**** The characters still aren't mine. and they still ARE J.K.
Rowling's.****
Harry couldn't believe what Hermione had just told him. Of course, he had been extremely supportive. Just because Ron was his other bestfriend and still infatuated with Hermione didn't mean that he was allowed to just disregard her feelings completely. But she was in love with. Malfoy. How could anyone love Malfoy? And she had called him Draco; no one called him Draco. This was crazy. She used to hate him, and all of a sudden they're in love? Well she says he doesn't like her. Well he'd just have to see about that.
Honestly, Harry wanted Ron and Hermione to be together and happy again. but they did make him feel like a third-wheel. He knew he sounded horribly selfish, but now that Hermione liked. Draco, there wasn't much of a chance of her and Ron re-uniting anyway. He might as well give up and try to make her as happy as possible. And if being with Malfoy, his enemy, would make her happy. so be it. Hermione wasn't hanging out with Ron and him lately anyway. It won't make a big difference. Hermione made it sound as if Malfoy needed some help too.
Harry walked quickly down the hall he knew led to the Slytherin common room. This would be one of the hardest things he ever had to do, but it was for Hermione after all. He knocked on the portrait, and a girl opened it up a few seconds afterwards.
"Yes?" she asked, and then after seeing who it was her face fell into a frown, "What do you want then, Potter?" He had never been very popular with the Slytherins.
"I need to speak to Malfoy," he said calmly, "would you go get him for me?" She looked at him very suspiciously, but then her curiousity seemed to get the better of her. She wanted to know what Harry Potter wanted with the boy who hated him, and who he'd always seemed to hate in return.
"Alright then. Wait here, I'd get killed for letting you inside." She said quickly, and ducked back behind the portrait. A few minutes later Malfoy appeared with a sneer on his rat-like face.
"What do you want then, Potter?" he drawled.
"You Slytherins are rather redundant," Harry told him and then stared at him a bit more seriously, "I need to talk to you about Hermione. What are you playing at?"
"Excuse me?" he asked, "it's against the rules for me to be friends with a Gryffindor or something?"
"No. It's against the rules for you to hurt my friends," Harry told him, "She likes you. A lot. What do you think you're doing? I know you like her, I'm sure of it. What I don't know is why you won't just admit to it, after she practically told you that she was in love with you? God only knows why. but still."
"Why do you care?" Malfoy asked suspiciously, "I can hardly believe that you want us together."
"I don't understand why she loves you, and I don't really like it, but I love her. And I'll do anything to make her happy," he said, "but enough with your questions. What the hell is the matter with you? Turning her down?"
"It can't. my father. He'd kill me," he said sadly, "Well maybe he wouldn't, but he'd certainly try to."
"So you aren't doing it because of your father?" Harry asked, "You're a coward. You really are. Hermione wants to be with you, and apparently you love her. Be a man. Stand up to your father. He won't find out right away anyhow. And you are making Hermione unhappy."
"I don't want to make Hermione sad but." he started, and then he saw the menacing look on Harry's face, "Well okay. I'll stand up to my father. or at the very least keep my relationship with Hermione well hidden from him." Harry's face broke into a smile.
"Well great then, get on your way to tell her." He said happily.
"Err. It's the middle of the night." Malfoy said sensibly.
"Oh god. Stop being such a wuss. Go tell her!" and with that Harry disappeared, literally. Draco didn't have time to wonder about how Harry had simply disappeared, because he was already running towards Hermione's common room.
Hermione was lying on her bed, trying to sleep when Draco suddenly burst into her room. She screamed and quickly quieted herself when she saw who it was.
"God Draco! What are you doing?" she whispered angrily, "I hope Ron didn't hear me scream." And of course he hadn't, for Hogwart's walls were anything but thin.
"Sorry, I just needed to talk to you." he said embarrassed, "I assumed you'd be awake."
"Well I was really," she told him, "So don't feel bad about it." Hermione then realized that she was in pajamas. Which wasn't really very much. She just had on a spaghetti strap shirt and her underwear. She knew that this was not going to be a very comfortable conversation for her. She made sure that her blankets were securely tucked on top of her.
"Okay. thanks," he said, "I just wanted to tell you that. I was an ass before. I was putting myself before you, and really not even that. I was putting my father before you. It was horrible of me, and I hope you'll forgive me. I do love you Hermione."
"Well." she said slowly. Draci's face fell as he realized he'd lost his chance with the girl he loved.
"Just kidding!" she said, grinning widely, "I love you too. Now come here, because I can't get up to kiss you!"
Draco sat on Hermione's bed, and that's when they shared their first kiss. It wasn't incredibly long or terribly lustful, just a kiss, but passionate all the same. Hermione felt a blast of energy flowing through her as their lips touched, and she realized that she had never truly loved Ron. or maybe he just couldn't kiss very well. After they parted, Hermione looked into Draco's eyes and saw fear. she hoped it wasn't fear of his father.
"Do you want to stay here tonight? You can. It won't be a problem." She asked quietly, "I just. want someone with me. It's been a long night." She lifted up the blanket so Draco could crawl in the bed. He took of his shirt (to Hermione's pleasure) and crawled in with her. He held her close to him, and didn't let go. Hermione fell asleep with her head on his shoulder, but Draco never closed an eye. He sat there, watching the girl he was so in love with sleep peacefully, and wondered what he had done to deserve this. By morning, he realized, that holding Hermione close to him all night, and being so close to her, had made it the best night of his life.
Harry couldn't believe what Hermione had just told him. Of course, he had been extremely supportive. Just because Ron was his other bestfriend and still infatuated with Hermione didn't mean that he was allowed to just disregard her feelings completely. But she was in love with. Malfoy. How could anyone love Malfoy? And she had called him Draco; no one called him Draco. This was crazy. She used to hate him, and all of a sudden they're in love? Well she says he doesn't like her. Well he'd just have to see about that.
Honestly, Harry wanted Ron and Hermione to be together and happy again. but they did make him feel like a third-wheel. He knew he sounded horribly selfish, but now that Hermione liked. Draco, there wasn't much of a chance of her and Ron re-uniting anyway. He might as well give up and try to make her as happy as possible. And if being with Malfoy, his enemy, would make her happy. so be it. Hermione wasn't hanging out with Ron and him lately anyway. It won't make a big difference. Hermione made it sound as if Malfoy needed some help too.
Harry walked quickly down the hall he knew led to the Slytherin common room. This would be one of the hardest things he ever had to do, but it was for Hermione after all. He knocked on the portrait, and a girl opened it up a few seconds afterwards.
"Yes?" she asked, and then after seeing who it was her face fell into a frown, "What do you want then, Potter?" He had never been very popular with the Slytherins.
"I need to speak to Malfoy," he said calmly, "would you go get him for me?" She looked at him very suspiciously, but then her curiousity seemed to get the better of her. She wanted to know what Harry Potter wanted with the boy who hated him, and who he'd always seemed to hate in return.
"Alright then. Wait here, I'd get killed for letting you inside." She said quickly, and ducked back behind the portrait. A few minutes later Malfoy appeared with a sneer on his rat-like face.
"What do you want then, Potter?" he drawled.
"You Slytherins are rather redundant," Harry told him and then stared at him a bit more seriously, "I need to talk to you about Hermione. What are you playing at?"
"Excuse me?" he asked, "it's against the rules for me to be friends with a Gryffindor or something?"
"No. It's against the rules for you to hurt my friends," Harry told him, "She likes you. A lot. What do you think you're doing? I know you like her, I'm sure of it. What I don't know is why you won't just admit to it, after she practically told you that she was in love with you? God only knows why. but still."
"Why do you care?" Malfoy asked suspiciously, "I can hardly believe that you want us together."
"I don't understand why she loves you, and I don't really like it, but I love her. And I'll do anything to make her happy," he said, "but enough with your questions. What the hell is the matter with you? Turning her down?"
"It can't. my father. He'd kill me," he said sadly, "Well maybe he wouldn't, but he'd certainly try to."
"So you aren't doing it because of your father?" Harry asked, "You're a coward. You really are. Hermione wants to be with you, and apparently you love her. Be a man. Stand up to your father. He won't find out right away anyhow. And you are making Hermione unhappy."
"I don't want to make Hermione sad but." he started, and then he saw the menacing look on Harry's face, "Well okay. I'll stand up to my father. or at the very least keep my relationship with Hermione well hidden from him." Harry's face broke into a smile.
"Well great then, get on your way to tell her." He said happily.
"Err. It's the middle of the night." Malfoy said sensibly.
"Oh god. Stop being such a wuss. Go tell her!" and with that Harry disappeared, literally. Draco didn't have time to wonder about how Harry had simply disappeared, because he was already running towards Hermione's common room.
Hermione was lying on her bed, trying to sleep when Draco suddenly burst into her room. She screamed and quickly quieted herself when she saw who it was.
"God Draco! What are you doing?" she whispered angrily, "I hope Ron didn't hear me scream." And of course he hadn't, for Hogwart's walls were anything but thin.
"Sorry, I just needed to talk to you." he said embarrassed, "I assumed you'd be awake."
"Well I was really," she told him, "So don't feel bad about it." Hermione then realized that she was in pajamas. Which wasn't really very much. She just had on a spaghetti strap shirt and her underwear. She knew that this was not going to be a very comfortable conversation for her. She made sure that her blankets were securely tucked on top of her.
"Okay. thanks," he said, "I just wanted to tell you that. I was an ass before. I was putting myself before you, and really not even that. I was putting my father before you. It was horrible of me, and I hope you'll forgive me. I do love you Hermione."
"Well." she said slowly. Draci's face fell as he realized he'd lost his chance with the girl he loved.
"Just kidding!" she said, grinning widely, "I love you too. Now come here, because I can't get up to kiss you!"
Draco sat on Hermione's bed, and that's when they shared their first kiss. It wasn't incredibly long or terribly lustful, just a kiss, but passionate all the same. Hermione felt a blast of energy flowing through her as their lips touched, and she realized that she had never truly loved Ron. or maybe he just couldn't kiss very well. After they parted, Hermione looked into Draco's eyes and saw fear. she hoped it wasn't fear of his father.
"Do you want to stay here tonight? You can. It won't be a problem." She asked quietly, "I just. want someone with me. It's been a long night." She lifted up the blanket so Draco could crawl in the bed. He took of his shirt (to Hermione's pleasure) and crawled in with her. He held her close to him, and didn't let go. Hermione fell asleep with her head on his shoulder, but Draco never closed an eye. He sat there, watching the girl he was so in love with sleep peacefully, and wondered what he had done to deserve this. By morning, he realized, that holding Hermione close to him all night, and being so close to her, had made it the best night of his life.