A/N: This took me ages to get up because of the school work I had to do. I'm sorry. This is Part 1 of a short Draco/Hermione series but there's a Prologue so please read it first if you haven't already done so.
Never Ever Part 1
Light streamed in almost blinding Hermione as she struggled to open her eyes.
"Good morning!" said Madam Pomfrey brightly, as she pulled the curtains open.
Hermione started to sit up but as she moved her head a sharp ache spread over her bruise. She flopped back onto the pillow an expression of pain on her face.
"I told you it would hurt," said the nurse kindly, "but the pain would have been worse if you hadn't taken the potion."
Hermione thought that her face could not possibly feel any worse but she didn't express this opinion. Instead she asked, "Will you be able to heal it?"
Madam Pomfrey examined the swollen, purple bruise, which covered most of Hermione's face for a few moments then said, "Bruises are trickier to heal than cuts," - Hermione wondered why and made a mental note to look it up - " but I should be able to ease the pain and make it a little less noticeable. Apart from that you'll have to wait for it to heal naturally."
Hermione tried to smile gratefully but instead winced from the pain moving her mouth caused.
"Time for some breakfast, I think," said Madam Pomfrey heading to a small room at the end of the hospital wing.
Hermione was wondering how she was going to eat without collapsing from pain, when she heard a voice croak, "Hermione…." She looked round, Fred was turning to face her.
"Hello," she said, "how are you feeling?"
"Alright, I guess," he croaked in reply, "rotten headache though."
"Ah, you're awake!" said Madam Pomfrey to Fred, as she walked back into the room, carrying two breakfast trays. "I was beginning to worry!"
The nurse handed a tray to Hermione and set the other on Malfoy's bed. Hermione hadn't realised he was awake, she was talking to Fred and Malfoy had been reading. He smiled sarcastically at her, as he set down the book and picked up his tray.
Hermione had no appetite but she forced the bacon and eggs down her throat. She was keen to leave the hospital wing as soon as possible and she was aware the nurse wouldn't permit that unless she ate some breakfast. Malfoy apparently had had the same thought. He wolfed down everything on his plate, pushed the tray aside and turned to Madam Pomfrey with his usual air of self-importance, "Can I leave now?"
"You and Miss Granger can both leave as soon as I've cleaned you up a bit," Madam Pomfrey answered. "Mr Weasley, you'll have to stay for a few days so I can keep an eye on you."
***
An hour later, after promising Fred that she and the others would visit him later, Hermione and a less purple bruise left the hospital wing. Draco Malfoy followed her out the door, "Goodbye Granger," he smirked and strode off in the direction of the dungeons. Hermione went straight to the common room. She was eager to see Harry and Ron and, she was ashamed to admit this even to herself, she was looking forward to having them fuss over her. Hermione entered the common room and was very disappointed to find it devoid of both Harry and Ron. She was heading towards the girl's spiral staircase, when she heard a shout behind her.
"Hermione!" Harry came bound through the portrait hole, followed by, to Hermione's despair, Lavender Brown.
Harry and Lavender had been seeing each other for nearly two months. It wasn't that Hermione didn't like Lavender, though she privately though Harry could do better, it was that Lavender was always very suspicious and jealous of how close Harry and Hermione were. It annoyed Hermione to be interrogated about every conversation she and Harry had.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked, stepping closer to her, "that bruise looks really sore."
" It was worse before Madam Pomfrey healed it." He looked anxiously at her. "Don't worry, I'm fine," she reassured him. "Where's Ron?"
"Oh right. I'll go and get him. He and George had something "important" to do, wouldn't tell me what it was though." Harry went up the boy's spiral staircase.
Hermione flopped down into a chair, Lavender sat on the sofa in front of her.
"You and Ron would make a nice couple, you know. You're very well suited.
Hermione smiled inwardly. She wasn't sure how well suited she and Ron where. They disagreed about almost everything. She voiced this thought.
"Well opposites attract….., " Lavender began but she was interrupted as the three boys came into the common room.
"Hermione!" said Ron beaming at her. Then his expression changed to one of concern. " Is your head okay? Is it too noisy in here?"
"Ron, I feel fine," she told him, enjoying his concern all the same.
"You okay, Hermione?" George asked, as he sat down on the floor next to her chair. "How's Fred?"
Harry flopped on the sofa beside Lavender, Ron settled himself into a chair and she told them about the hospital wing, Fred and Malfoy.
"Having to spend the entire night in the same room as Draco Malfoy…." Harry shuddered. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked again, Lavender scowled. Hermione was fed up, all through out the conversation, every time Harry looked at her or spoke to her, she had had to put up with Lavender's spiteful glances and jealous glares. It amazed Hermione that Harry never noticed how Lavender acted around her. Maybe he did but just didn't want to start an argument.
"You know this is giving me a bit of a headache," she said indicating the rowdy common room, " I think I'll go to the library for a while."
"Do you want us to come with you?" Ron asked, peering at her anxiously.
"No, no I'll be fine. I just want to be alone for a little while."
Harry and Ron were looking at her suspiciously. She tried to smile cheerfully as she stood up. "I'll see you later." She rushed to the portrait hole and out of the common room.
Hermione walked to the library, glad to be by herself. She enjoyed Ron and Harry's company but at the minute being with Harry meant being with Lavender too and Hermione was not in the mood to put up with her. As she went into the library she was surprised to find that she didn't feel like reading or working. Her face was hurting her more than she had let on and at the moment all she wanted to do was lie down. There was no way she was going back to the common room though. Harry and Ron would fuss, Lavender would scowl and Hermione's headache would get even worse. I'll just sit down and pretend to read, Hermione decided. So she began to search the stacks.
As Hermione rounded the corner of a bookcase she was very surprised to see who was sitting at one of the wooden tables. Draco Malfoy was sitting on the edge of his chair, reading a letter and visibly shaking. Hermione stepped forward, Draco was much paler than usual and his blond hair was standing on end. She went towards him but as she did, she knocked a large book off a shelf. It hit the floor with a large bang. Malfoy looked up, startled. Hermione slid behind the bookcase out of his view. Draco jumped from his seat and nervously stared around him. He stuffed the letter into his pocket and rushed from the library, still staring around nervously. In his hurry he did not notice something slipping from his other pocket, it clanked to the ground but Draco didn't hear it and rushed on. Hermione moved out of her hiding place and picked up the silver object he had dropped, "Hey Malfoy, you forgot your…….. necklace?" She looked up but Draco was already gone.
***
Hermione went down to dinner that night with the necklace in her pocket. She was determind to find Malfoy and give it back to him, she also wanted to find out what was in that letter. She hadn't mentioned the necklace to either Harry or Ron, Draco didn't seem like the type to wear a chain and this necklace was more like a woman's anyway. She wasn't sure she could put up with weeks and weeks of jokes about Malfoy and women's necklaces and women's shoes and women's clothes from her two best friends. Part of her desperately wanted to keep the necklace. It was most beautiful piece of jewellery Hermione had ever seen. A small shimmering turquoise stone was attached to an elegant silver chain. Hermione could just imagine herself wearing it but it was Draco's and it would be stealing to keep it.
Hermione ate quickly, so that she could head Malfoy off as soon as he left the Great Hall. She hoped he would be alone she didn't like the idea of giving him the necklace in front of Crabbe and Goyle very much. Unfortunately for Hermione, Malfoy left the Hall with his two henchmen in tow. Hermione sighed deeply but she jumped up and hurried out after them. Draco was at the entrance to the dungeons, Hermione pulled the necklace out of her pocket and held it high above her head. "Malfoy!" she called sharply.
He turned around in surprise, "Granger what do…" He had noticed what Hermione was holding, he stared at the necklace for a moment before turning to Crabbe and Goyle who were looking mystified. "Go on to the common room, I'll be down in a minute." Crabbe and Goyle still looked bewildered but obeyed. Malfoy grabbed Hermione's arm so hard she whimpered in pain and shoved her out the door.
"Malfoy, what do you think you're doing?" she demanded angrily, rubbing her arm.
"Give me that necklace Granger!" he shouted. He dived towards her but she held it out of his reach.
"In a minute. First tell me why you were so upset over that letter in the library."
"You were spying on me?" His voice shook with rage.
"No! Why would I? I was in the library and I saw you reading it. That's not spying!"
"Yes it is!"
"No it's not!"
"Just give me the necklace," Malfoy said, his teeth gritted in anger.
"Why have you got it anyway? It doesn't look like something you'd wear."
"Since when do you care what I wear? Give me that back. Or I'll go and report you to Snape for stealing."
"I didn't steal it! It fell out of your pocket in the library and I picked it to give it back to you!"
"So give me it back!"
Hermione stopped, she didn't know why she just didn't hand Malfoy the necklace but there was something about it. Something about it that felt important
"I'm not giving it back until you tell me why it's so important to you. And what was in the letter."
Malfoy sighed in frustration, he sat down on the grass, which was still wet from yesterday's storm and leaned his back against the castle wall. The next time he spoke he was calmer.
"What, you think the letter has something to do with your precious Pottykins? Well Hermione it doesn't. It's nothing to do with Potter or any of your little friends. There's nothing in that letter that concerns you."
Hermione knelt on the grass in front of him, the necklace clutched tightly in her hands. "In that case you won't mind telling what it was about, will you?" she said. It wasn't a question, it was more of a demand.
Draco raised his face up towards the sky and laughed lightly. "You don't give up do you? Listen Granger, you can ask me as many times as you want but I'm not going to tell you. So you might as well give me back that necklace and stop wasn't my time and yours." There was anger in his voice again.
"The lake's just over there, I could toss this in and you'd never see it again," Hermione threatened.
Malfoy moved forward until his face was just inches from hers. "Don't you dare!" he said. His voice seethed with anger.
"Then tell me."
He regarded her with something that was almost respect. He bent his head low, then looked up at her again. Hermione knew she'd won.
"The letter was about the necklace. It has nothing to do with you or Potter or anyone else except me. But that necklace is important and I'll get it back." He leaned towards her, "One way or another," he whispered. Then he moved forward and kissed her. His kiss was long and gentle. They broke apart, he smiled gently, not his usual sarcastic sneer, then he stood up and walked back into the castle.
Hermione sat there for a moment stunned. "I just kissed Malfoy," she whispered to herself. "He kissed me but why…..? The necklace!" she realised her heart sinking. "He kissed me to distract me and then took the necklace!" Hermione couldn't believe she had been so stupid. She opened the hand which had clutched the necklace. It was still sitting there, in the palm of her hand.
A/N: Well I hoped you liked that. Thanks loads for reading and thanks even more if you review.
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J. K. Rowling. Nothing is mine.