A/N: QUESTION AT BOTTOM OF STORY!!! READ!!!
Disclaimer: see chapter 1
~*~*~*~ Chapter 17: Enemies, Again? ~*~*~*~
HERMIONE'S POV
"I don't want to hear your excuses Malfoy. I've seen enough to make my own judgements." I didn't turn around. He was not going to see me cry over him.
"You are going to hear me out Hermione. I didn't want to kiss her."
"Bullshit. Why didn't you just leave her then? I was standing there for about two minutes you know. I saw you talking to her, and I came up to say hi, when you."
"Then you saw that Pansy was the one who kissed me."
"Yeah I did. And I also saw you kissing her back!" I was angry now. I had whirled around to face him. I was angry, not sorry for him. If I had my wand, I knew I would have placed the ropes charm on him then and there.
"Yeah I did kiss her back, and it was the biggest mistake I've ever made. I don't know what drove me to do it. I was thinking of you the whole time. I couldn't get you out of my head for the whole time you were training. And I was wearing shorts because I went to the pool."
"Were you really thinking about me Draco?" I said to him in a soft voice.
"Yes, I was. I really like you Hermione. Maybe I even love you."
"Do you really think you love me Draco?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Yeah, I think I do."
"Well the feeling is NOT mutual. You obviously weren't thinking of me, because otherwise you could have controlled yourself. And don't give me that 'I love you' crap. Do you really think I'm that naïve?" I pushed him hard and he let go of my hands.
"Hermione wait!"
I ran quickly back to my room. I knew I was faster than him. Once I got there I lay on my bed, fuming for hours.
DRACO'S POV
I couldn't believe what I had just heard. She was a bitch. I just told her how I felt, and she just took as nothing, an insult even. I wasn't going to try and win her back now. If she couldn't understand me and hear me out, then she wasn't worth my time. I had told Harry and Ron what had happened. The agreed that she was a bit harsh, but also that I deserved it. I guess I did, but still, you can't hold a grudge forever right?
"Draco. Draco!"
"Huh, what?"
"Did you see my performance?"
"Oh, sorry no. Can you do that again?"
"Gees, I don't know why I'm even trying out. You should have been watching me. What if that's the best I've done? Your lost in your own world Malfoy."
"You're right. I am in my own world. But in the real world, I am also the captain, and NO ONE speaks to me like that. Now get of the field. You are not on the team."
"Oh, but, hang on. I didn't mean that. I'm really sorry."
"Sorry just doesn't cut it. Now move off." I had to hold quidditch trials because the keeper of the team hadn't been allowed to come.
"Next."
Pansy showed up.
"Ok. Give it your best shot."
She was pretty good. I made her stay behind and compared her performance with everyone else's. She was the best by far.
"Ok Pansy. You're on the team. If there is any funny business though, then you are straight of. Understand." She nodded and walked of with her friends.
It was time for dinner. I didn't have enough time to change so I just headed in with my Quidditch robes on. I made my way to the table. Hermione, sorry, Granger was sitting next to an empty chair. The only empty chair. Luckily, Ron was sitting one chair away from her. I saw down and turned around and started up a conversation with him. Herm, Granger was ignoring me, and I, her. Lunch soon finished and it was time to go to our duelling class again. Today we were going to learn how to do an anti-disapperation jinx. Apparently they were really hard, and we would need to spend a number of lessons on them. When we reached the class, Mrs Moody was standing at the front and had placed out six table and chairs, each with a large book, parchment and a quill. We could all apperate and disapperate, but not in the grounds.
"Hello all of you. Now today we won't be doing any practical work. We are going to study the charm and how to use it. Now I want you to take down notes and present them at the end of this class to demonstrate how well you understand it. You may begin."
We all opened the book and began reading. There was an annoying scratching coming from next to me. Granger was sitting there with her nose about an inch from the parchment, scribbling away. It was a very loud quill and I couldn't concentrate.
"Mrs Moody."
"Yes dear."
"It wouldn't matter if I placed a silencing charm on myself for this activity would it. It's just that Hermione's quill here is very loud and I can't concentrate on the book."
"Very well. I'll tap when time is up." She went back to her work. I smirked at Hermione. She glared back at me. I felt a pang in my stomach. My smirk faltered and she saw it.
Don't think about her like that. You hate her remember? No you don't hate her. You're only saying that because you are stubborn and you aren't trying hard enough to win her back. You're going back to your old ways Draco. My consciousness was fighting with each other. I knew which one had won. I looked back at Hermione in an attempt to smile at her, but she had looked away from and was busy writing. Her head was even lower than usual and her hair was covering her face. She was about to cry. Again.
"Excuse me Mrs Moody. I have an assignment to work on with Hermione and it has to be finished before four today, which doesn't leave much time. Can we complete this work tonight and come and see you later on tonight?"
"Yes you can. But I expect to see you both later." I think she knew something was wrong, otherwise she wouldn't have let us out.
Hermione had a look of surprise on her face.
"Come on Hermione. We haven't got all day to finish it you know!" I grabbed her arm and pulled her out. Once we were out of hearing distance she talked to me.
"What was that for? I wanted to finish that work, and we have no assignment together!" she could be a bit thick sometimes.
"I know that we don't have an assignment, and I also know that you were about to cry in there." She looked at me shocked.
"I was not going to cry, especially not over you!"
"Then why is your parchment wet as well as your sleeves?" she looked down and back up at me angrily.
"That, Malfoy, is none of your business." She whirled around and started back to the classroom.
"No you don't Hermione. Pertrificus Totalus!" her arms and legs snapped together and she started to fall. I grabbed her just before she did and carried her back to our dorm. I took her into my common room and put her on the chair.
"Finite." She sat up and looked like she was about to yell at me. Then she did. She was yelling so fast I couldn't make out what she was saying.
"Look, bloody hell Hermione! How did you make friends and actually keep them? You must have paid them or something because only someone as desperate as me would keep going after you. Haven't you ever heard of forgiveness?" she stopped and looked at me stunned.
"Malfoy. I made friends because I don't turn my backs on them, and I kept them, because they are loyal enough to not turn their backs on me! And I have heard of forgiveness, but it takes time. Forgiveness doesn't come easily."
"Yeah, well in my case I don't think you'll ever forgive me, because you won't even give me a chance!" I was the one yelling at her now.
"You know what Hermione? I don't think we're ever going to work because you hold grudges to seriously, and you can't accept what I'm saying and how the situation was from my point of view. I can't get over you Hermione. You're the best thing that's happened to me, and I let an old stupid grudge get the better of me. I didn't even want to kiss her, or touch her. I just got caught up in the moment. It's a real shame that we aren't going to work Hermione. Do you know why? Because I changed myself for you. I became better for you. I really do like you Hermione, but as you said yesterday, the feeling isn't mutual." I sighed and walked into my room.
"I'm really sorry Hermione. I need you to accept that much at least."
She didn't say anything. I heard a click about ten minutes later. Shit. I'd let her get away again! Well, I was going to have to get over her. I was a Malfoy after all. Malfoy's don't go haywire and lose all meaning of life just because some girl, especially a muggle born dumped me. Come to think of it, I was probably acting like that because no girl had ever dumped me before. I usually did that.
HERMIONE'S POV
It was really painful listening to Draco, because I knew every word of it was true. I was being really hard on him, but I was stubborn and I knew it. Draco would not get the better of me, even if I have to feel pangs of pain every time I see him.
The weeks rolled on. Classes all went as usual. It had been about three months now, and I still wasn't over Draco. The familiar butterflies appeared every time I saw him, and I couldn't take my eyes off him sometimes. Our third Quidditch match of the season was drawing closer. In four days we would be playing Ravenclaw. Harry was making us train more, but not nearly as much as our Slytherin games. We all knew that Ravenclaw was a walkover like Hufflepuff, especially since they lost Cho. They hadn't been able to fond a good enough seeker yet.
The game came and went. The Gryffindor's celebrated all night in a large special meetings room. At about one in the morning, we finally made our way to bed. I was exhausted. I had left earlier because I was so tired.
"Hey, Hermione. Wait up." I knew who it was.
"Why aren't you at the party?" Draco asked.
"I feel so tired" I added with a yawn.
"Oh, ok. Well I guess we're going to be facing each other in the finals then."
"Yeah. We'll win, don't worry about that. With all the training Harry's going to make us do, we'd better win." He laughed. We hadn't been at each other's throats for a while. We had decided to act civil towards each other.
"Hey Mione."
"Mhm."
"Well, you know how we are going outside of the castle tomorrow to practise our anti-disapperation jinx?"
"Yeah, what about it."
"Well, Dumbledore said if we wanted we could go to Diagon Alley for a couple of hours."
"Ooh, really? I can't wait to go. I haven't seen Fred and George for ages. I wonder how their business is going."
"Yes, well. Do you, I mean, do you think it would be alright if we went together?"
I stopped and looked at him.
"Do you mean as in a date?"
"Yeah. I suppose I do."
"After all you put me through?" he sighed and closed his eyes for a second and then opened him mouth to tell me it was all right, we didn't have to go.
"I'd love to go with you Draco."
"What!?" I laughed at him.
"Look's like I don't hold grudges for as long as you think."
"I think two months is pretty long, but I'm not complaining."
He walked with me back to my room. "You know, the others are going to be annoyed at us. Our relationship is a bit on and off you know."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: haha! I'm toying with you people. Will the romance last? No one knows. Not even me! The chapters are more frequent and there are more of them because the content is less. If you like long chapters with less frequent updates, tell me in a review. I warn you. The chapters may take up to a week to post if you choose the long content option. Thank you reviewers!!!
Disclaimer: see chapter 1
~*~*~*~ Chapter 17: Enemies, Again? ~*~*~*~
HERMIONE'S POV
"I don't want to hear your excuses Malfoy. I've seen enough to make my own judgements." I didn't turn around. He was not going to see me cry over him.
"You are going to hear me out Hermione. I didn't want to kiss her."
"Bullshit. Why didn't you just leave her then? I was standing there for about two minutes you know. I saw you talking to her, and I came up to say hi, when you."
"Then you saw that Pansy was the one who kissed me."
"Yeah I did. And I also saw you kissing her back!" I was angry now. I had whirled around to face him. I was angry, not sorry for him. If I had my wand, I knew I would have placed the ropes charm on him then and there.
"Yeah I did kiss her back, and it was the biggest mistake I've ever made. I don't know what drove me to do it. I was thinking of you the whole time. I couldn't get you out of my head for the whole time you were training. And I was wearing shorts because I went to the pool."
"Were you really thinking about me Draco?" I said to him in a soft voice.
"Yes, I was. I really like you Hermione. Maybe I even love you."
"Do you really think you love me Draco?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Yeah, I think I do."
"Well the feeling is NOT mutual. You obviously weren't thinking of me, because otherwise you could have controlled yourself. And don't give me that 'I love you' crap. Do you really think I'm that naïve?" I pushed him hard and he let go of my hands.
"Hermione wait!"
I ran quickly back to my room. I knew I was faster than him. Once I got there I lay on my bed, fuming for hours.
DRACO'S POV
I couldn't believe what I had just heard. She was a bitch. I just told her how I felt, and she just took as nothing, an insult even. I wasn't going to try and win her back now. If she couldn't understand me and hear me out, then she wasn't worth my time. I had told Harry and Ron what had happened. The agreed that she was a bit harsh, but also that I deserved it. I guess I did, but still, you can't hold a grudge forever right?
"Draco. Draco!"
"Huh, what?"
"Did you see my performance?"
"Oh, sorry no. Can you do that again?"
"Gees, I don't know why I'm even trying out. You should have been watching me. What if that's the best I've done? Your lost in your own world Malfoy."
"You're right. I am in my own world. But in the real world, I am also the captain, and NO ONE speaks to me like that. Now get of the field. You are not on the team."
"Oh, but, hang on. I didn't mean that. I'm really sorry."
"Sorry just doesn't cut it. Now move off." I had to hold quidditch trials because the keeper of the team hadn't been allowed to come.
"Next."
Pansy showed up.
"Ok. Give it your best shot."
She was pretty good. I made her stay behind and compared her performance with everyone else's. She was the best by far.
"Ok Pansy. You're on the team. If there is any funny business though, then you are straight of. Understand." She nodded and walked of with her friends.
It was time for dinner. I didn't have enough time to change so I just headed in with my Quidditch robes on. I made my way to the table. Hermione, sorry, Granger was sitting next to an empty chair. The only empty chair. Luckily, Ron was sitting one chair away from her. I saw down and turned around and started up a conversation with him. Herm, Granger was ignoring me, and I, her. Lunch soon finished and it was time to go to our duelling class again. Today we were going to learn how to do an anti-disapperation jinx. Apparently they were really hard, and we would need to spend a number of lessons on them. When we reached the class, Mrs Moody was standing at the front and had placed out six table and chairs, each with a large book, parchment and a quill. We could all apperate and disapperate, but not in the grounds.
"Hello all of you. Now today we won't be doing any practical work. We are going to study the charm and how to use it. Now I want you to take down notes and present them at the end of this class to demonstrate how well you understand it. You may begin."
We all opened the book and began reading. There was an annoying scratching coming from next to me. Granger was sitting there with her nose about an inch from the parchment, scribbling away. It was a very loud quill and I couldn't concentrate.
"Mrs Moody."
"Yes dear."
"It wouldn't matter if I placed a silencing charm on myself for this activity would it. It's just that Hermione's quill here is very loud and I can't concentrate on the book."
"Very well. I'll tap when time is up." She went back to her work. I smirked at Hermione. She glared back at me. I felt a pang in my stomach. My smirk faltered and she saw it.
Don't think about her like that. You hate her remember? No you don't hate her. You're only saying that because you are stubborn and you aren't trying hard enough to win her back. You're going back to your old ways Draco. My consciousness was fighting with each other. I knew which one had won. I looked back at Hermione in an attempt to smile at her, but she had looked away from and was busy writing. Her head was even lower than usual and her hair was covering her face. She was about to cry. Again.
"Excuse me Mrs Moody. I have an assignment to work on with Hermione and it has to be finished before four today, which doesn't leave much time. Can we complete this work tonight and come and see you later on tonight?"
"Yes you can. But I expect to see you both later." I think she knew something was wrong, otherwise she wouldn't have let us out.
Hermione had a look of surprise on her face.
"Come on Hermione. We haven't got all day to finish it you know!" I grabbed her arm and pulled her out. Once we were out of hearing distance she talked to me.
"What was that for? I wanted to finish that work, and we have no assignment together!" she could be a bit thick sometimes.
"I know that we don't have an assignment, and I also know that you were about to cry in there." She looked at me shocked.
"I was not going to cry, especially not over you!"
"Then why is your parchment wet as well as your sleeves?" she looked down and back up at me angrily.
"That, Malfoy, is none of your business." She whirled around and started back to the classroom.
"No you don't Hermione. Pertrificus Totalus!" her arms and legs snapped together and she started to fall. I grabbed her just before she did and carried her back to our dorm. I took her into my common room and put her on the chair.
"Finite." She sat up and looked like she was about to yell at me. Then she did. She was yelling so fast I couldn't make out what she was saying.
"Look, bloody hell Hermione! How did you make friends and actually keep them? You must have paid them or something because only someone as desperate as me would keep going after you. Haven't you ever heard of forgiveness?" she stopped and looked at me stunned.
"Malfoy. I made friends because I don't turn my backs on them, and I kept them, because they are loyal enough to not turn their backs on me! And I have heard of forgiveness, but it takes time. Forgiveness doesn't come easily."
"Yeah, well in my case I don't think you'll ever forgive me, because you won't even give me a chance!" I was the one yelling at her now.
"You know what Hermione? I don't think we're ever going to work because you hold grudges to seriously, and you can't accept what I'm saying and how the situation was from my point of view. I can't get over you Hermione. You're the best thing that's happened to me, and I let an old stupid grudge get the better of me. I didn't even want to kiss her, or touch her. I just got caught up in the moment. It's a real shame that we aren't going to work Hermione. Do you know why? Because I changed myself for you. I became better for you. I really do like you Hermione, but as you said yesterday, the feeling isn't mutual." I sighed and walked into my room.
"I'm really sorry Hermione. I need you to accept that much at least."
She didn't say anything. I heard a click about ten minutes later. Shit. I'd let her get away again! Well, I was going to have to get over her. I was a Malfoy after all. Malfoy's don't go haywire and lose all meaning of life just because some girl, especially a muggle born dumped me. Come to think of it, I was probably acting like that because no girl had ever dumped me before. I usually did that.
HERMIONE'S POV
It was really painful listening to Draco, because I knew every word of it was true. I was being really hard on him, but I was stubborn and I knew it. Draco would not get the better of me, even if I have to feel pangs of pain every time I see him.
The weeks rolled on. Classes all went as usual. It had been about three months now, and I still wasn't over Draco. The familiar butterflies appeared every time I saw him, and I couldn't take my eyes off him sometimes. Our third Quidditch match of the season was drawing closer. In four days we would be playing Ravenclaw. Harry was making us train more, but not nearly as much as our Slytherin games. We all knew that Ravenclaw was a walkover like Hufflepuff, especially since they lost Cho. They hadn't been able to fond a good enough seeker yet.
The game came and went. The Gryffindor's celebrated all night in a large special meetings room. At about one in the morning, we finally made our way to bed. I was exhausted. I had left earlier because I was so tired.
"Hey, Hermione. Wait up." I knew who it was.
"Why aren't you at the party?" Draco asked.
"I feel so tired" I added with a yawn.
"Oh, ok. Well I guess we're going to be facing each other in the finals then."
"Yeah. We'll win, don't worry about that. With all the training Harry's going to make us do, we'd better win." He laughed. We hadn't been at each other's throats for a while. We had decided to act civil towards each other.
"Hey Mione."
"Mhm."
"Well, you know how we are going outside of the castle tomorrow to practise our anti-disapperation jinx?"
"Yeah, what about it."
"Well, Dumbledore said if we wanted we could go to Diagon Alley for a couple of hours."
"Ooh, really? I can't wait to go. I haven't seen Fred and George for ages. I wonder how their business is going."
"Yes, well. Do you, I mean, do you think it would be alright if we went together?"
I stopped and looked at him.
"Do you mean as in a date?"
"Yeah. I suppose I do."
"After all you put me through?" he sighed and closed his eyes for a second and then opened him mouth to tell me it was all right, we didn't have to go.
"I'd love to go with you Draco."
"What!?" I laughed at him.
"Look's like I don't hold grudges for as long as you think."
"I think two months is pretty long, but I'm not complaining."
He walked with me back to my room. "You know, the others are going to be annoyed at us. Our relationship is a bit on and off you know."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: haha! I'm toying with you people. Will the romance last? No one knows. Not even me! The chapters are more frequent and there are more of them because the content is less. If you like long chapters with less frequent updates, tell me in a review. I warn you. The chapters may take up to a week to post if you choose the long content option. Thank you reviewers!!!