A/N: Look, it's aliiive! *shudder* No, really, I admit that I vanished for quite some time, but I'm alive and well. And I have a new nickname! And a new chapter, obviously. But anyway, on with the show!
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I slumped down the couch I had just plopped onto, and let out a big, tired sigh which alarmed Lily next to me: "Hey, Darling, what's the matter?"
Well, what could be the matter? Think really hard, people.
"Lily, what do you think?"
She faked a thoughtful frown and then turned to me with an absolutely incredible, serious expression in her pretty brown eyes.
"I have the distinct notion that it has to do with a certain honey-blonde hottie, right?"
"Of course! But he's not honey-blond, he's-" –What?
I was about to defend his bloody hair colour! How weird was that? I gulped and tried to cover my slip: "He's a plain blond, ugly, mean bastard!"
While I nodded vigorously, Lily merely raised an eyebrow at my rushed insult, and I mentally groaned. Great, Hermione. Now did that sound like denying a secret crush or what?
"I don't suppose you have anything other than hate for him, right?"
Well, there was a certain physical attraction, but- OHMIGOD! Please say I didn't just think that!
Lily must have noticed my horrified expression and frowned.
"What, was I that far off? I'm sorry, Mia, but at first glance you two seemed to have something going."
Yeah, like a year-old hatred keeping us from thinking of each other as anything remotely resembling a human being. I inwardly snorted at that.
"No, it's alright, Lily. I was just thinking of something else. Something horribly traumatic."
Her mischievous smile immediately returned, and I realised that that was not the best thing to say.
"So you do have a thing for him, don't you?"
I flinched and leaned over, whispering as quietly as I could: "I wouldn't say it like that. It's more like an undeniable physical attraction along with the resigned acceptance of the fact that he's a total asshole."
"And why can't you say that out loud?"
I glanced over to find the object of discussion watching me impassively and imagined the look on his face when he found out that I thought of him as attractive. Over my dead body.
"Because he'd hear it and I'd never live this down."
Lily tapped her nose and frowned: "But hey, he seems to be interested in you, too! He's been staring at you the whole time since you two entered. Besides, you spend a lot of time with each other."
He was staring because he waited for me to screw up so he could kill me, and we spent our 'precious time alone' wondering how we could get those two pig heads together and then get away from each other as soon as possible. But of course, saying that would have had a pretty destructive effect on ours plans, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.
Instead, I leaned over once again and told her in a low voice: "Believe me, Lily, nothing is as far from our minds as a romantical involvement of the two of us, and that's period. Now can we please go up to our dorm?"
She seemed skeptical, but eventually nodded. "Sure, Mia. Moony?" Lily replied, now turning to Remus, "We'll head up to bed, alright?"
We said a quick goodnight to everyone and then went to our dorm.
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It was long after midnight when Lily and Clara, our dorm companion, had finally fallen into a deep sleep and I was able to sneak out of the room. I hastily threw on my robes and then headed for the Secret Room. I'd been supposed to meet Draco there hours ago, and I hoped he wasn't too angry.
When I finally reached my destination and the clock struck three o'clock in the morning, I was feeling a tiny bit panicky. Angry Draco was not something you ever wanted to experience, and angry but controlled and cold Draco- who I feared I would be facing- was the worst of all.
But thankfully, Mr. Dreadful was sound asleep on one of the couches, and I couldn't deny the cute touch of it. He looked like twelve. Not like twelve-year-old Draco, but rather like a random boy sleeping peacefully under his space-rocket covers. I smiled.
"Stop grinning, Granger!" I jumped at the voice and then let out the breath I'd held when he opened his eyes.
"Please, no abrupt movements around me, I'm hysterical."
He looked at me and replied in his most sarcastic tone of voice: "No! Really?"
I rolled my eyes and sat down next to him. "So… what are the themes for tonight's meeting?"
"The point of most importance: How are we gonna get the damn Potter freak to transfer his affections from you to Evans?"
WHAT?!
"Could you repeat that, please?"
"Oh right, I forgot to tell you. Seems you're a Potter magnet. Good old James admitted a few days back that he was enamoured with you."
"What? But that ruins all our plans!"
"I know. Congratulations, Mudblood. Real good."
The bastard was in one of his sarcastic moods. Terrific.
"Hey, it's not like I made him fall for me! And anyway, that's just a crush. It'll go away."
He rolled his eyes and then looked at me like I was the dumbest creature walking the earth. Bullshit, I'm telling you. I was just in denial.
"Have any of your crushes ever just gone away, wallflower?"
I gulped. Good point, but I felt my privacy was in dear need of protection.
"What's it to you, Malfoy?"
He smirked and I damned myself for being so obvious.
"Don't worry, little Mudblood, I don't want any names. Although I'm sure Potter and Weasley would both turn up."
I glared at him coldly. "Sadly, I have to disappoint you. Harry and Ron are like brothers and I have never been a fan of incest."
He shrugged, looking impassive. "I don't care. Point is, you needed a shove to realise they weren't the right one for you, didn't you?"
"Well… yeah." I admitted grudgingly. Who knew he had that much experience with crushes? But then, on the other hand he was the crush of half Hogwarts, so he might know a bit.
"Meaning we need a shove for James. Problem is: Where to take?"
I nodded, beginning to think. James needed to see that I was wrong for him and Lily was right. Now what would convince him that I was wrong for him? I couldn't tell him because, technically, I didn't even know, and on the other hand I didn't believe it would help.
No matter how I taxed my brain about it, no solution was in sight.
"So I see you don't have a clue. Well, let me give you a tip. What is the final sign that you will never get together with someone? That they already have found the love of their life."
"But I haven't-"
He sighed dramatically, cutting me off. "I know you haven't met your match. But you can act like you did, don't you?"
Yeah, sure I could. It would cost me quite an effort to accommodate to all the snuggling and cuddling and even snogging- urgh!- but I would be able to do it. But with whom? There was no one besides Draco and me that knew- could know- about how much we needed James to love Lily, and-
Waaait a minute, he wasn't serious, was he?
He noticed my disgusted expression and gave a curt nod. "Exactly."
"What?! You and me acting like lovebirds? Touching? Kissing?! No. Fucking. Way!"
"Alright, then stay here and rot. You will forever be cut off from your family and friends. Hey, maybe you can watch Potter and Weasley get killed along with your younger self. Now that would be worth a watch, wouldn't it?"
I scowled at him. "Shut up."
"I can already imagine it. You watching with terrified eyes, maybe even crying out for them, and they won't know you! They won't recognise you and just stare on in confusion before a bright green light takes them down…"
"Shut UP!"
I couldn't take the picture in my head, of my best friends dying, and I tried desperately to make Draco pay for it.
I swung back and tried to punch him, but he caught my fist without effort, holding it in place. I threw my other hand as well, but again he dodged my blow smoothly. Well, okay. That was it.
I searched for something, anything that would wipe this damn look of control and calculation off his face, and then it came to me.
I inwardly sighed and braced myself for what was to come.
And then I kissed him. A small wave of shock went through me, and my brain vaguely registered that it felt like what must be an electrical pulse.
Draco reeled back and stared at me, shocked. Well, success. I had managed to make his expression disappear. Now he looked utterly stunned.
"Wha- what are you doing?"
He couldn't even bring himself to insult me, I noted with some satisfaction. I smirked and replied casually: "Training." And then I brought my mouth up to his again.
I'm gonna be frank. It was disgusting in a way, kissing a guy you hate. Must especially this guy. But if I reduced him to just a man, any man, then he was irrefutably hot. And he could kiss, boy, could he kiss…
The last thing I consciously noticed were my arms going around his neck, his hands sneaking around my waist. And then there was blissful blackness.
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A/N: Well, hey, people! I'm back! Temporarily.
Yeah, I know I said it'd be a while until there'd be any D/Hr action, but I kinda changed my draft on this story and just now came up with the idea of the lovey-dovey acting, sooo… I sorta lied back then, but not really since I didn't know. Let me know if you find any logical mistakes or plot bloopers (I'm expecting some of those, seeing as this was written at four in the morning).
I'm very sorry this took me so long to get out, and I'd like to thank all my reviewers, Athene Saile (Sorry, I tried to make it more clear this time), tom4eva, skye (Yeah, I know! ^^'), skyleia, DazzilinAngel555, Sunflower-chan, DaDeVaLiShDuCky ( I love your nickname!^^), Sam, Bookie, and particularly midnight dream, who finally got me off my lazy ass and in consequence helped getting this written. Thanks for your support!
I can say that I have regained some interest in the story, so I think I will be continuing it. But don't expect regular updates. My terrible muse hits me at the most sporadic of times. Sorry!
I hope you will stay with me!
