A/N Thank you for the reviews! Some people are following now, too, which makes me so happy! I will be posting a chapter every one to two weeks, depending on how busy I am. Love you all!
Hermione stretched, sun filtering through her white, gauzy curtains. Her dreams had once again been nightmares, filled with eyes that once held life, and bodies equally disturbing and dangerously interesting to the brunette.
She stretched her hand and feet as far apart as they would go. Her small height couldn't reach top to bottom of her bed, despite the fact she tried every morning when she woke up. She still had hope she would grow.
She had been living with Draco for exactly one week now, and he had been surprisingly amenable to the list of rules she had made for the time they shared quarters. The list was as followed:
Hermione & Draco's Agreed Upon Rules:
One must not enter the other's sleeping quarters.
Draco showers in the morning, Hermione at night. No exceptions.
If one enters the dorm later than 9:00 pm, then one must be silent.
The words 'mudblood' and 'death eater' are not to be spoken.
Neither is to mention each other's family.
When one wakes up earlier than 6:30 am, they must be silent.
A personal space of approximately 20 cm. is to be maintained.
Hermione thought that the list covered just about any problems they might have. She wanted to add a few more, but Draco was adamant that they keep the number at a reasonable size. Seven was a good number.
Excited for the first weekend Hogsmeade trip, Hermione changed into her usual jeans and jumper, heading to the Gryffindor dorm she used to share with the Patil twins, and Lavender. Ginny had taken her old bed, so the entire group she would be going with would be there. She missed her friends, and though she wasn't sure at first, she was now excited about the girl time she would be having. Besides, she could always slip away to her boys for a while if need be.
Draco was still sleeping, so she left quietly, glancing at his shut door on the way out. Living with him was not nearly as bad as she assumed it would be. It seemed he was more mature, less 'Daddy's Little Boy.' She couldn't of course, know that Draco only said he looked up to his Father everything as an attempt to gain the man's attention. Efforts he stopped after his third year when he caught Lucius cheating on his mother. That was when he stopped caring for the man's opinion. Stopped caring for the man who beat him senseless every night when he was back home because his grades were second best to a mudblood.
But Hermione couldn't possibly know this, so she just appreciated the change in the blond boy she shared a living space with, blissfully unaware of how broken his home life was. Is.
When Hermione got to the dorm, she whispered the password to the Fat Lady, who gave her a friendly smile. The brunette had always been a favorite of the portrait. Her friends were buzzing around the room, stressing about what to wear, if their hair should be up or down, and so on. Hermione sat on the edge of the bed that was previously hers, feeling comforted by the familiarity of the bed, though she knew that was a silly thing to be comforted by seeing how little time she actually spent in it. Really, she mostly slept at the library. Soft lights, books, research… that was her haven.
Ginny was the first to notice her, sighing in annoyance and pulling Hermione over to the closet.
"No way am I letting you wear the same jeans you have been wearing since like third year. You can borrow something of mine instead," the redhead said, flipping though some tops hanging in the closet.
"And we will have to do something about that hair," Lavender giggled, pulling out her straightening iron. "I wonder how long it will be straight! It's already almost to your waist curly."
Padma and Parvati also looked through their closets for Hermione, and soon they had picked out a new outfit for her.
"Guys, I like my jeans. And I hate makeup!" She screeched, not happy when Parvati came at her with a brush much too close to her eyes.
Padma sighed. "I know, but please? We finished with ourselves early, and we have never really seen you done up besides Yule Ball. Which you looked gorgeous at, of course," she added hastily. "We've kind of failed as friends for not giving you a makeover before now."
Hermione sighed. She had liked feeling pretty that night. And if it would make her friends happy… well, she would do anything for them, and they all were looking at her with hopeful expressions.
"Ok, ok. But don't overdo it! I want people to recognize me, you know," Hermione relinquished.
Lavender let out a squeal and began the process of straightening out Hermione's long curls.
Ginny showed her the outfit they had decided on. A uber short red skirt that Hermione immediately nixed, and a tight white t-shirt that was fairly low cut paired with a pair of heeled brown lace-up ankle boots. The girls whined when Hermione said no to the skirt, but she was adamant. There was no way she was going to walk around looking like a harlot.
Instead, they pulled out a skin-tight pair of black skinny jeans they said would look much better than her own frayed jeans when Hermione claimed they were basically the same thing. Jeans are jeans, right? Apparently, not all jeans are made equal.
When Hermione had changed, Lavender finally finished beating her cinnamon curls into submission, and Ginny had even gotten a bit of mascara and lipgloss on Hermione. Looking in the mirror, Hermione was surprised that she actually looked… pretty. Put together. It was a good feeling. Fingering her straight locks, she slipped on a pair of sunglasses on the way out, the one item she was wearing that was actually hers.
Walking out the door with the girls, Hermione got used to the outfit and forgot about it completely, as she usually forgot most of her problems when she was too busy laughing with her crazy friends.
The four met Harry and Ron at the gate. When they approached, the two boys immediately straightened up, and Harry ran a hand through his mass of black curls, peering up at Hermione from beneath his lashes with his big, green eyes. He had gotten contacts, and he was quite attractive without his glasses, though Hermione thought he was handsome both ways. Both Harry and Ron were handsome, in her opinion.
Though she still had feelings for Ron, but he had made it clear that they were just friends after the war. It had hurt, but they had both moved on, even if her heart still fluttered a bit each time she saw him. He was actually quite happy with Lavender, and she was glad for them, even if it still stung a bit sometimes.
"Hi… what was your name?" Harry said with a smile.
Hermione bit back a laugh. "Harry, it's me. Hermione? Ring a bell?"
Harry gaped, and Ron laughed so hard he doubled over. Harry turned bright red, looking at his old friend sheepishly. "Sorry, Mione. Didn't recognize you! Your hair is straight… and those clothes…" he trailed off, looking at Ginny, who had her brow raised and a smirk on her face.
"Were you flirting? In front of your girlfriend?" She asked, clearly amused and not angry.
"No! I mean, Hermione looks so different! I wasn't flirting, of course. I have more than I can handle with you. And have I told you how gorgeous you look today?" Harry replied, smirking as he pulled Ginny in for a kiss.
Ginny laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Of course I look gorgeous, I only spent an hour in the mirror! I was just joking with you, honey. Her new look is partly my doing, after all."
Harry grinned, wrapping an arm around the ginger's shoulder as the group walked towards Hogsmeade.
-Draco
What the fuck? That was all Draco could think as he spotted Granger across the street, looking in a store window with her friends. Her hair was straight and silky, reaching a little past her waist in sheets of cinnamon laced with gold. And those jeans… he groaned. They hid noting, and Granger's legs were long and lean. And her ass should not be allowed in those pants. She turned slightly towards him, mid-laugh. Fuck it all, her t-shirt was tight, showing off her waist, and the taste of her cleavage he could see was tantalizing. What the fuck.
He turned back to the window of the store he was currently looking in. It was that Weasley's place. The one who's brother had died. Draco wasn't on their side, didn't even like them, but still… he couldn't remember a time they had ever been apart. They were inseparable, and that's more than most people can say about their relationships. The only people Draco actually liked were Blaise and Theo, and he couldn't imagine being around them for more than a week. The blond wished he had someone he was that close with.
Feeling a long fingernail trail up his arm, Draco turned quickly. He hated being touched by most everyone. Pansy smiled in a way Draco assumed was meant to be provocative, judging by her outfit. She looked like a harlot, red lipstick, black, skin tight dress, silver heels… it was too much, and her perfume was nauseating.
"Hey Drakey-baby. So I know you were thinking about breaking things off, but I was hoping I could change your mind. Wanna me to come up to your Head Boy dorm later? It's so nice that you get your own space, no one to hear us," she said, crowding Draco in with each aggressive, perforating word.
Draco stood tall, and removed Pansy's wandering hands. "Don't touch me. I never said I was thinking about breaking things off-" Here, Pansy fluffed her hair and licked her lips, obviously quite pleased. "I said things are over. Now." Pansy's hand froze mid-fluff, and her jaw dropped.
"Drake, you don't mean that!" Pansy stated shrilly, hands reaching out.
Draco remained cold, impassive. "Actually, I do. If you will excuse me."
Pansy started after him. "Draco, I am spending the day with you. You will change your mind. You will." The pang of desperation in her voice was enough to get Draco to start into a fast walk.
Pansy kept up, trying to link her arm with his. It was pathetic, and Draco told her as much. She just held on tighter.
Draco finally shook her off, and broke into a bit of a run, turning corners fast, trying to ditch the stupid witch.
He finally lost her when he turned into a tight, dark alley. She went past, looking around and calling out his name. What the bloody hell was he thinking dating someone as mentally unstable as her?
Draco had just caught his breath when he saw Hermione walk out of the new dress shop with a parcel in hand. She waved goodbye to the group of girls she was with, and Draco shrunk into the shadows, watching as she looked both ways, then started down the alley where he was currently lurking in the shadows.
She licked her lips nervously, and he could hear her footsteps approaching. Why would Granger come here, and alone? Nothing good was back here in Diagon Alley. He would know. Oh, and shit, Pansy was back, once again walking down the street next to him. Granger was going to open her big loud mouth and ask him what he was doing back here, and then Pansy would hear and he'd have to run from his psycho ex again.
When she rounded his corner, Draco covered her mouth with his hand and pulled her deeper into the shadows with him. He couldn't see her expression, but he could feel her body tighten against his, the curves of her ass pressing against him as she reached for her wand. Draco knew exactly what the brunette was doing, however, and he pinned her wrists together against the wall, flipping her around to face him.
Granger gasped when she realized who it was, relaxing a bit. Then, realizing a decidedly dangerous looking Malfoy was pressing his body flush against hers in a darkened alley, she tensed all over again. She told herself it was fear that made that spark come to life inside of her chest, and not the fact that Draco's body felt deliciously dangerous against hers.
"Granger, shush! I don't relish the idea of running from Pansy again," he said, his annoyance clear in his tone. She pursed her lips, ready to tell him that she should hex him into oblivion for scaring her so badly, but then Pansy walked by the street next to them, a wild look in her clear blue eyes.
"Drakey-baby? We are meant to be, Slytherin purebloods," she ranted.
Draco looked down at the brunette, studying her frazzled expression. Pansy attacks Draco's senses, aggressive in everything from her pointy features to her cloying perfume. Granger wasn't like that. She smelt of flowers and books, her features were softly rounded, and her expressive eyes reminded Draco of melting chocolate and honey. Everything from her curves to her cinnamon hair was perfectly Granger, and Draco was strangely attracted to it. Not to the girl, just to the things that separated her from Pansy. The things that made her Hermione.
-Hermione
Pansy was obviously unhinged in some way, and it scared Hermione that she still held the fact that they were purebloods over any actual emotional connection. A chill raised goosebumps along her arms as she rearranged her bracelets for the hundredth time, making sure the word 'mudblood' that was carved into her skin was well hidden.
Hermione looked up to find Draco's steel-gray eyes fixed on hers. His body surrounded her, enveloped her senses in him. Pansy was gone, but the pair stayed fixed where they were, Hermione looking up at the Slytherin, their breathing heavy as they took each other in.
Draco's eyes were Hermione's favorite part about him, Hermione decided. Even when he was cool and impassive, she could catch a glimpse of his emotions like quicksilver. Draco was much taller than her, and though it used to make her feel beneath him, a mudblood, she now felt strangely powerful in this intimate position. If she even moved the slightest bit, she knew she would affect him. Her body pressed against his perfectly, her curves aligning naturally to his masculine frame.
Breathing deeply, she fisted his shirt and pushed him away from her. She briefly wondered what he would've done if instead of pushing him away, she had brought him closer… the heartbeat she could feel thrumming beneath her fingers was as erratic as her own. What was going on with her? Was she really so weak that she would consider kissing Malfoy?
"Your girlfriend is gone now, Malfoy. Not your smartest choice, but I guess if you're into the whole psycho thing," Granger said, ending the silence that was hanging between them, trapping them in the shadows.
Malfoy ran a hand through his already rumpled hair. "You can't insult my taste in partners when yours comes in the shape of a red-headed weasel, Granger," Draco drawled, thankful for the familiarity of their biting jabs.
Hermione straightened, picking up her parcel and heading towards the brightness of the street. "Ron and I aren't dating. If you recall, he's with Lavender now," she said, not bothering to look over her shoulder at the blond.
"Wow, so Weasley decided to upgrade. I'm sure they won't last long, if that's any consolation. You can have him when he's done having fun," Draco shot back, wanting her to turn.
He got his wish as she turned to face him, only to realize he was closer than she expected. Hermione almost turned right into his chest, but she caught herself and took a step back. "I'm fun, Malfoy! And for your information, I wouldn't take him back after Lavender anyways." Even as she said this, she questioned its truthfulness. Would she have taken him back after Lavender? Settled for safe and familiar? This conversation was much deeper than it should've been, anyway. She turned and hustled to the street, leaving Malfoy behind in the shadows to wonder what the self-doubt in her eyes had meant.
A/N Hi guys! I'm sorry this took a while. You can expect an average of 2-3 updates per month, so just be patient with me. While I am writing, I would love to hear suggestions and feedback for future chapters. What do you guys want more of? Also positivity is always awesome in reviews I get! Love you ;)
