AN;
Hi guys :) This is the second chapter. Hope you enjoy. By the way, things might get confusing from now-say thank you to angst! But don't worry the drama will soon slowly skin away at the next couple of chapters. You may be disappointed at the relationship Draco and Hermione have but this is what I wanted to let you guys see. To let you see how deep they are in each others' skin and not just the usual infatuation. This relationship is really slow-so be patient but it let' you see the beauty of Dramione. Please grab your popcorn and read on!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.
Chapter 2
Knock-Knock-Knock
A witch with brown eyes and her missing over-sized theth stepped inside the Malfoy manor with the head of the family himself. They spotted Narcissa near the burning fireplace drinking her usual cup of tea, but the elder witch immediately leaped out of her seat as she laid her eyes on the fresh pair.
"Hermione, it's great to see you back! You don't know how long I've waited! You wouldn't know the cobwebs that have been gathering in your room," Narcissa smiled and was showing her pearly white teeth; a minute ago she had been moping on the parlor thinking of the very witch she laid eyes on. When was she ever going to step inside this manor? But it was shortly answered.
"Draco! You should have told me you were coming so I could have prepared a great brunch," his mother chastised him, but he just grunted in recognition and rolled his eyes. Draco took off their cloaks and hung them on and sat himself on the love seat, smiling to himself at the chemistry Hermione and his mother had, it made him slightly smug-slightly.
"Narcissa," Hermione smiled softly, her voice slightly exasperated. "Give me the pleasure of cooking. After all, I was the one who skipped out on so many of our dinners," she politely apologized and strode of to the kitchen and rolled her sleeves, ready to make brunch and hummed her signature song; what it was, they didn't ask why. Maybe it was song the enchanted locket played.
The two witches rambled on about their day and the days before that.
Draco looked away and sighed. It sucked being on the friend-zone with Hermione. It literally sucked. He massaged his temples discreetly, feeling a massive and yet familiar headache coming in fast. He didn't have time to think of Hermione like that, what he meant was: Hermione didn't have time. She didn't have time to commit to something but sometimes Draco felt that she didn't want to commit. It was all too confusing. He tried to push this matter away but he knew that he had to get things done. He continued his thoughts.
The ferret Malfoy had looked at Hermione so many times in so different occasion. There were times she caught him staring at her and there were times she didn't.
Most of the time he was thinking and looking (staring) at her, he was confused. Confused at what he should do. Confused at what Hermione was doing. She kissed him on the cheek-was she torturing the daylights out of him? Make Draco's expectations float into the skies like the fragile balloon it is and pop it. Just pop that fragile balloon; that was what Hermione was doing. Merlin knows how many balloons she was popping.
The burning smoke wafted into the parlor and Draco snarled.
"Who let Narcissa in the kitchen?" he shouted and strode forward to where the smell originated and pulled out a disgruntled looking Narcissa. Hermione giggled and sent him a sorry look.
"Sorry, Drake. I thought she could help in mixing the eggs-guess not. I've fully learned my lesson." Hermione glanced at Narcissa who was covered in black smother and shooed her away.
"Go and get a change of clothes, Cissa." The lioness soon returned to the kitchen and casted spells to the black smoke and the escalating fire disappear, turning the kitchen back to normal.
Draco looked around. Was she going to the feed the whole army? Draco shook his head yet again and stood beside her.
"Mind if I help?" he asked. His eyes looking into her precise brown eyes-she hesitated- but then nodded cheerfully.
"Only if you're not as bad in kitchen as your mother," she continued to her work-whatever it was. Draco took the mixing bowl and spoon and stirred and occasionally glanced at Hermione.
She was sure of her movements. She liked to be preoccupied. She told him once that it gave her something else to think about rather than the dreadful news that was hanging above their heads. Draco pursed his lips and looked away as she discreetly took a quick glance at him.
Damn. What was Hermione thinking now? Draco stirred even harder. It's all her fault! Merlin, why did she have to be so insensitive? Was she doing this in purpose? What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't she just fall in my feet like any normal witch? But no, she just has to have two guy best friends, lying paralyzed on the hospital bed .Was she playing hard to get-whatever. I'll deal with this with full maturity!
A pale hand gripped his stirring (thrashing) hand. Draco looked up to meet Hermione's face; her brows obviously stating that she was amused. A second later Draco was horrified (and almost snarled) to find out that the kitchen was a total mess AGAIN.
The sparks stopped dead end and he was ashamed. He felt like six year old now. Draco let go of the wooden spoon and stepped back, only to hear a squishing sound. He groaned as he loked at the floor, also spotted with cream. His raw magic had caused the mess, white-spongy- things were all over the kitchen. It was on his nose, on his sleeves, on the floor and on Hermione (slightly pleased, a messy Hermione was a turn-on rather than the moping one), focus Draco!
"Obviously, the Malfoy family is lacking culinary skills." Hermione playfully said. She led him out (pushing) and told the prince to get a change of clothes. Draco groaned even more, this wasn't doing his image any good to the girl.
"No more kitchen time for both of you!" she shouted at him and went back to her work. To his disdain, a 'pop' was heard and before he could leave quickly and forget the shame; Blaise guffawed and Pansy snickered. Trust them to witness the most excruciatingly embarrassing moments of his life.
"I see that somehow your raw magic burst?" Pansy asked him but it was more of a statement to him. Draco ignored Blaise's even louder laughs from the kitchen.
Draco did not reply and trudged to the stairs meeting Narcissa all freshened up.
"Well Draco, it's not a surprise." She clipped and proceeded down stairs.
Draco stared at the food in front of him. There it was, pastries of all kinds, all kinds of delicious meat in the platter-bursting with smell, pasta on one side that Blaise was staring at and etcetera. He hadn't eaten anything worth eating for a week and he would be forever grateful to Hermione's cooking, it was a taste in heaven.
"Dig in," Hermione enthusiastically said and handed them their helpings.
He sunk his teeth on the delicious pasta and glanced at Hermione. She was smiling and she was happy. She looked like she was feeding a bunch of deprived hobos but she was the one who needed a mountain of meat on her plate but at least she was eating.
"Hermione, where in Merlin's beard did you learn how to cook?" Pansy said as she dug deeper on her plate and looked at Hermione.
The Gryffindor girl hesitated but complied to the question. "I didn't learn to cook until just half a year ago, really." She laughed lightly and took a sip of the wine. "Harry and Ron did not know how to cook anything except putting meat in a sizzling pan. It was getting old. Somebody had to cook something in the oven." She giggled and took a bite of her cinnamon pastry and smiling, and showed the faint dimple on her cheeks.
"You've really spent all your life with them, don't you." Narcissa silently murmured. Hermione caught it and nodded.
"Contrary to most belief that I'm the mediator since I'm the only girl, Harry's always there to step in when things get heavy between me and Ron," she paused and continued, "though that doesn't mirror your statement."
Hermione quickly changed the subject on dress robes which Narcissa and Pansy immediately stepped in. The rest of the conversation was easy and time passed on.
Draco looked at Hermione across from him for the nth time. 'This has to stop' he thought as Blaise smirked beside him.
He knew that one day he had to let it all out-his idiotic feelings, he didn't know when but it had to happen. The only thing that stopped him was Hermione. It felt like she would always create something to sidetrack him-like magic. Out of the blue, she'd get on something totally different to where Draco was getting on, and it totally ruined the mood for him. Who cares about dying chimpanzees and crappy movies that were all about zombies? Draco knew what Hermione was doing, it was obvious! She'd never give him a chance to hear him out. Draco vengefully ate his meat, casting a sidelong glance-for the last time he hoped- on Hermione who caught him yet again. This had to stop-whatever it was.
Pansy caught the plummeting look Hermione had and the usual constipated face Draco put on. This had to stop.
Narcissa was delighted, it was still three and she felt like she could sleep now. She gazed at her son who was looking disgruntled as if he was in deep thought which was most likely. Did he know he was muttering Hermione's name? Oh well.
Hermione slipped her arm in her coat and hugged Narcissa.
"I miss our dinner." Narcissa smiled fondly at Hermione and nodded.
"Come back anytime. You know you're welcome here. I miss your place in this manor."
Hermione soon stepped out of the house and bid her farewell to Draco and Blaise, giving them the compulsory knuckle touch and kissed Pansy with compassion mumbling their own girl words to each other.
The cold breeze entered the manor and the door shut closed and the cold whiff was banished.
"We should also get going to Diagon Alley," Blaise announced and a minute later he and his girl Disapparated out of the manor.
Draco sat down at his love seat and let out a pleased sigh and listened to the crackle of the fire. Narcissa sat back to her seat, her face still smiling and whipped out her magazine and drank back to her tea. The air around them comfortably silent, Draco smiled inwardly. He could feel the oozing happiness that came from Narcissa and he was yet again smug to know that Hermione was the cause of this.
He stared at the fire burning the logs. And listened to everything around him, this was what it sounded and what it felt like when Hermione left. Hermione left them with happy remains. He could still smell the remaining pastries that she deliberately left for them. He could feel the warmness that Hermione would drape them with whenever she left.
Draco thought for a moment, 'was it bad to feel this whenever she left? Shouldn't she be missed?' Draco shook his head solemnly. It wasn't bad and it wasn't wrong. Draco knew that it was good what Hermione left behind.
His thoughts let him pass the time quickly. They revolved around what he felt-about Hermione and about why he shouldn't make the moves. The grandfather clock chimed to point at the number six. Draco stood up and smiled, it felt good that he could finally make a decision. Would he regret it? No, he wouldn't. He wouldn't let himself regret that chasing after a girl was a mistake. He was ready, he made Hermione as an excuse and he was disgusted with himself. He walked slowly to let his thoughts take course in his veins and he felt the determination in his breath. He was ready-for whatever he was about to do. But he was doubtful. The doubt was covered in a stack of pure white love.
"Off to bed now Draco?" his mother asked him when he stood up and walked away from the parlor.
He stopped his steps to answer. "Nope," he replied. His breath grew haggard and shallow. If his mother would ask what he was about to do, his answer would be what he committed to. He waited for her mother to ask the supposed question in his head. Narcissa didn't say anything. She stared at the back of his son, waiting.
Draco realized that she wouldn't make things easier for him.
"I'm off to the hospital. I'm going to see Hermione and make things right," Draco swallowed his breath and didn't breath. His senses suddenly shut down one by one. He couldn't hear what his mother just said; it was like the faintness in the background. He was numb.
xxx
Draco popped in the hospital in front of room 768. He cleared his throat lightly, for the sake of his strength. It failed to give him courage. Was he doing the right thing? Damnit! Right this! Wrong that! I'm bloody tired! With all this mind-fuck, it's going to drive one of us insane!
Draco felt changed. He knew this was going to change everything. It would change the very way he did his life. It was the feeling he had when he let the Scarhead and his gang enter into his life. But the feeling was more profound than ever. It was a hundred times more-there were no words to describe the feeling. He gripped the door knob. It was freezing to his palm.
He stepped inside and let his determination full throttle out of the railings.
"Hermione, I love you."
It was quiet. She didn't say anything…because she wasn't there.
Draco faltered. Where was she?
Ok, this was good. He could gather his breath even more. Think Draco-
His thoughts were interrupted.
"Is something wrong Draco?" a voice asked. Was that Hermione? Fck
Draco didn't turn around. This wasn't going the way he planned it to be. Did she know how much bravery it took? And he wasn't even a Gryffindor for Merlin's sake. Hermione's voice flitted in his head yet again. 'Draco?' It sounded distant.
Golden Girl of Hogwarts. Everybody couldn't hate her-he failed to do so.
His stomach was squirming and his heart was pounding. Is this some teenage girl parody? This was increasingly annoying to him, now. Draco inwardly scowled at Hermione. His anger faltered. No use trying to put the blame on a girl. Draco stepped back and glanced at the bodies of Ron and Harry, their closed-somehow thankful for the privacy. He grimaced. No good.
"Nothing," he mumbled. His palm was sweating now. He was now staring right past her shoulder. In a second he would look her in the eyes and tell her what was happening. Count to three Drako. 3..2…1…He stopped himself like the train he felt he was and lurched. He was a coward. He looked at her eyes-hollow and red.
"Mother sent me here to tell you that you'll be eating there again tomorrow," he flew past her. He almost ran out of the room. He didn't belong there. Her eyes did not belong on her face. He was such a fool.
xxx
Draco officially felt like the biggest coward of the century. He couldn't do it. Not in the hollow eyes Hermione was showing him. He couldn't tell her while she was crying just a minute ago. Not while the witnesses were the body of her paralyzed best friends. She didn't deserve anything more heavy to be put on her shoulder. She had enough emotional baggage. Not when she was carrying the bags of: Dead Parents Paralyzed Best Friends and Lack of Education. Draco couldn't.
xxx
The quiet pop resounded and Narcissa looked up to see her son. Standing there on the dark hall. He was quiet and he was –again- oozing with raw magic but it was not the sizzling spark. It was dull and cold. Narcissa stood up and embraced him. She knew that he couldn't do it. Narcissa knew that when Draco would meet those hollow eyes. He would falter. He would falter and slip into the abyss.
xxx
Hermione tightened the quilt around her even more. The look Draco had given her when he laid eyes on her was stomach-lurching. Hermione took the mirror out of her pocket. She stared at her face. The cheekbones and the light blush from the cold but she mostly stared at her eyes. The eyes of a hollow person, this was the eye that she didn't own. She threw the mirror and it shattered into the floor, creating a blizzard of sparking lights. "These aren't my eyes," and she cried again.
AN;
1.) Hermione's present eyes are not hers but of her mothers. It has a lighter and more distant shade of brown.
2.) The story about Australia and her parents will be in the next chapter.
3.) Draco just realized it in this chapter that Hermione lost her own eyes. He doesn't know why. Narcissa is already aware of this fact since the day Hermione slept in their house.
4.) Draco was resolute on confessing to Hermione but he decided not to because his determination faltered when he discovered that Hermione was for a short time-blind.
5.) Everything will be explained on the next chapter.
6.) A review would be good ;)
