Chapter Sixteen:
Replanting
Hermione waited for Draco outside the Library arms crossed and cloak around her shoulders. She had made herself ready a full fifteen minutes before she had to meet him and hoped she hadn't done too much to herself. Pulling her hair up, she had tried to straighten it as she had done at the Yule Ball, but it didn't look very good up, so she had to settle for the curly frizzed-up look she always had.
It was quiet for an evening at Hogwarts. Aside from the occasional passing ghost, Nearly-Headless Nick being one of them, there was nobody around. This was something Hermione knew she should be used too after her vast history of sneaking out after dark and roaming the halls, but it was different now. She was alone and wasn't used to it.
The torches lining the walls were lit and they sent a dancing light across the stone floor. Searching for something to do, she watched the light, trying to convince herself that it was interesting.
But, all of a sudden, a voice cut through the light noise of the crackling flames. It sounded muffled and mumbling – almost as though it was coming from behind the walls.
The voice trailed, and Hermione looked up, surprised.
Quickly, she looked to see if there was anyone around, but found no one in the Entrance Hall.
"Hello?" she said softly into the silence. Her voice echoed eerily.
But, the voice was gone.
"Strange..." she said to herself. The voice sounded old – not the voice of a student or a teacher for that matter. It was a deep voice she had never heard before.
But then she heard another voice accompanied by the tapping of footsteps descending the marble staircase.
"Hermione!" Draco said as she looked up to see him, a smile revealing his white teeth spread across his face.
Shrugging off the eerie feeling she had just had, Hermione smiled.
"Hey. I thought you'd forgotten for a second."
Draco shook his head with a chuckle, the Permetula in his arm and his robe in the other.
"Forget? Naw. I'd never."
This received a smile.
There was a moment while they both stood there awkwardly, Draco shifting his weight from foot to foot while Hermione smiled. The Permetula looked heavy and she took out her wand.
"Want me to help?" she asked as he grinned.
"Sure," he replied as she used Wingardium Leviosa to lift the flowerpot out of his arms.
With wand in hand, Permetula in the lead, they both headed out of the castle and into the dusk. A red tinge lingered in the clouds, giving them a warm look like embers of a dying fire. Hermione was glad that it wasn't completely dark...yet. She didn't like going out late. Sneaking hadn't entirely seeped into her system yet.
"So," she started as they walked towards Hagrid's. "What're we going to do if we get caught?"
Draco grinned. "Thought you might ask."
Pulling out a paper from inside his robes, he unfolded it to show her. "It's a note saying we can be down here as long as it takes. It's for a class, after all. Snape signed it."
"Snape?" Hermione said, wondering.
"What?" Draco asked back as he refolded the note and put it back into his pocket.
"It's just...Snape doesn't like Hagrid – or me for that matter. Why would he sign a note saying we could go down to Hagrid's?"
Draco shrugged.
"I didn't exactly tell him that you were coming. And, I didn't tell him that we were going to Hagrid's. I said that I had to go down to the edge of the forest to replant this for a class. Herbology, I guess he took it as. I'm not as stupid as you Gryffindors think."
Hermione chuckled. "You're pretty cunning, you know that?"
Slowly, they made their way to Hagrid's. His hut was brightly lit and Fang howled a little as they neared. Hagrid's booming voice came over the dog's cries.
"Quie' Fang! Wake the whole bloody castle!"
Looking out his window, he pushed the glass open when he saw who it was.
"Oh, 'Ermione. Draco. I shoulda remembered you was comin' ou' here tonigh'."
"Hi, Hagrid." Draco said as he watched Hermione put the Permetula down on the ground, pocketing her wand in her robes. Finally getting a second, Draco slipped into his black Hogwarts robe and wrapped it around his chest. It was a bit nippy out after all. The leaves had changed to golden browns and there was barely a hint of the summer green anymore on the grounds.
"We just wanted to replant the rosebud – you know," Hermione started as she moved the pot into Hagrid's garden. "It's kind of dying and we don't know how to care for it just yet."
"Oh," Hagrid said with his eyebrows raised. "Well, sui' yeself. I'll be in here if yeh need anything."
And with that, he shut his window, drawing the curtains.
Draco slowly made his way over to Hermione and helped her pull the giant purple plant out of its pot. Hermione was making a fuss over all the dirt getting on her robes, so Draco took it from her.
"Here –"he said, taking the plant from her hands. "Let me do it."
"No," she started to protest, but Draco insisted.
"You can dig the hole with one of your charms. You're better at that than I am. Besides, I like doing the dirty work."
Hermione shrugged and started on the hole.
The sun was almost set by the time they replanted the rosebud. Draco wiped his hands together in a swiping motion, pleased that they had gotten so much done in such a short amount of time.
"It's still light out, you know." he said as he looked up at the sky.
"Yeah, so?" Hermione replied as she tried to fix her hair. It was falling into her face.
"We could, you know – go for a walk, if you'd like." This received a weird look from Hermione and he quickly added, "No sense in taking the short way up the path when we can go the longer way and see the trees and stuff."
Hermione smiled. "You know, I'd like a walk right about now."
Slowly, Draco leading the way, they started off along the Forbidden Forest.
After a while, Hermione started conversation.
"You know, Draco," she started, not looking at him. "I'm really glad we're working on this project together. I don't know what would have happened if I'd worked on it with Harry. Knowing what he's like now – you know."
Draco was a little shocked at this.
"Now, Hermione," he started. "You and Harry are still friends, right? Do you really want to bash him some more?"
Hermione shook her head. "You know, I'm not sure. He seemed so nice, but after he spied on me...I felt like I couldn't trust him. After all, we'd always spied on others, but we'd never spied on each other like that! I didn't feel very secure around him."
Draco nodded. "I get you. Harry's pretty nice, I guess. I never really never got the chance to know him because I was too stubborn and...jealous I guess you could say. I was stupid. And an ass. I missed out on being friends with a really awesome person..."
Hermione showed no sign of reaction, mostly Draco thought, because she didn't want to say something she would regret or become misinterpreted.
"I've had a rough time with all this relationship stuff," she started again. "You know, Viktor was one thing. But, that was the first relationship thing I had. It just feels like all of a sudden, I'm this big target for everybody. I've never thought of myself as beautiful or even pretty. It was kind of like being doused with cold water after sleeping for a while."
For a while, they walked on in silence, listening to the sounds of the woods and the crickets. They still had a while to walk before they'd reach the castle again, but neither of them seemed to mind.
Then, unexpectedly, Draco said, "I think you're pretty."
Hermione looked over at him as though she couldn't believe it. The sun had set so she couldn't see his face clearly – a dark shadow was cast across his features, but she took it as sincere.
"Really?" she replied, wanting to make sure she wasn't hearing things.
Draco stopped, turning to her.
"If that's the only truthful thing I ever say, yes." he replied, looking a little embarrassed. "I was always pushing you away, Hermione. It was like a defense mechanism inside me. I couldn't be competing with you. You were...after all what my father wouldn't approve of. I never realized how much I thought about you. I tried to force you out of my mind because I didn't want to think of you, but that made me think about you even more! Now, I don't have to hide any more. I can me who I want to be. There's nobody stopping me."
After saying this, he reached into his robes and pulled out a chain with something at the end of it. Hermione watched as he held it out to her.
"What's this?" she asked slowly as she took it.
"I made this for you before I came down to the Library. It's the reason I was a little late. I'm sorry."
Hermione watched as the moonlight glinted off the shiny copper surface of the Knut they had dug up in Care of Magical Creatures.
"Oh, Draco!" she said, admiring it. "You made this?"
Draco nodded. "It's kind of my way of saying I'm sorry for everything I've done to you and showing you that I've changed. I care about you now. We've grown close...I guess..."
Slowly, they started moving closer to each other. Hermione didn't even realize what was happening until it did. She could smell the mint on his breath, warm and wonderful as their eyes slowly slid shut. Draco's hand came up to her face and brushed her hair away as their lips slowly brushed, his soft and smooth with hers warm and pressing gently against his.
No, she thought to herself as she thought about pushing him away, but then again why? Wasn't this what she had been wanting?
Yes – yes it is, she thought again to herself. And it was wonderful.
But, as soon as the kiss had started, it stopped. Hermione didn't think it lasted nearly as long as it should have, but she wasn't complaining. Slowly, Draco wrapped his arms around her and took her into a deep embrace, holding her tightly to him. She rested her head against his shoulder, taking in the scent of his neck. He smelled like cologne and she took it in gulps, letting it wash over her senses.
"I think I'm falling in love with you, Hermione." he muttered into her hair.
Hermione smiled.
"I think you already have."
It was a while before they finally started back up to the castle, not wanting to let the moment end so soon. This was definitely different from Harry, Hermione thought to herself. He had been hesitant, but Draco just with himself. It was different. In a good way.
Slowly, Draco took her hand, letting their fingers lace as they made their way back up to the slowly dimming lights of the castle. For that one moment, Draco didn't care who saw them. He didn't care about anything anymore.
Replanting
Hermione waited for Draco outside the Library arms crossed and cloak around her shoulders. She had made herself ready a full fifteen minutes before she had to meet him and hoped she hadn't done too much to herself. Pulling her hair up, she had tried to straighten it as she had done at the Yule Ball, but it didn't look very good up, so she had to settle for the curly frizzed-up look she always had.
It was quiet for an evening at Hogwarts. Aside from the occasional passing ghost, Nearly-Headless Nick being one of them, there was nobody around. This was something Hermione knew she should be used too after her vast history of sneaking out after dark and roaming the halls, but it was different now. She was alone and wasn't used to it.
The torches lining the walls were lit and they sent a dancing light across the stone floor. Searching for something to do, she watched the light, trying to convince herself that it was interesting.
But, all of a sudden, a voice cut through the light noise of the crackling flames. It sounded muffled and mumbling – almost as though it was coming from behind the walls.
The voice trailed, and Hermione looked up, surprised.
Quickly, she looked to see if there was anyone around, but found no one in the Entrance Hall.
"Hello?" she said softly into the silence. Her voice echoed eerily.
But, the voice was gone.
"Strange..." she said to herself. The voice sounded old – not the voice of a student or a teacher for that matter. It was a deep voice she had never heard before.
But then she heard another voice accompanied by the tapping of footsteps descending the marble staircase.
"Hermione!" Draco said as she looked up to see him, a smile revealing his white teeth spread across his face.
Shrugging off the eerie feeling she had just had, Hermione smiled.
"Hey. I thought you'd forgotten for a second."
Draco shook his head with a chuckle, the Permetula in his arm and his robe in the other.
"Forget? Naw. I'd never."
This received a smile.
There was a moment while they both stood there awkwardly, Draco shifting his weight from foot to foot while Hermione smiled. The Permetula looked heavy and she took out her wand.
"Want me to help?" she asked as he grinned.
"Sure," he replied as she used Wingardium Leviosa to lift the flowerpot out of his arms.
With wand in hand, Permetula in the lead, they both headed out of the castle and into the dusk. A red tinge lingered in the clouds, giving them a warm look like embers of a dying fire. Hermione was glad that it wasn't completely dark...yet. She didn't like going out late. Sneaking hadn't entirely seeped into her system yet.
"So," she started as they walked towards Hagrid's. "What're we going to do if we get caught?"
Draco grinned. "Thought you might ask."
Pulling out a paper from inside his robes, he unfolded it to show her. "It's a note saying we can be down here as long as it takes. It's for a class, after all. Snape signed it."
"Snape?" Hermione said, wondering.
"What?" Draco asked back as he refolded the note and put it back into his pocket.
"It's just...Snape doesn't like Hagrid – or me for that matter. Why would he sign a note saying we could go down to Hagrid's?"
Draco shrugged.
"I didn't exactly tell him that you were coming. And, I didn't tell him that we were going to Hagrid's. I said that I had to go down to the edge of the forest to replant this for a class. Herbology, I guess he took it as. I'm not as stupid as you Gryffindors think."
Hermione chuckled. "You're pretty cunning, you know that?"
Slowly, they made their way to Hagrid's. His hut was brightly lit and Fang howled a little as they neared. Hagrid's booming voice came over the dog's cries.
"Quie' Fang! Wake the whole bloody castle!"
Looking out his window, he pushed the glass open when he saw who it was.
"Oh, 'Ermione. Draco. I shoulda remembered you was comin' ou' here tonigh'."
"Hi, Hagrid." Draco said as he watched Hermione put the Permetula down on the ground, pocketing her wand in her robes. Finally getting a second, Draco slipped into his black Hogwarts robe and wrapped it around his chest. It was a bit nippy out after all. The leaves had changed to golden browns and there was barely a hint of the summer green anymore on the grounds.
"We just wanted to replant the rosebud – you know," Hermione started as she moved the pot into Hagrid's garden. "It's kind of dying and we don't know how to care for it just yet."
"Oh," Hagrid said with his eyebrows raised. "Well, sui' yeself. I'll be in here if yeh need anything."
And with that, he shut his window, drawing the curtains.
Draco slowly made his way over to Hermione and helped her pull the giant purple plant out of its pot. Hermione was making a fuss over all the dirt getting on her robes, so Draco took it from her.
"Here –"he said, taking the plant from her hands. "Let me do it."
"No," she started to protest, but Draco insisted.
"You can dig the hole with one of your charms. You're better at that than I am. Besides, I like doing the dirty work."
Hermione shrugged and started on the hole.
The sun was almost set by the time they replanted the rosebud. Draco wiped his hands together in a swiping motion, pleased that they had gotten so much done in such a short amount of time.
"It's still light out, you know." he said as he looked up at the sky.
"Yeah, so?" Hermione replied as she tried to fix her hair. It was falling into her face.
"We could, you know – go for a walk, if you'd like." This received a weird look from Hermione and he quickly added, "No sense in taking the short way up the path when we can go the longer way and see the trees and stuff."
Hermione smiled. "You know, I'd like a walk right about now."
Slowly, Draco leading the way, they started off along the Forbidden Forest.
After a while, Hermione started conversation.
"You know, Draco," she started, not looking at him. "I'm really glad we're working on this project together. I don't know what would have happened if I'd worked on it with Harry. Knowing what he's like now – you know."
Draco was a little shocked at this.
"Now, Hermione," he started. "You and Harry are still friends, right? Do you really want to bash him some more?"
Hermione shook her head. "You know, I'm not sure. He seemed so nice, but after he spied on me...I felt like I couldn't trust him. After all, we'd always spied on others, but we'd never spied on each other like that! I didn't feel very secure around him."
Draco nodded. "I get you. Harry's pretty nice, I guess. I never really never got the chance to know him because I was too stubborn and...jealous I guess you could say. I was stupid. And an ass. I missed out on being friends with a really awesome person..."
Hermione showed no sign of reaction, mostly Draco thought, because she didn't want to say something she would regret or become misinterpreted.
"I've had a rough time with all this relationship stuff," she started again. "You know, Viktor was one thing. But, that was the first relationship thing I had. It just feels like all of a sudden, I'm this big target for everybody. I've never thought of myself as beautiful or even pretty. It was kind of like being doused with cold water after sleeping for a while."
For a while, they walked on in silence, listening to the sounds of the woods and the crickets. They still had a while to walk before they'd reach the castle again, but neither of them seemed to mind.
Then, unexpectedly, Draco said, "I think you're pretty."
Hermione looked over at him as though she couldn't believe it. The sun had set so she couldn't see his face clearly – a dark shadow was cast across his features, but she took it as sincere.
"Really?" she replied, wanting to make sure she wasn't hearing things.
Draco stopped, turning to her.
"If that's the only truthful thing I ever say, yes." he replied, looking a little embarrassed. "I was always pushing you away, Hermione. It was like a defense mechanism inside me. I couldn't be competing with you. You were...after all what my father wouldn't approve of. I never realized how much I thought about you. I tried to force you out of my mind because I didn't want to think of you, but that made me think about you even more! Now, I don't have to hide any more. I can me who I want to be. There's nobody stopping me."
After saying this, he reached into his robes and pulled out a chain with something at the end of it. Hermione watched as he held it out to her.
"What's this?" she asked slowly as she took it.
"I made this for you before I came down to the Library. It's the reason I was a little late. I'm sorry."
Hermione watched as the moonlight glinted off the shiny copper surface of the Knut they had dug up in Care of Magical Creatures.
"Oh, Draco!" she said, admiring it. "You made this?"
Draco nodded. "It's kind of my way of saying I'm sorry for everything I've done to you and showing you that I've changed. I care about you now. We've grown close...I guess..."
Slowly, they started moving closer to each other. Hermione didn't even realize what was happening until it did. She could smell the mint on his breath, warm and wonderful as their eyes slowly slid shut. Draco's hand came up to her face and brushed her hair away as their lips slowly brushed, his soft and smooth with hers warm and pressing gently against his.
No, she thought to herself as she thought about pushing him away, but then again why? Wasn't this what she had been wanting?
Yes – yes it is, she thought again to herself. And it was wonderful.
But, as soon as the kiss had started, it stopped. Hermione didn't think it lasted nearly as long as it should have, but she wasn't complaining. Slowly, Draco wrapped his arms around her and took her into a deep embrace, holding her tightly to him. She rested her head against his shoulder, taking in the scent of his neck. He smelled like cologne and she took it in gulps, letting it wash over her senses.
"I think I'm falling in love with you, Hermione." he muttered into her hair.
Hermione smiled.
"I think you already have."
It was a while before they finally started back up to the castle, not wanting to let the moment end so soon. This was definitely different from Harry, Hermione thought to herself. He had been hesitant, but Draco just with himself. It was different. In a good way.
Slowly, Draco took her hand, letting their fingers lace as they made their way back up to the slowly dimming lights of the castle. For that one moment, Draco didn't care who saw them. He didn't care about anything anymore.