Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's.
A/N: Read and Review and oh, enjoy reading!
Let's be Friends, you Spoiled Brat!
May 24, 1990
Hermione woke up the next morning. As she looked around, her eyebrows slowly knitted together. The brunette frowned. Why was she in her bedroom? She clearly remembered that there was a war happening in Hogwarts. She clearly remembered that no one had won… yet. She clearly remembered she hadn't marched in the Great Hall with a beaming face, happy that she would graduate soon. She clearly remembered she hadn't made her Head Girl speech. And so did the Head Boy who was unfortunately, Draco bloody Malfoy. Her frown deepened.
She clearly remembered now.
She was dead, killed by the Killing Curse and it was all thanks to the Head Boy himself. And so, she went back into time in order to change the jerk's heart for three weeks.
Hermione made a face as she stood up to stretch a little. She remembered that she had to give something to win the little boy's heart today. The brunette sighed. 'This would be very, very hard,' she thought as she went to the bathroom to take a warm bath. 'He is Malfoy, anyway.'
Once she was finished and changed into new clothes (green turtleneck, blue jeans, and sneakers), the brunette went downstairs, feeling hungry. But as she neared her temporary kitchen, she froze. There were some clunking noises inside. Hermione presumed that someone might be messing up with the kitchen utensils. And the problem was, Hermione didn't know that someone. And worse, what if he was a thief? Hermione softly groaned. For crying out loud, she didn't have her wand!
Looking wildly around, Hermione spotted an umbrella. She immediately grabbed for it. She might as well use it as some defense if the thief thought of attacking her. The brunette braced herself as she slightly opened the kitchen door. The clunking noises were getting louder and louder. The brunette thought of some things to do to defend herself (like, with the usage of the umbrella tightly clutched on both of her hands, she would poke him where it hurts). Inhaling one last deep breath, Hermione kicked the door open, her umbrella ready to attack.
But once she had seen what was inside, her jaw dropped and so did the umbrella clutched by her hands. There, in front of her, was an amused Merlin who was just about to fill a glass with pumpkin juice.
"Miss Granger, what were you just doing with an umbrella awhile ago?" Merlin asked.
Hermione blushed but didn't answer the old wizard. Instead, she slightly glared at him. "You scared me, you know. I thought you were some thief."
Merlin chuckled making Hermione frown. "Miss Granger, I only made you breakfast."
The brunette averted her gaze away from the old wizard towards the scrumptious breakfast. Hermione's mouth instantly watered and embarrassingly, her stomach grumbled. Merlin chuckled again.
"Well, go eat now, Miss Granger," he said, sitting down on one of the kitchen chairs. "I believe you need a lot of energy today."
Hermione sighed. He was right. She did need to have a lot of energy today. Pleasing a younger Draco Malfoy looked like dating the Giant Squid. Wanting to get those thought out of her mind, Hermione sat down on one of the vacant chairs and started to eat. Good Lord, she was really, really famished. Merlin watched her intently, quite amused. And then, he watched as she abruptly stopped eating. Her brows slowly knitted together. Merlin sighed. He knew that look which means she would ask something.
And he was right.
"I was just wondering…," she started looking at the old wizard while peeling an orange. "I'm dead, right? And I'm not that daft to know that I won't eat and sleep anymore. But," she raised the already peeled orange, "I'm eating, quite a lot, actually, and I slept peacefully last night. Why do I eat and sleep and do what an alive human normally does when I know that I'm already a soul?"
Merlin smiled. "Perceptive," he complimented, slightly in awe. "Dumbledore is really right. He does have a very intelligent witch under his care. Well, before he died, actually." Merlin sighed and shook his head. "Shame, it's really quite sad to lose an intelligent witch like you." He sighed again.
Hermione slightly blushed at the old wizard's compliment. She was flattered. The brunette then cleared her throat. "You didn't answer my question, Merlin."
The old wizard smiled again. "Oh, well, Miss Granger, it's simple," he said. "Mister Malfoy sees you, you eat, you get hungry, you sleep, and you get tired. You all do things a normal human does. And that is because… you are a temporary human right now."
Realization dawned on Hermione.
"Fate and I agreed that in order for you to possibly accomplish your task successfully, you should of course be temporary alive," he said. "I think it won't be nice if you are a soul and will talk to Mister Malfoy. He might end up going to St. Mungo's instead of putting his father to Azkaban."
Hermione impishly smirked. She could already imagine if she talked to Draco Malfoy if she was a soul. She could already imagine him shrieking shrilly like a coward. Oh, hell, she could already imagine him in St. Mungo's having tea with Professor Lockhart (who, unfortunately, lost his memory) and talking about a soul wanting to have Professor Lockhart's autograph. Lockhart would of course be thrilled and really write an autograph for Malfoy's 'invisible' friend. Oh the joy!
The brunette burst into laughter as she thought of these things, making Merlin look at her with confusion and amusement.
"Miss Granger, are you all right?" Merlin asked, though there wasn't any hint of concern in his voice.
Hermione shook her head. "I'm all right…" – the brunette still slightly giggled – "I'm just glad to hear that I'm temporarily alive…"
"… for 3 weeks only," Merlin added. "After that, you can either continue being a human or a soul. It depends whether you succeeded in your task."
The brunette stopped laughing and groaned. "Which reminds me," she said, now looking at Merlin with a scowl on her face. "I need your help in winning Malfoy's friendship, Merlin. I think he'll give me a hard time today."
Merlin sighed and nodded. "I know you need help, Miss Granger," he said. "And by the way, it didn't seem like you had a peaceful sleep yesterday."
Hermione frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You were mumbling some… words. Interesting words," Merlin said, now a sly smile on his face.
The brunette softly groaned. She knew she did speak when she slept. "And what did I say?" 'I hope things that didn't embarrass me,' she added in her thought.
"Oh, interesting words, very interesting," he started. "You mumbled how much you dislike Draco Malfoy…"
"… oh hell, I really do!"
"… You mumbled about how worried you are about the things that would happen on the next day, which is, today…"
"… oh goodness, I bloody am!"
"… And," he said, his sly smile growing.
"And what?" she asked, frowning at his smile. She lifted the glass of pumpkin juice to her lips and gulped its contents.
"And… you said you love him," he finished.
Hermione sprayed some pumpkin juice. Fortunately, Merlin jumped up immediately. He knew this would be her reaction. He watched in amusement as the brunette coughed and furiously dabbed a table napkin against her lips. "WH – WHAT?!"
"I said you mumbled you love him," Merlin said, still amused. "Really interesting, Miss Granger. You were mumbling some… let's say… profanities about Mister Malfoy. But in the end, you declared your love for him and then, there was silence."
Hermione blushed furiously and softly groaned. "You were watching me sleep?!"
Merlin smiled. "Indeed I was. I forgot to tell you about the fact that you are temporarily alive. But alas, you were asleep… and the rest was history."
The brunette groaned again and buried her head on her folded arms on the table. Oh for heavens' sake, she was utterly embarrassed. She cursed under her breath. She really hated it when some people heard her mumbling words in her sleep. She knew that sometimes she was mumbling her deepest and darkest secrets in her sleep even though she didn't hear them. Hermione knew Merlin wasn't lying at all. The old wizard's been honest with her from the very start.
Merlin chuckled. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Miss Granger. Even though you don't say it out loud, I know you do love him."
"I don't," Hermione said, wanting to sound firm and angry. Instead, she heard her voice sounding weak and defeated.
The old wizard smiled. "Whatever you say, Miss Granger. Whatever you say."
Hermione lifted her head and stared at Merlin's face. She still was as red as a tomato. "Can you just tell me if you will help me in winning Malfoy's friendship?"
Merlin sighed. She was desperate to change the topic again. The old wizard couldn't help but feel amused every time Hermione Granger desperately, as in desperately, tried to change the topic whenever they were talking about her feelings for Draco Malfoy. Merlin sighed again. He guessed she was just too shy to talk about it. "Of course, Miss Granger, I will help you."
The brunette nodded her head and managed to crack a small smile. "Err… thanks."
Merlin nodded his head and brandished his wand. Hermione eyed at it enviously. She missed holding her wand already. She watched as Merlin made a very complicated wand movement while mumbling some things, spells Hermione presumed, under his breath. And then, a body bag appeared on the table (Merlin cleared the food). It was colored a lighter shade of green.
The old wizard looked at Hermione with a small smile. "That body bag can help you, Miss Granger. Little Draco Malfoy begged you to give him some things that can please him so that you could be his friend…"
Hermione snorted obviously. Malfoy? Begged? Well, demanded was the right word. Draco Malfoy never begged and that was a fact.
Merlin ignored the brunette's snorting and continued. "This body bag," he pointed at the thing on the table, "can help you. Since you don't have a wand, you can't conjure things out of thin air and give it to Mister Malfoy. So, if you need things, just say what you need and rummage inside the body bag. You'll end up finding what you need inside it."
Hermione looked at it with awe. She grasped it and wore it around her body. "Wow, you used a very, very advanced magic." She made a mental note that if she lived again, she would study this particular complicated magic.
Merlin merely smiled for his answer. "But there's a limit, Miss Granger. You can only give him five things. After that, the magic will be gone."
"Oh," Hermione said, frowning. "I'll try to use them wisely." 'If Malfoy doesn't become so greedy and all,' she continued in her thoughts, sighing.
"Good," he said. He looked at Hermione. "I think it will be best if you go now, Miss Granger. Mister Malfoy is impatiently waiting for you. I think he needs to attend some things after your short meeting with him."
The brunette looked surprised. "How did you know?"
Merlin smiled. "I can see things from above, Miss Granger."
"Oh, okay," Hermione said as she stood up from her seat. "Thanks again, Merlin."
"If something goes wrong, call out my name, Miss Granger. I'll immediately come," he said.
Hermione nodded. "All right, I will." And with a dull pop, Merlin disappeared. Hermione sighed as she slowly walked towards hell… a.k.a. the place where Draco Malfoy was waiting.
"I still can't believe I mumbled I love him."
Draco looked at his watch for the umpteenth time. He clearly told Hermione that she should meet with him same place at 10 in the morning. But the blond frowned. It was already 10:10 am. She was ten minutes late.
Draco sighed as he stared ahead, waiting for her arrival. The blond didn't know why but he was anticipating her arrival… he was anticipating the arrival of the pretty teenager. Draco sighed disbelievingly as a small smirk formed on his face. Good Lord, he kept on thinking how this teenaged girl looked so lovely and alluring yesterday. For goodness' sake, he was only nine (turning ten soon) but he had found this particular teenaged girl (probably sixteen or seventeen, he presumed) very attractive.
His smirk grew as he saw her coming towards their 'meeting place' as what he fondly called last night. She was wearing a green turtleneck with jeans. 'Beautiful,' he mused as his eyes traveled to her face. She was frowning… at him. Draco couldn't help but smirk more. This would be a very interesting day for him.
"You're late," he said as she was a feet far from him.
"I know. You don't need to tell me," Hermione snapped.
"Getting angry will me won't help you in being my friend, you know," Draco said, though, still smirking. 'She's prettier when she's angry,' he mused.
Hermione sighed as she furiously ran a hand through her hair. "All right, I'm sorry," she said, sounding a bit rude. Saying sorry to Malfoy was harder than saying sorry to Ron.
"All right, you're forgiven," he said. He then clasped his hands together, making him look more matured. "Now, I would just like to tell you that I don't have much time today. I have matters to do in my house. My father told me that there would be a family meeting, probably about my mother's birthday party." His silver orbs stared straight at Hermione's brown ones. "If you are going to give me something today, I think it would be best if you just give me two things. I'll see if one of them pleases me. If one will please, or maybe both, then I'll do my part of the deal. I'll accept your friendship."
Hermione gawked at him. She never heard a child like him talk… like that. The brunette was impressed. "Fine," she said.
"Now, you may start," he said, casually looking at his nails. Hermione rolled her eyes but bit back an insult forming in her mouth. If she wanted to be friends with Malfoy, it would be best if she wouldn't say any insults to this child.
The brunette contemplated at the things a boy would like. She really didn't know about these things because obviously, she was a girl. She remembered having boy playmates when she was young but they were very few.
'Hmm… Malfoy's intelligent,' she contemplated. Okay, she had admitted, Draco Malfoy was bloody brilliant. He was Head Boy and the second most intelligent student in Hogwarts. So, Hermione thought that maybe he would like the thing that she would give to him right now. She whispered it softly to the bag and rummaged inside it.
Draco curiously looked at the bag worn around Hermione but chose not to ask anything.
Hermione could already feel it, like what Merlin had said. With a smile, Hermione pulled it out of the bag. "Here's the first one," she said.
Draco looked at the thing that was on Hermione's hand. He stared at it for a long time before he looked up at Hermione with a frown. Hermione scowled, making his frown turn into the (in)famous Malfoy smirk.
"Hogwarts: A History?" he asked, his eyes quickly flickering from the book on Hermione's hands back to the teenaged girl. "Do you honestly think I would be pleased by that?"
Hermione deepened her scowl but didn't say anything.
His smirk grew. "For your information, we have a big library in the Malfoy Manor. And, actually, we already have hundreds of copies of Hogwarts: A History translated into different languages. So, you don't need to give me that book to add to our collection."
Hermione glared at the little boy.
"Now, give me the last one," he ordered. "I soon have to go home."
"All right, no need to be impatient," Hermione snapped, as she started to think again.
Draco secretly looked at her with a small smile on his pale, handsome face. He was enjoying in bossing Hermione around. Oh Merlin, he enjoyed making her angry with him because she was very entertaining when she gets angry and… well… she was quite pretty when she was angry as what he had thought a while ago.
Hermione's brows knitted together as she thought of other things that could please Malfoy. And then, an idea struck her as she remembered her Hogwarts days. She whispered what she needed to the body bag and rummaged inside it. She clutched a Chocolate Frog and pulled it out of her bag. She had always seen an owl delivering some sweets from home to Draco and he always bragged about it (a little loudly, actually). Maybe, this would please him. "Here," she said, throwing it to the little boy angrily, wishing he wouldn't catch it. But he did. 'Nice reflexes,' she thought with heavy sarcasm. She watched as he casually opened the wrapper and took a bit of the chocolate. He was silent until he finished the whole chocolate. With an impatient sigh, Hermione asked, "Well?"
Draco shook his head. "Fat chance, Hermione," he said, the smirk finding its place back on his face. Hermione's heart skipped a bit when he had said her name without disgust and hatred accompanying it. "My parents already bought me a lot of sweets." He slightly frowned. "And besides, if you want to give me something that can please me, give me something that is not edible."
"Yes, sir," Hermione said, dripping with sarcasm.
The blond's smirked widened. "Very good," he said, his tone sounding like he was proud of his pet dog. Hermione glared at him.
"I'll get something again," she said, now putting another face of concentration.
"I only gave you two chances, Hermione," he reminded her. "I told you I need to leave early."
Hermione groaned. "Malfoy…" – the blond frowned and Hermione sighed – "Draco, one more chance!" The blond shook his head, teasing her. Hermione closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. When she opened them, Draco was surprised to see slight pain in her eyes. "Please?" she added.
The blond emotionlessly stared at her but inside, he was dumbstruck. No one had said 'please' to him before. And why did she look like she was having a hard time? Why did she look like it was very important to her if he became her friend? And, why oh why did she look so attractive with pleading eyes and slightly pouting lips? Draco slightly cleared his throat. "Tut, I really can't, Hermione. I really need to go now. My parents really need to see me now," he said. "But, you can still have some chances tomorrow," he immediately added when the brunette looked like she was close to crying.
The brunette sighed in relief. At least she still had a chance tomorrow. Tonight, she promised herself that she would think of other things to please a child. She needed to live, all right! "Fine," she said. "You can go now." She watched as slight hesitation showed on the blond's face but disappeared immediately. The brunette raised one eyebrow at what she had just seen. Maybe she was hallucinating.
"Goodbye then," he said and turned around. He had heard her soft 'goodbye' and her footsteps slowly becoming softer and softer as she walked farther and farther away from him.
Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He was startled at what he had just seen in her eyes just a while ago.
And a small part of him, just a small part, thought that maybe he would pretend to be pleased at one of the things that Hermione would give to him tomorrow.
But sadly, it's just a small part of him.
May 25, 1990
Hermione was quickly walking towards their meeting place. As she arrived, Draco was already there, sitting on the bench. He was absentmindedly twirling a loose strand of his grey t-shirt. Hermione slightly grimaced at the color of his shirt. In their years in Hogwarts, the brunette always saw him wearing green, black, grey, or white. That was all. No other colors. But Hermione had to admit, those colors made him look… hotter.
The brunette blushed slightly as she nervously cleared her throat. Draco abruptly looked up and saw Hermione. He surveyed her from head to toe. She was wearing a blue sweater and jeans again. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail. The blond had to admit. She looked prettier in blue and when her hair was tied up.
"Wow, you're not late," he said with a smirk, receiving a glare from the brunette herself. "Now, give me the things you have to give me. I won't rush you but honestly, I rather do some things than this." Well, that was a pretty white lie. Draco was oddly excited in meeting her but he enjoyed seeing her becoming worked up again.
"Well, I'm sorry for stealing some of your precious time, Mister," Hermione snapped, face becoming red because of anger.
"Calm down," Draco said. "Like what I've told you yesterday, getting angry with me won't help you in becoming my friend."
Hermione closed her eyes and counted from one to ten, just to calm herself down. When she knew her anger was controlled already, she opened her eyes. "May I start?" she asked curtly.
"Go on," he said, not really sure why she was asking permission. He played with a stick, pretending it to be a wand as he secretly watched the thinking brunette.
Hermione thought of another thing to give to the… insolent boy. She thought about her boy playmates and the things they usual brought in her home to play with her (yes, sometimes Hermione played with toys boy usually played rather than playing with a doll). Another idea came into her mind as she whispered the thing to the magical bag. She rummaged inside and pulled out a toy car. Hermione grinned. When she was a child, boys couldn't bear to live without toy cars. Maybe Draco would be one of them, too. "Here," she said, a small confident smile on her face. But she frowned as she saw the look of confusion on his face.
"What is that?" he asked, eyeing the thing on Hermione's hand with slight confusion masking his interest.
Hermione frowned but answered him, anyway. "Why it's a toy car!" she exclaimed, still frowning.
Draco was still confused. "What's a car?" he asked, now obviously showing his interest.
The brunette slapped her forehead, startling the blond. Of course! She was talking to a Pureblood wizard. Those kinds of people wouldn't know what a toy car was… or a car, perhaps. Sighing, she placed it inside her bag again.
"Wait," he said, making Hermione stop. He walked towards Hermione and snatched the toy car away from her hand. He watched in interest as the black, small, circular thing under the toy car moved. The brunette smiled at his sudden interest of the Muggle toy. Hermione frowned. It was something Muggle so maybe Draco was forbidden to hold one.
"It's a Muggle toy," she said. She watched as Draco froze. And suddenly, he threw the car, hitting Hermione's right shoulder.
"Ouch," the brunette groaned as she massaged her aching shoulder. She glared at Draco who was now frantically wiping his hands with his clothes. "Why did you do that?!" she exclaimed, feeling slightly annoyed.
"I'm forbidden to hold a Muggle toy!" he exclaimed, suddenly glaring at Hermione. "You didn't tell me it was a Muggle toy!"
"Well, because you were obviously fascinated by that stuff," Hermione said, huffing. And then, a grin appeared on her face. Draco restrained himself from gaping at her. She looked more beautiful if she was smiling than pleading. "Wait, you were fascinated when I showed you the toy car," she said, flashing another dazzling smile. "I pleased you, didn't I?"
"Certainly not," Draco said, huffing, too. "You can't please me with Muggle toys."
Hermione glared at him and whispered some profanities, not wanting a child, not even Malfoy, to hear some curse words.
"Will you still give me something more?" Draco asked rudely, getting impatient.
Hermione rolled her eyes and started to think again. 'Honestly, this boy is getting under my nerves,' she thought. She bit her lower lip, a habit she developed when she was deeply thinking. 'Hmm… I need to give him something that can please him and is something he isn't forbidden to have.' An idea crossed her mind and the brunette slightly smiled. Maybe he would like this.
She whispered it at the magical bag. She rummaged inside it and pulled it out. The thing was a miniature dragon. It was magical, of course, because it was moving. It was often flapping his wings and breathing fire (not burning anything, though). She had thought about this because of his name, actually. Draco was the Latin word of Dragon. And so, she came up with this idea.
Draco looked at the live dragon on Hermione's hands. His eyes widened in interest but he didn't dare show it.
"Here," Hermione said, as she walked briskly towards the blond and grabbed his right hand, catching Draco off guard. She gently placed the dragon on his hand. Draco watched as it flew a little but he was more conscious of the fact that Hermione was still holding his wrist. He was relieved when she gently let go of it. "Do you like it now?"
Being the stubborn kid he was, Draco shook his head. Hermione frowned to Draco's glee, making him smirk. "Sorry, I don't," he said, really not sounding like he had meant it. "I apologize for disappointing you, Hermione, but I have a lot of these in my room. It doesn't please me now." A white lie again. He said another lie.
Hermione frowned. She was growing more panicky knowing that she only had one more try before the magic of the bag disappeared. And worse was that Hermione didn't know what she would give to the stubborn boy seated on the bench. Desperation was flooding inside Hermione's body so she thought of the first thing that came in her mind. She whispered it to the magical bag, rummaged inside, and pulled the thing. At least they were selling these things in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade.
Draco's eyes widened as he looked at the teddy bear clutched on both of Hermione's hands. The brunette wordlessly gave him the teddy bear (which he took, thankfully). She was eyeing him carefully.
Draco looked at the teddy bear on his hands. It stared back with beady eyes. The blond hated to admit it but he always wanted a teddy bear. Yes, he wanted a teddy bear. He felt the sudden envy when he saw some of the children in the Wizarding World clutching teddy bears on their hands with content smiles on their faces. He wanted to ask his father if he could have one but he was embarrassed to tell him. He knew Malfoys shouldn't own teddy bears. But, right on his hands was a teddy bear which was given to him by a beautiful stranger. He never received one like this. All he received were expensive things and this simple and inexpensive thing made him smile. He finally had a teddy bear.
Hermione's jaw slightly dropped at the actions the little blond was showing her. He was smiling. Goodness, smiling. The brunette's lips curled into a small smile. She never knew that a simple teddy bear could make Draco Malfoy happy.
"I see you are pleased," Hermione said, sounding triumphant. Ah, victory was sweet.
Draco's smile instantly disappeared as he looked at Hermione. "Of course not!" he said defensively.
The brunette's smile stayed on her face. "Yes you are," she said as she watched him turning red. Draco Malfoy was blushing. 'So cute,' she absentmindedly thought as she softly chuckled. "You are pleased, Draco (she remembered to use his first name). Now, I think it would be fair if you do your part of the deal." She chuckled more because she still couldn't believe that a simple teddy bear could make him pleased.
The blond frowned. Yes, he couldn't deny. He was pleased. He always wanted a teddy bear, all right. Hermione knew he'd pleased already so there was no point in denying. And then, a plan formed in his mind. He slyly smiled at the brunette. "All right, you won."
"Yes!" Hermione exclaimed, feeling victorious.
"But," Draco said, his sly smile growing. He was now standing with his new teddy bear pressed against his chest tightly. "Only if you catch me!" he exclaimed and with that, he started to run away.
Hermione stared at him, dumbstruck. "Why you!" she exclaimed, coming back into her senses. She started to run after him.
They continued to run around. Draco's sweet laughter was heard. His laughter was very contagious, in her opinion, because Hermione found herself giggling under her breath.
"You run annoyingly slow, Hermione!" Draco said, his tone teasing. "Run faster! You can't catch me if you are as slow as a turtle!"
"Oh yeah?!" Hermione asked, challenging him. "You'll see!" And then, she ran faster, making Draco laugh louder. If Hermione was just watching him run like this with so much happiness, she would close her eyes. His laughter was like a sweet song. The brunette smiled. She was almost behind him. "I'm coming, Draco! I'm coming!"
Draco just laughed and continued to run, now a little faster. Hermione grinned.
But then, something happened. Vines started to erupt from the ground and wrap themselves around Hermione's right ankle. The brunette then tripped and fell on the ground with an ungraceful thud. She groaned as she rolled over so her back was now pressed against the ground. Her chest had hurt.
Draco had heard this and immediately ran towards the brunette. "Hermione, are you all right?" he asked, crouching beside her. His teddy bear sat on his lap. "Are you hurt?"
"What happened?" she asked as she slowly sat up. She looked at her right ankle and there she saw vines wrapped around it. Hermione's brows knitted together. 'How did this happen?' she asked herself. She didn't have any wand so it was impossible for her to do that. Her eyes then landed on Draco with a worried face. Hermione sighed as she realized the answer to her question. Of course it was Draco's fault. He was so happy and excited he couldn't help but to use his accidental magic.
"Are you all right?" Draco asked again, worry evident in his voice.
"Yes, I'm fine, Draco. I promise," Hermione said as she untangled the vines from her right ankle.
"Well, she's all right, Mr. Beady. There's no need to worry," he told his new teddy bear. Hermione stared at him incredulously.
"Mr. Beady?" she asked. "You named your teddy bear Mr. Beady?"
Draco frowned. "Why, is that wrong? He does have beady eyes so I called him Mr. Beady, you know."
Hermione couldn't help but smile at his innocent answer. And then, Hermione remembered their great chase. She suddenly held his arm, firmly but gently. "Gotcha!" she exclaimed, chuckling as the little blond scowled. "Now I've got you, can we be friends now?"
Draco frowned again and looked at his teddy bear. "What do you think, Mr. Beady? Should we allow her to be our new friend?"
The brunette scowled. She was getting angry now. "Let's be friends, you spoiled brat!" she exclaimed. To her surprise, Draco burst into laughter. The same sweet laughter she had heard a while ago. "What?" she asked, trying to look confused.
"You're really funny, Hermione," Draco said, patting the brunette's head. "You're really interesting."
Hermione frowned. "You're not answering my question. Can we be friends now?"
Draco smiled a true smile. He faked a defeated sigh. "Do I have any choice?"
The brunette sighed in relief. "Finally!" the brunette exclaimed.
The blond grinned. "Are you really that desperate to be my friend?" he asked.
Hermione returned his grin. "No, of course not," she lied. "You just seem so lonely so I thought maybe I could be your friend."
Draco frowned. "You really think so?"
"What?"
"You really think I'm lonely?" he asked, still with a frown as he hugged Mr. Beady tighter.
Hermione stared at him. She remembered the first time he saw him when she went back to 1990. He was playing alone. He wasn't with someone. The brunette smiled and patted his head. "Yes, honestly you are," she answered as the blond frowned deeper. "But you aren't lonely now, right? I'm your friend already."
"You're forgetting someone," Draco said, now smiling.
"Who?"
"Mr. Beady," the blond simply said, smile growing. "Mr. Beady's my friend now, too."
Hermione chuckled and stood up. Draco followed.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," Draco suddenly said. "I need to go now. My parents might be looking for me already."
She smiled as she saw the disappointment on his face. She patted his head again. "It's okay with me."
"Hermione?" he innocently asked, looking at her with wide eyes.
"Yes, Draco?" she asked.
"Can I meet you in the same place tomorrow?" he asked, sounding hopeful. "In the same place, you know, with the bench. Our meeting place."
Hermione flashed him a brilliant smile. "Sure, Draco, no problem. What time should we meet?" she asked.
"After lunch would be all right," Draco mused. "I can go back before dinner. My parents wouldn't be at home for three days, you know."
"All right," she nodded. "I'll meet you in our meeting place at exactly 1 pm."
"That sounds fine," Draco said. "Goodbye then."
"Goodbye," Hermione said and watched as the blond went back to his house. Hermione turned around and went back to her temporary house, too.
She can only think of one word right now.
Success!
"I see you managed to make Mister Malfoy your friend, Miss Granger," Merlin said as he watched the blissful brunette eating dinner.
"Yes," was her only answer. She finished her pumpkin juice and stood up. "I'll go to bed now, Merlin. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Miss Granger," he said and watched as she happily went to her own bedroom to sleep. Once she was gone, Merlin smiled. "This is getting interesting," he mused out loud. He stood up. He flicked his wand and all the lights were immediately extinguished. With a dull pop, he disappeared.
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