A/n: The usual disclaimer works here…Sorry for the late chapter! I would love to thank everyone who reviewed, and I would love to say…..ENJOY!
If Only For a Day
It was just harmless snogging. Just a gesture of affection between two people who were just getting their first taste of what ecstasy could be like. The difference was that unlike other relationships, theirs involved two feuding houses, and to be frank, occurred at a time when animosity and dissent filled the air with their noxious presence.
So instead of breaking into a wide, knowing smile upon walking into the classroom where Draco and Hermione were sharing one of the most unforgettable moments in their lives, Harry took a deep breath, strode up to Draco, and delivered one of the most satisfying punches he had ever mustered in his life. He didn't even bother to take out his wand and blast the slim Slytherin against the cold brick walls; he just used the most primal but effective weapon he had—his fist. In the future, Harry might wonder what made him capable of such impetuousness and such impulsive behaviour, but at that moment, nothing seemed better than the sound of his fist making contact with Draco's jaw.
Hermione was the first to recover from the shock of seeing her best friend assaulting the boy whom she'd just kissed.
"Stop it!" she shouted before Draco could reach for his own wand. "Honestly, Harry, what's gotten into you? If it were Ron, it might be understandable, but you-"
"And what's that supposed to mean?" shot Harry at once. She couldn't bear to look at the anger in his eyes, as its feral glint sent chills of nervousness up her spine. Still, Hermione wasn't a Gryffindor for being a coward. "So it's all right for Ron to hit Malfoy and not me? Gee, Hermione, I didn't know that you practised double standards." His voice ended on a cold, sarcastic note.
Hermione blinked furiously for a moment. Who was this creature who claimed to be her best friend? Where was the boy who mediated her arguments with Ron and pointed out the rationale behind her words while others mocked her for having a holier-than-thou attitude? When did he morph into a fist-swinging monster with no qualms whatsoever about hitting a Prefect?
"Don't you dare talk to me about double standards," she snarled back harsher than intended. "We're supposed to set aside our differences and work together against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, remember? Even the Sorting Hat said-"
"Work together?" interrupted Harry in disbelief. "Work together to do what? Aid the death of Sirius? Oh, excuse me, I forgot that thanks to this moron, the only person whom I'd ever considered a proper guardian is ALREADY DEAD!"
"He's dead because of Bellatrix!" shouted Hermione, her head spinning. She couldn't believe that after all these times, she was at loggerheads with Harry over something that they had both tried to forget, but never could. "And Draco didn't kill him, his own cousin did!"
"He did!" snarled Harry. "He was working with Umbridge, remember? And-"
"Shut up, Harry!" shouted Hermione. She felt her eyes stinging, but she refused to admit that tears were forming in her eyes. "Stop blaming others, please! It all comes down to you and your refusal to heed Dumbledore's instructions about Occlumency-"
"So it's now my fault, isn't it?" asked Harry softly. "That's how you see it, I see. It's nobody's fault but mine."
Hermione blinked back tears, when she saw that she was fast losing her best friend. "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to-"
"You don't have to be sorry," interrupted an amused voice. The both of them broke their gaze and glanced at Draco, who was dabbing his nose delicately with a bloodied handkerchief. "He came in here of his own accord. Nobody asked him to punch me, but he did, and if anyone should feel apologetic, it is Potter. Not you, not me but Potter. Cold? Maybe. True? Absolutely."
He walked towards Harry and extended a hand, albeit somewhat grudgingly. "I asked you once, Potter," he said hesitantly, "and this will mark the second time I'm offering my hand in friendship."
Hermione bit her lip and gazed imploringly at Harry to end this childishness and take Draco's hand. Draco seemed to share her thoughts, as he said, "Hurry up, Potter. This Bloodclot Charm is only temporary, and the hospital wing beckons. If you're nice, I'll tell Madam Pomfrey that I fell."
Harry looked at Hermione, and she nodded. He took a deep breath, the words of the Sorting Hat ringing true in his head:
Though I am condemned to split you all
Still I worry that it is wrong
He thought how Sirius falling through the veil. How he'd woken up for weeks after that incident to find his pillow damp. He'd never told anyone about that.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs
The warning history shows,
For Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
That was what Dumbledore and the Hat preached—unity. And Hermione did look happy with Draco. He looked questioningly into his nemesis's icy grey eyes that seemed to be laughing with amusement at his indecisiveness.
He took Draco's hand.
For a while, it looked as though that would be the end; Harry and Draco would become friends, he'd persuade Ron to react similarly and all would end well. But as Hermione broke into relieved laughter, and advanced to embrace the both of them, Draco twisted Harry's arm before elbowing him sharply in the stomach.
"Now, we're equal," he smirked. His smirk faded when Harry crumpled to the ground, and did not get up.
"Harry?" called Hermione anxiously, shooting a glance of pure venom at Draco. "What's wrong?"
The silence the followed made her blood run cold with ice. "What did you do?" she demanded shrilly. "He accepted your hand, for God's sake!"
Draco brushed his blond hair back, his face wearing a bewildered expression. "I don't know!" he retorted. "It was just a nifty move I learnt from Goyle—"
"That was horrible of you, Malfoy," snapped Hermione as she inspected Harry's pulse. "He was so unassuming and innocent--"
"I'm a Slytherin, Hermione!" interjected Draco, kicking Harry's leg. "You can't expect me to accept a Gryffindor's hand without any ulterior motives!" He stopped short when his words started to sink in.
"Ulterior motives?" echoed Hermione, turning her face slowly to face him. "So there's an 'ulterior motive' behind you kissing me? God, Malfoy, that's a sick way of living your life. Don't you ever do anything that comes from your heart? Maybe Harry is right."
"No!" snapped Draco so loudly that Hermione jumped. "I mean, no, Potter is wrong. I really do…like you, Hermione. It's just that Harry and I-"
"Stow it," said Hermione shortly. She squeezed her eyes shut in hope that it was all a bad dream, and that reality would be much more uncomplicated. "I've heard enough, Malfoy. Just enough."
"So we're not on first-name terms any longer?" sneered Draco. She thought that he would be livid, but he wasn't. "After all that happened, you're just going to decide that you 'had enough'? Don't any of these mean anything to you? I thought that you don't need Cupid's arrow to like me, but it looks like that's not the case."
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh, sure. You wouldn't remember. I'm the one who's left to deal with those memories, while you go about thinking that Malfoy's a sneak, a moron."
"What are you talking about?"
"You walked in on me while I was in the Garden Room that Salazar built for Rowena. Cupid shot you with a golden arrow. We…kissed. You left. The next time I saw you, you remembered nothing. Then I decided to give things another shot, and Potter came in. Now here we are, relieving those memories again."
Hermione stared at Draco, but she failed to see any traces of laughter. Instead, she saw something that resembled disappointment. "I kissed you…before? That's impossible. I'd have remembered, surely."
Draco stared back at her. She saw that his face was still bruised, and his nose was beginning to bleed again. There he stood, in his black robes, his Prefect badge gleaming distractingly on his breast, his hair slicked back in the same manner which he'd worn since she first saw him. Nobody else could've carried the haughty look as well as he did, she realised.
But she saw something else. He also looked tired and disappointed. It was strange seeing him like that, without the trademark sneer on his pale face. Admittedly, she wasn't offended when he kissed her; she'd enjoyed it, even. And strangely, as he turned his grey eyes away from hers, she could almost remember something that he'd said before. She shut her eyes. What was it……
"It's because I didn't want to push you away. Granger….Hermione, I kissed you because I love you. Don't ask me how it came about—I don't know myself. But I do love you, and I don't want you to kiss me simply because of magic"
The sensation of kissing somebody whom she had always harboured feelings for, but never allowed herself to acknowledge those feelings, came back rushing to her. At the back of her memories, she thought that she heard the sweet laughter of nymphs, as she felt his nose brushing against hers. Hermione never cried, at least not in front of a Slytherin, but at that moment, she felt as if she could, for it was as though the most beautiful thing was happening, and she didn't know what she did to deserve it. As her head spun with questions, she found herself wondering if she could possibly sharing the most beautiful moment of all with the boy who once called her Mudblood.
She opened her eyes, and discovered that she could.
It wasn't the Garden Room, and there weren't any crystal moons. But as Draco pulled away from her, and raised an eyebrow at her, she nodded. It was the most beautiful moment of all and she had remembered.
Amidst it all, Harry Potter silently smiled in anguish. He had feigned unconsciousness to see if Draco's feelings for Hermione were true, and it turned out that she'd still like him, whether or not he was a slimy git. He was glad that their faces were turned away; he couldn't stomach another blow. It confused him that he found himself wondering what it would be like to be Malfoy, if only for a day.
A/n: Flame me, criticise me, praise me—go ahead. I'm not picky. Oh yes, once again, thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! It was great of you to actually spare a few seconds/minutes on my humble fic, and for that, you know that this chapter is for you. Ciao!