"I don't see why we have to do this," Hermione protested with a soft stomp of her foot to punctuate the fact she wasn't happy with what he was dragging her along to do.
"Because, you are coming to the ball with me, and I am going to buy you a dress to go in, that's why."
She scoffed and rolled her eyes, "I have plenty of dresses," She retorted.
"For fuck sake woman, just let me do something nice for you for once, please?"
Draco was almost pleading with her now as they walked side-by-side towards the front gates of Hogwarts on their way to spend the day shopping for outfits to wear to the ball.
Draco had assured her she wouldn't need to bring a cent because he had full access to his parent's vault and fortune and thus he was very, very rich. He had said the very, very rich with a waggle of his eyebrows as if he expected it to sway her perception of him. It didn't.
They both slightly jumped when Severus stepped out from where he had been standing just out of sight, outside of the front gates, blocking their path he towered over them both, arms folded tightly across his chest, a single brow raised in question.
"And where may you two be heading on this fine mid-January morning?" He drawled slowly looking at the close proximity that the two were in and something deep inside of him reared its head and awoke and he was sure that feeling was a pang of jealousy.
"Out. Just like everyone else on," Draco retorted back.
"Better be careful getting so close, people might think you are up. to. Something," His last three words were spoken at a glacial pace.
"You two wouldn't be planning on Apparating from Hogsmeade to London, would you?"
Draco snorted, "us? No? Never." He lied.
"You lie to me, Mister Malfoy. You are a terrible liar and you forget I am a gifted Legilimens." A sneer spread easily and evenly across his face.
"We are old enough to go wherever the hell we want to go, without permission," He hissed back at his Godfather through tightly clenched teeth.
"Indeed. You may proceed." He stepped aside and allowed them to continue about their day, calling out once they had moved a few meters forward.
"And Miss Granger, please see me when you return, you are still yet to serve one last detention."
"Yes, Professor," she called over her shoulder a little too huskily, piquing Draco's interest.
"What is going on between you two?" He asked with utmost sincerity. He wanted to know, nay, he needed to know.
"Nothing," She snapped.
"I call bullshit. And you know its bull shit."
"Is not."
"I've seen the way he looks at you, like some disgusting lovesick puppy that can't tear his eyes off of you. I've seen how much time you spend together, Granger. I wasn't born yesterday."
"I don't know what you are talking about," She said stiffly, quickening her pace in a hope to stop the interrogation she was receiving.
He stopped; grabbing her wrist he spun her around to look at him. "If there is nothing going on between the two of you, kiss me right here, right now and prove it, Granger. He's in a perfect vantage point to see it." He smirked with an air of smugness and quirked a single brow.
Fuck. How was she getting out of this one?
"I… I will NOT be kissing you Draco Malfoy, I don't like men…" She trailed off.
He scoffed. "Fucking bullshit. I've never heard a bigger lie in my life."
"Kiss me now to prove me that I am wrong, or abstain from doing so and prove me right. Which one is it Granger? And there is no option three, pick one and deal with it and if I am right I get eternal gloating rights that I was correct-" She cut him off.
"And if you are wrong, you get to kiss me, it seems both situations are a win for you and loss for me," her voice raised a few octaves in slight anger at the unfairness of the odd laid before her.
"That's not true. If I am wrong, and you kiss me, you get the honor of kissing me, which is a very coveted thing. I don't just go handing my lips around like candy, Granger."
She snorted, "Kissing you wouldn't even be on par with a consolation prize."
"Go on, try it then, one touch of these lips and you will be begging for more."
"Oh my god, could you be any more conceited. Go kiss your self, you are obviously in love with yourself." She rolled her eyes at him, sighing angrily, already the day was not going as planned.
"Clocks ticking Granger, right here, right now, prove me wrong or prove me right. I wouldn't think any less of you if you are banging the old dungeon bat, might put a fucking smile on his dour old face and get us a few extra house points."
She rolled her bottom lip nervously between her teeth, gnawing at it till it was almost bleeding, a terrible habit she had if she did say so herself. She didn't want to kiss Draco, but at the same time, she didn't want to prove him right by not kissing him. She had no feelings at all towards the boy but she knew Severus was somewhat fragile and might not take what she was thinking of doing in jest. But at the same time, it wasn't as if they were in a relationship per say.
Sure they may have fucked each other a few times and spent more time with one another than any other person in the world but she didn't think there was any exclusivity to their relationship. She enjoyed his company and the sex wasn't bad but she didn't exactly know where it was or would be heading in the interim.
The relationship she had with him was fun and it was interesting and maybe that was because he was so dark and mysterious and she wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery that was Severus Snape. The entire time she had known him she had spent all of her time shying away from him, and now, she found herself trying to find an excuse to be with him. He was intriguing and surprisingly she found herself wanting more and more of his company.
"You're banging the old prick, aren't you?" Draco asked in a surprised upward inflection.
The look on her face was enough to confirm his suspicions.
"That fucking sly old dog," he mused before slowly ambling along again, she followed beside him.
"You can't tell anyone, please." Worry began to bubble in the pit of her stomach. Maybe telling Draco Malfoy wasn't her finest moment. Although technically she didn't tell him…
He waved a dismissive hand, " Secret is safe with me. The prick would hang, draw and quarter me if I told anyone his deep, dark secret anyway."
"What's it liked, anyway?" She glanced at him sideways for a moment, "To have him as a godfather I mean."
He shrugged. "He's pretty much the same person behind closed doors as he is in public, well towards me anyway. There is the added benefit of having him help me with homework or assignments should I need it but I mean he doesn't give me special treatment. What's he like towards you?"
"He's… Frustrating at times. Other times it's like talking to a whole different person and other times I couldn't find a nicer person if I tried. I find him interesting and kind."
"Yeah, well you are fucking him so its no wonder you get to see a less cold and sarcastic side."
"Yeah, well I guess if you were desperate to see his nice side you could give it a try…" She trailed off before trying to stifle a laugh.
-o-o-o-o-
"I can't let you buy it for me, Draco," she was protesting once again, only this time it was over the dress he was about to outlay a substantial amount of money for.
"Don't be stupid, it's only five thousand dollars."
"For a freaking dress!" She exclaimed, waving the dress on its coat hanger in his face.
"Not like its going to dry up the vault, Granger," he snapped back at her.
"I just can't, this is a ridiculous price and I cannot allow you to buy it for me." She made her point final by placing it back on the rack.
He rolled his eyes and took it back off the rack, handing it to the saleswoman standing nearby, "She will have that one." The woman nodded in response and took the dress away.
"Granger, I'm not taking no as an answer, for all the terrible things I did to you through our lives I feel it's a little price to pay. Besides Weasel and Potter will be positively beside themselves when they see you wearing that."
"Mmm probably one more than the other," She mumbled hesitantly.
"Weasel?"
She shook her head no ever so slightly and his eyes grew wide at the revelation.
"Potter?!"
She nodded.
"We had a thing for one another… The relationship was physical for a while and feelings were reciprocated, then when Ron cam back he ruined it all," She trailed off looking out the window of the store for a moment.
She really didn't know why she was divulging this information to Draco Malfoy, she was only just learning to tolerate him. Although spending the day with him she learned he wasn't as bad as she had perceived in her mind. He could hold a conversation, he was pleasant towards her, and he was generally good company all around.
"And you are both over one another now?"
Her eyes darted to him before she closed them for a moment sighing softly.
"You still have a thing for him?!" Draco questioned, his voice rising.
"I mean I've known the guy since I was almost twelve and I am twenty later this year, we had a fairly decent relationship for a while and we broke up amicably because Ron was going to be a proverbial wedge in our relationship. I would be lying if I said I still didn't have feelings for him, I do, but I'm not about to run out and act on impulse." She waved a dismissive hand as if downplaying the words she had just spoken.
"And what about you and the dour old prick? Are there any feelings there?" He asked, now thumbing through a rack of expensive suits on a rack to match her dress.
"I honestly don't know. I mean, I enjoy his company and I feel something when I am with him." She was holding up a pair of heels that the sales assistant had brought over to her that would match her dress. She inspected them from every angle, the price tag catching her eye she balked slightly.
"Granger, you are getting those too if you want them, I don't care about the price." He looked sideways at her catching her out of the corner of his eye.
"But I don't know how he feels about you, you know? Like he is such a hard person to read. I wouldn't know if he hated me and just wanted to use me or I wouldn't know if he was falling head over heels for me. I like spending time with him and I like being around him." She sat on a small seat, kicking her own shoes off she pushed the silver heels on, standing up she walked a few small circles trying them on for size.
"Well, if I know anything about Severus Snape, which isn't much but more than most people, I know he wouldn't be spending so much time around you if he didn't at least like you. He's very loyal, fiercely loyal in fact, he would do anything for the right person who asked."
"I just wish he would give me some sort of sign. I mean its all well and good to run off to him and warm his bed, but at the same time does he plan to take this further or am I just a little fin for him in the interim." She looked down at the heels, twisting her ankle just so to get a full side view of one heel.
"Just ask him," Draco said simply.
"That's the thing, I'm worried about rejection." She sighed haughtily taking the heels off and putting them in the box to purchase.
-o-o-o-o-
"Enjoy your little date?" He spat as he looked up at her from his couch. Bottle of whiskey clutched firmly in his hand and she could tell he was in a foul mood.
"What are you talking about?" She asked confused, sitting beside him, he flinched as her leg brushed his own and he scooted away from her so they were no longer touching.
"You and Draco. I saw how close you were today," He said sadly with a sigh.
"What the hell!" She exclaimed trying to pry the whiskey bottle from his vice-like grip. Obviously, he had been drowning his sorry a little too heavily today. He snatched his hand away from hers, pulling the bottle to his lips and taking a large swig or the amber liquid.
"For Merlin's fucking sake. We went out together yes, as friends." She blanched a little, "That was hard to say. You are the one who suggested we go to the ball together, he was just buying me a dress and that was it." She growled, frustrated at his stupid antics.
"If you say so," he said stiffly, not believing her in the slightest.
She pulled a half-empty bottle vodka off of the table, taking the lid off she pressed it hard to her lips and downed a heft portion. She was going to need this to fucking deal with him right now.
"What are you doing?" His brows knitted together as he watched her drink down some of his precious alcohol.
"I need this to deal with your antics right now. You are the one being childish now Severus Snape. You are angry with me because I spent time with Draco. I don't even know where this relationship is going. I don't even know if you like me or if you are merely tolerating me so you have someone to warm your bed. What is happening here, Severus? What do you want from me, from this?"
The bottle in his hand loosened in his grip somewhat and he slowly turned to her. His glassy eyes searching her own clueless but begging ones.
"Please, tell me what is going on with us, between us." She reached a single hand out to brush the back of one of his own which twitched at her touch.
"Can't you see? Isn't it obvious? I love you, Hermione Granger."
Her mouth went try and palms began to sweat.
"You…You love me?" She squeaked.
"I do," He said simply. "Why the fuck do you think I am so upset over you spending time with Draco? I love hard and I love fiercely." He leaned forward and pressed his lips hard against her own.
A/N: Sorry guys it's a teeny bit late than my usual one a week. I was busy hammering away at one of my other stories. Let me know what you thought of this chapter.
-Aliasmel1