Title: Remember When It Rained
Author: Kathea
Pairing: Draco/Hermione
Rating: Somewhere between PG-13 and R.
Summary: A new and completely different take on how Hermione and Draco could get together.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Harry Potter world and it wouldn't be a good idea to sue me because I just bought a house and therefore have no money.
AN: So basically the whole reason for this story is that I was tired of reading stories where Draco and Hermione fell in love in about a week. It's just not feasible. I'll explain why in the story. I'll probably switch from 1st to 2nd person every now and then because I like change. This will probably be a multichaptered fic so bear with me on the posting.
Chapter 4: Sharing is Caring
Hermione was seated on one of the large couches in front of the fireplace when Draco returned dirty and sweaty from Quidditch practice. He tossed his broom onto his bed and began to shuck off his practice gear before he noticed Hermione reading quietly in front of the fire. Seeing this as a perfect chance to further annoy his room mate Draco waltzed over to the fireplace and crouched close by it.
"Bitter weather we're having." Draco said nonchalantly. Hermione turned the page in her book.
"Slytherin is going to beat the tar out of Ravenclaw in the game tomorrow." Draco continued. Hermione turned the page in her book. Realizing that mere words were not going to attract any response Draco unbuttoned his sopping wet robe and hung it on a peg by the fire. He then stripped off his heavy sweater and t-shirt. His shoes and socks were the next items to come off. Draco whistled to himself as he rubbed his hands before the fire. She still hadn't looked at him. Ruffling his damp hair with hands he reached down to pull his white tank top off and stood bare chested before the fire. Hermione snapped her book shut, spared Draco one fulminating look and walked through the door to the Gryffindor common room.
"Damn." Draco said. "That wasn't supposed to happen."
Hermione stomped through her house common room in search of one Ginny Weasly. Moving up to the sixth year dorms, Hermione started yelling.
"Ginny Weasly, where are you? Ginny?"
A red head poked out from behind a door down the hall, "What in the bloody hell are you yelling about Mione?" Ginny asked.
"Ginny are you alone?"
"Yeah, come on in." Ginny said concerned. Hermione entered and after locking the door muttered a soundproofing charm.
"Ginny, Malfoy is ...he...clothes..." Hermione stumbled over her words trying to explain what happen.
"Hermione, take a breath. Good, now tell me what happened."
"You know my plan to completely ignore Malfoy right? Okay so I was sitting reading in front of the fire and he comes in from practice. He starts talking to me like we were old mates about the weather. I ignore him of course so he starts to undress, right in front of me!"
"You saw Malfoy naked!" Ginny asked in astonishment.
"No, he just stripped down to his pants. But it's the principle of the matter. He is purposely trying to get on my nerves."
"Well, why don't you just keep on ignoring him and see if he'll take the point." Ginny said but Hermione didn't notice the mischievous grin on her friends face.
"Thanks Gin, you are a great friend. See you in the morning." Hermione said and left the room. When she got back to her room, Malfoy was already asleep and the only light left in the room was that from the dying fire. Hermione crawled into her bed and dropped into a dreamless sleep.
Several weeks later
The plan to ignore Malfoy was slowly getting harder to stick to. In an effort to not repeat the stripping incident, Hermione avoided her common room at all costs. She got up earlier and went to bed later all in an attempt not see Malfoy. It had worked pretty well so far except for the times when Head duties required them to be together and Malfoy had behaved himself at those times. It was the patrolling that was the problem. The rules required that they patrol together during the weekend. Malfoy saw this as his only chance to have time alone with Hermione and used it to his every advantage. The two hours they spent in the halls on Saturday and Sunday Hermione privately referred to as Malfoy's One Man Monologue. He talked non stop for the time they spent together. Any and every subject was open for discussion. The hard part for Hermione was that she did want to talk with him. She was not one to let a opportunity for debate pass her by. It was on one such evening that Hermione finally cracked. Malfoy had regaled her with commentary on wizarding politics and then fashion and finally he was examining the purpose behind muggle paperweights.
"Malfoy are you a death eater?" Hermione asked suddenly throwing Draco off guard.
"What?" he asked defensively.
"Are you a death eater?" Hermione repeated slowly.
"No, not that it's any of your business." Malfoy responded with his usual snide tone of voice.
"Why not?" Hermione continued. Here was her chance to know once and for all if Draco really was evil. This could change everything in the war against the Dark Lord.
Draco huffed and took a deep breath before continuing. "Look, I could care less if the Dark Lord came into power; it's my father that worries me. If the Dark Lord rises then my father rises with him. I know what it's like to live with him and I don't want him to have that much control. Nobody should want him to have that much control." Draco finished quickly.
"So is this all a ruse? Are you really the consummate ass that you seem to be?"
"It's however you want to look at it." Draco said with a sneer.
"Okay." Hermione said before stepping through the portrait into their room. Her sudden acceptance of his reasoning shocked Draco. No one had ever so blithely understood him. He certainly never expected Granger to be the one to welcome him into the fold of goodness, much less so easily.
Headmaster Dumbledore Office's
Fawkes cheeped happily when Hermione entered his master's office. Dumbledore looked up from his papers and fixed his kind blue eyes on Hermione.
"Ah, my dear Miss Granger, what can I do for you this evening?" Dumbledore's deep voice rumbled.
"Sir, I have some interesting information that might be of some consequence for our activities against the Dark Lord."
"Do go on." Dumbledore prompted.
"Malfoy recently opened up to me for a reason I have yet to comprehend and I thought I should share the information. He told me that he was not a death eater and I got the impression that he didn't want to be one either." Hermione said rapidly.
"This could prove to be interesting. Good work Hermione, just another reason why I am glad you joined the Order."
"So what should I do?" Hermione asked.
"Be his friend Hermione. If we can be sure that he will stand with us when the Dark Lord finally attacks then we will have one more person on our side. Mr. Malfoy could be the one person we need to beat him for good."
"I'll try sir." Hermione replied with conviction.
"Good, now get to bed." Dumbledore said with a smile.
When Hermione got back to her room, she noticed that while Malfoy's stuff was piled on the table and his bed but Malfoy himself was no where to be found. Sighing Hermione grabbed her nightclothes and headed towards the bathroom. Just as she reached for the knob it turned under her hand. Standing before her was a dripping Draco Malfoy wearing only a towel. Hermione blushed and looked at her feet until she felt him brush past her. His wet, warm skin pressing against her arm as he passed sent chills down her spine and she hurried into the bathroom. She turned the water on hot in the shower and waited as the room steamed up. Hermione plopped herself down on the bottom of the shower stall and let the warm water rush over her head and shoulders. Her thoughts swirled around in her head like the water that wash falling down the drain at her feet.
Malfoy has always been evil. Ever since first year.
We hate him. I hate him. Most of the school hates him. The wizarding world hates his family.
How am I supposed to accept such a sudden revelation, such a sudden change of heart.
Was it really a change of heart or just something I'd always overlooked.
How am I supposed to be friends with my enemy? How will I break this to Harry and Ron?
How can I stay safe when being friends with somebody means there are no masks, no shields?
How can I let Malfoy knows all my secrets?
How can I let myself?
AN: This is beginning of what will be Hermione's inner struggle to come to terms with her new relationships with Draco. I will try to examine the psychological impact of befriending your enemy. Actually understand this subject since my degree is in it. Too many stories have Hermione blithely falling in love with Draco. This wouldn't happen, it's hard enough to put the past behind you and just be friends with someone you hate much less fall in love with them without any repercussions. So keep reading and reviewing.