Let's Be Awkward
Chapter 4
By the end of the week, things had taken a turn.
"Miss. Granger, your answer please." Professor Sprout waited patiently.
"I don't know, Professor." Hermione had an apologetic look on her face.
Professor Sprout was slightly surprised by the Gryffindor's reply, but brushed it aside.
"That's alright, bit of a toughie. Let's try another. Miss. Granger, which magical plant originated in Abyssinia and is used for its purple liquid?"
Hermione knew this one, she knew it! It just wouldn't come to her and she began to panic. How could she not know this? She did, but it just wasn't there. Instead, images of Draco replaced them. She shook her head clear and looked up at Sprout.
"I'm sorry Professor, but I don't know." Professor Sprout shook her own head, disappointed in her most accomplished student.
"Alright, Miss Granger." Sprout replied. "Maybe next time."
Professor Sprout moved on with her pop quiz questions, Hermione was cringing from embarrassment and dissatisfaction. How could this happen to her? And to top it all off, why on earth was Draco Malfoy the only thing she could think of?
Harry glanced over at Hermione who had her head facing the floor with disappointment. Harry looked over at Ron who shrugged uncomfortably before he looked at Neville who had the same concerned look he bore.
When class was over, Hermione took a moment to quiz herself on one of the benches in the courtyard. She found that she was getting extremely frustrated. The questions she asked herself, she knew. For some reason, the answers just weren't making an appearance.
"No, that's not it. I studied this last week, how can I not remember any of it?" she asked herself. Glancing up, she saw Draco across the courtyard walking with Blaise Zabini. Hermione looked down after a few seconds and then continued the holding stare.
She watched the way he walked. She kept a close look on the way his lips moved when he talked. The same lips he kissed her every night with. She watched the way his hands moved when he talked. The same hands that ran down her body every day.
He caught her inadvertent look and gazed back. She instantly dropped her head to her book and tried to concentrate on the words before her. She just figured out her problem.
XO
"Harry's worried about you." Ginny said to Hermione later that day in the library. The two were studying due to Hermione's recent priority malfunction. School before boys, those were the rules right?
"What for?" The brunette was alarmed and taken-aback by the redhead's comment.
"He thinks you're in your own world." She replied. "He thinks you've been kind of out of it lately. We all have been seeing you less and less, Mione. Is everything alright?"
"Everything's fine."
"That's what they all say." Ginny countered.
Hermione sighed and knew that she couldn't lie to her friend, but telling her the whole truth was not an option.
"I have been in my own world lately, Gin. That's true. But, I've realized that I need to get my priorities straight and concentrate on my responsibilities. I just need some time to do that and I need you guys not to worry."
"Should we be worried?" Ginny asked.
"Not at all. It's sweet, you guys being concerned, but the truth is you don't need to be. I'm really going to try harder. I need to sort some things out and get back to the way things need to be."
"Alright, Mione." Hermione hoped that she could put the conversation to bed, but Ginny had a follow-up question. "What's going on in that world of yours, Mione?"
"Um?" she didn't really know how to answer.
"You're in your only little world, you said. What world are you in? What's going on over there?"
"It's just a very…scrambled, confusing place. It's messy and kind of strange. That's why I need to flee from it."
"Messy? But, do you like being there?"
Hermione smiled when she realized, she did.
"Yeah. I do."
"Then don't give up on it that easily." Ginny commented "Even the messiest room can be cleaned."
XO
It was Saturday morning and the entire school was abuzz. It was the Gryffindor/Slytherin quidditch match that afternoon and everyone was eagerly awaiting the game. It would be an interesting one, that's for sure.
Draco put the finishing touches of his quidditch robes on; his leather gloves, before he began to pace back and forth. He found that for some reason, he was nervous that day. He would be going up against Harry and for the oddest reason, he felt slightly less irate by the Boy Who Lived.
He hadn't spoken to Hermione since the day before. The last time he saw her; apart from their courtyard showdown, was at supper the same night.
She wasn't at breakfast this morning, so he assumed she was catching up on some much needed sleep…
Draco smirked.
But to tell you the truth, he had begun to miss her and that made him a little fidgety.
It hit him right at that moment, that he was not having sexual relations with any other woman besides Hermione Granger.
The awareness that there was nobody else took him slightly aback. When had he become a one woman show? How peculiar…
Pansy had been bugging him, but every time she tried to do something, he came up with some excuse or pretended to drop something on the ground so she couldn't put her hands on him.
He was unconsciously pushing all the other girls out of his life and making room for just Hermione.
What a reflection he was having here. What the bloody hell did this mean? Was he…did he…have a crush on Hermione?
"No!" he yelled. "No! No! No! No! No!"
A few of his teammates looked over at him.
"You alright, Draco?"
"No!"
Draco fled as quickly as he could. He needed to be alone, for just a few moments to collect himself.
He couldn't like Hermione, he wouldn't allow it. They were nothing more than lovers and that's the way it needed to stay.
Or not…
They didn't have to shag anymore… He could put an end to it. They could go back to being just Head Boy and Girl; just classmates.
Draco felt heaviness in his heart at the thought of them being "just" classmates. It was a disappointing blow; that feeling you get when you absolutely cannot digest or even genuinely consider that something you don't want is going to become your destiny. It's the feeling you get when you decide if you're settling for less than you deserve.
It was cliché, but his mother would always say to him, "Draco never settle for less than the very best, for you."
His father said it too; just in different terms…
This whole conversation was irrelevant. He didn't like Hermione "that way", so it didn't matter if he continued to see her on a sexual basis or not. Like he said before, it was just sex.
XO
The game was a successful win…for Gryffindor.
Draco was displeased and feeling even higher strung than he was before. He didn't give a flying fuck about losing at the current time; he just wanted to see Hermione.
She would be at the Gryffindor Congratulatory party no doubt, so he had no idea when he would be seeing her. He returned to the common room after the game and was surprised to see the curly haired Head Girl sitting right there in front of the fire.
"I didn't think you'd be here." he stated.
"I'm surprised you're here, thought you would have gone to take Harry's head off for catching the snitch."
"Just a game. There'll be plenty more."
"Wow, so blasé. You surprise me." Hermione closed her Potions book and set it on the coffee table in front.
"There's other things on my mind." He replied.
Hermione stood up and walked towards him casually.
"Do you…want to talk about it?"
"Not really." Draco replied nicely.
She nodded with a smile.
"Well, you must be exhausted."
Draco felt that strange pull coming from his gut. He wanted to kiss her.
"So…I'll see you tomorrow." she said; taking her time to leave him.
She turned slowly and was relieved to feel Draco's gentle hand stop her from going. It gripped her forearm lightly and when she turned back to look at him, she got lost in his gaze. Like a maze, she couldn't find her way out.
He looked in her dead in the eye for a few seconds before his hand came up and rested on the side of her face. He brought his lips to hers and kissed her tenderly. It was unlike any kiss they had ever shared before.
It was not demanding or expecting, it was a soft, affectionate kiss that surprised both of them to a point where they wondered if it was real or not.
His lips moved voluptuously against hers in slow, repetitive movements. Draco had his other hand resting on the small of her back as she linked her own hands around his neck. The intimacy of the kiss was similar to those you read about in books or see in movies. It was precious and private; something no one could fully understand unless they experienced it themselves.
Draco's heart was pounding ferociously, his body was tingling, he was shivering lightly. Hermione felt she was getting lightheaded and wondered if she would fall to the floor with weak knees. They were both overwhelmed by the sensations they were feeling and emitting.
They mutually pulled away after what seemed like several years. Neither said anything as their eyes opened simultaneously and they were plagued with a million questions.
"That wasn't what it seemed like." Draco shielded.
"No. No. Definitely not!"
"I would never kiss you like that."
"I know you wouldn't!"
"That kiss wasn't…what it just was."
"Then what was it?"
"It wasn't how I just kissed you now."
"Of course not. That was just…what it just wasn't."
"Absolutely."
"Goodnight."
"Night."
A/N-Hehehehe. Hehe. He.