Just a quick note:
Parvati48: I truly do believe in the power of Hermione and Ron's relationship and their love for each other in the actual storyline, but I wrote this story because I think Hermione and Draco do have some interesting chemistry, and it would be fun to explore it further. Thanks for the comment and for everyone's comments!
Chapter 7: Brian McDougan
Every day for the next several days during the morning post, Hermione received a letter from the handsome tawny she had received a letter from at the end of the previous week. Each held Draco's pleas to go on a date with him. Although she feigned exasperation and annoyance, Draco always caught the hidden smile on her face.
At the end of that next week, Draco was sitting in front of a fire in the Slytherin common room going over his notes on Conjuring Spells, as McGonagall had announced that they would be tested on them preliminarily when they returned from the winter holidays which would begin the following day. Almost all of the other students were in their respective dormitories packing their things, so Draco was alone in the common room until a wide eyed third year boy came tumbling in the room, interrupting him.
"Dr—Draco?" the boy asked tentatively.
"Yes?" Draco asked, looking up from his notes. He didn't know this boy at all and he didn't know what the boy could possibly want from him.
"Er—I—I'm really s-sorry to interrupt you, b-but there's a girl outside." The boy was wringing his hands in anxiety. "She—she's not a Slytherin, so she can't get in—"
"Who is she?" Draco asked eagerly. He set his notes down and stood up. He towered over the boy.
"I—I don't know, but she—she's demanding to see you… says she won't leave until you come out." The boy finished in a hurried voice.
Draco took his place back on the comfortable armchair he had been occupying a moment ago.
"B-but…?" the boy began.
"Thanks, uh…?"
"Brian," the boy spluttered. "Brian McDougan."
"Thanks, Brian," Draco said with a smile. "You can go."
"But she's—"
"She can wait," Draco assured him. "She'll be fine… Go."
Brian did not waste another second. He dashed up to his dormitory without another look.
Draco was smirking to himself. So, she got the last of my letters. He thought happily to himself. Today, Draco had made Crysanth take an extra trip into the seventh year girls' dormitory in Gryffindor tower. The owl had dropped a large amount of letters that had sprawled across Hermione's lap as she had reclined on her bed reading her Transfiguration book. Two of the letters, she noticed, were bright red. Howlers. Before Hermione could even reach for them, they each rose into the air and burst into flames as they screeched—in a voice she recognized—one word each.
"DATE!"
"ME!"
She screamed out of fright and anger, and she began to read all of the other letters Draco had sent her. For the past several days, Draco had sent Hermione letters eliciting her to meet him in the library so they could talk. Each time, Hermione did not show, and each time, this strengthened Draco's resolve.
Each of the letters Hermione opened all had one sentence written hurriedly across them:
"Go on a date with me."
Hermione grunted with annoyance. Before she had thought the letters were somewhat charming, but now she was slightly enraged. The last letter, however, tipped her over the edge. It was a rather crude drawing done of a woman in a compromising position with a man standing behind her. Draco had labeled the people as himself and Hermione and he had enchanted the picture so that the man would thrust his pelvis against the woman's backside repeatedly. Hermione nearly screamed out loud when she saw it. At that, she leapt from her bed and marched through the castle in a tirade with one thought in her mind—causing as much harm to Draco Malfoy as possible.
Five minutes after Brian had retreated to his dormitory, Draco was still sitting in front of the fire. Deciding he had let Hermione wait long enough, he made his way slowly outside of the common room.
Even in her anger, Draco thought Hermione looked incredible. Her face was contorted with rage, and she stood with her hands on her hips, a crumpled piece a parchment in her right fist. Before she could start off on her rampage, Draco pulled her away from the common room and through the dungeons. After passing the Potions classroom, Draco found an empty classroom and pulled Hermione into it, making sure to cast silencing charms around the room. He didn't want anyone to hear Hermione screaming at him.
"WHAT," she started off, "THE BLOODY HELL IS THIS?" Hermione yelled as she raised her fist into the air.
Draco laughed loudly and then stopped abruptly at the murderous look on Hermione's face. "It's… It's a drawing."
"Of WHAT exactly?" she asked. As she yelled, Draco could only stare at the lips he so desperately wanted to kiss.
Draco could not contain the smile that crept across his face. "Do I really need to explain it?"
Anger flashed in Hermione's eyes. "You are infuriating!" she growled. He did not say anything. Instead he just smiled at her. "Ugh!" she said shaking her fists at him. "What if someone had seen this?"
"I don't care," said Draco.
"Of course you don't!" Hermione said furiously. "I. Have. A. Boyfriend," she said, putting emphasis on each word. "You don't care about anyone but yourself."
"I care about you," he said.
She looked at him briefly as if he was a curious artifact at a museum that needed to be studied. Then, without a second thought, she was on him. Her tongue was roaming every part of his mouth, and Draco was moving his lips and tongue against her in an aggressive response. Draco had not been surprised by her sudden movements. No, in fact, he embraced them and responded back fully. He pulled her hips to him and leaned into her as her arms wrapped around his neck. The hardness beneath his belt began to grow and when she ground her hips against him, he let out a deep moan and pulled her tighter. She released his lips from her hold and began kissing his neck. When she moved down to his collarbone, Draco leaned forward. "I want you," he whispered in her ear. Something in Draco's voice seemed to bring Hermione back to life. Perhaps it was because she realized how badly she wanted him, too, or maybe the guilt got the best of her. Whatever it was, it caused her to back away from Draco instantly. His hands remained in the position she had just left them in.
"I can't do this," she said. She was shaking her head slowly. "Not here… Not like this." He only stared at her. "Look, if I go on a date with you, will you stop sending me letters?"
"No promises," he said slyly.
"Draco."
When she said his name, his heart nearly burst from his chest. He stuttered. "Y-yeah. If you go out with me, I'll stop sending them." As she turned to go, he called out after her. "What about Ron?"
She continued walking and as she opened the door and walked into the hallway, he heard her say, "I haven't figured that out yet."
