Chapter 6 ~A Friend~
When Hermione thought that 2 weeks later everyone will forget about her affair with Draco - oh, I can't tell you how naive her theory was. With every day their relationships became more and more intriguing in public's opinion.
For statistics: there were more than 10 bets between boys on the subjects such as "how soon will Draco dump Hermione" or "how soon will Harry beat up Malfoy" and there were numerous bets among girls - "how soon will Hermione dump Draco", "does Draco kiss better than Harry", "have Draco and Hermione practiced french kissing", "what's the color of Draco's underwear" etc.
Obviously Hermione didn't know answers to any of those questions. Though she knew what's the color of Draco's underwear - but not because she... you know... saw, but just because Draco told Hermione to give him something special on birthday. Either her diary (as a gesture of full trust) either underwear. First was out of question, while second was questioned during barbarous quarrel and settled after Draco agreed not to kiss her in front of *every single* teacher.
He kept his promise no longer than any other, so on the second day of being kissed in front of Dumbledore, Hermione made a long list with many items. It was bounded with signatures and blood. It helped, but not for a long time. This time it was Hermione who misstepped.
She had to talk with Harry, coz his deliberate coldness was getting on Hermione's nerves. After all, she had right to date whoever she wanted, even if it was the worst choice she could possibly make.
He was sitting in the library, reading huge, dusty book without any pictures. Luckily for Hermione there weren't any readers there.
She came by and sat quietly, waiting for him to react on her appearance. After absence of any response, a bit irritated, she tapped Harry's shoulder.
"Hi, Harry", - still nothing.
"Harry, we'll talk, whenever you want it or not", - she was talking in low voice, as if she was trying to lull a baby.
"We have nothing to talk about" , - Harry didn't stop reading a book.
"Don't be a child", - Hermione put her hands on the book, blocking Harry from reading any line.
"I'm not the one who behaves like a child!", - then he smiled sadly, - "Though I can't call your snogging with Malfoy childish."
"Harry", - Hermione was still hoping to solve this problem peacefully, - "I understand how hard it is for you to accept our relationships with Malfoy."
Suddenly Hermione was raised from her chair and pressed to the wall of books. He was holding her shoulders so tight Hermione was ready to cry, but she knew she shouldn't, she had to listen his confession, let him release demons of his heart.
"You don't know anything!" - he was on verge. - "How hard it was for me to wait all that time when Ron thought he's in love with you, to wait when I thought you might be in love with him, to wait when I thought you were not ready for any relationships after Ron dumped you." - his grip loosened a little as he continued, - "You can't imagine how hard it was for me to convince Ron to help me with 'special date'. What an idiot!"
"What a 'special date'?" - Hermione was barely whispering, overwhelmed with controversial emotions.
Harry, who was deep in his own thoughts and feelings, didn't understand her question at first.
"Date? Ah, yes. The date. I bet you remember the night at the Snape's cabinet?" - he didn't smile, but his lips formed a curved line, and not waiting for reply he continued, - "That day we were planning to get you out of your room for awhile, so all girls would prepare all stuff we asked them to - you know - candles, romantic dinner and all", - his eye was glittering from inner tears, - "And after you run out we were going to give you some time and only then find you and show the surprise... You know the rest. Poor Ron, he made so many mistakes in that paper- on purpose, of course. And we never thought this all turn out to be your first date with Malfoy. Me and Ron were matchmakers for you and Malfoy", - Harry couldn't continue, he just smiled goofy, with tears running down his face silently.
"Oh, Harry", - Hermione couldn't say anything to comfort him, so she started wiping streams of salty dews from his face. And then Harry couldn't control himself anymore - he was shaking heavily, not hiding his emotions. Hermione was stoking his back, feeling endless sorrow for him.
"Harry, I'm so - so sorry", - she was sure next words have to be said - "But I never loved you".
Now Harry was looking in her eyes with pain and slight amazement.
"You see, even if we had that 'secret date' we still would be friends", - she continued this torture because she had no other way to bring Harry back into senses and let him live his more or less normal life. - "I always thought of you as my friend. Extraordinary, funny, cute, guy - my best friend. The best friend I could dream of", - she had to say another important thing - "And I'm really in love with Malfoy. I know that you or Ron, or half of the school don't believe that it's true, that Malfoy can really love anyone...", - Hermione wasn't sure how to put it, so it won't hurt Harry more then it would anyway, - "But I'm feeling so complete with him, and though he's still a git and I'm a mudblood for him, I don't know how but I can't imagine my life without him - it sounds banal, and me - Hermione who knows everything, top girl, the best student in the class - could think of better way to express her thought", - Harry smiled a bit on her remark, - "but it's what I feel. And I hope that someday you'll be able to understand me, forgive me and accept me the way I am - poor girl, who felt in love with Malfoy, but still want to be your friend".
Harry didn't answer. He didn't move, didn't blink. It looked like he didn't breathe. Then, after infinite minutes of uncertainty he kissed Hermione very gentle on the cheek, almost not touching her silky skin, and whispered so inaudibly, that Hermione guessed what he said only by reading his lips.
"I'll always be your friend".
Hermione was on her way out of library when she bumped into Malfoy.
"Oh, it's you, Malfoy", - he didn't step back after collision, so now they weren't separated even with thin streak of air. Hermione didn't feel really comfortable or confident feeling Draco's body with almost every inch of her flesh. "What are you doing here?"
As he kept silence, she repeated her question - "Draco, what are you doing here?!"
He smiled - "You never called me Draco before."
Hermione didn't know what to say and then she, with horror and worry, stared at him, -
"Did you hear what I said to Harry?!", her brain was working faster than ever, calculating all possible ways to retreat, -"It was a lie! I was trying to..."
But that's when her brain stopped working at all - coz Draco was kissing her with a real, intense, deep, passionate, electric kiss. Surprisingly enough, it was their first real kiss, coz neither of them was pretending. Hermione used to think that Draco was a lame kisser (that impression was mutual), but she didn't know that he didn't bother to kiss her really - it was just kissing so everyone would believe in it. But let alone passion - it wasn't even an act of symphaty - it was a burden. And now all formalities were discarded - there were only a girl and a boy who wanted each other so badly that it hurt them, burned them, conquering all thoughts and desires. And neither of them was ready to stop, to analize, to regret possible consequences. Hermione's hands were caressing Draco's back, shoulders, head, burying in his soft hair. She couldn't get enough of him - she wanted to have him all, every part of him, every peice of him. It was a hunger she couldn't control. Endless hours of imagining how it would be - to have a real kiss with Draco - were pale copy of reality. The warmth of his body were wrapping her with every stroke of his hand, every move of his body against hers, every caress of her hair. Hermione was feeling weakness in knees and lack of oxygen, but she needed this kiss last forever and ever, althouth it was driving her insane.
When he finally parted his hot and flushing lips, Hermione moaned slightly, not wishing to come back to cruel reality where Draco was studying her face with curiosity, as he never saw it before - full, shiny lips, blazing eyes, rosy cheeks, - framed with dishevelled hair.
Draco himself never looked better - if at all it's possible for a handsome guy - his face has more vivid color, hair was a total mess - but it was becoming him much more then usual slick style, and his eyes - Hermione would die for those eyes - they had incredible color now - dark silver shine mixed with black and deep blue sparkles.
"Little liar" - he said it so tenderly and affectionate that Hermione could think he was declaring his love.
It looked like Draco wasn't sure what to say next, but then, and the change was obvious for Hermione, he came back to his usual "cold-hearted-git-Draco-Malfoy-who-uses-Hermione-as-an-alibi" mode and said:
"I have to go, Vicky is worried by now. It was nice to kiss you for real, Herm."
And Draco continued his way wherever he was going to meet this stupid Vicky.
Hermione felt like her heart stop beating for a moment. She didn't know what startled her most - that Draco was going to his gerilfriend after the most passionate kiss in her life or that he called her "Herm".