Disclaimer: I do not own Harry…if I did, I would have Hermione and Draco get together, unlike J.K. Rowling…:huffs angrily at the actual author's decision:
Couple: Draco and Hermione
Author: Pensive Puddles
A Rose for Every Wrong Day Two: Of Fists and MenDraco walked down the hall, his mind replaying the incident he had shared with Hermione. He smiled at remembering how her face turned that cute shade of pink.
"GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF MY SISTER!" a deep bellow echoed down the hall. Getting his head out of the clouds, Draco looked around, trying to decipher where the sound was coming from. He strained his ears, and raced to where the noise was coming from. It sounded like a fight, and Draco always enjoyed the entertainment of a dramatic fight.
Running up behind a group of people, Draco shoved his way through and saw the last thing he expected to see. Ron Weasley was kneeling over Blaise, punching him repeatedly in the face. A girl screamed for him to stop and Draco noticed Ginny in the corner, tears falling from her eyes. Suddenly, Draco heard Hermione's disapproving voice nag at him in the back of his head, "Draco! One of your responsibilities as Head Boy at Hogwarts is to keep the peace! Separate the two and deduct points, NOW!"
Sighing and silently cursing the girl for ruining his fun, Draco lifted his wand; thinking of a spell to separate the two when out of nowhere a fist collided into his face. Draco fell back into the crowd and looked up. An angry Harry glared down at him. Draco gave a wicked smirk that caused Harry to falter for just a second. It's been awhile since I've had a good old fist fight…Pocketing his wand, he dove towards Harry, trapping them into the fight as well. Harry, Draco, Ron and Blaise rolled on the hard ground, bleeding and injured, yet never stopping to take a breath; they were too caught up in their own fight. Fist and legs flung around like a storm. The Slytherins, seeing one of their highest peer fighting against their arch rival, joined in the fight, causing the Gryffindors to jump in to help their most important peer. Some Ravenclaws tried to separate the two houses and were pulled into the fight, thus getting their house involved. A couple Hufflepuffs ran for help while some tried to negotiate, and the neutrals stayed on the side and cheered the houses on, silently taking bets.
Draco swung his fist and broke the bridge of Harry's glasses. While Harry was down, Draco went and tried to look for Blaise. Blaise had become a friend to him during the previous year and so he felt it was only right to find him. Besides, Blaise wasn't that good of a fighter. Finding him, he reached forward and tried to pull Ron off of him. Harry tackled Draco to the ground again, slamming them both painfully into a wall near by. Draco heard a sickening crunch but he ignored the pain. Anger filled his body. Too long had he put up with 'Perfect Potter'. Now that he had his chance, Draco wasn't going to make this fight easy for Harry. Draco glared at him, receiving another punch in the face. Kicking Harry in the side, Draco tripped him to the ground, and kneeled over him, keeping Harry down with his weight. Now having the upper hand, Draco smirked and started to punch Harry repeatedly in the face. That scar on your forehead won't be the only one now! Draco vowed as Harry grunted at another hard hit.
A loud boom erupted in the hall and the students flew apart from each other. They looked at the livid Professors standing sternly before them. Each Professors face was red in fury. But the one person that scared them and made them feel ashamed of themselves the most was Dumbledore. The usual bright twinkle wasn't in his eyes. Instead, they were hard and looked disappointed. The students held their heads in shame.
"I'm deeply disappointed in all of you. I thought, especially the seventh and sixth years were old enough to realize how immature this is! Everyone who is injured, report yourselves to Madam Pomfrey. I will think of a punishment for this atrocious behavior later," Dumbledore ordered and began to help students to their feet.
Everyone got up, some holding their aching body parts or bloody faces and walked to the Hospital Wing. Draco stepped lightly aside and hid in the shadows. Waiting for the others to pass, he walked out and down to his room. Crawling inside, he collapsed on the couch and laid down, closing his eyes. It seemed so much harder to breathe. Every time he took in a breath, pain shot through him. Breathing unevenly, he rubbed the spot under his eyes and winced. Potter had a good left hook. And then the pain swept over him, pulling him into darkness.
Hermione wanted to take a nap during lunch. She wasn't entirely hungry. She hadn't slept well the night before anyway. Going to her room, she told the portrait the password ("Fungus Weed!") and cast her school belongings aside. She went to the couch, not really looking to see if the couch was being occupied at that moment.
"Omph!" a painful groan was made. Hermione jumped up, startled at what she had laid on. "Oh my God! Draco!"
Draco Malfoy looked up at her, a blue bruise forming under his left eye and blood trickling from a cut on his lip. A gash covered his right eyebrow, and his knuckles were raw. He breathed unsteadily but didn't bother to speak. He just looked at her and closed his eyes again.
"Draco…what happened?" she asked, taking out her wand.
"Got…into a fight…" he gasped, as if each word caused him pain.
"Why are you breathing so funny?" she demanded while looking in their private library. Searching among the rows, she found a healing book (Cures to save your life and more!) and flipped through the index. Finding what she was looking for, she began to heal his hand and face.
"I don't…know," he said in a short breath.
"Where does it hurt?"
"Everywhere…" he moaned painfully.
"Be a little more specific, please!" she demanded, flipping frantically between pages.
"Chest…" he closed his eyes. The bruise was fading away slowly and the cut was healing away. She unbuttoned his school uniform shirt and touched his ribs. He gasped painfully, his hand bunching into a fist.
"You broke a rib, maybe two," she observed. Looking at the book, she instructed, "Take off your shirt. I have to see which ribs."
Draco, too pained to make any comment, moved to pull his shirt off, but was making a pitiful and painful display of it. A wave of sympathy fell over Hermione and she helped him. Draco's eyes were closed so he didn't notice Hermione looking at his chest. Wow…she thought.
Draco wasn't too muscular, but he did have the right stuff. He had a nicely shaped body that she knew neither Ron nor Harry had. Wow was not the only word she was thinking of at that moment. Draco gave muffled cry and held onto the first thing his fingers felt, which was her school shirt. He glared at her in pain and yelled, "If you're going to help me, do it quickly, damn it!"
Panicked, she set the book besides her and read the instructions. Feeling confident after reading it for the third time, she looked at Draco, whose face was beaded with sweat. A lock of hair was matted against his forehead and she gently moved it aside. "This may hurt for a second," she warned.
Placing her wand above the ribs that were broken, she took in a calm, deep breath and muttered the charm. Draco grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly, making her wince in pain. He arched his back in pain and pressed his lips together to keep the yell from escaping his lips. Falling back, he breathed quickly and opened his eyes. He looked up at her and sighed, "Thank you, Hermione."
Hermione took in a quick breath. He had never used her first name before. And she blushed at how she thought it sounded so pretty when he said it. She brushed another strand of hair away from his face and felt him let her hand go limply. At first she panicked, thinking she had killed him. But when his chest rose, she pushed the thought aside. Getting up, she took a blanket that was lying near by, and gently covered him in it, just like the book advised her to.
Putting the book back into its place, she went to her room to take a small nap. She took one look at the boy on the couch and whispered, "You're welcome, Draco." And closed the door.
She didn't see the small smile on his face.
It was a short nap, timed exactly so she was ready for the next class. She woke up five minuets earlier to check up on Draco. Looking over at the couch, she only saw his cloak that he always wore. She checked the bathroom, and even went to see if he was in his room but found nothing. Silently, she hoped he was fine and she left to class, her bags packed with her school belongings.
As she treaded down to the dudgeons for Professor Snape's potion class, she silently thought of the blond haired boy. Somewhere in her gut, warmth spread through her body and she blushed as she caught herself smiling dumbly at the memory of Draco's sweet expression while he slept. He looked so innocent, so unlike the mean Draco she and her two friends had grown up with.
Entering the dreary classroom early, she found her table and looked around. It was nearly empty and she wondered why so few students came to class. There were only a small number of Slytherins and barley any Gryfinndors. She couldn't believe that after six years she was still sharing potion class with the Slytherins. It was quite clear that letting the two houses have no classes together would have been too kind.
She looked quickly down at her notes on the previous day's potions as Draco walked in. She glanced at him when he walked by. Hermione noticed how every single female eye, as well as a couple male, turned to look at the Slytherin god who trudged his way to his usual spot in the corner. Hermione could have sworn she had seen drool fall from one of the girls' mouths. Hermione looked at her disapprovingly. Sure, he was gorgeous, but she didn't have to drool over him… Sometimes, Hermione hated her species. Draco didn't seem phased by it. All traces of his disfigurement had disappeared (thanks to Hermione) and he didn't even act different at all . She looked over her shoulder at him, trying to see something that told her what had happened in the Head Room wasn't all a figment of her imagination.
Draco must have felt her gaze because his pale eyes flickered up to met hers, sending the warm feeling through her gut again. She bit the inside of her lip and continued to stare back at him. He didn't break the stare. His silver eyes were dull with boreddom and he raised his eyebrow after a moment as if saying 'What?'
She looked away and could feel his eyes twinkle in amusement. She scowled. She hated when he got the best of her. Luckily, the Professor came into class. He scanned the class, noted how few students had showed up and shook his head. Hermione, surprised that he hadn't deducted 100 points from Gryffindor because Harry hadn't attended class, sat bewildered as he just ordered them to start on their potion class work.
Hermione chopped her dragon claws silently, pondering why both Harry and Ron hadn't come to class. Even Neville hadn't showed up! She didn't realize how pensive she was until she looked at her potion, her face falling as she noticed her potion a sickening green instead of the navy blue it was supposed to be. Looking around, she was relieved to see Snape picking on a Gryffindor on the other side of the room. Panicked, she tried to get her potion back to its original color.
"Add more Bikar Grass," a voice whispered to her. She gave the speaker a startled look. Draco didn't do anything else, but stared and returned to his potion that was the right color. She contemplated if he was telling the truth but Snape was getting closer to her potion. What did she have to loose? She grabbed a few blades of Bikar Grass and dropped them into the bubbling concoction. Instantly, a small puff of smoke went up and her potion color matched that of Draco's, which was the correct color of blue. Snape walked over, examined her potion, and gave a scowl at the fact that he couldn't find anything wrong with it. He stormed over to the next victim and began to yell at how his potion was a shade too dark.
Hermione looked up at Draco and smiled. He didn't return it and just lazily returned to his potion. Hermione looked down at her potion and scooped it into a jar to be examined by Snape. Her cheeks turned a slight pink. What was wrong with her? She had healed his broken bones, taken advice from him, and had smiled at him. Had someone slipped a love potion into her drink when she wasn't looking? She grimaced at the thought.
A sudden fear gripped her heart. Was that why her heart beat a little faster every time she looked at him and caught him looking at her? Was this the answer why a warm feeling spread through her like fire whenever she thought of him? She shook her head. Hermione Granger was not in love. She couldn't be in love. A best friend of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley could not be in love with their archenemy of all people! She was incapable of having a boyfriend. She wasn't one of those pretty girls who did. She didn't have the time or the commitment to have one she'd tell herself when her heart ached in jealousy as she watched other girls her age and younger be kissed by their boyfriends. Besides, Harry and Ron would kill him even if she did get one, as if she was capable of getting one…but still…just stop thinking and spare yourself the torment, she scolded. How incredibly stupid to think it!
She faintly heard Snape dismiss the class and she gathered her stuff, cleaning her pot and table. She looked around for Draco. She had a feeling he knew something about Harry and Ron's disappearance. She ran after him in the empty hallway and grabbed his arm. He stiffened and turned.
"Do you know where Harry and Ron are?" she asked, trying hard to avoid his eyes and gazed at the spot in-between his eyes. She couldn't let herself weaken in front of him.
"And why, Granger, would I know where you're idiotic friends are?" he said in a bored, annoyed drawl. The old Draco was back. What she had imagined before was nothing. It probably wasn't even him who told her what to do.
"Because you were injured and I know you had something to do with it. Now tell me, or I'll hex you so bad that girls will run away from your hideous features," she threatened. She took out her wand and pointed it under Draco's chin to make her point clear. If he wasn't going to be nice to her, she might as well not be nice to him.
He eyed her with his stone complexion. The last time they had been in this potion was in third year after he had insulted Hagrid, although last time included a stinging pain in his face. "Try the hospital wing. Practically the whole school got into a little row. That's why there were so few people in class today; they're all there."
He whirled around and disappeared down the hall. Hermione watched as he walked away. How was he able to walked so gracefully? He was like a cat, making no sound with each footstep and appeared to glide across the floor instead of walk.
She turned and made her way down the familiar path of the Hospital Wing, all the while trying to battle the image of Draco out of her head. Finally reaching the hospital wing, she opened the doors and slipped inside. Spotting her two friends, she walked over to them. Each laid in their own bed, an ice pack over some part of their face or body.
Hermione didn't even bother trying to act surprised or annoyed. In a dull, exasperated voice, she demanded, "What'd you two do this time?"
"Hermione, don't make it sound like we did this on purpose," Harry said, taking the ice pack off the right side of his face, revealing a swollen lip and a shiny black eye, a nasty bruise forming along his cheekbone.
"Yeah. We've already been lectured three times: once by Dumbledore, another by McGonagall, and finally by Madam Pomfrey. Besides, it's Zagini's entire fault! If I hadn't come in, who knows what the hell could have happened to Ginny!" Ron looked away, wincing in pain and pressing the ice pack closer to his jaw.
Hermione meant to be merciless, but when seeing them both in absolute agony, a sliver of sympathy warmed her heart. Wanting to hear the full story, she sat herself down on Harry's bed and asked, "What happened?"
"Well, we had just finished class and we were walking down the hall and there was this group of people just standing in the hallway. So we went to investigate and we saw Zabini holding Ginny in his arms as if they had just…had just…" a disgusted look crossed Ron's face as if saying the next words was nauseating.
"Kissed each other…which they had." Ron's faced turned a dark red as Harry spoke the last part. "So Ron, being our favorite, quick-tempered friend, tackled Blaise to the ground, and started punching him, yelling at him to keep his filthy hands off his sister," Harry informed, holding the ice pack over his face again.
"Slimy basterd. I'd hit him again if I could!" he whispered in defiance.
"Ron! Keep your voice down!" Hermione hissed, motioning with her eyes at Madam Pomfrey who was only a few beds down.
"I don't care. He deserved it," Ron mumbled and glared at bed across from him. Hermione followed his eyes and gasped. A poor, bruised and battered boy lay weakly on a white bed, the bruises contrasting darkly against the white sheets. She glared at Ron, and could only say, "Ronald Weasley…!"
"Speaking of basterds, where's Malfoy?" Ron questioned, looking around the room for the blond haired ferret boy.
"He's in class," Hermione told him, while looking at Harry's face again.
"Asshole. I swear…if I see him again…" Harry left the threat hanging.
"What'd did he do?" Hermione asked curiously. How Draco could have gotten so terribly injured in just a schoolboy fight was still a mystery to her.
"He was just being a Malfoy," her red friend snarled darkly. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"He was going to curse Ron while he was fighting Blaise. So I tackled him to the ground. He always ignores the rules of conduct, bloody git. I've never hit that jerk since fifth year, when he made that crack about my mum. This time I got a few good punches," Harry smirked as he remembered. "It felt good."
"Yeah. I think I heard one of his bones break from where I was fighting!" Ron smiled gleefully at imagining Malfoy in pain. Hermione glared but didn't say anything. Instead she changed the subject by saying, "When are you getting back to class? The Hogsmeade trip is tomorrow and so is the Ball. Don't you guys have dates? Why isn't Madam Pomfrey doing anything about these bruises and cuts?"
"We have to get the swelling down. Supposedly, she can't do magic on swelled body parts because the spell could backfire and cause even more injury. But I think this is Dumbledore's punishment for us by letting us suffer," Ron added bitterly.
"Well, I personally think you deserve it. Not you Harry, but Ron, you deserve it," she silenced the open mouth, protesting red head by continuing, "You need to learn how to control your temper. It's going to get you into a lot more trouble when you get older."
"You sound just like my mum," he grumbled and immediately looked away to avoid her piercing glare.
"Miss Granger, there are to be no visitors in this room! Now get out!" Madame Pomfrey ordered and started to shove Hermione out of the room. She quickly left, shooting a sympathetic glance at her friends before exiting out of the doors.
Hermione woke up the next morning. Today was the day. The sickening, most despised holiday of the year for her had come. She scowled. If Ginny came to her door and waved another flashy valentine card in her face again…Hermione didn't want to hurt the fair red head girl, but she did get annoyed at her. Hermione would have to be under a truth potion to admit that she was jealous of the little Weasley girl. And why shouldn't she? She was pretty. She had perfect hair, so unlike her own. She had fair skin, completely acne-free (for now. Silently, Hermione hoped she would hit a sudden acne spurt), and a pretty complexion. Such pretty eyes and adorable smile! And her small body was so evenly proportioned! It was aggravating how a girl could be so attractive. Hermione always felt like one of Hagrid's blast-ended skewrts whenever she was next to Ginny.
Hermione laid in bed, anticipating the girl to be hammering the door with her fists. Nothing was heard. Sighing in relief, she got out of bed and dressed quickly, and made her daily retinue to the breakfast table. She looked dully at the flowers and hearts that decorated the halls and pictures of Hogwarts. With each passing step, she could already smell the sweetness of cakes and tarts that covered the Great Hall's four tables (five, if she included the staff's).
She wasn't alone in the hall. Draco Malfoy was strolling down the same hall as her that led to the Great Hall. She stopped for a second before walking on, trying to look like she hadn't seen him. Her heart started to beat a little faster, aggravating her after realizing it was because of him. She looked up and was inwardly surprised to see him staring at her. She nodded her head in a small greeting in which he surprisingly returned. The moment was so perfect, so relaxing that she smiled to herself inside.
Thunk! Hermione reached up behind her head and rubbed at the painful small bump that was now forming on her scalp. Turning around, she glared at the floating culprit.
"Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, This day's a booger, and so are you!" Peeves recited nastily and threw another heart shaped object at her head. She ducked just in time. A chuckle was heard near her and she glared at Draco, who had a small, amused smile on his face. She glared fiercely at him, which caused him to laugh even harder. Thunk! Another heart flew and hit its target, right into Draco's temple. Draco staggered a little, clutching his head.
He whirled around, his eyes a light with flames at having the joke placed on him. A small giggle reached his ears and he shot Hermione a glare before turning back to the monster. Hermione spoke up, "You better get lost, Peeves, because I'll get Bloody Baron…"
"That old float doesn't bother me anymore. Besides, I'd like to see even a Slytherin ghost help a Gryffindor anyway," he sneered while chucking another heart. Hermione dodged to the side, jumping into Draco. He automatically put an arm around her waist to keep her steady and held her protectively. Pointing his wand at the irritant, in which he had gotten his name, he muttered a spell. Suddenly, the hearts in Peeves' hands flew from his grasp and started to rain down upon him. Peeves covered his head, and flew quickly out of the range of hearts. However, the hearts raced madly after him. Hermione chuckled as she watched the nuisance cry out in pain as another heart hit him in the head. "Serves the little bugger right," Draco murmured.
Hermione turned to look up at Draco, titling her head back to see him. Since when did Draco get so tall? And strong? He may not have been as buff or broad as Harry, but he was lean and did have muscles. She gave him a small smile, a thank you. And to her delight, he returned it with a small grin. He had an adorable smile, a flash of white teeth and one side pulled up higher than the other. The warm feeling inside her gut spread through her again, making her feel as light as air.
Loud laughter echoed down the hall and instantly they pulled away from each other. Hermione suddenly felt the loss of his touch, and silently longed for him to hold her in his arms once more. She looked over at him to see what he was feeling and was sad to see that he had his cold mask up again, his eyes dull and the beautiful smile replaced with a bored frown. His cloak whirled around his feet elegantly, as he opened the door. He held it open and motioned for her to go inside first. She rewarded him with a grin and stepped inside.
Just as she had predicted, the halls were decorated in pink, red and white. Little cupids flew across the tables, dropping little candy hearts into people's food and drink. Hearts hung in the mid-air, decorating the air. And the charmed ceiling was bright and welcoming. The scenery was so unrealistic that Hermione had to bite back a disgusted frown.
"Sickening, isn't it?" a deep voice asked her. She nodded, understanding now why all the ladies were looking at her correction, Draco, like a starving vulture that had just spotted a recently dead carcass. The voice continued detestably, "And we still have…sixteen more hours to go."
A wry smile touched her lips and she let herself giggle at his comment and left for her table, noticing some of the jealous glares a few of the girls gave her as she parted from the Prince of Slytherin. As she walked down the steps, whispers filled the Great Hall. Hermione tried hard not to blush. The whole Hall couldn't possibly have seen the little episode outside the door, did they? Her two friends were nowhere to be found and she sat down next to Ginny. The younger girl was pale and tired. Concerned, Hermione touched her arm lightly, in which the younger girl jumped. "Hermione!" she said as if relieved that it was only her. She seemed to have been in her own little world.
"Ginny, what's wrong?" she asked.
"What?" the girl asked quickly. "Oh…nothing…just have a lot on my mind."
Hermione looked at her with a cynical eye before turning her attention to the eggs and bacon that appeared magically on her plate. As she ate slowly, Hermione listened to the people around her, trying to understand why the Hall was so noisy today.
"They've been together since the beginning of the school year…"
"I was wondering why he wasn't going for anyone…"
"It was like something out of soap opera! I wish I had had a video camera!"
"What's that?"
"Her brother came in and beat Blaise to a pulp!" So that's what it's about…Hermione realized, taking in a large spoonful of eggs and continued to listen without as much dread.
"You know why, don't you? It's because that Weasley girl got herself knocked up by Blaise!"
Hermione caught these words and choked on her eggs. Coughing, she spit them out into her napkin and looked at the girl who said it. Thunderstruck, Hermione looked at Ginny with wide eyes. The poor girl had heard the same rumor and looked at Hermione with pleading, sorrowful eyes. Brushing the tears away from her face, Ginny stood to her feet and rushed out of the Hall, all eyes glaring at her.
Ginny's little feet thundered down the hall, and she stumbled. She ran harder, rounding corners. She didn't know where she was going. Bumping into someone, she fell back at the impact. Looking up with a tear-stained face, she looked up into kind green eyes.
"Oh Blaise!" she cried and flung herself into the boy's opened arms. He hushed her and petted he head. "They're horrible! They said that I'm pregnant and now the whole school thinks that I am! This is so terrible!"
"It's fine, Ginny. We'll get through this together," he comforted calmly. He held her closer and kissed her head. Ginny looked up at him, a smile on her face and she whispered, "What would I do without you?"
He smiled in return and leaned down to capture her lips with his. As they parted, he gave her one last good bye and left without a sound. Ginny watched him disappear into the shadows of the halls. A small, unsure voice called out, "Ginny…?"
Ginny turned and looked at Hermione. She looked at the older girl. "What do you think? Do you believe the rumors?"
"I'm you're friend. I think you would have told me if you were pregnant or not. Besides, I know what it feels like to have lies spread about you. I had the whole wizard community knowing of my 'Love Triangle with Victor Krum and The-Boy-Who-Lived,'" Hermione said, frowning at the abominable memories.
"How could I forget? All those horrible curses people sent you…" Ginny tried to suppress a smile but gave up. Hermione smiled with her. Hermione continued, "I don't believe it, Ginny. Besides, if you truly love Blaise and he loves you too, then I'm fine with it. Just don't let him break you're heart in the end if this doesn't work out."
Ginny hugged Hermione and murmured, "Thanks for being so understanding and such a good friend!"
Hermione nodded, slightly blushing at her words.
Hermione raced down the streets of Hogsmeade. Why did they have to pick such a secluded place that practically no one has heard of? She complained to herself. Turning another corner and another, she noticed how few people occupied the area and she slowed down her dash to a quick walk before finally coming to a stop. "Just great, Hermione. You had to get yourself lost, didn't you?" she sighed unhappily and looked around. All the books she had bought where straining her arm and she switched the bag to the other arm.
"Harry and Ron are going to kill me…" she commented to herself. She found herself in an isolated place with very few buildings and very few people. She turned around in circles, looking for some kind of life or clue to lead her back to civilization. Seeing a person, she walked up to him and touched his shoulder. "Excuse me! Could you help me…?" she trailed off as the person turned around.
Draco looked down at her, his distant eyes suddenly filled with curiosity. He continued to look down at her and she looked up at him, incapable of tearing her gaze from her gray eyes. They were so cold, devoid of life it seemed.
"What do you want, Granger?" he demanded, his voice cold. Taken back for a second, she said, "I was just trying to figure out how to get back into Hogsmeade."
A pleased smirk formed on Draco's face as he said, "Did Perfect, know-it-all, Mudblood Granger get herself lost?"
"What about you, ferret boy? Just talking a stroll in the middle of no-where with your broom?" she demanded, her own smirk forming on her face at seeing him glance away. She got him.
"There's a broom repair store out here. I needed to get my broom repaired," he said and turned to glare at her. She glanced down at his broom. She knew a lot about brooms thanks to Harry and Ron and knew that his Lightening Strike 3000 was in perfect condition. She smirked even wider at finding him lying.
"What? The twigs are in perfect order, the handle polished…be honest, Malfoy, you were meeting someone to teach you how to properly use a broomstick and catch a snitch. Maybe then you'd actually win a game for your house…however highly unlikely," she mocked. She only smiled triumphantly as he glared at her in pure loathing. He stopped, composed himself and snapped, "And what are you doing out here? Potter and Weasel dumped you for some pretty girls?"
Hermione, taken back by his comment, glared, knowing he was semi-correct. " Deserted you? Didn't they?" he continued, "Average Granger couldn't keep up with the other girls, could she?"
"Back off, Malfoy," she growled. "At least I have friends."
"Correction: At least you had friends. I've noticed you, Granger, don't think I haven't. I've seen how they talk to any pretty face and ignore you, even when you're talking directly to them. I've noticed how it's only now and then that you guys are laughing and having a good time together. It's not Potter, Wealsey and Granger anymore. It's Potter, Weasley and two dumb air heads, and Granger is left all alone with her books." Draco smirked victoriously and watched, as her eyes became glossy with tears.
"Leave me alone, Malfoy," she whispered and walked off. He was so close…so very close to the truth.
He let out a sharp bark, and called after her, "Struck a nerve, did I Granger? If I was the one who noticed, how many other people do you think know that the Golden Trio is breaking up? Soon you'll be completely alone, Granger. Even the Weasley girl will desert you when Potter and Weasley leave you for good. She's only there to get noticed by others. Don't expect a pretty face to know anything. I should know."
She stormed off, blinking quickly to get rid of the tears. Suddenly, the ground gave beneath her and she fell forward. She stuck her feet out and landed hard. A sickening sound filled the hole she was in and she dropped her books, grabbing onto her ankle in agonizing pain. She looked up at the sky, as if asking for guidance from above. Why does today have to be today? She thought. Feeling dirt fall on her head and down the back of her shirt, she looked up and watched in amusement (despite the pain in her ankle) as Draco flung his arms around like windmills, trying to keep himself balanced so he wouldn't fall into the hole below. Getting his footing, he called down, "Granger?"
Tears prickled at her face as she tried to control herself, but the pain that thundered inside her was slowly taking her over and she breathed in harshly, a tear falling. A sob tried to escape her mouth and she quickly strangled it in her throat. "Granger!" he called again. "Answer me!"
"I'm here, you git," she snapped up at him. Using her voice had given the sob a way to escape and she covered her mouth, crying silently. Holding now with one hand around her ankle, she hunched over, silently hoping that she could stop crying. Falling and sliding rocks caught her attention and she watched as Draco let himself slide down into the pit, forgetting about his 100-galleon clothing and crawled to her. She pulled away as he tried to touch her. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said quietly.
"Go away, Malfoy! You're the reason why I'm here in the first place. I'm tired. There's a stupid ball tonight. I'm supposed to be with Harry and Ron and I don't care if they're with their blond bimbos! They wanted to talk with me! And we were supposed to be sharing butterbeers and having a good time. I'm not supposed to be stuck in some muddy hole with you of all people!" she sobbed. Another tear fell from her eyes and still she did not let a moan escape her lips. He looked at her ankle and removed her shoe. She didn't protest, just watched as his cold fingers touched her ankle and she hissed through her teeth in pain. "That hurts! Merlin! Just leave me alone!"
Draco stood up and left her in the hole. Hermione continued to cry. She was really alone now. Here she was, muddy and in pain and no one would find her.
"Come on. Can you stand?" a voice asked her in the dim light. She looked startled up into beautiful grey eyes. He looked down at her, his toes lightly scrapping against the dirt as his broom hovered next to her. She shook her head, whimpering, "It hurts t-too much."
Draco looked at her with pitying eyes that completely flabbergasted her. Draco took of his long, expensive and yet comfortable Slytherin cloak and wrapped her in it. Next, he picked her up in his arms, carrying her to his broom. If Hermione could die of shock, this would have been the perfect time.
"Merlin, Granger, don't you eat anything?" he remarked and she let out a pained chuckle. He flung one leg over the side of the broom and getting them settled down, he kicked off the ground. With one arm holding her and keeping her balanced on the broom, he used his other hand to guide the broom out of the hole.
"My books…" she said.
"I got them. I shrunk them for you," he informed her and then instructed, "Hold on tight."
They shot upwards and she gripped onto his shirt, curling closer to his body to protect herself against the harsh wind. She silently looked at the scenery around them and let out a small gasp, biting her lip in pain as her ankle pounding in pain. He looked down at her, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just so beautiful up here," she said quickly. And then she bit her lip, as if in pain. He looked down at her accusingly and she shrugged sheepishly, "So maybe my ankle really hurts."
The wind had applied unnecessary pressure to her ankle, causing it to throb. Draco slowed down, relieving the pain some. "Sorry," he said.
She was silent and continued to look at the trees that formed a green sea below them. "It is really beautiful up here though. I understand now why Harry and Ron love flying so much."
"Haven't you ever flown before?" he asked surprised.
"No. I was too scared. There was this one time in Madam Hooch's class. But I only went as high as five feet. I was scared of heights. Harry and Ron both offered me once to take me flying, but I never really wanted to."
"Is it as bad as you thought it would be?" he asked.
"No. It's actually quite nice," she stated. After thinking for a second, she asked, "Is it fun playing Quidditch?"
"Not as peaceful. It's more stressing than anything else. But Quidditch…it's like any sport. You love it or you don't."
"It looks extremely dangerous."
"Anything is dangerous. But then it wouldn't be fun if there wasn't some type of risk. What would be the point of playing without the risk of getting hurt? Playing your heart out, and getting hurt in the process makes you feel as if you did something important, even if you don't win…occasionally…" Only if your team mates won't yell at you and beat the crap out of you if you're the reason why you lost the game for everyone, Draco added silently to himself, recalling disastrous games.
"You love flying, don't you, Malfoy?" she observed.
"I do. I've been flying since I was a little boy. I always wanted to be on a Quidditch team. But I don't think that'll happen. I'm not as good as Potter." Hermione again would have picked this moment to die from shock. Did Draco Malfoy admit that Harry Potter was better than him? She shook her head.
"What?" he asked, a small curious smile forming on his face.
"I swear, the pain must be making me hallucinate. You just admitted that Harry's better than you. I don't know which one of us is injured now…"
"Ha ha, Granger. Nearly fell off my broom on that one," he said sarcastically. They sat in silence for a couple moments. Noticing that she wasn't moving, he looked down at her and said, "Granger?"
She didn't make a sound. Stopping the broom, he pulled her away from him to look at her. He shook her lightly and said in a panicked voice, "Granger?"
"Hm?" she hummed, tiredly opening her eyes. "What?"
"Uh…nothing," he said, feeling very stupid with himself. Hermione settled back against his chest and curled into him. His heart speeded up. He never had a feeling like this before. He felt alive. He smiled down at her, a warmth spreading through him. With his one arm, he held her tightly to him and rested his lips against her head, breathing in her scent. She smelled so good…How many times had he imagined this? It was what he imagined it would be, yet there was something that made it so different. He didn't care. All he knew was that Hermione Granger was cuddled against his chest (He smirked as she tugged at his shirt and buried her head deeper into his silk top) and he was flying her to Hogwarts. If her ankle wasn't twice the size it should have been he would have gone slower and a round-about way in getting to Hogwarts. However, he enjoyed every second he shared with her.
With that, he continued to fly to Hogwarts that seemed to grow bigger and bigger with each passing second. He gently took her to the infamous Hospital Wing, calling for Madame Pomfrey. She hobbled over to him, ordering him to place her on one of the beds, which he did reluctantly. He stood by her side, longing to hold her in his arms again but refrained from doing so. The old nurse hobbled over to them, handed him a vile and told him to pour it down her throat. Titling back her delicate head, he let the purple liquid slide down into her lips. He wondered if his tongue could slid as easily into her mouth as that liquid did…Draco mentally slapped himself for catching himself thinking of such things, especially in public.
With a fancy flick of her wand, Madame Pomfrey tapped the swelled ankle and Draco watched, as the swollen skin seemed to deflate slowly. He wondered why it was taking so long to get back to normal. "Now when she comes around, " the old nurse warned while cleaning her hands, "She may not be in her right mind. Ankles are one of the hardest parts of the bodies to heal properly, so the potion numbs the pain. But it does have its side affects."
"Can I take her to her room?" Draco asked, trying to find an excuse to pick her small figure up again.
The nurse pursed her lips, thinking and glancing at Draco, to her patient and back to Draco again. "Well," she said, thinking quickly. She looked at the blond haired boy. He didn't beg her as some others had done before. His face was cool and assured, as was his posture. Despite what she had heard of the boy and experienced herself, something caught her attention and she found herself nodding her head in approval, "I guess. Remember, her foot must be elevated and she can not put any pressure on it whatsoever. It won't take long, maybe a couple hours, three at most."
He nodded his head and gentle and swiftly, as if she weighed nothing but air, picked her up and carried her out of the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey watched in amusement, her eyes holding a twinkle that challenged Dumbledore's. This whole Valentine atmosphere has definitely caused changes in our school, she mused quietly to herself before returning to two patients who were complaining of stomachs aches ("I must tell Dumbledore to switch that painting. All these unnecessary sweets will be the death of these children!" she thought angrily, purposefully pushing aside the memories of her own past experiences of midnight strolls to the ticklish pear and stomach aches afterwards).
Draco swept down the hall. He looked down at Hermione as she let out a small groan. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. "What are you doing?" she asked in a dull voice. Her eyes were slightly glazed and her head titled back as if her body was made of soggy noodles.
"I'm talking you to your room," he told her and continued to watch her.
"Oh," she sighed, accenting the word by making a large O shape with her mouth. She puckered her lips out and then pulled them back so that they were covering her teeth, closing her mouth. Her head rolled to look back at him and she lifted a hand up, touching his hair. He tensed under her touch and looked down at her. She didn't smile but held a curious, pondering look on her face as she titled her head to the side.
"I wonder…" she said and mumbled something that even Draco's sharp ears didn't catch.
"What?" he asked, ashamed at hearing his voice crack as he spoke and surprised of his curiosity. He automatically leaned his head down to her better, encouraging her to repeat what she said.
"I said…" she said in a regular voice before dropping into a whisper, "I wonder what you'd taste like in chocolate." Her face had came fairly close to his and she flickered out her tongue to lick his cheek.
He snapped his head back. To say that Draco was startled would be saying the least. Died of shock would perhaps explain his composure at that moment. Did Hermione Granger say what he just thought she said? With wide, grey eyes he looked down at her and she giggled, biting her lip seductively, and whispered with a lisp, "Justh a questin."
She leaned her head in and closed her eyes. The next moment he looked at her, she was sleeping peacefully. Draco shook his head and laughed out loud. Hermione Granger had never ceased to surprise him.
A/N: Two out of the three done! Again, I edited this one, tried to find little typos and stuff. And I was trying to use the quick edit on fanfiction(dot)net and it didn't work that well. So if you find words crunched together when they should be spaced, PLEASE tell me! Thank you! And please, be kind and review!