A/N: Hey, I know it seems like they're moving fast, but don't you worry.
It'll all change in a few chapters. Well, hope you enjoy! I'll try to get
the party up next. Just gotta write it! Thanks to all my reviewers!
Rating: PG-13
* * *
Hermione woke up around 10 o' clock the next morning. She stretched and yawned and walked out into the common room. Draco was sitting on the love seat, reading book, in only silk black boxers, looking as though he had just woken up too, but he still looked hot, in Hermione's opinion. A coffee service was sitting on the table, Hermione walked over and poured herself a cup and took a seat next to him.
"You're up later than I imagined, Granger." Draco said, glancing up at her as she sat down.
"I had a hard time sleeping." She was wearing a purple spaghetti strap top and light blue gym shorts. Without the eye make-up, one could really see the remains of repetitive black eyes.
"Would you care to tell me who gave you those black eyes and bruises?"
"I thought we went over this last night. I don't want to talk about it." She set down her untouched coffee and got up. She'd only been up five minutes and already Malfoy had pissed her off. He followed her, reaching her arm and turning her around before she got far.
"I said I don't want to talk about it. Now just leave me alone." She left once again, and again he stopped her,
"You don't have a pool to throw me in this time, Granger. Tell me where you got these bruises."
"Why do you care?" She asked.
"Because I think I'm entitled to know who's beating the shit out of someone who I'm working with closely. Even if it's against my will. I really think that we could try to work things out a little between us. We're going to have to sooner or later. You're the only one who's able to put up with my shit. Even if you're a mudblood. I really admire that." Hermione's eyes were wide with shock. Never in a million years would she think she'd ever hear those words come out of Draco Malfoy's mouth.
"Now tell me what's going on." A sincere concernedness was in his eyes and voice she'd never heard before.
"I don't now why I'm telling someone who's hated me for the last six years straight, but here you go. Last Christmas my mother walked out on my father and I. She didn't even say goodbye or even a small reason. She just left me and my dad alone. I thought it was a really bad fight so I just figured she was staying at her sisters house and would be back in a few days. But when term started, she wasn't there." Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she continued, "When I came home for the summer, my dad blamed me. He said it was magical abilities that made my mother so ashamed that she couldn't take it anymore, so she left. I was horrified. I never ever even heard my parents say one cruel comment about anyone, let alone blame their only daughter. I was in shock for about a week, but it got worse. He was drinking heavily, and sometimes to release his anger, he'd hit me. I started dressing in dark, long clothes to hide the bruises, but it wasn't enough. I needed something to numb the pain. So I went to the muggle parties and nightclubs in my area. No one knew me, but I didn't care as long as there was booze and music, I was fine. A few tattoos and experimental drugs later, I started slitting my wrists, for added jazz. But it soon got boring, along with the drinking and drugs, so I took up smoking. About a week later, I got my Hogwarts letter telling me I was Head girl. Something I had been working on since first year. But I didn't feel anything. That's when I knew I had a problem. So I shaped up, trying in anyway I could to make my father forgive me for turning me mother away." A silent stream of tears was coursing down her cheeks, all the anger and hurt and betrayal that never had been voiced bottled up inside burst. The weight of it all carried her to the floor. Draco followed her and wrapped his arms around her. The hatred barrier and the house barrier and the blood barrier between them all come tumbling down around them, and a seed was placed in their hearts, unbeknownst to them.
Hermione felt safe in his arms, it felt 'right', as if a piece that was missing had just been filled. Draco slowly stroked her hair, not wanting anything more than just to sit there, with her in his arms. A moment or two passed, then she stood up,
"Sorry about that. Don't know what came over me." She gave him a weak smile then went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Draco watched her do this, his desire to protect her mingled with his desire for her. He didn't want just sex anymore, he needed more than that, but he couldn't bring himself to admit it. Shaking it off, he went and disappeared into his room.
Her tears mixed with the comforting hot water that was pouring onto her body. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying the recall the warmth of Draco's skin against hers. It was intoxicating, and addicting, yet even in the steamy shower, she still felt cold without his touch. She ran her hands over her body, feeling the bruises along the way, recalling the last fight with her father.
It was the day before she left. Her father pissed off over the fact that he wouldn't have anyone to look after him once she left. Saying that it was her fault and she should be begging for forgiveness. He had been drinking quite heavily, so he slapped her into the wall, then he pushed her down the stairs. She didn't know what possessed her to tell Draco. She knew that he'd find a way to use it against her, yet it was time someone knew what was going on with her. And he did have a point, they'd after to get over their differences sooner or later. Her longing grew as she thought of him, this time mixed with other feelings that were new. Yes, his body was desirable, no girl in their right mind would think differently, yet she wanted to touch his soul, not his body.
Hermione finished up in the shower quickly and got out and put on her robe. She threw on some gym pants and a tank top. Then she decided to get a headstart on her homework. Draco had left when she got herself situated on the loveseat and engrossed herself in 'Advanced Magical Theories'.
Around 6:45, Draco came back into the Head's Common Room, just as Hermione was finishing up her third essay for the day.
"Great way to spend you last free Saturday, Granger." He said, throwing him cloak on the back of the love seat. He obviously had been out.
"It's the reason I've always been one step ahead of you." She replied. There was not even the slightest hint that a hatred had existed between the two, but it was simply to friends joking around.
"Are you joining me tonight at the club?" He asked, plopping down next to her on the loveseat. Her eyes scanning over her essay.
"Maybe. What's in it for me? Besides seeing you humiliate yourself in front of hundreds of people." She rolled up the parchment, satisfied.
"Proving to me that you're not just a bookworm. That you actually can have a little fun sometimes." His grey eye's glinted, it was working.
"I can have fun, don't you worry. But I'm wondering if you'll be able to keep up with me." She got up and vanished into her room. Draco smirked with victory and got up and went down to the Prefect's common room to chat with Blaise.
Rating: PG-13
* * *
Hermione woke up around 10 o' clock the next morning. She stretched and yawned and walked out into the common room. Draco was sitting on the love seat, reading book, in only silk black boxers, looking as though he had just woken up too, but he still looked hot, in Hermione's opinion. A coffee service was sitting on the table, Hermione walked over and poured herself a cup and took a seat next to him.
"You're up later than I imagined, Granger." Draco said, glancing up at her as she sat down.
"I had a hard time sleeping." She was wearing a purple spaghetti strap top and light blue gym shorts. Without the eye make-up, one could really see the remains of repetitive black eyes.
"Would you care to tell me who gave you those black eyes and bruises?"
"I thought we went over this last night. I don't want to talk about it." She set down her untouched coffee and got up. She'd only been up five minutes and already Malfoy had pissed her off. He followed her, reaching her arm and turning her around before she got far.
"I said I don't want to talk about it. Now just leave me alone." She left once again, and again he stopped her,
"You don't have a pool to throw me in this time, Granger. Tell me where you got these bruises."
"Why do you care?" She asked.
"Because I think I'm entitled to know who's beating the shit out of someone who I'm working with closely. Even if it's against my will. I really think that we could try to work things out a little between us. We're going to have to sooner or later. You're the only one who's able to put up with my shit. Even if you're a mudblood. I really admire that." Hermione's eyes were wide with shock. Never in a million years would she think she'd ever hear those words come out of Draco Malfoy's mouth.
"Now tell me what's going on." A sincere concernedness was in his eyes and voice she'd never heard before.
"I don't now why I'm telling someone who's hated me for the last six years straight, but here you go. Last Christmas my mother walked out on my father and I. She didn't even say goodbye or even a small reason. She just left me and my dad alone. I thought it was a really bad fight so I just figured she was staying at her sisters house and would be back in a few days. But when term started, she wasn't there." Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she continued, "When I came home for the summer, my dad blamed me. He said it was magical abilities that made my mother so ashamed that she couldn't take it anymore, so she left. I was horrified. I never ever even heard my parents say one cruel comment about anyone, let alone blame their only daughter. I was in shock for about a week, but it got worse. He was drinking heavily, and sometimes to release his anger, he'd hit me. I started dressing in dark, long clothes to hide the bruises, but it wasn't enough. I needed something to numb the pain. So I went to the muggle parties and nightclubs in my area. No one knew me, but I didn't care as long as there was booze and music, I was fine. A few tattoos and experimental drugs later, I started slitting my wrists, for added jazz. But it soon got boring, along with the drinking and drugs, so I took up smoking. About a week later, I got my Hogwarts letter telling me I was Head girl. Something I had been working on since first year. But I didn't feel anything. That's when I knew I had a problem. So I shaped up, trying in anyway I could to make my father forgive me for turning me mother away." A silent stream of tears was coursing down her cheeks, all the anger and hurt and betrayal that never had been voiced bottled up inside burst. The weight of it all carried her to the floor. Draco followed her and wrapped his arms around her. The hatred barrier and the house barrier and the blood barrier between them all come tumbling down around them, and a seed was placed in their hearts, unbeknownst to them.
Hermione felt safe in his arms, it felt 'right', as if a piece that was missing had just been filled. Draco slowly stroked her hair, not wanting anything more than just to sit there, with her in his arms. A moment or two passed, then she stood up,
"Sorry about that. Don't know what came over me." She gave him a weak smile then went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Draco watched her do this, his desire to protect her mingled with his desire for her. He didn't want just sex anymore, he needed more than that, but he couldn't bring himself to admit it. Shaking it off, he went and disappeared into his room.
Her tears mixed with the comforting hot water that was pouring onto her body. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying the recall the warmth of Draco's skin against hers. It was intoxicating, and addicting, yet even in the steamy shower, she still felt cold without his touch. She ran her hands over her body, feeling the bruises along the way, recalling the last fight with her father.
It was the day before she left. Her father pissed off over the fact that he wouldn't have anyone to look after him once she left. Saying that it was her fault and she should be begging for forgiveness. He had been drinking quite heavily, so he slapped her into the wall, then he pushed her down the stairs. She didn't know what possessed her to tell Draco. She knew that he'd find a way to use it against her, yet it was time someone knew what was going on with her. And he did have a point, they'd after to get over their differences sooner or later. Her longing grew as she thought of him, this time mixed with other feelings that were new. Yes, his body was desirable, no girl in their right mind would think differently, yet she wanted to touch his soul, not his body.
Hermione finished up in the shower quickly and got out and put on her robe. She threw on some gym pants and a tank top. Then she decided to get a headstart on her homework. Draco had left when she got herself situated on the loveseat and engrossed herself in 'Advanced Magical Theories'.
Around 6:45, Draco came back into the Head's Common Room, just as Hermione was finishing up her third essay for the day.
"Great way to spend you last free Saturday, Granger." He said, throwing him cloak on the back of the love seat. He obviously had been out.
"It's the reason I've always been one step ahead of you." She replied. There was not even the slightest hint that a hatred had existed between the two, but it was simply to friends joking around.
"Are you joining me tonight at the club?" He asked, plopping down next to her on the loveseat. Her eyes scanning over her essay.
"Maybe. What's in it for me? Besides seeing you humiliate yourself in front of hundreds of people." She rolled up the parchment, satisfied.
"Proving to me that you're not just a bookworm. That you actually can have a little fun sometimes." His grey eye's glinted, it was working.
"I can have fun, don't you worry. But I'm wondering if you'll be able to keep up with me." She got up and vanished into her room. Draco smirked with victory and got up and went down to the Prefect's common room to chat with Blaise.