Elated. That was what Draco Malfoy was feeling at this very moment while he was pretending to listen in History of Magic. Of course, he would never show it. On the outside he had on a very passive and bored look on his face but on the inside, he was bursting with joy. Oh, was he floating on cloud nine. He was so happy that he was actually listening to Professor Binns go on and on about the Great Giants War of 1549 and was actually taking down notes.
He had been having a very grumpy week and a half. After he flew off from Hermione's house where he left her with a passionate kiss and a wonderful gift, he never heard from her. At first it was unsettling, then it was nerve-wracking, then it was frustrating and then it was terrifying. He had swung into several different emotions in a span of 12 days and his mother had been on the receiving end of it all. (Poor woman!) He had considered flying or apparating to see her again but one, he didn't want to appear too needy (he was still a Malfoy) and two, he was terrified of her rejecting him. Long story short, he had gone completely mad those days and was nothing but thrilled to be heading back to school.
What ruined his excitement though was not seeing her at all the entire train ride and her not even glancing his way during dinner that same day even if he was almost staring at her the entire feast. With all of these, he had allowed himself to conclude that she was rejecting his advances and that he would probably be the grumpiest man alive until he found a damn way to get over his not-so-little crush on Hermione beautiful and damn addictive Granger.
So today, the first day of classes again after the holidays, he woke up brooding. He had broken a bathroom mirror, kicked three armchairs in the Common Room, picked on a pack of first years and bent his silverware all in a span of 30 minutes from getting out of bed. He was still sulky on his way to class (how could she not be at breakfast?) and by that time he was already ready to punch even a professor smack in the middle of their face. He sat down on his usual spot, in the corner at the back, and waited – for the professor, for class to start and for her.
Ten minutes into class, the door swung open and a very harassed-looking Hermione came in.
"Ah, Ms. Granger. Are we really going to start the New Year in bad light? Ten points from Gryffindor for being late. Sit down beside Ms. Brown by the back and do not disrupt my class again." Professor Binns said before continuing his lecture.
Draco was now alert. Hermione Granger's disheveled self was sitting on the seat diagonal his. She took out the contents of her bag – her book, parchment and quill and started to write. That was when Lavander Brown, bless her annoying soul, decided to be her normal annoying self.
"Hermione!" she hissed, "You look horrible! What happened to you? Why are you so late?"
Hermione only shushed her.
"Oh come on Hermione, you don't really want to listen to this ghost talk all hour. What kept you? You look like you just had a steamy snog session in a closet with someone!" Lavander giggled.
This was when Draco suddenly perked up in his seat. They didn't have History of Magic with Weasley. What if she was late because they were busy snogging? This caused him to bend his quill in anger. He leaned in a little closer to listen in. Hermione still hadn't given Lavander any reply.
"Hermione come on! Give me some juicy and steamy details!"
Hermione turned to look at her giggling seatmate and hissed, "I was not making out with anyone, nor am I in this bloody disheveled state because I've been getting some—", she used air quotes saying those two words, "with anyone! Happy now?"
Lavander pouted. "Definitely not. I wanted a juicier story."
"Lavander, not all girls desire to be found in between a wall and a man. Some of us desire to learn, to take in new knowledge, to graduate with exceptional marks and to have successful careers."
"Oh Hermione, you are such a kill joy." She sighed. "So if you want all of those, what took you so long getting to class where you can –", and this she said in a perfect imitation of her brown-haired classmate, "learn, take in new knowledge, graduate with good marks and have an awesome career?"
It was Hermione's turn to sigh now. "I woke up late, okay?"
"Really? But you were in bed so early! Parvati and I went up at 10:30 and you were already tucked in!"
"I've been having trouble sleeping. I may have been in bed but I wasn't necessarily asleep."
Lavander only cocked an eyebrow as if telling her to go on.
"I've had a lot of things running in my mind so sleep sort of eludes me."
"By things you mean boys?"
"Merlin Lav, do you think of anything other than boys?" She huffed, "And if I was thinking of boys, what's it to you?"
Lavander gave a tiny squeal, "Merlin, now we're getting somewhere good! Who is it?"
Draco leaned in even closer. He could swear that if he moved a bit more, he would fall face-first in the aisle that separated them. He was only thankful that their ghost of a professor was too engrossed in the lecture to see.
"It's nothing, Lav. Just let it go please and let me listen to Professor Binns!"
"Ugh, you are so dull. But fine, I'll leave you to your learning." Lavander leaned away to doodle in her parchment and Hermione continued taking down notes.
All was silent now sans the ghost droning in the background. This silence made Draco rather edgy. Who was causing her sleep troubles? What had been running through her mind all this time? Was he involved in any of this? Did he actually confuse her enough to consider leaving the Weasel for him? He mentally slapped himself for being too needy and leaned away to continue brooding until.
"Oh my, Hermione! That's such a cute necklace!" Lavander reached towards her classmate and held the pendant in her hand. "An otter, my how adorable!"
Draco suddenly jerked closer again.
"Isn't this your Patronus? Oh wow! This silver is gorgeous! This isn't like the ones you get from the carts along Diagon Alley! This must've cost a fortune! Where did you get this?"
Hermione snatched the necklace away and hid it inside her white Oxford shirt. "It was a gift."
"Oooh! Who from?"
"Um, just someone." Hermione replied, still trying to take down notes while her friend was bombarding her with questions.
"That someone must like you a whole lot to give you something so beautiful! Not to mention, so expensive!"
"It's nothing, okay? Just quiet down, Lav."
"Come on, Hermione! Who's it from?"
No answer.
"Please tell me! Please, please, please, please, please?"
"Oh hush, Lav!" Hermione huffed in annoyance. "You probably don't even know him anyway so it doesn't matter."
"Fine, then." The other girl said, again pouting. "But just so you know, I may not be book-smart but I do know that whoever gave you that necklace really, really likes you." She giggled. "Oh, it would be so exciting if you liked him too! You do need someone to spice up your dull life."
"Thank you for that, really. But you know, what goes on in my life that concerns love relationships is none of your business." And then mumbling a bit softer she added, "Anything that goes on in my life is none of your business, actually."
"Oh whatever, Hermione! Just answer me one last thing and I swear to leave you alone."
"Yes, ask now please so I can listen in peace."
Lavander gave a dramatic pause and batted her eyelashes. "Do you like mystery-necklace-giver, too?"
Hermione suddenly bit her lower lip. "Oh, uh, I can't answer that."
Lavander squealed, "Oh gods, that's a yes?"
Hermione only bit her lip harder and started to go red in the face. "I never said anything."
"It is a yes! You like mystery-necklace-giver!" And Hermione covered her friend's mouth and started to scold her to shut her loud mouth up.
And that was enough for Draco. After all those days of sulking and grumbling and brooding, he was now able to confirm his worst nightmare was, in fact, only imagined. Hermione Granger likes him. Hermione Granger likes him, Draco Malfoy. Hermione Granger, Gryffindor princess, likes Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Prince. He chuckled silently to himself, leaned back in his chair in a relaxed pose and a let a smirk form on his once scowling face.
* % * % * %
Hermione was packing her things after Professor Binns dismissed them from class and gave her a quick 'never pull that stunt in my class again, Miss Granger, you're my best student and I expect you to be a good example' lecture. She was having a crazed enough morning and it irked her more to have been placed beside that nosy Lavander Brown. She kept asking her all those useless questions and she only hoped to all the gods in the world that Draco Malfoy heard nothing from where he was sitting. They had been speaking in very hushed and low voices but Lavander's squeals could have attracted attention. She whacked herself in the head with her palm. She was NOT ready for Draco to find out her little secret.
She sighed, finished up putting her things in her bag and walked out of the room. She needed to be in Defense against the Dark Arts in 10 minutes and she needed to get there fast. Coming in late was definitely something she did not want to happen two classes in a row. She was almost running down the hallway when she was suddenly grabbed and was dragged into an empty classroom. She wanted to scream but a hand was covering her mouth. She was about to thrash in panic until she saw an all-too-familiar smirk on an all-too-familiar face.
"I'm gonna take my hand out but you have to swear not to scream. Okay?" Draco asked and Hermione nodded. He then released her from his grip.
"Gods, Malfoy! You almost gave me a heart attack with what you did just there!" She was breathing in pants as she said this.
"Sorry. I just didn't know how else to get hold of you." They were both silent. "You've been avoiding me again, Granger. Well actually, you've been completely ignoring me."
"I haven't. I just… haven't had the opportunity! We just got back from the holidays and I haven't gotten the chance to talk to you or to umm, thank you."
"And writing a letter never occurred to you?" He smirked, remembering her saying this only a couple of days ago.
She seemed to have remembered too because she smiled a bit. "No. Not that I didn't want to write a letter, it just seemed impersonal after this kind of a gift."
"I take it you like it then?"
She smiled. "Yes, very much. It's beautiful but how did you know about the otter?"
"I have my sources, Granger. Besides, I'm a Malfoy and we tend to know everything."
"If you mean to say Malfoys are nosy creatures, then yes, I agree whole-heartedly."
He feigned hurt by putting both hands over his heart. "Must your words always have a bite to it?"
"Must you always ambush me in the oddest of situations?"
He only shrugged. "So, I couldn't help but overhear yours and Brown's conversation earlier in class."
Hermione's back bolted straight up and her eyes grew wide. "Y-you heard?"
"I may have heard parts of it and it has led me to conclude a few things."
"W-what kind of things?"
"That one, that Brown girl is completely daft. No surprises there, though, she never seemed to be the brightest in the bunch. Two, that you need to stop thinking so much or else those bags under your eyes will grow significantly larger. By the way, I have a good beauty spell for that – oh stop giving me that judgmental look, it's only because my mother uses it. And three," He wiggled his eyebrows at this, "I believe that you, Ms. Granger, have something very… interesting that you need to tell me."
Hermione's brain suddenly went on overdrive. She was internally panicking, cursing Lavander for being too damn nosy and scolding herself for yielding to that girl's incessant questions. She started racking her brain for a good enough response to his words.
"Earth to Granger!" Draco waved his hands in front of her, "Anybody home?"
No answer.
"Granger? Hello?"
Still no answer.
"Man, do I have to shock you conscious? 'Cause I could kiss you again, you know, that always gets your attention."
She suddenly snapped conscious at his words and spoke, "Well, look at the time! I have Defense against the Dark Arts in about… wow, 2 minutes and I have to go to make it. I'll see you around, Malfoy!" Then she started to walk towards the door.
Draco only chuckled. She was halfway out when he called after her, "It takes time to digest, Granger! But I'll be waiting when you're ready."
Hermione turned to look at his smiling face – one that seemed to belong to someone who had just won an unlimited amount of Felix Felicis for life – gave him a hesitant smile and then sped off to class.
* % * % * %
It did take time for Hermione to accept all the things she had been feeling. Normally, this would have irked Draco but knowing that she reciprocated his feelings gave him enough cheerful energy to last a few weeks. He seemed to make the most out of it by using it to his advantage. For example, winking at her every time she glanced his way, tugging on a curl of her hair whenever he passed by her studying form in the library or intentionally grazing her arm whenever he "knocks her down" in the hallway. It was extremely fun setting her off that way and watching her tremble at his slightest touch.
But weeks then turned into a month and became a month and a half. A month and a half. Draco was now losing hope. Surely it did not take that long for someone to accept that she had feelings for someone, right? Was it all just a mistake? Maybe she really didn't feel the same. Thinking about it now, she never did say 'yes' when she was asked if she liked him. And that was why he was once again brooding in the Slytherin common room, banging his head on the back of the chair and sneering at whoever attempted at conversation with him.
He HAD to find a way to get Hermione to realize her feelings for him. He had to pry her from this shell she seemed to be hiding in. But how? He whacked himself lightly on the head and sighed. She was definitely nothing like all the other girls he had been with. They would throw themselves at his feet. He never even had to lift a finger to get them to snog the living daylights out of him. But this was Hermione Granger he had feelings for. She was smart, extremely clever and scarily tough. She never begged or groveled. She never just gave in. She only responded to challenges and threats. Challenges and threats. Challenges and threats! That was it!
Draco leapt from his chair and practically ran to the Great Hall where everyone had already started eating dinner. On his way, he grabbed the first pretty 7th year he found and wrapped his arm around her as they entered the hall. He brought the girl to his table and made her sit on his lap. He knew it was rather low but at this point he was desperate to try anything. The girl, he found out, was from Ravenclaw and was nothing but eager to be sucking face with him. Of course he refused to kiss her. His kisses were reserved for Hermione. What he did, though, was play with her hair and pretend that he was entranced with everything she said.
Across the hall, he spotted her, Hermione Granger. She was sporting a confused face that soon turned hurt and then angry. He gave her a friendly smile and pretended to listen again to the Ravenclaw. Was her named Melody? Mindy? Mandy? Whatever. He glanced at Hermione again and she was now giving him a look that was murderous. He shrugged at her and gave her a look that meant to say 'this could be you'. She only responded by glaring some more. He smirked at her and then, to spite her even more, he touched the cheek of Melody-Mindy-Mandy-whoever and brushed her hair from her face. The girl on his lap obviously giggled whereas the girl three tables away gave him one last hateful look and stood up abruptly to go.
He stood up at once, knocking the Mandy-Melody-Mindy-ugh-whoever over. He muttered an apology and sped out of the hall. He was walking past a tapestry that hung near an alcove when he was grabbed by his shoulders. He got the wind knocked out of him by a sudden punch in the stomach.
"What the hell was that?" a very livid Hermione asked while he was grasping his stomach, gasping for air.
"I—could—ask—you—the—same—thing." He wheezed.
"What was all that display about? What the hell were you doing? You go through great lengths to tell me that you like me and then weeks later you're sucking face with a Ravenclaw bimbo?" She was seething. "Do you even KNOW her name?"
He was still panting when he replied, "Yes. Mandy. Or Mindy. Or Melody. It starts with M." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Either way, Granger, you seem to have made your choice. It's been what, weeks and weeks and you've never said anything to me or even looked my way for more than 5 seconds. You obviously want nothing to do with me and I feel I am at liberty to go out with anyone I like. Even if she is a Ravenclaw bimbo."
She only stared at him in disbelief.
"Besides, what do you care?" He chuckled despite the hurt that was laced in his every word. "You obviously don't."
She slapped his shoulder this time. "You can be REALLY thick sometimes, Draco Malfoy. Really and seriously thick. Merlin, could you be any more daft?"
"Wow Granger, along with physical violence, you put the cherry on top of it by abusing me verbally."
"Shut up!" She hissed. "Yes, you know what, I did realize that I like you. YOU! Draco bloody Malfoy, the most annoying, selfish and evil git I have ever known. Except I didn't like that annoying, selfish and evil git because I realized there was SO MUCH more to you than you show yourself to be. You were, no, you ARE bloody sweet, thoughtful and surprisingly affectionate. You're bloody brilliant when you choose to be in the proper sorts of mind. And you're extremely attractive too! Well, kinda needy at times but it's still a bit cute." She laughed a bit and then shook off the distraction. "But I couldn't just leave everything and just snog the life out of you and be with you. I supposedly have a boyfriend who has been my best friend for years! Do you know how difficult it is, Malfoy? Do you know how difficult it is to realize that the person you thought you would end up with for the rest of your life is not who you thought it would be? Do you know how difficult it is to switch from hating you to wanting to be with you all the time? Do you know that this – despite being extremely enjoyable and wonderful – is just not easy for me?"
Draco was only silent, contemplating her words. He did know it wasn't very easy but he never considered seeing it in her eyes. He suddenly felt very, very stupid for doing what he did.
"I do like you, Malfoy. I really, really do." She sighed. "When you said you would wait for me until I was able to accept everything, I just thought you were the sweetest thing. But now this? This just infuriates me. No, actually, this just hurts me. Now I don't know where that side of Malfoy went. I just want to beat you into a pulp right now but I won't because I don't even want to bloody hurt you."
He was silent again and he only stared at her. She was looking down at her feet and was biting a quivering lip. Was she gonna cry? Oh no. He didn't know what to do with girls who cried. He especially didn't know how to comfort a crying Hermione Granger. He used to live to see her cry. Now he would gladly give up all his hair products just to never see her in tears.
And then she did burst into tears. "Merlin, I'm such an idiot. I can't believe I actually thought someone would like me as much as you did." She buried her face in her hands.
He didn't know if it was because of her pitiful state or the words she said. He didn't even know what possessed him to do what he did next but he just did. He took her into her arms and let her cry on his chest. He rubbed circles on her back and hushed her until she stopped crying. Which wasn't so long, really. He assumed she still refused to be seen as weak, especially by him.
He then took her face in his hands, brushed her tears away and said, "I'm sorry. I really am sorry. I thought you didn't care and it pissed the hell out of me. I wanted to pry you out of your safe zone to take a chance on me. I know it's not easy but I didn't think it was THAT hard for you. I just got really impatient and I did the dumbest thing. I thought you would respond if I posed a threat and well, it worked." He chuckled. "Just not in the way I thought it would."
She only gave him a sad smile.
"Merlin, I'm sorry." He sighed. "I'm so, so, sorry. Please forgive me. Please give me another chance. I don't know who that girl is and I don't care for her at all nor did I enjoy that 5 minutes we were pretending to be something. Gods, I am a stupid fool. I'm really so sorry. Please, Hermione?"
She suddenly looked up and looked into his eyes. "C-can you say that again?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Not that one."
"I'm a stupid fool?"
"No, no. The last thing you said."
"Please, Hermione?"
And then he was tackled by her arms wrapping around him and her lips crashing into his. He didn't even think twice to respond to her. He wrapped one arm around her waist and the other found its way into her thick, bushy hair. He kissed her. Oh he kissed her like he had never kissed her before. He put all emotions he had bottled up for a month in a half into that kissed and he could swear that her knees almost gave way if it weren't for the steady arm he had wrapped around her. After what seemed like forever, because he had waited for what seemed like forever to kiss her again, they broke apart.
"What was that for?" He asked with a giant grin on his face.
She blushed. "I dunno. It was weird. You said my name and I all I wanted to do was to kiss you."
"Oh." He said, brushing her hair away from her face. "Hermione." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "I think our kisses are even more amazing when I'm not the one tricking you into kissing."
"Oh haha," she rolled her eyes, "don't think you'll get more of this soon. I still have to break it off with Ron. I mean, I guess it should be easy. I've been avoiding spending time with just him so he might be taking hints already. I'm just deathly afraid of how he will react." She sighed.
He pulled her closer, "Are you sure you really want this? You and me? You can still change your mind, although I would have to warn you that I won't take it graciously."
She paused for a while and then nodded. "I think that ironically, the safest and the happiest I've ever felt is being in the arms of my enemy."
He chuckled. "Former enemy, I hope."
"Former enemy, yes."
"That doesn't mean, though, that I'll stop picking on you. You still really are fun to mess around with."
She pondered on that for a while. "Hmmmm… Well, at least I can easily shut you up now by threatening you."
"I don't yield to threats, Granger." He said as he started kissing her cheeks, her ears, her temples, her forehead, everywhere he could get his lips on.
"Oh yeah? Even if I threaten to not kiss you or let you touch me for an entire week?"
He ceased with the kisses and furrowed his brow. "Damn it. It seems as if you have me at the palm of your hand."
"Hmmm…" She said, enjoying his ravishing of her. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"So I take it you're mine now, yes?"
"Not publicly yet, but yes. I think I've been yours since the first kiss."
He laughed. "Well, well, Draco hot lips Malfoy has done it again." And then he proceeded to take her lips into his.
"H-hermione?" Both suddenly stopped kissing.
"And Malfoy?"
Hermione and Draco turned ever so slowly and who did they find staring right at them? Well Merlin wasn't giving them a break because right there stood none other than Ronald Weasley.
A/N: Haha, now where will this all go? I wonder too. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. I swear, I love creating a not-so-evil form of Draco.
Nothing is mine but the plot. Everything else belongs to one of the greatest minds ever produced by the world.