Leather and Libraries
by Starlight-Heart
AN: Yay an update! I hope you're all pleased because I am!
This is the last chapter so I'd just like to do a little speech that no-one will read. Thank you so much for everyone's reviews, they truly mean a lot to me. Special shout outs to daydreamz87,Tinkbelle, Quills 'N Ink, BlackPearl 07, Evilevergreen, shexy-cleva-yollop, silvereyedelven, Lisi, Rine Is Crazy, elvenrarehunter, sirius-black-4eva, Double Double Toil And Trouble (AvId PiAnIsT?), NeVeRmInD2, ShimmeringEvil, BabyRuth, Hafthand, Kittykins, Viresse Lote, Slytherin ice princess, DragonSpirit7037, padfoot-lover1, Leprechaun Princess3845, FaTcAtInAhAt, hathor X, Ice-Pheonix-Tears. I'm sorry if I haven't metioned some poeple but I did appreciate your reviews on this story and they still mean sooo much to me! I am going to try and get the sequel up soon enough so thank you for helping me with this and everything else.
Hehehehe so corny. I'll edit this as soon as possible but it's a no go Friday because I'm going to London (YAY!) and on Staurday I'm going to the Wales Millenium Centre to see Sleeping Beauty On Ice (Stoked even more!) so I may have to try on Sunday.
Here's my repiles to your amazing reviews:
Ihearttomfelton - Yeah I liked it too, very emotional and that song it so lush! Thank you!
Monica7725 - Yep, lurv is in the air! I can't say the things I've got planned for Feathers and Fire but their going to be so much fun to write! :P Drakie's naturally evil and he would look so hot in black robes but I may have to take a rain check on that. Thank you!
DragonSpirit7037 - I know, Pansy is so hopeless at English though! I think she should just stick with troll. Draco's conclusion? Oh about being a death eater? Well you'll just have to wait and see... Thank you, their a pain to write though and I'll have to check out you're story soon. Thank you!
I Have To Find The Will To Carry On With The Show --- Satine, Moulin Rouge.
Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Harry Potter, no matter how much I would like to :P
Summary: After an incident in the library, Draco and Hermione begin to realise they have more in common than just books.
Chapter 22 – You're Leaving Too Soon
The darkness unfolded itself shortly after those three hours of immersed thoughts, revealing a snowy Hogwarts grounds which dazzled in the soft sunlight that daylight was given. Hogwarts seemed a tranquil place as most of the castle slept soundly in the early morning, an aura of serenity engulfing all of this.
However, one particular person escaped this when their consciousness was given and the sinking feeling in their stomach jolted them awake yet again from an ill-spent sleep ridden with two cold faces forming as one. And only one word was on her lips – Draco. That name had been the source of her fears for a considerable amount of time now, teasing her nerves and constantly trying to break her fragile heart but always failed. Yet sometimes it got so close that it was deadly and she became scared that no-one else would love her like him and what would happen if something ever happened to him; it was unbearable. And it was deteriorating now when it dawned on her that she would be saying goodbye to her love in a small amount of time and she had no control over that and what would happen after they departed. It was one of the few times she felt she had no control over their relationship.
And thinking all of these profound thoughts was Hermione Anne Granger whilst she sat in front of the open hearth fire that had become the burden of her worries for many years now. The fire tantalized her in those sinister hours when they licked at her thoughts and held her captive. It was only when a fellow Gryffindor and friend came down did she break from her thoughts.
"Did you get any sleep last night?" Harry Potter asked as he sat on a little stool to the left of the fire.
Hermione simply replied with a misplaced nod and, "I tried to but my brain would just not switch off."
Harry took a deep sigh and shook his head grimly, not understanding how she could worry about so many things that did not directly involve her. Sure she was Draco Malfoy's girlfriend but she did not need to deal with his burdens to deal with as well and as her friends without even mentioning her own. What that scum chose to do with his own life was his choice and responsibility – Hermione should not have to deal with this. Of course this was only Harry's beliefs and thoughts but since they had reconciled, things had definitely been wrong. Hermione had begun to steer away from any conversation of Voldemort and his loyal band of followers, almost as if Draco was one of them and she could not bear the thought of him doing all those dreadful things that Death Eaters do that they often talked about. It was as if she wanted to fight the supposedly inevitable.
Harry started with something he knew she would pay attention to. "It's not good to not get enough sleep because then you'll start to get tired and your grades will slip."
Hermione gave a weak smile and replied, "You're right I suppose but if I don't worry then who will? And anyway, you're always telling me that I'm doing too much studying and now you're telling me I'm not doing enough? I can't win!" She threw up her arms and then crossed them stiffly and would have been able to keep that kind of attitude if she had not been forced to laugh by Harry's faces he kept pulling, one of them resembling a toad.
"Is Ron still in bed?" Hermione had asked once he had finished, knowing the answer already of course but wanted to confirm it in the bleak case that he actually was awake.
"What do you think? He can sleep through a frigging lifetime when he wants to… ane he snores like hell," Harry added as an afterthought and continued ot laugh with his friend again.
"Except if he's woken by something to do with food, Quidditch or murderers – like someone else I know in fact." Hermione immediately stared at Harry and pursed her lips tightly.
"I came down to see you! I might as well you back up then." Harry got up very over-dramatically and stalked away, making loud tutting noises.
Hermione laughed and ran over to him, grabbing the nearest hand so that he spun around. "Stop being such a spaz." She smiled at him and let go of his hand. "I better get dressed; me and Draco are meeting up soon. You are meeting me up here at eight aren't you?" Harry just nodded. "Alright, I'll see you then."
And with that, she walked up the girl's dormitory staircase, leaving the defeated and doleful Harry she never saw behind in the darkness.
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"I hate this," A girl whispered through her lover's top. "I don't want to say goodbye yet, it's too soon."
"Granger you twat, we're going to meet up on the bloody train in an hour," Draco Malfoy said in an amused voice. They had been up in the Hidden Deck for just over an hour now, talking about everything and steering away from any conversation about the Christmas Holidays or about the War. However, in the last half an hour, Hermione had started to become terribly dramatic and started to cry whilst Draco just merely made fun of her as things kept slipping her mind.
"I know but… but – oh shut up!" Hermione Granger exasperated and hit him. "Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon, does not mean we all have."
"Well I do have some rather long and hard thoughts about one certain subject," He purred, tracing his fingers down her neck.
"Draco! Could you possibly avert your sexual ways for one day? I swear you run off sperm."
"What can I say? Deep down I'm very superficial."
Hermione laughed and got off him. "And that is something I know all too well unfortunately. I better go, I have to go get my trunk and say goodbye to everyone."
"Send my regards to those bloody imbeciles you call friends."
"Will do so that when they meet you again, they will knock your lights out so you won't even be able to find your twisted ways." Hermione hurriedly kissed him on the lips and walked back to Gryffindor Tower quickly, glancing at her watch every other second. She knew that if she was late to meet Harry and Ron, both of them, especially Ron, would have one have their highly acclaimed hissy fits which were vastly amusing ta times but scary at others. They were like an onion with lots of layers but if you peeled them off too quickly, they could cause you to cry and Hermione had had quite enough of crying for one term thank you.
By now, she was at the portrait and said the password before walking through the open space and was greeted by Harry, Ron and Ginny.
"Hi," She beamed at them as some other people made their way over to them.
"Those two didn't think you were coming and I felt a storm coming on," Ginny said, rolling her eyes and glancing at Ron who looked as if he had just recovered from becoming very hot and bothered. "I'm going to miss you; I won't have no-one to save me from these two horrible creatures."
"Hey!" Ron said, ruffling her hair gruffly causing Ginny to give him the death glare.
"Don't do anything alcoholic over the holidays," Seamus tittered as he put his arms around Ginny who looked like she needed to be restrained now. "I'm sure your mother and father don't want a taste of what happened here at Halloween."
"One time! You lot was forcing it down me and I wasn't that bad!"
"Yeah, green's a good colour on you 'Mione," Dean joked with everyone while Hermione turned an embarrassing red. "I'm only messing about, I'll miss you too."
"That's so sweet to know Dean since you won't get your present off me until Christmas Day!"
"Damn."
Everyone laughed again and they moved over to the fireplace and scattered themselves on the furniture since they were blocking the entrance and many people had started to get annoyed.
"I think that we should all go and raid her house on Christmas Eve by floo – not that's a present you can't forget," Harry joined in so that they were all now crippled by laughter and even Neville was rolling about on the floor.
"Okay, so this is the part when we get all sentimental," Lavender said when everybody found the capability to string a sentence together. "Bye Hermione."
It went on and on from there. There was lots of hugging and 'goodbyes' with no tears shed as they all knew it was only two weeks until Hermione would come back – two blissful weeks the boys added.
But the atmosphere changed when it was only Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny down the Entrance Hall as the two girl hugged tightly with their silver tears falling lightly onto their shoulders.
"Hey, why are we being like this?" Ginny half-heartily laughed as she wiped away her own tears. "We'll see each other in two weeks and talk about how stupid we were and all the horrible presents we had off distant relatives we never talk to. I'm still going to miss you though." She hugged Hermione again and quickly walked away with a whimper.
Now it was Ron's turn. "I finally get rid of you so you can't constantly nag me!" He joked, earning a friendly punch. "No serious now, I'll write to you and send my Christmas present so I better mine! Oh yeah, and I'll try to miss you too." They laughed and hugged quickly before Ron kissed Hermione lightly on the cheek and went to comfort his sister as he made way for Harry.
"Hey," He said quietly, forcing a smile. "It's the same routine and be careful, I'd hate for something to happen to you and none of us were there to help you. Even though you don't need any!" They did the same as her and Ron had just done and broke away.
"You lot as well, constant vigilance! Bye." She smiled weakly and turned around before they could see the tears in her eyes and waved just as she was about to turn the corner, leaving a sanctuary behind her.
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"Ha! I beat you again!" A voice triumphed from within the carriage.
"That was an extremely unfair and biased, I want a re-match!" Another voice moaned. These two people were Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy who were aboard the Hogwarts Express, going back home for the 'perfect Christmas' – without each other. Oh, and the reason they were going on about 're-matches' is that they were playing wizards chess and he had just beaten her in a merciless way and used the fact that she was still clueless about this game and had no strategy to his advantage. Even after seven years, she still found it barbaric and a useless game but did not want to admit the fact that she could not play it – apparently all chess pieces had something against her.
"No, I'm bored with beating you now and I have something to tell you," Draco said, leaning back onto the seat and putting his leg up on the opposite seat.
"Is it a secwet?" Hermione asked as she looked like an angel, which she was not, and had an over-enthusiastic expression like a little child in a massive toy shop.
"Yes so stop being so pathetic so I can tell you woman!" Draco said as she pouted but made herself comfortable to Draco's shoulder. "Alright, you know that necklace I gave you?"
"Yeah, I've got it on now," Hermione said un-surely, taking it from beneath her top.
"It's got a charm connected to it. It's actually based on your idea for Flitwick's project when you said about a spell to find out how a person's feeling. I made one up and did all the scientific and theory stuff but it could only be out into something to work so I used that necklace and now I know what you're feeling but it mostly picks up on anger, sadness and when you're in need of help because that's the emotions a person has when their in bad situations or possibly life threatening and that's when Super Draco would come to the rescue," Draco finished with a smirk as Hermione laughed in astonishment.
"How will you know how I'm feeling then? I mean, you didn't perform it on yourself did you?" Hermione asked curiously.
"No, it's in this." He held up a ring on his right hand. It was platinum with a high crown which sported carvings of snakes etched into it.
"I remember that, you started to wear it in our third year."
"Father gave it to me and I never take it off so it just seemed logical. The carvings will go a certain colour so I know how you feel and it will catch my attention by giving a slight burning sensation." He gave out a chuckle that made Hermione's skin shiver as it reminded him of the person he had just called 'father'. "He would go crazy if he found out about it but it's worth it."
Hermione smiled tenderly. "I cannot believe you did this for me – that was really sweet even for you Draco."
Hermione enveloped him in a deep kiss, weaving her arms around his neck while he held her tight and pulled onto his lap, taking all of her in this precious moment as they wanted to stay here forever with no parents, evil beings or friends to condemn them. And as the rind on his finger burned yellow, they both knew that this was a feeling of pure bliss that they would not be able to feel again for a long time.
But of course, all good things must come to an end and that end came when the train stopped and the couple were either ends of the train, trying to hate each other but the love refused to move. But it still did not make that same sinking feeling go away.
Hermione struggled to get Crookshank's cage and her trunk off the train before her parents came rushing towards her, so relieved to see their daughter again.
"Hello Hermione," Her mother, Jane, said warmly as she hugged her only daughter lovingly.
"Hi Mum," Hermione said, smiling grandly before turning to her father and embracing him too once he had finished putting her things onto the trolley.
"It good to have my little Hermy back," Her father, Graham, said teasingly as he smiled just like Hermione.
"How very touching, a family being re-united for the Festive Holidays," A bitter voice said sarcastically from in front of them, averting their and our eyes from the happy scene unto the cold face of Lucius Malfoy. "I hope you have a wonderful time over Christmas Granger because there is no doubt you're going to need it soon. Good day." And with that, he left and signalled his son to so also. But when his head was turned and his guard was down, Draco mouthed 'I love you' quickly before sneering very much like his father and following in his footsteps.
"Hermione, what was that about?" Jane asked quizzically, looking confused at her husband and then at her daughter.
"Ummm, I have some things to tell you," Hermione started with a smile before walking with her parents back to the simple life she wished she could sometimes have, but at this moment would not give up her mad life for nothing.
AN: If you want me to email you about the sequel, then leave your emailaddress (if you're not registered) and I'll let you know when it's up! As for now, adios amigos! Thank you sooo much, Star x