Chapter 8
Days continued to go by uneventfully, and Draco rarely thought back to the day he and Hermione had kissed. Christmas day soon came, and he was not surprised to find a rather large bag of galleons from his parents and exotic muggle candy from his friends. Before he knew it, it was nearing six o'clock and Pansy was frantically searching for a dress robe that matched his dark green one. After maybe two hours of hair, makeup, and jewelry swaps with the other girls, she was ready. Draco linked arms with her and together they headed down to the Great Hall.
- - - - - - - - -
Hermione and Neville were already on the dance floor when she saw Draco come in. Quickly, she looked away. He would definitely not ruin her night, not this time. She continued to dance with Neville, occasionally forcing her feet out from under his. He still was no expert at dancing, but she was having fun nonetheless. The song ended and the two walked over to the small table where Ron and Harry were sitting. "Hey, where are the girls?" Hermione questioned.
"Over there," Ron pointed, "talking with some Ravenclaws." Hermione looked to where he was gesturing and smiled. The twins looked like they were enjoying their commitment-free date tonight.
"Oh, Hermione. I have something to tell you. Not now, but later on." Harry said, looking at the floor. Hermione looked over at Ron questioningly but he only shrugged.
"Ok then. Well, Neville and I will be outside. See you two later." She grabbed Neville by the hand and led him outside.
She and Neville walked around the garden hand in hand, taking in the beauty of the ice sculptures and deep green bushes lit up by strategically placed fairies. She thought Neville was a really great guy. Always nice to her, always caring. He stopped walking for a moment. "I'm thirsty," he said, "I'll go get us some punch." He left quickly and Hermione, allowed time to herself, sat down on an ice bench. Of course, it was comfortable and warm, as she had figured. Dumbledore could never perform an EverIce charm without including a Warming charm as well. She heard soft footsteps coming in her direction. "Neville? Back already?" she asked, sitting up straight.
"Sorry Granger, the Squib's not back yet," someone replied. It was no mystery to her who the voice belonged to. It was Draco Malfoy. He rounded a corner and his pale face came into the light before her. She looked away, trying her best to ignore him, but to her dissatisfaction, he took a seat next to her.
- - - - - - - -
Draco was bored out of his mind. Pansy was off with a few other Slytherin girls, probably talking about hair, makeup, and how far they were planning on going with their date tonight. He figured that she wouldn't miss him too terribly bad, so he got up and left the Great Hall, going out to the gardens. He had walked pretty deep into the paths of ice sculptures and bushes when he heard someone say, "I'm thirsty. I'll go get us some punch." The dehydrated boy came out of a small niche in the path and passed Draco. It was Neville.
He walked over to where the boy had just left, wondering who the hell would be at the dance with Neville, when he heard a familiar voice say, "Neville? Back already?" It was Hermione. "Sorry Granger, the Squib's not back yet," Draco snapped back. He rounded a small corner and there she was, her once bushy brown hair straightened, with delicate hands sitting atop her lap. She was looking away, however. Draco walked over to the bench of ice she was sitting on and plopped down next to her. By instinct, he pulled a few stray strands of her shiny chocolate hair behind her ear. She turned to him, slightly smiling and Draco bent down to kiss her neck. She immediately pulled in closer to him and wrapped her small arms around his neck, and across his broad shoulders.
- - - - - - - - - -
Draco touched his warm lips to her neck, sending chills down her spine. She wrapped her arms around his neck and took in his musky scent. His fingers trailed down her back and she pulled his mouth to hers. The kiss was so entirely passionate, it seemed as if their tongues were fighting for room. Hermione brought her hands to the back of his head and pulled her fingers through his soft blonde hair. Their lips parted after several moments and she gazed longingly into his cold, crystalline eyes. She leaned back in to resume their intense kiss. His strong hands traveled all over her body and hers were now placed on his manly, structured face. Lost in the kiss, he was now lying on his back with her on top of him. By now the dark green and dark pink robes had been roughly discarded onto the ground and Hermione's legs were spread across the bench, Draco situated in between them. Her ankle-length light pink dress was hiked up to her thigh and as she came up from the second kiss, she was caught by surprise by a wide-eyed pair of green eyes and tousled dark hair.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Draco looked at the girl sitting on top of him. She was beautiful. She was smart. She was Hermione; how much more perfect could anyone be? How much more perfect could this moment in itself be? He looked at her once more, but this time her soft brown eyes were wide with surprise, looking off into the distance. Quickly, he turned his head (and his body along with it - sending Hermione toppling to the ground) and saw Harry Potter, wearing the same expression on his face Hermione had on.
"H-H-Hermione..." Harry stuttered.
"Harry! It's... It's not what it looks like!"
"Oh really? Good thing, because it looked to me like you were snogging Malfoy!" With that, he turned around and stomped off. Hermione ran after him, leaving Draco to himself.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Harry! It's... It's not what it looks like!" She tried her best to save herself. She knew it wouldn't work, but what were her other choices, really?
"Oh really? Good thing, because it looked to me like you were snogging Malfoy!" How could this have happened to her? She chased after Harry, trying her best not to collapse and break down crying. Tears stung her face as the cold air rushed past her and with a broken voice she shouted after him, "Harry! Please!" He turned around quickly with a look of pure disgust on his face.
"What!? Why should I wait for you? Why should I talk to you!?" he spat.
"Because. Harry... please," she pleaded; tears flowing freely, now blurring her vision.
"Hermione. How could you?" he said, now beginning to calm down. She stayed silent, not knowing what to say. "And I was about to tell you, too." he trailed off.
"Tell me what?" she asked through sniffs and more tears.
"Nothing. It doesn't matter anymore."
"Yes, tell me. Please," she begged.
"Well... not anything important. I just thought that I was in love with you."
Days continued to go by uneventfully, and Draco rarely thought back to the day he and Hermione had kissed. Christmas day soon came, and he was not surprised to find a rather large bag of galleons from his parents and exotic muggle candy from his friends. Before he knew it, it was nearing six o'clock and Pansy was frantically searching for a dress robe that matched his dark green one. After maybe two hours of hair, makeup, and jewelry swaps with the other girls, she was ready. Draco linked arms with her and together they headed down to the Great Hall.
- - - - - - - - -
Hermione and Neville were already on the dance floor when she saw Draco come in. Quickly, she looked away. He would definitely not ruin her night, not this time. She continued to dance with Neville, occasionally forcing her feet out from under his. He still was no expert at dancing, but she was having fun nonetheless. The song ended and the two walked over to the small table where Ron and Harry were sitting. "Hey, where are the girls?" Hermione questioned.
"Over there," Ron pointed, "talking with some Ravenclaws." Hermione looked to where he was gesturing and smiled. The twins looked like they were enjoying their commitment-free date tonight.
"Oh, Hermione. I have something to tell you. Not now, but later on." Harry said, looking at the floor. Hermione looked over at Ron questioningly but he only shrugged.
"Ok then. Well, Neville and I will be outside. See you two later." She grabbed Neville by the hand and led him outside.
She and Neville walked around the garden hand in hand, taking in the beauty of the ice sculptures and deep green bushes lit up by strategically placed fairies. She thought Neville was a really great guy. Always nice to her, always caring. He stopped walking for a moment. "I'm thirsty," he said, "I'll go get us some punch." He left quickly and Hermione, allowed time to herself, sat down on an ice bench. Of course, it was comfortable and warm, as she had figured. Dumbledore could never perform an EverIce charm without including a Warming charm as well. She heard soft footsteps coming in her direction. "Neville? Back already?" she asked, sitting up straight.
"Sorry Granger, the Squib's not back yet," someone replied. It was no mystery to her who the voice belonged to. It was Draco Malfoy. He rounded a corner and his pale face came into the light before her. She looked away, trying her best to ignore him, but to her dissatisfaction, he took a seat next to her.
- - - - - - - -
Draco was bored out of his mind. Pansy was off with a few other Slytherin girls, probably talking about hair, makeup, and how far they were planning on going with their date tonight. He figured that she wouldn't miss him too terribly bad, so he got up and left the Great Hall, going out to the gardens. He had walked pretty deep into the paths of ice sculptures and bushes when he heard someone say, "I'm thirsty. I'll go get us some punch." The dehydrated boy came out of a small niche in the path and passed Draco. It was Neville.
He walked over to where the boy had just left, wondering who the hell would be at the dance with Neville, when he heard a familiar voice say, "Neville? Back already?" It was Hermione. "Sorry Granger, the Squib's not back yet," Draco snapped back. He rounded a small corner and there she was, her once bushy brown hair straightened, with delicate hands sitting atop her lap. She was looking away, however. Draco walked over to the bench of ice she was sitting on and plopped down next to her. By instinct, he pulled a few stray strands of her shiny chocolate hair behind her ear. She turned to him, slightly smiling and Draco bent down to kiss her neck. She immediately pulled in closer to him and wrapped her small arms around his neck, and across his broad shoulders.
- - - - - - - - - -
Draco touched his warm lips to her neck, sending chills down her spine. She wrapped her arms around his neck and took in his musky scent. His fingers trailed down her back and she pulled his mouth to hers. The kiss was so entirely passionate, it seemed as if their tongues were fighting for room. Hermione brought her hands to the back of his head and pulled her fingers through his soft blonde hair. Their lips parted after several moments and she gazed longingly into his cold, crystalline eyes. She leaned back in to resume their intense kiss. His strong hands traveled all over her body and hers were now placed on his manly, structured face. Lost in the kiss, he was now lying on his back with her on top of him. By now the dark green and dark pink robes had been roughly discarded onto the ground and Hermione's legs were spread across the bench, Draco situated in between them. Her ankle-length light pink dress was hiked up to her thigh and as she came up from the second kiss, she was caught by surprise by a wide-eyed pair of green eyes and tousled dark hair.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Draco looked at the girl sitting on top of him. She was beautiful. She was smart. She was Hermione; how much more perfect could anyone be? How much more perfect could this moment in itself be? He looked at her once more, but this time her soft brown eyes were wide with surprise, looking off into the distance. Quickly, he turned his head (and his body along with it - sending Hermione toppling to the ground) and saw Harry Potter, wearing the same expression on his face Hermione had on.
"H-H-Hermione..." Harry stuttered.
"Harry! It's... It's not what it looks like!"
"Oh really? Good thing, because it looked to me like you were snogging Malfoy!" With that, he turned around and stomped off. Hermione ran after him, leaving Draco to himself.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Harry! It's... It's not what it looks like!" She tried her best to save herself. She knew it wouldn't work, but what were her other choices, really?
"Oh really? Good thing, because it looked to me like you were snogging Malfoy!" How could this have happened to her? She chased after Harry, trying her best not to collapse and break down crying. Tears stung her face as the cold air rushed past her and with a broken voice she shouted after him, "Harry! Please!" He turned around quickly with a look of pure disgust on his face.
"What!? Why should I wait for you? Why should I talk to you!?" he spat.
"Because. Harry... please," she pleaded; tears flowing freely, now blurring her vision.
"Hermione. How could you?" he said, now beginning to calm down. She stayed silent, not knowing what to say. "And I was about to tell you, too." he trailed off.
"Tell me what?" she asked through sniffs and more tears.
"Nothing. It doesn't matter anymore."
"Yes, tell me. Please," she begged.
"Well... not anything important. I just thought that I was in love with you."