As soon as Granger had said she wanted to talk alone with Draco, he was surprised that he actually agreed. They were walking through a corridor but he wasn't really sure which one it was, he was more focused on the fact he had sweaty palms and his heart was beating faster than normal. And dare he accept it? He was… nervous!
Draco Malfoy was never nervous. He was in the top five richest underage wizards in the UK; right before Blaise might he add? He was in the top ten most wanted eligible bachelors from here to France for the daughters of some of the most respected businessmen. He had scuba dived in America, explored in Antarctica, went cave diving in South Africa, hunting in Switzerland, explored tombs in Egypt and spoke three times at the World Purity Gathering in front of a million wizards from worldwide, he could speak 5 languages and had the best grades and had no reason to be nervous at all! Oh and he'd met Keira Knightly! So why could Granger make him feel like this? So… Nervous?
And he was pretty sure when he was in the office he had been so tempted to reach for her hand; it had been right next to his. Maybe it was mystery girl, she was making him mushy, and he couldn't go around holding people's hands could he? And it was Granger, yes she was a lovely girl (not like he'd admit it out loud) but he was seeing someone… kind of.
"Note to self, find out dating situation…" He muttered to himself. Hermione turned looking at him strange.
"Did you say something, Dra- Malfoy?" Hermione winced at her slip up. He smirked.
"You can call me Draco if you want Granger, my names not acid, it's not going to dissolve your mouth." Hermione didn't answer so Draco went back to his internal monologue.
Why was Granger making him nervous? It was weird. He was normally confident but he was actually feeling a little dizzy. Or was it Grangers perfume? Jasmine and something spicy. Where had he smelt that? Oh yes, Pansy. It was that one by Dior was it? Maybe? He wasn't sure, but no; something was picking at the back of his mind that wasn't where he recognised it at all. He ran all the girls he knew through his head, Milly, Jessica, his mother? No it was far too cheap for her taste. And then he remembered. He had to force himself to keep walking as everything clicked into place. It was Granger, she was Granger. MYSTERY GIRL IS GRANGER! Or was he over reacting again? He wrung his hands together looking at her from the corner of his eyes.
She was very pretty, and now he looked at her and KNEW she was his mystery girl, everything made sense. How could he have been so dense? It was the most obvious thing ever. He looked down at every detail of her face, he had never actually realised how breathtaking Hermione Granger was. She had a medium complexion, not dark but sun kissed. Long black eye lashes and tiny freckles on her nose. Her hair wasn't so much frizzy as he thought it had been it was just very thick. He stared at the curve of her lips from the side, they were a light shade and pink and as she licked her lips nervously, Draco found himself biting his bottom lip. He put his hands into his pockets, and blushed walking with his head down.
This was Granger and he was practically drooling over her, what was wrong with him? She was just a mudbl… he couldn't say it. Oh my god it MUST be her. But what if it wasn't her? 'But it is!' Said the Blaise voice again. Everything fit too perfectly, it couldn't be a coincidence. It was disturbing how fast he had adjusted to the idea of it being Hermione. If it wasn't he would be awfully disappointed. She was perfect for him, she was smart, held interesting conversation, was funny, had all the right morals, and was very attractive. Draco blushed at that thought again.
"Are you okay Draco?" Hearing the voice louder than that usual whisper, it was quite high and each word was clearly pronounced, she had been bought up well, he could tell. He 'hmmed' in response to her question. He could feel her staring at him; he could just picture the concern on her face.
As he looked down he kept getting a glimpse of her shoe as she lead them to god knows where. They were simple Mary Janes, like the ones most the girls wore. White socks were folded neatly and as didn't even realise as his eyes travelled up further to her well shaped legs, they looked so soft. Her skirt was at her knee, not an inch higher. Draco smiled, she was a descent girl, hard to find these days.
"Hey, erm… Hermione?" The name felt weird but nice on his tongue. "Where are we going?"
"Well, actually we're going to the library, I need to explain a few things, and it's-"
"Good for privacy." She nodded at him semi-smiling, it looked as though she wasn't sure whether she wanted to smile or not. It looked cute on her. Draco smiled at her and her lips decided she did want too as she smiled back.
Draco wiped his sweaty hands on his trousers thinking, she was going to admit it to him. That was a very selfless thing to do and it made him smile even more, Merlin this girl was one in a million. He could tell she was completely petrified of being rejected. He had meant what he said last night, he already liked her it was too late now; she was stuck with him now.
They walked in silence until they reached the tall open doors of the library and Hermione hesitated before stepping over the threshold of the room, where the stone floor of the hallway turned into a warm crimson carpet. Instantly the smell of new books and furniture polish hit Draco and he stared fondly at the bookcases as he walked past them. When they stopped he realised they had reached bookshelf that they sat back to back against. Hermione stopped walking and turned to Draco who took his hands from out of his trouser pockets. She looked at him and opened her mouth to start talking but no words came.
"Take your time." Draco said sincerely, giving her encouragement. After all he couldn't say anything in case he was horribly wrong. She took a deep breath and looked straight into his eyes.
"Draco, I've bought you here to this spot because it means a lot to me. I have a lot of memories here, nice ones, and I happen to know that you so as well. It's really hard for me to try and tell you this; I'm so scared of what you might think. I might not be pretty or funny and I'm not pureblood and to be honest I haven't got a Knut to my name! I," Draco interrupted by closing the space between them and pressing his lips lightly to hers, holding it for a few seconds. He felt her sharply intake her breath but didn't see her eyes widen in shock because his were already closed.
Hermione had never been kissed before, not on the lips and certainly not like this, this was innocent and full of feelings she didn't even know existed. And slowly her eyes fluttered closed as it was held for a second longer. Draco stepped away slowly and looked unsurely at her. Both of them were speechless.
"I think, erm… you know, don't you?" Hermione said looking petrified. Draco nodded a blush slowly forming.
"I'm sorry I kissed you, I could tell you were going to tell me, so I thought I'd make it easier for you." She smiled.
"Erm, thank you I guess," she said shyly tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "But…why?"
"Isn't it clear?" She wanted it to be what she was thinking; she really did, but was it too good to be true? Draco bit his lip shyly and looked through his light fringe at her. He knew what was coming. She shook her head slowly; he could tell she just wanted to hear him say it.
"Hermione, will you be my girlfriend?" Draco reached for her hand and grabbed it kissing her hand once. 'What a charmer.' Hermione thought to herself before nodding with a huge smile playing at her lips. Draco pulled her into a hug.
"I can see us holding hands, walking on the beach our toes in the sand, I can see us in the countryside, sitting on the railways side by side, you can be my baby, I'm lucky you're my lady, girl you amaze me, all I want you to do is be my love." Hermione was almost speechless at his expression. Almost.
"I can't believe you want me, I'm so poor and inferior and you're my boyfriend!" Hermione was completely overwhelmed. 'Someone please pinch me!' she thought to herself.
"Hermione." he whispered into her ear. She shivered, holding on tighter to Draco, he was taller than her and he smelt amazing she snuggled further into his shoulder. This was a dream come true. "Stop thinking, just… feel." Hermione looked up at him her eyes watering with happiness, he looked down at her, eyes happy and a huge smile on his face, just before he hesitantly leaned down and they both experienced there first real kiss.
A few minutes later Draco found himself being dragged by his hand out of the library by Hermione, running full speed and laughing his head off. They had been enjoying the kiss immensely, it was very cute and they both didn't have a clue what they were doing but all the same it was very… nice. Yes it had been a thrilling experience, until Madam Pince had spotted them through a gap in a book shelf, she had been so shocked she had fallen of the ladder she was using to stack away books; thankfully she hadn't been too high. They collapsed against the nearest wall laughing uncontrollably at the memory of the look on her face. They both knew that that could NOT happen again. So then immediately stopped when they realised they were both still holding hands and a group of Ravinclaws were staring at them. They both snatched their hands away and starting fighting!
"Malfoy, you bitch!" Hermione said after slapping him around the face and storming off, leaving Malfoy yelling after her,
"God Granger, you're a feisty one!" Draco held his flaming cheek and ran after her giggling like a maniac as he chased her down the corridor, her laughing just as madly as him.
He just couldn't believe how much fun he was having with Hermione and he had decided she was definitely going to be called Hermione since she was his first sweetheart. Hermione turned around sliding slightly on the polished floor a huge smile on her face and Draco stopped abruptly staring at her in amazement, how had he never noticed Hermione before? She was stunning; she was more than stunning she was exquisite and such a perfect match with him. Or at least he thought so. He was then gripped back into reality when she ran down the corridor again and he followed her only for her to turn back his way and grab his hand pulling him in the other direction.
"Snape!" She giggled; she was wise to do this because as soon as Snape had noticed them, they could hear him calling for them to stop. They turned the corner just as Draco burst into song, "Running just as fast as we can, holding onto one another hands, trying to get away into the night," Hermione sharply pulled him into a classroom and he slammed the door.
"And then you put your arms around me?" Hermione said as she sat on a desk and Draco hugged her close.
"And then we tumble to the ground?" he asked wiggling his eyebrows still singing but slower, she shook her head 'no'.
"You're line is 'and then you say' Draco."
"Oh right." He mumbled into her hair. He pulled away gently looking into her chocolate eyes and noticing how flushed her cheeks were from running, or was she blushing? He wasn't sure either way. He held out his hand and bowed slightly offering her a dance. She smiled, sliding off the table and curtsying before slipping her hand into his and then holding him close and they swayed in a slow caress. "I think we're alone now. There doesn't seem to be anyone around, I think we're alone now, the beating of our hearts is the only sound. Look at the way, we got to hide what we're doing. 'Cause what would they say? If they ever knew, so we were running just as fast…" Draco sang and sang in his soft voice into Hermione's ear, both dancing slowly as they got to know each other for the first time properly.
It wasn't until around half an hour later that they had decided they didn't want to leave just yet so going to dinner wasn't an option and Draco being the gentleman he was, decided to invite her back to the common room.
"Hey, erm… I was wondering if you'd like to come back to my common room? Everyone should be going to dinner soon, it's around half five I think, and we'd be a lot more comfortable there than in here." Draco rambled on slightly, he had never asked anyone back to the dorm before, other than Pansy, but it wasn't the same because if it had been it would be mortally scarring to him.
Hermione looked up from his chest where she was resting her head. They were both curled up together on the floor of the classroom in the corner. "Yeah, that would be great, but what about the other Slytherins?" She said asked slightly concerned as she snuggled further into his chest, trying to memorise everything about him. She didn't want her meeting with Draco to end on a bad note because of the closed minded occupants of the Slytherin Dormitory.
"They will be fine, Crabbe and Goyle will be at dinner, Blaise is family so he won't care and Pansy's not speaking to me anyway, and anyone else I don't really care about. They can think what they want; they wouldn't dare say anything to you, in fear of me; well my dad." Hermione smiled, it was nice he wasn't embarrassed by her. But she still couldn't help but feel he was too good for her.
"Okay then, that would be lovely, should we go to the kitchen and get some dinner then eat together in your dorm maybe?" Hermione blushed; she was going back to a boy's dorm. She felt kind of immature because all of her friends were going through this in like fourth year but this was all new to her and Draco. And she kind of liked they were just as inexperienced as each other, Draco because he was supposed to be having an arranged marriage and herself because no-one had managed to see past her bookish exterior.
"Yeah, should we go then?" He mumbled she felt so tiny in his arms; those clothes made her look at lot bigger than she really was. He felt her nod against him, he put his head on top of hers and kissed her hair, neither of them moved, far too comfortable in each other arms, but soon the numbness of their bums was all too much so they stood up. Hermione watched as Draco immediately straightened his robe and wiped his bum free of any dirt, he was so particular. But then again so was she, they were perfect! She was so happy about the compatibilities, well if you ignored the social status and financial income. They really did need to talk about this, she didn't want him to wake up one day and realise he was really with a… a 'mudblood' as he used to say. She wouldn't be able to bare the heartbreak.
They walked down to the kitchens, her holding onto his elbow so they could easily spring apart if someone was to see them. When they arrived Draco asked for two dinners from the house elves. The elf handed the first one into Draco left hand.
"That is for you master Draco." He said, they another one appeared and handed it to Draco's right hand. "And that one is being for Little Miss Granger." He bowed and disappeared. Hermione pulled out her wand and put a heat spell on them so they wouldn't go cold on the journey down. So Draco held the dinners as they sneaked down to the dungeons, Hermione standing in front keeping a watch for students.
"Draco, why have we got different dinners?" Hermione asked looking at the two white plates in his hands. They had completely different meals on them. Draco smiled.
"Vegetarian option." Hermione looked at him shocked, her mouth opening slightly.
"You're a vegetarian? I'm surprised."
"I could tell," Draco smiled. "Yes, my whole family is actually, I've never eaten meat in my life, don't have a clue what it tastes like and I'm glad. Those poor animals." Hermione almost beamed at him.
"That's very un-Malfoy-ish, isn't it? Wouldn't animals be… inferior?" Hermione asked cautiously, she had grown up thinking Draco had been heartless and the more she knew him the more she realised she was completely wrong. Draco shook his head 'no'
"No, but it's quite an interesting story actually, my mother loves animals so she doesn't eat meat because it's cruel. My dad thinks they're inferior so he doesn't eat them because he might catch something. He's very picky about things like that. "
"And paranoid?"
"To put it politely, fuck yes!" Hermione laughed but then scolded him about his bad language, he apologised. For the remainder of the journey they chatted about weird things their parents believed and did, it was quite an interesting conversation and Hermione was surprised when they arrived so fast. She was also surprised it was a wall; she had been expecting a portrait. Draco whispered the password and Hermione covered her ears for common courtesy.
When she walked in and took her first look at the common room Hermione yelped and turned around covering her eyes. They felt like they were bleeding. "Harry!" She screeched. Draco just stood and staring half in disbelief and the other half in amazement.
Blaise and Harry was on one of the couches kissing VERY passionately, both of them had their shirts undone, Harry's hands were buried in Blaise's hair as he straddled him and Blaise had one hand down Harry's undone trousers and the other on his back. Harry sprung away from Blaise getting up from the settee and facing the other way doing up his shirt and trousers.
"Hermione! What are you doing here?" He gasped shocked and not turning around as he fiddled with his trouser zip, Hermione span around.
"Me? You're asking me? I'm not the one practically having sex in the Slytherin dorms." She pointed out, she didn't sound angry just in shock.
"Yes you, you're the one having dinner with Malfoy by the looks of it!" Harry said as he turned around for the first time noticing the plates of still streaming food.
"You knew I was with Draco!" At this Draco looked surprised. Hermione's temper was starting to rise; he was turning the situation around on her.
"Yes but…" Harry tried to argue.
"But nothing!" She yelled.
"Hermione? Why are we fighting?" Harry yelled back seriously.
"I have no idea!" She said still stressing and shouting. Harry burst out laughing and Hermione managed a weak smile but then she was soon smiling properly. Blaise and Draco shrugged at their partners' madness.
Draco walked over to Blaise and plopped down next to him putting the food on the table. Blaise wasn't really that bothered that Draco was seeing Hermione, after all he was seeing Harry and Draco had took it brilliantly. The least he could do was return his blessing and he knew Draco would need it; this was Draco's first relationship and he was normally very strict about seeing people. Last summer, they had went on a road trip when Blaise had got his driver's licence, Blaise had spent the whole holiday messing around with girls but Draco only looked and never touched. So he was very surprised when Draco had said thank you to him that day, when he had admitted it was him that administered the potion.
"So," Said Blaise as he duplicated Hermione's meal twice and handing one to Harry and starting to eat the other his self; receiving a glare from Hermione, but this didn't stop her duplicating her cutlery for them as well. "How did you find out she was Granger?"
"Actually, Hermione told me, well tried to." Draco corrected himself as he chewed his food slowly. As Hermione watched him eat she felt very self conscious, he was sitting straight, with his cutlery in the correct hands and cutting his food and eating in a royal manor. She tried to copy him slyly. Draco realised what she was doing and immediately tried to eat a little sloppier. But then she figured he's done it on purpose so it backfired on Draco when she tried even harder to eat like him. He tutted before continuing. "She took me to library and tried to explain, but just babbled so… so I kissed her, I certainly shut her up.
Harry looked alarmed as Blaise started to choke on his food. He tapped his back. Blaise raised an eyebrow after Harry had saved him from suffocating on chicken. "You kissed her, that's very courageous for you isn't it?"
"Actually yes, I didn't have a clue what I was doing; I kind of just went with it." Draco answered shyly blushing as Hermione smiled at him.
"So Harry, I'm taking this is what you couldn't tell us earlier? It was that you were with Blaise?"
"Duh, Hermione!" Hermione slapped him on the side on the head playfully. "Yes, it was, you don't mind do you?"
"Not at all, if I did I would be an awful big hypocrite wouldn't I?" She said glancing at Draco who was in a heated discussion about Madam Pince falling of the ladder with Blaise. "I can't believe he wants me." She muttered to herself, taking in every detail about him. He was perfect.
"What?" Harry said looking confused at her.
"Do you ever feel like you're not good enough? We're dating the richest purest guys in the school, in the whole of England maybe. And Draco has an arranged marriage. Will he want me then?" Harry looked sad for a moment and Hermione could see he kind of felt the same way.
"Yeah, sometimes. Blaise has an arranged marriage too but he's look his ring off. I feel bad; I don't want him to throw his future away for me. I'm… not worth it."
"I feel the exact same, Harry!" Hermione replied, totally forgetting about her food. "They're gorgeous, rich, pureblooded, Slytherin and,"
"You make it sound really bad!"
"You would say that, you're rich as well and you're only a half blood, normally stuff like this doesn't matter to me, so why does it now?"
"Love does strange things."
"I don't love him, I don't." Hermione sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than Harry. "Well, he sure doesn't love me yet, he's still got his expression."
"But he's planning on falling in love with you Hermione. Just accept it, that's what I've had to do. Trust me, I know what you mean, but it's paranoia okay? I felt like that a first but then you get used to their snobby ways and them flaunting there cash and stuff." Harry shrugged returning to his meal.
"But Harry-"
"You know Hermione, it would be better if you two didn't have this conversation while sitting across from your boyfriends." Draco pointed out and Blaise laughed. "What can I do to convince you, what I fell for you is real. I want us to last a long time. Sure we've just met really, but you've grown on me, I adore you. I worship the ground you walk on." Hermione tutted. "No really, you want to know how I feel? Because really I'll tell you, but just this once, I'm normally not a mushy person. I'm not used to this but I'll try. Soul expression in 5,4,3,2..." Draco counted down as he felt his stomach whirl and his throat tingling and it wasn't that nice when he'd just finished eating.
Suddenly Draco pulled Hermione up from the sofa and started dancing a salsa with her. "What happens if my head stays in my head, but what if it won't? What if you knew what I was thinking? Would it make you like wow?" He sang as he span her out, and then pulled her back in. "I don't wanna risk putting my foot in it, so I keep my mouth closed!" He sang as he dipped her dropping her back onto the couch and the puling Blaise into a cancan on the sofa. "Gunna button my lips, so the truth don't slip! Gunna peep out what I really wanna shout!" he yelled as jumped onto the coffee table kicking their plates onto the floor. "Woops, did I say it out loud? Did you find out?" He covered his hand pretending to go shy. "I wanna have your babies, get serious like crazy! I wanna have your babies, see them springing up like daisies! Yeh!" Draco grinned as he jumped off the table and then sat on it.
"Some of my feelings keep escaping so I make it a joke," He laughed breaking the song for a second. "And I try to please you, so my heart don't get broke!" Hermione cut him off by pulling him off the table and into their second kiss, it was different to the first one, a bit more comfortable. Hermione tried to tell him all the things that she just couldn't tell him in it. Like how he had just made her feel, so secure and loved. It was crazy that another person could make you feel like that. But she didn't care. And at that moment, she accepted she was falling in love with Draco Malfoy. Draco kissed her on the cheek as he pulled away slowly only to pull her into a tight hug and pick her up holding her close as possible. He never wanted to let go!
Hermione and Harry left the Slytherin common room at half past seven just before people started to come back from dinner, explaining to Blaise and Draco that they had to go get the expression antidotes. Draco and Blaise were left lying on their beds with huge smiles on their faces.
"I understand why Pansy was a bit funny with it, after all, he's Saint Potter." Draco said, it was only him and Blaise who were in there, normally Theodore was back by time now but he obviously had other arrangements tonight.
"Oh believe me, he's no saint, he's quite the opposite actually, did he look like a saint today when he was-"
"Do not finish that sentence, my mind's already been filled with filth by those rumours. I don't need any more there." Draco said sternly, meaning every word he said. Predictably, Blaise chuckled.
"Hey, before you interrupted my stream of thought Dray, I was just about to say, you're singing a lot less than you usually do. Do you think it's because you're starting to fall for her?" Draco smiled staring up at the bed canopy.
"Most likely, it's so strange to think, I have a girlfriend. Hermione Granger is my girlfriend."
"Are you disappointed it's her?"
"Not at all, I'm very pleased actually, I think she's perfect."
"She is very pretty, yes." Blaise agreed. It was nice to be able to talk openly about relationships with his best mate. He had got so sick of hiding everything and to have Draco's approval was a blessing.
Silence.
"Hey, Dray?"
"Yes, Blaise?"
"What are we going to do about our marriages?"
"We'll see when the time comes."
Silence.
"Hey, Dray?"
"Yes, Blaise?"
"Do you ever think Harry would marry me?"
"I don't know Blaise. Why don't you ask him?"
"I wouldn't know how…"
"Draco!" "Blaise!" Two different voices yelled simultaneously before the bedroom door was slammed open. Both boys sat up in bed frightened to death.
"What!" They yelled as a very flustered looking Hermione and Harry bursted through the doors.
"It's Snape!" Harry said. "He's gone missing."
"My Love" is a song by American singer–songwriter Justin Timberlake from his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006). "I Think We're Alone Now" is a song written by Ritchie Cordell. Tommy James & the Shondells, Tiffany, The Rubinoos and Girls Aloud have all covered this song. "I Wanna Have Your Babies" is a pop song written by Natasha Bedingfield, Steve Kipner, Andrew Frampton and Wayne Wilkins.
Fanfiction is by Faith Valconbridge. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.