Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or Dr. Horrible
Story Updated Mondays and Fridays
Ginny sat in a magenta bean bag in their secret lair. The Mission: Impossible theme song played in the background.
"I found your note on my pillow. What was it you wanted to meet with me about?" Hermione asked warily.
"You, my friend, have been walking around for weeks looking like you hugged a cactus. It's time for a diversion."
Hermione sighed. Ever since their meeting with the Headmaster, she hadn't been exactly cheerful. True to the headmaster's instructions, Malfoy had taken to sneering at her in public and otherwise distancing himself from her association.
Though they were still able to meet privately in the media room, and she still sent him muggle books whenever he ran out, the pretense was wearing on her.
Also, she was furious with Dumbledore for not having a better solution to his predicament.
Not to mention the fact that despite her best efforts, she found herself steadily falling for Draco Malfoy.
Oh, she had warned herself not to allow her heart to get involved. From her limited experience with boys, Hermione already knew that she was a piner.
When Victor Krum had taken her to the Yule Ball in 4th year, she had become besotted with puppy love. Bless her Gryffindor heart, despite only having been with him for a short time, and never having progressed past holding hands, his return to Durmstrang after the school year's end had been hard on her.
From this, she had learned that when she gave her heart, she gave it fiercely and strongly. The heartache and pain that she felt when her relationship was severed, new as it was, had been intense. Consequently, she was hesitant to enter any relationships at all unless she could clearly see them working out long-term.
Truth be told, she hadn't had any romantic forays after Victor, simply because she didn't want her heart to be broken when she eventually had to fully focus on the war. The time for love was after the defeat of Voldemort.
After all, Hermione had read 'Romeo and Juliet'. She knew they both ended up dead. She prided herself in her ability to learn from books, and this was a lesson she felt a particular connection to: don't get involved with somebody you have no business being involved with.
Hermione was nothing if not logical. What was the point in causing herself pain by giving away her heart if the relationship was doomed to fail from the beginning?
And that wasn't even considering what had happened during first year…
Hermione looked up at Ginny's conspiratorial grin, set her shoulders, and smiled. If anyone could bring her out of her funk, it was loyal, observant Ginny.
"Did you have anything particular in mind?"
Ginny held up a large cauldron and tipped it so Hermione could see its contents. It was filled to the brim with multicolored stacks of muggle post-it notes.
"And what do you propose we do with those?"
"Remember when we TP'd Theo's personal space? Well, I've been thinking. I'll bet that all it took to clean it up was a quick flick of the wand. No hassle at all. So, I sent these to Fred and George, and they modified them. They are magic-proof." She gave a wicked grin.
"And they have a date with the Slytherin common room."
"But won't the house elves just clean them up after everyone's in bed?"
Ginny shook her head, clucking her tongue. "Honestly, I'm insulted you think so little of me. I've already got an understanding with Dobby. He was tickled pink to be 'serving the chosen one's girlfriend'"
Hermione snorted. "Harry is hardly your boyfriend. Didn't he give you that line- 'Ginny, I think you're great, but I really am not ready to be in a relationship?"
"Why yes. I wonder where he got the inspiration for that?" Ginny shot her a pointed glare.
"Exactly. War is a terrible time for romance."
"Right, right. Except when Harry says that, he actually appears to mean it. When you say it, you go right ahead and jump into Draco's arms anyway."
Ginny's voice took on a simpering quality. She fluttered her eyelids and brought her clasped hands below her chin.
"Oh Draco, tell me more about what you think about Charlie Dickhands! You know how I can't resist you when you sound like a middle-aged literature professor."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I do not look like that."
Ginny just grinned. "If you say so."
Twenty minutes later, Daphne let them into Slytherin house. "Seeing as the entire class is up at the Quidditch pitch for the match with Hufflepuff today, you should have three full hours to complete your mischief. Once again, I only ask you to leave my room alone."
"Don't worry, Daphne- we'd never do anything to risk our working relationship. Would you like to join in the fun? We could use an extra set of hands."
And that was how Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Daphne Greengrass came to find themselves co-conspirators in covering the Slytherin dungeons with what amounted to thousands of post-it notes.
It turned out that Daphne had quite an eye for design. She was quite helpful in piecing together a layout of the Gryffindor crest onto one of the large expanses of wall.
As the finishing touch, the girls covered Theo's bedspread, headboard, trunk, and sheets with a garish neon pink and yellow checkerboard pattern.
Ginny squealed with delight. "He'll either spend ages removing them before he's able to go to bed, or he'll be having a very crunchy night's sleep."
Hermione giggled as she imagined Pansy's face when she walked into the common room to see the giant lion emblem on the wall. "We'd better go before the game is over and the whole of Slytherin discovers us red-handed in their territory."
"I'll follow you out," said Daphne. "If I'm to avoid suspicion, I'd best make an appearance at the match. It was a pleasure, as always."
Saturday morning at breakfast, an owl dropped an electric blue post-it note onto Hermione's plate. On it was scrawled a single word in untidy handwriting: "touché".
The next time Theo and Hermione found themselves in their study spot to finish the work on their project, the table had been overlaid with stripes of colorful post-its. Several of the recycled papers had favorite movie quotes scrawled onto them.
Inspecting a neon green note that read, "Do or do not: There is no try", Hermione mused, "I think we're as ready now as we'll ever be. We never did figure out how to get the pendants to work for toads. I suppose Flitwick will have to be satisfied with Kneazles and rats."
"I doubt anybody but Longbottom even has a toad anymore, anyway. They're practically obsolete."
He fiddled with the notes on the table in an attempt to build some sort of house of cards out of them. "Do you want to do the speaking tomorrow, or should I?"
As they were wrapping up their discussion, Hermione heard a faint rustle coming from the other section of the room, announcing Malfoy's arrival.
"What, have you come to steal my girl away?" Theo pouted. "I never should have introduced the two of you. I miss having Minnie all to myself."
As he spoke, he stalked around the table to loom behind her. Sensing danger, Hermione stood to face him defensively. Quick as a broomstick, Theo scooped her up bridal style and attempted to make a run for the exit.
"Oh, no you don't," Draco muttered. "Petrificus Totalus."
With a self-satisfied smirk, Malfoy carefully untangled his prize from his friend's arms and tenderly carried her over to the sectional sofa.
She couldn't help the blush that overcame her or the erratic beat of her heart as she lay gently in his arms before he nestled her into the corner of the couch.
A choked gasp escaped her lips as she felt his steadfast gaze on her face. "I suppose we'd better let him go," she said nervously.
With a sigh, Draco tore his eyes away and cancelled the spell.
Theo gave a disgusted grunt. "Thank Merlin. One more minute of that disgusting show and I might have lost my dinner. Say, I wonder what happens if you puke while petrified?" Theo shuddered. "Let's hope we never find out."
As Theo exited through the secret passage, Hermione yawned and stretched from her perch on the couch. "I'm a bit tired tonight. Would you like to just watch a movie? I don't think you've seen 'Tarzan' yet."
Tarzan was one of Hermione's favorites, especially when she was in the mood for a good cry. Sure enough, within the first ten minutes, silent tears streamed down her face.
Draco glanced at her, catching the flurry of movement when she swiped her had to brush them away. He reached over the couch between them and took her hand in his.
A thrill of excitement shot through her at the contact, making her heart race and her breath heavy. She should tell him to stop. Or possibly scoot in even closer and lean into his warm, sturdy chest.
Draco's thumb began to roll in soothing circles on the back of her hand. She felt as though every nerve was catching on fire. Desperately, she tried to find it within her pull her hand away. It was too much. The more she allowed his sweet caress; the more physical comfort she took from him, the more pieces of her heart she gave away. Soon she would be lost to him.
Yet, despite the pleading from the logical side of her brain, her heart was winning the battle. His tender assault on her willpower continued until the credits rolled, and they sat in the glow of the television and the soothing music of Phil Collins.
When destiny calls you
You must be strong
I may not be with you
But you've got to hold on
She took a deep, steadying breath as she braced herself to rip out both of their hearts.
"What's the matter, love?" Concern colored his face as he searched her eyes.
"This is too much. I can't do this with you right now. You're going to be torn away from me, and I can't- I can't…"
She pushed the air from her lungs in a forceful gust and looked down at her lap. "I like you, Draco. I wish that we could be together. But at this moment in time, it just doesn't make sense. Someday, after the war, when we're free to choose each other-" Hermione cut off as all the strength in her voice fizzled out.
"I can be whatever you need me to be. I can wait for you."
He studied her face with calculating eyes.
"I will do what you need me to do to get through the war. If that means taking a step back, then that is what I will do."
In stark contrast to his words, Draco leaned in closer and reached around to rub circles onto her back with his fingertips.
She sat silent for several minutes, searching for the will to create emotional distance between them. Finally, she managed, "I don't think I can handle not being your friend. But… I don't think we should hold hands anymore."
Draco's eyebrows raised, a self-satisfied smirk overtaking his face despite himself. "Really? That's what has you all worked up?" He put his chin between his thumb and forefinger in a pondering gesture. "I have to admit; the temptation is strong."
Startled by his sudden shift in mood, Hermione asked, "What temptation?"
"If holding your hand melts you like chocolate in my palm, what would happen if I were to…" his face slid closer to hers until their noses were inches apart. "sweep you into my arms and discover exactly what those beautiful lips taste like?"
AN: Thank you again to my wonderful beta reader, BuddingWriter101.
Question of the day for my readers: What would you write on one of Hermione's sticky notes?