Someone Worth Dying For
A Harry Potter Fanfiction by AnuketDisclaimer: Miss JK Rowling owns all the settings, characters, and situations you recognize from the Harry Potter books. The plot belongs to moi. No money is being made; therefore no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Is that good enough for you, Mr. Lawyer?
A/N: First of all, I'd like to thank those who reviewed the previous chapter, namely 'div (I update frequently, not just once a week), Allison, RedHot911 (welcome to the world of Draco worshippers… *evil grin*), Cutiepie99, Aindel, sweetangel6749 (don't we all… sigh…), Hermione Double, BrightEvenstar, and luvs2party. You guys are the best!
Second, I really don't know what Arithmancy is, but judging from its name, I think it has something to do with Math.
On to the next chapter… and don't forget to leave a review, okay? ^_^
Chapter Four
Draco and Hermione had now come to some sort of unspoken truce. They acted civil to each other and had stopped exchanging insults. He no longer called her a Mudblood. She no longer told him what an arrogant git he was. But there was no warmth between them. None at all.
One night, Hermione was doing her homework in front of the blazing fire in the common room, when Henry VIII swung open and Draco stepped out, carrying a piece of parchment, a quill, and his Arithmancy textbook.
"Do you… have a moment?" he asked her tentatively.
"For what?"
"I, uh, need some help with Arithmancy. See, there's this problem I can't figure out." He said the words in a rush.
Hermione's eyes almost popped out of her head. The high and mighty Draco Malfoy was asking her for help? That's it. The world is coming to an end.
She tilted her head, a signal for him to come over. He sat down beside her on the couch. Her heart raced and her head spun madly as his thigh pressed against hers. God, what is it about him that makes me feel like this? she silently wondered.
Draco opened the Arithmancy book and placed it on her lap. "This one. The very first."
Hermione wrinkled her brow as she studied the problem intently. It was a bit difficult to concentrate, though, since he was so close and she smelled his fascinating peppermint scent every time she inhaled. She was overwhelmed by the urge to push him away… and by the desire to embrace him.
She gritted her teeth and willed herself to focus. Finally, she was able to understand the problem.
"This one's quite simple to solve, really," she told him, "but the question is phrased in a different way."
"Oh." He bent down to take a closer look at the problem. As he did so, a strand of his platinum blonde hair fell into his eyes. She fought the temptation to brush it back to its place, and immersed herself in explaining the problem and the solution to him. When she was finished, he looked at her and their eyes met, and wonder of all wonders, he smiled. It was a small smile, but a smile nonetheless. Her heart did a quick somersault.
She hadn't expected Malfoy would known how to smile. Or that he would look utterly captivating when he did so.
"I never would've figured it out if it weren't for you," said Draco in a soft voice.
"Oh, I'm sure you would have… eventually."
"Like in a million years."
She laughed, and he knew he would forever remember this night as the first time he made Hermione Granger laugh. The firelight was reflected in her honey-colored hair and gave a soft glow to her features. She looked beautiful.
His gaze slid to her perfectly-shaped lips, and he was suddenly overcome by a strong, potent desire to kiss her. He leaned closer until their noses were almost touching. She appeared surprised and a bit frightened, and then she closed her eyes, waiting expectantly. His heart beat a little harder. So she wanted this too, as much as he did…
"ACHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOO!!!"
Hermione's eyes flew open and Draco immediately jumped up from the couch as if he'd been scalded. The magic of the moment was broken, never to return. Broken by…
"I'm so sorry, my dear chaps," Henry VIII apologized profusely. "I have a bit of a cold. Nothing to worry about, though, I'll be good as new in a few days. Oh, my, I hope I didn't disturb you."
Victoria, the Fat Lady's sister, was glaring at the king as if she wanted to murder him.
The portraits had been watching them! With this realization, Draco came crashing back down to the real world. He had been about to kiss a Mudblood! Not just an ordinary Mudblood, but Hermione Granger, the girl he'd hated for years, the girl he'd played countless pranks on and teased mercilessly…
The girl who would be one of the first to die when the Dark Lord returned to power.
He felt sick to his stomach. "Thanks for helping me with Arithmancy," he mumbled, grabbing his things and going back to his room, as far from her as was possible.
When Hermione awoke the next morning, her room was filled with sunshine. She sat up in bed and blinked sleepily. Last night's events came rushing back to her in a flood. Draco had almost kissed her… and she had wanted him to!
I obviously wasn't thinking clearly last night, she thought, disgusted with herself. But there had been something about the way he looked, his sharp features softened by the firelight, his smile… the first genuine, albeit small, smile she had ever seen from him… All right, stop it.
She glanced at the clock and realized it was seven-thirty in the morning and that she had one hour to go before breakfast was served. She slid out of bed and went over to the mini-bookshelf fastened to the wall. Her eager eyes swept over the titles, searching for something interesting to read.
One book caught her attention. It was small and black, embossed with the words A History of Lemon Drops in fancy gold lettering. Curious as to why anyone would bother writing about the origins of a Muggle sweet, she reached up and attempted to pull the book from the shelf.
There was a loud, creaking sound, and suddenly the shelf sunk down to the floor and disappeared. Hermione found herself staring into another room much like her own. A secret passageway! she marveled. Wicked! She stepped inside and looked around, wondering where she was. And then…
"Granger! What the bloody hell are you doing in here?!"
Oh. My. God.
Malfoy stood next to his bed, which was pressed to the other side of the room, so she hadn't seen him at first, gazing at her in total bewilderment. His blonde hair was charmingly tousled, and he was holding a clean white shirt. And he was naked from the waist up.
Oh. My. God.
A/N: That's all for now! (dodges various hard objects being thrown at her) I'll post Chapter Five as soon as I can! Next installment: Draco's reaction to Hermione seeing him shirtless, Hermione discovers something worth knowing, and… gasp… the first kiss. Hehehe… See you next time! ^_~
