This chapter made me so mad to write, WHY, Oh gods of fanfiction! WHY Must I wait to make Draco intelligent? I promise that he will realize it soon. Lots of protective Draco in this chapter
When Hermione arrived, the common room was empty; she rushed up stairs and threw herself onto her bed. She lay there curled around a pillow for a minute, then heard a loud clanking, followed by a swear and foot steps coming from down stairs. Seconds later Draco came bursting into her room; he saw her and was instantly at her side. He lifted her to his lap and held her close, just like he had the previous night.
"Sh, sh, sh." He cooed, stroking her hair softly with his fingers as she cried into him once again. After she calmed down she looked up at him wondering.
"What are you doing here?" she asked weakly.
"I believe I am comforting a girl whose been crying her eyes out but please tell me if I'm mistaken." He said in a desperate attempt to make her smile.
She just continued to look at him confused, " I know, but how did you know I'd be up here? You've got classes to."
"I forgot my book." He lied; truthfully he didn't know how he knew. He just felt a sudden urge to come to the common room, and then had heard her crying.
"Oh." She said shortly and snuggled closer to him.
"So what's happened?" He asked, enveloping her in his arms.
"Ron kept trying to apologize and when I wouldn't listen," she choked up tearfully, "he g-grabbed me and k-kissed me." She felt Draco straighten up and attempt to stand.
"I'm going to kill that bloody bastard!" he said, removing her from his lap and rising from the bed. Hermione grabbed onto his hand and held him fast.
"Draco, no." she said tearfully, perfectly aware that Draco was completely capable of destroying Ron. "Don't."
He turned back to see her eyes renew their crying. He sat quickly back down and wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb. He pulled her close again and rocked her slowly until she calmed down. "It's alright."
An hour later and she had finally calmed down. "I think this might be the first time I've skipped class." She said with a small smile.
"Good," Draco glad to see she was better, "Otherwise you would've been perfect."
Hermione giggle softly and leaned against him. "Thank you Draco." He soon left her so that she could fix her now thoroughly disgruntled appearance and met her in the common room a few minutes before Arithmancy.
They walked down together and took seats in the back of the class. Soon the rest of the class filed in and Alexander found his way next to Hermione.
"Ello Hermione." He said taking his seat; completely oblivious to the glares he was receiving from Draco. "'Ow are you?"
"I'm fine" she lied flawlessly, smiling at the tall Bulgarian. "I'm so glad everyone enjoyed the ball."
"I know I would 'ave enjoyed it more iv you ver zare." He shamelessly flirted. Much to Draco's disgust, Hermione didn't notice and moments later Professor Vector entered and began teaching. Hermione greatly enjoyed the lesson, relishing in the absence of Ron as well as the presence of two fellow lovers of Arithmancy in Draco and Alexander, previously she had had to do her work alone as no one found it enjoyable like her. Working together they finished the work in the nick of time and thankfully averted any chance of homework for that night.
Alexander kissed Hermione's hand once more as he left while Draco gathered up their books and grit his teeth.
"Do you want to me to get dinner from the kitchens?" asked Draco, correctly deciphering her worried look as they winded their way to the Great Hall.
She smiled at him thankfully. "Thank you." She said, " Can I meet you there? I need to get a book from the library.
"I'll walk with you." He volunteered and they both changed course for the library. When they arrived it was mostly deserted, considering almost everybody would be at dinner. She set purposefully off for a dark musty corner, climbed up a precariously fragile ladder.
"I've been meaning to check this book out for ages." She said as she neared the top and reached up for the old, dusty book, "It's about a certain set of runes found in the Great Pyramid of Chufa, they were different from the others…"
Right as she lifted her other hand off the ladder to remove the book, a young boy of about twelve came running into their corner, jostling the ladder violently. She fell backwards, toppling down toward the ground. Quick as lightning Draco shot up and caught her in his arms. He spun around, her still in his arms, looking livid and shouted that the boy, "Look what you did!" he snarled setting her down and advancing on him, wand raised. "She could have been hurt! She could have been killed!" He had the second year backed into a corner when Hermione's voice brought him back to reality.
"Draco!" she yelled hurrying toward him, " calm down!"
"Calm down!" he yelled turning toward her but never lowering his wand toward the boy, "He could have hurt you!"
"Draco," pleaded, placing her hand on his in an attempt to make him lower his wand, "It was an accident."
The minute her hand touched his skin, the fury coursing through his body lessened. He lowered his wand but still glared at the boy. "What do you want?" he growled.
"Professor McGonagall asked me to tell you to go to her office." He squeaked, staring frightfully at Draco's still clutched wand.
"Thanks," said Hermione kindly, trying to calm his panic. "Draco, let him go." Draco put away his wand and the boy bolted out the door. "What's wrong with you?" she asked Draco furiously as she started to pick up her fallen books. "Why did you do that!"
Draco looked at her, surprised. "I was trying to protect you!" he said, confused why she was angry.
"Protect me from what?" she asked outraged, " from a little boy how accidentally bumped me? He didn't mean to Draco, it was an accident!" she said, stuffing her new book into her bag and heading to the door. "Come on, let's just go."
"I'm sorry." Said Draco, walking toward her, "I really am." His actions made less and less sense as he thought back on them, why had he over reacted? It wasn't the boy's fault.
"It's okay." She said, smiling at him slightly to show her forgiveness, his heart soared. "I wonder what professor McGonagall wants?" she said, curiously.
"Who knows?" he said, as they reached the marble staircases. When they entered her office they were surprised to see Madame Maxime and her heads, as well as professor Tsankov.
"Good afternoon" greeted Professor McGonagall. "As soon as the Durmstrang students arrive we will begin, please take a seat." They walked over to two vacant seats next to the Beauxbatons heads, Lorraine Roux, a tall, bespectacled girl with curly blonde hair and a genteel manor, and Timothée Durand, a thick set, muscular boy who was captain of the Beauxbatons quidditch team where he played beater. Mere moments after they sat down, Alexander entered, accompanied by a girl named Catherine with chocolate brown hair and a freckled complection. "Ah, now that everyone is here let's begin. First of all I would like to thank Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy for their splendid job with the welcome ball." They all applauded and Alexander winked at her, a smirk playing across his lips.
"Secondly I would like to announce a new treat for you, and all of the students. There will be a Masque ball on Halloween." All six students looked at each other excitedly. "We will be assigning all of the details to you six, please arrange times to get together and plan. Also, as Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger will remember from the Yule Ball a few years ago, you will be doing an opening dance with each other at the beginning of the ceremony. I will be coordinating a lesson shortly. I suggest you make a Hogsmeade date soon."
The rest of the meeting was spent ironing out details of the coming weeks as well as some preliminary planning for the ball. An hour later and they were finally dismissed. Hermione was hading toward the door when Alexander walked up to her and grabbed her arm.
"Can I talk to you?" he asked smoothly, placing his hand on her shoulder lightly.
Hermione turned toward Draco, "I'll see you in the common room," she said sweetly. Draco nodded, trying to stop himself from ripping her away from him.
"Hi," he said, walking closer to her and leading her into a side corridor, "I'm very sorry vor vat your boyvriend did." He said smiling sadly at her.
"Thank you" she responded, a small smile playing on her lips. "It's just such a shock, and he was the only guy I ever really dated." She said, attempting to push a curl out of her face and smiled up at him.
"Iv you need anything, please, just ask." He said, raising his hand and gently removing the troublesome curl. "I cannot imagine what kind ov man could 'urt such a beautiful girl." He said as she blushed innocently, completely oblivious to the fact that he was now only a few inches away from her.
Her face flushed as she continued, " I cannot vait for zee ball." He said then picked up her hand and gave her his customary kiss. "Good bye." He said before departing to the Durmstrang Head dorms.
Hermione made her way back to the common room feeling dazed and excited. When she arrived she was surprised to find Draco setting up a dinner on the coffee table.
"Hello." He said, putting the finishing touches on the plates and sitting down. "I knew you didn't eat and I was hungry so I brought some back up."
"Thank you." She said sitting down across from him and eating. "I'm sorry I've been so… you know"
He looked down at her, "You've got nothing to be sorry for." He said so fiercely, almost frightening her.
She looked at him, warily, "Draco, are you alright?" she asked, standing up and walking slowly toward him.
In truth he wasn't all right, he was staring at her, his eyes black as night staring enthralled at her. She looked so, perfect. Her long honeyed curly hair, her warm, soft skin, and her rich, loving chocolate eyes. It took all the self-control in his body not to grab her and start kissing her right then. He blinked hurriedly to try and make the image of them in his mind go away.
"I'm fine." He said, backing away from her, knowing his self control could not stand being so close to her, even now her sweet scent of raspberries and roses was washing over him like a blissful fog. "I'm just going to get some sleep." He ran upstairs to his dorm leaving her, confused and slightly hurt in their common room. She sat down in his recently vacated seat.
xxxxxx
Draco sat on his bed, trying to make sense of all his emotions. How could she look so beautiful? How could she be so perfect? How could this be happening? He slammed his head against his bedpost, frustrated at everything. Could she be his? No, it was impossible, she's a m… he couldn't even say that word. There's no way she could be. But then why? Why did he feel this way when he saw her? Why did he think about her all the time? Why was Hermione Granger, muggleborn, friend of the she-weasel and the boy-who-just-wouldn't-freaking-die, his mate.
Tada, short chapter but important! Also oh my god! 3000+ hits! I love you guys.
3 Rachina