Chapter 13: Deep Green

Capitulo XIII: Verde hierba

Draco stood watching how the Gryffindor went away, fighting the impulse to follow her and kiss her until she melted in his arms, proving that they both knew she was lying when she said he didn't interest her. But that could be dangerous, and now, Mrs. Pince approached surely attracted by the discussion they had just had. With irritation, he picked up the blue book and left the library.

He won't follow Granger, when the time came, it will be her who will come to him, of that he was sure. And then she will swallow her words and admit that she was crazy for him.

He smiled maliciously just thinking of it and felt a sensation of relief spreading through out his body, his vanity was being flattered. Even though she didn't recognize it, she felt attracted by him. He could see it in her eyes, he could feel her body's reaction when he was near her, and he had seen her lips trembling when he spoke of kissing her.

But she was stubborn and denied to accept it. Well… then, he will make her do it.

He smiled again, this time a true smile.

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Hermione's blood was still burning when she arrived to… ok, she didn't knew where she was. In her sudden rush to run away she just walked, climbed stairs and passed hallways until she reached a lost point in Hogwarts immensity.

Lost.

That's how she felt, in more than one way. She was still trembling and felt upset and yearning. She had her face covered in sweat and her robes stick to her body. She had been close, very close to surrender.

She beat her forehead with her hand, scolding herself mentally for her weakness. If she had fallen to her wishes, to her feelings, to her desires, right now she will be stick to Malfoy's body, kissing him desperately. Melting.

At least, in the last second she had been able to react and save her pride, or what was left of it. She had showed him that… what? What had she shown him? She had resisted, yes, but she didn't know if she was going to be able to do it again, besides, she had only lied to him but with her eyes fixed in the floor. To tell the truth she didn't think the Slytherin believed her, after all he was the master in lying and hiding, not she.

But that didn't matter anymore. She find quite ironic that what she had feared the most, now wasn't transcendent. She didn't care if Malfoy found out that she was in love of him and if he torture and bother her with that, what was really worrying was that he could love her back, or at least kiss her. Yes, if he kissed her it will be just to play with her, not because he wanted to. In fact, Hermione was completely sure that after they kissed in that lost room, he had washed his mouth in a way that will make Hermione's parents proud.

Men, she spit. Even though she knew that it wasn't about all men. It was just about him. He was the only man that could do something that displeased him just for the satisfaction of humiliating her, to bend her… to make her loose her mind for him. Not in her worst nightmares she had imagined that Malfoy will act that way when he found or guessed her feelings. Some months ago she will have bet that he will laugh at her until he was dead. She had never imagined that he will put honey in her lips, that he will tempt her to kiss him.

She didn't like all of this. Why was Malfoy acting like that? Nothing fit, anything had sense. She had become crazy, and it seemed… that Malfoy had too.

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Hermione said good bye to Harry, Ron and Ginny. They were going to the quidditch field for one of their weekly practices and now she was going to have a few hours of peace without making excuses or lying. She grabbed her bag and head at a lowly step to the library, even though on the inside her heartbeat was raising with expectation. Going to the library had become an authentic danger.

Before all this, that place had been her sanctuary, her refugee, the place where she was able to find a little peace. It was true that during fourth year, Victor Krum and his fan club visits had altered her peace but after the Triwizard Tournament ended, everything came back to normal. None of her friends came with her, just during exam periods and because she insisted.

And of course, Draco Malfoy was not often seen there. Hermione had never seen him in the library but once or twice, until this year. The world had turned upside down, now he went almost the same time the Gryffindor did, and though when she arrived he wasn't there, she never knew when he could appear. It had been just a few days after their last encounter but, every time she saw Malfoy in class or in the hallways, he had thrown her a gaze that worried her. He had watch her cunningly almost with a smile on his lips, as if he knew something she didn't and of course he appeared to be so self confident.

Hermione had never kept to much hope that after she rejected him, he believed that she felt nothing for him, that's why it was not that arrogant and smug gaze with which he looked at her what made her legs tremble. It was that shrewd and hidden shine that she had discovered deep in his eyes.

She swallowed hard trying not to think of that and grabbing her backpack, went to the library. She doubted before entering but when she did, she was comforted by the fact that Malfoy wasn't there. Just in case, she decided to sit in the most far away and hidden table she could find, and after taking out a couple of books, she sat down.

She studied for more than an hour feeling more deep in it, more relaxed, enjoying the study again as she once did. She changed the page with a soft smile on her lips, when she choked back a scream of surprise and panic.

Malfoy was there, approaching her table in a light and confident walk. He sat on a chair in front of the brunette and opened a book over the table, appearing not to have noticed the girl's expression maybe just by a hint of a smile in his face. Then he leaned back in the chair, with the head inclined backward, he crossed his arms and fixed his half-closed eyes on the girl he had in front.

Hermione suppressed herself to avoid the trembling. The last time he had done that, they had ended up kissing in a not innocent way. All her instincts asked her to run, the most primitive part of her was terrorized, but she was not going to please him. She had to be firm in front of him; she could not show the powerful effect that his proximity had on her. She had always been rational, except when it was about him, but if she wanted to forget him, avoid him, she must act like a rational person in every way. She continue reading, perfectly, totally conscious about the scorching and at the same time cold gaze Malfoy gave to her.

Soon she noticed that she wasn't able to read anything and that make her more nervous. She had always sought for answers in books; she thought that she will find the solution to any problem in one of the thousand volumes that were in the library. But when it involved him, she was not able to find refugee in her books and that scared her very much. She was always insecure when he was near, clumsy, dumb, insignificant, scared as a little girl. And she hated that he make her feel like that.

Run away from him was not the answer but, what could she do? How could she move him apart from her or at least that his presence didn't affect her like that?

Maybe she should get used to it. Yes. Or at least be able to handle it.

When she was resolved, she felt relieved, lighter, and able to ignore him. He provoked her, then, she was not going to run. She will confront him.

If he wanted to sit in the same table that she did, go ahead. If he wanted to spend the afternoons in the library, he was free to do it. She had her life and he wasn't painted on it, it had always been like that and will continue to be. Even though she wasn't able to read anything, she passed the pages once in a while as if she was studying completely unaware of the Slytherin's presence. She was irritating him and she feel it with delight. He was more and more rigid as time passed, he made all the noise he could, he passed and passed the pages, he cleared his throat or sighed fierce fully.

Draco was starting to get angry. She was ignoring him on purpose. How could she seem to be so calmed as if he wasn't in front of her? She should have run away or be trembling so he could be able to prove how much he affected her.

He passed a hand through his hair, messing it up, roughly, was she not going to do anything? He closed the book hardly, with a sound that bounced in the stone walls of the library making Mrs. Pince gave a start and look at him with censure, but the Gryffindor didn't move a millimeter and yawn bored. Draco had the urge to grab her from the shoulders and shake her until she look at him and screamed for help, at least with that he will knew if he existed for her. Why did she do all that? He knew she was crazy for him… or not? All fit, the letter to Krum, those kisses, the way she trembled when he was near her… was it possible that he was wrong?

No. She was his.

He became still when the repercussions of that thought spread through his mind. His? Why would he want her to be his? She was not even worth to be his pet. She was just a filthy mudblood, a vulgar daughter of muggles, an insufferable know-it-all. The perfect student, the perfect friend, the perfect prefect. The perfect woman, he thought with repugnance.

She was an inferior creature, deplorable. She wasn't worth it. And what if she ignored him? He didn't care. She could continue hiding her nose behind those books, he didn't care. He was going to stand up and stop losing his time when he saw Dewey entering the library with a couple of books under his muscled arms.

Draco tensed and clenched his jaw when he saw the Ravenclaw approaching the table alternating his dumb excited face with the furious dumb face according who he looked, the Gryffindor or him.

The relief that Hermione felt when he saw that friendly face approaching his table was so strong that she could've run to him and hug him. Benjamin approached slowly to the table, gave a killing look to the Slytherin and then sat near Hermione, giving her a radiant smile.

- Hello Hermione – he greeted her and the girl saw that his deep green eyes were shining intensely. Had his eyes always been that beautiful deep green? Or she had she never noticed until that moment?

- Hello Ben - she answered softly, on that point Malfoy's presence was just a little dark storm cloud in the blue sky.

- I wondered… well… – Benjamin scratched his head distractedly and watched Malfoy, out of the corner of his eye, who was clenching his fists under the table dying with rage. – will you matter if we go for a walk?

- I'll love to! – she exclaimed, thanking the opportunity the Ravenclaw offered him, she could get rid of Malfoy. When she saw how Ben blushed a little she realized that she had shown herself to anxious, but she didn't care. She smiled radiantly while she picked up her book and grab her backpack. She didn't throw a look to the Slytherin when she abandoned the table with the quidditch captain of Ravenclaw, if she had done it, what was in Malfoys eyes would've chased her even in dreams.

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Ben and Hermione went out to Hogwarts fields for a walk. In the distance they could see the quidditch field in which the Gryffindor team was practicing and in the opposite direction the Dark lake. Hermione felt a small shudder when she remembered what had happened there a couple of months ago. Back then everything was covered with snow but, a couple of weeks ago the snow had melted. They were now in February.

- Are you cold?

Ben's soft voice brought the Gryffindor out of her thoughts and she looked at him in silence for some seconds letting the words make sense.

- The truth is… - she started, but the Ravenclaw had already taken off his cloak and was throwing it over her shoulders. Carefully, as if she was something precious and delicate, he buttoned it up and smooth it, to be sure that the girl was well covered. Then he put the hood, moving some locks of hair and approaching to Hermione even more. The girl tried to identify what she felt with Benjamin's closeness. When Malfoy was near her she felt nervous and tense, on the other side, with Ben she felt comfortable. This, after all that had happened, was a big relief. it was nice.

Ben moved apart from Hermione when he was finished and as if he was too busy to noticed how close to the Gryffindor he had been, he blushed deeply, but didn't move.

-Hermione… - he whispered and, she felt that no one had ever said her name with such desire.

-Yes Ben? – she asked slowly, looking him into the eyes.

-Tomorrow… well, tomorrow is Valentine's day…

Hermione had to hide the hint of smile. Even though he was very attractive, very tall, very popular, Benjamin was no arrogant, he was a charming boy. He was shy and it was hard for him talking to girls but, he was always sweet, kind and courteous with her. And there was something in his look that made her feel happy with herself. She felt special. Just one person had looked at her like that: Viktor Krum.

She had thought carefully the words Malfoy had told her in the library about Dewey's feelings for her. Hermione had always been very perceptive with those things when it was about others, but she was to humble to have the same intuition when it was about her. Nevertheless, she was no fool. She knew Benjamin liked her, maybe just a little. She remembered the kiss under the mistletoe and considered that it hadn't been bad, but back then she had been very surprised to answer him. Maybe if he kissed her now, she will kiss him back. Maybe if she fell in love with Ben, she will be able to forget Malfoy.

Not maybe, she hope so…

- The answer is yes – she delimit.

- What…?

- Well, you were going to ask me to go with you to Madam Pudifoot's tea shop tomorrow right? – She asked regretting to have answered before he had asked. The next day, coinciding with Valentine's Day, they had plan a visit to Hogsmeade. Harry and Ron were going with Ginny and Lavender to Madam Pudifoot's, the tea shop were couples used to go. – Although… I'm sorry… maybe you didn't mean to ask that… and I don't want to…

She interrupted herself when Ben put a finger on her lips. Hermione looked at him with burning cheeks and then he smiled. For most of the Hogwart's girls, Benjamin Dewey was a handsome boy with his big green eyes and his athletic body. However, when he smiled he had something special; it was as if he smiled with every pore of his skin, with a sweetness that make him even more handsome. Hermione realized for the first time that she find him handsome, very handsome.

She also realized that he was about to kiss her. And of course she had no intention to move apart.

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Hello!

Mmm well if you thought that Hermione and Ben were going to kiss… you were right! Ben alias stupid and Hermione are going to Madam Pudifoot's tea shop together… how is going to take this Malfoy?

Thanks and kisses!

SORRY!! I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness… but I really don't have anytime… not even in my "vacations" if you can call them like that… I'll try to update sooner… please review!! Sorry too for the errors in my translation and thanks… and sorry again XD. Lola