Chapter 4: Under the mistletoe

Capitulo IV: Bajo el muérdago

Even though Zabbini was acting more arrogant and colder with Draco than usual, he was careful about criticizing him again. Every time a Ravenclaw was near them Crabbe and Goyle recreated the scene where they had hit Benjamin Dewey with the bludger, but Draco didn't find that funny anymore. During Potions he got up with the excuse of looking for some more Doxy powder and when he was near Hermione's cauldron he secretly emptied a bottle of bundimun pus into it and completely ruined her potion. Hermione's cauldron started to smoke, giving off a nasty smell and becoming a horrible brown color. Draco laughed openly with Zabbini when Slughorn showed his disappointment in her because she was unable to prepare the Transmutating potion and he suggested cautiously that she could visit him during the breaks if she had any doubts and if she intended to get an "Outstanding" on her N.E.W.T. Harry and Ron tried to explain to Slughorn why Hermione's potion had turned into this foul-smelling liquid, but he wouldn't hear their reasons. When they left the dungeons Malfoy saw with satisfaction that Hermione's eyes were full of tears.

One afternoon when Malfoy went to the library, accompanied by Pansy (he had asked her to come with him) Draco saw Hermione with Dewey at the same table. He let out a cruel laugh when he realised that she had to repeat every word multiple times, moving her lips clearly so Dewey would be able to understand her. It seemed that the bludger hit had affected the hearing in his left ear. Pansy pointed at them with a silly laugh as she sat close to Draco at a table near the Gryffindor and the Ravenclaw. Dewey hadn't heard their laughs but Hermione had and she looked at them disdainfully before returning her attention to Benjamin.

I don't know why Dewey is with her – said Pansy evily – it's pathetic that a wizard with pure blood like him is showing interest in the most worthless girl at school.

Draco stayed silent, not knowing if Pansy's words made him feel understood or if they offended him. A little upset, he figured that they irritated him but put it down to the fact that he preferred to mess with Granger himself.

Well, Dewey is not a great deal any way… - he commented with disdain. Pansy stared at him for a second as though he had said something improper, but then put on a silly smile and looked at him with shining eyes.

I know – she said looking tenderly at him and speaking to him as though he was three – I didn't try to say that Dewey had something special, after all he isn't handsome and it's not attractive that he is so robust and active, and it's clear he hasn't enough brains to pass without a mudblood's help – she commented scornfuly and Draco understood that Pansy thought he said that because he was jealous of what she said about Dewey. He decided to correct her mistake and shrugged his shoulders indifferently, fixing his eyes again on the Gryffindor.

And she of course is the most insignificant scum that Hogwarts have got. The poor fool, besides being a mudblood is neither graceful nor well kept… even she has realized this and accepts herself as a lost battle, you've just got to look at her hair… - Draco noticed Hermione's frizzy hair falling down her back. It was a brown color but under the light that entered through the library's windows it had a golden shine. Malfoy thought that there was nothing wrong with her hair… - and just look at her face… with those teeth that almost reach her chin and that big mouth… - Draco focused his eyes on the girl's mouth, her teeth hadn't protruded out of her mouth for years. Her lower lip was thicker than the upper one, and when she smiled at Dewey, he could see that she had a beautiful smile. Draco asked himself if he had seen her smiling before, surely he had, but he wasn't able to remember whether he had liked her smile.

…long… Draco… Draco are you listening to me?

Pansy's irritated voice brought him out of his reverie and he abruptly stopped analyzing the Gryffindor to look at her companion. Pansy watched him, offended and a little suspicious.

- What were you thinking? Were you watching her? – she inquired in an accusative tone.

- Who? The mudblood? – he answered with distaste – only someone who fell from the cradle and was hit by several bludgers on the way could find her interesting. She makes me sick– and when he saw Dewey caressing Hermione's cheek he stood up, hardly closing the book – in fact, I find this whole show pathetic and nasty – he said in a loud voice to ensure that Hermione and possibly Dewey could hear him perfectly – I think I'm going to throw up.

Hermione didn't even look at him and acted impassively, but Pansy looked quite satisfied when she followed Malfoy out of the library.

...o0o0o0o0o0o0o...

- Guys, I'll be back in a while – she said putting down the quill she had been using to write her translation of ancient runes and getting up from the armchair where she sat with her friends in the Gryffindor Common Room.

- Where are you going? – asked Ron suspiciously – are you going to meet dumb face again?

Hermione raised her eyes blankly. Ron had started to call Benjamin "dumb face" because of the hours she spent helping him with Charms and Transfiguration.

No, and don't call him that – she answered closing the ink bottle distractedly.

Then, where are you going? You spend too much time with dumb face, that we never get to see your hair, never mind you – continued Ron with the same harsh tone while Harry appeared to be highly fascinated by his book of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Don't talk nonsense Ron – said a tired Hermione, they had had that conversation about a million times – I'm just helping him for a couple of days, the rest of the time I'm here with you so what you are saying is not true.

And if Harry or I needed your help? – countered Ron, not willing to accept his friend's arguments.

I think both of you can live without me a couple of hours a week – she replied starting to get annoyed – besides, I never complain when you spend hours at quidditch training or talking about quidditch training.

That's different – Ron was full of indignation.

And what about Ginny or Lavender? I never say anything when you spend the whole day with them – replied Hermione looking at Ron with narrowed eyes – I can spend my free hours as I want to and with whom I want to.

And after saying that she left the Common Room with her head held high. Ron was in a horrible mood lately with everything that had to do with Ben and if it wasn't enough, Malfoy wouldn't leave her alone. Since the day of the quidditch match he bothered her every time he could, he insulted her whenever they passed in the corridors or in the Great Hall, and he spent the whole class of Defense Against the Dark Arts messing with her in a low voice that made Pansy let out silly laughs, without Snape saying anything. Hermione was tired of holding her tears back every time she saw him. She decided to ignore him and to not look at him because she was afraid that if she did so, she would see the hate in Malfoy's eyes, and she wouldn't be strong enough to control herself. Malfoy had always hated her but this year he had surpassed his own limits. Every time he saw her, even though Hermione didn't say or do anything, without even looking at him, it was as if his hate for her increased. He walked through the library at least once a week to bother her or Dewey, it seemed that he had lost interest in Harry. Most of his taunts were for her and sometimes for Ron, but he didn't mess with Harry anymore. In fact, after her, his main enemy was Dewey and that was what concerned Hermione the most. She knew Malfoy hated her because she was a mudblood and therefore 'inferior' to him but Dewey belonged to a famous pure blood family and Ravenclaw wasn't especially unfriendly with Slytherin. He had no reason to bother him besides the fact that he was her friend. But she didn't find that motive convincing enough. It made no sense.

When she turned into the entrance to the dungeons, where she was going to talk with Slughorn about the Transmutating potion that Malfoy had ruined, she found him leaning on the wall with Pansy very close to his face. Hermione wasn't sure but she got the impression that Malfoy had seen her before murmuring something to his house mate that made her give out a nervous, yet horrible laugh.

What are you doing here bookworm? – asked Pansy turning to face her and putting her arm around Draco's with an arrogant look – have you come to cry to Slughorn for what happened with your potion?

Draco noticed Hermione looking vaguely through them as though they were insignificant to her. He pursed his lips angrily and put a hand on Pansy's waist and pulled her toward him and watched to see if Hermione would show any reaction. She looked him directly in the eyes, but without any expression or reaction in her own.

At least I have enough talent to take potions Parkinson – replied Hermione cooly. Draco had to repress his laugh when he saw Pansy's face, because last year she had been quite upset when she found out she couldn't continue Potions with him.

Talent? You? – replied the Slytherin, looking at her as if she was a disgusting cockroach – you are just a bookworm with no charm.

Hermione let out a mix between a laugh and a sigh.

My time is too important to waste it with you Parkinson – and holding her head high she walked away with a proud and confident attitude. Draco, however, didn't miss the small detail that her hands had tightened into small, very tight fists.

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Christmas was approaching Hogwarts and with it came the snow that at the beginning of December covered the grounds of the school and the frozen the lake. The castle displayed its typical decorations and in the corridors mistletoe hung was here and there, in the entrance to the library there were some bunches of mistletoe which were especially visible and Mrs. Pince glared disgustedly at them from her table.

The students passed covertly by the mistletoe, hoping that the person they liked would walk under it and they would be able to casually approach them and ask if they were aware of what they were standing under. Hermione, however was unaware of all this, she was only aware of the fact that Christmas's passing meant they were getting closer to N.E.W.T.s. She spent most of her time at the library helping Benjamin or her friends.

Draco went to the library once in a while but he wasn't sure why. It had just become a kind of ritual to pass through there a couple of times per week to bother Granger. As time passed he saw her become more stressed and in the last days she wasn't able to ignore him anymore. She replied hastily to the Slytherin's comments and when she wasn't with Benjamin or with her friends she couldn't control herself, she resignedly allowed it to happen, as if she was sick of it. Draco enjoyed provoking her and watching her explode but what he was sure of (and what worried him the most) was that he found that he went to see her when he knew she was going to be with Dewey. He sat at a table from which he would be able to observe them and watch them unnoticed, though he wasn't sure why he did this. It was as if he wasn't able to read a word knowing that she was a couple of tables away flirting with that stupid Ravenclaw. Since the new decoration was put up he saw how, more than once, Dewey passed under the mistletoe with Hermione and looked at her desperately, but hadn't dared to say anything. Hermione was so immersed in reviewing her lessons that she never noticed anything. Malfoy had laughed to himself and imitated the scene to Pansy until she started looking at him in a way he didn't like at all.

But here he was again, watching the idiot and the bookworm leave. He noticed that that day Dewey had paid special attention to his apperance. He was wearing a neat robe and had combed his hair with grease until his dark hair shined. Draco had the feeling that this time he would be brave enough to kiss her and as he sat at the table which would give him a perfect view, he felt a mixture of mocking anticipation and something he couldn't yet put a name to.

Hermione walked in front of Dewey, looking distractedly at his Charms book and whispering quietly, so Draco knew she was talking to herself and not to the Ravenclaw.

- Hermione – he mumbled weakly. She stopped just under the mistletoe and looked at him once she had finished her paragraph.

- Yes? – she asked when she realized that Dewey wasn't going to say anything even though he had called her.

- Well… you… me… - started the boy hesitantly, twisting his robes – well… hav-have you seen where we are standing?

Hermione looked at him seriously, as if she was worried for his mental health, but just then she looked in the direction of Dewey's nervous gaze and saw the mistletoe hanging over their heads. Because of where he was sitting, Draco was able to see how she blushed deeply at this. Dewey must have taken that as an agreement and slowly and nervously he leaned towards her, as she stayed still, watching him with her eyes wide open. Draco felt his insides twist when he saw Dewey put his mouth on the lips of the Gryffindor and unconsciously squeezed a page of his Potions book. He made himself unfold his fingers and turn his attention to them instead of looking at the unnerving scene before him. He had a really disturbing sensation in his gut which he couldn't name because he never had felt it before. It wasn't revulsion or envy. It was something more… something deeper and something to worry about. When he finally gathered the courage to look at the library's entrance he was in time to see Dewey run away and Hermione stood shocked under it. Draco picked up his book, closing it abruptly and stood up from his place, determined to get out of the library. When he was near the Gryffindor he tried to think of something hurtful to tell her but his mind appeared to be strangely empty of any word, just one image remained there: the one of Granger and Dewey kissing. He shook his head violently and he saw Hermione again, watched him with an uncertain look. Unable to speak, he passed by her side pushing her with his body to move her out of the way and quickly walked away.

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When there was one more week left before Christmas vacations, Hermione decided that she would return home that year, even though at first she had thought of staying because it was her last year at Hogwarts. But the landscape that she saw wasn't very convincing. Ron barely talked to her after he heard Hermione telling Ginny what had happened in the library with Dewey.

Dewey on the other hand, after kissing her he had run away without a word and Hermione was tired of waiting for him to re-appear in the library. And when they met in Charms or Transfiguration, he went as red as a tomato but didn't dare to look at her. Hermione had tried to talk to him but every time she tried he said he had something urgent to do.

Malfoy was something else. Hermione hadn't found out yet why he had looked at her so funny that day in the library and had then shoved her on the way out as though he was mad with her. Besides, he hadn't appeared in the library and Hermione had the strange feeling that he was avoiding her. When she saw him in class he was quiet and sad without his continuous stream of comments, so Parkinson took care of that instead. And the few times she met his eyes, he looked deeply… angry or something like that with her. Hermione didn't know how to describe his eyes, but she knew that nobody had ever looked at her like that before.

Taran xD

That was all. I hope you liked it :) What do you think of Dewey? It's a little bit silly the poor boy xD. Why does he now avoids Hermione? And what happens to Malfoy that is furious because they kissed? Why Pansy sees him with that look he doesn't like? What will happen in Christmas vacations? (I'm trespassing the question limits XD)

I admit theories and guesses lol you will liked more the next chapter or at least I hope you will.

As always many thanks for the reviews.