One Day
Hermione was tiredly flipping though "A Witches and Wizards Guide to Curses," searching for information - that she didn't already know - to add to her essay. Which was proving to be more difficult than she had first thought. It was thirty minutes to Curfew and Hermione was running out of time. She wanted to finish the essay today so she could have the weekend to study.
As usual she was the only one in the Library on a Friday evening and found it unusual to hear someone entering the room at this time. She looked up to see Malfoy glowering at her with his trademark smirk.
"What are you doing here Mudblood?" he questioned. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Studying, what else do you do in a library?" she answered smugly. Malfoy's smirk faltered for a second but he quickly recovered.
"Surprised you aren't here with Potty and your boyfriend Weasel," he sniggered.
"Ron in not my boyfriend," Hermione spluttered, "Really Malfoy, can't you come with a more original comeback? That one is getting old."
"Why can't you stop being a no-it-all Mudblood and go back to the filthy hole you crawled out from," he sneered , clearly annoyed. A look of hurt and pure hatred flashed across Hermione's face and she raked her brain for something to shoot back at him.
Malfoy on the other hand was enjoying himself and confidently strode over to Hermione's table and stood across from her.
"Mind if I take a look at your book there Granger?" not waiting for an answer he swiped the book from her hands and idly flipped through the pages.
"Give it back, Malfoy," spat Hermione angrily making an attempt to retrieve her book. Malfoy merely turned away, his smirk cockier then ever.
"Nobody likes a bossy-pants," he said, wagging a finger at the peeved Hermione.
"You, Malfoy, are the most aggravating, cocky, self-absorbed git I have ever had the miss pleasure to meet," Hermione hissed, glaring at him like there was no tomorrow. Hermione was never the kind of person to shot insults at people, but Malfoy was an exception. There wasn't any 'human' in him and it showed in the way he acted. He showed no guilt what so ever when he deliberately hurt someone's feelings or embarrasses them in front of a crowd. It was as if he felt no remorse for be being the source of someone's discomfort. No, he defiantly wasn't human.
After digesting this comment, Malfoy closed the book with a loud snap - causing Hermione to jump - and slammed it on the table.
"What makes you think that a filthy Mudblood like you can speak to a pure-blood like me like that?" he questioned with an authoritive voice.
At this moment Hermione realized she as all alone and nobody was there to stand up from her. She was alone with Draco Malfoy. He could do or say anything he wanted to her and no one would protect her. She remembered all the times when he had verbally attacked her, and Harry and Ron would always back her up and comfort her after. Sometimes she had to hold them back so Malfoy wouldn't get hurt. Now that she was all alone she, she lacked their confidence that she unconsciously depended on.
"Cat your tongue, eh Granger?" Malfoy smirked. He had won. She was afraid, he could see in the widened chocolate colored eyes. Leaning down on the mahogany table he lowered his head to her level.
"Is this all you do Mudblood?" he said as he motioned towards her homework, "study all the time?" Hermione stared at him wondering how someone can enjoy teasing people.
"Speak when your spoken to Granger. Didn't your filthy parents ever teach you that?" he sneered.
Something in Hermione snapped and before she knew what she was doing she had slapped Draco Malfoy across his cocky face. The force of the slap pushed his head to the side and when he turned back to Hermione, he was livid. He grabbed her chin and pulled her face so close that she could feel his hot, angry breath brush against her face.
"Don't ever," he spat, "do that again."
Hermione glared at Malfoy with all her might , with such defiance that Malfoy was startled to see a single tear roll down her cheek.
"You look like you've never seen a girl cry before," she whispered.
She searched his eyes for a sign, anything that prove that he had a soul or even an ounce of conscience. Usually his eyes were like stony silver orbs with wisps of blue, - the kind of blue the ocean was after a storm - but the two different colors that were so distinguishable before, were almost swirling together and she couldn't tell the one form the other. She could sense an immanent feeling of confusions radiating from his eyes.
Draco was boldly staring into her eyes trying to ignore the tears, but he soon got distracted with staring into her eyes. Suddenly he felt it. It was as if there was some squeezing his stomach and the feeling was slowly rising up through his chest and nesting in his heart. Not recognizing this emotion he froze, desperately trying to figure out what it was, but apart of his mind was - a very strong and large part of his mind - fought with his heart and eventually forced the feeling out and Draco was himself again. But it didn't go unnoticed buy Hermione.
"It's called guilt," she whispered.
Forcing a blank face he stormed off. With a whirl of his cloak he was gone and stalking though the seemingly endless corridors of Hogwarts towards the Slytherine dormitories.
With hope in her heart, Hermione gathered her things and realized that maybe, just maybe there was a soul in Draco Malfoy. If only he'd embrace it, then maybe one day he'd be able to call himself a real human. When that day would come she didn't know, but when it did, Draco Malfoy would be a new person.
Authors Note:
Ah, my first fic is done and I hoped you enjoyed it. J At the moment this only a one -shot, but if I get enough inspiration or, encouragement from any readers… I might add another couple chapters. So REVIEW! Feel free to drop any ideas, suggestions, or constructive criticisms or what ever floats your boat!
BYE!
-Tracey Anne