Title: I Believe In You
Author: YummySushiToo (sushi3579@yahoo.com)
Summary: In which Hermione receives a terrible shock, and Draco is put back together again. Includes shrieking, blushing, dancing, and lame joke telling.
Disclaimer: Now let's be reasonable. Do you really think JKR lives in Ohio? No? I thought not.
Chapter Two
During her final year at Hogwarts, Hermione began noticing Draco Malfoy. She noticed the way he twirled his quill while writing notes in class. She noticed the way he would wrinkle his nose when the students were served anything containing onions at mealtimes. She noticed his hands, how long and elegant they were. She noticed how sad his gray eyes had become; how mellow, quiet, and introspective he was. In the last Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match, he caught the Snitch before Harry. She noticed he did not mock the Gryffindors, but merely shook Harry's hand, and said, "Good game." She noticed his low voice had become softer, and he only spoke when absolutely necessary.
She noticed that she began to develop a crush on him.
Of course, this could never, ever come to light. True, Harry and Ron, who barely noticed anything, remarked on Draco's changes, but they wouldn't understand at all.
So, she kept it to herself, and did a damn fine job of it, too.
Until the Leaving Ball, that was.
She readied herself with Ginny's help, all the while grumbling about Hogwarts and its bloody traditions.
"But I thought you loved all of Hogwarts' traditions, Hermione," Ginny commented.
Hermione privately thought that Ginny was too observant for her own damn good. "Well, not this one," she said through gritted teeth.
"What one?" Ginny was also too dense for her own damn good.
"The one where the Head Boy and Girl share a dance. It's ridiculous and outdated." And I'll probably blush so much that I give my secret away.
"Oh. Well, it's only one dance. You can handle it, Hermione. And just think: you get to dance with Draco Malfoy, the second hottest guy in school," Ginny said brightly.
"Second hottest?"
"Next to Harry, of course," replied Ginny, automatically.
"Mmm." What would Ginny do if she knew that yes, Harry was in love with a Weasley, but it was Ron and not her? Hermione barely suppressed a smile.
At the dance, Hermione looked around, determined to find Draco and get the dance over with. Finally, she saw him, and almost sat down hard on the floor. She always hesitated to use the word, as it seemed unfit, but Draco looked beautiful. His charcoal gray dress robes were immaculate, his short hair was artfully mussed, and he looked perfect, standing nonchalantly against the far wall.
Just relax and don't forget to breathe, she coached herself.
Hermione made her way over to Draco, and as she approached, the most amazing thing happened. He smiled. A real, genuine smile, directed at her! Hermione almost, but not quite, stumbled on her low heels.
"Hello, Hermione," he greeted her. "You look stunning." Again with the smile.
Cue more almost-stumbling. "Thanks," she half-whispered. She cleared her throat. "Well, Draco, we should get this over with. The dance, I mean," she said briskly.
A look of hurt passed briefly over his face. "As you wish, Hermione."
Draco led her out onto the dance floor. Gently, he pulled her into his arms, and they began dancing. He wouldn't look at her, though.
As clever as you are, Hermione, she berated herself, one would think you'd have better social skills.
"Look, I'm sorry. I just thought the quicker we did this, the quicker you could get back to your date," Hermione said softly.
Draco's eyes slid to hers. "I see. Well, if you hadn't noticed, I don't have a date."
"Why?" Hermione asked, before she could stop herself.
"Because no one wanted to attend with me," he said, sadly, and looked away again.
Hermione's foot-in-mouth disease once again reared its ugly head. "I would have come with you tonight." Her eyes widened and she blushed as she realized what she had just said.
But now it was too late. He would know.
And Hermione would have to toss herself off of the Astronomy Tower in her humiliation.
"Do you know, there was a time when I would have teased you for that." He gave her a wry grin. "But now, I only want to know why." Draco gazed at her expectantly.
Hermione thought of all the reasons she could give him: his changed personality, his intelligence, his strength of character. But instead she said, "Everyone always thinks the worst of you. That you'll follow in your father's footsteps. But you are your own person, Draco, and that won't ever happen."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because I believe in you."
