Story: Something's not right…
Chapter: Confusing thoughts
Summary: Draco is being typical, and Hermione gets angry. But when they have to serve detention together, and complete a project, they come to realize there is a fine line between love and hate.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything having to do with Harry Potter. Except the books, maybe, and the movies, a few magazine covers, and a couple posters….Just kidding. I am a slow reader, so I am sorry if you do not like it, because I don't know the characters as well as you.
Rating: PG-13. It's probably really only PG, but just to be safe…And it's PG for the repetitive swearing and other things later. Yeah.
A/N: Just so you all know, this is my first fanfic, and I welcome constructive criticism, but flames are not accepted. Please. I'll never write again. And I won't post the next chapter until I am satisfied with the amount of reviews.
It started out like any other lunch would—the dream team was sitting at their table along with Ginny and Colin. Harry and Ron were quickly scribbling random thoughts onto parchment (potions homework). Hermione, as usual, had already done that, so she wrote a letter.
"What are you writing?" questioned Ginny.
"A letter," responded Hermione, slightly brewing a curiosity in Ginny.
"To whom?" she asked. Hermione rolled her chocolate brown eyes and smirked.
"Someone," she retorted. Ginny shrugged casually and noticed someone hovering over her. He was almost breathing down her neck, trying to read what Hermione was writing; for he was curious as well.
"How's the Weasel?" asked a cold, chilling voice. Ginny stood to her feet and balled her fists angrily.
"Fine," she retorted, gritting her teeth. "Funny that you should care!" Draco rolled his eyes and began walking away. Before he could get far, another smart-ass comment entered his mind and he whirled around to state it.
"And
Mudblood," he said curtly, "How would you be?"
Hermione stood, about a head shorter than Draco and waved her finger in
his face.
"I'm perfectly fine." Hermione clenched her fists and gritted her
teeth. "Not like you care, Malfoy!"
"But I do care, Mudblood." He grinned from ear to ear and her face became like an apple; red with anger.
"Shut it! Don't call me Mudblood again!" she hollered, gaining the attention of several students, and teachers for that matter.
"Or what? You'll hit me? Huh, Mudblood?" Hermione shook her head aimlessly and raised her fist. "I'm terrified now, Mudblood," Draco added with a great deal of sarcasm.
Hermione drew back her fist in anger and pushed at Draco's head with all the might she had in her. She hit him square in the left side of his jaw. Her onyx ring pulled a slight bit of skin from his cheek, causing blood to trickle onto the floor. Draco lifted his hand to his cheek and rubbed the spot Hermione had made tender. Draco stole an icy look from Hermione and then returned it.
"Bloody hell, Hermione!" exclaimed Ron, amazed.
She curled her lip and bit on it, waiting for a reaction from Draco. Harry cleared his throat and Hermione whirled to face an astounded professor Snape.
"40 points from Griffyndor!" bellowed Snape. "And I believe you know why, Miss Granger." Hermione nodded and rolled her eyes.
"Bloody hell," Ron murmured.
"Ten more points for inappropriate language usage!" Snape hollered again. Harry shot Ron a wicked glare.
"Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy," stated Professor Mcgonnagal. "I ask you to follow me to my office." Hermione nodded and Draco smirked malevolently.
"Bloody hell," muttered Ron, turning back to Harry who shot him a look that said 'shut up'. Ron only shrugged and bit his lip.
~~~
Hermione lay in her bed that night, mentally smacking herself repeatedly for punching Malfoy. Why'd I even have to do that? she wondered. AND I got fifty points taken from my house. That was cruel. No it wasn't. Don't care! It was only Draco. I mean Malfoy. Still, I should apologize. No, I shouldn't. Yes, I should.
She battled herself to sleep with the agonizing question of apologizing. She decided she would tomorrow night at detention with him. Mcgonnagal had used detention, that they would serve together, for their punishment. They would spend the next week, every night, doing something or other for the teachers. Whatever needed done, they would do.
~~~
The next morning, Draco awoke with a slight twinge of pain in his lower jaw. Ouch, he thought. That filthy Mudbl—Granger can hit pretty damn hard. He shook his head and dressed in his robes for the day. He trudged to his common room and spotted Pansy.
Evading Pansy's bothersome search, he slipped to his first class—potions—unnoticed. He took his normal seat in the second row of desks before anyone else arrived.
"Something bothering you?" Draco jumped at the voice and whirled to face Ron.
"I don't waste my precious time talking to scum like weasels," stated Draco firmly. Ron shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"I was being sarcastic anyways," retorted Ron. Soon enough, Hermione and Harry rushed in and took their seats, in the third row, directly behind Malfoy.
Snape rushed in wearing all black with an angry face and voice. "Quiet!" roared Snape. The class quickly shrank into their desks and took out their homework. "We'll be having a new seating chart as of today. This class talks too much, especially the Griffyndors, and I have no time for such nonsense. The students I have the least amount of problems with will be sitting in the back." The entire potions class groaned and professor Snape unrolled a parchment and began to read aloud. Most were the names of Slytherins, considering that they were the least likely to cause the potions professor any trouble.
"Mr. Malfoy," he called as Draco stood and sauntered to the back of the room. "Miss Granger," he bellowed, and Hermione duplicated the act Malfoy had just done. She glanced at her two best friends and they urged her with a hint of sympathy in their looks. She nodded and rolled her eyes and knew there was no point of protesting, for Snape did what he wants.
The lesson began, but Hermione refused to pay attention. Her mind was elsewhere.
Pass him a note, she told herself. No, that would not help my situation. If Snape caught me, I'd be dead. Catch him after class. Yes, she decided. That will work.
She quickly glanced at Draco and noticed a scab from her ring with a deep purple circle around it. She winced in pain, just thinking about it. I must have hurt him a lot. She shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Class dismissed," yelled Snape. Draco and Hermione began shoving books and notebooks into their bags.
"Draco," she said timidly. "I apologize for punching you. It was rude and it won't happen again; even if you deserve it." Draco smirked slightly and Hermione enraged, but somehow managed to remain composed.
"It's not my fault you're a filthy Mudbl—wizard, Granger," he retorted tersely.
She shook her head. Obviously, Malfoy was never going to learn respect. Hermione snatched her things and Ron and Harry caught up with her.
"You shouldn't have to apologize to him," stated Harry, annoyed that she did.
"Yes I did. What I did was wrong, and don't even try to deny it. But there will be no more apologizing because there will be no more outbursts of rage." She nodded, content with her decision and the two boys shook their heads.
"You just need to ignore his remarks," announced Harry which annoyed Hermione even more.
"You should follow your own advice," she commented making Harry roll his eyes. It's not like Harry's just let something lie, especially when it comes to Malfoy.
~~~
At the end of the day, Draco retired to his dormitory and laid on his bed, wondering what had caused Hermione to apologize to him. He lifted his hand to his cheek and balled his fist as he remembered what she had done to him.
Still, he thought, she would never apologize. What's wrong with her lately? I have to admit, she did look really cute when she hit you. Ugh! No she didn't! Stop thinking these thoughts! The battle in his mind continued as he slowly drifted into a somber sleep.
"Draco?" called an all too familiar voice. He shook his head and sat up. "Are you up there?"
Draco stood and sauntered down the stairs to the Slytherin common room.
"Yes," he said as his foot hit the bottom step.
"Let me see what that Mudblood has done to you." Pansy rushed forward and touched her hand to Draco's teeth and let it linger there. Draco snatched her wrist away and placed her hand at her side. She made a sad face, as though he had broken her heart.
"It still hurts," he said in attempt to make the look disappear. It did. I hate it when she touches me, he thought. He sat on the couch in front of the fire and listened to Pansy complain about her life. He nodded every now and then, to satisfy her, but his thoughts circled Hermione.
