SECOND YEAR
When Draco Malfoy arrived at the space, he was surprised to find Hermione Jean Granger sitting there with not one but two thick books. At the sight of him she rolled her eyes and returned to her eyes.
"I'm the one usually more irritated about sharing this space. What's with you?"
With that she stood up in a huff and walked off before glaring at him over her shoulder. "Oh and I suppose I'm not allowed to be irritated about your egotistic, loud-mouthed, high and mighty pureblood father talking down to Harry and I!"
He stared at her, unable to retort with those cold eyes glaring him down.
"Malfoys are all the same-proud, mean and cruel to those around them," she spat.
As she stomped off, Draco thought back to the evening of the events mentioned by the Gryffindor Princess.
"Honestly Draco, you should know better than to associate with Muggle born witches such as that Granger girl. Not even worth calling a witch really."
"Father, did you not see the look of utter disgust I had at the sight of her, dirty filthy Gryffindor she is."
Although his father had nodded at his choice of words he also taught Draco a new term for Muggle born wizards. One that would leave a bitter taste in Draco's mouth each time he said it.
…
Draco came to the space in the library almost every day after the horrible incident that had left a sour taste in his mouth.
'Mudblood…'ever since the day he had first called Hermione that he couldn't ignore the guilty stone weighing down in his gut.
Finally, nearly a month later she was there. Sitting with a giant book on her lap, hair covering her face nearly completely.
When he was close enough she looked up and he felt those big brown eyes look right through him. Eyes full of emotion-sadness, anger, spite…
It hurt him to know that he caused the negativity in her eyes.
She stood and walked right past him.
Draco couldn't focus on anything at all that day. All he saw was Hermione's brown eyes piercing through his.
…
This time, when he walked to the space she seemed so engrossed in her book on Magical Plants: Fact and Fiction, that he didn't bother saying anything.
She ignored him as well, not even sparing him so much as a glance.
Finally he cleared his throat and muttered something not even he could hear.
She didn't even look up so he tried again. "What do you want Malfoy," her tone annoyed without even looking at him.
"Did you know that Goyle can read," he said.
She still didn't look up, making a soft 'Mhmm' in response, her tone as dismissive and indifferent as her body language.
The platinum blonde failed to muster the heart to be angry. Instead his shoulders slumped and he sat with a gentle 'thud', opening his book with the slightest of frowns, the disappointment clearly lining his brows.
When she left he muttered a rushed and anxious "Goodbye." He expected nothing in return. So when she paused and glanced over to smile at him his heart leaped. And when she said "Goodbye Malfoy," a huge grin spread itself on his face.
She smothered a giggle and rushed off.
When he realized his mouth had formed a totally inappropriate Slytherin Prince smile, he smacked his face gently wiping it away and replacing it with a scowl.
That didn't stop his lips from twitching when he saw her at dinner though.
…
"Reading on Mythical Creatures I see."
Hermione looked up to see a familiar face sitting down with a book on his lap. It was rather thin compared to previous novels she'd seen him carrying but decided to comment on it once she saw the title.
"Yes, I'm trying to identify a certain being by its characteristics."
She hoped she hadn't given too much. He was after all the Slytherin prince, and a Malfoy. Ties between him to the Chamber of Secrets wouldn't surprise her.
"Oh? Well as you know I was only second to you," at that he scowled half-heartedly, "at Care of Mythological Creatures class."
She smiled, "Well this is something which can move in any direction via narrow passages. Has the ability to cause negative and rather unpleasant physical effects on its victims without killing it or actually wounding it."
"Hmm so a predatory carnivorous creature which I assume has either a very simple bone structure."
Delighted that she had found someone whose age and intelligence matched hers, Hermione continued.
"Yes and it is able to live for many years." "How many years?" "Decades."
"Try the Basilisk." "The what?" "Oh come on Granger. Top in class for Care of Mythological Creatures and Dark Arts theory work, and yet you haven't clue what a Basilisk is..."
She blushed at his words and flipped hurriedly to the page indicated in the directory for Basilisks.
She read aloud, "The Basilisk can grow up to fifty feet in length, and is a dark green color with large yellow eyes. These eyes have the power to instantly kill anyone who looks into them. Basilisk skin is armored like that of a dragon's, which deflects spells cast upon it. The Basilisk sheds its skin at intervals, like all other snakes, when it grows. When a victim looks indirectly at the Basilisk's eyes, such as its reflection, they will merely become Petrified."
When she stopped reading, she stared up at Draco with wide eyes, lit with excitement and joy.
"Draco, its perfect!" And with that she flung herself towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a sudden embrace. He awkwardly hugged her back. But before either could say anything she had leaned back onto her knees, blushing madly and staring at anything but him. Feeling the blood rushing up to his cheeks, the Slytherin prince quickly looked away.
"Your welcome Granger."
With that she hurried off, scribbling something on a piece of paper leaving the young Malfoy staring at the wall in wonder and surprise.
Slowly, ever so slowly, a smile began to spread itself on his face.
However that smile disappeared barely an hour later when news arrived that 'The Granger Girl had finally gotten what she deserved."
As the blonde boy practically ran to the infirmary, memories of a night left guilty stones dropping in his stomach with every heavy step as dread filled him.
'…Personally I hope its Granger…'
Those words suddenly left a horribly bitter taste in his mouth as he pushed open the doors to the infirmary.
Thank Salazar it was empty, Madam Pomfrey probably out collecting supplies.
He stopped at the foot of her bed, in a frozen state of shock.
She lay there, stuck in pose with her skin as pale as marble. Her hair as bushy and brown as ever, her hands as small and delicate yet strong as ever. Her eyes had lost the spark, that dancing flame.
His feet carried him to her side and his hand gently caressed her cold face.
"Granger," he murmured, "why so cold…come on Granger where's that smile of yours…Granger…" In his shoes, his toes curled. Suddenly, the room felt too cold, too empty, and too large and he felt too alone.
"Why so quiet Granger, don't you always have something to say…?"
He heard distant footsteps echo along the tall corridor.
With a final squeeze of her hand, Draco whispered one last thing before leaving.
"Hermione, come back to me."
…
"Still studying Granger? Did you, Scarface and Weasel get so big-headed in basking in the glory of solving the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets that you missed the announcement? Exams have been cancelled." Said the platinum blonde Slytherin prince as he sat against the wall beside her.
"And you call me talkative," retorted the brown-haired bookworm with one eyebrow raised. They chuckled in unison as she turned back to her large book.
After nearly an hour of comfortable silence spent reading in each other's company, Hermione spoke.
"You know the night I was Petrified," Draco tensed at the memory, "someone reported that a blonde Slytherin was seen slipping sneakily in and out of the infirmary."
"Is that so," his half-hearted attempt at nonchalance failed badly as blood rushed to his cheeks.
"Yes and a similar figure was seen slipping in and out of the infirmary every day I was in there."
"Oh? Best watch yourself Granger, there are perverts everywhere." He said, giving her a rather suggestive look and a chuckle.
Her jaw fell as her eyes widened," Draco!" She smacked him lightly on the arm, half laughing.
"What? I'm just saying."
Once they'd both calmed down she murmured, "Madam Pomfrey told me that one of the last nights once I had been de-Petrified a blonde figure donning Slytherin robes had been spotted leaving the Hospital Wing. When she checked for evidence of robbery, all she noticed was I alone had had my blanket tucked up to my chin and my hair pulled away from my face."
The silence that followed hadn't been awkward at all.
That day she left first with a short and sweet farewell. Draco remained for nearly an hour more simply running back the memory and smiling.