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~*~Hermione's Fallen Angel~*~
Chapter Two
(Author's Note: Hee, hee, hee. Ain't I a sneaky little thing? There are lots of hidden jokes in this only certain people will understand. I have no idea when this is going to be posted since stupid ff.n is having so many troubles with all their servers. Doesn't it just suck how right when you're really into something online it seems to come crashing down on you? Computers are evil, evil things I declare! We need to rebel against the evil computers and fling ourselves into the fifth dimension so we can travel to a remote universe in a different realm and save the world and fall in love, and then finally when we're all happy we find out we most leave our loves and go rebuild Heaven since there was a war and it got all ruined, and never see our love's precious face ever again, well except when we're all dead and rotting with worms up our noses! Oh- and yeah, we need some flying monkeys and some tellies and perhaps even we can be in mortal danger 24/7! *Cackles insanely* Oh yes, one more thing- after you're done reading this, a star will self-destruct, create massive fireballs, which will crash into the earth in a thousand years, destroying civilization as we know it, leaving the only living creatures to be sea plasma. Um, yes, so sue, I've been reading far too much and mixing and matching book plots and adding some junk of my own. And is it that big of a deal I'm sort of drunk on fizz right now? Good, I didn't think so! Cheerio!)
I don't need you to tell me I'm pretty to make me
feel beautiful. I don't need you to give your strength to make me feel strong.
I got all of the strength I need right here in my own two hands. All that I
want is your love and respect for who I am. What I really need comes from deep
inside of me. Don't need you to tell me I'm pretty to make me feel beautiful,
don't need you to make me strong cause I'm strong on my own. Doesn't come from
outside, this beauty I know comes from inside my soul, don't need you to tell
me I'm pretty. I don't need you to believe in me to make me know I'm worth
believing in, I don't need you to lift me up higher to know I can stand tall, I
can stand tall. I can stand high and proud.
"And so you're trying to tell me what exactly?" Severus Snape stirred his tea as he watched his favourite student grin at him. Draco and Snape, despite the age difference, were very close. Since Lucius was never a very fatherly figure- well, neither was Snape- Draco found that the only person he could ever trust in his whole life was the greasy, rude Potions master, Head of the Slytherin house. "That you made a deal with a Gryffindor, Mr. Malfoy?" Snape peered curiously at Draco, his face stern, but his eyes dancing with amusement. Call it whatever you like, but perhaps the best word for the relationship between these two, was Snape being sort of a mentor of all trades.
"Yes, professor, quite. You know Granger is the perfect one to do it, I can see your little amused look in your eyes. And, you understand, of course, that this conversation is strictly to be confined to this room?"
"But of course,"
"Good. It's my life, you know, and Lucius- well, you know how he is- he doesn't love me; h***, he doesn't even like me, but he has this whole family-name-pride thing, and I've been just itching for ages now to screw it all up. Who knows, professor, my attitude check might turn out to be a good thing for many reasons- I- no matter what side I end up on- will always win," Draco was straddling his chair backwards, his arms folded on the top of it, his chin resting luxuriously on them. "Do you approve?"
"Well, Mr. Malfoy, in my day, we never did things like this because it was highly frowned on, much as it is today," Snape cocked an eyebrow. "But- unlike your father, I really have no say in your life, seeing as you own it, and Slytherin pride prohibits me from attempting to thwart your plans- however unheard of and sinister they may be," Snape chose his words wisely.
"Yeah, yeah, you know you're rooting for me, professor-kins," Draco snorted loudly, but Snape only sipped his tea, his face showing no concern for the matter whatsoever. "Man, I don't see how you could have ever been best friends with Lucius! For God's sake, the man's stark raving sensible!" he shuddered.
Instead of commenting, a slight smile spread across the teacher's lips. "You remind me strongly of someone. Lets just hope your future doesn't choose the same course as the person I have in mind," Before Draco could question, Snape glanced at the big clock on the wall. "Unfortunately, I have a meeting, so we'll have to cut this little get together short. Just a few words of advice before you go and a question,"
"Suit yourself," Draco shrugged.
"Do you and Granger have any one thing in common?" Snape sneered. Draco actually thought it about it, so the Potions master waited patiently. Finally, after sucking on his cheek for near a full minute, Draco's eyes brightened, and he replied.
"Yes, we're both attracted to me," he said in a brutally honest, snobby fashion. Snape snorted.
"Now the advice. You're fifteen now. Keep in mind that the Dark Side is watching you closely, which is no wonder considering whose son you are. You, Draco Lucius Malfoy, need no one to watch over you, I know that all too well, but I assure you that by what you've decided to do this year will make you seriously repent that. I'm no namby-pamby Gryffindor, so I'm not going to tell you to be careful. My students already know that if I have taught them anything," Draco smirked, but got up. Snape straightened his robes, and while he was doing this, Draco picked up a paperweight off his desk and moved it three centimeters to the left. He turned to leave, but before he got to the door, Snape was reaching, absentmindedly, to fix his weight.
"You know, Snape, you're pretty cool for an old guy," Draco admitted, an eyebrow quirked.
"Thank you Mr. Malfoy," Snape narrowed his eyelids as he watched Draco walk out the door, and walk to wherever pleased him. As soon as Draco was long gone, Snape finished the last sip of his tea, still staring at the door. "And you, Mr. Malfoy, are much more important than you'll ever know."
~*~*~*~*~*~
"So, how are we drawing this whole thing out Malfoy?" Hermione asked with curiosity muffled in her voice. Draco, always the perceptive one, noticed, and took advantage of it. He turned to her, his eyes glowing with mischief, and his lips lifted slightly upwards.
"Hermione dear- you have to call me Draco now, remember?" he reminded in a sickeningly gentle way. All he received was a good swift kick in the shin that made him cringe.
"Like h*** I do! At least not now when we're alone! Answer my question,"
"No,"
"Why?"
"Because I have to tinkle," Draco giggled. Hermione slammed her textbooks down on the library table.
"Malfoy, I swear to God- you do that in public when I'm within hearing range I'll knock every single one of those pretty white teeth out. You got me?"
"Oo! Granger's turned violent!" Draco snickered, in his element. "A word of warning: don't mess with the ice," his eyes glittered as if on cue. Hermione had a scowl on her face so poisonous looking; it probably would have made anybody else but Draco faint dead away. You could have cut through the tension in the room with a butter knife. Both headstrong fifteen-year-olds stared into each other's eyes, each equally as determined not to break the ferocious glare first. Soft, deep, warm, coffee-coloured eyes burned into harsh, jagged, icy, granite-coloured ones. When it became obvious that Draco had a lot more practice doing this sort of thing than Hermione, she let out a shriek of outrage, and began banging her forehead on the table. Draco crossed his arms on the table, his chin resting on them, and his eyes went up and down like a yo-yo as he watched her head move with rhythmatical beat.
"Why must you be so peevish?" Hermione demanded of him, still banging her head monotonously on the hard, sturdy table. "It's utterly wretched to have to sit here and listen to you, Your Highness Of Dullsville!"
"Hey now, don't you dare start dragging your big words into this. And I'm not dull, I assure you. I just have to tinkle!" when she showed no sign of amusement over this, he sighed. "What was your question again, then?"
"I asked you, before you delayed this whole thing by being your annoying self, how we are drawing this whole thing out," she stated, looking up from banging her head against the desk. Draco narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. She had a small piece of wood stuck to her forehead, and without even thinking, he raised his hand and brushed it away. Hermione was livid, and she scooted back her chair in protest. "Never." She banged him over the head as hard as she could with her Transfiguration book, the heaviest of the lot. "Ever." She whacked him again, even harder. "Touch." WHACK. "Me." WHACK. "Again." WHACK, WHACK, WHACK.
Draco howled with pain. He, upon instinct, drew out his wand, and pointed it at Hermione before she could even move her hand an inch toward hers. "You forget, my little darling, who you're dealing with here!" he stood up, pushing his chair back, and pointed his wand right up to her neck. Lucky for the both of them, it was again late at night, and Madame Pince had left Hermione in charge. "There's no one else in here except me and you. Meaning no Potty and no Weasel to save you if I chose to do something rather reckless," his words were most definitely threatening, but Hermione simply lifted an eyebrow.
"You can't do one thing to me, because let's face the facts, Malfoy: you need me." Her words were filled with loathing, but they were indeed words of truth and wisdom. "Now I suggest you remove your filthy wand from my face before I snap it in two," she moved her hand up next to it threateningly, and Draco reluctantly dropped it. To her surprise, he sighed.
"Granger, how are we ever going to work together if we can't even hold a conversation without trying to kill each other?" he slumped down in his chair, and for the first time in all the years she'd known him, she saw something in Draco Malfoy she'd never noticed before. He looked tired, and weak, and burdened.
"Such a fierce little ferret, aren't we Malfoy?" Hermione mused. He didn't even look up, let alone snap back. "But I'm sorry for whacking you those five times," she offered, and he tilted his head up a little.
"It's okay, but actually it was seven. Believe me, I counted,"
"Whatever. I bet they gave you a quick headache though no matter how many times I hit you," she bit her lip. She was right, she realized, he needed her, but she also needed him. Perhaps it was a better idea not to try and attack him every time he spoke. Draco nodded in reply, and pressed a hand to his left eye. "Ah, you have a migraine if your eye hurts. Hey- I know a spell that gets rid of those," she said, with hope of making amends with him.
"By all means then, do it, because I've never had one of these- these things, before in my life, and I'm in horrible throbbing pain!" he let out a moan of anguish, and Hermione couldn't help but laughing.
"Silly little ferret! You won't die from it, you know," she grinned, but he started to pout. Before he could say a word, she pointed her wand at his head. Draco grabbed its tip suddenly and stared at her.
"Hey, watch where you point that thing, okay? You could poke my eye out, and I could die of blood loss, or even worse, ruin my good looks. Besides, I don't think I want you casting spells on me; you'd most likely blow me up!" Hermione withdrew her wand, but an amused smile danced in her eyes.
"Heh, Malfoy, you're afraid of the ickle wand!" she prodded him with it, and watched in her glory as he flinched, and scooted his chair away.
"Refrain from touching me again Granger, when its against my will, or I'll start charging you admission," he scowled sourly at her. "So, anyhow, I have a schedule for us. You'll just have to work around it, I suppose," he ignored how Hermione's nostrils flared and her eyes grew with irritation and anger. Draco tilted his head, looking at his mortal enemy obliquely. After staring a moment, he pursed his lips, and then spoke again, returning his head to its normal position. "We need to ease into this. Though it would be a greater shock if we just blurted it all out, people wouldn't take it seriously, you understand. If it was me- and say, Pansy Parkinson, then it would be expected and welcomed, but with your personality, things would fail immediately. You get me?"
"Yes. I understand. Everyone knows I'm way too intelligent to date you," Hermione snapped at him, her arms crossed, which made Draco lift an eyebrow, glance at her wand warily, and then smirk.
"Harsh Granger," he shrugged lightly, and watched her amusedly.
"Yeah, isn't it lovely Malfoy? I guess I'm just a real harsh one at heart,"
"Don't be cynical, it only works for me. You're not a Slytherin, fortunately for me; remember? Heh, oh yeah- you go ahead, get mad. You really think I care?" he shook with silent laughter, and Hermione dropped her jaw in amazement, plopping her wand down on the chair. Then, Miss Goody Two Shoes did something that Draco would have never expected of her. Hermione Granger raised her middle finger, and flipped him off crudely, a malicious, hateful look on her face.
"F*** off!" she whispered. They were both shaking now, Draco still with laughter, and Hermione with absolute rage. "Think me funny do you? Oh, I'm so sorry, Your Highness, I guess I'm unworthy of your greatness, huh?" she raised her voice to a scream, and when he couldn't stop laughing long enough to retort, Hermione dropped her scowl, and looked at him matter-of-factly. "Fine then, Draco, let me prove to you just how 'bad' I can be," he immediately looked shocked, but she only got a glimpse of the curious look, because before she could change her mind, she lowered her head toward his.
Draco had no sense of reality as she lowered her head, much to his disgust, and her soft, un-chapped, gentle lips hovered gently just above his. She gently touched her tongue to his bottom lip, teasing him, and he was in such a state of utter shock, that he couldn't even fight. Draco Lucius Malfoy not fighting? Heh.
He opened his mouth willingly, expecting Hermione to divulge him with a luscious, secret, passionate kiss (which are the best kind of all), but she raised her head and stared at him. "Well?" she demanded after a minute of silence. She looked like she wanted him to say something, as if she had said something just moments ago that Draco had already forgotten… It took every ounce of self-control and training he could muster, not to beg her right then to at least finish the kiss, half-born in the heat of utmost hate, heat, and dirtiness. But he couldn't. And Hermione hadn't kissed him.
Draco put on a look of cool, unbothered, amusement. "You said my name. I'm so very proud of you Hermione. That was a really good effort you showed when you spoke those two very easy syllables. Maybe I can train you someday into saying 'my darling sweetheart', huh?" This was too much for Hermione, and before Draco could embarrass her more, she turned on her heel, walked out the library door, flung the key at his head over her shoulder, and slammed the door behind her.
She'd left her book bag. Hermione hadn't kissed him.
END OF PREVIEW! STAY TUNED, THIS CHAPTER WILL BE A LONG
ONE, SO PLEASE BE PATIENT; IT WILL BE WELL WORTH YOUR WAIT!!!