I'm only going to put this once.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.
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Flirting with Danger
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Hermione sat staring out a window in the library, a book open her lap. She had previously been staring at the words on the page, trying to get them to stop blurring and make some sense. Hearing rushed voices outside; she had turned her attention to the window, watching the many students climb into carriages that would take them to Hogsmeade.
She couldn't see their faces, but she knew they were all smiling happily. In her mind, she could see Harry and Ron, arms entwined with their girlfriends of the week, walking down the streets stopping only for long kisses and heading for some dark alley tucked away where they wouldn't be seen or heard.
Hermione was used to seeing this, for she had seen it since the beginning of the year. She had come back to school to find her friends become more and more distant. To see them not need her and her plain brown hair and eyes. At times she felt as though her personality was also a dull shade of brown, nothing compared to bright bubbly interesting personalities of the girls Harry and Ron dated. It seemed like her best friends' egos and their craving for tramps had grown along with their bodies. They had acquired longish hair and toned bodies and perfect faces. And she supposed she just wasn't good enough for them anymore.
They didn't need her help on homework (or rather, they did, they were just to stubborn to admit it) or her nagging about studying. So therefore, they didn't need her. They had never said it in so many words of course, they would always be too nice for that no matter how shallow they had become. They rarely spoke to each other anymore and when they did it was all polite chitchat, Harry and Ron being distracted by other things.
But it was something Harry and Ron could accept, because they would always have each other. And Hermione was left with no best friends to speak of.
Hermione turned away from the window and wiped her face with an angry swiping of the few stray tears she had left. She had cried herself to sleep every night since the beginning of the year, and she feared she had no tears left for anything or anyone. She stood and walked briskly out of the library, the place she had once felt was her security blanket, now a place that suffocated her with painful memories. She rushed past the shelves of books and shoved the large heavy doors open, now at a dead run, and bolted through them and down the hall, wanting to find anywhere to go that wasn't here.
Hermione had only one other thought as she ran before going completely numb. At least this year is almost over, she told herself Almost over.
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Draco Malfoy stalked in the opposite direction Hermione was running, walking at a slow pace and whistling slightly. His black robes billowed around him as he walked; giving him an appearance that made everyone he crossed back away and stay as far away from him as possible.
He sauntered down the hallway, flashing a sinister smirk to the only painting he liked in the whole godforsaken school, one of an evil witch named Morgana. Her portrait itself gave away her wicked nature, let alone the bad vibes she seemed to radiate. Morgana was dressed in a black gown that seemed to be made of ebony smoke. She had shortly cropped black hair and cherry red lips. Her eyes were the only things about her that did not send a chill down ones spine. They were the color of a cloudless blue sky on a sunny day. She grinned widely back at him and gave a little wave, signaling for him to come have a chat with her.
Draco went to the portrait and impatiently talked to the beautiful dark lady in it. This is the reason Morgana was so fond of Draco. Her picture did not intimidate him, so therefore he was the only person for her to talk to. All of the other students cowered away from her before she even said one word. Not that she'd have put up with any of their driveling, anyway.
"Hello Morgana." He said, in a slow, sensual drawl.
"Why, hello there." She replied. She smiled at him with a slight smirk, "And where are you off too?"
Draco gave her his most charming grin, "Well, I was headed towards the library, to see if I couldn't get in any last minute studying. O.W.L.S coming up soon, you know."
Morgana didn't believe his reason for going to the library for a split second, but she wasn't about to pester him about it. She had a sneaking suspicion he was off to meet another of his female conquests. Ah, how it wasn't fair. The living got to have all the fun.
"Well, hurry along them. Your studying awaits you." She said with only the tiniest bit of emphasis on 'studying'.
"Ah, indeed it does, indeed it does." Draco replied, giving her a small smirk before heading off in the direction of the library. He only made it a few steps away from the ever-smirking portrait before he stopped short, seeing one of his worst enemies running right towards him. He leaned against the corridor wall and waited for her arrival, while Morgana watched in interest.
Hermione slowed almost to a dead halt right before Draco, just looking at him for a moment. He stared at her with a blank expression for a few minutes, taking in her puffy eyes and tearstained cheeks. He noticed how her school uniform, with the shirt too big and the skirt longer then dress code required, was extremely disheveled. He saw how her chest heaved with exertion until she finally started breathing normally again, still looking at him. Finally, she started to walk past him with as much dignity she could muster at the moment.
His face spread into a slow smirk, chuckling quietly and turning his head to watch her walk.
"Gods, you are pathetic Granger. Absolutely pitiful."
She stopped, staring straight ahead and not looking at him. She could feel her eyes filling up with tears, and she willed them with all her might not fall. Finally without so much as glancing at him, she took off running. Running away from Draco's taunting smirk and Morgana's high pitched giggling. Running away from best friends who had thrown her to the curb. And running away from the truth she was well aware of.
She was pathetic.
But she vowed to herself then, as she sprinted down the corridor and up the stairs towards the Gryffindor common room, that she would not be called pathetic anymore. Not one more time. Ever.
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Well that's all for the prologue. But trust me, this is only the beginning of the story. And I know this is rather short, but I had to start somewhere. This will be the last chapter of the 5th year. Next time I post, it will be the 6th year. If I decide to continue, anyway.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.
----------
Flirting with Danger
----------
Hermione sat staring out a window in the library, a book open her lap. She had previously been staring at the words on the page, trying to get them to stop blurring and make some sense. Hearing rushed voices outside; she had turned her attention to the window, watching the many students climb into carriages that would take them to Hogsmeade.
She couldn't see their faces, but she knew they were all smiling happily. In her mind, she could see Harry and Ron, arms entwined with their girlfriends of the week, walking down the streets stopping only for long kisses and heading for some dark alley tucked away where they wouldn't be seen or heard.
Hermione was used to seeing this, for she had seen it since the beginning of the year. She had come back to school to find her friends become more and more distant. To see them not need her and her plain brown hair and eyes. At times she felt as though her personality was also a dull shade of brown, nothing compared to bright bubbly interesting personalities of the girls Harry and Ron dated. It seemed like her best friends' egos and their craving for tramps had grown along with their bodies. They had acquired longish hair and toned bodies and perfect faces. And she supposed she just wasn't good enough for them anymore.
They didn't need her help on homework (or rather, they did, they were just to stubborn to admit it) or her nagging about studying. So therefore, they didn't need her. They had never said it in so many words of course, they would always be too nice for that no matter how shallow they had become. They rarely spoke to each other anymore and when they did it was all polite chitchat, Harry and Ron being distracted by other things.
But it was something Harry and Ron could accept, because they would always have each other. And Hermione was left with no best friends to speak of.
Hermione turned away from the window and wiped her face with an angry swiping of the few stray tears she had left. She had cried herself to sleep every night since the beginning of the year, and she feared she had no tears left for anything or anyone. She stood and walked briskly out of the library, the place she had once felt was her security blanket, now a place that suffocated her with painful memories. She rushed past the shelves of books and shoved the large heavy doors open, now at a dead run, and bolted through them and down the hall, wanting to find anywhere to go that wasn't here.
Hermione had only one other thought as she ran before going completely numb. At least this year is almost over, she told herself Almost over.
------------
Draco Malfoy stalked in the opposite direction Hermione was running, walking at a slow pace and whistling slightly. His black robes billowed around him as he walked; giving him an appearance that made everyone he crossed back away and stay as far away from him as possible.
He sauntered down the hallway, flashing a sinister smirk to the only painting he liked in the whole godforsaken school, one of an evil witch named Morgana. Her portrait itself gave away her wicked nature, let alone the bad vibes she seemed to radiate. Morgana was dressed in a black gown that seemed to be made of ebony smoke. She had shortly cropped black hair and cherry red lips. Her eyes were the only things about her that did not send a chill down ones spine. They were the color of a cloudless blue sky on a sunny day. She grinned widely back at him and gave a little wave, signaling for him to come have a chat with her.
Draco went to the portrait and impatiently talked to the beautiful dark lady in it. This is the reason Morgana was so fond of Draco. Her picture did not intimidate him, so therefore he was the only person for her to talk to. All of the other students cowered away from her before she even said one word. Not that she'd have put up with any of their driveling, anyway.
"Hello Morgana." He said, in a slow, sensual drawl.
"Why, hello there." She replied. She smiled at him with a slight smirk, "And where are you off too?"
Draco gave her his most charming grin, "Well, I was headed towards the library, to see if I couldn't get in any last minute studying. O.W.L.S coming up soon, you know."
Morgana didn't believe his reason for going to the library for a split second, but she wasn't about to pester him about it. She had a sneaking suspicion he was off to meet another of his female conquests. Ah, how it wasn't fair. The living got to have all the fun.
"Well, hurry along them. Your studying awaits you." She said with only the tiniest bit of emphasis on 'studying'.
"Ah, indeed it does, indeed it does." Draco replied, giving her a small smirk before heading off in the direction of the library. He only made it a few steps away from the ever-smirking portrait before he stopped short, seeing one of his worst enemies running right towards him. He leaned against the corridor wall and waited for her arrival, while Morgana watched in interest.
Hermione slowed almost to a dead halt right before Draco, just looking at him for a moment. He stared at her with a blank expression for a few minutes, taking in her puffy eyes and tearstained cheeks. He noticed how her school uniform, with the shirt too big and the skirt longer then dress code required, was extremely disheveled. He saw how her chest heaved with exertion until she finally started breathing normally again, still looking at him. Finally, she started to walk past him with as much dignity she could muster at the moment.
His face spread into a slow smirk, chuckling quietly and turning his head to watch her walk.
"Gods, you are pathetic Granger. Absolutely pitiful."
She stopped, staring straight ahead and not looking at him. She could feel her eyes filling up with tears, and she willed them with all her might not fall. Finally without so much as glancing at him, she took off running. Running away from Draco's taunting smirk and Morgana's high pitched giggling. Running away from best friends who had thrown her to the curb. And running away from the truth she was well aware of.
She was pathetic.
But she vowed to herself then, as she sprinted down the corridor and up the stairs towards the Gryffindor common room, that she would not be called pathetic anymore. Not one more time. Ever.
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Well that's all for the prologue. But trust me, this is only the beginning of the story. And I know this is rather short, but I had to start somewhere. This will be the last chapter of the 5th year. Next time I post, it will be the 6th year. If I decide to continue, anyway.