YEAR FIVE
The year of Umbridge.
The year Dumbledore and Potter were made fools of by the Ministry…
The year that Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger barely met…
The year that the space was only ever occupied by either of them…
Quick glances during meal times, a fleeting meeting of eyes at the hallway, when Dumbledore's Army was caught and Hermione was held by Vincent Crabbe, he had wanted nothing more than to snatch her away.
Fifth year was a difficult year for the two of them. With O.W.L. s, Umbridge and everything weighing on both their shoulders, it was overwhelming.
But there were two incidents that year that they met, and words were exchanged and a certain physical threshold was crossed.
The first encounter had happened a few nights following George and Fred Weasley's surprise act.
The Gryffindor Princess was sitting at one of the many towers at Hogwarts when Draco bumped into her.
For a moment they simply stared at each other, remnants of memories from years passed flying through their minds and every bad word exchanged between the pair disappeared as they ceased to see anything else but each other, there in the dark tower of Hogwarts.
She did not stand from her place, simply letting him approach her slowly and sit next to her.
Both of them leaned back against the cold wall, shoulders barely touching and hands brushing lightly against each other as he adjusted himself.
At least ten minutes of suffocating silence passed between them as the tension eased itself into a comfortable silence.
Finally she leaned her head on her shoulder and said, "I am not going to apologize for hitting you that day."
He smiled, "that's alright. I was asking for it anyway. Honestly, it was Goyle who told my dad about the injury. It was my fault for spooking the poor hippogriff."
"Mmm," she murmured. She wrapped her arms around him, giving into the sudden need to be closer to him.
His breath hitched and he tensed as she held him closer.
"Its not all that fun being part of the Inquisitorial Squad. Meetings basically consist of listening to Umbridge's lectures and pop quizzes on the hundreds of new rules she's made. Oh and about Buckbeak…"
She looked up at him, their faces so close she could feel the heat from his breath.
"…I saw him flying off with a dark-haired convict that night."
Her eyes grew as wide as saucers as he smirked playfully, "You won't tell will you?"
He mocked hurt as they continued to gaze at one another in the moonlight, "Tsk tsk, what kind of tattler do you take me for Granger?"
"A Bouncing Ferret like kind, Draco…"
She let his first name hang in the air, wordlessly seeking permission to call him by his first name. She bit her lip nervously awaiting his reply as his blinked a few times thoughtfully.
"Don't be an arse Hermione," he smiled then and she grinned.
Her eyes shone brighter than the stars littering the dark sky that night and he swore he'd never forget that moment.
That night they'd talked for a good hour before footsteps along the stairs scared them off to their respective houses.
That night they'd also both learned something.
They were no longer children.
No longer budding teenagers.
They were real teenagers.
Hermione's curves were more apparent than the year before, her hair much more controlled and her touch a tad more feminine than before.
Draco blushed at the memory of his elbow pressing lightly against her sizeable breasts and the creamy white of her thighs brushing against his.
He even cleared his throat at the memory of watching her pick up a fallen pen, from the back view that is. Her eyes had shone brighter than any star in the sky that night as they had looked right at him. Her smile chased away every ounce of brooding unhappiness in him that evening. And he couldn't get enough of her cheerful smile…her light laughter…her breathless beauty…
Draco's face had matured and sharpened, his shining hair bringing out his grey eyes. They stared back at hers like endless voids of mystery and excitement…
His shoulders had broadened, his muscles becoming more apparent.
She reminisced of the way his large strong arms had held her, how his hands had helped her up, the twinkle in his eyes when he made an arrogant remark…the cute curve to his smile when he was trying to hide his amusement at something she had said. The shiver that had run down her back as she felt his piercing eyes watch her pick a fallen pen. She couldn't get enough of that playful glint in his eyes as he smirked, that way he randomly made observations, the way he laughed, his breath taking smile…
The next time the two of them met was near the end of the year, Draco's father had been imprisoned, Draco himself had been hit by many a hex.
The two of them were sitting in tower hidden by cloaking spells even though it was well past midnight. They discussed the historical events from both the Magical and Muggle world. They joked about the hairstyles of various Professors. They experimented with spells and laughed at each other's failed attempts.
"You know," he said, "I haven't seen your Patronus."
She froze, her eyes narrowing suspiciously, her head turning as she questioned him with silent words.
He rolled his grey eyes and pushed back some hair from his eyes.
"I know you lot were practicing Defensive spells and there's no way you hadn't yet learnt a Patronus. I bet you even mastered it little miss Charming Witch."
She blushed and turned away shyly, "Far from mastering it I could only do it thrice."
A few moments of silence passed.
"Show me." Her head snapped towards him, "You can't be serious! Its very difficult and" "Please, Hermione," she stared, "show me your Patronus, please."
With a reluctant breath, she stood and attempted the spell. As her wand turned in small circles she whispered the words but nothing happened.
Already ready to give up, she turned to him with a defeated smile but he looked back with inwards bent eyebrows, "Come on Granger, we don't have all night."
She glared at his arrogant response and closed her eyes.
Beside her she felt him stand and come closer to her. Focusing on her wand and the memory of her first A, she tensed as a pair of strong arms snaked around her-One wrapping itself around her waist and the other holding her wrist gently guiding her hands to form surer and larger circles.
"Expecto Patronum…"
Later she lay in bed with her hands on her stomach, staring out the window at nothing, reminiscing the happenings earlier then.
Surrounded by shiny blue wisps of magic, her Patronus had appeared for again in the form of an otter, darting around in the air gracefully for a few minutes before disappearing right in front of her in a bright mini explosion.
"I did it Draco, I really did" her sudden happiness disappeared as the grin left her face when she saw his expression. His arms drew away from her sharply as a mask came over him, his cool eyes shutting like doors he stepped away from her and made towards the steps to leave.
"Draco?" Her voice bounced off walls of stone of the tower, stopping him in mid stride. "I'm sorry but did I do something?"
He turned his face with sad eyes and a tight frown. "Goodnight Granger."
He continued to walk away, much quicker and she felt her knees give way as she fell to the hard cold floor with a thud.
Suddenly, she felt unbearably cold,
…And alone