Jet black robes billowed behind Draco as he sauntered down the hall,
happily aware that the younger students scurried out of his way, and that
every girl he passed looked at him with a painful longing. All except one.
Hermione Granger turned her back on him when she saw him, sitting down on
a bench and opening a book. He looked back at his two friends, who were
more his bodyguards, motioning them to bugger off. They clumsily turned
back around down the hall, scaring a few second years away. Draco airily
passed a hand through his vibrant blond hair, making every girl in the
hallway sigh with adoration. He walked toward Hermione, staring at her
beautiful long, gleaming hair, which had started to look much better when
she had permanently straightened and tamed it with a simple spell. She
kept her head down as he sat next to her, stretching his arms out along the
back of the bench, one right behind Hermione's back, barely touching her
robes. She subtlety leaned forward an inch or two, away from his arm, and
continued to read. Draco cleared his throat. Hermione did not look up.
Draco slouched down a little, so he looked much more relaxed than he felt,
and spoke.
"Hey Hermione."
"Bugger off Draco." Hermione kept her eyes on her book, but she had definitely stopped reading. She held the book with an erect stillness, quietness. Draco broke the "awkward" silence.
"Why don't you come to the Quidditch match with me on Wednesday?" He said, moving his hand so it was touching her shoulder. "I'll get you the best seats in the stadium."
"I'm not going to the Quidditch match, Draco." Hermione closed her book, setting it in her lap, looking impatiently at the opposite wall.
"Why not? It would be fun, plus you would get to sit with me. How can you have a better time?" Draco smiled at her, but it was a cocky smile, and Hermione was tired of it.
"Draco, I just don't want to go. Especially with you."
Draco looked as if he had been stung, but only for a split second. He quickly recovered, plastering his smile back on.
"Come on, Hermione. Why won't you go with me? Every week I ask you, and every week you say no. What's wrong with one date? I mean, really, it's not like I'm asking you to marry me or anything." Draco sighed, a rare thing for him to do.
"Draco, I'm sorry, but it's just . . . I just can't go with you, okay?"
"Why not? You never go to the Quidditch games!"
"I do too, Draco!" Hermione turned to face him, seeming upset at his accusation. "I do watch Quidditch, but only when Harry or you-" She stopped suddenly, her cheeks blushing a deep crimson. Draco stared at her.
"What did you just say?" He asked incredulously. "What were you going to say?"
"Nothing, I-"
"Hermione, tell me!" Hermione quickly gathered her book bag, swinging it onto her shoulder as she rose from where she sat. "Hermione!" But she was already racing down the hall, leaving Draco stunned where he sat. Had he heard her right? Did she only come to games to watch Harry . . . and him?
"Hey Hermione."
"Bugger off Draco." Hermione kept her eyes on her book, but she had definitely stopped reading. She held the book with an erect stillness, quietness. Draco broke the "awkward" silence.
"Why don't you come to the Quidditch match with me on Wednesday?" He said, moving his hand so it was touching her shoulder. "I'll get you the best seats in the stadium."
"I'm not going to the Quidditch match, Draco." Hermione closed her book, setting it in her lap, looking impatiently at the opposite wall.
"Why not? It would be fun, plus you would get to sit with me. How can you have a better time?" Draco smiled at her, but it was a cocky smile, and Hermione was tired of it.
"Draco, I just don't want to go. Especially with you."
Draco looked as if he had been stung, but only for a split second. He quickly recovered, plastering his smile back on.
"Come on, Hermione. Why won't you go with me? Every week I ask you, and every week you say no. What's wrong with one date? I mean, really, it's not like I'm asking you to marry me or anything." Draco sighed, a rare thing for him to do.
"Draco, I'm sorry, but it's just . . . I just can't go with you, okay?"
"Why not? You never go to the Quidditch games!"
"I do too, Draco!" Hermione turned to face him, seeming upset at his accusation. "I do watch Quidditch, but only when Harry or you-" She stopped suddenly, her cheeks blushing a deep crimson. Draco stared at her.
"What did you just say?" He asked incredulously. "What were you going to say?"
"Nothing, I-"
"Hermione, tell me!" Hermione quickly gathered her book bag, swinging it onto her shoulder as she rose from where she sat. "Hermione!" But she was already racing down the hall, leaving Draco stunned where he sat. Had he heard her right? Did she only come to games to watch Harry . . . and him?
