On the Differences Between Soulmates and Lifemates
disclaimer: Harry Potter and all characters therein belong to J.K. Rowling and are borrowed by the author. Any other, original characters belong to the author. Don't take them they'll run away and come back home to me.
Chapter 8: The Misunderstandings
Draco's stomach was in knots. The entire week, he had kept Hermione and her questions at bay barely. He completely avoided her, not trusting himself to keep his secret if she pressed him. As a result, he spent most of the week in his room, save for classes, and he even had his meals sent to his room. His gut hurt every time she walked past him by the end of the week, because she was purposely averting her face from his, turning her attention to Potter and Weasley.
By Friday, Draco was ready to punch Potter every time Hermione laughed at one of his jokes, or spoke to him. Weasley was worse. Draco purposely picked a fight with him in Charms that unfortunately carried into their next class together: Defense Against the Dark Arts. Snape was not nearly as amused as Draco was.
Snape hissed at Malfoy as he arched his arm to send a Squeaking Hex at Ron, which would leave him in a high-pitched voice for the rest of the day. As a result, Malfoy missed, hitting Hermione with the hex, which prompted Harry to send a binding charm aimed at Malfoy's feet, which left him unable to balance when Ron punched him, leaving Draco to lurch in the general direction of Hermione when Neville caught him and set him down on his back.
"Enough!" Snape bellowed. "I have had enough of your inter-House squabbling! You will behave in this class if I have to bespell you to get you to do it! You will keep your girl squabbles outside of my classroom, do you hear me?"
Snape undid all the charms and hexes that had been bounced around before he spoke again. Hermione, Ron, Harry, Neville and Draco all stood to face Snape. Draco turned his face from Hermione's, but she grabbed his arm.
"Professor, we're sorry. I'll stay here to help clean up any messes left at the end of class. We were just carousing, and we do know that this is not the place for it. Please, sir, we understand, and this won't happen again," Hermione said quietly.
Ron turned to Hermione and shot her a 'what are you doing!' look before Draco spoke.
"I'll stay as well, since I am the only one of my House represented," Draco said quickly.
"Well, well, well, I see that you two just can't bear to be apart. So be it. Both of you will stay after class today to help clean up. And you'll each get a week of detention, starting Saturday night," Snape sneered as he turned his back on the lot of them. "And Potter," he tossed back, "You lot will have detention starting the week after."
Everyone sat down and waited out the rest of the class. It was a lot of things that they had already done in previous classes, but to Snape's way of thinking, they hadn't done with him, they might as well not done it at all.
"One last thing before you go today, students," Snape said as everyone was gathering books and bags to get to another class or meal, "I will be re-instating the art of dueling in this class. You will never learn how to defend yourselves if you are not made to do so. This coming week, I will be teaching you attack magic, not all of it necessarily on the right side of wrong. I have procured licenses so that you may practice in class, but anyone who needs to practice outside this room will have to come to me on a case-by-case basis. Am I understood?"
Each head nodded, and Harry paled. He nudged Hermione before he left, and Ron bent down and whispered something to her as he joined his friend. Neville clasped Hermione's shoulder and gave her a light peck on the cheek before Snape scared him half to death by clamping a hand on each of his shoulders.
"Eek! Bye, 'Mione!" Neville squeaked as he ran away from Snape. He slammed the door shut behind himself, and Draco was left with his mentor and his former archrival.
"I assume there is another reason why the two of you felt the need to take up my time by 'helping' me clean? Or are you just trying to get some time alone?" Snape sat on a desk and regarded his two best students.
"Professor, I " Hermione began, but Snape cut her off.
"I appreciate your newfound, ahem, 'friendship', but it had better not disrupt a class of mine again, Granger," Snape said coldly.
"But, Professor," Hermione said, "There is no relationship and no application to the situation thereof."
"Oh, get off it, Granger. Don't lie to me. Malfoy, here, picked a fight with Weasley because they are engaged in some sort of pissing contest with you as the prize. Isn't that right, Draco?"
"Professor, I think you read too much into the situation," Draco said evenly. "Granger and I have a project for your Potions replacement, that is all. And I certainly never would get into a pissing contest with Weasley over her."
"Good. I'll leave you too it then. See you Saturday, sundown, my office. After we cheer at Draco's game, of course, right Hermione?" Snape left them to each other.
"Because I'd win," Draco smirked. Hermione glared at him. "Well, it wouldn't be fair to Weasley. You know I'd win, without a doubt. Come on, smile. And get Longbottom to stop calling you ''Mione'. It's undignified."
"After how you treated me this week, you expect me to be nice to you? I'm not going to your game, Malfoy, and I don't even have to talk to you while we clean or during detention," Hermione seethed. He had really hurt her this past week, and he certainly didn't appreciate how he had Snape had been teasing her.
"Whatever, 'Mione."
"Don't call me that."
"Why? Neville does, Weasel and Potty call you that, too."
"They love me. They are my friends, and they care for me."
"And who says I don't?"
"Who says you do?"
"We can do this all night."
"I know. But you'll give up first."
"Ron and Harry will come looking for you. You'll end up asleep next to me. What will they think?"
"That you bespelled me, and tried to take advantage of me."
"If you continue to lead Neville on like that, you'll hurt him, and Lovegood for that matter. Besides, I like calling you 'Mione."
"What?" Hermione said as Draco kissed her, softly.
"I give up."
It didn't occur to Hermione until much later that night that she had been right: Draco had given up first, by kissing her. It was the second time he'd done that, and it was confusing her. She had been in bed, but she threw the covers back and climbed out of bed, her feet touching the thickly carpeted floor as she walked to her big window.
Hermione contemplated the events that had led up to all this at Hogwart's. Her studious nature accorded her the honor of prefect, and could possibly lead to becoming Head Girl. Her bravery had led to becoming a member of the Order of the Phoenix with her best friends. Her friendship with Ron had blossomed into a romance.
Which fizzled because of the friendship.
And then there was Draco. Admittedly, the first time she'd seen him, she'd developed an instant crush, which was quickly quashed by his views on muggle-borns. They became rivals everywhere they met: the classroom, the hallways, and she'd even punched him during their third year. After that, he'd pretty much left her alone, not teasing her anymore or less than he did Ron and Harry.
She remembered the quidditch pitch, watching Harry's first game, then she had been there when Draco had become the Slytherin Seeker; she remembered both Ron and Ginny's first games and the parties thereafter every time they won. Soon, Hermione was reliving her memories out loud.
"Oh, but you never did get me on the back of your broom, did you, Ron?" Hermione laughed sadly.
"Would you be willing to join me on mine, Hermione?" Draco said behind her. He was dressed in splendid green and silver nightclothes, and Hermione felt that same hitch from six years ago.
"I'm not dressed for it, Draco," Hermione said softly, not caring how he'd gotten into her room. She looked down at her own nightclothes, silky boxer shorts and an oversized FullMetal Alchemist t-shirt.
"Sometime, my dear, you will have to explain this 'anime' you watch. Don't muggles know that alchemy is second best to real magic?" Draco said as he came closer.
"Don't you know that you're pureblooded, and that you're not supposed to want to be around me?"
"I guess I'm as foolish as the muggles, then. Come with me, Hermione, and fly with me. I'll keep you warm, I promise," Draco said as he took Hermione's hand and led her to the window, which he opened with a flick of his wand. Hermione watched as Draco levered himself onto the sill. "Come on, climb up. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."
Hermione climbed up on the sill next to Draco and he dropped his broom so it hovered just below them. He straddled it and placed his hands on Hermione's slim waist and plucked her from the sill, propping her in front of him on the broom. He wrapped her fingers around the handle and kept his hands over hers as they took off.
Draco let Hermione steer for a while, concentrating on keeping them balanced. Hermione was shivering from cold and he wrapped his arms around her.
"I just want to ride now, Draco," Hermione said sleepily. Draco squeezed her tighter before putting his hands back down on the handle of the broom to guide it around the dormitories and over the quidditch pitch, swinging wide over the lake and the herbology gardens before bringing Hermione back to her window.
Draco helped Hermione back into her room through the window before climbing inside himself.
He stood facing her, smiling for a moment before he spoke.
"Last time I kissed you, you liked it. The time before that, you bit me. Which will it be this time?" Draco said softly, leaning close to her so she could feel his breath on her cheek.
"You'll have to find out," Hermione said dreamily. Draco kissed her softly and lifted her back into her bed.
The next morning, Hermione awoke in a wonderful mood, unable to distinguish if the night before had been a dream.
Draco let himself out of Hermione's rooms quietly, not wanting to disturb her. He looked both ways before starting the trip back to his own rooms. He was three doors down from his room when he heard someone behind him.
"What were you doing in Hermione's room at this hour, Malfoy?" Ron Weasley said coldly.
"What do you care, Weasley? You broke up with her, remember? You told her that you were too close as soulmates, and that being soulmates precluded romance. So what do you think I'm doing?" Draco said, smirking. He loved to smirk, especially at Weasley.
"I wanted to see how she really felt about me, about our relationship. She just needs some time to realize what we have. She'll never go with you, Malfoy. Hermione and I are meant to be. I know that, she knows that, everyone around us knows that you are the only one who doesn't seem to see it," Ron said as he laughed acidly. "She'll take her time, but it's me she'll be with."
"I won't turn this into a competition over her. Right now, she interests and excites me, but I won't jeopardize things by competing with you. It's late, and you aren't thinking straight. If she hears you, you'll never get another chance," Draco groaned inwardly. He was never so compassionate; Hermione was already a bad influence on him.
"It isn't a competition, Malfoy. I'm just giving you a friendly warning. Now get to your rooms before I report you for visiting a female prefect late at night," Ron growled. Malfoy sighed in disgust and entered his rooms, his stomach back in its familiar knots.
The next morning, Draco wiped bleary eyes as he rolled out of his bed. Having not slept, he was exhausted as he lumbered into his shower and blasted himself with icy water in hopes of waking himself up. It didn't help. He pulled on black trousers and a black cashmere sweater before topping the outfit off with his robes and prefect badge.
Draco decided not to go down to the Great Hall for breakfast; instead, he had Dobby bring a tray up. Draco ate silently as he thought about his weekend. He had a quidditch game against Gryffindor this AN: Saturday afternoon, followed by detention with Snape and Hermione for the evening. He glanced at his clock and hoped the game went by quickly so he could get some food between the game and the detention. As for Sunday, he had to go home for a meeting with his father and the Lord.
After eating his rather large breakfast, Draco settled into his desk chair and worked on his homework, because he wouldn't have time to do it the rest of the weekend. He was bent over an ancient text for his charms class when
POP!
"Well, good to know I could do that. I managed to break the anti-apparation charm so I can apparate from place to place within the school grounds," Hermione said after she appeared in Draco's rooms.
"You could be expelled for that!" Draco exclaimed, jumping out of his chair to check Hermione over. "And apparating under age? What has gotten into you, Hermione?"
"What, because I broke a rule? Dumbledore knows, Draco. I've been practicing for ages with him and McGonagall. We all figured it would be a good test of my abilities. Are you aware that the Auror exam is biased against women? I need all the time I can manage to practice things like apparation," Hermione said, pacing the floor.
"So why apparate into my rooms, not Ron's or into Harry's room?"
"Because they would assume that I'm cheating by practicing more. You, on the other hand, have been in the position to have to practice more just to pass the bar," Hermione said, sitting down while Draco paced.
"How would you know about that?"
"I used to watch you on the quidditch pitch when you were first playing quidditch. You really played quite poorly at first, didn't you?"
Draco felt his face redden, and he turned an angry face to Hermione. "You don't know anything. I hated watching quidditch when I was young, and I hated playing it when I came to Hogwart's. But there's no saying no to my father, so I ended up Seeker for Slytherin House team, simply because I was the smallest on the team."
"I'm sorry, Draco. Harry and the Weasleys are always playing. I assumed it was something all wizard boys learned and loved from the cradle. It never occurred to me that you didn't enjoy the game. And the position of Seeker is so popular and " Hermione spoke, but Draco cut her off.
" And the most dangerous position. Do you know how many hours I've spent in the hospital wing, after getting a beating from those damn bludgers? The Seeker is the most hated position by the opposing team. Every hit is aimed at the Seeker. And depending on the referee, almost every player can physically attack the Seeker. I wasn't out there because I loved the game, I was out there because I loathed it," Draco seethed, halting his pacing while he vented to Hermione.
"I'm sorry. I'd fix it for you if I could. But at least we're almost done here, and then you'll never have to play again, save to teach your children to play," Hermione said, trying to lighten the mood.
Draco laughed bitterly. "Children. You're a laugh riot, you know that? No wonder Weasley's still in love with you."
Hermione stiffened. "He's not. I've got to go. I'm supposed to meet Snape so we can root for you at the game, and I need to get some studying done beforehand."
"You don't have to root for me if you don't want to. I'm playing against Harry and Gryffindor today."
"I know. But I want to. You may not like the game, but you play like you do," Hermione got up and walked out of Draco's rooms, not caring who saw her leave.
The game was abysmal. It rained and thundered, but neither team would call the game. Ron had been beaned early on and was seeing double, so fully half of all the Slytherin shots made goal. Ginny had gotten miffed by something Dean had said and had fouled both teams multiple times, so she had been kicked off the field for the day. Harry and Katie were the only ones who could play by the second half of the game.
The Slytherins weren't doing much better. Crabbe and Goyle, who had gotten into the tussle that had gotten Ginny kicked off the field, were also kicked off. The Slytherin keeper was a poor flyer, and one of the chasers was flying strangely because his broom had been zapped by a thunderbolt.
It came down to Harry, Draco and the Snitch, and Hermione was riveted to the game. Snape was sitting next to her, dividing his attention between the game and her reactions. Finally, Draco caught sight of the Snitch through the rain, and Hermione was on her feet, screaming for him to catch 'that bloody golden pisser!', as she put it. She was screaming her support, and Draco managed to shake himself into action before Harry, ending the game and winning it for Slytherin, their first victory of the year.
Draco searched for Hermione after the game, but was informed that she had joined her housemates in the Gryffindor locker room. He resigned to wait for her until she came out, but after half an hour, he left a message for her with one of the Gryffindor groupies waiting for Ron.
Inside the locker room, Hermione was busy explaining her actions to Harry, Ginny, and Ron. They were having none of it.
"Hermione, if you would just come clean to us about what is going on, we wouldn't be so upset. But you won't tell us what you're doing," Harry said as he rubbed a salve into his bruised shoulders. Ron was lying on a bench with his eyes closed, and Ginny was toweling her hair dry.
"You need to get away from Draco, Hermione. You're a Gryffindor, and you need to stick with us. Slytherins are always back-stabbing one another; Malfoy is no different," Ginny said as she plaited her red hair into a thick braid.
"He's after you, Hermione. He's using you, somehow. I'm worried for you. He said something last night, and I think you should know. He just views this as a competition. You're not the prize, but hurting Harry and me is. Malfoy's using you," Ron reiterated, silently berating himself for lying to her.
"We're chummy now because we're working together, nothing more, nothing less. I'm not stupid I know Draco is a womanizer and that he cares only for himself. I am not about to get involved with him. Besides, I'm a muggle-born, and he's a pureblood. Nothing will happen," Hermione said, inwardly groaning. She was lying to her best friends again, and soon they'd figure it all out. "Now, before I go to detention, is there anything else?"
"'Mione, would you help Ron? I can get Harry settled, but I think Ron needs a levitation charm to get to bed. I'm not too good at those, so if you would?" Ginny asked innocently. Ron was already starting to doze off again, and Hermione nodded. "Thanks."
"Amicus levioso," Hermione said, flicking her wand in Ron's' direction after Ginny and Harry had left. She held her wand steady as she opened doors on her way up to dropping Ron off in his rooms. Luckily, Ron's rooms were near a stairwell, and Hermione could settle him in without seeing Draco. Hermione poked her head into the prefects' common room before taking Ron to his own rooms. AN: a stairwell each leads to the prefects' common room, the girls' side and the boys' side. In the circular common room, one door leads to the stairwell, one to the girls' hall, and the other to the boys' hall. There are no safeguards like the ones in the different Houses to separate the boys from the girls and anyways, by the time they're prefects, wouldn't the guys be able to override the safeguards?
Once inside Ron's rooms, Hermione started a fire in the fireplace and levitated Ron into a comfy chair near the fire. She set about getting food from the house-elves before she woke Ron with a simple awakening charm.
Ron's eyelids fluttered, and he smiled at Hermione when he spoke. "Ah, an angel is nursing me. And just the angel I wanted to talk with, too."
"Ron, you were injured in the game earlier. No talking, for now. I've sent for a meal, and I'll get you settled before I go for detention. Let me grab some blankets and you can nap out here. I'll leave the door open, so yell if you need me," Hermione said as she trotted to the bedroom to grab the blankets.
"Hermione, I want you back. It's been bad without you. I'm lonely all the time, even with all our friends around. I miss talking with you after we've made love. Let's try this again, shall we?" Ron said loudly, so she could hear him in the bedroom.
"It's no that I don't want to, Ron, but you were the one who wanted to take a break at first," Hermione answered just as loudly. "If you want another chance, you're going to have to try a bit harder. No more of the 'you're a girl, I'm a boy' approach, alright?"
Ron smiled as he closed his eyes, waiting for Hermione to bring the blankets. He opened his eyes when he heard her reappear. "Finally. It really was hell without you, you know? My 'Mione, back where she belongs. Now, the game ended early, so how about you have a late lunch with me and sit by the fire with me until you have to leave for detention?"
"Alright. But no hanky-panky you are injured," Hermione laughed as she sat down next to Ron in a hastily transfigured loveseat and pulled the blankets over them.
Ron threw his arm around Hermione's shoulders and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "But I won't be so injured when you get back tonight, now will I?"
Hermione laughed, and when the house-elf came with the food, she and Ron happily fed each other, relishing their renewed connection. Hermione only thought about Draco for a second, but then she remembered what Ron had said, and she banished the thought. She was tired, and having set an alarm for ten minutes before her detention, Hermione snuggled into Ron's chest for a nap.
When her alarm went off, Hermione roused herself just enough to grab her shoes, wand and robes before letting herself out of Ron's rooms. She ran in her disheveled state to the prefect's bathroom to freshen up for her detention without ever noticing that someone saw her.
Forty-five minutes before the assigned detention time, Draco roused himself from a much-needed nap so he could shower and eat before he surprised Hermione to escort her to their detention. He showered in his private bathroom and put on his outfit from earlier, still soft and eminently irresistible in his estimation. He ate a sandwich he had brought with him from the Great Hall earlier, after the Slytherin victory party. Checking himself in a mirror, Draco was poised to head out his door when he decided to conjure up some yellow roses to give Hermione. His mother had always taught him to bring a lady flowers, and Hermione's status in regards to his standards had jumped recently.
Roses in hand, Draco donned his robes and headed for the girls' side of the prefects' dorm.
Having only taken twenty minutes to shower, dress, eat, conjure roses out of thin air, and arrive at Hermione's door, Draco arrived there thinking he might get a chance to speak with Hermione and apologize for that morning. She really did understand the drive to be better and even stretch boundaries and one's own limits to be better, and he felt a cad for dismissing her earlier.
Draco knocked three times precisely and then waited five minutes. AN: 20 minutes to detention He knocked again, three time, and waited for five more minutes. This time, he put his ear to the door and heard music. He was thankful for the deserted hallway, but he was anxious all the same; most prefects looked the other way, but if a teacher happened by AN: 15 minutes to detention Draco knocked three more times, and decided to go inside and see if she was awake or even there, if she didn't come to her door within five mitnutes. AN: aren't we all glad that there are so many deserted halls at Hogwart's? btw 10 minutes to detention
Finally, Draco charmed Hermione's door open, and he saw her room was empty. She had left her muggle music player on, that was the noise he'd heard. He cursed himself for not checking with her earlier, to see if she wanted to go down to Snape's office together. He looked at the roses in his hand and decided to carry them along, and perhaps give them to Hermione after detention or maybe in front of Snape. That would be funny.
Draco walked back through the common room, which only had a few people studying in it. He headed to the boys' side, so he could see if Hermione had left him a message, but when he stepped through and closed the door, he paled at what he saw.
Draco was in shadow, due to the odd order the torches had been place in, but he could clearly see the figure of Hermione popping her disheveled head out of Ron's rooms, checking to see if anyone was there, before she ran on tiptoes from his room to the prefects' bathroom. She was carrying her robes and shoes, and the sight made Draco sick to his stomach.
"Bloody fuck," Draco said to no-one as he saw tears of his own pooling on the floor. He looked at the flowers in his hand and laughed bitterly at himself. "The girl's a slag, Malfoy, and she's worked whore's magic on you, to boot."
Malfoy looked at the roses, and they burst into flame. He dropped them and fell on his arse in astonishment.
"I can do wandless magic?"