Leather and Libraries
by Starlight-Heart
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, save one and the plot!
Summary: After an incident in the library, Draco and Hermione start to find they have more in common than just books.
Chapter 4 – Maybe You Could Like Me
"Has everyone copied down the notes on the board?" Professor Flitwick asked his class. He was greeted by a wave of nods and the odd 'Yes Professor'. "Good. Now, as you can see, most of these assignments are research based which means meeting your partner outside of the class." This last statement was greeted by a lot of murmuring from his pupils. "You have fifteen minutes left of this class, of which I advise you to start your first project."
Professor Flitwick tapped the board and the rest of the words disappeared, save the first assignment details.
Hermione turned round in her chair so she was facing Malfoy. "I was thinking of doing Prior Incantato, that's benefited the Wizarding World by showing if a wizard or witch is lying about their last spells."
Draco made a scoffing sound. "The Accio charm is much better, and is closer to the actual charms subject. So many people claim to have made it and it benefits people in unusual situations."
"Yes it helped wizards – become lazier! But... it would be fascinating to find out who did actually invent it and how." Hermione pondered it for a moment, occasionally biting her lip. "Ok, but only because I don't feel like arguing with you and it would be interesting. How about if you meet me in the library after dinner?"
"As long as it's a dark corner and no-one knows about us meeting up, then okay," Draco said lazily.
Hermione breathed deeply and controlled her anger and remarks. "Ok, and I'd prefer also not to be seen with you; just for your future reference." She smiled and walked off, please at her one up on Draco.
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Hermione picked at her food, knowing that she wasn't really hungry or listening to her friends. Ron was writing something on a piece of parchment, blushing furiously on occasions, while Harry and Ginny were having an intense conversation about tactics for the upcoming Quidditch match.
"So when Rachael comes from the left, you pass the quaffle to Amber who'll fly forward and pass it to Rachael, then you fly straight towards the goal posts and Amber will send the ball straight at you so you can score. That's only going to be used when you're not covered or Ravenclaw are getting more violent; who knows what the new team is like."
Ginny seemed to be drowning each of these words in, occasionally making little pictures so she could understand it better. "Got it. How about a Feint?"
"No way. I can't risk you out there. Even if you are a good flyer," Harry added hastily after seeing Ginny's look.
"Fine then. I'm going to go get ready. Bye!"
Harry looked away, puzzled. "What's happening tonight?"
Hermione leaned forward, so Ron wouldn't hear. "Well you know Dean's over with?" Harry nodded. "Well, Ginny seemes to have taken a liking toSeamus and 'accidentally' forced her lips upon his. Subtlety is nother strong point." Hermione rolled her eyes as Harry laughed.
"So, what's the famous Boy Who Lived doing tonight?" Hermione smiled, causing Harry to send her a death stare.
"Don't know. Maybe some homework," Harry said absentmindly.
"Shock, horror! Harry Potter actually doing some homework without being threatened?" Hermione laughed.
"McGonagall threatened to give me detention and Shaw doesn't seem to take to me too nicely so I might as well do something so we don't have a replay of what happened on Friday." Hermione laughed and thought carefully for a moment. It was true, the new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, Professor Wilbert Shaw, seemed like a replica of Snape in washed hair. But he wasn't hateful, just slightly strict and very hard to befriend in a student-teacher relationship that required some sort of understanding and friendliness.
"Mione?" Harry said, clicking his fingers in front of her eyes. Hermione's brain switched to it's 'normal' state and she realised that dinner was coming to an end.
"Sorry Harry," Hermione mumbled, placing her book bag over her shoulder. "I have to go to the library."
"Again?"
"Yeah, I thought me and Malfoy could start our project so taht it's over as quickly as possible without any more scars."
Harry looked at her with a slight uneasy look in his eye. "Okay but can you help me with Transfiguration after?" Harry pulled a puppy dog face.
"Yes, but only because you look so pathetic, bye!"
"Be careful," Harry said as Hermione kissed his, then Ron's cheek.
"Don't worry, I know enough hexes to make Malfoy spin with insanity." Hermione grinned and walked off down the corridor, looking back and waving for a moment.
She carried on her way to the library, only stopping momentarily to take ten points off a fourth year Slytherin for taunting a second year Hufflepuff.
Hermione was in a surprisingly good mood considering that she was meeting one of the people she hated most. She walked through the library doors and gave a little smile at the librarian and a few students she knew from her classes. Making her way to the back corner of the library, she found an assortment of books in dusty shelves that no-one really read unless it was out of complete boredom. It was there that she found Draco Malfoy, leaning back slightly on his chair and smirking at her with a stack of books in the middle of the table.
"I thought the infamous mudblood had stood me up," Draco said to her, watching her sit down.
"I can see you're still an ignorant prat who only thinks of himself, despite what I said," Hermione snapped. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately, her emotions getting out of control by the pure fact that this stuck-up Malfoy infuriated her to the Earth's end.
"I'm a Malfoy; I'll always be a prat no matter who I really am or who I'm associating myself with."
"Which is still an ignorant prat with a hint of thinking your above everyone else in this school."
Draco shrugged and fought back what seemed a groan of annoyance.
"Look Malfoy," Hermione sighed. "We might as well just get started because then I can get out of here and start doing something actually fun." She grabbed the top book of the stack and took a piece of parchment and quill out of her bag. She dipped the Eagle feather quill into the inkwell in front of her and started to copy down some notes.
Draco followed suit, but instead of writing it down, he scanned the pages and occasionally muttered some Latin words that made the writing appear on his parchment.
Hermione rolled her eyes at the boy's laziness and read an interesting paragraph giving a hint of information on how Accio was founded.
"Listen to this. Cecil Thomas was a blind man who did nothave a seemingly good intuition. He wasn't able at finding his things and became very aggravated at this, and sought out to find a spell that would help him and other wizards like him. Unfortunately, he died from a blast of one spell that he thought could forward his research. This is the person! What if, he found the spell but he wanted to look into it more?"
"I don't think so. It seems like a fairy tale and is not very informative; it sounds like it's written by a ten-year-old muggle," Draco scoffed, looking up.
"Maybe he wasn't very well educated. He probably had to get one of his friends to write it for him and not every wizard or witch had enough money to afford proper education themselves." Hermione leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I don't know how anyone didn't come across this before."
"That's because it from this section," Draco said, looking around momentarily. "Even Madam Pince said this part wasn't reliable enough to look into the information further."
"But... Why would someone just make up some blind man coming up with something like Accio?" Hermione was starting to become confused and aggravated. "It justdoes notmake sense."
They both sat there for ten minutes, thinking and occasionally wanting to say something, but kept quiet knowing it would only make the situation worse and more complex.
"I have to go, this is just too stupid," Hermione announced, gathering together all her things.
"It's only 6pm and I am not getting -"
"A bad mark because of a stupid mudblood," Hermione finished for him, sitting down momentarily. "I know all the stuff you want to say, it's old. And I don't want to be partnered with you also, but now we're stuck together. Why don't you take some books and I'll take some and we'll do most of our work separate. I'll get a lot done that way and you won't have to put up with me and my 'mudblood stench'." Hermione hated giving in but she did notwant to deal with all this now. She picked up about ten of the books. "Reducio." The books were reduced to the size of a small trinket box and she deposited them in her pocket.
Hermione started to walk out of the corner but she felt a slight pressure on her arm that made her spin around.
"What Malfoy? If you need to give -"
Hermione sentence was stopped midway by a force upon her lips. They seemed so soft against her's and moulded her lips so perfectly. There was not much pressure intended, but enough to keep them together. An arm slid around her waist pulling her closer to his body. She blissfully closed her eyes, until she realised who she was kissing – Draco Malfoy. She immediately pushed him off and wiped her lips hastily.
"What the hell do you think your doing?!" Hermione hissed, backing away. The kiss had done more than shocked her- it was left with a slight guilt feeling of kissing her best friends enemy. "You said that you didn't want to be friendly with me yet you kiss me! Who the fuck do you think you are!"
Hermione spun on her heel and walked out of the library, feeling the blood rise to her cheeks. She continued down several corridors until she found one empty where she sat in between two suits of armour, bringing her knees to her chest. It was unlike Hermione to snap her beliefs and swear, but she had made her so angry at the fact that he thought that he could just kiss her like it meant nothing. Hermione had been brought up to know that hen a boy kissed you, it either brought love or pain; and nothing good could come out of that relationship.