Disclaimer; Harry Potter and Co. belong to JK Rowling. Not me.
A/N Here you go! Chapter three. Just barely Wednesday but I had trouble waiting any longer...lol. I hope everyone likes it and everyone reviews. I got a disappointing amount of reviews for 'Reunion' so I hope everyone takes just a moment. Happy reading and for the love of Merlin REVIEW!
Dating?
The next few days brought even more looks from her fellow students. Tuesday Draco walked her to classes carrying her books, and kissed her hand before leaving. Wednesday she was surprised with flowers and chocolates in Charms much to the dismay of Ron and Harry. Thursday Draco caught up with her in the corridor outside of Transfiguration and pulled her into the corner, talking in whispers while she giggled. By Friday night, when they were supposed to do their rounds the whole school was under the impression that Draco Malfoy was very smitten indeed with Hermione Granger.
They were getting ready for patrols and Hermione for some reason was taking extra care to look nice. She preformed a straightening charm on her hair and curled the ends. She applied a slight amount of make up, not too much to be obvious, but enough to enhance her natural beauty. She wore her school things of course but she held herself in a different manner. The attention Malfoy had been showering on her had been exactly what she wanted. He was the perfect boyfriend. If only she could find a real guy who would do all of this without a bribe. Of course it had been near torture not to have every answer in class and to get less than perfect on all of her tests and essays but it was worth it. She walked down the dual stairs to find him waiting. He had not bothered with his school robes, but instead wore a loose silk white dress shirt and black pants. His head boy badge was pinned loosely to his shirt. His hair remained un-gelled and the longer strands played around his pale face.
"Ready to go?" he asked her. She nodded and they left the common room together to patrol the dark halls. This week was different however. They talked as they patrolled, and before they knew it, it was midnight.
"That went fast tonight didn't it?" she asked.
"Must have been the company." he winked. Just then out of the corner of his eye he saw the weasel spying on them. Ordinarily he would have given him detention for being out of bed at this late hour, but tonight he had other ideas. He grabbed Hermione by the shoulders and gently pushed her into the wall. Her eyes grew wide as his lips neared hers. He whispered;
"Weasel is watching us." and winked. Before Hermione could react his full pink lips were on top of hers and she had wrapped her arms around his neck. She could smell his clean raw scent, and felt his hand inching around her waist. She eased into the kiss and forgot that Ron was standing mere feet away watching her kiss his mortal enemy. Draco ran his tongue along her lower lip and her knees went weak. A second later he broke the kiss and she nearly fell over when he let go of her. He smiled at her and took her hand as they passed the column that Ron was hiding behind. She wished she could have seen his face as her and Draco walked off towards their common room hand in hand. All Ron could do was stand there in shock and swear under his breath.
The next morning at breakfast Ron filled the whole Gryffindor table in on what he had witnessed. Lavender of course took this and ran with it telling the whole school as quickly as she could. What was even more shocking is that Draco and Hermione arrived hand in hand in the great hall. He kissed her cheek gently before heading to the Slytherin table. She blushed for the millionth time that week and sat down next to Ginny who was waiting patiently for her to confirm what Ron had told them already. She told Ginny the whole story in detail before glancing over to the Slytherin table again. He was eating breakfast and looking very happy. When he caught her looking at him he smirked and winked at her causing the red to return to her cheeks.
"It is just so nice Ginny," she said loud enough for Ron to hear, "to have someone who understands you, respects you and can carry on an intelligent conversation." she smirked at Ron, whose ears and face were a pale shade of scarlet.
It was Saturday and Hermione fully intended to get herself organized and finish up her homework. It was hard coming in second to Draco. She knew she couldn't write her very, very best since he looked over her papers before she handed them in. she purposely missed at least one question on every test causing her professors to look at her oddly. But she was happy about the way things were going. Her grade point average was so near perfect that slacking off for a few months wouldn't make that big of a difference, and Ginny had confided in her that Ron had been in a very foul mood the past week. He had been short with every one of his friends causing several of them not to speak to him. He sulked around with Lavender on his arm, smiling only when he knew Hermione could see the two of them together. Unfortunately for him Hermione was usually with Draco these days so she barely took notice of Ron and Lavenders hanging on each other. But still it was Saturday, and Hermione had wasted most of the day with class work and studying. She stood at her bedroom window and looked out over the Hogwarts grounds. The sun was setting on that beautiful October day. She inhaled the clean fall air before changing her clothes and heading down to the common room. Draco was sitting on the couch reading a book. He looked up and half-smiled as she walked down the stairs and sat on the chair opposite him.
"You up for a walk?" she asked him, thinking that the Gryffindor quidditch team would just be about finished with practice.
"Sure I suppose we should be seen. Otherwise people would think we were cooped up in here shagging." he said smiling. She lookedslightlymortified."Just let me change." He ran up the stairs and changed his clothes lightning fast. When he came back down he was wearing jeans, a dress shirt and a green sweater over the top. He grabbed his brown leather jacket and Hermione's hand and exited out the portrait hole. Students stopped to look at the happy couple as they made their way down the stairs and out the front door onto the expansive lawns. The headed for the lake and the cool breeze blew over their faces making Hermione's cheeks pink with the cold. As they neared the quidditch pitch Hermione nudged Draco and pointed up nonchalantly at Harry and Ron flying overhead. They stopped mid-air on their brooms and looked at Hermione who quickly shifted her glance away. Draco, taking the cue nuzzled his lips against her neck. She was very ticklish and squealed at the intimate gesture. He did it again and she made a run for it, escaping his grasp and running directly at a pile of leaves. He gave chase and caught up with her causing her to fall into the pile. She laughed as he tumbled on top of her, pressing his body against hers. Two broomsticks hovered overhead silently.
"Are they still watching?" Draco whispered. She moved her eyes up and then nodded. The setting sun gave her skin a golden hue, and her cheeks were pink from the chilly breeze and the cold. She looked quite beautiful. He reached over and ran his hand through her curls. She looked into his sparkling eyes as he leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. Shivers filled her body and it wasn't from the cold. She reached behind his head and ran her hands in his silky blonde hair, closing her eyes and deepening the kiss. He grabbed her left arm, the one not in his hair and pinned it slightly above her head as he kissed his way down her neck. She opened her eyes and looked up. Harry and Ron had gone.
"They're gone." she whispered to him as his soft kisses continued on her neck. He looked up and shifted off of her, slightly embarrassed. He had gotten into it a little more than he planned on. He stood up and offered her a hand to help her up. He brushed the leaves off of her and then himself. She smiled but inside she had butterflies or something in her stomach. He grabbed her hand again and they continued to walk around the lake. That evening they both found out they had more in common with each other than previously thought. They both liked the same books and music. Hermione was shocked to find out that Draco like some muggle music and movies.
"I didn't think you knew anything about the muggle world." she said amazed.
"After my father died I took the opportunity to find out more about the muggles." he said.
"Oh, I didn't know your father died, I'm sorry." she said quietly feeling foolish for not knowing that.
"We didn't let on too much about it. Kept it from the press. During the final battle, well he was in disguise anyway, he was fatally injured. Someone apperated him back to the manor where he died a few hours later." he shed no tears for the man that was his father.
"Well I'm still sorry." she said sincerely.
The rest of the walk was spent in silence as the indigo sky won over the pinks and oranges that faded in the horizon. He took off his jacket and placed it on her cold shoulders. She smiled at him and they walked out of the chilly air into the warm castle. By the time they got back to their common room the house-elves had been there and lit a fire in the fireplace. There were all of Draco and Hermione's favorite foods on the small table as they had missed dinner. Hermione scowled since she still didn't think house-elves serving the students was proper. But she had admitted defeat a long time ago and sat at the table near starving.
"I wonder how they knew all of my favorites." Draco said as he piled his plate with food. Hermione looked over and saw a pair of huge eyes and bat like ears.
'Dobby' she thought. The elf smiled at her and with a small pop disappeared. She filled her plate and began to eat heartily.
On Monday morning Draco and Hermione walked hand in hand into the great hall. But instead of going to the Gryffindor table, he pulled her towards the Slytherin table. This had been a part of the plan of course. She smiled as they sat down together. Some of the other Slytherins were muttering 'Mudblood' under their breath.
"Listen here." Draco said loud enough for the entire table to hear them. "We are head boy and girl. We have issues to discuss. I expect you to respect Miss Granger here like you would me or face detention or loss of house points. Understood?"
Many of them murmured and went back to their breakfasts. Pansy shot both of them a nasty look. Draco and Hermione at breakfast and talked about patrolling duties and the upcoming prefect meeting. Hermione could feel eyes from the Gryffindor table burning into the back of her head. She ignored these looks and continued her conversation with Draco. They got up to leave together as well. It was if the whole school had just been stupefied. They just stared at the odd couple leaving. As soon as the door shut the gossip started again. When they got into the entrance hall she went to let go of her hand but he held on a second longer.
"Oh, sorry." he said dropping her hand promptly. "See you in potions. Are you going to sit with me?"
"Yes, see you then." she said heading off for her first class, History of Magic. Ron and Harry walked in the door a few minutes later staring at their former best friend. Ron nudged Harry and Harry nudged Ron, both trying to get the other to talk to her. Harry finally gave in as she was less mad at him.
"Hey 'Mione, how's it going?" he asked nicely.
"Fine." she replied shortly.
"Do you think you could just talk to Ron? He is very sorry." he said meekly.
"No, I cant." she replied bitterly.
"How long is this charade going to go on with Malfoy?"
"Charade? The nerve of you! You act as if Ron is the only guy ever to notice me. Well I have news for you Harry! This is not a charade. I like Draco, and he likes me!" she moved her seat away from the two of them right before Professor Binns started speaking.
Later that day Hermione made her way to potions class, but instead of sitting with Harry and Ron, she sat next to Draco and waited for Professor Snape to begin. He came in a moment later and began to teach them to brew a very complicated potion. Draco worked together with Hermione and got top marks for the first time all year.
"We make a good team I think." she giggled in his ear. He smiled at her. How had he not noticed how smart and funny she was all these years. Oh, yeah. It was because he hadn't bothered to find out.
"Yeah." he whispered back as he saw Snape approaching.
"Apparently your new found companionship has improved your skills Miss Granger." Snape said.
Hermione could have sworn she saw a faint smile come from his lips. Meanwhile Harry and Ron were working on their potion still and continually looked back at Hermione and Draco who were not only finished with their potion, but chatting and smiling in class without Snape yelling at them. Ron was so angry he ruined their potion without realizing it. Harry groaned as he threw the whole thing away giving them zero marks for the day. Ron bore holes into the happy couple who were now holding hands and whispering in each other's ear.
'Damn ferret.' Ron whispered. She never let him hold her hand or kiss her like he had witnessed that night after patrols.
Class was over and Ron and Harry pushed their way past Hermione and Draco and out of the cold dungeons. Hermione smiled at Draco and he smiled back. They were the only ones left in the classroom.
"Thanks." she smiled again, and again she blushed.
"That's what I'm here for right?" he smiled.
He walked closer to where she was standing. She was close to the doorway and backed up slightly so her back was up against the jamb.
He pressed his body against hers as he tried to pass her, but he couldn't leave, not just yet. He looked into her large caramel colored eyes and leaned in towards her face. His lips were a mere fraction of an inch from hers. To his surprise she raised her head and connected them. Her lips sent a strange electric vibe throughout his body. He deepened the kiss and opened his mouth slightly. She did the same and his tongue found his way into her mouth. She had dropped her books and wrapped her arms around his neck. She couldn't believe that this was happening. She knew they were alone. Why was he kissing her? And why was she letting him? She pulled away and looked at his face. How had she not noticed that his usually grey eyes were now a stormy blue? How had she not noticed his white blonde hair that felt like silk in her fingers? Now she remembered, it was because Ron and Harry hated him, so she was expected to hate him too. They both looked embarrassed and he bent down to pick up her books for her. She took them from him and her hand grazed his. She had no clue what was going on here. Her insides were jumpy and her heart was racing.
"Thanks." she said. "I guess I had better go." she said and they both tried to get through the doorway at once again. He finally conceded and let her go first. He didn't know what happened just now either. He felt like he either wanted to run and scream or vomit or shout love sonnets from the highest tower of the castle. His whole body had felt alive and new just now when he kissed her. This had been like no other kiss he had ever experienced. There was so much energy between them. He had a free period now and went up to the common room to think things over.
Hermione ran to her astronomy class as quickly as she could. She was still in shock from his kiss. It was the most electrifying thing she had ever experienced. Like her soul had suddenly come alive and made her aware of its presence. She was still shaking slightly when she sat down for Astronomy. She could not concentrate on class though. Her mind was on that blonde Slytherin who turned out to be not the person she imagined he was all those years, but the person she dreamed of.