Disclaimer: Harry Potter…blah blah blah…not mine…blah blah blah…this plot is mine…blah blah blah…yeah you know the drill. J.K Rowling good, me bad.
Yes, I am very aware that I haven't updated for a long time, I hope I haven't lost any readers as a result… but anyway, the story continues, the end's just about in sight. Suggestions and reviews are very welcome, thank you to all current reviewers; your encouragement has fuelled this story!
Ok, read on!
Fireworks
After Ron had left the common room, after everyone was gone, Hermione was alone. Suddenly the common room was very cold as she sat there on the window ledge staring out onto the open grounds. She shuddered involuntarily as she remembered the look in Malfoy's eyes when he had seen her earlier…
"That…cretin's gone, is he?"
Hermione awoke with a start from her trance. She hadn't expected Malfoy to reappear so soon, and was certainly not ready for the exchange they were about to endure.
"Yes." Hermione replied, not able to bring herself to look around at him, but not bothering to fight back on Ron's behalf.
Malfoy went over to the sofa on the other side of the room with his back to Hermione, not knowing quite how to express himself. Minutes passed as the two sat in eerie silence, both very aware of the other's presence. Finally, Malfoy broke the silence.
"That's first time I've seen you kiss him, Granger." He said, gruffly.
"We're not into PDA."
"That's not really what I meant. I meant how convenient that the first time you're properly with Weasel, I happen to walk in." Malfoy replied, trying to sneer, but sounding rather strangled.
"It's not my fault you barged in."
"Yes, I rather think it is, actually, seeing as we share this common room. If you didn't want me to see, you would have gone to your chamber."
"Oh? What are you trying to say, Malfoy?" Spat Hermione, trying to sound innocent, but still turning round to glare at the back of his silvery blonde head.
"I think you know, Granger." Replied Malfoy coolly, with a slightly self-righteous air.
"No, enlighten me."
"No, I'd like to hear it from you."
There was another long silence, in which both parties tried to think up something incredibly witty to say to the other, but neither had any luck. Eventually, Hermione said something she'd been desperate to say for a long time.
"You know what? I just don't get why you care so much about my business with Ron." She said, turning back to stare out of the window, but not really seeing anything except for her own, slightly troubled expression.
"I don't."
"Yeah, so you keep saying, and as much as I'd like to believe you, I don't."
"Why do you care that I might care?"
"I don't care."
"Yes, you do. You want me to care."
"You want me to think you don't care!"
"This conversation is getting very juvenile."
"You just want to avoid facing the facts, and I want answers."
"What are these facts I need to face then, Granger?"
Hermione turned back to look at Malfoy who had now gotten up from his seat and was now standing next to the fire place, the flames illuminating his face. He was leaning against the mantelpiece, his fingers curled around the edge, his knuckles were white, and she could see his face was contorted into a very frustrated expression. He almost looked vulnerable.
And there sat Hermione, all riled up, ready to say something very cutting, yet she couldn't open her mouth. It was suddenly very dry, her breathing began to regulate as she wound down from her rage and simply observed Malfoy. Suddenly she could take it no longer, she couldn't see him like this, and suddenly she wished that he hadn't seen her with Ron.
"Hey Ron, how'd it go, mate?" Harry asked his friend when he arrived looking very flushed in the Gryffindor Common room.
"A-maz-ing, dude. 'Mazing." Ron replied, his eyes glazing over slightly with a dreamy sort of look.
"Oh, I get it." Harry said, chuckling slightly. "I gotta say, it's great to see you so happy again. You and Herm were meant for each other, you know?"
"Yeah, I know. I still don't like the thought of her living with that Malfoy git though. D'ya know, he barged right in when I was with her!" Ron grumbled, his fist tightening into a ball when he mentioned Malfoy's name.
"He did? How did Hermione take it?" Asked Harry amusedly, imagining a very angry, bushy Hermione bristling at Malfoy.
"I'm not sure; she just looked at him with a funny expression on her face, and then carried on kissing me. I think she might have been signalling to him to leave or something, because he did." Said Ron shrugging, a big grin on his face when he started thinking about Hermione again.
"Yeah…probably…" Harry replied pensively, a slight suspicious note in his voice which Ron didn't seem to pick up on.
"Anyway, I'm going to turn in, g'night." Said Ron before punching Harry playfully on the shoulder and then retiring to the boy's dorms.
"What was that about? Why's Ron so happy? It's creepy," Asked an amused voice sarcastically from behind Harry.
"Hey Ginny. Nah, he's cool, he's just been visiting Hermione, that's all." Replied Harry, grinning up at Ginny.
"Ah, the happy, yet not so happy couple. How are things with them, then?" She asked quirking an eyebrow at a very happy Ron who was dancing up the marble staircase.
"Swimmingly, apparently." Said Harry in a very unconvinced tone, watching Ron fly around the corner up to their bedroom.
"You don't sound convinced, Harry," Said Ginny after observing the very confused expression on Harry's face, "And I think I know why, too."
"You do? Has Hermione said anything to you?" Harry replied, spinning round to face Ginny.
"No, but I am a very good observer. I think I have some sort of idea of what's going on." Replied Ginny omnisciently.
"It's Malfoy, isn't it?" Asked Harry, inwardly dreading Ginny's answer.
"Yes, I think it might just be."
"I prayed that that wasn't the case, but maybe it is."
"Hermione's not stupid, Harry, maybe we've misjudged him…"
"No, you know him Ginny! He's pure evil. If he does anything to her, I swear…" Said Harry passionately, imagining himself giving Malfoy a right good smack in the face.
"Yeah, I know you would Harry…"
"You know, I he did anything to you…I'd kill him."
"Really?"
"Yeah…"
Suddenly, all thoughts of Hermione and Ron and Malfoy flew out of Harry's mind as he reached out to touch Ginny's cheek gently.
The next morning at breakfast, Ginny and Harry watched Hermione and Malfoy carefully. They both noticed that both of them looked particularly dishevelled that morning, and Hermione came in a lot later than usual.
"Morning, Herm!" Ron called to her as she swept very ungracefully down to the Gryffindor table.
"Hi Ron, Harry." Said Hermione, determinedly not looking at the Slytherin table and planting herself between the two boys.
Ron welcomed her eagerly with a wet kiss on the lips, which was received with a lot of wolf whistles from any onlookers, which included some of the Slytherins on Malfoy's table. Hermione inwardly rejoiced, as she knew he had seen the kiss 'he SO cares,' she told herself triumphantly.
Malfoy, however, was in the middle of convincing himself he didn't care by allowing Pansy to flirt very obviously with him across the table. She kept leaning forward in what, he was sure, she thought was a seductive manner, but she kept putting her elbow in a blob of jam on the table. Out of the corner of his eye, Malfoy noticed Ron give Hermione a kiss, but it didn't bother him because he also noticed that she did not look happy. He smirked to himself as he though of the night before 'she's so desperate for me to care,' he told himself, happily.
The Library was in complete darkness late that night, except for one solitary lamp in the middle of the room where Hermione sat, trying to drown her thoughts in piles of books. She had long since finished every piece of homework she could find and was now resorting to trying to teach herself obscure cleaning spells.
How to clean under the oven when you have Orkaks
Completely useless, Hermione doubted Orkaks even existed as she turned another page of 'Obscure Household Pests and How to Winkle Em Out'.
How to kill and prepare surprisingly tasty pests
'Who writes this rubbish?' Hermione pondered aloud to herself. Besides being ridiculous, the book was not taking her mind off Malfoy, so she resolved to just go up to the Gryffindor dorms and sleep in Ginny's room or something for the night.
As she took the book back to its shelf, she heard the large oak doors open and shut. This surprised and scared her, as no one was allowed in there so late except for her and…
'Malfoy.'
She waited silently in the Household Magic section, peering between books to see if Malfoy was heading her way. Her breathing quickened as she could hear someone getting closer, but she couldn't see a thing.
All of a sudden, two strong hands placed themselves firmly on her waist, and Hermione's heart almost exploded with a mixture of shock, excitement and nervousness.
"Hello Granger," Whispered Malfoy huskily.
"Hello Malfoy," Hermione replied, her voice unnaturally soft.
"I suppose you're wondering why I followed you down here…" Said Malfoy, rolling his eyes.
"Yes…the thought did cross my mind." Replied Hermione; still uncomfortably aware that Malfoy still had one hand on her waist.
"Simply because I'm sure I'm right." Stated Malfoy arrogantly, a steely glint in his grey eyes.
"Oh? What about?"
"You. You want me to care so badly."
"So you say."
"So, you admit it?"
"No, I don't! I'm with Ron and I care about him. You're just looking for an excuse to stir you…you nasty boy." Said Hermione, trying to sound threatening but she really just sounded like a hysterical kitten.
"Listen to yourself Granger; you're not even convincing yourself."
"Yeah, well, you know what I think? I think you're jealous of Ron."
"And why would I be jealous of that poor, red scalped squib?"
"Because you'll never have me."
Malfoy was silent for a second, completely taken back at this bold reply from one so small and bushy.
"What makes you say that?" Asked Malfoy shiftily, taking his hands abruptly off her waist and combing back his hair with a trembling hand. "You know, for your information, mudblood, I don't need you."
"Oh, so we're back to that are we? That's dead mature." Hermione replied impatiently, turning away from Malfoy, down the aisle.
"That's all you have to say, then, is it?" He called after her.
"I don't think there's anything else to say." She replied angrily, stopping but not turning around.
"Fine, lie to yourself, but don't pretend like you don't know what's going on here." Said Malfoy impatiently, trying to entice a fresh conversation.
"And what exactly do you think is going on Malfoy?" Hermione retorted, feeling her blood boil slightly, but at the same time her cheeks flushed guiltily.
A strong hand grabbed her waist and spun her round, and suddenly, Hermione and Malfoy's lips met with an almighty crash. Her eyes popped open in protest and her hands pathetically scrabbled at his chest, but Malfoy's hands simply held onto her waist more tightly.
And then gradually Hermione sank into the kiss. Her eyes closed. Her arms wrapped around his neck.
Right then, he knew he could deny everything until kingdom come, but in was undeniable that there was something there. Exactly what that something was or what had happened to create that something was undefined. Did something have to come from something, could it come from nothing, or had that something always been there?
So there they stood, two sworn enemies holding onto each other in the darkness of the library. And, unlike with Ron, Hermione saw fireworks behind her blissful eyelids.
AN: I really hope that wasn't too corny! Please review, people!