Terrifié
Chapter Three [Interest]
Last Time:
He bent his head a little and brushed his lips against hers, almost gently, chastely. almost. It surprised him that she didn't pull away, didn't fight. Her eyes were wide open and staring into his, and he could sense her swaying slightly. Experimentally he touched her lips slightly with his tongue, and was surprised to feel her mouth open obediently, submissively, with no sign of confusion as to what he wanted.
He pulled away, and stared at her briefly, before walking off. He didn't bother with a smirk or a good-bye. He didn't look back at her as he walked away.
He was too confused. _______________________________________________________________________
Hermione stiffly went back to her room and fell into her bed with her clothing still on. What was happening? How was she letting herself be led? Led into dating Neville, into kissing Draco Malfoy.
All she knew was that fear was engulfing her slowly. Realization crept slowly into her and fear was right behind it. She had just let Draco Malfoy kiss her. She felt helpless and out of control, in shock. How was she supposed to stop him? There was no way.
The fear paralyzed her, made it hard for her to breath, so hard that a simple inhalation took effort, and one exhalation pained her. She lay in her bed unmoving, white as a ghost, and remained this way until she finally fell asleep.
She awoke the next morning slowly, and crawled out of her bed drowsily. Lavi and Pavi were still asleep, and she thanked God. She crept into the bathroom, showered, brushed her teeth and hair, washed her face and applied concealer and some lip balm, then dressed in her school robes.
Her mind was mercifully silent. She didn't think at all, simply functioned. Her body hurt from exhaustion.
Breakfast was uneventful, she sat between Harry and Ron, and Draco did not make an appearance. Neville fawned on her constantly, making idiotic jokes and smiling, putting his pudgy face close to hers and whispering odd and nervous nothings in her ear. She did not register most of this. She was slowly coming into herself though; coming out of her state of shock, her mind resuming its usual thought. She had to get rid of Neville, she realized halfway through Transfiguration class. She had to stay clear of Malfoy. She had to figure out why she was so bad, and find a way to stop herself. What was wrong with her, why was she so different from other girls? They weren't bad like her, they didn't make men do this.
Harry waved a hand in front of her face and Hermione blinked and slowly looked up at him. It seemed as though the rest of the world was behind a curtain, a veil, living as usual, and she was trapped in slow motion.
"Time for potions Hermione. Aren't you eager to get down to the dungeons? Snape will be there!" Ron 'enticed' her. They were so oblivious weren't they? Didn't they know her evil ways?
Hermione walked with them to potions, where she insisted for the first time in either of their remembrances on sitting in the back. She knew Draco was always at the front of the class, busy brown-nosing. ________________________________________________________________________
Snape droned on about various potions, and astonishingly Hermione wasn't listening. Schoolwork was her refuge, a place where nothing of her personal self mattered, it was such a comfort to surround herself with it, to strive for excellence in the one world where she felt she could achieve it.
Her head snapped up as she heard Snape call her name.
"Granger and Malfoy."
Draco, who himself had been lost in a reverie, looked up dreamily.
"Granger and Malfoy!" Snape called again, looking over the top of his scroll at them. "Please find a place to sit together and begin work on your assignment!" Hermione blinked and glanced at Draco, who had stood up and was waiting for her at an empty table he had found. He gestured her over impatiently. She walked towards him.
"What are we supposed to be doing?" She asked, easing herself onto a stool. The air of tension that hung between them held its usual dislike, scorn and rivalry, but now new elements had been added to the cocktail. fear, uncertainty and. attraction.
"Weren't you listening, know-it-all Granger?" Draco sneered.
"No, I wasn't." Hermione answered unashamedly. She didn't have the strength for this.
"Neither was I, but luckily for us, Pansy took notes for me." Draco slapped them onto the table in front of her, making her jump. He noted this. "What's up with you, Mudblood? You're awfully out of it, and jumpy."
"N-nothing." Hermione quickly said, shaking her head to clear it and looking down at the notes. "Oh." she looked at the notes in dismay. "We have to work together for the rest of the school year, Malfoy." she announced.
"What? Is Snape crazy? I should."
"Should what, have your father reassign partners?" Hermione made a bold comment and then mentally reprimanded herself. Do not attract attention to yourself! What if he gets angry? Then what will you do?
Draco took a step closer to her. "Listen here, you filthy Muggleborn, don't insult the integrity of my family," he muttered, glaring at her. He was surprised to feel the electricity in the air between them and stepped back quickly, knocking over a stool and some ingredients and causing a commotion.
The ruckus was a welcomed distraction and they both concentrated on picking up the mess. By the time they were finished, Snape was announcing the end of class.
"I hope you all have made a good start on the project." He said, looking pointedly at Draco and Hermione.
The day wasted away slowly, classes and meals and conversations and jokes passing in a blur of nonchalance. The uneasiness resting in her stomach made it hard for Hermione to eat, and a certain anxiety rested on her chest like a weight. She dreaded supper, but, being the best friend of two teenage boys, there was no way to delay it. let alone avoid it entirely. The trio made their way into the hall and the eyes of the students rested upon them as usual. Despite years of attendance, Harry Potter was yet the shining star of Hogwarts. After all, did he not prove himself year and year? And Ron and Hermione had attained something of a celebrity status as well, not just by being forever with Harry, but through their own heroic deeds and charismatic and charming personalities. Hermione was as outgoing as any after a few months away from Don. Well, usually she was. This year, there seemed to be more challenges.
Hermione bowed her head, letting Harry and Ron receive the attention. But still, she felt eyes on her. She looked up. And her eyes met gray ones. Draco. She shivered as though cold. and she was. chilled by the ice in his gaze. But beneath it glowed something else. Interest. A sudden, unholy, un- Draco-like, interest in something other than himself.
Draco stared at her. Nothing intrigued him; everything had always seemed very simple and straightforward. Everything except Hermione Granger. He wanted to figure her out. he was compelled to figure her out, he must figure her out. Confusion was not a feeling he was used to, and he didn't like it very much. He would get to the bottom of this girl if it killed him, because otherwise she would not be dismissed from his mind.
And so begun his pursuit of Hermione.
TBC ________________________________________________________________________
Chapter Three [Interest]
Last Time:
He bent his head a little and brushed his lips against hers, almost gently, chastely. almost. It surprised him that she didn't pull away, didn't fight. Her eyes were wide open and staring into his, and he could sense her swaying slightly. Experimentally he touched her lips slightly with his tongue, and was surprised to feel her mouth open obediently, submissively, with no sign of confusion as to what he wanted.
He pulled away, and stared at her briefly, before walking off. He didn't bother with a smirk or a good-bye. He didn't look back at her as he walked away.
He was too confused. _______________________________________________________________________
Hermione stiffly went back to her room and fell into her bed with her clothing still on. What was happening? How was she letting herself be led? Led into dating Neville, into kissing Draco Malfoy.
All she knew was that fear was engulfing her slowly. Realization crept slowly into her and fear was right behind it. She had just let Draco Malfoy kiss her. She felt helpless and out of control, in shock. How was she supposed to stop him? There was no way.
The fear paralyzed her, made it hard for her to breath, so hard that a simple inhalation took effort, and one exhalation pained her. She lay in her bed unmoving, white as a ghost, and remained this way until she finally fell asleep.
She awoke the next morning slowly, and crawled out of her bed drowsily. Lavi and Pavi were still asleep, and she thanked God. She crept into the bathroom, showered, brushed her teeth and hair, washed her face and applied concealer and some lip balm, then dressed in her school robes.
Her mind was mercifully silent. She didn't think at all, simply functioned. Her body hurt from exhaustion.
Breakfast was uneventful, she sat between Harry and Ron, and Draco did not make an appearance. Neville fawned on her constantly, making idiotic jokes and smiling, putting his pudgy face close to hers and whispering odd and nervous nothings in her ear. She did not register most of this. She was slowly coming into herself though; coming out of her state of shock, her mind resuming its usual thought. She had to get rid of Neville, she realized halfway through Transfiguration class. She had to stay clear of Malfoy. She had to figure out why she was so bad, and find a way to stop herself. What was wrong with her, why was she so different from other girls? They weren't bad like her, they didn't make men do this.
Harry waved a hand in front of her face and Hermione blinked and slowly looked up at him. It seemed as though the rest of the world was behind a curtain, a veil, living as usual, and she was trapped in slow motion.
"Time for potions Hermione. Aren't you eager to get down to the dungeons? Snape will be there!" Ron 'enticed' her. They were so oblivious weren't they? Didn't they know her evil ways?
Hermione walked with them to potions, where she insisted for the first time in either of their remembrances on sitting in the back. She knew Draco was always at the front of the class, busy brown-nosing. ________________________________________________________________________
Snape droned on about various potions, and astonishingly Hermione wasn't listening. Schoolwork was her refuge, a place where nothing of her personal self mattered, it was such a comfort to surround herself with it, to strive for excellence in the one world where she felt she could achieve it.
Her head snapped up as she heard Snape call her name.
"Granger and Malfoy."
Draco, who himself had been lost in a reverie, looked up dreamily.
"Granger and Malfoy!" Snape called again, looking over the top of his scroll at them. "Please find a place to sit together and begin work on your assignment!" Hermione blinked and glanced at Draco, who had stood up and was waiting for her at an empty table he had found. He gestured her over impatiently. She walked towards him.
"What are we supposed to be doing?" She asked, easing herself onto a stool. The air of tension that hung between them held its usual dislike, scorn and rivalry, but now new elements had been added to the cocktail. fear, uncertainty and. attraction.
"Weren't you listening, know-it-all Granger?" Draco sneered.
"No, I wasn't." Hermione answered unashamedly. She didn't have the strength for this.
"Neither was I, but luckily for us, Pansy took notes for me." Draco slapped them onto the table in front of her, making her jump. He noted this. "What's up with you, Mudblood? You're awfully out of it, and jumpy."
"N-nothing." Hermione quickly said, shaking her head to clear it and looking down at the notes. "Oh." she looked at the notes in dismay. "We have to work together for the rest of the school year, Malfoy." she announced.
"What? Is Snape crazy? I should."
"Should what, have your father reassign partners?" Hermione made a bold comment and then mentally reprimanded herself. Do not attract attention to yourself! What if he gets angry? Then what will you do?
Draco took a step closer to her. "Listen here, you filthy Muggleborn, don't insult the integrity of my family," he muttered, glaring at her. He was surprised to feel the electricity in the air between them and stepped back quickly, knocking over a stool and some ingredients and causing a commotion.
The ruckus was a welcomed distraction and they both concentrated on picking up the mess. By the time they were finished, Snape was announcing the end of class.
"I hope you all have made a good start on the project." He said, looking pointedly at Draco and Hermione.
The day wasted away slowly, classes and meals and conversations and jokes passing in a blur of nonchalance. The uneasiness resting in her stomach made it hard for Hermione to eat, and a certain anxiety rested on her chest like a weight. She dreaded supper, but, being the best friend of two teenage boys, there was no way to delay it. let alone avoid it entirely. The trio made their way into the hall and the eyes of the students rested upon them as usual. Despite years of attendance, Harry Potter was yet the shining star of Hogwarts. After all, did he not prove himself year and year? And Ron and Hermione had attained something of a celebrity status as well, not just by being forever with Harry, but through their own heroic deeds and charismatic and charming personalities. Hermione was as outgoing as any after a few months away from Don. Well, usually she was. This year, there seemed to be more challenges.
Hermione bowed her head, letting Harry and Ron receive the attention. But still, she felt eyes on her. She looked up. And her eyes met gray ones. Draco. She shivered as though cold. and she was. chilled by the ice in his gaze. But beneath it glowed something else. Interest. A sudden, unholy, un- Draco-like, interest in something other than himself.
Draco stared at her. Nothing intrigued him; everything had always seemed very simple and straightforward. Everything except Hermione Granger. He wanted to figure her out. he was compelled to figure her out, he must figure her out. Confusion was not a feeling he was used to, and he didn't like it very much. He would get to the bottom of this girl if it killed him, because otherwise she would not be dismissed from his mind.
And so begun his pursuit of Hermione.
TBC ________________________________________________________________________