(Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter, it's places, or characters. All these things are belong to JK Rowling.
Thanks to everyone for reviewing and filling me with happy thoughts so I fly around and steal things. But don't tell anyone. I'm a little annoyed right now, at FFN and FPC, for putting 'Login' and 'Log Off' buttons on their site. Once you Log In, shouldn't you, logically, Log Out? And in order to Log Off, won't I have to Log On? Anyway.
Mags - I'm afraid I can't be bothered to care anymore what you have to say in the manner in which you have to say it. If that's all you have to contribute I'd much rather you not contribute at all. I like reviews, yes, but I'm confidant enough in my work without someone like you telling it to me. And that, I'm afraid, is all I have to say on the matter.
BTW, I think Hermione went a little overzealous in her attempt to 'defend' (hide) herself against Giselda, so she may have come across as overly vicious. I see what you mean, though, I don't think she would normally have been that way.... Oops. Well, it's Giselda's fault for tattling. Nice, though, that she gets punished for being the only truthful one.
Communication, my dears, is, all together, Everything, and Nothing at All, in the same being.)
-/-
Draco didn't bother lying to Pansy.
He didn't bother answering her at all, in fact, save for a snap about minding her business. After about a minute of silence he announced crossly that he wasn't hungry and was heading to the dungeons. He would be early, but it wouldn't be the first time.
Double Potions first class. Despite his outside coolness, he felt his heart quicken at the prospect of being so near to Hermione so soon. As much as he regretted his words this morning, he had no choice but to accept that, from now on, that was how it would have to be.
'Why should it?' he felt a voice speak up in rebellion. He instantly dismissed that, though. It wasn't an option. Still, the thought lingered in the back of his mind. As he walked into the chilly, windowless room, he saw he was not alone. Neville Longbottom had apparently come early to get some practice in, because when Draco walked across the room to sit down, a large puff of thick pink smoke rose into both their faces.
It smelled strongly of... tacos.
Draco wrinkled his nose in disgust, but moved to his seat silently, resisting the urge to taunt the other boy. He looked upset enough as it was. Surprised by his new compassion towards the Gryffindor, he sat sullenly in his seat, waiting for class to start.
A while later, more students poured in, chattering animatedly. He avoided looking at any of them directly, knowing perfectly well what they were discussing so eagerly. Every so often he would surreptitiously glance over to where the Gryffindor trio usually sat. He grew restless after a time, when most of the class was already seated.
Just before the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class, they hurried in and grabbed the remaining seats, up at the front of the class, which everyone normally avoided. Draco watched her back for a while, noticing she kept her face curiously turned away from her two friends. Then someone walking into the dungeon diverted his attention. Draco tried to pay attention to Snape, but his eyes glazed over soon after he started speaking.
His thoughts wandered back to last night... he'd realized, after she had left, what had happened. At first he stood, in shock, staring at the lake. Shock that he felt so much for her, shock that she felt as much back, shock that she had kissed him. And he had kissed her back. The memory filled him with warmth, and he felt the tug of a smile on his lips. Knowing, though, that he shouldn't space off while some people were dangerously close to the truth, he forced his attention back on Snape, who was wrapping up.
"...Dismal. Apparently I wasn't clear enough in my note," his voice was icy, and Draco realized he was talking about their sub. He smirked. He'd found his teaching to be sufficiently lacking, himself. "So," his Professor continued, looking over the room. "You'll have to do it all again." A collective groan rose from the students, which was quickly squashed. "You will pair up with the same partner and follow the correct instruction to make the potion,"
As he finished there was a minute of confusion as chairs scraped and people got up to move. Draco sat still in his seat.
This he had not expected.
--
As Hermione sat down, she realized that the rest of the class hadn't either. There was a moment of silence, waiting to see what would happen, before Snape asked them if they had a problem with his directions, sending them hurriedly back to their ingredients.
Hermione herself sat in silence next to Draco, unsure of what to do next.
Should she speak? Try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to do much more than prepare the ingredients laid out before her. They worked like this for a while, Hermione growing uneasy with every passing minute. She was painfully aware of how hot her face had become, working in such close quarters with him.
She was startled when he spoke, his voice low and quiet, so that only she could hear.
"Granger?"
Hermione looked over at him, and noticed his cheeks were brushed with crimson. He had stopped working but was staring intently at his hands. Her own nervousness forgotten, she looked at him with mild surprise. Surely she couldn't be the cause of this display of emotion.
'Maybe not me, exactly...' a voice whispered in the back of her mind, sending excited chills down her spine. She had almost forgotten about the potion. Of course that was it.
She made a small noise of acknowledgement and inquiry, willing him to continue. But he just stared resolutely at his hands. He seemed to be struggling with something. She bit her lip against further questions.
Suddenly, she heard his voice.
"Why did you kiss me?" it asked, pained. It was loud and clear, and in Draco's voice. But she had been looking at him, right at him, admiring the shape of his face, waiting for him to speak again, and his lips never moved.
She blinked, thinking she'd imagined it. She opened her mouth to speak when a robed figure swooped down on them.
"Is there a problem over here?" Snape asked coolly, eyeing the two of them. Draco shook his head sullenly, and Hermione stammered, caught off her guard, "N-no, sir,"
"Then tell me, why aren't you working?" he asked in a low voice. Hermione looked down at their potion, which was bubbling lazily. She quickly gathered her prepared ingredients and tossed them in, causing the mixture to froth. Snape looked at it disdainfully.
"Five points from Gryffindor for daydreaming in class, Miss Granger," he said before moving on to other partners. Hermione bent over her potion, humiliated. She knew it was ruined, but she continued to toss in herbs at regular intervals, and watched Draco out of the corner of her eye doing the same. They didn't speak again until the end of class.
As Hermione was gathering her things to leave, mildly disappointed, she felt a fleeting touch on her wrist. Turning on instinct, she saw Draco looking at her with a mildly confused look on his face. She stared at him expectantly. He bit his lip and ran a hand absently through his hair, looking as though he was choosing his words carefully. Hermione felt a grin tug at the corners of her mouth.
'He looks adorable when he does that,' she found herself thinking. Suddenly his expression changed. His face turned red and he shifted his eyes from her to his cauldron. She looked at him in surprise. What had happened? But then he spoke.
"I just... wanted to tell you," he said in a low, controlled voice, for her ears only."I... what I said this morning... I didn't... mean it," he finished, boring holes into the side of his cauldron. Hermione felt a swelling in her chest.
"I know," she said softly. She looked at him for a moment, before turning at Harry and Ron's call. She muttered a goodbye before hurrying over to them.
"Ugh.... I can't believe you got stuck with Malfoy again, especially after this morning," Ron commented as they walked to Transfiguration. Hermione murmured an agreement.
"I mean, can you believe him? Such an arrogant, egotistic little prat..." Ron went on in his ramble, Harry adding things where he felt necessary. Hermione grew quickly agitated. After five minutes of constant insult, Hermione snapped.
"Look, will you two shut up already?" she snapped at them. They were stunned into silence. She continued, not thinking about what she was saying. "We all know you don't get along, you hate him, he hates you, so get over it already! I'm beginning to think you two are becoming obsessed with Draco!" she finished, out of breath. Ron was staring at her, mouth open. She blushed furiously, suddenly scared that they might see the reason behind her rant.
"Did you just defend Malfoy?" Ron asked her finally, incredulous. Before she could think of a suitable response, Harry intervened.
"Did you just call him Draco?"
Hermione was now herself shocked into silence. Had she? With growing horror she realized she had. They were both looking at her expectantly.
"Did I?" she asked stupidly, mouth dry. "It's just that you two get so tired, prattling on about him day and night. You could just give it a rest every once in a while. I hate him as much as you, I'd just rather not hear his name so much," she said quickly, recovering from her momentary loss of head.
They stared at her silently for a moment, while she prayed that would accept that and let it go. Suddenly a first year ran past them, and they realized how empty the hall had gotten.
"We're going to be late for Transfiguration!" Hermione cried, desperate for a change of subject. She started running down the hall, and hear them come running after her. She closed her eyes briefly, relieved. They would at least drop it for the time being. But she'd have to be much more careful, or they'd figure it out.
'And what if they did?' a small voice asked stubbornly as she made her way to her seat. It wasn't the first time she'd thought of just confessing, and getting it over with. But she'd decided that they might as well not worry over it, as it was likely to be over anyway.
After all, it was just a potion test.
Right?
-/-
(Well, I don't know if that chapter was long enough or not, but I felt like if I just kept adding more it would drag on. Besides, I have to go watch Detective Conan. I thank Arval Parrot for guiding me in the ways of Communication, which shall rule this chapter and the next. Also, my Kenaz necklace, and to my Muse, whom I love and Cherish deeply. So you see I get rather a lot of help for my writing. (Silly me). Anyway. Once again, criticism welcome, constructive or not (the latter of which I have seen I am rather prone to receiving). And... Um... donuts be with you!)
Thanks to everyone for reviewing and filling me with happy thoughts so I fly around and steal things. But don't tell anyone. I'm a little annoyed right now, at FFN and FPC, for putting 'Login' and 'Log Off' buttons on their site. Once you Log In, shouldn't you, logically, Log Out? And in order to Log Off, won't I have to Log On? Anyway.
Mags - I'm afraid I can't be bothered to care anymore what you have to say in the manner in which you have to say it. If that's all you have to contribute I'd much rather you not contribute at all. I like reviews, yes, but I'm confidant enough in my work without someone like you telling it to me. And that, I'm afraid, is all I have to say on the matter.
BTW, I think Hermione went a little overzealous in her attempt to 'defend' (hide) herself against Giselda, so she may have come across as overly vicious. I see what you mean, though, I don't think she would normally have been that way.... Oops. Well, it's Giselda's fault for tattling. Nice, though, that she gets punished for being the only truthful one.
Communication, my dears, is, all together, Everything, and Nothing at All, in the same being.)
-/-
Draco didn't bother lying to Pansy.
He didn't bother answering her at all, in fact, save for a snap about minding her business. After about a minute of silence he announced crossly that he wasn't hungry and was heading to the dungeons. He would be early, but it wouldn't be the first time.
Double Potions first class. Despite his outside coolness, he felt his heart quicken at the prospect of being so near to Hermione so soon. As much as he regretted his words this morning, he had no choice but to accept that, from now on, that was how it would have to be.
'Why should it?' he felt a voice speak up in rebellion. He instantly dismissed that, though. It wasn't an option. Still, the thought lingered in the back of his mind. As he walked into the chilly, windowless room, he saw he was not alone. Neville Longbottom had apparently come early to get some practice in, because when Draco walked across the room to sit down, a large puff of thick pink smoke rose into both their faces.
It smelled strongly of... tacos.
Draco wrinkled his nose in disgust, but moved to his seat silently, resisting the urge to taunt the other boy. He looked upset enough as it was. Surprised by his new compassion towards the Gryffindor, he sat sullenly in his seat, waiting for class to start.
A while later, more students poured in, chattering animatedly. He avoided looking at any of them directly, knowing perfectly well what they were discussing so eagerly. Every so often he would surreptitiously glance over to where the Gryffindor trio usually sat. He grew restless after a time, when most of the class was already seated.
Just before the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class, they hurried in and grabbed the remaining seats, up at the front of the class, which everyone normally avoided. Draco watched her back for a while, noticing she kept her face curiously turned away from her two friends. Then someone walking into the dungeon diverted his attention. Draco tried to pay attention to Snape, but his eyes glazed over soon after he started speaking.
His thoughts wandered back to last night... he'd realized, after she had left, what had happened. At first he stood, in shock, staring at the lake. Shock that he felt so much for her, shock that she felt as much back, shock that she had kissed him. And he had kissed her back. The memory filled him with warmth, and he felt the tug of a smile on his lips. Knowing, though, that he shouldn't space off while some people were dangerously close to the truth, he forced his attention back on Snape, who was wrapping up.
"...Dismal. Apparently I wasn't clear enough in my note," his voice was icy, and Draco realized he was talking about their sub. He smirked. He'd found his teaching to be sufficiently lacking, himself. "So," his Professor continued, looking over the room. "You'll have to do it all again." A collective groan rose from the students, which was quickly squashed. "You will pair up with the same partner and follow the correct instruction to make the potion,"
As he finished there was a minute of confusion as chairs scraped and people got up to move. Draco sat still in his seat.
This he had not expected.
--
As Hermione sat down, she realized that the rest of the class hadn't either. There was a moment of silence, waiting to see what would happen, before Snape asked them if they had a problem with his directions, sending them hurriedly back to their ingredients.
Hermione herself sat in silence next to Draco, unsure of what to do next.
Should she speak? Try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to do much more than prepare the ingredients laid out before her. They worked like this for a while, Hermione growing uneasy with every passing minute. She was painfully aware of how hot her face had become, working in such close quarters with him.
She was startled when he spoke, his voice low and quiet, so that only she could hear.
"Granger?"
Hermione looked over at him, and noticed his cheeks were brushed with crimson. He had stopped working but was staring intently at his hands. Her own nervousness forgotten, she looked at him with mild surprise. Surely she couldn't be the cause of this display of emotion.
'Maybe not me, exactly...' a voice whispered in the back of her mind, sending excited chills down her spine. She had almost forgotten about the potion. Of course that was it.
She made a small noise of acknowledgement and inquiry, willing him to continue. But he just stared resolutely at his hands. He seemed to be struggling with something. She bit her lip against further questions.
Suddenly, she heard his voice.
"Why did you kiss me?" it asked, pained. It was loud and clear, and in Draco's voice. But she had been looking at him, right at him, admiring the shape of his face, waiting for him to speak again, and his lips never moved.
She blinked, thinking she'd imagined it. She opened her mouth to speak when a robed figure swooped down on them.
"Is there a problem over here?" Snape asked coolly, eyeing the two of them. Draco shook his head sullenly, and Hermione stammered, caught off her guard, "N-no, sir,"
"Then tell me, why aren't you working?" he asked in a low voice. Hermione looked down at their potion, which was bubbling lazily. She quickly gathered her prepared ingredients and tossed them in, causing the mixture to froth. Snape looked at it disdainfully.
"Five points from Gryffindor for daydreaming in class, Miss Granger," he said before moving on to other partners. Hermione bent over her potion, humiliated. She knew it was ruined, but she continued to toss in herbs at regular intervals, and watched Draco out of the corner of her eye doing the same. They didn't speak again until the end of class.
As Hermione was gathering her things to leave, mildly disappointed, she felt a fleeting touch on her wrist. Turning on instinct, she saw Draco looking at her with a mildly confused look on his face. She stared at him expectantly. He bit his lip and ran a hand absently through his hair, looking as though he was choosing his words carefully. Hermione felt a grin tug at the corners of her mouth.
'He looks adorable when he does that,' she found herself thinking. Suddenly his expression changed. His face turned red and he shifted his eyes from her to his cauldron. She looked at him in surprise. What had happened? But then he spoke.
"I just... wanted to tell you," he said in a low, controlled voice, for her ears only."I... what I said this morning... I didn't... mean it," he finished, boring holes into the side of his cauldron. Hermione felt a swelling in her chest.
"I know," she said softly. She looked at him for a moment, before turning at Harry and Ron's call. She muttered a goodbye before hurrying over to them.
"Ugh.... I can't believe you got stuck with Malfoy again, especially after this morning," Ron commented as they walked to Transfiguration. Hermione murmured an agreement.
"I mean, can you believe him? Such an arrogant, egotistic little prat..." Ron went on in his ramble, Harry adding things where he felt necessary. Hermione grew quickly agitated. After five minutes of constant insult, Hermione snapped.
"Look, will you two shut up already?" she snapped at them. They were stunned into silence. She continued, not thinking about what she was saying. "We all know you don't get along, you hate him, he hates you, so get over it already! I'm beginning to think you two are becoming obsessed with Draco!" she finished, out of breath. Ron was staring at her, mouth open. She blushed furiously, suddenly scared that they might see the reason behind her rant.
"Did you just defend Malfoy?" Ron asked her finally, incredulous. Before she could think of a suitable response, Harry intervened.
"Did you just call him Draco?"
Hermione was now herself shocked into silence. Had she? With growing horror she realized she had. They were both looking at her expectantly.
"Did I?" she asked stupidly, mouth dry. "It's just that you two get so tired, prattling on about him day and night. You could just give it a rest every once in a while. I hate him as much as you, I'd just rather not hear his name so much," she said quickly, recovering from her momentary loss of head.
They stared at her silently for a moment, while she prayed that would accept that and let it go. Suddenly a first year ran past them, and they realized how empty the hall had gotten.
"We're going to be late for Transfiguration!" Hermione cried, desperate for a change of subject. She started running down the hall, and hear them come running after her. She closed her eyes briefly, relieved. They would at least drop it for the time being. But she'd have to be much more careful, or they'd figure it out.
'And what if they did?' a small voice asked stubbornly as she made her way to her seat. It wasn't the first time she'd thought of just confessing, and getting it over with. But she'd decided that they might as well not worry over it, as it was likely to be over anyway.
After all, it was just a potion test.
Right?
-/-
(Well, I don't know if that chapter was long enough or not, but I felt like if I just kept adding more it would drag on. Besides, I have to go watch Detective Conan. I thank Arval Parrot for guiding me in the ways of Communication, which shall rule this chapter and the next. Also, my Kenaz necklace, and to my Muse, whom I love and Cherish deeply. So you see I get rather a lot of help for my writing. (Silly me). Anyway. Once again, criticism welcome, constructive or not (the latter of which I have seen I am rather prone to receiving). And... Um... donuts be with you!)