Disclaimer: All characters and places in the Harry Potter series are owned
by J.K. Rowling. I have created a few characters and places of my own in
relation to this story. But everything else is owned by Rowling.
Chapter 2: "Sleepless Slytherin"
It's been two hours and still Draco hasn't slept. He has just kept on turning all over his bed, shifting the pillows, over and under him. No matter how he tries to forget about what Hermione said, he couldn't. And as minutes pass by, the more he couldn't take his mind off it.
"Come on, Draco. Just forget about it. Someday she'll learn to forgive you," he told himself.
*Am I saying she hasn't forgiven me yet? But she's accepted me as her friend, hasn't she?* he thought, throwing himself his own question.
*That doesn't necessarily mean she's forgotten everything you've done before.*
*I know it will take time for her to get over that but what I don't understand is why she doesn't seem at all eager to give me another chance, to get to know the new me.*
*Maybe she doesn't believe you've changed.*
*Then why does she even talk to me?*
*She's just being dragged along by Harry and Ron.*
*That's not true.*
*Just accept it, Malfoy.*
*Shut up!*
*You can't make me shut up! I'm you!*
"Then I'll shut up!" he shouted, reaching for the pillow and stuffing it on his face. "What's happening to me?"
***
Waking up on a school day has never been great for Harry. Today is the day he is going to start proving to Hermione that he deserves her love. He and Ron are heading towards the library to set up a surprise for her.
"Hermione has always complained at how long it takes her to find the books she has to read. Not only because of the complicated titles, but also because of the unordered placement of books on the shelves by 'stubborn' students," Harry told Ron while they were walking down the hall.
"I believe she was talking about me when she said that," Ron said, grinning. "But what exactly do you plan to do about it, Harry?"
"I'm going to reserve the books for Hermione, compile them, and even set up a special place for her inside the library. Free from the confines of negligence and stubbornness," he answered, rather proud of his plan.
"That sounds scholarly, Harry. But how in the world are you going to do that? By magic?"
"Just watch and learn, Ron."
***
Sleepy and dizzy, Draco was on his way to the library to see if Hermione was there. After a very restless night, he had decided to confront her and make her believe that he has changed, that he wants to be her friend.
Turning by the corner, he suddenly halted and retreated behind the wall. He saw Harry and Ron moving towards the library door, and Harry was apparently happy about something.
"What are they doing here? They're going to ruin my plan!" he whispered, seeing the two enter the library.
Pondering on his options, Draco finally decided to proceed and do what he had to do. He walked towards the door and when he was about to open it, it suddenly flew open, hitting him hard on the forehead.
"I'm sorry!" the voice called.
Draco, who was obviously very dizzy now, massaged his temple and shook his head, trying to get his clear vision back.
"I'm really sorry," said the boy.
"Just leave me alone, will you?" Draco answered, reaching for the knob and going inside.
Upon entering the library, Draco immediately saw Harry and Ron by the corner, talking to Madam Pince. He surveyed the whole place as fast as he could, trying to get a glimpse of wavy brown hair, but there was none. "I guess she's not here."
He had turned and was about to leave when he heard Harry call his name. "Draco!"
He took a deep breathe and turned around to face him. Both he and Ron were walking towards him, smiles evident on their faces. "Hi guys! What's up?" he said, forcing a smile.
"Nothing much. Just talked to Madam Pince about some books and stuff," Harry replied, stopping in front of him.
"If you call that nothing, Harry, then you better think again. That was absurd!" Ron said to Harry.
"Why Ron? What did Harry do?" Draco asked, pretending to be interested.
"You wouldn't believe what he did for Her--," he was cut half-way in mentioning Hermione's name when Harry nudged him on his side. "Herbology."
"Herbology?" Draco said, eyebrows raised.
"Uh, had to borrow some books. a lot of books," Harry butt in.
"But we don't read much in Herbology, and where are the books you borrowed?" Draco replied, getting suspicious of the two.
"You know us, been influenced by Hermione and trying to be a role model for the school after you know what," Ron said, grinning idiotically.
"The books are too heavy so we asked if the house elves could send them to our dorm, and Madam Pince agreed," Harry added.
"Okay, if that's what you say. oh, I better go," Draco said, nodding to both of them and turning to walk out of the library.
"Bye!" Harry and Ron said together.
Harry looked at Ron and motioned for the door. "Let's go too. Before you mention to anyone else what exactly I have done."
"Good idea," Ron said, following Harry walk towards the door.
***
What Harry and Ron didn't know was that Draco was waiting by the same corner he had hidden a couple of minutes ago. When he had made sure the two had left, he came back to the library to know what they were really up to.
He quietly approached Madam Pince's table and cleared his throat, which got her attention. "Mr. Malfoy! How nice to see you here!" she exclaimed. "Do you need help in some books?"
"Actually, no," he said. "I just wanted to check on what Harry and Ron asked you to do. They think they might have left some important details and they wanted me to make sure that you got everything."
"Oh, if that's the case, I want you to know that I've reserved a copy of every book Ms. Granger might want to borrow, and I have set up a table only for her in that corner of the room," she said, gesturing towards a medium- sized round table with a single chair.
But Draco didn't say anything. He just turned around and started to walk away, fists clutched tightly. "Mr. Malfoy! Is there a problem? Did I miss anything?" Madam Pince called out.
"Everything's perfect, ma'am," he called back, not bothering to turn around.
***
Draco went back to his room and decided to skip breakfast. What was the point of waking up early when he didn't even see Hermione and he even found out about Harry's plan for her? And besides, he knew that if he went down there, he would just see the three of them chit-chatting happily, and he would only eventually get jealous.
"I'm not jealous. I can't be jealous," he told himself.
*But you are. You think Harry's stealing Hermione from you,* the other part of his mind told him.
*How can he steal something from me that I don't own?*
*Good question. You answer!*
*He can't. Because she's not mine.*
*What if she's already taken?*
*By whom?*
*Harry! Who else?*
*Then there's nothing I can do.*
*Are you just going to give up that easily?*
*Then what should I do?*
*It depends on how much you want her.*
*I like her so much.*
*Then fight for how you feel.*
*How do I do that?*
*That's something for you to figure out for yourself.*
Resting his head on the pillow, Draco didn't notice that he was slowly falling asleep. But before he completely drifted away from his consciousness, the last thing in his mind was how to show Hermione what he feels for her. As for now, it remains unresolved until he wakes up, which may take a couple of hours, considering he barely slept last night.
Chapter 2: "Sleepless Slytherin"
It's been two hours and still Draco hasn't slept. He has just kept on turning all over his bed, shifting the pillows, over and under him. No matter how he tries to forget about what Hermione said, he couldn't. And as minutes pass by, the more he couldn't take his mind off it.
"Come on, Draco. Just forget about it. Someday she'll learn to forgive you," he told himself.
*Am I saying she hasn't forgiven me yet? But she's accepted me as her friend, hasn't she?* he thought, throwing himself his own question.
*That doesn't necessarily mean she's forgotten everything you've done before.*
*I know it will take time for her to get over that but what I don't understand is why she doesn't seem at all eager to give me another chance, to get to know the new me.*
*Maybe she doesn't believe you've changed.*
*Then why does she even talk to me?*
*She's just being dragged along by Harry and Ron.*
*That's not true.*
*Just accept it, Malfoy.*
*Shut up!*
*You can't make me shut up! I'm you!*
"Then I'll shut up!" he shouted, reaching for the pillow and stuffing it on his face. "What's happening to me?"
***
Waking up on a school day has never been great for Harry. Today is the day he is going to start proving to Hermione that he deserves her love. He and Ron are heading towards the library to set up a surprise for her.
"Hermione has always complained at how long it takes her to find the books she has to read. Not only because of the complicated titles, but also because of the unordered placement of books on the shelves by 'stubborn' students," Harry told Ron while they were walking down the hall.
"I believe she was talking about me when she said that," Ron said, grinning. "But what exactly do you plan to do about it, Harry?"
"I'm going to reserve the books for Hermione, compile them, and even set up a special place for her inside the library. Free from the confines of negligence and stubbornness," he answered, rather proud of his plan.
"That sounds scholarly, Harry. But how in the world are you going to do that? By magic?"
"Just watch and learn, Ron."
***
Sleepy and dizzy, Draco was on his way to the library to see if Hermione was there. After a very restless night, he had decided to confront her and make her believe that he has changed, that he wants to be her friend.
Turning by the corner, he suddenly halted and retreated behind the wall. He saw Harry and Ron moving towards the library door, and Harry was apparently happy about something.
"What are they doing here? They're going to ruin my plan!" he whispered, seeing the two enter the library.
Pondering on his options, Draco finally decided to proceed and do what he had to do. He walked towards the door and when he was about to open it, it suddenly flew open, hitting him hard on the forehead.
"I'm sorry!" the voice called.
Draco, who was obviously very dizzy now, massaged his temple and shook his head, trying to get his clear vision back.
"I'm really sorry," said the boy.
"Just leave me alone, will you?" Draco answered, reaching for the knob and going inside.
Upon entering the library, Draco immediately saw Harry and Ron by the corner, talking to Madam Pince. He surveyed the whole place as fast as he could, trying to get a glimpse of wavy brown hair, but there was none. "I guess she's not here."
He had turned and was about to leave when he heard Harry call his name. "Draco!"
He took a deep breathe and turned around to face him. Both he and Ron were walking towards him, smiles evident on their faces. "Hi guys! What's up?" he said, forcing a smile.
"Nothing much. Just talked to Madam Pince about some books and stuff," Harry replied, stopping in front of him.
"If you call that nothing, Harry, then you better think again. That was absurd!" Ron said to Harry.
"Why Ron? What did Harry do?" Draco asked, pretending to be interested.
"You wouldn't believe what he did for Her--," he was cut half-way in mentioning Hermione's name when Harry nudged him on his side. "Herbology."
"Herbology?" Draco said, eyebrows raised.
"Uh, had to borrow some books. a lot of books," Harry butt in.
"But we don't read much in Herbology, and where are the books you borrowed?" Draco replied, getting suspicious of the two.
"You know us, been influenced by Hermione and trying to be a role model for the school after you know what," Ron said, grinning idiotically.
"The books are too heavy so we asked if the house elves could send them to our dorm, and Madam Pince agreed," Harry added.
"Okay, if that's what you say. oh, I better go," Draco said, nodding to both of them and turning to walk out of the library.
"Bye!" Harry and Ron said together.
Harry looked at Ron and motioned for the door. "Let's go too. Before you mention to anyone else what exactly I have done."
"Good idea," Ron said, following Harry walk towards the door.
***
What Harry and Ron didn't know was that Draco was waiting by the same corner he had hidden a couple of minutes ago. When he had made sure the two had left, he came back to the library to know what they were really up to.
He quietly approached Madam Pince's table and cleared his throat, which got her attention. "Mr. Malfoy! How nice to see you here!" she exclaimed. "Do you need help in some books?"
"Actually, no," he said. "I just wanted to check on what Harry and Ron asked you to do. They think they might have left some important details and they wanted me to make sure that you got everything."
"Oh, if that's the case, I want you to know that I've reserved a copy of every book Ms. Granger might want to borrow, and I have set up a table only for her in that corner of the room," she said, gesturing towards a medium- sized round table with a single chair.
But Draco didn't say anything. He just turned around and started to walk away, fists clutched tightly. "Mr. Malfoy! Is there a problem? Did I miss anything?" Madam Pince called out.
"Everything's perfect, ma'am," he called back, not bothering to turn around.
***
Draco went back to his room and decided to skip breakfast. What was the point of waking up early when he didn't even see Hermione and he even found out about Harry's plan for her? And besides, he knew that if he went down there, he would just see the three of them chit-chatting happily, and he would only eventually get jealous.
"I'm not jealous. I can't be jealous," he told himself.
*But you are. You think Harry's stealing Hermione from you,* the other part of his mind told him.
*How can he steal something from me that I don't own?*
*Good question. You answer!*
*He can't. Because she's not mine.*
*What if she's already taken?*
*By whom?*
*Harry! Who else?*
*Then there's nothing I can do.*
*Are you just going to give up that easily?*
*Then what should I do?*
*It depends on how much you want her.*
*I like her so much.*
*Then fight for how you feel.*
*How do I do that?*
*That's something for you to figure out for yourself.*
Resting his head on the pillow, Draco didn't notice that he was slowly falling asleep. But before he completely drifted away from his consciousness, the last thing in his mind was how to show Hermione what he feels for her. As for now, it remains unresolved until he wakes up, which may take a couple of hours, considering he barely slept last night.