Chapter 13
"How is mending the transportation wardrobe going? Is it in functioning order?"
Amid all the wonderful things that are going on in his life right now, there is something terrible. As Draco sat at breakfast the day after what happened at the lake, he stared at the owl he received from his mother just that morning. It was sitting on the little table next to his bed when he woke up. It just reminded him of the horrible task that he has to do. Getting the note drained all happiness he was feeling, happiness that caused him to get the best night's sleep in months. He might as well respond to his mother.
He pulled his school bag from near his feet into his lap and pulled out a feather pen and parchment. He moved his finished breakfast plate aside and started writing. He was far enough away from people that no one could see what he was writing. After everyone in his house found out what he did for Hermione, and was seen walking with her, they kept their distance from him, even Pansy. He could understand that one. She's jealous out of her mind. He wonders if she told people about their conversation, even if she said she wouldn't.
He started writing…
Mother,
Yes, the transportation wardrobe is in functioning order, but the largest I have been able to transport was a song bird, and the bird died as a result. I still need to work on the wardrobe a little more so people can be transported through it. I need more time.
Of course, he just wants to stop with the transportation wardrobe. altogether. When that songbird died, he had wept for a soul who died because of him, no matter if it was small. If he continues mending the wardrobe, Death Eaters will come and he will be forced to kill Dumbledore since they will be making sure he does it. And he'll have to if he doesn't want to die.
He let out a ragged breath and folded up the parchment, not writing anything more, aside from his name. He would send it off later in the owlry, maybe during the lunch hour.
His eyes stung, intensely not wanting to go through with this. Even before everything with Hermione happened, he didn't want to do it. Who would actually want to kill a person? The Dark Lord. Draco hated that the lizard being was twisting him to be like him, and probably chose him because of that. It's not going to happen. Draco's never going to be like the Dark Lord. Ever. He may have no choice when he is commanded to do something, but at least he can take comfort in the fact that he doesn't want to do it.
He let out another breath and rested his chin on the palm of his hand. He looked over at the Gryffindor table and saw that Hermione wasn't there, but her friends were. Did she intentionally not come to breakfast? He smirked. What does she think about what happened between them? She's probably mortified. He would be if he was her. Actually, she probably wants to punch him in the nose again. Wait, would she? She kissed him back!
His jumbled thoughts came to an abrupt halt when he saw Hermione come up to her friends. His task for the Dark Lord completely left his mind as he stared at Hermione, his pulse rising to its height, and heat rose into his cheeks. The memory of their kiss came to him again, and he covered his mouth, trying not to react to remembering her body against his, and her mouth moving with his.
Her gaze went to him as she sat down next to Potter. Her eyes widened, and he could see the fierce blush enter her cheeks. She looked away, her whole face turning red this time. Draco could laugh at it selfishly since he's giving her that reaction. He noticed Potter eye her for a moment. Draco quickly got out his wand and muttered the voice enhancing spell.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Potter asked. "Your face is as red as a cherry."
"Nothing, just forget it," she snapped.
"He's right, Hermione, you're whole face is completely red," said one of the Indian twins. "Do you have a fever?"
"Maybe Draco's still bugging her," said a blonde girl with wavy hair that Draco didn't know the name of. "Word has it that he has completely turned around and fancies you!"
"That's not the case, Lavender!" hollered Weasley.
"Of course it is," his sister argued. "Potion or not, I think he's very different."
"Yeah, and now he fancies Hermione, as unbelievable as it is," said the other Indian twin.
"And you fancy him, too, since you face is completely red," said the girl called Lavender.
"Oh, will you all stop it?!" Hermione ordered, her face still very red. Draco couldn't help but let out laughter, and Hermione definitely noticed it, along with his wand that was pointed directly to them. She gave him a disbelieving look, her eyes widening. She knew he was hearing what they were saying, and the others picked up on that as well.
"Ooo... he heard that!" enthused Finnegan.
Hermione got up and left them all, and cantered out of the Great Hall. He put his wand away and smiled, very amused, and very flattered. Boy, classes will be very entertaining if this is how things are going to go. Golly, he's happy that he has his situation with Hermione to turn to whenever he feels down now.
Draco could tell that Hermione was intentionally trying not to look at him, and dodged him whenever he came into sight. In classes, he would troll her and sit near to her, just to make her flustered. Oh, how he was enjoying this. Once potions class came around, Draco couldn't help but chuckle at Hermione's constant pink cheeks, cheeks that her friends were still noticing. Again, he intentionally chose to sit in the front row, just because she was in the front row as well.
Slughorn commenced with the lesson, and Draco caught Hermione eyeing him a couple tables away. An idea popped in his head. He'll have some fun again. He got out a small piece of parchment, wrote a note, and then sent it to her via a levitating spell under the tables until it landed in her lap. Startled, she unfolded it and read it. Draco couldn't stop smiling, amused. The note read,
How was your ginger tea yesterday?
Hermione's brows creased for a moment, then a look of realization hit her face. She gasped, and the whole class looked at her, and Draco really tried to hold in the laughter by biting his bottom lip.
"Miss Granger, is there something you would like to say?" Slughorn asked her
"N-no, sir," she stammered. "I just... saw a spider."
Some of the class chuckled, and Slughorn said, "Well, in an old classroom like this, there are bound to be a few spiders. Alright. As I was saying..."
Hermione's face couldn't be a darker shade of pink. She pulled out her wand and muttered something. The pink in her cheeks drained. Draco's brows rose. If there was such a spell that could rid her of the blush, why not use it before? He smirked. Because she was so flustered because of him. She glanced over at him, but he faced the front, knowing she was glaring at him.
He tried so hard not to laugh through the rest of class. Even though her cheeks weren't pink, he could still see that she was flustered. Once class was over, she stood up and went with her friends out the door, and he followed. He watched them stand outside the classroom for a moment. Weasley caught his eye and Draco looked away, seeming innocent. Hermione looked over at what her redheaded friend was glaring at, and she frowned. He broke a smile again and laughter escaped. Hermione told her friends to go on, saying she had a bone to pick with Draco. They left, with Weasley giving him another glare, and Hermione stalked up to him.
"Hello, Hermione," Draco greeted her. She dismissed his greeting.
"You honestly think it's funny to humiliate me?"
His brows rose. "Humiliate? It was only a joke."
"Ha! A joke? It wasn't a joke because it was true!"
He took a step closer to her and said in a sultry-like tone, "I know. I tasted that ginger on you."
Her eyes widened and she frantically looked around, and he imagined that her cheeks would be a deeper pink if it weren't for that spell she performed on herself. "Would you not say that out loud?" she demanded in a halting whisper.
He cocked his head at her and folded his arms, daring her. "Why? Afraid people will find out about us snogging? And snogged rather passi—"
Hermione stopped him by covering his mouth, and pushing him with enough force that his back hit the cold stone wall. "Shut it, will you?"
He yanked her hand off his mouth and whirled her around until he had her against the stone wall. He leaned in close to her face as his hands gripped her shoulders. He stared at her frantic hazel eyes. "Admit it, Hermione, you enjoyed it. You kissed me back."
Her lips pursed together, not being able to respond because she knew he was right. Her gaze left his at it looked around them, then went back him. "People can see this, you know. Get away from me."
He pulled out he wand and muttered a spell. "An invisibility charm. Now no one can see us."
"Draco—!" she protested, and he leaned in close to her face to stop her speaking. He eyes widened and she gulped as she looked at his crystal blue eyes. She put her hands on the upper parts of his arms, trying to push him away, but was being unsuccessful. "Let me go!"
"Don't want to."
Fire ignited in her eyes. "Then I'll scream."
"Then I'll stop you."
She knew what he was insinuating because her glance moved from his to the bottom of his face, then back up at his eyes again. "You want me to do it again, don't you?" he asked right near her mouth.
She remained silent, and he could feel her heaving in and out through her nose since her hot breath hit his face. She was obviously flustered that he was this close, and she wasn't repelling him with a spell.
"You, do," he inferred, smirked deviously. He leaned in to kiss her again, and his lips brushed hers... but the bell gonged, signaling the next class. Hermione let herself loose and pointed her wand at him. She muttered the spell that broke the invisibility charm, but kept her wand pointed at him.
"Just... stay away from me."
He fold arms, not not phased by her irritated tone of voice. "You know you don't want me to do that."
She still held her wand out to him, and confusion encumbered her features. She remained silent for a moment, as if thinking about what she wanted to say, then, "Why me, Draco? Why has all of this happened?"
Her hazel eyes pleaded with him to answer. He obviously couldn't say the real reason why he has started paying more attention to her, protecting her, and falling in love with her. He might as well give her part of the truth since she seems so desperate to know it.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm completely mad about you. I never wanted to be, but I just couldn't help myself from being drawn to that bushy hair of yours, your hazel eyes, that intelligent brain that you have have, and that terribly attractive figure." He stepped up to her, piercing her with his serious gaze. "I protected you from those two devils because I'm mad about you. I snogged you yesterday because I'm mad about you. I have done all the things I have in the past weeks because I'm so loony mad about you!"
Hermione stood there, completely stunned. Draco stood there stunned as well. He wasn't expecting to say all that, but she should know how he feels. Well, he feels it all thanks to Annabelle, but that shouldn't matter now. He feels how he feels now.
"I..." Hermione began and looked around. Thankfully, people hadn't stopped to listen to their conversation. "I... really don't know what to say to that."
"You might as well say that you fancy me, too, and not that Weasley."
Her mouth dropped open. "I don't…!" His brows rose, questioning her. She put her wand away and stood tall. "Nevermind. And just so you know, I don't fancy you."
She walked on right passed him, and he watched her go.
She's such a liar. He can sense that she's in denial, much like he was in the beginning when he refused to believe that he had feelings for her. He needs to prove that she has feelings for him, but how?
After some thinking, Draco knew just how to nip this one in the bud. He has to find Annabelle.
After classes, and after Hermione dodging him again and again whenever he came into view, he strode into the corridor that Annabelle likes to linger in, and where he first met her... and where she died. Maybe she was off talking with some of the Ravenclaw students. He has seen her do that a few times because that was her house back when she was alive.
He left the corridor and walked down other corridors, looking for her. He made it over to where the Ravenclaw common room is, but he didn't see the blue glowing girl among the students. He left that corridor and went on to ones near the Great Hall. He didn't see her as he walked down one of them, but when he came to another that led to the Great Hall, there she was, and guess who she was talking to? Draco smiled deviously. Could this be any more easy? He strode up to Annabelle and Hermione talking near a window that was bringing in a bit of light from the overcast day, and Hermione had her back to him. Annabelle's eyes widened when she saw him, and he put a finger to his lips, silently telling her not to say anything about his presence.
"Sorry, what was that, Hermione?" Annabelle asked after giving one head nod to Draco.
"Nothing, sorry, I'm just a bit flustered right now."
Annabelle's gaze flicked to Draco, then back to Hermione. "Flustered about what?"
"About..." She let out a breath, and he noticed that she hugged large books to her chest. "I suppose you know what's going on with Draco, right? Since you two are so close."
Draco noticed the annoyance in her voice and he folded his arms and smirked at that. There's another hint about how she feels. Annabelle said, "We are, but only as friends. Even though I have been in love with him since..."
She immediately stopped talking, and Draco's heart pulsed with alarm. Oh, she better not tell Hermione about that vision!
"You're in love with him?" Hermione asked.
Annabelle nodded. "Yes, I am. He's just so handsome, and the bad boy in him is so terribly attractive, even if that bad boy aspect of him is smaller due to him being a nicer person now. Because of you."
Hermione was silent to that, and Draco stared at the back of her head, at her hair, desperately wanting her to respond. "I... see." She cleared her throat. "So... you're not his ghost girlfriend, then?"
She still thought that, after him telling her that Annabelle isn't such a thing?
"No, I'm not," Annabelle said, then gave Hermione a sly look. "Why are you asking? Do you fancy him?"
Draco really wished he could see the look on Hermione's face. If she didn't use that one spell, it would most likely be very pink. He noticed her stand taller. "No, I don't."
Annabelle gave her a disbelieving look. "Are you sure? After everything that has happened between the two of you? Even after what happened at the lake?"
Hermione gasped at that, and Draco's eyes widened. Annabelle saw them at the lake?! Then again, this shouldn't be a surprise to him. Hermione asked, alarm in her voice, "How on earth do you know about that?!"
Annabelle shrugged, and she glanced over at Draco, his look demanding her to explain. She moved her gaze to Hermione again, "I heard the two of you in the corridor earlier today. While I have the tendency to follow Draco around, I didn't follow him when I saw the two of you walking down to the lake. It sure sounds like it was rather steamy." She gave her a an eye wink.
Alright, so she heard their conversation. She didn't actually follow them down to the lake. But still, it was a bit unnerving that she heard their conversation earlier.
"Oh good Lord..." Hermione exasperated. "Alright, look. Draco suddenly fancying me took me completely off-guard and shocked me. It shocked me so much that I didn't know what to do or what to think about it. I mean, at first, I thought he was just sick of bullying and what those boys were doing to me, but... then it turned into something else. Something that I wasn't expecting."
"He's mad about you."
"Yes. He made that clear."
"Yes, and it seems you made it clear to him that you fancy him, too. According to your conversation earlier, you kissed him back. Explain that to me."
Draco was so happy that he didn't even have to join this conversation between girls and get Hermione's answer out in the open. Annabelle was doing it for him. He will have to thank her later for it.
"Well..." Hermione began, "I suppose..." She let out an agitated breath. "Gosh, I've gone mad..."
"You're mad about Draco now," Annabelle elaborated. "You really can't deny it anymore, Hermione. Your face turns red when you're around him, and you become flustered."
Hermione was silent for a moment, then she confessed, "I suppose... you're right. And I hate it. I hate that Draco's sudden infatuation for me has made me have an unwanted infatuation with him. It's so frustrating that I kissed him back at the lake. And then he goes and mocks me about it!"
Draco couldn't help but let off a large grin. There. It has been said. Hermione's mad about him. He so knew it. And the fact that she hates having feelings for him makes things all the more interesting.
"That's just Draco being Draco," Annabelle said. "Even if he's alright now, he still has that little bit of git in him."
Draco's grin turned into a mild scowl at that. Annabelle gave him a "well, you know I'm right" look. Draco looked away, knowing that she was indeed right. He may not like bullying anymore, but being annoying, pulling little pranks, and joking around are still fun.
"You got that right," Hermione said, then sighed. "Well, I suppose I should go and find Harry and Ron. Ron's going to pester me about this whole situation again for the fiftieth time."
"That boy fancies you, too, Hermione. He's jealous."
She nodded. "Yes, I gathered that."
"You fancy him, too, don't you?"
Draco really didn't want to hear the answer to this, but nonetheless, Hermione revealed, "Yes, since year one, but with all these things happening with Draco... golly, I'm so confused. Look, just don't say anything about this to anyone, alright?"
"You mean your new-found feelings for the boy who once called you that foul name and wanted you to be the next victim in the Chamber of Secrets?"
Draco shot Annabelle a mean glare, not believing that she would say such things now, even if they were true. He doesn't want to be reminded again just how horrible he was to Hermione back then.
"Yes," Hermione answered, and Draco's eyes widened at her confirming her feelings for him again. His mouth opened as Hermione bid her goodbyes and walked on down the corridor, and Draco watched her back as she went.
"Are you happy now, Draco?" Annabelle asked, arms folded. "I did you a favor."
Draco still stared off at Hermione as she disappeared around a corner, awed that they both actually have feelings for one another. "Yes, and... thanks. She really does fancy me."
Annabelle quirked up a brow. "And that surprises you?"
"I just wanted to confirm it, and I have. The two people who essentially hated each other for five years straight actually fancy each other. It's mental."
"So what are you going to do now?"
Draco met the ghost girl's transparent eyes, and said in all seriousness, when he thought that it was ludicrous before, "I'm going to make sure that vision of yours comes to pass. And I mean all of it."