Looking at Your Heart
Chapter 11
In the Library
Draco walked to the library, a bag of heavy books slung over his shoulder. He didn't look to the right or the left, but straight ahead. He could feel eyes on him as he passed people in the hall. He knew what they were thinking, but he didn't care. She was there, that's all that mattered. She was there walking with him down the hall. They didn't speak to each other as they made their way to the library, where they had decided to work on a potions paper together. The paper was due on Halloween, which was the next day, and he knew that it would be a late night, because with his mounting Prefect duties, and Quidditch practice, he hadn't even found the time to start on it. It didn't help matters that he spent the time he planned on working on it, talking to her. He glanced quickly at her, and then back down the hall again, as they walked, leaving their fellow students, huddled together, pointing and whispering in their wake. His thoughts drifted back to that Saturday morning where he sat at breakfast and carefully planned his schedule for the day in his head.
He took his regular spot at the Slytherin table, a bowl of gruel slowly getting cold in front of him, as he thought to him self, "I have Quidditch practice tonight, and I can't be late, so I have to spend the morning on Potions. Hopefully I can finish my paper today." He stirred his coffee and sat rethinking everything, making sure that it would all fit, when he heard her speak.
"Malfoy" she said, not softly, but not sternly, "We need to talk."
He was impressed. He didn't really think she had it in her to be so bold, but she was. She walked right up to a table full of Slytherin who were pointing and tossing snide remarks not so subtlety in her direction as she stood in front of the blond boy, waiting for his response. He looked around at his classmates, mostly out of habit, and then he realized that He didn't really care what they thought at that moment. He stood in front of her, and stated simply, "Fine."
As he joined her walking away from the table, he heard his chubby friend Crabbe say rather loudly, "Look at the little mudblood, thinks she's perfect. She's not worthy to wipe my boots." Draco turned to glare at the tubby git. He was infuriated at him for saying. Wait. What was he thinking; he had been the one who usually lead the way with an onslaught of abuse pointed at Granger. Why should he be so mad? He didn't understand what had changed, but it had, and he didn't release his daggers until he saw Crabbe turn away from his gaze looking fearful at the thought of Draco's retaliation.
They walked to the door of the great hall, and Draco chanced a look at Hermione, who was looking down as they passed the Gryffindor table. He looked over; there was no sign of her two over protective friends. Though there were still plenty of eyes on them, and plenty of whispers as they passed. They left the hall without saying a word, and headed down another corridor, He realized after a bit that they were heading to the library, not to his surprise. He knew that she spent a lot of time there.
When they reached their destination, he followed as Hermione chose a secluded table in a back corner of the library. She sat down and gestured for him to take the seat across the table from her. They sat together in awkward silence for a while before she cleared her throat and began to speak.
"You invited me somewhere. The other day, remember?" she asked sounding like she were making sure she understood what his intentions were just as much as bringing up a subject.
He nodded.
She cleared her throat again, and said without making eye contact with him, "Kara thinks I should go."
Part of him wanted to thank Kara for her advice, and part of him was confused about whether Hermione really wanted to go or was being persuaded into going by her friend. "What do you want to do Granger?" he said trying to make capture her gaze as he watched her look anywhere but in his direction.
"I. I.," she chanced looking at him, but turned quickly away as if he scorched her with the intensity of his gaze. "I'm not sure yet."
"Hermione. Look at me please." He said as he felt his heart begin to race, as she looked at him in astonishment at hearing him say her name, so simply, so sweetly.
Their eyes met, and a torrent of chills ran over his skin. He felt the way she looked like she felt, a moment ago when their eyes first met. Like he wanted to look away, it was almost to much seeing her eyes, and the warm brown glow searching through his eyes, like she was searching his very heart. But he didn't look away. He stared back at her. Gathering his courage for what he was about to say.
"I don't want you to do something you don't want to." He said in a tender voice, that by the look on her face she wasn't expecting to hear. He couldn't believe he heard the words come out of his mouth himself. He did want her to come, he almost needed it and he couldn't explain why. He just felt that she had to be there, like his life depended on it. But the look in her face told him he had to wait, that he needed to let her come to grips with something first. His heart was racing at his thoughts, "What if she says no?" and he could feel his hands start to shake in his lap under the table. His fears started to quell, when he heard her speak again.
"I'm still thinking about it, ok?" she said seeming to sense that he needed to hear that. "I'll let you know by Halloween."
Then as quickly as the conversation had started it was over, and Hermione had changed the subject to their studies. They sat talking for a long while about a lot of things; anything actually but what they were just talking about, and it was nice, just to talk to her.
His mind drifted back to his parchment that stood empty in front of him, with exception to the title, Restricted Ingredients, Their Uses, and Properties. He looked up at the girl who sat across from him ripping through a book and jumped slightly at the sound of her voice, "Here's another one. Dragons spleen, this one is a good one." She said as she looked up at him, and noticed that he still hadn't written down anything. "Why didn't you right down the last one I said?" she asked him.
Draco looked at Hermione, then at his paper, like he was searching it for an answer to give her. He had been so lost in thought, and he didn't even hear what she had said to him until just a moment before. "Ummm. I. I" he stammered.
She cut him off saying, "Draco," it surprised him somewhat to hear her use his first name. "I think know what is wrong with you. Why you haven't been concentrating since we got here."
He looked at her, hearing what she said, but it was still new to be talking so civilly with this girl. He just sat, waiting for her to talk again.
"I've decided." She said looking down as she played with the end of her quill. "I will join you for the eclipse."
His heart leapt, and he held his breath. Did she really say what he thought she said? He searched her eyes for signs of mockery, but it wasn't there. He couldn't contain himself, he leaned forward so fast that he made her jump, and just grabbed her hand and smiled at her.
This simple act, just taking her hand in his, touching her skin, sent a thrilling jolt to his heart. A rush of adrenalin hit his head at the thought of what he just did, but he didn't know what to do now. He watched her for a second, as she looked at him, then back at their hands touching, then back at him again.
He then pulled away his hand as fast as he had put it there in the first place, and tried to act indifferent as he picked up his quill and asked, "Dragon's spleen did you say?"
He looked shyly up at her eyes, and his heart quieted, as she looked at him with a serene look in her eyes. He blushed a bit at the thought of how he had just exposed himself and diverted his eyes back to his parchment.
He didn't chance a look at her again; he just busied himself finishing the potions paper. If he had though, he would have seen her smile more than once.
Chapter 11
In the Library
Draco walked to the library, a bag of heavy books slung over his shoulder. He didn't look to the right or the left, but straight ahead. He could feel eyes on him as he passed people in the hall. He knew what they were thinking, but he didn't care. She was there, that's all that mattered. She was there walking with him down the hall. They didn't speak to each other as they made their way to the library, where they had decided to work on a potions paper together. The paper was due on Halloween, which was the next day, and he knew that it would be a late night, because with his mounting Prefect duties, and Quidditch practice, he hadn't even found the time to start on it. It didn't help matters that he spent the time he planned on working on it, talking to her. He glanced quickly at her, and then back down the hall again, as they walked, leaving their fellow students, huddled together, pointing and whispering in their wake. His thoughts drifted back to that Saturday morning where he sat at breakfast and carefully planned his schedule for the day in his head.
He took his regular spot at the Slytherin table, a bowl of gruel slowly getting cold in front of him, as he thought to him self, "I have Quidditch practice tonight, and I can't be late, so I have to spend the morning on Potions. Hopefully I can finish my paper today." He stirred his coffee and sat rethinking everything, making sure that it would all fit, when he heard her speak.
"Malfoy" she said, not softly, but not sternly, "We need to talk."
He was impressed. He didn't really think she had it in her to be so bold, but she was. She walked right up to a table full of Slytherin who were pointing and tossing snide remarks not so subtlety in her direction as she stood in front of the blond boy, waiting for his response. He looked around at his classmates, mostly out of habit, and then he realized that He didn't really care what they thought at that moment. He stood in front of her, and stated simply, "Fine."
As he joined her walking away from the table, he heard his chubby friend Crabbe say rather loudly, "Look at the little mudblood, thinks she's perfect. She's not worthy to wipe my boots." Draco turned to glare at the tubby git. He was infuriated at him for saying. Wait. What was he thinking; he had been the one who usually lead the way with an onslaught of abuse pointed at Granger. Why should he be so mad? He didn't understand what had changed, but it had, and he didn't release his daggers until he saw Crabbe turn away from his gaze looking fearful at the thought of Draco's retaliation.
They walked to the door of the great hall, and Draco chanced a look at Hermione, who was looking down as they passed the Gryffindor table. He looked over; there was no sign of her two over protective friends. Though there were still plenty of eyes on them, and plenty of whispers as they passed. They left the hall without saying a word, and headed down another corridor, He realized after a bit that they were heading to the library, not to his surprise. He knew that she spent a lot of time there.
When they reached their destination, he followed as Hermione chose a secluded table in a back corner of the library. She sat down and gestured for him to take the seat across the table from her. They sat together in awkward silence for a while before she cleared her throat and began to speak.
"You invited me somewhere. The other day, remember?" she asked sounding like she were making sure she understood what his intentions were just as much as bringing up a subject.
He nodded.
She cleared her throat again, and said without making eye contact with him, "Kara thinks I should go."
Part of him wanted to thank Kara for her advice, and part of him was confused about whether Hermione really wanted to go or was being persuaded into going by her friend. "What do you want to do Granger?" he said trying to make capture her gaze as he watched her look anywhere but in his direction.
"I. I.," she chanced looking at him, but turned quickly away as if he scorched her with the intensity of his gaze. "I'm not sure yet."
"Hermione. Look at me please." He said as he felt his heart begin to race, as she looked at him in astonishment at hearing him say her name, so simply, so sweetly.
Their eyes met, and a torrent of chills ran over his skin. He felt the way she looked like she felt, a moment ago when their eyes first met. Like he wanted to look away, it was almost to much seeing her eyes, and the warm brown glow searching through his eyes, like she was searching his very heart. But he didn't look away. He stared back at her. Gathering his courage for what he was about to say.
"I don't want you to do something you don't want to." He said in a tender voice, that by the look on her face she wasn't expecting to hear. He couldn't believe he heard the words come out of his mouth himself. He did want her to come, he almost needed it and he couldn't explain why. He just felt that she had to be there, like his life depended on it. But the look in her face told him he had to wait, that he needed to let her come to grips with something first. His heart was racing at his thoughts, "What if she says no?" and he could feel his hands start to shake in his lap under the table. His fears started to quell, when he heard her speak again.
"I'm still thinking about it, ok?" she said seeming to sense that he needed to hear that. "I'll let you know by Halloween."
Then as quickly as the conversation had started it was over, and Hermione had changed the subject to their studies. They sat talking for a long while about a lot of things; anything actually but what they were just talking about, and it was nice, just to talk to her.
His mind drifted back to his parchment that stood empty in front of him, with exception to the title, Restricted Ingredients, Their Uses, and Properties. He looked up at the girl who sat across from him ripping through a book and jumped slightly at the sound of her voice, "Here's another one. Dragons spleen, this one is a good one." She said as she looked up at him, and noticed that he still hadn't written down anything. "Why didn't you right down the last one I said?" she asked him.
Draco looked at Hermione, then at his paper, like he was searching it for an answer to give her. He had been so lost in thought, and he didn't even hear what she had said to him until just a moment before. "Ummm. I. I" he stammered.
She cut him off saying, "Draco," it surprised him somewhat to hear her use his first name. "I think know what is wrong with you. Why you haven't been concentrating since we got here."
He looked at her, hearing what she said, but it was still new to be talking so civilly with this girl. He just sat, waiting for her to talk again.
"I've decided." She said looking down as she played with the end of her quill. "I will join you for the eclipse."
His heart leapt, and he held his breath. Did she really say what he thought she said? He searched her eyes for signs of mockery, but it wasn't there. He couldn't contain himself, he leaned forward so fast that he made her jump, and just grabbed her hand and smiled at her.
This simple act, just taking her hand in his, touching her skin, sent a thrilling jolt to his heart. A rush of adrenalin hit his head at the thought of what he just did, but he didn't know what to do now. He watched her for a second, as she looked at him, then back at their hands touching, then back at him again.
He then pulled away his hand as fast as he had put it there in the first place, and tried to act indifferent as he picked up his quill and asked, "Dragon's spleen did you say?"
He looked shyly up at her eyes, and his heart quieted, as she looked at him with a serene look in her eyes. He blushed a bit at the thought of how he had just exposed himself and diverted his eyes back to his parchment.
He didn't chance a look at her again; he just busied himself finishing the potions paper. If he had though, he would have seen her smile more than once.
