AN: no more patter. just the story. A couple more chaps and this odyssey
will come to an end. sniff.
Hermione ate her lunch slowly and carefully, filtering out Harry and Ron's chatter about Quid ditch, and attempting to focus all her attention on Ginny. She was teasing Colin about something (as usual), and giggling away. Then Seamus cut in with a dry remark that made both of them slap their hands to their mouths, which proceeded to give way to stifled grins, and then shocked laughter. Finally Ginny threw her head back and let loose, her laugh pealing around the table, and so infectious, that Hermione couldn't help smiling too.
There was no one like her, really, Hermione thought, shaking her head in amusement. Ginny was the only person she knew, who had the temper of a devil, but the temperament of an angel. She was about to turn back to her book, when something caught her eye. Ginny had stopped laughing, and was staring at something. Before Hermione could tell what it was, she flushed pink, smiled wide, and darted out of the hall.
Draco Malfoy had been having a relatively normal lunch, which was something considering the confusion he'd usually undergo, at having the redhead sitting across from him. Today, the air was cleared between them, but was thick with something else. Instead of their usual friction and sparks, today's tension was of an entirely different nature. It held the memory of the previous night and a promise of things to come. It was at the conclusion of this thought that Draco gave a mixed snort of annoyance and laughter- at himself. One kiss from the girl, and here he was, going on like an amateur romance novelist.
He briefly pondered the potatoes in front of him, and then knew what was coming next. Slowly, imperceptibly, he raised his head until he was eye level with the Gryffindor table. After looking around to see if anyone was watching, he slowly slid to the right of his chair, until Ginny Weasley was in plain sight. She was laughing at something, and looked beautiful with her hair streaming around her shoulders and grin flashing. If he strained enough he thought he could hear her.
"God I've become a right idiot over her.." he thought disgustedly to
himself, as he realized the silly smile that had spread across his
face.
Draco tore his eyes away from her, and looked back down at his plate. This wasn't enough though, and before he knew it, he'd abandoned his meal to once more stare at her. Suddenly, she looked up and straight at him, startling him with the eye contact. She smiled, and he smirked back. Her grin widened and he couldn't stop himself from returning it, which caused a pretty flush to spread across her face, as she broke eye contact to stare shyly at her plate. She looked back up at him, and Draco couldn't resist; he winked. This time she smiled again, flushed and ran out of the hall. His face took on a cocky smirk- so this was the effect he had on her!
"Wow Drake, if you were any more subtle, I think the whole hall would know."
Draco didn't need to look up to know who that was. Blaise continued on,
"For a Slytherin Drake, that was possibly the most blatant display I
have witnessed."
At the sound of this, Draco's head did snap up.
"You er..saw all of that?"
"I believe a better question would be, who didn't see that?"
Draco smiled sheepishly.
"Oh far be it from me to protest the union. In fact, the beautiful
scene I witnessed seemed as if it came straight out of one of Pansy's
amateur romance novels."
"Blaise!"
"Alright then, not an amateur. A full blown, certified novel from
the editor of Witch Weekly."
"You know what I mean."
"Yes I do know. And all I can say is, it's about bloody time! You
going to dance with her?"
"Well not exactly, we didn't really discuss it much last night. But I
know she isn't going with Potter."
"Comforting as that is Draco, I can't help wondering something."
"What is it?"
"Actually..that can wait. If Gin Weasley is the one you fancy, why is
Granger staring at you as if you are a particularly difficult
Arithmancy problem?"
Draco looked over at the Gryffindor table, fearfully. Blaise wasn't joking. Hermione Granger was staring at him with a mixture of astonishment and suspicion. She narrowed her eyes, and continued looking at him until he couldn't take it anymore. He too got up and fled the hall, hurriedly escaping her continued gaze.
Harry, who had finally managed to put the past few days behind him, was enjoying his Quidditch talk with Ron. This was, until his best friend trailed off in the middle of the sentence and abruptly turned and looked at Hermione. Harry glanced in the direction of her gaze, and saw Blaise Zabini coolly raising his eyebrows and Pansy Parkinson shoveling in potatoes, an empty chair between them.
"She's been a bit off today" Ron muttered to him through the side of
his mouth, as he continued to look at her.
"Erm...Hermione?"
"Hmmmmmm?"
"What are you staring at?" Trust Ron to put it bluntly. Her reply
however, took both of them by shock.
"Draco..." she sighed, slightly dreamily.
There was a moment of silence, and then Ron promptly went into near hysteria, effectively rousing Hermione from her reverie, as she frantically attempted to explain. Harry tried helplessly to intervene between the two, and restore the calm, but was obviously not succeeding. The Gryffindors had put down their food and were avidly watching the display.
"I wonder what it is this time?" Mcgonagall whispered to Dumbledore, who was regarding the trio with his usual expression of amusement.
"Don't question it, just accept it, and you will learn to embrace
it." She heard Snape mutter absently, as Lupin choked on his water.
"Wow Snape, considering last night's events, I was hardly expecting a
quotation from an amateur romance novel."
"Excuse me!"
"I'm sorry Severus, please don't take it personally I—"
"I was merely protesting the fact that you said an amateur romance
novel. Why not professional?"
"You certainly are in a jolly mood Severus."
"Well there's nothing that cheers me up more than a pair of warring
Gryffindors, excess drama, and a frazzled Potter."
"Draco Malfoy. Draco BLOODY Malfoy. What in the world were you
staring at him for Hermione?" Ron was almost shrieking now. "I mean I know he's changed and all that, but he's still a Malfoy!"
"So?"
"So he's not right for you."
"And you are?"
"HERMIONE!"
"Sorry Ron, I was just teasing. Look I am not the least bit
interested in Draco. I was simply staring at him for..educational
purposes."
"Educational?" Ron, Harry and another voice said this together.
Hermione turned around and came face to face with the boy himself.
"Educational how Hermione?"
"Yes Granger, how? As the very uncomfortable object of your constant
scrutiny, I have a right to know."
"You stay out of this Malfoy."
"Oh stuff it, Potter."
Hermione took a deep breath and shook her head at the idiocy of manhood in general. The boys could tell she was preparing to give them one of her long lectures. Draco promptly cut in,
"In as few words as possible Granger, we haven't got all day."
Hermione looked duly chastened, and Ron shot Draco a look bordering on admiration.
"I can't fully explain what I mean by educational purposes. Lets just
say that I witnessed a few interesting events, and wanted to get to
the bottom of them. I was shocked to find today, that Malfoy was
an..active party in certain proceedings and that's why I was staring
at him. I do not have any romantic interest in him whatsoever."
"Thank God for small mercies.." she silently added to herself, as she
looked meaningfully at Draco. He seemed to have caught on quickly
enough, and nodded at her as he walked away. Ron thankfully, had
understood nothing.
"I don't' understand a thing Hermione, but as long as your not
running after Malfoy in a fit of mad passion, I'm alright."
"I doubt I ever will, Ron."
"You don't know what a relief that is. Merlin, I was petrified Mione,
it was just like that time you said Professor Snape was shaggable."
Harry burst into guffaws, Ron shook his head, while Hermione rolled her eyes.
"So what if he is Ron? I'm not the only girl in the castle who thinks so."
"Yes, we did forget to include Myrtle didn't we?"
Their voices trailed off, leaving a very amused and flattered Severus Snape in their wake. Thanking Merlin that he had hidden in the shadows, he swept off to the staff room.
"Granger knows." Draco and Snape announced this simultaneously to
Blaise Zabini, Minerva Mcgonagall and Remus Lupin respectively.
"So what if she does, Drake? Did you really think no one would find
out? The furtive flirting, explosive arguments, and passionate gazes
exchanged across the hall? Come on.."
"Er..Blaise, have you been writing any novels lately?"
"Shut it!" Minerva exasperatedly told a stressed Lupin and Snape.
"I know Hermione, and I had a suspicion that she would put two and
two together. After all, Ginny and Malfoy are hardly subtle in their
affection are they?"
"Yes I know.. did you see that display in the hall today?"
"Who in the name of Merlin didn't? It was a scene straight out of an.."
"Amateur romance, amateur romance, amateur romance! Merlin, man! Is
that all you can talk about?" Draco groaned at Blaise.
"Well we can talk about the state of the weather if you want.. I hear
it is very cloudy just north of Scotland--"
Blaise trailed off effectively as he was held at wandpoint. "Advice. Now." Snape hissed at the two teachers before him.
"Relax Severus. Hermione will not do anything. Ginny is her best
witchfriend, and if she knows that she's interested in Malfoy, she'll
not interfere. In fact, she might even help it along.."
"Merlin save us all." Draco grumbled, "I certainly hope she doesn't.
What does she think we are?"
"Incompetent fools?" Snape ranted, as he paced across the faculty lounge.
"Now, now Severus. She doesn't think anything of the sort. Lets just.."
"Leave it alone." Blaise reassured his friend, "You don't want her
thinking that there's.."
"Something strange going on." Minerva finished.
"Alright.." Severus and Draco sighed; Draco flopped down into a
chair, while Severus got his things ready for his next class, all of
them blissfully unaware that identical discussions had taken place a
few corridors away.
Where was Ginny during all of this? Duly present for her Astronomy class, staring at her littlest finger in shock. The middle freckle had almost completely faded away.
AN: Cliffhangers. You gotta love them. I hope you guys didn't mind the excess repetition of the "amateur' romance thing. I found the concept rather funny when I first thought of it. Oh, and also, FYI- the conversation about Hermione is based on the one from Shrek 2. If you haven't seen it, its where Shrek and Fiona are having the same conversation as her parents, but they both don't know, so the camera keeps flipping to two different scenes, but with one dialogue. Does that make any sense? Anyway, review and tell me what you thought!
Till then- adios cherry
Hermione ate her lunch slowly and carefully, filtering out Harry and Ron's chatter about Quid ditch, and attempting to focus all her attention on Ginny. She was teasing Colin about something (as usual), and giggling away. Then Seamus cut in with a dry remark that made both of them slap their hands to their mouths, which proceeded to give way to stifled grins, and then shocked laughter. Finally Ginny threw her head back and let loose, her laugh pealing around the table, and so infectious, that Hermione couldn't help smiling too.
There was no one like her, really, Hermione thought, shaking her head in amusement. Ginny was the only person she knew, who had the temper of a devil, but the temperament of an angel. She was about to turn back to her book, when something caught her eye. Ginny had stopped laughing, and was staring at something. Before Hermione could tell what it was, she flushed pink, smiled wide, and darted out of the hall.
Draco Malfoy had been having a relatively normal lunch, which was something considering the confusion he'd usually undergo, at having the redhead sitting across from him. Today, the air was cleared between them, but was thick with something else. Instead of their usual friction and sparks, today's tension was of an entirely different nature. It held the memory of the previous night and a promise of things to come. It was at the conclusion of this thought that Draco gave a mixed snort of annoyance and laughter- at himself. One kiss from the girl, and here he was, going on like an amateur romance novelist.
He briefly pondered the potatoes in front of him, and then knew what was coming next. Slowly, imperceptibly, he raised his head until he was eye level with the Gryffindor table. After looking around to see if anyone was watching, he slowly slid to the right of his chair, until Ginny Weasley was in plain sight. She was laughing at something, and looked beautiful with her hair streaming around her shoulders and grin flashing. If he strained enough he thought he could hear her.
"God I've become a right idiot over her.." he thought disgustedly to
himself, as he realized the silly smile that had spread across his
face.
Draco tore his eyes away from her, and looked back down at his plate. This wasn't enough though, and before he knew it, he'd abandoned his meal to once more stare at her. Suddenly, she looked up and straight at him, startling him with the eye contact. She smiled, and he smirked back. Her grin widened and he couldn't stop himself from returning it, which caused a pretty flush to spread across her face, as she broke eye contact to stare shyly at her plate. She looked back up at him, and Draco couldn't resist; he winked. This time she smiled again, flushed and ran out of the hall. His face took on a cocky smirk- so this was the effect he had on her!
"Wow Drake, if you were any more subtle, I think the whole hall would know."
Draco didn't need to look up to know who that was. Blaise continued on,
"For a Slytherin Drake, that was possibly the most blatant display I
have witnessed."
At the sound of this, Draco's head did snap up.
"You er..saw all of that?"
"I believe a better question would be, who didn't see that?"
Draco smiled sheepishly.
"Oh far be it from me to protest the union. In fact, the beautiful
scene I witnessed seemed as if it came straight out of one of Pansy's
amateur romance novels."
"Blaise!"
"Alright then, not an amateur. A full blown, certified novel from
the editor of Witch Weekly."
"You know what I mean."
"Yes I do know. And all I can say is, it's about bloody time! You
going to dance with her?"
"Well not exactly, we didn't really discuss it much last night. But I
know she isn't going with Potter."
"Comforting as that is Draco, I can't help wondering something."
"What is it?"
"Actually..that can wait. If Gin Weasley is the one you fancy, why is
Granger staring at you as if you are a particularly difficult
Arithmancy problem?"
Draco looked over at the Gryffindor table, fearfully. Blaise wasn't joking. Hermione Granger was staring at him with a mixture of astonishment and suspicion. She narrowed her eyes, and continued looking at him until he couldn't take it anymore. He too got up and fled the hall, hurriedly escaping her continued gaze.
Harry, who had finally managed to put the past few days behind him, was enjoying his Quidditch talk with Ron. This was, until his best friend trailed off in the middle of the sentence and abruptly turned and looked at Hermione. Harry glanced in the direction of her gaze, and saw Blaise Zabini coolly raising his eyebrows and Pansy Parkinson shoveling in potatoes, an empty chair between them.
"She's been a bit off today" Ron muttered to him through the side of
his mouth, as he continued to look at her.
"Erm...Hermione?"
"Hmmmmmm?"
"What are you staring at?" Trust Ron to put it bluntly. Her reply
however, took both of them by shock.
"Draco..." she sighed, slightly dreamily.
There was a moment of silence, and then Ron promptly went into near hysteria, effectively rousing Hermione from her reverie, as she frantically attempted to explain. Harry tried helplessly to intervene between the two, and restore the calm, but was obviously not succeeding. The Gryffindors had put down their food and were avidly watching the display.
"I wonder what it is this time?" Mcgonagall whispered to Dumbledore, who was regarding the trio with his usual expression of amusement.
"Don't question it, just accept it, and you will learn to embrace
it." She heard Snape mutter absently, as Lupin choked on his water.
"Wow Snape, considering last night's events, I was hardly expecting a
quotation from an amateur romance novel."
"Excuse me!"
"I'm sorry Severus, please don't take it personally I—"
"I was merely protesting the fact that you said an amateur romance
novel. Why not professional?"
"You certainly are in a jolly mood Severus."
"Well there's nothing that cheers me up more than a pair of warring
Gryffindors, excess drama, and a frazzled Potter."
"Draco Malfoy. Draco BLOODY Malfoy. What in the world were you
staring at him for Hermione?" Ron was almost shrieking now. "I mean I know he's changed and all that, but he's still a Malfoy!"
"So?"
"So he's not right for you."
"And you are?"
"HERMIONE!"
"Sorry Ron, I was just teasing. Look I am not the least bit
interested in Draco. I was simply staring at him for..educational
purposes."
"Educational?" Ron, Harry and another voice said this together.
Hermione turned around and came face to face with the boy himself.
"Educational how Hermione?"
"Yes Granger, how? As the very uncomfortable object of your constant
scrutiny, I have a right to know."
"You stay out of this Malfoy."
"Oh stuff it, Potter."
Hermione took a deep breath and shook her head at the idiocy of manhood in general. The boys could tell she was preparing to give them one of her long lectures. Draco promptly cut in,
"In as few words as possible Granger, we haven't got all day."
Hermione looked duly chastened, and Ron shot Draco a look bordering on admiration.
"I can't fully explain what I mean by educational purposes. Lets just
say that I witnessed a few interesting events, and wanted to get to
the bottom of them. I was shocked to find today, that Malfoy was
an..active party in certain proceedings and that's why I was staring
at him. I do not have any romantic interest in him whatsoever."
"Thank God for small mercies.." she silently added to herself, as she
looked meaningfully at Draco. He seemed to have caught on quickly
enough, and nodded at her as he walked away. Ron thankfully, had
understood nothing.
"I don't' understand a thing Hermione, but as long as your not
running after Malfoy in a fit of mad passion, I'm alright."
"I doubt I ever will, Ron."
"You don't know what a relief that is. Merlin, I was petrified Mione,
it was just like that time you said Professor Snape was shaggable."
Harry burst into guffaws, Ron shook his head, while Hermione rolled her eyes.
"So what if he is Ron? I'm not the only girl in the castle who thinks so."
"Yes, we did forget to include Myrtle didn't we?"
Their voices trailed off, leaving a very amused and flattered Severus Snape in their wake. Thanking Merlin that he had hidden in the shadows, he swept off to the staff room.
"Granger knows." Draco and Snape announced this simultaneously to
Blaise Zabini, Minerva Mcgonagall and Remus Lupin respectively.
"So what if she does, Drake? Did you really think no one would find
out? The furtive flirting, explosive arguments, and passionate gazes
exchanged across the hall? Come on.."
"Er..Blaise, have you been writing any novels lately?"
"Shut it!" Minerva exasperatedly told a stressed Lupin and Snape.
"I know Hermione, and I had a suspicion that she would put two and
two together. After all, Ginny and Malfoy are hardly subtle in their
affection are they?"
"Yes I know.. did you see that display in the hall today?"
"Who in the name of Merlin didn't? It was a scene straight out of an.."
"Amateur romance, amateur romance, amateur romance! Merlin, man! Is
that all you can talk about?" Draco groaned at Blaise.
"Well we can talk about the state of the weather if you want.. I hear
it is very cloudy just north of Scotland--"
Blaise trailed off effectively as he was held at wandpoint. "Advice. Now." Snape hissed at the two teachers before him.
"Relax Severus. Hermione will not do anything. Ginny is her best
witchfriend, and if she knows that she's interested in Malfoy, she'll
not interfere. In fact, she might even help it along.."
"Merlin save us all." Draco grumbled, "I certainly hope she doesn't.
What does she think we are?"
"Incompetent fools?" Snape ranted, as he paced across the faculty lounge.
"Now, now Severus. She doesn't think anything of the sort. Lets just.."
"Leave it alone." Blaise reassured his friend, "You don't want her
thinking that there's.."
"Something strange going on." Minerva finished.
"Alright.." Severus and Draco sighed; Draco flopped down into a
chair, while Severus got his things ready for his next class, all of
them blissfully unaware that identical discussions had taken place a
few corridors away.
Where was Ginny during all of this? Duly present for her Astronomy class, staring at her littlest finger in shock. The middle freckle had almost completely faded away.
AN: Cliffhangers. You gotta love them. I hope you guys didn't mind the excess repetition of the "amateur' romance thing. I found the concept rather funny when I first thought of it. Oh, and also, FYI- the conversation about Hermione is based on the one from Shrek 2. If you haven't seen it, its where Shrek and Fiona are having the same conversation as her parents, but they both don't know, so the camera keeps flipping to two different scenes, but with one dialogue. Does that make any sense? Anyway, review and tell me what you thought!
Till then- adios cherry