Disclaimer: How many times do I have to tell you that I am not JK Rowling and I do not own the Harry Potter series? Hello, if I own them then I shouldn't be writing fan fictions. :D
A/N: Okay, so I'm back. I'm so sorry for the long wait. I just had our tests. Thank God they're done. Anyway, just read this and I hope you enjoy. Review after reading!
Chapter Three: Hogwarts: A History; Second Edition
9. I want my book to be published.
"Good morning, sunshine!" Draco exclaimed, announcing his arrival as he apparated straight into Hermione's living room. He had presumed that she would be there, watching another movie while eating popcorn. He made a mental note long before that he would forbid Hermione to eat popcorn because it was bad for her health and she was sick. But, who could blame her? He liked eating popcorn, too.
Draco frowned when the brunette was nowhere to be seen. He walked briskly to her kitchen, expecting to be welcomed by a mouth-watering aroma. Alas, there wasn't any. Hermione was still nowhere to be seen. So, he was left with one last option – go to her bedroom.
The blond trudged up her stairs and walked straight to her bedroom. He wondered if she was still asleep. Not that it bothered him, though. Actually, he wanted to see her asleep. Draco had seen her sleeping before. There were times where she would fall asleep while they were watching movies. There were times where she would fall asleep in his house and he had no choice but to bring her to his bedroom (even though there were guestrooms in his house). In the times when she was dead to the world, he could show his true emotions. He could have stared at her all day. Goodness, masking his true feelings from her was harder than he had though even if he was trained to mask all emotions other than hate and disgust.
He then opened her bedroom door (thankfully, it was unlocked). What greeted him, though, was a crumpled paper bumping his forehead. "Ow," he said, rubbing the spot. He glared at the crumpled paper on the floor.
"Oh, hey Draco."
"What, no 'I'm sorry'?" he asked, frowning.
"Yeah, right. I'm sorry," she said distractedly.
Draco's frown deepened as he looked around her bedroom. It was a total disaster. Hundreds of crumpled pieces of paper were scattered around the brunette who was sitting at the very middle of her room. She bewitched her desk to be shorter than normal so that she could still write on it while sitting on her carpeted floor, Indian Style. It made him amused, though, upon seeing her ferret stuffed toy sitting on her lap. Hermione's chin would constantly fall on top of it while she furiously scribbled things on a piece of paper only before crumpling the paper again and throwing it away from her. Draco ducked, wanting to avoid the bloody thing.
"Granger, you should be ashamed of yourself," the blond said, wagging a finger towards her mockingly. "We're currently experiencing a natural phenomenon called 'Global Warming' but here you are, wasting so much paper. Shame on you, Beaver. You should at least have sympathy to our Mother Earth."
"Oh, shut up," she growled, throwing another sheet of crumpled paper towards him. Unfortunately, it caught Draco off guard and he was hit squarely in his chest.
"Hey!" he exclaimed. The brunette rolled her eyes and stood up. Draco raised an eyebrow upon seeing that she was still wearing her pajamas. Her hair was tied into a loose bun and a frustrated look adorned her face.
Hermione stretched luxuriously before making a mad dash towards her bed. She gave a half-jump before plopping down. She had been clutching her stuffed toy the whole time.
"What just happened?" he asked, amusement evident in his voice. He walked towards her bed, sometimes stepping on some crumpled paper. "Hermione, what are you doing? And what are these crumpled pieces of paper doing on your floor?"
The brunette moaned when she cricked her neck. Draco blushed briefly. He didn't really need to hear those kinds of noises coming from her. "I'd been up the whole night finishing my book," she informed him. The blond bent down and peered at her. As proof, dark bags were seen below her eyes.
Draco had known that Hermione had been writing a book two years ago. And guess what it was titled – Hogwarts: A History; Second Edition. He was first amused when he heard of it. Hermione explained to him that a lot of things had changed in Hogwarts already and she decided that the she had to make another edition of her beloved Hogwarts: A History.
"My damnable laptop broke down yesterday when I was in the middle of finishing the epilogue for my book," she said, scowling as she stood up again. She approached her music box and opened it. Draco discovered a few years ago that every time she opened it, it meant she was upset about something. Her music box calmed her down, apparently. "Good thing I had printed all of the other chapters." She sighed and shook her head. "I was almost bloody done with my book! Stupid laptop! Now, I couldn't remember what I typed up, ugh!"
"All right, calm down, calm down," the blond said, failing to suppress his laughter. How could he when she looked so funny and so… so adorable right now? Hermione huffed, annoyed, and Draco grasped her shoulders. "I'm going to help you, Granger, okay?"
It was amazing how those words changed Hermione's mood. It started in her eyes. They lit up, their caramel color looking lighter than normal. It then traveled down to her cheeks. Blood rushed to both of them, causing each to become tainted with pink. And then lastly were her lips. They stretched widely into a toothy grin. All in all, it made him mesmerized.
"Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed. "I was hoping you'll say that." Hermione released a sigh of relief. "Oh, what will I do without you, Draco Malfoy?"
He grinned, eyes sparkling, too. "Well, I - ."
Suddenly, Hermione released a few coughs and instantly, his grin faltered. Draco grew panicky, eyes widening in alarm. He immediately rubbed Hermione's back to cease her coughing fit.
This was the moment he had been dreading.
He had read on a Muggle website that the number one symptom of lung cancer was persistent coughs. And here Hermione was, clutching her stomach as she continued to cough and cough and cough and cough and cough…
These past few days; he had forgotten that Hermione, his best friend Hermione, had lung cancer. He had purposely forgotten it. The brunette was quite happy, mostly because of him and his actions, he was proud to say. She looked so alive… so full of spirit, so Draco had to forget that she had lung cancer for the sake of being happy with her. But now, the thought came creeping back. 'She's going to die. She's going to die. She's going to die,' he repeated inside his head like a mantra.
Hermione placed a hand against his cheek and chuckled in between her coughs. Draco gaped at her. How could she laugh like that! Her coughing fit was starting to cease. The brunette rubbed her thumb against his cheek and chuckled again. "Silly Ferret, I just choked on my own saliva," she told him, her chuckles turning to laughter. "I'm sorry, that must sound so stupid but it's true."
The blond growled dangerously low. "That was not funny at all, Granger."
The brunette calmed down and a small apologetic smile graced her face. "I made you worried, didn't I?" she asked him, her hand trailing down his face. She wrapped her arms around his neck, linking her hands, and pulled him close to her. "I'm sorry. I truly am."
"No need to apologize," he sighed tiredly, rubbing his nose against her hair. "Not your fault."
Hermione scoffed. "Admit it," she told him, "I scared the shit out of you."
Draco grinned. "Beaver, you just cursed. How surprising!" he exclaimed mockingly. He was starting to calm down now after Hermione told him that she coughed, not because of her lung cancer, but because of her own negligence.
The brunette sighed and patted the back of his neck. "Remember, Dr. Nobleman told us that the symptoms of my cancer will start to show in about two months."
"I know."
"How can you talk so casually about your… your cancer like you are just talking about the weather," the blond asked, frowning.
Hermione shrugged, her head leaning against his shoulder. "I don't know. I told you I accepted it already."
"Quite fast, actually," he pointed out. "Normal people would be so distressed if they found out that they have a deadly disease in their system."
"Well, I'm not normal," she said, slightly muffled.
"I knew it!" he exclaimed, gently pulling Hermione away from him and thus, breaking their hug. "I can't believe Dr. Nobleman didn't detect your mental disease."
The brunette punched his arm playfully and scowled. "I see you're back to normal," she said.
Draco quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he asked, confused.
Hermione smirked at him, very Slytherin-ish. "You should have seen your face a while ago." The brunette then contorted her face into something close to fear. She widened her eyes and dropped her jaw. Apparently, she was mimicking Draco's look a while ago and in the blond's opinion, she was successful.
Instead of scowling, he burst into laughter. "Merlin, Granger, you should do that face all the time. It suits you," he joked.
The brunette rolled her eyes and pulled herself completely away from Draco. She approached her transfigured desk and snatched up the stack of paper. "Now, let's start working."
"Nuh uh, Hermione," he told her. "You" – he gestured at her obscured carpeted floor – "still need to clean up your room. I'll be downstairs. I'll make you food as it appears that you have been neglecting that small necessity." Hermione was about to open her mouth but Draco cut her off. "I know, I know. I won't cook since I know the food I make is inedible." The brunette chuckled at his honesty. "I'm going to make you sandwich and coffee. Is that okay?"
"Sounds yummy," she said.
"We'll work downstairs," he told her. "And do freshen up, Granger. You look like a mess, too."
Hermione scowled and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah," she said.
Draco grinned and walked out of her bedroom.
"Oh, the wonderful smell of coffee," the brunette said, announcing her arrival.
Draco poked his head from Hermione's kitchen and grinned. The brunette was wearing pants that reached exactly at her knees and was wearing a plain, white shirt. "Just continue working, Hermione. I'll be there in a minute."
Hermione followed him and scattered her papers on top of her coffee table. She started working, pulling out a ball point pen from her pocket. At first, she had used a quill, but it was too messy. The ink would smudge until it was eligible, so she had opted for the Muggle invention.
After a few minutes, Draco still hadn't emerged from the kitchen.
Hermione's couch quickly filled with crumpled papers. Apparently, the speech of Draco about saving Mother Earth hadn't sunk in at all. The brunette laughed. He just wasted his breath and released too much carbon dioxide. 'Well, at least he's saving trees,' the brunette thought, a wide grin on her face. Her grin vanished, though, when she made another mistake and crumpled the current paper she was writing on. She threw it on the couch and scowled. She'd never have a book published before she died.
"Draco, are you almost done? I'm famished here!" she screamed, eyes trained on her new paper.
Draco then appeared from the kitchen, a small scowl adorning his handsome face. "I'm not your bloody house-elf, Beaver," he told her, placing her coffee and sandwich on top of her coffee table. "Oops, wait; I forgot something in the kitchen. Got to go." The blond then went back to the kitchen, a small smirk playing on his lips.
Hermione looked up from her work and grabbed her favorite mug. To her surprise, a small post-it note was stuck on it. Looking at the kitchen curiously, Hermione ripped off the post-it and read what it said:
You know, Beaver, just stop and stare at your paper for a while. You're a bloody brilliant girl. Before you know it, you'll be scribbling sensible words on that paper. And remember, SAVE MOTHER EARTH!
The brunette's jaw dropped in disbelief. She then looked at her sandwich and to her surprise, the peanut butter and jam spread were formed into words.
Go, Granger, Go!
Beside the last 'go' was a small smiling face. Unable to suppress it, she started to giggle. Draco Malfoy really surprises her sometimes. And to be truthful, he was being kind of… sweet. He was supporting her.
Hermione looked at her kitchen door and smiled. Draco suddenly poked his head threw, giving her a wide smirk. He was holding his favorite mug and sipping coffee.
"Thank you!" she screamed, slightly laughing.
"No prob, Hermione!" he called back and give her a wink. And then, his head disappeared from view again.
The brunette sighed and clicked her ball point pen open. 'Draco Malfoy, what would I do without you?' she asked him for the second time.
WHACK!
Draco slapped his nose as a fly suddenly perched on it. To his utter frustration, it was still alive. It had been bugging him for a while now, taunting him by making buzzing noises in his ear. And now, it wouldn't just leave him alone.
Annoyed, the blond brandished his wand and stunned the stupid insect. He smirked triumphantly when it fell unconscious and landed on the floor.
The blond then sighed and looked at the working brunette, seated on her carpeted floor, Indian Style. He had been in her house for hours already. Draco took a peek from her window and to his surprise, it was already the afternoon. He released another sigh. So he had been in her house, doing nothing except wait for her to finish her bloody book, for a whole day.
To his glee, Hermione had followed his suggestion. She had stared at her paper for minutes, hours maybe, a thoughtful look adorning her beautiful face. The brunette kept on clicking her pen. She then bit her bottom lip, tilting her head slightly to the side.
And now, Hermione was writing furiously on her paper. She had continuously written for hours, eyes glued on the paper and pen scratching noisily against it. And surprisingly, she hadn't crumpled a single sheet.
Draco was so proud of her.
But as time slowly ticked by, he was growing more and more bored. He started to play with the engagement ring on his neck. She hadn't talked to him. She hadn't eaten lunch even with his constant reminders that it was not good for her health. But, she just ignored him and continued to write.
He scowled when the Stunning Spell wore of already and the fly was back annoying him. "For crying out loud, Granger, when are you going to be done with your bloody book?"
Hermione answered him with silence.
"Ah, so now you're ignoring me, eh?" he asked, upset. "Granger? Earth to Hermione? Hello!"
Again, she answered him with pure, utter silence.
Draco rolled his eyes and leaned his head against the couch. He closed his eyes and covered them with his right hand. He decided to take a short nap, knowing that he would be wasting his breath if he kept on talking to an unresponsive person.
"IT'S DONE!"
He jumped an inch or two as he looked at a giddy Hermione, bewildered. He hastily tucked the ring back to his collar, hidden from the brunette's sight.
"I'M DONE! I'M DONE! I'M DONE!" she repeated, jumping up and down like a silly, little girl who had just received her first doll. "I'M DO – OH! Draco, you're still here! I didn't notice!"
Draco gaped at her, eyes almost bulging out of their eye sockets. "Christ, woman. I'd been here all day, watching you as you scribbled bloody furiously on your paper. I almost resorted to talking to myself, Granger. Thank God I'm Draco Malfoy."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be so melodramatic, Draco," she told him, hugging her new accomplished book against her chest. "And daren't you happy for me? I just finished writing my book!"
He rolled his eyes and stood up, giving her forehead a kiss. "Congratulations, Beaver. Now, can you please eat lunch? Now? Honestly, you're killing yourself faster than I can say 'Lung Cancer'."
The brunette just grinned at him and shook his head. "Sorry for ignoring you the whole day, Ferret," she said, patting his right arm. "You want me to treat you to ice cream?"
"Oh, you should!" he exclaimed. "I'd sacrificed my time… waited for you to finish. I..."
Hermione covered his mouth and looked at him in mock exasperation. "Draco, you bloody keep your mouth shut or I won't eat lunch anymore. Ever." She felt him purse his lips tight against her hand and she grinned. "That's my ferret."
Draco rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm. "So, where are we going?"
"Diagon Alley, I suppose," she said.
"Diagon Alley it is," he said. And with a soft pop, they disappeared from Hermione's apartment.
Hermione yawned widely and sat down on her couch. She placed her head on the armrest and lifted her feet up onto the couch. "Too tired," she murmured, curling up into a ball.
Draco shook his head and knelt down on the floor. He poked the brunette's cheek, trying to keep her awake. "Granger, go upstairs to your bedroom and sleep there. I won't carry you all the way up those stairs again."
"Then don't," she mumbled, shifting slightly. "I'll just sleep here."
The blond rolled his eyes. "I shouldn't have taken you out," he grumbled, scooping the brunette up to his arms. She snuggled against his chest, a small smile playing on her lips. She wrapped her arm sleepily around his neck for safety.
"I thought you won't carry me up to my bedroom," she murmured softly, sleepiness evident in her voice. Hermione gave his cheek a quick kiss and then, her head ended on his shoulder, already dozing off.
He shifted her slightly in his arms, careful not to wake her up. "You're still heavy, Hermione," he murmured to the sleeping brunette. It was actually the contrary. The brunette was so light… too light, in his opinion. It was as if he was lifting air.
Draco then trudged upstairs, Hermione still safely secured in his arms. He opened her bedroom door with a wave of his wand. He then gently placed her on her bed. Hermione shifted slightly and opened her eyes. Upon seeing him, she gave him a sleepy smile.
The blond bent down and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Granger. Sleep tight," he whispered, running a hand through her hair.
"Don't let the bed bugs" – she released a wide yawn – "bite." And with that, she fell back into sleep.
Chuckling to himself, Draco pulled her comforter up to her chest. Hermione snuggled comfortably under it, once again releasing a contented sigh. He bent down again and kissed her forehead before walking out of her bedroom and heading down the stairs.
The blond was about to apparate back to his house when he suddenly caught sight of Hermione's new book. It was complete, yes, and Hermione was so ecstatic. But, she wanted it to be published. Smirking, he grabbed it and clutched it tightly to himself.
He was so glad he was a Malfoy.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Hermione shifted on her bed and released a groan. She grabbed her stuffed toy and placed it on top of her head, trying to muffle out the sound.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Stupid bloody noise… impatience is not a virtue at all… still so sleepy… stop bothering me," she murmured under her breath as she begrudgingly stood up and glared at the place where the noise was coming from – her window. She immediately recognized Draco's eagle owl, Vander, and scowled.
"Bloody Malfoy… still so early… I want to go back to sleep!"
The brunette stomped towards her window and let Vander enter her bedroom. It swooped around first, making hooting noises. It made Hermione more frustrated and glared at Draco's owl. "Vander, what do you want?!"
The owl made another hooting noise and swooped down the brunette, pecking her forehead.
"Bloody owl!" she shrieked, hands rubbing her throbbing forehead. Thankfully, Vander settled himself on top of her shoulder and nuzzled against her bushy hair. Hermione fumed. She could already imagine what Draco would say if he saw his beloved owl nuzzle against her hair.
"Ha! See, even a real bird thinks that hair of yours looks like a nest, Beaver."
Rolling her eyes, she untied the package that was attached to Vander's leg. It was quite large and heavy, in Hermione's opinion. Good thing Vander was a perfectly healthy bird… unlucky her, unfortunately. He then flew towards her desk were cookie crumbles could be seen and started to feast on them.
Hermione removed the brown wrapper around the package from Draco. Once it was open, a letter suddenly fell on the floor. She bent down and clutched it, a curious look on her face.
She opened Draco's letter for her. It said.
Hermione,
Congratulations, you just accomplished your ninth goal! And it's all thanks to yours truly. Surprising, huh? I brought your completed book to a publishing company I know and demanded the owner to publish your bloody book right this very instant! I bribed him, of course. Aren't you glad you're best friends with the son of the most influential man in the whole Wizarding World?
You owe me an ice cream, Beaver. Coffee Crumble sounds yummy, don't you think?
Draco
The brunette's jaw fell open. Her hands started to shake. She looked at the book clutched in her right hand. Swallowing, she looked at it closely. Hogwarts: A History; Second Edition. 'That's the title of my book. That's the title of my book. That's the title of my book,' she repeated inside her mind, trying to calm down. A smile was starting to stretch a cross her face.
Her eyes then traveled at the very bottom of the book. Written by: Hermione Granger. 'That's my name. That's my name. That's my name,' she said, trying to let everything sink in at once. "OH MY GOD!" she shrieked, hugging her completed book, her published, completed book. Vander, surprised, gave a loud screech and made a mad dash towards the outside of Hermione's window.
"My book is published. Oh God, my book is published," Hermione said, her smile not leaving her face.
She had to get to Draco. She had to.
Hermione then apparated, thinking about treating a certain blond young adult to ice cream. And Coffee Crumble sure sounded yummy.
A/N: Ah, so end of chapter. Review, 'mkay?
By the way, I have a feeling that Draco and Hermione are starting to be quite OOC… anyway, I think their OOCness just suits them here in this story. I mean, they're best friends after all. And, this is not the canon world so I can't help but make their characters different from their canon-behavior. At least I still make them bicker, though, strangely playful.
Anyway, review again! :D