Hindrance
By: SociallyDriven
-
-
-
Part 2 of 3
-
-
It was a beautiful winter day and a certain Gryffindor was readying herself not to go enjoy herself at Hogsmead but instead to spend time at the library, scoffing as the thought of her boyfriend entered her mind for the nth time this morning.
Hermione Granger was in high spirits when she heard that a certain Draco Malfoy was staying for the winter holiday only to be disappointed to know that he'll be hanging out with Slytherins and not with her – his girlfriend. And now, she's walking along the deserted corridor, wearing a faint scorn on her face, hearing distant shrieks and laughter of her fellow students outside.
She opened the double doors to the library with a little push than needed and forced a smile at the librarian as she walked past. She directly went to one of the table with a window and sat. Not able to suppress it anymore, she let out a heavy sigh and rested one side of her face onto to table, groaning as her eyes met the delicate view of winter framed through the window. The sight, it presented itself with pure perfection, as if mocking Hermione of her situation.
She closed her eyes and imagined Draco at the Three Broomsticks, sipping warm, tasty butterbeer and laughing it up with all his friends. Then an image of Ginny secretly watching him from a distant table leaked into her imagination. She pouted. At least Ginny can still see him, can still hear his laugh, can still be in the same room with him. And she? Hermione Granger, girlfriend of that useless prat named Draco Malfoy, is all alone, and never has seen even a glimpse of the git the whole morning.
Frustrated and abandoned, she lifted her head and started banging her forehead on the desk softly. "Stupid" (thud) "Malfoy." (thud) "Doesn't care" (thud) "about me" (thud) "at all!" (thud). Feeling a bit dazed with all the head banging, she was about to stop when another image of her best friend following her boyfriend as he walks around Hogsmead flitted through her mind. This only resulted to a faster tempo of her banging her head onto the table. Groaning yet again as she submerged herself into self-pity and jealousy over her best friend.
Hermione hated this feeling. She hated it from the very start: not being in control of her emotions over a boy. What's worse is that said boy is what society considers as an epitome of everything she is against. She loathed him with great passion and it seems that that passion turned loathe into something entirely different. Something that scared her at first but then it became something that she accepted in time.
She was quite contented in just admiring him from afar but then he had to ruin it all by telling her he fancies her. Everything within the parameter of logic and reasoning went down the drain that fateful day. Oh if she only knew it would end up like this. If she only knew that this 'thing' between them would become harder and harder to pull away from …
"Melancholic yet again, Granger?" drawled a voice. Hermione shot her head up and was met by the sight of the reason for her misery, wearing a high-end black cloak and flakes of snow gracing his blond strands. He sat down in front of her, placing a bottle containing foamy brown liquid onto the table. "Brought you a warm bottle of butterbeer." He flashed his perfect smile at her. She just continued to stare at him, eyes slightly rounded.
"What's with that expression?" Draco Malfoy tilted his head slightly, amused. "Didn't expect me to appear in front of you?" Hermione timidly shook her head from side to side as a response. "Are you telling me you're gloomy because I haven't talked to you all morning?" He asked jokingly. Hermione pouted a bit and whispered a "yes".
At hearing this, Draco sat a bit straighter, surprised at his girlfriend's answer. He looked at her sad expression and was struck at how cute she looked even when she's pouting. Unable to resist the urge, he stood up and leaned over towards Hermione, his lips making brief contact with hers. He looked into her eyes then graced her warm cheek with his icy fingers. She closed her eyes at the touch and this impelled him to kiss her again, this time a bit longer than the previous one. She sighed into the kiss, feeling happiness creeping up throughout her body once again.
"Considering you're at the top of our class, you're quite an idiot Granger. Do you know that?" he whispered to her lips. Still confounded by the kiss, all she could muster to make as a reply was another shaking of her head. He pressed his forehead onto hers then sat back onto his seat, slightly flustered.
"Look, I'm sorry I haven't been spending that much time with you. It's just that … it's really hard to sneak away when your friends tend to hang on to every word you're saying." Draco grimaced at the thought then looked back at his girlfriend. "But hey, I'm here now. So don't look so sad, okay Granger? Like I told you before, it doesn't suit you … Smile for me?" She looked at his hopeful expression. How could she say no to that face? Ever so slowly, her pout formed into a full-on smile. He smiled/smirked back.
Draco pushed the bottle towards her. "Drink it before it gets cold." Feeling slightly happier now, she took the bottle and sipped a little of its warm beverage. Hermione looked at Draco looking at her and asked, "So, how's Hogsmead?"
"Cheerful as always."
"Bet you were in agony then."
"I would've been driven out of my wits if another one of those elves offered me a candy cane."
Hermione laughed. He secretly smiled at the angelic melody.
The sun was setting behind the snow-covered landscape, its final rays passing through the mosaic window of the Hogwarts library and resting upon two youths.
Gryffindor and Slytherin, in close proximity with each other – something people would think as scandalous and unheard of. The taller of the two, Slytherin Prince, he tangled his pale fingers among the Gryffindor's brown, curly locks and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. The young lady, she held on to his wrist, knowing that they would soon be parting ways once again.
Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, sharing an intimate kiss – something their classmates and friends would think as impossible. She looked at his silver eyes; he looked at her brown ones. Both had something to say, yet neither spoke. Then without skipping a beat, Gryffindor started to walk away like she had done so many times before, sparing only another glance at Slytherin. Slytherin watched Gryffindor as he had watched her so many times before, willing himself not to call out her name. He stood there for exactly two minutes and he too made his way out of the library, readying himself for the world.
And so was the way these two youths part, letting the setting sun be the witness to their little world of freedom. Freedom from importance of blood and of status in life. Boy and girl were so submerged into their realm that they didn't see that there was a shadow lurking among the dusty books and creaking shelves.
As the last rays disappeared from the horizon, it seemed that the setting sun was no longer Gryffindor and Slytherin's only witness.
A/N: Kinda short but substantial, neh? Please review. PLEASE. The more reviews, the more energetic I get, the sooner I would update. :) I'd really appreciate it if you'd tell me your fave part in this chapter.
P.S. I need a beta for the third chapter. Any takers?
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL YOUR POPS!
SociallyDriven