Hermione woke up the next morning feeling absolutely horrible. Her eyes were red and puffy, her nose was blocked, and there was a huge clog of hair all tangled up. She couldn't remember how she got so terrible, and she didn't know why she felt like she had spent the night in hell.
Why do I feel so terrible anyway? Malfoy is always saying bad things about me, isn't he? Hermione thought. But somehow it hurt her even more, and she just couldn't put a finger to the reason why
Everyone was already downstairs having breakfast. It was unlike her to be late. She hurriedly put on her robes and ran to the great hall. When she got there, she saw the one boy that made her remember exactly why she had been crying all night.
Malfoy, Hermione thought.
She closed her eyes before her tears spilled out again, and hurried to sit beside Ron and Harry. But when she saw Ron, she remembered that she wasn't on very good terms with him either, so she spun around and tiptoed out the great hall before they noticed she had walked in. Guess she would have to go hungry till everything goes back to normal again.
IF everything goes back to normal again.
During Divination, Hermione sat alone at the back of the class. She looked up, and caught Draco staring at her. He smiled for a second, but frowned when she didn't smile back.
Hermione glared at him, uttering swears and curses under her breath. She loathed the bloody sleazebag, the old dung. She would never forgive him for the things he had said about her that day, during his conversation with Zabini.
"Malfoy. Would you care to show the class how to make the solution for Fantasy Reading?" Professor Trelawney said. Malfoy stood up proudly, walked over to the center of the class, and began to create his potion. A while later, Professor Trelawney took the goblet of milky substance and held it up. "Who would like to give it a taste? Two volunteers please."
When nobody had put their hand up, afraid that Draco's potion could have been made incorrectly and things could go terribly wrong, Professor Trelawney sacrificed herself, and called out Ron Weasley to assist her.
"Now, Ronald, I would like you to take one gulp, and breathe in deeply. You will feel a slight pain in your stomach, well fine, a terrible pain, but it will subside as soon as it has started, and I want you to close your eyes," Professor Trelawney instructed. Ron nodded his head frantically, and repeated under his breath, I'm going to die I'm going to die I'm going to die…
When they both drank their share of the potion, Ron began to scream in pain. Draco, Crabbe and Goyle stood in front of the crowd, laughing as they watched Ron tossing himself around the room, desperate for the pain to stop, and it finally did a few seconds later. Then, he sat on his chair, and closed his eyes after Professor Trelawney closed hers.
A few minutes later, Ron opened his eyes, and grinned widely. "Professor… I had no idea you felt that way about Snape."
Everyone in the room started to laugh. Professor Trelawney and Snape!
"Shush everyone, it's no big deal," Professor Trelawney said sternly, her face showing every little sign of how great a deal it was to her. "And that's Professor Snape to you, Weasley."
The rest of the day went fine, until dinner.
"Hermione! Hold on!" Draco called out.
Hermione didn't stop. She continued walking, and pretended not to hear him. When he caught up to her, she realized that she couldn't avoid him, and decided to just listen to what he had to say, and then walk away.
"I wanted to say um.. well… thanks… for helping me with Divination and all…" Draco said, blushing. "Professor Trelawney told me I did really well after class earlier today."
"Good for you," Hermione said shortly, not looking him in the eye.
"So I was thinking," Draco continued, not sensing her impatience. "Maybe we could meet up again tonight to start on the 4th chapter?"
"I don't think so," Hermione snapped. Draco blinked, hurt in his eyes.
"Hermione? What's wrong?" Draco asked, concerned. He reached out to touch her arm, but she pushed him away.
"Don't try and act all concerned and nice. I know who you really are, Draco. I know what you've been saying about me to your friends. You're real horrible, you know that? I don't want to see your face ever again," Hermione spat, tears filling her eyes. With that, she turned around, leaving Draco stunned, and guilty as ever.
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"Would you pleeeease just tell me who it is you fancy already?" Ron pleaded Hermione in the common room that night. Harry was already dozing off by the fire, his half-written essay slipping from his fingers.
"No, Ron. I don't fancy anyone. I thought I fancied someone else, but no, I guess I was wrong about him," Hermione said. "Anyway, I just wanted to apologize for the way I treated you at Hogsmeade that day."
"Sure, I'm okay with it. You seem real upset though… I guess I'll leave you alone then. Promise me you'll tell me one day?" Ron said.
"Okay, okay. Friends?" Hermione smiled. She needed her friend back, after what had happened that day. Comfort was all she wanted, and knowing that she had one enemy less to worry about. She reached out and hugged Ron, glad that one of her problems was solved.
Harry opened his eyes slightly and saw the two of them hugging. "Oh, wonderful… friends again eh?.. mm.. penguinnnn… come to daddy………" he muttered, and fell asleep once again.
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Hermione spent her whole week avoiding Draco, taking the long way around the school just in case she would bump into him, avoiding eye contact during meals, keeping at least a distance of 10 yards away from him. She was desperate to forget about him, and hopefully get over him.
But this was Draco Malfoy she was talking about. Who could resist him?
It was windy that day, the breeze was helping her relax her nerves and blow away her tension. She strolled by the lake, watching the Slytherin Quidditch team practicing. She looked away before she could see Draco. She didn't want to think of him when she was finally relaxed and happy.
She spotted Ron and Harry and ran up to them, waving.
"Hey, Hermione," Harry greeted. "Look at those Slytherins play… they don't stand a chance! Gryffindor's definitely going to win the upcoming match, don't you agree?"
Hermione nodded, disinterested in Quidditch talk, and lay down on the grass beside Harry.
"Malfoy's not even half as good a seeker as you are, Harry," Ron complimented. Hermione let out a sigh of frustration a little too loudly, and Ron turned to look at her. Did he HAVE to mention that boy's name? She thought. "Is something wrong, 'Mione?"
"Oh nothing, everything's fine!" Hermione quickly replied. "I'm feeling a little unwell. I think I'll go upstairs and take a nap. Catch you two later alright?"
Before Ron or Harry could respond, Hermione was already up and running off.
She stopped sprinting as soon as she got inside, and sat down to catch her breath. She closed her eyes, tension coming back to her again, and she silently cried. Suddenly, she felt someone's hand touch her cheek, wiping her tears away. Her eyes shot open in surprise, and saw Draco sitting beside her, smiling.
"Don't cry… It's okay…"
Hermione pushed him off. "You said awful things about me. How dare you come up to me and speak to me? I told you I didn't want to see you again."
"I know, Hermione. But I want to explain… I was just covering up… I didn't know I sounded so horrible till I thought back about what I had said. I'm sorry, Hermione, I really am. Give me another chance to prove I'm not that kind of person," Draco pleaded.
"I need a tutor, Hermione. I need your help. I need you," he finished.
Hermione looked at him, his words going round and round her mind. I need you, Hermione.
"Okay. Meet me in the library tonight, 8:00pm as usual," Hermione instructed. She gave him a small smile to assure him that she was cooling down, and the two walked off, feeling totally calm, and totally happy.
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"It says here you have a strong attraction to ice cream and cookies," Hermione laughed.
Draco looked at Hermione and smiled, happy to be on good terms with her again. It was really odd fighting with her, not talking to her, not being able to see her smile. He was glad that was all over. He thought of Pansy, of how she used to mean something to him, but now, he saw her merely as a friend. Everytime he looked at Hermione, he couldn't help but smile. She was just there all the time; smiling, laughing… her bouncy hair, big brown eyes, wide smile, and when she gets angry, she's just the cutest ever.
"What?" Hermione said, when she realized Draco was staring at her.
"Nothing," Draco said, grinning. "You just have the prettiest eyes ever."
Hermione blushed. This isn't very much like Draco… where did the mean, conceited jerk go? Who was this kind, sweet person replacing him? Hermione thought. Whatever it was though, she loved this side of him. Truly loved it.
Draco got up, and Hermione's heart skipped a beat. He walked over to her, touched her cheek. "Wh-what are you doing, Draco?" Hermione whispered softly, her heart beating faster and faster.
"Hermione," he whispered her name smoothly. "I know how you found out about what I said about you. You saw Pansy when you were reading my fantasies, didn't you? I want you to drink the potion.. I made it earlier… I want to show you who is in the mirror now."
Draco handed her the little bottle of liquid, and Hermione obediently drank it up, and gave the rest to Draco. They waited for the solution to take effect, and when Hermione started coughing and choking, Draco closed his eyes, ready to fall asleep, totally professional at this as he had done this procedure plenty of times.
Inside Draco's mind, Hermione went back to the place she was the last two times. She got on the couch, switched to the channel she wanted, and was so excited to find out who was in the mirror that she jumped in the television screen without waiting for the couch to carry her in. She sprinted towards the House of Mirrors, and ran all the way to the back of the house, and saw the familiar pink mirror surrounded with hearts and glitter. Somewhere in her mind she knew who it was going to be standing there, but she wanted to see it with her own eyes to be perfectly sure.
She slowly walked towards the mirror, and turned it around. Sure enough, she saw her own self standing there, smiling, and Draco came into the mirror, holding her, kissing her. It all felt so real, so true, she could just feel his warmth and his breath on her neck…
"So now you know, not that you didn't know earlier already," Draco said when Hermione opened her eyes. He picked her up and put his hands around her waist. Hermione's hands found her way behind his neck, and they moved closer to each other.
"I've been waiting for this… I've been wanting you…" Draco whispered.
"So have I."
Draco touched her cheek, and traced her lips. Then he leaned down, and kissed her softly. Hermione let go her breath and relaxed, falling into the spell that was taking over her body, and all she wanted at that moment was to be with him, and to never let go of him. Draco held her tighter, passionately kissing her as she ran her hands through his hair. They finally let go, still holding each other, and swayed to no music in particular.
"All I want is to be with you…"
Hey, this one is kinda rushing isn't it? Sorry about that, it's like 2a.m now and my eyes are dying… sorry for the rush, I'll try and do better nextime! Oh, and please review!