Note: I liked the quote in the beginning. It kind of inspired the beginning of this chapter. So, on with the chapter since I have nothing to say.
Chapter fifteen:
In the strangest places
Once in a while
You can get shown the light
In the strangest of places
If you look at it right
- Grateful Dead, Scarlet Begonias
Draco watched Hermione as she explained homework for Herbology. (My computer says the way I spelled that is wrong. It's late. And my brain is dead. I was looking through the book, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Please forgive me if it is spelled wrong.) It was not a group assignment, but both had agreed to work together anyway. To Draco, Hermione was the most complicated creature he had ever seen in his life. You know how men always said women were complicated. She was one of the most!
One moment she could be incredibly bossy and strict. The perfect little rule-abider and just no fun to be around. Always wanting the homework to be done then and there, only after the work is there can there be time for play.
But then other times, she's a little on the wild side. Not completely following all rules, but that was a habit Draco was willing to take the time to break her from. Willing and more than ready.
She, as a friend, strictly, was a reason for him to stay on the 'good' side. Even thought Hermione could be his good, the dark still had the most alluring pull. It gave you all you ever wanted in one package. No hard labor, just the wants. (Does that make sense? I couldn't think of the right word. I had my younger sister next to me the whole time I tried writing the chapter. "Sissy, how many eyes does this monster have? I'm sure you won't know this answer!" she holds up a chalk board with a strange drawling on it.)
But, Draco didn't exactly know what he wanted.
"Draco, are you listening to me at all. I was just telling you about something for our potions homework."
Though, Draco had no idea how they had gotten from Herbology to Potions; he racked his brain for what their homework assignment had been for that night. Dreams! "Yes, did you have a question on it?"
"I was wondering what kind of herbs you would put in a dream potion."
"Depends on what kind of dreams you want to have," Draco stated.
"I want… good dreams," Hermione smiled. "Yes, I think that will do."
"Maybe some meadowsweet and some mandrake," he shrugged. "I didn't really listen when he said the ingredients. I go distracted."
"Well, you seem to be doing that a lot. Let's see, we could talk about our clues for the necklace?"
"I don't think we need to right now. I mean we found out yesterday that it was a Ravenclaw. I mean, what are we going to discuss. All we know is that it is a Ravenclaw."
Hermione shrugged, "I just thought that would be more interesting to you. Since, the only reason you are hanging out with me is because I am helping you find it."
Draco didn't deny that this wasn't true. He couldn't tell her straight forward that he had gotten soft, as Liam had once said, in terms of her. Because even though he did 'hang out' with her, he still had his name and family reputation to uphold.
Hermione nodded, "Well, I have to be going. I'll see you later." She stood up and grabbed her things, leaving Draco alone with his thoughts.
~
Christmas break came to an end slowly and every body was piling back into the Hogwarts school grounds. Soon, classes were starting up again and all the Christmas break home work was due.
But, the most important event that all students had been waiting for was finally here: the Slytherin and Gryffindor Quidditch match.
Hermione made her way down to the match, in her normal Gryffindor gear, but inside she didn't quite no who to cheer for.
She sat down on the Gryffindor side and prepared to root for her house. She had been perfectly prepared and then the Slytherin team came out. One had to admit that Draco looked exceptional in the Slytherin gear. Hermione shook her head and smiled to herself.
She could practically hear Ron, "It is an impure thought! Blasphemy, I tell you. Hermione Granger, I urge you to get that sinful thought out of your head this instant."
Hermione focused her eyes on the field once again, as Madam Hooch blew the whistle. (Jordan was in there year, wasn't he? Oh, well he is in this story. Also, I am making up the team names, because I don't know any of them and plus some to have graduated.)
Lee Jordan began, "Slytherin starts off with the ball. Malcom, Slytherins main chaser, got the ball. He's heading down. And score, ten points to Slytherin!"
Hermione nearly jumped up, but she kept seated after all it wasn't her house.
"Gryffindors Susie Avery has the ball and are they going to make it. She passes it to Justin and it's …IN!!!"
The Gryffindors scored two more hoops after that. It was thirty to ten. Slytherin was getting aggravated. "Casey," who was Gryffindors third chaser, "has the ball. She's going down the field. Will she make it? WAIT, What is Malfoy doing? Is he diving?"
Hermione's attention was adverted from Casey to Draco. Just as Draco's fingers closed around the snitch, Casey scored. Hermione jumped up, "YEA! GOOD JOB!" All the Gryffindors looked up at her, "No, man! Did he catch the snitch? I wasn't paying any attention. All I saw was Casey score," she tried to reason her way out of it.
All the Gryffindors looked away.
Draco, from where he was on his broom, shook his head. Silently laughing at Hermione. As soon as he landed he was bombarded by his teammates. "Wonderful catch," they all cheered.
"Party tonight," Malcom called. "I'll bring the food." That caused an even bigger ruckus.
~
Hermione waited behind, telling Harry and Ron that she had left her book on the bleacher. She watched as all the Slytherin team filed out of their locker. She grabbed Draco's sleeve, pulling him behind the lockers.
"You played well," Hermione complimented.
"Oh, I though I was going to get a little more than that. I mean this is the first time I have been pulled behind a locker… after a game."
Hermione eyed him, "Very funny. I caught that. That couldn't have been your hardest game. I mean you aren't even dirty."
Draco looked down at his cloths. "Yea, I'm just a little wind tousled. It was easy," he shrugged.
"I am glad you won," she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly and very briefly on his cheek, before running to catch up with Ron and Harry who were already half-way to the castle.
She didn't even wait for his reaction…
~ Present day ~
"Oh, Mom made the first move," Chloe said from her spot on the ground, at her parents feet.
"Yes, I had made the first move," she laughed, "If you could call it that."
"I still wasn't too comfortable with the idea," Draco cut in. "But, I think after she kissed me all my thoughts about going to the 'dark side' kind of just floated away."
"No, Draco dearest, if you remember correctly, it wasn't that kiss that stopped you from going."
Draco looked over at her, and then, "OH! I forgot about that."
"No, it's just one of those things you try to block," Hermione whispered.
"When you love someone you try to block all the moments that you ever hurt them."
Chloe and Haley were still staring at their parents, confused. "Okay, can we just get on with the story? I want to know what happens."
"Sometimes it's a form of love just to talk to somebody that you have nothing in common with and still be fascinated by their presence." - David Byrne
Note: Well, that was interesting. I wrote that one in a hurry. I guess it shows, too. My writing in this one doesn't quite feel as good. But that's okay. At least I am getting the story moving. More about the ring will come: not necessarily in the next chapter though.
And the end was kind of like blunt foreshadowing.
I would appreciate 310. Please. Please. : (