Hermione
Hermione set down the jar in shock, trying to tear her eyes from it. Why would anyone, even if it was a prank, put something so horrible in this place? She looked at Draco. Surprisingly, he looked a little worried and almost as shocked as she. The first thing she thought was that he'd be happy to see her cringe at something like this.
The jar was black, engraved in the lid and the side was the death mark, the death eaters symbol.
He picked up the jar and jiggled it around a little. "I think we should open it to see what might be inside."
"Are you crazy?" Hermione snapped and ripped the jar from his hands, securing it in her own.
"Probably, but aren't you in the least bit curious?" He gave her a tiny smirk that wiped of any trace of shock that had been there only moments earlier.
A part of her saw no harm in opening the bottle, but another part new better. Whatever was sealed in that jar had some sort of protection spell on it so no magic could befall upon it. She had already discovered this bit of information when trying to levitate the jar.
"Malfoy..." She said sternly, setting the bottle down again. "Let's talk about this later and just finish the damn potion!"
He briefly glared at Hermione before picking up the jar of owl feathers. Hermione couldn't help but realize how stupid she was being in that moment. Why would anyone store anything in that jar that they didn't want to be seen? What harm could come out of it?
She glanced over at Draco who added the owl feather to his half of the potion, slammed down the jar and then the cauldron on the burner. She watched as he turned and started for the balcony. The balcony was isolated from the library by a set of doors that seem to have just appeared there. He opened the door and slipped outside without a word.
Hermione fought the urge to go out onto the balcony. Fought the urge to apologize.
Why would I ever apologize to the guy who made my life a living hell?
She shook the thought out of her head and thought, what I should do is go out and yell at him for being a jerk!
Her hands wandered to the table and hit a hard cool object. The jar. Why hadn't Draco been his usual jerky self and opened the jar? Soon, Hermione found herself opening the balcony doors, letting the cool soft breeze and starry night embrace her. The balcony was empty, besides Draco who leaned against the railing in front of her. Slowly, she slid up next to him and breathed a heavy sigh.
"Draco," He looked over at her surprised.
It was so hard not to reach over and slap him. Yes, she called him Draco. Why not? He'd already called her Hermione.
"God, why is it so hard to apologize to you?!" She stared straight into his eyes for a moment. The look he gave her sent shivers up and down her spine. Not the unplesant, I just found a jar with the dark mark on it, kind but a nice feeling that she couldn't quite put a finger on. "Look, I know I'm a..."
"Bitch?" He asked and broke the eye contact.
Fair enough....
"Yea, well, I'm sorry. You just scare me."
Did I just tell him that?
His eyes shot back to her.
I did!
Now she looked away, feeling her stomach sink and a feeling of sheer stupidity wash over her.
Draco
I scare her? Draco asked himself. For some reason he felt like he should apologize or at least ask her why.
She didn't elaborate on that. Instead she changed the subject. "I hope we get this potion done."
"We will."
There was an awful silence between the two. A silence that stretched on for what seemed like forever.
"Hermione?" Since they seemed to be on a first name basis. "I scare you?"
She's silently for a few more moments. "Yes, you do. I mean you are the nicest person one minute and the next... well, you just lash out at me like I'm the worst person in the world."
He wanted to tell her he was sorry, that she wasn't the worst person in the world, but he couldn't. Yell something like this to a mudblood? His father would kill him. literally.
"I'll go check on the potion." Hermione stated and turned for the door.
Before he realized what he was doing he had already grabbed Her arm and pulled her back towards him. They were only inches apart at that moment. So close Draco could have kissed her. He didn't though. The two of them stood there for a few moments looking at each other.
"I'm sorry too. It's all just too stressful. My dad, my decision, school, Voldemort, you." It came like a waterfall flowing out of him. Everything he feared.
Hermione watched on attentively while Draco laid everything out for her to see and understand him more.
He told her about how his dad beat his mother, how she blamed herself every time for it and said, "Draco, I made him mad. Don't worry about me. It was my fault." He explained how his father was pressuring him into becoming a deatheater, how Voldemort was expecting him to be the most powerful death eater ever.
She gave him a sympathetic look.
"I don't want your pity! I don't even know why I'm sharing this with you!" He suddenly snapped. Just when he was getting on her good side he blows it. He lowered his voice. "It's almost too much."
"Am I really that stressful?" She asked, attempting to wipe any trace of sympathy from her face.
"You are probably the most stressful of them all."
"Oh..." It shouldn't have, but it hurt. She looked away from Draco and back to their working station.
"You walk around above everyone. But you are just a bloody mud blood! Nothing I should be fretting over, or worrying if I'm better than." He looked at her and saw the pain in her eyes. It was hard to tell anyone the things he was telling Hermione, but for some reason it felt right to tell her. She looked back at him as if knowing he was hiding something else. "I shouldn't feel this way about you... a muggle-born wizard."
He had let the cat out of the bag.
He gazed down into the dark ocean waters that surrounded the hotel and sighed. Her watchful eyes were burning into him and suddenly he felt very uncomfortable. He half expected her to run off somewhere and laugh at him, or maybe go and tell Potter so they could spread it around the school. He half expected her to throw her arms around him and confess that she felt the same. For moments nothing happened. When he looked up though, she was standing right there. She hadn't run at least. A small smile was tugging at her lips. He still held her arm. She was still standing inches away. Slowly tough, he closed the distance between them until their lips collided in a gentle kiss.
Hermione
Was she crazy? Hermione didn't care if she was. She let her arms wrap around Draco's neck and felt his hands run down her sides until they placed themselves on her hips.
When the two pulled away, she could feel her face burn from embarrassment. This wasn't right, she knew it and he knew it. School would be back in session in a matter of days. Would Draco change then? Of course he would. Why would he hang out with her when he could have all the pure blooded friends he could want.
"It wont be the same will it?" She asked.
As if reading her mind he replied, "No."
"I didn't think so." She faked a smile. "You aren't a bad guy Draco. Try not to go back to the way you were so much."
He didn't smile. His face was as solid as stone. If she didn't know any better, Hermione could have sworn there was a bit of guilt written there among all the other emotions.
"I guess it was fun." Hermione half lied and pried herself away from Malfoy and back into the hotel to the work station. It had been fun... it had also torn her heart apart.
She quickly combined the two halves of the potion and bottled it. With a short glance at the mystery jar she shivered and turned to head for her room. It was a short walk, filled with thoughts of Draco and her first real kiss. Sure she had kissed guys, but she hadn't ever felt what she did when she was with Draco.
As she entered her room she flipped open her journal.
Journal,
I don't care about what I was going to say before. All care about is what happened tonight, on this cool summer night. Me and Draco... I think I love him and I don't know why. I'm so stupid because everything will change at school. I will no longer be 'Hermione' as he calls me now, I'll be 'mudblood' or Granger. I honestly don't know if I can take it. How could I let myself fall for his rotten no good looks and charms.
I hate myself! And I hate him!
Draco
Draco stood in the library looking at the jar. Whatever it was, he wouldn't let anyone get to it, for his sake and Hermione's. Carefully, he took off his robes and wrapped up the bottle, then he took the potion he and Hermione had made and headed for his room.
He had hurt Hermione. Things didn't have to change when they went back to school. They both knew it. What was he supposed to do?
I'm not going to sacrifice everything for a girl, He thought. No. Not a girl. A women. And not just any women. Possibly the only one who you've ever felt anything real towards. He frowned at the thought. Yeah, and you probably just broke her heart.