You will fly and you will crawl
God knows even angels fall
No such thing as you lost it all
God knows even angels fall
--- Jessica Riddle
Chapter One: Falling
Hermione pushed the hangings back on the four poster. It was wonderful to be back. She slipped into jeans and a tank top. The beauty of Saturdays…
The possibilities of the day stretched before her. Perhaps she would read outside, underneath a tree. Hermione pulled back the curtains.
It was pouring rain.
Hermione groaned. Then… she smiled. She ran out impossibly fast.
She reached the doors to the grounds. She spun around and around, rain soaking her through and through.
"Well, Granger, that was quite a show."
She turned to the door. A handsome blonde boy with sharp features wearing jeans, a shirt that read "Here We are Now, Entertain Us" and a black cloak was leaning on the doorway. He was smiling, displaying a perfect row of iridescent white teeth.
"What do you want, Malfoy?"
Draco smiled wider. She was standing there, getting soaked further and further, not realizing her tank top was white, dark brown hair strewn everywhere, and looking positively beautiful. Not that he would admit that.
"Nothing. I just couldn't resist watching a girl spinning in the rain in a white tank top."
Her brown eyes widened, and her arms immediately raced to his spot of interest.
Hermione was getting angry. The nerve of that pervert…
His grey eyes were searching every square inch of her. Suddenly he reached out his hand.
"Come inside before you catch something, you crazy girl," he laughed out. She came in and he slung his cloak over her shoulders.
"Thanks," she mumbled.
"Anytime," he said, leaving her standing alone in the entrance hall.
***
That afternoon, Hermione sighed and pulled out Malfoy's cloak. It needed to go home…
It was obviously expensive, black velvet with silk lining, an intricate white gold design laden with emeralds was on the clasp. Hermione stood up, and put it in her bag, headed for the library.
Harry caught her arm quickly before she left. "Where are you going?"
"Library."
He raised an eyebrow. "Hermione, I thought you read every book in that place."
Hermione swatted at his arm. "Leggo!"
"My Eggo!" Harry teased. Hermione stuck her tongue out at him as she left.
She moved past Lavender and Seamus in the hallway, giggling at their snog-fest. She entered the library, and did a scan. Nobody else was in here, except Colin Creevey and his brother, Dennis.
Hermione turned to leave, and bumped right into Draco Malfoy.
"What-" she began, however Draco put his finger to his lips, and grabbed her hand. He took her across the hall into an empty classroom.
"What do you want?" Hermione asked.
Draco had his back to her. "What's it like?"
Hermione was confused. "Huh?"
"Dancing in the rain."
Puzzled, Hermione sat on the desk next to where he was standing. "Well, it's like, I don't know."
He laughed. "Then why do you do it?"
Hermione sighed. "Because I can, I suppose. You feel so free, like when you're a kid and you swing so high you feel like you can just soar into the sky."
Draco finally looked at her. "Sounds like a fairy-tale kiss or something."
"I wouldn't know," Hermione shrugged.
He looked back at the window where the rain pattered against the pane. "You've never been kissed?"
"No."
"Why?"
Hermione had no idea. "Nobody wants to I suppose. I- Are we having a civilized conversation?"
"Yes," Draco said, smiling. "And why wouldn't somebody want to kiss you?"
Hermione laughed hollowly. "You tell me, you're an expert on my dysfunctions."
"I'm an expert at getting your friends angry, not your 'dysfunctions.'"
Hermione sighed.
"And for your information, I wouldn't mind kissing you."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Prove it."
Draco turned toward her, smiling. "Really?"
"Sure."
"Stand up then."
Hermione stood up. "You won't kiss-"
Draco pulled her mouth to his and silenced the words. He pushed his mouth against hers, biting her lips, she tasted like chocolate, and Hermione pushed into the kiss as well, never wanting it to stop, to have that peppermint taste mixing in her mouth forever, and oh, God, this just can't stop, her mind screaming against it, but her lips disobeying terribly, and he couldn't find any way to get away from her, and started to explore her neck as her pulse raced, and if it stopped, the world would too, Draco put her back on the table, all he wanted was-
"Stop," she said. He did, panting. Suddenly her innocence rushed back into his mind. She wasn't Pansy Parkinson or Lavender Brown. She had no clue what sex was like, and he wasn't about to use her naïveté to his advantage.
"Sorry," Draco said. "That wasn't fair was it?"
"That was," she said, "fifty times better than dancing in the rain."
Draco laughed. "Good to know."
The rain still pattered outside.
"Come with me," Hermione said. He grabbed her bag.
***
"No," Draco said. "It's one thing when girls do it, but my masculinity screams against it."
"Come on, Draco," Hermione said. "You said you wanted to know what dancing in the rain feels like."
Draco looked in dismay out the door. "I don't know… I think you've completely lost your Gobstones."
Hermione stepped out the door. "Well, I'm out here."
Draco really wanted her to come in. "You're gonna get sick! I will, too!"
"Good," Hermione said, "At least we'll have each other for company."
"I hate getting wet!"
Hermione came in. "Fine."
Then she hugged him.
"Argh!!! I'm soaked Hermione Whateveryourmiddlenameis Granger!"
She pulled him outside. "Now spin."
Draco looked at her as though she was completely insane. "Not by myself."
Hermione looped her arms around his neck, then said, "Spin me then."
Draco raised his eyebrow again. He picked her up and for some unknown reason began to spin her. Then he tripped.
They both fell to the ground and got splattered with mud. Draco looked over at Hermione, then started to laugh like he never had before. Giant guffaws rose all through his throat. Hermione laughed as well.
From Gryffindor Tower Harry Potter watched as Draco picked Hermione up again, and spun her more, then kissed her. For some reason he smiled, a distant knowing building in his mind.
***
"It was very fast," I said. "I loved her for years, but I never quite comprehended why that day I just did what I did. We never pinpointed the 'how's' of how we came together, it just happened. I have a feeling she had known for a long time beforehand, and I also think she knew she barely had any time left, just that year. Hermione knew things. She felt them."
"Wow. She was so cool," Helene replied. "Did you guys ever-?"
"Have sex? Yes. But I won't get there for awhile. Hermione was a lot more mature than I was, but I had more experience than she did. She was, in all actuality, a little naïve, and I feared what sex could do to her."
"Oh. I regret not knowing her now."
"I regret so many things now, and I'm only eighteen."
"Like what?"
"Number one, in spite of what I told you, I still moved very fast with Hermione. Also…"
"What?"
"I regret not being able to save her when the time came."
"When was that?"
"I'll get there eventually."
God knows even angels fall
No such thing as you lost it all
God knows even angels fall
--- Jessica Riddle
Chapter One: Falling
Hermione pushed the hangings back on the four poster. It was wonderful to be back. She slipped into jeans and a tank top. The beauty of Saturdays…
The possibilities of the day stretched before her. Perhaps she would read outside, underneath a tree. Hermione pulled back the curtains.
It was pouring rain.
Hermione groaned. Then… she smiled. She ran out impossibly fast.
She reached the doors to the grounds. She spun around and around, rain soaking her through and through.
"Well, Granger, that was quite a show."
She turned to the door. A handsome blonde boy with sharp features wearing jeans, a shirt that read "Here We are Now, Entertain Us" and a black cloak was leaning on the doorway. He was smiling, displaying a perfect row of iridescent white teeth.
"What do you want, Malfoy?"
Draco smiled wider. She was standing there, getting soaked further and further, not realizing her tank top was white, dark brown hair strewn everywhere, and looking positively beautiful. Not that he would admit that.
"Nothing. I just couldn't resist watching a girl spinning in the rain in a white tank top."
Her brown eyes widened, and her arms immediately raced to his spot of interest.
Hermione was getting angry. The nerve of that pervert…
His grey eyes were searching every square inch of her. Suddenly he reached out his hand.
"Come inside before you catch something, you crazy girl," he laughed out. She came in and he slung his cloak over her shoulders.
"Thanks," she mumbled.
"Anytime," he said, leaving her standing alone in the entrance hall.
***
That afternoon, Hermione sighed and pulled out Malfoy's cloak. It needed to go home…
It was obviously expensive, black velvet with silk lining, an intricate white gold design laden with emeralds was on the clasp. Hermione stood up, and put it in her bag, headed for the library.
Harry caught her arm quickly before she left. "Where are you going?"
"Library."
He raised an eyebrow. "Hermione, I thought you read every book in that place."
Hermione swatted at his arm. "Leggo!"
"My Eggo!" Harry teased. Hermione stuck her tongue out at him as she left.
She moved past Lavender and Seamus in the hallway, giggling at their snog-fest. She entered the library, and did a scan. Nobody else was in here, except Colin Creevey and his brother, Dennis.
Hermione turned to leave, and bumped right into Draco Malfoy.
"What-" she began, however Draco put his finger to his lips, and grabbed her hand. He took her across the hall into an empty classroom.
"What do you want?" Hermione asked.
Draco had his back to her. "What's it like?"
Hermione was confused. "Huh?"
"Dancing in the rain."
Puzzled, Hermione sat on the desk next to where he was standing. "Well, it's like, I don't know."
He laughed. "Then why do you do it?"
Hermione sighed. "Because I can, I suppose. You feel so free, like when you're a kid and you swing so high you feel like you can just soar into the sky."
Draco finally looked at her. "Sounds like a fairy-tale kiss or something."
"I wouldn't know," Hermione shrugged.
He looked back at the window where the rain pattered against the pane. "You've never been kissed?"
"No."
"Why?"
Hermione had no idea. "Nobody wants to I suppose. I- Are we having a civilized conversation?"
"Yes," Draco said, smiling. "And why wouldn't somebody want to kiss you?"
Hermione laughed hollowly. "You tell me, you're an expert on my dysfunctions."
"I'm an expert at getting your friends angry, not your 'dysfunctions.'"
Hermione sighed.
"And for your information, I wouldn't mind kissing you."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Prove it."
Draco turned toward her, smiling. "Really?"
"Sure."
"Stand up then."
Hermione stood up. "You won't kiss-"
Draco pulled her mouth to his and silenced the words. He pushed his mouth against hers, biting her lips, she tasted like chocolate, and Hermione pushed into the kiss as well, never wanting it to stop, to have that peppermint taste mixing in her mouth forever, and oh, God, this just can't stop, her mind screaming against it, but her lips disobeying terribly, and he couldn't find any way to get away from her, and started to explore her neck as her pulse raced, and if it stopped, the world would too, Draco put her back on the table, all he wanted was-
"Stop," she said. He did, panting. Suddenly her innocence rushed back into his mind. She wasn't Pansy Parkinson or Lavender Brown. She had no clue what sex was like, and he wasn't about to use her naïveté to his advantage.
"Sorry," Draco said. "That wasn't fair was it?"
"That was," she said, "fifty times better than dancing in the rain."
Draco laughed. "Good to know."
The rain still pattered outside.
"Come with me," Hermione said. He grabbed her bag.
***
"No," Draco said. "It's one thing when girls do it, but my masculinity screams against it."
"Come on, Draco," Hermione said. "You said you wanted to know what dancing in the rain feels like."
Draco looked in dismay out the door. "I don't know… I think you've completely lost your Gobstones."
Hermione stepped out the door. "Well, I'm out here."
Draco really wanted her to come in. "You're gonna get sick! I will, too!"
"Good," Hermione said, "At least we'll have each other for company."
"I hate getting wet!"
Hermione came in. "Fine."
Then she hugged him.
"Argh!!! I'm soaked Hermione Whateveryourmiddlenameis Granger!"
She pulled him outside. "Now spin."
Draco looked at her as though she was completely insane. "Not by myself."
Hermione looped her arms around his neck, then said, "Spin me then."
Draco raised his eyebrow again. He picked her up and for some unknown reason began to spin her. Then he tripped.
They both fell to the ground and got splattered with mud. Draco looked over at Hermione, then started to laugh like he never had before. Giant guffaws rose all through his throat. Hermione laughed as well.
From Gryffindor Tower Harry Potter watched as Draco picked Hermione up again, and spun her more, then kissed her. For some reason he smiled, a distant knowing building in his mind.
***
"It was very fast," I said. "I loved her for years, but I never quite comprehended why that day I just did what I did. We never pinpointed the 'how's' of how we came together, it just happened. I have a feeling she had known for a long time beforehand, and I also think she knew she barely had any time left, just that year. Hermione knew things. She felt them."
"Wow. She was so cool," Helene replied. "Did you guys ever-?"
"Have sex? Yes. But I won't get there for awhile. Hermione was a lot more mature than I was, but I had more experience than she did. She was, in all actuality, a little naïve, and I feared what sex could do to her."
"Oh. I regret not knowing her now."
"I regret so many things now, and I'm only eighteen."
"Like what?"
"Number one, in spite of what I told you, I still moved very fast with Hermione. Also…"
"What?"
"I regret not being able to save her when the time came."
"When was that?"
"I'll get there eventually."