One-Hundred Magic Words
21. Xylophone
(Hermione and Draco
have a run in, in the
music room. Becomes
AU...)
One of the best places to study at Hogwarts was the school library. The place was nice and quiet, not to mention there was no problem with Ron asking her if he could copy some of her homework. The downside to this was the fact she couldn't keep track of time, the place was so relaxing. That night she didn't notice that the library had reached curfew until the librarian came and found her, having thought all the students were already gone.
She hurried through the hallways trying to avoid the teachers and Filtch. The last thing she needed was to lose points simply because she had lost track of time. Some professors were more understanding when it came to this kind of situation but other people were not. Thus when she heard footsteps coming her way, she at first froze before ducking into the nearest classroom. Her foot bumped into something and a musical sound could be heard. Thankfully it wasn't a loud sound.
The footsteps paused at the door and then it suddenly opened up in a hurry. Hermione knelt down trying to not say anything, but someone suddenly walked right into her and tripped over her crouched body, falling into the instruments. She suddenly found herself rushing over to the person. "Are you all right?" There was sound in an attempt to hush her, but she continued anyways. Don't shush me! That sounded like it hurt."
The next thing she knew, the person leaned in close and locked lips with hers. At first she tried speaking, but her mummers stopped when she heard the door open. In the corner where she was, she could see the glow of a light, indicating that it was a teacher who happened into the room and it was Snape. However, her cheeks suddenly flushed up upon seeing who kissed her. She lightly shoved her hand in between her mouth and his, not believing that this situation was really happening.
"I swore I heard something." Filtch stated from behind Snape.
"What idiot would try and hide in the music room in the complete dark?" The man muttered under his breath.
"I guess not." The tone of Filtch's voice sounded rather disappointed and the man suddenly took off. They heard the door suddenly close shut.
Hermione waited a few seconds before letting out an exasperated breath. "What do you think you were doing Malfoy? You could have just covered my mouth with your hand? And the fact you consider me filthy doesn't work because touching me like you did has to be far worse."
"Luminos." The young Slytherin male lit up his wand and then sat back. "Would me saying I didn't know I was kissing a filthy Mudblood work?"
The female opened her mouth to agree. "I guess..." She paused as something hit her. "If you didn't know, then shouldn't you be acting disgusted right about know telling me how you'll need to brush your teeth a dozen times, or something like that? Why aren't you hurrying to get away from me?"
"Look Granger, I am really tired, so I don't want to have to deal with your logic right now. Chances are you are likely right and I don't feel like arguing." Draco continued to simply sit there. Hermione blinked a couple of times before reaching forward and touching his forehead. He frowned when she did this. "I am not running a fever."
"You still didn't react negatively around me." The female frowned at him, confused about why he was acting the way he was.
There was a moment of silence while he simply stared at her, before speaking up again. "I've never been alone with you before."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Hermione let out an exasperated sigh.
"I'm tired..." Draco winced though as her eyes gave him a death glare. "First off, I can't believe you are this dense. Second, I am expected to act a certain way by my father when I'm in the public eye. This was... private."
Two bushy brown eyebrows suddenly raised up. "I don't see how you don't have a problem with kissing a girl when you have no idea who it is. Bloody hell, I could have been a guy for crying out loud and that is just... gross. Don't you have any sense of your own personal boundaries?"
"The thing is, you're the only person who didn't know who they were kissing at the time of the kiss." The boy stated. "For all you could tell, it could have been a girl."
"Draco!" Hermione shook her head at the boy. "Why would you want to kiss me when you can have any pick of girl in the school who fits your family's status ideal?"
"I'm not surprised you didn't say I couldn't have any girl in the school I want Granger." The boy let out a deep sigh and walked over to the xylophone and picked up one of the mallets and began clicking on the instrument. "Do you really think I should simply date girls based on their Pureblood status? I figured you of all people would understand that isn't right."
The female opened her mouth, and then stood up. "You can't live your life one way where someone can see it and differently where they can't."
"And that is precisely why I can't date the girl I want to. I have to choose one or the other and at this point in time I have to choose family because I will otherwise have nowhere to go. I've heard off hand about Potter's home life. He at least is able to get away from time to time when he isn't in school. Just like my father hates Blood Traitors and Muggleborn, those people he hates hate what our family stands for. In the Pureblood community, the Malfoy family is the symbol of our ideal."
"Don't you mean their ideal?" Hermione's temper was livid. "You think you can watch me from the side lines?"
"I've been doing it for sometime now." Draco suddenly turned to look at her only to find his face slapped. He reached up to touch his cheek, blinking a couple of times. "How is my behavior different from Krum's?
"You kissed me without my permission Draco." The girl snapped her words out.
The boy frowned suddenly. "It is rather nice that you can call me by my first name Granger. I apologize for doing that, but this is likely the only time I'll get to be with you, to be a little bit selfish about my feelings. Bloody hell, it is the only time I've ever been selfish about my feelings like this."
"Liar. You are the most selfish person I have met Draco. Wasn't it you who had your father buy your way onto the Quidditch team." Hermione snapped her words out.
"The only truth to that statement is the fact my father bought my way onto the team. It was his idea and it was another attempt to try and make me be the best at something. Particularly since he was mad I was only in second place in grades our first year." The boy refused to look at her.
"In other words, your father is abusive."
"Granger!" Draco suddenly turned on her, his mood livid at her comment. "My father has never lifted a hand against my mother or myself. Take that back."
"Physical abuse is only one kind of abuse. He's abusing you emotionally." Hermione folded her arms across her chest.
"I'm a guy. We're supposed to be tough. He's just trying to toughen me up."
"A real parent would tell their child that you're not always going to be the best at something.
Draco glared at her. "How can I take this from someone who is the best in our grade and doesn't have to lift a finger to get the grades she gets."
"I'm horrible at any kind of flying. I'm horrible at any sort of handy craft or art form. All I have is my smarts. I mean, you of all people have noticed looks aren't my strong point." Hermione suddenly found herself flinching as Draco came closer to her, pinning her against the wall.
"You have problems with your looks? Isn't the people who have problems with their looks the ones who are always fussing about how they look? You're fine just the way you are." The boy's hot breath poured down her neck.
"So says the person who doesn't realize how many people don't notice that I am a girl." Hermione let out a deep sigh.
"A lot of people notice your a girl. Unless you are talking about that dense Weasel."
"Don't talk about Ron like that Malfoy." She shoved him away in frustration.
The boy blinked his eyes a couple of times. "You like him?"
"Yes, I like him."
"You talk about my father being abusive but you're in love with a guy who uses you when he is running late on his homework? You like a guy who can't notice you're a girl."
"And what per say is my option Malfoy? You? If we were in a relationship I would have to put up with you calling me names. No thank you." Hermione felt like slapping him again.
"Who says if we were in a relationship I would be doing that?" Draco snapped the words out. "If we were in a relationship, I would have to give up my ties with my family and be admitting to being a Blood Traitor. Calling you Mudblood would be weird, wouldn't it." He watched as she opened her mouth to say something, but then she stopped. "Granger, could you like me if I wasn't a Pureblood elitist?"
"I don't know. I really don't know you beyond that Draco."
"And yet you're more then willing to go out with a guy who treats you that way is all right. I may not be able to treat you better. It may take me time to work out some of my problems. At least I'm not blind to the fact I don't treat you right at times." The boy was about to continue his words, but had a finger placed on his mouth.
"If you could break ties with your family, would you do so." Hermione said.
"I can't. I don't have any place to go."
"What if there was a place you could go?" The female stated firmly.
"I would go in a heartbeat..." Draco paused. "The only person I care about in my family is my mother and she's..."
Hermione gave him a weak smile. "I get that you don't want to hurt her."
"It isn't that." Two silver eyes glanced at the ground. "My mother's told me she doesn't care which path I choose. I think she knows if I had an option I would take it and if she could give me the option she would give it."
"Why don't you turn to Sirius Black?"
"He... didn't he kill people?"
"He's innocent. The Weasly family knows, Harry knows, I know, Dumbledore, McGonagall, even your father knows as all the Death Eaters know Peter Petigrew is alive and he was the person who killed those Muggles." Hermione let out a deep sigh. "I need to be getting to bed."
The two headed to the door, only to suddenly have their ears grabbed by Professor Snape, who had been standing outside the door. "I don't know what you two were talking about for so long, but both of you need to get to bed. Malfoy, come with me." Hermione blinked a couple of times, surprised the man didn't removed points. Snape began to drag Draco down the hallway. "I've told you before, Mr. Malfoy, if you wish to have a relationship with the Granger girl, you have to cut ties with your family. You should simply give up on your fillings."
"Do you know about my relative Sirius Black?" Draco asked.
Snape suddenly paused. "What about him?"
"Lets say he was innocent of the charges that got him sent away. Is it possible he would be willing to help me sever ties with my father?" The boy looked up at his mentor and confidant.
"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Snape was greeted by silence and a determined look. "Fine. I will take you to Dumbledore's office in the morning and we'll make arrangements.