responses!
Rowaine: thanks for the advice! See, that's the kind of review I'm looking for, so I'm grateful. :-) anyways, I'll definitely get on that. I was planning on putting in some, but you're right, that is an important factor in their relationship, so I'll get on that. Sadly that's not in this chapter, but I'm getting there...
Leilygurl: maybe, but he is a Malfoy after all, eavesdropping comes naturally to him. Well, she is rather bright, so I wanted her to also eb very observant, and coming to fast conclusions is a resul;t of that...besides the fact that it works better in the story lol. and thanks for updating! I know I said it already, but you're the best :-D
Sorry about the chapter title. It's not too important, but I couldn't think of anything else
Just a little teenage angst coming your way (anyone reminded of Zuko?)
Chapter 7: Insufferable Arse
That evening Draco paced back and forth in his room for a while. Why was he such a prat, tool, douchebag, git, asshole, jerk, moron, fucked up idiot (among other things)???? What the bloody hell was wrong with him!! Draco barely had the right thoughts to fully explain what he was, but he sure knew how he felt. Pure self-hatred flowed from his mind into his nervous system, making his spine tingle, through his main arteries and filtering down into his blood vessels. Every muscle contraction and joint movement was fueled by a rage...for himself.
It was a strange condition to be in, to say the least. Draco had to do something. But it wasn't as if he was going to storm downstairs to the common room and yell his apology to Granger. She'd just feel insulted.
So instead he slowed his pace, trying to calm his breathing as he twisted his hands around each other. After a very long time, Draco tamed himself, and stopped walking back and forth across his room. It was very late at this point, but he didn't really care. He just hoped beyond hope that Granger was still there, doing her work, sitting by the fire, looking the way she always did...
He looked at himself in the mirror. Draco's features, he was pleased to see, were no longer ruled by anger. That was the only confirmation he needed. Draco raised his chin in resolution and walked to the door.
Draco's heart practically dropped to his knees when he went downstairs to find a Granger-less common room. He had been so dependent on getting the chance to do something tonight. Then again, he hadn't thought of what exactly he could or would say to her...
Draco walked over to the table where she usually sat. Homework was scattered about the table. He saw Transfiguration, Arithmacy, and Charms work mixed up near the chair she sat in. Draco suddenly, for no apparent outward reason, smiled to himself.
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Hermione bolted up in bed. It was already 7 o'clock, and she still had tons of homework left to do! Hermione groaned to herself. How could she have let herself sleep for so long?!?!?
Hermione jumped out of bed and started toward the bathroom. She began thinking about her day, wondering if it was possible to squeeze the rest of her work into the little free time she had now....and then after Transfiguration...she calculated her time, amount of work, chances at not getting points taken away...
And it was all because of stupid Malfoy! Why did he have to confuse her so much, be such a prick! If he had just been forthcoming with his apology and not snuck around, getting the wrong ideas about her friendships, none of this would have happened.
Just at that moment, when she was brushing her hair and being frustrated with Malfoy, Hermione heard a noise, and realized that, in her haste, she had forgotten to lock the doors. (A/N: don't you love when you can predict exactly what's about to happen? Go ahead, laugh. It's funny)
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After another few hours, Draco had finally finished his 'get-back-in-Granger's-good-graces' plan and lugged himself to bed. He had woken, surprisingly, at the usual time that he did. After many minutes of getting used to the idea of being awake, he smiled to himself and got up.
Draco was pleased with the way he had dealt with his fight with Granger. Rather than say some words that she may see as empty, he actually did something about it, and that made Draco very proud of himself.
Draco stretched and wondered if Granger had left yet. She usually woke up so early, he wouldn't have been surprised. Yet, he wished he could be there when she discovered it, if only to see the look on her face.
Imagining it, Draco walked to the bathroom door in his sweatpant-pajamas. He checked to see if the door was locked. It wasn't so he opened the door and took a step inside.
Draco thought he was dreaming. He was absolutely shocked. He had just walked in on a barely-dressed Granger. Draco's mouth fell open as she whipped around to face him.
Her mouth similarly dropped open. In the split second before she said anything, Draco got the chance to admire her.
She was wearing a light blue, lacy bra and black panties, but that was all. Her brown hair cascaded over her thin, pronounced shoulders. Her upper chest held a slight tan that faded as his eyes trailed lower, taking her in. Her breasts, from what he could see of them, were pale and round, securely contained inside her bra. Her stomach, flat and smooth, was extremely pale, a contrast to her arms and chest, which were, in comparison much darker. Granger obviously didn't wear bikinis much. Her legs were full and inviting. They would feel good wrapped around him...
He was pulled out of his thoughts almost immediately by her speaking. Right away he felt completely embarrassed.
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In the moment that Malfoy examined all of these things, Hermione went from annoyed to shocked to furious. She threw her arms up around her torso, trying to cover as much as possible and backing up into the sink.
"Malfoy, I..."
"Sorry, I...the door...was..."
"Yes, Malfoy, the door! Would you please bloody close the fucking door?!?!?!"
The moment the door was closed, Hermione strode over and locked it, before turning her back to it and sliding to the floor. She didn't realize that Draco had done the exact same thing on the other side.
"That was probably the most embarrassing moment of my life," she said to herself. How she could have forgotten something as elemental as locking a door was beyond her.
Hermione, who had a habit of talking to herself when she was under a lot of stress, continued mumbling her thoughts out loud. "I can't believe Malfoy walked in on me, practically naked! The nerve! I mean, yeah, it's kind of my own fault, but still. Shouldn't he know to knock? Well, I guess not, but that doesn't mean I'm still not pissed at him. I mean, what would he think, me walking around barely dressed? Actually, he was barely dressed as well. Well, half-dressed. Anyway, he was better off than me. Guys are so lucky they can walk around with their shirts off. And with his shirt off...well, let's just say it was a nice view. I wonder if he works out? Well, with Quidditch and all, I shouldn't be surprised. But he's still an insufferable ass who made me...bugger!" at this Hermione banged the back of her head against the door. "My homework!"
Hermione was absolutely mortified when she heard Malfoy's voice through the door. "Don't worry, Granger, I did it for you."
Hermione didn't even take a moment to register what he had said. She got up and ran into her room. After slamming the door shut, she began pacing, then remembered she was supposed to be getting ready for classes and started to put on her clothes.
Malfoy had heard her! Oh my God!!!! What had she said? As she tried to recall her exact wording, she became so embarrassed her face turned completely red. Of all the things!
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When Draco heard Granger's door close he let out a bark of laughter. Who would have thought? Granger thought he was attractive! Well, there was the whole thing about him being an ass, but still, it was a start.
Draco laughed again, for a longer period of time, at the situation on the whole. It was just so damn funny!
A short time later, once Draco was presentable, he jogged down the stairs into the common room to see Hermione already there, standing next to the table with her work.
Hearing him come down the steps, she turned and looked at him, open mouthed. After blushing slightly, probably from the memory of their last encounter, she said, "Malfoy, I....you didn't have to...."
"No problem, Granger. I guess I felt bad for being an insufferable ass to you, and thought I could help you out somehow." He smiled lightly at her, before looking at the ground.
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The use of the phrase 'insufferable ass' was not lost on her, but she was too pleased to care. "Oh, Malfoy, thank you so much!" And with that she rushed over to him and gave him a brief hug. "You have no idea how worried I was that I wouldn't be able to hand in my work!"
"Yeah, actually I did," he said, stepping back from her a bit. "I figured you might freak out. Don't know why you would. Teachers love you so much, they wouldn't care if you missed just 1 day of homework." He grinned at her. She smiled back.
There was the tiniest of pauses before he casually said, "walk down to breakfast with me?"
She looked a bit taken aback for a moment, before nodding and saying "sure, just let me pack my stuff up."
He walked over to the entrance behind the statue and waited as she bustled around the table. Sticking the homework he had finished for her into her bag, she straightened up and walked toward him.
They walked down mostly in silence, just enjoying the other's company. "Hey Malfoy?" Hermione said.
"Yeah?"
"When did you learn to write exactly like me?"
"Oh, I didn't. It's an interesting spell my father taught me back before.....when I was younger. It's come in handy a couple of times." They both laughed a little and continued on their way.
However, on entering the Great Hall, Hermione suddenly felt out of place. Heads whipped around as many students saw the two people who had been fighting for as long as any of them could remember, walking into breakfast side by side, smiling and laughing together. They began whispering loudly.
Hermione looked around nervously, and Malfoy leaned close to her as they neared the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables. "People," he said sarcastically.
Hermione rolled her eyes at him in an agreeing way, but at the same time was trying to control her shivering. He had been so close without touching her. It seemed even more intimate than when she had hugged him in their common room. His breath had come in contact warmly with her neck, and tingles went up and down her spine, across her shoulders, and through to her fingertips.
With a last quick smile, she turned and walked down the Gryffindor table toward Harry and Ron. Many eyes followed her in bewilderment, but then she thought about how silly it was; they were Head Boy and Girl, after all. Hermione raised her chin and kept walking, finally sitting down across from the two boys.
Even though she said hello to them in a friendly way, she couldn't help but shiver slightly at the memory of someone's warm breath on her skin.
So what did you think? Was that dramatic enough for you? i know, Rowaine, this chapter, was still mostly based on physical attraction, but I think that that is a seriously important part of a relationship, if not vital...you can't really be wioth someone your not attracted to (*sigh*) so I'm making it a big aspect of their freindship.
ok, I'm sorry people, but it might be a little while before I update again. I have officially run out of reserve chapters...this is my last. I'll start updating again when I have at least 2 more written, but I'm kind of having writer's block. I know where I'm going, but I don't know what to do in the mean time! especially because there's so much time before....well, I can't spoil it for you, now can I? But leila, if you can lend a helping hand, it would be greatly appreciated.
Actually, speaking of Leila, if you like this fic, you'll love this other one I know. It's called Along Came Malfoy. Also a dramione, it's really great. There are so many layers and sublevels, and it's so intriguing. the author's name is leilygurl, and it is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend it (please tell me someone knows that quote). Go check it out!
lalala, what else? sorry I write long author's notes, but hey at least they're at the end of the chapter, so you don't actually have to read them. But it would be nice :-)
btw, i didn't mention this my last chapter, but MID TERMS ARE OVER!!!! I won't have to worry about them for another.......who cares, as long as it's not now! 4 day weekend baby!
So, in your reviews, which I want a bunch of (I saw all of you who favorited and subscribed but DIDN'T REVIEW...I'm watching you) I want you guys to tell me............hmmmmm......would yu like me to write a lemon or not? it's an idea I've been toying with, since I'll get there eventually. I could just skip it and leave it to the imagination, but on the other hand sex is kind of important, generally speaking. On the other hand I don't have my own computer, so my parents could totally just walk in on me writing it, which would be awkward. On the other hand I really want to try it out, see how it goes. (I hope someone knows where that's from too) Anyways, that's something I want your feedback on, so please review!
ok, fine, I'll shut up now.
CLICK THAT REVIEW BUTTON!!!!!
YES, DOWN THERE!
-Ginger
