Chapter 12- Flashback
It was one week before Christmas break, and Hermione was lying on her bed, every memory she had of Draco Malfoy running through her head. Some of them were not even her own memories, but things Harry and Ron had told her.
"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
Draco had hated Ron on sight, and he had hated Harry the moment he had refused to ditch Ron for him. Hermione had always thought that Draco had hated her as well… but he said he never had.
"Did you see his face, the great lump?"
Neville had more brains than Crabbe and Goyle combined, but she had never heard Draco insult them the same way. It seemed that anyone not in Slytherin was susceptible to his taunts… but then, she had never heard him use the same insults privately, and he never spoke favorably of those who were supposedly his friends. She had the feeling he had always mocked the Gryffindors because it was expected.
"Would you mind moving out of the way? Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose- that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."
It had started in first year, and continued all through their school career up until that point. Draco could not help but insult Ron's family, always hitting him where he knew it hurt. Hermione closed her eyes in sympathy for Ron, knowing how much he hated having no money.
Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks. "The forest? We can't go in there at night- there's all sorts of things in there- werewolves, I heard." … "I'm not going in that forest."
Hermione had clearly noted the panic in his voice, with some surprise. It was the first time she had ever truly heard him afraid. When Harry recounted what happened with him and Draco…and Voldemort…later on, she had felt smug about Draco's fear. Knowing him now, she thought his reaction had much more to it than simple cowardice. There was always a note of fear when he spoke of forests…maybe he would tell her one day.
"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood."
That comment still cut her deep to this day. She had never before been called a name meant to be so insulting. She got used to it after a while, and was able to brush off Draco's comments as unimportant. She had not known what it meant when he had said it, but she found out soon enough. When she did, she had quite a difficult time holding back her tears. In her opinion, it was a horrible thing to say. *No one asked your opinion…* She shook the thought away.
"I heard that last time a Mudblood died. As for me, I hope it's Granger."
Now that she and Draco were friends, she was hurt by the memory. *Did he really hate me that much? I've never wished death upon him, no matter how angry I was.*
When she had slapped him in third year, it was true that she had felt a certain amount of satisfaction. When he had been turned into a ferret in the beginning of their fourth year, she had certainly been amused. When he had hit her with the curse that made her teeth grow, she had been horrified. She had caught a fleeting image of Draco reflecting that same emotion, but then his face had hardened once more. She had pondered that glimpse of humanity so long, she finally decided she had imagined it. That was something she could ask him about.
She went through many more memories, and in almost all of them he was insulting her. The only exception was at the Yule Ball in fourth year, but that memory had some bad feelings connected to it, and she did not dwell on it for long.
As she sifted through all the insults she had ever heard him throw at her, she made an observation. His taunts were so spitting and overdone, it was almost as though he was exaggerating them on purpose. Trying to make them as believable as he could. He would not have to do such a thing if he really meant the things he said. She noted the subtleties of his method- the way his face twisted slightly, presumably to control his expression. His tone and inflection, the way his words always sounded sarcastic, and something else… regret, but this was so overshadowed by bitterness that no one noticed. She certainly had never noticed before.
They did not talk about the past. Not about their past together. They talked about their individual lives all the time, but never about things that had happened to both of them in previous years at Hogwarts. Hermione suddenly had the desire to know what Draco thought about these things. She would write him a note, perhaps, to find out when next they could talk.
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It was one week before Christmas break, and Draco was lying on his bed, every memory he had of Hermione Granger running through his head.
He would never forget the first time he had laid eyes on her. He had seen first, not her flyaway hair or her large front teeth, but her eyes. They were deep and intelligent, a rich brown. There was something special about her. He immediately started taunting her and teasing her. He knew he got worse every year; he did it intentionally. The fact that she was in Gryffindor added incentive to make her life miserable.
*Of course I regret it,* he thought, responding to his own question. *I would have been happy to have her as a friend from the first day I met her. But what would my father have said?*
When he had found out that she was Petrefied in their second year, he had immediately locked himself in the bathroom to sulk. He did not know how he did it, but he sank deeper into his depression. He perked up a little when she was revived, but he did not show it. Oh, no.
Her full-armed slap in third year brought a whole new range of thought to him. Hermione Granger's first display of violence. Against him. He was rather proud of himself at the time. He still was, because others could see her strength, and that she did, in fact, have instinct, and did not *always* think before acting.
At the Yule Ball…ah, the Yule Ball. She had looked stunning. When his curse had made her teeth grow, he had been almost as horrified as she was, but he could not let it show. He controlled his expression quickly, but he could not help but feel that someone had seen. He, of course, had noticed that her teeth were actually *normal* the very next time he saw her. She gave him a sarcastically sweet smile as he passed her in the hallway and called her a Mudblood. It had been an effort to keep walking when he noticed the change in her smile. Her teeth were straight and perfect, and enhanced her good looks nicely. At the Yule Ball, it had been even more noticeable, along with her sleek hairstyle and subtle makeup. She had been beautiful. *She still is,* he sighed to himself.
Fifth year was a blur of memories, up until February, when he had started to feel strange pangs when he looked at her. Then in April, when he had suddenly found himself slicing a name into his arm, full realization hit him, and it had almost sickened him.
He stood in front of the mirror one week before Christmas break, pulling up the sleeve of his robes. "Oh good," the mirror remarked. "You're healing, then. I was almost worried when you came in with blood all over your arm."
Draco nodded wordlessly to the mirror. "It's not good to sabotage such perfection, you know," the mirror said.
*No. I do not have a mirror flirting with me.* Mirrors didn't flirt, he reminded himself. The Hogwarts mirrors simply stated what they thought to be truth. At times it could become quite annoying.
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"Of course I'm not going home for vacation," Draco said disdainfully. "I want to stay away from my father as long as possible. Why…you're not going home, are you?"
"No," Hermione answered. She traced the petals of a red-veined white rose from Narcissa's garden. She wanted to see her parents, but… "Ron, Harry and I will be the only ones from Gryffindor staying."
"Bloody marvelous."
"Draco…"
"I'm sorry. I should probably tell you, only one Slytherin will be here aside from me. He's one of the rare good ones, like me. He's on my side."
"I know. I read the sign-up list." She *had* noticed, and it was why she was staying. "So, I was thinking…so we don't have to come here all the time…and I overheard that Snape is leaving for a few weeks…"
"I see," Draco said immediately. "You thought we could just hang out in the Slytherin common room?"
"Yes." She turned back to her books. "Ron and Harry are so used to me being gone, they probably won't even notice if I'm not around."
"That seems fine to me. The password for the vacation will be *Draco dormiens*."
Hermione giggled. "A sleeping dragon?"
"I think it was meant to be a joke. At least someone finds it funny, because I don't."
"At least you won't forget it."
"I have never forgotten a password in my life. What are you reading?"
"I'm studying."
"Okay, for what?"
"N.E.W.T.s," was her answer. She hoped she was not blushing too badly.
"Hermione, I'm serious. You can't spend your entire life studying. We're not even *taking* the test this year."
She set aside the book. "Fine."
"What do you want to do, besides study?" He smirked. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Um…" she suddenly felt very shy. "Do you think we could- we could wrestle?"
Draco burst out laughing. "You…you- want- you want to- wrestle- with…HAHA…with me?"
"Oh, never mind," she snapped, pulling her book a few inches toward her. She should have known it would be a bad idea.
"No, no," he said, when he had recovered. "I was just surprised. I'll wrestle with you."
Hermione blushed immediately. *Why in Merlin's name am I doing this?*
"We need suitable conditions, though," Draco said, looking around the room. The furniture disappeared, and she felt the floor soften slightly.
"Okay," Hermione said. She saw the mischievous look in Draco's eye. "Let me get ready- Draco!"
He tackled her before she had a chance to prepare. They both fell to the ground. "No fair!"
"Hey, you wanted to wrestle. You have to be ready for these things, you know." He was sprawled on top of her, his face inches from hers. Fine. She would show him ready.
With a sudden surge of strength, she pushed him off her, and managed to roll him over on his stomach with one arm twisted up behind him. He started trembling for a moment, and she had the impression that he was trying to hide a laugh. It only took him a little while to get out of her hold, and they rolled around on the floor, her shrieking and him laughing. Every time he got a grip on her wrist, she wrenched it away. Finally, he managed to trap one arm under her back, and caught the other in his hand.
"I win," he grinned.
"If you could only see where my leg is," she said sweetly.
He shifted to see her knee, slightly raised, directly between his legs. He looked up pleadingly, his eyebrows drawn down. "Hermione…come on."
She laughed. "Don't worry. Would I do that to you?"
"I don't know. I wouldn't expect it, but then you asking to wrestle was quite surprising. Though I must admit," he flashed her another grin, "it was quite fun."
Hermione smiled. "I thought so too."
He still had her pinned on the floor. Hermione felt a strange stirring deep within her stomach. It was pleasantly uncomfortable…whatever that meant.
"Draco, please get off me."
"Do you have to ruin all my fun?"
"Draco!" she exclaimed. Her eyes widened in amusement.
"All right, all right. I'm getting off, happy?"
"Draco! That's not what I meant!"
He laughed wickedly. "I know. I wasn't serious. I just wanted to see how you'd react," he said as he let her up.
Hermione did not let her tiny laugh escape. She did not want to encourage that kind of thing.
"Same time tomorrow?"
"We have class."
"Oh. Right. Okay then. After class tomorrow?"
"Draco, don't you need time to do your homework?"
"Hermione, I don't need *that* time to do my homework."
"Well, I do. Why don't we say…ten tomorrow?"
"A morning rendevous, eh?"
"No. Ten at night."
"But that's breaking curfew!" he said in mock-horror, placing a hand over his mouth.
"Oh, shove it, Draco."
He gasped in- guess what?- mock-horror. Hermione shook her head as she left the Room of Requirement.
He taunted her to no end, often worse than Ron did. For some reason, she did not mind as much when Draco did it. And wrestling with him had been- an experience, she thought quickly, trying not to blush. *It's not as though anyone can hear me,* she admonished, but it did not matter. She had never had thoughts like this before, and she was not sure she was ready for them.
The worst part was… she often forgot that Draco was a Slytherin, that she was supposed to be enemies with him…when they were *not* alone.
End Chapter 12
Back to Hermione and Draco, we are! Did you enjoy it? I hope so.
Thank you my lovely reviewers::::: Yes, I am sure that I'm not JKR. If I was I'd be rich and out of high school. :::: It took me about two hours to write the last chapter, hehe. My mind works very quickly. ::::: Mednar, I will read your story as soon as I have time. Everyone feel free to advertise your own fics in your reviews. :::: Sarah- you read it! You actually read it! I was surprised. I loave you so so much!
SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT!!! I would appreciate if some of you will read my most recent fic, As Darkness Destroys Us, about the Mauraders after Hogwarts. I have no reviews as of yet and I really want some feedback.
More blue confetti to all my wonderful reviewers, including the ones who are about to review this chapter!!
It was one week before Christmas break, and Hermione was lying on her bed, every memory she had of Draco Malfoy running through her head. Some of them were not even her own memories, but things Harry and Ron had told her.
"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
Draco had hated Ron on sight, and he had hated Harry the moment he had refused to ditch Ron for him. Hermione had always thought that Draco had hated her as well… but he said he never had.
"Did you see his face, the great lump?"
Neville had more brains than Crabbe and Goyle combined, but she had never heard Draco insult them the same way. It seemed that anyone not in Slytherin was susceptible to his taunts… but then, she had never heard him use the same insults privately, and he never spoke favorably of those who were supposedly his friends. She had the feeling he had always mocked the Gryffindors because it was expected.
"Would you mind moving out of the way? Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose- that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."
It had started in first year, and continued all through their school career up until that point. Draco could not help but insult Ron's family, always hitting him where he knew it hurt. Hermione closed her eyes in sympathy for Ron, knowing how much he hated having no money.
Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks. "The forest? We can't go in there at night- there's all sorts of things in there- werewolves, I heard." … "I'm not going in that forest."
Hermione had clearly noted the panic in his voice, with some surprise. It was the first time she had ever truly heard him afraid. When Harry recounted what happened with him and Draco…and Voldemort…later on, she had felt smug about Draco's fear. Knowing him now, she thought his reaction had much more to it than simple cowardice. There was always a note of fear when he spoke of forests…maybe he would tell her one day.
"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood."
That comment still cut her deep to this day. She had never before been called a name meant to be so insulting. She got used to it after a while, and was able to brush off Draco's comments as unimportant. She had not known what it meant when he had said it, but she found out soon enough. When she did, she had quite a difficult time holding back her tears. In her opinion, it was a horrible thing to say. *No one asked your opinion…* She shook the thought away.
"I heard that last time a Mudblood died. As for me, I hope it's Granger."
Now that she and Draco were friends, she was hurt by the memory. *Did he really hate me that much? I've never wished death upon him, no matter how angry I was.*
When she had slapped him in third year, it was true that she had felt a certain amount of satisfaction. When he had been turned into a ferret in the beginning of their fourth year, she had certainly been amused. When he had hit her with the curse that made her teeth grow, she had been horrified. She had caught a fleeting image of Draco reflecting that same emotion, but then his face had hardened once more. She had pondered that glimpse of humanity so long, she finally decided she had imagined it. That was something she could ask him about.
She went through many more memories, and in almost all of them he was insulting her. The only exception was at the Yule Ball in fourth year, but that memory had some bad feelings connected to it, and she did not dwell on it for long.
As she sifted through all the insults she had ever heard him throw at her, she made an observation. His taunts were so spitting and overdone, it was almost as though he was exaggerating them on purpose. Trying to make them as believable as he could. He would not have to do such a thing if he really meant the things he said. She noted the subtleties of his method- the way his face twisted slightly, presumably to control his expression. His tone and inflection, the way his words always sounded sarcastic, and something else… regret, but this was so overshadowed by bitterness that no one noticed. She certainly had never noticed before.
They did not talk about the past. Not about their past together. They talked about their individual lives all the time, but never about things that had happened to both of them in previous years at Hogwarts. Hermione suddenly had the desire to know what Draco thought about these things. She would write him a note, perhaps, to find out when next they could talk.
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It was one week before Christmas break, and Draco was lying on his bed, every memory he had of Hermione Granger running through his head.
He would never forget the first time he had laid eyes on her. He had seen first, not her flyaway hair or her large front teeth, but her eyes. They were deep and intelligent, a rich brown. There was something special about her. He immediately started taunting her and teasing her. He knew he got worse every year; he did it intentionally. The fact that she was in Gryffindor added incentive to make her life miserable.
*Of course I regret it,* he thought, responding to his own question. *I would have been happy to have her as a friend from the first day I met her. But what would my father have said?*
When he had found out that she was Petrefied in their second year, he had immediately locked himself in the bathroom to sulk. He did not know how he did it, but he sank deeper into his depression. He perked up a little when she was revived, but he did not show it. Oh, no.
Her full-armed slap in third year brought a whole new range of thought to him. Hermione Granger's first display of violence. Against him. He was rather proud of himself at the time. He still was, because others could see her strength, and that she did, in fact, have instinct, and did not *always* think before acting.
At the Yule Ball…ah, the Yule Ball. She had looked stunning. When his curse had made her teeth grow, he had been almost as horrified as she was, but he could not let it show. He controlled his expression quickly, but he could not help but feel that someone had seen. He, of course, had noticed that her teeth were actually *normal* the very next time he saw her. She gave him a sarcastically sweet smile as he passed her in the hallway and called her a Mudblood. It had been an effort to keep walking when he noticed the change in her smile. Her teeth were straight and perfect, and enhanced her good looks nicely. At the Yule Ball, it had been even more noticeable, along with her sleek hairstyle and subtle makeup. She had been beautiful. *She still is,* he sighed to himself.
Fifth year was a blur of memories, up until February, when he had started to feel strange pangs when he looked at her. Then in April, when he had suddenly found himself slicing a name into his arm, full realization hit him, and it had almost sickened him.
He stood in front of the mirror one week before Christmas break, pulling up the sleeve of his robes. "Oh good," the mirror remarked. "You're healing, then. I was almost worried when you came in with blood all over your arm."
Draco nodded wordlessly to the mirror. "It's not good to sabotage such perfection, you know," the mirror said.
*No. I do not have a mirror flirting with me.* Mirrors didn't flirt, he reminded himself. The Hogwarts mirrors simply stated what they thought to be truth. At times it could become quite annoying.
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"Of course I'm not going home for vacation," Draco said disdainfully. "I want to stay away from my father as long as possible. Why…you're not going home, are you?"
"No," Hermione answered. She traced the petals of a red-veined white rose from Narcissa's garden. She wanted to see her parents, but… "Ron, Harry and I will be the only ones from Gryffindor staying."
"Bloody marvelous."
"Draco…"
"I'm sorry. I should probably tell you, only one Slytherin will be here aside from me. He's one of the rare good ones, like me. He's on my side."
"I know. I read the sign-up list." She *had* noticed, and it was why she was staying. "So, I was thinking…so we don't have to come here all the time…and I overheard that Snape is leaving for a few weeks…"
"I see," Draco said immediately. "You thought we could just hang out in the Slytherin common room?"
"Yes." She turned back to her books. "Ron and Harry are so used to me being gone, they probably won't even notice if I'm not around."
"That seems fine to me. The password for the vacation will be *Draco dormiens*."
Hermione giggled. "A sleeping dragon?"
"I think it was meant to be a joke. At least someone finds it funny, because I don't."
"At least you won't forget it."
"I have never forgotten a password in my life. What are you reading?"
"I'm studying."
"Okay, for what?"
"N.E.W.T.s," was her answer. She hoped she was not blushing too badly.
"Hermione, I'm serious. You can't spend your entire life studying. We're not even *taking* the test this year."
She set aside the book. "Fine."
"What do you want to do, besides study?" He smirked. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Um…" she suddenly felt very shy. "Do you think we could- we could wrestle?"
Draco burst out laughing. "You…you- want- you want to- wrestle- with…HAHA…with me?"
"Oh, never mind," she snapped, pulling her book a few inches toward her. She should have known it would be a bad idea.
"No, no," he said, when he had recovered. "I was just surprised. I'll wrestle with you."
Hermione blushed immediately. *Why in Merlin's name am I doing this?*
"We need suitable conditions, though," Draco said, looking around the room. The furniture disappeared, and she felt the floor soften slightly.
"Okay," Hermione said. She saw the mischievous look in Draco's eye. "Let me get ready- Draco!"
He tackled her before she had a chance to prepare. They both fell to the ground. "No fair!"
"Hey, you wanted to wrestle. You have to be ready for these things, you know." He was sprawled on top of her, his face inches from hers. Fine. She would show him ready.
With a sudden surge of strength, she pushed him off her, and managed to roll him over on his stomach with one arm twisted up behind him. He started trembling for a moment, and she had the impression that he was trying to hide a laugh. It only took him a little while to get out of her hold, and they rolled around on the floor, her shrieking and him laughing. Every time he got a grip on her wrist, she wrenched it away. Finally, he managed to trap one arm under her back, and caught the other in his hand.
"I win," he grinned.
"If you could only see where my leg is," she said sweetly.
He shifted to see her knee, slightly raised, directly between his legs. He looked up pleadingly, his eyebrows drawn down. "Hermione…come on."
She laughed. "Don't worry. Would I do that to you?"
"I don't know. I wouldn't expect it, but then you asking to wrestle was quite surprising. Though I must admit," he flashed her another grin, "it was quite fun."
Hermione smiled. "I thought so too."
He still had her pinned on the floor. Hermione felt a strange stirring deep within her stomach. It was pleasantly uncomfortable…whatever that meant.
"Draco, please get off me."
"Do you have to ruin all my fun?"
"Draco!" she exclaimed. Her eyes widened in amusement.
"All right, all right. I'm getting off, happy?"
"Draco! That's not what I meant!"
He laughed wickedly. "I know. I wasn't serious. I just wanted to see how you'd react," he said as he let her up.
Hermione did not let her tiny laugh escape. She did not want to encourage that kind of thing.
"Same time tomorrow?"
"We have class."
"Oh. Right. Okay then. After class tomorrow?"
"Draco, don't you need time to do your homework?"
"Hermione, I don't need *that* time to do my homework."
"Well, I do. Why don't we say…ten tomorrow?"
"A morning rendevous, eh?"
"No. Ten at night."
"But that's breaking curfew!" he said in mock-horror, placing a hand over his mouth.
"Oh, shove it, Draco."
He gasped in- guess what?- mock-horror. Hermione shook her head as she left the Room of Requirement.
He taunted her to no end, often worse than Ron did. For some reason, she did not mind as much when Draco did it. And wrestling with him had been- an experience, she thought quickly, trying not to blush. *It's not as though anyone can hear me,* she admonished, but it did not matter. She had never had thoughts like this before, and she was not sure she was ready for them.
The worst part was… she often forgot that Draco was a Slytherin, that she was supposed to be enemies with him…when they were *not* alone.
End Chapter 12
Back to Hermione and Draco, we are! Did you enjoy it? I hope so.
Thank you my lovely reviewers::::: Yes, I am sure that I'm not JKR. If I was I'd be rich and out of high school. :::: It took me about two hours to write the last chapter, hehe. My mind works very quickly. ::::: Mednar, I will read your story as soon as I have time. Everyone feel free to advertise your own fics in your reviews. :::: Sarah- you read it! You actually read it! I was surprised. I loave you so so much!
SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT!!! I would appreciate if some of you will read my most recent fic, As Darkness Destroys Us, about the Mauraders after Hogwarts. I have no reviews as of yet and I really want some feedback.
More blue confetti to all my wonderful reviewers, including the ones who are about to review this chapter!!