Disclaimer: I'm still wicked. I'm still awesome. I'm still me. Hence, I'm still WickedlyAwesomeMe XD (I think I sounded a little bit conceited back there :D)
A/N: Whew, a new chapter! And I posted it a few hours earlier than I intended to. It's actually midnight here and I'm still out and about and you know why? Because it's summer! I cannot believe it is summer already. I can now eat anytime I want; sleep anytime I want; write stories anytime I want… haha, I'm gloating. I know, I know.
ANYWAY, back to my story. Here's the next chapter… remember, the Dramione goodness? So, without further ado, I present to you, Chapter Twenty-Two. Review afterwards! Enjoy!
Chapter Twenty-Two: Christmas Spirit (Part I)
Everybody was bustling around, giving last minute hugs and kisses before parting ways to go home for their Christmas break.
Christmas. It was fast approaching, only a week more. Hogwarts was decorated for the festive season. Christmas trees, bewitched mistletoes, random Christmas carols… all was seen and heard all throughout the castle. One would not be seen without a humongous smile on his or her face.
On one side of the Great Hall, just a few meters away from the oak-wooden door, stood Teddy Nott, Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, and Hermione Granger incognito.
Teddy was unusually sporting a huge scowl on his face. Even Blaise was looking a bit moody. Apparently, the cheerful mood seemingly bewitched all over Hogwarts was not contagious enough for the two Slytherins.
"I am so sorry I'll be going home, Hermes," the carefree Slytherin announced, his scowl gradually turning into a small pout. "I'd love to stay and accompany you here but Annie…" He paused to shiver slightly. "You have no idea how my baby sister turns murderous when I do not do what she wants. I'm really sorry. I swear I'll give you a present. We'll be exchanging letters, okay?"
Hermione had this amused smile on her face. She did not trust herself to speak, afraid that she would burst out laughing. Teddy was looking extremely cute right now, especially talking about his little sister, Annie. Although, she did not dare voice out her opinion. Teddy might misinterpret.
And so, she merely nodded her head.
Satisfied, Teddy then swiveled around and stared darkly at the blond Slytherin standing beside the object of his affection. "Draco," he growled, his scowl coming back full blast.
Draco raised an eyebrow. Ever since the day he stalked out of the Great Hall, sulking, Teddy had been avoiding him. His animosity was astounding, seeing that he had once confessed that he would feel so upset if he was not able to talk to him for a day. But Teddy was a determined boy and avoided him like he was infected by the Dragon Pox virus. He only satisfied himself by glaring darkly every time he was in the vicinity. Draco, knowing about his childish ways, only shrugged off his sudden indifference.
"You…" Teddy sputtered out, his cheeks now turning slightly red because of frustration. "You…" He pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and continued. "You bloody take care of Hermes, Draco. Or I swear… I am going to denounce you as my best friend."
Draco blinked. "Interesting threat, Nott," he said. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "And do have a wonderful break, too."
His best friend huffed and scowled at his trunk.
"I promise to write," Blaise butted in, eyes glued on Hermione. "And I promise to send you a gift." He looked at Draco. "Both of you."
Blaise released a resigned sigh upon hearing Filch and McGonagall calling for the names of those who would be going home for the break.
"Have a nice Christmas, Teddy, Blaise!" Hermione greeted, a cheerful smile on her face. She was feeling exceptionally exuberant today and it was all thanks to Christmas. "I wish you'll both have fun."
Both Teddy and Blaise momentarily forgot about the fact that Hermione would be stuck with Draco while they had to go home. Just seeing her so cheerful and happy had vanished their moodiness away.
"We'll be back in a whim!" Teddy cried, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Please don't miss me. It'll be harder to leave."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Quit being melodramatic, Theo, or I'm going to tell Annie that you are having second thoughts in spending Christmas with her."
The glare he gave him was so dark, Hermione found herself shrinking back a little. She never imagined that Teddy was capable of glaring like that.
Blaise sighed, gripped the arm of Teddy, and started to pull him away. "Happy Christmas!" he greeted, waving. Soon, they disappeared in the throng of students.
Both Hermione and Draco stood in front of the oak-wooden doors until all of the thestral-drawn carriages disappeared from their sight.
As soon as they were all alone, Hermione looked at Draco with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Get ready, Malfoy," she announced. "This will be the best Christmas you ever had."
Draco Malfoy gawked.
Malfoys do no such thing; that one was a fact. If someone told him he was gawking, he would sneer and correct it by saying that he was merely staring. 'Gawking' was too un-Malfoy-like. His ancestors would roll in their graves if they were able to see him doing it.
But that was what he was doing. And for now, he did not give a bloody damn.
"What?" Hermione asked, her forehead creased in worry. She ran a hand through her long tresses, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "Is there… something on my face? Ink, perhaps?"
The blond blinked and collected his suddenly muddled thoughts. He cleared his throat and wore his usual mask of indifference, making it look like he had not momentarily lost his cool a while ago. "Granger," he announced, "you're a girl."
She snorted in an unladylike fashion. "Yeah, thank you for noticing, Malfoy," she said, now trying to remove some invisible lint from her turtle neck sweater.
Draco made an angry noise at the back of his throat. "Austen," he emphasized. "You're supposed to be a disguised as a man, right? Hermes Austen, does that ring a bell? So what the hell are you doing, looking like that?"
"Oh," she realized, chuckling. She transfigured a random candy wrapper into a hairclip and placed it neatly on her hair. "It's Christmas, Malfoy. Dumbledore allowed me to be myself for a while, seeing that there are only twelve students left. And besides, we are the only Slytherins left here for the holiday. I can easily roam around the common room without getting discovered."
The blond rolled his eyes. "Are you really thick, Austen? Do you realize that we are going to Hogsmeade today? I am so sure that as soon as you stepped out of the carriage, all eyes will be glued to you."
Once again, Hermione chuckled. "I'm not idiotic, Malfoy," she said, dismissing him with the wave of her hand. She summoned her thin-framed glasses and shoved the said eyewear to his hands. "That is my disguise - ."
" – mere glasses - ."
" – and," she emphasized with a glare, "it is bewitched. Look, if I wear it, you will still recognize me because you know that it's me who is wearing it. But since people believed that I am six feet under the ground, if they see me, they'll just think that I look familiar but will not even give me a second glance. So Malfoy, I am not thick."
Draco still looked skeptical when he returned back the 'bewitched' glasses. "Are you sure that thin-framed spectacles will work?" Hermione scowled. "Not that I am underestimating your magical prowess. And yes, I just complimented you. So, just shut up and wipe that stupid smile off your face."
Hermione did not listen to him. Instead, the smug smile on her face grew bigger. "Well, Draco Malfoy just complimented me. That's a start," she said. She wore her glasses and ushered him out of their room. "Come on. Time flies. I have to buy a lot of gifts for everyone!"
The blond sighed. "This will be a long day," he muttered under his breath.
"I did not."
"You did, too," she mockingly growled, sticking out her tongue immaturely.
"I did not!" His voice increased in volume, attracting strange looks from passersby.
"Keep it down," Hermione snickered, shooting embarrassed looks at the people around them. "And shut up and admit it, Malfoy. You. Did. Too."
A soft growl escaped from his lips and he stared murderously at Hermione. "Granger - ."
" – I said to not call me that in public! – "
" – you think this is funny, huh?" he huffed, a huge scowl visible on his handsome face. "I never knew you're such a sadistic witch. It's dumbfounding."
Hermione rolled her eyes at his melodrama. "Admit it, Draco Malfoy," she repeated, "you almost peed in your trousers when I punched you during third year." A triumphant smile settled on her face. "I had seen it on your face! You almost cried!"
"I did not!" he cried back once again, but then realized that he was acting immaturely. He huffed, crossed his arms, and had a look of finality on his face. "I am not going to talk to you until you stop accusing me of lies, Austen."
The brunette stared at him in disbelief and then burst out into merry laughter. "Teddy, is that you?" Upon seeing him scowl, she laughed louder. "Honestly, Malfoy, you're acting like an immature git. I never knew this thing is a touchy subject for you."
" – It's not - ."
"All right," she cut him off, her eyes still dancing with mirth. "I sincerely apologize for hurting you, dearest roommate. I promise not to taunt you ever again. I'll be good, I swear."
He seemed like he wanted to say something but was never given the chance because they finally arrived inside the Three Broomsticks. Draco was rendered speechless upon seeing the place so… vacant. He was used to the hustling-bustling people inside the said pub. He actually braced himself for the shoves and impolite pushes. "Is it really like this during Christmas breaks?" he asked.
Hermione looked at him at the corner of her eyes and secretly smiled. He looked adorable. 'Wait… WHAT?' she screamed inside her head and then shook it to clear her mind. Her locks bounced wildly around her shoulders. "Oh, don't look so surprised, Malfoy," she lightly said. "It's Christmas, after all. People are supposed to be celebrating with their loved ones."
Draco nervously cleared his throat. Celebrate Christmas with your loved one, eh? And now he was standing beside Hermione Granger… "Well, I'm sorry for being utterly clueless, Austen. This is my first time spending Christmas in Hogwarts."
He stated it so nonchalantly Hermione had to frown. "Okay," she merely said, although millions of questions rushed into her mind: Was it true he almost got sent to St. Mungo's last Christmas break? How did he feel right now? Would he rather be spending this break with his father? Did he want to be with her right now?
Once again, she shook her head to clear her mind.
She blindly followed Draco until he chose a table they usually sat in their past Hogsmeade trips.
He ordered two butterbeers and pumpkin pasties for the two of them. Soon, they were tucking in.
"Well, it seemed like your bewitched glasses actually worked," Draco commented, once in a while shooting furtive looks all over the room. "Nobody noticed you."
A proud smirk flittered on her face. "I told you so," she said, absentmindedly tucking a stray curl behind her ears. "They just think that I'm some random girl spending her Hogsmeade Trip with the Malfoy heir… I bet there would be rumors soon."
Rumors. His eyes widened at her implication. Was she trying to say that if some random passerby looked at their table, he or she would be able to see Draco Malfoy having a… date with a mysterious girl? He hid his blush by quickly munching a pumpkin pasty.
In a desperate need to shift their awkward conversation, he blurted out, "How does it feel to dress up like a girl again?" He grabbed his goblet and emptied its contents.
"Like a breath of fresh air," she solemnly said, releasing a loud 'whoosh'. Was he imagining things or did she look relieved, too? "Merlin, it's so weird coming from me but I am so glad I'm wearing a skirt again." She released a laugh, feeling ridiculous, and gestured at her skirt.
A smirk settled on his face. The tension vanished. "I always deemed you tomboyish, Austen," he stated. "You never cared about what you look like."
She shrugged and thoughtfully nibbled on her pumpkin pasty. "It's not really important," she confessed. "And what's the point when no one is going to appreciate it?"
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. 'Granger? Self-conscious? Wow.' He hummed in reply before minding his food again.
Silence settled between them. Draco's eyes roamed around the whole pub. He had mentally counted the number of customers (approximately ten people), the number of the chairs in the room (almost half a hundred or more), the number of filthy windows (All fifteen of them), the number of glasses on top of the bar table (ten, including one with a visible crack), and such.
This was truly an awkward day for him. He never imagined in his whole life that he, of all people, would be accompanying Hermione Granger (albeit a disguised one) on Christmas Day. Well, he had fantasies but before he would completely drown deeper into his imagination, he would shake his head and tell him that this was reality. And in reality, Hermione Granger was out-of-bounds…
… until now, he guessed.
With an exhausted sigh, he looked back at the girl in front of him. And that was when he noticed it. There, on her hair.
A grotesque hairclip.
Almost immediately, his nose scrunched up in disgust. "You call that a hair clip, Austen? It's more of like a sad excuse of one."
Her eyebrows knitted together as her hand unconsciously went on her hair accessory. "Well, I'm sorry," she softly spat, removing the hairclip from her hair. "I just transfigured some random candy wrapper to put my fringes away from my face. I don't care if it looks hideous to you."
The blond rolled her eyes as she clipped it back in place. "Whatever," he said, grabbing another pumpkin pasty and taking a bite.
"Are you almost done?" Hermione asked, eyeing the delicacy on his hand. "We have to make haste, Malfoy."
"Why?" His eyebrows knitted together.
"I have to buy Christmas gifts for our friends," she elaborated. "Teddy had sent me a letter this morning, threatening me to buy him a gift. Such a pushy fellow."
"You have no idea," he muttered under his breath, remembering the past Christmases when he would receive letters, even howlers, from Theodore Nott threatening to obliterate him into pieces, send his remains to Mars, and have a movie-like experience watching Martians prod his innards if he failed to send him his desired gift.
"We," a faint blush reached both of her cheeks, "have to separate from now on. I'll meet you back here at exactly three in the afternoon."
"Why?" he asked, confused.
A groan escaped from her lips. "Don't make me say it, Malfoy. Or I swear I'm going to Obliviate your memories afterwards."
"What are you talking about?"
She made an impatient noise at the back of her throat. "Ugh, just… just, go away for a while, okay?" She was now standing up, poised to leave. "Remember, three o'clock, yeah?" Hermione never gave him the chance to reply because she was soon outside the Three Broomsticks, an embarrassed smile on her face.
"Now what should I give Malfoy for Christmas?" she mused aloud, walking in the streets of Hogsmeade.
"That bloody nuisance," Draco muttered under his breath, looking from left to right for the familiar brunette. "Think she could just sprint away and leave me here… darn her."
A frustrated sigh escaped from Draco's lips as he tucked both of his hands inside his front pockets.
His eyes roamed around the streets, noticing some last-minute Christmas shoppers. He saw one upset toddler, arms crossed stubbornly against his chest, and refused to move an inch even though his mother was pulling him already. He saw one couple, the guy shyly reaching for the girl's hand. He saw one old lady being assisted by a proud child as they crossed the street.
Everybody was with somebody.
Draco scowled. He felt alone. 'Thank you, Hermione Granger,' he growled internally, sidestepping two children running on the streets.
It was weird but he awfully missed Teddy and Blaise. There were times when he was actually fed up with Teddy's immaturity and Blaise's sick optimism. But now, Merlin he missed them. They were, after all, his best friends.
He halted in his steps upon seeing a trace of curly, brunette hair. At a closer glance, he observed that she wasn't Granger at all. 'Great, now I'm imagining her everywhere,' he sullenly thought, resuming his walk.
They were progressing, he reckoned. Their relationship, he meant. From enemies, to acquaintances, to almost-friends, or so he thought. They still bicker, all right. But playfully. His cheeks inflamed with the sudden discovery.
He wondered if his friends noticed, especially Teddy and Blaise. Oh, especially Blaise. The bloke could read him like his favorite book; it irritated him sometimes. Did he notice the sudden changes in him? The brief enthusiasm in him every time he woke up in the morning? The contented smile always fighting its way into his lips? The sickening bounce he had in his every step that made him stop walking for a while?
Or maybe he noticed the way he looked at their roommate…?
He scowled. He tried so hard just to shove his feelings for a certain brunette at the darkest recesses of his heart so that no one could see it, especially Lucius. Oh god, he couldn't sleep peacefully ever since his first year, wondering if his father received a letter from some anonymous jerk stating that he fancied a Mudblood. Lucius would never hesitate but kill her.
Kill her. A shiver involuntarily ran up his spine. He, to put it into simple words, was an emotional wreck when he read the headlines on the Daily Prophet stating that Hermione Granger was dead. He had locked himself inside his room for a week and refused to be nourished and groomed.
He only emerged from his room on her funeral day, August 5, 1997. He was expected to be there, seeing that he was a Hogwarts student and a spy for the Order of the Phoenix. Teddy and Blaise had flocked down his side as they listened to Potter and Weasley's eulogy for their best friend. Both of his best friends were grave that day. Blaise had been giving him weird looks all throughout the day but he ignored them.
After all, Blaise knew he was in love with Hermione Granger. And it irritated him to no end.
His drastic change was so visible once the school-year started, even daft Theodore Nott noticed. He blamed it on him being a Death Eater and a spy at the same time and his best friend bought it. He was utterly glad of his thickness.
Draco had faithfully visited her grave ever since that day. The first few days were so painful he would only glance at it for minutes before running back to Hogwarts as fast as possible. But as days went by, he was able to stay for an hour, more than even. There were times when he would talk to her softly, telling her that he missed her annoying presence and cursing her for her death without knowing how he had adored everything about her ever since he laid eyes on her.
After those brief, coveted moments with her grave, he would conjure a fresh tulip and place it on her tombstone. It was her favorite flower, he long discovered. It was on Valentine's Day when he knew. He saw Potter giving her a tulip and overhearing him saying that it was her most favorite flower.
He never charmed them everlasting. It gave him an excuse to go back everyday just so he could replace the previous, wilted flower.
Hermes Austen then came along and upon one glance at his new roommate, he instantly disliked him. There was something mysterious hovering his whole being and it screamed 'danger' to Draco. He tried his best to avoid him at all cost but it was hard, seeing that both Teddy and Blaise took a liking to their new roommate.
He thought he would hate him until Merlin-knows-what. The fact that he spewed all over him was enough to put him in Draco's list of "People Who Doesn't Deserve to Grace in My Presence". But there was something about him that compelled him to save him, twice, and up until then he never understood why.
There were times when he swore that he acted unusual things that Hermione Granger normally did. It was enough reason to hate him more for making him remember her.
And then, he discovered that his roommate was actually Hermione Granger in disguise. Mixed feelings surfaced in his heart and the most dominant one was anger. He had avoided her like she was the plague herself until he confronted her and cursed her for lying to Teddy and Blaise, to all the Slytherins that welcomed Hermes Austen with open arms.
He never told her that he was so hurt because she lied to him, for causing the misery he had felt on the day that he discovered she died.
Draco had completely avoided her for a whole week after their confrontation. And it was, without any doubt, hell. He felt like a bloody bastard for the whole week. Her words rang loudly inside his head and they haunted him, even in his dreams.
He knew he had been an inconsiderate and irrational jerk. Her reason was perfectly, well, reasonable. He had no right to be mad at her when she had to give up her identity and gender just so she could save her parents from Voldemort. He was feeling guilty for the whole week.
The blessed day came when she returned back really late at night with him being the only occupant in the common room. He knew it was his chance to apologize, to tell her that he completely understood what she was trying to reason out to him on one of his irrational days.
And he was so glad he grasped that chance.
He had no idea if his feelings were so glaringly obvious. For him it was. There were times when he thought that he was being too… affectionate in his own bizarre way. He had to stop himself countless times because, after all, she was still disguised as a guy. He did not want to rouse up any suspicions from his schoolmates.
His mind went back into reality when he thought he had seen her once again. But then, she was gone in a whirlwind. A frown materialized on his face. 'What might be something she had to do without me?' he asked himself, absentmindedly ruffling his head.
He shook his head to get rid of those thoughts. He was alone now; maybe he could seize this chance to buy some gifts for his best friends.
He walked inside a dingy bookstore, hoping to find a book for Blaise. Merlin, he was such a bookworm. Draco was so sure he would read any book he could see.
Next, he went to other shops to buy some of his close acquaintances some gifts. They were merely few, and so, he was able to finish it within an hour.
Teddy was next in his mind and predictably, what he wanted for Christmas was a bunch of sweets. Honeydukes was in sight and he quickly strode towards it, only to stop in front of a window of a nearby shop.
His eyes were instantly magnetized on the displayed butterfly-shaped hairclip. One corner of his lips quirked up into a small smirk. He remembered the hideous hair clip currently settled on top of the beautiful brunette's hair and he chuckled under his breath.
He finally knew what to give her.
Without any second thoughts, he walked inside the said shop and demanded the hairclip from an astonished shopkeeper.
Hermione happily strode towards Honeydukes, hands full of packages. She had bought gifts for all of her friends, except Teddy. She knew he would love another bunch of sweets for his towering supply.
Some of the gifts she bought were easy to buy, others were hard. She knew Blaise would love a new book. Pansy had moaned to her a few days before that the nail polish she bought was a grotesque one, thus, she bought the best one of the store (Yes, Pansy's obsession with her finally diminished and they were actually friends now). Little Mina wanted new parchments for taking down more notes about her almighty Lord Theodore. Crabbe and Goyle would love to have a new pair of mittens for their humongous hands. Millicent had destroyed her scarf and she was desperate for a new one. Ivan Raft used up his supply of his broomstick cleaner and he wanted a new one. There were a few more for some of her Slytherin friends and she fervently hoped that they would appreciate it, seeing that they were mostly rich kids and she only had a tight budget.
The only Gryffindor she was planning to give a gift was Harry. She bought him a miniature version of Meteorite 1997. He still had not gotten over his obsession with the said version of broomstick. As much as she wanted to buy him the real one, she could only afford the smaller version. She hoped that Harry would understand.
She had bought a gift for Malfoy, too. He was seriously the hardest of them all. She never really knew what to give him, seeing that on her first few months as a Slytherin, he was always glaring at her from afar.
Finally, she settled on a set of quills complete with color-changing ink. Hermione had observed that Draco had this habit of chewing the end of his writing tool, ruining it in the end.
The small bell on top of the door jingled when she came in. Hermione's eyes widened. It seemed like Honeydukes was the only place swarmed by a lot of people, mostly children, in Hogsmeade.
She blinked five times then laughed. What should she expect? This was a sweet shop; sweets were always in demand in Hogsmeade.
Tiredly sighing, she tried to break through the mass of people. She was shoved and elbowed countless times and by the time that she reached the end of the shop, she was panting. A scowl settled on her face and she glared at people who glanced her way.
"Feeling touchy now, eh?"
Her head whipped at the source of the voice and saw a smirking Malfoy, nonchalantly leaning against one of the shelves with his arms crossed over his chest. Her eyebrows quirked up upon seeing the paper bags neatly settled beside his feet. "You went Christmas shopping, too?" she asked.
"Oh, don't look so surprised," he snarled, glancing at her own paper bags. "Breaking news, nuisance, I have friends, too."
She merely chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. Her eyes roamed around the shop again and sighed. "I'm assuming you're going to buy sweets for Teddy," she said, glancing back at him. "But how can we without leaving with bruises and broken bones?"
"Well," he said, removing his wand from his sleeve, "I can always bewitch them."
Hermione glared. "Not everything is solved by magic, Malfoy," she reprimanded. She released another sigh. "This is going to be a longer day."
She looked back at him. "Come on; if you want to leave here as soon as possible, then we better make haste." She started to walk, or rather dodge, the other customers.
The brunette was suddenly shoved by a bunch of giggly girls and almost toppled. Thankfully, Draco's arms instinctively wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her back flush against his chest.
Her breath knocked out of her throat and she growled in irritation. "Ah, seriously, these girls should watch where they're going." She bristled in his arms. "No need to rush in getting sweets. This is Honeydukes, for Merlin's sake! They'll ne - ."
The words died in her lips as soon as she craned her neck to look over her shoulder at Draco…
… How could she talk when her lips just gingerly brushed against his?
The touch was so light… so gentle… it felt almost dreamlike. It was a brief brush, almost like a feather gingerly brushing the cheek. But its effect on both teens was tremendous.
Hermione broke free from Draco's secure hug, his hands falling limply on his sides. He was staring at her with such huge eyes and she had this inkling feeling that she mirrored his expression. Her fingers shot up to her lips and took a step back, dazed. "I-I…" she paused and cleared her throat, taking another step back, "am going to look for Teddy's fa-favorite sweets."
She sharply turned around and almost ran away from him.
As soon as she disappeared in the throng of bustling customers, Draco breathed again.
"Holy… fuck," he hissed, taking a step back as if suddenly hit by a huge force. He bit his bottom lip but freed it almost immediately. Damn, his lips had a faint taste of Hermione's strawberry lip gloss.
He released a loud 'whoosh', his cheeks coloring so darkly people nearby looked at him strangely.
Without any thoughts, he zoomed out of the shop.
He seriously needed fresh air.
Silence.
It was fragile and the two Slytherins did the best they could to make it undisturbed.
They had been like that ever since they came back from Hogsmeade. Quiet. There were a few nods, soft 'yeses' or 'nos', and then everything would revert back to silence. It was a wonder how they managed to find each other after that incident in Honeydukes. Hermione had comforted her embarrassed self at the farthest and darkest corner of the sweet shop whilst Draco ran almost two miles around the whole village until he was panting for air.
They had accidentally met in front of the Three Broomsticks and images of the unexpected kiss came rushing back to their minds.
"Let's go back?" Draco managed to blurt out, his cheeks the envy of all tomatoes in Professor Sprout's greenhouses.
"Okay," she choked out and together, they walked back to Hogwarts in an awkward silence.
His footsteps were ringing loudly against the almost vacant hall. Hermione thought his steps were distinct. It was so… so him. No wonder she connected the mysterious footsteps she heard on the night when he eavesdropped and on the day he harshly told her to meet him in the Room of Requirement, then stomped back in unadulterated anger.
She peeked at him at the corner of her eyes. There was a deep frown on his face, his eyebrows were joined together, and his eyes looked troubled. He was bothered.
A blush slowly crept back on her cheeks and she instinctively stared at his lips. She had kissed a few guys before. Ron, Viktor, even Cormac Mc-Bloody-Laggen. Ron's were awkward. Viktor's were too rough. Cormac's were downright disgusting. She was not inexperienced at all. And so, it was bothering her greatly now that the brief kiss they shared was affecting her so much.
"Granger?"
Her mouth instantly became dry. He was calling her old last name again and despite the danger of uttering such names in an open corridor, she did not have the heart to reprimand him. "Ye-yeah?" she managed to rasp out, then cleared her throat afterwards.
He shuffled for a moment. "Um… about - ."
"Forget it," she eagerly stated. Her blush came back full-force. "I-I mean, that did not mean anything, yeah?"
They paused in front of the bare wall guarding the Slytherin common room. The brunette whispered the password and they were gained access inside their abode.
Draco had fallen a few steps back away from Hermione. A frown appeared on her face. He did not answer back. "Malfoy?"
"What?"
"It didn't mean anything, right?" she asked once again. She had no idea what possessed her to stare right back into Draco's grey eyes. Before she could even comprehend the strange look in his eyes, he instantly wore his mask of indifference to guard his current feelings. "Right, Malfoy?"
His lips pursed into a tight line. "Of course, nuisance," he said. His infamous smirk then appeared on his face. "You think it meant something?"
Hermione looked scandalized. "Sh-shut up, you idiot!" she retorted back. "What gave you that bloody idea?" A huff escaped from her lips. "Oh right, I forgot. I'm currently accompanying the man with the biggest ego than the solar system."
He scoffed in reply.
She rolled her eyes and turned her face away from him to hide the secret smile on her face. The uneasiness between the two of them slightly diminished. "Whatever," she said, taking a few steps away from Draco. "I'm dead tired and I want to go to sleep now."
She removed her bewitched glasses and brandished out her wand.
"What are you doing?" Genuine confusion was heard at the tone of his voice.
The brunette looked back at him, annoyed. "Isn't it obvious, Malfoy?" she asked. "I'm going to wear my disguise again."
This time, he was the one who rolled his eyes. "It was obvious that you missed being dressed like a bloody girl," he stated matter-of-factly. "You said it yourself, Granger. We are the only persons here in the Slytherin common room. You can take off your disguise for a while."
Her eyes lit up with his suggestion. "Yeah… well, you're right," she said, ignoring the triumphant smirk on his face.
Silence ensued once again. They stared at each others eyes for a full minute before Hermione broke their staring contest, uncomfortable. "I'm going retire back to our room…"
"Erm… I'll sleep on the couch."
She chuckled in amusement. "Merlin, Malfoy, we've slept on the same room for months already," she said. "What's the point of sleeping on the couch?"
Call him a womanizer… a cad. Heck, call him a man-whore. But Draco was a decent man. When he knew that a girl was not interested in him, especially the girl of his dreams, he would be a nice gentleman around her. Sure, he'd slept in the same room with Hermione Granger for months now, but that was before he knew that his roommate was a disguised lady. And besides, both Blaise and Teddy were also in the room.
And now that she was looking like her usual self… the blond had to gulp. Merlin forbid, but he had inappropriate dreams about her for ages. Now knowing that she was in the same room with him, fucking alone, his testosterones seemed to be in an overdrive.
"You're making it sound like we're a married couple, Malfoy," she said, cracking a humored smile. Draco blanched. "Like we just had a fight and everything's awkward so you choose sleep on the couch." Her smile froze on her face, now realizing what she had uttered. She darkly blushed and nervously coughed, partially hiding her ruddy face. "Seriously, no need to act so gentlemanly around me. It's so unlike you. And besides, you won't be doing anything… inappropriate, yeah?"
A sarcastic laugh escaped from his lips. 'Oh, if you only know what I do to you in my dreams, Granger,' he spat inside his head.
Hermione mistook his laugh as disbelief. "Exactly," she said with a smile. She turned her face away from him. "I'll be… retiring now to our room. Just…" She cleared her throat. "Goodnight, Malfoy."
He nodded his head even though he knew Hermione wouldn't see it. He just merely watched as she strode quickly up to their room and leaving him completely alone.
As soon as she was out of sight, a soft, tortured groan escaped from his lips. "This will be a long, tormenting night, Draco Malfoy."
With that, he soon followed Hermione's lead and walked up to their room.
Review Responses:
CheshireCat23: Well, here it is XD Although, Christmas is done, treat this as a Christmas gift. Aww, so what did you think about their "alone" time. Goodness, I think I figuratively died after writing the whole chapter. Anyway, thanks for the lovely review. Hope to see more from you in the future!
slytherin-pwincess-no: *Bows down* Thank you, thank you. Before posting new chapters, I try to make my work as good as possible. Thank Merlin, they're not in vain. Oh, you really think she's a poor, poor girl for having three boys, hot ones, no less, pining for her? I'd instantly die if I discover that somebody as gorgeous as Draco Malfoy has a crush on me XD. Haha, anyway, thanks for your review!
haileydelacour101: Teddy not knowing about Hermes Austen's secret makes the story all the more hilarious, don't you think? He's just TOO adorable for me XD Imma make him suffer for a few more chapters and think that he's really swinging the other way. About updating a little sooner… I don't think so. I'm an incoming senior here in our country and our college entrance exams are looming. GAH, hence, I have review classes and all. But I assure you that I'll be able to update no later than Thursday. Thanks for the review, by the way!
Karate Chic: Your review is almost right, honey. Nope, I'm telling you, Harry's not falling in love with Hermione XD Harry will never, ever fall in love with Hermione :p Harry has Ginny, remember? Their relationship is purely platonic but I don't blame you for your assumption. I have this weird feeling that I make their scenes a little sweet… but that's how I wanted a brother and sister act, anyway. So, thanks for your review!
Isabella120: Aww, love your adjective! So… so… British-y XD As for green to represent Teddy and Blaise's jealousy, it's all thanks to my little brother. When I was typing the last chapter, he was asking me for idioms for his homework and the first thing that came into my mind was "green-eyed monster", thus, the concept of this story. Anyway, thanks for your lovely review!
LookingforNirvana: Thank you! I think this is adorable, too. It's so adorable and light-hearted and sweet as opposed to my sobby (if that's even a word) "11 Things". Oh, and I absolutely adore Theodore Nott here, too! I was sad he was rarely mentioned in the books; hence, I gave him his own adorable personality. Anyway, thanks for your review!
little-lion-girl42: Well, here's the Dramione goodness you couldn't wait for! So, how was it? If you're not yet satisfied, do wait for the next chapter. It's the continuation of their Christmas time together and I swear, it keeps getting better and better. And of course, this is Dramione; therefore, there are more Dramione moments in the future chapters. Anyway, thanks for your review!
Schnuersenkel: Well, at least you gave some time to post your review to the previous chapter XD I KNOW RIGHT! She is such a lucky, lucky girl and even if I'm the author of the story and I manipulate the whole plot, I'm still envious of her. Boo Hermione Granger for making Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott fall in love with her :D But seriously, thank you for your review!
Jenna Linda: A love square XD GAH, it's making me laugh! Ooh, a love square in my story? How adorable :p Well, here's the Hermione and Draco alone time in the empty, EMPTY common room. Next chapter will be the continuation of their alone time so do stay tuned and wait for my update. Anyway, thanks for your review :)
Nicconicco: All right, all right, you're right *blows a raspberry* Haha, well, thank you for thinking the previous chapter was 'funny, sweet, and awesome'. I do try my best to entertain my readers. Well, is this chapter epic enough for you? *shifty eyes* I do hope so :p The next chapter will be a continuation of this, by the way. Haha, anyway, that's all. Thanks for your review XD
miaspotter: And it's sweet of you to review :D Haha, thank you for your review. Now, what did you think of this chapter? Still sweet enough?
flamingbunnies: I believe it's a love square now :p What with Draco, Blaise, and Teddy all having crushes on our heroine. Yeah, I think Blaise is also a suitable partner for Hermione. I mean, I read a couple of Blaise/Hermione stories and I think they're not bad at all. But, it breaks my heart to read stories of Hermione with other guys XD For me, she will always belong to Draco. Well, that's my opinion only. Anyway, thanks for your review!
Lost O'Fallon Girl: Honestly? I thought that after revealing that Draco's the one who places the tulip on Hermione's grave, many people were not surprised at all. So, I'm not surprised, too when you claim you weren't surprised it was Draco. As for how he discovered, this chapter answered it for you, right? :D I do think it's also hilarious that she disguised herself as a boy and became a Slytherin. Although, in my opinion, if I were in her shoes, I'd suck at hiding my secret. Hehe, just so you know. Anyway, thanks for your lovely review!
beautifly92: I know right? XD I do like the idea of connecting green with jealousy *wink* Well, yeah, I guess it's pure Dramione goodness in this chapter and the next one after this because Hermione's dressed as a girl. Although, in the future chapters, there would still be Dramione goodness despite her disguising her female attributes. Well, thanks for reviewing!
ellenloveforever: Thank you for thinking this story is awesome *grins* I do try my best, just so you know. I hope this chapter made you think this story is awesome-r *shifty eyes* Anyway, thanks for your review!
kon: Cute! Cute! Cute review, too! XD Short but it made me smile. Aww, and cute name, too :p Anyway, thanks for reviewing!
Kennedy: If you read my author's notes in the previous chapters (specifically Chapter 3), you'd know that I did base this fic on "You're Beautiful" (lovely Korean drama, by the way). But their personalities and a very few scenes are similar. The plot is solely mine; I thought of it for months and typed the whole thing. But, thank you for thinking this is so far a great fanfic. Anyway, thanks for your review!
Fawzie: Well, I do think that Harry and Hermione's scenes were slightly OOC. Although I know that Canon!Harry cares greatly for our beloved brunette, he was never that showy in the books; and I think Hermione deserved more love from her best friends, don't you think? It's always her, her, and her. Therefore, I created a Harry that does show his love for Hermione. Besides, she faked her death, remember? And she has to do such a dangerous mission; hence, Harry's slight OOCness is perfectly acceptable. :D Aww, I do love the name "Silver Quartet", too. Anyway, thank you for your very insightful review. I appreciated it XD
LivviBelle: Because darling, nobody can resist Hermione Granger? XD Aww, wow, what a huge compliment. One of the best fanfics? Thank you… thank you very much. Your review somehow lifted up my spirits. Thanks for your great review!
LoonyLovey: *sob* *sob* It's a great honor for a writer every time a reader tells her she's an awesome writer. Inflates my ego, seriously… XD Oh, this story will continue; don't worry. I've finished the whole story, if you remember reading it in one of my author's notes. I've completed the whole story from the first chapter to the prologue. All I'm doing now is doing some last minute editing before posting the next chapter online. Gah, anyway, thanks for your lovely review!
Cinna16: Oh, truth be told, I've also been anticipating of the chapter wherein Hermione removes her disguise and be a girl once again! I can't wait for the reactions of my readers. So what do you think, so far? XD As for your question (Can this story get any better?), I don't know what to answer. What do you think? LOL, anyway, thanks for your review!
Roses of Dawn: Thank you for stating your interest in my story. Now, I am interested to know what you think of this chapter *wink* *wink*. Anyway, thanks for your review!
dmlainey: And I do look forward to your future reviews XD Thanks for reviewing!
SHChevalier: A love square… you're like the nth person who told me that! XD Aww, and Hermione not loving anybody yet? That sucks for the three gorgeous Slytherins, don't you think? She'll choose Draco? Are you really sure? Then better die now… I WAS KIDDING. Of course she'll choose Draco. God, I'm spoiling you now, aren't I? But I think the answer is obvious, don't you think? After all this is a Dramione romance story. Anyway, thanks for your review!
bbyebiebercozoftattoo: Oh gosh, what a compliment *blushes* Thank you; I'm humbled. Haha, and I thank you for loving my fic. Like all authors out there, we treat our stories like our babies. So far, "Only a Pretense" is my most favorite baby :D Oh, and thank you for loving the pacing. I try to be not too fast and yet too slow at the same time. I think it's an achievement for me if some people tell me the pacing is good just the way it is. Anyway, thanks for your lovely review!
B.S: Thank you, thank you. I try to make this story a good one and for you to say that it's "one of the best fanfics ever", I'm utterly flattered. Thank you very much :D I think my eyes are starting to get a little hazy, too, all because I kept on reading and writing fanfics. Gah, I need a clear vision for my future XD As for your last question, why not stay tuned for my updates? You'll know the answer in the future chapters :p Anyway, thank you for your review!
A/N: Surprised I posted review responses? XD Again, it's summer here. 'Nuff said.
SO, how was it? Did you like it? Did I satisfy your hungry Dramione minds? Haha, I made them kiss! Although… accidentally… Oh well, at least they did kiss. I was actually waiting for this chapter :p Can you feel the love in the air… I've literally melted into a gooey pool of fluffiness after typing the part wherein Draco was walking alone in the wintry streets of Hogsmeade and contemplating his stupidity for falling in love with Hermione Granger *oh, sigh*. AND THE KISS… Ooh, if you want more, I'll give more in the next chapter. See the 'Part I' beside the title? It means there's a 'Part II' (Oh, no shit, Sherlock XD)
ANYWAY, I'll stop right here now. I am utterly glad that my reviews for this story are increasing :D I thought it wasn't getting enough attention like my "11 Things". And speaking of "11 Things", I'm still getting reviews even if I've finished it like ages ago. To those who read, reviewed, and cried (some also bashed me for making them cry), I am sincerely thankful.
Haha, so, that's it for now! I think this all-nighter thing is taking its toll on me now. Once again, make me happy by reviewing okay?
With love,
WickedlyAwesomeMe
P.S. I'm writing a new story :D It's actually only composed of five chapters and I'm currently finishing the second chapter. I will be posting it as soon as I finished typing the fifth chapter. It's actually a sequel to "Alphabet Love: Inspector Draco Malfoy". I got an idea as soon as some people voiced out their want for a sequel. Thus, I'm making it and so far, I'm quite satisfied with it. Do wait for it! I'll be posting it some time.