A/N: Thank you for all your reviews.
Chuckles-D-Hobbit: I know you'll hate me, but I don't think Draco should give any nicknames just yet...and I think I explained a few chapters ago about Ron and the prefects. I haven't read any Nicholas Sparks books either so I wouldn't know...have a cookie instead.
Boyluvr250: there is nothing up with anything Harry does. He's just friends with Hermione, and he just wants to acknowledge her when she's there...so there's no fight between Harry and Draco...coz we all know that Draco wins.
Anon11: I know you hate me for doing that...but I think if Hermione gave in too easily, she'd be soooo out of character. (Ooc)
Cesia: yup he's falling fast
Wockygal: have a cookie. You are a great reviewer. Amazing
JessicaDracoMalfoy, fieryred20, twiztedborder6, crazee, RedPillow, caltxgirl: Thank you for your awesome reviews! Keep em coming...
Me, elvin-warrior-princess: thank you so much! ;)
You guys r0ck! Keep all your reviews coming!
Chapter 17: Lion vs. Serpent
The next few days, they were piled with homework and were expected to be finished when the holidays started
After a few weeks, they were all relieved when quidditch season began. The first match of the season was Gryffindor versus Slytherin which caused excitement to everybody. Slytherins wanted to win and the rest wanted them to lose.
The day before the match, Hermione noticed that Draco was getting particularly uptight. Draco didn't want to be in the stands. He wanted to be up there, riding his broomstick, searching for the snitch, beating Gryffindor.
"Hey are you okay?"
"What?" Draco said, "Oh...yeah I'm fine"
Neither of them talked much since the day Hermione kissed him on the cheek. Draco fought the urge to try and kiss her again, and Hermione had the feeling that she needed to talk to Draco about it.
"You don't sound fine"
"I'm just irritated, really" Draco said, happy about Hermione's concern for him.
"Really?" said Hermione, "why?"
"Quidditch"
"It's okay...next year you could", she said, "when the chain..."
"Breaks", he finished for her, "if it breaks"
"It will" Hermione said, "don't worry"
Draco didn't say anything. He brushed his hair away from his eyes. Hermione sighed with infatuation. Lucky for her, Draco was too upset to hear her sigh.
"Hey", she said, trying to comfort him, "lighten up"
"Thanks"
"You know what?"
"What?"
"I'll make you a bet"
"For what?"
"Quidditch" Hermione said grinning, "If Gryffindor wins, I get a favor from you"
"And if Slytherin wins, I get a favor from you"
"Deal?"
"Deal"
They shook hands, trying to look serious, but they ended up laughing anyway.
"See?" Hermione said, "All better"
Draco grinned. "Come on were going to be late for class"
His feelings have developed over the days, feeling more and more love for Hermione. He'd started to like her, but he wasn't sure if she felt the same. He wanted to tell her everything, but he couldn't. He knew that his father wouldn't approve it. He knew that a pureblood couldn't be with a Mudbl—someone like her...
Hermione, on the other hand, wanted so deeply to tell him everything, but she was scared. She didn't want to ruin their friendship, if that's what you could call it. She didn't want things to go wrong.
--
They quietly went through the door of their common room and entered their first class. There wasn't anything new in any class. Most of them were just reviewing their old lessons, or adding up homework to their already long list.
Hermione and Draco were looking forward to Advanced DADA with Kingsley and Tonks. They hadn't met in a few days. They were starting with spells and strengths now that they had mastered stealth.
"Okay", Kingsley announced to the class of two, "How about a mock duel?"
"What?"
"A mock duel"
"How's that?"
"You'll use the basic spells, curses, jinxes, hexes and charms that you've learned to beat your opponent"
"Wouldn't that just hurt them?"
"We'll use mock duel wands"
"Huh?" Draco grunted.
"Yup. You can buy them at the local Defense Shop in Hogsmeade. They reduce each spell by 50 to 75 percent so you don't get seriously hurt."
"Dumbledore got you some to practice on", Tonks added; taking out medium-length, bright green wands from her desk.
She held them out to the two and they hesitantly took one each.
"Okay", so if you get thrown out of the circle you lose"
Hermione and Draco stepped inside a bright green circle in the middle of the room. There was enough room for them to move around and cast spells.
"Ready?" Kingsley said.
"Yeah" Hermione called, Draco merely nodded. He didn't want Hermione to get hurt. His brows were furrowed in concentration and they started to move around.
"Bow", Tonks called.
Hermione and Draco bowed to each other, not taking their eyes off each other.
"Expelliarmus!" Draco yelled.
"Protego!" Hermione shouted just in time.
"Impedimenta!" Draco bellowed, and Hermione slowed down a little.
He then shouted, "Stupefy!" silently praying that Hermione wouldn't get hurt.
The spell, coming from a mock duel wand, wasn't that strong and Hermione regained normal speed, and stepped back just in time to keep her from falling over.
"Rictusempra!" she yelled.
Draco tried hard not to laugh, but he did, and Hermione caught him off guard and followed-up the tickling spell by shouting out the jelly legs jinx.
Draco's legs wobbled for a while but that didn't stop him from saying "Petrificus Totalus".
Hermione stood still for a while and fell over, hitting the ground just outside the bright green circle.
"Bravo Mr. Malfoy!" Kingsley called, and he came over to revive Hermione. Hermione smiled weakly and told Draco "congrats"
Draco beamed at her and held her hand not noticing that he was. She gripped his hand without noticing too, and when they finally realized what they were doing, they abruptly let go and looked away. Hermione blushed and stood up.
"Thank you", Tonks said in her usual cheerful tone, "next meeting is after the holidays"
"Enjoy the match", Kingsley called, and they left the room looking dazed.
--
Hermione and Draco went to the great hall and found Harry and Ron waiting for them by their table.
"Hey Hermione!" Ron called.
Hermione waved and urged Draco to walk faster.
"How are you?" she said.
"Fine", Harry said, as cheerful as Tonks, "excited bout the match"
"More like bloody nervous" Ron said.
"Don't worry Ron", Hermione grinned.
"Too bad you can't play Malfoy", Harry told Draco in mock concern. He almost felt sorry for Draco. Almost.
"Yeah whatever Potter", Draco said bitterly.
"Don't", Hermione mouthed to Harry, and Harry and Ron waved goodbye and left for the Gryffindor table.
"Don't mind them", Hermione said as they sat down.
"Yeah" Draco sighed.
They were halfway through their meal when Blaise came up to them.
"What you doing with the Mudblood?" Blaise asked haughtily, "Stuck with her right? Pansy told me. Turns out she overheard Snape and McGonagall talking about it. The whole school knows now"
"Yeah guess so," Draco said, "do you know who the replacement seeker is?"
"You're looking at him, mate" Blaise beamed proudly.
"Oh"
"Well see you around" Blaise said, "Good luck with the mudblood"
A few more people came up to them, mostly Slytherins. They came to tell Draco "how sorry they were that he couldn't play Quidditch on the count of he was stuck with a mudblood"
Hermione was fuming as they retreated to their common room.
--
The next morning it was Draco who shook Hermione awake.
"Are you mad?" she said groggily, "the match isn't for an hour"
"Just to make sure"
"Oh fine then"
They got ready and they ate breakfast quickly. Everybody in the great hall seemed supercharged that day. They were all glad to be excused from classes.
"Take the whole day off" Dumbledore announced happily, "you could go to Hogsmeade for some last-minute Christmas shopping, don't you think? We all deserve a break now, don't we? Train leaves at 3"
He said this all very fast, and students cheered.
"Great" Hermione said, relieved "I still have to buy gifts"
Gifts? This hadn't occurred to Draco. Now he didn't know what to get Hermione. He didn't usually get gifts for girls, well, anyone, for that matter.
"Oh well," he thought, "maybe I'll see something later"
What to get for Hermione seemed to be stuck in his head for a while, but he focused himself on the match when they got to the huge quidditch stadium on the Hogwarts grounds.
--
They took their place below the teachers and the match started.
Lee Jordan called out the names of the Gryffindor players first and everyone except the Slytherins. Harry, Ron and the others flew out in a circle before landing on the ground as Lee called out the Slytherin players, and only the Slytherins out on the bleachers cheered as they swooped down on the ground in front of the Gryffindors. Madame Hooch gave the usual "nice, clean game" lecture, and the captains shook hands.
All the players took off. Ginny Weasley did an amazing dive and managed to shoot the Quaffle from the other side. The crowd cheered as Lee Jordan announced, "An amazing dive from Ginny Weasley, brother of Ron, the Gryffindor Keeper and also of Fred and George...they own a joke shop in Diagon Alley...fake wands, portable swamps and anything and everything a professional prankster needs. There are—"
"Jordan!" McGonagall's angry voice called.
"Sorry professor...now back to the game. Morag's got it, nope, back to Bell, then Weasley, then to Bell again...she scores! 30-10 to Gryffindor"
Hermione watched as Harry circled for the snitch, higher than any of the other players. Ron gave him a thumbs up and turned back just in time to block the Quaffle from going through. He catches it and throws it back to Ginny, who just in time flew out of the way of a bludger.
"Close match chaps, 60-50 to Gryffindor, and Morag takes the Quaffle...it goes through. 60-60 tie..."
The match was close. Hermione started to think that the Gryffindors would win. Everyone gasped as Harry took a dive. The snitch! The tiny golden ball was in his reach. He tried to go faster. Blaise followed suit. He got tired of following Harry, and he took another way, through the stands. Harry couldn't reach the snitch.
"Potter's almost got the snitch...we have a 70-60 to Slytherin" Lee Jordan said in exasperation.
Hermione crossed her fingers. Everyone was cheering, and they gasped as Harry dove again. His dive was somehow faulty, and he tumbled onto the ground as they snitch flew in close proximity. Everyone thought that he had caught the snitch. Madam Hooch came over to see. Harry wasn't holding the snitch. Blaise landed steadily on the ground, holding the struggling snitch tightly. The Slytherins cheered.
Hermione turned to Draco.
"You owe me a favor", he said.
Hermione smiled then said, "Let's see how Harry is"
Draco hesitated. "He'll be fine", then he pulled her away. "Time for Hogsmeade"
--
A/N: I suck at quidditch matches...I hope this chapt was okay. It's definitely not my best. Well, because of my tight schedule, I'm not posting the next chapter till you tell me what you think about this chapt. Thank you so much. I hope you understand. Please review...I'm out of cookies, but would you settle for a pixie stick?