Chapter 10
Professor Nightshade had shouted, threatened the entire class with more Unforgivable Curses, and expressed complete and utter exasperation at her students' lack of interest in anything she so valiantly tried to teach them for nearly an hour before she realized she'd never actually handed back their papers. With a flick and a sharp jab of her wand, the papers fluttered into the air and landed gently upon the desk of their respective students. Draco noticed that he hadn't really performed that badly- 15 out of 20 on one of Nightshade's essay tests was almost commendable. He had almost stuffed the sheet of parchment into the back of his textbook when he noticed it- the name, written in careful, curving script in the right-hand corner of the paper.
Hermione Granger
Without thinking at all on what he planned on doing with the paper, Draco shoved it into his History of Magic book (the only textbook he'd remembered to bring) as originally intended and raised his hand.
"Professor Nightshade?" he called politely, when the teacher did not look up from her desk.
Nightshade glanced up at him, and sighed. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"
"I didn't get my paper passed back to me."
The teacher frowned, and looked around the room. "Does anyone have Mr. Malfoy's essay test by mistake?"
Not at surprisingly, it was Granger who raised her hand. "I did, Professor." Hermione looked slightly worried. "But I didn't get my own paper back, either."
Nightshade took the paper from Hermione, passed it over to Draco, and frowned. "So no one got Miss Granger's assignment by mistake, then? Don't think you're going to get to keep her grade if you have. She was the only one of the whole lot of you who actually passed. I have all your scores recorded already..." She sighed. "Very well, Miss Granger- I'll look around and see if I haven't got your paper; for now, I can tell you your score, at the very least..."
The bell rang shortly after; Draco saw Hermione leave the classroom apart from Ron and Harry. She bid them farewell and headed in the opposite direction- upstairs.
Draco grinned. It was working...
As he left the classroom a few feet behind Hermione, her crumpled essay test in hand, a new brilliant idea struck him. Of course.
He waited until Hermione was almost at the door leading to the Astronomy Tower.
"Hey, Gra-"
No, that wouldn't do. Draco cleared his throat, and shouted more loudly. "Hermione!"
She turned around, saw who it was, and frowned. "What do you want?"
He waved the smudged and crumpled parchment in front of him. "Your essay test. I found it on the floor just outside Nightshade's room. Looks like someone must've stepped on it, though." He handed it to her. "Thought you might want it."
Hermione looked shocked, and then her expression softened ever-so-slightly. "Well- thank you, Draco." He nodded, and she turned to head up the stairs again.
Draco at first thought he ought to leave- then yet another thought struck him. He couldn't keep this up for much longer. He couldn't keep buying her expensive gifts, leaving secret notes, and acting cryptically nice to Grang- Hermione for no apparent reason. It just wasn't going to work. He wanted this over, and he wanted it over now.
Unbeknownst to Hermione, he followed her into the Tower, shutting the door oh-so-smoothly behind him. He didn't know what he was about to do, but he knew he had to do something.
He heard Hermione let out a soft "Ooh" as she opened the package. He saw her hold the bracelet up to the light, admiring the way it sparkled in the light.
Draco leaned against the wall behind her. She must have heard something, because she turned, sharply, her expression one of surprise and alarm.
"What are you-"
Her words were cut off. Draco wasn't thinking. He leaned closer, smiled, pulled Hermione forward, and kissed her. Right there between the telescopes and star charts, useless in the bright morning sunshine. On the lips.
Hermione made a sort of squeaking sound and then began to shout something rude at him, her voice muffled, as she tried to shove Draco away.
After a few seconds, she had most definately stopped protesting.
If Draco's lips hadn't been otherwise engaged at the moment, he would have smirked. He'd always known he must be a damn good kisser.
Professor Nightshade had shouted, threatened the entire class with more Unforgivable Curses, and expressed complete and utter exasperation at her students' lack of interest in anything she so valiantly tried to teach them for nearly an hour before she realized she'd never actually handed back their papers. With a flick and a sharp jab of her wand, the papers fluttered into the air and landed gently upon the desk of their respective students. Draco noticed that he hadn't really performed that badly- 15 out of 20 on one of Nightshade's essay tests was almost commendable. He had almost stuffed the sheet of parchment into the back of his textbook when he noticed it- the name, written in careful, curving script in the right-hand corner of the paper.
Hermione Granger
Without thinking at all on what he planned on doing with the paper, Draco shoved it into his History of Magic book (the only textbook he'd remembered to bring) as originally intended and raised his hand.
"Professor Nightshade?" he called politely, when the teacher did not look up from her desk.
Nightshade glanced up at him, and sighed. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"
"I didn't get my paper passed back to me."
The teacher frowned, and looked around the room. "Does anyone have Mr. Malfoy's essay test by mistake?"
Not at surprisingly, it was Granger who raised her hand. "I did, Professor." Hermione looked slightly worried. "But I didn't get my own paper back, either."
Nightshade took the paper from Hermione, passed it over to Draco, and frowned. "So no one got Miss Granger's assignment by mistake, then? Don't think you're going to get to keep her grade if you have. She was the only one of the whole lot of you who actually passed. I have all your scores recorded already..." She sighed. "Very well, Miss Granger- I'll look around and see if I haven't got your paper; for now, I can tell you your score, at the very least..."
The bell rang shortly after; Draco saw Hermione leave the classroom apart from Ron and Harry. She bid them farewell and headed in the opposite direction- upstairs.
Draco grinned. It was working...
As he left the classroom a few feet behind Hermione, her crumpled essay test in hand, a new brilliant idea struck him. Of course.
He waited until Hermione was almost at the door leading to the Astronomy Tower.
"Hey, Gra-"
No, that wouldn't do. Draco cleared his throat, and shouted more loudly. "Hermione!"
She turned around, saw who it was, and frowned. "What do you want?"
He waved the smudged and crumpled parchment in front of him. "Your essay test. I found it on the floor just outside Nightshade's room. Looks like someone must've stepped on it, though." He handed it to her. "Thought you might want it."
Hermione looked shocked, and then her expression softened ever-so-slightly. "Well- thank you, Draco." He nodded, and she turned to head up the stairs again.
Draco at first thought he ought to leave- then yet another thought struck him. He couldn't keep this up for much longer. He couldn't keep buying her expensive gifts, leaving secret notes, and acting cryptically nice to Grang- Hermione for no apparent reason. It just wasn't going to work. He wanted this over, and he wanted it over now.
Unbeknownst to Hermione, he followed her into the Tower, shutting the door oh-so-smoothly behind him. He didn't know what he was about to do, but he knew he had to do something.
He heard Hermione let out a soft "Ooh" as she opened the package. He saw her hold the bracelet up to the light, admiring the way it sparkled in the light.
Draco leaned against the wall behind her. She must have heard something, because she turned, sharply, her expression one of surprise and alarm.
"What are you-"
Her words were cut off. Draco wasn't thinking. He leaned closer, smiled, pulled Hermione forward, and kissed her. Right there between the telescopes and star charts, useless in the bright morning sunshine. On the lips.
Hermione made a sort of squeaking sound and then began to shout something rude at him, her voice muffled, as she tried to shove Draco away.
After a few seconds, she had most definately stopped protesting.
If Draco's lips hadn't been otherwise engaged at the moment, he would have smirked. He'd always known he must be a damn good kisser.