THE TENDER TRAP
Disclaimer: I don't own it today and I sure as Hell won't own it tomorrow…but I can play pretend, can't I?
Pairing: Hermione/Draco
***
The Hogwarts Library was one of both Hermione and Draco's favourite places in the school, although for entirely different reasons.
The mere smell of the musty volumes, mixed with the hushed, peaceful quiet was what enthralled Hermione so much. She loved the leathery spines of the books and the aura of knowledge they represented. To her, the Library was her sanctuary, somewhere where everything made sense.
Draco, on his part, had always enjoyed being in the Library because, one, it was such a nice change from the din of the Slytherin Common Room, and two, it was an easy and logical place to find one of his many girlfriends.
Unfortunately for both parties, their perspectives of the Library were about to be drastically changed.
***
Hermione inhaled deeply as she entered the Library, a small smile playing upon her lips as she moved to her favourite table in the back. The table was situated in a corner, well lit enough to see but not garishly so. No one ever really came back there; it was a place where she felt totally peaceful.
As she rounded the corner, she tossed her bag onto the table, wandering off through the many rows of books. Of course, Hermione didn't really have all that much actual studying to do, but there were always lots of little odds and ends of research that she could do…
There's always that horrible essay Snape assigned to finish, she thought idly, making her way over to the section of Potions texts. Hermione was just about to go down the aisle when she spotted a figure at the end of it.
A tall figure with platinum blonde hair.
She gave a sharp, hissing intake of breath that barely covered a groan. Damn it! She though, ducking behind another bookcase. Malfoy would decide to be here today!
Cautiously, Hermione sneaked a peak around the corner. Malfoy was leaning against one of the taller bookcases with a large black tome in his hand, looking deep in thought.
Hermione groaned inwardly. Of course, she debated; she could just pretend to forget all about The Bet, forget the fact that she had been stuck to by a friend, to seduce Draco Malfoy, who was currently standing in the aisle next to her!
Ginny's voice popped into her head. "You've been dolled up, dressed down, practically turned inside out and flipped and then put back together again, and you're going to go to the Library." Ginny had said after the makeover fiasco was over. "Just please, please, PLEASE try to work on the bet at the same time!"
Hermione sighed. Well, she was not going to forfeit study time just because Malfoy was standing in the same aisle. Perhaps, just perhaps, on some off chance, they might be able to start strains of civil conversation.
Okay, perhaps not, Hermione thought, taking the first few inconspicuous steps down the aisle. When Malfoy did not look up from his text, Hermione let out a mental sigh of relief and continued on her way, pausing every now and then to find the name of the text she needed for her essay and ignoring Malfoy thoroughly.
***
Draco had seen her come around the corner. He saw her when she decided to duck back. He saw her when she decided he didn't see her and venture down the aisle.
It would be the perfect time to make a move, to get this infantile bet started. Draco was confident that he could win her over—Blaise's anti-womanizing tips had certainly boosted his ego—in practically no time at all. It'll be a piece of cake, and I'll have the Seeker position on the Falcons to boot! Draco thought excitedly, pretending to scan the page. In reality, he was watching Granger out of the corner of his eye.
It's always best to watch your prey, Draco told himself, although his brain knew what he was really doing—stalling for time.
Wouldn't you if you had to woo your second-worst enemy?
Draco snuck another glance to Granger. This time, he could observe her without being influenced by illicit Black Market potions slipped into his cup by "friends."
Draco was still a bit sore over that.
Turning his thoughts back to Granger, he studied his prey out of the corner of a narrowed eye. She was wandering along the high shelf of potions texts, brow slightly furrowed. She had some sort of Muggle writing instrument (Were they called 'penquills'?) holding her hair up.
Draco also noted (with great interest) that she wasn't wearing the normal Hogwarts uniform. Instead, Hermione donned Muggle jeans and a jumper, both of which fit her quite nicely; honestly, who knew what she hid under those school robes—
Should definitely not be having thoughts like that in the middle of the library, Draco thought. He could almost feel his face flushing. Not that Malfoys ever blushed, of course, but the mere thought of him actually appreciating anything about Granger almost made him want to.
Draco snapped back to reality and nearly jumped when he saw Hermione was standing scant meters away from him, still thoroughly absorbed in the books on the shelf. Draco nearly groaned. Well, he thought grudgingly, it's now or never. I'll either shock her senseless, or piss her off entirely.
A gut feeling told him it was going to be the latter.
Hermione nearly jumped when she saw how close to Malfoy she was standing.
Blast! Now what am I going to do? She thought, near hysterics. All I wanted was to spend a quiet day in the Library!
Hermione decided that maybe, if the gods above were in any way sympathetic, she could just find her book and very quietly sneak off. Luckily, the text she needed was just above her reach. If she stood on her tiptoes, she'd be able to reach it! Hermione quietly snuck a glance at Malfoy (Had his eyelids just flickered away suddenly? Nah…must have been hallucinating,) and snaked her hand out to the book.
Her hand reached just short of the book. With the tiniest of sighs, Hermione rose up one the balls of her feet and stretched out her hand…
Malfoy's hand shot up, and before Hermione could so much as gasp, his nimble fingers had caught her wrist in their grasp. Startled, Hermione lost her balance and tottered backwards; luckily, she didn't fall due to Malfoy's tight grasp on her wrist, but she was shocked nevertheless.
What games is he playing at now, the great brute? She huffed mentally. Hermione got back on her two feet. Malfoy still held onto her wrist, smirking, blonde hair falling into his eyes.
"Not exactly the most graceful, are we, Granger?" he drawled. Hermione tried to wrench her way out of his grip, glaring, but Malfoy held fast, shaking his head and chuckling.
"Let go, Malfoy, you're hurting me!" Hermione hissed. She found her situation extremely odd. Draco Malfoy had never physically hurt her before, never touched even. Why would he choose to attack her now, in the middle of the Library of all places?
Draco smirked, but he did loosen his grip on her wrist, never dropping it entirely. He twisted her around so she faced him; his blue eyes bored into hers like icicles, but he still did not let go.
Hermione was pissed. "What are you doing?" she hissed again. This had not been part of her and Ginny's bargain. And she had planned on having a civil conversation with the brute!
"Why is it that you so choose to be in the aisle I am, Granger?" Malfoy asked, traces of a smirk lining his lips. Hermione tried to back away from her enemy and succeeded on running herself into the bookcase. She hissed in a breath; a book that was sticking out of the shelf had been rammed into her back.
Noticing Hermione wince in pain, Draco pulled her, ever so slightly, toward him. In doing so, he noted just how much taller than her he was. Hermione was very petit, barley topping 5'4". Draco figured he must have been nearly six feet.
Suddenly, there was a shooting pain in his shin.
"Ah!" Draco recoiled. Hermione was looking triumphant—she had kicked him in the shins. Hard. Her planned worked; however, the diversion caused him to drop her wrists. She wrenched away from him in victory, smir—
Well, who would have known? The Gryffindor Princess has a devilish smirk of her own, Draco thought, finding amusement even through his pain. Seeing how she meant to escape, however, Draco quickly sidestepped her to block her exit, trying to push his thoughts of just how damn good Granger looking with a smirk.
She glared at him. "Look, pond scum," she whispered in a deadly tone, hands-on-hips in true Granger fashion. Draco could have laughed at the predictability. "You had better let me go, or I'll scream for the whole school to hear. This is harassment, Malfoy!" Granger hissed shrilly.
Draco chuckled. "Empty threat, Granger. Pince would have you out on your arse if you did such a thing," he said. Casually he leaned one arm against the bookcase, ruling out that route of escape.
"What happened to your boyfriends, Granger?" Draco asked, still staring her down. "How are nights up in Gryffindor Tower these days?"
Hermione seethed. "They are not my boyfriends, Malfoy, you scum!" she said piercingly. "How dare you insinuate anything between us! You're despicable, worm-ridden—"
"Save it," Draco cut in smoothly. His other arm went up to the other side of her on the bookcase, leaving Hermione totally trapped in. Malfoy's eyes drilled into hers, and she could see nothing in them but cold laughter.
He's much too near you, a part of her brain told her. But so captivated was Hermione by the Slytherin Prince's ice eyes that she could not will her feet to move. Instead, she stood there like a fool, staring into her captor's eyes.
"So," he murmured in her ear, "they're not your boyfriends?" It wasn't so much a question as a mocking statement, but the feeling of his breath on her neck was enough to drive the question into right field.
Numbly, Hermione shook her head. How could anyone's eyes be so blue? She wondered at the same time.
Draco smirked. "So they won't mind if I do this?" he murmured. Before Hermione could ask what "this" was, Draco's lips were pressed against hers. Completely blown away, Hermione gasped. Draco's eyes were closed, and he took the opportunity of her open mouth to delve a little deeper.
Half of Hermione, the feminine, romantic part, wanted to enjoy this as it lasted, to just give in to this unexplainable madness. The other half wanted to wrench away and flee from the Library faster than one could say, "smooch."
Of course, the sensible side one. Hermione tore away from Draco, blushing furiously. She realized she had had her eyes closed too (how utterly embarrassing, seeing as she had not enjoyed it one bit. [Oh, whom was she kidding?])
Reeling in absolute fury, Hermione recoiled from Draco as though he carried the plague. Which, in her book, he did, after this despicable event. After all, who was seducing whom here?!
Draco smirked, but before he could get any words out, Hermione had raised her hand and brought it down, hard, against his face. A loud SLAP echoed slightly through the Library as Draco reeled backwards, cheek stinging like mad. Hermione could see the angry red imprint of her hand on his face. It brought a grim sense of satisfaction to her, as payback for him "sweeping her off her feet."
"You scoundrel!" Hermione hissed. "You absolute scum of the Earth! How dare you touch me!" She knocked his arm out of the way and backed far away from him as Draco straightened, looking grim. "You disgusting piece of Death Eater vermin!" she shrieked.
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Hermione knew she had crossed a line. Draco's face hardened and his eyes became flashed. He bounded toward her, looking livid. He grabbed her wrist once again and brought her close to his face.
"Don't ever let me hear you say that again, Granger," Draco hissed, inches away from Hermione's face. He noticed she trembled slightly at his anger. Good, he thought angrily. Let he be afraid. He threw her wrist down and noticed the faint, barely noticeable bruise that was forming from his grip. He nearly paled at the feeling of remorse for causing it.
Not going to stand and dwell on it, Draco threw one last cold glare at her and stalked out of the row with a swish of his robes that would have made his Head of House proud, leaving Hermione dumbfounded.
She stood for a moment with her eyes closed, resting against the bookshelf. Letting out a deep sigh, she found herself wishing that Draco would come back so she could apologize.
Quickly, Hermione opened her eyes and ridded herself of that thought. She shouldn't be feeling any compassion toward Malfoy. He was her enemy! He had attacked her! Hurt her!
Kissed her…
Hermione felt the weight of confusion boring down on her, causing tears to well. First the bet, then Harry and Ron were angry with her, and now add Malfoy on to her list of frustrations!
Sighing, Hermione blinked back the angry tears. Remembering what she had come in for, she grabbed the book off the shelf and quickly gathered her things and exited the Library.
***
Authoress's Note: Well well well…we have Draco being an ass. Imagine that. (You did see that coming, right?) Wow. Only four days in between chapters. Not bad, if I do say so myself. YAY FOR UPDATES!
I was astounded. I got more than one review for chapter five! I was ecstatic and terribly pleased that you took time to read and what's more, REVIEW my story!
Three cheers for my reviewers, I say!
Until next time, mes auteurs de camarade!
*MADame