Chapter 4
The next day, Hermione found herself walking back to Gryffindor tower alone because she had spent the whole day in the library hiding out. She knew she couldn't see her friends because she felt like the words, "I kissed Malfoy" were painted across her face and she truly needed to figure this out for herself before involving anyone else. Plus, what would I even tell them? Oh hey boys, the guy you've hated for the past five years kissed me out of sheer irritation. Nope, not a good conversation to have with her two favorite people in the world.
Walking through the portrait hole during dinner, she knew no one would be around so it was her perfect chance to slip up to the dorms without anyone being the wiser. Unfortunately, Ginny was seated on the girls dorm steps blocking her way with a brown bag on her lap. "Well, if it isn't Hermione Granger. The girl who has been MIA for about 24 hours. I was this close to sending out a search party." Ginny shot her a glare to show her overall annoyance for Hermione's absence as she stood up from the steps, brushing off the back of her jeans.
"I'm sorry, Gin. I've just been busy lately," Hermione tried to throw all of her weight behind her lame excuse, but she knew by Ginny's face that she wasn't buying it. Ginny grabbed her hand and led her to the farthest table from the portrait hole and threw a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at her along with an apple.
"Let's just talk this through. First you leave Hogsmeade early and a certain someone follows you out of the pub-" Hermione's face showed sheer shock "-your face tells me I'm right to believe he had a part in this. So spill now, or die a most gruesome death later. Take your pick."
Ginny leaned back in her chair and stared at her. Hermione sat in silence as she chewed her sandwich as slowly as possible to give herself time to think. As she thought up four excuses she could use, the look on Ginny's face made her want to be honest and honestly the stress of holding onto her secret was getting tiring. "Okay, Malfoy walked back to the castle with me. Or at least about half way." Her face got red. "And? Did he talk to you or just sulk three feet behind you? Did he hex you? Did he call you a mudblood? Or did he kiss you?" Ginny laughed as she said the last one because she knew how ridiculous it sounded. Right as she said it Hermione began to choke on her sandwich and turn an awful shade of red. "Good Godric, this cannot be real. You and Malfoy, eh? I mean I'm surprised but do I blame you? They don't call him the Slytherin sex god for no reason, right? Is he a good kisser?" Hermione let out a giant laugh.
Hermione looked around to be sure no one was around to overhear their conversation, "it was one sneak attack kiss. It meant nothing and I pushed him off. I'm pretty sure he did it to get me to stop talking. He was rather annoyed with me at the time." Ginny's mouth fell wide open.
"It is Malfoy, there is nothing going on, so don't even bother giving me that look. Remember the boy who has called me a mudblood for the last five years of my life? Yeah, same boy." Hermione rolled her eyes at the memories that flooded her mind of every rude insult that Malfoy has ever thrown at her just because of the parents she had. What a git. "Okay, yeah I get that, but are we thinking he has changed at all? I haven't heard him use that word towards you all year."
"Gin, that doesn't matter. His opinion of me has not changed. He is still the same guy." As she said it though, she didn't know if she actually believed it or if she was just trying to convince herself. Ginny gave her a knowing smile, "Well all I'm saying is I get he's actually an awful person but he is really hot, so next time don't push him off. I literally hate him as a person, but maybe this is his one redeeming quality. Now tell me, is he a good kisser?" Hermione rolled her eyes as she began to tell Ginny all about what happened on the walk back from Hogsmeade which kept them in the back corner of the Gryffindor common room until everyone started to filter back in from dinner an hour later.
That night laying in bed, Hermione felt better about telling Ginny about her current situation with her Potions partner. They reached zero conclusions on what to do, but now at least Hermione had someone to talk to.
The whole rest of the week, Hermione made it her mission to dodge seeing Malfoy as much as humanly possible. See him coming down a corridor? She would duck into the closest girls' lavatory or lag behind the group she was walking with so that she was totally hidden. Each time she saw him, her face burned a most terrible shade of scarlet, something more reminiscent of Ron's face rather than hers.
This was not the behavior of a Gryffindor and she knew this, but she thought that since she was probably the only Gryffindor who has ever kissed a Slytherin she had no one else to compare herself to on how to handle the situation.
That Thursday anyone could see that Hermione was studying alone in the library, but she could hardly stay focused on what she was reading. After reading the same line three times, she slammed her book closed and let a groan escape. Slamming her head down onto the table and receiving a startled look from Madame Pince and a group of third years congregated around a table half way across the library she sat and thought about... the incident.
Good god that kiss. A week later and she was still thinking about it. Why would he do that?She does not like him by any means and neither does he like her so why would he do that? Of course, he was attractive anyone with eyes could see that with his blonde hair and beautiful crystal blue eyes. But why would he kiss her? They were enemies. He hated her muggle heritage and she hated his pureblood status that he wore like a badge of honor.
Before she could agonize any further, she heard a slight tapping at the window beside her table. She pulled it open and a large barn owl flew in and perched on her book. After taking the note from the owl's leg it flew back out the window. She unrolled the parchment and immediately saw it was a note from Professor McGonagall.
Miss Granger,
Miss Chang has been taken down by the stomach flu and will be unable to fill her duties tonight as Ravenclaw prefect. She patrols the corridors tonight from 7-10 pm tonight starting out in the dungeons. If possible, I would appreciate if you take her spot tonight with her usual partner. Send reply only if you are unable.
-Professor McGonagall
Hermione thought about the idea and chuckled realizing only McGonagall would say someone was "taken down" by an illness as if a patrols were an act of war. Of course, she would do it for Cho because the Ravenclaw had always been friendly to Hermione and it didn't hurt that Harry had his eye on her these days. She would just trade her for her own night patrol this week. Looking at the clock it said 6:14pm. She threw her books in her bag and walked back to Gryffindor tower. Quickly waving off Harry, Ginny, and Ron who were congregated in their usual spot around the fireplace and giving them the heads up for her late night duty, she headed up to her room and organized her things before she threw on her muggle sneakers, black sweat pants, and a dark green jumper.
The corridors this late at night were always freezing and if she wasn't completely focused, a warming charm would blink on and off. Throwing her tangled curls into a ponytail, she headed for the portrait hole to meet her prefect partner for the night. As she walked the corridors she tried to think who else it could be. She thought Cho was paired with a Hufflepuff but she couldn't be sure because she was never out during another prefect's patrols.
When she came along the last bend in the dungeons where partners for patrol met with her wand held high for a Lumos spell, she spotted him. His blonde hair seemed to glow underneath the torches that lined the wall and she couldn't help but stare.
He heard footsteps and turned around and saw the one person he couldn't get out of his head. Granger. It is like she materialized right from his memory. The only thing different is she wasn't covered in snow and her clothes were very different. Anyone could tell that she was used to relaxing during her patrols with her muggle sweatpants and trainers. This made him smile slightly. "That is a good color for you." He smiled at her as she walked up to him. She looked down self conscious noticing the Slytherin colors that clad her body, and shyly smiled up at him.
"So where is Chang at? She is my usual partner. I'm assuming you paid her so that you could spend more time with me." Hermione laughed and looked at him, "She has the flu. Or faked some kind of sickness to get away from spending time with you. I'd go with the latter." He grabbed his chest like she had just stabbed him and doubled over. The boy was overly dramatic to say the least, Hermione thought to herself. She pulled his arm and they began walking. For awhile they walked in silence wands held in the air to light the way, both of their heads buzzing from what happened earlier that week. Draco would steal glances at her as they walked and noticed that he liked what he saw. She truly was beautiful in an odd sort of way. Bushy hair but nice. Where the hell did that come from? Draco scolded himself for having such ridiculous thoughts.
Breaking his concentration, she stopped and turned towards him with her hand on his chest to halt him too. "Seriously Draco, what was that earlier. You can hardly stand me and you make that very clear anytime others are around and yet, you kissed me." Draco wasn't used to being confronted so openly like this because people were usually too scared to do so. But she was not scared, it seemed like she never was. He opened his mouth ready to spit the words out and then clamped it shut. He continued to walk. "I need an answer. It just doesn't make sense." Hermione would not let this go. "Obviously a serious lack of good judgement on my part. I know you hate me, Granger. I temporarily lost my mind."
Hermione looked at him with a confused look on her face and then grabbed his arm to make him face her, "I don't hate you. You make me crazy and a lot of the time I think you are cruel and mean, but I don't hate you." He looked back at her and knew she meant what she said. "I'm pretty sure with all of the things I've said to you, I deserve your hatred."
After staring into his eyes for what seemed like forever as Draco started to worry about what she might say to that he heard, "Draco, I forgive you."
With that, they began walking again in silence. This left him with more to think about. Why would she forgive him for his past? No one else ever had? But he noticed that Hermione was not like other people. In a lot of ways.
After about an hour of walking in complete silence other than the tapping of their shoes and seeing absolutely nothing, Draco walked over to a wall near the Charms classrooms and sat down. Hermione looked tired and sat down next to him. He leaned back and put his arms behind him, one casually behind Hermione also. She felt his arm move and a shiver ran through her spine. He closed his eyes and smiled. She liked it. She liked their weird situation that could go no where after their project was over.
"What do you want to do now?" She asked thinking about which corridor to head down next. "I think you know exactly what I want to do, Granger." She looked at him and a lazy smile spread across his face as his eyes pulled open and narrowed in on her lips.
She gave an awkward laugh and tried to push herself up to stand, but he grabbed her waist and pulled her onto his lap. Now his face was only an inch away from hers. He leaned in and kissed her. She felt herself relax and lean into him for a second time that week. This time not a hard kiss but gentle. Exploring her lips while his hands pulled her closer and felt the bare skin of her waist.
He couldn't understand why he was doing it, but he felt good. She felt good. He didn't want to be anywhere else.
Hermione's mind had seemed to melt right through the floor when he kissed her. His hair was soft underneath her hands and she couldn't help grabbing it a little tighter than she needed to.
He pulled away from her and looked her deep in the eyes, like he was searching for something. "You know this can't turn into anything." He said it as a statement, not a question but she didn't care. "Who said I wanted it to turn into anything, Malfoy?"
"You will." Then with a wry smile, he pulled them both up to stand. He looked at her one last time and walked away. She looked down at her watch 10:03pm.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Being this is my first fanfiction looking for as much constructive feedback as possible. I feel like I might have rushed it. Did I make him too tolerable too quickly? Let me know!
