Authors Note: Oops. It has come to my attention that, apparently, guys can't get into the girl's dormitories, because the stairs won't let them. Hah. Whoops XD I didn't realise that...so yes, lets just forget that small detail, shall we? ;)
Also, I have begun to realise that Malfoy is a difficult character to write, so sincere apologies if he seems a bit demented and out of character =P
---
Three hours of library-time later, I still had no idea what to do about the situation. I was beginning to admit that, maybe it was as hopeless as Malfoy had made it sound.
I sat back from my book and started staring into space.
Why was I so intent on helping him? He called me a mudblood, insulted my family and friends on an almost daily basis and yet ... he had seemed so helpless today. Admittedly, he had still been insulting me and being rude throughout our conversation, and I still had every reason to hate his guts except, well, even if I did hate him, I knew he didn't deserve to be punished so severely for this. Whatever else was his fault, this wasn't.
"Hermione?"
I was instantly pulled out of my thoughts, and found myself sitting opposite Harry.
"Oh. Hey, Harry."
He squinted at me.
"I know I've been saying this a lot lately but ... are you alright? I've been sitting here for five minutes and you only just noticed me. Is this about those dreams?"
I sighed. I knew now that I shouldn't have told Harry and Ron about the dreams, it would only create more complications.
"No, it's not the dreams. You know, I've been thinking about them and, well, I think I was overreacting, Harry" I chucked slightly, trying to inject some humor into the conversation. "I don't think Malfoy's smart enough to pull something like that off, anyway."
Harry smiled slightly, and continued to eye me quizzically.
"Well ... if its not the dreams, then, what is it? And don't say nothing, I can tell somethings up with you. I don't think I've ever seen you in the library not actually studying or anything."
I closed the book in front of me and stood up.
"I think it might be because I haven't eaten much today ... what time is lunch?"
"That's why I came to get you, its almost over and we hadn't seen you yet."
---
Despite what I had told Harry, I still had no appetite. I felt like the fate of my enemy was in my hands.
My mixed feelings about helping Malfoy didn't help the cause much, either, and this was accentuated when he and his cronies stopped at the Gryffindor table on their way out of the Great Hall, just as Ron was standing up.
I noticed a second too late that Malfoy stuck his foot out, sending Ron crashing into the stone floor of the hall. I looked up to glare at Malfoy, but as his gray eyes fastened to mine, I saw what could only be described as desperation.
Through his eyes I could see that he was very, very scared.
I shivered under his gaze, excused myself, and fled from the hall.
---
I only got about halfway to Gryffindor tower when he caught up with me.
"Granger..."
I rounded on him.
"Just what the hell was that? I'm trying to help you here, and you..."
Malfoy's hands snaked out from under his robes and clasped my shoulders. He shook me, roughly.
"Granger! For God's sake. What the hell are people going to think if I start being sickly-sweet to you people all of a sudden?"
I pulled out of his grasp, and walked backwards until my back hit the stone wall. My exhaustion seemed to take me over all at once, and I slid down the wall and sat on the floor.
I buried my face in my hands.
"I don't know what to do, Malfoy. You're right. It's hopeless. I shouldn't have said anything."
I looked up at him, slowly. He was leaning against the opposite wall, running his fingers angrily through his hair again. He saw that I was looking at him and smirked slightly.
"Since when was a Malfoy ever wrong?"
I noticed absently that his face was becoming fuzzy. I was starting to feel dizzy. I felt like the ground was spinning beneath me.
And then all faded to blackness.
Also, I have begun to realise that Malfoy is a difficult character to write, so sincere apologies if he seems a bit demented and out of character =P
---
Three hours of library-time later, I still had no idea what to do about the situation. I was beginning to admit that, maybe it was as hopeless as Malfoy had made it sound.
I sat back from my book and started staring into space.
Why was I so intent on helping him? He called me a mudblood, insulted my family and friends on an almost daily basis and yet ... he had seemed so helpless today. Admittedly, he had still been insulting me and being rude throughout our conversation, and I still had every reason to hate his guts except, well, even if I did hate him, I knew he didn't deserve to be punished so severely for this. Whatever else was his fault, this wasn't.
"Hermione?"
I was instantly pulled out of my thoughts, and found myself sitting opposite Harry.
"Oh. Hey, Harry."
He squinted at me.
"I know I've been saying this a lot lately but ... are you alright? I've been sitting here for five minutes and you only just noticed me. Is this about those dreams?"
I sighed. I knew now that I shouldn't have told Harry and Ron about the dreams, it would only create more complications.
"No, it's not the dreams. You know, I've been thinking about them and, well, I think I was overreacting, Harry" I chucked slightly, trying to inject some humor into the conversation. "I don't think Malfoy's smart enough to pull something like that off, anyway."
Harry smiled slightly, and continued to eye me quizzically.
"Well ... if its not the dreams, then, what is it? And don't say nothing, I can tell somethings up with you. I don't think I've ever seen you in the library not actually studying or anything."
I closed the book in front of me and stood up.
"I think it might be because I haven't eaten much today ... what time is lunch?"
"That's why I came to get you, its almost over and we hadn't seen you yet."
---
Despite what I had told Harry, I still had no appetite. I felt like the fate of my enemy was in my hands.
My mixed feelings about helping Malfoy didn't help the cause much, either, and this was accentuated when he and his cronies stopped at the Gryffindor table on their way out of the Great Hall, just as Ron was standing up.
I noticed a second too late that Malfoy stuck his foot out, sending Ron crashing into the stone floor of the hall. I looked up to glare at Malfoy, but as his gray eyes fastened to mine, I saw what could only be described as desperation.
Through his eyes I could see that he was very, very scared.
I shivered under his gaze, excused myself, and fled from the hall.
---
I only got about halfway to Gryffindor tower when he caught up with me.
"Granger..."
I rounded on him.
"Just what the hell was that? I'm trying to help you here, and you..."
Malfoy's hands snaked out from under his robes and clasped my shoulders. He shook me, roughly.
"Granger! For God's sake. What the hell are people going to think if I start being sickly-sweet to you people all of a sudden?"
I pulled out of his grasp, and walked backwards until my back hit the stone wall. My exhaustion seemed to take me over all at once, and I slid down the wall and sat on the floor.
I buried my face in my hands.
"I don't know what to do, Malfoy. You're right. It's hopeless. I shouldn't have said anything."
I looked up at him, slowly. He was leaning against the opposite wall, running his fingers angrily through his hair again. He saw that I was looking at him and smirked slightly.
"Since when was a Malfoy ever wrong?"
I noticed absently that his face was becoming fuzzy. I was starting to feel dizzy. I felt like the ground was spinning beneath me.
And then all faded to blackness.