Disclaimer: Everything except the plot belongs to J.K. Rowling, and not to
me.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Some of you commented that Lucius Malfoy reacted surprisingly well to Draco's friendship with Hermione. I've read a lot of stories where Draco gets beaten up by his father, and where Lucius is thoroughly evil, but personally I don't reckon Draco gets beaten at home, he's got far too much self confidence and doesn't flinch away from a fight. I reckon that Draco's slightly spoilt, and that Lucius would attempt to manipulate him but not necessarily force him to do anything. Obviously he'd change if Draco decided not to follow Voldemort once he left school, but at this stage he doesn't want to bring too much attention to his own support of You-Know-Who.
That's my opinion anyway, you don't have to agree with me. I wanted to create a situation where Draco could be friends with Hermione without denouncing his parents as Death Eaters, or without their sudden and convenient deaths, as happens in so many Draco/Hermione fics.
(Part 11)
The first Hogsmeade weekend of the new year was in early February. There was snow on the ground, fairly thick, but the paths had been cleared and the trip to town hadn't been cancelled, much to the relief of the students.
Draco Malfoy bet one hundred and fifty Galleons against a day with Hermione, and won.
"Where did you want to go today?"
"I don't mind. I don't need anything in particular, I got a whole load of books for Christmas." Hermione looked strangely bulky, because she was wearing her Muggle coat under her cloak as extra protection against the cold. "Let's keep moving, though, I'll freeze if I stand still!" They started to walk slowly through Hogsmeade, careful of their footing on the icy streets.
"Hey!" Hermione whirled around to see who had thrown the snowball which had just hit her on the back. She slipped slightly and had to grab hold of Draco to steady herself.
"Sorry Hermione, that wasn't meant for you." Ron tried to sound apologetic, but couldn't stop grinning. Draco was already scooping up snow to retaliate.
"I think that two against eight was a bit unfair." Draco panted as they ducked into an alleyway. Ron had been joined by Harry and the rest of his dormitory, plus Ginny and the Creevey brothers. Finding herself caught in the rain of snowballs meant for Draco, Hermione had joined in to protect herself. Outnumbered, they'd given up and run away.
"Two against eight? There were nine Gryffindors out there…" Draco stopped looking along the street to see if they were being followed and turned back to Hermione, who had her hands behind her back and an innocent expression.
"What do you mean?" Draco knew what was coming.
"I'm a Gryffindor too…" The snowball hit him in the face before he had time to move.
"You little…" Draco grabbed a fistful of snow and walked slowly towards her. Laughing, Hermione backed away until she was up against the wall.
"Draco… don't…"
"Don't what?" It was his turn for an innocent expression as he started to loosen her scarf with one hand, intending to drop the snow down her neck.
"Please?" She wasn't laughing any more. Her pulse was pumping in her ears as she stared into his eyes.
The joking atmosphere vanished as they forgot about the rest of the world. Draco's handful of snow dropped unnoticed to the floor as he put one finger under Hermione's chin and tilted her face up. Hermione closed her eyes as she felt his breath warm against her face, forgot about the cold, forgot about the rest of Gryffindor shouting with laughter in the street, forgot about everything except Draco's lips on hers.
*****
Wandering back to Gryffindor Tower in a daze, Hermione wasn't really aware of where she was walking. She'd spent all afternoon kissing Draco Malfoy in deserted corners of Hogsmeade, and nearly an hour kissing him in an empty classroom after dinner. Now she was walking on auto pilot, until she stood by the portrait of the Fat Lady, totally unable to remember the new password.
"Sorry dear, it changed this morning." Hermione sighed in frustration. She had been told the password, she knew what it was, she just couldn't quite remember…
"Water Lilies." One of the first years who regularly turned up for help with homework had hurried down from the direction of the library, a couple of books in her arms. The portrait swung open, and they both went into the common room, which was empty.
"I'm glad you turned up, I couldn't remember the password. It was on the tip of my tongue, but I just couldn't think what it was." Hermione smiled at the younger girl.
"Are you feeling all right? It's not like you to forget things."
"Just a bit distracted. It's been a funny day."
"Did something happen in Hogsmeade?" She loved hearing about the town, she couldn't wait until she was in the third year and old enough to go herself.
Hermione looked at her. She had a sudden urge to tell someone what had happened.
"Sarah, isn't it? Can you keep a secret?" Sarah nodded breathlessly. Hermione took a deep breath and sat down.
"Draco Malfoy kissed me today." Sarah's mouth dropped open, her eyes were round with excitement.
"Wow! You are so lucky!" Hermione smiled, suddenly realising that Sarah's regular attendance at the homework help sessions might be due to something other than a desire to get good marks. "I'm so pleased you've got together!" Sarah put her books on a nearby table and sat next to Hermione. "Is he a good kisser?"
*****
"I just don't understand why Draco's spending so much time with that Mudblood Gryffindor."
Hermione ducked into an empty classroom, listening to the footsteps in the corridor. She recognised Millicent Bulstrode's voice, but who was she with?
"Oh, his father told my mother what that's all about." Pansy Parkinson. "Draco's only pretending to be friends with her so that he can pass information back to his father about what Harry Potter's up to. What's really funny is that she's falling for him!"
The voices faded away as the Slytherin girls moved further up the corridor. Hermione let out the breath that she hadn't known she was holding.
"I trusted you! I knew I shouldn't have trusted you!" Hermione whirled around him, her robes billowing.
"Hermione, what's happened?" Draco tried to catch hold of her but she dodged out of reach.
"What's happened? I've found out your little game, that's what's happened! I don't appreciate being used, Malfoy!"
"Hermione, I don't know what you're talking about." He tried again to catch hold of her, make her stand still.
"Don't touch me! Don't you ever touch me again." Near to tears, she stormed past him and disappeared into the maze of corridors.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Some of you commented that Lucius Malfoy reacted surprisingly well to Draco's friendship with Hermione. I've read a lot of stories where Draco gets beaten up by his father, and where Lucius is thoroughly evil, but personally I don't reckon Draco gets beaten at home, he's got far too much self confidence and doesn't flinch away from a fight. I reckon that Draco's slightly spoilt, and that Lucius would attempt to manipulate him but not necessarily force him to do anything. Obviously he'd change if Draco decided not to follow Voldemort once he left school, but at this stage he doesn't want to bring too much attention to his own support of You-Know-Who.
That's my opinion anyway, you don't have to agree with me. I wanted to create a situation where Draco could be friends with Hermione without denouncing his parents as Death Eaters, or without their sudden and convenient deaths, as happens in so many Draco/Hermione fics.
(Part 11)
The first Hogsmeade weekend of the new year was in early February. There was snow on the ground, fairly thick, but the paths had been cleared and the trip to town hadn't been cancelled, much to the relief of the students.
Draco Malfoy bet one hundred and fifty Galleons against a day with Hermione, and won.
"Where did you want to go today?"
"I don't mind. I don't need anything in particular, I got a whole load of books for Christmas." Hermione looked strangely bulky, because she was wearing her Muggle coat under her cloak as extra protection against the cold. "Let's keep moving, though, I'll freeze if I stand still!" They started to walk slowly through Hogsmeade, careful of their footing on the icy streets.
"Hey!" Hermione whirled around to see who had thrown the snowball which had just hit her on the back. She slipped slightly and had to grab hold of Draco to steady herself.
"Sorry Hermione, that wasn't meant for you." Ron tried to sound apologetic, but couldn't stop grinning. Draco was already scooping up snow to retaliate.
"I think that two against eight was a bit unfair." Draco panted as they ducked into an alleyway. Ron had been joined by Harry and the rest of his dormitory, plus Ginny and the Creevey brothers. Finding herself caught in the rain of snowballs meant for Draco, Hermione had joined in to protect herself. Outnumbered, they'd given up and run away.
"Two against eight? There were nine Gryffindors out there…" Draco stopped looking along the street to see if they were being followed and turned back to Hermione, who had her hands behind her back and an innocent expression.
"What do you mean?" Draco knew what was coming.
"I'm a Gryffindor too…" The snowball hit him in the face before he had time to move.
"You little…" Draco grabbed a fistful of snow and walked slowly towards her. Laughing, Hermione backed away until she was up against the wall.
"Draco… don't…"
"Don't what?" It was his turn for an innocent expression as he started to loosen her scarf with one hand, intending to drop the snow down her neck.
"Please?" She wasn't laughing any more. Her pulse was pumping in her ears as she stared into his eyes.
The joking atmosphere vanished as they forgot about the rest of the world. Draco's handful of snow dropped unnoticed to the floor as he put one finger under Hermione's chin and tilted her face up. Hermione closed her eyes as she felt his breath warm against her face, forgot about the cold, forgot about the rest of Gryffindor shouting with laughter in the street, forgot about everything except Draco's lips on hers.
*****
Wandering back to Gryffindor Tower in a daze, Hermione wasn't really aware of where she was walking. She'd spent all afternoon kissing Draco Malfoy in deserted corners of Hogsmeade, and nearly an hour kissing him in an empty classroom after dinner. Now she was walking on auto pilot, until she stood by the portrait of the Fat Lady, totally unable to remember the new password.
"Sorry dear, it changed this morning." Hermione sighed in frustration. She had been told the password, she knew what it was, she just couldn't quite remember…
"Water Lilies." One of the first years who regularly turned up for help with homework had hurried down from the direction of the library, a couple of books in her arms. The portrait swung open, and they both went into the common room, which was empty.
"I'm glad you turned up, I couldn't remember the password. It was on the tip of my tongue, but I just couldn't think what it was." Hermione smiled at the younger girl.
"Are you feeling all right? It's not like you to forget things."
"Just a bit distracted. It's been a funny day."
"Did something happen in Hogsmeade?" She loved hearing about the town, she couldn't wait until she was in the third year and old enough to go herself.
Hermione looked at her. She had a sudden urge to tell someone what had happened.
"Sarah, isn't it? Can you keep a secret?" Sarah nodded breathlessly. Hermione took a deep breath and sat down.
"Draco Malfoy kissed me today." Sarah's mouth dropped open, her eyes were round with excitement.
"Wow! You are so lucky!" Hermione smiled, suddenly realising that Sarah's regular attendance at the homework help sessions might be due to something other than a desire to get good marks. "I'm so pleased you've got together!" Sarah put her books on a nearby table and sat next to Hermione. "Is he a good kisser?"
*****
"I just don't understand why Draco's spending so much time with that Mudblood Gryffindor."
Hermione ducked into an empty classroom, listening to the footsteps in the corridor. She recognised Millicent Bulstrode's voice, but who was she with?
"Oh, his father told my mother what that's all about." Pansy Parkinson. "Draco's only pretending to be friends with her so that he can pass information back to his father about what Harry Potter's up to. What's really funny is that she's falling for him!"
The voices faded away as the Slytherin girls moved further up the corridor. Hermione let out the breath that she hadn't known she was holding.
"I trusted you! I knew I shouldn't have trusted you!" Hermione whirled around him, her robes billowing.
"Hermione, what's happened?" Draco tried to catch hold of her but she dodged out of reach.
"What's happened? I've found out your little game, that's what's happened! I don't appreciate being used, Malfoy!"
"Hermione, I don't know what you're talking about." He tried again to catch hold of her, make her stand still.
"Don't touch me! Don't you ever touch me again." Near to tears, she stormed past him and disappeared into the maze of corridors.