AN: this is me.... having no life! Okay, another chapter up. I know
you're excited. This one is probably REALLY lame, cause I'm that lame, but
check it out and review it anyway? Please?
Thanks!!!
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Draco stared out the window, watching the snow falling blissfully behind it. His eyes watched one imparticular, which landed softly onto his windowsill. Christmas in the Malfoy Manor this year was quiet and strange, seeing as his father was currently residing in Azkaban. It was only his mother, Narcissa, and a couple dozen ghostly servants that had been in the house since as long as he could remember.
"Draco?" his mothers voice said, wafting gracefully from down the hall. He turned to look at the open door, where his mother was standing. "Yes mum?" he said quietly. She smiled as she entered his room, standing behind him and placing her slender pale hands upon his shoulders. He easily towered over her, but she still had a demanding presence about her. He hung his head and leaned onto his hands, which were placed on the indoor sill.
"Don't worry, Draco. He'll be back soon." Narcissa said soothingly, kneading his shoulder softly.
He shrugged his shoulder and made a noise -- something like an "eh".
Narcissa looked at him strangely, then turned him to face her. "Whats wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I'm just bored."
"Well then, do a bit of studying or something! Are you sure nothing is wrong darling?"
"Mum, I'm sure that nothing is wrong. Is it a crime to stare out the window suddenly?"
She stared hard at him, examining his face as if searching for some clue to his sudden depression. "Draco, you know you can talk to me... about anything, don't you?"
"Yes mother, I know. Can I go to Diagon Alley for a bit?"
Narcissa pressed her lips together, searching him once more. When it seemed as though she'd found nothing out of the ordinary, she nodded. "Of course. Just don't be gone for too long. We're having company a little later." With that last statement, she headed out of his room. He stared after her, watching as she headed down the stairs and out of sight. Then he began moving about his room, changing into some casual looking clothes and a black cloak. He turned to his dresser, which his wand sat upon, and looked into the mirror. The gray-blue eyes he'd seen all his life stared imploringly at him.
He turned away, blindly snatching his wand and pocketing it. He slipped on some shoes and walked out of his room, quietly closing the door behind him. For some strange reason, he thought the quiet signified too much noise would wake something. His own footsteps down the hall resounded off the quiet walls, and he bounced down the stairs in a rushed manner. His mother was standing at the bottom step, watching the door as if someone was going to walk in.
Draco frowned. "Mum?"
She turned quickly, in a manner that was quite unlike her own -- quick and jerky, sort of paranoid. "Yes, yes Draco?" Narcissa said quickly, smoothing her platinum blonde hair a little. "Who are you waiting for?" he asked, arching an eyebrow slowly.
"Waiting for? Oh, no one. Just... sort of lost in thought.... You look just as your father did back in school, did you know?" she said with a smile.
He stared at her for a moment, then traipsed down the rest of the stairs, gave her a small, soft hug, then kissed her cheek. "I'll be back soon." he told her, then turned away and walked out the door.
He walked along the small town street quietly, his hands deep in his pockets. It seemed each time he came down here, it was crowded, and he'd expected the same for during Christmas break. Suprisingly it was pretty quiet, Draco was thankful for that.
He couldn't help his poor mind for waundering to thoughts of Hermione. He seemed almost a little lost without her. He often caught himself staring into oblivion, unsure of what exactly it was he had been looking at when he fell back into reality.
He walked until he reached the wizards entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. His stomach rumbled at the thought of eating, so he allowed himself to walk inside. It was a warm little place, though it looked a little dark and abandoned. Draco shook off his cloak and hung it on the coat rack standing next to him. Then he saw something he didn't expect at all to see.
On the other side of the room, playing with her food, was Hermione. All alone.
Draco made a mad rush over to her, tripping over an old womans cane and falling to the floor. Luckily he caught himself just as his whole body was about to flop onto the ground. She hadn't noticed, thankfully. He stood quickly, dusting off his hands until they were to his satisfaction, then patting down his shirt... just in case. Then he strolled over to the table she sat at, pulled up a chair, and sat across from her. It was now or neevr, he thought. "Why, fancy seeing you here." he said silkily, causing her to jump and knock her fork to the floor. She didn't bother to pick it up, it'd be useless. It's not as though she was using it anyway. She simply looked at him, resisting the fighting temptation to let her jaw wag at the sight of him.
"I-I-I should be saying the same thing!" she replied, staring at him. He smile cooly. "Relax... I came here to clear my head for a bit. My fathers in Azkaban... still." he told her. She knew he was trying to make light conversation. She didn't want to give into it, but she nodded anyway. "I figured that much. And er... I'm sorry about it."
"No need. I suppose some would say he got what he deserves."
She blinked stupidly, still in shock over seeing him there. "So... how's your break going so far?" she asked, pushing her plate to the side. "It's been dull. Very quiet. Yours?" he replied, looking at the table. "Same." she said, tearing her eyes from him.
They sat silently, Draco drawing shapes onto the table and Hermione staring off into space. "So... what are you doing here anyway? I thought you were staying at school for break?" he asked, stopping his finger and looking up at her. She casted her eyes back in his direction. "I am. I just needed to get away from the school for a bit."
"And Dumbledore allowed that?"
"He doesn't know I'm gone."
He couldn't resist gawking at her. In fact, he looked like he'd just seen a ghost. He allowed his voice to laugh. "What? Are you telling me you -- Miss Goody Two Shoes -- are actually going against the rules?!"
"It never said anywhere in the rules we couldn't leave the grounds during a break! Not that I remember anyway." she replied hotly, feeling her face burn with embarassment. He simply stared at her with a mix of admiration and shock. "Well, I certainly never would've anticipated such a... irresponsible move from you." he said after a moment of silence.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Everyone changes, right?"
"Right."
Another silence. Hermione picked up her fork from the floor and set it onto the table, then stared at it for a moment. Mash potatoes sat upon it, basked in brown gravy. It looked quiet disgusting from the view. "Hermione." Draco said finally, interuppting her thoughts. She jumped and looked at him wide eyed. "Huh? What? Oh... yes. Yes, what is it Draco?"
He blinked at the table, winced slightly, then looked up at Hermione. "Come with me... back home. I mean, well my home."
She opened her mouth, but he was quick to respond "I'm really not expecting anything of you. I just want to go talk... in familiar surroundings so... so I can feel apt to being open to you. Is that okay?"
Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment. Sure, she'd imagined what the infamous Malfoy Manor had looked like once or twice, and in those daydreams it sort of looked like a Muggle version of a haunted house. It'd be fascinating just to see his living enviroments she convinced herself, and soon after she was nodding. "Okay... yes. I'll go with you."
He smiled and stood, putting out his hand for Hermione. When she stood without his help, he withdrew it quickly, remembering only then they were officially broken up. It was obvious she wouldn't want to hold his hand, but by that time... he was so used to it! They walked out of the Leaky Cauldron side-by-side, there hands brushing against each other very often.
It seemed they both had the strong urge to just snatch up each others hand, but left it as it was and talked casually the whole way to the Malfoy Manor.
Thanks!!!
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Draco stared out the window, watching the snow falling blissfully behind it. His eyes watched one imparticular, which landed softly onto his windowsill. Christmas in the Malfoy Manor this year was quiet and strange, seeing as his father was currently residing in Azkaban. It was only his mother, Narcissa, and a couple dozen ghostly servants that had been in the house since as long as he could remember.
"Draco?" his mothers voice said, wafting gracefully from down the hall. He turned to look at the open door, where his mother was standing. "Yes mum?" he said quietly. She smiled as she entered his room, standing behind him and placing her slender pale hands upon his shoulders. He easily towered over her, but she still had a demanding presence about her. He hung his head and leaned onto his hands, which were placed on the indoor sill.
"Don't worry, Draco. He'll be back soon." Narcissa said soothingly, kneading his shoulder softly.
He shrugged his shoulder and made a noise -- something like an "eh".
Narcissa looked at him strangely, then turned him to face her. "Whats wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I'm just bored."
"Well then, do a bit of studying or something! Are you sure nothing is wrong darling?"
"Mum, I'm sure that nothing is wrong. Is it a crime to stare out the window suddenly?"
She stared hard at him, examining his face as if searching for some clue to his sudden depression. "Draco, you know you can talk to me... about anything, don't you?"
"Yes mother, I know. Can I go to Diagon Alley for a bit?"
Narcissa pressed her lips together, searching him once more. When it seemed as though she'd found nothing out of the ordinary, she nodded. "Of course. Just don't be gone for too long. We're having company a little later." With that last statement, she headed out of his room. He stared after her, watching as she headed down the stairs and out of sight. Then he began moving about his room, changing into some casual looking clothes and a black cloak. He turned to his dresser, which his wand sat upon, and looked into the mirror. The gray-blue eyes he'd seen all his life stared imploringly at him.
He turned away, blindly snatching his wand and pocketing it. He slipped on some shoes and walked out of his room, quietly closing the door behind him. For some strange reason, he thought the quiet signified too much noise would wake something. His own footsteps down the hall resounded off the quiet walls, and he bounced down the stairs in a rushed manner. His mother was standing at the bottom step, watching the door as if someone was going to walk in.
Draco frowned. "Mum?"
She turned quickly, in a manner that was quite unlike her own -- quick and jerky, sort of paranoid. "Yes, yes Draco?" Narcissa said quickly, smoothing her platinum blonde hair a little. "Who are you waiting for?" he asked, arching an eyebrow slowly.
"Waiting for? Oh, no one. Just... sort of lost in thought.... You look just as your father did back in school, did you know?" she said with a smile.
He stared at her for a moment, then traipsed down the rest of the stairs, gave her a small, soft hug, then kissed her cheek. "I'll be back soon." he told her, then turned away and walked out the door.
He walked along the small town street quietly, his hands deep in his pockets. It seemed each time he came down here, it was crowded, and he'd expected the same for during Christmas break. Suprisingly it was pretty quiet, Draco was thankful for that.
He couldn't help his poor mind for waundering to thoughts of Hermione. He seemed almost a little lost without her. He often caught himself staring into oblivion, unsure of what exactly it was he had been looking at when he fell back into reality.
He walked until he reached the wizards entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. His stomach rumbled at the thought of eating, so he allowed himself to walk inside. It was a warm little place, though it looked a little dark and abandoned. Draco shook off his cloak and hung it on the coat rack standing next to him. Then he saw something he didn't expect at all to see.
On the other side of the room, playing with her food, was Hermione. All alone.
Draco made a mad rush over to her, tripping over an old womans cane and falling to the floor. Luckily he caught himself just as his whole body was about to flop onto the ground. She hadn't noticed, thankfully. He stood quickly, dusting off his hands until they were to his satisfaction, then patting down his shirt... just in case. Then he strolled over to the table she sat at, pulled up a chair, and sat across from her. It was now or neevr, he thought. "Why, fancy seeing you here." he said silkily, causing her to jump and knock her fork to the floor. She didn't bother to pick it up, it'd be useless. It's not as though she was using it anyway. She simply looked at him, resisting the fighting temptation to let her jaw wag at the sight of him.
"I-I-I should be saying the same thing!" she replied, staring at him. He smile cooly. "Relax... I came here to clear my head for a bit. My fathers in Azkaban... still." he told her. She knew he was trying to make light conversation. She didn't want to give into it, but she nodded anyway. "I figured that much. And er... I'm sorry about it."
"No need. I suppose some would say he got what he deserves."
She blinked stupidly, still in shock over seeing him there. "So... how's your break going so far?" she asked, pushing her plate to the side. "It's been dull. Very quiet. Yours?" he replied, looking at the table. "Same." she said, tearing her eyes from him.
They sat silently, Draco drawing shapes onto the table and Hermione staring off into space. "So... what are you doing here anyway? I thought you were staying at school for break?" he asked, stopping his finger and looking up at her. She casted her eyes back in his direction. "I am. I just needed to get away from the school for a bit."
"And Dumbledore allowed that?"
"He doesn't know I'm gone."
He couldn't resist gawking at her. In fact, he looked like he'd just seen a ghost. He allowed his voice to laugh. "What? Are you telling me you -- Miss Goody Two Shoes -- are actually going against the rules?!"
"It never said anywhere in the rules we couldn't leave the grounds during a break! Not that I remember anyway." she replied hotly, feeling her face burn with embarassment. He simply stared at her with a mix of admiration and shock. "Well, I certainly never would've anticipated such a... irresponsible move from you." he said after a moment of silence.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Everyone changes, right?"
"Right."
Another silence. Hermione picked up her fork from the floor and set it onto the table, then stared at it for a moment. Mash potatoes sat upon it, basked in brown gravy. It looked quiet disgusting from the view. "Hermione." Draco said finally, interuppting her thoughts. She jumped and looked at him wide eyed. "Huh? What? Oh... yes. Yes, what is it Draco?"
He blinked at the table, winced slightly, then looked up at Hermione. "Come with me... back home. I mean, well my home."
She opened her mouth, but he was quick to respond "I'm really not expecting anything of you. I just want to go talk... in familiar surroundings so... so I can feel apt to being open to you. Is that okay?"
Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment. Sure, she'd imagined what the infamous Malfoy Manor had looked like once or twice, and in those daydreams it sort of looked like a Muggle version of a haunted house. It'd be fascinating just to see his living enviroments she convinced herself, and soon after she was nodding. "Okay... yes. I'll go with you."
He smiled and stood, putting out his hand for Hermione. When she stood without his help, he withdrew it quickly, remembering only then they were officially broken up. It was obvious she wouldn't want to hold his hand, but by that time... he was so used to it! They walked out of the Leaky Cauldron side-by-side, there hands brushing against each other very often.
It seemed they both had the strong urge to just snatch up each others hand, but left it as it was and talked casually the whole way to the Malfoy Manor.