"Hermione, will you just relax, for Merlin's sake? You look fine," Ginny said as she finished braiding Hermione's hair. The two were sitting in the courtyard after lunch waiting for Draco to meet Hermione for their trip into Hogsmeade. Hermione looked pale and worried, and was starting to turn a lovely shade of Slytherin green. She was glad now that she hadn't worn the short skirt that Ginny had suggested, but had chosen her favorite pair of jeans and a grey turtleneck sweater instead. At least she felt comfortable.
"I just feel sick. Maybe I shouldn't go," she said nervously, biting on her nails. Ginny groaned.
"Don't be a prat, of course you're going. It's just nerves. You've hung out with Draco before, why is this so hard for you?" Ginny said, putting her arm around Hermione's shoulders, which she could feel were shaking slightly. Hermione looked close to tears.
"Because he had a girlfriend then. Now everything's different. He had a girlfriend and it was…safe to be with him. Now I'm…scared." She gasped as they saw Draco approach them from the other side of the courtyard. He grinned at them and Ginny whistled loudly, to Hermione's horror and to Draco's obvious amusement.
"Yes," she whispered in Hermione's ear, "I see what you mean. I think I might be a little afraid to be alone with him too," Ginny added, giggling.
"Would you please lower your voice, he'll hear you!" Hermione hissed at her angrily.
"Hear what?" Draco said as he approached them. Hermione blushed and glared at Ginny, who grinned wickedly.
"Oh, just girl talk, none of your concern," she said airily as she grabbed her sweater off the bench. "Have fun, you two. Behave yourselves," she added slyly. Hermione blushed harder as Draco laughed.
"Behave ourselves or have fun? Which one shall it be?" he asked, as he threw his arm around Hermione. Ginny laughed as she walked away, waving.
Draco stood back to look at Hermione appreciatively. They stared at each other for a moment in silence. "You look adorable," he said softly. His words felt like an electric shock that instantly traveled through every part of her body, and her eyes widened. What…what did he just say…she thought blearily. Did he just…She tried to say something to him, but her words seemed to stick in her throat. As she stared at him in his green hooded sweatshirt and jeans, his fair hair falling in his grey eyes, she was at a loss for words. He is just so beautiful, she though, aching to touch him. Draco stared back at her, a slight smile on his face, and she was sure he could tell what she was thinking.
"You…I mean…so do you…" Hermione stammered, instantly turning red. Draco grinned and stepped forward until his face was inches from hers. She held her breath as he reached to touch her cheek.
"Shall we go?" he said simply and she nodded, relieved, finally letting out the breath she had been holding. The two walked off the grounds together. As they walked, some of Hermione's nervousness seemed to pass, and they made their way down the path in comfortable silence. Hermione felt that she never wanted the walk to end, it was so nice to just be close to him. Every now and then they snuck glances at each other and smiled.
Draco and Hermione snickered as they spied two third years snogging under a tree on the path towards Hogsmeade.
"They start early now, don't they?" Hermione giggled. Draco smirked at her, raising an eyebrow.
"Third year is early, Granger? And when was your first kiss?" Hermione promptly turned bright red, feeling her stomach drop. Draco laughed.
"I'm sorry," he chuckled. "It's none of my business, yeah?" Hermione cleared her throat nervously, still blushing.
"Yeah," she said shortly. She looked at Draco and suddenly they both laughed.
"It's alright," she said, grinning shyly at him. "I guess I was a late bloomer, to say the least."
"Nothing to be ashamed of," Draco said as the two walked down the street, looking in shop windows. "You can't rush a good thing," he added, reaching to tweak the end of her braid. Hermione laughed, slapping his hand away.
"Well I wouldn't have been such a late starter if you all weren't such… formidable creatures," she said, pausing to look at a cauldron display in a window they were passing.
When Hermione turned back to Draco, he was looking at her curiously, the same knowing smile on his face that always made her stomach flutter and her heart beat faster.
"Granger," he said softly, stepping closer to her. "You, a young lady who has faced dark wizards and trolls, are saying you're afraid of…boys?" Hermione swallowed as he moved even closer, causing her to back up against the store window. She was suddenly very conscious of his closeness. She could smell him, see his eyelashes, he was so close to her.
She raised her chin and tried to laugh disdainfully. "Me? Afraid of boys? Ha. I…I didn't say that. I just…just meant that…" She paused as he continued to smirk at her, suddenly frowning at him.
"Cut it out, Malfoy," she said, placing her palms on his chest to push him away from her. He placed his hands over hers firmly. Suddenly, as they stared at each other, it was as if time had stopped. Hermione felt herself holding her breath.
"Are you afraid of me, Granger? Do I scare you?" Draco asked as he leaned closer to her. He was enjoying himself greatly: Hermione's obvious shyness was, for some reason, turning him on more than any of the hundred times Pansy had thrown herself at him. A voice inside his head was telling him to quit, to go slow with her. This isn't even a date, Malfoy, why scare the knickers off of the poor girl before you even get a kiss? Malfoy ignored the voice with ease, instead focusing on how lovely her face looked, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright with alarm.
"Malfoy, what are you doing?" Hermione said, her voice cracking nervously. Malfoy laughed as she cleared her throat, embarrassed.
"I guess I'm flirting with you," he said, smirking at her. "Are you enjoying it?" She rolled her eyes, still blushing.
"Yes," she mumbled to his delight, "Yes, it's very nice. Are you happy now?" She snuck a look at him and he grinned wickedly.
"I am," he said, throwing his arm around her and laughing again. Hermione giggled as they made their way over to The Three Broomsticks.
"Fancy a drink?" he asked her, holding the door open for her. Before she could answer, four Slytherins pushed their way out of the bar through the door that Draco was holding. Draco saw Hermione glare to see that it was Pansy and three of her friends: Millicent Bulstrode, Zabini and Goyle.
Unlike Hermione, Draco was not bothered by seeing Pansy, he merely raised an eyebrow at her coolly. However as he glanced at Zabini and Goyle, he couldn't help grinning at their looks of approval at seeing Draco with Hermione. Many nights the three had discussed how little Granger had grown up quite nicely over the past year, and Draco didn't need to use Legilmency to know what they were thinking. He winked at them and they smirked back at him.
Draco's smile faded as Pansy approached Hermione, instantly invading her personal space. Hermione stared at her, her jaw set and her fists clenched at her side. He sighed inwardly. Oh, Gods, please don't let this get ugly, he thought miserably.
"Well, it didn't take you long to move in on my leftovers, did it, Mudblood?" Draco stepped over and started to intervene but stopped when Hermione frowned at him and shook her head slightly, holding up her hand to him gently as if to say I can handle this, Draco: stay out of it. He looked at her helplessly, but remained standing next to Zabini and Goyle, who were grinning like Cheshire cats. He nudged them and glared disapprovingly, causing them to try to wipe the smirks off their faces, though unsuccessfully.
"I'm not moving in on anything, Parkinson. And Draco is a person, not a thing. We're friends. I don't really care what you call me, but watch what you say about my friends, you idiot." Draco looked at her admiringly. She really would have made a good Slytherin: she has spirit, that one. He couldn't help notice how cute she looked when she was angry. Angry at someone other than me, he thought with a grin.
"Oh, you're friends, are you? That's rich," Parkinson spat. "You don't fool anyone, Granger. Everyone knows about your little crush on Malfoy. He knows too." Draco's face fell as Hermione's face paled. Pansy continued, obviously happy to have a chance to humiliate Hermione in front of an audience, especially one that included Draco.
"He laughs at you, you know," she continued. "And why wouldn't he? You're pathetic. I'll bet you've never even kissed a boy, have you? And you can't count that git Weasley. Bloody Hell, even he got bored with you!" Hermione's face went from white to red as Pansy shrieked with laughter, and was joined by Millicent snickering. The boys, on the other hand were silently watching Hermione, waiting for her to explode. However, she stood her ground. Her cheeks were flaming but her jaw was set. And when she spoke, although her voice was quiet, it was still strong.
"You can't hurt me, Parkinson. I don't need revenge for anything you say or do to me, because being you is punishment enough." Pansy gasped and glared at her angrily. Draco smiled. I like that, he thought gleefully. Hermione's right. That is punishment enough, that Pansy has to live with herself. He watched as Pansy's gaze turned to that icy stare she had when she was really about to lose it.
"Oh, who cares, take him," Pansy snapped. "You think I want him now? He's damaged goods: who wants a traitor? He can go rot, for all I care, like his stupid parents are in Askaban. His mummy and his…" Pansy's words were abruptly cut off by Hermione's fist smashing into her face.
Millicent yelped and the three boys gasped, unable to help grinning at each other delightedly, as Hermione leaned over Parkinson, who was now on the ground looking up at her, stunned, blood running from her nose.
"I told you to watch what you say about my friends, Parkinson. And their mothers," she hissed, before banging the door to the Three Broomsticks open and stalking inside. As Millicent leaned to help Pansy, Draco looked at Zabini and Goyle, still flabbergasted. They laughed.
"Go!" Zabini said, motioning to the door to the bar. "Go get her! She must bloody well be in love with you to throw a punch like that! Buy that girl a drink!" Goyle laughed.
"Yeah, mate: that's sexual tension if I ever saw it. You at least owe her a round," he said chuckling. Draco grinned, slapping Goyle on the shoulder before he strode into the bar.