Part 1: Jaded
The sun seemed to lose its warmth.
So many days going on and on, the same old arguments. The same old jokes, same old discussions, the same old hiding from the world to feel a moment of quiet. Bliss.
Hermione Granger sighed as she stretched herself thin, picking her head up off of the grass of Hogwarts' grounds.
Her hand went to cover her eyes, blocking the sun from stinging her eyes and sighed. "It'll be getting late soon."
"What's your point?"
Her cinnamon eyes skipped briefly to the guy laying on the ground next to her. Sighing she pushed a strand of her wavy brown hair behind her ears with slim, pale fingers. "We should be getting inside." Subconsciously she smoothed out the hem of her skirt, rubbing her hands quickly across the fabric. "Harry and Ron will be looking for me soon."
The blonde arched an eyebrow and perched himself on his elbows, cold gray eyes staring out at the lake in front of them. "Will they?"
"You know they will, Draco," the Head Girl said, her eyes on his pale face.
She realized then that she had always found him rather attractive. If he hadn't always been such a bloody prat then she might have even found him worth her time sooner.
Not that she enjoyed his comments about her heritage, which, even though he swore he didn't mean anymore, he would still come out with an occasional 'mudblood' comment, not just when they were in the company of their classmates but also when they were alone, like they were then.
His eyes met hers. "Maybe I don't care."
That infernal smirk was gracing his face.
She had come to love and hate that smirk.
There were times when that smirk drove her up a wall. Then there were times….times when it made her legs feel weak.
But right then it annoyed her.
Sighing she stood up, casually rubbing at her skirt, making sure any blades of grass that decided to invite themselves to stick to the fabric would fall to the ground. "I'm going," she told him shortly.
But before she could move his hand had clamped himself on her wrist. "You're mad at me."
She shook her head. "I'm not mad at you, Draco. I just have to get back to the common room."
He pulled her against him, one arm snaking around her waist. "You don't have to go." His head dipped down, and his breath came out hot against her skin. "You're just afraid that your friends will come along looking for you and find you with me." He nipped gently at her collarbone. "Aren't you?"
Hermione put one hand against his shoulder and closed her eyes. It amazed her that one small touch from him could make her feel like her head was spinning. "We make no sense," she told him quietly.
"I know," he agreed, kissing up her neck and to her ear. "We don't mix. Like oil and water." He bit the lobe of her left ear and rubbed his cheek against hers. "We're absolutely different."
"Which am I?" she asked. "Oil or water?"
He smirked against her neck. "Oil."
"Why?"
He looked at her, a twinkle in his eyes. "Because you're burning." He watched her turn red as he pressed his lips against her ear. "I make you burn."
Then his lips captured hers in a searing kiss that made her head spin and her knees weak. If it hadn't been for his arm around her waist she would have fallen.
She pressed her forehead against his once they had separated for air. "Draco?"
"Yes?"
She took a deep breath, swallowed and pulled away. "I don't like us being oil and water. I'm tired of it," she told him quietly before she was running across the grounds of Hogwarts to her common room.
Part 2: Spellbound
He didn't know when it happened, when he captured her heart.
To him she had always been the mudblood that hung out with Potter and Weasley. The one with bushy brown hair, once bucked teeth and who acted like she knew everything.
She when was it that she suddenly became worth his time. When did she become beautiful?
Could it have been while he was making fun of her she suddenly blossomed without him noticing?
The Slytherin common room was loud and he was getting a headache. Pressing his fingers to his temples he sighed.
"You alright, Draco?"
He shifted his gaze to the blonde girl sitting next to him.
He had known Pansy since they were children and she was always, somehow, able to tell when something was wrong with him, no matter how small it may be. "Fine, Pansy," he answered, his voice hollow.
She arched an eyebrow. "Is that so? Then why does it seem like your brain is going to explode from thinking so hard?"
He glared at her. "What would you know?"
"I know you."
The sad part was it was true. She did know him. Probably better than he even knew himself and that in itself seemed to always get to him. "If you must know I have a dilemma."
"What about?"
"About whether to paint my room back home black or not," he answered sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
It was her turn to glare. "Draco, I can help you, you know. If for one moment you would stop being a prat and talk to me-"
"Alright," he interrupted her. "I will tell you. Happy?"
She nodded. "Very."
"Aright. Well, lets say, hypothetically that I was dating someone."
"A hypothetical someone I know?"
He stopped and thought for a second. "That you know of but you aren't friends with her."
Pansy nodded. "Continue."
"The problem is, she and I don't belong together."
"What's that mean?"
"It means that we are…well, very different."
"You mean…like from different houses?"
A small nod. "If you mean for one thing, then yeah."
"Well, what exactly is the dilemma?"
"The dilemma is I'm not so sure if I should keep on dating someone so different from me."' He smirked. "I am bound to hurt her after all."
Pansy folded her hands on her lap and scrunched her face up in though, biting her bottom lip.
Draco looked across the Slytherin common room at the other students.
Two fifth years, Maximillian Walhberg and Lachlan O'Hare were talking rather loudly about Qudditch.
"The Cannons are rubbish," Lachlan argued.
"Not entirely true. Their new Seeker is brilliant. He's the best they've ever had," Maximillian- call me Max- argued.
"Please, he can hardly see the Snitch and he's always falling off of his broom."
"Well, their Keeper is good."
Lachlan stopped. "Well, I suppose I can give you that one."
"I cant believe McGonagall," he heard Blaise Zabini exclaim. "She thinks she's so special, being Head Mistress and all. I should give her a piece of my mind."
"There isn't much there to give," his girlfriend, Hannah Paquin said, looking up from her parchment. "And stop complaining. Just write the bloody essay and get it over with."
It amazed Draco that anyone could stand to date Blaise who was, in his mind, not exactly a sharp bloke.
"Well, excuse me Hannah. She's just too strict for my liking."
"No one likes how strict she is, Blaise," she told him, waving her hand. "That's why she does it. Keeps us in line or something. It's the logic of a professor or something."
"Do you love her?"
Draco's attention snapped back to Pansy who was looking at him expectantly. "What? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
"I asked if you love her."
He thought about it. Did he love her? "I…I guess I do."
Pansy shrugged. "Then who cares if you're different. Its romantic. Like that muggle play we read in Non-Magical Studies. What was is called? Oh, right. Romeo and Juliet."
He snorted slightly. "They died in the end, if you don't remember."
"I do, but that's not the point," she told him. "The point was that they loved each other through all of their differences. That's what made it romantic. They were spellbound. Enchanted with each other." A smile. "I guess that's what love does."
Part 3: Deception
Hermione absentmindedly stroked Crookshanks along her ginger back. The fur was extremely soft and the sheer action was calming.
Her nerves were frazzled lately, her mind spinning.
Why did it have to be so hard to be in a relationship? And, well, she used that term very loosely.
Harry sat down across from her in the common room. "Where were you?"
Hermione looked up over Crookshanks' head. "I was…I was out for a walk. it's a beautiful day out." She smiled slightly.
And it was beautiful out. The sun had been shinning brightly in the sky like a diamond. There had been a slight breeze in the air that made everything just seem absolutely beautiful.
"You missed Snuffles calling," Ron told her.
She looked up and smiled briefly at that.
It had bee quite a shock to the system for all three of them when it turned out that Sirius hadn't died during their fifth year. Of course it had shocked Harry the most, who was absolutely ecstatic that his godfather was alive.
"Sorry I missed that," she told them and it was the truth. Not that she would have given up the chance to be with Draco, but she did want to talk to Sirius.
"Where did you walk to Hermione?"
"Oh, around," she said, waving a hand.
"Alone?"
She looked at Ron. "Yes, Ron, alone."
Part 4: Attrition
Hermione looked up from her parchment when she heard Draco laughing from across the library. Madame Pince was giving him a look so scornful that if looks themselves could kill then he would have been dead right then and their.
"What's Malfoy laughing at?"
She shrugged. "I have no idea, Ron." She smiled at him. "Why don't you go ask him?"
Ron looked absolutely horrified at that. "Are you bloody serious?"
Hermione broke into a smile.
Ron stopped looking horrified suddenly. "You were kidding."
"Of course she was," Harry said, and Hermione burst out laughing.
"I cant believe you thought I was serious, Ron."
And the sound of her laughter floated to Draco.
He felt something like a tremor run down his spine at that sound.
How could that one little sound make everything seem to stop? How did she have such an effect on him?
"You okay, Draco?"
He glanced to his left. "Fine, Crabbe."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Goyle, I'm sure."
"I wonder what the mudblood is laughing at," he heard Goyle say quietly.
Draco glanced at Goyle before standing up.
"Where are you going?" Crabbe sounded completely confused.
Draco didn't answer but started to Hermione's table. He stopped halfway. "Hermione!"
The entire library froze and her quill dropped to the table.
"What in the bloody hell?" This was from Harry.
Hermione looked at Draco and watched as in almost an unnoticeable way he lifted his hand towards her.
She stood up slowly and out of the corner of her eye she saw Pansy frowning in confusion.
She was moving towards Draco but it wasn't even like she was moving, it was like the rest of the room was moving, slipping away.
Her hand grasped his and then his lips were pressed against hers, heated. He kissed her lips, teeth, tongue, halfway in-between kissing her and eating her while her hands entangled themselves in his hair and a moan crawled up her throat.
"What in bloody hell is going on?" Ron asked.
Harry put her hand on his shoulder. "Well, I guess we know where she's been going all these nights."
He looked at Ron. "You mean…."
"Yep." A nod. "Hermione is in love with Draco."
"Well, bloody hell. Who would have seen that coming?"
Pansy had a small smirk on her face. "Well, looks like they are more Rome and Juliet then I thought."
Draco pulled back from her and pressed his forehead against hers. "Hermione?"
Her eyes looked like she was drunk. They were half closed. "Yeah?"
"I love you." His voice was soft, barely a whisper.
"You what?"
"I love you."
"Why tell me now?"
He frowned slightly and then smiled a little. "I guess that keeping it to myself was wearing away at me inside."
She felt tears roll down her cheeks and she cupped his cheek. "I love you too."
And then their lips met again and the world seemed to just slip away and all that was left was them.
The sun seemed to lose its warmth.
So many days going on and on, the same old arguments. The same old jokes, same old discussions, the same old hiding from the world to feel a moment of quiet. Bliss.
Hermione Granger sighed as she stretched herself thin, picking her head up off of the grass of Hogwarts' grounds.
Her hand went to cover her eyes, blocking the sun from stinging her eyes and sighed. "It'll be getting late soon."
"What's your point?"
Her cinnamon eyes skipped briefly to the guy laying on the ground next to her. Sighing she pushed a strand of her wavy brown hair behind her ears with slim, pale fingers. "We should be getting inside." Subconsciously she smoothed out the hem of her skirt, rubbing her hands quickly across the fabric. "Harry and Ron will be looking for me soon."
The blonde arched an eyebrow and perched himself on his elbows, cold gray eyes staring out at the lake in front of them. "Will they?"
"You know they will, Draco," the Head Girl said, her eyes on his pale face.
She realized then that she had always found him rather attractive. If he hadn't always been such a bloody prat then she might have even found him worth her time sooner.
Not that she enjoyed his comments about her heritage, which, even though he swore he didn't mean anymore, he would still come out with an occasional 'mudblood' comment, not just when they were in the company of their classmates but also when they were alone, like they were then.
His eyes met hers. "Maybe I don't care."
That infernal smirk was gracing his face.
She had come to love and hate that smirk.
There were times when that smirk drove her up a wall. Then there were times….times when it made her legs feel weak.
But right then it annoyed her.
Sighing she stood up, casually rubbing at her skirt, making sure any blades of grass that decided to invite themselves to stick to the fabric would fall to the ground. "I'm going," she told him shortly.
But before she could move his hand had clamped himself on her wrist. "You're mad at me."
She shook her head. "I'm not mad at you, Draco. I just have to get back to the common room."
He pulled her against him, one arm snaking around her waist. "You don't have to go." His head dipped down, and his breath came out hot against her skin. "You're just afraid that your friends will come along looking for you and find you with me." He nipped gently at her collarbone. "Aren't you?"
Hermione put one hand against his shoulder and closed her eyes. It amazed her that one small touch from him could make her feel like her head was spinning. "We make no sense," she told him quietly.
"I know," he agreed, kissing up her neck and to her ear. "We don't mix. Like oil and water." He bit the lobe of her left ear and rubbed his cheek against hers. "We're absolutely different."
"Which am I?" she asked. "Oil or water?"
He smirked against her neck. "Oil."
"Why?"
He looked at her, a twinkle in his eyes. "Because you're burning." He watched her turn red as he pressed his lips against her ear. "I make you burn."
Then his lips captured hers in a searing kiss that made her head spin and her knees weak. If it hadn't been for his arm around her waist she would have fallen.
She pressed her forehead against his once they had separated for air. "Draco?"
"Yes?"
She took a deep breath, swallowed and pulled away. "I don't like us being oil and water. I'm tired of it," she told him quietly before she was running across the grounds of Hogwarts to her common room.
Part 2: Spellbound
He didn't know when it happened, when he captured her heart.
To him she had always been the mudblood that hung out with Potter and Weasley. The one with bushy brown hair, once bucked teeth and who acted like she knew everything.
She when was it that she suddenly became worth his time. When did she become beautiful?
Could it have been while he was making fun of her she suddenly blossomed without him noticing?
The Slytherin common room was loud and he was getting a headache. Pressing his fingers to his temples he sighed.
"You alright, Draco?"
He shifted his gaze to the blonde girl sitting next to him.
He had known Pansy since they were children and she was always, somehow, able to tell when something was wrong with him, no matter how small it may be. "Fine, Pansy," he answered, his voice hollow.
She arched an eyebrow. "Is that so? Then why does it seem like your brain is going to explode from thinking so hard?"
He glared at her. "What would you know?"
"I know you."
The sad part was it was true. She did know him. Probably better than he even knew himself and that in itself seemed to always get to him. "If you must know I have a dilemma."
"What about?"
"About whether to paint my room back home black or not," he answered sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
It was her turn to glare. "Draco, I can help you, you know. If for one moment you would stop being a prat and talk to me-"
"Alright," he interrupted her. "I will tell you. Happy?"
She nodded. "Very."
"Aright. Well, lets say, hypothetically that I was dating someone."
"A hypothetical someone I know?"
He stopped and thought for a second. "That you know of but you aren't friends with her."
Pansy nodded. "Continue."
"The problem is, she and I don't belong together."
"What's that mean?"
"It means that we are…well, very different."
"You mean…like from different houses?"
A small nod. "If you mean for one thing, then yeah."
"Well, what exactly is the dilemma?"
"The dilemma is I'm not so sure if I should keep on dating someone so different from me."' He smirked. "I am bound to hurt her after all."
Pansy folded her hands on her lap and scrunched her face up in though, biting her bottom lip.
Draco looked across the Slytherin common room at the other students.
Two fifth years, Maximillian Walhberg and Lachlan O'Hare were talking rather loudly about Qudditch.
"The Cannons are rubbish," Lachlan argued.
"Not entirely true. Their new Seeker is brilliant. He's the best they've ever had," Maximillian- call me Max- argued.
"Please, he can hardly see the Snitch and he's always falling off of his broom."
"Well, their Keeper is good."
Lachlan stopped. "Well, I suppose I can give you that one."
"I cant believe McGonagall," he heard Blaise Zabini exclaim. "She thinks she's so special, being Head Mistress and all. I should give her a piece of my mind."
"There isn't much there to give," his girlfriend, Hannah Paquin said, looking up from her parchment. "And stop complaining. Just write the bloody essay and get it over with."
It amazed Draco that anyone could stand to date Blaise who was, in his mind, not exactly a sharp bloke.
"Well, excuse me Hannah. She's just too strict for my liking."
"No one likes how strict she is, Blaise," she told him, waving her hand. "That's why she does it. Keeps us in line or something. It's the logic of a professor or something."
"Do you love her?"
Draco's attention snapped back to Pansy who was looking at him expectantly. "What? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
"I asked if you love her."
He thought about it. Did he love her? "I…I guess I do."
Pansy shrugged. "Then who cares if you're different. Its romantic. Like that muggle play we read in Non-Magical Studies. What was is called? Oh, right. Romeo and Juliet."
He snorted slightly. "They died in the end, if you don't remember."
"I do, but that's not the point," she told him. "The point was that they loved each other through all of their differences. That's what made it romantic. They were spellbound. Enchanted with each other." A smile. "I guess that's what love does."
Part 3: Deception
Hermione absentmindedly stroked Crookshanks along her ginger back. The fur was extremely soft and the sheer action was calming.
Her nerves were frazzled lately, her mind spinning.
Why did it have to be so hard to be in a relationship? And, well, she used that term very loosely.
Harry sat down across from her in the common room. "Where were you?"
Hermione looked up over Crookshanks' head. "I was…I was out for a walk. it's a beautiful day out." She smiled slightly.
And it was beautiful out. The sun had been shinning brightly in the sky like a diamond. There had been a slight breeze in the air that made everything just seem absolutely beautiful.
"You missed Snuffles calling," Ron told her.
She looked up and smiled briefly at that.
It had bee quite a shock to the system for all three of them when it turned out that Sirius hadn't died during their fifth year. Of course it had shocked Harry the most, who was absolutely ecstatic that his godfather was alive.
"Sorry I missed that," she told them and it was the truth. Not that she would have given up the chance to be with Draco, but she did want to talk to Sirius.
"Where did you walk to Hermione?"
"Oh, around," she said, waving a hand.
"Alone?"
She looked at Ron. "Yes, Ron, alone."
Part 4: Attrition
Hermione looked up from her parchment when she heard Draco laughing from across the library. Madame Pince was giving him a look so scornful that if looks themselves could kill then he would have been dead right then and their.
"What's Malfoy laughing at?"
She shrugged. "I have no idea, Ron." She smiled at him. "Why don't you go ask him?"
Ron looked absolutely horrified at that. "Are you bloody serious?"
Hermione broke into a smile.
Ron stopped looking horrified suddenly. "You were kidding."
"Of course she was," Harry said, and Hermione burst out laughing.
"I cant believe you thought I was serious, Ron."
And the sound of her laughter floated to Draco.
He felt something like a tremor run down his spine at that sound.
How could that one little sound make everything seem to stop? How did she have such an effect on him?
"You okay, Draco?"
He glanced to his left. "Fine, Crabbe."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Goyle, I'm sure."
"I wonder what the mudblood is laughing at," he heard Goyle say quietly.
Draco glanced at Goyle before standing up.
"Where are you going?" Crabbe sounded completely confused.
Draco didn't answer but started to Hermione's table. He stopped halfway. "Hermione!"
The entire library froze and her quill dropped to the table.
"What in the bloody hell?" This was from Harry.
Hermione looked at Draco and watched as in almost an unnoticeable way he lifted his hand towards her.
She stood up slowly and out of the corner of her eye she saw Pansy frowning in confusion.
She was moving towards Draco but it wasn't even like she was moving, it was like the rest of the room was moving, slipping away.
Her hand grasped his and then his lips were pressed against hers, heated. He kissed her lips, teeth, tongue, halfway in-between kissing her and eating her while her hands entangled themselves in his hair and a moan crawled up her throat.
"What in bloody hell is going on?" Ron asked.
Harry put her hand on his shoulder. "Well, I guess we know where she's been going all these nights."
He looked at Ron. "You mean…."
"Yep." A nod. "Hermione is in love with Draco."
"Well, bloody hell. Who would have seen that coming?"
Pansy had a small smirk on her face. "Well, looks like they are more Rome and Juliet then I thought."
Draco pulled back from her and pressed his forehead against hers. "Hermione?"
Her eyes looked like she was drunk. They were half closed. "Yeah?"
"I love you." His voice was soft, barely a whisper.
"You what?"
"I love you."
"Why tell me now?"
He frowned slightly and then smiled a little. "I guess that keeping it to myself was wearing away at me inside."
She felt tears roll down her cheeks and she cupped his cheek. "I love you too."
And then their lips met again and the world seemed to just slip away and all that was left was them.
