Invincible Radios and 'War and Peace'
Draco let his head fall back on the leather armchair. He sighed dramatically. Today had been one fucked day. He'd gone through so many emotions that he didn't even know existed. He just wanted to close his eyes and let the days events slip away into oblivion, but try as he may, his mind was plagued with thoughts of Hermione and their discussion prior. He didn't know how everything had got so distorted. A few weeks ago he had been living in ignorant bliss and now here he was, not knowing how to feel about the one girl he didn't want to have any feelings for.
Life was fairly shitty.
He was suddenly aware of raucous laughter echoing off the walls and he looked around just as several Slytherins climbed into the chic common room.
"Holy Crap, did you see her face?" one of the boys asked. Draco recognised him to be a third or fourth year, but he couldn't put a name to the face.
"Yes I certainly did!" an older voice replied with mirth. "Gentlemen, I am officially a genius!" Draco looked up at the speaker and rolled his eyes. Pretentious dick.
"And why, pray tell, are you a genius, Zambini?" He drawled monotonously.
"Because, Draco," he replied arrogantly, swanning over to drop into the leather armchair facing Draco. "I managed to pry this piece of crap out of that bloody Gryffindor's hands." He presented an odd shaped box and flicked a switch on it.
Parvati's radio.
" I swear to Merlin, that damn thing's following me." Draco muttered.
"What exactly does it do?"
"It plays music, Blaise." Draco answered disdainfully, looking with disgust at the boy as he turned the object over and shook it a few times. "Muggle crap, but music all the same."
"Hmm…bored with it now anyway." He said, flinging it onto the green leather couch behind him. "Really just wanted to annoy that stuck-up cow…God, Malfoy, you should've seen her face! She looked really smug first of all when she saw us but then when we all came over to her she looked so bloody scared – seriously, I was finding it hard to keep a straight face! And she starting threatening us with all this bullshit so I just said 'listen, bitch, I don't fucking care what the hell you -"
"Are you done?" Draco asked, completely uninterested.
"But don't you want to hear the rest of -"
"No."
"But Malfoy -"
"No."
"But -"
"No."
"It's really -"
"Fuck off Zambini."
"Draco, I -"
"Fuck off now, please."
"Aw come on, I -"
"Did you not here me?" Draco yelled, losing his temper. "Fuck off!"
Blaise crossed his arms and scowled. "Fine." He said, standing up. "Bloody wanker."
Draco rolled his eyes.
"Hey!" he yelled after him. "Turn that frigging radio off!"
"You do it if your that fucking bothered." One very pissed off Blaise Zambini hollered back. Draco sighed and eyed the radio. 'It's so far away…fuck my head hurts.' All he wanted to do was get a bit of fucking sleep.
…Well he can't sleep at night, and he can't do what's right, and it's all because she came into his life, it's a deep obsession taking up his time…
Draco looked at it in amazement.
That damn gadget was out to haunt him. Maybe it was just paranoia, but it seemed that every single song he heard out of that thing related somehow to Hermione. Every thought he had traced back to her…this entire school just reeked of her. Everywhere he looked, she was there.
Why the hell had he told her to stay away? Now he knew how she felt – sort of – what was standing in their way? Pride he thought sullenly. Fucking pride. Fucking pride was the only thing stopping them. But his pride was worth a lot – if he lost that, what would he have? 'Hermione' sang the inner voice. He clenched his teeth. He didn't need her. It was a passing phase. In fact…it wasn't even passing, it had passed. He was over her.
…She's all that he wants…all that he needs…everything he just won't believe…take away his doubt…then she can see what he's been dying to say…
He didn't need her – he had girls falling over him. Millicent, for example. Well…maybe not her anymore. But loads of the Slytherin girls were all over him. He could have any girl he wanted. Except Hermione. Damn that bloody voice. He could have Hermione – he just didn't want to. Bloody Mudblood. She was just a stupid child, playing games. He had just been humouring her.
Really.
…And he must confess all the impure thoughts of his beautiful temptress…
Draco seethed at the musical what's-it. If its owner hadn't been the next best thing to a squib, he would have thought it had been spelled. Maybe it was just psychic…or maybe he was just paranoid. Whatever it was, he didn't like it. Bloody muggle contraption.
He jumped up in a fit of anger and grabbed the radio. Bounding up the stairs out of the common room, he cursed the damned appliance with every offensive word he knew, which was quite an extensive list. He threw the door leading to the rest of Hogwarts open and hurled the machine into the corridor. It merely slid along the polished floor, still singing contently. Draco gawped at it in irritated awe. 'It won't die' he thought. It was the tale of the invincible radio…
He narrowed his eyes and swore under his breath, turning round and thumping back down the stairs to the now quiet Slytherin common room.
…So wipe that smile of your face before it gets too late, there's only so much time for you to make up your mind…
*~*~*~*~*
Hermione sat in the Gryffindor common room, legs curled under her in front of the blazing fire, 'War and Peace' in her hands. She could feel Ginny boring holes into her and she couldn't help but feeling a little uncomfortable under her gaze. She was extremely embarrassed over what had happened earlier. Why did Ginny, of all people, have to hear her and Draco's conversation? And now her stomach just felt like lead…she had no chance. She had promised Ginny nothing would ever happen with Draco. And it wouldn't. It couldn't. She hadn't even planned to but now that she had promised Ginny, it just seemed so much more real. More definite. Final.
…I think I've already lost you, I think you're already gone. I think I'm finally scared now, you think I'm weak but I think you're wrong…
"Dean!" somebody screamed. Hermione looked over to the portrait door. Dean Thomas was standing there with Parvati's radio looking extremely embarrassed. Hermione soon realised why – Parvati was hugging him a little too tightly. She heard Seamus snigger nearby.
"Looks like you found a friend 'der, Deanie." He laughed, winking. Dean scowled back at his Irish friend.
"Where did you find it Dean?" Parvati asked, choosing to ignore Seamus's suggestive comment.
"Lying in a corridor. Sure you didn't drop it, Parv'?" he asked, sitting down on a sofa.
"No! I'm telling you! Blaise and a load of other stupid Slytherins took it and -"
"Ok, ok. I believe you!" Dean said, seeing she was getting very stressed about the issue. Parvati smiled.
"Thanks for returning it, Dean…" she sang, sitting on the edge of his armchair.
"Oh yeah," Seamus piped up. "How exactly are you going to thank him, then?"
"Seamus! I can't believe you!" Dean stood up quickly, blushing profusely. He stormed up the boys staircase.
"Dean - wait! I'll come with you!" Parvati called after him.
"Good idea." Seamus nodded. "There's young childer' in the room. Can't have any of that sort of hanky panky pre-watershed."
"Shut up, Seamus!" Parvati yelled from the foot of the staircase. Seamus wolf-whistled his reply. Parvati turned a deep crimson and leapt up the stairs. Seamus chucked merrily.
"Ah I'll never get tired of that." He said to no one in particular. He turned around and smiled at Hermione. "All right, Hermione! Didn't see ya there!" he came over and sat in the armchair opposite her. "How's life treating you these days?"
…I bet you're hard to get over…
Hermione's head snapped up. "Sorry Seamus, what did you say?" she felt Ginny's eyes look her up and down in disgust, as if she'd known what Hermione had been thinking about; Draco.
Seamus laughed. "Good book then? What's it about?" Hermione looked back down at 'War and Peace'. She hadn't been reading it; it was just an attempted distraction…
She held up the cover. "Um…war and peace…" she murmured.
"Figures." Seamus laughed. "Ugh – looks to long and complicated for me! Have fun 'Mione!" He stood up and left, presumably to pester Dean and Parvati some more.
Hermione watched as a shadow fall over her page. She looked up to find Ginny standing above her, an eyebrow raised.
…There's an awful lot of breathing room but I can hardly move…
"War and peace?" she smiled at Hermione in a friendly way, the first sign of friendship in the last few hours. She shook her head disbelievingly and walked away.
"War and fucking peace." Hermione whispered, closing the book and banging her head against the soft back of the chair.
…There's a little bit of something me in everything in you…
*~*~*~*~*
A little note from me: yes, I'm evil. But I'm very sorry! I was just browsing fics and I realised its been a month since I updated – a whole month! Can't believe I did that to all you lovely people who specifically asked me to update! So I proofread this and I hope it's ok. Pretty boring. Although it took me a while before I was happy with it. The characters are boring me a little because in my opinion they're getting a little samey; does anyone else think that too? But I'm not giving up on this one! This fic is my 'fic' whereas the other things I write at the moment tend to be little ficlets or songfics. I wrote a Draco songfic a while back that I was kinda pleased with…*shameless plug*…
Slytherin Wolf: hehe thanks so much you really cheered me up! Lol very, ahem, animated reviews! And I certainly feel loved now lol!
Chaotic Slytherin: thank you! I really appreciate detailed reviews! Yeah the character setting etc is starting to confuse me as well. I'll try to work on that aspect. Thank you so much! In future I shall put everything into this although I usually try to! Next chapter should be a huge turning point though – funnily enough one of the things you mentioned in your review will happen I think…lol, great minds…hehe.
Lilmissfrenchy: thanks =) yep talk to you on msn sometime!
Ra: ooh I like that little quote! Thanks – yeah I want it to end happily but she can't have it both ways!! Hehe I'm so evil…thanks for the review!
Purplepanther: hehe thanks for your reviews!
Femme fatale: lol yeah it makes it more interesting to write if their lives are twisted!
Oliverwoodsgirl: hehe you'll just have to see! You could be in for a surprise next chapter! Depending on what you expect…thanks!
allee kat: wow thank you so much! Hehe I've never heard that one…it sounds very cheesy though! Lol.
C: damn you really want her to be miserable! Hehe I like your style!! Thanks for reviewing so consistently by the way!
Innocent rambler: hehe 'good hands'….make me feel guilty! Lol sorry I didn't update sooner! This one's quite short too though if all goes to plan next chapter should be fun-filled!
Fuzzy dreamer: thanks! I was a little worried Draco was OOC but I figured he must have other sides…thanks for reviewing!
LostAngel: ooh I love Lilo and stitch! Hehe sorry…yeah isn't that fic good? Sorry this update was so slow!
Zephyr: hmm I wonder if I could work that in? Possibly…hehe look – you're a muse!! Do you think she was too OOC?
Kim Malfoy: yes I really like my cliff-hangers! Though there isn't one this time! Damn! Lol. Thanks!
Dracos gurl: thank you so much! "Broomstick" was soo sweet!
dizzymeup: well, it's finally here! Yeah Ginny is a bit of a cow but she was kinda looking out for her friends too…even if she was a little bitchy! But there you go! Thanks for the review!
RadcliffeChick: well you're even more famous now then! Lol don't usually get that reaction!! Thanks so much!! Hehe don't worry – it's a good sign to be mad!! Thanks for the review!!
***Ok so this chapter was pretty boring but the next one should be much, much better! If everything goes to plan that is…leave your email address if you want and you haven't already and I'll email you when I update! Which should hopefully be soon because my exams are finally over! Yay!! Hmm I've used the words 'lol' and 'hehe' a lot today. Anywho. If anyone know why when I upload I can't get italics please let me in on the secret Windows is cruelly keeping from me =( ß **sad face!!** Anyways, yeah….please r/r!***
Disclaimer: Harry Potter – JKR
"Things don't always turn out that way" (Draco scene) – The Calling
"If you're gone" (Hermione's scene) – Matchbox 20
…I don't own 'war and peace' either!
- Well that was very straightforward and un-me. I usually make a whole song and dance about disclaimers! But both those songs are amazing so if you haven't heard them yet make sure you do!