Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot; all the characters belong to the wonderful J K Rowling. Although I do plan to become very rich and buy Draco Malfoy from her, as a present to my friend Rebekah. This is the first story I have written and I hope that you like it. Please R&R!!!! And I shall love you forever and ever!!
A look of blissful content washed over Hermione's face as she once again returned to the halls of Hogwarts. It wasn't as if she didn't enjoy the holiday, three months away with her friends and family. It was more that she felt home here also. She was in her seventh year, her final year at Hogwarts and she had already decided that it would be her best year, that everything would be perfect.
'Ohh sorry' she mumbled as she bumped shoulders with a stranger walking in the halls..
'It's…' a deep voice replied before cutting off sharply.
Hermione looked up and found herself pinned by the piercing eyes of none other than Draco Malfoy.
'Watch it mudblood' he sneered.
'Ohh Draco, just the person I never wanted to see again. I see you still haven't gotten over your self-righteous attitude that you own everything, but news flash, you don't own the halls of this school.' And with that she turned on her heel and walked in the other direction.
Later that day in the library Hermione was flipping idly through the pages of her textbook, yearning for something more stimulating to read. At this she stood and walked to the rows of books that lined the walls running her finger over their spines.
'Bodily torture, disembowelment, 101 ways to cook a flobberworm' she whispered to herself as she studied the titles of the books.
"Hmmm, 'How to Trance…. Yourself', interesting" she pulled the book from the shelf and carried it to her seat at her desk. Without warning the book fell open to a slightly discolored page.
'Oookaaaaay' she said, curiously but slightly confused. She read the line at the top of the page and it said this;
A spell to entrance your mind to see the true inner feelings of those around you
'Hmmm' she read on.
Read these words aloud three times to receive this enchanted gift; once the spell is complete you shall be endowed with the ability to see the inner feelings of those you wish. Beware this spell lasts only one hour, and after it is complete you shall remember nothing of that you have seen although those you speak to shall.
'Well, no harm ever came from reading a book right, besides how much could I possibly see?' She spoke quietly to herself, almost as though wrestling with an inner voice warning her not to mess with things she did not understand.
'Ahem.
What cannot be seen will appear in thy eyes,
Seen through the fog, seen through the lies,
The true feelings of those I shall see
Will be shown clearly only to me'
...she repeated this three times over, just as the book said.
'Hmm well, I don't feel any different' she mumbled to herself 'Maybe it didn't work.' Hermione sighed, was she loosing her touch? She gathered her things and left the library, thinking of the spell as she walked to the Great Hall for lunch.
As she passed the slytherin table on her way to her own, something caught her eye and she saw the familiar silvery hair of Draco Malfoy. His head was bent over a book, which caught her by surprise. She decided that this would not go unspoken of and marched herself over to a place she never dreamed she would one day sit. She took the seat opposite Draco and said nothing; she simply fixed her gaze upon him and thought icy thoughts.
He could feel her gaze upon him, but he did not look up. He would not give her the satisfaction of knowing that she was annoying him, that her presence was making him uncomfortable and that oddly he wanted her to stay.
'Ahem' she was trying to make her obvious presence known, this he knew.
He gave in and looked up, a sneer on his sculpted face.
'What do you want Granger?' he asked coldly, pinning her with his gaze
Her face remained the picture of calm collectiveness, although he had already insulted her.
'What are you doing?' she asked pointedly
'Minding my own business, you should follow my lead and do the same' he inwardly flinched at his coldness.
'I meant with that book Malfoy, sitting over here all by yourself with a book, it is very suspicious'
'Well I'd have thought you to be smarter than this Granger, I appear to be reading'
'Yes, you appear to be reading. And you know its strange, I never took you to be one to read, at least not in public. I guess its just your obvious lack of intelligence'
'It was nice to have this little chat with you Granger, you can go now'
She could see it all, even without asking. Draco was not the picture of perfection that he appeared, on the outside, to be. Inside his head it was all awry, feelings jumping about trying to get out. Although he always seemed to be calm and impassive, inside his head he was screaming. At this moment she saw unhappiness, pain, confusion but also there was calm and joy and interest. She could not help but feeling that some of this was thanks to her.
'Ok I'll just leave, is that what you want?' she asked cautiously
' Yes Granger, bugger off' all she could do was stare at the doubt, uncertainty and pain that he kept hidden inside himself.
' You know, I could stay and, maybe read with you' she stammered.
'Why would you do that?' he questioned her, confused.
'Maybe because we could both use a bit of company, besides I've taken a liking to your vile attitude' she joked.
'Well gosh; I'll never do it again then Granger. And I always thought you hated me'.
'No, I never hated you, I harbored a strong disliking for your snide remarks directed at me and my friends'.
Pain, guilt and regret filled his thoughts, the thoughts he was sure that she couldn't see. She was taken aback by this, his face remained the same, but his true feelings were as plain as day to her, he was sorry for the pain he had caused her, and she needed to know why.
'Draco, why do you do that?'
Draco clenched his jaw and looked to the ground, wanting to know, but not wanting to ask, clearly that wasn't going to happen.
'Do what?' he asked.
'Put on that act'
He growled inwardly, frustrated with himself. She cant know what your thinking, he mentally kicked himself. Was she some magical girl that could read his inner thoughts? He had always admired her, she was smart and different from the other girls, but he could never tell her that. He didn't want to be the person that he was, but he couldn't tell her that either. How could he explain that he never wanted to be cruel to other people, he never wanted any of this. She would never understand, he told himself.
'Yes I would' she told him matter-of-factly
'Excuse me?'
She needed to express something to him. But she was first wrestling with her inner demon; He was always such a bastard to her.
But he never wanted that! We never really gave him a chance!
Don't be such a fool, she told herself.
But maybe, maybe I could help him, you know, to be a better person!
Stop it, stop it!
'I, I understand' she said slowly
'You understand what exactly' fear flickered over his gorgeous slate eyes.
'Wh-what your thinking. What you feel. If you just explained it to me, maybe I'd understand better.'
Oh god, what was happening here, was he suddenly an open book, was he that easy to read?
Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing, he told himself. Maybe you can explain it to her and she will accept it, and she could understand!
No, not now, I can't handle this right now.
'I, uh, I have to go Hermione. Uhh Bye'
He quickly scrambled up from the table and left the Great Hall. Without an explanation.
Did he just call me Hermione? She asked herself, a small tingle running down her spine at the memory of how her name soundedwhispered from his mouth.
That was the first time in 7 years that he had called her by her first name, instead of her last. She really did feel sorry for him and she really did want to understand. She left the Great Hall with a strange feeling, thinking of nothing but Draco.
'This cant be happening, it goes against everything I've ever known.'
I can't be having feelings for Hermione Granger and I certainly can't tell her how I feel, about her. Or about myself.
As she hit the last step on her way to GCM a shudder passed through her body and he almost collapsed. As the name Draco Malfoy flew from her mind she awoke. Confused and feeling out of place.
'Where am I?' she seemed to ask no one.
Where was I? Last thing I remember was being in the library.
Strange, she thought as she stood and continued on her way.
No thoughts of Draco in her head.
Beware this spell lasts only one hour, and after it is complete you shall remember nothing of that you have seen although those you speak to shall
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OK this is the end of Chapter ONE. There will be more.