AN1: I'm SO SORRY for the long wait!! This chapter has given me the biggest case of writers block ever!! And plus, I got really distracted and so much stuff has been happening. My summer literally ZOOMED BY! It was filled with swimming and hanging out and laughing and a certain guy and just...wow. Somehow, I work better at updating when it is during the school year.
NOTE: The passages in bold that tell that time passes are just that, time passing!. It isn't meant to be given more detail. It's just to symbolize that every time she catches him, it marks that something significant in their relationship will happen soon.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine. No part of it is.
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Many people can sense when they are being stared at, and everyone that can, will say that it's an odd feeling. Hermione Granger is one of these people. She had been growing more and more paranoid as the weeks of her seventh year passed by. In every class, she got the feeling that someone was watching her, and it was very awkward. She never made eye contact with anyone when she turned around oh-so-casually to see if she could spot the person sending unwanted chills down her spine. Yes, it was definitely spooky, being able to sense that someone was watching you.
Then, on one fateful Thursday, Hermione finally caught the eyes of the one who had been the sole cause of her discomfort. Draco Malfoy. In Transfiguration that day, she turned around and met the silver gaze of the Slytherin. To say she was surprised would definitely have been an understatement. She waited for him to smirk and turn away, but he didn't. His gaze on her was unwavering. She saw curiosity and—was it longing?—residing in his eyes. Greatly uncomfortable and confused, Hermione turned back around and continued her work.
She had expected the feeling of him watching her to go away, but it didn't. For the rest of the class, she could feel his eyes on her. When McGonagall dismissed them, Hermione rushed out of the classroom and all but ran to Arithmancy, as if trying to outrun his stare.
It was only when she found herself in an unfamiliar hallway did she scold herself for being ridiculous. You can't outrun a stare, especially if you were imagining it! Hermione convinced herself that she had somehow been imagining the whole thing and turned around to go to Arithmancy. Halfway there, she bumped into a solid figure and fell on the ground.
"Oh, sorry, I wasn't really watching where I was going," She looked up and met the unwavering stare of, again, Malfoy.
"It's fine," he half smiled, offering her his hand. "You're the one who took the fall, anyway. Let me help,"
Hermione took his hand and he pulled her up. "Thanks," she said as she dusted her robes off.
Without another word, she made her way to class, hoping desperately that she wouldn't be late. Unfortunately, she couldn't shake thoughts of him from her mind, nor could she shake his persistent stare from the back of her head.
At the end of class, Hermione had had it. She couldn't stand the feeling of him staring at her. ...Or maybe she couldn't stand the fact that she didn't understand why he was. Either way, she was going to confront him about it; in a calm, polite, quiet—
"MALFOY! Why in the name of Merlin have you been staring at me for three sodding weeks!? Don't deny it, I know it was you. So tell me, what is this sudden interest with me? Are you plotting ways to drive me batty? Are you planning to kidnap me? Just tell me and then stop so I can get on with my life!"
...So much for calm and polite. As for quiet, that had gone out the window the second she had yelled his name in the corridor.
He didn't speak, he merely looked amused. He honestly hadn't realized that she had notice or that it was bothering her this much. The fact that he was amused, wound Hermione up. She was about to start another rant when he quickly walked up to her and put his hand over her mouth.
"Not here."
He took her hand and led her off down the corridor. Half of the onlookers were worried and tempted to follow or to tell Harry and Ron. The other half was bemused. They knew what was up.
A week later Draco and Hermione were found—ahem—occupying themselves in a broom cupboard and it was confirmed that they were, indeed, dating and had been since that confrontation in the hallway.
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Several months had passed since the outrage and shock caused by the new couple, Draco and Hermione. It eventually—to the couple's complete relief...or at least Hermione's; Draco rather liked the attention—got old and people stopped whispering about them in the hallways as they passed. Now, people contented in whispering about the upcoming Yule Ball. A notice of it had been posted in every common room and it caused a minor riot. Draco didn't care either way when people were talking about them, but Hermione, on the other hand, was more than glad when they stopped.
Hermione assumed that she was going to go to the ball with Draco, but, the fool still hadn't asked her. It didn't matter if they were dating, he still had to ask. She desperately hoped that he wouldn't be stupid enough to wait until two weeks before the ball. It took at least a week in advance to get a really good dress, for Hermione the instant, go-on-the-first-shopping-trip-and-just-so-happen-to-find-the-perfect-dress occurrence never happened to her.
When he finally asked her—in a non extravagant way, just a simple tulip with a note attached—she was overjoyed!
Finally, Christmas Eve arrived and everyone was in high spirits. Even Harry—who had finally gotten the guts to ask Ginny, and Ron—who had asked Susan Bones at least a month in advance. (This was quite a step up from the fiasco of the fourth year ball).
Susan joined Ginny and Hermione in the head dorms to get ready together. By the time seven pm rolled around, all of them looked stunning in their finery.
Susan's dress was a lovely pale blue number that fell to her calves and had a sweetheart neckline.
Ginny looked fabulous in an off-the-shoulder brown cocktail dress. It went slightly above her knees. Her hair was pin-straight and fell gracefully to her shoulders.
But Draco only had eyes for Hermione. She was wearing a floor-length crimson dress with a slit up the side to the middle of her leg. It hugged her curves perfectly and flowed like silk. Her hair was curled and piled on top of her head in an elegant updo with some curls artfully left out. Draco looked at her appreciatively and she blushed.
He didn't take his eyes off of her the whole night. Not when they were dancing, eating, talking or even when she was dancing with Harry and Ron.
It got to the point that even Ron commented (albeit reluctantly) that Draco seemed to really love Hermione, but that it still was a little odd that he kept staring at her.
A couple months later, at graduation, Draco and Hermione became engaged, and six months after that, they were married.
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Hermione felt eyes burning holes into the back of her skull. She knew full well who's they were, but she ignored it and continued to socialize. It was the only wedding reception she would ever have, why cut it short? She knew that if she caught his smoldering gaze, there'd only be one thing that she'd want to do.
When she finally looked into his eyes, it was an accident, completely unintentional.
"Dance with me," he said.
Of course, Hermione complied and at once, Draco swept her into his arms and they waltzed gracefully on the dance floor. As they danced, their gaze never once wavered. He held her close and she still got goosebumps when he whispered into her ear, a smirk on his face. "Ready to leave, Mrs. Malfoy?"
She nodded smiled shyly and, if possible, his smirk widened. Hermione motioned to Ginny after she had—reluctantly—pulled herself away from her husband.
"Gin, um, Draco and I are going to leave now. We want to get a head start on—er—cleaning out the Manor and getting rid of any left over Dark artifacts. Will you let the others know?"
Ginny gave her friend a knowing look, but didn't question her. "Of course,"
Hermione kissed her friend on the cheek. "See you,"
They took their leave and apparated into the newly-decorated Malfoy Manor. Not one person left at the reception believed that they were actually going to clean it.
Nine months later, Avery Elizabeth Malfoy, was born.
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Six Years Later.
It was a cold December evening and Hermione was curled up in a chair by the fire, six year old Avery asleep in her lap, and she was reading a book. Draco stared intently at her, waiting for her to sense it and look up. He didn't have to wait long. Hermione looked up and met his gaze. His hungry eyes were filled with desire and love. Quickly and carefully, their sleeping daughter was set on the chair and Hermione walked toward her bedroom; shedding clothes strategically as she went.
Draco's eyes lit up. She had correctly interpreted his stare. She really was good at reading him as no one else had ever been able to. Stealthily, he crept up behind her and followed her as she climbed up the stairs. She, oddly enough, didn't notice his proximity to her. Hermione turned around and was startled when she saw him. The scream never left her mouth. Draco engaged her mouth in a hard kiss and picked her up. Her carried her to the bedroom and closed the door behind him. They didn't want to be disturbed.
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AN2: The authors note at the bottom of the last chapter with my long term goal was an inaccurate, epic fail. My new goal is to finish this story before I go off to college. Then I will have had this story going throughout all of high school.
Oh, did anyone see HBP!?! Wasn't it AMAZING?!?!?! Eek! I loved seeing Harry on Felix Felicitis. That was freaking hilarious!!! "And you know, their pinchers." (Puts fingers by mouth and clicks tongue). Bahahahahaha! Gotta love Dan! Tell me what you guys thought of it!!
Wait...one more thing!
REVIEW! (Come on, you knew that was coming; don't lie!!)