Author's Note: So, this is my first Draco/Hermione fic, which I wrote for a fic exchange. (The requirements were: a secret meeting place, a horrid secret and a death. With some smut, some angst and some fights.) I was hoping to inspire my muse, but wasn't all that successful because writing this was hard. But, I'm pretty happy with the end product, well as happy as any writer can be with their own work, and I hope you guys will like it too. If you do, feedback would be appreciated muchly.
Fireworks
There was a knock on her door, urgent and loud. Hermione had been waiting for it all evening, but usually he didn't bother to knock; usually he walked right in, even when the door was locked. He was respecting her privacy while making enough noise that she was sure he was going to wake Ernie Macmillan, who was sleeping in the Head Boys room next to her own. It was so typical of him.
Rolling her eyes, she quickly set her book aside, something she had been reading in hopes of not thinking about him until he arrived, and went to answer the door.
"What took you...?" Her words were cut off as he swept her into his arms and kissed her, not leaving her any room to argue.
Not that she was planning to argue, at least not after that kiss. His tongue immediately sought entrance to her mouth; possessive and demanding as if he had to prove that she was his and his alone. His arm, which had snaked around her waist, was holding her tight while he manoeuvred them further into the room, kicking the door closed behind him.
"Malfoy...?" She whispered in question when he finally came up for air.
But he silenced her with another kiss. He wasn't there to talk. He was there to feel. And she was the only one who ever made him feel anything.
She didn't question him again, knowing that he was in no mood to talk or argue or whatever the hell it was that they did.
His hands moved over her body, easily removing her robes and then her clothes while he laid kisses all over her body. He seemed to be drinking her in. He was taking his time and enjoying every part of her body as he exposed more and more of her soft skin to his probing mouth.
Hermione had been so distracted by his touches that she almost hadn't realised that this was different. It wasn't different for her to be here like this with Draco. They had been doing this almost every night for the past two months. She couldn't even remember not doing this. But usually it was fast and angry and passionate all at the same time. There was banter and arguments and heated kisses used to shut the other person up.
There were no slow sensual kisses. There was no taking time, kissing and touching and loving every part of her body. He never took the time to touch every part of her. He never made her feel like they belonged. He never let it be anything other than angry sex. He never dared act like he cared.
Because he didn't. And neither did she.
Or that was what they had both convinced themselves, anyway.
Tonight, though, Draco was being so loving it almost scared her. He was looking at her like she was his most prized possession. He was paying attention to every single part of her body and asking for nothing in return. And for the first time, Hermione really felt like they were making love. And she wondered why that filled her heart with a sharp pain.
It had been bothering her so much lately. What they were doing was wrong, and she knew it. If Harry or Ron ever found out, they would hate her. But she had convinced herself this was just something she had to do because she couldn't not. Draco Malfoy was a burning addiction that couldn't be sated.
She never pretended that they were in love. She never pretended to think that he even cared about her. And she was okay with that. Because when they were together and alone, they had this incredible passion, almost like fireworks, that just needed to explode.
But tonight was not the same. Tonight was very different, and it scared her so much. Because she couldn't fall in love with him. She wouldn't let herself. And as long as he continued to be the insufferable git he always was, even while they were having sex, she would be okay.
But tonight, when he kissed her softly as he entered her, she felt like she was drowning in him. She could see him, really see him, and he was letting her. He wasn't holding back like he usually did. His eyes weren't cold, his movements weren't harsh.
And then he moaned her name as he came for the first time in two months, and she felt herself losing control because of it.
As they lay tangled in the sheets, she wanted to ask him: What did it mean? Why now? Why wasn't he talking to her? She couldn't help wondering. She had always been curious by nature. She wished she could find answers to the mystery of Draco Malfoy in a book, but he was not that simple. The fact that he was still there, lying wrapped in her arms, was puzzling enough as it was. Draco never stayed. He was always the first to leave.
Finally, not being able to handle the silence around them, she opened her mouth. "What's wrong?"
He sighed, and she knew he didn't want to say anything. "Let's just not ruin it, okay?" he said quietly.
She nodded against his chest, her heart beating too loudly for her to even form a sentence. So she just held him tighter and fell asleep against his chest, not even noticing the unshed tears in Draco's eyes.
Draco lay awake that night, his mind unable to shut down. He couldn't stop all the thoughts that were spinning through his head. All the things he wanted to forget. He was running from them. Had been for the past year since Lucius was put into Azkaban. They haunted him. The things he had seen. The things his father had done. The way he had almost become that way. It lay heavy on his soul.
But tonight, he didn't want to think about that. And so he looked down at the face of his angel and smiled. Only now, while she was asleep in his arms could he truly enjoy watching her. Right now, no one could judge him for looking at her this way. He knew it was wrong. But he couldn't stop. Just like he hadn't been able to stop that first day.
It had been their first week back at Hogwarts. The seventh year was supposed to be his year. He was supposed to be the King of Slytherin. He was supposed to be Head Boy and he was supposed to be loving it. But that all changed. The sixth year had brought the war to Hogwarts and with it, a lot of truths Draco had never realised before. But he had been a man and made his choice. And he chose the light, even though everyone expected him to choose the path his father had set out for him.
And so his side had won. Draco had helped, but ultimately Harry Potter had been the one to kill Voldemort. And for that, Draco was happy. He had never wanted to be the hero. He wanted to be the same guy he had always been, just without all that pureblood thinking his father had always convinced him was right.
But some people just wouldn't let him be...
"You think you can treat people any way you want, but you can't," Hermione shouted at the boy in front of her.
He was standing there with a bored look on his face. Just because he had made some comment about Weasley didn't mean she had to start a shouting match in the middle of the corridor. But then what did he expect? He had been the one to corner her.
"I can do whatever the fuck I want, Granger. Who's going to stop me? I don't see Weasley here to defend himself. And why do you care anyway? Didn't he dump you for Loony?"
"He did not! Ron and I never...God, why am I even bothering to explain this to you?"
"I don't know," he said, maintaining his bored expression, though he was secretly enjoying the way she was getting so angry.
"Why did you do it, Malfoy? Why did you even join our side if you were going to be the same ignorant git you always were?"
That made him take notice. "It's none of your business."
She had obviously hit a nerve. And she liked that. She liked that she got a reaction out of him. He was always so damn calm that it unnerved her. She wanted to hurt him, and by the way his eyes darkened at the mention of switching sides, she had obviously found his weakness.
"It can't be that you finally realised everything your daddy was saying was a load of bullshit because you still act like you're god's gift around here."
"You don't know anything about me, Granger, so why don't you leave it alone?"
"What, afraid I'll find out why you finally woke up to yourself?"
He advanced on her before she could even think of drawing her wand. He grabbed her so suddenly that it scared her. And he was happy because she hadn't been scared of him since he joined her side. And then that fear turned to shock when he crushed his lips against her own.
Suddenly he was kissing her, and he didn't know exactly why. All he knew is he needed her to stop. He needed her to stop reminding him of the horrors his father had inflicted right in front of his eyes.
And then he realised that she was kissing him back. Her mouth opened up to his, and she whimpered as he slid his tongue inside. Hermione Granger, Gryffindor know-it-all and the brains behind the Golden Trio, was kissing him back, and all he knew was that he had to have her.
His arm came around her waist, pulling her tight against him, and it was when she felt just how much she was affecting him that she pulled away. Her breathing was harsh; her chest was rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath.
She looked shocked and appalled and more than a little confused. And then she turned and ran out of the room before he could say another word.
After that, a week passed in which neither of them spoke to each other. It wasn't very difficult to avoid each other, and Draco realised just how much he went out of his way to talk to her or tease her or call her names.
That week was pure torture for him. He was stuck between hating her and wanting her so badly he couldn't think of anything else. He didn't know what had come over him, but all he knew was it wouldn't go away until he had her. And so, in a moment of insanity, he wrote her a note asking her to meet him in the room of requirement.
Truthfully, he didn't think she would come. He hadn't exactly spelled it out, but it was obvious what he wanted. But he still waited for her.
She knew what he wanted, and she paced up and down in her room that night, knowing she shouldn't go but unable to stop herself from walking out the door.
After waiting for half an hour, he was almost ready to give up when the door burst open.
"I didn't think you were coming," he commented.
He expected her to tell him off for being out after curfew; she was Head Girl after all. He expected her to shout at him for presuming she would meet him. He expected her to warn him to stay away from her. He expected a lot of different things. What he didn't expect was for her to walk right up to him and kiss him with so much passion it would put even the most forward Slytherin girls to shame. But that's exactly what she did.
"We tell no one," she warned him as she came up from the kiss. And then she kissed him again. This time, Draco was ready, and he kissed her back as he led her towards the bed that had appeared in the corner of the room, obviously knowing that they required it.
When Hermione opened her eyes the next morning, Draco was gone. She shouldn't have expected him to be there when she woke up; he never even stayed during the night, but she couldn't help having that little bit of hope in her heart that when she opened her eyes in the morning, he would be there, smiling at her.
She knew it was a stupid romantic notion, but despite what most people thought, she was still a girl. But still, any girl expecting any sort of romantic gesture from Draco Malfoy was severely deluded. Draco didn't do love.
It wasn't like she was in love with him, but she couldn't help feeling something. She just didn't know what it was. She had never been the type of girl who could have sex without letting her feelings get involved. She had convinced herself that sex with Draco was only about angry feelings: annoyance, anger, frustration. But lately she had been feeling very different things: happiness, comfort, confusion. She just didn't know what that meant.
She hadn't thought it would be this hard to keep her hatred for Draco going. He had been a complete jerk to her the whole time she had known him. He had teased and taunted her every opportunity he got. Not to mention his constant need to one-up her best friend every chance he got.
Yet despite all these things, she found herself drawn to him. He had a brilliant mind, once he grew up, which she admitted he finally had during their sixth year when his father had been sent to Azkaban. She had many advanced classes with him in her sixth and seventh years and she had a front seat to his growing intellect.
He challenged her. She knew she was stubborn and opinionated and that could intimidate a lot of guys, but Draco was always up for a challenge. He was always ready to argue with her about almost everything, and even though it made her angry sometimes, she also realised how much she enjoyed it.
And she saw him. It had started in the sixth year, when she realised he was on their side. He had still tried to be the same old Draco, but she knew that fighting for the good side meant something. He was standing up against everything he had ever known. And he didn't even want anyone to know, not until it was absolutely necessary, anyway. But she had overheard him talking to Snape one day after Potions, and when she realised he was spying for them, she felt herself drawn to him.
She started to notice things about him that she'd never bothered to see before. His mannerisms, the way he wasn't really the prince of Slytherin by choice anymore, the way he tried to stop Crabbe and Goyle from bullying innocent first-years, the way he actually tried his best at Quidditch matches instead of just trying to beat Harry.
And those were just the little things.
Hermione tried to stop thinking about him as she quickly dressed and made her way to breakfast. She couldn't be even a little late or Harry and Ron would be suspicious. It was a good thing she was Head Girl this year or she would have had a hard time getting back to her room in time.
"Hey, 'Mione," Ron greeted her as sat down next to her best friends.
"Hi Ron, Harry," she said, putting a fake smile on her face while her eyes darted towards the Slytherin table.
Draco wasn't there. God, why wasn't he there?
"Did you sleep okay? You look terrible," Harry commented.
"Gee, thanks, Harry. I'm fine, really."
She started to eat her breakfast quietly, not feeling like talking to anyone. She hated this. She had promised herself when she started this that her relationship with Draco was going to stay out of her normal life. She wasn't supposed to think about him at all. Yet lately she had been thinking of him more and more, and after the previous night she was so worried about him she didn't know what to think. Something had been up with him that night, and she needed to know what. Sure, it had caused him to act like a perfect guy with her, but she knew that was his way of pushing whatever it was that had happened out of his mind.
She had been thinking about him so much that she wasn't paying any attention to Harry and Ron until suddenly something they were saying registered in her mind.
"Even the ferret's got some heart. No one wants their father to end up dying in that place," Harry was saying.
"Serves the bastard right," Ron said. "I bet Malfoy only joined our side because he knew we were winning. He only turned on his own in the final battle."
"That's not true. He was fighting with us for a long time before that," Hermione jumped in, instantly defending Malfoy. And then she winced, realising her behaviour was suspicious. Since when did she care if Ron insulted Malfoy or not? God, her head was hurting.
"How do you know?" Ron asked.
"That's not important," she dismissed quickly. "What were you saying about him, anyway?"
"We were just saying it's sad about Malfoy's dad," Harry told her.
"You were saying," Ron corrected. "I think they both deserved it."
"What about Malfoy's dad?" Hermione asked, starting to put the pieces together in her mind.
"Gosh, where have you been, 'Mione?" Ron asked. "It's all everyone's talking about. Lucius died in Azkaban last night. He was a total mental case, too."
"'Mione, are you okay? You look a bit pale." Harry asked, concerned.
"I, uh..." She stood up abruptly. "I'm not really hungry. I'll see you guys this afternoon."
She didn't give them a chance to protest as she almost ran out of the Great Hall.
"I wonder what's wrong with her?" Ron mused as he went back to eating.
Hermione searched for half an hour. Every single place she could think of. She knew he needed her, whether he would admit it or not. And she needed to see him. She needed to know he was all right. They had spoken about Lucius once before. Draco had admitted that he hated his father for the man he was. He hated that he was so evil. He hated that he was a Death Eater. He hated the fact that he was a murderer. But most of all, he hated him for trying to make Draco all of those things. And even worse than that, he sometimes hated himself for not hating Lucius enough, because despite everything, Lucius was still his father.
Draco was nowhere to be found, though. Hermione decided that she would go to her first class, which happened to be potions, and pray that Draco turned up there. He wasn't there when she got there, and because she was late, she quickly took her seat, accepted the points being taken from Gryffindor, and proceeded to worry the entire lesson.
When the lesson was finally over, the first one in her life she had paid no attention to, she walked hesitantly towards the front of the room. She didn't want to do this. Snape hated her and always would, but she couldn't go to her next class not knowing, and if anyone would know, Snape would.
"Is there something you want, Miss Granger, or have you made it your plan to be late to all your classes today?" Snape said, looking at her impatiently.
"I...uh...heard about Mr. Malfoy. And I was just wondering if you knew where, uh...Draco was."
"And why would it concern you where young Mr. Malfoy is?"
Damn. She hadn't thought of him asking her that. In fact she hadn't thought of anything much.
"Well Sir, as Head Girl, I figured it was my duty to make sure all the students are okay in a time like this." She improvised and then smiled inwardly when Snape glared in annoyance.
"Very well," he huffed in a tone that clearly indicated that he thought she was a nosy know-it-all. "Mr. Malfoy has returned to Malfoy Manor to be with his mother and take care of some affairs."
"Oh!"
She hadn't thought of that. When that was the most logical place for him to be at this time, and it hadn't even occurred to her. Maybe she had hoped he wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to her, but that didn't make sense because they didn't mean anything to each other.
"Anything else, Miss Granger?" Snape asked, obviously annoyed with her.
"Um...do you know when he'll be back?" She asked.
"Some time next week, I presume. Now if you don't mind, I've got things to do."
And with that, Snape swept out of the room, leaving Hermione to wonder how she was going to survive a week without Malfoy and when the hell she had started to depend on him to get her through her days.
Two days had passed since Draco left and Hermione was doing a good job of not thinking about him. In fact, she had even convinced herself that she really didn't care what he did. He hadn't bothered to even tell her what had happened. Not like he would. That was something you shared with your girlfriend, not some girl you were screwing.
Sometimes she wondered why she was even doing this. It just wasn't her. Boys were not her thing. She liked libraries and books; she had never cared for impressing the opposite sex. But then she knew that wasn't true. Despite what everyone thought, she was still a girl, and it seemed like Draco was the only one who had ever realised that.
Draco made her feel like a woman. He made her feel special, even if it was in the most twisted way. She didn't have time for a boyfriend, anyway. Draco made her happy without any strings. And usually that was enough for her.
So she had been doing a good job not thinking about him or convincing herself that she wasn't thinking about him when someone pulled her into a dark room. One minute she had been walking along the corridor with Ron and Harry, and the next, someone had grabbed her from behind and whisked her away.
"What the..." She was about to start screaming when the perpetrator put his hand over her mouth.
"Shush!" he commanded in the annoyingly superior voice you couldn't help but obey.
He watched her until he was sure she wouldn't scream and slowly removed his hand. As soon as it was out of the way though she launched into a tirade.
"What are you doing back? What happened? Why..."
This time it wasn't his hand that stopped her from talking. The young boy had pulled her against him and silenced her with one of his mind-numbing kisses. When he kissed her like this she forgot everything, including the fact that what she was doing was wrong.
But Merlin, his lips were so soft against hers, his kisses were filled with so much passion that she really felt like the only one he had ever wanted when he was with her. His tongue probed her mouth, giving pleasure as well as taking it.
When he finally pulled away, her breathing was harsh, talking the last thing on her mind.
And he knew it. He was smirking the same way he had smirked at her for the last seven years but for entirely different reasons.
"What were you saying?" he asked, his lips curving into a smile.
She glared at him, though she knew it was pointless. "You're hopeless."
"Maybe."
She saw the faint smile on his face, but she could tell he was hiding behind it. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Fine," he said dismissively. She hated that. They may not be in love, but she felt they had some sort of friendship after what they'd been doing for the past two months.
"Malfoy..."
"Granger..." He mimicked.
"I'm serious."
"You always are."
"You can talk to me," she tried again.
"Oh sure, Granger, let me tell you all my deep dark secrets," he scoffed.
"Look, I know we're not exactly friends, but we're...something and I just thought you might want to talk."
"We don't talk. We fuck."
She winced at his crude language. She hated it when he said it like that. It made her feel even more cheap than she already did sometimes. He obviously noticed her discomfort.
"What, hate to hear it out loud? You know we don't mean anything to each other except a quick roll in the sheets, so why are you pretending like you care?"
"Is that all this is then?"
"What else did you think? That we'd fall madly in love? That you'd save me? I told you from the beginning, I'm not interested in being your project."
"What are you talking about?" Now she was really confused. When had she ever said anything about him being a project?
"I'm not like your little boys. I can't be saved. You can't make me good."
"Good? What the hell are you talking about? You already are good."
"I'm not good, Granger. I'm dangerous. Don't fuck with me."
"It's a bit late for that, don't you think?" she said angrily. "Look you might not care, but..." she stopped, not knowing if she wanted to say this. "I do. I care if you're hurting."
"You don't care, Granger," he said, softly, his expression almost sad. "It would just make you feel better if you did."
And then he walked out of the room, leaving her alone in the dark and even more confused than before.
Hermione was walking along the dark and deserted corridors of Hogwarts the next night, her surroundings suiting her mood perfectly. She didn't understand this. She didn't understand the way her heart hurt every time she looked at him. She didn't understand why she felt a huge lump in her throat every time he walked passed her without a second glance. She didn't understand why she cared.
But the truth was she did care. He may not believe her, but she did. She didn't even know when or how it had happened, but there it was, the great big truth laughing at her. She knew she was asking for trouble when she started this whole thing. She knew no good could come of this, but she didn't listen to herself...well, not the sane part of herself, anyway.
The worst part was that here she was, this big fat revelation staring her in the face, and she couldn't talk to anyone about it. No one would understand. How could she tell them that she'd been lying to them for the past two months and sleeping with Malfoy? How could she tell them that not only was she sleeping with him, she had actually gone and fallen in love with the bastard?
But lying was too hard now. She had been pushing it to the back of her mind for the past two months, convincing herself that it meant nothing, so Ron and Harry didn't need to know about it. But every day, it became just a little bit harder. Every day, it moved a little further away from "nothing important to tell" and a lot closer to "you're lying to your best friends," and she hated it.
She felt really alone for the first time since her first year at Hogwarts. She couldn't talk to her best friends, and she sure as hell couldn't talk to Draco.
Suddenly, she heard a sound behind her, pulling her out of her confused thoughts. She tensed for a second, probably out of reflex more than anything; you could never be too careful during the war. But she relaxed when she realised who it was. She didn't know how she knew it was him exactly, but she was right.
"What are you doing out past curfew?" she asked, turning around to face him.
"I got lost?" he ventured.
"You're a seventh year, Dra...Malfoy. You're not allowed to use that excuse," she told him, hoping he hadn't noticed the slip in almost calling him Draco.
He had noticed, but he didn't say anything. He really didn't know why he was even there. He had spent the last twenty-four hours ignoring her, yet she was all he could think about. He needed her. He needed to hold her, be inside her, feel her strength. He hadn't realised it, but she gave him something no one else could: comfort.
"Well?" she prodded. "I should really report you to Snape."
"Oh no! Not Snape," he teased. She knew very well that Snape would not care too much if his favourite student was out past curfew; he'd gotten away with a lot worse.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked, suddenly very tired.
"You," he said simply.
"It didn't seem like that yesterday."
"Yesterday, I was an idiot." And she knew how much it took to get Draco Malfoy to admit to being an idiot.
"I can't do it anymore, Malfoy. I can't be your plaything."
He stepped closer, out of the shadows, so that she could see him. See the desire in his eyes.
"You want me just as much as I want you."
"That doesn't change anything. We can't do this."
"Why? It's what we both want. We need this, Granger; it's the only thing that keeps us sane."
"That's just it; it doesn't keep me sane anymore; it's making me crazy. I feel out of control. I want my life back. I want to stop lying to my friends. I want someone who will love me."
"Love is a load of crap, Granger. I thought you were smart enough to know that. People toss the word around so much, but no one ever means it. What is the point of it all?"
"Is that what you truly believe?" she asked, her heart breaking a little more. But not for herself, for him. Because a person who didn't believe in love was missing out on so much.
"Yes," he answered truthfully.
"Then we have nothing else to discuss. Please go back to your room before I'm forced to report you."
She turned to leave him, but he couldn't let her walk away. He grabbed her wrist forcefully and turned her quickly into his arms, his lips seeking hers out. His mouth was hard and demanding, and she instinctively responded before realising what he was doing and pushing him away.
He stumbled backwards, but he saw the look in her eyes. She was angry and confused but also very aroused.
"You can't deny this, Granger. You can't deny us!"
"Leave me alone, Malfoy!" she shouted back, and then she added a soft, "Please."
She looked so desperate that he felt his resolve breaking. "This isn't over, Granger," he muttered, before finally leaving.
She collapsed against the nearest wall and started sobbing, ignoring the angry muttering of the portraits around her who were trying to sleep.
Draco didn't believe in love. In fact, he never had. His father had never loved his mother. His mother had only married his father out of convenience. And all his life, he'd seen nothing but pureblood marriages based on which two people came from the best families with the best blood and the most money.
Love was just a word tossed around by people who wanted to make the person they were currently involved with feel special, and when their relationship failed, they would go on to "love" their next partner. So, what was the point of it all?
That was why his relationship with Hermione always made sense to him. They had hated each other for far too long to let anything emotional get in the way. He had come to respect and admire her during the last year. She was an extremely smart witch, and once he realised that blood really didn't matter, he allowed himself to admit this fact, as well as the fact that she was also an especially beautiful witch in her own subtle way.
And he had wanted her for quite some time. Being attracted to her and unable to do anything had been pure torture. But then she had proven that she wanted him back. And their nights together had provided him with some sense of peace in his crazy, mixed-up world. She was a constant in the past two months when everything else around him had changed.
Of course, just being with her was a change, too, but it was different with her. He never pretended to be something he wasn't. He could be as cold and as rough with her as he wanted and she didn't care. There were no attachments.
That was until last week. He didn't know why she had been the first person he had wanted to see when he heard about Lucius. It was a strange urge. It wasn't about sex. He just needed to see her. He needed to feel her in his arms. He needed to see her beautiful smile.
Going home had been weird. He didn't want to deal with Lucius or anything to do with the man. But his mother had needed him, and he still had some affection left for her. He had handled the arrangements for the funeral and managed the business in two short (or long if you were counting how much he thought about Hermione) days and returned to Hogwarts.
He expected things to be the same. He would corner Hermione, convince her to sneak off with him, feel her in his arms, and convince himself that everything was okay. He didn't expect her to admit that she cared. He didn't want her to care. No one cared about him. People were selfish. They only cared about themselves. Hermione only wanted to care about him so that she wouldn't feel so guilty for enjoying sleeping with him. If she actually cared for him, she could convince herself that what she was doing was all in the name of love or something equally stupid.
But he wasn't going to let her. She was sleeping with him because she enjoyed it and nothing else. She liked being dangerous. She liked sleeping with the enemy, so to speak.
She didn't care. Because no one did.
The next day, Hermione received some news that excited her. She and Ernie were to help organise a ball for the fifth of November celebrations. Dumbledore had decided to celebrate the muggle tradition of Guy Fawkes Night at Hogwarts that year and had planned a ball that would be followed by a huge fireworks display on the grounds. It was quite exciting as nothing like this had happened at Hogwarts before. It was also great because it was taking place this Friday, only five days away, and she and Ernie would have their work cut out trying to organise it in time, which meant she would have no time to think about Malfoy.
Well, not think about him much, anyway.
On Tuesday, she was sitting in the Great Hall for dinner, eating as fast as she could so that she could avoid the watchful eye of Malfoy across the room and the probing questions about her mood from her friends.
"Whoa, slow down there, Tiger. You're going to choke," Harry commented.
"I have to get going. I've got a lot to organise for Friday."
"I'm sure Dumbledore doesn't expect you to skip meals because of this ball, 'mione," he assured her.
"I just want it to be really good."
"It will be," Ginny said from beside her. "You don't have to worry about that."
"Thanks. I've got to go." She stood up, forced herself to not even glance at the Slytherin table, and then hurried out of the Great Hall.
She was already down the corridor when someone called her name. She slowed down reluctantly.
"Hermione! Wait." It was Ginny.
"Hey, Gin, what's up?"
"I just...I wanted to ask if you're okay," she said, suddenly nervous.
"I'm fine," she lied. "I told you I'm just stressed about this ball."
"Are you sure?" she asked again. The boys may have been oblivious to Hermione's behaviour lately, but Ginny wasn't. She knew something was up and she was really worried for her friend.
"Of course."
"It's just...I noticed Malfoy...Well, he's kind of been staring at you a lot these past couple of days."
"Really?" she said, trying her best to sound shocked. "I have no idea what that's about."
Ginny tried to read her expression, wondering if Hermione was telling the truth. Finally, she had no choice but to believe her. "Okay. Well, you know I'm here if you ever want to talk."
"Thanks Ginny."
Ginny turned to return to the Great Hall, but just as she was about to turn the corner, she noticed Malfoy appear almost out of nowhere and approach the Head Girl. They were talking in whispers, but Ginny knew that something was going on, and it wasn't one-sided. She just wished Hermione knew what she was doing.
"What are you doing?" Hermione hissed angrily. "Someone will see you."
"I'm not your dirty little secret, Granger. I don't care if anyone knows we're fucking."
She winced again. "We are not! Can you stop saying it like that?"
Draco just rolled his eyes. "How long are you going to keep this up?" he asked.
"Keep what up?" she asked.
"This. Holding out on me."
It was Hermione's time to roll her eyes. "How about forever?"
"Granger..."
"What, Malfoy? Why do you care? If all we're doing is fucking, why don't you go find some other skank to fuck? I'm through with you."
He was momentarily shocked. She had a point. Why didn't he just find someone else? Because he didn't want anyone else. But what did that mean?
"We're not through until I say so," he said, taking a threatening step closer to her, but she knew him too well to be scared.
"So, what? Are you going to force me now? Is that what you have to do to convince yourself that you're not a good guy?"
"Damn it, Granger. You know I would never..." he trailed off, frustrated. "What do you want from me?"
"I want you to be you."
"I don't know who I am," he admitted, wondering why this girl managed to get him to admit to all his hidden insecurities.
"You do. You just need to admit it to yourself."
She turned to walk away when his voice stopped her.
"I miss you," he muttered softly, and she turned around. "What does that mean?"
She walked up to him and then kissed him softly on the lips. It only lasted a second, but it was such an intimate act. Then she put her hand over his heart. "It means you have a heart after all."
And then she turned and walked away, leaving him very, very confused.
He missed her. He missed holding her in his arms. He missed hearing her laughter. He missed her anger and her glares. He missed her passionate kisses. He missed the peace he had when he was with her. He missed her, and he didn't know why.
Worst of all, he didn't know why he had admitted he missed her.
She just had this way of making him want to tell her every little thing going on in his mind. He wanted to tell her how lousy he felt when he had returned to Malfoy Manor. He wanted to tell her how scared he was of having to take care of everything. He wanted to tell her that he thought about her all the time.
He didn't understand needing another person so much. He didn't understand what this was. He had never needed anyone before, much less the Gryffindor Queen.
But he did need her, and that was the truth. She understood him, even when he didn't understand himself sometimes. She knew him, even when he tried to hide himself from her.
And he knew her. He knew all her fears and insecurities. He knew she hated just being the brains behind the Golden Trio. He knew she wanted people to notice her for her. He knew she wanted someone to appreciate how beautiful she was. He knew she wanted someone to love her.
And he could do all those things except the last. Because he didn't know how to love her. He couldn't offer her anything more than his body because he didn't have anything else to give.
But she wanted more. He knew she would eventually. He knew her, and a no-strings-attached, purely physical relationship was never going to be enough for her. She needed more. She needed someone to tell her they loved her. She needed someone to tell her how special she was. And she deserved someone who could do all those things.
He wasn't that guy. He was a Slytherin. He was the Slytherin she had hated most for most of her years. He was the Slytherin everyone hated. He couldn't tell her how beautiful she was, even though he thought it every day. He couldn't treat her how she deserved to be treated because he didn't know how. He couldn't tell her he loved her because it would make him too weak.
"You really need to stop being so obvious." Pansy's voice cut through his jumbled musings.
"What?" he said, turning to face her.
"Draco, how long would you say we've known each other?" she asked.
"A pretty damn long time, Pans."
"So, why do you think you could go and fall in love with her, and I wouldn't even notice?"
"What did you say?"
Pansy laughed. Draco was so obvious sometimes, and he didn't even realise it. Pansy had been his friend since they were in nappies, and their parents had paired them up together for the future. She didn't love him, but she cared for him deeply. He was her best friend, even if Slytherins didn't really believe in the power of friendship.
And so she had probably known it way before he even did that he had gone and fallen in love. Of course, he was very subtle about the changes, but she had always been able to read him.
"You're so in love with her," Pansy repeated.
"I am not in love with Granger!" he hissed, while unconsciously glancing over at the Gryffindor table where Hermione was rushing through her dinner.
Pansy laughed. "I didn't say it was Granger. But you just did."
Draco sighed, realising she had tricked him. "You are way too smart for your own good," he told Pansy, a smile playing on his lips.
"I know," she grinned.
"Anyway, I'm not in love with her. We've just been..."
"Having a lot of sex?" Pansy finished for him. "Draco, you've slept with half the girls in our year, and I've never been able to tell who before. You're doing a bit more than just having sex."
"She's a Gryffindor," he said, his voice filled with disgust.
"And one of the Golden Trio," Pansy added.
"She's a know-it-all," he muttered.
"She's best friends with The Boy Who Lived To Annoy You," Pansy supplied.
"And the Weasel," Draco added.
"Yet you still can't get her out of your mind."
"Not even for a second," he admitted with a sigh.
"Boy, you are screwed."
Draco glared at her. "Thank you. Your sympathy for my situation is deeply astounding."
"Well obviously, I sympathise with you. You're in love a Gryffindor!"
"Love is a bit strong."
"Trust me, its love."
"So, what do you propose I do, oh wise one?"
"Throw yourself off of the Astronomy tower?" Pansy suggested.
"Ha ha," he deadpanned. "I'm serious."
"How did you manage to get yourself into this mess?" Pansy asked. "You used to be so good at convincing yourself you hated her."
"What do you mean convincing myself?"
"Oh come on, you've had a thing for her ever seen you've known her, Draco. You spent way too much time insulting her. You thought about her all the time, even if it was ways to torment her. And to tell you the truth, it used to drive me insane. You know, back when I thought we were destined to be together," she joked.
"I...that is so not...No way!"
Pansy laughed. "I swear, boys are so oblivious to their own feelings sometimes."
The next two days passed pretty quickly for Hermione. She was so engrossed in the plans for the ball on Friday that she was too busy to worry about Draco or lying to her friends. She was actually really enjoying herself. Hermione had looked forward to the responsibilities of being Head Girl for years, and she really felt like she was giving back to her school when organising events like these.
Of course, that didn't mean that the odd thought of the annoying blonde didn't slip into her mind. She couldn't help it sometimes. He seemed to be there, everywhere she turned. They shared a lot of classes together, and even outside of class, she always seemed to see him around.
She just didn't want to think about him for a while. She needed to get through the rest of the week without thinking about how messed up this was. How she had gone from hating the guy to missing not talking to him.
Despite what Malfoy wanted to believe, they had talked, too. Sometimes lying next to each other, completely spent, they would talk about things. Random things that didn't have much meaning, but it was nice. He made her laugh. It had been shocking at first that his usually cold eyes could light up in laughter, but when it happened, she felt herself smiling just because he was.
It was those little moments when he let his guard down for a few minutes and showed her who he really was, that she started to fall for him. And she knew that he had let his guard down when he admitted to missing her. And she knew he was probably regretting it now.
But letting his guard down for a moment wasn't enough anymore. She wanted him to let his guard down around her all the time, even if he kept it up for others. She wanted him to love her just as much as she had come to love him, and she wasn't sure he did or even could.
"'Mione?" Ginny spoke up, breaking Hermione thoughts.
"Hmm?" she answered, not looking up from her homework. They were in Hermione's room; she was studying while Ginny was studying her really.
"Is there something going on between you and Malfoy I should know about?"
Hermione's head snapped up. Was Ginny suddenly able to read minds or something? "Why...Why would you say that?"
"I saw you guys having a pretty heated discussion the other day. It looked kind of intense."
Hermione relaxed. Ginny didn't really know anything. "Malfoy is always intense with his insults," she said evasively.
Ginny didn't seem convinced and Hermione felt her resolve weaken. It's not like she really liked lying to her friends, and she wanted so badly to be able to tell someone about this.
"Gin..."
"Yeah?"
"I think I'm in love with him," she mumbled so quietly that Ginny was sure for a second she had misheard.
But then she caught Hermione's eyes and knew she had indeed heard correctly.
"I...uh...How the hell did that happen?" Ginny asked finally.
She was trying hard to process this news and not completely flip out. Because she knew Hermione and she knew she wouldn't do something like that unless it was completely unavoidable. And she also had noticed that Malfoy was no longer a complete git ever since he joined their side, even if her brother refused to accept the good in him.
"I don't know," Hermione sighed. "It just did."
"Does he...Have you been..."
"We were...not dating...just kind of..." She blushed, and Ginny understood exactly what she was saying. "But I broke it off last week."
"Why?"
"Because it was supposed to be meaningless, and now it's not."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"No! It wasn't supposed to be more. He was just something I needed...an escape from real life, if only for a night. But now...I can't stop thinking about the idiot."
"Well, he obviously feels the same."
Hermione started laughing. "You obviously don't know him very well."
"Well, yeah, I know. We've never really seen him as anyone other than the annoying git who made fun of us...and you for that matter." Hermione sighed; she really didn't need reminding of that fact. "But, you obviously see something in him," she continued. "And I saw the way he was looking at you the other day."
"It doesn't mean anything, Gin; he just wants me because he can't have me anymore."
"Do you really believe that?"
"I don't have any evidence to the contrary," she said sadly. "Anyway, why are you sticking up for him? I thought you would be mad. I've been lying to you. And Ron and Harry."
"I do wish you would have told me sooner. I thought we were friends."
"We are..."
"But I understand why you didn't. Ron is not likely to take this news very well. Or Harry, for that matter."
"Which is exactly why I should forget about him and get on with my life."
"Don't be stupid. You cannot give up on him just because Ron and Harry might not approve. It's not up to them who you want to be with."
"It doesn't seem to be up to me, either."
"You can't control these things; they just happen," Ginny told her wisely.
Hermione smiled sadly. "That's the thing; I like being in control."
Friday came with a rush of excitement. The girls all around her were talking about what they were going to wear to the ball and how they were doing their hair. The boys were all looking forward to the amazing display of fireworks that had been promised, many of them still wondering exactly what a firework was.
Hermione's spirits were surprisingly high. She had had a good time organising the event and she wanted to enjoy it no matter what. She had happily discussed clothes and hair with Parvati and Lavender during breakfast, to their surprise, and then explained to Ron all about Guy Fawkes and what exactly a firework was.
She didn't even glance at the Slytherin table once the entire time. If she had, maybe she would have noticed that Draco seemed to be the only one not overly excited about the celebrations for the night.
He was brooding. He knew it. Pansy knew it. And he was doing nothing to stop. How could she sit there and laugh and smile at all her friends when he felt so miserable? He didn't understand.
He needed to do something because there was no way he was just going to let her treat him like this. He hated the silent treatment. If anyone was going to be ignored, it was him who should be doing the ignoring, not the other way around.
He caught her as she was heading to Potions, the one class in which Ron and Harry would not be since Snape refused to let them take Advanced Potions, not that they wanted to, anyway.
She sighed when she noticed him approaching. "Malfoy, not now. We're going to be late to Potions."
"I don't care," he said, blocking her path.
"You may not care, but I most certainly do."
"You can't keep doing this."
"Doing what?" she feigned innocence.
"Ignoring me."
"I'm not ignoring you," she said. "We're just not sleeping together anymore. That's all it ever was, right?"
Draco was at a loss for what to say. He was the one who said that all they did was have sex and nothing else. But now they weren't doing that anymore, he realised how wrong he was. He hadn't realised it before, but in the past two months, it hadn't just been sex. There had been secret looks, private words, some real conversations, and the odd touch when they thought no one was looking. Their nightly meetings were not the only thing they had.
"Why does it have to be like this?" he said finally, ignoring her question.
"It just does."
"God..." He sighed, frustrated with himself. Why was this so hard? "I can't stop thinking about you," he said, but there was nothing sweet about it; his voice was filled with anger and frustration. "You're all I bloody think about anymore." He grabbed her suddenly, backing her up towards the wall. "You're everywhere I go. You're in my head and under my skin, and I can't get you out."
Suddenly, Hermione felt the wall behind her, but Draco was coming closer, until there was nothing between their bodies but their clothes. "Why can't I fucking get you out?"
She felt tears filling up behind her eyes. On the one hand, he was admitting things to her that she'd wanted to hear for a long time. But the way he was saying it...as if she was some sort of disease he needed to get rid of.
"Malfoy..."
She didn't get a chance to finish, though. His lips attacked hers in a brutal manner, demanding everything from her. It was rough and painful, but she couldn't help but open up to him. She was whimpering in his arms, tears cascading down her face as he kissed her passionately.
He was pouring his entire soul into that kiss, and she could feel it. He started to slow down when he realised she was responding. Their mouths came together, softly caressing each other's as they clinged to each other.
When he pulled away, he didn't let go of her body. He didn't care that anyone could see them like this. He rested his head lightly against her forehead as he wiped away her tears.
"I need you, Hermione," he said, much softer than before. "That's the only truth I know."
She leaned forward and kissed him again softly before moving away from his embrace.
"I don't know if that's enough," she said quietly, before walking off.
She was walking away, and she didn't know why. She just knew it was what she needed to do. She should have been happy. Draco Malfoy had just admitted to needing her. And she knew that was a lot for him. But in the last few days, she had been thinking about it more and more, and she couldn't let herself be with him if she wasn't going to get back as much as she gave.
She knew now that she loved him, and she couldn't be with him in hopes that someday he would start to love her, too. Because if she stayed with him, she would fall even more deeply and then when he inevitably got bored of her and left, her heart would break into a million pieces.
It was better this way. She was hurting, but in the end, she was protecting her heart. She couldn't risk her everything for him only to end up losing him later.
But knowing that didn't make this any easier. She was rejecting his offer to be with her even though she wanted so badly to just forget reason and run to him.
But she didn't. She kept walking to Potions, and only when she got there did she realise that she was ten minutes late.
"Ahh, Miss Granger, so nice of you to join us today," Snape drawled. "I hope you have a good excuse for interrupting the class."
"I...uh..." She wanted to cry. "I wasn't feeling too well, Sir," she mumbled.
Snape scrutinised her, and since she did in fact look a mess and felt like she was dying inside he believed her. "Very well. Would you like to visit Madam Pomfrey?"
"No, thank you, Sir."
He was about to tell her to take a seat when the door opened again and Malfoy walked in, looking equally distraught.
"Don't tell me you weren't feeling well, either?" Snape said, realising that Hermione had been lying as it was too coincidental that they would both be late and come into class minutes after each other.
"I...uh..." Draco glanced at Hermione as if to ask what the hell Snape meant.
Snape just rolled his eyes. "Just take a seat, both of you. Honestly, I expect better from you."
They quickly took their seats, refusing to look at each other for the rest of the lesson.
Draco stormed through the Slytherin common room in anger, ignoring everyone around him and then proceeding to his room, slamming the door so loudly it shook the entire common room. He had done a fine job scaring even the toughest Slytherins. Something was up with Malfoy and no one would dare to go and find out what. Well, no one except Pansy, of course.
She followed the path towards his room, gaining a few looks that clearly told her they thought she was a brave girl, and then walked straight into his room without knocking.
Draco was sitting on his bed, his whole body full of tension. He was about to shout at whoever had walked in, even if it was his roommates, but he bit his tongue when he noticed it was her.
"Not now, Pans," was all he managed to say.
"Yes, now. What happened?" she asked, taking a seat by his desk, letting him know she wasn't leaving until he told her.
"Nothing happened."
"Okay, you scared all the first years because you just felt like it. No bullshit, Draco. What did she do?"
Draco sighed. Pansy was the only person he knew who he couldn't lie to. She wouldn't just let it go and leave him to be angry by himself.
"She didn't do anything. I told her I needed her, and it's still not enough for her. I don't know what the fuck she wants from me!"
"Maybe she wants more. Maybe she wants you to stop being such a prick and actually admit that you love her and want her as much as she obviously wants you."
"I did!"
"You told her you loved her?" Pansy asked sceptically.
"Well...no. But..."
"Look, I know it's hard for you to say that. But look at it from her point of view. You know if she starts dating you, she's going to go through hell. Her best friends will never understand it. She may even lose them. She can't take that risk unless she knows it'll be worth it."
"She doesn't need them," he muttered.
"Yes, she does. Look past all the House crap and how much you hate them and just look at her. They are her entire world. They're her best friends, and that means a lot to her. But you mean a lot to her, too. The difference is she knows Harry and Ron love her and would never leave her. Can she say the same for you?"
"How can I even compete with those two idiots?"
"Oh, come on, you are ten million times better than those two losers," Pansy said, forgetting that she was supposed to be objective for a second. "But right now, you're not even in the race."
Draco sighed, knowing she was right. If he wanted to be with Hermione, which he had recently realised he did, he would have to make her see it. And he would have to make her believe it.
"When did you get so smart?" he asked his best friend.
She laughed. "I've always been smart. You're just a little slow."
Draco rolled his eyes. "You know, if I was in love with you, things would be so much easier," he mused.
He didn't know why he hadn't realised it earlier but Pansy had grown into a beautiful smart witch. Her old pug-like features had matured and now she just looked like a simple beauty. And she seemed to know it. Which was why she had given up chasing Draco and started letting boys chase her.
If only he had realised this sooner.
"Nah, we're too alike. It would be really boring."
Draco had to agree.
Hermione was running late that evening. The ball was due to start at seven and she had been running around doing last-minute checks ever since she had finished classes. She had only intended to run up to her room and change into her dress robes, but Ginny had spotted her and insisted she do Hermione's make-up and hair. If there was one thing Hermione knew from being Ginny's friend, it was not to argue.
Ginny had rushed her into the Gryffindor common room and then she, Lavender and Parvati had worked their magic on her hair and face.
She had only glanced in the mirror before rushing towards the Great Hall but she had to admit she looked nice. She had some nice simple make-up on, and her normally out-of-control hair was long and straight, letting the focus be on her face rather than her hair.
Not that she had anyone to impress, but it felt good to at least look different for one night.
When she reached the Great Hall, there was a crowd of students gathered around the door, which had just been opened.
"'Mione!" Ron called to her as he and Harry made their way over to her.
"Wow, you look great," Harry commented. "We were starting to get worried you wouldn't make it."
Hermione laughed. "I was considering running off to the library, but Ginny wouldn't let me," she joked.
The crowd started moving into the Hall and simultaneous gasps were heard all around them. The Hall was decorated beautifully as always.
"Welcome, students," Dumbledore stood at the head of the Hall, his voice booming. "Tonight is about celebrating, so I won't keep you long. I know many of you are confused as to what exactly we are celebrating, so I'll just fill you in. In 1605, a man named Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament, which is the muggle equivalent of our Ministry of Magic, but he was caught before he could. Every year since then, muggles have traditionally celebrated his failure by letting off fireworks and burning an effigy of 'Guy'."
He paused while all the non-muggles tried to understand this new information.
"Now, we don't usually celebrate such an event at Hogwarts, but as you all know, last year, we suffered our own attack. We lost a lot of people we care for deeply, but in the end, good triumphed over evil. Tonight's celebration is for each and every one of you. Congratulations for triumphing over such evil!"
There was a shout of "Hear, hear!" in the crowd, and everyone clapped.
When the clapping had died down Dumbledore spoke again. "I would like to thank our Head girl, Hermione Granger, and our Head boy, Ernie Macmillan, for their help in making tonight special. Now, everyone enjoy yourselves, and when the clock strikes ten, I ask you all to make your way outside for the fireworks display."
Music starting playing around the Hall, and the students quickly moved off in their own groups.
Hermione looked around, realising that she didn't have a date. It was the first time she had actually realised the fact. She had been so busy all week organising the event and not thinking about Malfoy that she hadn't even thought about having a date. Not that she minded, of course, but now seeing everyone pairing off, Ron and Luna, Harry and Cho, she felt very alone.
She knew she shouldn't, but she felt her eyes seeking out those grey eyes she loved so much. She didn't need to look far because he was standing on the opposite side of the room, looking right at her while dancing with Pansy. The sight of his arms wrapped around the pretty Slytherin made her skin crawl.
She was about to make a hasty exit when Harry waved her over.
She spent the rest of the night with her friends, dancing and talking and actually having a good time. She suspected that Harry and Ron had realised she was dateless and decided to spend more time with her, but she was grateful for it. They truly were great friends. How could she ever hurt them by falling in love with Malfoy? It didn't bear thinking about. She was convinced she had made the right choice.
It was nearing ten o'clock when Luna and Cho decided to steal her friends away for a slow dance. Couples all around her were dancing, and she suddenly felt very claustrophobic.
She headed outside, needing to catch her breath.
She walked out to the front lawn where she could see the fireworks set out in the distance. Dumbledore had wanted to stick very close to muggle tradition and had authentic fireworks for the event. The only difference was that they would be set alight by magic from a safe distance.
It was so quiet outside, the faint sound of the music from inside the only noise around her. It felt good, being out here, away from reality.
But reality couldn't be escaped for very long, it seemed.
"Hey..." His voice was so soft and so unlike his usual tone.
She turned and smiled at him, too exhausted to say anything.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked, holding his hand out for her.
"Malfoy..." she said wearily. She didn't think getting that close to him would be a very good idea.
"It's just one dance, Hermione." His pout and the way he said her name, letting it roll off his tongue, was what convinced her.
She stepped forward and he pulled her close to his body. The music was still slowed down, allowing Draco the opportunity to hold her like he wanted to.
They didn't say anything to each other as they swayed in the music, but Hermione's heart was beating so wildly in her chest. It was moments like these that she fell more in love with him. No one would believe that he could be so tender and so loving; even she had only started this thing because she thought it would be anything but loving. But now she knew she had been wrong.
They danced like they were the only two people in the world, and out here, it really felt like they were.
When the song ended, he reluctantly let go of her, but he didn't stop looking at her. "You look really pretty tonight," he told her.
"Thanks." She blushed, not used to being complimented by Draco Malfoy.
"I need to tell you something," he said, his voice still a whisper.
"It's too late, Draco," she mumbled.
"Shhh." He put his finger against her soft lips, silencing her.
"If I don't say this right now, I'll be too late," he said. "Hermione I lo..."
He didn't get to finish because suddenly the main doors opened and a crowd of Hogwarts students rushed outside. The sound of the clock striking ten could be heard in the distance.
Hermione turned away from him for a second, momentarily distracted, and when she turned back, he was gone. She tried to find him, but there were too many people around her now.
"'Mione, where did you go?" Ron asked her. "We were looking for you."
"I was...just making sure everything was ready," she said, still trying to search for the familiar blonde in the crowd.
The voices around her died down as everyone realised the display was about to start. And then suddenly, with a loud bang, the sky started to be filled with fireworks, the most beautiful sight you could imagine. All different colours, blue, red, pink, yellow...every colour imaginable mixed together in the beautiful night sky.
It was truly amazing. Yet all Hermione felt like doing was running away.
Her friends were so engrossed in the display that she could easily slip away unnoticed. She turned to leave when suddenly there was a loud gasp around her.
She turned, wondering what everyone was looking at and then she realised they were looking at her. Because up there, in the great big sky were the words "I LOVE YOU HERMIONE" in big beautiful colours.
And suddenly he was there, in front of her, for everyone to see. Ron and Harry were the first to try to stop him, but Ginny held them back. They were confused but waited to see what their friend would do.
He walked towards her, taking her small hands in his. "I love you, Hermione. And I don't care who else knows. I want to be with you."
"I..." She didn't know what to say. This was just too much. It was everything she wanted, but nothing like she had imagined.
"I'm putting myself on the line here," he told her. "If you tell me to leave now, I'll go. I won't bother you again. But I can't not try."
She still didn't say anything. Her brain was being slow in catching up to what was going on around her. She could see Ron and Harry over his shoulder, looking very confused.
God, could she really do this? Would they forgive her for lying? Would they ever forgive her for falling in love with him?
But then she looked at Draco again, and she knew that he had never done this before. He had never said those words before. He had never believed them. And if he believed them now, because of her, she couldn't let him go.
"I love you, too," she whispered.
And suddenly, he was kissing her, right there in front of everyone, teachers and students alike, but he didn't care. Because right now, she was all that mattered.
"Uhum!" Dumbledore's voice broke through the crowd, gaining everyone's attention again. "Well, this was quite unexpected, but if Mr. Malfoy would like to remove his spell, I think we can continue with the fireworks display."
Hermione blushed, realising his admission was still in the sky, and everyone was still watching them.
Malfoy didn't seem to care much. He quickly muttered the spell to remove his words, and the fireworks continued around them.
Most people went back to watching the fireworks, but Ron was making his way over to the couple, obviously angry. Harry trailed behind.
"'Mione, what is going on?" Ron asked. "Has this git put you under a spell or something? I swear to God, Malfoy, I will hex you in a minute!"
"Ron!" Hermione stepped between the two boys. "He hasn't done anything. It's me...I love him."
"Well yeah, you would say that, you're under some sort of stupid love spell. What the hell are you trying to prove, Malfoy?"
Ginny decided to come to Hermione's rescue. "She's not under a spell, you idiot. Now leave them alone, and she'll talk to you both later."
She practically had to shove her brother away, while Harry followed much more calmly.
"He's going to hate me," Hermione mumbled, feeling tears build up in her eyes.
"Hey, come on, no Weasley is worth your tears," he said, then realised that was the wrong thing. "I mean, they'll get over it, don't worry."
"They won't."
"They will. They'd be stupid to lose you," he said softly, making her smile.
"You could try being nice to them," she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Bloody hell, Granger, now you're asking too much."
"If you really love me..." She pouted, putting her arms around his neck.
"God, you're going to be the death of me!" he muttered, pulling her in for a kiss.
She laughed as he pulled away. "Shall I take that as a yes?"
"I'll be nice for a week. That's all I'm promising," he said.
"That'll have to do." She grinned.
"Now let's get to your room," he said, ushering her inside the castle.
"But..."
"It's been way too long, Granger," he said, a desperate tone in his voice.
"But the fireworks..."
She gestured behind her. Draco smiled, kissing her softly, before suddenly lifting her up into his arms.
"Trust me, Granger; there'll be plenty of fireworks upstairs."