11 Reasons General Theme: 11 Reasons why Draco and Hermione Belong Together
Pairing: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger
Title: The One Who Knows
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter
Word Count: 1003
Prompt: Table 5 (Acts and Behaviors)—Staring
Notes: Many thanks to my wonderful beta, eilonwy!

…

Gonna teach your heart to trust
As I will teach my own

ooo

Air.

She needed air, and now.

Hermione moved as nonchalantly from the room as she could and made her way in a near-run to the back of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. She pushed open the back door and stepped into the cool, crisp autumn air.

Breathe.

A few deep, cleansing breaths.

She closed her eyes and counted to ten, then slowly, deliberately, walked to the steps that led down from the small porch. She sat on the second one of three and reached into her pocket for a cigarette and her lighter. She'd bought it on a whim – it had a snake on it.

Hermione lit the end of the smoke and took a long drag. She felt her nerves calm immediately.

"That's disgusting," came a voice she'd grown to associate with laughter.

"Sod off," she replied, not looking up.

He sat down beside her instead. Hermione rolled her eyes but said nothing, enjoying the warmth of his closeness and the tingling in her insides because she was fairly certain that the sleeve of his t-shirt was touching her arm.

He didn't speak for a moment and Hermione took a few more pulls, exhaling clouds of thin, dark smoke.

"Since when do you smoke?" he finally said.

Hermione sighed and readjusted herself on the step. The movement caused their arms to brush and she felt a rush of fire from her belly. "Since the day you showed up here, Malfoy." Six months. "With your promises and your words and all the energy you brought with you."

She could feel him staring hard to her, maybe trying to drill a hole through her skull and peer at what was going on beneath, but she ignored him and continued smoking.

At first, she'd smoked because of the stress of having Draco Malfoy in the house, in their meetings, in the bathroom when she needed it. Though her conscious mind couldn't completely accept it for what it was, she smoked increasingly for the fear that one day, he wouldn't be there anymore.

"Why do you let him talk to you like that?" he finally asked, a quick anger in his voice.

She looked at him then, sideways, but said nothing. Took another drag and turned away from him to exhale.

"I mean, he acts as though you have nothing worthwhile to say, nothing to contribute. Everyone knows that's not true. We wouldn't even be this far if it weren't for you. Just because he had one victory, one really successful mission, he thinks he can treat you like he's better than you, like he knows more about fighting, and war and magic than you. It's rubbish.

"And you just let him, which I do not understand. If I said half of what he says, you'd slug me. Or anyone else, for that matter. You are one of the most valuable members of the Order, and he treats you like he's better than you." He picked up a rock and threw it as hard as he could.

"Ironic, don't you think?" she asked. "You've always thought you were better than I was." She'd caught him off guard and she smiled. "And you'd better be careful unless you really want to get slugged. That's my boyfriend you're talking about."

Their eyes met with a look that said they both knew that wouldn't be true for much longer.

"Why, Granger? Why do you put up with him?"

She shrugged. "Right now…it's not worth it. I have other things to focus on."

"Bollocks, Hermione." Draco pulled a few blades of grass out of the ground and started ripping them. "You deserve better."

"What do you know about it, Malfoy?" she asked calmly. She knew it was true, everything he'd said. She just didn't care enough to fight with Ron. There wasno point. It only wasted energy that could be spent for the War. For Harry.

The War had pulled everything from inside her until she felt there was nothing left. That was why she treasured the moments when Draco was near her – she felt his presence, and she felt what it did to her. Tingles, spurts, shoots, sparks of something bigger than herself. Bigger than the War, bigger than anything. It might fill the universe.

Draco very deliberately split a large blade right down the middle and then said, "I know if it were me, I would never, ever, treat you like that. I'd never try to make you feel stupid or less than you are."

Hermione was speechless for a moment and a wave of tingles washed through her. She shivered.

"You cold?" Draco asked, looking at her.

"No," she lied, taking another long drag. She looked at the cigarette in her hand. "I want to quit."

"So quit."

She looked at him, a serious expression on her face. "Are you here, Malfoy? I mean, really here. For the long-haul, through battles and fights and blood and death? Or are you playing around? Testing to see where you can come out on top? Taking the easy way out?"

"Easy?" he said, incredulous. "You think this is easy for me? Merlin, Granger! Easy is lying down and giving up. Easy is running to my father when things get bumpy. Easy is doing what the Dark Lord says and blaming him for my failure of conscience.

"It hasn't been easy to turn against everything I've ever believed, to risk, among other things, being killed by the people I'd once called my family. No, I have not chosen what's easy for me."

"You didn't answer my question."

"What question?"

"Are you here?"

"Yes." He held up his left arm and pointed to a large scar, left unhealed over a patch of marred skin. Where a Dark Mark had once been visible. "What more do you want?"

"Your word."

"I'm here, Granger. For all the right reasons, until that sick monster breathes his last."

Hermione nodded and took a third long drag and then put out the cigarette. "Okay, then. I quit."

ooo

A/N: Thanks for reading! Only three more to go – wow!