Title: Bittersweet
Author: CassieHill
Category: Romance, Mystery
Ships: Draco/Hermione or Ginny (It'll give away the story if I say it :D)
Rating: PG-13, this will probably change as the story progresses
Spoilers: All four books
Summary: Something strange is happening at Hogwarts and for once, Harry Potter won't be there to stop it. Who will be? Draco's getting the blame, but is he the one at fault? and what will he discover on the way to clearing his name?
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling and various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This is a work of pure fiction, all ideas have come from the author's mind unless otherwise stated.
A/N: It's a slow beginning but right now I'm just introducing the characters the way I see them. The plot will begin the next chapter :D
(Prologue)
"You really hate him don't you?" Ginny watched her fiend's reaction. They were on their way to the Gryffindor common room from dinner and Draco had just, like always, insulted the girl.
"Who? Malfoy? Hermione asked rolling her eye, "I'm not sure. I use to think I hated him for all those cruel things he'd say and do and that stupid superior attitude of his. Ok, so I definitely don't like him, but I just tend to ignore him now. You can never tell with Malfoy exactly what he's thinking. Hate's such a strong word Gin. If you really think about it, you can emphasize with him a little. I mean he does have Lucius for a father."
They continued to walk down the corridors as Ginny thought over what Hermione had just said. She had been so sure that Harry, Hermione and her brother all despised Draco, but apparently Hermione didn't feel that way.
"What do you mean you can emphasize with him?" she asked.
"Well think about it. The way he is, is exactly how he was brought up to be," Hermione shrugged, "everyone has two sides Ginny, they just don't always show them."
They had reached the Fat Lady and Hermione said the new password allowing them entry, "Zoogowatts."
The two girls bade their farewells and Hermione headed towards her "Head Girl" room while Ginny walked into the 6th year girl's dormitory. She understood the situation a little better, Hermione didn't hate Draco, she pitied him. Walking over to her bed, she sank down onto the mattress. Was that better? She was sure Draco of all people would not care for anyone's pity, especially not pity for him being a Malfoy. 'Then again,' Ginny thought to herself, 'Hermione over analyses everything.'
Two sides, Ginny doubted Draco had a 'good' side. But perhaps he did have, another side, a better side? Something strange had happened that night, making Ginny doubt her own emotions. When she had walked out of the Great Hall with Hermione, she had looked back at Draco. He was watching them, but not with the satisfied smirk that she had expected, Draco was watching them walk away with a look that could almost be classified as…regret. Ginny sighed and lay back on her bed.
'I'm never going to understand Draco Malfoy, or why the hell I want to.'
Ginny closed her eye and sighed again, concentrating hard on ignoring the little voice inside her head. The voice that kept trying to tell her exactly why she cared about Draco.
***
"Lumos," Draco whispered and a spark of light ignited from the tip of his wand. He cursed the dark dungeons where the Slytherin common room was located and placed a hand on the wall to guide him. It wasn't that Draco wasn't used to the location of his house's common room it just annoyed him that their doorkeeper tended to run away to other pictures. Draco held up his wand and the light it provided to the painting in front of him. The annoying goblin wasn't there. He moved on down the wall and located the next picture. There was the goblin conversing with a ghoul.
"Go open the damn door for me," Draco said between clenched teeth to the goblin who had begun to tremble.
"Pa… password?" the goblin asked stuttering.
Draco answered the question with an icy glare.
"Right away Master Malfoy," the goblin stuttered and quickly scurried back to his own frame. Draco heard the entrance finally open and saw light coming from inside. He entered the Slytherin dormitories after sending another glare at the terrified goblin.
The entrance slammed shut behind him and Draco quickly headed towards his own room. He wanted to avoid any conversations with his fellow Slytherins. It wasn't that Draco was in a bad mood, he just wasn't in a talkative one. Draco closed the door to his room and pointed his wand at the lock, "Obfirmo," he whispered and heard the door lock.
It was one of the only things Draco enjoyed about being Head Boy, having his own private room. Of course taking the title away from Potter and Weasley was quite enjoyable for Draco as well. Draco knew that both of the Gryffindors lacked the academics that were necessary to earn the title. But of course, Draco also knew that Dumbledore could easily have bent the rules for 'Wonder Boy' and given him the title anyways. Obviously Draco resented that fact since he actually had worked for the title, now that he had it though, it was a bittersweet victory.
Bittersweet, like every time he saw or talked to her. Draco walked over to his work desk and opened the bottom drawer. It was a wizard desk and only the owner could access the drawers. Draco took out a picture of a girl. She was pretty, beautiful to him. He stared at the picture, at her eyes, the delicate bone structure of her face and at her lips. Lips that he'd never be able to touch.
He cursed and dropped the picture back into the drawer and slammed it shut. It was no use staring at her picture. She was the one girl that would never let him get to her, despite his wealth, name, power, looks and how much he truly cared for her.
