Draco awaited her anxiously amongst the rows of books in the library. His heart was pounding and he couldn't steady his breath.
Hermione arrived 5 minutes before their meeting time and looked around the area where she told him to meet her. She was busy and didn't want to wait if he wasn't going to take her seriously. She closed her eyes frustrated, but that's when she heard the familiar gasps for air…
She followed the sound to a nearby stack of books where she found Draco curled up, his black and yellow scarf covering his face.
She pulled the scarf away from his face and held his hand, trying to ground him before waiting it out.
When Draco came down, from his attack his let go of her hand and looked away in embarrassment.
"You weren't supposed to see that" he mumbled roughly.
Hermione shook her head quietly, not wanting to say the wrong thing, for she understood how anxiety could creep on you unexpectedly.
"I want a truce, this isn't a competition to see who's better, test wise or house wise, here's my notes from the finals last week, and in exchange I want to exchange scarfs, as a sign of friendship.
Draco blushed bright red, the exchanging of scarfs was a romantic token, not one of friendship.
"Hmph, you Ravenclaws are sure dense when it comes to love" he boldly stated.
She laughed quietly.
"Oh, I'm aware of the significance, I just want my notes back," she explained grabbing his gaudy yellow/black scarf and dropped her blue/bronze one, before shuffling away before he could protest.
Left alone once again, he hugged the blue scarf close.
It only took Draco the evening to transcribe her notes that he hesitated in giving back her book the next day… of course he would have to give it back soon for people to notice his "new" scarf and start harassing him for a name of the person it came from.
Theodore already guessed it was Hermione's scarf, for the rivalry between them was legendary.
Draco denied it, it was bad enough that people thought it was super cute that he had a Ravenclaw girlfriend.
Taking a quick doze during History of Magic, Harry nudged him to wake when Professor Binns noticed him snore.
"20 points from Ravenclaw, for sleeping" he droned grimly unimpressed.
Harry raised his hand.
"Uh sir, that's Draco…" he said uneasy.
"Mr. Malfoy, why are you wearing a Ravenclaw scarf in my class?" he asked floating closer.
"Uh… because I'm supposed to be getting mine back after class …sire" he answered sweating.
Professor Binns dismissed them scoffing. He reimbursed the Ravenclaws, and took double from Hufflepuff, his classmates glaring at him.
"Well mate, better be seeing Hermione fast" Harry told him laughing nervously.
Draco turned towards his friend abruptly.
"Why do you think it's Grangers?"
"It smells like her" Harry stated obviously, being somewhat friends with her group of friends.
Draco rushed away wrapping it tighter.
Hermione knew by not wearing his scarf there would be no hassle from others if they couldn't identify her as a suspect, that when she passed by Harry, Theo and Draco, she couldn't believe that he was actually wearing her scarf, how dunce was he?
Rumors had already spread amongst the girls of Ravenclaw that one of them was dating the intelligent Hufflepuff Draco, who was basically a wannabe raven, for his intelligence, second in their entire class behind her.
A couple of the girls asked her if she had his scarf, of course she denied it, hiding it at the very bottom of her chest
In potions, Daphne who was partnered with Hermione sat and gossiped a bit while they waited for Professor Snape, who had to ditch at the beginning of class because a Slytherin had gotten in a big accident in Transfiguration.
"So the word from the corridor is that Malfoy is in love with you" she told Hermione.
Hermione laughed at her, ignoring the ruse.
"Why on earth, would he love me? Sure I'm his biggest rival, in marks and tests but besides trying to beat me, what would he be interested in? My Muggleborn status, I think not" Hermione argued.
"Surely you've noticed that when he anticipates being in class with us, he doesn't wear those dorky glasses I've heard about, Harry's rivals them"
"Potter's glasses are pretty medieval, I didn't know Malfoy needed glasses" she replied adding a few ingredients to their caldron.
"You call him dense, but I think you're oblivious." Daphne told her, getting up to talk to a Gryffiindor, namely Lisa.
Hermione dropped her facade for a moment, being alone, no one noticed.
Quidditch tryouts were coming up and people were bidding on who stood a chance in beating the heavy handed Slytherin team who held the cup for 8 years in a row.
Gryffindor came close last year, Hufflepuff was decent and Ravenclaw could care less. Harry was magnificent on a broom, but he didn't care for attention like the golden trio consisting of Justin Finch-Fetchley, Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabani.
Micheal and Dean were placing bets on which team seeker could catch the most snitches this year.
"Weasely Ginevra is the best seeker in a century and you think Padma can compete against it?" asked Dean surprised at the bet in front of him.
"She did last year, and yes Weasley is great, only when she's focused on the game and not who she is going to…."
Lavender inserted herself into their conversation.
"She's practically screwed every guy in our year, you boys mean?" Lavender rolled her eyes at their antics, for that statement was a lie, Slytherin's only went after purebloods and noble families.
"I'll place a bet, that Draco can score more quaffle goals than Slytherin's team before Weasley catches the snitch" Lavender boasted loudly for the whole common room to hear.
Draco, reading some arithmetic text for tomorrow, perked his head out from the book with disbelief on his face.
"That's hardly a fair bet," Harry interjected.
"Maybe we stand more of a chance if you were to join the team, Potter" leered Lavender.
Not wanting his friend to join because of a lame bet Draco spoke up.
"I'll accept your terms. More goals against Slytherin, first season game, before Weasely catches the snitch" he repeated.
There were some cheers, maybe Hufflepuff would win something this year.
Draco decided it was time to face his fears and confront his crush, he really wanted her to be watching him in the stands, during the game with his scarf, but that wouldn't happen if he never confessed… Hermione was known to never like the games, unless dragged to one or two matches, but she would be the girl reading a book, not watching the game.
He planned it all out, he would ask her out to lunch and return her notebook, but before she could try and return his scarf he would confess… and hope for the best.
Two days later on a crispy October morning, Draco sent her an owl with the invite and awaited her outside on the grounds under an oak tree, he brought a picnic blanket and a warmer wool one to keep them comfortable and awaited his "date".
Hermione showed up 3 minutes late, for she didn't anticipate being intercepted by the golden trio who were picking her brain for some daring mission they had.
She jogged up to Draco with a sorry look, but she glanced at him and he was wearing glasses.
"I'm sorry for being late… Justin and his friends were grilling me for information...Malfoy I didn't know you wore glasses'' she commented after apologizing.
"There's a lot you don't know, yet " he replied with a pause, growing more nervous.
Hermione chuckled at the bad pun but sat down. She was delighted to find some of her favorite dishes among the lunch he had prepared.
Before she caught on, or thought the worst of him, Draco pulled out her notebook returning it to her.
She smiled at him before going to her side satchel for his scarf, when he began his speech.
"I would like you to keep it, for I didn't tell you why I had a panic attack in the library… I was trying to gather my courage to tell you that I think I'm in love with you, but going over the possibilities of you rejecting me I began to panic and the attack occurred. People have been pestering me as to who's scarf I've been wearing this week, and I never told them but though you offered it to me for a truce and my friendship, which I gladly give you… I was wondering if you would accept my scarf as a sign of a romantic relationship?" he lamely finished, hoping he found the words to convey how he felt… it sounded better in his head...
Hermione looked at the boy across from her trembling, awaiting her response and she smiled. Yes she denied everyone else when they grilled her about Draco, but ironically she thought he was one of the most misunderstood boys in their year, he was intelligent, funny and very kind to those he came across.
The first day she arrived at Hogwarts she got lost on her way to breakfast and ended up going to the dungeons, where she grew more lost, she gave up after 20 minutes and sat in a hallway hoping someone would stop and help her as embarrassing as it was.
Draco appeared and beelined towards her and asked what was wrong? She admitted to him that she was lost and probably missed breakfast, he told her that she had and he was on his way to potions, he asked what was her first class, which was history of magic, before he transcribed a quick map and offered her a leftover scone before leaving her.
They could have been friends much sooner if it wasn't for his obsession with being at the top of their year… he envied her ability to beat him that he seemed like he didn't like her.
She did not answer him out loud but wrapped his scarf around her neck before digging into some scones.
Draco teared up thinking the worst, and prepared his escape before noticing her wearing his scarf!
"Hermione you…." he gasped lightly
"I accept, please take care of mine though, I don't like stains on the yarn" she told him between bites.
Draco hugged her tightly to hide his tears, but he was super happy that she accepted being his new girlfriend. She was happy too but currently yelping at him about the crumbs.
~*~Fin
A/N: A random idea that came to mind, I've read so many great Dramione fics over the years, it's a bit intimidating to write something myself but I hope it was a cute little AU tidbit.