Disclaimer: not mine (even though I wish it were!)
special thanks to everyone who followed/favourited/put on alert I love you guys!
and a big thanks to LibStar123 for reviewing this one's for you!
i updated it to include the full chapter! :D enjoy!
Closer
About a week later, on Sunday, Hermione was sitting in the common room along with Draco, reading while he watched the view outside the window which had appeared in the center of the Gryffindor book shelves after Hermione had wished for it.
"What are you reading anyways?" Draco asked, a bit bored at the silence.
"The same book which I was reading on the train." She replied absent-mindedly.
"A Walk To Remember?" he enquired.
"Uh huh" Hermione said, a bit surprised that he remembered.
"You never did give me that book did you? You said you would." He accused.
"Well you don't let me finish it." She reasoned.
"Touché" he smirked, "Still a promise is a promise and you broke it."
"OK so what can I do to compensate?" Hermione asked.
"What can you do?"
"Anything." She replied, "Within reason, of course."
"Be careful of what you say." Draco warned.
"Why?"
"Because if you say that you can do anything to compensate, I might ask you to kiss me." Draco said, but as soon as he saw her eyes widening and her body stiffening at his words, he laughed and said, "Just kidding Hermione, you have to work on finding out when I'm serious and when I'm not." Hermione relaxed a bit at this. "Anyways, to compensate, I want you to teach me how to conjure a Patronus for the Transfiguration project." Hermione agreed and enquired where he wanted to practice. He suggested the Black Lake, so they put their things away and walked out of the portrait hole, wishing Dumbledore a good day.
The truth was, when Draco had asked Hermione to kiss him, he had really meant it because his feelings for her which he had suppressed for so long were becoming stronger day by day since the time he had woken up in the Hospital Wing at the sight of her crying for him but couldn't find a way to express them.
After reaching the Lake, they stopped under a tree. Hermione said to Draco, "Watch. Expecto Patronum!"
As soon as she said the spell, an otter came out of her wand and pranced about for a while before disappearing into thin air. She turned to Draco and was pleased to see an expression of pure amazement on his face.
"It's so beautiful.." he whispered. "How do you do it?"
"Just think of a happy memory and concentrate on it and then say the words. It's pretty simple once you get the hang of it." She explained in an encouraging tone.
Draco nodded and after staying quiet for a moment, he said 'Expecto Patronum' with such concentration and conviction that Hermione expected his patronus to burst forward. However, only a spark appeared. He tried and tried but to no avail. The result was always the same. After an exhausting half hour of concentrating and trying, Draco finally broke down. 'Broke down' not like 'cried' but 'broke down' as in 'lost all hope'.
"I don't understand… why aren't you able to do it? You are the most talented wizard in school after all." Hermione commented thoroughly puzzled.
"I think I do." Draco said so softly that she almost didn't hear. Then with a slightly stronger but broken voice, he said, "the memories I keep thinking of are not happy anymore."
"What do you mean?" Hermione said bemusedly.
"Well…nothing good has ever happened in my life. Before this year I used to enjoy taunting you and your friends but now when I think of that all I feel is guilt and disgust at myself. I have never won a quidditch match against Potter so no happy memories there too… and I sannot even imagine something good happening to me at the Manor. So technically, I don't have any happy memory to think of which would fuel the patronus." He explained dejectedly.
Hermione looked over at him and instead of the usual arrogant or irritating Malfoy, just saw a normal boy with an air of disappointment around him, the perfect example of misery and despondency.
She felt sad because to cast a patronus herself, all she had to do was to think of her parents or her friends or the people from the Order or even the happiness she'd felt after the War was over and that was it. However, the fact that no matter how much he tried, Draco couldn't produce a patronus struck her deep in her heart because she couldn't conceive the thought that a person with such a wonderful personality like him be not able to produce a patronus.
Hermione looked at him again and found herself wishing for a smile just like the one he'd flashed her during Potions on the first day. She wanted him to smile and not look so haggard and woe begone.
She walked up to him but he turned away.
"Draco…" she said.
He spun around at the pleading tone of her voice. Their eyes met. They both had tears in their eyes. His due to disappointment and hers due to pity.
Acting instinctively, she reached up and kissed him.
It wasn't a long kiss, nor a passionate one. It was one which comforted him.
"What the hell Granger? What was that for?" he asked, bewildered.
"Something for you to be happy about. Now try." She said smiling.
He shrugged but did try once more, this time concentrating on the long awaited feeling of her lips on his. This time instead of just a flicker a magnificent dragon appeared. It flew around their heads before vanishing altogether.
Their eyes locked on each other once more and Hermione began, "See, I told yo—" she was cut off when Draco's lips crashed onto hers.
At first it was nothing other than the feeling of his soft lips on hers but that changed soon enough… Draco placed his hands around her waist and pulled her closer. She put one hand on his chest and the other in his hair. He licked her lips softly as if asking for permission. Hermione obliged and parted her lips. He deepened the kiss as their tongues fought for dominance. Hermione moaned as Draco pulled away albeit unwillingly and then placing a quick peck on her lips and looking into the deep chocolate brown orbs of her eyes he said,
"You've no idea how long I've waited for this." Hermione was about to say something but he continued.
"I fell for your eyes the first time I saw you, I fell for your brains the first time o had a shared class with you. I have liked you since the time you came into my compartment asking for Longbottom's frog… but never said anything for various reasons." The dam finally broke and everything accumulated over the years came gushing out.
"In the first year, I was angry at you for having sided with Potter and Weasel and also you were a muggle born and my whole childhood was spent hearing my father rant about how pathetic and unworthy they were so I didn't treat you right even though I wanted to for fear of my father finding out and also some jealousy.
In the second year, I knew you three were suspecting me to be the person who opened the Chamber so I didn't know whether you would even look at me without suspicion.
Third year, when you punched me, I as pretty sure that you didn't want to even see me. In the fourth year I was going to ask you to the Yule Ball, not caring about what others said, but you had already agreed to go with Krum so I didn't say anything, just wished that you would enjoy the evening. You don't know how I felt when I saw you crying over something that Weasel said.
In the fifth year Father forced me to join Umbridge's Squad. I never wanted to tell on you." Hearing this Hermione remembered the countless times he had seen the DA members exit the Room of Requirement and he had always looked away…. Draco's words cut through her thoughts as he continued, "Sixth year I when I found out that you liked Weasley, I stayed away once again sacrificing my happiness for yours.
I was torn apart watching you being tortured by Bellatrix and left the room at once even as your screams haunted me. However, when I saw you kissing Weasley after the Battle, I was utterly and truly heartbroken. At that time, all the things I ever did to you, even watching my crazed aunt torturing you…,flashed before my eyes and I cursed myself for all the chances long gone. Otherwise that day it would have been me you were kissing not that undeserving idiot!" saying this, he fell silent, not quite sure how she would take it.
Hermione, overwhelmed at this startling relevation, threw her arms around his neck and kissed his softly, lovingly.
When they broke apart, Draco said, "Hermione Jean Granger, I really really like you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
That single tear of joy that rolled down her cheek and the smile that she gave him was all the answer he needed.
That night at dinner, when Hermione was just about to tell Ginny all that had happened, she heard a cheerful voice behind her. "Hi Hermione, Ginny. May I sit with you?" Hermione turned and saw Luna standing there. "Of course, Luna. I'm sorry I didn't come to meet you before…"
"It's alright, I forgive you. I wanted to sit here since no one of my year has returned and I've got to share all the classes with the Hufflepuffs. You lot are with the Slytherins aren't you?" she said settling down.
"Is that the only reason you wanted to sit with us?" Ginny asked with a sly smile and a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
For the first time in her life, Hermione saw Luna blush. "Ok. You got me. I also want to be closer to Neville because I really like him and I'm hoping he asks me out this year." She said, whispering.
Ginny grinned at Hermione and said, "See? I'm always right!" referring to the bet she had made with her during the holidays. Hermione hadn't agreed but Ginny was adamant that it were true and had, as always, won the bet.
"Talking about two people liking each other, what about you and Malfoy?" Ginny said pocketing the sickle Hermione gave her for winning the bet. Hermione proceeded to tell them about everything that had happened since he woke up in the infirmary.
When she'd finished talking, Ginny squealed and said, "You are the luckiest girl in the world! I'm jealous!" she pouted and then joked, "But don't worry I won't steal him away!"
"Draco is a nice boy, I like him. You two would make an amazing couple! I'm so happy for you Hermione!" Luna said, serenely.
Her friends' acceptance made Hermione's heart dance with joy. She stole a quick glance at the slytherin table and saw Blaise grinning and Draco smiling at her. It seemed they had his approval too.
Smiling back, Hermione turned around and saw Luna and Ginny smirking at her. "Stop it you two!" she said, smacking their heads as they roared with laughter.
After dinner, Hermione went back to her room after wishing Dumbledore a good night. She was a bit restless and not at all sleepy so she changed into a tube top and shorts and grabbed a book and moved to the couch in the common room and lay on it comfortably, reading away, not even noticing Draco enter. He smile mischievously and crept behind her softly and placed his cool hands on her bare shoulders. Shrieking, she jumped to her feet. When she saw who it was, she gave a sigh of relief and said accusingly, "You could have atleast warned me! I was scared like hell!"
"What did you think it was someone else?" he smirked. "Have you forgotten that no one besides us knows the password now that we've changed it from Harmony to 'periwinkle'?"
"Being around you has made me forgetful" Hermione said before adding shyly, "But I don't worry as you are always there to remind me."
"That's absolutely true." Draco murmured before leaning in for a kiss.
When they broke apart, Hermione said, "Draco we need to talk."
"Ok. About what?" he asked, a bit curious.
"About us. I just want to draw some lines which we won't cross until we agree that it is the right time to do so."
"Fine. But don't tell me that I'm not allowed to kiss you because I'll break that rule the second I saw your gorgeous face." Draco said, pouting a bit which made Hermione giggle as well as blush at the complement. Then she continued, "Yes that's the first rule. No PDA until we tell everybody. Till then let's just keep this a secret."
"That's just pure torture and you very well know that!" Draco moaned before continuing with a wicked smirk on his face, "But I won't complain much as no one will ever know what we'll do in here."
Hermione continued as if she hadn't heard him. "I don't want anyone other than Blaise, Ginny, Luna and Harry to know just yet."
"What you don't want your ex-boyfriend to know? Are you sure you're not a slytherin?" he smirked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Nope. Gryffindor through and through! I don't want him to know because I know that he will feel betrayed and even though we're not dating doesn't mean that I don't love him. I do but only as a friend."
"OK, now do you have anything else to add to your list or is that all? 'Cause I sure can find another way to keep us busy." Draco said suggestively.
"Yes just one more."
"What else?" he groaned.
"No sexual encounters until we graduate." She said, smiling at his expression.
"You know what, I'm fine with that because I have a feeling that you'll break that rule yourself." He said, smirking at her.
"No I won't!" Hermione retorted.
"Yes you will. No one can resist this." He said arrogantly, pointing to himself.
"You wish, but I'm afraid that is not going to happen." Hermione said with a blush creeping up her face as she remember the shirtless Draco from the first day, thinking how it would feel to run her hands on his toned chest.
"See your face agrees with what I'm saying," he said but seeing the expression on her face, changed the topic. "Anyways, what are you reading?"
"A Walk To Remember."
"Not again…" he groaned.
"Well you don't let me finish it!" she replied, not mentioning that she had read it atleast five times since she bought it.
"Fine! But let me read it now. It must be interesting or you won't be hooked to it," he somewhat requested.
"Fine! Take it!" she said in mock anger and thrust the book in his hands. She turned to leave but Draco caught her hand and turned her to face him. He kissed her softly and said, "Good night Hermione."
"Good night Draco," she whispered and then went away.
so... what do you think? Review to let me know! :D
-isophia