurt. You may not know, but Severus Snape was a soft person inside. And he was quite protective of his 'child', for lack of a better word. Ever since Narcissa and Lucius told Severus he was the boy's godparent, he had a soft spot for the child. And the day the Malfoy's were killed, Severus felt as though he needed to protect Draco from all the harm in the world. They had entrusted him to never lead Draco to the Darker Side of things. And Severus swore upon the River Styx that he never would. And when you swear on the River, there's no going back. It's like an Unbreakable Vow, but a little easier to perform.
"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger. I believe we have come to an agreement. We shall not punish your House for such behavior. However, you are both going to attend detention with Professor Snape for a week. Every night at 8 o'clock, you will report to Professor Snape's office and he will assign joint work for you to do. Perhaps by the end of this week, you two will manage to stay within a few feet of each other without killing one another." Professor McGonagall spoke sharply to the two. Professor Dumbledore smiled as though a joke had been said and they knew they were dismissed. Hermione stormed off without another look at Draco Malfoy, and Draco followed her sullenly to the common room.
What surprised him was that she held the portrait open for him. He raised his eyebrows at her as she stood there waiting for him. "Don't take this the wrong way Malfoy. I just thought the Fat Lady wouldn't like having to swing open for me and then closing and then having to open up for you shortly after." Hermione muttered as she turned to get through the hole.
"No, I'd much rather just sit here and wait for you without being able to see who you are or anything at all for that matter!" She muttered sarcastically as Malfoy made to shut the door. He peeked his around and smiled at the Fat Lady, and his charm started taking affect immediately. She smiled back at him, and told him to hurry up and get his books. He'd already missed his first class at Hogwarts. And she'd hate for him to miss anymore. He closed the door and grabbed his book bag which Ron and Harry had left waiting for him by the chair. They knew him so well, didn't they?
He was already out the door and decided to hold it open for Hermione. He was going to walk with her. The teacher's didn't approve of them hating each other, so why should they. Hermione didn't see it this way however. She tried to walk as fast as she could to get away from him, however he just kept walking in pace with her. She started getting frustrated, and began to run. Even though their first class wasn't even over with, she obviously wanted to be the first one to charms. Draco ran just to catch up with her, and it made it worse when he ran backwards, and still ran ahead of her. She screamed and started to sprint towards the Charms room. Draco still beat her. She saw him beat her and she yelled, dropped her books and launched at him again. For the second time that day they were rolling on the ground attempting to beat each other to a pulp. Draco got tired and threw her off him and then just lay there with Hermione standing above him.
"What do you want from me Granger? A written apology? A white flag saying I surrender? An announcement in front of the entire school? What do you want from me?" He asked propping himself up on his elbows. She glared down at him, and then crouched to get on level with him.
"I want you to go die in a ditch." She whispered into his ear as the bell rang for Second Class. She picked up her books and walked into the classroom and situated herself in a seat at the front. He sat directly behind, intending to annoy her throughout the entire time. He of course saved seats for Ron and Harry. After maybe 5 minutes the rest of the class started filing in, with Harry and Ron in the thick of it. They sat down on either side of Draco and started telling them how much fun it was last period. All the Slytherins got in trouble cause the sub, hated Slytherins. And they started filling him in on how apparently there was a fight and for some reason Severus had to go deal with it, even though it wasn't his House. Draco grinned wickedly at his friends and told them of the two fist fights he and Granger got in. Hermione turned around and started telling them her version, seeing as Draco wasn't telling it right. The boys listened extensively to Hermione, seeing as her account was much more detailed than Draco's.
By the end, both Harry and Ron agreed that in a few years, the two would become Prefects and would forget this whole ordeal, and eventually start dating. There was no doubt about it. Hermione and Draco laughed at this and for once agreed that Harry and Ron were crazy, bonkers, and nutso. Professor Flitwick told the class to quiet down and then gave them instruction as to their first charm. Wingardium leviosa, was the charm they were working with today. Draco tried it out and got it on the first try as did Hermione. They looked at each other's work and frowned that they weren't beating each other. Hermione made hers go higher, as did Draco. The rest of the day was much like this. The pair of them competing on everything, from Charms to flying, even competing on homework.
Quidditch try-outs were the next week and they both tried out for the only job available, Seeker. Along with Harry of course, to whom flying came naturally. Oliver Wood, the captain of the team, said the two should get over their romantic problems or at least leave it off the field. He dismissed them both from the Try-outs, but later on they found out that Harry had been granted the spot of Seeker, and automatically drawing attention to him. Apparently there were many reasons it was such a great achievement. 1) first years never made the team, 2) he was now the youngest person to be made a seeker in the century, and 3) he was Harry bleeding Potter, who's father was a seeker. Apparently it was in his blood. Draco went celebrating around Hogwarts late at night with Ron and Harry. They didn't get in trouble, but somehow they were almost found out by Peeves the Poltergeist. He somehow loved to pick on Harry and Ron, but amazingly listened to Malfoy.
The next day, the three were tired from their late night escapades and were quite dead during potions and charms. Hermione, being the nosy girl she was noticed immediately. Draco almost cursed her had Severus not been watching. However he was, and noticed Draco's sleepiness immediately.
"I do not condone walking around at night with Harry and Ron, Draco. However sometimes it's not a crime to celebrate."Severus whispered as he walked past Draco. Hermione shook her head and 'accidentally' slipped some wormswood into his cauldron when only Ron was looking. Ron was semi friends with Hermione and found the whole fighting thing hilarious. So he cracked up when Draco added more of his ingredients and the whole thing exploded.
Hermione stifled a laugh and prepared to received perfect points on her potion until Draco poured the tiniest bit of lacewing in there, making her potion turn the wrong color completely. Severus saw neither acts, and therefore didn't do anything. Ron and Harry on the other hand, received perfect marks, and were cracking up on the floor practically.
Later that night, Hermione and Draco met outside the Portrait yet again, and had another row. They were screaming at each other and by the looks of it just about to have another wrestling match when Hermione socked Draco in the face. Harry and Ron broke it up before it got any further. Draco ran upstairs and threw himself onto his bed. He was so exhausted from fighting with Granger that he fell right asleep.
"So was your entire family in Gryffindor?" Hermione asked. Draco shook his head.
"No, just me. My family was in Slytherin. I'm actually surprised I'm in Gryffindor. But I'm happy." Draco said as they attempted to find the Portrait Fred and George had been talking about. "What about you?" Draco asked. Hermione was quite pretty and very nice.
"Well, my parents are both Muggles. I'm the first to attend Hogwarts." Hermione admitted. Draco smiled. "But they're proud of me either way. I met a girl on the way here who said her parents practically disowned her because she was magic. She has to stay in an orphanage until she finds a friend or someone to stay with." Hermione explained. "I'm guessing your a pure blood?" She asked looking into Draco's eyes.
"Yes. Or at least thats what Severus told me." He said calmly. Hermione smiled.
"I thought Pure Blood wizards were supposed to be in Slytherin?" She said. He smiled and playing along said, "I thought mudbloods were supposed to be stupid little creatures." He was attmepting to compliment her. But he had never heard the word before. And didn't quite understand it.
"Excuse me? Did you really just call me a mudblood? I can't believe you! And here I thought you were actually a nice guy!?" Hermione said looking at him in utter disgust. Draco stood there opened mouthed and awkward.
"You don't even want to be near me do you? You just wanted to get me alone so you could pronounce your true feelings to me? Are you gonna call Ron a blood traitor next? I heard it from Fred and George! They told me about the names some Slytherins would call me cause I'm muggle born! I heard them all! They said that Pure Bloods called them, the Weasleys Blood Traitors?! I assume you just wanted to talk with me so you could show me up!? YOU ARE A DESPICABLE CREATURE!!! I HATE YOU!!!" She screamed then ran inside.
Draco awoke screaming. All the other boys in the dormitories sat up at the scream. They asked who was hurt or dying. Ron told them all to shove it and go back to sleep, Harry just said for Ron to shove it and listen to what the little girl has to say for herself.
"Why don't you all shove it and let the person who had a bad dream deal with his thoughts in private?" Draco snapped to his friends. He put his head in his hands and sat there, wondering why he had said it. Then he as thought about it, he realized that Granger had taken it all too seriously. She was totally overreacting. Wasn't she? He didn't know what he thought anymore and he went to sleep with a strange thought. Why did he suddenly have a respect for her now? That last conversation was... different....
"Malfoy." She spat as they reached the Portrait at the exact same moment. He glared at her.
"Granger." He muttered. They stood there glaring each other down, then suddenly, "What makes you think you can talk to me the way you do?" He asked folding his arms across his chest. She scoffed, and tightened her grip on her wand. She had brushed up on her curses since their last argument. And she definitely was not going to be caught off guard.
"I don't know, maybe it's because you called me a mud blood?!" She screamed at him. They glared at each other some more. By now they both had their wands at their sides, Draco was preparing to hex her with jelly legs, she was prepared to petrify him.
"And when do you listen to anyone? You're a smart know it all, and you don't listen to anybody. Everyone's just below you!" He yelled at her. She walked forward and socked him in the face only to be dragged back by Ron as Draco was held back by Harry. Harry and Ron looked at each other with expressions of exhaustion on their faces. Draco freed himself from Harry and stormed upstairs, and fell asleep.
Hermione and Draco stared at the ceiling. They were in separate rooms, but they both reenacted the scene a million times in their minds. They couldn't figure out that one spot. That one place that they dared not encounter again, that they dared not to make themselves go over again. They were enemies, nothing but that.
"I don't know, maybe it's because you called me a mud blood?!" She screamed at him. They glared at each other some more. By now they both had their wands at their sides, Draco was preparing to hex her with jelly legs, she was prepared to petrify him. They were inching closer together, they could feel each other's breath on their faces. Suddenly they were kissing each other. As soon as they felt each other's lips on their own, they jumped away from each other and started screaming again.
Draco couldn't stop thinking about it. Was he in love with the enemy? Of course he was, he always had been.
A/N: Ok, looking back it's kinda a lame chapter. But whatev. It's also just filler, and also plot making. Next chapter will not be in line. Please Review!!!